Screening for post-traumatic stress disorder among Latinx immigrant children.

ABSTRACT: Latinx children face psychosocial, linguistic, and economic challenges that put them at an increased risk of developing mental health conditions. Primary care providers should be equipped to recognize the complex mental health needs of this growing population. This article explores some of the barriers to mental health screenings in Latinx children and presents culturally sensitive, validated screening tools for primary care providers.

The health and environmental risks and rewards of modernity that shape scientific optimism.

Individuals in high-income countries increasingly express less scientific optimism than in lower-income societies. In this article, we utilize risk society theory to understand the complicated relationship between individual- and country-level factors, and optimism toward the role of science in society in "reflexively modern" societies. We use multilevel modeling with 16 high-income countries to determine the individual-level and country-level factors that shape scientific optimism. Next, we look at the individual characteristics that affect scientific optimism in each country individually. At the individual level, we find that older people, the more highly educated and higher earning, those farther to the Right on the political spectrum, and those with more materialist (rather than postmaterialist) attitudes have higher scientific optimism, while more religious people have lower optimism regarding science. At the country level, we make a corollary argument about materialism: societies that have higher measles immunization rates, generate more electricity from fossil fuels, and have a greater percentage of mobile phone subscriptions, have populaces that are more optimistic toward science.

Wheel running attenuates microglia proliferation and increases expression of a proneurogenic phenotype in the hippocampus of aged mice.

Aging is associated with low-grade neuroinflammation including primed microglia that may contribute to deficits in neural plasticity and cognitive function. The current study evaluated whether exercise modulates division and/or activation state of microglia in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, as activated microglia can express a classic inflammatory or an alternative neuroprotective phenotype. We also assessed hippocampal neurogenesis to determine whether changes in microglia were associated with new neuron survival. Adult (3.5 months) and aged (18 months) male BALB/c mice were individually housed with or without running wheels for 8 weeks. Mice received bromodeoxyuridine injections during the first or last 10 days of the experiment to label dividing cells. Immunofluorescence was conducted to measure microglia division, co-expression of the neuroprotective indicator insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and new neuron survival. The proportion of new microglia was increased in aged mice, and decreased from wheel running. Running increased the proportion of microglia expressing IGF-1 suggesting exercise shifts microglia phenotype towards neuroprotection. Additionally, running enhanced survival of new neurons in both age groups. Findings suggest that wheel running may attenuate microglia division and promote a proneurogenic phenotype in aged mice.

A phase II trial of an alternative schedule of palbociclib and embedded serum TK1 analysis.

Palbociclib 3-weeks-on/1-week-off, combined with hormonal therapy, is approved for hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced/metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Neutropenia is the most frequent adverse event (AE). We aim to determine whether an alternative 5-days-on/2-days-off weekly schedule reduces grade 3 and above neutropenia (G3 + ANC) incidence. In this single-arm phase II trial, patients with HR+/HER2- MBC received palbociclib 125 mg, 5-days-on/2-days-off, plus letrozole or fulvestrant per physician, on a 28-day cycle (C), as their first- or second-line treatment. The primary endpoint was G3 + ANC in the first 29 days (C1). Secondary endpoints included AEs, efficacy, and serum thymidine kinase 1 (sTK1) activity. At data-cutoff, fifty-four patients received a median of 13 cycles (range 2.6-43.5). The rate of G3 + ANC was 21.3% (95% CI: 11.2-36.1%) without G4 in C1, and 40.7% (95% CI: 27.9-54.9%), including 38.9% G3 and 1.8% G4, in all cycles. The clinical benefit rate was 80.4% (95% CI: 66.5-89.7%). The median progression-free survival (mPFS) (95% CI) was 19.75 (12.11-34.89), 33.5 (17.25-not reached [NR]), and 11.96 (10.43-NR) months, in the overall, endocrine sensitive or resistant population, respectively. High sTK1 at baseline, C1 day 15 (C1D15), and C2D1 were independently prognostic for shorter PFS (p = 9.91 × 10-4, 0.001, 0.007, respectively). sTK1 decreased on C1D15 (p = 4.03 × 10-7), indicating target inhibition. Rise in sTK1 predicted progression, with the median lead time of 59.5 (inter-quartile range: -206.25-0) days. Palbociclib, 5-days-on/2-days-off weekly, met its primary endpoint with reduced G3 + ANC, without compromising efficacy. sTK1 is prognostic and shows promise in monitoring the palbociclib response. ClinicalTrials.gov#: NCT3007979.

Evaluation of the hydroxyethyl starch stabilizing agent, Vetstarch, in the preservation of canine cerebrospinal fluid samples.

BACKGROUND: A challenge of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is the time-dependent degradation of nucleated cells, impeding accurate interpretation. CSF additives have been used to delay cell degradation; however, stabilizing agents, including serum, can alter microprotein levels. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine if the hydroxyethyl starch, Vetstarch, is effective at preserving nucleated cell morphology in CSF compared with the saline diluent or serum without altering microprotein levels. METHODS: CSF samples were collected from 26 dogs. Samples were divided into four aliquots. One aliquot was analyzed immediately (control). The remaining three aliquots were mixed with either saline, fetal calf serum, or Vetstarch before storage at 4°C. Nucleated cell differentials, protein concentrations, and cell morphology scores were analyzed 48 hours later. A cell morphology score of 1 indicated no cellular degeneration; a score of 4 indicated severe degeneration. RESULTS: Samples stored in serum, saline, and Vetstarch exhibited poorer mean (±SD) morphology scores (2.4 ± 0.7, 2.6 ± 0.8, and 2.7 ± 0.9, respectively) compared with controls (1.9 ± 0.4). Samples stored in saline and Vetstarch demonstrated higher percentages of unrecognizable cells, with a median of 28 (range 0-100) and 27 (0-100), respectively; samples stored in serum had a median of 14 (range 0-67) unrecognizable. Microprotein levels of samples stored in Vetstarch were dependent on the method of protein analysis. Serum significantly increased microprotein levels. CONCLUSIONS: Vetstarch does not reduce time-dependent cellular degeneration compared with the saline diluent or serum and is, therefore, not recommended as a stabilizing agent for canine cerebrospinal fluid.

Aging well in an aging world: The impact of material conditions, culture, and societal disruptions.

The world's population is aging, but quality of life in older adulthood is unequally distributed. Using measures of self-rated health and subjective well-being from Wave 6 (2010-2014) of the World Values Survey, we examine the individual and social factors that shape older adulthood in 57 countries. In addition to examining inequalities in health and well-being for older adults between countries, we examine the differences between older (50 and over) and younger adults (under 50) within countries. Aging well is not simply a fact of country wealth or personal income. We conduct multi-level analyses to determine which individual-level factors and which country-level factors impact health and well-being, and how these differ across age. We consider three sets of country-level factors: material conditions, culture, and societal disruptions. Overall, we find that older adults feel less healthy than younger adults, but older adults in countries that have experienced a transition to independence during their adulthood feel much less healthy than their under-50 counterparts. The same is true for life satisfaction. Although older adults do not necessarily feel more dissatisfied with their lives than do younger adults, they are much more dissatisfied in countries that transitioned. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of how altered life expectations affect aging.

Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls: Results of a randomized controlled trial.

This study examined the efficacy of the Juvenile Justice Anger Management (JJAM) Treatment for Girls, an anger management and aggression reduction treatment designed to meet the unique needs of adolescent girls in residential juvenile justice facilities. This randomized controlled trial of JJAM compared changes in levels of anger and aggression among girls who participated in the JJAM treatment with those of girls who participated in treatment as usual (TAU) at the facilities. This study also investigated the theoretical model underlying the JJAM treatment, which proposed that reductions in hostile attribution biases, development of emotion regulation skills, and improvement in social problem solving would serve as mechanisms of action in JJAM. Participants were 70 female youth who ranged in age from 14 to 20 years (M = 17.45, SD = 1.24) and were placed at 1 of 3 participating juvenile justice facilities; 57 youth completed the study and were included in analyses. Results revealed greater reductions in anger, reactive physical aggression, and reactive relational aggression among girls in the JJAM treatment condition when compared to girls in the TAU control condition. The proposed theoretical model was partially supported via significant mediation findings; changes in hostile attribution bias were identified as a significant mechanism of action in the JJAM treatment. Results suggest that JJAM is a promising treatment to effectively reduce anger and reactive aggression among adolescent girls in juvenile justice placements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The role of university-based forensic clinics.

As forensic psychiatry and forensic psychology have grown and matured, the range of specialized services provided by each has expanded. In addition to traditional services such as forensic mental health assessments in criminal, family, and civil contexts, forensic specialists are now involved in delivering services in the community that include (in the criminal justice context) assessment for diversion into specialized probation or problem-solving courts, rehabilitation needs upon reentry (including specialized parole), and risk assessment for particular populations such as sexual offenders. Specialized forensic treatment services include those provided to clients under the jurisdiction of problem-solving courts or parole/probation. Similar specialized assessment and treatment services may be provided for juveniles. The nature of such service needs underscores the importance of the university-based forensic clinic as one source of specialized forensic services in the community. Such clinics are based in universities, directed by supervising faculty, and offer services provided in part by forensic trainees (psychiatric residents and forensic fellows; psychology doctoral students, interns, and post-doctoral fellows). The structure and operations of such clinics are described, with different models provided. Implications for specialized training, forensic practice, and research are discussed.