Differences in the Associations between Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Outcomes by Gender? A Lebanese Population Study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender on eating disorders (restrained eating, binge eating, orthorexia nervosa, and emotional eating) among a sample of Lebanese adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, conducted between January and May 2018, enrolled 811 participants selected randomly from all Lebanese Mohafazat. The mean age of the participants was 27.6±11.8 years. The majority were females (66.5%), had a high level of education (73.2%), and low income (77.9%). This study used the following scales: body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-second version, binge eating scale, Dutch restrained eating scale, orthorexia nervosa scale (ORTHO-15 scale), emotional eating scale, perceived stress scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. RESULTS: Body dissatisfaction was positively correlated to restrained eating (r=0.293, P<0.001), emotional eating (r=0.073, P=0.042) and binge eating (r=0.250, P<0.001). The interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender was significantly associated with more restrained eating (Beta=0.01, P<0.001) and orthorexia nervosa (Beta=-0.09, P<0.001), but not with emotional (Beta=-0.43, P=0.103) and binge eating (Beta=-0.08, P=0.358). When stratifying the analysis by gender, the results revealed that higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with more restrained eating in both genders, but particularly among women. Body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher emotional eating in men only and with higher orthorexia nervosa tendencies and behaviors in females only. CONCLUSION: The interaction between body dissatisfaction and gender was significantly associated with orthorexia nervosa and restrained eating but not with binge or emotional eating. Higher body dissatisfaction was significantly associated with higher restrained eating, more pronounced in women, while it was significantly associated with higher orthorexia tendencies (lower ORTO-15 scores) in women only. Body dissatisfaction was associated with emotional eating in men only.

Association of insomnia with mania in Lebanese patients with bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To assess: (1) the association between insomnia experienced at admission, sociodemographic and other patients' characteristics and mania; and (2) the variation of insomnia and mania before and after treatment in bipolar patients with manic episodes (type I). METHODS: Sixty-two patients were interviewed shortly after their admission to the hospital (after 3 to 5 days). The current symptoms experienced by the patients were assessed upon admission and again at discharge from the hospital. RESULTS: A poorer quality of sleep (higher PSQI scores) (Beta=0.590) was significantly associated with higher mania, whereas the intake of SSRIs (Beta=-5.952) and TCAs (Beta=-8.181) was significantly associated with lower mania. Furthermore, highly significant reductions were reported in the PSQI scores (4.96 vs. 2.75, P<0.001), ISI scores (8.30 vs. 3.45, P<0.001) and YMRS scores (8.60 vs. 3.06, P<0.001) between admission to and discharge from the hospital. CONCLUSION: Insomnia in patients with bipolar disorder type I is associated with mania, with a significant reduction of sleep problems seen during a period of approximately 20 days of hospitalization. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm the validity of our results and identify the causes. In the meantime, this research recommends a strategy to improve sleeplessness experienced during inter-episode phases may be helpful in preventing manic episodes in BD.

Validation of the Arabic version of the MADRS scale among Lebanese patients with depression.

AIM: To use the Arabic version of the MADRS in Lebanese depressed patients, check its validity and reproducibility compared to other versions of the questionnaire and assess risk factors affecting the total MADRS score. METHODS: This case-control study, performed between September 2016 and January 2017, included 200 patients (100 patients, 100 controls). The questionnaire included two parts, the first one concerning the socio-demographic characteristics another one that included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) questions, which was translated from English to Arabic through an initial translation and back translation process. RESULTS: The MADRS scale items converged over a solution of one factor that had an Eigenvalue over 1, explaining a total of 83.90% of the variance. A Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy of 0.953 was found, with a significant Bartlett's test of sphericity (P<0.001). A stepwise linear regression, using the total MADRS score as continuous variable, showed that a university level of education would significantly decrease the total MADRS score by 20 points (beta=-20.02, CI: from -26.337 to -13.709, P<0.001). Unemployment was significantly more associated with an increase in the total MADRS score level by 10.23 points (beta=10.23, CI: 3.944-16.526, P=0.002). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the Arabic version of the MADRS has promising psychometric properties, and thus it is a good tool to use for the diagnosis of patients with depression. Based on this study, health care professionals and researchers can readily use the MADRS questionnaire to estimate the overall severity of depression among psychiatric patients in Lebanon.

Validation of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and sociodemographic factors associated with Lebanese depressed patients.

OBJECTIVES: The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) is the most commonly used scale for the evaluation of patients' treatments for depression. Since the HDRS has never been validated in Lebanon to our knowledge, our primary objective, therefore, is to investigate the correlation, sensitivity, specificity, as well as the reliability and the validity of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) among Lebanese depressed patients. The secondary objective is to identify sociodemographic factors that would be correlated to depression among our sample. METHODS: This case-control study, performed between January till May 2017, included 400 patients (200 patients, 200 controls). RESULTS: The HDRS scale items converged over a solution of four factors, explaining a total of 58.88% of the variance. A high Cronbach's alpha was found for the full scale (0.862). A stepwise linear regression, using the total HDRS score as continuous variable, showed that a low socioeconomic level, divorced participants and a family history of mental disorders would significantly increase the HDRS total score (Beta=4.278; Beta=5.405; and Beta=3.922) respectively. However, having a university level of education would significantly decrease the HDRS total score (Beta=-4.248, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the Arabic version of the HDRS has promising psychometric properties, making it a good tool to use for the diagnosis of patients with depression. Depression recognition and treatment in general practice with the aim of improving patient outcome and reducing health care expenditure, is definitely warranted.

[Living environment and activation of early maladaptive schemas specific to the elderly: Comparative study among 80 individuals]. / Milieu de vie et activation des schémas cognitifs dysfonctionnels au troisième âge : étude comparative réalisée chez 80 sujets âgés.

INTRODUCTION: Early maladaptive schemas described by Young may be identified in the elderly. They represent models and themes of emotions, memories, thoughts and bodily sensations experienced by the individual. This study aims to evaluate the activation of early maladaptive thoughts in the elderly depending on their living environment. METHODS: The Young Schema Questionnaire--short form--was administered to 80 elderly individuals (40 living in a nursing home, and 40 in their own home with at least one person). The studied schemas that were most relevant to the elderly were the maladaptive schemas of abandonment, emotional deprivation, mistrust, exclusion, dependency, vulnerability and emotional overcontrol. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale were administered to eliminate dementia or depression among individuals. RESULTS: Individuals living in a nursing home, compared to their controls had increased activation of schemas of emotional deprivation (22.5% vs. 7.5%), abandonment (15% vs. 0%), mistrust (32.5% vs. 2.5%), exclusion (7.5% vs. 0%), and emotional overcontrol (25% vs. 2.5%). The activation of maladaptive schemas was significantly elevated in nursing homes for those 5 schemas, while there was no difference in activation between the 2 groups concerning the schemas of dependency and vulnerability. DISCUSSION: The activation of early maladaptive schemas of emotional deprivation, abandonment, mistrust, exclusion, and emotional overcontrol is higher in individuals living in nursing homes compared to a control group of individuals living in their homes with at least one companion. This schema activation may be related to a lack of emotional and family support in the elderly.

First detection of an invasive Staphylococcus aureus strain (D958) with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides in Saudi Arabia.

Strain D958, a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, was isolated from a 69-year-old Saudi male patient presenting with severe sepsis immediately after admission. Despite high serum levels of vancomycin, the same S. aureus strain was isolated from five blood culture sets during 1 week. Treatment failure under therapeutic levels of vancomycin prompted us to investigate the resistance profile of this strain in further detail. The MIC values for vancomycin as determined by Etest and microdilution were 3.0 and 2.0 mg/liter, respectively, and remained unchanged during the treatment course. The macro-Etest method showed a MIC of 4 mg/liter. The strain showed liquid vancomycin and lysostaphin MBCs of 2.0 and 5.0 mg/liter, respectively. The isolates were confirmed as heterogeneously vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (hVISA) by vancomycin population analysis profile. The areas under these curves were similar for Mu3 and D958 for vancomycin and teicoplanin (ratio values were 1 and 1.1 for vancomycin and teicoplanin, respectively). Extensive genotyping and molecular characterization demonstrated that the strain harbored a staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec element (SCCmec) type III cassette and was of sequence type ST241, a single-locus variant of the successful multiresistant clone ST239. Microarray results demonstrated that D958 contained numerous resistance determinants (generally plasmid or phage encoded). These results suggest that this strain is constitutively expressing an altered susceptibility to vancomycin. Further studies are warranted to assess the clonal distribution of such strains displaying reduced susceptibility to vancomycin prior to any antimicrobial therapy.

The interaction of diadenosine polyphosphates with P2x-receptors in the guinea-pig isolated vas deferens.

1. The site(s) at which diadenosine 5',5"'-P1,P4-tetraphosphate (AP4A) and diadenosine 5', 5"'-P1,P5-pentaphosphate (AP5A) act to evoke contraction of the guinea-pig isolated vas deferens was studied by use of a series of P2-receptor antagonists and the ecto-ATPase inhibitor 6-N,N-diethyl-D-beta,gamma-dibromomethyleneATP (ARL 67156). 2. Pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulphonic acid (PPADS) (300 nM - 30 microM), suramin (3-100 microM) and pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (P-5-P) (3-1000 microM) inhibited contractions evoked by equi-effective concentrations of AP5A (3 microM), AP4A (30 microM) and alpha,beta-methyleneATP (alpha,beta-meATP) (1 microM), in a concentration-dependent manner and abolished them at the highest concentrations used. 3. PPADS was more potent than suramin, which in turn was more potent than P-5-P. PPADS inhibited AP5A, AP4A and alpha,beta-meATP with similar IC50 values. No significant difference was found between IC50 values for suramin against alpha,beta-meATP and AP5A or alpha,beta-meATP and AP4A, but suramin was more than 2.5 times more potent against AP4A than AP5A. P-5-P showed the same pattern of antagonism. 4. Desensitization of the P2xi-receptor by alpha,beta-meATP abolished contractions evoked by AP5A (3 microM) and AP4A (30 microM), but had no effect on those elicited by noradrenaline (100 microM). 5. ARL 67156 (100 microM) reversibly potentiated contractions evoked by AP4A (30 microM) by 61%, but caused a small, significant decrease in the mean response to AP5A (3 microM). 6. It is concluded that AP4A and AP5A act at the P2xi-receptor, or a site similar to the P2xi-receptor, to evoke contraction of the guinea-pig isolated vas deferens. Furthermore, the potency of AP4A, but not AP5A, appears to be inhibited by an ecto-enzyme which is sensitive to ARL 67156.

Congenital choledochal cysts.

Cystic dilation of the common bile duct is a rare congenital anomaly. The cases of two patients, 2 1/2 and 18 years old, respectively, illustrate the difficulty in preoperative diagnosis, as well as the value of long-term postoperative follow-up. Ascending cholangitis developed in one of the patients after a Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy nine years after operation. A follow-up of three years after cystoduodenostomy and 14 years after a hepaticojejunostomy is reported. In infants and small children, a cystoduodenostomy is usually done; otherwise, cystojejunostomy should be the preferred initial operation. Excision may be attempted if the cyst is very small, and in selected cases.

Comparison of vancomycin-inducible proteins from four strains of Enterococci.

Vancomycin-inducible proteins of 39.5 and 39 kDa from respectively, low-level and high-level resistant Enterococci were compared. Electrophoretic, immunoblot and peptide analysis revealed three types of protein, one in a low-level resistant strain of E. faecium, one in 2 high-level-resistant strains of E. faecium, and one in a high-level resistant strain of E. faecalis. The inducible proteins of E. faecium and E. faecalis, of 39.5 and 39 kDa respectively, which may function in a similar fashion (Al-Obeid et al. (1990) Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 34, 252-256), are not related immunologically.

Replacement of the essential penicillin-binding protein 5 by high-molecular mass PBPs may explain vancomycin-beta-lactam synergy in low-level vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium D366.

The mechanism of synergy between vancomycin and penicillin, as well as other beta-lactam antibiotics, was examined in a penicillin-resistant E. faecium (D366) expressing an inducible low-level resistance to vancomycin. It was demonstrated that penicillin per se was not able to reduce the inducible expression of the 39.5-kDa protein (VANB) or the carboxypeptidase activity which are involved in the mechanism of vancomycin resistance of this strain. Assays of competition between 3H-benzylpenicillin and diverse beta-lactam antibiotics suggested as the most likely explanation of the synergy that, once vancomycin resistance has been induced, the high-molecular mass penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), and possibly PBP1 in particular, which have a high affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics, take over the role of the low-affinity PBP5 which is, in the non-induced strain, responsible for beta-lactam resistance.

Mammary carcinoma with osteoclastlike giant cells cytologically mimicking benign breast disease. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Mammary carcinoma with osteoclastlike giant cells (OCLGCs) is a rare tumor. Few reports on the fine needle aspiration (FNA) findings are available. This case had cytologic findings overlapping with benign breast disease. CASE: A 50-year-old woman presented with multiple masses in her right breast and a 2-cm right axillary lymph node. Cytologic scrapings and FNA of the same breast mass showed large cohesive, two-dimensional epithelial cells with a uniform distribution of small, bland nuclei. Discohesion, single cells with features of malignancy, cytologic atypia and mitosis were lacking. Many OCLGCs were present. CONCLUSION: The cytologic features of this rare type of breast carcinoma need to become familiar to pathologists to avoid a false negative diagnosis.

Klebsiella pneumoniae LO10 producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamase SHV-12 in Saudi Arabia.

Klebsiella pneumoniae LO10 was responsible for an outbreak that occurred in the neonatal unit at Security Forces Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over a period of eight months nine cases of bacteremia resulted in two deaths. Resistance to third generation cephalosporins was transferred from strain LO10 to E. coli by both conjugation and transformation. Sequence determination of the plasmid gene from two transconjugants and one transformant indicated that resistance was carried by a ca.100-kb plasmid encoding beta-lactamase SHV-12. This is the first description of a K. pneumoniae producing a type SHV-12 extended spectrum beta-lactamase in Riyadh. Long term exposure to antibiotics, prolonged stay, and heavy use of third generation cephalosporins contributed to the spread of the resistant strain in the unit. Strict infection control measures led to control of the outbreak.

A new technique for treatment of pilonidal sinus.

Twenty-seven patients with chronic pilonidal sinus were treated by a new adopted technique. It was found to be simple, time-saving and to minimize the postoperative morbidity and hospital stay. Results of this new technique were compared with those of other excisional methods in the literature and were found to be superior to them with a shorter hospital stay. The new technique also preserves the internatal cleft, which is valuable in restoring the normal configuration of the breech. Six-year follow-up revealed no recurrences.

Anal sphincteric pressure studies in complete rectal prolapse.

Anal sphincteric pressure studies of patients with complete rectal prolapse demonstrated that: 1) The resting yield pressure of the internal anal sphincter in patients with complete rectal prolapse was not significantly different from that of control subjects. Thus, it seems to have no role in the etiology of prolapse. 2) The maximal sphincteric pressure of the external anal sphincter was significantly less in patients with prolapse than in controls. This suggested weakness in the effective functional power of the external anal sphincter in complete prolapse. 3) Anal continence could be achieved by the ability to maintain full contraction of the external anal sphincter for more than 40 seconds, which was the minimum for control subjects. Incontinent patients could not do this.

Mechanism of resistance to vancomycin in Enterococcus faecium D366 and Enterococcus faecalis A256.

The role of the glycopeptide-inducible proteins of Enterococcus faecium D366 (39.5 kilodaltons) and Enterococcus faecalis A256 (39 kilodaltons) in the mechanism of resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin was examined. Crude cell walls from noninduced cells or from induced cells treated with sodium dodecyl sulfate to remove the inducible proteins were shown to bind vancomycin, in contrast to cell walls containing the cytoplasmic membrane-associated induced proteins, which did not bind vancomycin. Cytoplasmic membranes from vancomycin-induced cells did not inactivate (bind) vancomycin or teicoplanin, but they could protect the glycopeptides from being bound to the synthetic pentapeptide. This protection could be competitively abolished by D-alanyl-D-alanine. A decrease in glycopeptide binding to the pentapeptide was observed in a time-dependent fashion after treatment of the pentapeptide with the cytoplasmic membranes from induced cells. We hypothesize that the inducible proteins are responsible for glycopeptide resistance due to the binding to, and subsequent enzymatic modification of, the pentapeptide precursor of peptidoglycan, which is considered to be the natural target of glycopeptides.

Modification of penicillin-binding proteins of penicillin-resistant mutants of different species of enterococci.

Mutants resistant to penicillin G were selected in a stepwise manner from nine different species of enterococci. Mutants with the highest level of resistance showed cross-resistance to all beta-lactams tested. For eight of the nine species, resistance correlated with increased production of a low molecular weight penicillin-binding protein (PBP). Two of these species produced a new PBP of low molecular weight, while two other species produced an additional PBP of high molecular weight. With the exception of Enterococcus faecium, no difference was observed in terms of lysis or bactericidal effect when the sensitive strains and their resistant mutants were tested at ten times their respective MICs of penicillin G. With E. faecium an increased lytic and bactericidal effect was observed for the resistant mutant.

Correlation of penicillin-induced lysis of Enterococcus faecium with saturation of essential penicillin-binding proteins and release of lipoteichoic acid.

Clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecium that had a range of susceptibilities to penicillin were found to differ significantly in their responses to the antibiotic. In the penicillin-susceptible group (MIC, less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml), the cessation of growth (bacteriostasis) at 10 x the MIC of penicillin appeared to correlate with the inhibition of penicillin-binding protein (PBP) 5*, whereas the onset of lysis (bactericidal effect) at higher antibiotic concentrations (100 x the MIC) was concomitant with the inhibition of the lower-affinity PBP 5. In contrast, in the resistant (MIC, greater than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml) group (in which most of the strains did not contain PBP 5*), the degree of saturation of PBP 5 seemed to determine the physiological response to the antibiotic: low levels of saturation caused growth inhibition, whereas almost complete saturation correlated with lysis. The penicillin-induced cell lysis of both penicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains was attributed, at least in part, to the extensive loss of acylated lipoteichoic acid into the growth medium.