Search

Background: The Face-to-Face Still-Face (FFSF) task is a validated and commonly used observational measure of mother-infant socio-emotional interactions. With the ascendence of deep learning-based facial emotion recognition, it is possible that common complex tasks, such as the coding of FFSF videos, could be coded with a high degree of accuracy by deep neural networks (DNNs). The primary objective of this study was to test the accuracy of four DNN image classification models against the coding of infant engagement conducted by two trained independent manual raters., Methods: 68 mother-infant dyads completed the FFSF task at three timepoints. Two trained independent raters undertook second-by-second manual coding of infant engagement into one of four classes: 1) positive affect, 2) neutral affect, 3) object/environment engagement, and 4) negative affect., Results: Training four different DNN models on 40,000 images, we achieved a maximum accuracy of 99.5% on image classification of infant frames taken from recordings of the FFSF task with a maximum inter-rater reliability (Cohen's κ-value) of 0.993., Limitations: This study inherits all sampling and experimental limitations of the original study from which the data was taken, namely a relatively small and primarily White sample., Conclusions: Based on the extremely high classification accuracy, these findings suggest that DNNs could be used to code infant engagement in FFSF recordings. DNN image classification models may also have the potential to improve the efficiency of coding all observational tasks with applications across multiple fields of human behavior research., Competing Interests: Competing Interest Statement The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: The nature and magnitude of the cognitive and mental health risks among the offspring of young mothers is not fully understood. Our objective is to examine the risk of mental disorders in these offspring., Methods: Five databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) were searched from their inceptions until February 2022. Studies were eligible if they assessed offspring of young mothers (<21 years), contained a control group, and assessed any cognitive and/or mental health outcomes. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to generate standardized mean differences (SMDs) in infants (0-3 years), children (4-9), adolescents (10-19), and adults (20+). Methodological bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale., Results: 51 outcomes were meta-analyzed. Levels of cognitive and learning problems were higher among the infants (SMD = 0.30 [95% confidence interval 0.0-0.55]) and adolescents (SMD = 0.43 [0.24 to 0.62]) of young mothers. Adolescents had more symptoms of delinquency (SMD = 0.24 [0.12 to 0.36]). As adults, they are more often convicted of violent crimes (SMD = 0.36 [0.22 to 0.50]). Internalizing symptoms were higher in these offspring in childhood (SMD = 0.29 [0.14 to 0.45]) and adulthood (SMD = 0.35 [0.34 to 0.36]). This review uses unadjusted data and is thus unequipped to infer causality. Studies have high attrition and rely heavily on self-report., Conclusions: Young mothers' offspring have more cognitive, externalizing, and internalizing problems across the lifespan than individuals born to mothers ≥21 years of age. They may benefit from early detection and support., (Copyright © 2022 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objectives: The aims of the study were (1) to determine how frequently patients with cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) present to the pediatric emergency department (ED) with CVS-related symptoms, (2) to identify variables in clinical presentation that occur frequently in patients with multiple ED visits, and (3) to compare ED management of CVS with recommended guidelines., Methods: This study is a retrospective chart review of all ED visits for CVS between April 1, 2008, and April 1, 2018, at a single center. Patients were identified from a master list of patients diagnosed with CVS in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic at the same center between June 1, 2004, and June 19, 2018., Results: Of the 181 CVS clinic patients identified, 65 had visited to the ED (35.9%). Two hundred twenty-eight visits met inclusion criteria. A total of 42.5% of these visits were made by a small number of high-intensity patients (n = 6) who had an average of 16.1 visits each. These patients represented less than 10% of the total patient group. Patients with frequent visits had longer visits (536.52 vs 380.55 minutes), more frequent hospital admissions (57.73% vs 29.01%), and more visits to the ED before a formal diagnosis of CVS was made (5.83 vs 1.22), but few other distinguishing characteristics. Only 27% of eligible visits were managed with an available order set, and management varied from recommended guidelines., Conclusions: An ambiguous presentation makes the identification and consistent management of CVS in the ED difficult. Physicians should consider CVS for patients who present multiple times with unremitting vomiting to ensure appropriate referral for diagnosis and prophylactic treatment. Future studies are warranted to evaluate anticipatory processing and treatment of the "high-intensity patients" who account for much of the clinical morbidity and resource utilization., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Our objectives were to assess: (1) the effectiveness of existing mHealth apps for reducing symptoms of maternal depression and/or anxiety during the prenatal period and/or the first year postpartum, and (2) the app quality of commercially available apps targeting perinatal depression and/or anxiety., Methods: To address Objective 1, we searched five electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Embase) from their inception until May 3rd, 2021. For the second objective, we searched Google Play and Apple App Stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia until May 3rd, 2021., Results: Our search identified 3,897 articles, seven of which were meta-analyzed. mHealth apps did not improve perinatal depression (SMD, -0.39; 95% CI, -0.80 to 0.03) or anxiety (SMD, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.13 to 0.16) within the first 3 months post-intervention or at 6 months post-intervention. Our search of app stores identified 74 commercially available apps, 37 of which were evaluated via MARS tool. Current apps for perinatal anxiety and/or depression were rated to be of moderate quality on the MARS (mean, 3.6/5)., Limitations: There is a small number of overall studies in this field and the individual studies have methodological limitations. Furthermore, few apps identified in our app store search have been clinically tested., Conclusion: Despite their widespread availability, mHealth apps do not appear to effectively reduce perinatal depression or anxiety, and few were subjectively rated to be of high quality. There is a need to develop higher quality mHealth apps and assess their potential to improve perinatal maternal mental health., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The study here investigated quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters to assess tumour response to ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMB) and hyperthermia (HT) treatment in vivo. Mice bearing prostate cancer xenografts were exposed to various treatment conditions including 1% (v/v) Definity microbubbles stimulated at ultrasound pressures 246 kPa and 570 kPa and HT duration of 0, 10, 40, and 50 min. Ultrasound radiofrequency (RF) data were collected using an ultrasound transducer with a central frequency of 25 MHz. QUS parameters based on form factor models were used as potential biomarkers of cell death in prostate cancer xenografts., Results: The average acoustic concentration (AAC) parameter from spherical gaussian and the fluid-filled spherical models were the most efficient imaging biomarker of cell death. Statistical significant increases of AAC were found in the combined treatment groups: 246 kPa + 40 min, 246 kPa + 50 min, and 570 kPa + 50 min, in comparison with control tumours (0 kPa + 0 min). Changes in AAC correlates strongly (r 2  = 0.62) with cell death fraction quantified from the histopathological analysis., Conclusion: Scattering property estimates from spherical gaussian and fluid-filled spherical models are useful imaging biomarkers for assessing tumour response to treatment. Our observation of changes in AAC from high ultrasound frequencies was consistent with previous findings where parameters related to the backscatter intensity (AAC) increased with cell death., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: Adverse prenatal and postnatal exposures may have long-lasting effects on health and development. However, it remains unclear whether being exposed to a greater number of prenatal adversities affects mental health risk. The current study examined whether exposure to maternal health problems prenatally is associated with an increasing risk of psychiatric morbidity in adolescents., Methods: Using data from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study (OCHS), we examined associations between a count of 7 prenatal risk factors (maternal hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bleeding during pregnancy, influenza, urinary tract infection, thyroid disease, and depression/anxiety) and adolescent psychiatric morbidity. Adolescents (N = 2219) aged 12 to 17 years were assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents., Results: Exposure to each additional prenatal adversity was correlated with increased odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (odds ratio [OR] = 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-1.60), generalized anxiety disorder (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.05-1.55), and social anxiety disorder (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.01-1.80) after adjustment for confounding variables., Conclusion: Exposure to prenatal adversity in the form of maternal health problems was correlated with an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders in adolescence. Future studies should further investigate the effects of antenatal environmental exposures on these associations to determine the potential value of close monitoring of those exposed to prenatal risks., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Parental psychopathology is a significant risk factor for mental health challenges in offspring, but the nature and magnitude of this link in Indigenous Peoples is not well understood. This systematic review examined the emotional and behavioral functioning of the offspring of Indigenous parents with mental health challenges., Method: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inceptions until April 2020. Studies were included if they included assessments of emotional, behavioral, or other psychological outcomes in the offspring of Indigenous parents with a mental health challenge., Results: The 14 studies eligible for review were focused on parental substance misuse ( n = 8), maternal internalizing (i.e., depression, anxiety) issues ( n = 5), and poor overall parental mental health ( n = 4). In 11 studies, parental substance misuse, depression, and/or overall mental health challenges were associated with 2 to 4 times the odds of offspring externalizing and internalizing behaviors as compared to offspring of Indigenous parents without mental health challenges., Conclusion: The findings suggest higher risks of mental health challenges among offspring of Indigenous parents with psychiatric difficulties than among Indigenous children of parents without similar difficulties. Knowledge of these phenomena would be improved by the use of larger, more representative samples, culturally appropriate measures, and the engagement of Indigenous communities. Future studies should be focused on both risk and resilience mechanisms so that cycles of transmission can be interrupted and resources aimed at detection, prevention, and treatment optimally allocated.

Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) is a non-invasive imaging modality that permits the detection of tumor response following various cancer therapies. Based on ultrasound signal scattering from the biological system, scatterer size, and concentration of microscopic scatterers, QUS enables the rapid characterization of tumor cell death. In this study, tumor response to ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles (USMB) and hyperthermia (HT) in tumor-bearing mice, with prostate cancer xenografts (PC3), was examined using QUS. Treatment conditions included 1% (v/v) Definity microbubbles stimulated at ultrasound pressures (0, 246, and 570 kPa) and HT treatment (0, 10, 40, and 50 minutes). Three ultrasound backscatter parameters, mid-band fit (MBF), 0-MHz spectral intercept (SI), and spectral slope (SS) were estimated prior to, and 24 hours after treatment. Additionally, histological assessment of tumor cell death and tissue microstructural changes was used to complement the results obtained from ultrasound data. Results demonstrated a significant increase in QUS parameters (MBF and SI) followed combined USMB and HT treatment (P<0.05). In contrast, the backscatter parameters from the control (untreated) group, and USMB only group showed minimal changes (P>0.05). Furthermore, histological data demonstrated increased cell death and prominent changes in cellular and tissue structure, nucleus size, and subcellular constituent orientation followed combined treatments. The findings suggested that QUS parameters derived from the ultrasound backscattered power spectrum may be used to detect HT treatment effects in prostate cancer tumors in vivo ., Competing Interests: None., (AJTR Copyright © 2021.)

Pediatric chronic pain conditions impose substantial suffering on youth and the stress and suffering associated with these problems can affect the mental health of parents. The objective of this review is to describe and quantify links between youth chronic pain and parental mental health. A systematic search of five electronic databases was conducted from their inceptions to December 2019. Studies were included if they had an observational study design, recruited parents of youth aged 0-18 years and suffering from chronic pain, and mental health outcomes were assessed in parents. Of the seven studies that met our inclusion criteria, two were eligible for meta-analysis and suggested that the mental health of these parents may be worse overall. While this finding was not statistically significant, it was supported by a number of other eligible studies. Research also suggests that child pain may increase the frequency but not intensity of stress events for parents, that mothers may experience a greater burden of psychological symptoms than fathers, and that the parents of youth with chronic pain may exhibit better social functioning. More research is needed to clarify the nature of the mental health risks present in parents of youth with chronic pain.

Objective: Although Indigenous women are exposed to high rates of risk factors for perinatal mental health problems, the magnitude of their risk is not known. This lack of data impedes the development of appropriate screening and treatment protocols, as well as the proper allocation of resources for Indigenous women. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to compare rates of perinatal mental health problems among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women., Methods: We searched Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Web of Science from their inceptions until February 2019. Studies were included if they assessed mental health in Indigenous women during pregnancy and/or up to 12 months postpartum., Results: Twenty-six articles met study inclusion criteria and 21 were eligible for meta-analysis. Indigenous identity was associated with higher odds of mental health problems (odds ratio [ OR ] 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25 to 2.11). Odds were higher still when analyses were restricted to problems of greater severity ( OR 1.95; 95% CI, 1.21 to 3.16) and young Indigenous women ( OR 1.86; 95% CI, 1.51 to 2.28)., Conclusion: Indigenous women are at increased risk of mental health problems during the perinatal period, particularly depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. However, resiliency among Indigenous women, cultural teachings, and methodological issues may be affecting estimates. Future research should utilize more representative samples, adapt and validate diagnostic and symptom measures for Indigenous groups, and engage Indigenous actors, leaders, and related allies to help improve the accuracy of estimates, as well as the well-being of Indigenous mothers, their families, and future generations., Trial Registration: PROSPERO-CRD42018108638.

The Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD; https://card.mcmaster.ca) is a curated resource providing reference DNA and protein sequences, detection models and bioinformatics tools on the molecular basis of bacterial antimicrobial resistance (AMR). CARD focuses on providing high-quality reference data and molecular sequences within a controlled vocabulary, the Antibiotic Resistance Ontology (ARO), designed by the CARD biocuration team to integrate with software development efforts for resistome analysis and prediction, such as CARD's Resistance Gene Identifier (RGI) software. Since 2017, CARD has expanded through extensive curation of reference sequences, revision of the ontological structure, curation of over 500 new AMR detection models, development of a new classification paradigm and expansion of analytical tools. Most notably, a new Resistomes & Variants module provides analysis and statistical summary of in silico predicted resistance variants from 82 pathogens and over 100 000 genomes. By adding these resistance variants to CARD, we are able to summarize predicted resistance using the information included in CARD, identify trends in AMR mobility and determine previously undescribed and novel resistance variants. Here, we describe updates and recent expansions to CARD and its biocuration process, including new resources for community biocuration of AMR molecular reference data., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)