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Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults With Hearing Loss in the ACHIEVE Study
No full textHearing loss is associated with cognitive/physical health; less is known about mental health. We investigated associations between hearing loss severity, depression, and health-related quality of life among older adults with unaided hearing loss. Data (N = 948) were from the Aging and Cognitive Health Evaluation in Elders Study. Hearing was measured by pure-tone average (PTA), Quick Speech-in-Noise (QuickSIN) test, and the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE-S). Outcomes were validated measures of depression and health-related quality of life. Associations were assessed by negative binomial regression. More severe hearing loss was associated with worse physical health–related quality of life (ratio: .98, 95% CI: .96, 1.00). Better QuickSIN was associated with higher mental health–related quality of life (1.01 [1.00, 1.02]). Worse HHIE-S was associated with depression (1.24 [1.16, 1.33]) and worse mental (.97 [.96, .98]) and physical (.95 [ .93, .96]) health–related quality of life. Further work will test effects of hearing intervention on mental health
Suicide prevention: Introducing the Lothian Safekeeping Plan © for parents as a clinical innovation for use alongside safety plans for children and young people
No full textTopic: Internationally, preventing suicide in children and young people is a priority and there are a range of preventative approaches available for health professionals to use, including brief interventions. Safety planning is one such brief intervention. Safety plans have long been recommended for use with young people who are suicidal but, these were initially developed for adults. A recent scoping review revealed safety plans need to be tailored to children and young people. This review also identified an important practice gap, that parents also require plans supporting them to keep their child safe. Purpose: This paper highlights how a Scottish clinical child and adolescent mental health setting in the UK's National Health Service developed and implemented evidence‐based safety plans for suicidality–the Lothian Safety Plan for young people and the Lothian Safekeeping Plan for parents. This paper outlines both plans and gives recommendations for their use by healthcare professionals. The parental Lothian Safekeeping Plan is discussed in more depth as this is a novel intervention. Conclusion: The Lothian Safekeeping Plan is a clinically led evidence‐based practice innovation. It is a specific suicide prevention plan for use by parents as an additional, complementary, and enhanced resource to the Lothian Safety Plan for young people. It is recommended that healthcare professionals also use a parental safety plan when supporting young people presenting with suicidal crisis. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of these plans
Safety Assessment RP709 protease (subtilisin) produced by Bacillus licheniformis DSM 33099 (ProAct 360)
No full textAn application was submitted to the Food Standards Agency in March 2021 from DSM Nutritional Products LTD (“the applicant”) for the new authorisation of an additive (ProAct 360) containing protease (subtilisin), under the category of “zootechnical additives” and functional group “digestibility enhancers”. The additive is proposed to be used in growing poultry, with a proposed inclusion rate of 30,000 NFP/kg of complete feed (12% moisture). The Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs (ACAF) was asked to review the dossier and the supplementary information submitted by the Applicant, and to advise the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland (FSA/FSS) in evaluating the dossier. The FSA/FSS concluded, based on the ACAF’s advice, that the additive was correctly identified and characterised. No causes for concern were raised in this section of the dossier. The feed additive is safe for consumers, the target animal and the environment. The additive should be considered a potential respiratory sensitiser, dermal sensitiser and eye irritant. It is not a skin irritant. Based on data from three efficacy studies in broilers, it was concluded that the additive ProAct 360 is efficacious in growing poultry when included in feed at a dose of 30,000 NFP/kg. The views of ACAF have been taken into account in this safety assessment which represents the opinion of the FSA/FSS
The assessment of paraspinal muscle epimuscular fat in participants with and without low back pain: A case-control study
Get PDFIt remains unclear whether paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration in low back pain (LBP) is i) solely intramuscular, ii) is lying outside the epimysium between the muscle and fascial plane (epimuscular) or iii) or combination of both, as imaging studies often use different segmentation protocols that are not thoroughly described. Epimuscular fat possibly disturbs force generation of paraspinal muscles, but is seldomly explored. This project aimed to 1) compare epimuscular fat in participants with and without chronic LBP, and 2) determine whether epimuscular fat is different across lumbar spinal levels and associated with BMI, age, sex and LBP status, duration or intensity. Fat and water lumbosacral MRIs of 50 chronic LBP participants and 41 healthy controls were used. The presence and extent of epimuscular fat for the paraspinal muscle group (erector spinae and multifidus) was assessed using a qualitative score (0–5 scale; 0 = no epimuscular fat and 5 = epimuscular fat present along the entire muscle) and quantitative manual segmentation method. Chi-squared tests evaluated associations between qualitative epimuscular fat ratings and LBP status at each lumbar level. Bivariate and partial spearman’s rho correlation assessed relationships between quantitative and qualitative epimuscular fat with participants’ characteristics. Epimuscular fat was more frequent at the L4-L5 (X2 = 13.781, p = 0.017) and L5-S1 level (X2 = 27.825, p < 0.001) in participants with LBP compared to controls, which was not found for the higher lumbar levels. The total qualitative score (combined from all levels) showed a significant positive correlation with BMI, age, sex (female) and LBP status (r = 0.23–0.55; p < 0.05). Similarly, the total area of epimuscular fat (quantitative measure) was significantly correlated with BMI, age and LBP status (r = 0.26–0.57; p < 0.05). No correlations were found between epimuscular fat and LBP duration or intensity. Paraspinal muscle epimuscular fat is more common in chronic LBP patients. The functional implications of epimuscular fat should be further explored
Gender Balance on State Boards in Ireland: To the Forefront of Progress or Concealing the Status Quo?
Get PDFIn this article, we examine female appointments to government-owned corporations, called State Sponsored Boards (SSBs), in Ireland over a twenty-eight-year period, to analyze the extent to which gender parity has been achieved using voluntary gender targets. Using data from thirty-four SSBs, we found that overall figures relating to the achievement of gender parity on SSBs are masking the reality of female representation on these boards. We have demonstrated that the high concentration of females on particular boards is increasing the overall average gender representation figures, and as a result, a high proportion of boards are not meeting their gender targets. This research provides evidence of the importance of taking a more nuanced approach to examining gender diversity on boards as a whole
Machine Un-learning: An Overview of Techniques, Applications, and Future Directions
No full textML applications proliferate across various sectors. Large internet firms employ ML to train intelligent models using vast datasets, including sensitive user information. However, new regulations like GDPR require data removal by businesses. Deleting data from ML models is more complex than databases. Machine Un-learning (MUL), an emerging field, garners academic interest for selectively erasing learned data from ML models. MUL benefits multiple disciplines, enhancing privacy, security, usability, and accuracy. This article reviews MUL’s significance, providing a taxonomy and summarizing key MUL algorithms. We categorize modern MUL models by criteria, including model independence, data driven, and implementation considerations. We explore MUL applications in smart devices and recommendation systems. We also identify open questions and future research areas. This work advances methods for implementing regulations like GDPR and safeguarding user privacy
Detention of children and adolescents under mental health legislation: a scoping review of prevalence, risk factors, and legal frameworks
Get PDFBackground: For individuals with severe mental illness, involuntary assessment and/or treatment (hereafter detention) can be a necessary intervention to support recovery and may even be lifesaving. Despite this, little is known about how often these interventions are used for children and adolescents. Methods: This global scoping review set out to: (1) map the current evidence around mental health detentions of children and adolescents (< 18 years); (2) identify the clinical, sociodemographic, and behavioural factors associated with detention; and (3) document the views of professionals and young people on the implementation of mental health legislation. Results: After searching databases of peer-reviewed literature and citation chaining, 42 articles from 15 jurisdictions were included. About one fifth of psychiatric admissions in national register data were detentions, however trends were only available for a few high-income Western countries. The circumstances justifying detention and the criteria authorising detention varied between studies, with a mix of clinical factors and observed behaviours reported as the reason(s) warranting/precipitating a detention. Particular groups were more likely to experience detention, such as children and adolescents from minority ethnic communities and those with a documented history of abuse. There was a notable absence of qualitative research exploring the views of professionals or children and adolescents on detention. Conclusion: Further research is needed to explore the impact of detention on those aged < 18 years, including national register-based studies and qualitative studies. This is particularly relevant in nations currently undergoing legislative reform