Assessing the Sensitivity and Specificity of the MAYSI-2 for Detecting Trauma among Youth in Juvenile Detention

This study investigated the sensitivity and specificity of the most widely used mental health screening instrument in juvenile detention, the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI-2), for detecting trauma and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among detained youth. The MAYSI-2 scales measuring Substance Use, Anger/Irritability, Depression/Anxiety, and Traumatic Experiences contributed to the prediction of PTSD symptoms; however, only Depression/Anxiety contributed to the prediction of associated symptoms for girls. The ROC curves technique indicated that the Traumatic Experiences scale was a moderately accurate predictor of likely Full or Partial PTSD but not superior to the other MAYSI-2 scales. These results suggest further work is needed to develop measures that are sensitive to the experiences of delinquent youth with histories of complex trauma.     

Relationship among circulating leukocytes, platelets, and microvascular responses during induction of chronic colitis

The mechanisms by which microvascular alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs; Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) have not been clearly delineated. The purpose of the current study was to characterize the inflammatory events, microvascular alterations, and blood cell changes that occur in a mouse model of IBD. In this model, CD4⁺ T-lymphocytes obtained from interleukin-10-deficient mice were injected intraperitoneally into lymphopenic, recombinase-activating gene-1 deficient (RAG^−/−) mice. Two groups of control mice were also included: RAG^−/− mice and C57BL/6 mice that were injected with phosphate-buffered saline but did not receive the T-cells. Four weeks later, the RAG^−/− mice that had received the T-cell transfer showed significant signs of colonic inflammation, but without significant decreases in either body weight or mean arterial blood pressure. T-cell transfer increased the volume % of circulating platelets, while decreasing the number of circulating red blood cells. Additionally, the T-cell transfer tended to increase the circulating numbers of both lymphocytes and neutrophils when compared to unmanipulated RAG^−/− mice. First-order colonic arterioles and venules tended to dilate in the colitic mice; however, the dilation was considerably more substantial with higher numbers of circulating leukocytes. The possibility that circulating inflammatory cells initiate the microvascular alterations in colitis warrants further investigation.     

Exploring the Relationship Between Childhood Abuse and Analogue Generalized Anxiety Disorder: The Mediating Role of Emotion Dysregulation

Despite emerging evidence for the central role of emotion dysregulation in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), little is known about the factors that may increase the risk for this dysregulation. One factor that may be worth investigating is childhood abuse, previously found to be associated with both emotion dysregulation and GAD. To begin to explore the interrelationships among these phenomena, the present study examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between various forms of childhood abuse (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) and analogue GAD status in a sample of 396 undergraduates. Findings provided evidence for the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in the relationship between emotional abuse in particular and analogue GAD.     

The Robustness of the Early and Late Start Typology of Criminal Behaviour in Major Mental Disorder: A Conceptual Replication

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the early and late start typology of criminal behaviour in major mental disorder can be generalized to different populations than evaluated to date and is replicable in two different countries. A Dutch forensic sample (Sample 1) consisted of 260 reports to the court with early start offenders (n = 62) and late start offenders (n = 198). A Canadian civil psychiatric sample (Sample 2) consisted of file information collected from 78 involuntarily hospitalized civil psychiatric patients with an early start group (n = 38) and a late start group (n = 40). In both samples, early and late starters were compared on different domains. Results showed that in general, early starters have a higher risk of having problems in different domains. There were also differences in the early and late start typology between the Dutch and Canadian samples. Our results partially support the early and late starter typology within two different samples. This study showed that early starters typically have a higher risk of problems in different domains. This highlights the importance of different risk management and treatment strategies for both the early start and the late start group.     

Sociocultural epistasis and cultural exaptation in footbinding,marriage form,and religious practices in early 20th-century Taiwan

Social theorists have long recognized that changes in social order have cultural consequences but have not been able to provide an individual-level mechanism of such effects. Explanations of human behavior have only just begun to explore the different evolutionary dynamics of social and cultural inheritance. Here we provide ethnographic evidence of how cultural evolution, at the level of individuals, can be influenced by social evolution. Sociocultural epistasis—association of cultural ideas with the hierarchical structure of social roles—influences cultural change in unexpected ways. We document the existence of cultural exaptation, where a custom''s origin was not due to acceptance of the later associated ideas. A cultural exaptation can develop in the absence of a cultural idea favoring it, or even in the presence of a cultural idea against it. Such associations indicate a potentially larger role for social evolutionary dynamics in explaining individual human behavior than previously anticipated.     

Long-term anti-inflammatory and antihistamine medication use and adult glioma risk

A personal history of asthma or allergy has been associated with a reduced risk for adult malignant gliomas. Recent reports on the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and the presence of risk alleles in asthma susceptibility genes showed similar inverse associations. To further explore the relationship between immune mediators and gliomas, we examined the use of NSAID and antihistamines, history of asthma or allergy, and infection in 325 glioma cases and 600 frequency-matched controls from the metropolitan area of Houston, TX (2001-2006). The regular use of NSAID was associated with a 33% reduction in the risk for glioma, suggestive of possible antitumor activity. Surprisingly, regular long-term antihistamine use among those reporting a history of asthma or allergies was significantly associated with a 3.5-fold increase in the risk for glioma. Similar to previous reports, cases in our study were less likely to have reported asthma, allergy, or a history of a number of viral infections (chickenpox or shingles, oral herpes, and mononucleosis) than controls. We therefore speculate that the observed positive association with antihistamine use may reflect an alteration of protective immune factors in susceptible individuals. Our results lend additional support for an important but unknown link between malignant brain tumors and immune mediators.     

Mammographic density and candidate gene variants: a twins and sisters study.

BACKGROUND: Mammographic density, the light/white radiographic appearance on a mammogram that represents connective and epithelial tissue, is a strong risk factor for breast cancer which seems to be highly heritable. Little is known about its genetic determinants. METHODS: We studied 457 women from 207 sisterhoods (104 monozygotic twins, 182 dizygotic twins, and 171 singletons). Percentage mammographic density (PMD) as well as dense area and nondense area were calculated using a computer-assisted method. We measured six single nucleotide polymorphisms from six candidate genes (COMT, HSD3B1, IGFBP3, HER2, XPD, and XRCC3). Associations between genotypes and mammographic measures were tested (a) cross-sectionally using a multivariate normal model fitted using FISHER that allowed separate correlations for monozygotic, dizygotic, and nontwin pairs and (b) within sister pairs using paired t tests. RESULTS: Cross-sectionally, each additional copy of the HSD3B1 Asn(367)Thr variant allele was associated with lower PMD (-3.47% per allele; SE = 1.65; P = 0.035). Within-pair regression estimates confirmed this association. There was no evidence for an association between the mammographic density measures and any of the other variants studied. CONCLUSION: We have replicated an association between a variant in the HSD3B1 gene and PMD, which suggests that HSD3B1 may be genetic determinant of mammographic density.     

Knowledge and attitudes about microsatellite instability testing among high-risk individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer.

For individuals meeting Bethesda criteria for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome, the microsatellite instability (MSI) test is recommended as a screening evaluation before proceeding to genetic testing. The MSI test is new to the medical setting, but will be increasingly used to screen patients at high risk for hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer. The main goals of this study were to examine knowledge about and exposure to the MSI test among individuals considering the test, to evaluate perceived benefits and barriers to undergoing the MSI test, and to identify the demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates of the perceived benefits and barriers to undergoing the test. One hundred and twenty-five patients completed a survey after being offered the test, but prior to making the decision whether to pursue MSI testing. Results indicated low levels of knowledge about and previous exposure to the MSI test. Participants held positive attitudes about the potential benefits of the test and perceived few barriers to undergoing the test. Motivations were similar to those cited by individuals considering other genetic tests. Participants with nonmetastatic disease, with lower perceived risk for cancer recurrence, and who reported more self-efficacy endorsed more benefits from the test. Higher levels of cancer-specific psychological distress were associated with more perceived barriers to having the test. These findings suggest that individuals considering the MSI test know very little about it but hold positive attitudes about the test's utility. More distressed patients, patients who perceive themselves at higher risk for cancer recurrence, and patients with metastatic disease might be less motivated to have the MSI test.     

The common variant rs1447295 on chromosome 8q24 and prostate cancer risk: results from an Australian population-based case-control study.

A recent study from deCode reported an association between common variants in the region 8q24 and prostate cancer risk. The strongest association was found with the single nucleotide polymorphism rs1447295. We genotyped 821 prostate cancer cases and 732 population controls for rs1447295 to test the association between this common variant and prostate cancer risk, and examine whether this association depends on Gleason score. Our case-control study confirmed the association between rs1447295 and prostate cancer risk (P = 0.0005). The odds ratio (OR) for prostate cancer was 1.52 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20-1.93] for carriers of any A allele compared with noncarriers. The OR for Gleason score 5 to 6 prostate cancer (1.48; 95% CI, 1.13-1.95) was similar to the OR for Gleason score 7 to 10 prostate cancer (1.58; 95% CI, 1.18-2.11, P for heterogeneity = 0.7). We conclude that the A allele of rs1447295 is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer regardless of tumor aggressiveness, suggesting that such a variant, or a variant in linkage disequilibrium with it, plays a role early in prostate carcinogenesis.