Measuring infant memory: Utility of the visual paired-comparison test paradigm for studies in developmental neurotoxicology

The assessment of brain function and behavior in young infants is central to understanding the effects of chemical exposure on central nervous system development. One approach to infant cognitive assessment, based on the direct observation of infant eye movements, is known as the Visual Paired-Comparison task. The Visual Paired-Comparison test methodology uses selective visual attention as a vehicle to study emerging recognition memory skills. The utility of this procedure to study visual recognition memory has been well established in both human and nonhuman primate infants. The primary outcome measure produced by this assessment technique is known as the Novelty Preference Score, reflecting the amount of time the infant spends actively looking at novel rather than familiar test stimuli. Visual recognition memory testing has demonstrated a strong sensitivity to conditions that may place infants at risk for poor developmental outcome (e.g. preterm birth, Down syndrome) and in humans; performance is significantly related to later measures of I.Q. and language competency. This assessment methodology has been successfully applied to the study of neurobehavioral effects after fetal neurotoxicant exposure. Field and laboratory studies have used tests of visual recognition memory to better understand the effects of compounds such as lead, methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenyls on emergent cognitive processing. The Visual Paired-Comparison paradigm and its capacity to measure recognition memory in preverbal infants provides a valid and theoretically meaningful approach to neurobehavioral assessment for studies in developmental toxicology and teratology.     

The Fifth International Interdisciplinary Conference on Clinical Supervision

Doctoral students in counselor education and supervision programs take a course specific to clinical supervision as part of their doctoral course work. The transition from supervisee to supervisor occurring during this course can be challenging, as it is frequently the first time that students are asked to provide supervision to counselors in training. The purpose of this qualitative research was to gain information about the process of doctoral students' development from supervisees into supervisors. Significant themes emerged from the data related to the transition of becoming supervisors: the importance of creating the supervisory relationship and the need for further supervisory skills.     

Menopausal Symptom Experience of Hispanic Midlife Women in the United States

Using a feminist approach, we examined the menopausal symptom experience of Hispanic midlife women in the United States This was a qualitative online forum study among 27 Hispanic midlife women in the United States. Seven topics related to menopausal symptom experience were used to administer the 6-month online forum. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: (a) “Cambio de vida (change of life),” (b) “being silent about menopause,” (c) “trying to be optimistic,” and (d) “getting support.” More in-depth studies with diverse groups of Hispanic women are needed while considering family as a contextual factor.     

Effect of Computer-Assisted Interviewing on Self-Reported Sexual Behavior Data in a Microbicide Clinical Trial

In a microbicide safety and effectiveness trial (HPTN 035) in Malawi, 585 women completed the same questionnaire through a face-to-face interview (FTFI) and an audio computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI). Concordance between FTFI and ACASI responses ranged from 72.0 % for frequency of sex in the past week to 95.2 % for anal intercourse (AI) in the past 3 months. Reported gel and condom use at last sex act were marginally lower with ACASI than FTFI (73.5 % vs. 77.2 %, p = 0.11 and 60.9 % vs. 65.5 %, p = 0.05, respectively). More women reported AI with ACASI than FTFI (5.0 % vs. 0.2 %, p < 0.001). Analyses of consistency of responses within ACASI revealed that 15.0 % of participants in the condom-only arm and 28.7 % in the gel arm provided at least one discrepant answer regarding total sex acts and sex acts where condom and gel were used (19.2 % reported one inconsistent answer, 8.1 % reported two inconsistent answers, and 1.4 % reported three inconsistent answers). While ACASI may provide more accurate assessments of sensitive behaviors in HIV prevention trials, it also results in a high level of internally inconsistent responses.     

Knowledge and Attitudes About Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness in Seven U.S. Cities

Purpose

Evidence suggests that young adults experiencing homelessness (YEH) are at elevated risk of HIV compared to housed youth. Given the limited research on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) awareness among YEH, this study examined their PrEP knowledge and attitudes.

Targeted Tissue and Cell-Free Tumor DNA Sequencing of Advanced Lung Squamous-Cell Carcinoma Reveals Clinically Significant Prevalence of Actionable Alterations

Background

Major guidelines do not recommend routine molecular profiling of lung squamous-cell carcinoma (LUSC) because the prevalence of actionable alterations is thought to be low. Increased utilization of next-generation sequencing (NGS), particularly with cell-free circulating tumor DNA, facilitates reevaluation of this premise.

Identifying predictors of treatment outcome in a drug court program

Drug courts are popular for dealing with drug-abusing offenders. However, relatively little is known about participant characteristics that reliably predict either success or failure in these treatment settings. In this article, we report on 99 individuals who were enrolled in a drug court program (approximately one-half of whom successfully completed the program). Using, logistic regression techniques we identified 2 significant predictors of outcome. First, individuals who were employed at the time of their enrollment into the drug court program were more likely to successfully complete the treatment program. Second, individuals with a history of illicit intravenous drug use were less likely to complete the program.     

Quality of life in bridge-to-transplant patients with chronic heart failure after implantation of an axial flow ventricular assist device

Research suggests that ventricular assist devices improve quality of life for congestive heart failure patients awaiting heart transplantation. Axial flow ventricular assist devices like the Jarvik 2000 (Jarvik Heart, Inc., New York, NY) represent the newest type of ventricular assist device technology, but their effects on quality of life are not well understood. Therefore, the authors administered the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire to patients who had the Jarvik 2000 implanted as a bridge to heart transplantation. Patients completed the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire immediately before device implantation, 1 month after implantation, immediately before heart transplantation, and 1 month after transplantation. One month after implantation of the device, the nine patients who completed the study showed significant improvements in physical (p<0.008), emotional (p<0.02), and overall (p<0.008) quality of life. These improvements were maintained until the device was explanted. The authors conclude that implantation of the Jarvik 2000 ventricular assist device can substantially improve quality of life for patients awaiting heart transplantation.     

Glycemia (or, in women, estimated glucose disposal rate) predict lower extremity arterial disease events in type 1 diabetes

The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) events in a type 1 diabetes population. Data are from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study of childhood onset type 1 diabetes. At baseline, the study population had a mean age 28 (range, 8 to 47) years and duration 19 (range, 7 to 37) years. LEAD events, assessed by questionnaire or clinical examination, were defined as claudication (Rose questionnaire), foot ulceration, or lower extremity amputation. Estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR), a measure of insulin resistance, was calculated from glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1)), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and hypertension using an equation previously validated with hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies. There were incident LEAD events in 70 of 586 subjects during 10 years follow-up, giving an incidence density of 1.3 events/100 person-years. Incidence did not differ by gender. Major predictors of LEAD events were diabetes duration, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), heart rate, eGDR, log albumin excretion rate (AER), systolic blood pressure (SBP), hypertension, proliferative retinopathy, distal symmetric polyneuropathy, and overt nephropathy (each P <.001). HbA(1), low ankle brachial index (ABI) (<0.9), and a high ankle brachial difference (ABD) (SBP > or = 75 mm Hg) also predicted LEAD events. Cox modeling suggested that duration (P <.001), HbA(1) (P <.001), hypertension (P =.006), log albumin excretion rate (P =.011), and heart rate (P =.028) predicted events independently. The overall model with HbA(1) and hypertension was significantly better than with eGDR, while the alternate models in men were similar. In women, the model with eGDR showed a significantly better fit. Glycemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and renal disease are powerful predictors of symptomatic lower extremity arterial disease in type 1 diabetes.