Spirituality and religiosity in urban adolescents with asthma.

Predictors of multiple dimensions of spirituality/religiosity (S/R) and adolescents' preferences for having S/R (e.g., prayer) addressed in hypothetical medical settings were assessed in a sample of urban adolescents with asthma.

Prevalence, predictors, and consequences of long-term refusal of antipsychotic treatment in first-episode psychosis.

Objective: Studies investigating medication adherence in psychosis are limited by the need of a certain degree of medication adherence and the inclusion of mostly multiple-episode patients. By contrast, noninformed consent, epidemiological studies in first-episode psychosis (FEP) allow the assessment of an important subgroup of patients who persistently refuse antipsychotic medication and thereby never receive an adequate antipsychotic trial. The present study aims to assess the prevalence and predictors of such a "medication refusal" subgroup and its association with illness outcome.

A model for the biogenesis of turnip mosaic virus replication factories.

Nicotiana benthamiana plants were agroinfiltrated with an infectious clone of the Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) that was engineered to tag replication vesicles with either GFP or mCherry fluorescent proteins. Punctuate vesicle structures were observed in the cytoplasm of infected cells corresponding to viral replication factories. The vesicles were highly motile and co-aligned with the microfilaments.

The impact of cannabis use on cognitive functioning in patients with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis of existing findings and new data in a first-episode sample.

Cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with schizophrenia, and coupled with impaired cognition, is thought to heighten the risk of illness onset. However, while heavy cannabis use has been associated with cognitive deficits in long-term users, studies among patients with schizophrenia have been contradictory. This article consists of 2 studies.

Parents' religious coping styles in the first year after their child's cystic fibrosis diagnosis.

Parents of children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis described it as "devastating." Given religion's importance to many Americans, parents may utilize religious coping. Relatively little is known about parents' use of religious coping to handle their child's illness.

We can handle this: parents' use of religion in the first year following their child's diagnosis with cystic fibrosis.

The diagnosis of a child's life-shortening disease leads many American parents to utilize religious beliefs. Models relating religious constructs to health have been proposed. Still lacking are inductive models based on parent experience.

Quality of life in patients who have remitted from their first episode of psychosis.

Background: Quality of life (QoL) in first-episode psychosis (FEP) is strongly related to levels of psychopathology and may vary as a function of illness phase. QoL remains poorly understood in FEP.

Aim: Characterise the nature and predictors of QoL in patients who have remitted from their first-episode of psychosis.

A preliminary evaluation of the validity of at-risk criteria for bipolar disorders in help-seeking adolescents and young adults.

Introduction: We have developed ultra-high risk criteria for bipolar affective disorder (bipolar at-risk - BAR) which include general criteria such as being in the peak age range of the onset of the disorder and a combination of specific criteria including sub-threshold mania, depressive symptoms, cyclothymic features and genetic risk. In the current study, the predictive validity of these criteria were tested in help-seeking adolescents and young adults.

Method: This medical file-audit study was conducted at ORYGEN Youth Health (OYH), a public mental health program for young people aged between 15 and 24years and living in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Pretreatment and outcome correlates of past sexual and physical trauma in 118 bipolar I disorder patients with a first episode of psychotic mania.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and correlates of childhood and adolescent sexual and/or physical abuse (SPA) in bipolar I disorder (BDI) patients treated for a first episode of psychotic mania.

Methods: The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre admitted 786 first-episode psychosis patients between 1998 and 2000. Data were collected from patients' files using a standardized questionnaire.

Male mutation bias and possible long-term effects of human activities.

The ability of a population to adapt to changing environments depends critically on the amount and kind of genetic variability it possesses. Mutations are an important source of new genetic variability and may lead to new adaptations, especially if the population size is large. Mutation rates are extremely variable between and within species, and males usually have higher mutation rates as a result of elevated rates of male germ cell division.

Selecting patients for rehabilitation after acute stroke: are there variations in practice?

Objective: To investigate whether there were variations in practice in selection for rehabilitation after stroke, after adjustment for case mix.

Design: Prospective multicenter audit.

Setting: Seven acute stroke units in metropolitan and regional Victoria, Australia.

Inventory management.

A critical aspect of blood transfusion is the timely provision of high quality blood products. This task remains a significant challenge for many blood services and blood systems reflecting the difficulty of balancing the recruitment of sufficient donors, the optimal utilization of the donor's gift, the increasing safety related restrictions on blood donation, a growing menu of specialized blood products and an ever-growing imperative to increase the efficiency of blood product provision from a cost perspective. As our industry now faces questions about our standard practices including whether or not the age of blood has a negative impact on recipients, it is timely to take a look at our collective inventory management practices.

The role of human papillomavirus testing in the management of women with low-grade abnormalities: multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To assess the value of a single human papillomavirus (HPV) test in making decisions on management of women with cervical cytology showing borderline nuclear abnormality (BNA) or mild dyskaryosis. In particular, to determine whether information on high-risk (hr) HPV status would be valuable in the choice between (1) cytological surveillance versus immediate referral to colposcopy, and (2) at colposcopy, between biopsy and recall versus immediate large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ).

Design: Multicentre individually randomised controlled trial, nested within the NHS Cervical Screening Programmes, investigating the value of HPV testing by testing for interactions between HPV status and (1) cytological surveillance versus colposcopy, and (2) biopsy and recall versus immediate LLETZ.

A systematic review of relapse measurement in randomized controlled trials of relapse prevention in first-episode psychosis.

The prevention of relapse is an important treatment goal in first-episode psychosis. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) provide the gold standard methodology for evaluating interventions for relapse prevention. Properly designed RCTs which include relapse as a treatment outcome should rigorously operationalize psychotic relapse.

Rate and predictors of service disengagement in an epidemiological first-episode psychosis cohort.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and predictors of service disengagement in a treated epidemiological cohort of first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients.

Methods: The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) in Australia admitted 786 FEP patients from January 1998 to December 2000. Treatment at EPPIC is scheduled for 18 months.

Experience of trauma and conversion to psychosis in an ultra-high-risk (prodromal) group.

Objective: We aimed to replicate a recent finding of high prevalence of trauma history in patients at 'ultra-high risk' (UHR) of psychotic disorder and to investigate whether trauma predicts conversion to psychosis in this population.

Method: A consecutive sample of UHR patients was assessed. History of trauma was accessed with the General Trauma Questionnaire.

Measurement of religiosity/spirituality in adolescent health outcomes research: trends and recommendations.

The relationship between religious/spiritual (R/S) factors and adolescent health outcomes has been studied for decades; however, the R/S measurement tools used may not be developmentally relevant for adolescents. A systematic literature review was conducted to review and evaluate trends in measuring R/S in adolescent health outcomes research. In this review a total of 100 articles met criteria for inclusion.

Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids for indicated prevention of psychotic disorders: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Context: The use of antipsychotic medication for the prevention of psychotic disorders is controversial. Long-chain omega-3 (omega-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may be beneficial in a range of psychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia. Given that omega-3 PUFAs are generally beneficial to health and without clinically relevant adverse effects, their preventive use in psychosis merits investigation.

Characterisation of the prodrome to a first episode of psychotic mania: results of a retrospective study.

Background: Little is known about the early phases of bipolar disorders (BPAD) and most of current knowledge derives from putative "high-risk" studies conducted in populations of bipolar off-spring; such information may therefore be relevant only to a sub-group of at-risk subjects.

Methods: Retrospective assessment of the phase preceding the emergence of mania and of premorbid characteristics of patients treated for a first episode of psychotic mania. The collected data was used mainly to generate hypotheses.

Family outcomes from a randomized control trial of relapse prevention therapy in first-episode psychosis.

Objective: We have previously reported that our combined individual and family cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) relapse prevention therapy (RPT) was effective in reducing relapse rates compared to treatment as usual (TAU) within a specialist program for young, first-episode psychosis patients who had reached remission on positive symptoms. Here, we report the outcomes for family participants of DSM-IV-diagnosed first-episode psychosis patients recruited between November 2003 and May 2005 over a 2.5-year follow-up period.

Predictors of adherence to cognitive-behavioural therapy in first-episode psychosis.

Objective: To investigate predictors of adherence with a cognitive-behavioural intervention in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients.

Method: Predictors of adherence to cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) were longitudinally investigated in the experimental arm of a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a CBT intervention for relapse prevention early in the course of psychosis when compared with treatment as usual within 2 high quality, youth oriented, specialist FEP programs (the EPISODE II trial).

Results: Longer duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and poorer level of insight predicted poor adherence to CBT.

Change in quality of life after being diagnosed with HIV: a multicenter longitudinal study.

The objective of this study was to assess in patients with HIV perceptions of life pre-HIV versus post-HIV diagnosis and examine whether such perceptions change over time. We conducted interviews and chart reviews of 347 outpatients with HIV from three cities in 2002-2004. In two interviews 12-18 months apart, patients compared their life now with their life before HIV was diagnosed.

Comparisons of subgingival microbial profiles of refractory periodontitis, severe periodontitis, and periodontal health using the human oral microbe identification microarray.

Background: This study compared the subgingival microbiota of subjects with refractory periodontitis (RP) to those in subjects with treatable periodontitis (GRs = good responders) or periodontal health (PH) using the Human Oral Microbe Identification Microarray (HOMIM).

Methods: At baseline, subgingival plaque samples were taken from 47 subjects with periodontitis and 20 individuals with PH and analyzed for the presence of 300 species by HOMIM. The subjects with periodontitis were classified as having RP (n = 17) based on mean attachment loss (AL) and/or more than three sites with AL >or=2.

Mind-body complementary alternative medicine use and quality of life in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Mind-body complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities (e.g., relaxation or meditation) for symptom management have not been well studied in adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).