Testing a Theory-Based Model of Suicidality in a Community Sample

The aim of the present study is to test a theory-based model of suicide in a low-risk nonclinical sample. A community sample of convenience of 200 adults, 102 men and 98 women, responded to the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire, the Center for the Epidemiologic Studies of Depression Scale, the Psychache Scale, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, and the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire Revised. The hypothesized structural equation model, including trait dimensions of self-criticism and neediness, and state dimensions of depression, psychache, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness, fit the observed data well and significantly explained 49% of the variance of suicidality.

Mover para melhor nascer: liberdade de movimentos e posições verticais no primeiro estádio do trabalho de parto

A Organização Mundial de Saúde destaca a deambulação e a adoção de posições verticais pela parturiente, como práticas demonstradamente benéficas, devendo ser estimuladas pela enfermeira obstetra na condução do trabalho de parto e parto normal, em situações de baixo risco obstétrico. O projeto preconizou a promoção da deambulação e o incentivo à adoção de posições verticais na fase ativa do trabalho de parto. As intervenções de enfermagem na promoção destas práticas foram avaliadas na equipa de enfermeiros obstetras do Serviço de Urgência Obstétrica e Ginecológica do Centro Hospitalar Barreiro-Montijo, Entidade Pública Empresarial e num grupo de parturientes, através da aplicação de questionários. As necessidades dos enfermeiros obstetras e das parturientes determinaram a realização de ações formativas e educacionais e a elaboração de materiais informativos de suporte à prática assistencial. A avaliação do projeto demonstrou que ainda existem práticas a serem melhoradas, sendo a sua continuidade vantajosa para profissionais e parturientes; ABSTRACT: TITLE: Move to Better Birth - Freedom of Movement and Upright Positions in First Stage of Labor. The World Health Organization highlights ambulation and adoption of vertical position by the woman, as demonstrated beneficial practices and should be encouraged by obstetric nurses in the conduct of obstetric labor and normal delivery, in low risk situations. The project advocated for the promotion of ambulation and encouragement for the adoption of vertical positions in the active phase of labor. Nursing interventions to promote these practices were evaluated in the obstetric nurses team of Obstetric and Gynecological Emergency Department from Hospital Center Barreiro-Montijo, Business Public Entity, and in a group of women in labor, through the use of questionnaires. The needs of obstetric nurses and women in labor determined the realization of training and educacional activities and the development of information materials to support the care practice. The project evaluation demonstrates that there are still practices to be improved, and its continuity being advantageous for professionals and women in labor.

Dor psicológica e risco suicidário: um estudo longitudinal com indivíduos da comunidade

O objetivo deste estudo longitudinal é testar numa amostra da comunidade, a contribuição da dor psicológica para o risco suicidário, avaliando o seu impacto na ideação suicida, importante sinalizador do risco. Os dados foram recolhidos em dois momentos com um intervalo de três meses. Participaram 218 adultos, com idades compreendidas entre os 18 e os 65 anos, que responderam ao Brief Symptom Inventory, à Psychache Scale, ao Questionário de Ideação Suicida e a um Questionário Sociodemográfico e Clínico. De acordo com os resultados, a dor psicológica previu variações na ideação suicida ao longo de três meses, avaliada numa população de baixo risco, explicando uma parte da variação desta, mesmo quando se controlou estatisticamente o efeito do distress. Os resultados reforçam a ideia de que a ideação suicida não é um fenómeno exclusivamente associado à perturbação e mostram a relevância da dor psicológica enquanto importante fator de risco suicidário; ABSTRACT: “Psychache and suicidal risk: a longitudinal study in a community sample” The aim of this longitudinal study is to test a community sample, the contribution of psychological pain for suicidality risk, assessing its impact on suicidal ideation, an important risk factor. Data were collected at two different times with an interval of three months. A final sample of 218 participants, aged between 18 and 65 years, responded to the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Psychache Scale, the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire and a socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire. According to the results, the psychological pain predicted variations in suicide ideation over three months evaluated in a low-risk sample, explaining a part of this variation, even when distress were statistically controlled. The results reinforce the idea that suicide ideation is not exclusively a phenomenon associated with perturbation and show the relevance of psychological pain as an important risk factor for suicide.

Detection of ochratoxin A in tropical wine and grape juice from Brazil.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is the main mycotoxin found in grapes, wines and grape juices and is considered one of the most harmful contaminants to human health. In this study, samples of tropical wines and grape juices from different grape varieties grown in Brazil were analysed for their OTA content by high-performance liquid chromatography. The detection and quantification limits for OTA were 0.01 and 0.03 ?g L?1 respectively. OTA was detected in 13 (38.24%) of the samples analysed, with concentrations ranging from <0.03 to 0.62 micron g L-1. OTA was not detected in any of the grape juice samples. Most of the red wine samples proved to be contaminated with OTA (75%), while only one white wine sample was contaminated. However, the OTA levels detected in all samples were well below the maximum tolerable limit (2 micron g L-1) in wine and grape juice established by the European Community and Brazilian legislature. The results of this study indicate a low risk of exposure to OTA by consumption of tropical wines and grape juices from Brazil.

Herd-level bovine tuberculosis risk factors: assessing the role of low-level badger population disturbance

Bovine TB (bTB) is endemic in Irish cattle and has eluded eradication despite considerable expenditure, amid debate over the relative roles of badgers and cattle in disease transmission. Using a comprehensive dataset from Northern Ireland (>10,000 km²; 29,513 cattle herds), we investigated interactions between host populations in one of the first large-scale risk factor analyses for new herd breakdowns to combine data on both species. Cattle risk factors (movements, international imports, bTB history, neighbours with bTB) were more strongly associated with herd risk than area-level measures of badger social group density, habitat suitability or persecution (sett disturbance). Highest risks were in areas of high badger social group density and high rates of persecution, potentially representing both responsive persecution of badgers in high cattle risk areas and effects of persecution on cattle bTB risk through badger social group disruption. Average badger persecution was associated with reduced cattle bTB risk (compared with high persecution areas), so persecution may contribute towards sustaining bTB hotspots; findings with important implications for existing and planned disease control programmes.

Validating a screening tool for mental health and substance use risk in an Indigenous prison population

Introduction and Aims: The Indigenous Risk Impact Screen (IRIS) is a validated culturally appropriate and widely used tool in the community for assessing substance use and mental disorder. This research aimed to assess the utility of this tool in an Indigenous prison population. Design and Methods: The study used data collected from a cross-sectional study of mental health among indigenous inmates in Queensland custodial centres (n=395, 84% male). Participants were administered a modified version of the IRIS, and ICD-10 diagnoses of substance use, depressive and anxiety disorders obtained using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). The concurrent validity of the modified IRIS was assessed against those of the CIDI. Results: 312 people screened as high risk for a substance use disorder and 179 were high risk for mental problems. 73% of males and 88% of females were diagnosed with a mental disorder. The IRIS was an effective screener for substance use disorders, with high sensitivity (Se) of 94% and low specificity (Sp) of 33%. The screener was less effective in identifying depression (Se 82%, Sp 59%) and anxiety (Se 68%, Sp 60%). Discussion: The IRIS is the first culturally appropriate screening instrument to be validated for the risk of drug and alcohol and mental disorder among Indigenous adults in custody. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the IRIS is a valid tool for screening of alcohol and drug use risk among an incarcerated Indigenous population. The IRIS could offer an opportunity to improve the identification, treatment and health outcomes for incarcerated Indigenous adults.

Linkage mapping of CVD risk traits in the isolated Norfolk Island population

To understand the underlying genetic architecture of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk traits, we undertook a genome-wide linkage scan to identify CVD quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in 377 individuals from the Norfolk Island population. The central aim of this research focused on the utilization of a genetically and geographically isolated population of individuals from Norfolk Island for the purposes of variance component linkage analysis to identify QTLs involved in CVD risk traits. Substantial evidence supports the involvement of traits such as systolic and diastolic blood pressures, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, body mass index and triglycerides as important risk factors for CVD pathogenesis. In addition to the environmental inXuences of poor diet, reduced physical activity, increasing age, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption, many studies have illustrated a strong involvement of genetic components in the CVD phenotype through family and twin studies. We undertook a genome scan using 400 markers spaced approximately 10 cM in 600 individuals from Norfolk Island. Genotype data was analyzed using the variance components methods of SOLAR. Our results gave a peak LOD score of 2.01 localizing to chromosome 1p36 for systolic blood pressure and replicated previously implicated loci for other CVD relevant QTLs.

Investigation of the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene and cholesterol as a risk factor for migraine

The Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor (LDLR) gene is a cell surface receptor that plays an important role in cholesterol homeostasis. We investigated the (TA)n polymorphism in exon 18 of the LDLR gene on chromosome 19p13.2 performing an association analysis in 244 typical migraine-affected patients, 151 suffering from migraine with aura (MA), 96 with migraine without aura (MO) and 244 unaffected controls. The populations consisted of Caucasians only, and controls were age- and sex-matched. The results showed no significant difference between groups for allele frequency distributions of the (TA)n polymorphism even after separation of the migraine-affected individuals into subgroups of MA and MO affected patients. This is in contradiction to Mochi et al. who found a positive association of this variant with MO. Our study discusses possible differences between the two studies and extends this research by investigating circulating cholesterol levels in a migraine-affected population.