Health and nutritional status of wild Australian psittacine birds: an evaluation of plasma and hepatic mineral levels, plasma biochemical values, and fecal microflora.

To evaluate the health and nutritional status of 3 wild Australian psittacine species, plasma and hepatic mineral concentrations and plasma biochemical values were measured in wild-caught galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla), long-billed corellas (Cacatua tenuirostris), and sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita). No correlations were found between hepatic and plasma mineral levels. Mean plasma calcium (1.

Translating the epidemiology of psychosis into public mental health: evidence, challenges and future prospects.

Genetic and environmental factors are associated with psychosis risk, but the latter present more tangible markers for prevention. We conducted a theoretical exercise to estimate the proportion of psychotic illnesses that could be prevented if we could identify and remove all factors that lead to increased incidence associated with ethnic minority status and urbanicity. Measures of impact by population density and ethnicity were estimated from incidence rate ratios [IRR] obtained from two methodologically-similar first episode psychosis studies in four UK centres.

Examining the association between maternal analgesic use during pregnancy and risk of psychotic symptoms during adolescence.

Background: Children and adolescents who report psychotic symptoms in non-clinical samples are at an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Study of such 'high risk' groups may increase our understanding of early risk factors for psychotic illnesses. Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia in the offspring, and it has been hypothesised that exposure to maternal intake of analgesics during pregnancy, taken to alleviate the symptoms of viral infections, may partly explain this association.

Fascial closure following percutaneous endovascular aneurysm repair.

Introduction: There are potential benefits of percutaneous over open femoral access for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Subsequent arterial closure using percutaneous devices is costly, whilst open repair risks potential wound complications and delayed discharge. The technique of fascial closure has perceived advantages but its efficacy is unclear.

Anatomic site variability in rat skeletal uptake and desorption of fluorescently labeled bisphosphonate.

Objectives: Bisphosphonates commonly used to treat osteoporosis, Paget's disease, multiple myeloma, hypercalcemia of malignancy and osteolytic lesions of cancer metastasis have been associated with bisphosphonate-associated jaw osteonecrosis (BJON). The underlying pathogenesis of BJON is unclear, but disproportionate bisphosphonate concentration in the jaw has been proposed as one potential etiological factor. This study tested the hypothesis that skeletal biodistribution of intravenous bisphosphonate is anatomic site-dependent in a rat model system.

Childhood facial emotion recognition and psychosis-like symptoms in a nonclinical population at 12 years of age: results from the ALSPAC birth cohort.

Introduction: Nonclinical psychotic symptoms (for example, low intensity or low frequency psychotic symptoms such as ideas of reference or single word auditory hallucinations) are common in adolescents and may be associated with an increased risk of developing a psychotic disorder in adulthood. Those at high risk of developing a psychotic disorder appear to perform poorly on facial emotion recognition tasks but the relationship between facial emotion recognition and nonclinical "psychosis like symptoms" (PLIKS) in children is unclear. We aimed to examine the association between childhood facial emotion recognition and PLIKS in adolescents.

Stereotactic radiosurgery as primary and salvage treatment for brain metastases from breast cancer. Clinical article.

Object: To evaluate the role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in the management of brain metastases from breast cancer, the authors assessed clinical outcomes and prognostic factors for survival.

Methods: The records from 350 consecutive female patients who underwent SRS for 1535 brain metastases from breast cancer were reviewed. The median patient age was 54 years (range 19-84 years), and the median number of tumors per patient was 2 (range 1-18 lesions).

Changing epidemiology of human parvovirus 4 infection in sub-Saharan Africa.

Human parvovirus 4 infections are primarily associated with parenteral exposure in western countries. By ELISA, we demonstrate frequent seropositivity for antibody to parvovirus 4 viral protein 2 among adult populations throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Burkina Faso, 37%; Cameroon, 25%; Democratic Republic of the Congo, 35%; South Africa, 20%), which implies existence of alternative transmission routes.

A 12-month prospective, observational study of treatment regimen and quality of life associated with ADHD in central and eastern europe and eastern Asia.

Objectives: This prospective, observational, non-randomized study aimed to describe the relationship between treatment regimen prescribed and the quality of life (QoL) of ADHD patients in countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and Eastern Asia over 12 months.

Methods: 977 Male and female patients aged 6-17 years seeking treatment for symptoms of ADHD were assessed using the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory-4 Parent Checklists, and the Clinical Global Impressions-ADHD-Severity scale. QoL was assessed using the Child Health and Illness Profile-Child Edition parent report form.

Satisfaction with inpatient treatment for first-episode psychosis among different ethnic groups: a report from the UK AeSOP study.

Background: There is concern about the level of satisfaction with mental healthcare among minority ethnic patients in the UK, particularly as black patients have more compulsory admissions to hospital.

Aims: To determine and compare levels of satisfaction with mental healthcare between patients from different ethnic groups in a three-centre study of first-onset psychosis.

Method: Data were collected from 216 patients with first-episode psychosis and 101 caregivers from South London, Nottingham and Bristol, using the Acute Services Study Questionnaire (Patient and Relative Version) and measures of sociodemographic variables and insight.

The Africanization of poverty: a retrospective on "Make Poverty History".

This article explores the ways in which the British campaign coalition Make Poverty History represented Africa throughout 2005. Focusing particularly on the G8 Gleneagles summit, Make Poverty History (MPH) asserted a series of justice claims which had no geographical reference. Nevertheless, as a result of internal tensions within the coalition, and especially as a result of the ways in which MPH interacted with other political agencies as the summit approached, MPH's messages became increasingly interpolated by references to Africa as a result of the emergence of government, media, and celebrity involvement.

Individual discount rates and smoking: evidence from a field experiment in Denmark.

We elicit measures of individual discount rates from a representative sample of the Danish population and test two substantive hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that smokers have higher individual discount rates than non-smokers. The second hypothesis is that smokers are more likely to have time inconsistent preferences than non-smokers, where time inconsistency is indicated by a hyperbolic discounting function.

Length of stay and imminent discharge probability distributions from multistage models: variation by diagnosis, severity of illness, and hospital.

Multistage models have been effective at describing length of stay (LOS) distributions for diverse patient groups. Our study objective was to determine whether such models could be used for patient groups restricted by diagnosis, severity of illness, or hospital in order to facilitate comparisons conditioned on these factors. We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from 317,876 hospitalizations occurring over 2 years in 17 hospitals in a large, integrated health care delivery system.

A literature review of interprofessional working and intermediate care in the UK.

Aims And Objectives: This systematic literature review aimed at addressing two questions: first, what evidence exists regarding intermediate care in the UK; and what interventions have been used to develop interprofessional working in intermediate care in the UK? A systematic review of the literature from 2000-2006 resulted in a total of 104 full-text articles describing research into intermediate care in the UK.

Background: The review was the first stage of a large, national project evaluating and developing interprofessional working among health and social care staff, particularly in relation to the intermediate care of older people.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Molecular characterization of interleukin-1Beta in the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).

Interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) plays a significant role in the onset and pathogenesis of inflammation in mammalian hosts. Although well characterized in a range of vertebrate species, little is known about this important cytokine in marsupial mammals. We report here the molecular cloning and characterization of IL-1β in the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii).

Backsliding against malnutrition.

The Millennium Development Goals stated an ambition to cut severe poverty and hunger in half by the year 2015. The recent rise in staple food prices and global economic crisis make it clear that these goals will not be met and that recent gains in mitigating malnutrition are being erased. The number of malnourished people has increased to more than 1 billion, from approximately 800 million a few years ago.

The prevalence and trends of overweight, obesity and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in the Arabian Gulf States.

This paper reviews studies on the prevalence of overweight, obesity and related nutrition-related non-communicable diseases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Obesity is common among women; while men have an equal or higher overweight prevalence. Among adults, overweight plus obesity rates are especially high in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and especially among 30-60 year olds (70-85% among men; 75-88% among women), with lower levels among younger and elderly adults.

A prospective observational study of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey: Symptom severity and treatment options in a paediatric population.

Abstract Objective. This study investigates the relationship between treatment regimen, symptom severity, comorbidities and health outcomes of paediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Methods.

A prospective observational study of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in Asia: baseline characteristics of symptom severity and treatment options in a paediatric population.

Objectives: To better understand the burden and management of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in East Asia, this subanalysis of the baseline characteristics of a large prospective, observational, nonrandomized study investigating the relationships between symptom severity, treatments, co-morbidities, and health outcomes provides information about the diagnosis of, and treatment patterns for, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in this region.

Methods: Outpatients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms participated in this 12-month study performed in China, Korea, and Taiwan. Patients were grouped according to whether they received conventional treatment or no or other treatment.

A WIC-based intervention to prevent early childhood overweight.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)-based intervention on the food and beverage intake, physical activity, and television watching of children ages 1-5.

Design: Longitudinal surveys of intervention and control participants at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

Results: Analysis of variance tests showed that the intervention had a small but significant impact on TV watching and fruit intake.

The home-based chronic care model: a platform for partnership for the provision of a patient-centered medical home.

Even as the way forward for health care reform was recently thrown into turmoil, key players at Baptist Health Home Health and Hospice break down the components of true health care reform for patients with complex chronic conditions. For these individuals, a reformed system would improve and coordinate their care, base this care on the patients' (rather than the system's) needs, empower patients to self-manage their illnesses, and deliver care through physician-led, interdisciplinary teams. All of this would be done while reducing unnecessary costs in the system and helping patients achieve their best quality of life.

Twelve-month prospective, multinational, observational study of factors associated with recovery from mania in bipolar disorder in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics.

Objectives: Atypical antipsychotic agents constitute one therapeutic approach for bipolar disorder. Since disease course and outcome are variable, further studies are needed to complement limited data supportive of clinical decisions at treatment initiation.

Methods: This 12-month, prospective, observational study investigated factors associated with symptomatic remission (total YMRS score < or =12) and full clinical recovery (sustained reduction in CGI-BP-S overall score) in bipolar disorder during treatment with atypical antipsychotics (predominantly olanzapine, risperidone and quetiapine; alone or in combination with a psychotropic such as lithium or valproate) in actual clinical practice.

Effectiveness of a cognitive behavioural workbook for changing beliefs about antipsychotic polypharmacy: analysis from a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Rationale, Aims And Objectives: Educational workbooks have been used in psychiatry to influence patient but not clinician behaviour. Targeted education interventions to change prescribing practice in other areas of medicine have only looked at changes in prescribing and not attitudes or beliefs related to the prescribing. We aimed to examine whether clinicians' beliefs about a common prescribing issue in psychiatry (antipsychotic polypharmacy prescription) changed alongside behaviour as a result of a complex intervention.