Social Anxiety Disorder Is Associated With PTSD Symptom Presentation: An Exploratory Study Within A Nationally Representative Sample

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) demonstrate a high degree of comorbidity (ranging from 14.8% to 46.0%); however, little is known about the nature of this association. Contemporary research has largely focused on treatment‐seeking or veteran samples, and may not generalize to the population as a whole. Large‐scale epidemiological studies are needed to fill existing gaps in the literature and to clarify this association for the general population. The current study examined whether the presence of comorbid SAD influenced PTSD symptom presentation. The rate of individual PTSD symptoms was investigated among individuals with PTSD and SAD in comparison to those with PTSD alone. Data were obtained from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, a large, nationally representative survey of American adults (n = 34,653). Analyses revealed elevated rates of PTSD symptoms among those with comorbid PTSD and SAD across all symptom clusters, with significant odds ratios ranging from 1.5 to 4.87. Adjusting for depression and other Axis I disorders did not substantially alter study findings. Results suggest that the presence of SAD is associated with differences in the expression of PTSD symptoms.     

Nurses’ engagement with power,voice and politics amidst restructuring efforts

Change is inevitable, and increasingly rapid and continuous in healthcare as organizations strive to adapt, improve and innovate. Organizational change challenges healthcare providers because it restructures how and when patient care delivery is provided, changing ways in which nurses must carry out their work. The aim of this doctoral study was to explore frontline nurses’ experiences of living with rapid and continuous organizational change. A critical hermeneutic approach was utilized. Participants described feeling voiceless, powerless and apolitical amidst rapid and continuous organizational changes which fuelled apathy, cynicism and disengagement from the organization. However, critical analysis of the data showed that nurses actively engaged with power, voice and politics through resistant and transgressive behaviours in micro‐ethical moments of practice. There is a need to reconceptualize the concepts of voice, power and politics in nursing as there is dissonance between nurses’ beliefs about these concepts and what they are enacting in practice. Recognizing their enactment of power, voice and political agency at the micro‐level may empower nurses. Empowerment would mitigate the high levels of reports of powerlessness experienced in practice during organizational changes.     

Depression in patients referred for psychiatric consultation A need for a new diagnosis

The authors analyzed 329 referrals for psychiatric consultation from medical and surgical wards. They found depression to be the most prevalent diagnosis (34%), with Major Depression being the most common DSM-III subtype (49%). Depression was predominant in the elderly (p<0.05), in women (p<0.05), and in patients with a high degree of psychosocial stressors (p<0.01). There were significant differences among the DSM-III subtypes of depression in some of these correlates. The authors emphasize the importance of DSM-III in differentiating among the subtypes of depression in referred patients but they suggest the need for a new diagnosis for depression in the physically ill.     

Caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus-infected goats can generate human immunodeficiency virus-gp120 cross-reactive antibodies(1)

Lentiviruses display surprisingly disparate clinical manifestations in their specific hosts, share complex genetic structures, and exhibit extensive diversity, particularly in their envelope genes. The envelope protein, gp135, of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) has minimal primary sequence homology to gp120, the envelope protein of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Nevertheless, they bear certain similarities in that they both possess five variable regions, both are heavily glycosylated, and both share short sequence motifs. We establish a further relationship and demonstrate that some goats, infected with CAEV, possess gp135-specific antibodies which cross-react with gp120 from several HIV strains, provided the protein is expressed in insect cells. We show that, although the cross-reactivity of these immunoglobulins depends on the level of glycosylation, nevertheless, some antibodies recognize the protein epitopes on gp120, at least some of which are linear in character. Further characterization of this unexpected cross-reaction will define its potential therapeutic utility.     

Analyses of salivary components in leukemia patients receiving chemotherapy.

We analyzed several salivary components in stimulated whole saliva from patients with acute leukemia who were undergoing chemotherapy. Saliva samples were collected at the time of diagnosis and longitudinally during the treatment period. Data analyses showed that patients with leukemia had significantly higher peroxidase and amylase activity and elevated concentrations of total protein at the time of diagnosis. After induction chemotherapy these parameters returned to normal values and remained constant during the observation period. At the time of diagnosis no significant differences in thiocyanate (SCN-) concentrations were found in saliva samples from control subjects and patients with leukemia. Treatment with cytotoxic agents resulted in granulocytopenia and a concomitant decrease in the SCN- concentration in saliva. The function of the salivary peroxidase system is impaired by the decrease in SCN- concentration, which may be a contributing factor to some of the oral complications that occur in patients undergoing chemotherapy.     

Rapidity and reliability of gonococcal identification by coagglutination after culture on modified New York City medium.

The combination of culture on modified New York City (MNYC) medium and identification of neisserial isolates by the Phadebact gonococcus test was evaluated in routine laboratory practice. The sensitivity of coagglutination was 96.7% (318/329 isolates) and that of immunofluorescence (IF) 97.9% (322/329 isolates); the specificity of both methods was 96.8% (120/124 isolates). Of the 329 gonococcal isolates, 286 (86.9%) could be tested by coagglutination and 309 (93.9%) by IF after only 24 hours' incubation. Identification by coagglutination from primary cultures on MNYC medium is considered to be very rapid, simple, and efficient for the cultural diagnosis of anogenital gonorrhoea in women and urethral gonorrhoea in men. Because of the high prevalence of meningococci in the pharynx and their not infrequent occurrence in the anorectum of homosexual men the identity of isolates from these sites is best confirmed by sugar utilisation tests.     

A comparison of micronucleus frequency and radiation survival in lymphoblastoid cell lines

The relationship between the formation of micronuclei (MN) followingthe treatment of cell lines with ionizing radiation and theradiation survival of cell lines is important as the MN assayhas the potential to predict radiation survival. Studies investigatingthe relationship have reached conflicting conclusions. We examinedthe relationship between MN formation and radiation survivalmeasured by a clonogenic assay in six lymphoblastoid cell linesover a dose range of 0–2.0 Gy. We did not find a predictiverelationship between the radiation induced MN frequency andthe radiation survival in these cell lines. Possible reasonsfor the lack of correlation include variations in the percentageof scorable cells after irradiation and culture with cytochalasinB, different numbers of cells in the G₁ phase of the cell cycleat the time of irradiation, a greater toleration of the lossof MN by hyperdiploid cell lines compared to diploid cell linesand quantitative differences in the conversion of chromosomalfragments into MN for the cell lines.     

Gender's effect on the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions

Evidence-based guidelines and subsequent studies support the effectiveness of counselling and pharmacotherapy as first-line smoking cessation interventions. Gender is one of many factors that may have an impact on the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions. There is only very limited evidence, however, to answer the question of how gender influences the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions. Research does suggest that concern about weight gain is related to women's confidence in their ability to stop smoking and this should be kept in mind when designing interventions. In the meantime, any client who indicates a desire to stop smoking should be offered one of the smoking cessation interventions that are already available.