Machine-learning based prediction of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practice.

Cushing's syndrome is an endocrine disease in dogs that negatively impacts upon the quality-of-life of affected animals. Cushing's syndrome can be a challenging diagnosis to confirm, therefore new methods to aid diagnosis are warranted. Four machine-learning algorithms were applied to predict a future diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome, using structured clinical data from the VetCompass programme in the UK.

Outcome of First-admission Depression Treated in a Specialized Mood Disorders Service.

Objective: Few studies have described the treatment or outcome of depression in specialized mood disorders units (MDUs). Previous studies have focused on cohorts of patients with highly treatment-resistant illness who are likely to have a poor prognosis even with intensive treatment. This study describes the treatment and medium-term outcomes of a cohort of first-admission depressed patients with less treatment-resistant illness treated in a specialized MDU.

Development and internal validation of a prediction tool to aid the diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome in dogs attending primary-care practice.

Background: Novel methods to aid identification of dogs with spontaneous Cushing's syndrome are warranted to optimize case selection for diagnostics, avoid unnecessary testing, and ultimately aid decision-making for veterinarians.

Hypothesis/objectives: To develop and internally validate a prediction tool for dogs receiving a diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome using primary-care electronic health records.

Animals: Three hundred and ninety-eight dogs diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome and 541 noncase dogs, tested for but not diagnosed with Cushing's syndrome, from a cohort of 905 544 dogs attending VetCompass participating practices.

Monolayer Doping of Germanium with Arsenic: A New Chemical Route to Achieve Optimal Dopant Activation.

Reported here is a new chemical route for the wet chemical functionalization of germanium (Ge), whereby arsanilic acid is covalently bound to a chlorine (Cl)-terminated surface. This new route is used to deliver high concentrations of arsenic (As) dopants to Ge, via monolayer doping (MLD). Doping, or the introduction of Group III or Group V impurity atoms into the crystal lattice of Group IV semiconductors, is essential to allow control over the electronic properties of the material to enable transistor devices to be switched on and off.

Physician, heal thyself: a cross-sectional survey of doctors' personal prescribing habits.

Background: Self-prescribing and prescribing to personal contacts is explicitly discouraged by General Medical Council guidelines.

Aims: This study examines how widespread the practice of self-prescribing and prescribing to personal contacts is.

Methods: A 16-item questionnaire was distributed via an online forum comprising 4445 young medical doctors (representing 20% of all Irish registered doctors), which asked respondents about previous prescribing to themselves, their families, friends and colleagues, including the class of medication prescribed.

Detecting false-positive disease references in veterinary clinical notes without manual annotations.

Clinicians often include references to diseases in clinical notes, which have not been diagnosed in their patients. For some diseases terms, the majority of disease references written in the patient notes may not refer to true disease diagnosis. These references occur because clinicians often use their clinical notes to speculate about disease existence (differential diagnosis) or to state that the disease has been ruled out.

Phosphorus monolayer doping (MLD) of silicon on insulator (SOI) substrates.

This paper details the application of phosphorus monolayer doping of silicon on insulator substrates. There have been no previous publications dedicated to the topic of MLD on SOI, which allows for the impact of reduced substrate dimensions to be probed. The doping was done through functionalization of the substrates with chemically bound allyldiphenylphosphine dopant molecules.

OA41 How can we support people living with death, dying, loss and care using animation? social workers reflect on the compassionate communities 'let's talk' films.

Background: Milford Care Centre's Compassionate Communities Project has developed a series of animated films - The 'Let's Talk' Series. These films are used by the project to encourage people to have think about having difficult conversations about illness and death. The films are available on the project website, via You Tube and are shown during Café Conversations as part of the Compassionate Communities Project.

Mauling of the "Celtic Tiger": clinical characteristics and outcome of first-episode depression secondary to the economic recession in Ireland.

Background: There is a dearth of studies describing clinical characteristics and outcome of patients who present with mood disorders related to economic recession.

Aims: To describe a cohort of patients admitted with first-episode depression related to the Irish economic recession and compare this cohort with all other first-episode depressives admitted during the same time period (2009-2010).

Methods: A cohort of 137 patients admitted with first-episode depression to an independent university teaching hospital was prospectively identified and followed up from admission over 2 years (mean follow-up 430 days, s.

Cannabis and hyperemesis.

The adverse effects of marijuana are well documented, as well as its positive therapeutic uses. Cannabis has traditionally been associated with an antiemetic action following acute ingestion and synthetic cannabinoids have an established use as antiemetics for chemotherapy induced nausea. However, there has been limited recognition of chronic cannabis use as a cause of cyclic vomiting syndrome.

Influence of ethnicity on presentation and outcome of first episode psychosis.

We describe a young African male presenting to an Irish psychiatric service with first episode psychosis with an acute onset, no prodromal features and early and complete remission. Migrant and ethnic minority groups may differ in their clinical presentation, course and outcome of psychosis compared with the Caucasian population. This has implications for assessment and treatment of ethnic minority patients in an Irish context given the recent migration into a previously homogeneous population.

Long-term social functioning after depression treated by psychiatrists: a review.

Objectives: Numerous long-term studies of depression in psychiatric settings have shown a poor clinical outcome but little emphasis has been placed on psychosocial or functional outcome in studies to date. This article reviews published data on long-term social functioning after depression and considers why psychosocial recovery appears delayed compared with clinical recovery.

Methods: Searches were carried out of the databases MEDLINE, PSYCHLIT and EMBASE for articles published from 1980 using keywords relating to social and functional outcomes of unipolar and bipolar depression.

What's new? The clinical epidemiology of bipolar I disorder.

The last few decades have seen a rapid change in our understanding of the epidemiology of bipolar disorder, which has only recently started to achieve major research attention. This article reviews recent developments. In addition to electronic searches using MEDLINE and PsycLIT, references from articles were identified, major journals hand searched, and major textbooks of psychiatry and epidemiology reviewed.

The impact of residual symptoms on outcome of major depression.

Unipolar depression should be viewed as a chronic illness with multiple phases rather than as a relapsing-remitting disorder. Incomplete remission from depression is common, with approximately one third of patients continuing to have residual depression at remission. Patients who have had a depressive episode spend more time with residual depressive symptoms than with major depression long term.

Incidence of bipolar affective disorder in three UK cities: results from the AESOP study.

Background: There has been a relative dearth of epidemiological research into bipolar affective disorder. Furthermore, incidence studies of bipolar disorder have been predominantly retrospective and most only included hospital admission cases.

Aims: To determine the incidence of operationally defined bipolar disorder in three areas of the UK and to investigate any differences in gender and ethnicity.

Gender differences in incidence and age at onset of mania and bipolar disorder over a 35-year period in Camberwell, England.

Objective: Despite clear gender differences in the symptoms and course of bipolar affective disorder, studies investigating age at onset by gender have yielded inconsistent results. The authors investigated gender differences in age at onset and incidence of first-episode mania and bipolar disorder in an epidemiological catchment area in southeast London over a 35-year period.

Method: All adult cases of first-episode psychosis, mania, or hypomania presenting to services in Camberwell, southeast London (1965-1999), were identified.

Meta-analysis of magnetic resonance imaging brain morphometry studies in bipolar disorder.

Background: Several studies assessing volumetric measurements of regional brain structure in bipolar disorder have been published in recent years, but their results have been inconsistent. Our aim was to complete a meta-analysis of regional morphometry in bipolar disorder as assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search of MRI studies of bipolar disorder and identified studies which reported volume measurements in a selected number of regions.

Clinical features and management of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal: a review.

Aim: To examine the clinical course of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) withdrawal and generate management guidelines.

Design: Review and analysis of all published reports of GHB or GHB precursor withdrawal identified from electronic searches.

Findings: In total, 38 cases of GHB (n = 28) or GHB precursor (n = 10) withdrawal were identified, 36 of which were from the US.

Longitudinal syndromal and sub-syndromal symptoms after severe depression: 10-year follow-up study.

Background: Few follow-up studies of depression have evaluated depressive symptomatology over time at both threshold and sub-threshold levels.

Aims: To evaluate long-term longitudinal symptomatic course after an episode of severe depression.

Method: A total of 61 participants from a previous study cohort underwent a detailed interview covering the longitudinal course of depression and pharmacological treatment over 8-11 years of follow-up.

Pharmacological management of treatment resistant depression: a clinical review.

Objectives: Treatment resistant depression (TRD), commonly encountered in clinical practice, leads to socioeconomic disability and therapeutic pessimism. This paper reviews evidence for pharmacological approaches used in TRD.

Method: Electronic literature searches were performed using Medline and Psychlit using broad search terms relating to TRD.

Koro: a case in an Eastern European asylum seeker in Ireland.

Koro is characterised as a perception that one's genital organs are shrinking and will eventually recede into the abdomen. It was initially described in South East Asia as a culture bound syndrome but this syndrome has recently been recognised in a non-culture bound context A case is described of a depressed Eastern European asylum seeker with koro like symptoms. All symptoms resolved completely with fluoxetine treatment The relevant literature to the case is reviewed, in relation to onset, symptoms and treatment of this rare syndrome.