Secondary biogenic amine deficiencies: genetic etiology,therapeutic interventions,and clinical effects

neurogenetics - Monoamine neurotransmitter disorders present predominantly with neurologic features, including dystonic or dyskinetic cerebral palsy and movement disorders. Genetic conditions that...     

Together and alone a study of interactions between toddlers and childcare providers during mealtime in Norwegian childcare centres

The study investigated the quality of interactions between childcare providers and toddlers during a lunch in childcare centres. Meals in childcare centres are semi-structured adult-led situations where the children not only eat, but are also provided with opportunities for implicit learning and interactions. Participants were 13 toddlers aged about 18 months in 11 different childcare centres in a Norwegian municipality. Video recordings were analysed for organization and structure, relational climate and childcare provider–child interactions, weighting provider sensitivity, language support and facilitated exploration. Findings indicated good quality regarding the organization of meals and relational climate in about half of the centres. Sensitivity, language support and facilitated exploration showed low quality across the different centres and are a cause for concern. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Does the Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management programme improve child–teacher relationships in childcare centres? A 1-year universal intervention in a Norwegian community sample

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry - The Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) programme has shown promise in reducing behaviour problems among high-risk children in...     

A comparison of volume clamp method-based continuous noninvasive cardiac output (CNCO) measurement versus intermittent pulmonary artery thermodilution in postoperative cardiothoracic surgery patients

The CNAP technology (CNSystems Medizintechnik AG, Graz, Austria) allows continuous noninvasive arterial pressure waveform recording based on the volume clamp method and estimation of cardiac output (CO) by pulse contour analysis. We compared CNAP-derived CO measurements (CNCO) with intermittent invasive CO measurements (pulmonary artery catheter; PAC-CO) in postoperative cardiothoracic surgery patients. In 51 intensive care unit patients after cardiothoracic surgery, we measured PAC-CO (criterion standard) and CNCO at three different time points. We conducted two separate comparative analyses: (1) CNCO auto-calibrated to biometric patient data (CNCO_bio) versus PAC-CO and (2) CNCO calibrated to the first simultaneously measured PAC-CO value (CNCO_cal) versus PAC-CO. The agreement between the two methods was statistically assessed by Bland–Altman analysis and the percentage error. In a subgroup of patients, a passive leg raising maneuver was performed for clinical indications and we present the changes in PAC-CO and CNCO in four-quadrant plots (exclusion zone 0.5 L/min) in order to evaluate the trending ability of CNCO. The mean difference between CNCO_bio and PAC-CO was +0.5 L/min (standard deviation?±?1.3 L/min; 95% limits of agreement ?1.9 to +3.0 L/min). The percentage error was 49%. The concordance rate was 100%. For CNCOcal, the mean difference was ?0.3 L/min (±0.5 L/min; ?1.2 to +0.7 L/min) with a percentage error of 19%. In this clinical study in cardiothoracic surgery patients, CNCO_cal showed good agreement when compared with PAC-CO. For CNCO_bio, we observed a higher percentage error and good trending ability (concordance rate 100%).     

Educational inequalities in late-life depression across Europe: results from the generations and gender survey

This study explores country- and gender-stratified educational differences in depression among older adults from 10 European countries. We examine inequalities in both absolute (prevalence differences) and relative (odds ratios) terms and in bivariate and multivariate models. We use cross-sectional, nationally representative data from the generations and gender survey. The analysis comprises 27,331 Europeans aged 60–80. Depression is measured with a seven-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Findings show considerable between-country heterogeneity in late-life depression. An East–West gradient is evident, with rates of depression up to three times higher in Eastern European than in Scandinavian countries. Rates are about twice as high among women than men in all countries. Findings reveal marked absolute educational gaps in depression in all countries, yet the gaps are larger in weaker welfare states. This pattern is less pronounced for the relative inequalities, especially for women. Some countries observe similar relative inequalities but vastly different absolute inequalities. We argue that the absolute differences are more important for social policy development and evaluation. Educational gradients in depression are strongly mediated by individual-level health and financial variables. Socioeconomic variation in late-life depression is greater in countries with poorer economic development and welfare programs.