Experiences of Mental Distress during COVID-19: Thematic Analysis of Discussion Forum Posts for Anxiety, Depression, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on coronavirus patients, health care workers, and the general population is clear. Relatively few studies have, however, considered the impact of the pandemic on those with pre-existing mental health conditions. Therefore, the present study investigates the personal experiences of those with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder during COVID-19. We conducted a qualitative study utilising Reddit discussion forum posts. We conducted three separate thematic analyses from 130 posts in subreddit forums aimed for people identifying with anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We identified a number of similar discussion forum themes (e.g., COVID-19 intensifying symptoms and a lack of social support), as well as themes that were unique to each forum type (e.g., hyperawareness and positive experiences during the pandemic). Findings should guide future practice and the support provided to those living with mental distress.

An analysis of the association between prostate cancer risk loci, PSA levels, disease aggressiveness and disease-specific mortality.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple single-nucleotide polymorphsims (SNPs) associated with prostate cancer (PCa). Although these SNPs have been clearly associated with disease risk, their relationship with clinical outcomes is less clear. Our aim was to assess the frequency of known PCa susceptibility alleles within a single institution ascertainment and to correlate risk alleles with disease-specific outcomes. METHODS: We genotyped 1354 individuals treated for localised PCa between June 1988 and December 2007. Blood samples were prospectively collected and de-identified before being genotyped and matched to phenotypic data. We investigated associations between 61 SNPs and disease-specific end points using multivariable analysis and also determined if SNPs were associated with PSA at diagnosis. RESULTS: Seven SNPs showed associations on multivariable analysis (P<0.05), rs13385191 with both biochemical recurrence (BR) and castrate metastasis (CM), rs339331 (BR), rs1894292, rs17178655 and rs11067228 (CM), and rs11902236 and rs4857841 PCa-specific mortality. After applying a Bonferroni correction for number of SNPs (P<0.0008), the only persistent significant association was between rs17632542 (KLK3) and PSA levels at diagnosis (P=1.4 × 10(-5)). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that rs17632542 in KLK3 is associated with PSA at diagnosis. No significant association was seen between loci and disease-specific end points when accounting for multiple testing. This provides further evidence that known PCa risk SNPs do not predict likelihood of disease progression.

Intrahippocampal injection of pertussis toxin blocks adenosine suppression of synaptic responses.

Adenosine exerts prominent inhibitory effects on synaptic transmission via a presynaptic action. Using the hippocampal slice preparation, we have found in electrophysiological experiments that this action of adenosine is blocked by intrahippocampal injections of pertussis toxin. In biochemical studies, we have confirmed that this treatment affects the GTP-binding proteins, Gi and Go, in this preparation. These results indicate that both pre- and postsynaptic actions of adenosine involve pertussis toxin-sensitive GTP-binding proteins.

Pharmacological characterization of phosphoinositide-linked glutamate receptor excitation of hippocampal neurons.

Pharmacological studies of glutamate receptor stimulation of the phosphoinositide (PI) system have demonstrated that this response is blocked by several agents: 2-amino-3-phosphonopropionate (AP3), phorbol esters and in some preparations pertussis toxin. In electrophysiological studies of CA1 pyramidal neurons, we have found that pertussis toxin and AP3 (1-2 mM) do not block either the membrane depolarization or inhibition of the slow afterhyperpolarization elicited by trans-1-aminocyclopentyl-1,3-dicarboxylate (ACPD; 30 microM), a selective agonist of the PI-linked glutamate receptor. However, phorbol 12,13-diacetate (1-1.5 microM) which itself blocks the slow afterhyperpolarization, completely blocks the membrane depolarizing response elicited by ACPD. These results add to growing evidence for heterogeneity among PI-linked glutamate receptor responses.

Managed care under siege: how an effective compliance program can protect your company.

This article discusses the current enforcement emphasis on managed care fraud and examines how managed care organizations can utilize compliance programs, including legal audits, to protect against unwarranted investigations and liability. The article reviews the elements of an effective compliance program, how to conduct an internal audit, and the risks and benefits of a voluntary disclosure in the event fraudulent activity is discovered.

Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines other than pertussis and rubella. Summary of a report from the Institute of Medicine.

In September 1993, the Institute of Medicine released a report entitled Adverse Events Associated With Childhood Vaccines: Evidence Bearing on Causality. The report examined putative serious adverse consequences associated with administration of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids; measles, mumps, and measles-mumps-rubella vaccines; oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine; hepatitis B vaccines; and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines. The committee spent 18 months reviewing all available scientific and medical data, from individual case reports (published and unpublished) to controlled clinical trials. The committee found that the evidence favored the rejection of a causal relation between diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and encephalopathy, infantile spasms, and sudden infant death syndrome, and between conjugate Hib vaccines and susceptibility to Hib disease. The committee found that the evidence favored acceptance of a causal relation between diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and Guillain-Barré syndrome and brachial neuritis, between measles vaccine and anaphylaxis, between oral polio vaccine and Guillain-Barré syndrome, and between unconjugated Hib vaccine and susceptibility to Hib disease. The committee found that the evidence established causality between diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and anaphylaxis, between measles vaccine and death from measles vaccine-strain viral infection, between measles-mumps-rubella vaccine and thrombocytopenia and anaphylaxis, between oral polio vaccine and poliomyelitis and death from polio vaccine-strain viral infection, and between hepatitis B vaccine and anaphylaxis. For five vaccine-related adverse events, there was no evidence identified. For the remaining 33 vaccine-related adverse events, the evidence was inadequate to accept or reject a causal relation.

Norepinephrine stimulation of adenylate cyclase potentiates protein kinase C action: electrophysiological studies in the dentate gyrus.

Protein kinase C and norepinephrine-stimulated adenylate cyclase have been linked to formation of long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus. However, little is known about second messenger system interactions regulating synaptic transmission. In electrophysiological studies of the dentate gyrus, we observe synergistic interactions between norepinephrine and phorbol esters, activators of protein kinase C. Norepinephrine markedly potentiates the block of adenosine's inhibitory action by phorbol esters. Norepinephrine's action is mimicked by the beta-adrenoceptor agonist isoproterenol and blocked by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonists timolol and propranolol. Forskolin also mimicks norepinephrine's action. Accordingly, norepinephrine's potentiation of protein kinase C appears to be mediated by the cyclic AMP second messenger system. This mechanism may contribute to norepinephrine's facilitation of long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus.

Surgery for morbid obesity: the patients' experiences.

A survey of 123 adult patients who had undergone surgery for the treatment of morbid obesity was conducted to obtain data on patients' perceptions of preparation for surgery, care received during hospitalization, postoperative physical changes, changes in food tolerance, self-concept before and after surgery, work experience before and after surgery, and the relative importance of various forms of follow-up care. The study has implications for nursing practice in early diagnosis of patient problems, improved anticipatory teaching, and better training of health care professionals to assist the morbidly obese patient. The tolerable and nontolerable food lists generated from the data represent a significant contribution to patient care.

Muscarinic agonists and phorbol esters increase tyrosine phosphorylation of a 40-kilodalton protein in hippocampal slices.

We have used the hippocampal slice preparation to investigate the regulation of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in brain. After pharmacological treatment of intact slices, proteins were separated by electrophoresis, and levels of protein tyrosine phosphorylation were assessed by immunoblotting with specific anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies. Phorbol esters, activators of the serine- and threonine-phosphorylating enzyme protein kinase C, selectively increase tyrosine phosphorylation of a soluble protein with an apparent molecular mass of approximately 40 kilodaltons. Muscarinic agonists such as carbachol and oxotremorine M that strongly activate the inositol phospholipid system also increase tyrosine phosphorylation of this protein. Neurotransmitter activation of the inositol phospholipid system and protein kinase C appears to trigger a cascade leading to increased tyrosine phosphorylation.

Electroconvulsive treatment induces a rapid and transient increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of a 40-kilodalton protein associated with microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase activity.

Recent studies have identified protein tyrosine phosphorylation as a major intracellular signaling pathway. However, little is known about regulation of this signaling pathway in neuronal systems. To help identify changes in levels of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in brain, we have utilized specific anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies to detect phosphotyrosine-containing proteins by immunoblotting techniques. We have found that electroconvulsive treatment induces a selective increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of a soluble 40-kDa protein. The rise is rapid and transient, reaching maximal levels at 1-2 min and returning to basal levels by 8 min. The phosphotyrosine-containing 40-kDa protein is most prominent in hippocampus, smaller in neocortex, and not detected in brainstem or cerebellum. A phosphotyrosine-containing 42-kDa protein present in several cell types has recently been identified as a serine/threonine phosphotransferase, referred to as microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase. Comparison of the levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of the 40-kDa protein and microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase activity during column chromatography of hippocampal extracts demonstrates that the phosphotyrosine-containing 40-kDa protein and microtubule-associated protein 2 co-purify. Moreover, the tyrosine phosphorylation of the 40-kDa protein and microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase activity are increased to a similar extent following electroconvulsive treatment. These findings suggest that the phosphotyrosine-containing 40-kDa protein identified in brain is closely related to microtubule-associated protein 2 kinase.