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Follow-up of 10 schizophrenic children admitted to a child psychiatric unit revealed that outcome was related to such factors as age of onset, and clinical subtype. Deterioration following the active phase of the illness occurred in only four cases, indicating that the outcome may be more favorable than generally assumed. (Author)

The results of a 13 °C, 9 GHz electron-paramagnetic resonance (EPR) investigation of the sulfate salts of the species formed by the base hydrolyses of solutions containing Mn2+ and Al3+, in the molar concentration range 1≤Mn/(Al+Mn)≤10% is reported. The EPR spectra of the microcrystalline samples consisted of the superposition of two overlapping axial, hyperfine structure (hfs) central transition Mn2+ resonances with g=1.9994(2) D=6.93(3) mT, A=8.56(3) mT, A=8.49(2), P=0.4(1)×10-4 mT, and gn=0.7(1)×10-3, and an unresolved resonance due to exchange coupled Mn2+ ions. The results are consistent with the interpretation that the resolved axial symmetry hfs central transition spectrum arises from Mn2+ ions replacing aluminum in either the tetrahedral or octahedral sites of the tridecameric Keggin-like cation [AlO4Al12(OH)24H2O)12]7+, which is known to form when Al3+ solutions are hydrolyzed under these conditions. The unresolved, exchange coupled spectrum must arise when two or more Mn2+ ions substitute into the same cation. The ratio of the intensities of the axial and exchange coupled Mn2+ centers had a maximum near the stoichiometric molar concentration 7.69% [i.e., Mn/(Al+Mn)=1:13]. The temperature dependence of the EPR spectral intensity and total hfs splitting for the resolved hfs central transition spectrum revealed that a first-order isomorphous phase transition occurred at 120 °C. . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a successful program in which University of Calgary science/engineering departments offer high school students the opportunity to work on a research project under guidance of a faculty member. Includes history and benefits of the program, selection of students, project work, and orientation/seminar days. (Author/JN)

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous disorder exhibiting variable responsiveness to treatment between individuals. Previous work demonstrated that white matter abnormalities may relate to antipsychotic response but no study to date has examined differences between first-line treatment responders (FLR) and clozapine-eligible individuals receiving first-line antipsychotics. The current study aimed to establish whether differences in white matter structure exist between these two cohorts. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired for 15 clozapine-eligible and 10 FLR participants. Measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD) and axial diffusivity (AD) were obtained and between-group t-tests interrogating differences in FA were conducted. To investigate the neural basis of a decrease in FA, the significant cluster from FA analysis was masked and used to obtain mean RD and AD measures for that region. Those who were clozapine-eligible had significantly lower FA in the body of the corpus callosum (p < 0.05), associated with a significant increase in mean RD compared with FLR (p < 0.001). No difference in mean AD was observed for this region. These data reveal differences in diffusion measures between FLR and those eligible for clozapine and suggest that lower FA and greater RD in the corpus callosum could exist as a biomarker of treatment resistance in people with schizophrenia., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Most working-age adults with psychiatric disabilities are not employed yet are interested in being in employment. This goal is achievable for the majority who are interested, with the help of international evidence-based practices in vocational rehabilitation. However, these practices are not widely available in developed countries., Objective: To identify whether, and how, the availability of evidence-based vocational rehabilitation is linked to government policy., Methods: A systematic examination of New Zealand's economic and social policy context to understand how it facilitates or hinders evidence-based vocational rehabilitation for people with psychiatric disabilities., Results: The New Zealand policy context is currently hindering the availability of evidence-based vocational rehabilitation for people with psychiatric disabilities. Whilst policy reform has commenced, it has not yet translated into a purchasing framework free of policy conflicts and barriers. Consequently, the proportion of people with psychiatric disabilities not employed and not participating in the labor market is increasing., Conclusions: Adopting the policy adjustments identified could expand the availability of evidence-based vocational rehabilitation, reducing the disparity between individual vocational goals and actual labor force activity. This in turn could have national social and economic benefits through reduced welfare dependence, reduced health service utilization, and increased labor force participation.

Introduction and Aims: Cancer deaths made up 30% of all alcohol-attributable deaths in New Zealanders aged 15-79 years in 2007, more than all other chronic diseases combined. We aimed to estimate alcohol-attributable cancer mortality and years of life lost by cancer site and identify differences between Māori and non-Māori New Zealanders., Design and Methods: We applied the World Health Organization's comparative risk assessment methodology at the level of Māori and non-Māori subpopulations. Proportions of specific alcohol-related cancers attributable to alcohol were calculated by combining alcohol consumption estimates from representative surveys with relative risks from recent meta-analyses. These proportions were applied to both 2007 and 2012 mortality data., Results: Alcohol consumption was responsible for 4.2% of all cancer deaths under 80 years of age in 2007. An average of 10.4 years of life was lost per person; 12.7 years for Māori and 10.1 years for non-Māori. Half of the deaths were attributable to average consumption of <4 standard drinks per day. Breast cancer comprised 61% of alcohol-attributable cancer deaths in women, and more than one-third of breast cancer deaths were attributable to average consumption of <2 standard drinks per day. Mortality data from 2012 produced very similar findings., Discussion and Conclusions: Alcohol is an important and modifiable cause of cancer. Risk of cancer increases with higher alcohol consumption, but there is no safe level of drinking. Reduction in population alcohol consumption would reduce cancer deaths. Additional strategies to reduce ethnic disparities in risk and outcome are needed in New Zealand. [Connor J, Kydd R, Maclennan B, Shield K, Rehm J. Alcohol-attributable cancer deaths under 80 years of age in New Zealand. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017;36:415-423]., (© 2016 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Background and Objectives: Slumped posture is a diagnostic feature of depression. While research shows upright posture improves self-esteem and mood in healthy samples, little research has investigated this in depressed samples. This study aimed to investigate whether changing posture could reduce negative affect and fatigue in people with mild to moderate depression undergoing a stressful task., Methods: Sixty-one community participants who screened positive for mild to moderate depression were recruited into a study purportedly on the effects of physiotherapy tape on cognitive function. They were randomized to sit with usual posture or upright posture and physiotherapy tape was applied. Participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test speech task. Changes in affect and fatigue were assessed. The words spoken by the participants during their speeches were analysed., Results: At baseline, all participants had significantly more slumped posture than normative data. The postural manipulation significantly improved posture and increased high arousal positive affect and fatigue compared to usual posture. The upright group spoke significantly more words than the usual posture group, used fewer first person singular personal pronouns, but more sadness words. Upright shoulder angle was associated with lower negative affect and lower anxiety across both groups., Limitations: The experiment was only brief and a non-clinical sample was used., Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that adopting an upright posture may increase positive affect, reduce fatigue, and decrease self-focus in people with mild-to-moderate depression. Future research should investigate postural manipulations over a longer time period and in samples with clinically diagnosed depression., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Individuals' illness perceptions predict health behaviours and influence functional outcomes. This study examined associations between a novel assessment of illness perceptions, in the form of adult's brain drawings after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and questionnaire measures of illness perceptions, quality of life and post-concussive symptoms., Design: Population-based, prospective longitudinal study examining 245 adults with predominantly mild TBI with high risk of complications., Main Outcome Measures: Participants were asked to draw pictures of what they thought their brain looked like before injury and at baseline and one month post-injury. Drawing characteristics (height, width and percentage damage at one month) were examined in relation to each outcome of interest at six months., Results: Greater damage at one month was associated with more negative illness perceptions (rs = .23), poorer mental health (rs = -.21), and more total post-concussive symptoms (rs = .27 to r = .35) at six months. The extent of damage depicted reduced over time (p < .001). No associations were found between the amount of damage drawn and injury severity, nor the height or width of drawings and injury severity or illness perceptions., Conclusion: Drawings post-TBI offer a simple, cost- and time-effective way to begin discussions and improve understanding of peoples' illness perceptions.