Nonspecific Factors Research Articles

The effectiveness of a polyvalent antigenic complex including bacterial lysates in the treatment and prevention of rhinosinusitis against the background of acute respiratory viral infections and COVID-19 (clinical description)

One of the urgent tasks of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, noted in the State report on the state of sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population, is the improvement and implementation of diagnostic and treatment and prevention technologies. First of all, this concerns the continued growth of respiratory viral infections, seasonal influenza epidemics, where SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection occupies a special place, which often cause various otorhinolaryngological complications – acute and exacerbations of chronic tonsillopharyngitis, rhinosinusitis, tubotitis, purulent otitis media. In the treatment of bacterial sinusitis, in accordance with clinical recommendations, intranasal corticosteroids, elimination therapy, herbal remedies, and antibacterial drugs are used. Due to the period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, a significant proportion of patients took large doses of antibacterial drugs, which caused an increase in the resistance of microorganisms to them. In this regard, it is possible to use immunostimulating drugs that stimulate cellular and humoral immunity, promote the development of a specific immune response and activate nonspecific defense factors such as lysozyme, mucin, lactoferrin and normalize mucociliary clearance. As a rule, the identification of a viral agent is carried out in case of a severe clinical course of the disease or complications from the ORL and other organs, and the use of immunostimulating agents in complex therapy is necessary at the earliest possible time of the disease. In this context, the use of immunostimulants containing polyvalent antigenic complexes, including bacterial lysates, the most common pathogens of respiratory infections, is justified. It is preferable in these cases to use lysates of bacteria obtained by mechanical destruction of bacterial cells, since they have a more pronounced non-specific immunostimulatory and specific vaccinating effect.

Diversifying Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology: A Change Gonna Come

ABSTRACT Objectives Workforce diversity is an ongoing challenge in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology. This article discusses individual, institutional, and nonspecific factors that contribute to a lack of diversity among clinical child and adolescent psychologists and offers suggestions to diversify and advance the field of clinical child and adolescent mental health. Method Seventeen professors, licensed psychologists, faculty, and clinicians in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology answered questions about workforce diversity and who is permitted access to the field. No formal research was conducted. Results Individual factors included: racial discrimination and microaggressions, feelings of isolation, otherness, and not belonging. Institutional factors included: racism in academia, racial underrepresentation, ethnocentric and culturally-biased training, biased admissions selection processes, financial barriers, and lack of institutional commitment. Nonspecific factors were: values misalignment, hidden expectations, suboptimal mentoring, and limited research opportunities. Conclusions Drawing on recent scholarship and the Contexts, Actions, and Outcomes (CAO) Model, we recommend institutional changes in programs, policies, practices, resources, climate, partnerships, and inquiry to improve diversity in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology.

Skin microbiome and modern treatment options for complicated forms of atopic dermatitis

Currently, atopic dermatitis is considered a systemic multifactorial disease, and its development involves various factors, mainly genetic disorders, epidermal barrier impairment, microbiome changes, allergen sensitization, and nonspecific environmental factors.
 The microbial skin barrier in patients with atopic dermatitis has its characteristics due to changes in the species composition of the microflora toward contamination by conditionally pathogenic microorganisms, which have a significant effect on the disease course, leading to secondary skin infection and exacerbations. Microbes and allergens percutaneously penetrate the disrupted epidermal barrier, leading to sensitization to various proteins, including bacterial and fungal proteins, characterizing the t2 immune response.
 The treatment of atopic dermatitis aims at achieving long-term control over the disease through an integrated approach, including external and systemic therapy.

Muss Rewind Therapy to alleviate symptoms related to some form of traumatic experience: A thematic analysis of participants' experiences and their perceived effectiveness of MRT

AbstractSometimes referred to as a memory reconsolidation treatment, Muss Rewind Therapy (MRT) is a brief psychological intervention which has shown promise in treating symptoms related to some forms of traumatic experience. This study aimed at adding to minimal existing research by exploring the experiences of UK participants who have chosen to self‐refer for MRT for help with symptoms they attributed to some form of previous traumatic experience. Ten participants were interviewed online, and qualitative data were collected using video recordings and transcription. A semistructured framework was employed to explore participants' individual experiences of MRT. All participants rated MRT as helping alleviate the symptoms they related to a previous traumatic experience. Several key themes emerged regarding the participants' experiences of the treatment, including the overall role of the therapist; participants being at the end of their tether before seeking help; experiencing negative emotions during the intervention; repetition of the MRT process in the therapy room; and experiencing some positive outcomes. However, it was unclear whether positive impacts reported after MRT were due specifically to MRT or nonspecific therapy factors because of variations in the way the MRT protocol was delivered and inclusion of other techniques in or before the MRT sessions. Whilst more rigorous research is needed, including research which follows a strict protocol when MRT is provided, to compare MRT versus control group, this novel addition to the existing research, which looks at clients' perspectives on their experiences and their perceived effectiveness of MRT, can add to and inform further research development.

Study Features and Response Compliance in Ecological Momentary Assessment Research in Borderline Personality Disorder: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by frequent and intense moment-to-moment changes in affect, behavior, identity, and interpersonal relationships, which typically result in significant and negative deterioration of the person's overall functioning and well-being. Measuring and characterizing the rapidly changing patterns of instability in BPD dysfunction as they occur in a person's daily life can be challenging. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a method that can capture highly dynamic processes in psychopathology research and, thus, is well suited to study intense variability patterns across areas of dysfunction in BPD. EMA studies are characterized by frequent repeated assessments that are delivered to participants in real-life, real-time settings using handheld devices capable of registering responses to short self-report questions in daily life. Compliance in EMA research is defined as the proportion of prompts answered by the participant, considering all planned prompts sent. Low compliance with prompt schedules can compromise the relative advantages of using this method. Despite the growing EMA literature on BPD in recent years, findings regarding study design features that affect compliance with EMA protocols have not been compiled, aggregated, and estimated. This systematic meta-analytic review aimed to investigate the relationship between study design features and participant compliance in EMA research of BPD. A systematic review was conducted on November 12, 2021, following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and MOOSE (Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines to search for articles featuring EMA studies of BPD that reported compliance rates and included sufficient data to extract relevant design features. For studies with complete data, random-effect models were used to estimate the overall compliance rate and explore its association with design features. In total, 28 peer-reviewed EMA studies comprising 2052 participants were included in the study. Design features (sampling strategy, average prompting frequency, number of items, response window, sampling device, financial incentive, and dropout rate) showed a large variability across studies, and many studies did not report design features. The meta-analytic synthesis was restricted to 64% (18/28) of articles and revealed a pooled compliance rate of 79% across studies. We did not find any significant relationship between design features and compliance rates. Our results show wide variability in the design and reporting of EMA studies assessing BPD. Compliance rates appear to be stable across varying setups, and it is likely that standard design features are not directly responsible for improving or diminishing compliance. We discuss possible nonspecific factors of study design that may have an impact on compliance. Given the promise of EMA research in BPD, we also discuss the importance of unifying standards for EMA reporting so that data stemming from this rich literature can be aggregated and interpreted jointly.

A Serial Mediation Model of Insecure Attachment and Psychological Distress: The Role of Dispositional Shame and Shame-Coping Styles.

Shame is an intense, difficult to regulate, self-conscious emotion that predicts aspects of poor psychological functioning and is also strongly related to early relationships. Attachment insecurities, which constitute non-specific risk factors for psychological maladjustment, have been associated with an individual's tendency to experience shame. In this study, we sought to examine the serial mediating roles of dispositional shame and shame-coping styles (i.e., attack other, attack self, withdrawal and avoidance) in the association between anxious and avoidant attachment, and psychological distress. Using a cross-sectional design, self-reported data were collected. The study sample included 978 respondents (57% female) with a mean age of 32.17 ± 13.48 years. The results of the path analysis indicated that both attachment dimensions were sequentially associated with dispositional shame and then with the attack self shame-coping style, which was, in turn, positively related to psychological distress. Further, attachment insecurities were sequentially associated with dispositional shame and then with the avoidance shame-coping style, which was, in turn, negatively related to psychological distress. The model was gender invariant, suggesting that the serial mediation worked in a similar way for men and women. The practical implications of these findings are discussed.

State of local immunity of respiratory organs in calves with bronchopneumonia

Respiratory diseases are widespread among cattle and represent a significant proportion of the causes of abandonment in dairy and beef cattle. Despite the fact that new vaccines are being developed and introduced to combat respiratory diseases, which create humoral immunity to the main specific pathogens of respiratory diseases, the problem persists. Thus, it can be assumed that a significant proportion of respiratory diseases is caused by opportunistic microflora. Previous studies have shown that in calves under the influence of adverse microclimate factors, the microflora of the upper respiratory tract migrates to the underlying parts of the respiratory tract, resulting in bronchopneumonia.The study of local immunity indicators in healthy calves and calves with bronchopneumonia was realized. The study involved 8 Holstein calves aged 4-5 months, which were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (control, n = 3) - clinically healthy calves, group 2 (experiment, n = 5) – calves with bronchopneumonia. Nasal secretions were collected from calves to assess local protection of the respiratory tract. The level of lysozyme, mucin, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, IgM, IgA and IgG was determined in it. The study of nonspecific factors protecting the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract showed a decrease in the level of lysozyme by 27.4% (p ˂ 0.01), as well as an increase in mucin by 76.4% and alkaline phosphatase - by 2.3 times compared with healthy calves. At the same time, with the development of pneumonia, there was an increase in the level of immunoglobulins M and A by 2.5 times (p ˂ 0.05). Thus, the conducted studies have shown that in case of bronchopneumonia, the barrier functions of the respiratory tract are activated to a large extent. In the nasal mucus of sick calves, the level of secretory immunoglobulins A and M increases, the production of alkaline phosphatase and mucin is activated.

A systematic review of non-specific and specific treatment factors associated with lower or greater internalising and externalising symptoms in therapeutic residential care

BackgroundThere is limited evidence on how Therapeutic Residential Care (TRC) achieves treatment goals: TRC remains too much of a “black box”. We need to know more about how results are achieved, rather than merely investigating the achieved results. ObjectiveThis systematic review aimed to synthesize quantitative literature regarding the associations between non-specific and specific treatment factors and lower or greater internalising and externalising symptoms. MethodFollowing PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in July 2021. Of the 2,409 records screened, 40 articles, composed of 38 samples were included. ResultsA total of six non-specific treatment factors (individual, family, academic history, symptoms, abuse and trauma history and relationships) and five specific treatment factors (treatment model, therapeutic intervention, placement decision making, environment and staffing) were reported. ConclusionOnly four non–specific treatment factors and one specific treatment factor appeared in multiple studies while all other factors and sub-factors were not replicated. More research is required to replicate and explore possible specific and non-specific treatment factors associated with internalising and externalising symptoms. The reviewed literature suggested that TRC should target a myriad of non-specific and specific treatment factors to increase the likelihood of success and that family involvement may be a particularly crucial component. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies that explore the long-term impact of non-specific and specific treatment factors on youth during placement and beyond.

Nocebo response in dentistry: A systematic review and meta-analysis of adverse events in analgesic trials of third molar removal.

The nocebo response refers to the phenomenon where non-specific factors, including negative verbal suggestion and treatment expectations, cause adverse events (AE) following a placebo treatment. Non-specific factors are also likely to influence AE occurrence following administration of active pharmacological treatments. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the nocebo response in dentistry by assessing the AEs prevalence in placebo- and active arms of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing analgesic treatment following third molar (M3) surgery. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible studies had to report the number of patients experiencing at least one drug-related AE (patients with AE ≥ 1) separately for the active and placebo arms. The proportion of patients with AE ≥ 1 and drug-related dropouts were pooled, and risk differences (RDs) between patients in the placebo- and active arm were calculated. In 50 independent RCTs of 47 identified articles, the pooled rates of patients with AE ≥ 1 were 22.8% in the placebo arm and 20.6% in the active arm. The pooled rates of drug-related dropout were 0.24% in the placebo arm and 0.08% in the active arm. There were no significant RDs in patients with AE ≥ 1 and drug-related dropouts. These results show that patients in the placebo arm reported AEs to the same extent as patients receiving active treatment, suggesting that most AEs in analgesic medication following M3 surgery may be attributed to the nocebo phenomenon.

Immunomodulatory Potency of Eclipta alba (Bhringaraj) Leaf Extract in Heteropneustes fossilis against Oomycete Pathogen, Aphanomyces invadans

Aphanomyces invadans is an aquatic oomycete pathogen and the causative agent of epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) in fresh and brackish water fish, which is responsible for severe mortalities and economic losses in aquaculture. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop anti-infective strategies to control EUS. An Oomycetes, a fungus-like eukaryotic microorganism, and a susceptible species, i.e., Heteropneustes fossilis, are used to establish whether an Eclipta alba leaf extract is effective against the EUS-causing A. invadans. We found that treatment with methanolic leaf extract, at concentrations between 50-100 ppm (T4-T6), protects the H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. These optimum concentrations induced anti-stress and antioxidative response in fish, marked by a significant decrease in cortisol and elevated levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) levels in treated animals, as compared with the controls. We further demonstrated that the A. invadans-protective effect of methanolic leaf extract was caused by its immunomodulatory effect and is linked to the enhanced survival of fingerlings. The analysis of non-specific and specific immune factors confirms that methanolic leaf extract-induced HSP70, HSP90 and IgM levels mediate the survival of H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. Taken together, our study provides evidence that the generation of anti-stress and antioxidative responses, as well as humoral immunity, may play a role in protecting H. fossilis fingerlings against A. invadans infection. It is probable that E. alba methanolic leaf extract treatment might become part of a holistic strategy to control EUS in fish species.

Effects of Qi-Fu-Yin on aging of APP/PS1 transgenic mice by regulating the intestinal microbiome.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and closely related to aging. Qi-Fu-Yin is widely used to treat dementia, but its anti-aging effects is unknown. We used 11-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice for behavioral tests to observe the changes in cognitive function and age-related symptoms after Qi-Fu-Yin treatment. Fecal samples were collected for 16sRNA sequencing and metagenomic sequencing. Differences among the groups of intestinal microbiota and the associations with aging and intestinal microbiota were analyzed based on the results. Here we found that Qi-Fu-Yin improved the ability of motor coordination, raised survival rate and prolonged the survival days under cold stress stimulation in aged APP/ PS1 transgenic mice. Our data from 16sRNA and metagenomic sequencing showed that at the Family level, the intestinal microbiota was significantly different among wild-type mice, APP/PS1 transgenic mice and the Qi-Fu-Yin group by PCA analysis. Importantly, Qi-Fu-Yin improved the functional diversity of the major KEGG pathways, carbohydrate-active enzymes, and major virulence factors in the intestinal flora of APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Among them, the functions of eight carbohydrate-active enzymes (GT2_Glycos_transf_2, GT4, GT41, GH2, CE1, CE10, CE3, and GH24) and the functions of top three virulence factors (defensive virulence factors, offensive virulence factors and nonspecific virulence factors) were significantly and positively correlated with the level of grasping ability. We further indicated that the Qi-Fu-Yin significantly reduced the plasma levels of IL-6. Our results indicated that the effects of Qi-Fu-Yin anti-aging of APP/PS1 transgenic mice might be through the regulation of intestinal flora diversity, species richness and the function of major active enzymes.

Brief Computer Task May Prolong Effects of Ketamine

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessBrief Computer Task May Prolong Effects of KetamineNick ZagorskiNick ZagorskiSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:6 Jan 2023https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2023.02.12.29AbstractThe ASAT computer program trains people to perceive themselves in a more positive light during the time when ketamine is believed to make the brain more receptive to processing new information.iStock/georgeoprea9Completing a brief computer program that aims to boost self-esteem may extend the antidepressant effects of a single ketamine infusion for at least 30 days, a report in The American Journal of Psychiatry has found.Ketamine’s rapid antidepressant effects offer “the promise of a breakthrough in the way depression is managed, but this promise remains unfulfilled to date,” wrote lead author Rebecca B. Price, Ph.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and colleagues. “Quickly dissipating effects after a single infusion in isolation, coupled with substantial concerns regarding the safety and feasibility of repeated infusions, limit ketamine’s clinical impact.”While ketamine’s exact mechanisms remain uncertain, there is evidence that this drug can temporarily enhance neural plasticity (the ability of neurons to form new and different connections). Thus, in the first few days following an infusion, the brain may be “primed” to change to a healthier state.To test this, Price and colleagues paired ketamine treatment with a computer program called automated self-association training (ASAT). This program uses cognitive tasks to condition people to associate thoughts about themselves with positive feelings, in essence improving self-worth.As Price explained to Psychiatric News, such cognitive training tools have been shown to improve body image, so a modified tool focused on depressive thoughts could work as well.In total, 154 adults (aged 18 to 60) with treatment-resistant depression were assigned to one of three treatment protocols:One group received a single ketamine infusion (0.5 mg/kg over 40 minutes) plus ASAT.One group received a saline infusion plus ASAT.One group received a ketamine infusion plus sham ASAT.Both ASAT and sham ASAT consisted of eight 15- to 20-minute sessions delivered twice daily for four consecutive days starting one day after the infusion. For the ASAT sessions, participants completed computer tasks that featured words associated with positive feelings (such as “lovable” and “worthy”) and images of themselves and other people. The sham ASAT consisted of the same computer tasks, but with predominantly neutral images and words and no references to the participant.The participants’ depressive symptoms were assessed using the clinician-administered Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) multiple times over the course of the 30-day study.As anticipated, symptoms improved significantly more after 24 hours among adults who received a ketamine infusion; 52% of adults who received ketamine achieved a treatment response (at least 50% reduction in MADRS scores) compared with 25% of adults who received saline. Depression scores in the ketamine plus ASAT group remained low and stable for 30 days compared with those in the saline plus ASAT group. In contrast, depression scores in the ketamine plus sham ASAT group increased after 24 hours.Interestingly, depression scores also remained lower for 30 days among adults who received saline plus ASAT. However, Price told Psychiatric News that since this study did not have a true control group (saline plus sham training), it remains unknown whether these reductions point to a beneficial effect of ASAT even in ketamine’s absence. “The improvements could be due to nonspecific factors like the pleasant interactions participants had with our research staff,” she said.Price also cautioned that while ASAT’s concept of pairing positive emotions with self-perception seems simple, the program tasks were very systematic. “I don’t want people to think they can look at happy magazine photos and achieve a similar effect,” she said. “This was also a preliminary study that needs to be replicated.”Still, tools like ASAT could potentially offer an accessible and low-cost way to sustain critical depression relief. She noted her team is currently testing a phone/tablet-based version of ASAT in an inpatient setting. “If those results are promising, the next logical step would be to test ASAT in real-world clinics that offer ketamine and esketamine therapy.”This study was supported by a Biobehavioral Research Award from the National Institute of Mental Health as well as a grant from the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute at the University of Pittsburgh. ■ ISSUES NewArchived

The role of fine suspended particles of atmospheric air in the formation of eosinophilic inflammation in T2-endotype of asthma

BACKGROUND: Allergens induce eosinophilic inflammation in the T2 endotype of asthma. However, much less is known about the role of non-specific factors (suspended particles in the atmospheric air-PM).
 AIMS: To define eosinophilic inflammation on the basis of several biomarkers in the T2 endotype of asthma exposed to PM.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 150 patients with asthma, and 61 patients with T2 endotype of asthma (ages 1865 years) were enrolled. Group 1 included 34 patients with allergic asthma, and group 2 included 27 patients with non-allergic asthma. Moreover, 30 healthy matched controls without asthma and other allergic diseases were enrolled in the study. Clinical examination and allergy testing were performed. Additionally, serum levels of IL-33, IL-25, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, DPP4 (multiplex assay), and periostin (ELISA) were evaluated. The analyses of the average annual concentrations (Avr) and the maximal annual concentrations (MaxAvr) of PM2.5 and PM10 in Kazan were conducted using the database of the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Republic of Tatarstan, being averaged over the period from 2014 to 2020 years in monitoring points at residential areas. Statistical analyses were performed using R version 4.0.5. The study was funded by RFBR (Project no. 19-05-50094).
 RESULTS: We detected increased blood eosinophil count and IL-5 levels in patients with asthma. High levels of total IgE (p=0.0001) that correlated with IL-4 levels were observed only in patients with allergic asthma (rS=0.38; p=0.045). Moreover, elevated IL-25 levels were found in patients with allergic asthma (p=0.009). No significant differences in IL-13 levels in patient with asthma were found. The regression analysis revealed that the PM2.5Avr increase by 1 mcg/m3 increases IL-33 and IL-25 levels, but the PM10Avr increase raises the IL-25 levels only in patients with non-allergic asthma. No significant increase in IL-25 and IL-33 levels under exposure to PM2.5Avr and PM 10Avr was detected in patients with allergic asthma.
 CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate the pivotal role of fine suspended particles in the development and maintenance of eosinophilic inflammation in patients with non-allergic asthma.

ДЕЙСТВИЕ СЕЛЕНСОДЕРЖАЩИХ ПРЕПАРАТОВ НА ФИЗИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ СТАТУС БРОЙЛЕРНЫХ ЦЫПЛЯТ

The use of selenium-containing preparations "E-selenium", "Selplex" and "LovitVA + SE" in the diet of broiler chickens stimulates humoral non-specific protective factors, an increase in the number of erythrocytes, total protein, albumin, vitamin E, carotene and allows you to get high-quality products of meat origin from broiler chickens. At the first stage of research, it was established that the physiological status of Ross 308 day old chickens is characterized by a relatively high content of leukocytes and platelets in the blood, and stab and segmented pseudoeosinophils in the leukogram, which protect the body from adverse environmental factors. The content of such formed elements as erythrocytes is at the lower limits of the physiological norm. The concentration of hemoglobin in them is also low. The introduction of the drug "Selplex" into the diet contributes to an increase in such humoral non-specific protective factors as lysozyme and bactericidal activity of the blood serum of chickens. At the second stage of research, selenium-containing preparations "E-selenium" and "LovitVA + SE" were used for broiler chickens. The use of the drug "E-selenium" contributes to an increase in the content of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the blood of chickens, the content of erythrocytes, in comparison with the control group, increases. Additional use of the drug "LovitVA + SE" leads to an increase in the level of erythrocytes in the blood of broiler chickens, hemoglobin, and also contributes to an increase in the concentration of total protein, albumin, vitamin E and carotene in the blood serum.

РОЛЬ УСЛОВНО-ПАТОГЕННОЙ МИКРОФЛОРЫ В ЭТИОЛОГИИ МАСТИТА У КОРОВ

During the bacteriological study of 412 samples of udder secretion from cows with mastitis, 121 cultures of microorganisms of 15 species were isolated, which were represented in 54.9% of cases by gram–positive cocci, the remaining 45.1% by representatives of the Enterobacteriaceae and Ps. aegidinosa families, staphylococci prevailed – 28.6%, streptococci – 22.6%, enterococci – 19.2%. At the same time, in some farms, the mammary gland of cows is infected to a greater extent with staphylococci, in others with streptococci, in some mixed microflora prevails. With the incidence of mastitis in cows exceeding 30%, microflora was isolated from 81.8% of udder secretion samples, including pathogenic microflora (Staph. aureus, E. soli) – in 32.7% of cases, conditionally pathogenic (C. diversus, Ent. faecalis) – 23.6% and 20.0% – saprophytic microflora (Staph. saprophyticus, Staph. epidermidis, Ent. aegodes, Ps. aeruginosa) and fungi (Candida) – 5.5%. Pathogens were absent in 18.2% of udder secretion samples from cows with mastitis. At the same time, it should be noted that gross violations in the technology of machine milking of cows were noted in these farms. The results of the study showed that in clinically healthy lactating cows, the coefficient of bactericidal activity of the udder skin varies depending on the functional state of the breast and has a maximum value of 91.8±2.0% in the first week after delivery, decreasing to 87.8±2.4% by the middle of lactation and becomes minimal during the launch period – 79.7± 2.3%. The change in the bactericidal coefficient of the udder nipple skin is associated with the state of other non-specific local protection factors, in particular, the lysozyme M titer and the level of somatic cells. The above indicates that the violations that took place led to a decrease in their general and local resistance and infection not only with pathogenic and conditionally pathogenic (incidence 10-30%), but also with saprophytic microflora (incidence more than 30%), and the absence of microflora in 18.2% of cases indicates that mastitis initially begins to develop as aseptic, and then when infected with microflora − as an infectious process of varying severity.

PREDICTION OF THE DYSBIOSIS DEVELOPMENT RISK ACCORDING TO HUMORAL IMMUNITY INDICATORS

Diseases associated with bacterial vaginosis lead to chronic inflammatory processes of the internal genitals, the development of adhesions of the pelvic organs, infertility, spontaneous abortion at different times, as well as the development of malignant neoplasms. Vaginal microflora is an indicator of a woman’s health, which can form changing in hormonal and immunological status during various pathological conditions. The aim of the study was to create a system for prediction of the dysbiosis development according to the levels of nonspecific humoral factor of immune defense. Materials and methods. The study was performed in 298 women aged 16 to 64 years, 53 of whom were diagnosed with normocenosis, and 245 have dysbiosis. Women were divided into 3 groups according to age. Regression analysis was used. Research results and their discussion. Our previous research have shown a correlation between increased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the blood and vaginal secretions with the stage of dysbiosis. A logistic regression model was constructed during the study, which showed that the risk of developing dysbiosis in terms of normobiota increases with increasing levels of interleukin 2 in the blood, tumor necrosis factor α. Significant features of the three-factor model for predicting the risk of developing dysbiosis (IL2, IL4 and TNFα) were selected by the method of genetic algorithm. The levels of these indicators in the blood were related to the severity of dysbiosis according to the results of discriminant analysis. Conclusions. Thus, a linear neural network model was developed for determination of dysbiosis severity according to the levels of nonspecific humoral factors of immune defense such as the C4 component of the complement system and γ-interferon in vaginal secretions, as well as the amount of circulating immune complexes and tumor necrosis factor α in the blood. Kappa Cohen’s agreement for this model on the training set was 0.87 (95% CI 0.82-0.91), and on the confirmatory set was 0.89 (95% CI 0.77-1.00). These indicators show the adequacy of the constructed model. The interface of the expert system for the dysbiosis severity prediction has been created. Key words: normobiota, bacterial vaginosis, linear neural network model for determination of the dysbiosis severity, humoral factor of immune defense.

Anxiety sensitivity as a predictor, and non-specific therapeutic factors as predictors and mediators of CBT outcome for obsessive-compulsive disorder in a naturalistic mental health setting

ObjectiveWe examined the unique predictive strength of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and the role of expectancy, credibility, and therapeutic alliance (TA) as predictors and mediators of cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) outcomes in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). MethodThe current study is a prospective cohort study. Participants (N = 116) were treatment-seeking individuals with a primary diagnosis of OCD. Independent raters assessed patients on Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 at baseline, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. Participants responded to the Credibility and Expectancy questionnaire and Working Alliance Inventory-Short revised at baseline, first-session, and mid-session. ResultsThe individual addition of AS, end-of-first-session credibility and expectancy, mid-session credibility and expectancy, and therapeutic alliance predicted significant CBT outcomes. There was a moderate positive correlation between baseline OCD severity and the global score of AS, but a weak one with AS dimensions. Both expectancy and credibility significantly improved from baseline to end-of-first-session treatment. End-of-first and third-session outcome expectancies, not credibility, have significant, indirect effects on OCD CBT outcomes. ConclusionsAS, within-session credibility and expectancies and TA independently predict CBT outcomes. Within-sessions outcome expectancies mediate CBT outcomes in OCD, not credibility. Expectancy and credibility both include state-like elements that can be influenced to enhance the outcomes of CBT. Proposals for reducing treatment barriers in CBT for OCD are offered.

The treatment of PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers using imagery rescripting within an NHS setting.

Refugees and asylum seekers present with high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), whilst little research has been conducted to assess the effectiveness or acceptability of psychological interventions for this group. Imagery rescripting is effective in reducing distressing intrusive memories within a range of conditions. The current study evaluates this approach for the treatment of PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers within a UK NHS service. To evaluate the clinical outcomes of using imagery rescripting for the treatment of PTSD in UK-based refugees and asylum seekers. Ten adult service-users from an NHS specialist service with a primary diagnosis of PTSD were recruited as part of routine service delivery. A multiple baseline design was used with participants randomly allocated to a baseline varying from 5 to 9 weeks. A baseline wait-period was followed by up to five sessions of psychoeducation and treatment preparation, in turn followed by up to 10 sessions of imagery rescripting. The Post-traumatic Symptom Scale (PSS) and Physical Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were collected every week during baseline, at end of treatment and weekly for 5 weeks after treatment, and again at 12-week follow-up. Data were analysed with mixed regression. Results indicate a significant improvement both in PTSD symptoms and mood, and that this was attributable to the imagery rescripting phase of the intervention, and not the passage of time or non-specific therapy factors. Evidence indicates imagery rescripting to be a safe and effective treatment choice for PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers.

Videoconferencing-delivered psychological intervention for the treatment of COVID-19 related psychological distress in University students: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in India

BackgroundThe mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been profound. This paper outlines the study protocol for a trial that tests the efficacy of a brief group-based psychological intervention (Coping with COVID; CWC), relative to Supportive Counselling, to reduce distress associated with COVID-19 in a young adult population in Bangalore, India.MethodsA single-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial will be carried out via video conferencing in a small group format. Following informed consent, adults that screen positive for levels of psychological distress (Kessler 10 (K-10 score ≥ 20) and have access to a videoconferencing platform will be randomised to an adapted version of CWC (n = 90) or Supportive Counselling (SC) (n = 90). The primary outcome will be reduction in psychological distress including anxiety and depression at 2-months post treatment. Secondary outcomes include worry, positive wellbeing, and stress in relation to COVID-19.DiscussionThis treatment trial will assess whether CWC will result in reduced distress relative to Supportive Counselling in a young adult population in Bangalore, India. This study will yield important insights into the role of nonspecific factors versus the intervention’s components in impacting COVID-19 related distress.Trial registrationThis trial was prospectively registered on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001064897).Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained from the participating institution, CHRIST University in Bangalore. Results of the trial will be submitted for publication in peer reviewed journals and findings presented at scientific conferences and to key service providers and policy makers.

Mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on growth performance, immunity, inflammatory and antioxidant responses of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) under ammonia stress

This study evaluated the potential effects of mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the health status of common carp under ammonia stress. The experimental fish were equally divided into four groups. The control group was fed with a basal diet. The ammonia stress group (Am group) was fed with a basal diet and set in the culture environment with 0.15 mg/L NH3. The MOS group was fed 0.2% MOS with a basal diet. The treatment group (MOS/Am group) was fed 0.2% MOS feed under ammonia exposure (NH3, 0.15 mg/L). These groups were fed for 30 d. The results showed that under ammonia stress, the growth performance decreased significantly, and the activities of non-specific immune factors, intestinal digestive enzymes, and antioxidant enzymes decreased significantly. Dietary supplementation of MOS, the growth performance, the activities of non-specific immune factors, intestinal digestive enzymes, and antioxidant enzymes increased. Histopathological studies showed that adding MOS reduced liver, gill, and intestine tissue damage under ammonia exposure. Our study suggests that adding MOS to the diet can improve growth performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of the common carp. MOS can effectively alleviate the oxidative damage and inflammatory response caused by ammonia poisoning to common carp.