bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
It is a family affair: individual experiences and sibling exposure to emotional, physical and sexual abuse and the impact on adult depressive symptoms
Authors: Kullberg Marie-Louise , van Schie Charlotte , van Sprang Eleonore , Maciejewski Dominique , Hartman Catharina A. , van Hemert Bert , Penninx Brenda W. J. H. , Elzinga Bernet M.
Published: April 2020

Background

Childhood abuse and neglect often occurs within families and can have a large influence on mental well-being across the lifespan. However, the sibling concordance of emotional abuse and neglect (i.e. together referred to as emotional maltreatment; EM), physical abuse (PA) and sexual abuse (SA) and the long-term impact on the context of siblings' maltreatment experiences are unclear. To examine the influence of EM, PA and SA on adult depressive symptoms within the family framework we differentiate between (a) the family-wide (mean level of all siblings) effects and (b) the individual deviation from the mean family level of maltreatment.

Methods

The sample (N = 636) consists of 256 families, including at least one lifetime depressed or anxious individual and their siblings. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the family-wide and relative individual effects of childhood maltreatment (CM).

Results

(a) Siblings showed most similarity in their reports of EM followed by PA. SA was mostly reported by one person within a family. In line with these observations, the mean family levels of EM and PA, but not SA, were associated with more depressive symptoms. In addition, (b) depression levels were more elevated in individuals reporting more EM than the family mean.

Conclusions

Particularly in the case of more visible forms of CM, siblings' experiences of EM and PA are associated with the elevated levels of adult depressive symptoms. Findings implicate that in addition to individual maltreatment experiences, the context of siblings' experiences is another crucial risk factor for an individuals' adult depressive symptomatology.
Platelet 3H-imipramine binding in major depressive episodes
Authors: Faludi G , Tekes K
Published: April 2020

Density (Bmax) and affinity constant (Kd) values of tritiated imipramine binding sites were determined on platelets from patients suffering from major depression and from healthy, age-and sex-matched controls. Significantly lower Bmax values were found in the depressed patients, while the Kd values did not differ from those of controls. The results suggest that, in accordance with data from the literature, decrease in 3H-imipramine binding sites may be used as a state-dependent biological marker of depression in clinical practice.
Circadian variations in response to protirelin test in major depressive episode
Authors: Duval F , Mokrani MC , Crocq MA , Rosenberg S , Castro J Oliveira , Valdivieso S , Macher JP
Published: April 2020

We studied circadian thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin (PRL) response to synthetic thyrotropin-releasing-hormone (protirelin) infusion (200μg IV) at 8 am and 11 pm in 35 drug-free inpatients with DSM III-R Major Depressive Episode and in 22 hospitalized controls. In each group, maximum TSH and PRL responses were lower at 8 am than at 11 pm. The difference between 11 pm-ΔTSH and 8 am-ΔJTSH (ΔΔTSH) was significantly lower in depressed patients compared to controls. No such blunting was observed in PRL responses to protirelin in depressed patients. In the overall population, TSH response to protirelin (ie8 am-ΔTSH, 11 pm-ΔTSH,ΔΔTSH) correlated significantly with TSH circadian parameters (iemesor and amplitude). These correlations were also observed with PRL (except forΔΔPRL). TSH mesor and amplitude were lower in depressives than in controls. In contrast, PRL mesor and amplitude were not significantly different between diagnostic groups.ΔΔTSH is thus a chronobiological refinement to the measure of thyroid axis dysfunction in major depression. The blunted TSH response to protirelin suggests that the TRH receptors of the pituitary thyrotrophs are hyposensitive in major depression.
Antagonism by modafinil of the psychomotor and cognitive impairment induced by sleep-deprivation in 12 healthy volunteers
Authors: Bensimon G , Benoit D , Lacomblez L , Weiller E , Warot D , Weil JS , Puech AJ
Published: April 2020

Modafinil is a new psychotropic compound with central α1, adrenergic-stimulant activity in animals. In the present study, its pharmacological activity in man was evaluated in the sleep-deprivation induced psychomotor and cognitive impairment paradigm. This was a double-blind placebo-controlled study involving 12 healthy volunteers. Standard psychomotor and memory tasks were used, including critical flicker fusion frequency determination (CFF), choice reaction time and short- and long-term memory evaluation. Results revealed a clear antagonism by modafinil of the psychomotor and cognitive impairment induced by sleep-deprivation in most tasks 6 h after drug administration, and marginal effects 18 h after. These results therefore support a psychostimulant activity of modafinil in man.
Atypical depression: diagnosis and therapeutic issues
Authors: de la Fuente JR
Published: April 2020

A number of Meso-American artifacts which appear to depict subjects presenting severe depressive episodes have been identified, showing that concern with depressive disorders is not a recent phenomenon. Atypical presentations of depression in modern Mexico are characterized by a high degree of somatization, perhaps to avoid the stigma of “mental disorders”. Other characteristics are mood reactivity, substantial anxiety, phobias and the reversed vegetative manifestations. There is a high comorbidity with panic disorder and with bipolar depression. Nosological terminology is not fully standardized, and commonly encountered diagnoses include “neurasthenia”, “neurotic depression”, “mixed depression”, “resistant depression”, etc. Treatment involves a variety of modalities, including TCAs, MAOIs, and anxiolytics, together with a number of drug combinations; open trials are underway with newer agents such as SAMe, SSRIs and the RIMAs.
The treatment of atypical depression
Authors: Klein DF
Published: April 2020

Atypical depression differs from typical (endogenomorphic) depression not only in terms of the primary determinant, mood reactivity, but also by the presence of at least one of four atypical symptoms, hyperphagia, hypersomnia, rejection sensitivity and leaden paralysis. In addition to the differential therapeutic response reported by various authors, these two types of depression can be differentiated by various biological measures including the dexamethasone suppression test, tyramine excretion following loading, REM latency, etc. A series of studies comparing phenelzine with imipramine and placebo in subgroups of atypical depressives showed better results with the tricyclic than with placebo; however phenelzine consistently gave the best results in this type of depression. The hypothesis is advanced that the difference between typical and atypical classes of depression could be accounted for by the loss of the ability to experience both “anticipatory” or “consummatory” pleasure in typical depression, but only anticipatory pleasure in atypical depression.
The clinical profile of dysthymia in a group of Latin American women
Authors: León CA , León A
Published: April 2020

More than half of all patients consulting at public health facilities in Cali, Colombia have been shown to present mental disorders, the majority of which were non-psychotic; there is a high female preponderance amongst the affective disorders. As in other developing countries, in Colombia depressive disorders tend to present as somatic complaints, rather than as mood disturbances. The nomenclature used to describe these disorders is poorly codified, with most patients classed as “neurotic” or “depressed”; the diagnosis of “dysthymia” is very seldom encountered. Mental disorders are frequently misdiagnosed in primary care settings; when identified, treatment of depression by GPs generally involves TCAs or MAOIs, sometimes in conjunction with anxiolytics or neuroleptics. Only very severe cases are referred to psychiatrists, and many patients purchase drugs upon the recommendation of a pharmacist. Diagnostic trends and treatment results of a comparative study of amisulpride and viloxazine carried out in 80 patients assessed by DSM III-R criteria are reported.
The DSM IV field trials: moving towards an empirically derived classification
Authors: Frances A , Wakefield Davis W , Kline M , Pincus H , First M , Widiger T
Published: April 2020

The authors present an overview of the process for developing DSM IV which has been characterized by extensive international communication and collaboration and which includes three stages of empirical review: systematic literature reviews, analysis of unpublished data and field trials. Next, they describe in detail recently initiated DSM IV field trials. The field trials will study eleven diagnostic categories which continue to be the focus of much discussion. They include antisocial personality disorder, autism, disruptive disorders, dysthymia, insomnia, mixed anxiety and depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, somatoform disorder and substance use disorders. Each field trial compares the DSM III, the DSM III-R, ICD 10 and proposed DSM IV criteria for the disorder in question.
Loss of automatic processes and blunted-affect in depression: a P3 study
Authors: Partiot A , Pierson A , Le Houezec J , Dodin V , Renault B , Jouvent R
Published: April 2020

The P3 components (P3a and P3b) of the event-related potentials have been analysed in sixteen in-patients with a major depressive episode (DSM III-R) according to their subtype - anxious-agitated and impulsiveversusretarded and blunted-affect - assuming that these two opposite dimensions of the depressive mood would rely on different physiopathological mechanisms. The P3a component, which indexes automatic cognitive processes, was dramatically decreased in the retarded and blunted-affect group. This suggests that this special type of cognitive dysfunction in depression is rather related to negative symptoms than to depression itself.
Research during psychiatric training as a predictor of future academic research career: the Maudsley experience
Authors: Castle DJ , Refault S , Murray RM
Published: April 2020

Junior doctors who trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital between 1965 to 1975 were followed up at a mean of 17 years to ascertain whether pre-psychiatric experience or performance during training could predict future career paths. The most consistent predictor of a career in academic psychiatry was involvement in research during training.
Reconstruction of MADRS in Benin: a contribution to the study of its cross-cultural validity
Authors: Bertschy G , Viel JF , Vandel S , Ahyi RG
Published: April 2020

In order to evaluate the validity of the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) in a Black African context, the MADRS construction study was replicated in Benin (West Africa) following the same initial procedure. Ninety-two Beninese French-speaking, major depressed out-patients were rated with the French version of the CPRS and were administered 75 mg/day clomipramine for 4 weeks. Forty-nine patients were rated at the end of the period. A list of items with a frequency higher than 70% was pre-selected from this data in strict accordance with the Montgomery and Asberg procedure; the ten items most sensitive to change Were then extracted from this list. The new scale shared eight of the ten MADRS items. Only pessimistic and suicidal thoughts, perhaps culture-bound, were absent and replaced in the new list by reported muscular tension and reduced sexual interest. None of the classic African symptoms involving somatic complaints or persecution ideas were selected by the procedure. The interest of using a shortened version of the MADRS, limited to the common eight items, is discussed.
Ten years after – the post-treatment course of alcoholism
Authors: Längle G , Mann K , Mundle G , Schied HW
Published: April 2020

The natural history of alcoholism is still a matter of debate. Very few studies have addressed the issue of the post-treatment course longitudinally. We present the results of a long-term follow-up study in ninety-six alcohol dependent patients who were treated in a combined in-patient and out-patient treatment programme. Two, five and ten years after the initial treatment in 1976, they were re-investigated. Ninety-four percent of the patients could be located ten years after treatment. Fifty-one percent were abstinent, 22% were deceased, 14% of the patients’ drinking was unchanged and 7% had improved. This outcome is discussed and compared with the results of other long-term studies.
Dynamically rigid EEG and subtyping of depressive syndromes
Authors: Ulrich G , Brand K
Published: April 2020

The contribution of EEG to theory as well as to psychiatric practice of depression is negligible. The prevailing view is that no ‘abnormal’ characteristic can be demonstrated in affective disorders. Since ‘abnormal’ is generally taken in a neurological sense, all those EEG characteristics are faded out which cannot be regarded as neurologically abnormal but which nevertheless may be useful for psychiatric concerns. Thus, early observations concerning the spatio-temporal aspect of the EEG have essentially gone unnoticed, thereby evading systematic scrutiny. It has been maintained that periodically melancholic patients more often exhibited a dynamically rigid EEG than patients with neurotic forms. Our retrospective study involved 314 inpatients with depressive disorders who were subdivided into an ‘endogenous’ and a ‘non-endogenous’ subgroup using both IC'D 9 diagnoses as well as RDC criteria. The EEGs were designated to one of the three categories, rigid, labile, or physiomorphic. Forty-two percent of the patients in the ‘endogenous’ subgroup exhibited a dynamically rigid EEG (DR) compared to 20% of those from the ‘non-endogenous’ subgroup. Symptoms of psychomotor retardation positively correlated with DR, whereas ‘anxiety’ positively correlated with non-DR (labile or physiomorphic EEG dynamics). In addition, there was a positive correlation between DR and both the number of manifestations of depressive disorders and the number of previous hospitalizations. We interpret DR as a personality-bound characteristic which, far from being pathognomonic of a certain syndrome or even diagnosis, instead indicates a higher degree of vulnerability towards manifestation of melancholic syndromes with psychomotor retardation. This does not exclude the possibility of a state-dependent intensification of DR.
Effects of tianeptine on sleep-wakefulness cycles in the rhesus monkey
Authors: Balzamo E , Lagarde D , Milhaud C , Mocaer E , Poignant JC
Published: April 2020

Repeated administrations of tianeptine (10 mg·kg-1 im, twice daily, for 15 days) did not globally influence sleep-wakefulness cycles and cortical EEG activity overnight in rhesus monkeys. This antidepressant agent neither inhibited paradoxical sleep nor increased slow wave sleep. However, tianeptine induced a slight, but significant increase in wakefulness during the first hour following its administration, and had no sedative effects. The influence of tianeptine on sleep patterns in the monkey could be related to other arousal or sleep modifications observed in rats and cats, and to certain electrophysiological data reported in rat studies.
In vivo exploration of brain phosphorus 31 metabolism in patients with senile dementia of Alzheimer type
Authors: Mecheri G , Bissuel Y , Dalery J , Terra JL , Balvay G , Roussel B , Marie-Cardine M
Published: April 2020

In vivo NMR 31p spectroscopy is a non invasive, non ionizing method of exploration of energy and phospholipid metabolism in the brain. This study consisted of comparing 31p spectra in five patients with Senile Dementia of Alzheimer Type (SDAT) with those of four controls of similar ages. Abnormal phosphonionocsters (PME) concentrations, either high or low, were found in the patients, but statistical analysis did not elicit any significant difference relative to controls.
Rate and significance of hypomanic switches in unipolar melancholic depression
Authors: Menchon JM , Gasto C , Vallejo J , Catalan R , Otero A , Vieta E
Published: April 2020

One hundred and sixteen patients with RDC unipolar recurrent depressive disorder, melancholic subtype, were treated with imipramine or phenelzine and followed-up for six months. None of the patients had a first-degree relative with bipolar I disorder. Twenty-six patients (22.4%) presented an hypomanic episode (‘hypomanic group’). This group of patients, when depressed, had a significantly lower age of onset of the disorder and higher response to antidepressant therapy than patients who did not present an hypomanic episode. Significantly more patients (88%) of the ‘hypomanic group’ had at least one first-degree relative with a history of major depressive disorder. These patients displayed some of the typical features of bipolar II disorder. Overall results support the continuum in clinical phenomena between unipolar and bipolar disorders.
Serum beta2-microglobulin as a possible early indicator of glomerular filtration impairment in subjects receiving long-term lithium treatment
Authors: Rutigliano G , Vadruccio F
Published: April 2020

Serumβ2-microglobulin (β2m) levels were increased in ten out of 52 patients on chronic lithium treatment, while creatinine levels were within the normal range in all of them and creatinine clearance was below the normality in only five. We propose serumβ2m assessment as a possible precocious indicator of glomerular filtration impairment, and recommend its frequent determination in patients chronically treated with lithium to prevent the occurrence of renal insufficiency.
Depressive cognition in panic disorder: assessment of negative automatic thoughts
Authors: Hautekeete M , Servant D , Carton S , Lamirand C , Allard CH , Parquet PJ
Published: April 2020

Although panic disorder has been ranked as an ‘anxiety disorder', its close relationship to depression has been suggested in pharmacological and clinical studies. Validation of this hypothesis of similarity between panic and depression requires that their common psychological characteristics be clearly evidenced, especially from the cognitive/emotional standpoint. We assessed 13 depressive themes from Beck's Cognition Checklist, to explore negative automatic thoughts in three groups of patients defined, according to DSM III-R criteria, as: major depression (n = 16), panic disorder (n = 19), social phobia (n = 11). We found a strong similarity in the ordering and regrouping of the depressive themes, between depressive and panic disorder patients, and no similarity with social phobics. These results suggest that panic disorder cognitions may be closer to depressive cognition than social phobia cognition.
Electrodermal orienting response during episodes of schizophrenic illness and remissions: a case study
Authors: Öhlund LS
Published: April 2020

The aim of the present case study was to examine electrodermal orienting response during periods of acute illness and during remission in a male schizophrenic patient. He was exposed five times to a series of moderately intense tones in a standard orienting habituation paradigm, while skin conductance was recorded. He failed to respond to any of the first two tones and was considered a nonresponder both times when he was acutely symptomatically ill. In contrast, he responded to some of the first tones when he was under treatment and both times when he was tested in remission.
The social correlates of suicide in Hungary in the elderly
Authors: Lester D , Moksony F
Published: April 2020

Social indices of social integration, such as divorce, were more successful in predicting the suicide rates of the elderly in the provinces of Hungary than they were in predicting the suicide rates of young adults.
Depression and monocyte dysfunction: a follow-up study
Authors: Cervera-Enguix S , Rodriguez-Rosado A
Published: April 2020

Several studies have reported immune cellular and humoral dysfunction during depression. We specifically focused on the study of the monocyte as it has a key role in the activation of the immune response. To examine the association between severity of depressive symptoms and values of monocyte parameters (HLA-DR, CD35, phagocytic activity and vimentin filaments), we used a longitudinal design and assessed monocyte markers at intake and at follow-up 12 weeks after discharge from the hospital in 49 depressed patients. Seventy percent of patients showed pretreatment a marked monocyte dysfunction (82.5% had at least one parameter altered). After treatment, alterations in immunological variables were significantly associated (P< 0.05) with depression scores higher than 15. The findings indicate that the monocyte dysfunction is temporally associated with the state of depression. Before and after treatment the immunoreactive vimentin filaments significantly increased (P< 0.01) after incubation of monocytes with naloxone, suggesting that an increased opioid activity might account for the monocyte dysfunction.
Research on personality disorders in Norway *
Authors: Vaglum P
Published: April 2020

Norway was the first European country to be introduced to the American diagnostic system DSM III. In this paper the author presents some of the main results of the Norwegian studies of the DSM III personality disorders with particular emphasis on validity, comorbidity and treatment.
The GHQ-28 questionnaire in French: a validation survey in a panel of 158 general psychiatric patients
Authors: Pariente PD , Challita H , Mesbah M , Guelfi JD
Published: April 2020

As a pre-test validity study, a French version of the 28-item general health questionnaire was carried out on 158 general psychiatric patients, without any selection on diagnosis. These patients were concomitantly assessed by psychiatrists with a list of DSM III-R criteria for affective and anxiety disorders. Internal consistency of the questionnaire proved to be excellent. Principal component analysis provided a 4-factor solution, including a ‘depressive’ factor, close to that originally proposed by Goldberg and Hilllier (1979), but with some differences in the loading of insomnia. Although there were some differences in case distribution between the centres, this study confirms internal validity of the GHQ-28 as a screening instrument for psychiatric research.
Kraepelin: an expert system for the diagnosis of Obsessive - Compulsive Disorders
Authors: Roca-Bennasar M , Garcia-Mas A , Llaneras N , Blat J , Roca P
Published: April 2020

We present the construction of an expert system (ES) for the diagnosis of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD). It concerns an artificial intelligence tool, in Lisp language compatible with any personal computer (PC) with a hard disk. The ES asks the user 50 questions in natural language, on the patient or on a clinical history. It is provided with 115 rules of reasoning. Using single or multivaluate variables, the ES reaches the diagnosis of the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders or the recommendations of differential diagnosis with related patterns or involucred with obsessive pathology: phobic, affective, schizophrenic and Gilles de la Tourette disorders. Finally, the perspectives for the utilisation of the ES in psychopathology are disscussed, in conjunction with the 2 serious problems created, design difficulty and user acceptance.
Epidemiology of childhood anxiety disorders
Authors: Jalenques I , Coudert AJ
Published: April 2020

This review studies the epidemiology of anxiety disorders of childhood and adolescence, including prevalence rates, comorbidity patterns, risk factors and course. Comorbidity is very important: most children with anxiety disorders also have one or several other anomalies, usually anxiety or mood disorders. The authors point out the main evidence suggesting that a number of risk factors are associated with childhood anxiety disorders: age, sex, low socioeconomic setting; child's personality, and lastly, familial risk factors which have a very strong influence: children of parents with current or past anxiety disorders are more at risk of having anxiety disorders. Concerning the course of disorders, we have tentatively defined subsets of children or adolescents with anxiety disorders, and tried to clarify the recovery rate of these subsets. Future directions for research are suggested.
Incidence and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders from a well-defined catchment area in Denmark
Authors: Mors O , Vedel S∅rensen L
Published: April 2020

The incidences of major psychiatric syndromes (DSM III-R, axis I) in the age group 18–49 years were investigated. Incidence was defined as first ever admission rates during a period of 1 year.. The study base was a well-defined catchment area of 217,649 persons. Selection bias was analyzed by the use of a population-based psychiatric case register. Information bias was minimized by the use of a semi-structured interview, the Present State Examination, 10th edition. Comorbidity defined as significant cooccurrence of Axis I disorders was analyzed by multivariate statistics. One hundred and sixty-six patients were interviewed. PSE-10, now published by WHO, proved to be as reliable as its predecessors, and appropriate for the severely ill psychiatric patient. Incidences of schizophrenia, other psychoses stratified for the presence of psychoactive substance use disorders, and mood disorders stratified for anxiety disorders were reported. The sample was biased towards younger individuals with more severe psychopathology.
The contribution of epidemiology to the study of diagnosis
Authors: Häfner H , Maurer K
Published: April 2020

Psychiatric diagnoses provide short labels for diseases or discrete symptom clusters. They should designate the same throughout the world, give information about course, outcome and indications for therapy as well as provide an heuristic basis for etiological research. Hence, the core question is how to attain an optimal representation of real morbidity in diagnosis, sets of diagnostic criteria and diagnostic classifications. Clinical observation can be improved considerably by multi-centre field trials, as applied in the preparation of ICD-10 and DSM-IV. But the approach has considerable limitations due to a lack of external measures in many psychiatric disorders and a highly limited representation of many diagnostic groups in clinical populations. Therefore, epidemiological methods are required in validating diagnosis and diagnostic criteria. The simplest way is to supplement clinical multicentre diagnostic studies by general-practice studies, but these, also, cannot fully replace population studies. Operational diagnosis and case criteria can be defined either categorically or dimensionally. Most of the categorical diagnoses in ICD-10 or DSM III also include dimensional characteristics. The impact of various diagnostic criteria, particularly cut-offs of dimensional characteristics, on the assignment of a diagnosis and, thus, on the morbidity figures of a diagnostic category is demonstrated by data from a large representative sample of first-admitted schizophrenics. Attempts at etiological validation by methods of genetic epidemiology provide limited support for Kraepelin's dichotomous model of functional psychoses. Validation by epidemiological course studies has shown that the stability of diagnosis in functional psychoses differs according to the sets of diagnostic criteria of different classification systems.
Treatment of panic disorder with alprazolam and imipramine: clinical relevance of DSM III dysthymia
Authors: Rosenberg R , Nøhr Jensen P
Published: April 2020

The presence of affective symptoms in panic disorder has often been reported. Data from The Cross-National Collaborative Panic Study (second phase) were analysed to address the role of dysthymia in panic disorder with respect to previous illness, current psychopathology and the outcome during an 8-week study of alprazolam and imipramine. A group of dysthymic patients without current or past major depressive episode was studied. The prevalences of dysthymia varied markedly across participating sites: 2–13%. Only a few clinical characteristics of dysthymic panic disorder patients were found. They had suffered from panic disorder for a few years more than patients without affective disorder and they were slightly older. The outcome after the 8-week drug trial was not significantly different from that of patients without affective disorder. Hence, dysthymia was not suggested to be of major clinical relevance for the phenomenology of panic disorder or for the outcome of drug treatment.
Antibodies against serotonin and gangliosides in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder
Authors: Schott K , Batra A , Klein R , Bartels M , Koch W , Berg PA
Published: April 2020

Serum-antibodies against an organ specific CNS antigen as well as against serotonin and gangliosides (Gm 1) were analysed by ELISA in 34 patients with schizophrenia, ten patients with schizoaffective psychosis and 13 patients with major depressive disorder. Sixty-two patients with various rheumatic disorders and 32 blood donors were included in the study as controls. Sixty-two percent of the 13 patients with major depressive disorder had antibodies to serotonin and 69% to gangliosides, whereas antibody positive sera was only found in 38% of the 34 patients with schizophrenia. The same antibodies were found in only 6% (antibodies to serotonin) and 13% (antibodies to gangliosides) of the 32 blood donors and in a similar frequency in patients with schizoaffective psychosis. Organ specific antibodies to CNS-antigen could not be detected in the psychiatric patient group at any significant level. It is speculated that auto-immune reactions towards a serotonin receptor may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of major depressive disorder.
Attempted suicide by jumping
Authors: Vieta E , Nieto E , Gastó C , Cirera E
Published: April 2020

The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of 62 patients, who were consecutively admitted to medical or surgical departments in a general hospital in Barcelona, as a result of attempting suicide by jumping from buildings were investigated. All patients met DSM III criteria for at least one psychiatric diagnosis. The most frequent diagnosis was schizophrenia (40%), followed by depression (24%). The attempts made by depressed patients tended to be more lethal. Most of the schizophrenics presented active psychotic symptoms at the time of attempting suicide.
Treatment of severe depression with paroxetine
Authors: Tignol J
Published: April 2020

Meta-analyses of 417 patients diagnosed either prospectively (316 US patients) or retrospectively (101 European patients) as suffering from melancholia according to DSM III criteria have shown that paroxetine was significantly better than placebo with respect to all outcome measures. There was no significant difference between active control and placebo in these analyses. In a group of 216 severely depressed hospitalised patients with a HAMD score of 25 or more, paroxetine was as effective as active control.
La psychiatric française et les lois . La loi de décembre 1988 dite « Huriet» relative à la protection des personnes se prêtant à la recherche biomédicale
Authors: Chabannes JP
Published: April 2020

La loi française du 20 décembre 1988, dont le rapporteurétait le docteur Huriet, sénateur, a redéfini le cadre législatif des essais biomédicaux. Son objet, plus que de garantir la qualité scientifique d’un travail de recherche, vise à protéger les personnes - saines ou malades-qui seraient sollicitées pour participer à de tels essais. Venant se surajouter aux Bonnes Pratiques Cliniques et aux Directives Européennes qui encadrent la recherche clinique, l’application pratique de la loi Huriet, par certains de ses aspects - en particulier I’obtention du consentement et l’accès aux « documents sources » –, crée des difficultés importantes pour les cliniciens et de nouveaux dangers pour les malades. Des modifications pourraient y être apportées pour la mettre en harmonie avec le devoir de soins et l’éthique médicale.
The paradox of tianeptine
Authors: Ansseau M
Published: April 2020

The classical biochemical hypothesis of depression posits a functional deficit in central neurotransmitter systems, particularly serotonin (5-HT) and/or noradrenaline. The major support for this theory was that antidepressants increase the amount of neurotransmitters in the synaptic cleft, by inhibiting reuptake mechanisms (tricyclics) or inhibiting enzymatic catabolism (MAOIs). The major role suggested for 5-HT in this theory led to the development of a large number of compounds which selectively inhibit 5-HT reuptake, such as fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, citalopram, sertraline, paroxetine, etc. Numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the antidepressant activity of such types of agents, supporting 5-HT deficit as the main origin of depression. Tianeptine is active in classical animal models of antidepressants. Its antidepressant efficacy has been established in controlled trials involving a large number of patients. Several biochemical studies however demonstrated that tianeptine induces in acute as well as in chronic conditions, a presynaptic increase of 5-HT reuptake, both in animal and human platelets and animal CNS. Therefore, as a 5-HT reuptake enhancer, tianeptine exhibits a mechanism of action totally opposite to 5-HT reuptake blockers such as fluoxetine but, paradoxically, both mechanisms of action are associated with a therapeutic activity in depressive disorders. Several hypotheses to explain these paradoxical findings and different methodologies to test them clinically are proposed.
Agent-Relative Consequentialism and Collective Self-Defeat
Authors: Hammerton Matthew
Published: April 2020

Andrew Forcehimes and Luke Semrau argue that agent-relative consequentialism is implausible because in some circumstances it classes an act as impermissible yet holds that the outcome of all agents performing that impermissible act is preferable. I argue that their problem is closely related to Derek Parfit's problem of ‘direct collective self-defeat’ and show how Parfit's plausible solution to his problem can be adapted to solve their problem.
A new measure of health motivation influencing food choices and its association with food intakes and nutritional biomarkers in European adolescents
Authors: Santos Thanise Sabrina Souza , Julián Cristina , Vincenzi Silvana Ligia , de Andrade Dalton Francisco , Slater Betzabeth , de Assis Maria Alice Altenburg , Kafatos Anthony , de Henauw Stefaan , Gottrand Fréderic , Androutsos Odysseas , Kersting Mathilde , Sjöström Michael , Forsner Maria , Moreno Luis A
Published: April 2020

Objective:

To develop a scale to assess health motivation influencing food choices and to explore its performance in the associations with food intakes and nutritional biomarkers.

Design:

Psychometric study using cross-sectional self-report questionnaires and nutritional biomarkers.

Setting:

Multi-centre investigation conducted in ten European cities.

Participants:

2954 adolescents who were included in the HELENA study and completed the Food Choices and Preferences (FCP) questionnaire.

Results:

Nineteen out of 124 items of the FCP questionnaire were in the same dimension. Sixteen presented adequate parameters for the Scale of evaluatiOn of Food choIcEs (SOFIE). The scores were positively associated with the intakes of cereals, dairy products, meats and eggs, and fish, as well as with blood concentrations of vitamin C, β-carotene, n-3 fatty acids, cobalamin, holo-transcobalamin and folate; scores were negatively associated with the intake of alcohol.

Conclusions:

SOFIE can improve the assessment of motivation influencing food choices based on items with the best performance and is proposed as a new measure to health-related studies.
Assessing the potential of a Virtual Patient Advocate to provide preconception care and health advice to women living in Australia
Authors: Walker Ruth , Drakeley Sheila , Julce Clevanne , Sidduri Nireesha , Bickmore Timothy , Skouteris Helen , Jack Brian , Boyle Jacqueline
Published: April 2020

A preconception Virtual Patient Advocate (VPA) called “Gabby” supported African-American women to decrease their preconception health risks and may be a scalable resource to increase women’s access to preconception care. Aims were to assess the acceptability of a preconception VPA in women living in Australia and document the changes required to adapt Gabby to suit an Australian context. Taking a descriptive qualitative approach, nonpregnant female participants (n = 31), aged 18–45 years, living in metropolitan and regional Victoria, Australia interacted with Gabby. Focus groups (n = 7) that gathered participants’ perspectives of their experience with Gabby ran in July–August 2019 before being transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Six interrelated themes and 12 subthemes were identified. Participants found VPAs to be an acceptable provider of health information with potential to increase women’s access preconception health advice. Gabby was considered to be trustworthy and was able to develop rapport with participants in a relatively short time. Context-specific, relevant, tailored and trustworthy information and advice were considered more important that Gabby’s physical appearance. Participants had strong opinions about potential technological advancements (e.g., reminders and rewards) and addressing navigation issues to increase Gabby’s acceptability. Participants envisaged that they would use Gabby for readily available and evidence-based information before seeking advice from a health professional if required. Overall, the concept VPAs to provide preconception advice and Gabby were acceptable to participants. Future development of VPAs, Gabby, and other online technology-based resources should consider women’s high expectations of the online health information they choose to interact with.
Control of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) in golf course natural areas
Authors: Weaver Josh R. , Brown Philip J. , McCarty Lambert B. , Gambrell Nathaniel
Published: April 2020

Japanese stiltgrass is regarded as one of the most troublesome invasive species in the United States. It is commonly found invading forested areas; however, more recently it has been noted to be invading golf course roughs and out-of-play areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate POST herbicide control of Japanese stiltgrass in golf course and highly maintained turfgrass facilities. None of the treatments provided >80% Japanese stiltgrass control 2 wk after treatment (WAT). At 4 WAT >80% Japanese stiltgrass control was observed with MSMA, MSMA + metribuzin, amicarbazone, and sethoxydim, whereas metsulfuron, pinoxaden, and imazapic provided minimum control. By 8 WAT, MSMA, MSMA + metribuzin, amicarbazone, and sethoxydim provided >98% control, whereas quinclorac, metsulfuron, pinoxaden, and imazapic provided no visible control. Thiencarbazone-methyl + foramsulfuron + halosulfuron-methyl, and sulfentrazone provided limited (≤60%) control. This study indicates that POST control of Japanese stiltgrass can be achieved with MSMA, MSMA + metribuzin, amicarbazone, and sethoxydim. Future research should include long-term control over multiple growing seasons, repeat applications of herbicides, and evaluation of herbicides in combination for increased and longer-term Japanese stiltgrass control.
Der BilWiss-2.0-Test
Authors: Kunina-Habenicht Olga , Maurer Christina , Wolf Kristin , Holzberger Doris , Schmidt Maria , Dicke Theresa , Teuber Ziwen , Koc-Januchta Marta , Lohse-Bossenz Hendrik , Leutner Detlev , Seidel Tina , Kunter Mareike
Published: April 2020

Zusammenfassung. In diesem Beitrag wird ein revidierter Test zur Erfassung des bildungswissenschaftlichen Wissens von (angehenden) Lehrkräften, der BilWiss-2.0-Test, vorgestellt, und es werden Hinweise auf die psychometrische Güte der mit dem Instrument gemessenen Testwerte präsentiert. Das bildungswissenschaftliche Wissen umfasst neben unterrichtsnahen Inhalten auch Kenntnisse bspw. über Bildungstheorie, Schulorganisation oder Wissen über den Lehrerberuf. Die Kurzform des revidierten Wissenstests beinhaltet 65 Items, die Langform des Tests 119 Items aus sechs verschiedenen Inhaltsbereichen. Auf der Datengrundlage von 788 Lehramtsstudierenden mehrerer Universitäten wurden 2-PL-Partial-Credit-IRT-Modelle geschätzt. Bezüglich der faktoriellen Struktur zeigte sich in Strukturgleichungsmodellen für die Kurzform, dass sich die sechs Inhaltsbereiche gut als sechs untereinander korrelierende latente Faktoren abbilden lassen. Für die konvergente und prognostische Validität der Testwertinterpretationen sprechen a) schwache statistisch signifikante Korrelationen zwischen der Testleistung und der Anzahl der besuchten relevanten inhaltsspezifischen Lehrveranstaltungen und Studienleistungen und b) statistisch signifikant schlechtere Wissensleistungen von Studierenden, die mindestens einmal eine Prüfung wiederholen mussten, im Vergleich zu Personen, die keinen Wiederholungsversuch benötigten.
A Characterization of Periodicity in the Voltage Time Series of a Riometer
Authors: Marshall F. A. , Thomson D. J. , Chave A. D. , Fiori R. A. D. , Danskin D. W.
Published: April 2020

This paper reveals unprecedented periodicity in the voltage series of relative ionospheric opacity meters (riometers) of the Canadian Riometer Array (CRA). In quiet times, the riometer voltage series is accurately modeled by a stochastic process whose components include both a six term expansion in harmonic functions and some amplitude modulated modes of lower signal to noise ratio (SNR). In units of cycles per sidereal day (cpsd), the frequencies of the six harmonic functions lie within 0.01 cpsd of an integer. Earth's rotation induces a splitting of the low SNR components, resulting in the appearance of nine multiplets in standardized power spectrum estimates of the considered CRA voltage series. A second feature of these spectrum estimates is a 6 min periodic element appearing in both the CRA voltage series and the proton mass density series of the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE). Spectral peak frequencies have been detected, which lie near established solar mode frequency estimates. In addition, some of these peak frequency estimates are coincident with peak frequency estimates of the standardized power spectra for the time series of proton mass density and interplanetary magnetic field strength (IMF) at ACE.
Tarim Large Igneous Province Caused by a Wide and Wet Mantle Plume
Authors: Liu Hao , Leng Wei
Published: April 2020

Large igneous provinces (LIPs) can form by interactions between a hot mantle plume and the lithosphere. The Tarim LIP between ~300 and 280 Ma, located in Northwest China, has been investigated by geochemistry and sedimentology studies. However, the factors controlling Tarim LIP formation and the ancient Tarim plume characteristics remain unclear. Here, a series of 3‐D geodynamic models are combined with geological observations to constrain the Tarim LIP evolution and the features of the related Tarim plume. Our results show that (1) an ancient plume produced abundant melts attributed to decompression melting, excess temperature, high water contents, and slow plate motion velocities to form the banded Tarim LIP. (2) The simulated pre‐eruption topography coincides with the stratigraphic records from the late Carboniferous to early Permian. Specifically, the swell area of pre‐eruption topography is sensitive only to the plume radius and enables us to constrain the ancient mantle plume size well. (3) Based on the volcanic activity and pre‐eruption topography, we infer that the ancient Tarim plume had a very large radius of ~200 km, a high excess temperature of ~250 K, and a high water content of ~5 wt.%. (4) Our parameter tests and global plate reconstruction results show that high water contents and slow plate motion velocities facilitate continental flood basalts to form with thick lithosphere. Our geodynamic modeling not only provides new constraints for the Tarim LIP evolution but also first quantificationally demonstrates that water in the mantle plays a key role in continental flood basalt formation.
Enhanced Northern Hemisphere Correlation Skill of Subseasonal Predictions in the Strong Negative Phase of the Arctic Oscillation
Authors: Minami Atsushi , Takaya Yuhei
Published: April 2020

The Arctic Oscillation (AO) is the most dominant atmospheric variability in the Northern Hemisphere in boreal winter. Its negative phases sometimes bring extreme cold conditions over Eurasia and North America in boreal winter, impinging on various socioeconomic sectors. Thus, accurate prediction of the AO‐related conditions with a long lead time is greatly anticipated. This study investigates conditional prediction skill in the northern extratropics relative to AO phases using retrospective forecast data of multiple models provided by the Subseasonal to Seasonal Prediction Project, which is jointly conducted by the World Weather Research Programme and the World Climate Research Programme. We found that predictions starting from the strong negative AO phase tend to have enhanced prediction skill in terms of the anomaly correlation coefficient of 500‐hPa geopotential height, which measures the similarity of spatial patterns. The skill enhancement is not apparent in terms of the root mean square error score. We also discuss dynamical mechanisms behind the enhanced prediction skill. The Eliassen‐Palm flux diagnosis indicated that the strong negative AO phase induces the stronger eddy‐zonal flow feedback to sustain the anomalous zonal flow condition than the strong positive AO phase. Moreover, the anomalous zonal flow is associated with an anomalous zonally asymmetric pattern. As a result, the anomalous AO pattern is better predicted in the strong negative AO phase, contributing to the enhancement of the Northern Hemisphere correlation skill. Results highlight that dynamics inherent in the extratropical atmosphere can provide the subseasonal predictability in a certain atmospheric condition.
Insurance Portfolio Diversification Through Bundling for Competing Agents Exposed to Uncorrelated Drought and Flood Risks
Authors: Denaro Simona , Castelletti Andrea , Giuliani Matteo , Characklis Gregory
Published: April 2020

Worldwide, conflict over shared water resources is exacerbated by population growth, economic development, and climate change. In multipurpose water systems, stakeholders can face higher financial risks as a consequence of the higher costs or lower revenues arising from increased hydrological variability and recurrent extreme events. In this context, financial risk hedging tools able to bundle together the uncorrelated risks of wet and dry periods faced by different stakeholders may be an improved solution to both foster cooperation and manage the financial losses associated with extreme events. In this work, we explore the potential of risk diversification strategies, involving an index insurance contract solution, to simultaneously manage financial risk in a multipurpose water system prone to both drought and flood risk. Risk diversification can allow for reduced insurance premiums in situations in which the bundled risks are uncorrelated. Using an integrated operational and financial model, we characterize the financial risk associated with the water management policies and design a risk management strategy that bundles together the uncorrelated risk of drought and flood events. The approach is demonstrated using a case study on Lake Maggiore, a subalpine transboundary regulated lake whose management is controversial due to numerous and competing human activities. In particular, we focus on the ongoing conflict among the lake shore population, affected by flood risk, and the downstream farmers' districts, facing drought related losses. Results indicate that bundling uncorrelated risks from competing users is beneficial to both promoting insurance premium affordability and facilitating collaboration schemes at the catchment scale.