A tutorial on inverse problems for anomalous diffusion processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Bangti; Rundell, William

2015-01-01

of related inverse problems, depending crucially on the specific type of given data and quantity of interest. Further, the study exhibits distinct new features of ‘fractional’ inverse problems, and a partial list of surprising observations is given below. (a) Classical backward diffusion is exponentially ill-posed, whereas time fractional backward diffusion is only mildly ill-posed in the sense of norms on the domain and range spaces. However, this does not imply that the latter always allows a more effective reconstruction. (b) Theoretically, the time fractional sideways problem is severely ill-posed like its classical counterpart, but numerically can be nearly well-posed. (c) The classical Sturm–Liouville problem requires two pieces of spectral data to uniquely determine a general potential, but in the fractional case, one single Dirichlet spectrum may suffice. (d) The space fractional sideways problem can be far more or far less ill-posed than the classical counterpart, depending on the location of the lateral Cauchy data. In many cases, the precise mechanism of these surprising observations is unclear, and awaits further analytical and numerical exploration, which requires new mathematical tools and ingenuities. Further, our findings indicate fractional diffusion inverse problems also provide an excellent case study in the differences between theoretical ill-conditioning involving domain and range norms and the numerical analysis of a finite-dimensional reconstruction procedure. Throughout we will also describe known analytical and numerical results in the literature. (paper)

Morozov-type discrepancy principle for nonlinear ill-posed problems ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

For proving the existence of a regularization parameter under a Morozov-type discrepancy principle for Tikhonov regularization of nonlinear ill-posed problems, it is required to impose additional nonlinearity assumptions on the forward operator. Lipschitz continuity of the Freéchet derivative and requirement of the Lipschitz ...

Morozov-type discrepancy principle for nonlinear ill-posed problems ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-08-26

Aug 26, 2016 ... For proving the existence of a regularization parameter under a Morozov-type discrepancy principle for Tikhonov regularization of nonlinear ill-posed problems, it is required to impose additional nonlinearity assumptions on the forward operator. Lipschitz continuity of the Freéchet derivative and requirement ...

An inverse problem in a parabolic equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhilin Li

1998-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an inverse problem in a parabolic equation is studied. An unknown function in the equation is related to two integral equations in terms of heat kernel. One of the integral equations is well-posed while another is ill-posed. A regularization approach for constructing an approximate solution to the ill-posed integral equation is proposed. Theoretical analysis and numerical experiment are provided to support the method.

Penalized linear regression for discrete ill-posed problems: A hybrid least-squares and mean-squared error approach

KAUST Repository

Suliman, Mohamed Abdalla Elhag; Ballal, Tarig; Kammoun, Abla; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new approach to find the regularization parameter for linear least-squares discrete ill-posed problems. In the proposed approach, an artificial perturbation matrix with a bounded norm is forced into the discrete ill-posed model

Rigorous Numerics for ill-posed PDEs: Periodic Orbits in the Boussinesq Equation

Science.gov (United States)

Castelli, Roberto; Gameiro, Marcio; Lessard, Jean-Philippe

2018-04-01

In this paper, we develop computer-assisted techniques for the analysis of periodic orbits of ill-posed partial differential equations. As a case study, our proposed method is applied to the Boussinesq equation, which has been investigated extensively because of its role in the theory of shallow water waves. The idea is to use the symmetry of the solutions and a Newton-Kantorovich type argument (the radii polynomial approach) to obtain rigorous proofs of existence of the periodic orbits in a weighted ℓ1 Banach space of space-time Fourier coefficients with exponential decay. We present several computer-assisted proofs of the existence of periodic orbits at different parameter values.

Atmospheric inverse modeling via sparse reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Hase, Nils; Miller, Scot M.; Maaß, Peter; Notholt, Justus; Palm, Mathias; Warneke, Thorsten

2017-10-01

Many applications in atmospheric science involve ill-posed inverse problems. A crucial component of many inverse problems is the proper formulation of a priori knowledge about the unknown parameters. In most cases, this knowledge is expressed as a Gaussian prior. This formulation often performs well at capturing smoothed, large-scale processes but is often ill equipped to capture localized structures like large point sources or localized hot spots. Over the last decade, scientists from a diverse array of applied mathematics and engineering fields have developed sparse reconstruction techniques to identify localized structures. In this study, we present a new regularization approach for ill-posed inverse problems in atmospheric science. It is based on Tikhonov regularization with sparsity constraint and allows bounds on the parameters. We enforce sparsity using a dictionary representation system. We analyze its performance in an atmospheric inverse modeling scenario by estimating anthropogenic US methane (CH4) emissions from simulated atmospheric measurements. Different measures indicate that our sparse reconstruction approach is better able to capture large point sources or localized hot spots than other methods commonly used in atmospheric inversions. It captures the overall signal equally well but adds details on the grid scale. This feature can be of value for any inverse problem with point or spatially discrete sources. We show an example for source estimation of synthetic methane emissions from the Barnett shale formation.

Modifications of Steepest Descent Method and Conjugate Gradient Method Against Noise for Ill-posed Linear Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chein-Shan Liu

2012-04-01

Full Text Available It is well known that the numerical algorithms of the steepest descent method (SDM, and the conjugate gradient method (CGM are effective for solving well-posed linear systems. However, they are vulnerable to noisy disturbance for solving ill-posed linear systems. We propose the modifications of SDM and CGM, namely the modified steepest descent method (MSDM, and the modified conjugate gradient method (MCGM. The starting point is an invariant manifold defined in terms of a minimum functional and a fictitious time-like variable; however, in the final stage we can derive a purely iterative algorithm including an acceleration parameter. Through the Hopf bifurcation, this parameter indeed plays a major role to switch the situation of slow convergence to a new situation that the functional is stepwisely decreased very fast. Several numerical examples are examined and compared with exact solutions, revealing that the new algorithms of MSDM and MCGM have good computational efficiency and accuracy, even for the highly ill-conditioned linear equations system with a large noise being imposed on the given data.

Penalized linear regression for discrete ill-posed problems: A hybrid least-squares and mean-squared error approach

KAUST Repository

Suliman, Mohamed Abdalla Elhag

2016-12-19

This paper proposes a new approach to find the regularization parameter for linear least-squares discrete ill-posed problems. In the proposed approach, an artificial perturbation matrix with a bounded norm is forced into the discrete ill-posed model matrix. This perturbation is introduced to enhance the singular-value (SV) structure of the matrix and hence to provide a better solution. The proposed approach is derived to select the regularization parameter in a way that minimizes the mean-squared error (MSE) of the estimator. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms a set of benchmark methods in most cases when applied to different scenarios of discrete ill-posed problems. Jointly, the proposed approach enjoys the lowest run-time and offers the highest level of robustness amongst all the tested methods.

Exploiting residual information in the parameter choice for discrete ill-posed problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Per Christian; Kilmer, Misha E.; Kjeldsen, Rikke Høj

2006-01-01

Most algorithms for choosing the regularization parameter in a discrete ill-posed problem are based on the norm of the residual vector. In this work we propose a different approach, where we seek to use all the information available in the residual vector. We present important relations between...

Numerical solution to a multi-dimensional linear inverse heat conduction problem by a splitting-based conjugate gradient method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinh Nho Hao; Nguyen Trung Thanh; Sahli, Hichem

2008-01-01

In this paper we consider a multi-dimensional inverse heat conduction problem with time-dependent coefficients in a box, which is well-known to be severely ill-posed, by a variational method. The gradient of the functional to be minimized is obtained by aids of an adjoint problem and the conjugate gradient method with a stopping rule is then applied to this ill-posed optimization problem. To enhance the stability and the accuracy of the numerical solution to the problem we apply this scheme to the discretized inverse problem rather than to the continuous one. The difficulties with large dimensions of discretized problems are overcome by a splitting method which only requires the solution of easy-to-solve one-dimensional problems. The numerical results provided by our method are very good and the techniques seem to be very promising.

Approximate source conditions for nonlinear ill-posed problems—chances and limitations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hein, Torsten; Hofmann, Bernd

2009-01-01

In the recent past the authors, with collaborators, have published convergence rate results for regularized solutions of linear ill-posed operator equations by avoiding the usual assumption that the solutions satisfy prescribed source conditions. Instead the degree of violation of such source conditions is expressed by distance functions d(R) depending on a radius R ≥ 0 which is an upper bound of the norm of source elements under consideration. If d(R) tends to zero as R → ∞ an appropriate balancing of occurring regularization error terms yields convergence rates results. This approach was called the method of approximate source conditions, originally developed in a Hilbert space setting. The goal of this paper is to formulate chances and limitations of an application of this method to nonlinear ill-posed problems in reflexive Banach spaces and to complement the field of low order convergence rates results in nonlinear regularization theory. In particular, we are going to establish convergence rates for a variant of Tikhonov regularization. To keep structural nonlinearity conditions simple, we update the concept of degree of nonlinearity in Hilbert spaces to a Bregman distance setting in Banach spaces

Some results on inverse scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramm, A.G.

2008-01-01

A review of some of the author's results in the area of inverse scattering is given. The following topics are discussed: (1) Property C and applications, (2) Stable inversion of fixed-energy 3D scattering data and its error estimate, (3) Inverse scattering with 'incomplete' data, (4) Inverse scattering for inhomogeneous Schroedinger equation, (5) Krein's inverse scattering method, (6) Invertibility of the steps in Gel'fand-Levitan, Marchenko, and Krein inversion methods, (7) The Newton-Sabatier and Cox-Thompson procedures are not inversion methods, (8) Resonances: existence, location, perturbation theory, (9) Born inversion as an ill-posed problem, (10) Inverse obstacle scattering with fixed-frequency data, (11) Inverse scattering with data at a fixed energy and a fixed incident direction, (12) Creating materials with a desired refraction coefficient and wave-focusing properties. (author)

Determination of the Geometric Form of a Plane of a Tectonic Gap as the Inverse III-posed Problem of Mathematical Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Sirota, Dmitry; Ivanov, Vadim

2017-11-01

Any mining operations influence stability of natural and technogenic massifs are the reason of emergence of the sources of differences of mechanical tension. These sources generate a quasistationary electric field with a Newtonian potential. The paper reviews the method of determining the shape and size of a flat source field with this kind of potential. This common problem meets in many fields of mining: geological exploration mineral resources, ore deposits, control of mining by underground method, determining coal self-heating source, localization of the rock crack's sources and other applied problems of practical physics. This problems are ill-posed and inverse and solved by converting to Fredholm-Uryson integral equation of the first kind. This equation will be solved by A.N. Tikhonov regularization method.

Iterative Runge–Kutta-type methods for nonlinear ill-posed problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Böckmann, C; Pornsawad, P

2008-01-01

We present a regularization method for solving nonlinear ill-posed problems by applying the family of Runge–Kutta methods to an initial value problem, in particular, to the asymptotical regularization method. We prove that the developed iterative regularization method converges to a solution under certain conditions and with a general stopping rule. Some particular iterative regularization methods are numerically implemented. Numerical results of the examples show that the developed Runge–Kutta-type regularization methods yield stable solutions and that particular implicit methods are very efficient in saving iteration steps

Lavrentiev regularization method for nonlinear ill-posed problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kinh, Nguyen Van

2002-10-01

In this paper we shall be concerned with Lavientiev regularization method to reconstruct solutions x 0 of non ill-posed problems F(x)=y o , where instead of y 0 noisy data y δ is an element of X with absolut(y δ -y 0 ) ≤ δ are given and F:X→X is an accretive nonlinear operator from a real reflexive Banach space X into itself. In this regularization method solutions x α δ are obtained by solving the singularly perturbed nonlinear operator equation F(x)+α(x-x*)=y δ with some initial guess x*. Assuming certain conditions concerning the operator F and the smoothness of the element x*-x 0 we derive stability estimates which show that the accuracy of the regularized solutions is order optimal provided that the regularization parameter α has been chosen properly. (author)

Inverse problems in linear transport theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dressler, K.

1988-01-01

Inverse problems for a class of linear kinetic equations are investigated. The aim is to identify the scattering kernel of a transport equation (corresponding to the structure of a background medium) by observing the 'albedo' part of the solution operator for the corresponding direct initial boundary value problem. This means to get information on some integral operator in an integrodifferential equation through on overdetermined boundary value problem. We first derive a constructive method for solving direct halfspace problems and prove a new factorization theorem for the solutions. Using this result we investigate stationary inverse problems with respect to well posedness (e.g. reduce them to classical ill-posed problems, such as integral equations of first kind). In the time-dependent case we show that a quite general inverse problem is well posed and solve it constructively. (orig.)

Numerical investigation of the inverse blackbody radiation problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin Tan, Guo-zhen Yang, Ben-yuan Gu

1994-01-01

A numerical algorithm for the inverse blackbody radiation problem, which is the determination of the temperature distribution of a thermal radiator (TDTR) from its total radiated power spectrum (TRPS), is presented, based on the general theory of amplitude-phase retrieval. With application of this new algorithm, the ill-posed nature of the Fredholm equation of the first kind can be largely overcome and a convergent solution to high accuracy can be obtained. By incorporation of the hybrid input-output algorithm into our algorithm, the convergent process can be substantially expedited and the stagnation problem of the solution can be averted. From model calculations it is found that the new algorithm can also provide a robust reconstruction of the TDTR from the noise-corrupted data of the TRPS. Therefore the new algorithm may offer a useful approach to solving the ill-posed inverse problem. 18 refs., 9 figs

REGULARIZED D-BAR METHOD FOR THE INVERSE CONDUCTIVITY PROBLEM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Kim; Lassas, Matti; Mueller, Jennifer

2009-01-01

A strategy for regularizing the inversion procedure for the two-dimensional D-bar reconstruction algorithm based on the global uniqueness proof of Nachman [Ann. Math. 143 (1996)] for the ill-posed inverse conductivity problem is presented. The strategy utilizes truncation of the boundary integral...... the convergence of the reconstructed conductivity to the true conductivity as the noise level tends to zero. The results provide a link between two traditions of inverse problems research: theory of regularization and inversion methods based on complex geometrical optics. Also, the procedure is a novel...

Right-Hand Side Dependent Bounds for GMRES Applied to Ill-Posed Problems

KAUST Repository

Pestana, Jennifer

2014-01-01

© IFIP International Federation for Information Processing 2014. In this paper we apply simple GMRES bounds to the nearly singular systems that arise in ill-posed problems. Our bounds depend on the eigenvalues of the coefficient matrix, the right-hand side vector and the nonnormality of the system. The bounds show that GMRES residuals initially decrease, as residual components associated with large eigenvalues are reduced, after which semi-convergence can be expected because of the effects of small eigenvalues.

Statistical Inversion of Absolute Permeability in Single-phase Darcy Flow

KAUST Repository

Strauss, Thilo; Fan, Xiaolin; Sun, Shuyu; Khan, Taufiquar

2015-01-01

In this paper, we formulate the permeability inverse problem in the Bayesian framework using total variation (TV) and fp (0 < p δ 2) regularization prior. We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for sampling the posterior distribution to solve the ill-posed inverse problem. We present simulations to estimate the distribution for each pixel for the image reconstruction of the absolute permeability.

Statistical Inversion of Absolute Permeability in Single-phase Darcy Flow

KAUST Repository

Strauss, Thilo

2015-06-01

In this paper, we formulate the permeability inverse problem in the Bayesian framework using total variation (TV) and fp (0 < p δ 2) regularization prior. We use the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method for sampling the posterior distribution to solve the ill-posed inverse problem. We present simulations to estimate the distribution for each pixel for the image reconstruction of the absolute permeability.

Approximation of Bayesian Inverse Problems for PDEs

OpenAIRE

Cotter, S. L.; Dashti, M.; Stuart, A. M.

2010-01-01

Inverse problems are often ill posed, with solutions that depend sensitively on data.n any numerical approach to the solution of such problems, regularization of some form is needed to counteract the resulting instability. This paper is based on an approach to regularization, employing a Bayesian formulation of the problem, which leads to a notion of well posedness for inverse problems, at the level of probability measures. The stability which results from this well posedness may be used as t...

An inverse problem approach to pattern recognition in industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Sever

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Many works have shown strong connections between learning and regularization techniques for ill-posed inverse problems. A careful analysis shows that a rigorous connection between learning and regularization for inverse problem is not straightforward. In this study, pattern recognition will be viewed as an ill-posed inverse problem and applications of methods from the theory of inverse problems to pattern recognition are studied. A new learning algorithm derived from a well-known regularization model is generated and applied to the task of reconstruction of an inhomogeneous object as pattern recognition. Particularly, it is demonstrated that pattern recognition can be reformulated in terms of inverse problems defined by a Riesz-type kernel. This reformulation can be employed to design a learning algorithm based on a numerical solution of a system of linear equations. Finally, numerical experiments have been carried out with synthetic experimental data considering a reasonable level of noise. Good recoveries have been achieved with this methodology, and the results of these simulations are compatible with the existing methods. The comparison results show that the Regularization-based learning algorithm (RBA obtains a promising performance on the majority of the test problems. In prospects, this method can be used for the creation of automated systems for diagnostics, testing, and control in various fields of scientific and applied research, as well as in industry.

The Impact of Illness Identity on Recovery from Severe Mental Illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanos, Philip T; Roe, David; Lysaker, Paul H

2010-04-01

The impact of the experience and diagnosis of mental illness on one's identity has long been recognized; however, little is known about the impact of illness identity, which we define as the set of roles and attitudes that a person has developed in relation to his or her understanding of having a mental illness. The present article proposes a theoretically driven model of the impact of illness identity on the course and recovery from severe mental illness and reviews relevant research. We propose that accepting a definition of oneself as mentally ill and assuming that mental illness means incompetence and inadequacy impact hope and self-esteem, which further impact suicide risk, coping, social interaction, vocational functioning, and symptom severity. Evidence supports most of the predictions made by the model. Implications for psychiatric rehabilitation services are discussed.

Regularization parameter selection methods for ill-posed Poisson maximum likelihood estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardsley, Johnathan M; Goldes, John

2009-01-01

In image processing applications, image intensity is often measured via the counting of incident photons emitted by the object of interest. In such cases, image data noise is accurately modeled by a Poisson distribution. This motivates the use of Poisson maximum likelihood estimation for image reconstruction. However, when the underlying model equation is ill-posed, regularization is needed. Regularized Poisson likelihood estimation has been studied extensively by the authors, though a problem of high importance remains: the choice of the regularization parameter. We will present three statistically motivated methods for choosing the regularization parameter, and numerical examples will be presented to illustrate their effectiveness

Correlates of illness severity in infectious mononucleosis

Science.gov (United States)

Odame, John; Robinson, Joan; Khodai-Booran, Nasser; Yeung, Simon; Mazzulli, Tony; Stephens, Derek; Allen, Upton D

2014-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the spectrum and frequencies of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) complications and markers of illness severity in immunocompetent patients with primary EBV infection will inform management of patients with EBV-related illnesses. OBJECTIVES: To determine the clinical and laboratory correlates of illness severity among infants, children and youth with infectious mononucleosis (IM). METHODS: Study subjects with confirmed IM were prospectively enrolled. Illness severity was assessed at baseline and at six weeks using a scoring tool. Peripheral blood viral loads served as a measure of viral burden. RESULTS: Among 32 children and young adults with IM, the median age was 16 years (range two to 24 years). The predominant clinical findings were lymphadenopathy (23 of 32 [72%]), pharyngitis (16 of 32 [50%]), fever (nine of 32 [28%]) and splenomegaly (six of 32 [19%]). With respect to symptoms or signs that persisted to at least six weeks after illness onset, the predominant complaint was lymphadenopathy in 35% of subjects available for reassessment. Deranged liver function tests were present at presentation in up to 44% of subjects. Patients with the highest viral loads at presentation had significantly higher illness severity scores associated with fatigue (P=0.02). Other than the scores associated with fatigue, viral load values were not significantly correlated with the illness severity scores at baseline and at six weeks. CONCLUSION: In IM, viral loads are not necessarily correlated with illness severity, with the exception of fatigue. EBV-related hepatitis is common in IM, confirming the status of this virus as a relatively common cause of transient hepatitis in children and youth. This entity is not necessarily a marker of disease severity. PMID:25371691

On Landweber–Kaczmarz methods for regularizing systems of ill-posed equations in Banach spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leitão, A; Alves, M Marques

2012-01-01

In this paper, iterative regularization methods of Landweber–Kaczmarz type are considered for solving systems of ill-posed equations modeled (finitely many) by operators acting between Banach spaces. Using assumptions of uniform convexity and smoothness on the parameter space, we are able to prove a monotony result for the proposed method, as well as to establish convergence (for exact data) and stability results (in the noisy data case). (paper)

Is Attribute-Based Zero-Shot Learning an Ill-Posed Strategy?

KAUST Repository

Alabdulmohsin, Ibrahim; Cisse, Moustapha; Zhang, Xiangliang

2016-01-01

One transfer learning approach that has gained a wide popularity lately is attribute-based zero-shot learning. Its goal is to learn novel classes that were never seen during the training stage. The classical route towards realizing this goal is to incorporate a prior knowledge, in the form of a semantic embedding of classes, and to learn to predict classes indirectly via their semantic attributes. Despite the amount of research devoted to this subject lately, no known algorithm has yet reported a predictive accuracy that could exceed the accuracy of supervised learning with very few training examples. For instance, the direct attribute prediction (DAP) algorithm, which forms a standard baseline for the task, is known to be as accurate as supervised learning when as few as two examples from each hidden class are used for training on some popular benchmark datasets! In this paper, we argue that this lack of significant results in the literature is not a coincidence; attribute-based zero-shot learning is fundamentally an ill-posed strategy. The key insight is the observation that the mechanical task of predicting an attribute is, in fact, quite different from the epistemological task of learning the “correct meaning” of the attribute itself. This renders attribute-based zero-shot learning fundamentally ill-posed. In more precise mathematical terms, attribute-based zero-shot learning is equivalent to the mirage goal of learning with respect to one distribution of instances, with the hope of being able to predict with respect to any arbitrary distribution. We demonstrate this overlooked fact on some synthetic and real datasets. The data and software related to this paper are available at https://mine. kaust.edu.sa/Pages/zero-shot-learning.aspx. © Springer International Publishing AG 2016.

Is Attribute-Based Zero-Shot Learning an Ill-Posed Strategy?

KAUST Repository

Alabdulmohsin, Ibrahim

2016-09-03

One transfer learning approach that has gained a wide popularity lately is attribute-based zero-shot learning. Its goal is to learn novel classes that were never seen during the training stage. The classical route towards realizing this goal is to incorporate a prior knowledge, in the form of a semantic embedding of classes, and to learn to predict classes indirectly via their semantic attributes. Despite the amount of research devoted to this subject lately, no known algorithm has yet reported a predictive accuracy that could exceed the accuracy of supervised learning with very few training examples. For instance, the direct attribute prediction (DAP) algorithm, which forms a standard baseline for the task, is known to be as accurate as supervised learning when as few as two examples from each hidden class are used for training on some popular benchmark datasets! In this paper, we argue that this lack of significant results in the literature is not a coincidence; attribute-based zero-shot learning is fundamentally an ill-posed strategy. The key insight is the observation that the mechanical task of predicting an attribute is, in fact, quite different from the epistemological task of learning the “correct meaning” of the attribute itself. This renders attribute-based zero-shot learning fundamentally ill-posed. In more precise mathematical terms, attribute-based zero-shot learning is equivalent to the mirage goal of learning with respect to one distribution of instances, with the hope of being able to predict with respect to any arbitrary distribution. We demonstrate this overlooked fact on some synthetic and real datasets. The data and software related to this paper are available at https://mine. kaust.edu.sa/Pages/zero-shot-learning.aspx. © Springer International Publishing AG 2016.

Uniqueness and numerical methods in inverse obstacle scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kress, Rainer

2007-01-01

The inverse problem we consider in this tutorial is to determine the shape of an obstacle from the knowledge of the far field pattern for scattering of time-harmonic plane waves. In the first part we will concentrate on the issue of uniqueness, i.e., we will investigate under what conditions an obstacle and its boundary condition can be identified from a knowledge of its far field pattern for incident plane waves. We will review some classical and some recent results and draw attention to open problems. In the second part we will survey on numerical methods for solving inverse obstacle scattering problems. Roughly speaking, these methods can be classified into three groups. Iterative methods interpret the inverse obstacle scattering problem as a nonlinear ill-posed operator equation and apply iterative schemes such as regularized Newton methods, Landweber iterations or conjugate gradient methods for its solution. Decomposition methods, in principle, separate the inverse scattering problem into an ill-posed linear problem to reconstruct the scattered wave from its far field and the subsequent determination of the boundary of the scatterer from the boundary condition. Finally, the third group consists of the more recently developed sampling methods. These are based on the numerical evaluation of criteria in terms of indicator functions that decide whether a point lies inside or outside the scatterer. The tutorial will give a survey by describing one or two representatives of each group including a discussion on the various advantages and disadvantages

Unfolding in particle physics: A window on solving inverse problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spano, F.

2013-01-01

Unfolding is the ensemble of techniques aimed at resolving inverse, ill-posed problems. A pedagogical introduction to the origin and main problems related to unfolding is presented and used as the the stepping stone towards the illustration of some of the most common techniques that are currently used in particle physics experiments. (authors)

Relevance vector machine technique for the inverse scattering problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Fang-Fang; Zhang Ye-Rong

2012-01-01

A novel method based on the relevance vector machine (RVM) for the inverse scattering problem is presented in this paper. The nonlinearity and the ill-posedness inherent in this problem are simultaneously considered. The nonlinearity is embodied in the relation between the scattered field and the target property, which can be obtained through the RVM training process. Besides, rather than utilizing regularization, the ill-posed nature of the inversion is naturally accounted for because the RVM can produce a probabilistic output. Simulation results reveal that the proposed RVM-based approach can provide comparative performances in terms of accuracy, convergence, robustness, generalization, and improved performance in terms of sparse property in comparison with the support vector machine (SVM) based approach. (general)

The Lorentz integral transform and its inversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnea, N.; Efros, V.D.; Leidemann, W.; Orlandini, G.

2010-01-01

The Lorentz integral transform method is briefly reviewed. The issue of the inversion of the transform, and in particular its ill-posedness, is addressed. It is pointed out that the mathematical term ill-posed is misleading and merely due to a historical misconception. In this connection standard regularization procedures for the solution of the integral transform problem are presented. In particular a recent one is considered in detail and critical comments on it are provided. In addition a general remark concerning the concept of the Lorentz integral transform as a method with a controlled resolution is made. (author)

Convex blind image deconvolution with inverse filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Xiao-Guang; Li, Fang; Zeng, Tieyong

2018-03-01

Blind image deconvolution is the process of estimating both the original image and the blur kernel from the degraded image with only partial or no information about degradation and the imaging system. It is a bilinear ill-posed inverse problem corresponding to the direct problem of convolution. Regularization methods are used to handle the ill-posedness of blind deconvolution and get meaningful solutions. In this paper, we investigate a convex regularized inverse filtering method for blind deconvolution of images. We assume that the support region of the blur object is known, as has been done in a few existing works. By studying the inverse filters of signal and image restoration problems, we observe the oscillation structure of the inverse filters. Inspired by the oscillation structure of the inverse filters, we propose to use the star norm to regularize the inverse filter. Meanwhile, we use the total variation to regularize the resulting image obtained by convolving the inverse filter with the degraded image. The proposed minimization model is shown to be convex. We employ the first-order primal-dual method for the solution of the proposed minimization model. Numerical examples for blind image restoration are given to show that the proposed method outperforms some existing methods in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity (SSIM), visual quality and time consumption.

Bayes procedures for adaptive inference in inverse problems for the white noise model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knapik, B.T.; Szabó, B.T.; van der Vaart, A.W.; van Zanten, J.H.

2016-01-01

We study empirical and hierarchical Bayes approaches to the problem of estimating an infinite-dimensional parameter in mildly ill-posed inverse problems. We consider a class of prior distributions indexed by a hyperparameter that quantifies regularity. We prove that both methods we consider succeed

Modified truncated randomized singular value decomposition (MTRSVD) algorithms for large scale discrete ill-posed problems with general-form regularization

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Zhongxiao; Yang, Yanfei

2018-05-01

In this paper, we propose new randomization based algorithms for large scale linear discrete ill-posed problems with general-form regularization: subject to , where L is a regularization matrix. Our algorithms are inspired by the modified truncated singular value decomposition (MTSVD) method, which suits only for small to medium scale problems, and randomized SVD (RSVD) algorithms that generate good low rank approximations to A. We use rank-k truncated randomized SVD (TRSVD) approximations to A by truncating the rank- RSVD approximations to A, where q is an oversampling parameter. The resulting algorithms are called modified TRSVD (MTRSVD) methods. At every step, we use the LSQR algorithm to solve the resulting inner least squares problem, which is proved to become better conditioned as k increases so that LSQR converges faster. We present sharp bounds for the approximation accuracy of the RSVDs and TRSVDs for severely, moderately and mildly ill-posed problems, and substantially improve a known basic bound for TRSVD approximations. We prove how to choose the stopping tolerance for LSQR in order to guarantee that the computed and exact best regularized solutions have the same accuracy. Numerical experiments illustrate that the best regularized solutions by MTRSVD are as accurate as the ones by the truncated generalized singular value decomposition (TGSVD) algorithm, and at least as accurate as those by some existing truncated randomized generalized singular value decomposition (TRGSVD) algorithms. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11771249 and 11371219).

The Source Inversion Validation (SIV) Initiative: A Collaborative Study on Uncertainty Quantification in Earthquake Source Inversions

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, P. M.; Schorlemmer, D.; Page, M.

2012-04-01

Earthquake source inversions image the spatio-temporal rupture evolution on one or more fault planes using seismic and/or geodetic data. Such studies are critically important for earthquake seismology in general, and for advancing seismic hazard analysis in particular, as they reveal earthquake source complexity and help (i) to investigate earthquake mechanics; (ii) to develop spontaneous dynamic rupture models; (iii) to build models for generating rupture realizations for ground-motion simulations. In applications (i - iii), the underlying finite-fault source models are regarded as "data" (input information), but their uncertainties are essentially unknown. After all, source models are obtained from solving an inherently ill-posed inverse problem to which many a priori assumptions and uncertain observations are applied. The Source Inversion Validation (SIV) project is a collaborative effort to better understand the variability between rupture models for a single earthquake (as manifested in the finite-source rupture model database) and to develop robust uncertainty quantification for earthquake source inversions. The SIV project highlights the need to develop a long-standing and rigorous testing platform to examine the current state-of-the-art in earthquake source inversion, and to develop and test novel source inversion approaches. We will review the current status of the SIV project, and report the findings and conclusions of the recent workshops. We will briefly discuss several source-inversion methods, how they treat uncertainties in data, and assess the posterior model uncertainty. Case studies include initial forward-modeling tests on Green's function calculations, and inversion results for synthetic data from spontaneous dynamic crack-like strike-slip earthquake on steeply dipping fault, embedded in a layered crustal velocity-density structure.

Multiscale analysis for ill-posed problems with semi-discrete Tikhonov regularization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Min; Lu, Shuai; Cheng, Jin

2012-01-01

Using compactly supported radial basis functions of varying radii, Wendland has shown how a multiscale analysis can be applied to the approximation of Sobolev functions on a bounded domain, when the available data are discrete and noisy. Here, we examine the application of this analysis to the solution of linear moderately ill-posed problems using semi-discrete Tikhonov–Phillips regularization. As in Wendland’s work, the actual multiscale approximation is constructed by a sequence of residual corrections, where different support radii are employed to accommodate different scales. The convergence of the algorithm for noise-free data is given. Based on the Morozov discrepancy principle, a posteriori parameter choice rule and error estimates for the noisy data are derived. Two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the appropriateness of the proposed method. (paper)

Convergence rates and finite-dimensional approximations for nonlinear ill-posed problems involving monotone operators in Banach spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen Buong.

1992-11-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate convergence rates for an operator version of Tikhonov regularization constructed by dual mapping for nonlinear ill-posed problems involving monotone operators in real reflective Banach spaces. The obtained results are considered in combination with finite-dimensional approximations for the space. An example is considered for illustration. (author). 15 refs

Integral geometry and inverse problems for hyperbolic equations

CERN Document Server

Romanov, V G

1974-01-01

There are currently many practical situations in which one wishes to determine the coefficients in an ordinary or partial differential equation from known functionals of its solution. These are often called "inverse problems of mathematical physics" and may be contrasted with problems in which an equation is given and one looks for its solution under initial and boundary conditions. Although inverse problems are often ill-posed in the classical sense, their practical importance is such that they may be considered among the pressing problems of current mathematical re­ search. A. N. Tihonov showed [82], [83] that there is a broad class of inverse problems for which a particular non-classical definition of well-posed ness is appropriate. This new definition requires that a solution be unique in a class of solutions belonging to a given subset M of a function space. The existence of a solution in this set is assumed a priori for some set of data. The classical requirement of continuous dependence of the solutio...

Parallelized Bayesian inversion for three-dimensional dental X-ray imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolehmainen, Ville; Vanne, Antti; Siltanen, Samuli; Järvenpää, Seppo; Kaipio, Jari P; Lassas, Matti; Kalke, Martti

2006-02-01

Diagnostic and operational tasks based on dental radiology often require three-dimensional (3-D) information that is not available in a single X-ray projection image. Comprehensive 3-D information about tissues can be obtained by computerized tomography (CT) imaging. However, in dental imaging a conventional CT scan may not be available or practical because of high radiation dose, low-resolution or the cost of the CT scanner equipment. In this paper, we consider a novel type of 3-D imaging modality for dental radiology. We consider situations in which projection images of the teeth are taken from a few sparsely distributed projection directions using the dentist's regular (digital) X-ray equipment and the 3-D X-ray attenuation function is reconstructed. A complication in these experiments is that the reconstruction of the 3-D structure based on a few projection images becomes an ill-posed inverse problem. Bayesian inversion is a well suited framework for reconstruction from such incomplete data. In Bayesian inversion, the ill-posed reconstruction problem is formulated in a well-posed probabilistic form in which a priori information is used to compensate for the incomplete information of the projection data. In this paper we propose a Bayesian method for 3-D reconstruction in dental radiology. The method is partially based on Kolehmainen et al. 2003. The prior model for dental structures consist of a weighted l1 and total variation (TV)-prior together with the positivity prior. The inverse problem is stated as finding the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate. To make the 3-D reconstruction computationally feasible, a parallelized version of an optimization algorithm is implemented for a Beowulf cluster computer. The method is tested with projection data from dental specimens and patient data. Tomosynthetic reconstructions are given as reference for the proposed method.

Getting in shape: Reconstructing three-dimensional long-track speed skating kinematics by comparing several body pose reconstruction techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Kruk, E; Schwab, A L; van der Helm, F C T; Veeger, H E J

2018-03-01

In gait studies body pose reconstruction (BPR) techniques have been widely explored, but no previous protocols have been developed for speed skating, while the peculiarities of the skating posture and technique do not automatically allow for the transfer of the results of those explorations to kinematic skating data. The aim of this paper is to determine the best procedure for body pose reconstruction and inverse dynamics of speed skating, and to what extend this choice influences the estimation of joint power. The results show that an eight body segment model together with a global optimization method with revolute joint in the knee and in the lumbosacral joint, while keeping the other joints spherical, would be the most realistic model to use for the inverse kinematics in speed skating. To determine joint power, this method should be combined with a least-square error method for the inverse dynamics. Reporting on the BPR technique and the inverse dynamic method is crucial to enable comparison between studies. Our data showed an underestimation of up to 74% in mean joint power when no optimization procedure was applied for BPR and an underestimation of up to 31% in mean joint power when a bottom-up inverse dynamics method was chosen instead of a least square error approach. Although these results are aimed at speed skating, reporting on the BPR procedure and the inverse dynamics method, together with setting a golden standard should be common practice in all human movement research to allow comparison between studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlates of Illness Severity in Infectious Mononucleosis

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John Odame

2014-01-01

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Understanding the spectrum and frequencies of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV complications and markers of illness severity in immunocompetent patients with primary EBV infection will inform management of patients with EBV-related illnesses.

The Earthquake Source Inversion Validation (SIV) - Project: Summary, Status, Outlook

Science.gov (United States)

Mai, P. M.

2017-12-01

Finite-fault earthquake source inversions infer the (time-dependent) displacement on the rupture surface from geophysical data. The resulting earthquake source models document the complexity of the rupture process. However, this kinematic source inversion is ill-posed and returns non-unique solutions, as seen for instance in multiple source models for the same earthquake, obtained by different research teams, that often exhibit remarkable dissimilarities. To address the uncertainties in earthquake-source inversions and to understand strengths and weaknesses of various methods, the Source Inversion Validation (SIV) project developed a set of forward-modeling exercises and inversion benchmarks. Several research teams then use these validation exercises to test their codes and methods, but also to develop and benchmark new approaches. In this presentation I will summarize the SIV strategy, the existing benchmark exercises and corresponding results. Using various waveform-misfit criteria and newly developed statistical comparison tools to quantify source-model (dis)similarities, the SIV platforms is able to rank solutions and identify particularly promising source inversion approaches. Existing SIV exercises (with related data and descriptions) and all computational tools remain available via the open online collaboration platform; additional exercises and benchmark tests will be uploaded once they are fully developed. I encourage source modelers to use the SIV benchmarks for developing and testing new methods. The SIV efforts have already led to several promising new techniques for tackling the earthquake-source imaging problem. I expect that future SIV benchmarks will provide further innovations and insights into earthquake source kinematics that will ultimately help to better understand the dynamics of the rupture process.

Determination of the aerosol size distribution by analytic inversion of the extinction spectrum in the complex anomalous diffraction approximation.

Science.gov (United States)

Franssens, G; De Maziére, M; Fonteyn, D

2000-08-20

A new derivation is presented for the analytical inversion of aerosol spectral extinction data to size distributions. It is based on the complex analytic extension of the anomalous diffraction approximation (ADA). We derive inverse formulas that are applicable to homogeneous nonabsorbing and absorbing spherical particles. Our method simplifies, generalizes, and unifies a number of results obtained previously in the literature. In particular, we clarify the connection between the ADA transform and the Fourier and Laplace transforms. Also, the effect of the particle refractive-index dispersion on the inversion is examined. It is shown that, when Lorentz's model is used for this dispersion, the continuous ADA inverse transform is mathematically well posed, whereas with a constant refractive index it is ill posed. Further, a condition is given, in terms of Lorentz parameters, for which the continuous inverse operator does not amplify the error.

Statistical method for resolving the photon-photoelectron-counting inversion problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Jinlong; Li Tiejun; Peng, Xiang; Guo Hong

2011-01-01

A statistical inversion method is proposed for the photon-photoelectron-counting statistics in quantum key distribution experiment. With the statistical viewpoint, this problem is equivalent to the parameter estimation for an infinite binomial mixture model. The coarse-graining idea and Bayesian methods are applied to deal with this ill-posed problem, which is a good simple example to show the successful application of the statistical methods to the inverse problem. Numerical results show the applicability of the proposed strategy. The coarse-graining idea for the infinite mixture models should be general to be used in the future.

Introduction to inverse problems for differential equations

CERN Document Server

Hasanov Hasanoğlu, Alemdar

2017-01-01

This book presents a systematic exposition of the main ideas and methods in treating inverse problems for PDEs arising in basic mathematical models, though it makes no claim to being exhaustive. Mathematical models of most physical phenomena are governed by initial and boundary value problems for PDEs, and inverse problems governed by these equations arise naturally in nearly all branches of science and engineering. The book’s content, especially in the Introduction and Part I, is self-contained and is intended to also be accessible for beginning graduate students, whose mathematical background includes only basic courses in advanced calculus, PDEs and functional analysis. Further, the book can be used as the backbone for a lecture course on inverse and ill-posed problems for partial differential equations. In turn, the second part of the book consists of six nearly-independent chapters. The choice of these chapters was motivated by the fact that the inverse coefficient and source problems considered here a...

Hysteresis and Phase Transitions in a Lattice Regularization of an Ill-Posed Forward-Backward Diffusion Equation

Science.gov (United States)

Helmers, Michael; Herrmann, Michael

2018-03-01

We consider a lattice regularization for an ill-posed diffusion equation with a trilinear constitutive law and study the dynamics of phase interfaces in the parabolic scaling limit. Our main result guarantees for a certain class of single-interface initial data that the lattice solutions satisfy asymptotically a free boundary problem with a hysteretic Stefan condition. The key challenge in the proof is to control the microscopic fluctuations that are inevitably produced by the backward diffusion when a particle passes the spinodal region.

The black-body radiation inversion problem, its instability and a new universal function set method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ye, JiPing; Ji, FengMin; Wen, Tao; Dai, Xian-Xi; Dai, Ji-Xin; Evenson, William E.

2006-01-01

The black-body radiation inversion (BRI) problem is ill-posed and requires special techniques to achieve stable solutions. In this Letter, the universal function set method (UFS), is developed in BRI. An improved unique existence theorem is proposed. Asymptotic behavior control (ABC) is introduced. A numerical example shows that practical calculations are possible with UFS

Gene-Environment Interactions in Severe Mental Illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudolf eUher

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Severe mental illness is a broad category that includes schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression. Both genetic disposition and environmental exposures play important roles in the development of severe mental illness. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the roles of genetic and environmental depend on each other. Gene-environment interactions may underlie the paradox of strong environmental factors for highly heritable disorders, the low estimates of shared environmental influences in twin studies of severe mental illness and the heritability gap between twin and molecular heritability estimates. Sons and daughters of parents with severe mental illness are more vulnerable to the effects of prenatal and postnatal environmental exposures, suggesting that the expression of genetic liability depends on environment. In the last decade, gene-environment interactions involving specific molecular variants in candidate genes have been identified. Replicated findings include an interaction between a polymorphism in the AKT1 gene and cannabis use in the development of psychosis and an interaction between the length polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene and childhood maltreatment in the development of persistent depressive disorder. Bipolar disorder has been underinvestigated, with only a single study showing an interaction between a functional polymorphism in BDNF and stressful life events triggering bipolar depressive episodes. The first systematic search for gene-environment interactions has found that a polymorphism in CTNNA3 may sensitise the developing brain to the pathogenic effect of cytomegalovirus in utero, leading to schizophrenia in adulthood. Strategies for genome-wide investigations will likely include coordination between epidemiological and genetic research efforts, systematic assessment of multiple environmental factors in large samples, and prioritization of genetic variants.

Electron dose map inversion based on several algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gui; Zheng Huaqing; Wu Yican; Fds Team

2010-01-01

The reconstruction to the electron dose map in radiation therapy was investigated by constructing the inversion model of electron dose map with different algorithms. The inversion model of electron dose map based on nonlinear programming was used, and this model was applied the penetration dose map to invert the total space one. The realization of this inversion model was by several inversion algorithms. The test results with seven samples show that except the NMinimize algorithm, which worked for just one sample, with great error,though,all the inversion algorithms could be realized to our inversion model rapidly and accurately. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm, having the greatest accuracy and speed, could be considered as the first choice in electron dose map inversion.Further tests show that more error would be created when the data close to the electron range was used (tail error). The tail error might be caused by the approximation of mean energy spectra, and this should be considered to improve the method. The time-saving and accurate algorithms could be used to achieve real-time dose map inversion. By selecting the best inversion algorithm, the clinical need in real-time dose verification can be satisfied. (authors)

Electrostatic point charge fitting as an inverse problem: Revealing the underlying ill-conditioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ivanov, Maxim V.; Talipov, Marat R.; Timerghazin, Qadir K.

2015-01-01

Atom-centered point charge (PC) model of the molecular electrostatics—a major workhorse of the atomistic biomolecular simulations—is usually parameterized by least-squares (LS) fitting of the point charge values to a reference electrostatic potential, a procedure that suffers from numerical instabilities due to the ill-conditioned nature of the LS problem. To reveal the origins of this ill-conditioning, we start with a general treatment of the point charge fitting problem as an inverse problem and construct an analytical model with the point charges spherically arranged according to Lebedev quadrature which is naturally suited for the inverse electrostatic problem. This analytical model is contrasted to the atom-centered point-charge model that can be viewed as an irregular quadrature poorly suited for the problem. This analysis shows that the numerical problems of the point charge fitting are due to the decay of the curvatures corresponding to the eigenvectors of LS sum Hessian matrix. In part, this ill-conditioning is intrinsic to the problem and is related to decreasing electrostatic contribution of the higher multipole moments, that are, in the case of Lebedev grid model, directly associated with the Hessian eigenvectors. For the atom-centered model, this association breaks down beyond the first few eigenvectors related to the high-curvature monopole and dipole terms; this leads to even wider spread-out of the Hessian curvature values. Using these insights, it is possible to alleviate the ill-conditioning of the LS point-charge fitting without introducing external restraints and/or constraints. Also, as the analytical Lebedev grid PC model proposed here can reproduce multipole moments up to a given rank, it may provide a promising alternative to including explicit multipole terms in a force field

Nurses' professional stigma and attitudes towards postpartum women with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ordan, Revital; Shor, Ron; Liebergall-Wischnitzer, Michal; Noble, Lawrence; Noble, Anita

2018-04-01

To examine professional stigma and attitudes of parenthood towards postpartum women with severe mental illness and the association between postpartum nurses' attitudes and nursing interventions that promote motherhood. Stigma and attitudes towards parenthood of women with severe mental illness may influence nurses' clinical practices. Cross-sectional, mixed methods. The Stigma among Health Professionals towards People with Severe Mental Illness, Attitudes towards Parenthood among People with Severe Mental Illness and Nursing Interventions that Promote Becoming a Mother Questionnaires were used in the study, as well as qualitative analysis. Sixty-one postpartum nurses participated in the study. Increased stigma was associated with an increase in negative attitudes towards parenthood among people with severe mental illness, in general, and towards their parenthood skills, in particular. Postpartum nurses reported a decrease in nursing interventions and a therapeutic nurse-client relationship that fosters mother's empowerment. Themes that emerged from the qualitative analysis were postpartum nurse's perceptions of inadequacy, difficulty of postpartum nurses taking responsibility for managing women with severe mental illness and a paternalistic approach to these women, rather than empowerment, regarding infant care. Nurses providing care to postpartum women with severe mental illness and their infants may provide fewer routine postpartum interventions due to professional stigma and negative attitudes concerning parenting skills. Nurses should provide individualised, tailored care that allows women with severe mental illness to become a mother to the best of her ability. Not all women with severe mental illness are capable of caring for themselves and/or their baby. Nurses should provide individualised, tailored care that allows the women with severe mental illness to become a mother to the best of her ability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Density Imaging of Puy de Dôme Volcano by Joint Inversion of Muographic and Gravimetric Data

Science.gov (United States)

Barnoud, A.; Niess, V.; Le Ménédeu, E.; Cayol, V.; Carloganu, C.

2016-12-01

We aim at jointly inverting high density muographic and gravimetric data to robustly infer the density structure of volcanoes. We use the puy de Dôme volcano in France as a proof of principle since high quality data sets are available for both muography and gravimetry. Gravimetric inversion and muography are independent methods that provide an estimation of density distributions. On the one hand, gravimetry allows to reconstruct 3D density variations by inversion. This process is well known to be ill-posed and intrinsically non unique, thus it requires additional constraints (eg. a priori density model). On the other hand, muography provides a direct measurement of 2D mean densities (radiographic images) from the detection of high energy atmospheric muons crossing the volcanic edifice. 3D density distributions can be computed from several radiographic images, but the number of images is generally limited by field constraints and by the limited number of available telescopes. Thus, muon tomography is also ill-posed in practice.In the case of the puy de Dôme volcano, the density structures inferred from gravimetric data (Portal et al. 2016) and from muographic data (Le Ménédeu et al. 2016) show a qualitative agreement but cannot be compared quantitatively. Because each method has different intrinsic resolutions due to the physics (Jourde et al., 2015), the joint inversion is expected to improve the robustness of the inversion. Such joint inversion has already been applied in a volcanic context (Nishiyama et al., 2013).Volcano muography requires state-of-art, high-resolution and large-scale muon detectors (Ambrosino et al., 2015). Instrumental uncertainties and systematic errors may constitute an important limitation for muography and should not be overlooked. For instance, low-energy muons are detected together with ballistic high-energy muons, decreasing the measured value of the mean density closed to the topography.Here, we jointly invert the gravimetric and

Violent victimization of adult patients with severe mental illness: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Latalova, Klara; Kamaradova, Dana; Prasko, Jan

2014-01-01

The aims of this paper are to review data on the prevalence and correlates of violent victimization of persons with severe mental illness, to critically evaluate the literature, and to explore possible approaches for future research. PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched using several terms related to severe mental illness in successive combinations with terms describing victimization. The searches identified 34 studies. Nine epidemiological studies indicate that patients with severe mental illness are more likely to be violently victimized than other community members. Young age, comorbid substance use, and homelessness are risk factors for victimization. Victimized patients are more likely to engage in violent behavior than other members of the community. Violent victimization of persons with severe mental illness has long-term adverse consequences for the course of their illness, and further impairs the quality of lives of patients and their families. Victimization of persons with severe mental illness is a serious medical and social problem. Prevention and management of victimization should become a part of routine clinical care for patients with severe mental illness.

Severe Mental Illness in LGBT Populations: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidd, Sean A; Howison, Meg; Pilling, Merrick; Ross, Lori E; McKenzie, Kwame

2016-07-01

There is increasing attention to diversity in psychiatric services and widespread recognition of the mental health implications of stigma for individuals from sexual or gender minority groups. However, these areas remain markedly underdeveloped in the area of severe mental illness. The aim of this review was to map out the existing base of knowledge in these areas to help inform future research, practice, and policy directions. A review of the literature was conducted to answer the following question: What factors and strategies need to be considered when developing services for individuals from sexual or gender minority groups who are experiencing severe mental illness? A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar was completed by using Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework for scoping reviews. A total of 27 publications were identified for review. Mental health services research indicated generally lower levels of service satisfaction among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and transsexual (LGBT) individuals and minimal evidence regarding specific interventions. Descriptive research suggested an increased risk of severe mental illness in LGBT populations, an association between this increased risk and discrimination, and the potential benefit of cultivating spaces where individuals can be "out" in all aspects of themselves. There is a pressing need for research into interventions for LGBT populations with severe mental illness as well as descriptive studies to inform efforts to reduce illness morbidity linked to discrimination.

Violent victimization of adult patients with severe mental illness: a systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Latalova K

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Klara Latalova,1,2 Dana Kamaradova,1,2 Jan Prasko1,2 1Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; 2Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic Abstract: The aims of this paper are to review data on the prevalence and correlates of violent victimization of persons with severe mental illness, to critically evaluate the literature, and to explore possible approaches for future research. PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched using several terms related to severe mental illness in successive combinations with terms describing victimization. The searches identified 34 studies. Nine epidemiological studies indicate that patients with severe mental illness are more likely to be violently victimized than other community members. Young age, comorbid substance use, and homelessness are risk factors for victimization. Victimized patients are more likely to engage in violent behavior than other members of the community. Violent victimization of persons with severe mental illness has long-term adverse consequences for the course of their illness, and further impairs the quality of lives of patients and their families. Victimization of persons with severe mental illness is a serious medical and social problem. Prevention and management of victimization should become a part of routine clinical care for patients with severe mental illness. Keywords: victimization, violence, severe mental illness, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder

Association between illness severity and timing of initial enteral feeding in critically ill patients: a retrospective observational study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huang Hsiu-Hua

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Early enteral nutrition is recommended in cases of critical illness. It is unclear whether this recommendation is of most benefit to extremely ill patients. We aim to determine the association between illness severity and commencement of enteral feeding. Methods One hundred and eight critically ill patients were grouped as “less severe” and “more severe” for this cross-sectional, retrospective observational study. The cut off value was based on Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score 20. Patients who received enteral feeding within 48 h of medical intensive care unit (ICU admission were considered early feeding cases otherwise they were assessed as late feeding cases. Feeding complications (gastric retention/vomiting/diarrhea/gastrointestinal bleeding, length of ICU stay, length of hospital stay, ventilator-associated pneumonia, hospital mortality, nutritional intake, serum albumin, serum prealbumin, nitrogen balance (NB, and 24-h urinary urea nitrogen data were collected over 21 days. Results There were no differences in measured outcomes between early and late feedings for less severely ill patients. Among more severely ill patients, however, the early feeding group showed improved serum albumin (p = 0.036 and prealbumin (p = 0.014 but worsened NB (p = 0.01, more feeding complications (p = 0.005, and prolonged ICU stays (p = 0.005 compared to their late feeding counterparts. Conclusions There is a significant association between severity of illness and timing of enteral feeding initiation. In more severe illness, early feeding was associated with improved nutritional outcomes, while late feeding was associated with reduced feeding complications and length of ICU stay. However, the feeding complications of more severely ill early feeders can be handled without significantly affecting nutritional intake and there is no eventual difference in length of hospital stay or mortality

Motor skills, cognition, and work performance of people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipskaya-Velikovsky, Lena; Elgerisi, Dikla; Easterbrook, Adam; Ratzon, Navah Z

2018-01-12

Employment offers many benefits to people with mental illness, yet their employment rate is much lower than that of the general population. We investigated the effect of work-related motor skills, neurocognition, and job attitudes on the work performance of people with mental illness, comparing those working in sheltered workshops, with controls working in similar jobs. Twenty-nine adults with severe mental illness and 27 controls matched by gender and age were enrolled into the study using convenience sampling. They were assessed for gross and fine motor hand functioning, job attitudes, work performance, and cognition. People with mental illness scored lower on work performance, cognitive functioning, and hand dexterity while sitting and working with tools. They were assigned lower job loads than were controls, and perceived the physical environment at work as more constraining than did controls. Assembling motor skills significantly explained the work performance of people with mental illness. The results expand our understanding of the complexities involved in the employment of people with severe mental illness, and point to new paths for improving vocational outcomes of people with severe mental illness, taking into account their motor skills and job attitudes. Implications for rehabilitation Therapists should be aware that employed people with severe mental illness may have various unmet needs, affecting their work performance and experience of stress. This study results demonstrate importance of motor skills and perception of the work environment for the promotion of vocational outcomes among individuals with severe mental illness. Employment of people with severe mental illness should be viewed from holistic perspective as with general population, rather than focused on traditionally illness-related factors.

Physical healthcare of people with severe mental illness: everybody's business!

OpenAIRE

Vasudev, Kamini; Martindale, Brian V

2010-01-01

Aim People with severe mental illness are at higher risk of physical health problems. Guidelines recommend annual monitoring. An audit cycle was completed on individuals with severe mental illness under the care of an early interventions in psychosis (EIP) service to evaluate and improve physical health monitoring practice.

Prestack inversion based on anisotropic Markov random field-maximum posterior probability inversion and its application to identify shale gas sweet spots

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Kang-Ning; Sun, Zan-Dong; Dong, Ning

2015-12-01

Economic shale gas production requires hydraulic fracture stimulation to increase the formation permeability. Hydraulic fracturing strongly depends on geomechanical parameters such as Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. Fracture-prone sweet spots can be predicted by prestack inversion, which is an ill-posed problem; thus, regularization is needed to obtain unique and stable solutions. To characterize gas-bearing shale sedimentary bodies, elastic parameter variations are regarded as an anisotropic Markov random field. Bayesian statistics are adopted for transforming prestack inversion to the maximum posterior probability. Two energy functions for the lateral and vertical directions are used to describe the distribution, and the expectation-maximization algorithm is used to estimate the hyperparameters of the prior probability of elastic parameters. Finally, the inversion yields clear geological boundaries, high vertical resolution, and reasonable lateral continuity using the conjugate gradient method to minimize the objective function. Antinoise and imaging ability of the method were tested using synthetic and real data.

Solution to the inversely stated transient source-receptor problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sajo, E.; Sheff, J.R.

1995-01-01

Transient source-receptor problems are traditionally handled via the Boltzmann equation or through one of its variants. In the atmospheric transport of pollutants, meteorological uncertainties in the planetary boundary layer render only a few approximations to the Boltzmann equation useful. Often, due to the high number of unknowns, the atmospheric source-receptor problem is ill-posed. Moreover, models to estimate downwind concentration invariably assume that the source term is known. In this paper, an inverse methodology is developed, based on downwind measurement of concentration and that of meterological parameters to estimate the source term

An inverse source problem of the Poisson equation with Cauchy data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji-Chuan Liu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study an inverse source problem of the Poisson equation with Cauchy data. We want to find iterative algorithms to detect the hidden source within a body from measurements on the boundary. Our goal is to reconstruct the location, the size and the shape of the hidden source. This problem is ill-posed, regularization techniques should be employed to obtain the regularized solution. Numerical examples show that our proposed algorithms are valid and effective.

Model Based Beamforming and Bayesian Inversion Signal Processing Methods for Seismic Localization of Underground Source

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oh, Geok Lian

properties such as the elastic wave speeds and soil densities. One processing method is casting the estimation problem into an inverse problem to solve for the unknown material parameters. The forward model for the seismic signals used in the literatures include ray tracing methods that consider only...... density values of the discretized ground medium, which leads to time-consuming computations and instability behaviour of the inversion process. In addition, the geophysics inverse problem is generally ill-posed due to non-exact forward model that introduces errors. The Bayesian inversion method through...... the first arrivals of the reflected compressional P-waves from the subsurface structures, or 3D elastic wave models that model all the seismic wave components. The ray tracing forward model formulation is linear, whereas the full 3D elastic wave model leads to a nonlinear inversion problem. In this Ph...

Inverse random source scattering for the Helmholtz equation in inhomogeneous media

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ming; Chen, Chuchu; Li, Peijun

2018-01-01

This paper is concerned with an inverse random source scattering problem in an inhomogeneous background medium. The wave propagation is modeled by the stochastic Helmholtz equation with the source driven by additive white noise. The goal is to reconstruct the statistical properties of the random source such as the mean and variance from the boundary measurement of the radiated random wave field at multiple frequencies. Both the direct and inverse problems are considered. We show that the direct problem has a unique mild solution by a constructive proof. For the inverse problem, we derive Fredholm integral equations, which connect the boundary measurement of the radiated wave field with the unknown source function. A regularized block Kaczmarz method is developed to solve the ill-posed integral equations. Numerical experiments are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Salt-body Inversion with Minimum Gradient Support and Sobolev Space Norm Regularizations

KAUST Repository

Kazei, Vladimir

2017-05-26

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) is a technique which solves the ill-posed seismic inversion problem of fitting our model data to the measured ones from the field. FWI is capable of providing high-resolution estimates of the model, and of handling wave propagation of arbitrary complexity (visco-elastic, anisotropic); yet, it often fails to retrieve high-contrast geological structures, such as salt. One of the reasons for the FWI failure is that the updates at earlier iterations are too smooth to capture the sharp edges of the salt boundary. We compare several regularization approaches, which promote sharpness of the edges. Minimum gradient support (MGS) regularization focuses the inversion on blocky models, even more than the total variation (TV) does. However, both approaches try to invert undesirable high wavenumbers in the model too early for a model of complex structure. Therefore, we apply the Sobolev space norm as a regularizing term in order to maintain a balance between sharp and smooth updates in FWI. We demonstrate the application of these regularizations on a Marmousi model, enriched by a chunk of salt. The model turns out to be too complex in some parts to retrieve its full velocity distribution, yet the salt shape and contrast are retrieved.

Schizophrenia illness severity is associated with reduced loss aversion.

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, James; Buruju, Dheeraj; Perrin, Jennifer S; Reid, Ian C; Steele, J Douglas; Feltovich, Nick

2017-06-01

Loss aversion, whereby losses weigh more heavily than equal-sized gains, has been demonstrated in many decision-making settings. Previous research has suggested reduced loss aversion in schizophrenia, but with little evidence of a link between loss aversion and schizophrenia illness severity. In this study, 20 individuals with schizophrenia and 16 control participants, matched by age and sex, played two versions of the Iterated Prisoners' Dilemma, one version with only positive payoffs and another version in which negative payoffs were possible, with the second version being derived from the first by subtracting a constant value from all payoffs. The control group demonstrated significantly lower cooperation rates under negative payoffs, compared with the version with only positive payoffs, indicative of loss aversion. The patient group on average showed no loss aversion response. Moreover, the extent of loss aversion in patients was found to be negatively correlated with schizophrenia illness severity, with less ill patients showing loss aversion more similar to controls. Results were found to be robust to the inclusion of potential confounding factors as covariates within rigorous probit regression analyses. Reduced loss aversion is a feature of schizophrenia and related to illness severity. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

On the Connection and Equivalence of Two Methods for Solving an ill-posed Inverse Problem Based on FRAP Data

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Matonoha, Ctirad; Papáček, Š.

2015-01-01

Roč. 290, 15 December (2015), s. 598-608 ISSN 0377-0427 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) ED2.1.00/01.0024; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1205 Institutional support: RVO:67985807 Keywords : inverse problem * parameter identification * Tikhonov regularization * least squares with a quadratic constraint * L-curve * FRAP Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.328, year: 2015

Filtering techniques for efficient inversion of two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance data

Science.gov (United States)

Bortolotti, V.; Brizi, L.; Fantazzini, P.; Landi, G.; Zama, F.

2017-10-01

The inversion of two-dimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) data requires the solution of a first kind Fredholm integral equation with a two-dimensional tensor product kernel and lower bound constraints. For the solution of this ill-posed inverse problem, the recently presented 2DUPEN algorithm [V. Bortolotti et al., Inverse Problems, 33(1), 2016] uses multiparameter Tikhonov regularization with automatic choice of the regularization parameters. In this work, I2DUPEN, an improved version of 2DUPEN that implements Mean Windowing and Singular Value Decomposition filters, is deeply tested. The reconstruction problem with filtered data is formulated as a compressed weighted least squares problem with multi-parameter Tikhonov regularization. Results on synthetic and real 2D NMR data are presented with the main purpose to deeper analyze the separate and combined effects of these filtering techniques on the reconstructed 2D distribution.

Obstructive sleep apnea and severe mental illness: evolution and consequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Wei-Chen; Winkelman, John W

2012-10-01

Sleep complaints are commonly encountered in psychiatric clinics. Underlying medical disorders or sleep disorders need to be identified and treated to optimize treatment of the mental illness. Excessive daytime sleepiness, which is the main symptom of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), overlaps with those of many severe mental illnesses. Medication side effects or the disorder itself maybe account for daytime sleepiness but comorbid OSA is a possibility that should not be overlooked. The diagnosis of OSA is straightforward but treatment compliance is problematic in psychiatric patients. This article summarizes studies concerning comorbid OSA in patients with severe mental illness and includes suggestions for future investigations.

Data inversion in coupled subsurface flow and geomechanics models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iglesias, Marco A; McLaughlin, Dennis

2012-01-01

We present an inverse modeling approach to estimate petrophysical and elastic properties of the subsurface. The aim is to use the fully coupled geomechanics-flow model of Girault et al (2011 Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 21 169–213) to jointly invert surface deformation and pressure data from wells. We use a functional-analytic framework to construct a forward operator (parameter-to-output map) that arises from the geomechanics-flow model of Girault et al. Then, we follow a deterministic approach to pose the inverse problem of finding parameter estimates from measurements of the output of the forward operator. We prove that this inverse problem is ill-posed in the sense of stability. The inverse problem is then regularized with the implementation of the Newton-conjugate gradient (CG) algorithm of Hanke (1997 Numer. Funct. Anal. Optim. 18 18–971). For a consistent application of the Newton-CG scheme, we establish the differentiability of the forward map and characterize the adjoint of its linearization. We provide assumptions under which the theory of Hanke ensures convergence and regularizing properties of the Newton-CG scheme. These properties are verified in our numerical experiments. In addition, our synthetic experiments display the capabilities of the proposed inverse approach to estimate parameters of the subsurface by means of data inversion. In particular, the added value of measurements of surface deformation in the estimation of absolute permeability is quantified with respect to the standard history matching approach of inverting production data with flow models. The proposed methodology can be potentially used to invert satellite geodetic data (e.g. InSAR and GPS) in combination with production data for optimal monitoring and characterization of the subsurface. (paper)

Association Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Severe Mental Illness in Offspring.

Science.gov (United States)

Quinn, Patrick D; Rickert, Martin E; Weibull, Caroline E; Johansson, Anna L V; Lichtenstein, Paul; Almqvist, Catarina; Larsson, Henrik; Iliadou, Anastasia N; D'Onofrio, Brian M

2017-06-01

Several recent population-based studies have linked exposure to maternal smoking during pregnancy to increased risk of severe mental illness in offspring (eg, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia). It is not yet clear, however, whether this association results from causal teratogenic effects or from confounding influences shared by smoking and severe mental illness. To examine the association between smoking during pregnancy and severe mental illness in offspring, adjusting for measured covariates and unmeasured confounding using family-based designs. This study analyzed population register data through December 31, 2013, for a cohort of 1 680 219 individuals born in Sweden from January 1, 1983, to December 31, 2001. Associations between smoking during pregnancy and severe mental illness in offspring were estimated with adjustment for measured covariates. Cousins and siblings who were discordant on smoking during pregnancy and severe mental illness were then compared, which helped to account for unmeasured genetic and environmental confounding by design. Maternal self-reported smoking during pregnancy, obtained from antenatal visits. Severe mental illness, with clinical diagnosis obtained from inpatient and outpatient visits and defined using International Classification of Diseases codes for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Of the 1 680 219 offspring included in the analysis, 816 775 (48.61%) were female. At the population level, offspring exposed to moderate and high levels of smoking during pregnancy had greater severe mental illness rates than did unexposed offspring (moderate smoking during pregnancy: hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95% CI, 1.19-1.30; high smoking during pregnancy: HR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.44-1.59). These associations decreased in strength with increasing statistical and methodologic controls for familial confounding. In sibling comparisons with within-family covariates, associations were substantially weaker and nonsignificant (moderate

Full-Physics Inverse Learning Machine for Satellite Remote Sensing Retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Loyola, D. G.

2017-12-01

The satellite remote sensing retrievals are usually ill-posed inverse problems that are typically solved by finding a state vector that minimizes the residual between simulated data and real measurements. The classical inversion methods are very time-consuming as they require iterative calls to complex radiative-transfer forward models to simulate radiances and Jacobians, and subsequent inversion of relatively large matrices. In this work we present a novel and extremely fast algorithm for solving inverse problems called full-physics inverse learning machine (FP-ILM). The FP-ILM algorithm consists of a training phase in which machine learning techniques are used to derive an inversion operator based on synthetic data generated using a radiative transfer model (which expresses the "full-physics" component) and the smart sampling technique, and an operational phase in which the inversion operator is applied to real measurements. FP-ILM has been successfully applied to the retrieval of the SO2 plume height during volcanic eruptions and to the retrieval of ozone profile shapes from UV/VIS satellite sensors. Furthermore, FP-ILM will be used for the near-real-time processing of the upcoming generation of European Sentinel sensors with their unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution and associated large increases in the amount of data.

Motivation and physical activity in individuals with severe mental illness

OpenAIRE

Farholm, Anders

2017-01-01

Avhandling (doktorgrad) - Norges idrettshøgskole, 2017 There is increasing evidence for physical activity having a positive impact on physical and mental health, as well as on illness symptoms in individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). However, individuals with SMI experience several barriers related to physical activity that makes it difficult for them to take advantage of the benefits associated with physical activity. One barrier consistently reported to impede physical activity i...

Care giving of people with severe mental illness: an Indian experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Janardhana, Navaneetham; Raghunandan, Shravya; Naidu, Dodala Muniratnam; Saraswathi, L; Seshan, Valli

2015-01-01

Caring is a fundamental issue in the rehabilitation of a person with mental illness and more so for people with severe mental illness. The lack of adequate manpower resources in the country is adding and enlisting the responsibility of providing care on the families to provide physical, medical, social and psychological care for their severely unwell mentally ill people. To examine the load of caregiving with reference to the types of care during the symptomatic and remission phases of severe mental illness and the various ways in which caregivers adapt their lives to meet the needs of people with severe mental illness. The present research draws its data from the 200 families with mental illness in Andra Pradesh and Karnataka in India. The data presented in the study was collected from interviews using an interview schedule with open-ended questions. The study diffuses the notion of 'care' as 'physical', 'medical, 'psychological' and 'social' care. The present article focuses on the caregiving roles of the caregivers of people with schizophrenia, affective disorders and psychosis not otherwise specified (NOS) and found that the caregiving does not differ much between the different diagnosis, but caregiving roles changes from active involvement in physical and medical care to more of social and psychological care during the remission. The study records the incredulous gratitude of caregivers at being acknowledged for the work they do. In that regard, the study itself provides a boost to the morale of tired, unacknowledged caregivers.

Determinants of patient-rated and clinician-rated illness severity in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fervaha, Gagan; Takeuchi, Hiroyoshi; Agid, Ofer; Lee, Jimmy; Foussias, George; Remington, Gary

2015-07-01

The contribution of specific symptoms on ratings of global illness severity in patients with schizophrenia is not well understood. The present study examined the clinical determinants of clinician and patient ratings of overall illness severity. This study included 1,010 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia who participated in the baseline visit of the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) study conducted between January 2001 and December 2004 and who had available symptom severity, side effect burden, cognition, and community functioning data. Both clinicians and patients completed the 7-point Clinical Global Impressions-Severity of Illness scale (CGI-S), the primary measure of interest in the present study. Symptoms were rated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and functional status with the Quality of Life Scale. Neurocognition, insight, and medication-related side effects were also evaluated. Clinicians rated illness severity significantly higher than patients (P negative, disorganized, and depressive symptoms, as well as functional outcome (all P values enhance patient engagement in care and improve outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00014001. © Copyright 2014 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Needs of people with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersma, D

2006-01-01

Objective: This study reviews conceptual and methodological issues of needs for care among people with severe mental illness (SMI) and presents data on their prevalence, correlates and consequences for mental health care. Method: Focus is on the definition of the concept of need as what people can

Predicting depression from illness severity in cardiovascular disease patients: self-efficacy beliefs, illness perception, and perceived social support as mediators.

Science.gov (United States)

Greco, A; Steca, P; Pozzi, R; Monzani, D; D'Addario, M; Villani, A; Rella, V; Giglio, A; Malfatto, G; Parati, G

2014-04-01

Many studies have investigated the relationships between cardiovascular diseases and patients' depression; nevertheless, few is still known as regard the impact of illness severity on depression and whether psychosocial variables mediate this association. The aim of this study is to investigate the putative mediating role of illness representations, self-efficacy beliefs, and perceived social support on the relationship between illness severity and depression. A total of 75 consecutive patients with cardiovascular disease (80 % men; mean age = 65.44, SD = 10.20) were enrolled in an Italian hospital. Illness severity was measured in terms of left ventricular ejection fraction, whereas psychological factors were assessed using self-report questionnaires. The relationship between left ventricular ejection fraction and depression was mediated by identity illness perception, self-efficacy beliefs in managing cardiac risk factors, and perceived social support. The treatment of depression in cardiovascular disease patients may therefore benefit from a psychological intervention focused on patients' illness representations, self-efficacy beliefs, and their perceived social support.

Severe Mental Illness, Somatic Delusions, and Attempted Mass Murder.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarteschi, Christine M

2016-01-01

A case of an attempted mass shooting at a large psychiatric hospital in the United States by a 30-year-old male with severe mental illness, somatic delusions, and exceptional access to healthcare professionals is reported. Six persons were shot, one died at the scene, and the shooter was then killed by the police. Data were gathered from court documents and media accounts. An analysis of the shooter's psychiatric history, his interactions with healthcare professionals, and communications prior to the shooting suggest a rare form of mass murder, a random attack by a documented psychotic and delusional individual suffering with somatic delusions. Despite his being psychotic, the killer planned the attack and made a direct threat 1 month prior to the shootings. This case highlights problems with the healthcare system, indicating that it might be ill equipped to appropriately deal with severe mental illness. © 2015 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Image Reconstruction Based on Homotopy Perturbation Inversion Method for Electrical Impedance Tomography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The image reconstruction for electrical impedance tomography (EIT mathematically is a typed nonlinear ill-posed inverse problem. In this paper, a novel iteration regularization scheme based on the homotopy perturbation technique, namely, homotopy perturbation inversion method, is applied to investigate the EIT image reconstruction problem. To verify the feasibility and effectiveness, simulations of image reconstruction have been performed in terms of considering different locations, sizes, and numbers of the inclusions, as well as robustness to data noise. Numerical results indicate that this method can overcome the numerical instability and is robust to data noise in the EIT image reconstruction. Moreover, compared with the classical Landweber iteration method, our approach improves the convergence rate. The results are promising.

Illness Severity and Work Productivity Loss Among Working Adults With Medically Attended Acute Respiratory Illnesses: US Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network 2012-2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrie, Joshua G; Cheng, Caroline; Malosh, Ryan E; VanWormer, Jeffrey J; Flannery, Brendan; Zimmerman, Richard K; Gaglani, Manjusha; Jackson, Michael L; King, Jennifer P; Nowalk, Mary Patricia; Benoit, Joyce; Robertson, Anne; Thaker, Swathi N; Monto, Arnold S; Ohmit, Suzanne E

2016-02-15

Influenza causes significant morbidity and mortality, with considerable economic costs, including lost work productivity. Influenza vaccines may reduce the economic burden through primary prevention of influenza and reduction in illness severity. We examined illness severity and work productivity loss among working adults with medically attended acute respiratory illnesses and compared outcomes for subjects with and without laboratory-confirmed influenza and by influenza vaccination status among subjects with influenza during the 2012-2013 influenza season. Illnesses laboratory-confirmed as influenza (ie, cases) were subjectively assessed as more severe than illnesses not caused by influenza (ie, noncases) based on multiple measures, including current health status at study enrollment (≤7 days from illness onset) and current activity and sleep quality status relative to usual. Influenza cases reported missing 45% more work hours (20.5 vs 15.0; P productivity as impeded to a greater degree (6.0 vs 5.4; P productivity loss were noted for vaccinated subjects. Influenza illnesses were more severe and resulted in more missed work hours and productivity loss than illnesses not confirmed as influenza. Modest reductions in illness severity for vaccinated cases were observed. These findings highlight the burden of influenza illnesses and illustrate the importance of laboratory confirmation of influenza outcomes in evaluations of vaccine effectiveness. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Illness severity, trait anxiety, cognitive impairment and heart rate variability in bipolar disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Boaz

2014-12-30

Numerous studies have documented a significant association between symptom severity and cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder (BD). These findings advanced speculations about a potential link between the physiological stress associated with illness severity and cognitive dysfunction. To explore this hypothesis, the current study employed heart rate variability (HRV) as a physiological measure that is sensitive to the effects of chronic stress, and a scale of trait anxiety for assessing a psychological condition that is correlated with hyper sympathetic arousal. Analyses indicated that BD patients with High Illness Severity reported more symptoms of trait-anxiety (i.e., State Trait Anxiety Inventory), performed more poorly on a computerized neuropsychological battery (i.e., CNS Vital Signs), and exhibited a more constricted HRV profile (i.e., lower SDNN with elevated LF/HF ratio) than patients with Low Illness Severity. Illness severity was determined by a history of psychosis, illness duration, and number of mood episodes. A third group of healthy controls (n=22) performed better on the neuropsychological battery and exhibited a healthier HRV profile than the BD groups. This study provides preliminary evidence that illness severity and cognitive impairment in BD may be associated with state anxiety and neuro-cardiac alterations that are sensitive to physiological stress. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Alternating minimisation for glottal inverse filtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bleyer, Ismael Rodrigo; Lybeck, Lasse; Auvinen, Harri; Siltanen, Samuli; Airaksinen, Manu; Alku, Paavo

2017-01-01

A new method is proposed for solving the glottal inverse filtering (GIF) problem. The goal of GIF is to separate an acoustical speech signal into two parts: the glottal airflow excitation and the vocal tract filter. To recover such information one has to deal with a blind deconvolution problem. This ill-posed inverse problem is solved under a deterministic setting, considering unknowns on both sides of the underlying operator equation. A stable reconstruction is obtained using a double regularization strategy, alternating between fixing either the glottal source signal or the vocal tract filter. This enables not only splitting the nonlinear and nonconvex problem into two linear and convex problems, but also allows the use of the best parameters and constraints to recover each variable at a time. This new technique, called alternating minimization glottal inverse filtering (AM-GIF), is compared with two other approaches: Markov chain Monte Carlo glottal inverse filtering (MCMC-GIF), and iterative adaptive inverse filtering (IAIF), using synthetic speech signals. The recent MCMC-GIF has good reconstruction quality but high computational cost. The state-of-the-art IAIF method is computationally fast but its accuracy deteriorates, particularly for speech signals of high fundamental frequency ( F 0). The results show the competitive performance of the new method: With high F 0, the reconstruction quality is better than that of IAIF and close to MCMC-GIF while reducing the computational complexity by two orders of magnitude. (paper)

Defining Quality of Life in the Children of Parents with Severe Mental Illness: A Preliminary Stakeholder-Led Model

Science.gov (United States)

Bee, Penny; Berzins, Kathryn; Calam, Rachel; Pryjmachuk, Steven; Abel, Kathryn M.

2013-01-01

Severe parental mental illness poses a challenge to quality of life (QoL) in a substantial number of children and adolescents, and improving the lives of these children is of urgent political and public health concern. This study used a bottom-up qualitative approach to develop a new stakeholder-led model of quality of life relevant to this population. Qualitative data were collected from 19 individuals participating in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants comprised 8 clinical academics, health and social care professionals or voluntary agency representatives; 5 parents and 6 young people (aged 13–18 yrs) with lived experience of severe parental mental illness. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis for the purposes of informing a population-specific quality of life model. Fifty nine individual themes were identified and grouped into 11 key ‘meta-themes’. Mapping each meta-theme against existing child-centred quality of life concepts revealed a multi-dimensional model that endorsed, to a greater or lesser degree, the core domains of generic quality of life models. Three new population-specific priorities were also observed: i) the alleviation of parental mental health symptoms, ii) improved problem-based coping skills and iii) increased mental health literacy. The identification of these priorities raises questions regarding the validity of generic quality of life measures to monitor the effectiveness of services for families and children affected by severe mental illness. New, age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by the children of parents with severe mental illness may need to be developed. Challenges then remain in augmenting and adapting service design and delivery mechanisms better to meet these needs. Future child and adult mental health services need to work seamlessly alongside statutory education and social care services and a growing number of relevant third sector

Defining quality of life in the children of parents with severe mental illness: a preliminary stakeholder-led model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bee, Penny; Berzins, Kathryn; Calam, Rachel; Pryjmachuk, Steven; Abel, Kathryn M

2013-01-01

Severe parental mental illness poses a challenge to quality of life (QoL) in a substantial number of children and adolescents, and improving the lives of these children is of urgent political and public health concern. This study used a bottom-up qualitative approach to develop a new stakeholder-led model of quality of life relevant to this population. Qualitative data were collected from 19 individuals participating in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants comprised 8 clinical academics, health and social care professionals or voluntary agency representatives; 5 parents and 6 young people (aged 13-18 yrs) with lived experience of severe parental mental illness. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis for the purposes of informing a population-specific quality of life model. Fifty nine individual themes were identified and grouped into 11 key 'meta-themes'. Mapping each meta-theme against existing child-centred quality of life concepts revealed a multi-dimensional model that endorsed, to a greater or lesser degree, the core domains of generic quality of life models. Three new population-specific priorities were also observed: i) the alleviation of parental mental health symptoms, ii) improved problem-based coping skills and iii) increased mental health literacy. The identification of these priorities raises questions regarding the validity of generic quality of life measures to monitor the effectiveness of services for families and children affected by severe mental illness. New, age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by the children of parents with severe mental illness may need to be developed. Challenges then remain in augmenting and adapting service design and delivery mechanisms better to meet these needs. Future child and adult mental health services need to work seamlessly alongside statutory education and social care services and a growing number of relevant third sector providers to

Defining quality of life in the children of parents with severe mental illness: a preliminary stakeholder-led model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penny Bee

Full Text Available Severe parental mental illness poses a challenge to quality of life (QoL in a substantial number of children and adolescents, and improving the lives of these children is of urgent political and public health concern. This study used a bottom-up qualitative approach to develop a new stakeholder-led model of quality of life relevant to this population. Qualitative data were collected from 19 individuals participating in focus groups or individual interviews. Participants comprised 8 clinical academics, health and social care professionals or voluntary agency representatives; 5 parents and 6 young people (aged 13-18 yrs with lived experience of severe parental mental illness. Data underwent inductive thematic analysis for the purposes of informing a population-specific quality of life model. Fifty nine individual themes were identified and grouped into 11 key 'meta-themes'. Mapping each meta-theme against existing child-centred quality of life concepts revealed a multi-dimensional model that endorsed, to a greater or lesser degree, the core domains of generic quality of life models. Three new population-specific priorities were also observed: i the alleviation of parental mental health symptoms, ii improved problem-based coping skills and iii increased mental health literacy. The identification of these priorities raises questions regarding the validity of generic quality of life measures to monitor the effectiveness of services for families and children affected by severe mental illness. New, age-appropriate instruments that better reflect the life priorities and unique challenges faced by the children of parents with severe mental illness may need to be developed. Challenges then remain in augmenting and adapting service design and delivery mechanisms better to meet these needs. Future child and adult mental health services need to work seamlessly alongside statutory education and social care services and a growing number of relevant third

Bayesian Inversion for Large Scale Antarctic Ice Sheet Flow

KAUST Repository

Ghattas, Omar

2015-01-07

The flow of ice from the interior of polar ice sheets is the primary contributor to projected sea level rise. One of the main difficulties faced in modeling ice sheet flow is the uncertain spatially-varying Robin boundary condition that describes the resistance to sliding at the base of the ice. Satellite observations of the surface ice flow velocity, along with a model of ice as a creeping incompressible shear-thinning fluid, can be used to infer this uncertain basal boundary condition. We cast this ill-posed inverse problem in the framework of Bayesian inference, which allows us to infer not only the basal sliding parameters, but also the associated uncertainty. To overcome the prohibitive nature of Bayesian methods for large-scale inverse problems, we exploit the fact that, despite the large size of observational data, they typically provide only sparse information on model parameters. We show results for Bayesian inversion of the basal sliding parameter field for the full Antarctic continent, and demonstrate that the work required to solve the inverse problem, measured in number of forward (and adjoint) ice sheet model solves, is independent of the parameter and data dimensions

Bayesian Inversion for Large Scale Antarctic Ice Sheet Flow

KAUST Repository

Ghattas, Omar

2015-01-01

The flow of ice from the interior of polar ice sheets is the primary contributor to projected sea level rise. One of the main difficulties faced in modeling ice sheet flow is the uncertain spatially-varying Robin boundary condition that describes the resistance to sliding at the base of the ice. Satellite observations of the surface ice flow velocity, along with a model of ice as a creeping incompressible shear-thinning fluid, can be used to infer this uncertain basal boundary condition. We cast this ill-posed inverse problem in the framework of Bayesian inference, which allows us to infer not only the basal sliding parameters, but also the associated uncertainty. To overcome the prohibitive nature of Bayesian methods for large-scale inverse problems, we exploit the fact that, despite the large size of observational data, they typically provide only sparse information on model parameters. We show results for Bayesian inversion of the basal sliding parameter field for the full Antarctic continent, and demonstrate that the work required to solve the inverse problem, measured in number of forward (and adjoint) ice sheet model solves, is independent of the parameter and data dimensions

Inverse modeling for seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers: Insights about parameter sensitivities, variances, correlations and estimation procedures derived from the Henry problem

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz, E.; Voss, C.I.

2006-01-01

concentration observations. Permeability, freshwater inflow, solute molecular diffusivity, and porosity can be estimated with roughly equivalent confidence using observations of only the logarithm of concentration. Furthermore, covariance analysis allows a logical reduction of the number of estimated parameters for ill-posed inverse seawater intrusion problems. Ill-posed problems may exhibit poor estimation convergence, have a non-unique solution, have multiple minima, or require excessive computational effort, and the condition often occurs when estimating too many or co-dependent parameters. For the Henry problem, such analysis allows selection of the two parameters that control system physics from among all possible system parameters. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inverse Heat Conduction Methods in the CHAR Code for Aerothermal Flight Data Reconstruction

Science.gov (United States)

Oliver, A. Brandon; Amar, Adam J.

2016-01-01

Reconstruction of flight aerothermal environments often requires the solution of an inverse heat transfer problem, which is an ill-posed problem of determining boundary conditions from discrete measurements in the interior of the domain. This paper will present the algorithms implemented in the CHAR code for use in reconstruction of EFT-1 flight data and future testing activities. Implementation details will be discussed, and alternative hybrid-methods that are permitted by the implementation will be described. Results will be presented for a number of problems.

The effects of steroids during sepsis depend on dose and severity of illness: an updated meta-analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Minneci, P. C.; Deans, K. J.; Eichacker, P. Q.; Natanson, C.

2012-01-01

A previous meta-analysis determined that the effects of steroids during sepsis were dose-dependent; since then, additional trials have been published. The current analysis updates our previous analysis examining the effects of steroids during sepsis. A literature search from 2004 to 2008 identified seven randomized controlled trials in adult patients; these were added to 14 previously identified trials. The effects of steroids on mortality were highly variable among the 21 trials (p steroids, steroids increased mortality (n = 8, I2 = 14%, OR of death 1.39 (95% CI 1.04–1.86), p 0.03). In trials published after 1997, which involved longer courses of lower-dose steroids, steroids consistently improved shock reversal (n = 7, I2 = 0%, OR of shock reversal 1.66 [95% CI 1.25–2.20), p effect on mortality (n = 12, I2 = 25%, OR of death 0.64 (95% CI 0.45–0.93), p 0.02). An inverse linear relationship between severity of illness and the effects of steroids on mortality was identified across all trials (p 0.03) and within the subgroup of trials published after 1997 (p 0.03); steroids were harmful in less severely ill patient populations and beneficial in more severely ill patient populations. There was no effect of response to adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) stimulation testing concerning the effects of steroids and no increase in steroid-associated adverse events. Low-dose steroids appear to improve mortality rates in patients with septic shock who are at high risk of death; however, additional trials in this subpopulation are necessary to definitively determine the role of low-dose steroids during sepsis. PMID:19416302

Is the kinetic equation for turbulent gas-particle flows ill posed?

Science.gov (United States)

Reeks, M; Swailes, D C; Bragg, A D

2018-02-01

This paper is about the kinetic equation for gas-particle flows, in particular its well-posedness and realizability and its relationship to the generalized Langevin model (GLM) probability density function (PDF) equation. Previous analyses, e.g. [J.-P. Minier and C. Profeta, Phys. Rev. E 92, 053020 (2015)PLEEE81539-375510.1103/PhysRevE.92.053020], have concluded that this kinetic equation is ill posed, that in particular it has the properties of a backward heat equation, and as a consequence, its solution will in the course of time exhibit finite-time singularities. We show that this conclusion is fundamentally flawed because it ignores the coupling between the phase space variables in the kinetic equation and the time and particle inertia dependence of the phase space diffusion tensor. This contributes an extra positive diffusion that always outweighs the negative diffusion associated with the dispersion along one of the principal axes of the phase space diffusion tensor. This is confirmed by a numerical evaluation of analytic solutions of these positive and negative contributions to the particle diffusion coefficient along this principal axis. We also examine other erroneous claims and assumptions made in previous studies that demonstrate the apparent superiority of the GLM PDF approach over the kinetic approach. In so doing, we have drawn attention to the limitations of the GLM approach, which these studies have ignored or not properly considered, to give a more balanced appraisal of the benefits of both PDF approaches.

Depth profiling of laser-heated chromophores in biological tissues by pulsed photothermal radiometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Milner, T.E.; Goodman, D.M.; Tanenbaum, B.S.; Nelson, J.S.

1995-01-01

A solution method is proposed to the inverse problem of determining the unknown initial temperature distribution in a laser-exposed test material from measurements provided by infrared radiometry. A Fredholm integral equation of the first kind is derived that relates the temporal evolution of the infrared signal amplitude to the unknown initial temperature distribution in the exposed test material. The singular-value decomposition is used to demonstrate the severely ill-posed nature of the derived inverse problem. Three inversion methods are used to estimate solutions for the initial temperature distribution. A nonnegatively constrained conjugate-gradient algorithm using early termination is found superior to unconstrained inversion methods and is applied to image the depth of laser-heated chromophores in human skin. Key words: constrained conjugate gradients, ill-posed problem, infrared radiometry, laser surgery, nonnegative, singular-value decomposition

Effect of severity of illness on cesarean delivery rates in Washington State.

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Hitti, Jane; Walker, Suzan; Benedetti, Thomas J

2017-10-01

Hospitals and providers are increasingly held accountable for their cesarean delivery rates. In the perinatal quality improvement arena, there is vigorous debate about whether all hospitals can be held to the same benchmark for an acceptable cesarean rate regardless of patient acuity. However, the causes of variation in hospital cesarean delivery rates are not well understood. We sought to evaluate the association and temporal trends between severity of illness at admission and the primary term singleton vertex cesarean delivery rate among hospitals in Washington State. We hypothesized that hospitals with higher patient acuity would have higher cesarean delivery rates and that this pattern would persist over time. In this cross-sectional analysis, we analyzed aggregate hospital-level data for all nonmilitary hospitals in Washington State with ≥100 deliveries/y during federal fiscal years 2010 through 2014 (287,031 deliveries). Data were obtained from the Washington State Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System, which includes inpatient demographic, diagnosis, procedure, and discharge information derived from hospital billing systems. Age, admission diagnoses and procedure codes were converted to patient-level admission severity-of-illness scores using the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups classification system. This system is widely used throughout the United States to adjust hospital data for severity of illness. Mean admission hospital-level severity-of-illness scores were calculated for each fiscal year among the term singleton vertex population with no history of cesarean delivery. We used linear regression to evaluate the association between hospital admission severity of illness and the primary term singleton vertex cesarean delivery rate, calculated Pearson correlation coefficients, and compared regression line slopes and 95% confidence intervals for each fiscal year. Hospitals were diverse with respect to delivery volume, level of care

Increasing illness severity in very low birth weight infants over a 9-year period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Locke Robert G

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent reports have documented a leveling-off of survival rates in preterm infants through the 1990's. The objective of this study was to determine temporal changes in illness severity in very low birth weight (VLBW infants in relationship to the outcomes of death and/or severe IVH. Methods Cohort study of 1414 VLBW infants cared for in a single level III neonatal intensive care unit in Delaware from 1993–2002. Infants were divided into consecutive 3-year cohorts. Illness severity was measured by two objective methods: the Score for Neonatal Acute Physiology (SNAP, based on data from the 1st day of life, and total thyroxine (T4, measured on the 5th day of life. Death before hospital discharge and severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH were investigated in the study sample in relation to illness severity. The fetal death rate was also investigated. Statistical analyses included both univariate and multivariate analysis. Results Illness severity, as measured by SNAP and T4, increased steadily over the 9-year study period with an associated increase in severe IVH and the combined outcome of death and/or severe IVH. During the final 3 years of the study, the observed increase in illness severity accounted for 86% (95% CI 57–116% of the variability in the increase in death and/or severe IVH. The fetal death rate dropped from 7.8/1000 (1993–1996 to 5.3/1000 (1999–2002, p = .01 over the course of the study. Conclusion These data demonstrate a progressive increase in illness in VLBW infants over time, associated with an increase in death and/or severe IVH. We speculate that the observed decrease in fetal death, and the increase in neonatal illness, mortality and/or severe IVH over time represent a shift of severely compromised patients that now survive the fetal time period and are presented for care in the neonatal unit.

Inverse kinematics of OWI-535 robotic arm

OpenAIRE

DEBENEC, PRIMOŽ

2015-01-01

The thesis aims to calculate the inverse kinematics for the OWI-535 robotic arm. The calculation of the inverse kinematics determines the joint parameters that provide the right pose of the end effector. The pose consists of the position and orientation, however, we will focus only on the second one. Due to arm limitations, we have created our own type of the calculation of the inverse kinematics. At first we have derived it only theoretically, and then we have transferred the derivation into...

Creative writing in recovery from severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Robert; Neilsen, Philip; White, Emma

2013-10-01

There is evidence that creative writing forms an important part of the recovery experience of people affected by severe mental illness. In this paper, we consider theoretical models that explain how creative writing might contribute to recovery, and we discuss the potential for creative writing in psychosocial rehabilitation. We argue that the rehabilitation benefits of creative writing might be optimized through focus on process and technique in writing, rather than content, and that consequently, the involvement of professional writers might be important. We describe a pilot workshop that deployed these principles and was well-received by participants. Finally, we make recommendations regarding the role of creative writing in psychosocial rehabilitation for people recovering from severe mental illness and suggest that the development of an evidence base regarding the effectiveness of creative writing is a priority. © 2012 The Authors; International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2012 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Regularization and Bayesian methods for inverse problems in signal and image processing

CERN Document Server

Giovannelli , Jean-François

2015-01-01

The focus of this book is on "ill-posed inverse problems". These problems cannot be solved only on the basis of observed data. The building of solutions involves the recognition of other pieces of a priori information. These solutions are then specific to the pieces of information taken into account. Clarifying and taking these pieces of information into account is necessary for grasping the domain of validity and the field of application for the solutions built.  For too long, the interest in these problems has remained very limited in the signal-image community. However, the community has si

Medication and physical activity and physical fitness in severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Cruzado, David; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio; Vera-Garcia, Elisa; Mayoral-Cleries, Fermín

2018-05-23

Anti-psychotic medication has emerged as the primary medical treatment for people with severe mental illness, despite the great risks involved in the use of this medication. In addition, this population suffers from problems of obesity, sedentary lifestyle and poor physical fitness, which is aggravated by the use of this type of medication. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of the most commonly used antipsychotics in this population (Olanzapine and Risperidone) on physical activity and the physical fitness of people with severe mental illness. Sixty-two people between 26 and 61 years of age with severe mental illness were assessed. All participants were evaluated with a battery of 11 physical tests to assess their physical fitness and with the IPAQ-short version questionnaire to determine their level of physical activity. The doses of Risperidone and Olanzapine were also evaluated in all participants. Significant differences were found for physical activity, with higher levels reported in those patients with severe mental illness who did not take any of these medications. Regarding physical fitness, significant differences were only found for the consumption of Risperidone, with better physical fitness levels seen in patients who did not consume this medication; on the other hand, for the consumption of Olanzapine, differences were found in muscular strength, balance and aerobic condition with better values in non-Olanzapine consumers compared with Olanzapine consumers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inverse transformation algorithm of transient electromagnetic field and its high-resolution continuous imaging interpretation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Zhipeng; Li, Xiu; Lu, Xushan; Zhang, Yingying; Yao, Weihua

2015-01-01

We introduce a new and potentially useful method for wave field inverse transformation and its application in transient electromagnetic method (TEM) 3D interpretation. The diffusive EM field is known to have a unique integral representation in terms of a fictitious wave field that satisfies a wave equation. The continuous imaging of TEM can be accomplished using the imaging methods in seismic interpretation after the diffusion equation is transformed into a fictitious wave equation. The interpretation method based on the imaging of a fictitious wave field could be used as a fast 3D inversion method. Moreover, the fictitious wave field possesses some wave field features making it possible for the application of a wave field interpretation method in TEM to improve the prospecting resolution.Wave field transformation is a key issue in the migration imaging of a fictitious wave field. The equation in the wave field transformation belongs to the first class Fredholm integration equation, which is a typical ill-posed equation. Additionally, TEM has a large dynamic time range, which also facilitates the weakness of this ill-posed problem. The wave field transformation is implemented by using pre-conditioned regularized conjugate gradient method. The continuous imaging of a fictitious wave field is implemented by using Kirchhoff integration. A synthetic aperture and deconvolution algorithm is also introduced to improve the interpretation resolution. We interpreted field data by the method proposed in this paper, and obtained a satisfying interpretation result. (paper)

Enabling healthy living: Experiences of people with severe mental illness in psychiatric outpatient services.

Science.gov (United States)

Blomqvist, Marjut; Sandgren, Anna; Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2018-02-01

It is well known that people with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy and a greater risk of being affected by preventable physical illnesses such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. There are still, however, only a few published studies focusing on what enables healthy living for this group. This study thus aimed to describe what enables healthy living among people with severe mental illness in psychiatric outpatient services. The data were collected in qualitative interviews (n = 16) and content analysis was used to analyze the data. The interviews resulted in an overall theme "Being regarded as a whole human being by self and others", which showed the multidimensional nature of health and the issues that enable healthy living among people with severe mental illness. Three categories emerged: (i) everyday structure (ii), motivating life events and (iii) support from significant others. The results indicate that a person with severe mental illness needs to be encountered as a whole person if healthy living is to be enabled. Attaining healthy living requires collaboration between the providers of care, help and support. Health care organizations need to work together to develop and provide interventions to enable healthy living and to reduce poor physical health among people with severe mental illness. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Inverse Problems in Systems Biology: A Critical Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzzi, Rodolfo; Colombo, Teresa; Paci, Paola

2018-01-01

Systems Biology may be assimilated to a symbiotic cyclic interplaying between the forward and inverse problems. Computational models need to be continuously refined through experiments and in turn they help us to make limited experimental resources more efficient. Every time one does an experiment we know that there will be some noise that can disrupt our measurements. Despite the noise certainly is a problem, the inverse problems already involve the inference of missing information, even if the data is entirely reliable. So the addition of a certain limited noise does not fundamentally change the situation but can be used to solve the so-called ill-posed problem, as defined by Hadamard. It can be seen as an extra source of information. Recent studies have shown that complex systems, among others the systems biology, are poorly constrained and ill-conditioned because it is difficult to use experimental data to fully estimate their parameters. For these reasons was born the concept of sloppy models, a sequence of models of increasing complexity that become sloppy in the limit of microscopic accuracy. Furthermore the concept of sloppy models contains also the concept of un-identifiability, because the models are characterized by many parameters that are poorly constrained by experimental data. Then a strategy needs to be designed to infer, analyze, and understand biological systems. The aim of this work is to provide a critical review to the inverse problems in systems biology defining a strategy to determine the minimal set of information needed to overcome the problems arising from dynamic biological models that generally may have many unknown, non-measurable parameters.

Methods for solution of nonlinear operator equations

CERN Document Server

Tanana, V P

1997-01-01

The Inverse and Ill-Posed Problems Series is a series of monographs publishing postgraduate level information on inverse and ill-posed problems for an international readership of professional scientists and researchers. The series aims to publish works which involve both theory and applications in, e.g., physics, medicine, geophysics, acoustics, electrodynamics, tomography, and ecology.

Eating disorder severity and functional impairment: moderating effects of illness duration in a clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Davidsen, Annika Helgadóttir; Hoyt, William T; Poulsen, Stig; Waaddegaard, Mette; Lau, Marianne

2017-09-01

The aim was to examine duration of illness and body mass index as possible moderators of the relationship between eating disorder severity and functional impairment, as well as psychological distress as a possible mediator of this relationship. The study included 159 patients diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder or eating disorder not otherwise specified. Regression analysis was applied to assess the effect of the hypothesized moderators and mediators. Eating disorder severity was measured with the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, functional impairment was measured with the Sheehan Disability Scale, and psychological distress was measured with the Symptom Check List-90-R. Duration of illness and body mass index were assessed clinically. Duration of illness significantly moderated the relationship between eating disorder severity and functional impairment; the relationship was strongest for patients with a shorter duration of illness. Psychological distress partly mediated the relationship between eating disorder severity and functional impairment. Duration of illness significantly moderated the relationship between psychological distress and functional impairment; the strongest relationship was seen for patients with a shorter duration of illness. Body mass index was not a significant moderator of the relationship between ED severity and functional impairment. Overall, this study established a link between ED severity, psychological distress and functional impairment indicating that both eating disorder severity and psychological distress are more strongly related to impaired role functioning for patients with more recent onset of an eating disorder. More research in the complex relationship between ED severity and functional impairment is needed.

Stabilization of the Inverse Laplace Transform of Multiexponential Decay through Introduction of a Second Dimension

Science.gov (United States)

Celik, Hasan; Bouhrara, Mustapha; Reiter, David A.; Fishbein, Kenneth W.; Spencer, Richard G.

2013-01-01

We propose a new approach to stabilizing the inverse Laplace transform of a multiexponential decay signal, a classically ill-posed problem, in the context of nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. The method is based on extension to a second, indirectly detected, dimension, that is, use of the established framework of two-dimensional relaxometry, followed by projection onto the desired axis. Numerical results for signals comprised of discrete T1 and T2 relaxation components and experiments performed on agarose gel phantoms are presented. We find markedly improved accuracy, and stability with respect to noise, as well as insensitivity to regularization in quantifying underlying relaxation components through use of the two-dimensional as compared to the one-dimensional inverse Laplace transform. This improvement is demonstrated separately for two different inversion algorithms, nonnegative least squares and non-linear least squares, to indicate the generalizability of this approach. These results may have wide applicability in approaches to the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. PMID:24035004

Improving somatic health of outpatients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Hasselt, Fenneke M.; Oud, Marian J. T.; Krabbe, Paul F. M.; Postma, Maarten J.; Loonen, A.J.M.

2014-01-01

Background: Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) experience a 13-to 30-year reduction in life expectancy compared with the general population. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to somatic health problems. The risk on somatic health problems is partly increased due to a reduced

Impact of Parental Severe Mental Illness: Ethical and Clinical Issues for Counselors

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Spiegelhoff, Sarah F.; Ahia, C. Emmanuel

2011-01-01

This article draws attention to the issue of parental severe mental illness and the ethical and clinical implications for counselors who work with this population. Parents with mental illness face a multitude of life challenges including, but not limited to, parenting difficulties, medication and hospitalization, custody and placement of their…

Thirty-Day Mortality After Infection Among Persons With Severe Mental Illness: A Population-Based Cohort Study in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribe, Anette Riisgaard; Vestergaard, Mogens; Katon, Wayne; Charles, Morten; Benros, Michael Eriksen; Vanderlip, Erik; Nordentoft, Merete; Laursen, Thomas Munk

2015-08-01

Persons with severe mental illness die 15-20 years earlier on average than persons without severe mental illness. Although infection is one of the leading overall causes of death, no studies have evaluated whether persons with severe mental illness have a higher mortality after infection than those without. The authors studied mortality rate ratios and cumulative mortality proportions after an admission for infection for persons with severe mental illness compared with persons without severe mental illness by linking data from Danish national registries. The cohort consisted of all persons hospitalized for infection during the period 1995-2011 in Denmark (N=806,835), of whom 11,343 persons had severe mental illness. Within 30 days after an infection, 1,052 (9.3%) persons with a history of severe mental illness and 58,683 (7.4%) persons without a history of severe mental illness died. Thirty-day mortality after any infection was 52% higher in persons with severe mental illness than in persons without (mortality rate ratio=1.52, 95% CI=1.43-1.61). Mortality was increased for all infections, and the mortality rate ratios ranged from 1.27 (95% CI=1.15-1.39) for persons hospitalized for sepsis to 2.61 (95% CI=1.69-4.02) for persons hospitalized for CNS infections. Depending on age, 1.7 (95% CI=1.2-2.2) to 2.9 (95% CI=2.0-3.7) more deaths were observed within 30 days after an infection per 100 persons with a history of severe mental illness compared with 100 persons without such a history. Persons with severe mental illness have a markedly elevated 30-day mortality after infection. Some of these excess deaths may be prevented by offering individualized and targeted interventions.

A hopfield-like artificial neural network for solving inverse radiation transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Hoon

1997-02-01

In this thesis, we solve inverse radiation transport problems by an Artificial Neural Network(ANN) approach. ANNs have many interesting properties such as nonlinear, parallel, and distributed processing. Some of the promising applications of ANNs are optimization, image and signal processing, system control, etc. In some optimization problems, Hopfield Neural Network(HNN) which has one-layered and fully interconnected neurons with feed-back topology showed that it worked well with acceptable fault tolerance and efficiency. The identification of radioactive source in a medium with a limited number of external detectors is treated as an inverse radiation transport problem in this work. This kind of inverse problem is usually ill-posed and severely under-determined; however, its applications are very useful in many fields including medical diagnosis and nondestructive assay of nuclear materials. Therefore, it is desired to develop efficient and robust solution algorithms. Firstly, we study a representative ANN model which has learning ability and fault tolerance, i.e., feed-forward neural network. It has an error backpropagation learning algorithm processed by reducing error in learning patterns that are usually results of test or calculation. Although it has enough fault tolerance and efficiency, a major obstacle is 'curse of dimensionality'--required number of learning patterns and learning time increase exponentially proportional to the problem size. Therefore, in this thesis, this type of ANN is used as benchmarking the reliability of the solution. Secondly, another approach for solving inverse problems, a modified version of HNN is proposed. When diagonal elements of the interconnection matrix are not zero, HNN may become unstable. However, most problems including this identification problem contain non-zero diagonal elements when programmed on neural networks. According to Soulie et al., discrete random iterations could produce the stable minimum state

The gendered experience of stigmatization in severe and persistent mental illness in Lima, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Robillard, Chantal

2010-12-01

Although power differentials which enable the components of stigma to unfold have been identified, literature that demonstrates the gendered disparities in stigmatization is scarce. Using a gender-based framework, this paper aims first at understanding the gendered social cues which produce the stigma in mental illness enacted by the general population. Second, it highlights the influence of gender on the everyday experiences of a severe and persistent mental illness and the related stigmatization. Results are drawn from a combination of ethnographic and qualitative methods including a field ethnography of two health centres, one psychiatric hospital, and participants' households and neighbourhoods, two group discussions with members of the general population participating in gender-specific social support groups (N = 12 women/5 men), and illness narratives of men and women with a severe and persistent mental illness (N = 22), which was conducted from May to August 2006 in a poor, urban district of Peru. It is argued that in a society like that of Peru where gender roles are segregated into specific social and economic fields, gendered expectations shape both the experience of a severe and persistent mental illness and the stigmatization of people with such a mental illness in a gender-specific way. Not only do gender inequalities create the conditions leading to a power differential which enables stigmatization to unfold, but stigma is constructed as much around gendered-defined social roles as it is enacted in distinct social spheres for men and women with a severe and persistent mental illness. The gendered experience of stigmatization must, therefore, be fully understood in order to design more effective interventions that would challenge stereotypical perceptions and discriminatory practices, and reduce their effect on the everyday life of the mentally ill in Peru. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The functions of hospital-based home care for people with severe mental illness in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xuan-Yi; Lin, Mei-Jue; Yang, Tuz-Ching; Hsu, Yuan-Shan

2010-02-01

The purposes of this study were to understand the functions of hospital-based home care for people with severe mental illness in Taiwan, and the factors that affect functions of professionals who provide hospital-based home care. Hospital-based home care is a service which provides those people with serious mental illnesses who are in crisis and who are candidates for admission to hospital. Home care has been shown to have several advantages over inpatient treatment. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the functions of hospital-based home care for people with severe mental illness in Taiwan. This qualitative study was based on the grounded theory method of Strauss and Corbin. The study was conducted in six different hospital areas in central Taiwan in 2007-2008. Data were collected using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Constant comparative analysis continued during the open, axial and selective coding processes until data saturation occurred. Participants were selected by theoretical sampling. When theoretical saturation was achieved, 21 clients with mental illness, 19 carers and 25 professionals were interviewed. Several functions were found when these professionals provided hospital-based home care services for people with severe mental illness in Taiwan, including stabilising the clients illness, supplying emergency care services, improving life-coping abilities, employment and welfare assistance, emotional support for both clients and carers, assistance with future and long-term arrangements and assistance with communication between carers and clients. Hospital-based home care provides several important services for helping clients and their families to live in the community. The recommendations based on the findings of this study can be used as a guide to improve the delivery of hospital-based home care services to community-dwelling clients with severe mental illness and their carers.

Mammography Among Women With Severe Mental Illness: Exploring Disparities Through a Large Retrospective Cohort Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Melanie; James, Monique; Vittinghoff, Eric; Creasman, Jennifer M; Schillinger, Dean; Mangurian, Christina

2018-01-01

This study examined mammogram screening rates among women with severe mental illness by using a socioecological framework. Because it has been shown that people with severe mental illness receive less preventive health care overall, the analysis included psychosocial predictors of mammogram screening rates in a cohort of women with severe mental illness. This retrospective cohort study (N=14,651) used existing statewide data for women ages 48-67 in California with Medicaid insurance who received treatment in the specialty mental health care system. The primary outcome of interest was evidence of breast cancer screening via mammogram. The associations of each predictor of interest with mammogram screening were evaluated by using Poisson models with robust standard errors. Across all demographic and diagnostic categories, rates of breast cancer screening in this cohort of women with severe mental illness fell below the national average. Only 26.3% (3,859/14,651) of women in the cohort received breast cancer screening in the past year. This study replicated previous findings that women with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and those with a comorbid substance use disorder are less likely to receive screening than those with other types of mental illness. In this cohort of women with severe mental illness, evidence of nonpsychiatric health care utilization was strongly associated with breast cancer screening (adjusted risk ratio=3.30, 95% confidence interval=2.61-4.16, pmental illness, such as targeted outreach to population subsets and colocation of primary care services in mental health treatment settings.

Heart-related anxieties in relation to general anxiety and severity of illness in cardiology patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Muschalla, Beate; Glatz, Johannes; Linden, Michael

2014-01-01

Absence of an adequate reason for anxiety is a criterion for pathological anxiety. However, the presence of danger or fear-provoking stimuli may even be a risk factor for anxiety and does not exclude that there is additionally pathological anxiety too. The question is, to what degree can heart-related anxiety be explained by the severity of illness or trait anxiety? Two hundred and nine patients (37.8% women) from a cardiology inpatient unit completed the Heart-Anxiety-Questionnaire, Progression-Anxiety-Questionnaire, Job-Anxiety-Scale and the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory. The severity of cardiac illness was rated by the treating cardiologists using the Multidimensional Severity of Morbidity Rating. Time absent from work due to sickness was assessed as an indicator for illness-related impairment. Heart anxiety was significantly related to progression anxiety and, to a lesser extent, trait anxiety and indicators of subjective symptoms of somatic illness. No association was found with medical ratings for prognosis, multimorbidity, or reduction in life expectancy. Heart-related anxiety is a symptom of an anxiety disorder. Although partially dependent on subjective suffering, it cannot be explained by the severity of medical illness. Treatment of health-related anxieties should focus on how to cope with subjective symptoms of illness.

A hybrid algorithm for solving inverse problems in elasticity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barabasz Barbara

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The paper offers a new approach to handling difficult parametric inverse problems in elasticity and thermo-elasticity, formulated as global optimization ones. The proposed strategy is composed of two phases. In the first, global phase, the stochastic hp-HGS algorithm recognizes the basins of attraction of various objective minima. In the second phase, the local objective minimizers are closer approached by steepest descent processes executed singly in each basin of attraction. The proposed complex strategy is especially dedicated to ill-posed problems with multimodal objective functionals. The strategy offers comparatively low computational and memory costs resulting from a double-adaptive technique in both forward and inverse problem domains. We provide a result on the Lipschitz continuity of the objective functional composed of the elastic energy and the boundary displacement misfits with respect to the unknown constitutive parameters. It allows common scaling of the accuracy of solving forward and inverse problems, which is the core of the introduced double-adaptive technique. The capability of the proposed method of finding multiple solutions is illustrated by a computational example which consists in restoring all feasible Young modulus distributions minimizing an objective functional in a 3D domain of a photo polymer template obtained during step and flash imprint lithography.

Mixed gradient-Tikhonov methods for solving nonlinear ill-posed problems in Banach spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Margotti, Fábio

2016-01-01

Tikhonov regularization is a very useful and widely used method for finding stable solutions of ill-posed problems. A good choice of the penalization functional as well as a careful selection of the topologies of the involved spaces is fundamental to the quality of the reconstructions. These choices can be combined with some a priori information about the solution in order to preserve desired characteristics like sparsity constraints for example. To prove convergence and stability properties of this method, one usually has to assume that a minimizer of the Tikhonov functional is known. In practical situations however, the exact computation of a minimizer is very difficult and even finding an approximation can be a very challenging and expensive task if the involved spaces have poor convexity or smoothness properties. In this paper we propose a method to attenuate this gap between theory and practice, applying a gradient-like method to a Tikhonov functional in order to approximate a minimizer. Using only available information, we explicitly calculate a maximal step-size which ensures a monotonically decreasing error. The resulting algorithm performs only finitely many steps and terminates using the discrepancy principle. In particular the knowledge of a minimizer or even its existence does not need to be assumed. Under standard assumptions, we prove convergence and stability results in relatively general Banach spaces, and subsequently, test its performance numerically, reconstructing conductivities with sparsely located inclusions and different kinds of noise in the 2D electrical impedance tomography. (paper)

Bayesian inversion of refraction seismic traveltime data

Science.gov (United States)

Ryberg, T.; Haberland, Ch

2018-03-01

We apply a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) formalism to the inversion of refraction seismic, traveltime data sets to derive 2-D velocity models below linear arrays (i.e. profiles) of sources and seismic receivers. Typical refraction data sets, especially when using the far-offset observations, are known as having experimental geometries which are very poor, highly ill-posed and far from being ideal. As a consequence, the structural resolution quickly degrades with depth. Conventional inversion techniques, based on regularization, potentially suffer from the choice of appropriate inversion parameters (i.e. number and distribution of cells, starting velocity models, damping and smoothing constraints, data noise level, etc.) and only local model space exploration. McMC techniques are used for exhaustive sampling of the model space without the need of prior knowledge (or assumptions) of inversion parameters, resulting in a large number of models fitting the observations. Statistical analysis of these models allows to derive an average (reference) solution and its standard deviation, thus providing uncertainty estimates of the inversion result. The highly non-linear character of the inversion problem, mainly caused by the experiment geometry, does not allow to derive a reference solution and error map by a simply averaging procedure. We present a modified averaging technique, which excludes parts of the prior distribution in the posterior values due to poor ray coverage, thus providing reliable estimates of inversion model properties even in those parts of the models. The model is discretized by a set of Voronoi polygons (with constant slowness cells) or a triangulated mesh (with interpolation within the triangles). Forward traveltime calculations are performed by a fast, finite-difference-based eikonal solver. The method is applied to a data set from a refraction seismic survey from Northern Namibia and compared to conventional tomography. An inversion test

Revision of clinical case definitions: influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection

Science.gov (United States)

Qasmieh, Saba; Mounts, Anthony Wayne; Alexander, Burmaa; Besselaar, Terry; Briand, Sylvie; Brown, Caroline; Clark, Seth; Dueger, Erica; Gross, Diane; Hauge, Siri; Hirve, Siddhivinayak; Jorgensen, Pernille; Katz, Mark A; Mafi, Ali; Malik, Mamunur; McCarron, Margaret; Meerhoff, Tamara; Mori, Yuichiro; Mott, Joshua; Olivera, Maria Teresa da Costa; Ortiz, Justin R; Palekar, Rakhee; Rebelo-de-Andrade, Helena; Soetens, Loes; Yahaya, Ali Ahmed; Zhang, Wenqing; Vandemaele, Katelijn

2018-01-01

Abstract The formulation of accurate clinical case definitions is an integral part of an effective process of public health surveillance. Although such definitions should, ideally, be based on a standardized and fixed collection of defining criteria, they often require revision to reflect new knowledge of the condition involved and improvements in diagnostic testing. Optimal case definitions also need to have a balance of sensitivity and specificity that reflects their intended use. After the 2009–2010 H1N1 influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a technical consultation on global influenza surveillance. This prompted improvements in the sensitivity and specificity of the case definition for influenza – i.e. a respiratory disease that lacks uniquely defining symptomology. The revision process not only modified the definition of influenza-like illness, to include a simplified list of the criteria shown to be most predictive of influenza infection, but also clarified the language used for the definition, to enhance interpretability. To capture severe cases of influenza that required hospitalization, a new case definition was also developed for severe acute respiratory infection in all age groups. The new definitions have been found to capture more cases without compromising specificity. Despite the challenge still posed in the clinical separation of influenza from other respiratory infections, the global use of the new WHO case definitions should help determine global trends in the characteristics and transmission of influenza viruses and the associated disease burden. PMID:29403115

Boneless Pose Editing and Animation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bærentzen, Jakob Andreas; Hansen, Kristian Evers; Erleben, Kenny

2007-01-01

In this paper, we propose a pose editing and animation method for triangulated surfaces based on a user controlled partitioning of the model into deformable parts and rigid parts which are denoted handles. In our pose editing system, the user can sculpt a set of poses simply by transforming...... the handles for each pose. Using Laplacian editing, the deformable parts are deformed to match the handles. In our animation system the user can constrain one or several handles in order to define a new pose. New poses are interpolated from the examples poses, by solving a small non-linear optimization...... problem in order to obtain the interpolation weights. While the system can be used simply for building poses, it is also an animation system. The user can specify a path for a given constraint and the model is animated correspondingly....

Factors affecting smoking cessation efforts of people with severe mental illness: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rae, Jennifer; Pettey, Donna; Aubry, Tim; Stol, Jacqueline

2015-01-01

People with severe mental illness are much more likely to smoke than are members of the general population. Smoking cessation interventions that combine counseling and medication have been shown to be moderately effective, but quit rates remain low and little is known about the experiences of people with severe mental illness in smoking cessation interventions. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a qualitative study to investigate factors that help or hinder the smoking cessation efforts of people with severe mental illness. We recruited 16 people with severe mental illness who had participated in a clinical trial of two different smoking cessation interventions, one involving nicotine replacement therapy only and the other nicotine replacement therapy combined with motivational interviewing and a peer support group. We conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with participants, who ranged in age from 20 to 56 years old, were equally distributed by gender (eight men and eight women), and were predominantly Caucasian (n = 13, 81%). Primary mental illness diagnoses included schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder (n = 6, 38%), depression (n = 5, 31%), bipolar disorder (n = 4, 25%), and anxiety disorder (n = 1, 6%). At entry into the clinical trial, participants smoked an average of 22.6 cigarettes per day (SD = 13.0). RESULTS indicated that people with mental illness have a diverse range of experiences in the same smoking cessation intervention. Smoking cessation experiences were influenced by factors related to the intervention itself (such as presence of smoking cessation aids, group supports, and emphasis on individual choice and needs), as well as individual factors (such as mental health, physical health, and substance use), and social-environmental factors (such as difficult life events and social relationships). An improved understanding of the smoking cessation experiences of people with severe mental illness can inform the delivery of

How does illness severity influence depression, health satisfaction and life satisfaction in patients with cardiovascular disease? The mediating role of illness perception and self-efficacy beliefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Steca, P; Greco, A; Monzani, D; Politi, A; Gestra, R; Ferrari, G; Malfatto, G; Parati, G

2013-01-01

Numerous empirical studies have investigated the relationships between cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and patients' psychological well-being, with a focus almost exclusively on its dark side. Very little is known on the impact of illness severity on both negative and positive indicators of patients' well-being, as well as on the psychosocial variables that may mediate this association. Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of illness severity on depression as well as on health satisfaction and life satisfaction of patients undergoing a cardiovascular rehabilitation. It also aimed at testing the mediation of illness perception and self-efficacy beliefs in managing cardiac risk factors. The study involved 172 patients (mean age = 66.43 years; SD = 9.99 years; 76.2% men). Illness severity was measured in terms of left ventricular ejection fraction at discharge from the cardiology department, whereas all psychological dimensions were assessed one week later. Results showed significant relationships among illness severity, depression and health satisfaction that were fully mediated by illness perception and self-efficacy beliefs, but not significant relation between disease severity and life satisfaction (χ2 (1) = 2.30, p = n.s.). Overall, findings underline the importance of working on illness perception and self-efficacy beliefs to contrast depression and to improve health and life satisfaction in patients with CVD.

Ill-posedness in modeling mixed sediment river morphodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Chavarrías, Víctor; Stecca, Guglielmo; Blom, Astrid

2018-04-01

In this paper we analyze the Hirano active layer model used in mixed sediment river morphodynamics concerning its ill-posedness. Ill-posedness causes the solution to be unstable to short-wave perturbations. This implies that the solution presents spurious oscillations, the amplitude of which depends on the domain discretization. Ill-posedness not only produces physically unrealistic results but may also cause failure of numerical simulations. By considering a two-fraction sediment mixture we obtain analytical expressions for the mathematical characterization of the model. Using these we show that the ill-posed domain is larger than what was found in previous analyses, not only comprising cases of bed degradation into a substrate finer than the active layer but also in aggradational cases. Furthermore, by analyzing a three-fraction model we observe ill-posedness under conditions of bed degradation into a coarse substrate. We observe that oscillations in the numerical solution of ill-posed simulations grow until the model becomes well-posed, as the spurious mixing of the active layer sediment and substrate sediment acts as a regularization mechanism. Finally we conduct an eigenstructure analysis of a simplified vertically continuous model for mixed sediment for which we show that ill-posedness occurs in a wider range of conditions than the active layer model.

Tsunami waveform inversion by numerical finite-elements Green’s functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Piatanesi

2001-01-01

Full Text Available During the last few years, the steady increase in the quantity and quality of the data concerning tsunamis has led to an increasing interest in the inversion problem for tsunami data. This work addresses the usually ill-posed problem of the hydrodynamical inversion of tsunami tide-gage records to infer the initial sea perturbation. We use an inversion method for which the data space consists of a given number of waveforms and the model parameter space is represented by the values of the initial water elevation field at a given number of points. The forward model, i.e. the calculation of the synthetic tide-gage records from an initial water elevation field, is based on the linear shallow water equations and is simply solved by applying the appropriate Green’s functions to the known initial state. The inversion of tide-gage records to determine the initial state results in the least square inversion of a rectangular system of linear equations. When the inversions are unconstrained, we found that in order to attain good results, the dimension of the data space has to be much larger than that of the model space parameter. We also show that a large number of waveforms is not sufficient to ensure a good inversion if the corresponding stations do not have a good azimuthal coverage with respect to source directivity. To improve the inversions we use the available a priori information on the source, generally coming from the inversion of seismological data. In this paper we show how to implement very common information about a tsunamigenic seismic source, i.e. the earthquake source region, as a set of spatial constraints. The results are very satisfactory, since even a rough localisation of the source enables us to invert correctly the initial elevation field.

Lowering Cardiovascular Disease Risk for People with Severe Mental Illnesses in Primary Care: A Focus Group Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Alexandra; Osborn, David; Atkins, Lou; Michie, Susan; Gray, Ben; Stevenson, Fiona; Gilbert, Hazel; Walters, Kate

2015-01-01

People with severe mental illnesses die early from cardiovascular disease. Evidence is lacking regarding effective primary care based interventions to tackle this problem. To identify current procedures for, barriers to, and facilitators of the delivery of primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk for people with severe mental illnesses. 75 GPs, practice nurses, service users, community mental health staff and carers in UK GP practice or community mental health settings were interviewed in 14 focus groups which were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using Framework Analysis. Five barriers to delivering primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses were identified by the groups: negative perceptions of people with severe mental illnesses amongst some health professionals, difficulties accessing GP and community-based services, difficulties in managing a healthy lifestyle, not attending appointments, and a lack of awareness of increased cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses by some health professionals. Identified facilitators included involving supportive others, improving patient engagement with services, continuity of care, providing positive feedback in consultations and goal setting. We identified a range of factors which can be incorporated in to the design, delivery and evaluation of services to reduce cardiovascular risk for people with severe mental illnesses in primary care. The next step is determining the clinical and cost effectiveness of primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses, and evaluating the most important components of such interventions.

Coping strategies of caregivers towards aggressive behaviors of persons with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Madathumkovilakath, Neethu Bhaskaran; Kizhakkeppattu, Sindhu; Thekekunnath, Saleem; Kazhungil, Firoz

2018-04-24

Aggression is one of the chief determinants of caregiver burden in severe mental illnesses. Clinical and treatment implications of aggression in mental illness are predominantly studied in perspectives of mental health care professionals. Coping style of caregivers towards aggression of persons with mental illness is understudied. So we studied coping strategies used by caregivers of patients with severe mental illness towards aggressive behaviors of patients and relationship between aggressive behavior and coping strategies. We assessed two hundreds and seventy caregivers of patients with severe mental illness attending outpatient psychiatry department using Modified Overt Aggression Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale - revised. 95.6% of the caregivers perceived verbal aggression followed by aggression against property (67%), auto aggression (33.7%) and physical aggression (25.6%). The study revealed that adaptive coping strategies - planful problem solving and seeking social support were used by 40% each of caregivers to deal with aggressive behavior. Only 4.4% of caregivers resorted to escape avoidance which is maladaptive coping strategy. Though adaptive strategies were used by caregivers these were not used in appropriate situations. Physical aggression and aggression against property were not significantly associated with planful problem solving (r = 0.105; p = 0.08 and r = 0.110; p = 0.07 respectively). But verbal aggression, aggression against property and physical aggression were associated with escape avoidance (r = 0.152; p = 0.01 and r = 0.168; p = 0.01 and r = 0.23; p = mental illness is maladaptive with respect to aggression. Coping skills training would play a major role to address this issue. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Incremental projection approach of regularization for inverse problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souopgui, Innocent, E-mail: innocent.souopgui@usm.edu [The University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Marine Science (United States); Ngodock, Hans E., E-mail: hans.ngodock@nrlssc.navy.mil [Naval Research Laboratory (United States); Vidard, Arthur, E-mail: arthur.vidard@imag.fr; Le Dimet, François-Xavier, E-mail: ledimet@imag.fr [Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann (France)

2016-10-15

This paper presents an alternative approach to the regularized least squares solution of ill-posed inverse problems. Instead of solving a minimization problem with an objective function composed of a data term and a regularization term, the regularization information is used to define a projection onto a convex subspace of regularized candidate solutions. The objective function is modified to include the projection of each iterate in the place of the regularization. Numerical experiments based on the problem of motion estimation for geophysical fluid images, show the improvement of the proposed method compared with regularization methods. For the presented test case, the incremental projection method uses 7 times less computation time than the regularization method, to reach the same error target. Moreover, at convergence, the incremental projection is two order of magnitude more accurate than the regularization method.

EXAFS Phase Retrieval Solution Tracking for Complex Multi-Component System: Synthesized Topological Inverse Computation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jay Min; Yang, Dong-Seok; Bunker, Grant B

2013-01-01

Using the FEFF kernel A(k,r), we describe the inverse computation from χ(k)-data to g(r)-solution in terms of a singularity regularization method based on complete Bayesian statistics process. In this work, we topologically decompose the system-matched invariant projection operators into two distinct types, (A + AA + A) and (AA + AA + ), and achieved Synthesized Topological Inversion Computation (STIC), by employing a 12-operator-closed-loop emulator of the symplectic transformation. This leads to a numerically self-consistent solution as the optimal near-singular regularization parameters are sought, dramatically suppressing instability problems connected with finite precision arithmetic in ill-posed systems. By statistically correlating a pair of measured data, it was feasible to compute an optimal EXAFS phase retrieval solution expressed in terms of the complex-valued χ(k), and this approach was successfully used to determine the optimal g(r) for a complex multi-component system.

Interviews with children of persons with a severe mental illness: investigating their everyday situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ostman, Margareta

2008-01-01

Research on children of persons with a severe mental illness focuses predominantly on parents' and others' perceptions. Children of mentally ill parents form a vulnerable group that has not been adequately paid attention to in psychiatric care institutions. Comparatively little is known about the children's recognition of their parents and the everyday situation of these families. The aim of the study was to investigate experiences of their life situation in children 10-18 years of age in a family with a parent with a severe mental illness. Eight children were interviewed concerning their everyday life situation. The interviews were analysed inspired from using thematic analysis. From the analysis of the material emerged aspects concerning the following themes: need for conversation, love for their family, maturity, experience of fear and blame, feelings of loneliness, responsibility and associated stigma. This study highlights the situation experienced by children of severely mentally ill persons who also are parents. The study may be found to be a basis for inspiring structured interventions and treatments programmes including children of the adult patients seeking psychiatric treatment.

Beyond Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Symptom Severity: Stress Management Skills are Related to Lower Illness Burden.

Science.gov (United States)

Lattie, Emily G; Antoni, Michael H; Fletcher, Mary Ann; Czaja, Sara; Perdomo, Dolores; Sala, Andreina; Nair, Sankaran; Fu, Shih Hua; Penedo, Frank J; Klimas, Nancy

2013-01-01

The onset of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) typically involves reductions in activities of daily living and social interactions (jointly referred to as "illness burden"). Emotional distress has been linked to increased reported symptoms, and stress management skills have been related to lower fatigue severity in CFS patients. Symptom severity and illness burden are highly correlated. The ability to manage stress may attenuate this relationship, allowing individuals to feel less burdened by the illness independent of the severity of their symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate if perceived stress management skills affect illness burden via emotional distress, independent of ME/CFS symptom severity. A total of 117 adults with ME/CFS completed measures of perceived stress management skills, emotional distress, ME/CFS symptom severity and illness burden. Regression analyses revealed that greater perceived stress management skills related to less social and fatigue-related illness burden, via lower emotional distress. This relationship existed independent of the association of symptom severity on illness burden, and was stronger among those not currently employed. Ability to manage stress is associated with a lower illness burden for individuals with ME/CFS. Future studies should evaluate the efficacy of psychosocial interventions in lowering illness burden by targeting stress management skills.

Lowering Cardiovascular Disease Risk for People with Severe Mental Illnesses in Primary Care: A Focus Group Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Burton

Full Text Available People with severe mental illnesses die early from cardiovascular disease. Evidence is lacking regarding effective primary care based interventions to tackle this problem.To identify current procedures for, barriers to, and facilitators of the delivery of primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk for people with severe mental illnesses.75 GPs, practice nurses, service users, community mental health staff and carers in UK GP practice or community mental health settings were interviewed in 14 focus groups which were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using Framework Analysis.Five barriers to delivering primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses were identified by the groups: negative perceptions of people with severe mental illnesses amongst some health professionals, difficulties accessing GP and community-based services, difficulties in managing a healthy lifestyle, not attending appointments, and a lack of awareness of increased cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses by some health professionals. Identified facilitators included involving supportive others, improving patient engagement with services, continuity of care, providing positive feedback in consultations and goal setting.We identified a range of factors which can be incorporated in to the design, delivery and evaluation of services to reduce cardiovascular risk for people with severe mental illnesses in primary care. The next step is determining the clinical and cost effectiveness of primary care based interventions for lowering cardiovascular risk in people with severe mental illnesses, and evaluating the most important components of such interventions.

Management Issues in Critically Ill Pediatric Patients with Trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Omar Z; Burd, Randall S

2017-10-01

The management of critically ill pediatric patients with trauma poses many challenges because of the infrequency and diversity of severe injuries and a paucity of high-level evidence to guide care for these uncommon events. This article discusses recent recommendations for early resuscitation and blood component therapy for hypovolemic pediatric patients with trauma. It also highlights the specific types of injuries that lead to severe injury in children and presents challenges related to their management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Low levels of physical activity in patients with severe mental illness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyboe, Lene; Lund, H

2013-01-01

Background: Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and Type 2 diabetes, both being highly prevalent in patients with severe mental illness. Though physical activity has become an important issue in psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation in the past decade......, systematic evaluations of physical activity level in psychiatric populations could be more disseminated. Aim: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the physical activity level of psychiatric patients in comparison with healthy controls. Methods: Patients with severe mental illness (n =47......) and a group of healthy controls (n =28) matched on sex and age reported their physical activity level using the Physical Activity Scale (PAS). PAS was administered as an interview in relation to patients and as a questionnaire in relation to healthy controls. Results: Patients had statistically significant...

Warhead verification as inverse problem: Applications of neutron spectrum unfolding from organic-scintillator measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Chris C.; Febbraro, Michael; Flaska, Marek; Pozzi, Sara A.; Becchetti, F. D.

2016-08-01

Verification of future warhead-dismantlement treaties will require detection of certain warhead attributes without the disclosure of sensitive design information, and this presents an unusual measurement challenge. Neutron spectroscopy—commonly eschewed as an ill-posed inverse problem—may hold special advantages for warhead verification by virtue of its insensitivity to certain neutron-source parameters like plutonium isotopics. In this article, we investigate the usefulness of unfolded neutron spectra obtained from organic-scintillator data for verifying a particular treaty-relevant warhead attribute: the presence of high-explosive and neutron-reflecting materials. Toward this end, several improvements on current unfolding capabilities are demonstrated: deuterated detectors are shown to have superior response-matrix condition to that of standard hydrogen-base scintintillators; a novel data-discretization scheme is proposed which removes important detector nonlinearities; and a technique is described for re-parameterizing the unfolding problem in order to constrain the parameter space of solutions sought, sidestepping the inverse problem altogether. These improvements are demonstrated with trial measurements and verified using accelerator-based time-of-flight calculation of reference spectra. Then, a demonstration is presented in which the elemental compositions of low-Z neutron-attenuating materials are estimated to within 10%. These techniques could have direct application in verifying the presence of high-explosive materials in a neutron-emitting test item, as well as other for treaty verification challenges.

Calibrating corneal material model parameters using only inflation data: an ill-posed problem

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Kok, S

2014-08-01

Full Text Available is to perform numerical modelling using the finite element method, for which a calibrated material model is required. These material models are typically calibrated using experimental inflation data by solving an inverse problem. In the inverse problem...

The relationship between quality of life and physical fitness in people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Cruzado, D; Cuesta-Vargas, A I; Vera-Garcia, E; Mayoral-Cleries, F

2018-05-02

Quality of life of people with severe mental illness may be decrease by the high occurrence of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Physical fitness emerges as a modifying factor in this population through physical activity and this modification could influence in the quality of life of this population. The aim of the present study is to determine the contribution of physical fitness to the quality of life of people with severe mental illness. In the current study, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist assessed 62 people with severe mental illness. Physical fitness was measured with a range of 11 fitness tests that covered flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. To assess quality of life the EQ-5D-3 L scale was used, which measures five dimensions (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain-discomfort, and anxiety-depression). Significant correlations are presented between the quality of life and primary variables of physical fitness (balance, endurance, and upper limb strength). Endurance explained 22.9% of the variance of the quality of life in people with severe mental illness. Functional reach added another 36.2% variance to the prediction of quality of life. The results of the present study suggest that some variables of physical fitness are associated with quality of life in people with severe mental illness. The improvement in physical fitness of this population should be a primary objective. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02413164 "retrospective registered" Registered Febr 2017.

Giving voice to study volunteers: comparing views of mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy protocol participants on ethical aspects of clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Laura Weiss; Kim, Jane Paik

2014-09-01

Ethical controversy surrounds clinical research involving seriously ill participants. While many stakeholders have opinions, the extent to which protocol volunteers themselves see human research as ethically acceptable has not been documented. To address this gap of knowledge, authors sought to assess views of healthy and ill clinical research volunteers regarding the ethical acceptability of human studies involving individuals who are ill or are potentially vulnerable. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to query clinical research protocol participants and a comparison group of healthy individuals. A total of 179 respondents participated in this study: 150 in protocols (60 mentally ill, 43 physically ill, and 47 healthy clinical research protocol participants) and 29 healthy individuals not enrolled in protocols. Main outcome measures included responses regarding ethical acceptability of clinical research when it presents significant burdens and risks, involves people with serious mental and physical illness, or enrolls people with other potential vulnerabilities in the research situation. Respondents expressed decreasing levels of acceptance of participation in research that posed burdens of increasing severity. Participation in protocols with possibly life-threatening consequences was perceived as least acceptable (mean = 1.82, sd = 1.29). Research on serious illnesses, including HIV, cancer, schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, was seen as ethically acceptable across respondent groups (range of means = [4.0, 4.7]). Mentally ill volunteers expressed levels of ethical acceptability for physical illness research and mental illness research as acceptable and similar, while physically ill volunteers expressed greater ethical acceptability for physical illness research than for mental illness research. Mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy participants expressed neutral to favorable perspectives regarding the ethical

Definition of the form of coal spontaneous combustion source as the inverse problem of geoelectrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sirota Dmitry

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper reviews the method of determining the shape and size of the coal self-heating source on coal pit benches and in coal piles during mining of coal by the open method. The method is based on the regularity found in the 1970s of the previous century and related to the distribution of potential of the natural electrical field arising from the temperature in the vicinity of the center of self-heating. The problem is reduced to the solution of inverse ill-posed problem of mathematical physics. The study presents the developed algorithm of its solution and the results of numerical simulation.

Clinical Profile and Predictors of Severe Illness in young South ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. Most childhood deaths occur within the first 2 months of life. Simple symptoms and signs that reliably indicate the presence of severe illness that would warrant urgent hospital management are of major public health importance. Objectives. To describe the disease profile of sick young infants aged 0 - 59 days ...

Development of an e-supported illness management and recovery programme for consumers with severe mental illness using intervention mapping, and design of an early cluster randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Beentjes, Titus A A; van Gaal, Betsie G I; Goossens, Peter J J; Schoonhoven, Lisette

2016-01-19

E-mental health is a promising medium to keep mental health affordable and accessible. For consumers with severe mental illness the evidence of the effectiveness of e-health is limited. A number of difficulties and barriers have to be addressed concerning e-health for consumers with severe mental illness. One possible solution might be to blend e-health with face-to-face delivery of a recovery-oriented treatment, like the Illness Management & Recovery (IMR) programme. This paper describes the development of an e-health application for the IMR programme and the design of an early clustered randomized controlled trial. We developed the e-IMR intervention according to the six-step protocol of Intervention Mapping. Consumers joined the development group to address important and relevant issues for the target group. Decisions during the six-step development process were based on qualitative evaluations of the Illness Management & Recovery programme, structured interviews, discussion in the development group, and literature reviews on qualitative papers concerning consumers with severe mental illness, theoretical models, behavioural change techniques, and telemedicine for consumers with severe mental illness. The aim of the e-IMR intervention is to help consumers with severe mental illness to involve others, manage achieving goals, and prevent relapse. The e-IMR intervention consists of face-to-face delivery of the Illness Management & Recovery programme and an e-health application containing peer-testimonials on videos, follow up on goals and coping strategies, monitoring symptoms, solving problems, and communication opportunities. We designed an early cluster randomized controlled trial that will evaluate the e-IMR intervention. In the control condition the Illness Management & Recovery programme is provided. The main effect-study parameters are: illness management, recovery, psychiatric symptoms severity, self-management, quality of life, and general health. The

Racial Disparities in Mental Health Outcomes after Psychiatric Hospital Discharge among Individuals with Severe Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Eack, Shaun M.; Newhill, Christina E.

2012-01-01

Racial disparities in mental health outcomes have been widely documented in noninstitutionalized community psychiatric samples, but few studies have specifically examined the effects of race among individuals with the most severe mental illnesses. A sample of 925 individuals hospitalized for severe mental illness was followed for a year after…

Assimilating data into open ocean tidal models

Science.gov (United States)

Kivman, Gennady A.

The problem of deriving tidal fields from observations by reason of incompleteness and imperfectness of every data set practically available has an infinitely large number of allowable solutions fitting the data within measurement errors and hence can be treated as ill-posed. Therefore, interpolating the data always relies on some a priori assumptions concerning the tides, which provide a rule of sampling or, in other words, a regularization of the ill-posed problem. Data assimilation procedures used in large scale tide modeling are viewed in a common mathematical framework as such regularizations. It is shown that they all (basis functions expansion, parameter estimation, nudging, objective analysis, general inversion, and extended general inversion), including those (objective analysis and general inversion) originally formulated in stochastic terms, may be considered as utilizations of one of the three general methods suggested by the theory of ill-posed problems. The problem of grid refinement critical for inverse methods and nudging is discussed.

The economic impact of the insured patients with severe chronic and acute illnesses: a qualitative approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Budi Aji

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Little research has focused on the economic hardship among the insured with severe illnesses and high treatment costs, in particular, the consequence of poorer insurance coverage for high-cost illnesses. Therefore, we presented the case for identifying the experiences of insured patients with severe chronic and acute illnesses. This study identified a qualitative understanding of the economic impact of severe chronic and acute illnesses and household strategies to deal with high treatment costs. Design: Interviews were conducted with 19 insured households of three different health insurance programs with a family member that had been hospitalized for severe chronic or acute illnesses in either Banyumas or Margono Sukarjo hospitals in Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia. A thematic analysis was applied to guide the interpretation of the data. Results: Insured households with a family member that had been hospitalized for severe chronic and acute illnesses were greatly affected by the high treatment costs. Four major issues emerged from this qualitative study: insured patients are still burdened with high out-of-pocket payments, households adopt various strategies to cope with the high cost of treatments, households experience financial hardships, and positive and negative perceptions of the insured regarding their health insurance coverage for acute and chronic illnesses. Conclusions: Askes and Jamsostek patients faced financial burdens from high cost sharing for hospital amenities, non-covered drugs, and treatments and other indirect costs. Meanwhile, Jamkesmas beneficiaries faced no financial burden for related medical services but were rather burdened with indirect costs for the carers. Households relied on internal resources to cover hospital bills as the first strategy, which included the mobilization of savings, sale of assets, and borrowing of money. External support was tapped secondarily and included financial support from

Severe Mental Illness and Clinical Outcome After Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Lars; Terkelsen, Christian J; Christiansen, Evald H

2017-01-01

The mechanisms behind the increased mortality in patients with acute myocardial infarction and co-existing severe mental illness (SMI) compared with non-SMI patients remain unclear. We studied 12,102 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary percutaneous coronary...

Limited interface between physiotherapy primary care and people with severe mental illness: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Samantha; Waters, Flavie; Briffa, Kathy; Fary, Robyn E

2017-07-01

How do mental health professionals perceive the role of physiotherapists in the care of people with severe and persistent mental illness, and what factors do they perceive as influencing access to physiotherapy services? How do people with severe and persistent mental illness understand the potential role of physiotherapy in their healthcare, and what factors do they perceive as influencing access to physiotherapy services? Qualitative study. Twenty-four mental health professionals and 35 people with severe and persistent mental illness. Interview schedules were developed to explore participants' understanding of physiotherapy, as well as barriers and enablers to service access. Focus groups and interviews were conducted for each group of participants. Transcripts were analysed using an inductive approach to derive key themes. Both the mental health professionals and the people with severe and persistent mental illness expressed a limited understanding of the role and relevance of physiotherapy for physical health in mental healthcare. Common barriers to service access were cost, transport and lack of motivation. Likewise, enablers of reduced cost, provision of transport and education about physiotherapy to improve their understanding were identified. The health system structure and perceived lack of mental health knowledge by physiotherapists influenced referrals from mental health professionals. Consequently, education in mental health for physiotherapists and integration of the service within mental health were identified as potential enablers to physiotherapy access. Limited understanding about physiotherapy and its relevance to physical health in mental healthcare among mental health professionals and people with severe and persistent mental illness was found to be a key factor influencing service access. Limited physiotherapy presence and advocacy within mental health were also highlighted. There is a need for greater understanding about physiotherapy among

Web-Based Cognitive Remediation Improves Supported Employment Outcomes in Severe Mental Illness: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Anthony Wf; Kosic, Tanya; Xu, Jean; Walker, Chris; Gye, William; Redoblado Hodge, Antoinette

2017-09-20

Finding work is a top priority for most people; however, this goal remains out of reach for the majority of individuals with a severe mental illness (SMI) who remain on benefits or are unemployed. Supported employment (SE) programs aimed at returning people with a severe mental illness to work are successful; however, they still leave a significant number of people with severe mental illness unemployed. Cognitive deficits are commonly found in SMI and are a powerful predictor of poor outcome. Fortunately, these deficits are amenable to treatment with cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) that significantly improves cognition in SMI. CRT combined with SE significantly increases the likelihood of individuals with severe mental illness obtaining and staying in work. However, the availability of CRT is limited in many settings. The aim of this study was to examine whether Web-based CRT combined with a SE program can improve the rate return to work of people with severe mental illness. A total of 86 people with severe mental illness (mean age 39.6 years; male: n=55) who were unemployed and who had joined a SE program were randomized to either a Web-based CRT program (CogRem) or an Internet-based control condition (WebInfo). Primary outcome measured was hours worked over 6 months post treatment. At 6 months, those participants randomized to CogRem had worked significantly more hours (P=.01) and had earned significantly more money (P=.03) than those participants randomized to the WebInfo control condition. No change was observed in cognition. This study corroborates other work that has found a synergistic effect of combining CRT with a SE program and extends this to the use of Web-based CRT. The lack of any improvement in cognition obscures the mechanism by which an improved wage outcome for participants randomized to the active treatment was achieved. However, the study substantially lowers the barrier to the deployment of CRT with other psychosocial interventions for

Assertive community treatment for elderly people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Stobbe, Jolanda; Mulder, Niels C L; Roosenschoon, Bert-Jan; Depla, Marja; Kroon, Hans

2010-10-19

Adults aged 65 and older with severe mental illnesses are a growing segment of the Dutch population. Some of them have a range of serious problems and are also difficult to engage. While assertive community treatment is a common model for treating difficult to engage severe mental illnesses patients, no special form of it is available for the elderly. A special assertive community treatment team for the elderly is developed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and tested for its effectiveness. We will use a randomized controlled trial design to compare the effects of assertive community treatment for the elderly with those of care as usual. Primary outcome measures will be the number of dropouts, the number of patients engaged in care and patient's psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, and social functioning. Secondary outcome measures are the number of unmet needs, the subjective quality of life and patients' satisfaction. Other secondary outcomes include the number of crisis contacts, rates of voluntary and involuntary admission, and length of stay. Inclusion criteria are aged 65 plus, the presence of a mental disorder, a lack of motivation for treatment and at least four suspected problems with functioning (addiction, somatic problems, daily living activities, housing etc.). If patients meet the inclusion criteria, they will be randomly allocated to either assertive community treatment for the elderly or care as usual. Trained assessors will use mainly observational instruments at the following time points: at baseline, after 9 and 18 months. This study will help establish whether assertive community treatment for the elderly produces better results than care as usual in elderly people with severe mental illnesses who are difficult to engage. When assertive community treatment for the elderly proves valuable in these respects, it can be tested and implemented more widely, and mechanisms for its effects investigated. The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR1620.

Sharp spatially constrained inversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vignoli, Giulio G.; Fiandaca, Gianluca G.; Christiansen, Anders Vest C A.V.C.

2013-01-01

We present sharp reconstruction of multi-layer models using a spatially constrained inversion with minimum gradient support regularization. In particular, its application to airborne electromagnetic data is discussed. Airborne surveys produce extremely large datasets, traditionally inverted...... by using smoothly varying 1D models. Smoothness is a result of the regularization constraints applied to address the inversion ill-posedness. The standard Occam-type regularized multi-layer inversion produces results where boundaries between layers are smeared. The sharp regularization overcomes...... inversions are compared against classical smooth results and available boreholes. With the focusing approach, the obtained blocky results agree with the underlying geology and allow for easier interpretation by the end-user....

Naturally Occurring Peer Support through Social Media: The Experiences of Individuals with Severe Mental Illness Using YouTube

Science.gov (United States)

Naslund, John A.; Grande, Stuart W.; Aschbrenner, Kelly A.; Elwyn, Glyn

2014-01-01

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in online ethnography. We analyzed n = 3,044 comments posted to 19 videos uploaded by individuals who self-identified as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. We found peer support across four themes: minimizing a sense of isolation and providing hope; finding support through peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and learning from shared experiences of medication use and seeking mental health care. These broad themes are consistent with accepted notions of peer support in severe mental illness as a voluntary process aimed at inclusion and mutual advancement through shared experience and developing a sense of community. Our data suggest that the lack of anonymity and associated risks of being identified as an individual with severe mental illness on YouTube seem to be overlooked by those who posted comments or uploaded videos. Whether or not this platform can provide benefits for a wider community of individuals with severe mental illness remains uncertain. PMID:25333470

Naturally occurring peer support through social media: the experiences of individuals with severe mental illness using YouTube.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John A Naslund

Full Text Available Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in online ethnography. We analyzed n = 3,044 comments posted to 19 videos uploaded by individuals who self-identified as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. We found peer support across four themes: minimizing a sense of isolation and providing hope; finding support through peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and learning from shared experiences of medication use and seeking mental health care. These broad themes are consistent with accepted notions of peer support in severe mental illness as a voluntary process aimed at inclusion and mutual advancement through shared experience and developing a sense of community. Our data suggest that the lack of anonymity and associated risks of being identified as an individual with severe mental illness on YouTube seem to be overlooked by those who posted comments or uploaded videos. Whether or not this platform can provide benefits for a wider community of individuals with severe mental illness remains uncertain.

Naturally occurring peer support through social media: the experiences of individuals with severe mental illness using YouTube.

Science.gov (United States)

Naslund, John A; Grande, Stuart W; Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Elwyn, Glyn

2014-01-01

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer support. Peer support includes a system of mutual giving and receiving where individuals with severe mental illness can offer hope, companionship, and encouragement to others facing similar challenges. In this study we explore the phenomenon of individuals with severe mental illness uploading videos to YouTube, and posting and responding to comments as a form of naturally occurring peer support. We also consider the potential risks and benefits of self-disclosure and interacting with others on YouTube. To address these questions, we used qualitative inquiry informed by emerging techniques in online ethnography. We analyzed n = 3,044 comments posted to 19 videos uploaded by individuals who self-identified as having schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. We found peer support across four themes: minimizing a sense of isolation and providing hope; finding support through peer exchange and reciprocity; sharing strategies for coping with day-to-day challenges of severe mental illness; and learning from shared experiences of medication use and seeking mental health care. These broad themes are consistent with accepted notions of peer support in severe mental illness as a voluntary process aimed at inclusion and mutual advancement through shared experience and developing a sense of community. Our data suggest that the lack of anonymity and associated risks of being identified as an individual with severe mental illness on YouTube seem to be overlooked by those who posted comments or uploaded videos. Whether or not this platform can provide benefits for a wider community of individuals with severe mental illness remains uncertain.

Physical fitness and levels of physical activity in people with severe mental illness: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Cruzado, David; Cuesta-Vargas, Antonio I; Vera-Garcia, Elisa; Mayoral-Cleries, Fermín

2017-01-01

Physical fitness is a crucial variable in people with severe mental illness as these people could be more independent and improve their job opportunities. The present study compared the physical fitness of physically active and inactive people with severe mental illness. Physical fitness was evaluated in sixty-two people with severe mental illness using 11 physical tests that include strength, flexibility, balance and aerobic condition. Significant differences were found between both groups in muscle strength (handgrip test) and balance (single leg balance test and functional reach) with better performance in the group of physically active people. The results of the present study suggest that physical fitness (strength and balance) is higher in people with severe mental illness who practise regular physical activity that those who are inactive people. Physical active people may have a reduced risk of falls and fractures due to their higher levels of physical fitness.

Recovery and severe mental illness: The role of romantic relationships, intimacy, and sexuality.

Science.gov (United States)

Boucher, Marie-Eve; Groleau, Danielle; Whitley, Rob

2016-06-01

The overall aim of this article is to examine the self-defined role of romantic relationships, intimacy and sexuality in recovery from severe mental illness. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 35 people with severe mental illness, accompanied by participant observation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The vast majority of participants considered a supportive relationship that was emotionally or sexually intimate to be a key facilitator and indicator of recovery. However, only a small minority of participants were actually in such a relationship. Participants reported numerous barriers to forming and maintaining such relationships such as financial strain and enduring stigma against people with mental illness. Addressing relational and intimate needs have not been a focus of traditional psychiatric services. As such, some form of "supported dating" within the field of psychosocial rehabilitation may be an essential development to foster an oft-overlooked but important aspect of recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Long-term mortality of persons with severe mental illness and diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ribe, Anette Riisgaard; Laursen, T M; Sandbaek, A

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Persons with severe mental illness (SMI) have excess mortality, which may partly be explained by their high prevalence of diabetes. METHOD: We compared the overall and cause-specific mortality in persons with SMI and diabetes with that of the general Danish population between 1997...

Homesick: residential and care patterns in patients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Mooij, Liselotte D.; Kikkert, Martijn; Lommerse, Nick M.; Theunissen, Jan; de Koning, Mariken B.; de Haan, Lieuwe; Beekman, Aartjan T. F.; Duurkoop, Pim W. R. A.; Dekker, Jack J. M.

2016-01-01

Changes in the residential and care settings of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) are a concern because of the large variety of possible negative consequences. This study describes patterns of changes in the residential and care settings of SMI patients and explores associations between

Parenting with success and satisfaction among parents with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ende, P.C.; Venderink, Marrie; van Busschbach, J.T.

2010-01-01

Always a complex and demanding task, parenthood can be an extra challenge when parents have severe mental illness. Clients with children may experience extra stress, feelings of uncertainty, and a lack of energy. They may have difficulty in talking about their disabilities with their children.

Occupational therapy interventions in the treatment of people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Höhl, Werner; Moll, Sandra; Pfeiffer, Andreas

2017-07-01

Life expectancy of people with severe mental illness is considerably shortened and their risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disorders is increased. They spend more time in solitary and less time in structured activities than the general population.Engagement in healthy patterns of activity, including active, meaningful participation in the community can, therefore, be critical to recovery from severe mental illness. Occupational therapy is a profession that focuses on time use, activity patterns and occupational engagement, and the links to health and well-being. In this study, we review research evidence regarding approaches to occupational engagement, including behavioural activation, time use, and activity promotion. We also will review studies that specifically evaluate the impact of occupational therapy interventions. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the value of interventions addressing occupational engagement of individuals with severe mental illness, including a range of activation strategies and approaches. There is a need, however, for documentation of theoretically informed approaches that are supported by fidelity measures to ensure standardization. Larger-scale studies are needed, including consistent outcome measures to document engagement and changes in activity patterns as well as health-related outcomes. High-quality randomized clinical trials are important to establish effectiveness. As occupational therapy interventions are complex and embedded within a range of multidisciplinary approaches, new models of pragmatic trials within the naturalistic context of psychiatric rehabilitation are also needed.

Wavelet-sparsity based regularization over time in the inverse problem of electrocardiography.

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Cluitmans, Matthijs J M; Karel, Joël M H; Bonizzi, Pietro; Volders, Paul G A; Westra, Ronald L; Peeters, Ralf L M

2013-01-01

Noninvasive, detailed assessment of electrical cardiac activity at the level of the heart surface has the potential to revolutionize diagnostics and therapy of cardiac pathologies. Due to the requirement of noninvasiveness, body-surface potentials are measured and have to be projected back to the heart surface, yielding an ill-posed inverse problem. Ill-posedness ensures that there are non-unique solutions to this problem, resulting in a problem of choice. In the current paper, it is proposed to restrict this choice by requiring that the time series of reconstructed heart-surface potentials is sparse in the wavelet domain. A local search technique is introduced that pursues a sparse solution, using an orthogonal wavelet transform. Epicardial potentials reconstructed from this method are compared to those from existing methods, and validated with actual intracardiac recordings. The new technique improves the reconstructions in terms of smoothness and recovers physiologically meaningful details. Additionally, reconstruction of activation timing seems to be improved when pursuing sparsity of the reconstructed signals in the wavelet domain.

Diagnostic dilemma of pulmonary tuberculosis among adults with severe mental illness in Beijing, China.

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Wang, Li; Zhang, Zhiguo; Yan, Qiuli; Lu, Jie; Gao, Baoyin; Zhao, Yanlin; Pang, Yu

2017-01-18

Although the prevalence of tuberculosis has decreased significantly over the past decades, the certain populations with mental illness are at increased risk for tuberculosis infection and transmission. However, no studies have examined the performance of different laboratory examination methods among people with severe mental illness in China. In this study, we firstly performed a retrospective study to evaluate the feasibility of three routine laboratory methods, including sputum microscopy, solid culture and GeneXpert, to diagnose tuberculosis patients with mental illness. During August 2010 and March 2013, a total of 251 TB patients based on clinical and radiographic criteria with severe mental illness were enrolled in this study. The majority of patients was homeless (97/251, 38.6%), and the other 62 (24.7%) and 92 (36.7%) were from urban and rural region, respectively. The most frequently diagnosed mental illness was schizophrenia, accounting for 84.1% (211/251) of patients available for analysis. In addition, the laboratory received 753 sputum samples collected from these 251 TB patients, of which 76.0% (572/753) of samples were classified as salivary sputum, which were unqualified for microscopy and culture. When the test results were analyzed by patients, the positive numbers of TB patients detected by sputum microscopy, solid culture and GeneXpert were 3 (1.2%), 5 (2.0%) and 5 (2.0%), respectively. In conclusion, our findings reveal that the current laboratory examinations based on sputum samples seem not to be suitable for the diagnosis of active TB in the persons with severe mental illness. The products using a non-invasive specimen such as urine deserve further evaluation, which may generate benefit for the early diagnosis of TB in this special population.

Sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandor, Abdullah; Kaltenthaler, Eva; Higgins, Agnes; Lorimer, Karen; Smith, Shubulade; Wylie, Kevan; Wong, Ruth

2015-02-12

Despite variability in sexual activity among people with severe mental illness, high-risk sexual behavior (e.g. unprotected intercourse, multiple partners, sex trade and illicit drug use) is common. Sexual health risk reduction interventions (such as educational and behavioral interventions, motivational exercises, counselling and service delivery), developed and implemented for people with severe mental illness, may improve participants' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs behaviors or practices (including assertiveness skills) and could lead to a reduction in risky sexual behavior. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness. Thirteen electronic databases (including MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO) were searched to August 2014, and supplemented by hand-searching relevant articles and contacting experts. All controlled trials (randomized or non-randomized) comparing the effectiveness of sexual health risk reduction interventions with usual care for individuals living in the community with severe mental illness were included. Outcomes included a range of biological, behavioral and proxy endpoints. Narrative synthesis was used to combine the evidence. Thirteen controlled trials (all from the USA) were included. Although there was no clear and consistent evidence that interventions reduce the total number of sex partners or improved behavioral intentions in sexual risk behavior, positive effects were generally observed in condom use, condom protected intercourse and on measures of HIV knowledge, attitudes to condom use and sexual behaviors and practices. However, the robustness of these findings is low due to the large between study variability, small sample sizes and low-to-moderate quality of included studies. There is insufficient evidence at present to fully support or reject the identified sexual health risk reduction interventions for people with severe mental illness. Given the

Estimating the number of adults with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex, multi-agency needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Whiteford, Harvey; Buckingham, Bill; Harris, Meredith; Diminic, Sandra; Stockings, Emily; Degenhardt, Louisa

2017-08-01

A population health approach to mental health service planning requires estimates that align interventions with the needs of people with mental illness. The primary objective was to estimate the number of people in Australia living with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex, multi-agency needs. The secondary objective was to describe the possible service needs of individuals with severe mental illness. We disaggregated the estimated 12-month prevalence of adults with severe mental illness into needs-based sub-groups, using multiple data sources. Possible service needs of 1825 adults with psychotic disorders and 334 adults with severe past-year affective and/or anxiety disorders were described using data from the 2010 Survey of High Impact Psychosis and 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, respectively. Using best available data, we estimated that 3.3% of adults experience a severe mental illness each year, of whom one-third (1.1% of adults) experience a persistent mental illness that requires ongoing services to address residual disability. Among those with severe and persistent mental illness, one-third of adults (0.4% or 59,000 adults in 2015) have complex needs requiring multi-agency support to maximise their health, housing, social participation and personal functioning. Survey of High Impact Psychosis data indicated that among adults with psychotic disorders, use of accommodation (40%), non-government (30%) services and receipt of income support (85%) services were common, as were possible needs for support with socialising, personal care and employment. National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing data indicated that among individuals with severe affective and anxiety disorders, receipt of income support (37%) was common (information on accommodation and non-government support services was not available), as were possible needs for financial management and employment support. Agreed indicators of complex, multi-agency needs

Modular Regularization Algorithms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Michael

2004-01-01

The class of linear ill-posed problems is introduced along with a range of standard numerical tools and basic concepts from linear algebra, statistics and optimization. Known algorithms for solving linear inverse ill-posed problems are analyzed to determine how they can be decomposed into indepen...

Rank deficiency and Tikhonov regularization in the inverse problem for gravitational-wave bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rakhmanov, M

2006-01-01

Coherent techniques for searches of gravitational-wave bursts effectively combine data from several detectors, taking into account differences in their responses. The efforts are now focused on the maximum likelihood principle as the most natural way to combine data, which can also be used without prior knowledge of the signal. Recent studies however have shown that straightforward application of the maximum likelihood method to gravitational waves with unknown waveforms can lead to inconsistencies and unphysical results such as discontinuity in the residual functional, or divergence of the variance of the estimated waveforms for some locations in the sky. So far the solutions to these problems have been based on rather different physical arguments. Following these investigations, we now find that all these inconsistencies stem from the rank deficiency of the underlying network response matrix. In this paper we show that the detection of gravitational-wave bursts with a network of interferometers belongs to the category of ill-posed problems. We then apply the method of Tikhonov regularization to resolve the rank deficiency and introduce a minimal regulator which yields a well-conditioned solution to the inverse problem for all locations on the sky

Impact of Disease Severity, Illness Beliefs, and Coping Strategies on Outcomes in Psoriatic Arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Howells, Laura; Chisholm, Anna; Cotterill, Sarah; Chinoy, Hector; Warren, Richard B; Bundy, Christine

2018-02-01

Little is known about how people with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) cope with and manage their condition, but data show that psychological problems are underrecognized and undertreated. The Common Sense Self-Regulatory Model (CS-SRM) suggests illness beliefs, mediated by coping, may influence health outcomes. The study aimed to investigate the roles of disease severity, illness beliefs, and coping strategies in predicting depression, anxiety, and quality of life (QoL) in people with PsA. Additionally, we aimed to assess the role of depression and anxiety in predicting QoL. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study, where adults with PsA (n = 179) completed validated measures of predictor (illness beliefs, coping strategies, disease severity) and outcome variables (depression, anxiety, QoL) using an online survey distributed via social media. The participants were a community sample of 179 adults with PsA, ages 20 to 72 years (77.1% female). After controlling for disease severity, hierarchical multiple regression models indicated that more negative beliefs about consequences and behavioral disengagement as a coping method predicted levels of depression, and self-blame predicted anxiety. Beliefs about consequences and the presence of depression predicted quality of life scores after controlling for disease severity. This study offers support for the use of the CS-SRM in explaining variation on psychological outcomes in individuals with PsA. The illness beliefs and coping strategies identified as predictors in this article are potential targets for interventions addressing PsA-related distress and QoL. © 2017, American College of Rheumatology.

Factor structure of the autonomy preference index in people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonfils, Kelsey A; Adams, Erin L; Mueser, Kim T; Wright-Berryman, Jennifer L; Salyers, Michelle P

2015-08-30

People vary in the amount of control they want to exercise over decisions about their healthcare. Given the importance of patient-centered care, accurate measurement of these autonomy preferences is critical. This study aimed to assess the factor structure of the Autonomy Preference Index (API), used widely in general healthcare, in individuals with severe mental illness. Data came from two studies of people with severe mental illness (N=293) who were receiving mental health and/or primary care/integrated care services. Autonomy preferences were assessed with the API regarding both psychiatric and primary care services. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate fit of the hypothesized two-factor structure of the API (decision-making autonomy and information-seeking autonomy). Results indicated the hypothesized structure for the API did not adequately fit the data for either psychiatric or primary care services. Three problematic items were dropped, resulting in adequate fit for both types of treatment. These results suggest that with relatively minor modifications the API has an acceptable factor structure when asking people with severe mental illness about their preferences to be involved in decision-making. The modified API has clinical and research utility for this population in the burgeoning field of autonomy in patient-centered healthcare. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Strategies for source space limitation in tomographic inverse procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George, J.S.; Lewis, P.S.; Schlitt, H.A.; Kaplan, L.; Gorodnitsky, I.; Wood, C.C.

1994-01-01

The use of magnetic recordings for localization of neural activity requires the solution of an ill-posed inverse problem: i.e. the determination of the spatial configuration, orientation, and timecourse of the currents that give rise to a particular observed field distribution. In its general form, this inverse problem has no unique solution; due to superposition and the existence of silent source configurations, a particular magnetic field distribution at the head surface could be produced by any number of possible source configurations. However, by making assumptions concerning the number and properties of neural sources, it is possible to use numerical minimization techniques to determine the source model parameters that best account for the experimental observations while satisfying numerical or physical criteria. In this paper the authors describe progress on the development and validation of inverse procedures that produce distributed estimates of neuronal currents. The goal is to produce a temporal sequence of 3-D tomographic reconstructions of the spatial patterns of neural activation. Such approaches have a number of advantages, in principle. Because they do not require estimates of model order and parameter values (beyond specification of the source space), they minimize the influence of investigator decisions and are suitable for automated analyses. These techniques also allow localization of sources that are not point-like; experimental studies of cognitive processes and of spontaneous brain activity are likely to require distributed source models

Enterovirus genotypes among patients with severe acute respiratory illness, influenza-like illness, and asymptomatic individuals in South Africa, 2012-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellferscee, Orienka; Tempia, Stefano; Walaza, Sibongile; Variava, Ebrahim; Dawood, Halima; Wolter, Nicole; Madhi, Shabir A; du Plessis, Mignon; Cohen, Cheryl; Treurnicht, Florette K

2017-10-01

Enteroviruses can cause outbreaks of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and EV-A, -B, -C, and -D species have different pathogenic profiles and circulation patterns. We aimed to characterize and determine the prevalence of enterovirus genotypes among South African patients with respiratory illness and controls during June 2012 to July 2014. Syndromic SARI and influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance was performed at two sentinel sites. At each site nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens were collected from SARI and ILI patients as well as controls. Specimens were tested for enterovirus by real-time PCR. Positive specimens were further genotyped by sequencing a region of the VP1 gene. The prevalence of enterovirus was 5.8% (87/1494), 3.4% (103/3079), and 3.4% (46/1367) among SARI, ILI, and controls, respectively (SARI/controls, P = 0.002 and ILI/control, P = 0.973). Among the 101/236 (42.8%) enterovirus-positive specimens that could be genotyped, we observed a high diversity of circulating enterovirus genotypes (a total of 33 genotypes) from all four human enterovirus species with high prevalence of Enterovirus-B (60.4%; 61/101) and Enterovirus-A (21.8%; 22/101) compared to Enterovirus-C (10.9%; 11/101) and Enterovirus-D (6.9%; 7/101) (P = 0.477). Of the enterovirus genotypes identified, Echovirus 30 (9.9%, 10/101), Coxsackie virus B5 (7.9%, 8/101) and Enterovirus-D68 (6.9%, 7/101) were most prevalent. There was no difference in disease severity (SARI or ILI compared to controls) between the different enterovirus species (P = 0.167). We observed a high number of enterovirus genotypes in patients with respiratory illness and in controls from South Africa with no disease association of EV species with disease severity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Walking a mile in their shoes... Symbolic interactionism for families living with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, J

1997-06-01

1. With deinstitutionalization and changes in legal rights of patients, care of patients with severe mental illness has shifted from a hospital-based to a community-centered system. 2. Families often serve as an extension of the mental health system, providing important case management functions such as assessment, monitoring, crisis management, and advocacy. 3. Symbolic interactionism provides a framework for understanding the role of meaning in individual and family responses to the disruption of life that results from severe mental illness.

Assertive community treatment for elderly people with severe mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mulder Niels CL

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Adults aged 65 and older with severe mental illnesses are a growing segment of the Dutch population. Some of them have a range of serious problems and are also difficult to engage. While assertive community treatment is a common model for treating difficult to engage severe mental illnesses patients, no special form of it is available for the elderly. A special assertive community treatment team for the elderly is developed in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and tested for its effectiveness. Methods We will use a randomized controlled trial design to compare the effects of assertive community treatment for the elderly with those of care as usual. Primary outcome measures will be the number of dropouts, the number of patients engaged in care and patient's psychiatric symptoms, somatic symptoms, and social functioning. Secondary outcome measures are the number of unmet needs, the subjective quality of life and patients' satisfaction. Other secondary outcomes include the number of crisis contacts, rates of voluntary and involuntary admission, and length of stay. Inclusion criteria are aged 65 plus, the presence of a mental disorder, a lack of motivation for treatment and at least four suspected problems with functioning (addiction, somatic problems, daily living activities, housing etc.. If patients meet the inclusion criteria, they will be randomly allocated to either assertive community treatment for the elderly or care as usual. Trained assessors will use mainly observational instruments at the following time points: at baseline, after 9 and 18 months. Discussion This study will help establish whether assertive community treatment for the elderly produces better results than care as usual in elderly people with severe mental illnesses who are difficult to engage. When assertive community treatment for the elderly proves valuable in these respects, it can be tested and implemented more widely, and mechanisms for its effects

Physical Activity in Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: Client versus Case Manager Ratings

Science.gov (United States)

Bezyak, Jill L.; Chan, Fong; Lee, Eun-Jeong; Catalano, Denise; Chiu, Chung-Yi

2012-01-01

The "Physical Activity Scale for Individuals With Physical Disabilities" was examined as a physical activity measure for people with severe mental illness. Case manager ratings were more closely related to body mass index than clients' ratings, challenging the accuracy of self-report physical activity measures for individuals with severe mental…

Crisis intervention for people with severe mental illnesses.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Suzanne M; Irving, Claire B; Adams, Clive E; Waqar, Muhammad

2015-12-03

A particularly difficult challenge for community treatment of people with serious mental illnesses is the delivery of an acceptable level of care during the acute phases of severe mental illness. Crisis-intervention models of care were developed as a possible solution. To review the effects of crisis-intervention models for anyone with serious mental illness experiencing an acute episode compared to the standard care they would normally receive. If possible, to compare the effects of mobile crisis teams visiting patients' homes with crisis units based in home-like residential houses. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials. There is no language, time, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records in the register. This search was undertaken in 1998 and then updated 2003, 2006, 2010 and September 29, 2014. We included all randomised controlled trials of crisis-intervention models versus standard care for people with severe mental illnesses that met our inclusion criteria. We independently extracted data from these trials and we estimated risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assessed risk of bias for included studies and used GRADE to create a 'Summary of findings' table. The update search September 2014 found no further new studies for inclusion, the number of studies included in this review remains eight with a total of 1144 participants. Our main outcomes of interest are hospital use, global state, mental state, quality of life, participant satisfaction and family burden. With the exception of mental state, it was not possible to pool data for these outcomes.Crisis intervention may reduce repeat admissions to hospital (excluding index admissions) at six months (1 RCT, n = 369, RR 0.75 CI 0.50 to 1.13, high quality evidence), but does appear to reduce family burden (at six months: 1 RCT, n = 120, RR 0.34 CI 0.20 to 0.59, low quality evidence), improve

Reflections of Adults on Their School Experiences Growing up with a Severely Mentally Ill Parent

Science.gov (United States)

Leahy, Marie A.

2013-01-01

More than five million children in the United States have a parent suffering from a severe mental illness and these children have specific experiences and needs, particularly in school. Children of mentally ill parents are at greater risk of being neglected and of developing psychological, social, emotional, and behavioral problems. They often…

Illness perceptions and stress: mediators between disease severity and psychological well-being and quality of life among patients with Crohn's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Maochen; Hong, Liwen; Zhang, Tianyu; Lin, Yun; Zheng, Sichang; Zhou, Xiaolin; Fan, Rong; Wang, Zhengting; Zhang, Chenli; Zhong, Jie

2016-01-01

Disease severity, illness perceptions, coping strategies, stress, psychological well-being, and quality of life were reported to have close relationships. According to the Common Sense Model, illness perceptions and coping strategies could mediate the relationship between illness stimuli and illness outcomes such as psychological health and quality of life. Stress was also associated with the individual's disease severity, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The study aimed to explore the influencing factors of illness outcomes, and to what extent illness perceptions, coping strategies, and stress mediate the relationship between disease severity and anxiety, and depression and quality of life. Our study included 159 patients with Crohn's disease who were attending a tertiary hospital outpatient clinic or who were hospitalized. Disease severity was measured with the Crohn's Disease Activity Index. Illness perceptions were measured with the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire. Coping strategies were measured with the Carver Brief Coping Questionnaire. Stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Disease severity, illness perceptions, maladaptive coping, stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life were significantly correlated with each other among patients with Crohn's disease. Using structural equation modeling to describe the inner relationship of the aforementioned variables, an excellent-fitted model was drawn. ( χ 2 [10]=13.83, P =0.18, χ 2 /N=1.38, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] 0.97, comparative fit index [CFI] >0.99). Disease severity had a direct influence on illness perceptions. Illness perceptions had a direct influence on stress. Both illness perceptions and stress had direct influences on anxiety, depression, and quality of life, while

Content and implementation of clinical decisions in the routine care of people with severe mental illness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Konrad, Jana; Loos, Sabine; Neumann, Petra

2015-01-01

with severe mental illness across Europe over a measurement period of one year. METHODS: Self-ratings of the HA by 588 people with severe mental illness who participated in a multicentre European study (CEDAR; ISRCTN75841675) were examined using latent class analysis. RESULTS: Four main patterns of alliance...... of life. CONCLUSIONS: Results support findings from psychotherapy research about a predominantly stable course of the helping alliance in patients with severe mental illness over time. Implications for research and practice indicate to turn the attention to subgroups with noticeable courses.......PURPOSE: The helping alliance (HA) between patient and therapist has been studied in detail in psychotherapy research, but less is known about the HA in long-term community mental health care. The aim of this study was to identify typical courses of the HA and their predictors in a sample of people...

Identification of the material properties of Al 2024 alloy by means of inverse analysis and indentation tests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moy, Charles K.S. [School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); Bocciarelli, Massimiliano, E-mail: massimiliano.bocciarelli@polimi.it [Department of Structural Engineering, Technical University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano), 20133 Milan (Italy); Ringer, Simon P. [Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); Ranzi, Gianluca [School of Civil Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia); ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006 (Australia)

2011-11-25

Highlights: {yields} Identification of mechanical properties by indentation test and inverse analysis. {yields} Pile-up height is also considered as experimental information. {yields} Inverse problem results to be well posed also in the case of mystical materials. {yields} 2024 Al alloy samples prepared using different age-hardening treatments are studied. - Abstract: This paper outlines an inverse analysis approach aimed at the identification of the mechanical properties of metallic materials based on the experimental results obtained from indentation tests. Previous work has shown the ill-posed nature of the inverse problem based on the load-penetration curve when dealing with mystical materials, which exhibit identical indentation curves even if possessing different yield and strain-hardening properties. For this reason, an additional measurement is used in the present study as input for the inverse analysis which consists of the maximum pile-up height measured after the indentation test. This approach lends itself for practical applications as the load-penetration curve can be easily obtained from commonly available micro-indenters while the pile-up present at the end of the test can be measured by different instruments depending on the size of the indented area, for example by means of an atomic force microscope or a laser profilometer. The inverse analysis procedure consists of a batch deterministic approach, and conventional optimization algorithms are employed for the minimization of the discrepancy norm. The first part of the paper outlines how the inclusion of both the maximum height of the pile-up and the indentation curve in the input data of the inverse analysis leads to a well-defined inverse problem using parameters of mystical materials. The approach is then applied to real experimental data obtained from three sets of 2024 Al alloy samples prepared using different age-hardening treatments. The accuracy of the identification process is validated

Identification of the material properties of Al 2024 alloy by means of inverse analysis and indentation tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moy, Charles K.S.; Bocciarelli, Massimiliano; Ringer, Simon P.; Ranzi, Gianluca

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Identification of mechanical properties by indentation test and inverse analysis. → Pile-up height is also considered as experimental information. → Inverse problem results to be well posed also in the case of mystical materials. → 2024 Al alloy samples prepared using different age-hardening treatments are studied. - Abstract: This paper outlines an inverse analysis approach aimed at the identification of the mechanical properties of metallic materials based on the experimental results obtained from indentation tests. Previous work has shown the ill-posed nature of the inverse problem based on the load-penetration curve when dealing with mystical materials, which exhibit identical indentation curves even if possessing different yield and strain-hardening properties. For this reason, an additional measurement is used in the present study as input for the inverse analysis which consists of the maximum pile-up height measured after the indentation test. This approach lends itself for practical applications as the load-penetration curve can be easily obtained from commonly available micro-indenters while the pile-up present at the end of the test can be measured by different instruments depending on the size of the indented area, for example by means of an atomic force microscope or a laser profilometer. The inverse analysis procedure consists of a batch deterministic approach, and conventional optimization algorithms are employed for the minimization of the discrepancy norm. The first part of the paper outlines how the inclusion of both the maximum height of the pile-up and the indentation curve in the input data of the inverse analysis leads to a well-defined inverse problem using parameters of mystical materials. The approach is then applied to real experimental data obtained from three sets of 2024 Al alloy samples prepared using different age-hardening treatments. The accuracy of the identification process is validated against the mechanical

An Overview of Cognitive Remediation Therapy for People with Severe Mental Illness

OpenAIRE

Cherrie Galletly; Ashlee Rigby

2013-01-01

Cognitive remediation refers to nonpharmacological methods of improving cognitive function in people with severe mental disorders. Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) can be delivered via computerised programs, of varying length and complexity, or can be undertaken one-on-one by a trained clinician. There has been a considerable interest in cognitive remediation, driven by recognition that cognitive deficits are a major determinant of outcome in people with severe, chronic mental illnesses. C...

FOREWORD: Tackling inverse problems in a Banach space environment: from theory to applications Tackling inverse problems in a Banach space environment: from theory to applications

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Thomas; Hofmann, Bernd; Kaltenbacher, Barbara

2012-10-01

space framework. Systems of linear or nonlinear operators can be efficiently treated by cyclic iterations, thus several variants of gradient and Newton-type Kaczmarz methods have already been studied in the Hilbert space setting. Antonio Leitão and M Marques Alves in their paper On Landweber---Kaczmarz methods for regularizing systems of ill-posed equations in Banach spaces carry out an extension to Banach spaces for the fundamental Landweber version. The impact of perturbations in the evaluation of the forward operator and its derivative on the convergence behaviour of regularization methods is a practically and highly relevant issue. It is treated in the paper Convergence rates analysis of Tikhonov regularization for nonlinear ill-posed problems with noisy operators by Shuai Lu and Jens Flemming for variational regularization of nonlinear problems in Banach spaces. In The approximate inverse in action: IV. Semi-discrete equations in a Banach space setting, Thomas Schuster, Andreas Rieder and Frank Schöpfer extend the concept of approximate inverse to the practically and highly relevant situation of finitely many measurements and a general smooth and convex Banach space as preimage space. They devise two approaches for computing the reconstruction kernels required in the method and provide convergence and regularization results. Frank Werner and Thorsten Hohage in Convergence rates in expectation for Tikhonov-type regularization of inverse problems with Poisson data prove convergence rates results for variational regularization with general convex regularization term and the Kullback-Leibler distance as data fidelity term by combining a new result on Poisson distributed data with a deterministic rates analysis. Finally, we would like to thank the Inverse Problems team, especially Joanna Evangelides and Chris Wileman, for their extraordinary smooth and productive cooperation, as well as Alfred K Louis for his kind support of our initiative.

Diagnostic dilemma of pulmonary tuberculosis among adults with severe mental illness in Beijing, China

OpenAIRE

Wang, Li; Zhang, Zhiguo; Yan, Qiuli; Lu, Jie; Gao, Baoyin; Zhao, Yanlin; Pang, Yu

2017-01-01

Background Although the prevalence of tuberculosis has decreased significantly over the past decades, the certain populations with mental illness are at increased risk for tuberculosis infection and transmission. However, no studies have examined the performance of different laboratory examination methods among people with severe mental illness in China. Methods In this study, we firstly performed a retrospective study to evaluate the feasibility of three routine laboratory methods, including...

Improved solution for ill-posed linear systems using a constrained optimization ruled by a penalty: evaluation in nuclear medicine tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walrand, Stephan; Jamar, François; Pauwels, Stanislas

2009-01-01

Ill-posed linear systems occur in many different fields. A class of regularization methods, called constrained optimization, aims to determine the extremum of a penalty function whilst constraining an objective function to a likely value. We propose here a novel heuristic way to screen the local extrema satisfying the discrepancy principle. A modified version of the Landweber algorithm is used for the iteration process. After finding a local extremum, a bound is performed to the 'farthest' estimate in the data space still satisfying the discrepancy principle. Afterwards, the modified Landweber algorithm is again applied to find a new local extremum. This bound-iteration process is repeated until a satisfying solution is reached. For evaluation in nuclear medicine tomography, a novel penalty function that preserves the edge steps in the reconstructed solution was evaluated on Monte Carlo simulations and using real SPECT acquisitions as well. Surprisingly, the first bound always provided a significantly better solution in a wide range of statistics

[Collaborative somatic care for patients with severe mental illness].

Science.gov (United States)

van Hasselt, Fenneke M; Oud, Marian J T; Loonen, Anton J M

2015-01-01

Patients with severe mental illness have an accumulation of risk factors for physical diseases like cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus and COPD. These patients receive suboptimal care in the Netherlands. A major barrier to optimal care is the lack of collaboration between mental health professionals and general practitioners. An improvement could be made if all medical professionals actively supported these high-risk patients in taking adequate care of their health needs. This improvement can only be made if general practitioners and mental health professionals collaborate in a timely and structured manner.

Motivation for Psychiatric Treatment in Outpatients with Severe Mental Illness : Different Perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

E.C. Jochems (Eline)

2016-01-01

textabstractThe main aim of the current thesis was to empirically test and compare three current theoretical models of motivation for treatment in the context of outpatient psychiatric care for patients with severe mental illness (SMI). In a literature review (Chapter 2), we argued that

Physical illness in patients with severe mental disorders. I. Prevalence, impact of medications and disparities in health care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Hert, Marc; Correll, Christoph U.; Bobes, Julio; Cetkovich-Bakmas, Marcelo; Cohen, Dan; Asai, Itsuo; Detraux, Johan; Gautam, Shiv; Moeller, Hans-Jurgen; Ndetei, David M.; Newcomer, John W.; Uwakwe, Richard; Leucht, Stefan

The lifespan of people with severe mental illness (SMI) is shorter compared to the general population. This excess mortality is mainly due to physical illness. We report prevalence rates of different physical illnesses as well as important individual lifestyle choices, side effects of psychotropic

A Computationally Efficient Tool for Assessing the Depth Resolution in Potential-Field Inversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paoletti, V.; Hansen, Per Christian; Hansen, Mads Friis

In potential-field inversion problems, it can be dicult to obtain reliable information about the source distribution with respect to depth. Moreover, spatial resolution of the reconstructions decreases with depth, and in fact the more ill-posed the problem - and the more noisy the data - the less...... reliable the depth information. Based on earlier work using the singular value decomposition, we introduce a tool ApproxDRP which uses approximations of the singular vectors obtained by the iterative Lanczos bidiagonalization algorithm, making it well suited for large-scale problems. This tool allows...... successfully show the limitations of depth resolution resulting from noise in the data. This allows a reliable analysis of the retrievable depth information and effectively guides the user in choosing the optimal number of iterations, for a given problem....

Assigning uncertainties in the inversion of NMR relaxation data.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Robert L; Song, Yi-Qaio

2005-06-01

Recovering the relaxation-time density function (or distribution) from NMR decay records requires inverting a Laplace transform based on noisy data, an ill-posed inverse problem. An important objective in the face of the consequent ambiguity in the solutions is to establish what reliable information is contained in the measurements. To this end we describe how upper and lower bounds on linear functionals of the density function, and ratios of linear functionals, can be calculated using optimization theory. Those bounded quantities cover most of those commonly used in the geophysical NMR, such as porosity, T(2) log-mean, and bound fluid volume fraction, and include averages over any finite interval of the density function itself. In the theory presented statistical considerations enter to account for the presence of significant noise in the signal, but not in a prior characterization of density models. Our characterization of the uncertainties is conservative and informative; it will have wide application in geophysical NMR and elsewhere.

Rates of Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women With Severe Mental Illness in the Public Health System.

Science.gov (United States)

James, Monique; Thomas, Melanie; Frolov, Latoya; Riano, Nicholas S; Vittinghoff, Eric; Schillinger, Dean; Newcomer, John W; Mangurian, Christina

2017-08-01

This study aimed to determine cervical cancer screening rates among women with severe mental illness. California Medicaid administrative records (2010-2011) for 31,308 women with severe mental illness were examined. Participants received specialty mental health services and were not dually eligible for Medicare. Poisson models assessed association between selected predictors and cervical cancer screening. Overall, 20.2% of women with severe mental illness received cervical cancer screening during the one-year period. Compared with white women, Asian women (adjusted risk ratio [ARR]=1.23), black women (ARR=1.10), and Hispanic women (ARR=1.11) (pWomen ages 28-37 were more likely than those ages 18-27 to have been screened (ARR=1.31, phealth care use was the strongest predictor of screening (ARR=3.07, pwomen in the sample were not regularly screened for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer screening for this high-risk population should be prioritized.

Enterovirus genotypes among patients with severe acute respiratory illness, influenza-like illness, and asymptomatic individuals in South Africa, 2012–2014

Science.gov (United States)

Hellferscee, Orienka; Tempia, Stefano; Walaza, Sibongile; Variava, Ebrahim; Dawood, Halima; Wolter, Nicole; Madhi, Shabir A.; du Plessis, Mignon; Cohen, Cheryl; Treurnicht, Florette K.

2017-01-01

Enteroviruses can cause outbreaks of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and EV-A, -B, -C, and -D species have different pathogenic profiles and circulation patterns. We aimed to characterize and determine the prevalence of enterovirus genotypes among South African patients with respiratory illness and controls during June 2012 to July 2014. Syndromic SARI and influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance was performed at two sentinel sites. At each site nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal specimens were collected from SARI and ILI patients as well as controls. Specimens were tested for enterovirus by real-time PCR. Positive specimenswere further genotyped by sequencing a region of theVP1 gene. The prevalence of enterovirus was 5.8% (87/1494), 3.4% (103/3079), and 3.4% (46/1367) among SARI, ILI, and controls, respectively (SARI/controls, P=0.002 and ILI/control, P = 0.973). Among the 101/236 (42.8%) enterovirus-positive specimens that could be genotyped, we observed a high diversity of circulating enterovirus genotypes (a total of 33 genotypes) from all four human enterovirus species with high prevalence of Enterovirus-B (60.4%; 61/101) and Enterovirus-A (21.8%; 22/101) compared to Enterovirus-C (10.9%; 11/101) and Enterovirus-D (6.9%; 7/101) (P = 0.477). Of the enterovirus genotypes identified, Echovirus 30 (9.9%, 10/101), Coxsackie virus B5 (7.9%, 8/101) and Enterovirus-D68 (6.9%, 7/101) were most prevalent. There was no difference in disease severity (SARI or ILI compared to controls) between the different enterovirus species (P = 0.167).We observed a high number of enterovirus genotypes in patients with respiratory illness and in controls from South Africa with no disease association of EV species with disease severity. PMID:28574589

Violence by Parents Against Their Children: Reporting of Maltreatment Suspicions, Child Protection, and Risk in Mental Illness.

Science.gov (United States)

McEwan, Miranda; Friedman, Susan Hatters

2016-12-01

Psychiatrists are mandated to report suspicions of child abuse in America. Potential for harm to children should be considered when one is treating parents who are at risk. Although it is the commonly held wisdom that mental illness itself is a major risk factor for child abuse, there are methodologic issues with studies purporting to demonstrate this. Rather, the risk from an individual parent must be considered. Substance abuse and personality disorder pose a separate risk than serious mental illness. Violence risk from mental illness is dynamic, rather than static. When severe mental illness is well-treated, the risk is decreased. However, these families are in need of social support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of health promotion programmes in severe mental illness : theory and practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hasselt, Fenneke M.; Krabbe, Paul F. M.; Postma, Maarten J.; Loonen, Anton J. M.

Health promotion programmes for patients with severe mental illness (HPP) are not uniformly evaluated. We discuss the evaluation of HPP in theory and practice, as a prerequisite for future uniform evaluation. We explored the expected outcome and mechanism of HPP in the current literature. Based on

Metabolic syndrome in patients with severe mental illness in Gorgan

Science.gov (United States)

Kamkar, Mohammad Zaman; Sanagoo, Akram; Zargarani, Fatemeh; Jouybari, Leila; Marjani, Abdoljalal

2016-01-01

Background: Metabolic syndrome is commonly associated with cardiovascular diseases and psychiatric mental illness. Hence, we aimed to assess the metabolic syndrome among severe mental illness (SMI). Materials and Methods: The study included 267 patients who were referred to the psychiatric unit at 5th Azar Education Hospital of Golestan University of Medical Sciences in Gorgan, Iran. Results: The mean waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose levels were significantly higher in the SMI with metabolic syndrome, but the high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol was significantly lower. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in SMI patients was 20.60%. There were significant differences in the mean of waist circumference, systolic (except for women) and diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol and fasting blood glucose in men and women with metabolic syndrome when compared with subjects without metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in SMI women was higher than men. The most age distribution was in range of 30-39 years old. The most prevalence of metabolic syndrome was in age groups 50-59 years old. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was increased from 30 to 59 years old. Conclusion: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with SMI in Gorgan is almost similar to those observed in Asian countries. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was lower than western countries. These observations may be due to cultural differences in the region. It should be mention that the families of mental illness subjects in our country believe that their patients must be cared better than people without mental illness. These findings of this study suggest that mental illness patients are at risk of metabolic syndrome. According to our results, risk factors such as age and gender differences may play an important role in the presence of metabolic syndrome. In our country, women do less

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in physical health management of patients with severe mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gervás-Ríos Alicia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Awareness of the importance of maintaining physical health for patients with severe mental illnesses has recently been on the increase. Although there are several elements contributing to poor physical health among these patients as compared with the general population, risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are of particular significance due to their relationship with mortality and morbidity. These patients present higher vulnerability to cardiovascular risk factors based on several issues, such as genetic predisposition to certain pathologies, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, high proportions of smokers and drug abusers, less access to regular health care services, and potential adverse events during pharmacological treatment. Nevertheless, there is ample scientific evidence supporting the benefits of lifestyle interventions based on diet and exercise designed to minimize and reduce the negative impact of these risk factors on the physical health of patients with severe mental illnesses.

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in physical health management of patients with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Chacón, Fernando; Mora, Fernando; Gervás-Ríos, Alicia; Gilaberte, Inmaculada

2011-09-19

Awareness of the importance of maintaining physical health for patients with severe mental illnesses has recently been on the increase. Although there are several elements contributing to poor physical health among these patients as compared with the general population, risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are of particular significance due to their relationship with mortality and morbidity. These patients present higher vulnerability to cardiovascular risk factors based on several issues, such as genetic predisposition to certain pathologies, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, high proportions of smokers and drug abusers, less access to regular health care services, and potential adverse events during pharmacological treatment. Nevertheless, there is ample scientific evidence supporting the benefits of lifestyle interventions based on diet and exercise designed to minimize and reduce the negative impact of these risk factors on the physical health of patients with severe mental illnesses.

Inverse analysis of non-uniform temperature distributions using multispectral pyrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, Tairan; Duan, Minghao; Tian, Jibin; Shi, Congling

2016-05-01

Optical diagnostics can be used to obtain sub-pixel temperature information in remote sensing. A multispectral pyrometry method was developed using multiple spectral radiation intensities to deduce the temperature area distribution in the measurement region. The method transforms a spot multispectral pyrometer with a fixed field of view into a pyrometer with enhanced spatial resolution that can give sub-pixel temperature information from a "one pixel" measurement region. A temperature area fraction function was defined to represent the spatial temperature distribution in the measurement region. The method is illustrated by simulations of a multispectral pyrometer with a spectral range of 8.0-13.0 μm measuring a non-isothermal region with a temperature range of 500-800 K in the spot pyrometer field of view. The inverse algorithm for the sub-pixel temperature distribution (temperature area fractions) in the "one pixel" verifies this multispectral pyrometry method. The results show that an improved Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is effective for this ill-posed inverse problem with relative errors in the temperature area fractions of (-3%, 3%) for most of the temperatures. The analysis provides a valuable reference for the use of spot multispectral pyrometers for sub-pixel temperature distributions in remote sensing measurements.

Criminal victimisation in people with severe mental illness: a multi-site prevalence and incidence survey in the Netherlands.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Astrid M Kamperman

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Although crime victimisation is as prevalent in psychiatric patients as crime perpetration (and possibly more so, few European figures for it are available. We therefore assessed its one-year prevalence and incident rates in Dutch severely mentally ill outpatients, and compared the results with victimisation rates in the general population. METHOD: This multisite epidemiological survey included a random sample of 956 adult severely mentally ill outpatients. Data on victimisation were obtained using the victimisation scale of the Dutch Crime and Victimisation Survey, which assesses crime victimisation over the preceding 12 months. Comparison data were derived from the nationwide survey on safety and victimisation in the Netherlands. Prevalence and incident rates were weighted for sex, age, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, and compared with a general population sample matched by region (N = 38,227. RESULTS: In the past year, almost half of the severely mentally ill outpatients (47% had been victim of a crime. After control for demographic differences, prevalence rates of overall and specific victimisation measures were significantly higher in severely mentally ill outpatients than in the general population. The relative rates were especially high for personal crimes such as violent threats (RR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.72-2.61, physical assaults (RR = 4.85, 95% CI: 3.69-6.39 and sexual harassment and assaults (RR = 3.94, 95% CI: 3.05-5.09. In concordance, severely mentally ill outpatients reported almost 14 times more personal crime incidents than persons from the general population (IRR = 13.68, 95% CI: 12.85-14.56. CONCLUSION: Crime victimisation is a serious problem in Dutch severely mentally ill outpatients. Mental-healthcare institutions and clinicians should become aware of their patients' victimisation risk, and should implement structural measures to detect and prevent (re-victimisation.

An appraisal of practice guidelines for smoking cessation in people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Ratika; Alla, Kristel; Pfeffer, Daniel; Meurk, Carla; Ford, Pauline; Kisely, Steve; Gartner, Coral

2017-11-01

To review the quality of current smoking cessation guidelines that include recommendations for people with severe mental illness. A systematic search of scientific databases, central government health authority websites, psychiatry peak bodies, guideline clearing houses and Google was undertaken for relevant smoking cessation guidelines. Three reviewers independently assessed guideline quality using the AGREE II (Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation II) instrument. Two reviewers extracted recommendations specific to smokers with severe mental illness. Thirteen guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Seven guidelines scored ⩾60% in at least four domains. Median scores for 'Editorial independence', 'Rigour of development', 'Stakeholder Involvement' and 'Applicability' were less than 60%. The highest median scores were for 'Scope and purpose' (87%, 69-96%) and 'Clarity of presentation' (87%, 56-98%). 'Editorial independence' (33.3%, 0-86%) and 'Rigour of development' (54%, 11-92%) had the lowest median domain scores. The guidelines varied greatly in their recommendations but the majority recommended nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion or varenicline as first-line pharmacotherapy, along with behavioural support. Many guidelines did not adequately report their methods or the competing interests of the authors. Future guidelines development may benefit from more specifically addressing AGREE II criteria and the needs of smokers with severe mental illness.

Closed cervix is associated with more severe illness in dogs with pyometra

OpenAIRE

Jitpean, Supranee; Ambrosen, Aime; Emanuelson, Ulf; Hagman, Ragnvi

2017-01-01

Background Pyometra, a life-threatening bacterial infection of the uterus, is classified as open or closed depending on the functional patency of the cervix i.e. presence or absence of vaginal discharge. In closed cervix pyometra, pus and bacterial products accumulate in the uterus, which is thought to induce a more severe illness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disease severity or outcome differed in dogs with open or closed cervix pyometra. Results Prospectively collected ...

Endocrine emergencies in critically ill patients: Challenges in diagnosis and management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukhminder Jit Singh Bajwa

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Endocrine emergencies pose unique challenges for the attending intensivist while managing critically ill patients. Besides taking care of primary disease state, one has to divert an equal attention to the possible associated endocrinopathies also. One of the common reasons for inability to timely diagnose an endocrinal failure in critically ill patients being the dominance of other severe systemic diseases and their clinical presentation. The timely diagnosis and administration of therapeutic interventions for these endocrine disorders can improve the outcome in critically ill patients. The timely diagnosis and administration of timely therapeutics in common endocrine disorders like severe thyroid disease, acute adrenal insufficiency and diabetic ketoacidosis significantly influence the outcome and prognosis. Careful evaluation of clinical history and a high degree of suspicion are the corner stone to diagnose such problems. Aggressive management of the patient is equally important as the complications are devastating and can prove highly fatal. The present article is an attempt to review some of the common endocrine emergencies in intensive care unit and the challenges associated with their diagnosis and management.

Accounting for uncertain fault geometry in earthquake source inversions - I: theory and simplified application

Science.gov (United States)

Ragon, Théa; Sladen, Anthony; Simons, Mark

2018-05-01

The ill-posed nature of earthquake source estimation derives from several factors including the quality and quantity of available observations and the fidelity of our forward theory. Observational errors are usually accounted for in the inversion process. Epistemic errors, which stem from our simplified description of the forward problem, are rarely dealt with despite their potential to bias the estimate of a source model. In this study, we explore the impact of uncertainties related to the choice of a fault geometry in source inversion problems. The geometry of a fault structure is generally reduced to a set of parameters, such as position, strike and dip, for one or a few planar fault segments. While some of these parameters can be solved for, more often they are fixed to an uncertain value. We propose a practical framework to address this limitation by following a previously implemented method exploring the impact of uncertainties on the elastic properties of our models. We develop a sensitivity analysis to small perturbations of fault dip and position. The uncertainties in fault geometry are included in the inverse problem under the formulation of the misfit covariance matrix that combines both prediction and observation uncertainties. We validate this approach with the simplified case of a fault that extends infinitely along strike, using both Bayesian and optimization formulations of a static inversion. If epistemic errors are ignored, predictions are overconfident in the data and source parameters are not reliably estimated. In contrast, inclusion of uncertainties in fault geometry allows us to infer a robust posterior source model. Epistemic uncertainties can be many orders of magnitude larger than observational errors for great earthquakes (Mw > 8). Not accounting for uncertainties in fault geometry may partly explain observed shallow slip deficits for continental earthquakes. Similarly, ignoring the impact of epistemic errors can also bias estimates of

Validation of a Brief PTSD Scale for Clients with Severe Mental Illnesses

Science.gov (United States)

O'Hare, Thomas; Shen, Ce; Sherrer, Margaret

2012-01-01

Trauma and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are more common in severe mental illnesses (SMI) clients than in the general population, yet brief screens for detecting probable PTSD in SMI clients are nonexistent. In a two-part study, the authors used correlation analysis and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to develop and…

Effects of Severe Mental Illness Education on MSW Student Attitudes about Schizophrenia

Science.gov (United States)

Eack, Shaun M.; Newhill, Christina E.; Watson, Amy C.

2012-01-01

Social work students (N=60) in a master's-level course on severe mental illness participated in a quasi-experimental study examining the degree to which increased knowledge about and contact with individuals with schizophrenia during the course would impact their attitudes toward people with the disorder. Results revealed significant improvement…

An improved silhouette for human pose estimation

Science.gov (United States)

Hawes, Anthony H.; Iftekharuddin, Khan M.

2017-08-01

We propose a novel method for analyzing images that exploits the natural lines of a human poses to find areas where self-occlusion could be present. Errors caused by self-occlusion cause several modern human pose estimation methods to mis-identify body parts, which reduces the performance of most action recognition algorithms. Our method is motivated by the observation that, in several cases, occlusion can be reasoned using only boundary lines of limbs. An intelligent edge detection algorithm based on the above principle could be used to augment the silhouette with information useful for pose estimation algorithms and push forward progress on occlusion handling for human action recognition. The algorithm described is applicable to computer vision scenarios involving 2D images and (appropriated flattened) 3D images.

Erratum to: Courses of helping alliance in the treatment of people with severe mental illness in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Loos, Sabine; Arnold, Katrin; Slade, Mike

2015-01-01

with severe mental illness across Europe over a measurement period of one year. METHODS: Self-ratings of the HA by 588 people with severe mental illness who participated in a multicentre European study (CEDAR; ISRCTN75841675) were examined using latent class analysis. RESULTS: Four main patterns of alliance...... of life. CONCLUSIONS: Results support findings from psychotherapy research about a predominantly stable course of the helping alliance in patients with severe mental illness over time. Implications for research and practice indicate to turn the attention to subgroups with noticeable courses.......PURPOSE: The helping alliance (HA) between patient and therapist has been studied in detail in psychotherapy research, but less is known about the HA in long-term community mental health care. The aim of this study was to identify typical courses of the HA and their predictors in a sample of people...

Patients' perceptions and illness severity at start of antidepressant treatment in general practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Geffen, Erica C.G.; Heerdink, Eiebert R.; Hugtenburg, Jacqueline G.; Siero, Frans W.; Egberts, Antoine C.G.; Van Hulten, Rolf

2010-01-01

Objectives Patients' perceptions are important to consider when trying to understand why patients often do not follow prescriptions for antidepressant treatment. This study aimed to investigate the influence of patients' perceptions and illness severity at the start on antidepressant-medication-

Prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mauritz, M.W.; Goossens, P.J.J.; Draijer, N.; Achterberg, T. van

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with severe mental illness (SMI) are often not recognized in clinical practice. OBJECTIVE: To substantiate the prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with SMI. METHODS: We

Prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mauritz, M.W.; Goossens, P.J.J.; Draijer, N.; van Achterberg, T.

2013-01-01

Background: Interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with severe mental illness (SMI) are often not recognized in clinical practice. Objective: To substantiate the prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with SMI. Methods: We

Smoking cessation in severe mental ill health: what works? an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Peckham, Emily; Brabyn, Sally; Cook, Liz; Tew, Garry; Gilbody, Simon

2017-07-14

People with severe mental ill health are more likely to smoke than those in the general population. It is therefore important that effective smoking cessation strategies are used to help people with severe mental ill health to stop smoking. This study aims to assess the effectiveness and cost -effectiveness of smoking cessation and reduction strategies in adults with severe mental ill health in both inpatient and outpatient settings. This is an update of a previous systematic review. Electronic databases were searched during September 2016 for randomised controlled trials comparing smoking cessation interventions to each other, usual care, or placebo. Data was extracted on biochemically-verified, self-reported smoking cessation (primary outcome), as well as on smoking reduction, body weight, psychiatric symptom, and adverse events (secondary outcomes). We included 26 trials of pharmacological and/or behavioural interventions. Eight trials comparing bupropion to placebo were pooled showing that bupropion improved quit rates significantly in the medium and long term but not the short term (short term RR = 6.42 95% CI 0.82-50.07; medium term RR = 2.93 95% CI 1.61-5.34; long term RR = 3.04 95% CI 1.10-8.42). Five trials comparing varenicline to placebo showed that that the addition of varenicline improved quit rates significantly in the medium term (RR = 4.13 95% CI 1.36-12.53). The results from five trials of specialised smoking cessation programmes were pooled and showed no evidence of benefit in the medium (RR = 1.32 95% CI 0.85-2.06) or long term (RR = 1.33 95% CI 0.85-2.08). There was insufficient data to allowing pooling for all time points for varenicline and trials of specialist smoking cessation programmes. Trials suggest few adverse events although safety data were not always reported. Only one pilot study reported cost effectiveness data. Bupropion and varenicline, which have been shown to be effective in the general population, also work for

Developing a particle tracking surrogate model to improve inversion of ground water - Surface water models

Science.gov (United States)

Cousquer, Yohann; Pryet, Alexandre; Atteia, Olivier; Ferré, Ty P. A.; Delbart, Célestine; Valois, Rémi; Dupuy, Alain

2018-03-01

The inverse problem of groundwater models is often ill-posed and model parameters are likely to be poorly constrained. Identifiability is improved if diverse data types are used for parameter estimation. However, some models, including detailed solute transport models, are further limited by prohibitive computation times. This often precludes the use of concentration data for parameter estimation, even if those data are available. In the case of surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) models, concentration data can provide SW-GW mixing ratios, which efficiently constrain the estimate of exchange flow, but are rarely used. We propose to reduce computational limits by simulating SW-GW exchange at a sink (well or drain) based on particle tracking under steady state flow conditions. Particle tracking is used to simulate advective transport. A comparison between the particle tracking surrogate model and an advective-dispersive model shows that dispersion can often be neglected when the mixing ratio is computed for a sink, allowing for use of the particle tracking surrogate model. The surrogate model was implemented to solve the inverse problem for a real SW-GW transport problem with heads and concentrations combined in a weighted hybrid objective function. The resulting inversion showed markedly reduced uncertainty in the transmissivity field compared to calibration on head data alone.

Trotting Gait of a Quadruped Robot Based on the Time-Pose Control Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cai RunBin

2013-02-01

Full Text Available We present the Time-Pose control method for the trotting gait of a quadruped robot on flat ground and up a slope. The method, with brief control structure, real-time operation ability and high adaptability, divides quadruped robot control into gait control and pose control. Virtual leg and intuitive controllers are introduced to simplify the model and generate the trajectory of mass centre and location of supporting legs in gait control, while redundancy optimization is used for solving the inverse kinematics in pose control. The models both on flat ground and up a slope are fully analysed, and different kinds of optimization methods are compared using the manipulability measure in order to select the best option. Simulations are performed, which prove that the Time-Pose control method is realizable for these two kinds of environment.

Abnormal illness behavior and Internet addiction severity: The role of disease conviction, irritability, and alexithymia

Science.gov (United States)

Scimeca, Giuseppe; Bruno, Antonio; Crucitti, Manuela; Conti, Claudio; Quattrone, Diego; Pandolfo, Gianluca; Zoccali, Rocco Antonio; Muscatello, Maria Rosaria Anna

2017-01-01

Background and aims While the association between health anxiety and maladaptive Internet use is a well-established finding, no studies have been performed to examine the possible effect of abnormal illness behavior (AIB). AIB is a maladaptive manner of experiencing, evaluating, or acting in response to health and illness that is disproportionate to evident pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between AIB and Internet addiction (IA) severity in a sample of Italian University students. The possible effect of alexithymia, anxiety, and depression was also taken into account. Methods Participants were 115 men and 163 women (mean age = 23.62 ± 4.38 years); AIB was measured via the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), and IA severity by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Results The most powerful IBQ factor predicting IA severity scores was disease conviction. Irritability was the only emotional IBQ factor associated with IA severity. Nevertheless, disease conviction and alexithymia remained the only significant predictors of IAT scores when hierarchical regression analysis was executed. Discussion and conclusions Our results support previous findings showing that those characterized by health anxiety are more prone to an excessive and maladaptive use of Internet. Moreover, this study showed that irritability was the only emotional aspect of AIB predicting IA severity. This finding is consistent with the cognitive model of hypochondria, which states that cognitive factors (dysfunctional beliefs and assumptions) play a major role in the explanation of this psychopathological condition. PMID:28245678

Abnormal illness behavior and Internet addiction severity: The role of disease conviction, irritability, and alexithymia.

Science.gov (United States)

Scimeca, Giuseppe; Bruno, Antonio; Crucitti, Manuela; Conti, Claudio; Quattrone, Diego; Pandolfo, Gianluca; Zoccali, Rocco Antonio; Muscatello, Maria Rosaria Anna

2017-03-01

Background and aims While the association between health anxiety and maladaptive Internet use is a well-established finding, no studies have been performed to examine the possible effect of abnormal illness behavior (AIB). AIB is a maladaptive manner of experiencing, evaluating, or acting in response to health and illness that is disproportionate to evident pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between AIB and Internet addiction (IA) severity in a sample of Italian University students. The possible effect of alexithymia, anxiety, and depression was also taken into account. Methods Participants were 115 men and 163 women (mean age = 23.62 ± 4.38 years); AIB was measured via the Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ), and IA severity by the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Results The most powerful IBQ factor predicting IA severity scores was disease conviction. Irritability was the only emotional IBQ factor associated with IA severity. Nevertheless, disease conviction and alexithymia remained the only significant predictors of IAT scores when hierarchical regression analysis was executed. Discussion and conclusions Our results support previous findings showing that those characterized by health anxiety are more prone to an excessive and maladaptive use of Internet. Moreover, this study showed that irritability was the only emotional aspect of AIB predicting IA severity. This finding is consistent with the cognitive model of hypochondria, which states that cognitive factors (dysfunctional beliefs and assumptions) play a major role in the explanation of this psychopathological condition.

Cognitive components of self esteem for individuals with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Blankertz, L

2001-10-01

In a sample of 182 individuals with severe mental illness, the applicability of reflected appraisals and self-enhancement theories as explanations for global self-esteem was examined at two time points on components of stigma, mastery, overall functioning, education, and job prestige. Path analysis demonstrated that the two theories work independently; and that stigma, mastery, and overall functioning are significant, persist over time, and have an enduring effect on self-esteem.

Distributions of Autocorrelated First-Order Kinetic Outcomes: Illness Severity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James D Englehardt

Full Text Available Many complex systems produce outcomes having recurring, power law-like distributions over wide ranges. However, the form necessarily breaks down at extremes, whereas the Weibull distribution has been demonstrated over the full observed range. Here the Weibull distribution is derived as the asymptotic distribution of generalized first-order kinetic processes, with convergence driven by autocorrelation, and entropy maximization subject to finite positive mean, of the incremental compounding rates. Process increments represent multiplicative causes. In particular, illness severities are modeled as such, occurring in proportion to products of, e.g., chronic toxicant fractions passed by organs along a pathway, or rates of interacting oncogenic mutations. The Weibull form is also argued theoretically and by simulation to be robust to the onset of saturation kinetics. The Weibull exponential parameter is shown to indicate the number and widths of the first-order compounding increments, the extent of rate autocorrelation, and the degree to which process increments are distributed exponential. In contrast with the Gaussian result in linear independent systems, the form is driven not by independence and multiplicity of process increments, but by increment autocorrelation and entropy. In some physical systems the form may be attracting, due to multiplicative evolution of outcome magnitudes towards extreme values potentially much larger and smaller than control mechanisms can contain. The Weibull distribution is demonstrated in preference to the lognormal and Pareto I for illness severities versus (a toxicokinetic models, (b biologically-based network models, (c scholastic and psychological test score data for children with prenatal mercury exposure, and (d time-to-tumor data of the ED01 study.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome amongst patients with severe mental illness in the community in Hong Kong ? a cross sectional study

OpenAIRE

Bressington, Daniel T; Mui, Jolene; Cheung, Eric F C; Petch, Joel; Clark, Allan B; Gray, Richard

2013-01-01

Background: Patients with severe mental illness are at increased risk of developing metabolic disorders. The risk of metabolic syndrome in the Hong Kong general population is lower than that observed in western countries; however the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with severe mental illness in Hong Kong is unknown. Method: This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in patients with severe mental illness in Hong Kong and to identify the rela...

Relationship Between Severity of Illness and Length of Stay on Costs Incurred During a Pediatric Critical Care Hospitalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Benson S; Lakhani, Saquib; Brazelton, Thomas B

2015-08-01

To estimate the impact of severity of illness and length of stay on costs incurred during a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) hospitalization. This is a retrospective cohort study at an academic PICU located in the U.S. that examined 850 patients admitted to the PICU from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009. The study population was segmented into three severity levels based on pediatric risk of mortality (PRISM) III scores: low (PRISM score 0), medium (PRISM score 1-5), and high (PRISM score greater than 5). Outcome measures were total and daily PICU costs (2009 U.S. dollars). Eight hundred and fifty patients were admitted to the PICU during the study period. Forty-eight patients (5.6 percent) had incomplete financial data and were excluded from further analysis. Mean total PICU costs for low (n = 429), medium (n = 211), and high (n = 162) severity populations were $21,043, $37,980, and $55,620 (p costs for the low, medium, and high severity groups were $5,138, $5,903, and $5,595 (p = 0.02). Higher severity of illness resulted in higher total PICU costs. Interestingly, although daily PICU costs across severity of illness showed a statistically significant difference, the practical economic difference was minimal, emphasizing the importance of length of stay to total PICU costs. Thus, the study suggested that reducing length of stay independent of illness severity may be a practical cost control measure within the pediatric intensive care setting.

Economic expenditures associated with instrumental caregiving roles of adult siblings of persons with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohrer, Steven P; Lukens, Ellen P; Thorning, Helle

2007-04-01

Siblings of persons with mental illness who assume primary caregiving roles experience substantial and tangible economic impacts associated with this responsibility. This study investigated mailed survey responses collected from 156 adult siblings of persons with mental illness from New York State to examine instrumental costs associated with providing support to siblings with illness. Genders of both siblings, severity of the relatives' mental illness, and number of surviving parents in the family distinguished those occupying primary caregiving responsibility from those not in primary roles. Current caregivers incurred greater instrumental costs in the form of financial expenses, time spent in care activities, and crisis involvement than did those who were not primary care providers. Additional demographic and behavioral factors related to siblings with and without illness were associated with specific dimensions of instrumental expenditure. As siblings become increasingly engaged in caregiving, social service professionals must assume leadership in promoting programs and policies that meaningfully support family involvement for relatives with mental illness.

On the use of the Reciprocity Gap Functional in inverse scattering with near-field data: An application to mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delbary, Fabrice; Piana, Michele; Aramini, Riccardo; Brignone, Massimo; Bozza, Giovanni

2008-01-01

Microwave tomography is a non-invasive approach to the early diagnosis of breast cancer. However the problem of visualizing tumors from diffracted microwaves is a difficult nonlinear ill-posed inverse scattering problem. We propose a qualitative approach to the solution of such a problem, whereby the shape and location of cancerous tissues can be detected by means of a combination of the Reciprocity Gap Functional method and the Linear Sampling method. We validate this approach to synthetic near-fields produced by a finite element method for boundary integral equations, where the breast is mimicked by the axial view of two nested cylinders, the external one representing the skin and the internal one representing the fat tissue.

On the use of the Reciprocity Gap Functional in inverse scattering with near-field data: An application to mammography

Science.gov (United States)

Delbary, Fabrice; Aramini, Riccardo; Bozza, Giovanni; Brignone, Massimo; Piana, Michele

2008-11-01

Microwave tomography is a non-invasive approach to the early diagnosis of breast cancer. However the problem of visualizing tumors from diffracted microwaves is a difficult nonlinear ill-posed inverse scattering problem. We propose a qualitative approach to the solution of such a problem, whereby the shape and location of cancerous tissues can be detected by means of a combination of the Reciprocity Gap Functional method and the Linear Sampling method. We validate this approach to synthetic near-fields produced by a finite element method for boundary integral equations, where the breast is mimicked by the axial view of two nested cylinders, the external one representing the skin and the internal one representing the fat tissue.

Illness perceptions and stress: mediators between disease severity and psychological well-being and quality of life among patients with Crohn’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang M

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Maochen Zhang,1,* Liwen Hong,1,* Tianyu Zhang,1 Yun Lin,1 Sichang Zheng,1 Xiaolin Zhou,1 Rong Fan,1 Zhengting Wang,1 Chenli Zhang,2 Jie Zhong1 1Department of Gastroenterology, 2Exclusive Medical Center, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Disease severity, illness perceptions, coping strategies, stress, psychological well-being, and quality of life were reported to have close relationships. According to the Common Sense Model, illness perceptions and coping strategies could mediate the relationship between illness stimuli and illness outcomes such as psychological health and quality of life. Stress was also associated with the individual’s disease severity, anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Objectives: The study aimed to explore the influencing factors of illness outcomes, and to what extent illness perceptions, coping strategies, and stress mediate the relationship between disease severity and anxiety, and depression and quality of life. Methods: Our study included 159 patients with Crohn’s disease who were attending a tertiary hospital outpatient clinic or who were hospitalized. Disease severity was measured with the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index. Illness perceptions were measured with the Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire. Coping strategies were measured with the Carver Brief Coping Questionnaire. Stress was measured with the Perceived Stress Questionnaire. Anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Quality of life was measured with the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire. Results: Disease severity, illness perceptions, maladaptive coping, stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life were significantly correlated with each other among patients with Crohn’s disease. Using structural equation modeling to describe the inner relationship of the

Accelerometer-measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity of inpatients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kruisdijk, F.; Deenik, J.; Yenback, D.; Tak, E.C.; Harten, P. van; Hopman-Rock, M.; Hendriksen, I.

2017-01-01

Sedentary behaviour and lack of physical activity threatens health. Research concerning these behaviours of inpatients with severe mental illness is limited but urgently needed to reveal prevalence and magnitude. In total, 184 inpatients (men n =108, women n =76, mean age 57,4, 20% first generation

Factor VIII (F8) inversions in severe hemophilia A: Male germ cell origin and diagnosis with RT-PCR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antonarakis, S.E. [Geneva Medical School (Switzerland)]|[Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Rossiter, J.P. [Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (United States); Young, M. [Geneva Medical School (Switzerland)] [and others

1994-09-01

The Factor VIII (F8) gene, which is defective in hemophilia A, is located in the most telomeric megabase of Xq. Inversions due to intrachromosomal homologous recombination between mispaired copies of gene A located within intron 22 of the gene and about 500 kb telomeric to it account for nearly half of the cases of severe hemophilia A. We hypothesized that pairing of Xq with its homolog inhibits the inversion process, and that therefore the event originates predominantly in male germ cells. In all 21 informative cases in which the inversion originated in a maternal grandparent, DNA polymorphism analysis using markers within or very closely linked to F8, determined that it occurred in the male germline. In addition, all but one of 56 mothers of sporadic cases due to inversions were carriers. The data indicate that the F8 gene inversions leading to severe hemophilia A occur almost exclusively in male germ cells. The mean age of maternal grandfathers at the birth of their carrier daughters was 29.9 years (13 cases), i.e. not different from the mean paternal age in the general population, supporting the hypothesis that the inversions occur in meiosis. The inversions can be diagnosed by Southern blot analysis. For more rapid diagnosis we have used RT-PCR of RNA ectopically expressed in blood. Oligonucleotides were used to PCR amplify, after the initial RT reaction of RNA samples using random hexamers, either the normal transcript (F8 exons 21 to 24;312 bp product) or the novel abnormal transcript that is generated after the inversion. Both type 1 and 2 inversions can be recognized in affecteds and carriers by the presence of the diagnostic PcR product of 248 bp. Correct diagnoses were made in samples from 6 patients and 2 carriers with type 1 inversions, 2 patients and 2 carriers with type 2 inversions and 5 normal controls.

Distribution of Severity of Injury/Illness Index according to ICD-10 groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Niels Dalsgaard; Dahl, Michael; Rostgaard-Knudsen, Martin

OBJECTIVE: In our area patients seen by the Prehospital Emergency Physician (PEP) are all classified according to the Severity of Injury/Illness Index (SIII) groups 0 to 7. This classification enables the evaluation of the optimal use of the PEP and focus on education. The PEP should only......, dispatches a PEP for major injury and severe medical conditions. For 72 months we extracted data regarding six main groups of diagnosis according to the ICD-10-system: Metabolic diseases, Diseases of the Central Nervous System (CNS), Diseases of the circulatory system, Diseases of the respiratory system...

A general approach to regularizing inverse problems with regional data using Slepian wavelets

Science.gov (United States)

Michel, Volker; Simons, Frederik J.

2017-12-01

Slepian functions are orthogonal function systems that live on subdomains (for example, geographical regions on the Earth’s surface, or bandlimited portions of the entire spectrum). They have been firmly established as a useful tool for the synthesis and analysis of localized (concentrated or confined) signals, and for the modeling and inversion of noise-contaminated data that are only regionally available or only of regional interest. In this paper, we consider a general abstract setup for inverse problems represented by a linear and compact operator between Hilbert spaces with a known singular-value decomposition (svd). In practice, such an svd is often only given for the case of a global expansion of the data (e.g. on the whole sphere) but not for regional data distributions. We show that, in either case, Slepian functions (associated to an arbitrarily prescribed region and the given compact operator) can be determined and applied to construct a regularization for the ill-posed regional inverse problem. Moreover, we describe an algorithm for constructing the Slepian basis via an algebraic eigenvalue problem. The obtained Slepian functions can be used to derive an svd for the combination of the regionalizing projection and the compact operator. As a result, standard regularization techniques relying on a known svd become applicable also to those inverse problems where the data are regionally given only. In particular, wavelet-based multiscale techniques can be used. An example for the latter case is elaborated theoretically and tested on two synthetic numerical examples.

An electronic decision support system to motivate people with severe mental illnesses to quit smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunette, Mary F; Ferron, Joelle C; McHugo, Gregory J; Davis, Kristin E; Devitt, Timothy S; Wilkness, Sandra M; Drake, Robert E

2011-04-01

Rates of cigarette smoking are high among people with severe mental illnesses compared with the general population (45%-90% versus 20%). The authors developed a Web-based computer decision support system that is tailored for use by people with cognitive deficits and is designed to stimulate motivation to quit smoking by using evidence-based treatment. This initial study used a quasi-experimental design to test the decision support system among a convenience sample of 41 smokers with severe mental illnesses. Researchers interviewed participants at baseline and two months later to assess for behaviors indicative of motivation to quit smoking. A negative binomial regression modeled the outcome and controlled for baseline group differences. Participants who used the decision support system were significantly more likely to show any behavioral motivation to quit smoking (such as meet with a clinician to discuss cessation, initiate cessation treatment, or otherwise attempt to quit) (67% versus 35%; χ(2)=4.11, df=41, p=.04). Further, using the decision support system increased by a factor of 2.97, or about 300%, the expected number of ways that a participant showed motivation. The encouraging results of this pilot study indicate that electronic decision supports may facilitate motivation to quit smoking and use of cessation treatment among people with severe mental illnesses.

Stability study of pre-stack seismic inversion based on the full Zoeppritz equation

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Lifeng; Zhang, Hongbing; Guo, Qiang; Saeed, Wasif; Shang, Zuoping; Huang, Guojiao

2017-10-01

Pre-stack seismic inversion is highly important and complicated. Its result is non-unique, and the process is unstable because pre-stack seismic inversion is an ill-posed problem that simultaneously obtains the results of multiple parameters. Combining the full Zoeppritz equation and additional assumptions with edge-preserving regularization (EPR) can help mitigate the problem. To achieve this combination, we developed an inversion method by constructing a new objective function, which includes the EPR and the Markov random field. The method directly gains reflectivity R PP by the full Zoeppritz equation instead of its approximations and effectively controls the stability of simultaneous inversion by two additional assumptions: the sectional constant V S/V P and the generalized Gardner equation. Thus, the simultaneous inversion of multiple parameters is directed toward to V P, ΔL S (the fitting deviation of V S) and density, and the generalized Gardner equation is regarded as a constraint from which the fitting relationship is derived. We applied the fast simulated annealing algorithm to solve the nonlinear optimization problem. The test results on 2D synthetic data indicated that the stability of simultaneous inversion for V P, ΔL S and density is better than these for V P, V S, and density. The inverted result of density gradually worsens as the deviation ΔL D (the fitting deviation of the density) increases. Moreover, the inverted results were acceptable when using the fitting relationships with error, although they showed varying degrees of influence. We constructed time-varying and space-varying fitting relationships using the logging data in pre-stack inversion of the field seismic data. This improved the inverted results of the simultaneous inversion for complex geological models. Finally, the inverted results of the field data distinctly revealed more detailed information about the layers and matched well with the logging data along the wells over most

Regularization and error estimates for nonhomogeneous backward heat problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Duc Trong Dang

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this article, we study the inverse time problem for the non-homogeneous heat equation which is a severely ill-posed problem. We regularize this problem using the quasi-reversibility method and then obtain error estimates on the approximate solutions. Solutions are calculated by the contraction principle and shown in numerical experiments. We obtain also rates of convergence to the exact solution.

Exemplar-based human action pose correction.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Wei; Deng, Ke; Bai, Xiang; Leyvand, Tommer; Guo, Baining; Tu, Zhuowen

2014-07-01

The launch of Xbox Kinect has built a very successful computer vision product and made a big impact on the gaming industry. This sheds lights onto a wide variety of potential applications related to action recognition. The accurate estimation of human poses from the depth image is universally a critical step. However, existing pose estimation systems exhibit failures when facing severe occlusion. In this paper, we propose an exemplar-based method to learn to correct the initially estimated poses. We learn an inhomogeneous systematic bias by leveraging the exemplar information within a specific human action domain. Furthermore, as an extension, we learn a conditional model by incorporation of pose tags to further increase the accuracy of pose correction. In the experiments, significant improvements on both joint-based skeleton correction and tag prediction are observed over the contemporary approaches, including what is delivered by the current Kinect system. Our experiments for the facial landmark correction also illustrate that our algorithm can improve the accuracy of other detection/estimation systems.

Palliative psychiatry for severe persistent mental illness as a new approach to psychiatry? Definition, scope, benefits, and risks.

Science.gov (United States)

Trachsel, Manuel; Irwin, Scott A; Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Hoff, Paul; Riese, Florian

2016-07-22

As a significant proportion of patients receiving palliative care suffer from states of anxiety, depression, delirium, or other mental symptoms, psychiatry and palliative care already collaborate closely in the palliative care of medical conditions. Despite this well-established involvement of psychiatrists in palliative care, psychiatry does not currently explicitly provide palliative care for patients with mental illness outside the context of terminal medical illness. Based on the WHO definition of palliative care, a, a working definition of palliative psychiatry is proposed. Palliative psychiatry focuses on mental health rather than medical/physical issues. We propose that the beneficiaries of palliative psychiatry are patients with severe persistent mental illness, who are at risk of therapeutic neglect and/or overly aggressive care within current paradigms. These include long-term residential care patients with severe chronic schizophrenia and insufficient quality of life, those with therapy-refractory depressions and repeated suicide attempts, and those with severe long-standing therapy-refractory anorexia nervosa. An explicitly palliative approach within psychiatry has the potential to improve quality of care, person-centredness, outcomes, and autonomy for patients with severe persistent mental illness. The first step towards a palliative psychiatry is to acknowledge those palliative approaches that already exist implicitly in psychiatry. Basic skills for a palliative psychiatry include communication of diagnosis and prognosis, symptom assessment and management, support for advance (mental health) care planning, assessment of caregiver needs, and referral to specialized services. Some of these may already be considered core skills of psychiatrists, but for a truly palliative approach they should be exercised guided by an awareness of the limited functional prognosis and lifespan of patients with severe persistent mental illness.

Prevalence and consequences of the dual diagnosis of substance abuse and severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckley, Peter F

2006-01-01

The co-occurrence of a severe mental illness and a substance use or abuse disorder is common in the United States as well as internationally and could be considered as more the expectation than the exception when assessing patients with serious mental illness. Substance use disorders can occur at any phase of the mental illness, perhaps even inducing psychosis. Causes of this comorbidity may include self-medication, genetic vulnerability, environment or lifestyle, underlying shared origins, and/or a common neural substrate. The consequences of dual diagnosis include poor medication compliance, physical comorbidities and poor health, poor self-care, increased suicide risk or aggression, increased sexual behavior, and possible incarceration. All of these factors contribute to a greater health burden, which reduces the health care system's capacity to adequately treat patients. Therefore, screening, assessment, and integrated treatment plans for dual diagnosis that can address both the addiction disorder and the mental illness are recommended in order to provide accurate treatment, after-care, and other health care to accommodate patients' social and vocational needs.

On the treatment of ill-conditioned cases in the Monte Carlo library least-squares approach for inverse radiation analyzers

Science.gov (United States)

Meric, Ilker; Johansen, Geir A.; Holstad, Marie B.; Mattingly, John; Gardner, Robin P.

2012-05-01

Prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) has been and still is one of the major methods of choice for the elemental analysis of various bulk samples. This is mostly due to the fact that PGNAA offers a rapid, non-destructive and on-line means of sample interrogation. The quantitative analysis of the prompt gamma-ray data could, on the other hand, be performed either through the single peak analysis or the so-called Monte Carlo library least-squares (MCLLS) approach, of which the latter has been shown to be more sensitive and more accurate than the former. The MCLLS approach is based on the assumption that the total prompt gamma-ray spectrum of any sample is a linear combination of the contributions from the individual constituents or libraries. This assumption leads to, through the minimization of the chi-square value, a set of linear equations which has to be solved to obtain the library multipliers, a process that involves the inversion of the covariance matrix. The least-squares solution may be extremely uncertain due to the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix. The covariance matrix will become ill-conditioned whenever, in the subsequent calculations, two or more libraries are highly correlated. The ill-conditioning will also be unavoidable whenever the sample contains trace amounts of certain elements or elements with significantly low thermal neutron capture cross-sections. In this work, a new iterative approach, which can handle the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix, is proposed and applied to a hydrocarbon multiphase flow problem in which the parameters of interest are the separate amounts of the oil, gas, water and salt phases. The results of the proposed method are also compared with the results obtained through the implementation of a well-known regularization method, the truncated singular value decomposition. Final calculations indicate that the proposed approach would be able to treat ill-conditioned cases appropriately.

On the treatment of ill-conditioned cases in the Monte Carlo library least-squares approach for inverse radiation analyzers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meric, Ilker; Johansen, Geir A; Holstad, Marie B; Mattingly, John; Gardner, Robin P

2012-01-01

Prompt gamma-ray neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) has been and still is one of the major methods of choice for the elemental analysis of various bulk samples. This is mostly due to the fact that PGNAA offers a rapid, non-destructive and on-line means of sample interrogation. The quantitative analysis of the prompt gamma-ray data could, on the other hand, be performed either through the single peak analysis or the so-called Monte Carlo library least-squares (MCLLS) approach, of which the latter has been shown to be more sensitive and more accurate than the former. The MCLLS approach is based on the assumption that the total prompt gamma-ray spectrum of any sample is a linear combination of the contributions from the individual constituents or libraries. This assumption leads to, through the minimization of the chi-square value, a set of linear equations which has to be solved to obtain the library multipliers, a process that involves the inversion of the covariance matrix. The least-squares solution may be extremely uncertain due to the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix. The covariance matrix will become ill-conditioned whenever, in the subsequent calculations, two or more libraries are highly correlated. The ill-conditioning will also be unavoidable whenever the sample contains trace amounts of certain elements or elements with significantly low thermal neutron capture cross-sections. In this work, a new iterative approach, which can handle the ill-conditioning of the covariance matrix, is proposed and applied to a hydrocarbon multiphase flow problem in which the parameters of interest are the separate amounts of the oil, gas, water and salt phases. The results of the proposed method are also compared with the results obtained through the implementation of a well-known regularization method, the truncated singular value decomposition. Final calculations indicate that the proposed approach would be able to treat ill-conditioned cases appropriately. (paper)

Internalized stigma in people with severe mental illness in rural China.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Mao-Sheng; Zhang, Tian-Ming; Wong, Irene Yin-Ling; Yang, Xin; Liu, Chang-Cheng; Liu, Bo; Luo, Wei; Kuang, Wei-Hong; Thornicroft, Graham; Chan, Cecilia Lai-Wan

2018-02-01

It is unknown whether there are differences in self-stigma among persons with different types of severe mental illness (SMI) in rural communities. This study was to examine the differences of self-stigma and its correlates in persons with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a rural community in China. A total of 453 persons with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder in a rural community participated in the study. The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) was used to measure self-stigma. The t-test and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to examine the differences in mean scores of ISMI and subscales among the three diagnoses. Logistic regression was used to explore the contributing factors to the level of self-stigma among the three groups. Self-stigma was moderate and severe with 94.7% of the total sample. Persons with schizophrenia had significantly higher mean scores of total ISMI, alienation and discrimination experience than those with bipolar disorders. Lower family income was significantly associated with higher levels of self-stigma in persons with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Factors predicting the level of self-stigma among the three groups were various. Self-stigma is common and severe in persons with schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, especially those with lower income status in rural community in China. Persons with schizophrenia may have higher levels of self-stigma than those with bipolar disorder. Individual-level interventions should be developed to reduce self-stigma among persons with SMI in Chinese rural communities.

On the road to recovery : Addressing negative symptoms, cognitive deficits and environmental factors in residential patients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stiekema, Anna Petronella Maria

2016-01-01

Many patients with severe mental illness experience difficulties with adapting to the impact of their illness and with developing new meaning and purpose in life. This process of adapting to the consequences of the illness is called recovery. Patients in residential facilities often have stagnated

Naturally Occurring Peer Support through Social Media: The Experiences of Individuals with Severe Mental Illness Using YouTube

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Naslund, J.A.; Grande, S.W.; Aschbrenner, K.A.; Elwyn, G.

2014-01-01

Increasingly, people with diverse health conditions turn to social media to share their illness experiences or seek advice from others with similar health concerns. This unstructured medium may represent a platform on which individuals with severe mental illness naturally provide and receive peer

Acute and long-term dysphagia in critically ill patients with severe sepsis: results of a prospective controlled observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielske, Joerg; Bohne, Silvia; Brunkhorst, Frank M; Axer, Hubertus; Guntinas-Lichius, Orlando

2014-11-01

Dysphagia is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs). Structured otorhinolaryngological data on dysphagia in ICU survivors with severe sepsis are missing. In a prospective study, 30 ICU patients with severe sepsis and thirty without sepsis as control group were examined using bedside fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing after 14 days in the ICU (T1) and 4 months after onset of critical illness (T2). Swallowing dysfunction was assessed using the Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS). The Functional Oral Intake Scale was applied to evaluate the diet needed. Primary endpoint was the burden of dysphagia defined as PAS score >5. At T1, 19 of 30 severe sepsis patients showed aspiration with a PAS score >5, compared to 7 of 30 in critically ill patients without severe sepsis (p = 0.002). Severe sepsis and tracheostomy were independent risk factors for severe dysphagia with aspiration (PAS > 5) at T1 (p = 0.042 and 0.006, respectively). 4-month mortality (T2) was 57 % in severe sepsis patients compared to 20 % in patients without severe sepsis (p = 0.006). At T2, more severe sepsis survivors were tracheostomy-dependent and needed more often tube or parenteral feeding (p = 0.014 and p = 0.040, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed tracheostomy at T1 as independent risk factor for severe dysphagia at T2 (p = 0.030). Severe sepsis appears to be a relevant risk factor for long-term dysphagia. An otorhinolaryngological evaluation of dysphagia at ICU discharge is mandatory for survivors of severe critical illness to plan specific swallowing rehabilitation programs.

Determination of external measurements in aim to solve inverse heat conduction problem in piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanc, G.; Raynaud, M.; Chau, T.H.

1995-01-01

The inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP) to be solved involves with the reconstruction of unknown thermal loadings applied on piping internal wall. Only external temperature measurements are available as data. Different approaches can be found in the literature for solving this ill-posed problem. The most frequently used among them is the function specification method proposed by Professor BECK. However, for multidimensional IHCP, the accuracy of the solution strongly depends on the number of sensors and their location. This work focuses on the determination of minimal number and locations of the external thermocouples to get the most complete estimation of internal heat flux in a straight pipe. It more particularly concerns the preparation of experimental validation tests which will be performed on the ESTHER mock-up of Electricite de France (EDF). (authors). 4 refs., 9 figs

An ill-posed problem for the Black-Scholes equation for a profitable forecast of prices of stock options on real market data

Science.gov (United States)

Klibanov, Michael V.; Kuzhuget, Andrey V.; Golubnichiy, Kirill V.

2016-01-01

A new empirical mathematical model for the Black-Scholes equation is proposed to forecast option prices. This model includes new interval for the price of the underlying stock, new initial and new boundary conditions. Conventional notions of maturity time and strike prices are not used. The Black-Scholes equation is solved as a parabolic equation with the reversed time, which is an ill-posed problem. Thus, a regularization method is used to solve it. To verify the validity of our model, real market data for 368 randomly selected liquid options are used. A new trading strategy is proposed. Our results indicates that our method is profitable on those options. Furthermore, it is shown that the performance of two simple extrapolation-based techniques is much worse. We conjecture that our method might lead to significant profits of those financial insitutions which trade large amounts of options. We caution, however, that further studies are necessary to verify this conjecture.

Prevalence and risk factors for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in people with severe mental illness: a total population study of Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauer-Staeb, Clarissa; Jörgensen, Lena; Lewis, Glyn; Dalman, Christina; Osborn, David P J; Hayes, Joseph F

2017-09-01

Severe mental illness is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The elevated risk of blood-borne viruses (BBVs) in people with severe mental illness is of concern, but the full extent of this problem is unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for BBVs in people with severe mental illness. In this nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study, we estimated the point prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B (HBV), and hepatitis C (HCV) in people with severe mental illness, including the total adult (≥18 years) Swedish population. We defined severe mental illness as a clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic illness according to the Swedish version of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases version 8, 9, or 10. We used multivariable logistic regression to determine the odds of BBVs in individuals with severe mental illness, relative to the general population, and to identify independent risk factors (age, sex, immigration status, socioeconomic status, education, and substance misuse) for BBV infection. We also did a sensitivity analysis excluding BBV diagnoses made before the introduction of the Register for Infection Disease Control (1997). Of 6 815 931 adults in Sweden, 97 797 (1·43%) individuals had a diagnosis of severe mental illness. Prevalence of BBVs was elevated in people with severe mental illness, of which 230 (0·24%) had HIV, 518 (0·53%) had HBV, and 4476 (4·58%) had HCV. After accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, the odds of HIV were 2·57 (95% CI 2·25-2·94, pmental illness than in the general population, whereas the odds of HBV were 2·29 (2·09-2·51, pmental illness and identify interventions preventing infection. Targeting of comorbid substance misuse would have particular effect on reduction of BBV prevalence in this population. Medical Research Council and Swedish Research Council. Copyright © 2017 The Author

Academic Performance in Children of Mothers With Schizophrenia and Other Severe Mental Illness, and Risk for Subsequent Development of Psychosis: A Population-Based Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ashleigh; Di Prinzio, Patsy; Young, Deidra; Jacoby, Peter; Whitehouse, Andrew; Waters, Flavie; Jablensky, Assen; Morgan, Vera A.

2017-01-01

Objective: We examined the academic performance at age 12 years of children of mothers diagnosed with schizophrenia or other severe mental illness using a large whole-population birth cohort born in Western Australia. We investigated the association between academic performance and the subsequent development of psychotic illness. Method: The sample comprised 3169 children of mothers with severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar major depression, delusional disorder or other psychoses; ICD-9 codes 295–298), and 88 353 children of comparison mothers without known psychiatric morbidity. Academic performance of children was indexed on a mandatory state-wide test of reading, spelling, writing and numeracy. Results: A larger proportion of children (43.1%) of mothers with severe mental illness performed below the acceptable standard than the reference group (30.3%; children of mothers with no known severe mental illness). After adjusting for covariates, children of mothers with any severe mental illness were more likely than the reference group to perform below-benchmark on all domains except reading. For all children, poor spelling was associated with the later development of psychosis, but particularly for those at familial risk for severe mental illness (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.81; 95% CI for HR = 1.21, 2.72). Conclusions: Children of mothers with a severe mental illness are at increased risk for sub-standard academic achievement at age 12 years, placing these children at disadvantage for the transition to secondary school. For children with familial risk for severe mental illness, very poor spelling skills at age 12 years may be an indicator of risk for later psychotic disorder. PMID:27131155

Characteristics of patients with influenza-like illness, severe acture respiratory illness, and laboratory-confirmed influenza at a major children's hospital in Angola, 2009-2011.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Yolanda; Oliveira, Erika; Vasconcelos, Jocelyne; Cohen, Adam L; Francisco, Moises

2012-12-15

There are no published data on influenza trends in Angola, where pneumonia is a leading cause of death among young children. This study aims to describe the seasonal trends, types, and subtypes of influenza virus recovered from patients with respiratory illness who were admitted to the major children's hospital in Angola from May 2009 through April 2011. Nasal and oral swabs were collected from patients seen in the outpatient clinic with influenza-like illness (ILI) or hospitalized with severe acute respiratory illness (SARI) and tested for influenza virus by polymerase chain reaction assays. Of 691 samples collected, 334 (48%) were from case patients with ILI, and 357 (52%) were from case patients with SARI. Most (86%) of these children were Angola.

[Practices and interventions related to the work integration of people with a severe mental illness: work outcomes and avenues of research].

Science.gov (United States)

Pachoud, B; Corbière, M

2014-06-01

Sustained work integration for people with a severe mental illness or handicap psychique in French (e.g., schizophrenia) is an important issue in our society today. Indeed, work is not only an essential factor in people's social integration but is also a stepping-stone toward recovery for this clientele. Well-defined programs and services related to work integration were developed and studied over the last three decades. Although the work integration of people with severe mental illness has been studied extensively in the Anglo-Saxon literature, the impact of these studies on the traditional beliefs and services in France remains uncertain. In terms of the scope of the studies so far, there has been an initial interest lasting over many years to uncover individual characteristics of people with severe mental illness which would best predict job tenure. Since, studies have been increasingly investigating various supports in order to facilitate the work integration process. These supports can be illustrated as direct supports or accommodations offered in the workplace, as needed, particularly when people with severe mental illness choose to disclose their mental disorder in the workplace. This awareness of the impact of the workplace environment on the work integration of people with a severe mental illness increases the need to find solutions and develop environmentally sensitive clinical strategies to overcome difficulties during the work integration. To illustrate this thematic, in this special issue, we have gathered together studies conducted in different countries but who share the focus on work integration of people with a severe mental illness. To reflect the advancement in this domain, this special issue is divided in three parts. The first part consists of the presentation of different types of vocational programs: supported employment programs, social firms, and hybrid models. Supported employment programs are very well documented in the specialised

Inverse problems in systems biology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engl, Heinz W; Lu, James; Müller, Stefan; Flamm, Christoph; Schuster, Peter; Kügler, Philipp

2009-01-01

Systems biology is a new discipline built upon the premise that an understanding of how cells and organisms carry out their functions cannot be gained by looking at cellular components in isolation. Instead, consideration of the interplay between the parts of systems is indispensable for analyzing, modeling, and predicting systems' behavior. Studying biological processes under this premise, systems biology combines experimental techniques and computational methods in order to construct predictive models. Both in building and utilizing models of biological systems, inverse problems arise at several occasions, for example, (i) when experimental time series and steady state data are used to construct biochemical reaction networks, (ii) when model parameters are identified that capture underlying mechanisms or (iii) when desired qualitative behavior such as bistability or limit cycle oscillations is engineered by proper choices of parameter combinations. In this paper we review principles of the modeling process in systems biology and illustrate the ill-posedness and regularization of parameter identification problems in that context. Furthermore, we discuss the methodology of qualitative inverse problems and demonstrate how sparsity enforcing regularization allows the determination of key reaction mechanisms underlying the qualitative behavior. (topical review)

PROBLEMAS INVERSOS MAL COLOCADOS EM QUÍMICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João P. Braga

Full Text Available What is an ill-posed inverse problem? The answer to this question is the main objective of the present paper and the pre-requisite to follow the material requires only elementary calculus. The first mathematical formulation of an inverse problem, due to N. H. Abel, together with the fundamental work by Jacques Hadamard, are explored at the beginning of the paper. A prototype system is used to consider the regularization concept. Three numerical methods, the Tikhonov regularization, the decomposition into singular values and the Hopfield neural networks, applied to remove the singularity are examined. General aspects of the ill-posed inverse problems in chemistry with emphasis in thermodynamics and a set of general rules for other areas of science are also analyzed.

Unexplained severe illness possibly associated with consumption of Kombucha tea--Iowa, 1995.

Science.gov (United States)

1995-12-08

Kombucha tea is a popular health beverage made by incubating the Kombucha mushroom in sweet black tea. Although advocates of Kombucha tea have attributed many therapeutic effects to the drink (1-3), its beneficial and/or adverse effects have not been determined scientifically. During April 1995, cases of unexplained severe illness (including one death) occurred in two persons in a rural town in northwestern Iowa who had been drinking Kombucha tea daily for approximately 2 months. Based on the findings of a preliminary investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), on April 10 IDPH issued a news release recommending that persons refrain from drinking Kombucha tea until the role of the tea in the two cases of illness had been evaluated fully. This report summarizes the investigation of these cases by the IDPH, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in physical health management of patients with severe mental illness

OpenAIRE

Chac?n, Fernando; Mora, Fernando; Gerv?s-R?os, Alicia; Gilaberte, Inmaculada

2011-01-01

Abstract Awareness of the importance of maintaining physical health for patients with severe mental illnesses has recently been on the increase. Although there are several elements contributing to poor physical health among these patients as compared with the general population, risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are of particular significance due to their relationship with mortality and morbi...

Academic Performance in Children of Mothers With Schizophrenia and Other Severe Mental Illness, and Risk for Subsequent Development of Psychosis: A Population-Based Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Ashleigh; Di Prinzio, Patsy; Young, Deidra; Jacoby, Peter; Whitehouse, Andrew; Waters, Flavie; Jablensky, Assen; Morgan, Vera A

2017-01-01

We examined the academic performance at age 12 years of children of mothers diagnosed with schizophrenia or other severe mental illness using a large whole-population birth cohort born in Western Australia. We investigated the association between academic performance and the subsequent development of psychotic illness. The sample comprised 3169 children of mothers with severe mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, unipolar major depression, delusional disorder or other psychoses; ICD-9 codes 295-298), and 88 353 children of comparison mothers without known psychiatric morbidity. Academic performance of children was indexed on a mandatory state-wide test of reading, spelling, writing and numeracy. A larger proportion of children (43.1%) of mothers with severe mental illness performed below the acceptable standard than the reference group (30.3%; children of mothers with no known severe mental illness). After adjusting for covariates, children of mothers with any severe mental illness were more likely than the reference group to perform below-benchmark on all domains except reading. For all children, poor spelling was associated with the later development of psychosis, but particularly for those at familial risk for severe mental illness (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.81; 95% CI for HR = 1.21, 2.72). Children of mothers with a severe mental illness are at increased risk for sub-standard academic achievement at age 12 years, placing these children at disadvantage for the transition to secondary school. For children with familial risk for severe mental illness, very poor spelling skills at age 12 years may be an indicator of risk for later psychotic disorder. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Determinants of social participation and social inclusion of people with severe mental illness].

Science.gov (United States)

Schützwohl, Matthias

2017-03-01

Individuals with mental disorders are known to be socially excluded so that improving social inclusion has become a major goal of healthcare provision. However, empirical research on specific determinants of social inclusion is rather scarce. A cross-sectional survey of adults with a severe mental illness (n =70) was conducted using a measure of participation and social inclusion for individuals with a chronic mental disorder (F-INK). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify determinants of social participation and social inclusion. Social participation increased with the number of friends and was, independently thereof, higher in adults living independently than in adults living in supported housing arrangements. The level of social inclusion was higher in those cohabitating and increased with duration of illness. Findings on social participation indicate the need for a re-organization of community-based supported housing arrangements, and, with respect to existing settings, an amendment of present conditions. To promote social inclusion, measures to prime a feeling of ongoing social affiliation should be taken during the first years of psychiatric illness.

Different perspectives of clinicians and patients with severe mental illness on motivation for treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jochems, E.C.; van Dam, A.; Duivenvoorden, H.J.; Scheffer, S.C.M.; van der Feltz-Cornelis, C.M.; Mulder, N.L.

2016-01-01

The present study assessed motivation for engaging in treatment as rated by clinicians (n = 57) and patients with severe mental illness (SMI, n = 294) using measures based on three different motivation theories. Questionnaires were derived from self-determination theory, the transtheoretical model

Ethnic Differences in Mental Illness Severity: A Population-Based Study of Chinese and South Asian Patients in Ontario, Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Maria; Lebenbaum, Michael; Newman, Alice M; Zaheer, Juveria; Kurdyak, Paul

2016-09-01

Little is known about the sociocultural determinants of mental illness at hospital presentation. Our objective was to examine ethnic differences in illness severity at hospital admission among Chinese, South Asian, and the general population living in Ontario, Canada. We conducted a large, population-based, cross-sectional study of psychiatric inpatients aged from 19 to 105 years who were discharged between 2006 and 2014. A total of 133,588 patients were classified as Chinese (n = 2,582), South Asian (n = 2,452), or the reference group (n = 128,554) using a validated surnames algorithm (specificity: 99.7%). Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV criteria. We examined the association between ethnicity and 4 measures of disease severity: involuntary admissions, aggressive behaviors, and the number and frequency of positive symptoms (ie, hallucinations, command hallucinations, delusions, and abnormal thought process) (Positive Symptoms Scale, Resident Assessment Instrument-Mental Health [RAI-MH]). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, immigration status, and discharge diagnosis, Chinese patients had greater odds of involuntary admissions (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.64-1.95) and exhibiting severe aggressive behaviors (OR = 1.36; 95% CI, 1.23-1.51) and ≥ 3 positive symptoms (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.24-1.56) compared to the general population. South Asian ethnicity was also an independent predictor of most illness severity measures. The association between Chinese ethnicity and illness severity was consistent across sex, diagnostic and immigrant categories, and first-episode hospitalization. Chinese and South Asian ethnicities are independent predictors of illness severity at hospital presentation. Understanding the role of patient, family, and health system factors in determining the threshold for hospitalization is an important future step in informing culturally specific care for these large and growing populations worldwide. © Copyright 2016 Physicians

Insight in Psychosis: An Indicator of Severity of Psychosis, an Explanatory Model of Illness, and a Coping Strategy

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, K. S.

2016-01-01

Recent studies related to insight, explanatory models (EMs) of illness and their relationship to outcome of psychosis are reviewed. The traditional argument that insight predicts outcome in psychosis is not supported by recent longitudinal data, which has been analyzed using multivariable statistics that adjust for severity and quality of illness. While all cognition will have a neurobiological representation, if “insight” is related to the primary psychotic process, then insight cannot be seen as an independent predictor of outcome but a part of the progression of illness. The evidence suggests insight, like all EMs, is belief which interacts with the trajectory of the person's illness and the local culture to produce a unique understanding of the illness for the particular individual and his/her family. PMID:27335513

The motivation paradox: higher psychosocial problem levels in severely mentally ill patients are associated with less motivation for treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulder, Cornelis L; Jochems, E; Kortrijk, H E

2014-04-01

Lack of motivation for treatment makes a subgroup of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) difficult to engage in psychiatric treatment. Such difficult-to-engage patients may also be the most in need of treatment. We hypothesized that the level of psychosocial problems would be inversely related to motivation for treatment. Cross-sectional study in two independent samples. The first sample (n = 294) included SMI patients who participated in a randomized controlled trial and were assessed using the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) and self-rated and clinician-rated motivation-for-treatment scales. The second sample (n = 1,170) included SMI patients who were treated in Assertive Outreach Teams and were routinely assessed with the HoNOS and a motivation-for-treatment scale. In both samples, patients also self-rated their quality of life. In both samples, patients with HoNOS scores of 16 and higher had lower motivation scores on all motivation scales than patients with lower HoNOS scores, and also a lower quality of life. A motivation paradox seems inherent to this association between higher psychosocial problems levels, less motivation for treatment, and lower quality of life. Such a paradox has clinical relevance, as it may provide an ethical basis for outreach services which aim to engage marginally motivated SMI patients with severe psychosocial problems into mental health care.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus in people with severe mental illness: inequalities by ethnicity and age. Cross-sectional analysis of 588 408 records from the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Das-Munshi, J; Ashworth, M; Dewey, M E; Gaughran, F; Hull, S; Morgan, C; Nazroo, J; Petersen, I; Schofield, P; Stewart, R; Thornicroft, G; Prince, M J

2017-07-01

To investigate whether the association of severe mental illness with Type 2 diabetes varies by ethnicity and age. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from an ethnically diverse sample of 588 408 individuals aged ≥18 years, registered to 98% of general practices (primary care) in London, UK. The outcome of interest was prevalent Type 2 diabetes. Relative to people without severe mental illness, the relative risk of Type 2 diabetes in people with severe mental illness was greatest in the youngest age groups. In the white British group the relative risks were 9.99 (95% CI 5.34, 18.69) in those aged 18-34 years, 2.89 (95% CI 2.43, 3.45) in those aged 35-54 years and 1.16 (95% CI 1.04, 1.30) in those aged ≥55 years, with similar trends across all ethnic minority groups. Additional adjustment for anti-psychotic prescriptions only marginally attenuated the associations. Assessment of estimated prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in severe mental illness by ethnicity (absolute measures of effect) indicated that the association between severe mental illness and Type 2 diabetes was more marked in ethnic minorities than in the white British group with severe mental illness, especially for Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi individuals with severe mental illness. The relative risk of Type 2 diabetes is elevated in younger populations. Most associations persisted despite adjustment for anti-psychotic prescriptions. Ethnic minority groups had a higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes in the presence of severe mental illness. Future research and policy, particularly with respect to screening and clinical care for Type 2 diabetes in populations with severe mental illness, should take these findings into account. © 2016 The Authors. Diabetic Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Diabetes UK.

Stigma, social anxiety, and illness severity in bipolar disorder: Implications for treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, Boaz; Tsoy, Elena; Brodt, Madeline; Petrosyan, Karen; Malloy, Mary

2015-02-01

Studies indicate that comorbid anxiety disorders predict a more severe course of illness in bipolar disorder (BD). The relatively high prevalence of social anxiety in BD points to the potential role that socio-cultural factors, such as stigma, play in exacerbating the progression of this disorder. Stigma creates social anxiety in affected individuals because it essentially forces them into a vulnerable social status that is marked by public disgrace. Although the etiology of debilitating social anxiety in BD may involve multiple factors, stigma deserves particular clinical attention because research in this area indicates that it is common and its internalization is associated with poor outcome. We conducted a literature review using search terms related to stigma, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, illness severity, and outcomes. The electronic databases searched included PsychINFO, PubMed, JSTOR, and EBSCOhost Academic Search Complete with limits set to include articles published in English. The literature indicates that internalized stigma often triggers the core psychological experiences of social anxiety and is highly correlated with clinical and functional outcome in BD. On a psychological level, internalized stigma and social anxiety can create distress that triggers symptoms of BD. From a biological perspective, stigma constitutes a chronic psychosocial stressor that may interact with the pathophysiology of BD in inflammatory ways. The connection between stigma and social anxiety, and their combined effects on people with BD, carries important implications for psychiatric care. To obtain an accurate clinical formulation, initial evaluations may seek to examine stigma-related experiences and determine their relationship to anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning. In addition, direct interventions for reducing the ill effects of stigma in BD deserve clinical attention, because they may carry the potential to enhance outcomes.

The influence of treatment attendance on subsequent aggression among severely mentally ill substance abusers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhuo, Yue; Bradizza, Clara M; Maisto, Stephen A

2014-01-01

The interrelationships between severe mental illness, substance use, and aggression are of longstanding importance with implications for community treatment programs, treatment research and public policy. Through the analysis of longitudinal data collected from 278 patients over a 6-month period following admission to an outpatient dual diagnosis treatment program, this study examined the association between dual diagnosis treatment attendance and subsequent aggression among individuals diagnosed with both a severe mental illness and a substance use disorder. We also tested substance use and psychiatric symptoms as mediators of this treatment-aggression relationship. The results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that dual diagnosis treatment was associated with lower levels of subsequent aggression. Mediational analyses indicated that greater treatment involvement was associated with reduced substance use, which was associated with lower levels of aggression; thus, substance use was found to mediate the relationship between dual diagnosis treatment and aggression. Surprisingly, severity of psychiatric symptoms did not predict later aggression. These findings suggest that targeting substance use reduction in treatment may have the additional benefit of reducing the risk of later aggression among dual diagnosis patients. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The prevalence and severity of mental illnesses handled by ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results: Of 387 respondents, 60.2% had diagnosable current mental illness and 16.3% had had one disorder in their lifetime. Of the diagnosable current mental illnesses, 29.7% were Psychosis; 5.4% Major depressive episode; 5.6% Anxiety disorders; 3.6% mixed. Anxiety-Depression; and 3.9% Suicidality. In terms of ...

Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy: A New Group-Based Treatment for Internalized Stigma among Persons with Severe Mental Illness

OpenAIRE

Yanos, Philip T.; Roe, David; Lysaker, Paul H.

2011-01-01

Internalized stigma has been suggested to play a major role in negative changes in identity in severe mental illness. Evidence suggests that roughly one-third of people with severe mental illness show elevated internalized stigma and that it is linked to compromised outcomes in both subjective and objective aspects of recovery. Despite substantial evidence for the impact of internalized stigma, few efforts have been made to develop professionally-led treatment to address this issue. In this a...

A Two-Year Multidisciplinary Training Program for the Frontline Workforce in Community Treatment of Severe Mental Illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruud, Torleif; Flage, Karin Blix; Kolbjørnsrud, Ole-Bjørn; Haugen, Gunnar Brox; Sørlie, Tore

2016-01-01

Since 1999, a national two-year multidisciplinary onsite training program has been in operation in Norway. The program trains frontline workforce personnel who provide community treatment to people with severe mental illness. A national network of mental health workers, consumers, caregivers, and others providing or supporting psychosocial treatment and rehabilitation for people with severe mental illness has organized local onsite part-time training programs in collaboration with community mental health centers (CMHCs), municipalities, and primary care providers. CMHC and primary care staff are trained together to increase collaboration. Nationwide dissemination has continued, with new local programs established every year. Evaluations have shown that the program is successful.

Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

... the same time. For example, you may have depression and a substance use disorder. Complications Mental illness is a leading cause of disability. Untreated mental illness can cause severe emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Complications sometimes linked to mental illness include: ...

Incremental inverse kinematics based vision servo for autonomous robotic capture of non-cooperative space debris

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Gangqi; Zhu, Z. H.

2016-04-01

This paper proposed a new incremental inverse kinematics based vision servo approach for robotic manipulators to capture a non-cooperative target autonomously. The target's pose and motion are estimated by a vision system using integrated photogrammetry and EKF algorithm. Based on the estimated pose and motion of the target, the instantaneous desired position of the end-effector is predicted by inverse kinematics and the robotic manipulator is moved incrementally from its current configuration subject to the joint speed limits. This approach effectively eliminates the multiple solutions in the inverse kinematics and increases the robustness of the control algorithm. The proposed approach is validated by a hardware-in-the-loop simulation, where the pose and motion of the non-cooperative target is estimated by a real vision system. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed estimation approach for the target and the incremental control strategy for the robotic manipulator.

Inverse modelling for real-time estimation of radiological consequences in the early stage of an accidental radioactivity release.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecha, Petr; Šmídl, Václav

2016-11-01

A stepwise sequential assimilation algorithm is proposed based on an optimisation approach for recursive parameter estimation and tracking of radioactive plume propagation in the early stage of a radiation accident. Predictions of the radiological situation in each time step of the plume propagation are driven by an existing short-term meteorological forecast and the assimilation procedure manipulates the model parameters to match the observations incoming concurrently from the terrain. Mathematically, the task is a typical ill-posed inverse problem of estimating the parameters of the release. The proposed method is designated as a stepwise re-estimation of the source term release dynamics and an improvement of several input model parameters. It results in a more precise determination of the adversely affected areas in the terrain. The nonlinear least-squares regression methodology is applied for estimation of the unknowns. The fast and adequately accurate segmented Gaussian plume model (SGPM) is used in the first stage of direct (forward) modelling. The subsequent inverse procedure infers (re-estimates) the values of important model parameters from the actual observations. Accuracy and sensitivity of the proposed method for real-time forecasting of the accident propagation is studied. First, a twin experiment generating noiseless simulated "artificial" observations is studied to verify the minimisation algorithm. Second, the impact of the measurement noise on the re-estimated source release rate is examined. In addition, the presented method can be used as a proposal for more advanced statistical techniques using, e.g., importance sampling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parenting and psychiatric rehabilitation : Can parents with severe mental illness benefit from a new approach?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

J.T. van Busschbach; Dr. Lies Korevaar; J. van Weeghel; Dr. Peter van der Ende; Joanne Nicholson

2014-01-01

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this pilot implementation study was to explore the initial experiences with and impact of Parenting with Success and Satisfaction (PARSS), a psychiatric rehabilitation and recoverybased, guided self-help intervention, for parents with severe mental illnesses. Methods:

Parenting and psychiatric rehabilitation: Can parents with severe mental illness benefit from a new approach?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jaap van Weeghel; Dr. Peter C. van der Ende; Dr. Lies Korevaar; Jooske T. van Busschbach; Joanne Nicholson

2014-01-01

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this pilot implementation study was to explore the initial experiences with and impact of Parenting with Success and Satisfaction (PARSS), a psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery-based, guided self-help intervention, for parents with severe mental illnesses.

Accelerometer-measured sedentary behaviour and physical activity of inpatients with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruisdijk, Frank; Deenik, Jeroen; Tenback, Diederik; Tak, Erwin; Beekman, Aart-Jan; van Harten, Peter; Hopman-Rock, Marijke; Hendriksen, Ingrid

2017-08-01

Sedentary behaviour and lack of physical activity threatens health. Research concerning these behaviours of inpatients with severe mental illness is limited but urgently needed to reveal prevalence and magnitude. In total, 184 inpatients (men n =108, women n =76, mean age 57,4, 20% first generation antipsychotics, 40% second generation antipsychotics, 43% antidepressants, mean years hospitalisation 13 years), with severe mental illness of a Dutch psychiatric hospital wore an accelerometer for five days to objectively measure total activity counts per hour and percentages in sedentary behaviour, light intensity physical activity and moderate to vigorous physical activity. Accelerometer data were compared with data of 54 healthy ward employees. Patients showed significantly less activity counts per hour compared to employees (p=0.02), although the differences were small (d=0.32). Patients were sedentary during 84% of the wear time (50min/h), spend 10% in light intensity physical activity and 6% in moderate to vigorous physical activity. Age was the only significant predictor, predicting less total activity counts/h in higher ages. Decreasing sedentary behaviour and improving physical activity in this population should be a high priority in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Violent victimization of adult patients with severe mental illness: a systematic review

OpenAIRE

Latalova, Klara; Kamaradova, Dana; Prasko, Jan

2014-01-01

Klara Latalova,1,2 Dana Kamaradova,1,2 Jan Prasko1,2 1Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic; 2Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic Abstract: The aims of this paper are to review data on the prevalence and correlates of violent victimization of persons with severe mental illness, to critically evaluate the literature, and to explore possible approaches for future research. PubMed/MEDLINE and PsycINFO d...

Sparse Source EEG Imaging with the Variational Garrote

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Sofie Therese; Stahlhut, Carsten; Hansen, Lars Kai

2013-01-01

EEG imaging, the estimation of the cortical source distribution from scalp electrode measurements, poses an extremely ill-posed inverse problem. Recent work by Delorme et al. (2012) supports the hypothesis that distributed source solutions are sparse. We show that direct search for sparse solutions...

Subjective Health Complaints in Individuals with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: Associations with the Severity of the Skin Condition and Illness Perceptions - A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordbø, Emma Charlott Andersson; Aamodt, Geir; Ihlebæk, Camilla Martha

2017-06-01

High comorbidity has been reported among persons with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), but the occurrence of subjective health complaints (SHCs) in these patient groups is poorly understood. The study aimed to describe the prevalence of SHCs among individuals with psoriasis and PsA in Norway, and investigate whether the severity of their skin condition and their illness perceptions were associated with the number and severity of health complaints. Participants were recruited through the Psoriasis and Eczema Association of Norway (PEF) (n = 942). The participants answered a self-administered questionnaire covering subjective health complaints, the severity of their skin condition, and their illness perceptions measured with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ-R). The prevalence and severity of SHCs were high. Participants with PsA reported more complaints and higher severity of complaints compared with participants with psoriasis. In both groups, the severity of the skin condition was associated with the number and severity of SHCs. Cognitive illness perceptions (consequences) and emotional illness perceptions (emotional affect) were associated with SHCs in participants with psoriasis, whereas only cognitive illness perceptions (consequences and identity) were associated with SHCs in participants with PsA. The high prevalence and severity of SHCs among individuals with psoriasis and PsA were associated with the severity of the skin condition and illness perceptions. Somatic and cognitive sensitizations are proposed as possible mechanisms. The findings suggest that holistic approaches are essential when managing these patient groups in health care institutions and clinical practice.

Caregiving in severe mental illness: the psychometric properties of the Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire in Portugal

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Goncalves-Pereira, Manuel; van Wijngaarden, Bob; Xavier, Miguel; Papoila, Ana L.; Caldas-de-Almeida, Jose M.; Schene, Aart H.

2012-01-01

Background: Despite the achievements of previous research, caregiving assessments in severe mental illness should be crossculturally validated in order to define risk groups or to evaluate family work. This study reports on the psychometric properties of the European version of the Involvement

Parenting and Psychiatric Rehabilitation : Can Parents With Severe Mental Illness Benefit From a New Approach?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Ende, Peter C.; van Busschbach, Jooske T.; Nicholson, Joanne; Korevaar, Eliza L.; van Weeghel, Jaap

Objective: The aim of this pilot implementation study was to explore the initial experiences with and impact of Parenting with Success and Satisfaction (PARSS), a psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery-based, guided self-help intervention, for parents with severe mental illnesses. Methods: Changes

Study about Illness: Through the Narrative of "Illness Image"

OpenAIRE

岩城, 晶子

2013-01-01

In this research, the meaning of the illness was studied from the perpective of Image. From listening to the narrative about two types of Illness Image, i.e., "my illness" and "A's illness, " we found that there was a characteristic that the Illness Image was similar to the real image. In addition, there were several differences between 2 images, which indicated that distance between the narrator and these images had an influence. From the syudy of two cases, it was indicated that Illness Ima...

Problem Posing

OpenAIRE

Šilhavá, Marie

2009-01-01

This diploma thesis concentrates on problem posing from the students' point of view. Problem posing can be either seen as a teaching method which can be used in the class, or it can be used as a tool for researchers or teachers to assess the level of students' understanding of the topic. In my research, I compare three classes, one mathematics specialist class and two generalist classes, in their ability of problem posing. As an assessment tool it seemed that mathemathics specialists were abl...

Schizophrenia and dissociation: Its relation with severity, self-esteem and awareness of illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Justo, Ania; Risso, Alicia; Moskowitz, Andrew; Gonzalez, Anabel

2018-03-07

This article describes the conclusions of an investigation done with 120 Spanish patients: the finding of a new psychopathological profile within a subgroup of patients suffering from schizophrenia. The patients were evaluated through different questionnaires about sociodemographic data, traumatic events, the severity index (both clinical and psychopathological), self-esteem and consciousness of the illness. From the scores obtained on a scale of dissociative experiences, they were classified into two groups: high dissociative symptomatology or HD, and low dissociative symptomatology or LD. The HD group contained 44 patients (36.7% of the total population). The groups LD and HD show meaningful differences with respect to dissociative symptomatology levels, general psychopathology and level of traumatic events suffered. The percentage of patients with low self-esteem was higher in group HD than in group LD (M=25.52 front 28.76 of group LD; t (118)=2.94, p=.00). In addition, the group HD was more conscious of having a mental disorder, of the beneficial effects of medication and of the social consequences of their illness: F (1)=10.929, p=.001; ƞ2pt=0.083; 1-β=0.907. The results show the existence of a subgroup of schizophrenic patients with higher levels of dissociation and trauma that were related with higher levels of symptomatology, lower self-esteem and higher consciousness of the illness, building a population of higher severity in which it would make sense to implement coadjutant treatments specifically oriented to these variables and, in addition, opening a therapeutic possibility for the patients with refractory schizophrenia. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatially-Variant Tikhonov Regularization for Double-Difference Waveform Inversion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lin, Youzuo [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Huang, Lianjie [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Zhang, Zhigang [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2011-01-01

Double-difference waveform inversion is a potential tool for quantitative monitoring for geologic carbon storage. It jointly inverts time-lapse seismic data for changes in reservoir geophysical properties. Due to the ill-posedness of waveform inversion, it is a great challenge to obtain reservoir changes accurately and efficiently, particularly when using time-lapse seismic reflection data. Regularization techniques can be utilized to address the issue of ill-posedness. The regularization parameter controls the smoothness of inversion results. A constant regularization parameter is normally used in waveform inversion, and an optimal regularization parameter has to be selected. The resulting inversion results are a trade off among regions with different smoothness or noise levels; therefore the images are either over regularized in some regions while under regularized in the others. In this paper, we employ a spatially-variant parameter in the Tikhonov regularization scheme used in double-difference waveform tomography to improve the inversion accuracy and robustness. We compare the results obtained using a spatially-variant parameter with those obtained using a constant regularization parameter and those produced without any regularization. We observe that, utilizing a spatially-variant regularization scheme, the target regions are well reconstructed while the noise is reduced in the other regions. We show that the spatially-variant regularization scheme provides the flexibility to regularize local regions based on the a priori information without increasing computational costs and the computer memory requirement.

Meal replacements as a weight loss tool in a population with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gelberg, Hollie A; Kwan, Crystal L; Mena, Shirley J; Erickson, Zachary D; Baker, Matthew R; Chamberlin, Valery; Nguyen, Charles; Rosen, Jennifer A; Shah, Chandresh; Ames, Donna

2015-12-01

Weight gain and worsening metabolic parameters are often side effects of antipsychotic medications used by individuals with severe mental illness. To address this, a randomized, controlled research study of a behavioral weight management program for individuals with severe mental illness was undertaken to assess its efficacy. Patients unable to meet weight loss goals during the first portion of the year-long study were given the option of using meal replacement shakes in an effort to assist with weight loss. Specific requirements for use of meal replacement shakes were specified in the study protocol; only five patients were able to use the shakes in accordance with the protocol and lose weight while improving metabolic parameters. Case studies of two subjects are presented, illustrating the challenges and obstacles they faced, as well as their successes. Taking responsibility for their own weight loss, remaining motivated through the end of the study, and incorporating the meal replacement shakes into a daily routine were factors found in common with these patients. Use of meal replacements shakes with this population may be effective. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Practical recommendations for improvement of the physical health care of patients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hasselt, F. M.; Oud, M. J. T.; Loonen, A. J. M.

ObjectiveHealth care for the physical health of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) needs to be improved. Therefore, we aimed to develop policy recommendations to improve this physical health care in the Netherlands based on consensus (general agreement) between the major stakeholders. MethodA

Amplitude-integrated electroencephalographic activity is suppressed in preterm infants with high scores on illness severity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Horst, Hendrik J.; Jongbloed-Pereboom, Marjolein; van Eykern, Leo A.; Bos, Arend F.

Background: The neonatal acute physiology score. SNAP-II, reflects the severity of illness in newborns. In term newborns, amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG), is depressed following asphyxia. In preterm infants aEEG is discontinuous, and therefore more difficult to assess compared to term infants. Aims:

Inverse problems in machine learning: An application to brain activity interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prato, M; Zanni, L

2008-01-01

In a typical machine learning problem one has to build a model from a finite training set which is able to generalize the properties characterizing the examples of the training set to new examples. The model has to reflect as much as possible the set of training examples but, especially in real-world problems in which the data are often corrupted by different sources of noise, it has to avoid a too strict dependence on the training examples themselves. Recent studies on the relationship between this kind of learning problem and the regularization theory for ill-posed inverse problems have given rise to new regularized learning algorithms. In this paper we recall some of these learning methods and we propose an accelerated version of the classical Landweber iterative scheme which results particularly efficient from the computational viewpoint. Finally, we compare the performances of these methods with the classical Support Vector Machines learning algorithm on a real-world experiment concerning brain activity interpretation through the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data.

Illness severity and self-efficacy as course predictors of DSM-IV alcohol dependence in a multisite clinical sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Langenbucher, J; Sulesund, D; Chung, T; Morgenstern, J

1996-01-01

Illness severity and self-efficacy are two constructs of growing interest as predictors of clinical response in alcoholism. Using alternative measures of illness severity (DSM-IV symptom count, Alcohol Dependence Scale, and Addiction Severity Index) and self-efficacy (brief version of the Situational Confidence Questionnaire) rigorously controlled for theoretically important background variables, we studied their unique contribution to multiple indices of relapse, relapse latency, and use of alternative coping behaviors in a large, heterogeneous clinical sample. The Alcohol Dependence Scale contributed to the prediction of 4 of 5 relapse indicators. The SCQ failed to predict relapse behavior or its precursor, coping response. The findings emphasize the predictive validity of severity of dependence as a course specifier and underline the need for more sensitive and externally valid measures of cognitive processes such as self-efficacy for application in future studies of posttreatment behavior.

A Projected Non-linear Conjugate Gradient Method for Interactive Inverse Kinematics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engell-Nørregård, Morten; Erleben, Kenny

2009-01-01

Inverse kinematics is the problem of posing an articulated figure to obtain a wanted goal, without regarding inertia and forces. Joint limits are modeled as bounds on individual degrees of freedom, leading to a box-constrained optimization problem. We present A projected Non-linear Conjugate...... Gradient optimization method suitable for box-constrained optimization problems for inverse kinematics. We show application on inverse kinematics positioning of a human figure. Performance is measured and compared to a traditional Jacobian Transpose method. Visual quality of the developed method...

Introducing the concept of a new pre-referral treatment for severely ill febrile children at community level: a sociological approach in Guinea-Bissau.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeersch, Audrey; Libaud-Moal, Anaëlle; Rodrigues, Amabelia; White, Nicholas J; Olliaro, Piero; Gomes, Melba; Ashley, Elizabeth A; Millet, Pascal

2014-02-06

Innovative strategies are needed to tackle childhood mortality in the rural tropics. Artesunate suppositories were developed to bring emergency treatment closer to severely ill children with malaria in rural areas where injectable treatment is not possible for several hours. Adding an antibacterial rectal drug would extend this strategy to treat non-malarial febrile illness as well. The objective of these studies was to assess acceptability of such a new pre-referral strategy by healthcare providers and likely uptake by the population. Two qualitative studies were conducted between May and July 2009. Study 1 investigated the acceptability of introducing a combined antimalarial-antibacterial suppository by interviewing 27 representatives of the three administrative levels (central government, regional, local) of the health sector; Study 2 investigated treatment-seeking behaviour and acceptability of this intervention at community level by interviewing 74 mothers in 2 villages. Up to 92% of health representatives were in favour of introducing a new pre-referral strategy to tackle both malaria and non-malaria related severe illnesses in Guinea-Bissau, provided it was endorsed by international health authorities. The main obstacles to implementation were the very limited human and financial resources. In the two villages surveyed, 44% of the mothers associated severe illness with fever only, or fever plus one additional symptom. Mothers' judgement of severity and ensuing decisions were not specific for serious illness, indicating that initial training to recognize signs of severe disease and treatment availability for non-severe, fever-associated symptoms will be required to prevent overuse of a new intervention designed as a pre-referral treatment for severely ill children. Level C health centres were the first resort in both villages (50% and 87% of respondents respectively). This information is encouraging for the implementation of a pre-referral treatment.

Treatment actions and treatment failure: case studies in the response to severe childhood febrile illness in Mali

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ellis Amy A

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Appropriate home management of illness is vital to efforts to control malaria. The strategy of home management relies on caregivers to recognize malaria symptoms, assess severity and promptly seek appropriate care at a health facility if necessary. This paper examines the management of severe febrile illness (presumed malaria among children under the age of five in rural Koulikoro Region, Mali. Methods This research examines in-depth case studies of twenty-five households in which a child recently experienced a severe febrile illness, as well as key informant interviews and focus group discussions with community members. These techniques were used to explore the sequence of treatment steps taken during a severe illness episode and the context in which decisions were made pertaining to pursing treatments and sources of care, while incorporating the perspective and input of the mother as well as the larger household. Results Eighty-one participants were recruited in 25 households meeting inclusion criteria. Children's illness episodes involved multiple treatment steps, with an average of 4.4 treatment steps per episode (range: 2–10. For 76% of children, treatment began in the home, but 80% were treated outside the home as a second recourse. Most families used both traditional and modern treatments, administered either inside the home by family members, or by traditional or modern healers. Participants’ stated preference was for modern care, despite high rates of reported treatment failure (52%, n=12, however, traditional treatments were also often deemed appropriate and effective. The most commonly cited barrier to seeking care at health facilities was cost, especially during the rainy season. Financial constraints often led families to use traditional treatments. Conclusions Households have few options available to them in moments of overlapping health and economic crises. Public health research and policy should focus on

Associated illness severity in schizophrenia and diabetes mellitus: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Benjamin I; Salimkumar, Dhanya; Green, Daniel; Meakin, Anne; Gibson, Andrew; Mahajan, Deepali; Tahir, Tayyeb; Singh, Swaran P

2017-10-01

We aimed to elucidate whether schizophrenia and type II diabetes mellitus may present with associated illness severity, in light of accumulating evidence to suggest both conditions have important shared inflammatory components with many shared inflammatory genetic factors. We conducted a systematic review employing PRISMA criteria, searching EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychInfo, Web of Science and Google Scholar to February 1st, 2017, for clinical studies assessing schizophrenia severity alongside dysglycaemia. A narrative synthesis was employed to discuss and compare findings between studies. Eleven observational studies were included in the analysis. Ten presented evidence in support of an association between schizophrenia severity and dysglycaemia. This association appeared particularly strong regarding negative symptomatology and impaired cognitive function, between which there may be some overlap. Studies examining positive symptomatology returned mixed results. Whilst study design varied amongst the included studies, the results suggest that further work examining the effect of hyperglycaemia on schizophrenia severity may be relevant, particularly longitudinal studies assessing negative symptomatology and cognitive function. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first systematic review conducted to address this question. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Home Care for Children with Chronic Illnesses and Severe Disabilities: A Bibliography and Resource Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Alice; And Others

The bibliography and resource guide summarizes relevant research and information on home care for children with disabilities and chronic illnesses, including those with such diagnoses as spina bifida, cerebral palsy, severe mental retardation, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, autism, or failure-to-thrive…

Courses of helping alliance in the treatment of people with severe mental illness in Europe: a latent class analytic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Loos, Sabine; Arnold, Katrin; Slade, Mike; Jordan, Harriet; Del Vecchio, Valeria; Sampogna, Gaia; Süveges, Ágnes; Nagy, Marietta; Krogsgaard Bording, Malene; Østermark Sørensen, Helle; Rössler, Wulf; Kawohl, Wolfram; Puschner, Bernd

2015-03-01

The helping alliance (HA) between patient and therapist has been studied in detail in psychotherapy research, but less is known about the HA in long-term community mental health care. The aim of this study was to identify typical courses of the HA and their predictors in a sample of people with severe mental illness across Europe over a measurement period of one year. Self-ratings of the HA by 588 people with severe mental illness who participated in a multicentre European study (CEDAR; ISRCTN75841675) were examined using latent class analysis. Four main patterns of alliance were identified: (1) high and stable (HS, 45.6 %), (2) high and increasing (HI, 36.9 %), (3) high and decreasing (HD, 11.3 %) and (4) low and increasing (LI, 6.1 %). Predictors of class membership were duration of illness, ethnicity, and education, receipt of state benefits, recovery, and quality of life. Results support findings from psychotherapy research about a predominantly stable course of the helping alliance in patients with severe mental illness over time. Implications for research and practice indicate to turn the attention to subgroups with noticeable courses.

Genomic Heterogeneity of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Associated with Variation in Severity of Illness among Children with Acute Hematogenous Osteomyelitis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Gaviria-Agudelo

Full Text Available The association between severity of illness of children with osteomyelitis caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA and genomic variation of the causative organism has not been previously investigated. The purpose of this study is to assess genomic heterogeneity among MRSA isolates from children with osteomyelitis who have diverse severity of illness.Children with osteomyelitis were prospectively studied between 2010 and 2011. Severity of illness of the affected children was determined from clinical and laboratory parameters. MRSA isolates were analyzed with next generation sequencing (NGS and optical mapping. Sequence data was used for multi-locus sequence typing (MLST, phylogenetic analysis by maximum likelihood (PAML, and identification of virulence genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP relative to reference strains.The twelve children studied demonstrated severity of illness scores ranging from 0 (mild to 9 (severe. All isolates were USA300, ST 8, SCC mec IVa MRSA by MLST. The isolates differed from reference strains by 2 insertions (40 Kb each and 2 deletions (10 and 25 Kb but had no rearrangements or copy number variations. There was a higher occurrence of virulence genes among study isolates when compared to the reference strains (p = 0.0124. There were an average of 11 nonsynonymous SNPs per strain. PAML demonstrated heterogeneity of study isolates from each other and from the reference strains.Genomic heterogeneity exists among MRSA isolates causing osteomyelitis among children in a single community. These variations may play a role in the pathogenesis of variation in clinical severity among these children.

Alcohol consumption and use of health care services in people with severe mental illness and stressful childhood experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Schneeberger, Andres R; Huber, Christian G; Seixas, Azizi; Muenzenmaier, Kristina H; Lang, Undine E; Castille, Dorothy; Larkin, Stefan; Link, Bruce G

2017-01-01

People who suffer from severe mental illness often present with histories of abuse during childhood. Alcohol use disorders is a common co-morbidity of survivors of childhood abuse and neglect. This study analyzes the effects of stressful childhood experiences, a proxy for trauma, on the frequency of alcohol consumption and the utilization of health care services in a population of people with severe mental illness. There were 111 men (mean age: 35 years) and 72 women (mean age: 40.0 years) with severe mental illness that were recruited from psychiatric outpatient clinics in New York City. The analysis focused on lifetime prevalence of stressful childhood experiences, alcohol consumption, and utilization of health care services over time. The longitudinal data were analyzed over 12 months with a level-2 model (multilevel modeling). Out of the participants, 41.5% reported a history of more than four types of abusive experiences. There were 33.3% that had a DSM-IV diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 27.3% qualified for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition diagnosis of alcohol dependence throughout their lives. Stressful childhood experiences predicted an increased frequency of alcohol consumption over time. People with histories of childhood abuse had more often been to outpatient clinics and 12-step programs, but at the same time showed lower frequency rates of psychiatrist visits and visits to outpatient clinics. Childhood abuse is prevalent in people with severe mental illness and is related to an increased alcohol consumption. Despite an increased need of health care services, affected persons might encounter more barriers to access them.

[Relationship between previous severity of illness and outcome of in-hospital cardiac arrest].

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, M; Rodríguez, J; Espejo, A; del Olmo, R; Llanos, S; Del Castillo, J; López-Herce, J

2014-07-01

To analyze the relationship between previous severity of illness, lactic acid, creatinine and inotropic index with mortality of in-hospital cardiac arrest (CA) in children, and the value of a prognostic index designed for adults. The study included total of 44 children aged from 1 month to 18 years old who suffered a cardiac arrest while in hospital. The relationship between previous severity of illness scores (PRIMS and PELOD), lactic acid, creatinine, treatment with vasoactive drugs, inotropic index with return of spontaneous circulation and survival at hospital discharge was analyzed. The large majority (90.3%) of patients had a return of spontaneous circulation, and 59% survived at hospital discharge. More than two-thirds (68.2%) were treated with inotropic drugs at the time of the CA. The patients who died had a higher lactic acid before the CA (3.4 mmol/L) than survivors (1.4 mmol/L), P=.04. There were no significant differences in PRIMS, PELOD, creatinine, inotropic drugs, and inotropic index before CA between patients who died and survivors. A high lactic acid previous to cardiac arrest could be a prognostic factor of in-hospital cardiac arrest in children. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Hyperuricemia Inversely Correlates with Disease Severity in Taiwanese Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jee-Fu Huang

Full Text Available Asians are more susceptible to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH as well as metabolic disorder than other ethnicities. We aimed to assess the interaction between metabolic factors and fibrosis in Taiwanese NASH patients.A total of 130 biopsy-proven Taiwanese NASH patients (94 males, age = 43.0 ± 13.0 years were consecutively enrolled. Their demographic, metabolic profiles and histopathological manifestations were analyzed.Twenty-four (18.5% NASH patients were non-obese. Thirty-three (25.4% patients had significant fibrosis (F2 or more: 22 (16.9% patients were of F2, whilst 11 (8.5% patients were of advanced fibrosis (F3-4. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension were 60.8%, 39.4%, and 61.5%, respectively. There was a significant inverse correlation between hyperuricemia and fibrosis stages, ranging from 48.4% of F0-1, 33.3% of F2, and 9.1% of F3-4, respectively (P = 0.01, linear trend. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a decreased serum albumin level (OR = 40.0, 95% CI = 4.5-300, P = 0.001 and normal uric acid level (OR = 5.6, 95% CI = 1.5-21.7, P = 0.01 were the significant factors associated with significant fibrosis.Hyperuricemia inversely predicts fibrosis stages. Females might carry a more disease severity than males in Taiwanese NASH patients.

Costs of occupational injuries and illnesses in Croatia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bađun, Marijana

2017-03-01

Apart from influencing the quality of life, occupational injuries and illnesses can pose a large economic burden to a society. There are many studies that estimate the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses in highly developed economies, but the evidence for other countries is scarce. This study aimed to estimate the financial costs of occupational injuries and illnesses to Croatian government and employers in 2015. Workers were excluded due to the lack of data. Costs were estimated by analysing available data sources on occupational health and safety. Financial costs were grouped in several categories: medical costs, productivity losses, disability pensions, compensation for physical impairment, administrative costs, and legal costs. Unlike in other studies, the costs of compliance with occupational safety and health regulations were also investigated. In 2015, financial costs to employers were twice higher than costs to the government (HRK 604.6 m vs HRK 297 m). Employers additionally covered around HRK 300 m of compliance costs. Taking into account that financial costs of occupational injuries and illnesses are significant, even without including the costs to workers, policy makers should put additional efforts into their prevention. A prerequisite is transparency in Croatian Health Insurance Fund's expenditures, as well as more detailed data on lost days from work by industries, causes of injury etc. Organisations in charge of occupational health and safety and policy makers should observe relevant statistics in monetary terms too.

Prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in severe mental illness

OpenAIRE

Mauritz, Maria W.; Goossens, Peter J.J.; Draijer, Nel; Achterberg, Theo van

2013-01-01

Background: Interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with severe mental illness (SMI) are often not recognized in clinical practice.Objective: To substantiate the prevalence of interpersonal trauma exposure and trauma-related disorders in people with SMI.Methods: We conducted a systematic review of four databases (1980-2010) and then described and analysed 33 studies in terms of primary diagnosis and instruments used to measure trauma exposure and traumarelated dis...

Experience with post-secondary education for individuals with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Padron, Jennifer M

2006-01-01

There is a need for increased understanding and support of students with severe and persistent psychiatric disabilities in post-secondary education. Advancements in the pharmacological treatment of psychiatric disabilities are permitting a broader range of mental health consumers to reach a level of recovery allowing these consumers to begin or restart college careers (Eudaly, 2002). A post-secondary education is now considered a mandatory investment in the future ("Higher Education," 2003). There are a growing number of people pursuing higher education including those with serious mental illness. I am working on a Master's degree in a Rehabilitation Counselor Education program and face many obstacles due to my psychiatric disability, Bipolar Disorder.

Rapid processing of data based on high-performance algorithms for solving inverse problems and 3D-simulation of the tsunami and earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Marinin, I. V.; Kabanikhin, S. I.; Krivorotko, O. I.; Karas, A.; Khidasheli, D. G.

2012-04-01

We consider new techniques and methods for earthquake and tsunami related problems, particularly - inverse problems for the determination of tsunami source parameters, numerical simulation of long wave propagation in soil and water and tsunami risk estimations. In addition, we will touch upon the issue of database management and destruction scenario visualization. New approaches and strategies, as well as mathematical tools and software are to be shown. The long joint investigations by researchers of the Institute of Mathematical Geophysics and Computational Mathematics SB RAS and specialists from WAPMERR and Informap have produced special theoretical approaches, numerical methods, and software tsunami and earthquake modeling (modeling of propagation and run-up of tsunami waves on coastal areas), visualization, risk estimation of tsunami, and earthquakes. Algorithms are developed for the operational definition of the origin and forms of the tsunami source. The system TSS numerically simulates the source of tsunami and/or earthquakes and includes the possibility to solve the direct and the inverse problem. It becomes possible to involve advanced mathematical results to improve models and to increase the resolution of inverse problems. Via TSS one can construct maps of risks, the online scenario of disasters, estimation of potential damage to buildings and roads. One of the main tools for the numerical modeling is the finite volume method (FVM), which allows us to achieve stability with respect to possible input errors, as well as to achieve optimum computing speed. Our approach to the inverse problem of tsunami and earthquake determination is based on recent theoretical results concerning the Dirichlet problem for the wave equation. This problem is intrinsically ill-posed. We use the optimization approach to solve this problem and SVD-analysis to estimate the degree of ill-posedness and to find the quasi-solution. The software system we developed is intended to

Care for patients with severe mental illness: the general practitioner's role perspective

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Groenier Klaas H

2009-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with severe mental illness (SMI experience distress and disabilities in several aspects of life, and they have a higher risk of somatic co-morbidity. Both patients and their family members need the support of an easily accessible primary care system. The willingness of general practitioners and the impeding factors for them to participate in providing care for patients with severe mental illness in the acute and the chronic or residual phase were explored. Methods A questionnaire survey of a sample of Dutch general practitioners spread over the Netherlands was carried out. This comprised 20 questions on the GP's 'Opinion and Task Perspective', 19 questions on 'Treatment and Experiences', and 27 questions on 'Characteristics of the General Practitioner and the Practice Organisation'. Results 186 general practitioners distributed over urban areas (49%, urbanised rural areas (38% and rural areas (15% of the Netherlands participated. The findings were as follows: GPs currently considered themselves as the first contact in the acute psychotic phase. In the chronic or residual phase GPs saw their core task as to diagnose and treat somatic co-morbidity. A majority would be willing to monitor the general health of these patients as well. It appeared that GP trainers and GPs with a smaller practice setting made follow-up appointments and were willing to monitor the self-care of patients with SMI more often than GPs with larger practices. GPs also saw their role as giving support and information to the patient's family. However, they felt a need for recognition of their competencies when working with mental health care specialists. Conclusion GPs were willing to participate in providing care for patients with SMI. They considered themselves responsible for psychotic emergency cases, for monitoring physical health in the chronic phase, and for supporting the relatives of psychotic patients.

Care for patients with severe mental illness: the general practitioner's role perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Oud, Marian J T; Schuling, Jan; Slooff, Cees J; Groenier, Klaas H; Dekker, Janny H; Meyboom-de Jong, Betty

2009-05-06

Patients with severe mental illness (SMI) experience distress and disabilities in several aspects of life, and they have a higher risk of somatic co-morbidity. Both patients and their family members need the support of an easily accessible primary care system. The willingness of general practitioners and the impeding factors for them to participate in providing care for patients with severe mental illness in the acute and the chronic or residual phase were explored. A questionnaire survey of a sample of Dutch general practitioners spread over the Netherlands was carried out. This comprised 20 questions on the GP's 'Opinion and Task Perspective', 19 questions on 'Treatment and Experiences', and 27 questions on 'Characteristics of the General Practitioner and the Practice Organisation'. 186 general practitioners distributed over urban areas (49%), urbanised rural areas (38%) and rural areas (15%) of the Netherlands participated. The findings were as follows: GPs currently considered themselves as the first contact in the acute psychotic phase. In the chronic or residual phase GPs saw their core task as to diagnose and treat somatic co-morbidity. A majority would be willing to monitor the general health of these patients as well. It appeared that GP trainers and GPs with a smaller practice setting made follow-up appointments and were willing to monitor the self-care of patients with SMI more often than GPs with larger practices.GPs also saw their role as giving support and information to the patient's family.However, they felt a need for recognition of their competencies when working with mental health care specialists. GPs were willing to participate in providing care for patients with SMI. They considered themselves responsible for psychotic emergency cases, for monitoring physical health in the chronic phase, and for supporting the relatives of psychotic patients.

Animated pose templates for modeling and detecting human actions.

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Yao, Benjamin Z; Nie, Bruce X; Liu, Zicheng; Zhu, Song-Chun

2014-03-01

This paper presents animated pose templates (APTs) for detecting short-term, long-term, and contextual actions from cluttered scenes in videos. Each pose template consists of two components: 1) a shape template with deformable parts represented in an And-node whose appearances are represented by the Histogram of Oriented Gradient (HOG) features, and 2) a motion template specifying the motion of the parts by the Histogram of Optical-Flows (HOF) features. A shape template may have more than one motion template represented by an Or-node. Therefore, each action is defined as a mixture (Or-node) of pose templates in an And-Or tree structure. While this pose template is suitable for detecting short-term action snippets in two to five frames, we extend it in two ways: 1) For long-term actions, we animate the pose templates by adding temporal constraints in a Hidden Markov Model (HMM), and 2) for contextual actions, we treat contextual objects as additional parts of the pose templates and add constraints that encode spatial correlations between parts. To train the model, we manually annotate part locations on several keyframes of each video and cluster them into pose templates using EM. This leaves the unknown parameters for our learning algorithm in two groups: 1) latent variables for the unannotated frames including pose-IDs and part locations, 2) model parameters shared by all training samples such as weights for HOG and HOF features, canonical part locations of each pose, coefficients penalizing pose-transition and part-deformation. To learn these parameters, we introduce a semi-supervised structural SVM algorithm that iterates between two steps: 1) learning (updating) model parameters using labeled data by solving a structural SVM optimization, and 2) imputing missing variables (i.e., detecting actions on unlabeled frames) with parameters learned from the previous step and progressively accepting high-score frames as newly labeled examples. This algorithm belongs to a

The mortality of acutely ill medical patients for up to 60 days after admission to a resource poor hospital in sub-Saharan Africa compared with patients of similar illness severity admitted to a Danish Regional Teaching Hospital

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nabayigga, Barbara; Kellett, John; Brabrand, Mikkel

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of patients with the same severity of illness in the developed and developing countries have not been compared. Illness severity can now be measured anywhere by the National Early Warning Score (NEWS). METHODS: An exploratory observational study that compared the 7, 30 an...

Recovery of Forest Canopy Parameters by Inversion of Multispectral LiDAR Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Wallace

2012-02-01

Full Text Available We describe the use of Bayesian inference techniques, notably Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC and reversible jump MCMC (RJMCMC methods, to recover forest structural and biochemical parameters from multispectral LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging data. We use a variable dimension, multi-layered model to represent a forest canopy or tree, and discuss the recovery of structure and depth profiles that relate to photochemical properties. We first demonstrate how simple vegetation indices such as the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI, which relates to canopy biomass and light absorption, and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI which is a measure of vegetation light use efficiency, can be measured from multispectral data. We further describe and demonstrate our layered approach on single wavelength real data, and on simulated multispectral data derived from real, rather than simulated, data sets. This evaluation shows successful recovery of a subset of parameters, as the complete recovery problem is ill-posed with the available data. We conclude that the approach has promise, and suggest future developments to address the current difficulties in parameter inversion.

Societal and individual burden of illness among fibromyalgia patients in France: Association between disease severity and OMERACT core domains

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Perrot Serge

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Patients with fibromyalgia (FM report widespread pain, fatigue, and other functional limitations. This study aimed to provide an assessment of the burden of illness associated with FM in France and its association with disease severity and core domains as defined by Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT for FM. Methods This cross-sectional, observational study recruited patients with a prior diagnosis of FM from 18 community-based physician offices in France. Patients completed questions about FM impact (Fibromyalgia-Impact Questionnaire [FIQ], core symptoms (defined by OMERACT, health-related quality of life (EQ-5D, current overall health status (rated on a scale from 0 to 100, productivity, treatment satisfaction, and out-of-pocket expenses related to FM. Site staff recorded patients' treatment and health resource use based on medical record review. Costs were extrapolated from 4-week patient-reported data and 3-month clinical case report form data and calculated in 2008 Euros using a societal perspective. Tests of significance used the Kruskal-Wallis test or Fisher's Exact test where P Results Eighty-eight patients (mean 55.2 y; female:male 74:14 were recruited. The majority of patients (84.1% were prescribed medications for FM. Patients mainly described medications as a little/not at all effective (40.0% or somewhat effective (52.9%. Current Overall Health rating was 52.9 (± 17.8 and FIQ total score was 54.8 (± 17.3. FIQ total score was used to define FM severity, and 17 patients scored 0- Conclusions In a sample of 88 patients with FM from France, we found that FM poses a substantial economic and human burden on patients and society. FM severity level was significantly associated with patients' health status and core symptom domains.

Changing the obesogenic environment of severe mentally ill residential patients : ELIPS, a cluster randomised study design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Looijmans, Anne; Jorg, Frederike; Schoevers, Robert A.; Bruggeman, Richard; Stolk, Ronald P.; Corpeleijn, Eva

2014-01-01

Background: Severe mentally ill (SMI) patients have a reduced life expectancy of 13-30 years compared to the general population, largely due to an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours in SMI patients contribute to this increased risk. The obesogenic living

Learning methods for ill-posed problems. Applications to {gamma}-spectrometry; Methodes d`apprentissage statistiques et problemes inverses. Applications a la spectrographie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vigneron, V [CEA Saclay, 91 - Gif-sur-Yvette (France). Dept. de Mecanique et de Technologie; [Universite d` Evry, 91 - Orsay (France)

1997-05-01

Up to recent days, feature extraction bas been mostly considered a supervised process of (linear filters) mapping the original measurements into more effective features so as to minimize a criterion, assuming that the variables are already selected and given. Furthermore, data are rare and/or expensive, even sometimes not representative of the exact distribution. From an experimental device, the physicist gets some measurements, spoiled by noise and some determinist distortions. The `problem` is then to seek `good` values of a `number` of `interesting` parameters. But, neither `good`, nor the `number`, nor `interesting` are clearly defined notions. Frequently, the physicist is unable to write the mathematical equations of the observed phenomenon. He hopes that usual recipes called Fourier transform, deconvolution, least squares... Will produce shining revelations. Of course, these recipes are well-known and their honorability well established, sometimes with a name of a mathematician as a quality-label. In Pattern Recognition the input items have to be identified under various transformations of their representations. Contemporary neural-network research concentrates mostly on decision making systems, whereas the fundamental functions associated with the preprocessing of observations have often been ignored. This paper is a step toward theories that are expected to help the emergence of invariant-features. In this context, the Learning Theory approach (through advances tools like ACP, CCA or factorial cumulants) offers a great potential for archiving optimal solutions of complex real world problems, because it deals with undefined knowledge which is in mind of the physicist before he carries out the experiment: non-linear correlations, hidden dependencies... These questions are complex and very problem-dependant, but we focus on a specific one: ill-conditioned problems, i.e. when the physicist has not a sufficient amount of experimental data. In order to illustrate

Clinical Characteristics Related to Severity of Sexual Abuse: A Study of Seriously Mentally Ill Youth.

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McClellan, Jon; And Others

1995-01-01

Variables associated with sexual abuse were examined among youth, ages 5 through 18, with severe mental illness. Review of 499 patient records revealed abuse as an isolated event in 62 cases, intermittent abuse in 61 cases, and chronic abuse in 150. Sexual abuse was associated with inappropriate sexual behaviors, substance abuse, and posttraumatic…

Quick screening tool for patients with severe negative emotional reactions to chronic illness: psychometric study of the negative emotions due to chronic illness screening test (NECIS).

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yun-Hsin; Wu, Chih-Hsun; Chen, Hsiu-Jung; Cheng, Yih-Ru; Hung, Fu-Chien; Leung, Kai-Kuan; Lue, Bee-Horng; Chen, Ching-Yu; Chiu, Tai-Yuan; Wu, Yin-Chang

2018-01-16

Severe negative emotional reactions to chronic illness are maladaptive to patients and they need to be addressed in a primary care setting. The psychometric properties of a quick screening tool-the Negative Emotions due to Chronic Illness Screening Test (NECIS)-for general emotional problems among patients with chronic illness being treated in a primary care setting was investigated. Three studies including 375 of patients with chronic illness were used to assess and analyze internal consistency, test-retest reliability, criterion-related validity, a cut-off point for distinguishing maladaptive emotions and clinical application validity of NECIS. Self-report questionnaires were used. Internal consistency (Cronbach's α) ranged from 0.78 to 0.82, and the test-retest reliability was 0.71 (P analysis reference, the receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.81 and 0.82 (ps emotions, with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3 and 69.0%, and 68.5 and 83.0%, respectively. The clinical application validity analysis revealed that low NECIS group showed significantly better adaptation to chronic illness on the scales of subjective health, general satisfaction with life, self-efficacy of self-care for disease, illness perception and stressors in everyday life. The NECIS has satisfactory psychometric properties for use in the primary care setting. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Design of the Lifestyle Interventions for severe mentally ill Outpatients in the Netherlands (LION) trial; a cluster randomised controlled study of a multidimensional web tool intervention to improve cardiometabolic health in patients with severe mental illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Looijmans, Anne; Jorg, Frederike; Bruggeman, Richard; Schoevers, Robert; Corpeleijn, Eva

2017-01-01

Background: The cardiometabolic health of persons with a severe mental illness (SMI) is alarming with obesity rates of 45-55% and diabetes type 2 rates of 10-15%. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours play a large role in this. Despite the multidisciplinary guideline for SMI patients recommending to

Quality of life and competitive work among adults with severe mental illness: moderating effects of family contact.

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Gold, Paul B

2013-12-01

OBJECTIVE Competitive employment may improve life quality for adults with severe mental illness, but it is not known for whom or under what circumstances. On the basis of previous research demonstrating benefits of family contact for African-American adults with severe mental illness, it was hypothesized that frequent family contact would moderate (enhance) a positive association between competitive employment and global quality of life for a rural sample of predominantly African-American adults. METHODS In a secondary analysis of data collected from a randomized trial of supported employment, a series of nested random regression analyses was conducted to test the hypothesized moderating effect of face-to-face family contact on the association between competitive employment and global quality of life, controlling for severity of psychiatric symptoms and satisfaction with family relations. RESULTS Most of the 143 study participants spent time with a family member at least once a month (80%)-and most at least weekly (60%). Participants who held a competitive job and had face-to-face contact with family members at least weekly reported higher global quality of life than all other study participants. CONCLUSIONS In this rural sample of African-American adults with severe mental illness, competitive work was associated with higher global quality of life only for those who frequently spent time with family members. Research is needed to test the generalizability of this finding to other geographic settings and cultures, as well as the feasibility and effectiveness of formal inclusion of family members in psychosocial rehabilitation interventions.

3D magnetization vector inversion based on fuzzy clustering: inversion algorithm, uncertainty analysis, and application to geology differentiation

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Sun, J.; Li, Y.

2017-12-01

Magnetic data contain important information about the subsurface rocks that were magnetized in the geological history, which provides an important avenue to the study of the crustal heterogeneities associated with magmatic and hydrothermal activities. Interpretation of magnetic data has been widely used in mineral exploration, basement characterization and large scale crustal studies for several decades. However, interpreting magnetic data has been often complicated by the presence of remanent magnetizations with unknown magnetization directions. Researchers have developed different methods to deal with the challenges posed by remanence. We have developed a new and effective approach to inverting magnetic data for magnetization vector distributions characterized by region-wise consistency in the magnetization directions. This approach combines the classical Tikhonov inversion scheme with fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm, and constrains the estimated magnetization vectors to a specified small number of possible directions while fitting the observed magnetic data to within noise level. Our magnetization vector inversion recovers both the magnitudes and the directions of the magnetizations in the subsurface. Magnetization directions reflect the unique geological or hydrothermal processes applied to each geological unit, and therefore, can potentially be used for the purpose of differentiating various geological units. We have developed a practically convenient and effective way of assessing the uncertainty associated with the inverted magnetization directions (Figure 1), and investigated how geological differentiation results might be affected (Figure 2). The algorithm and procedures we have developed for magnetization vector inversion and uncertainty analysis open up new possibilities of extracting useful information from magnetic data affected by remanence. We will use a field data example from exploration of an iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposit in Brazil to

Homesick: residential and care patterns in patients with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

de Mooij, Liselotte D; Kikkert, Martijn; Lommerse, Nick M; Theunissen, Jan; de Koning, Mariken B; de Haan, Lieuwe; Beekman, Aartjan T F; Duurkoop, Pim W R A; Dekker, Jack J M

2016-12-03

Changes in the residential and care settings of patients with severe mental illness (SMI) are a concern because of the large variety of possible negative consequences. This study describes patterns of changes in the residential and care settings of SMI patients and explores associations between these changes, sociodemographics, and clinical characteristics. From January 2006 to January 2012, all data relating to changes in residential and/or care setting by SMI patients (N = 262) were collected from electronic case files. Data covering psychopathology, substance use, and medication adherence were assessed in 2006. There were more changes in the residential than in the care setting. In 6 years, only 22% of our sample did not move, 23% changed residence once, 19% twice, 10% three times, and 26% four or more times. Substance use predicted changes of care and/or residential setting and rehospitalisation. The severity of negative symptoms predicted rehospitalisation and duration of hospitalisation. Disorganisation symptoms predicted the duration of hospitalisation. A majority of patients with SMI changed residential and/or care settings several times in 6 years. Patients with substance use or severe negative and disorganisation symptoms may need more intensive and customised treatment. Further research is needed to investigate prevention programmes for highly-frequent movers.

Obesity and nutrition behaviours in Western and Palestinian outpatients with severe mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aljeesh Yousef

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background While people with severe mental illness have been found to be more overweight and obese in Western nations, it is unknown to what extent this occurs in Middle Eastern nations and which eating behaviours contribute to obesity in Middle Eastern nations. Method A total of 665 responses were obtained from patients with serious mental illness attending out-patient clinics in Western developed countries (Germany, UK and Australia; n = 518 and Palestine (n = 147. Patients were evaluated by ICD-10 clinical diagnosis, anthropometric measurements and completed a self-report measure of frequencies of consuming different food items and reasons for eating. Nutritional habits were compared against a Western normative group. Results More participants from Palestine were overweight or obese (62% compared to Western countries (47%. In the Western sample, obese patients reported consuming more low-fat products (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.02-6.33 but also greater eating due to negative emotions (OR 1.84, 95% CI 1.31-2.60 than patients with a healthy body-mass index. In contrast, obese patients from Palestine reported increased consumption of unhealthy snacks (OR 3.73 95% CI 1.16-12.00. Conclusion Patients with mental illness have poorer nutritional habits than the general population, particularly in Western nations. Separate interventions to improve nutritional habits and reduce obesity are warranted between Western nations and Palestine.

Recovery and creative practices in people with severe mental illness: evaluating well-being and social inclusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Saavedra, Javier; Pérez, Elvira; Crawford, Paul; Arias, Samuel

2018-04-01

This mixed (quantitative-qualitative) study evaluates the impact of an artistic workshop on a group of people with severe mental illness (SMI). This study focuses on the impact of creative practices on well-being and social inclusion outcomes. After participating in a creative workshop, 31 people diagnosed with a SMI completed pre/post-intervention measures, namely, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale and the Social Inclusion questionnaire. It was applied in two-way repeated measures analysis of variance. The statistic Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis were applied for non-parametric data to measure pre/post-test effects and workshop experience effects, respectively. In addition to quantitative measures, one observer participated in each workshop that ran in parallel in order to deepen and triangulate quantitative outcomes. The qualitative and quantitative results show that social inclusion improved in a significant way with an important size effect. Psychological wellbeing increased significantly with a low size effect. In accordance with these results, creative practices with people diagnosed with SMI are recommended. In order to increase the impact of these interventions, it is recommended to utilize public space away from clinical environments and to include people without SMI in creative activities together with SMI patients. Implications for Rehabilitation: Creative practices can significantly improve social inclusions and well-being in people with severe mental illness. Participating in creative workshops helps to elaborate personal meanings and promote recovery. Creative practices in mental health services can challenge professional roles and institutional practices. Participation of people with and without severe mental illness engaged together in artistic activities can decrease public stigma.

Joint inversion of hydraulic head and self-potential data associated with harmonic pumping tests

Science.gov (United States)

Soueid Ahmed, A.; Jardani, A.; Revil, A.; Dupont, J. P.

2016-09-01

Harmonic pumping tests consist in stimulating an aquifer by the means of hydraulic stimulations at some discrete frequencies. The inverse problem consisting in retrieving the hydraulic properties is inherently ill posed and is usually underdetermined when considering the number of well head data available in field conditions. To better constrain this inverse problem, we add self-potential data recorded at the ground surface to the head data. The self-potential method is a passive geophysical method. Its signals are generated by the groundwater flow through an electrokinetic coupling. We showed using a 3-D saturated unconfined synthetic aquifer that the self-potential method significantly improves the results of the harmonic hydraulic tomography. The hydroelectric forward problem is obtained by solving first the Richards equation, describing the groundwater flow, and then using the result in an electrical Poisson equation describing the self-potential problem. The joint inversion problem is solved using a reduction model based on the principal component geostatistical approach. In this method, the large prior covariance matrix is truncated and replaced by its low-rank approximation, allowing thus for notable computational time and storage savings. Three test cases are studied, to assess the validity of our approach. In the first test, we show that when the number of harmonic stimulations is low, combining the harmonic hydraulic and self-potential data does not improve the inversion results. In the second test where enough harmonic stimulations are performed, a significant improvement of the hydraulic parameters is observed. In the last synthetic test, we show that the electrical conductivity field required to invert the self-potential data can be determined with enough accuracy using an electrical resistivity tomography survey using the same electrodes configuration as used for the self-potential investigation.

Beliefs of vocational rehabilitation counselors about competitive employment for people with severe mental illness in Belgium

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Knaeps, J.; Neyens, I.; Donceel, P.; van Weeghel, J.; Van Audenhove, C.

2015-01-01

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors do not always focus on competitive employment for people with severe mental illness (SMI). Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how three types of VR counselors (i.e., gatekeepers, case managers, and specialists) vary in their

Use of computers and Internet among people with severe mental illnesses at peer support centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunette, Mary F; Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Ferron, Joelle C; Ustinich, Lee; Kelly, Michael; Grinley, Thomas

2017-12-01

Peer support centers are an ideal setting where people with severe mental illnesses can access the Internet via computers for online health education, peer support, and behavioral treatments. The purpose of this study was to assess computer use and Internet access in peer support agencies. A peer-assisted survey assessed the frequency with which consumers in all 13 New Hampshire peer support centers (n = 702) used computers to access Internet resources. During the 30-day survey period, 200 of the 702 peer support consumers (28%) responded to the survey. More than 3 quarters (78.5%) of respondents had gone online to seek information in the past year. About half (49%) of respondents were interested in learning about online forums that would provide information and peer support for mental health issues. Peer support centers may be a useful venue for Web-based approaches to education, peer support, and intervention. Future research should assess facilitators and barriers to use of Web-based resources among people with severe mental illness in peer support centers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Cardiovascular disease among severe mental illness and psychiatric medication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sileshi Demelash

2017-01-01

Full Text Available People with mental illness are more likely to have serious coexisting physical health problems than the general population. Although lifestyle and genetics may contribute independent risks of cardiovascular dysfunction in schizophrenia and other serious mental illness, antipsychotic treatment also represents an important contributor to risk of cardiovascular disorder, particularly for certain drugs and for vulnerable patients. Mental health professionals and other health care provider must give emphasis to recognize the clinical signposts indicating mental health related cardiovascular problems to forestall progression to type II diabetes, cardiovascular events and premature death.

Inverse scattering problems with multi-frequencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao, Gang; Li, Peijun; Lin, Junshan; Triki, Faouzi

2015-01-01

This paper is concerned with computational approaches and mathematical analysis for solving inverse scattering problems in the frequency domain. The problems arise in a diverse set of scientific areas with significant industrial, medical, and military applications. In addition to nonlinearity, there are two common difficulties associated with the inverse problems: ill-posedness and limited resolution (diffraction limit). Due to the diffraction limit, for a given frequency, only a low spatial frequency part of the desired parameter can be observed from measurements in the far field. The main idea developed here is that if the reconstruction is restricted to only the observable part, then the inversion will become stable. The challenging task is how to design stable numerical methods for solving these inverse scattering problems inspired by the diffraction limit. Recently, novel recursive linearization based algorithms have been presented in an attempt to answer the above question. These methods require multi-frequency scattering data and proceed via a continuation procedure with respect to the frequency from low to high. The objective of this paper is to give a brief review of these methods, their error estimates, and the related mathematical analysis. More attention is paid to the inverse medium and inverse source problems. Numerical experiments are included to illustrate the effectiveness of these methods. (topical review)

Mini-batch optimized full waveform inversion with geological constrained gradient filtering

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hui; Jia, Junxiong; Wu, Bangyu; Gao, Jinghuai

2018-05-01

High computation cost and generating solutions without geological sense have hindered the wide application of Full Waveform Inversion (FWI). Source encoding technique is a way to dramatically reduce the cost of FWI but subject to fix-spread acquisition setup requirement and slow convergence for the suppression of cross-talk. Traditionally, gradient regularization or preconditioning is applied to mitigate the ill-posedness. An isotropic smoothing filter applied on gradients generally gives non-geological inversion results, and could also introduce artifacts. In this work, we propose to address both the efficiency and ill-posedness of FWI by a geological constrained mini-batch gradient optimization method. The mini-batch gradient descent optimization is adopted to reduce the computation time by choosing a subset of entire shots for each iteration. By jointly applying the structure-oriented smoothing to the mini-batch gradient, the inversion converges faster and gives results with more geological meaning. Stylized Marmousi model is used to show the performance of the proposed method on realistic synthetic model.

Person-Independent Head Pose Estimation Using Biased Manifold Embedding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sethuraman Panchanathan

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Head pose estimation has been an integral problem in the study of face recognition systems and human-computer interfaces, as part of biometric applications. A fine estimate of the head pose angle is necessary and useful for several face analysis applications. To determine the head pose, face images with varying pose angles can be considered to be lying on a smooth low-dimensional manifold in high-dimensional image feature space. However, when there are face images of multiple individuals with varying pose angles, manifold learning techniques often do not give accurate results. In this work, we propose a framework for a supervised form of manifold learning called Biased Manifold Embedding to obtain improved performance in head pose angle estimation. This framework goes beyond pose estimation, and can be applied to all regression applications. This framework, although formulated for a regression scenario, unifies other supervised approaches to manifold learning that have been proposed so far. Detailed studies of the proposed method are carried out on the FacePix database, which contains 181 face images each of 30 individuals with pose angle variations at a granularity of 1∘. Since biometric applications in the real world may not contain this level of granularity in training data, an analysis of the methodology is performed on sparsely sampled data to validate its effectiveness. We obtained up to 2∘ average pose angle estimation error in the results from our experiments, which matched the best results obtained for head pose estimation using related approaches.

Critically Ill Children Have Low Vitamin D–Binding Protein, Influencing Bioavailability of Vitamin D

Science.gov (United States)

Feldman, Henry A.; Chun, Rene F.; Smith, Ellen M.; Sullivan, Ryan M.; Agan, Anna A.; Keisling, Shannon M.; Panoskaltsis-Mortari, Angela; Randolph, Adrienne G.

2015-01-01

Rationale: Vitamin D deficiency, often defined by total serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) interquartile range, 108–221), lower than has been reported in healthy children. Factors predicting lower levels in multivariate analysis included age <1 year, nonwhite race, being previously healthy, 25(OH)D <20 ng/ml and greater illness severity. In the subgroup that was genotyped, GC haplotype had the strongest association with VDBP level; carriage of one additional copy of GC1S was associated with a 37.5% higher level (95% confidence interval, 31.9–44.8; P < 0.001). Bioavailable 25(OH)D was also inversely associated with illness severity (r = −0.24, P < 0.001), and ratio to measured total 25(OH)D was variable and related to haplotype. Conclusions: Physiologic deficiency of 25(OH)D in critical illness may be more difficult to diagnose, given that lower VDBP levels increase bioavailability. Treatment studies conducted on the basis of total 25(OH)D level, without consideration of VDBP concentration and genotype, may increase the risk of falsely negative results. PMID:26356094

Elastic versus acoustic inversion for marine surveys

Science.gov (United States)

Mora, Peter; Wu, Zedong

2018-04-01

Full Wavefield Inversion (FWI) is a powerful and elegant approach for seismic imaging that is on the way to becoming the method of choice when processing exploration or global seismic data. In the case of processing marine survey data, one may be tempted to assume acoustic FWI is sufficient given that only pressure waves exist in the water layer. In this paper, we pose the question as to whether or not in theory - at least for a hard water bottom case - it should be possible to resolve the shear modulus or S-wave velocity in a marine setting using large offset data. We therefore conduct numerical experiments with idealized marine data calculated with the elastic wave equation. We study two cases, FWI of data due to a diffractor model, and FWI of data due to a fault model. We find that at least in idealized situation, elastic FWI of hard waterbottom data is capable of resolving between the two Lamé parameters λ and μ. Another numerical experiment with a soft waterbottom layer gives the same result. In contrast, acoustic FWI of the synthetic elastic data results in a single image of the first Lamé parameter λ which contains severe artefacts for diffraction data and noticable artefacts for layer reflection data. Based on these results, it would appear that at least, inversions of large offset marine data should be fully elastic rather than acoustic unless it has been demonstrated that for the specific case in question (offsets, model and water depth, practical issues such as soft sediment attenuation of shear waves or computational time), that an acoustic only inversion provides a reasonably good quality of image comparable to that of an elastic inversion. Further research with real data is required to determine the degree to which practical issues such as shear wave attenuation in soft sediments may affect this result.

A projected back-tracking line-search for constrained interactive inverse kinematics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Engell-Nørregård, Morten Pol; Erleben, Kenny

2011-01-01

Inverse kinematics is the problem of manipulating the pose of an articulated figure in order to achieve a desired goal disregarding inertia and forces. One can approach the problem as a non-linear optimization problem or as non-linear equation solving. The former approach is superior in its...... of joint limits in an interactive solver. This makes it possible to compute the pose in each frame without the discontinuities exhibited by existing key frame animation techniques....

"It's overwhelming... everything seems to be too much:" A theory of crisis for individuals with severe persistent mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Jeffrey S; Links, Paul S; Strike, Carol; Boydell, Katherine M

2005-01-01

Crisis in individuals with severe persistent mental illness (SPMI) is a poorly understood phenomenon for which traditional crisis models do not apply. In this study we explored the crisis experience using in-depth interviews conducted with individuals with severe persistent mental illness from two community support programs. A grounded theory of the crisis experience was developed and the results illustrate that underlying vulnerability sets the stage for crisis occurrence which involves feeling overwhelmed and lacking control and manifests as agitation/anger/aggression, being low, feeling anxious, or euphoria. Immediate responses to crises involve getting help or managing alone and numerous factors contribute to crisis resolution and prevention.

Fast human pose estimation using 3D Zernike descriptors

Science.gov (United States)

Berjón, Daniel; Morán, Francisco

2012-03-01

Markerless video-based human pose estimation algorithms face a high-dimensional problem that is frequently broken down into several lower-dimensional ones by estimating the pose of each limb separately. However, in order to do so they need to reliably locate the torso, for which they typically rely on time coherence and tracking algorithms. Their losing track usually results in catastrophic failure of the process, requiring human intervention and thus precluding their usage in real-time applications. We propose a very fast rough pose estimation scheme based on global shape descriptors built on 3D Zernike moments. Using an articulated model that we configure in many poses, a large database of descriptor/pose pairs can be computed off-line. Thus, the only steps that must be done on-line are the extraction of the descriptors for each input volume and a search against the database to get the most likely poses. While the result of such process is not a fine pose estimation, it can be useful to help more sophisticated algorithms to regain track or make more educated guesses when creating new particles in particle-filter-based tracking schemes. We have achieved a performance of about ten fps on a single computer using a database of about one million entries.

Closed cervix is associated with more severe illness in dogs with pyometra.

Science.gov (United States)

Jitpean, Supranee; Ambrosen, Aime; Emanuelson, Ulf; Hagman, Ragnvi

2017-01-05

Pyometra, a life-threatening bacterial infection of the uterus, is classified as open or closed depending on the functional patency of the cervix i.e. presence or absence of vaginal discharge. In closed cervix pyometra, pus and bacterial products accumulate in the uterus, which is thought to induce a more severe illness. The aim of this study was to investigate whether disease severity or outcome differed in dogs with open or closed cervix pyometra. Prospectively collected data from 111 female dogs diagnosed with pyometra at the University Animal Hospital, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, intermittently during 2005-2012 was analyzed. Seventy-two dogs (65%) had open cervix, whereas 39 dogs (35%) had closed cervix. Differences between the two groups were explored by Wilcoxon Two Sample Test for continuous variables and Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. P cervix the median age was 9.0 years and the median weight 26.0 kg. In dogs with closed cervix the median age was 9.6 years and the median weight 25.0 kg, with no significant differences between the groups (p = 0.69 and 0.24, respectively). Five dogs (4.5%) died, all with open cervix, and 16 dogs (14%) had complications. The general physical condition was moderately or severely depressed in 30% (21/71) of dogs with open cervix (severely depressed in 4 dogs, moderately depressed in 17 dogs) and in 56% (22/39) of dogs with closed cervix (severely depressed in 3 dogs, moderately depressed in 19 dogs). The general physical condition was mildly depressed in 41 dogs with open cervix and 16 dogs with closed cervix, whereas it was normal in nine dogs with open cervix and one dog with closed cervix. None of the included dogs had very severely depressed general physical condition or were non-responsive. Leukocytosis, neutrophilia, monocytosis and moderately to severely depressed general condition was more commonly found in dogs with closed cervix (p = 0.003, p�

Predicting Post-Treatment-Initiation Alcohol Use among Patients with Severe Mental Illness and Alcohol Use Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Bradizza, Clara M.; Maisto, Stephen A.; Vincent, Paula C.; Stasiewicz, Paul R.; Connors, Gerard J.; Mercer, Nicole D.

2009-01-01

Few investigators studying alcohol abuse among individuals with a severe mental illness (SMI) have examined predictors of posttreatment alcohol outcomes. In the present study, a multivariate approach based on a theoretical model was used to study the relationship between psychosocial factors and post-treatment-initiation alcohol use. Predictors of…

Total-variation based velocity inversion with Bregmanized operator splitting algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Zand, Toktam; Gholami, Ali

2018-04-01

Many problems in applied geophysics can be formulated as a linear inverse problem. The associated problems, however, are large-scale and ill-conditioned. Therefore, regularization techniques are needed to be employed for solving them and generating a stable and acceptable solution. We consider numerical methods for solving such problems in this paper. In order to tackle the ill-conditioning of the problem we use blockiness as a prior information of the subsurface parameters and formulate the problem as a constrained total variation (TV) regularization. The Bregmanized operator splitting (BOS) algorithm as a combination of the Bregman iteration and the proximal forward backward operator splitting method is developed to solve the arranged problem. Two main advantages of this new algorithm are that no matrix inversion is required and that a discrepancy stopping criterion is used to stop the iterations, which allow efficient solution of large-scale problems. The high performance of the proposed TV regularization method is demonstrated using two different experiments: 1) velocity inversion from (synthetic) seismic data which is based on Born approximation, 2) computing interval velocities from RMS velocities via Dix formula. Numerical examples are presented to verify the feasibility of the proposed method for high-resolution velocity inversion.

Yoga Poses Increase Subjective Energy and State Self-Esteem in Comparison to 'Power Poses'.

Science.gov (United States)

Golec de Zavala, Agnieszka; Lantos, Dorottya; Bowden, Deborah

2017-01-01

Research on beneficial consequences of yoga focuses on the effects of yogic breathing and meditation. Less is known about the psychological effects of performing yoga postures. The present study investigated the effects of yoga poses on subjective sense of energy and self-esteem. The effects of yoga postures were compared to the effects of 'power poses,' which arguably increase the sense of power and self-confidence due to their association with interpersonal dominance (Carney et al., 2010). The study tested the novel prediction that yoga poses, which are not associated with interpersonal dominance but increase bodily energy, would increase the subjective feeling of energy and therefore increase self-esteem compared to 'high power' and 'low power' poses. A two factorial, between participants design was employed. Participants performed either two standing yoga poses with open front of the body ( n = 19), two standing yoga poses with covered front of the body ( n = 22), two expansive, high power poses ( n = 21), or two constrictive, low power poses ( n = 20) for 1-min each. The results showed that yoga poses in comparison to 'power poses' increased self-esteem. This effect was mediated by an increased subjective sense of energy and was observed when baseline trait self-esteem was controlled for. These results suggest that the effects of performing open, expansive body postures may be driven by processes other than the poses' association with interpersonal power and dominance. This study demonstrates that positive effects of yoga practice can occur after performing yoga poses for only 2 min.

Motivation and treatment engagement intervention trial (MotivaTe-IT: the effects of motivation feedback to clinicians on treatment engagement in patients with severe mental illness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jochems Eline C

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Treatment disengagement and non-completion poses a major problem for the successful treatment of patients with severe mental illness. Motivation for treatment has long been proposed as a major determinant of treatment engagement, but exact mechanisms remain unclear. This current study serves three purposes: 1 to determine whether a feedback intervention based on the patients’ motivation for treatment is effective at improving treatment engagement (TE of severe mentally ill patients in outpatient psychiatric treatment, 2 to gather insight into motivational processes and possible mechanisms regarding treatment motivation (TM and TE in this patient population and 3 to determine which of three theories of motivation is most plausible for the dynamics of TM and TE in this population. Methods/design The Motivation and Treatment Engagement Intervention Trial (MotivaTe-IT is a multi-center cluster randomized trial investigating the effectiveness of feedback generated by clinicians regarding their patients’ treatment motivation upon the patients’ TE. The primary outcome is the patients’ TE. Secondary outcomes are TM, psychosocial functioning and quality of life. Patients whose clinicians generate monthly motivation feedback (additional to treatment as usual will be compared to patients who receive treatment as usual. An estimated 350 patients, aged 18 to 65 years, with psychotic disorders and/or severe personality disorders will be recruited from outpatient community mental health care. The randomization will be performed by a computerized randomization program, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 (team vs. team or clinician vs. clinician and patients, but not clinicians, will be blind to treatment allocation at baseline assessment. Due to the nature of the trial, follow-up assessment can not be blinded. Discussion The current study can provide important insights regarding motivational processes and the way in which motivation

Motivation and treatment engagement intervention trial (MotivaTe-IT): the effects of motivation feedback to clinicians on treatment engagement in patients with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Jochems, Eline C; Mulder, Cornelis L; van Dam, Arno; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; Scheffer, Sylvia C M; van der Spek, Willem; van der Feltz-Cornelis, Christina M

2012-11-24

Treatment disengagement and non-completion poses a major problem for the successful treatment of patients with severe mental illness. Motivation for treatment has long been proposed as a major determinant of treatment engagement, but exact mechanisms remain unclear. This current study serves three purposes: 1) to determine whether a feedback intervention based on the patients' motivation for treatment is effective at improving treatment engagement (TE) of severe mentally ill patients in outpatient psychiatric treatment, 2) to gather insight into motivational processes and possible mechanisms regarding treatment motivation (TM) and TE in this patient population and 3) to determine which of three theories of motivation is most plausible for the dynamics of TM and TE in this population. The Motivation and Treatment Engagement Intervention Trial (MotivaTe-IT) is a multi-center cluster randomized trial investigating the effectiveness of feedback generated by clinicians regarding their patients' treatment motivation upon the patients' TE. The primary outcome is the patients' TE. Secondary outcomes are TM, psychosocial functioning and quality of life. Patients whose clinicians generate monthly motivation feedback (additional to treatment as usual) will be compared to patients who receive treatment as usual. An estimated 350 patients, aged 18 to 65 years, with psychotic disorders and/or severe personality disorders will be recruited from outpatient community mental health care. The randomization will be performed by a computerized randomization program, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 (team vs. team or clinician vs. clinician) and patients, but not clinicians, will be blind to treatment allocation at baseline assessment. Due to the nature of the trial, follow-up assessment can not be blinded. The current study can provide important insights regarding motivational processes and the way in which motivation influences the treatment engagement and clinical outcomes. The

Motivation and treatment engagement intervention trial (MotivaTe-IT): the effects of motivation feedback to clinicians on treatment engagement in patients with severe mental illness

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Treatment disengagement and non-completion poses a major problem for the successful treatment of patients with severe mental illness. Motivation for treatment has long been proposed as a major determinant of treatment engagement, but exact mechanisms remain unclear. This current study serves three purposes: 1) to determine whether a feedback intervention based on the patients’ motivation for treatment is effective at improving treatment engagement (TE) of severe mentally ill patients in outpatient psychiatric treatment, 2) to gather insight into motivational processes and possible mechanisms regarding treatment motivation (TM) and TE in this patient population and 3) to determine which of three theories of motivation is most plausible for the dynamics of TM and TE in this population. Methods/design The Motivation and Treatment Engagement Intervention Trial (MotivaTe-IT) is a multi-center cluster randomized trial investigating the effectiveness of feedback generated by clinicians regarding their patients’ treatment motivation upon the patients’ TE. The primary outcome is the patients’ TE. Secondary outcomes are TM, psychosocial functioning and quality of life. Patients whose clinicians generate monthly motivation feedback (additional to treatment as usual) will be compared to patients who receive treatment as usual. An estimated 350 patients, aged 18 to 65 years, with psychotic disorders and/or severe personality disorders will be recruited from outpatient community mental health care. The randomization will be performed by a computerized randomization program, with an allocation ratio of 1:1 (team vs. team or clinician vs. clinician) and patients, but not clinicians, will be blind to treatment allocation at baseline assessment. Due to the nature of the trial, follow-up assessment can not be blinded. Discussion The current study can provide important insights regarding motivational processes and the way in which motivation influences the treatment

Prospective memory, level of disability, and return to work in severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Burton, Cynthia Z; Vella, Lea; Twamley, Elizabeth W

2018-02-25

Prospective memory (the ability to remember to do things) has clear implications for everyday functioning, including employment, in people with severe mental illnesses (SMI). This study aimed to evaluate prospective memory performance and its relationship to real-world functional variables in an employment-seeking sample of people with SMI (Clinical Trial registration number NCT00895258). 153 individuals with DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (n = 58), bipolar disorder (n = 37), or schizophrenia (n = 58) who were receiving outpatient psychiatric care at a university clinic enrolled in a trial of supported employment and completed a baseline assessment. Prospective memory was measured with the Memory for Intentions Test (MIST); real-world functional status included work history variables, clinical history variables, baseline functional capacity (UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment-Brief), and work outcomes (weeks worked and wages earned during two years of supported employment). Participants with schizophrenia performed worse on the MIST than did those with affective disorders. Independent of diagnosis, education, and estimated intellectual functioning, prospective memory significantly predicted variance in measures of disability and illness burden (disability benefits, hospitalization history, current functional capacity), and work outcomes over two years of supported employment (weeks worked). Worse prospective memory appears to be associated with greater illness burden and functional disability in SMI. Mental health clinicians and employment specialists may counsel clients to use compensatory prospective memory strategies to improve work performance and decrease functional disability associated with SMI.

A clinician-administered severity rating scale for illness anxiety: development, reliability, and validity of the H-YBOCS-M.

Science.gov (United States)

Skritskaya, Natalia A; Carson-Wong, Amanda R; Moeller, James R; Shen, Sa; Barsky, Arthur J; Fallon, Brian A

2012-07-01

Clinician-administered measures to assess severity of illness anxiety and response to treatment are few. The authors evaluated a modified version of the hypochondriasis-Y-BOCS (H-YBOCS-M), a 19-item, semistructured, clinician-administered instrument designed to rate severity of illness-related thoughts, behaviors, and avoidance. The scale was administered to 195 treatment-seeking adults with DSM-IV hypochondriasis. Test-retest reliability was assessed in a subsample of 20 patients. Interrater reliability was assessed by 27 interviews independently rated by four raters. Sensitivity to change was evaluated in a subsample of 149 patients. Convergent and discriminant validity was examined by comparing H-YBOCS-M scores to other measures administered. Item clustering was examined with confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses. The H-YBOCS-M demonstrated good internal consistency, interrater and test-retest reliability, and sensitivity to symptom change with treatment. Construct validity was supported by significant higher correlations with scores on other measures of hypochondriasis than with nonhypochondriacal measures. Improvement over time in response to treatment correlated with improvement both on measures of hypochondriasis and on measures of somatization, depression, anxiety, and functional status. Confirmatory factor analysis did not show adequate fit for a three-factor model. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a five-factor solution with the first two factors consistent with the separation of the H-YBOCS-M items into the subscales of illness-related avoidance and compulsions. H-YBOCS-M appears to be valid, reliable, and appropriate as an outcome measure for treatment studies of illness anxiety. Study results highlight "avoidance" as a key feature of illness anxiety-with potentially important nosologic and treatment implications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The inverse problem of determining several coefficients in a nonlinear Lotka–Volterra system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roques, Lionel; Cristofol, Michel

2012-01-01

In this paper, we prove a uniqueness result in the inverse problem of determining several non-constant coefficients of a system of two parabolic equations, which corresponds to a Lotka–Volterra competition model. Our result gives a sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the determination of four coefficients of the system. This sufficient condition only involves pointwise measurements of the solution (u, v) of the system and of the spatial derivative ∂u/∂x or ∂v/∂x of one component at a single point x 0 , during a time interval (0, ε). Our results are illustrated by numerical computations. (paper)

Validation of the Hong Kong Cantonese Version of World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index for People with Severe Mental Illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, C L; Lee, C C; Ip, Y C; Chow, L P; Leung, C H; Lam, Y C

2016-03-01

The World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) has been developed to measure psychological wellbeing. Translation and linguistic validation of the WHO-5 into a Cantonese version has been accomplished for local use but it is not yet validated in people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong. This study aimed to examine the applicability of WHO-5 in measuring the psychological wellbeing dimension of people with severe mental illness. A brief and easily administrated tool to measure psychological wellbeing of people with severe mental illness can be used to provide an outcome measure in research studies and clinical trials. Subjects were randomly recruited from the Extended-Care Patient Intensive Treatment, Early Diversion and Rehabilitation Stepping-Stone Project (EXITERS) and the Rehabilitation Activity Centre (RAC) of Kwai Chung Hospital in Hong Kong. They were invited to complete the abbreviated version of Hong Kong Chinese World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF [HK]) and WHO-5 (Cantonese version) separately and concurrent validity was examined. A total of 84 subjects were recruited, 42 each from EXITERS and RAC. In all, 49 (58%) were male and 35 (42%) were female. The mean ± standard deviation age was 43.2 ± 9.7 years. Their mean duration of mental illness was 16.4 ± 10.5 years and the mean years of education was 10.17 ± 2.5 years, i.e. about junior secondary school level in Hong Kong. The internal consistency of the WHO-5 was satisfactory (0.86) and was comparable with previous reports. Regarding validity, 1-factor structure with an eigenvalue of 3.24 explained 64.8% of total variance of WHO-5 for people with severe mental illness. Concurrent validity was established with moderate correlation (0.41-0.51) between WHO-5 and 4 domains of the WHOQOL-BREF (HK). The WHO-5 (Cantonese version) is a reliable and valid tool to assess the psychological wellbeing of people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong. It can be used to monitor

Family characteristics oF NigeriaN womeN with severe meNtal illNess

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2011-06-06

Jun 6, 2011 ... East African Medical Journal Vol. 88 No. 6 June ... mental illnesses like schizophrenia impair ability or potential to ... from relatives, in which case institutional caregivers ... overload; physical and emotional burnouts may make.

The absence of exanthema is related with death and illness severity in acute enterovirus infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Tao Zhou

2014-11-01

Conclusions: A considerable proportion of children with an acute enterovirus infection in Guangdong Province, China during 2009–2012 presented no exanthema, and the absence of exanthema was found to be related to death and illness severity for these acute enterovirus infections. Clinicians in China should consider enterovirus as the possible pathogen when treating children with an acute pathogen infection without exanthema.

Severe respiratory illness associated with a novel coronavirus--Saudi Arabia and Qatar, 2012.

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-12

CDC is working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to better understand the public health risk presented by a recently detected, novel coronavirus. This virus has been identified in two patients, both previously healthy adults who suffered severe respiratory illness. The first patient, a man aged 60 years from Saudi Arabia, was hospitalized in June 2012 and died; the second patient, a man aged 49 years from Qatar with onset of symptoms in September 2012 was transported to the United Kingdom for intensive care. He remains hospitalized on life support with both pulmonary and renal failure. Person-to-person or health-care-associated transmission has not been identified to date. Interim case definitions based on acute respiratory illness and travel history were issued by WHO on September 29 and include criteria for "patient under investigation," "probable case," and "confirmed case". This information is current as of October 4. Updates on the investigation and the WHO case definition are available at http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/index.html.

Reconstruction formula for a 3-d phaseless inverse scattering problem for the Schrodinger equation

OpenAIRE

Klibanov, Michael V.; Romanov, Vladimir G.

2014-01-01

The inverse scattering problem of the reconstruction of the unknown potential with compact support in the 3-d Schr\\"odinger equation is considered. Only the modulus of the scattering complex valued wave field is known, whereas the phase is unknown. It is shown that the unknown potential can be reconstructed via the inverse Radon transform. Therefore, a long standing problem posed in 1977 by K. Chadan and P.C. Sabatier in their book "Inverse Problems in Quantum Scattering Theory" is solved.

The social distribution of illness: is Australia more equal?

Science.gov (United States)

Broom, D H

1984-01-01

The relationship between socioeconomic status and ill health has challenged researchers and health practitioners for many years. This paper outlines the way several basic measures of morbidity are related to occupation, income and education, with brief attention to class gradients in mortality and service utilization. The international literature contains many studies showing an inverse gradient in health by social standing: people who are socially and economically well off typically enjoy good health as well. Data from a recent health survey conducted in New South Wales, Australia do not confirm the British findings when occupational categories are studied, but when other measures of status are substituted for the crude occupation categories, a number of patterns appear. Income is significantly associated with the probability of chronic illness among middle-aged men and women, and among women over 65. The predicted pattern is also evident for recent illness among young men and for consulting among elderly respondents, but these associations are not statistically significant. Except among the elderly, better educated men and women are healthier than those with less education on most morbidity measures. The parallels and discrepancies between these findings from an Australian sample and overseas studies raise important research and policy questions.

Adaptive discretizations for the choice of a Tikhonov regularization parameter in nonlinear inverse problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaltenbacher, Barbara; Kirchner, Alana; Vexler, Boris

2011-01-01

Parameter identification problems for partial differential equations usually lead to nonlinear inverse problems. A typical property of such problems is their instability, which requires regularization techniques, like, e.g., Tikhonov regularization. The main focus of this paper will be on efficient methods for determining a suitable regularization parameter by using adaptive finite element discretizations based on goal-oriented error estimators. A well-established method for the determination of a regularization parameter is the discrepancy principle where the residual norm, considered as a function i of the regularization parameter, should equal an appropriate multiple of the noise level. We suggest to solve the resulting scalar nonlinear equation by an inexact Newton method, where in each iteration step, a regularized problem is solved at a different discretization level. The proposed algorithm is an extension of the method suggested in Griesbaum A et al (2008 Inverse Problems 24 025025) for linear inverse problems, where goal-oriented error estimators for i and its derivative are used for adaptive refinement strategies in order to keep the discretization level as coarse as possible to save computational effort but fine enough to guarantee global convergence of the inexact Newton method. This concept leads to a highly efficient method for determining the Tikhonov regularization parameter for nonlinear ill-posed problems. Moreover, we prove that with the so-obtained regularization parameter and an also adaptively discretized Tikhonov minimizer, usual convergence and regularization results from the continuous setting can be recovered. As a matter of fact, it is shown that it suffices to use stationary points of the Tikhonov functional. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by means of numerical experiments. (paper)

[Children of mentally ill parents: the impact of parental psychiatric diagnosis, comorbidity, severity and chronicity on the well-being of children].

Science.gov (United States)

Wiegand-Grefe, S; Geers, P; Petermann, F; Plass, A

2011-01-01

Children of mentally ill parents are known as a high-risk population for the development of psychological disturbances. In this study, the psychiatric diagnoses, the severity and chronicity and the comorbidity of a parental mental illness as well as the non-specific parameters were examined in terms of their influence on the children's mental health. n = 62 children of psychiatric inpatients were examined regarding their psychic symptomatology, assessed with the CBCL-Parent Report Form. The psychiatric ICD-10 diagnoses and comorbidities as well as the severity (CGI) of the mentally ill parents were collected from psychiatric assessment forms. Children of parents with personality disorders (PD) are evaluated as highly affected by their parents, regardless of whether the PD is the primary or the comorbid diagnosis. Children of parents suffering from addictive disorders are seen as the least affected by their parents. Overall, children of parents with multiple diagnoses tend to be rated as more affected. Severity of illness and chronicity do not have a considerable impact on the children's development of mental health problems. Strikingly, children with a high length of exposure to a parental illness are psychologically less affected than children with shorter times of exposure. Thus, children possibly acquire effective coping mechanisms with increasing time of exposure. The results reveal the necessity of preventive programmes, especially in case of personality disorders. In addition the necessity for external assessment of the children becomes clear, especially in those cases where the parents exhibit a poor acceptance of their disease. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Customization of a Severity of Illness Score Using Local Electronic Medical Record Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Joon; Maslove, David M

2017-01-01

Severity of illness (SOI) scores are traditionally based on archival data collected from a wide range of clinical settings. Mortality prediction using SOI scores tends to underperform when applied to contemporary cases or those that differ from the case-mix of the original derivation cohorts. We investigated the use of local clinical data captured from hospital electronic medical records (EMRs) to improve the predictive performance of traditional severity of illness scoring. We conducted a retrospective analysis using data from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care II (MIMIC-II) database, which contains clinical data from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. A total of 17 490 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions with complete data were included, from 4 different service types: medical ICU, surgical ICU, coronary care unit, and cardiac surgery recovery unit. We developed customized SOI scores trained on data from each service type, using the clinical variables employed in the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS). In-hospital, 30-day, and 2-year mortality predictions were compared with those obtained from using the original SAPS using the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUROC) as well as the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC). Test performance in different cohorts stratified by severity of organ injury was also evaluated. Most customized scores (30 of 39) significantly outperformed SAPS with respect to both AUROC and AUPRC. Enhancements over SAPS were greatest for patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery and for prediction of 2-year mortality. Custom models based on ICU-specific data provided better mortality prediction than traditional SAPS scoring using the same predictor variables. Our local data approach demonstrates the value of electronic data capture in the ICU, of secondary uses of EMR data, and of local customization of SOI scoring. © The Author(s) 2015.

An inverse method for the identification of a distributed random excitation acting on a vibrating structure. Theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granger, S.; Perotin, L.

1997-01-01

Maintaining the PWR components under reliable operating conditions requires a complex design to prevent various damaging processes, including fatigue and wear problems due to flow-induced vibration. In many practical situations, it is difficult, if not impossible, to perform direct measurements or calculations of the external forces acting on vibrating structures. Instead, vibrational responses can often be conveniently measured. This paper presents an inverse method for estimating a distributed random excitation from the measurement of the structural response at a number of discrete points. This paper is devoted to the presentation of the theoretical development. The force identification method is based on a modal model for the structure and a spatial orthonormal decomposition of the excitation field. The estimation of the Fourier coefficients of this orthonormal expansion is presented. As this problem turns out to be ill-posed, a regularization process is introduced. The minimization problem associated to this process is then formulated and its solutions is developed. (author)

A Generalization of the Spherical Inversion

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez, José L.; Rubiano, Gustavo N.

2017-01-01

In the present article, we introduce a generalization of the spherical inversion. In particular, we define an inversion with respect to an ellipsoid, and prove several properties of this new transformation. The inversion in an ellipsoid is the generalization of the elliptic inversion to the three-dimensional space. We also study the inverse images…

Genetic variations of PIP4K2A confer vulnerability to poor antipsychotic response in severely ill schizophrenia patients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harpreet Kaur

Full Text Available Literature suggests that disease severity and neurotransmitter signaling pathway genes can accurately identify antipsychotic response in schizophrenia patients. However, putative role of signaling molecules has not been tested in schizophrenia patients based on severity of illness, despite its biological plausibility. In the present study we investigated the possible association of polymorphisms from five candidate genes RGS4, SLC6A3, PIP4K2A, BDNF, PI4KA with response to antipsychotic in variably ill schizophrenia patients. Thus in present study, a total 53 SNPs on the basis of previous reports and functional grounds were examined for their association with antipsychotic response in 423 schizophrenia patients segregated into low and high severity groups. Additionally, haplotype, diplotype, multivariate logistic regression and multifactor-dimensionality reduction (MDR analyses were performed. Furthermore, observed associations were investigated in atypical monotherapy (n = 355 and risperidone (n = 260 treated subgroups. All associations were estimated as odds ratio (OR and 95% confidence interval (CI and test for multiple corrections was applied. Single locus analysis showed significant association of nine variants from SLC6A3, PIP4K2A and BDNF genes with incomplete antipsychotic response in schizophrenia patients with high severity. We identified significant association of six marker diplotype ATTGCT/ATTGCT (rs746203-rs10828317-rs7094131-rs2296624-rs11013052-rs1409396 of PIP4K2A gene in incomplete responders (corrected p-value = 0.001; adjusted-OR = 3.19, 95%-CI = 1.46-6.98 with high severity. These associations were further observed in atypical monotherapy and risperidone sub-groups. MDR approach identified gene-gene interaction among BDNF_rs7103411-BDNF_rs1491851-SLC6A3_rs40184 in severely ill incomplete responders (OR = 7.91, 95%-CI = 4.08-15.36. While RGS4_rs2842026-SLC6A3_rs2975226 interacted synergistically in

Association of Fluid Accumulation with Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill Children with Severe Sepsis

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jiao; Li, Xiaozhong; Bai, Zhenjiang; Fang, Fang; Hua, Jun; Li, Ying; Pan, Jian; Wang, Jian; Feng, Xing; Li, Yanhong

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate whether early and acquired daily fluid overload (FO), as well as fluctuations in fluid accumulation, were associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill children with severe sepsis. Methods This study enrolled 202 children in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) with severe sepsis. Early fluid overload was defined as ≥5% fluid accumulation occurring in the first 24 hours of PICU admission. The maximum daily fluid accumulation ≥5% occurring during the next 6 days in patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay was defined as PICU-acquired daily fluid overload. The fluctuation in fluid accumulation was calculated as the difference between the maximum and the minimum daily fluid accumulation obtained during the first 7 days after admission. Results Of the 202 patients, 61 (30.2%) died during PICU stay. Among all patients, 41 (20.3%) experienced early fluid overload, including 9 with a FO ≥10%. Among patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay (n = 154), 36 (23.4%) developed PICU-acquired daily fluid overload, including 2 with a FO ≥10%. Both early fluid overload (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.08–1.33; P = 0.001; n = 202) and PICU-acquired daily fluid overload (AOR = 5.47 per log increase; 95% CI 1.15–25.96; P = 0.032; n = 154) were independent risk factors associated with mortality after adjusting for age, illness severity, etc. However, fluctuations in fluid accumulation were not associated with mortality after adjustment. Length of PICU stay increased with greater fluctuations in fluid accumulation in all patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay (FO fluid overload achieved an area under-the-receiver-operating-characteristic curve of 0.74 (95% CI 0.65–0.82; P fluid overload were independently associated with PICU mortality in children with severe sepsis. PMID:27467522

Associations of moderate and severe overweight with self-reported illness and medical care in Dutch adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seidell, J C; de Groot, L.C.; van Sonsbeek, J L; Deurenberg, P.; Hautvast, J.G.A.J.

Data on height, weight, illness, medical care consumption, and demographic variables for 19,126 Dutch adults aged 20 years or older were obtained from three annual Health Interview Surveys. Data on severely overweight (Body Mass Index 30.0-40.0 kg/m2) and moderately overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m2)

Help-seeking patterns in women with postpartum severe mental illness: a report from southern India.

Science.gov (United States)

Thippeswamy, Harish; Desai, Geetha; Chandra, Prabha

2018-03-21

Postpartum severe mental illness (SMI) often presents with risks to mother-infant dyad and requires early assessment and interventions. The access to psychiatric care in low and middle income countries is complex. Help-seeking patterns in women with postpartum SMI has not been studied adequately. Hence, the present study was undertaken to examine the help-seeking pattern and reasons for delay in seeking psychiatry services among postpartum women with SMI. Successive patients with a diagnosis of postpartum SMI were recruited over a period of 2 years. Clinical variables including the risk evaluation, perceived delay in seeking care along with the reasons were assessed through clinical interviews using a proforma. Severity of illness was assessed using BPRS and "encounter" form was used to assess the help-seeking pattern. One hundred twenty-three women with postpartum SMI participated in the study. Acute polymorphic psychotic disorder was the most common clinical presentation. Psychiatrists were the most commonly (52.8%) sought care providers followed by faith healers (26%) and general medical practitioners (GMP) (21.1%) at the first level of help seeking. A past history of psychiatric illness was significantly higher among those who first contacted a psychiatrist, and BPRS scores were significantly high among those who contacted a GMP. Forty-four percent of subjects perceived a delay in seeking care from psychiatry services and the most common reason was lack of resources. There is a need to enhance awareness about postpartum SMI in the community. Faith healers need to be sensitized about the associated risks and the need for early referrals. Addressing the barriers to psychiatric care would help in early detection and treatment of postpartum SMI.

A systematic review of the effects of novel psychoactive substances 'legal highs' on people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, R; Bressington, D; Hughes, E; Ivanecka, A

2016-06-01

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) include synthetic drugs mimicking the effects of illicit drugs, e.g. synthetic cannabinoids, and herbs such as Salvia divinorum. NPS are substances that can trigger hallucinations and other effects altering the mind, and are currently uncontrolled by the United Nations' 1961 Narcotic Drugs/1971 Psychotropic Substances Conventions. NPS affect brain chemistry that induces the psychoactive effects, such as hallucinations and feeling 'high'. It is unknown what effects such drugs have on people with severe mental illness (i.e. psychotic illnesses). WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Our review demonstrates that little is known about the effects of various NPS on people with severe mental illness. Almost nothing is known about the long-term consequences of NPS use on the mental and physical health of SMI patients. Patients may lack understanding that NPS are psychoactive drugs that can impact on their mental and physical wellbeing. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Some patients might be reluctant or do not think it is relevant to disclose NPS use. Commonly used illicit drug screening is unlikely to detect the presence of NPS, therefore health and mental health professionals should directly enquire about NPS and actively encourage patients with severe mental illness to disclose any substance use. There was no significant patient and public involvement in the development and conduct of this study . Introduction Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are synthetic substances that have been developed to produce altered states of consciousness and perceptions. People with severe mental illness (SMI) are more likely to use NPS than people without mental illness, but the short- and long-term effects of NPS are largely unknown. Method We systematically reviewed the literature about the effects of NPS on people with SMI. Results We included 12 case reports, 1 cross-sectional survey and 1 qualitative

Substance use in adolescents with mental illness in Durban, South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Taukoor, Bhoodeo; Paruk, Saeeda; Karim, Enver; Burns, Jonathan K

2017-05-01

Comorbid substance use in adolescents with mental illness is often an indicator of poor treatment outcome. This study aims to determine the prevalence of, and associated risk factors for, substance use in adolescents with mental illness attending a mental health service. Data was collected from hospital records of 162 adolescents, using a structured data sheet, over a two-year period. Substance use was more significant in older adolescents and those with severe mental illness. Sixty-two (38.3%) adolescents used substances. Thirty-seven (38.1%) male adolescents reported substance use compared to 25 (38.5%) female adolescents. Alcohol was the most commonly used substance (n = 48; 29.6%), followed by cannabis (n = 32; 19.8%). There were significant direct associations between substance use and history of abuse or neglect, forensic history, educational setting, admission status, and the psychiatric diagnoses of schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, and bipolar mood disorder. Inverse associations were found between substance use and adjustment disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disability. The results of this study indicate an urgent need for substance misuse programmes for at risk youth, and the introduction of dual diagnosis intervention programmes in this age group.

Sexual behavior, body image, and partnership in chronic illness: a comparison of Huntington's disease and multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Reininghaus, Eva; Reininghaus, Bernd; Fitz, Werner; Hecht, Karen; Bonelli, Raphael Maria

2012-08-01

Huntington's disease (HD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are both chronic progressive illnesses posing a serious challenge to affected patients and families. Sexual dysfunction in HD as well as in MS is a very common problem, although it is unclear whether the dysfunction is caused by the chronic illness itself or by the sociopsychiatric burden related to the illness. Twenty-nine patients with HD and 27 patients with MS each participated in a semistructured interview and several standardized questionnaires concerning partnership, sexual function, and body image. The results display significant differences in both patient groups, displaying higher sexual desire and activity in HD patients, but MS patients also reported fewer sexual problems compared to the norming values. Conversely, the MS patients' relationships seemed to be stable despite subjectively perceived lower initiative on sexual activities. The results are discussed under the possible influences of the underlying organic changes and the psychosocial consequences of chronic progressive disorders.

Direct detection of common and rare inversion mutations in the genetic diagnosis of severe hemophilia A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Windsor, A.S.; Lillicrap, D.P.; Taylor, S.A.M. [Queen`s Univ., Ontario (Canada)

1994-09-01

Approximately 50% of the cases of severe hemophilia A (factor VIII:C < 0.01 units/ml) may be due to gross rearrangements of the factor VIII gene. The mutation involves homologous sequences upstream of the factor VIII locus and within intron 22 in an intrachromosomal recombination, inversion, event. The rearrangements can readily be detected on a Southern blot using a probe that is complementary to sequences from within intron 22. We describe here the analysis of this mutation in 71 severe hemophilia A patients. Thirty two of the patients (45%) showed evidence of a rearrangement. Five different patterns of rearrangements were seen, two of which have previously been described and account for the majority of cases (pattern 1, 70% and pattern 2, 16%). Three other abnormal patterns were observed. The inversion mechanism does not usually result in the loss or gain of any genetic material, but in one patient, in whom a unique rearrangement pattern was observed (pattern 3), we have previously documented a gross deletion which removes exons 1-22 of the factor VII gene as well as sequences 5{prime} to the gene. In another individual a fourth pattern in which an extra 19.0 kb band is present was detected. In this case it is unclear as to whether the rearrangement is responsible for the disease or is simply coincident normal variation. A fifth pattern, in which an extra 16.0 kb band was detected, was observed in a family with a new mutation causing hemophilia A. The affected individual and his mother inherited a de novo rearrangement of the factor VIII gene from his unaffected grandfather, implicating it as the cause of the disease. In conclusion, testing for the factor VIII inversion mutation was positive in approximately 45% of severe hemophiliacs, 72% of whom were isolated cases, and as such should constitute the initial stage in the genetic testing protocol for these patients` families.

Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy: A New Group-Based Treatment for Internalized Stigma among Persons with Severe Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Yanos, Philip T.; Roe, David; Lysaker, Paul H.

2011-01-01

Internalized stigma has been suggested to play a major role in negative changes in identity in severe mental illness. Evidence suggests that roughly one-third of people with severe mental illness show elevated internalized stigma and that it is linked to compromised outcomes in both subjective and objective aspects of recovery. Despite substantial evidence for the impact of internalized stigma, few efforts have been made to develop professionally-led treatment to address this issue. In this article, we discuss our development of a new, group-based approach to the treatment of internalized stigma which we have termed “narrative enhancement and cognitive therapy” (NECT). We describe the treatment approach and offer an illustration of it by way of a case vignette. PMID:21985260

A complex intervention to improve implementation of World Health Organization guidelines for diagnosis of severe illness in low-income settings: a quasi-experimental study from Uganda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matthew J. Cummings

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To improve management of severely ill hospitalized patients in low-income settings, the World Health Organization (WHO established a triage tool called “Quick Check” to provide clinicians with a rapid, standardized approach to identify patients with severe illness based on recognition of abnormal vital signs. Despite the availability of these guidelines, recognition of severe illness remains challenged in low-income settings, largely as a result of infrequent vital sign monitoring. Methods We conducted a staggered, pre-post quasi-experimental study at four inpatient health facilities in western Uganda to assess the impact of a multi-modal intervention for improving quality of care following formal training on WHO “Quick Check” guidelines for diagnosis of severe illness in low-income settings. Intervention components were developed using the COM-B (“capability,” “opportunity,” and “motivation” determine “behavior” model and included clinical mentoring by an expert in severe illness care, collaborative improvement meetings with external support supervision, and continuous audits of clinical performance with structured feedback. Results There were 5759 patients hospitalized from August 2014 to May 2015: 1633 were admitted before and 4126 during the intervention period. Designed to occur twice monthly, collaborative improvement meetings occurred every 2–4 weeks at each site. Clinical mentoring sessions, designed to occur monthly, occurred every 4–6 months at each site. Audit and feedback reports were implemented weekly as designed. During the intervention period, there were significant increases in the site-adjusted likelihood of initial assessment of temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, mental status, and pulse oximetry. Patients admitted during the intervention period were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with sepsis (4.3 vs. 0.4%, risk ratio 10.1, 95% CI 3.0–31

Learning the solution sparsity of an ill-posed linear inverse problem with the Variational Garrote

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Michael Riis; Hansen, Sofie Therese; Hansen, Lars Kai

2013-01-01

the Variational Garrote, we show, has a wide range of parameter values for which it at the same time provides low test error and high retrieval of the true feature locations. Furthermore, the new form of the prior and associated hyper-prior leads to a simple update rule in a Bayesian variational inference scheme...

Predictors of employment for people with severe mental illness : results of an international six-centre randomised controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Catty, Jocelyn; Lissouba, Pascale; White, Sarah; Becker, Thomas; Drake, Robert E.; Fioritti, Angelo; Knapp, Martin; Lauber, Christoph; Roessler, Wulf; Tomov, Toma; Van Busschbach, Jooske; Wiersma, Durk; Burns, Tom; Rossler, W.

Background An international six-centre randomised controlled trial comparing individual placement and support (IPS) with usual vocational rehabilitation for people with serious mental illness found IPS to be more effective for all vocational outcomes. Aims To determine which patients with severe

Free thyroxine by solid phase radioimmunoassay: improvement in the laboratory diagnosis of thyroid status in severely ill patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bayer, M.F.; McDougall, I.R. (Stanford Univ., CA (USA). School of Medicine)

1982-02-05

During severe systemic illness total thyroid hormone levels are often low, and measurement of total hormones often does not differentiate between euthyroid and hypothyroid patients. Therefore serum free thyroxine levels were tested by radioimmunoassay (antibody-coated tubes, Clinical Assays) as an alternative diagnostic test in three groups of severely ill patients with subnormal triiodothyronine. Free thyroxine estimates agreed with the clinical impression and TSH in 91% of cases in group 1 (47 patients with no history or clinical evidence of thyroid disorder), in 96% of cases in group 2 (24 euthyroid patients with a history of thyroid disease, including some on thyroid replacement) and 90% of cases in group 3 (10 hypothyroid patients). By contrast, the free thyroxine index did so in only 53% (group 1), 46% (group 2) or 100% (group 3). Sequential studies showed little change in free thyroxine and TSH levels in euthyroid patients during illness and recovery, and a good negative correlation between free thyroxine and TSH in hypothyroid patients. Free thyroxine measurements (and TSH) discriminate between euthyroid and hypothyroid sick patients better than other thyroid function tests including the free thyroxine index, and can be employed routinely: a distinct advantage over free thyroxine measured by equilibrium dialysis.

Cost of illness and illness perceptions in patients with fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vervoort, Vera M; Vriezekolk, Johanna E; Olde Hartman, Tim C; Cats, Hans A; van Helmond, Toon; van der Laan, Willemijn H; Geenen, Rinie; van den Ende, Cornelia H

2016-01-01

The disease impact and economic burden of fibromyalgia (FM) are high for patients and society at large. Knowing potential determinants of economic costs may help in reducing this burden. Cognitive appraisals (perceptions) of the illness could affect costs. The present study estimated costs of illness in FM and examined the association between these costs and illness perceptions. Questionnaire data of FM severity (FIQ), illness perceptions (IPQ-R-FM), productivity losses (SF-HLQ) and health care use were collected in a cohort of patients with FM. Costs were calculated and dichotomised (median split). Univariate and hierarchic logistic regression models examined the unique association of each illness perception with 1) health care costs and 2) costs of productivity losses. Covariates were FM severity, comorbidity and other illness perceptions. 280 patients participated: 95% female, mean age 42 (SD=12) years. Annualised costs of FM per patient were €2944 for health care, and €5731 for productivity losses. In multivariate analyses, a higher disease impact (FIQ) and two of seven illness perceptions (IPQ-R-FM) were associated with high health care costs: 1) high scores on 'cyclical timeline' reflecting a fluctuating, unpredictable course and 2) low scores on 'emotional representations', thus not perceiving a connection between fibromyalgia and emotions. None of the variables was associated with productivity losses. Our study indicates that perceiving a fluctuating course and low emotional representation, which perhaps reflects somatic fixation, are associated with health care costs in FM. Future studies should examine whether targeting these illness perceptions results in reduction of costs.

Sensitivity computation of the l1 minimization problem and its application to dictionary design of ill-posed problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horesh, L; Haber, E

2009-01-01

The l 1 minimization problem has been studied extensively in the past few years. Recently, there has been a growing interest in its application for inverse problems. Most studies have concentrated in devising ways for sparse representation of a solution using a given prototype dictionary. Very few studies have addressed the more challenging problem of optimal dictionary construction, and even these were primarily devoted to the simplistic sparse coding application. In this paper, sensitivity analysis of the inverse solution with respect to the dictionary is presented. This analysis reveals some of the salient features and intrinsic difficulties which are associated with the dictionary design problem. Equipped with these insights, we propose an optimization strategy that alleviates these hurdles while utilizing the derived sensitivity relations for the design of a locally optimal dictionary. Our optimality criterion is based on local minimization of the Bayesian risk, given a set of training models. We present a mathematical formulation and an algorithmic framework to achieve this goal. The proposed framework offers the design of dictionaries for inverse problems that incorporate non-trivial, non-injective observation operators, where the data and the recovered parameters may reside in different spaces. We test our algorithm and show that it yields improved dictionaries for a diverse set of inverse problems in geophysics and medical imaging

Sensitivity computation of the ell1 minimization problem and its application to dictionary design of ill-posed problems

Science.gov (United States)

Horesh, L.; Haber, E.

2009-09-01

The ell1 minimization problem has been studied extensively in the past few years. Recently, there has been a growing interest in its application for inverse problems. Most studies have concentrated in devising ways for sparse representation of a solution using a given prototype dictionary. Very few studies have addressed the more challenging problem of optimal dictionary construction, and even these were primarily devoted to the simplistic sparse coding application. In this paper, sensitivity analysis of the inverse solution with respect to the dictionary is presented. This analysis reveals some of the salient features and intrinsic difficulties which are associated with the dictionary design problem. Equipped with these insights, we propose an optimization strategy that alleviates these hurdles while utilizing the derived sensitivity relations for the design of a locally optimal dictionary. Our optimality criterion is based on local minimization of the Bayesian risk, given a set of training models. We present a mathematical formulation and an algorithmic framework to achieve this goal. The proposed framework offers the design of dictionaries for inverse problems that incorporate non-trivial, non-injective observation operators, where the data and the recovered parameters may reside in different spaces. We test our algorithm and show that it yields improved dictionaries for a diverse set of inverse problems in geophysics and medical imaging.

Spontaneous and posed facial expression in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, M C; Smith, M K; Ellgring, H

1996-09-01

Spontaneous and posed emotional facial expressions in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD, n = 12) were compared with those of healthy age-matched controls (n = 12). The intensity and amount of facial expression in PD patients were expected to be reduced for spontaneous but not posed expressions. Emotional stimuli were video clips selected from films, 2-5 min in duration, designed to elicit feelings of happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, or anger. Facial movements were coded using Ekman and Friesen's (1978) Facial Action Coding System (FACS). In addition, participants rated their emotional experience on 9-point Likert scales. The PD group showed significantly less overall facial reactivity than did controls when viewing the films. The predicted Group X Condition (spontaneous vs. posed) interaction effect on smile intensity was found when PD participants with more severe disease were compared with those with milder disease and with controls. In contrast, ratings of emotional experience were similar for both groups. Depression was positively associated with emotion rating but not with measures of facial activity. Spontaneous facial expression appears to be selectively affected in PD, whereas posed expression and emotional experience remain relatively intact.

Illnesses in siblings of US patients with bipolar disorder relate to multigenerational family history and patients severity of illness

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Post, Robert M.; Altshuler, Lori L.; Kupka, Ralph; McElroy, Susan L.; Frye, Mark A.; Rowe, Michael; Grunze, Heinz; Suppes, Trisha; Keck, Paul E.; Nolen, Willem A.

2017-01-01

Background: Patients with bipolar disorder from the US have more early-onset illness and a greater familial loading for psychiatric problems than those from the Netherlands or Germany (abbreviated here as Europe). We hypothesized that these regional differences in illness burden would extend to the

The art of problem posing

CERN Document Server

Brown, Stephen I

1990-01-01

Updated and expanded, this second edition satisfies the same philosophical objective as the first -- to show the importance of problem posing. Although interest in mathematical problem solving increased during the past decade, problem posing remained relatively ignored. The Art of Problem Posing draws attention to this equally important act and is the innovator in the field. Special features include: * an exploration ofthe logical relationship between problem posing and problem solving * a special chapter devoted to teaching problem posing as a separate course * sketches, drawings, diagrams, and cartoons that illustrate the schemes proposed * a special section on writing in mathematics.

Acute versus primary care: the health care decision making process for individuals with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Decoux, Michelle

2005-11-01

This study's purpose was to determine factors influencing treatment choices of individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). The sample was drawn from admissions to residential crisis programs in San Francisco. Inclusion criteria were an Axis I and Axis III disorder. This qualitative study utilized grounded theory method. Interviews and field notes were coded for recurring themes. Descriptive data were also collected. Participants revealed that the most important influences on treatment decisions were immediate need for care, the belief that their subacute complaints will not be taken seriously by providers, positive reinforcement for emergency service use, and enabling factors such as insurance coverage. Other remarkable findings included: numerous reports of substance induced medical crises, lack of support from family, and unawareness of client's medical conditions in psychiatric facilities. Health care seeking behaviors are learned and learning that will promote the use of outpatient services in SMI must include positive experiences in the delivery of care in the primary care setting. Participants were knowledgeable regarding their illnesses and able to articulate symptoms of illness well. Failure to communicate symptoms appeared to reflect the participant's perception of a lack of response to their reports.

Involuntary euthanasia of severely ill newborns: is the Groningen Protocol really dangerous?

Science.gov (United States)

Voultsos, P; Chatzinikolaou, F

2014-01-01

Advances in medicine can reduce active euthanasia of newborns with severe anomalies or unusual prematurity, but they cannot eliminate it. In the Netherlands, voluntary active euthanasia among adults and adolescents has been allowed since 2002, when the so-called Groningen Protocol (GP) was formulated as an extension of the law on extremely premature and severely ill newborns. It is maintained that, at bioethical level, it serves the principle of beneficence. Other European countries do not accept the GP, including Belgium. Admissibility of active euthanasia is a necessary, though inadequate, condition for acceptance of the GP. Greece generally prohibits euthanasia, although the legal doctrine considers some of the forms of euthanasia permissible, but not active or involuntary euthanasia. The wide acceptance of passive newborns euthanasia, especially when the gestational age of the newborns is 22-25 weeks ("grey zone"), admissibility of practices within the limits between active and passive euthanasia (e.g., withholding/withdrawing), of "indirect active euthanasia" and abortion of the late fetus, the tendency to accept after-birth-abortion (infanticide) in the bioethical theory, the lower threshold for application of withdrawing in neonatal intensive care units compared with pediatric intensive care units, all the above advocate wider acceptance of the GP. However, the GP paves the way for a wide application of involuntary (or pseudo-voluntary) euthanasia (slippery slope) and contains some ambiguous concepts and requirements (e.g., "unbearable suffering"). It is suggested that the approach to the sensitive and controversial ethical dilemmas concerning the severely ill newborns is done not through the GP, but rather, through a combination of virtue bioethics (especially in the countries of the so-called "Mediterranean bioethical zone") and of the principles of principlism which is enriched, however, with the "principle of mutuality" (enhancement of all values and

Assessing movement quality in persons with severe mental illness - Reliability and validity of the Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedlund, Lena; Gyllensten, Amanda Lundvik; Waldegren, Tomas; Hansson, Lars

2016-05-01

Motor disturbances and disturbed self-recognition are common features that affect mobility in persons with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and bipolar disorder. Physiotherapists in Scandinavia assess and treat movement difficulties in persons with severe mental illness. The Body Awareness Scale Movement Quality and Experience (BAS MQ-E) is a new and shortened version of the commonly used Body Awareness Scale-Health (BAS-H). The purpose of this study was to investigate the inter-rater reliability and the concurrent validity of BAS MQ-E in persons with severe mental illness. The concurrent validity was examined by investigating the relationships between neurological soft signs, alexithymia, fatigue, anxiety, and mastery. Sixty-two persons with severe mental illness participated in the study. The results showed a satisfactory inter-rater reliability (n = 53) and a concurrent validity (n = 62) with neurological soft signs, especially cognitive and perceptual based signs. There was also a concurrent validity linked to physical fatigue and aspects of alexithymia. The scores of BAS MQ-E were in general higher for persons with schizophrenia compared to persons with other diagnoses within the schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder. The clinical implications are presented in the discussion.

Regularized Laplace-Fourier-Domain Full Waveform Inversion Using a Weighted l 2 Objective Function

Science.gov (United States)

Jun, Hyunggu; Kwon, Jungmin; Shin, Changsoo; Zhou, Hongbo; Cogan, Mike

2017-03-01

Full waveform inversion (FWI) can be applied to obtain an accurate velocity model that contains important geophysical and geological information. FWI suffers from the local minimum problem when the starting model is not sufficiently close to the true model. Therefore, an accurate macroscale velocity model is essential for successful FWI, and Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI is appropriate for obtaining such a velocity model. However, conventional Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI remains an ill-posed and ill-conditioned problem, meaning that small errors in the data can result in large differences in the inverted model. This approach also suffers from certain limitations related to the logarithmic objective function. To overcome the limitations of conventional Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI, we introduce a weighted l 2 objective function, instead of the logarithmic objective function, as the data-domain objective function, and we also introduce two different model-domain regularizations: first-order Tikhonov regularization and prior model regularization. The weighting matrix for the data-domain objective function is constructed to suitably enhance the far-offset information. Tikhonov regularization smoothes the gradient, and prior model regularization allows reliable prior information to be taken into account. Two hyperparameters are obtained through trial and error and used to control the trade-off and achieve an appropriate balance between the data-domain and model-domain gradients. The application of the proposed regularizations facilitates finding a unique solution via FWI, and the weighted l 2 objective function ensures a more reasonable residual, thereby improving the stability of the gradient calculation. Numerical tests performed using the Marmousi synthetic dataset show that the use of the weighted l 2 objective function and the model-domain regularizations significantly improves the Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI. Because the Laplace-Fourier-domain FWI is improved, the

Elastic versus acoustic inversion for marine surveys

KAUST Repository

Mora, Peter

2018-04-24

Full Wavefield Inversion (FWI) is a powerful and elegant approach for seismic imaging that is on the way to becoming the method of choice when processing exploration or global seismic data. In the case of processing marine survey data, one may be tempted to assume acoustic FWI is sufficient given that only pressure waves exist in the water layer. In this paper, we pose the question as to whether or not in theory – at least for a hard water bottom case – it should be possible to resolve the shear modulus or S-wave velocity in a marine setting using large offset data. We therefore conduct numerical experiments with idealized marine data calculated with the elastic wave equation. We study two cases, FWI of data due to a diffractor model, and FWI of data due to a fault model. We find that at least in idealized situation, elastic FWI of hard waterbottom data is capable of resolving between the two Lamé parameters λ and μ. Another numerical experiment with a soft waterbottom layer gives the same result. In contrast, acoustic FWI of the synthetic elastic data results in a single image of the first Lamé parameter λ which contains severe artefacts for diffraction data and noticable artefacts for layer reflection data. Based on these results, it would appear that at least, inversions of large offset marine data should be fully elastic rather than acoustic unless it has been demonstrated that for the specific case in question (offsets, model and water depth, practical issues such as soft sediment attenuation of shear waves or computational time), that an acoustic only inversion provides a reasonably good quality of image comparable to that of an elastic inversion. Further research with real data is required to determine the degree to which practical issues such as shear wave attenuation in soft sediments may affect this result.

Computerized physical activity training for persons with severe mental illness - experiences from a communal supported housing project.

Science.gov (United States)

Gyllensten, Amanda Lundvik; Forsberg, Karl-Anton

2017-11-01

To study the effectiveness of Exergames in communal psychiatry for persons with severe mental illness, a randomized cluster study was performed. The hypothesis was to increase physical activity habits to improve somatic health. To identify factors promoting or impeding the use of the Exergames. Assessments of BMI, blood pressure, physical fitness, SF36, GAF and social interactions were studied at baseline and 10 months. An integrated methods design using content analysis of focus group interviews was integrated with a statistical analysis. Forty-three persons were randomized to the intervention and 30 to the control group. The qualitative interviews included 18 users, 11 staffs and one technical assistant. There were no significant between-group changes in physical activity behaviours or somatic health parameters after 10 months. Only 5% of the intervention group made systematic use of the intervention. Technological difficulties and staff attitudes were found to be barriers. The Exergames were perceived as technically complicated. The staff did not see playing TV games as important and negative attitudes were found. Exergames was not a successful intervention to increase physical activity behaviours in persons with severe mental illness in the community. Exergames and motivation for physical activity in this group is problematic. Implications for rehabilitation There are difficulties to change passive physical activity habits for persons with severe mental illness, living in sheltered housing conditions in the community due to negative symptoms with depression, low motivation and bad self -confidence. An exergame intervention was not successful in this group of persons. No somatic health benefits were found. Simple physical activities and offering different choices meeting different user needs should be offered. Ensuring user and staff engagement, good technical knowledge and good monitoring is a need for a successful intervention, if Exergames are offered as an

Bariatric surgery: a viable treatment option for patients with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Shelby, Sarah R; Labott, Susan; Stout, Rebecca A

2015-01-01

Although bariatric surgery has become a recognized treatment for obesity, its utility among patients with severe psychiatric disorders has not been extensively studied. A few studies have reported similar weight loss outcomes in these patients, but psychiatric status after bariatric surgery has been studied only minimally, and it is unknown if exacerbation of the mental illness affects weight loss. The aim of this study was to shed greater light on the issue of serious mental illness and bariatric surgery. Specifically, do patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar I, and bipolar II have poorer weight loss outcomes postbariatric surgery than the general bariatric surgery population? Also, do patients with these diagnoses experience an exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms after bariatric surgery, and if so, is the exacerbation of these disorders linked to poorer weight loss results? Midwest university medical center. A medical record review of approximately 1500 bariatric patients in a Midwest university medical center was conducted to identify those patients with diagnoses of schizophrenia, bipolar I, and bipolar II. Information was gathered on bariatric surgery outcomes and changes in psychiatric status postsurgery. Eighteen patients were identified as undergoing bariatric surgery and having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar I, or bipolar II. Weight loss in this group was significant and comparable to expected outcomes of absolute weight lost, changes in body mass index, and percentage excess weight loss for patients in the typical bariatric population. Postsurgery psychiatric status was known on 10 patients. All 10 patients experienced some exacerbation of psychiatric problems yet weight loss outcomes were still as expected. Bariatric surgery is a viable obesity treatment option for patients with schizophrenia, bipolar I, and bipolar II disorders. Symptom exacerbations occurred postsurgery, although it is not clear if these were due to the surgery or

Spatio-temporal reconstruction of brain dynamics from EEG with a Markov prior

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Sofie Therese; Hansen, Lars Kai

2016-01-01

the functional dynamics of the brain. Solving the inverse problem of EEG is however highly ill-posed as there are many more potential locations of the EEG generators than EEG measurement points. Several well-known properties of brain dynamics can be exploited to alleviate this problem. More short ranging......Electroencephalography (EEG) can capture brain dynamics in high temporal resolution. By projecting the scalp EEG signal back to its origin in the brain also high spatial resolution can be achieved. Source localized EEG therefore has potential to be a very powerful tool for understanding...

On the reconstruction of the surface structure of the spotted stars

Science.gov (United States)

Kolbin, A. I.; Shimansky, V. V.; Sakhibullin, N. A.

2013-07-01

We have developed and tested a light-curve inversion technique for photometric mapping of spotted stars. The surface of a spotted star is partitioned into small area elements, over which a search is carried out for the intensity distribution providing the best agreement between the observed and model light curves within a specified uncertainty. We have tested mapping techniques based on the use of both a single light curve and several light curves obtained in different photometric bands. Surface reconstruction artifacts due to the ill-posed nature of the problem have been identified.

Severe mental illness and firearm access: Is violence really the danger?

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, Miranda Lynne; Teasdale, Brent

In response to a spate of mass shootings, national debate over the root of America's gun violence epidemic has centered on mental illness. Consequently, calls have been made to legislatively restrict firearm access among individuals with mental illness to reduce gun violence. While there is a link between mental illness and suicide, a dearth of empirical evidence exists to inform public policy on the link between firearm access and mental illness. The current study addresses this gap by exploring the nature of firearm-related risk among disordered individuals as compared to others from the same communities. We examined a subsample of the MacArthur Violence Risk Assessment Study, including 255 recently discharged psychiatric patients and 490 census-matched community residents. We conducted binomial logistic regressions to explore the impact of firearm access and patient status on violence and suicidality. In total, 15.3% reported firearm access, 23.5% violence, and 21.5% suicidality. Multivariate analyses revealed that, in the context of firearm access, patients were no more likely to perpetrate violence (OR=0.588; 95% CI=0.196-1.764) but were significantly more likely to report suicidality (OR=4.690; 95% CI=1.147-19.172). These results indicate that firearms constitute a serious risk factor for suicide, not violence, for disordered individuals. Thus, legislative efforts to reduce firearm-related risk among disordered individuals should focus on self-harm, not violence. Moreover, claims that mental illness is a principal cause of gun violence may reduce help-seeking among individuals at high risk for suicide. Researchers should devote further attention to addressing these claims empirically. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sparse contrast-source inversion using linear-shrinkage-enhanced inexact Newton method

KAUST Repository

Desmal, Abdulla

2014-07-01

A contrast-source inversion scheme is proposed for microwave imaging of domains with sparse content. The scheme uses inexact Newton and linear shrinkage methods to account for the nonlinearity and ill-posedness of the electromagnetic inverse scattering problem, respectively. Thresholded shrinkage iterations are accelerated using a preconditioning technique. Additionally, during Newton iterations, the weight of the penalty term is reduced consistently with the quadratic convergence of the Newton method to increase accuracy and efficiency. Numerical results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.

Sparse contrast-source inversion using linear-shrinkage-enhanced inexact Newton method

KAUST Repository

Desmal, Abdulla; Bagci, Hakan

2014-01-01

A contrast-source inversion scheme is proposed for microwave imaging of domains with sparse content. The scheme uses inexact Newton and linear shrinkage methods to account for the nonlinearity and ill-posedness of the electromagnetic inverse scattering problem, respectively. Thresholded shrinkage iterations are accelerated using a preconditioning technique. Additionally, during Newton iterations, the weight of the penalty term is reduced consistently with the quadratic convergence of the Newton method to increase accuracy and efficiency. Numerical results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.

Angle-domain inverse scattering migration/inversion in isotropic media

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wuqun; Mao, Weijian; Li, Xuelei; Ouyang, Wei; Liang, Quan

2018-07-01

The classical seismic asymptotic inversion can be transformed into a problem of inversion of generalized Radon transform (GRT). In such methods, the combined parameters are linearly attached to the scattered wave-field by Born approximation and recovered by applying an inverse GRT operator to the scattered wave-field data. Typical GRT-style true-amplitude inversion procedure contains an amplitude compensation process after the weighted migration via dividing an illumination associated matrix whose elements are integrals of scattering angles. It is intuitional to some extent that performs the generalized linear inversion and the inversion of GRT together by this process for direct inversion. However, it is imprecise to carry out such operation when the illumination at the image point is limited, which easily leads to the inaccuracy and instability of the matrix. This paper formulates the GRT true-amplitude inversion framework in an angle-domain version, which naturally degrades the external integral term related to the illumination in the conventional case. We solve the linearized integral equation for combined parameters of different fixed scattering angle values. With this step, we obtain high-quality angle-domain common-image gathers (CIGs) in the migration loop which provide correct amplitude-versus-angle (AVA) behavior and reasonable illumination range for subsurface image points. Then we deal with the over-determined problem to solve each parameter in the combination by a standard optimization operation. The angle-domain GRT inversion method keeps away from calculating the inaccurate and unstable illumination matrix. Compared with the conventional method, the angle-domain method can obtain more accurate amplitude information and wider amplitude-preserved range. Several model tests demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability.

Making sense of self-care practices at the intersection of severe mental illness and physical health-An Australian study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, Carolyn; Chester, Polly; Kisely, Steve; Crompton, David; Kendall, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

The poor physical health of people who experience severe mental illness (SMI) is an important public health issue that has been acknowledged, yet not properly addressed. People who live with SMI perform a myriad of complex tasks in order to take care of their physical health, while receiving unpredictable levels of support and assistance from health professionals. In this qualitative study, we aimed to uncover the kinds of work people with SMI do in order to look after their physical health. In a metropolitan area in Queensland, Australia, 32 people with lived experience of SMI participated in semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and open coded. They were then themed using a constant comparative process. We found that people with SMI were engaged in a "rhythm of life with illness" that consisted of relatively short, acute and chaotic cycles of mental and physical illness, accompanied by much longer mental and physical illness recovery cycles. Participants engaged in three specific types of health-related work to manage these cycles: discovery work (and the associated role of the health professional); sense-making work to meaningfully interpret health and illness; and embedding work to become engaged self-managers of illness and producers of health. We discuss how varying levels of support from health professionals impact consumers' self-management of their physical and mental health; how health professionals influence consumers' experience of treatment burden; and implications for practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The role of infection models and PK/PD modelling for optimising care of critically ill patients with severe infections

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tangden, T.; Martin, V.; Felton, T.W.; Nielsen, E.I.; Marchand, S.; Bruggemann, R.J.M.; Bulitta, J.B.; Bassetti, M.; Theuretzbacher, U.; Tsuji, B.T.; Wareham, D.W.; Friberg, L.E.; Waele, J.J. De; Tam, V.H.; Roberts, J.A.

2017-01-01

Critically ill patients with severe infections are at high risk of suboptimal antimicrobial dosing. The pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of antimicrobials in these patients differ significantly from the patient groups from whose data the conventional dosing regimens were developed.

Anisotropic magnetotelluric inversion using a mutual information constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Mandolesi, E.; Jones, A. G.

2012-12-01

In recent years, several authors pointed that the electrical conductivity of many subsurface structures cannot be described properly by a scalar field. With the development of field devices and techniques, data quality improved to the point that the anisotropy in conductivity of rocks (microscopic anisotropy) and tectonic structures (macroscopic anisotropy) cannot be neglected. Therefore a correct use of high quality data has to include electrical anisotropy and a correct interpretation of anisotropic data characterizes directly a non-negligible part of the subsurface. In this work we test an inversion routine that takes advantage of the classic Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm to invert magnetotelluric (MT) data generated from a bi-dimensional (2D) anisotropic domain. The LM method is routinely used in inverse problems due its performance and robustness. In non-linear inverse problems -such the MT problem- the LM method provides a spectacular compromise betwee quick and secure convergence at the price of the explicit computation and storage of the sensitivity matrix. Regularization in inverse MT problems has been used extensively, due to the necessity to constrain model space and to reduce the ill-posedness of the anisotropic MT problem, which makes MT inversions extremely challenging. In order to reduce non-uniqueness of the MT problem and to reach a model compatible with other different tomographic results from the same target region, we used a mutual information (MI) based constraint. MI is a basic quantity in information theory that can be used to define a metric between images, and it is routinely used in fields as computer vision, image registration and medical tomography, to cite some applications. We -thus- inverted for the model that best fits the anisotropic data and that is the closest -in a MI sense- to a tomographic model of the target area. The advantage of this technique is that the tomographic model of the studied region may be produced by any

Pose Space Surface Manipulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuke Yoshiyasu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Example-based mesh deformation techniques produce natural and realistic shapes by learning the space of deformations from examples. However, skeleton-based methods cannot manipulate a global mesh structure naturally, whereas the mesh-based approaches based on a translational control do not allow the user to edit a local mesh structure intuitively. This paper presents an example-driven mesh editing framework that achieves both global and local pose manipulations. The proposed system is built with a surface deformation method based on a two-step linear optimization technique and achieves direct manipulations of a model surface using translational and rotational controls. With the translational control, the user can create a model in natural poses easily. The rotational control can adjust the local pose intuitively by bending and twisting. We encode example deformations with a rotation-invariant mesh representation which handles large rotations in examples. To incorporate example deformations, we infer a pose from the handle translations/rotations and perform pose space interpolation, thereby avoiding involved nonlinear optimization. With the two-step linear approach combined with the proposed multiresolution deformation method, we can edit models at interactive rates without losing important deformation effects such as muscle bulging.

Clinical decision making and mental health service use in people with severe mental illness across Europe

OpenAIRE

Cosh, S.; Zentner, N.; Ay, E.; Loos, S.; Slade, Mike; Maj, Mario; Salzano, A.; Berecz, R.; Glaub, T.; Munk-Jørgensen, Povl; Krogsgaard Bording, M.; Rössler, Wulf; Kawohl, Wolfram; Puschner, Bernd

2017-01-01

Objective: This study aims to explore relationships between preferred and experienced clinical decision making with service use, and associated costs, by people with severe mental illness.\\ud Methods: Prospective observational study of mental healthcare in six European countries: Germany, UK, Italy Hungary, Denmark and Switzerland. Patients (N = 588) and treating clinicians (N = 213) reported preferred and experienced decision making at baseline using the Clinical Decision Making Style Scale ...

Enhanced physical health screening for people with severe mental illness in Hong Kong: results from a one-year prospective case series study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bressington, Daniel; Mui, Jolene; Hulbert, Sabina; Cheung, Eric; Bradford, Stephen; Gray, Richard

2014-02-27

People with severe mental illness have significantly poorer physical health compared to the general population; previous health screening studies conducted outside Asian countries have demonstrated the potential in addressing this issue. This case series aimed to explore the effects and utility of integrating an enhanced physical health screening programme for community dwelling patients with severe mental illness into routine clinical practice in Hong Kong. This study utilises a consecutive prospective case series design. The serious mental illness Health Improvement Profile (HIP) was used as a screening tool at baseline and repeated at 12 months follow-up. A total of 148 community-based patients with severe mental illness completed the study. At one year follow-up analysis showed a significant improvement in self-reported levels of exercise and a reduction in the numbers of patients prescribed medications for diabetes However, mean waist circumference increased at follow-up. In addition to the statistically significant results some general trends were observed, including: a lack of deterioration in most areas of cardiovascular risk; a reduction in medicines prescribed for physical health problems; and general improvements in health behaviours over the 12 month period. The findings demonstrate that using the HIP is feasible and acceptable in Hong Kong. The results of the enhanced physical health-screening programme are promising, but require further testing using a randomised controlled trial design in order to more confidently attribute the improvements in well-being and health behaviours to the HIP. ISRCTN12582470.

Parenting and psychiatric rehabilitation: Can parents with severe mental illness benefit from a new approach? : 1-3 October

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joanne Nicholson; dr. P.C. van der Ende; Jaap van Weeghel; Dr. Lies Korevaar; Jooske T. van Busschbach

2015-01-01

Can parents with severe mental illness benefit from a new approach? XIthENMESH International Conference in Málaga (Spain). 1-3 October, 2015. With these results at hand we developed a new program and evaluated it . In this presentation we will reflect on the merits of this program but also share

Correlation between the severity of critically ill patients and clinical predictors of bronchial aspiration

Science.gov (United States)

de Medeiros, Gisele Chagas; Sassi, Fernanda Chiarion; Zambom, Lucas Santos; de Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim

2016-01-01

Objective: To determine whether the severity of non-neurological critically ill patients correlates with clinical predictors of bronchial aspiration. Methods: We evaluated adults undergoing prolonged orotracheal intubation (> 48 h) and bedside swallowing assessment within the first 48 h after extubation. We collected data regarding the risk of bronchial aspiration performed by a speech-language pathologist, whereas data regarding the functional level of swallowing were collected with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcome Measurement System (ASHA NOMS) scale and those regarding health status were collected with the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA). Results: The study sample comprised 150 patients. For statistical analyses, the patients were grouped by ASHA NOMS score: ASHA1 (levels 1 and 2), ASHA2 (levels 3 to 5); and ASHA3 (levels 6 and 7). In comparison with the other patients, those in the ASHA3 group were significantly younger, remained intubated for fewer days, and less severe overall clinical health status (SOFA score). The clinical predictors of bronchial aspiration that best characterized the groups were abnormal cervical auscultation findings and cough after swallowing. None of the patients in the ASHA 3 group presented with either of those signs. Conclusions: Critically ill patients 55 years of age or older who undergo prolonged orotracheal intubation (≥ 6 days), have a SOFA score ≥ 5, have a Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 14, and present with abnormal cervical auscultation findings or cough after swallowing should be prioritized for a full speech pathology assessment. PMID:27167432

Proposal of a socio-cognitive-behavioral structural equation model of internalized stigma in people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Muñoz, Manuel; Sanz, María; Pérez-Santos, Eloísa; Quiroga, María de Los Ángeles

2011-04-30

The social stigma of mental illness has received much attention in recent years and its effects on diverse variables such as psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, self-esteem, self-efficacy, quality of life, and social integration are well established. However, internalized stigma in people with severe and persistent mental illness has not received the same attention. The aim of the present work was to study the relationships between the principal variables involved in the functioning of internalized stigma (sociodemographic and clinical variables, social stigma, psychosocial functioning, recovery expectations, empowerment, and discrimination experiences) in a sample of people with severe and persistent mental illness (N=108). The main characteristics of the sample and the differences between groups with high and low internalized stigma were analyzed, a correlation analysis of the variables was performed, and a structural equation model, integrating variables of social, cognitive, and behavioral content, was proposed and tested. The results indicate the relationships among social stigma, discrimination experiences, recovery expectation, and internalized stigma and their role in the psychosocial and behavioral outcomes in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cartesian Control of a 3-DOF Electro-Pneumatic Actuated Motion Platform with Exteroceptive Pose Measurement

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Izaguirre

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a kinematic cartesian control scheme of 3 degree of freedom parallel robot driven by electro-pneumatic actuators based on exteroceptive pose measurement system. The inverse kinematics model is used to obtain the desired joint position coordinates from the time-varying trajectory given in task space. The proposal cascade control scheme in task space is based in two loops, the inner loop consisting in a decoupled joint position control and the outer loop which is designed to obtain an appropriate task space trajectory tracking. In order to avoid the on-line computation of direct kinematics an arrangement of inertial sensor and optical encoders are employed to provide the accurate pose measurement of end-effector. The experiment's results demonstrate the great performance of the proposed control scheme in industrial motion tracking application.

Bayesian inverse problems for functions and applications to fluid mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotter, S L; Dashti, M; Robinson, J C; Stuart, A M

2009-01-01

In this paper we establish a mathematical framework for a range of inverse problems for functions, given a finite set of noisy observations. The problems are hence underdetermined and are often ill-posed. We study these problems from the viewpoint of Bayesian statistics, with the resulting posterior probability measure being defined on a space of functions. We develop an abstract framework for such problems which facilitates application of an infinite-dimensional version of Bayes theorem, leads to a well-posedness result for the posterior measure (continuity in a suitable probability metric with respect to changes in data), and also leads to a theory for the existence of maximizing the posterior probability (MAP) estimators for such Bayesian inverse problems on function space. A central idea underlying these results is that continuity properties and bounds on the forward model guide the choice of the prior measure for the inverse problem, leading to the desired results on well-posedness and MAP estimators; the PDE analysis and probability theory required are thus clearly dileneated, allowing a straightforward derivation of results. We show that the abstract theory applies to some concrete applications of interest by studying problems arising from data assimilation in fluid mechanics. The objective is to make inference about the underlying velocity field, on the basis of either Eulerian or Lagrangian observations. We study problems without model error, in which case the inference is on the initial condition, and problems with model error in which case the inference is on the initial condition and on the driving noise process or, equivalently, on the entire time-dependent velocity field. In order to undertake a relatively uncluttered mathematical analysis we consider the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation on a torus. The case of Eulerian observations—direct observations of the velocity field itself—is then a model for weather forecasting. The case of

The Development of the Caregiving System among women with severe mental illness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Røhder, Katrine

attachment classification (George & Solomon, 2008). Aims of the Study: As little is known on how the caregiving system develops when the mother suffers from severe mental illness (SMI), this presentation will explore the role of maternal psychopathology for the pre- and postnatal development of caregiving...... representations in the WARM study. The hypothesis is that higher level of psychopathology is associated with higher levels of the caregiving representations: Deactivation, cognitive disconnection and the segregated systems – all dimensions found among mothers with children that show a pattern of insecure......, & Solomon, 2013). The development of psychopathology is assessed in pregnancy and at 4 and 16 weeks with The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS, Kay et al., 1989), The Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS, Montgomery and Asberg, 1979) and The Bech-Rafaelsen Mania Rating Scale (BRMRS...

The Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Adult Risky Sexual Behaviors among Persons with Severe Mental Illness

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dorn, Richard A.; Mustillo, Sarah; Elbogen, Eric B.; Dorsey, Shannon; Swanson, Jeffrey W.; Swartz, Marvin S.

2005-01-01

Objective: There were two aims: first, to examine the relationship between prior sexual abuse and three types of adult risky sexual behaviors [(1) ever traded sex for drugs or money, (2) had unprotected sex in the past 6 months, and (3) frequency of unprotected sex in the past 6 months] among persons with severe mental illness (SMI), and second,…

Time perception and psychopathology: Influence of time perspective on quality of life of severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Oyanadel, Cristián; Buela-Casal, Gualberto

2014-01-01

The study of time perception and mental illness has given priority to time estimation over time perspective. Considering Zimbardo’s theory on five dimensions of time perspective, and balanced time perspective profile, this study has aimed to compare people with severe mental illness (SMI) and healthy people, with measurements of time perspective and time estimation and to assess whether the time perspective profile influences the quality of life in people with SMI. Using a quasi-experimental design, a clinical group (n=167) corresponding to four samples of severe mental disorders (major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders) and healthy people (n=167) were compared in their performance regarding time perspective and time estimation. After, the clinical sample was grouped according to their deviation from the balanced time perspective profile (DBTP) and negative profile (DNTP). These groups were evaluated with health measures and time estimation tasks. Through the ANOVA, it can be seen that the time perspective profile affects health measurements. There are significant differences between the clinical sample and controls regarding time perspective and time estimation. Within the group of patients, it was observed that those who were closer to the BTP profile had better physical health, and less hopelessness (ptime perspective in the assessment, treatment and quality of life of people with SMI.

Rethinking 'risk' and self-management for chronic illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Morden, Andrew; Jinks, Clare; Ong, Bie Nio

2012-02-01

Self-management for chronic illness is a current high profile UK healthcare policy. Policy and clinical recommendations relating to chronic illnesses are framed within a language of lifestyle risk management. This article argues the enactment of risk within current UK self-management policy is intimately related to neo-liberal ideology and is geared towards population governance. The approach that dominates policy perspectives to 'risk' management is critiqued for positioning people as rational subjects who calculate risk probabilities and act upon them. Furthermore this perspective fails to understand the lay person's construction and enactment of risk, their agenda and contextual needs when living with chronic illness. Of everyday relevance to lay people is the management of risk and uncertainty relating to social roles and obligations, the emotions involved when encountering the risk and uncertainty in chronic illness, and the challenges posed by social structural factors and social environments that have to be managed. Thus, clinical enactments of self-management policy would benefit from taking a more holistic view to patient need and seek to avoid solely communicating lifestyle risk factors to be self-managed.

An Evaluation of EEG Scanner’s Dependence on the Imaging Technique, Forward Model Computation Method, and Array Dimensionality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stahlhut, Carsten; Attias, Hagai Thomas; Stopczynski, Arkadiusz

2012-01-01

EEG source reconstruction involves solving an inverse problem that is highly ill-posed and dependent on a generally fixed forward propagation model. In this contribution we compare a low and high density EEG setup’s dependence on correct forward modeling. Specifically, we examine how different...... forward models affect the source estimates obtained using four inverse solvers Minimum-Norm, LORETA, Minimum-Variance Adaptive Beamformer, and Sparse Bayesian Learning....

Treating symptoms or assisting human development: Can different environmental conditions affect personal development for patients with severe mental illness? A qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lauveng, Arnhild; Tveiten, Sidsel; Ekeland, Tor-Johan; Torleif, Ruud

2016-01-01

Recent research suggests that a basic anomaly in self-experience may be a core factor in patients with severe mental illnesses. Given the importance of sense of self, the traditional treatment of symptoms might not be the most effective for these groups of patients. This qualitative study examines how differences in social environmental conditions, organized as education or treatment, might affect personal development in patients with severe mental illness. A qualitative hermeneutical design was used. Data were collected through qualitative interviews. Informants included 14 patients in psychiatric treatment and 15 students at schools for adults with mental illness. Most informants were interviewed on two occasions, 6-8 months apart, totaling 47 interviews. All participants had been diagnosed with severe mental illness with pronounced impact on daily functioning (most often psychoses or personality disorders) for a minimum of 2 years. Findings and interpretations showed that the students experienced a supportive environment focused mostly on education. They described personal and enduring development in areas such as capacity for relationships, regulation of symptoms, subjective well-being, and integration in society. The patients experienced an environment focused more on treatment of their illness and less on personal development and interests. They described little development, much loneliness, a poor quality of life, an objectifying attitude of themselves and others, and hopelessness. Even if more research is needed, findings indicate that for this group of patients, problems may be closely related to identity development. Therefore, instead of solemnly focusing on specific symptoms, it might be more effective to support patients' personal and social development by offering intensive and lasting social environmental conditions. This includes stable and mutual relationships, intrinsically motivated activities, and an environment that supports personal choices

Statistical Model-Based Face Pose Estimation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

GE Xinliang; YANG Jie; LI Feng; WANG Huahua

2007-01-01

A robust face pose estimation approach is proposed by using face shape statistical model approach and pose parameters are represented by trigonometric functions. The face shape statistical model is firstly built by analyzing the face shapes from different people under varying poses. The shape alignment is vital in the process of building the statistical model. Then, six trigonometric functions are employed to represent the face pose parameters. Lastly, the mapping function is constructed between face image and face pose by linearly relating different parameters. The proposed approach is able to estimate different face poses using a few face training samples. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate its efficiency and accuracy.

Illnesses in siblings of US patients with bipolar disorder relate to multigenerational family history and patients severity of illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Post, Robert M; Altshuler, Lori L; Kupka, Ralph; McElroy, Susan L; Frye, Mark A; Rowe, Michael; Grunze, Heinz; Suppes, Trisha; Keck, Paul E; Nolen, Willem A

2017-01-01

Patients with bipolar disorder from the US have more early-onset illness and a greater familial loading for psychiatric problems than those from the Netherlands or Germany (abbreviated here as Europe). We hypothesized that these regional differences in illness burden would extend to the patients siblings. Outpatients with bipolar disorder gave consent for participation in a treatment outcome network and for filling out detailed questionnaires. This included a family history of unipolar depression, bipolar disorder, suicide attempt, alcohol abuse/dependence, drug abuse/dependence, and "other" illness elicited for the patients' grandparents, parents, spouses, offspring, and siblings. Problems in the siblings were examined as a function of parental and grandparental problems and the patients' adverse illness characteristics or poor prognosis factors (PPFs). Each problem in the siblings was significantly (pUS than in those from Europe. In the US, problems in the parents and grandparents were almost uniformly associated with the same problems in the siblings, and sibling problems were related to the number of PPFs observed in the patients. Family history was based on patient report. Increased familial loading for psychiatric problems extends through 4 generations of patients with bipolar disorder from the US compared to Europe, and appears to "breed true" into the siblings of the patients. In addition to early onset, a variety of PPFs are associated with the burden of psychiatric problems in the patients' siblings and offspring. Greater attention to the multigenerational prevalence of illness in patients from the US is indicated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Access to primary and specialized somatic health care for persons with severe mental illness: a qualitative study of perceived barriers and facilitators in Swedish health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Björk Brämberg, Elisabeth; Torgerson, Jarl; Norman Kjellström, Anna; Welin, Peder; Rusner, Marie

2018-01-09

Persons with severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) have a high prevalence of somatic conditions compared to the general population. Mortality data in the Nordic countries reveal that these persons die 15-20 years earlier than the general population. Some factors explaining this high prevalence may be related to the individuals in question; others arise from the health care system's difficulty in offering somatic health care to these patient groups. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore the experiences and views of patients, relatives and clinicians regarding individual and organizational factors which facilitate or hinder access to somatic health care for persons with severe mental illness. Flexible qualitative design. Data was collected by means of semi-structured individual interviews with patients with severe mental illness, relatives and clinicians representing primary and specialized health care. In all, 50 participants participated. The main barrier to accessing somatic care is the gap between the organization of the health care system and the patients' individual health care needs. This is observed at both individual and organizational level. The health care system seems unable to support patients with severe mental illness and their psychiatric-somatic comorbidity. The main facilitators are the links between severe mental illness patients and medical departments. These links take the form of functions (i.e. systems which ensure that patients receive regular reminders), or persons (i.e. professional contacts who facilitate patients' access the health care). Health care services for patients with severe mental illness need reorganization. Organizational structures and systems that facilitate cooperation between different departments must be put in place, along with training for health care professionals about somatic disease among psychiatric patients. The links between individual and organizational levels could be

Adherence to physical activity recommendations and physical and mental health risk in people with severe mental illness in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Vancampfort, Davy; Probst, Michel; Basangwa, David; De Hert, Marc; Myin-Germeys, Inez; van Winkel, Ruud; Ward, Philip B; Rosenbaum, Simon; Mugisha, James

2017-11-29

This study investigated cardio-metabolic risk factors among patients with severe mental illness who do or do not meet the recommendations of 150min per week of physical activity. A secondary aim was to assess whether those that do meet the recommendations report lower levels of mental health symptoms. 107 (60♀) Ugandan in- and outpatients (mean age=34.4 ± 9.7 years) with severe mental illness (depression=7, bipolar disorder=55, schizophrenia=45) completed the Physical Activity Vital Sign (PAVS) method and Brief Symptoms Inventory -18. Participants were also screened for abdominal obesity (waist circumference>90cm), overweight (body mass index≥25) and hypertension (systolic pressure≥140mmHg and/or diastolic pressure≥90mmHg).48.6% (n = 52) of patients met the physical activity recommendations as assessed by the PAVS method. 41.1% (n = 44) were overweight, 40.2% (n = 43) had abdominal obesity and 23.4% (n = 25) had hypertension. Those who did not meet the physical activity recommendations were significantly older, had a higher BSI-18 somatisation score, and had a higher risk of overweight [relative risk (RR) = 2.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.59-4.99], abdominal obesity (RR = 1.82, 95%CI = 1.13-2.93), and hypertension (RR = 2.16, 95%CI = 0.99-4.73). The PAVS is a feasible method of assessing physical activity among patients with severe mental illness in a low resource setting. The PAVS may have clinical utility for physical and mental health risk stratification. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social inequalities in the experience of illness in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blank, N; Diderichsen, Finn

1996-01-01

-manual female workers report more severe illness, but not non-severe illness, than intermediate/higher-level non-manual working females. The observed class differences in experience of severity of illness are partly explained by the factors investigated (job demands, personal economic difficulties, smoking...

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness.

Physical activity and quality of life in long-term hospitalized patients with severe mental illness : A cross-sectional study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Deenik, Jeroen; Kruisdijk, Frank; Tenback, Diederik; Braakman-Jansen, Annemarie; Taal, Erik; Hopman-Rock, Marijke; Beekman, Aartjan; Tak, Erwin; Hendriksen, Ingrid; van Harten, Peter

2017-01-01

Background: Increasing physical activity in patients with severe mental illness is believed to have positive effects on physical health, psychiatric symptoms and as well quality of life. Till now, little is known about the relationship between physical activity and quality of life in long-term

Severe respiratory illness associated with a nationwide outbreak of enterovirus D68 in the USA (2014): a descriptive epidemiological investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Midgley, Claire M; Watson, John T; Nix, W Allan; Curns, Aaron T; Rogers, Shannon L; Brown, Betty A; Conover, Craig; Dominguez, Samuel R; Feikin, Daniel R; Gray, Samantha; Hassan, Ferdaus; Hoferka, Stacey; Jackson, Mary Anne; Johnson, Daniel; Leshem, Eyal; Miller, Lisa; Nichols, Janell Bezdek; Nyquist, Ann-Christine; Obringer, Emily; Patel, Ajanta; Patel, Megan; Rha, Brian; Schneider, Eileen; Schuster, Jennifer E; Selvarangan, Rangaraj; Seward, Jane F; Turabelidze, George; Oberste, M Steven; Pallansch, Mark A; Gerber, Susan I

2016-01-01

Summary Background Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been infrequently reported historically, and is typically associated with isolated cases or small clusters of respiratory illness. Beginning in August, 2014, increases in severe respiratory illness associated with EV-D68 were reported across the USA. We aimed to describe the clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory features of this outbreak, and to better understand the role of EV-D68 in severe respiratory illness. Methods We collected regional syndromic surveillance data for epidemiological weeks 23 to 44, 2014, (June 1 to Nov 1, 2014) and hospital admissions data for epidemiological weeks 27 to 44, 2014, (June 29 to Nov 1, 2014) from three states: Missouri, Illinois and Colorado. Data were also collected for the same time period of 2013 and 2012. Respiratory specimens from severely ill patients nationwide, who were rhinovirus-positive or enterovirus-positive in hospital testing, were submitted between Aug 1, and Oct 31, 2014, and typed by molecular sequencing. We collected basic clinical and epidemiological characteristics of EV-D68 cases with a standard data collection form submitted with each specimen. We compared patients requiring intensive care with those who did not, and patients requiring ventilator support with those who did not. Mantel-Haenszel χ2 tests were used to test for statistical significance. Findings Regional and hospital-level data from Missouri, Illinois, and Colorado showed increases in respiratory illness between August and September, 2014, compared with in 2013 and 2012. Nationwide, 699 (46%) of 1529 patients tested were confirmed as EV-D68. Among the 614 EV-D68-positive patients admitted to hospital, age ranged from 3 days to 92 years (median 5 years). Common symptoms included dyspnoea (n=513 [84%]), cough (n=500 [81%]), and wheezing (n=427 [70%]); 294 (48%) patients had fever. 338 [59%] of 574 were admitted to intensive care units, and 145 (28%) of 511 received ventilator support; 322 (52

Quality of interhospital transport of critically ill patients: a prospective audit

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ligtenberg, JJM; Arnold, LG; Stienstra, Y; van der Werf, TS; Tulleken, JE; Zijlstra, JG; Meertens, John H. J. M.

Introduction The aim of transferring a critically ill patient to the intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary referral centre is to improve prognosis. The transport itself must be as safe as possible and should not pose additional risks. We performed a prospective audit of the quality of

Regularized inversion of controlled source and earthquake data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramachandran, Kumar

2012-01-01

Estimation of the seismic velocity structure of the Earth's crust and upper mantle from travel-time data has advanced greatly in recent years. Forward modelling trial-and-error methods have been superseded by tomographic methods which allow more objective analysis of large two-dimensional and three-dimensional refraction and/or reflection data sets. The fundamental purpose of travel-time tomography is to determine the velocity structure of a medium by analysing the time it takes for a wave generated at a source point within the medium to arrive at a distribution of receiver points. Tomographic inversion of first-arrival travel-time data is a nonlinear problem since both the velocity of the medium and ray paths in the medium are unknown. The solution for such a problem is typically obtained by repeated application of linearized inversion. Regularization of the nonlinear problem reduces the ill posedness inherent in the tomographic inversion due to the under-determined nature of the problem and the inconsistencies in the observed data. This paper discusses the theory of regularized inversion for joint inversion of controlled source and earthquake data, and results from synthetic data testing and application to real data. The results obtained from tomographic inversion of synthetic data and real data from the northern Cascadia subduction zone show that the velocity model and hypocentral parameters can be efficiently estimated using this approach. (paper)

When the severely ill elderly patient refuses food. Ethical reasoning among nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Jansson, L; Norberg, A; Sandman, P O; Aström, G

1995-02-01

Forty registered nurses (RNs) regarded as "good and experienced" in either cancer or dementia care, were asked about their decision to feed or not feed a severely ill elderly woman (a hypothetical case). In order to compare ethical reasoning in the two groups of nurses and to illuminate what it means to RNs to face a situation where the patients can/cannot decide for themselves, a phenomenological hermeneutic approach was used for the analysis. Both groups saw themselves as the advocate for their patients but in different ways. The RNs who talked about a mentally alert patient emphasized that they encouraged their patient to speak up for herself, while the RNs who talked about a severely demented patient emphasized that they tried very hard to interpret their patient's vague and unclear communicative cues and to act as her advocate, especially in relation to physicians. Transcending experiences of dying relatives and patients as well as role models helped them to achieve their ambition of putting themselves in the patient's shoes in order to respect and understand her or his wish and/or what was best for them. The majority of RNs strongly rejected active euthanasia.

Towards adjoint-based inversion of time-dependent mantle convection with nonlinear viscosity

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dunzhu; Gurnis, Michael; Stadler, Georg

2017-04-01

We develop and study an adjoint-based inversion method for the simultaneous recovery of initial temperature conditions and viscosity parameters in time-dependent mantle convection from the current mantle temperature and historic plate motion. Based on a realistic rheological model with temperature-dependent and strain-rate-dependent viscosity, we formulate the inversion as a PDE-constrained optimization problem. The objective functional includes the misfit of surface velocity (plate motion) history, the misfit of the current mantle temperature, and a regularization for the uncertain initial condition. The gradient of this functional with respect to the initial temperature and the uncertain viscosity parameters is computed by solving the adjoint of the mantle convection equations. This gradient is used in a pre-conditioned quasi-Newton minimization algorithm. We study the prospects and limitations of the inversion, as well as the computational performance of the method using two synthetic problems, a sinking cylinder and a realistic subduction model. The subduction model is characterized by the migration of a ridge toward a trench whereby both plate motions and subduction evolve. The results demonstrate: (1) for known viscosity parameters, the initial temperature can be well recovered, as in previous initial condition-only inversions where the effective viscosity was given; (2) for known initial temperature, viscosity parameters can be recovered accurately, despite the existence of trade-offs due to ill-conditioning; (3) for the joint inversion of initial condition and viscosity parameters, initial condition and effective viscosity can be reasonably recovered, but the high dimension of the parameter space and the resulting ill-posedness may limit recovery of viscosity parameters.

Beyond "Landscapes of Despair": the need for new research on the urban environment, sprawl, and the community integration of persons with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanos, Philip T

2007-09-01

The purpose of this commentary is to discuss important trends in the housing of people with severe mental illness in the past 20 years that require the attention of mental health geographers and other experts on the effects of place on mental health. Issues that are worthy of consideration in new research include: assessing the impact of place effects on community integration, the impact of sprawl, and the emergence of the independent scatter-site housing model. Possible implications of these trends for the effects of place on people with severe mental illness are discussed.

The role of infection models and PK/PD modelling for optimising care of critically ill patients with severe infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Tängdén, T; Ramos Martín, V; Felton, T W; Nielsen, E I; Marchand, S; Brüggemann, R J; Bulitta, J B; Bassetti, M; Theuretzbacher, U; Tsuji, B T; Wareham, D W; Friberg, L E; De Waele, J J; Tam, V H; Roberts, Jason A

2017-07-01

Critically ill patients with severe infections are at high risk of suboptimal antimicrobial dosing. The pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of antimicrobials in these patients differ significantly from the patient groups from whose data the conventional dosing regimens were developed. Use of such regimens often results in inadequate antimicrobial concentrations at the site of infection and is associated with poor patient outcomes. In this article, we describe the potential of in vitro and in vivo infection models, clinical pharmacokinetic data and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models to guide the design of more effective antimicrobial dosing regimens. Individualised dosing, based on population PK models and patient factors (e.g. renal function and weight) known to influence antimicrobial PK, increases the probability of achieving therapeutic drug exposures while at the same time avoiding toxic concentrations. When therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is applied, early dose adaptation to the needs of the individual patient is possible. TDM is likely to be of particular importance for infected critically ill patients, where profound PK changes are present and prompt appropriate antibiotic therapy is crucial. In the light of the continued high mortality rates in critically ill patients with severe infections, a paradigm shift to refined dosing strategies for antimicrobials is warranted to enhance the probability of achieving drug concentrations that increase the likelihood of clinical success.

Identification of the support needs of individuals with severe mental illness using the Supports Intensity Scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maribel Cruz

2013-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to characterize the intensity of the support needs of individuals with severe mental illness. METHODS: quantitative and descriptive study that applied the Supports Intensity Scale to a sample comprising 182 individuals. RESULTS: the supports intensity profile identifies groups, individuals, and areas with different needs of support relative to the domains of home living, health, community living, learning, employment, and social living. As a whole, the intensity level of support needs found was low, and the domains with greater needs were employment and social. CONCLUSIONS: identification of the intensity of support needs is helpful in planning integral care and detecting professional training needs. The support provision-centered approach, associated with the person-related outcomes perspective, has been sparsely applied to individuals with mental illness, and this represents the main contribution of the present study. In addition, this study introduces novel approaches to assessment that are both concordant and an innovation in nursing because they might provide a tool for understanding other disabilities.

Association of Fluid Accumulation with Clinical Outcomes in Critically Ill Children with Severe Sepsis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiao Chen

Full Text Available To evaluate whether early and acquired daily fluid overload (FO, as well as fluctuations in fluid accumulation, were associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill children with severe sepsis.This study enrolled 202 children in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU with severe sepsis. Early fluid overload was defined as ≥5% fluid accumulation occurring in the first 24 hours of PICU admission. The maximum daily fluid accumulation ≥5% occurring during the next 6 days in patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay was defined as PICU-acquired daily fluid overload. The fluctuation in fluid accumulation was calculated as the difference between the maximum and the minimum daily fluid accumulation obtained during the first 7 days after admission.Of the 202 patients, 61 (30.2% died during PICU stay. Among all patients, 41 (20.3% experienced early fluid overload, including 9 with a FO ≥10%. Among patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay (n = 154, 36 (23.4% developed PICU-acquired daily fluid overload, including 2 with a FO ≥10%. Both early fluid overload (AOR = 1.20; 95% CI 1.08-1.33; P = 0.001; n = 202 and PICU-acquired daily fluid overload (AOR = 5.47 per log increase; 95% CI 1.15-25.96; P = 0.032; n = 154 were independent risk factors associated with mortality after adjusting for age, illness severity, etc. However, fluctuations in fluid accumulation were not associated with mortality after adjustment. Length of PICU stay increased with greater fluctuations in fluid accumulation in all patients with at least 48 hours of PICU stay (FO <5%, 5%-10% vs. ≥10%: 4 [3-8], 7 [4-11] vs. 10 [6-16] days; P <0.001; n = 154 and in survivors (4 [3-8], 7 [5-11] vs. 10 [5-15] days; P <0.001; n = 121. Early fluid overload achieved an area under-the-receiver-operating-characteristic curve of 0.74 (95% CI 0.65-0.82; P <0.001; n = 202 for predicting mortality in patients with severe sepsis, with a sensitivity of 67.2% and a specificity of 80.1% at the

Numerical solution of a coefficient inverse problem with multi-frequency experimental raw data by a globally convergent algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Dinh-Liem; Klibanov, Michael V.; Nguyen, Loc H.; Kolesov, Aleksandr E.; Fiddy, Michael A.; Liu, Hui

2017-09-01

We analyze in this paper the performance of a newly developed globally convergent numerical method for a coefficient inverse problem for the case of multi-frequency experimental backscatter data associated to a single incident wave. These data were collected using a microwave scattering facility at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The challenges for the inverse problem under the consideration are not only from its high nonlinearity and severe ill-posedness but also from the facts that the amount of the measured data is minimal and that these raw data are contaminated by a significant amount of noise, due to a non-ideal experimental setup. This setup is motivated by our target application in detecting and identifying explosives. We show in this paper how the raw data can be preprocessed and successfully inverted using our inversion method. More precisely, we are able to reconstruct the dielectric constants and the locations of the scattering objects with a good accuracy, without using any advanced a priori knowledge of their physical and geometrical properties.

Influenza-Like Illness among University Students: Symptom Severity and Duration Due to Influenza Virus Infection Compared to Other Etiologies

Science.gov (United States)

Mullins, Jocelyn; Cook, Robert; Rinaldo, Charles; Yablonsky, Eric; Hess, Rachel; Piazza, Paolo

2011-01-01

Objective: University students with influenza-like illness (ILI) were assessed to determine whether symptom severity, duration, or missed days of school or work varied according to etiology. Participants: Sixty persons presenting to a university health clinic with ILI symptoms during 3 consecutive influenza seasons completed baseline survey and…

Learning methods for ill-posed problems. Applications to γ-spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigneron, V.

1997-05-01

Up to recent days, feature extraction bas been mostly considered a supervised process of (linear filters) mapping the original measurements into more effective features so as to minimize a criterion, assuming that the variables are already selected and given. Furthermore, data are rare and/or expensive, even sometimes not representative of the exact distribution. From an experimental device, the physicist gets some measurements, spoiled by noise and some determinist distortions. The 'problem' is then to seek 'good' values of a 'number' of 'interesting' parameters. But, neither 'good', nor the 'number', nor 'interesting' are clearly defined notions. Frequently, the physicist is unable to write the mathematical equations of the observed phenomenon. He hopes that usual recipes called Fourier transform, deconvolution, least squares... Will produce shining revelations. Of course, these recipes are well-known and their honorability well established, sometimes with a name of a mathematician as a quality-label. In Pattern Recognition the input items have to be identified under various transformations of their representations. Contemporary neural-network research concentrates mostly on decision making systems, whereas the fundamental functions associated with the preprocessing of observations have often been ignored. This paper is a step toward theories that are expected to help the emergence of invariant-features. In this context, the Learning Theory approach (through advances tools like ACP, CCA or factorial cumulants) offers a great potential for archiving optimal solutions of complex real world problems, because it deals with undefined knowledge which is in mind of the physicist before he carries out the experiment: non-linear correlations, hidden dependencies... These questions are complex and very problem-dependant, but we focus on a specific one: ill-conditioned problems, i.e. when the physicist has not a sufficient amount of experimental data. In order to illustrate

Pengenalan Pose Tangan Menggunakan HuMoment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dina Budhi Utami

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Computer vision yang didasarkan pada pengenalan bentuk memiliki banyak potensi dalam interaksi manusia dan komputer. Pose tangan dapat dijadikan simbol interaksi manusia dengan komputer seperti halnya pada penggunaan berbagai pose tangan pada bahasa isyarat. Berbagai pose tangan dapat digunakan untuk menggantikan fungsi mouse, untuk mengendalikan robot, dan sebagainya. Penelitian ini difokuskan pada pembangunan sistem pengenalan pose tangan menggunakan HuMoment. Proses pengenalan pose tangan dimulai dengan melakukan segmentasi citra masukan untuk menghasilkan citra ROI (Region of Interest yaitu area telapak tangan. Selanjutnya dilakukan proses deteksi tepi. Kemudian dilakukan ekstraksi nilai HuMoment. Nilai HuMoment dikuantisasikan ke dalam bukukode yang dihasilkan dari proses pelatihan menggunakan K-Means. Proses kuantisasi dilakukan dengan menghitung nilai Euclidean Distance terkecil antara nilai HuMomment citra masukan dan bukukode. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, nilai akurasi sistem dalam mengenali pose tangan adalah 88.57%.

Barriers to effective diabetes management - a survey of people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulligan, Kathleen; McBain, Hayley; Lamontagne-Godwin, Frederique; Chapman, Jacqui; Flood, Chris; Haddad, Mark; Jones, Julia; Simpson, Alan

2018-06-01

People with severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and have poorer health outcomes than those with diabetes alone. To maintain good diabetes control, people with diabetes are advised to engage in several self-management behaviours. The aim of this study was to identify barriers or enablers of diabetes self-management experienced by people with SMI. Adults with type 2 diabetes and SMI were recruited through UK National Health Service organisations and mental health and diabetes charities. Participants completed an anonymous survey consisting of: Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA); CORE-10 measure of psychological distress; a measure of barriers and enablers of diabetes self-management based on the Theoretical Domains Framework; Diabetes UK care survey on receipt of 14 essential aspects of diabetes healthcare. To identify the strongest explanatory variables of SDSCA outcomes, significant variables (p consequences of diabetes self-management. Several aspects of diabetes healthcare and self-management are suboptimal in people with SMI. There is a need to improve diabetes self-management support for this population by integrating diabetes action plans into care planning and providing adequate psychological support to help people with SMI manage their diabetes.

Improving the physical health of people with severe mental illness: boundaries of care provision.

Science.gov (United States)

Ehrlich, Carolyn; Kendall, Elizabeth; Frey, Nicolette; Kisely, Steve; Crowe, Elizabeth; Crompton, David

2014-06-01

There is compelling evidence that the physical health of people with severe mental illness is poor. Health-promotion guidelines have been recommended as a mechanism for improving the physical health of this population. However, there are significant barriers to the adoption of evidence-based guidelines in practice. The purpose of this research was to apply existing implementation theories to examine the capability of the health system to integrate physical health promotion into mental health service delivery. Data were collected within a regional city in Queensland, Australia. Fifty participants were interviewed. The core theme that emerged from the data was that of 'care boundaries' that influenced the likelihood of guidelines being implemented. Boundaries existed around the illness, care provision processes, sectors, the health-care system, and society. These multilevel boundaries, combined with participants' ways of responding to them, impacted on capability (i.e. the ability to integrate physical health promotion into existing practices). Participants who were able to identify strategies to mediate these boundaries were better positioned to engage with physical health-promotion practice. Thus, the implementation of evidence-based guidelines depended heavily on the capability of the workforce to develop and adopt boundary-mediating strategies. © 2013 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Individuals with severe mental illnesses have improved eating behaviors and cooking skills after attending a 6-week nutrition cooking class.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Alena; Bezyak, Jill; Testerman, Nora

2015-09-01

This study assessed current meal planning/cooking behaviors and dietary intake of individuals with severe mental illnesses and determined differences after a 6-week nutrition education cooking class. Eighteen individuals with severe mental illnesses participated in a 6-week nutrition education cooking class and completed pre- and posttest 24-hr recalls and a postretrospective survey. Paired samples t tests were used. Participants met their calories needs, but they consumed high amounts of sodium and fat and low amounts of fiber. Significant increases in calcium, vitamin D, grains, and fruit occurred from pre- to posttest (p cooking and grocery shopping skills improved. Participants desire nutrition education programming that includes simple messages, hands-on cooking demonstrations, and health-related incentives. More research is needed to determine how nutrition education programs lead to sustained knowledge and behavior change within this specialized population. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors Associated with the Incidence and Severity of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Adult Critically Ill Patients

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Péricles A. D. Duarte

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Acute Atrial Fibrillation (AF is common in critically ill patients, with significant morbidity and mortality; however, its incidence and severity in Intensive Care Units (ICUs from low-income countries are poorly studied. Additionally, impact of vasoactive drugs on its incidence and severity is still not understood. This study aimed to assess epidemiology and risk factors for acute new-onset AF in critically ill adult patients and the role of vasoactive drugs. Method. Cohort performed in seven general ICUs (including cardiac surgery in three cities in Paraná State (southern Brazil for 45 days. Patients were followed until hospital discharge. Results. Among 430 patients evaluated, the incidence of acute new-onset AF was 11.2%. Patients with AF had higher ICU and hospital mortality. Vasoactive drugs use (norepinephrine and dobutamine was correlated with higher incidence of AF and higher mortality in patients with AF; vasopressin (though used in few patients had no effect on development of AF. Conclusions. In general ICU patients, incidence of new-onset AF was 11.2% with a high impact on morbidity and mortality, particularly associated with the presence of Acute Renal Failure. The use of vasoactive drugs (norepinephrine and dobutamine could lead to a higher incidence of new-onset AF-associated morbidity and mortality.

On an inverse source problem for enhanced oil recovery by wave motion maximization in reservoirs

KAUST Repository

Karve, Pranav M.; Kucukcoban, Sezgin; Kallivokas, Loukas F.

2014-01-01

to increase the mobility of otherwise entrapped oil. The goal is to arrive at the spatial and temporal description of surface sources that are capable of maximizing mobility in the target reservoir. The focusing problem is posed as an inverse source problem

Does competitive employment improve nonvocational outcomes for people with severe mental illness?

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, G R; Resnick, S G; Drake, R E; Xie, H; McHugo, G J; Bebout, R R

2001-06-01

The authors examined the cumulative effects of work on symptoms, quality of life, and self-esteem for 149 unemployed clients with severe mental illness receiving vocational rehabilitation. Nonvocational measures were assessed at 6-month intervals throughout the 18-month study period, and vocational activity was tracked continuously. On the basis of their predominant work activity over the study period, participants were classified into 4 groups: competitive work, sheltered work, minimal work, and no work. The groups did not differ at baseline on any of the nonvocational measures. Using mixed effects regression analysis to examine rates of change over time, the authors found that the competitive work group showed higher rates of improvement in symptoms; in satisfaction with vocational services, leisure, and finances; and in self-esteem than did participants in a combined minimal work-no work group. The sheltered work group showed no such advantage.

Integrative Review of Mobile Phone Contacts and Medication Adherence in Severe Mental Illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Bright, Cordellia E

Poor medication adherence is a significant problem in individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). About 50% of people with SMI become nonadherent to treatment in the first month following discharge from the hospital. This study examined literature in the past decade (2006-2016) on the use of mobile phone contacts in individuals with SMI to improve medication adherence post hospital discharge. This integrative review used the search terms texting, text messaging, SMS, cell/mobile phone, medication adherence, medication compliance, and mental illness. Databases (CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus) and manual searching of reference lists were done. The main inclusion criteria were the use of mobile phone contacts on medication adherence in individuals with SMI. Adults 18 years and older, studies conducted from 2006 to 2016, and studies conducted in English were also criteria for inclusion. Only five studies met criteria for inclusion. Outcomes from the review showed that mobile phone contacts have been used to improve medication adherence in individuals with SMI and able to provide the four types of social support (instrumental, informational, emotional, and, appraisal). When phone contacts especially text messaging was used as an adjunct to other interventions, it yielded better medication adherence than when used alone. However, results on medication adherence rates were mixed in participants on both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric medications. Although mobile phone contacts are a promising tool to enhance medication adherence after hospital discharge, its effectiveness to increase medication adherence in this population remains inconclusive.

Mind-mindedness and maternal responsiveness in infant-mother interactions in mothers with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Pawlby, S; Fernyhough, C; Meins, E; Pariante, C M; Seneviratne, G; Bentall, R P

2010-11-01

Previous cross-diagnosis studies of interaction between mothers with severe mental illness and their babies have concluded that mothers with schizophrenia have deficits in interaction, but these studies have not included healthy controls. In-patients on a mother and baby unit, with diagnoses of schizophrenia (n=15), depressive mood disorders with or without psychosis (n=23), or mood disorders where mania was the predominant feature, with or without psychosis (n=12), were observed interacting with their infants on admission and discharge. Mothers' mind-mindedness and other measures of the quality of maternal and infant behaviour were coded. Findings from this sample were compared with those from healthy mothers and their infants (n=49). Compared with healthy controls, on admission depressed mothers were marginally less likely to comment appropriately on their infants' mental states. Both the depressed and mania groups were more likely to touch their babies and engage in attention-seeking behaviours. Interactional behaviours of mothers in the schizophrenia group were not markedly different from healthy controls. On discharge there were fewer differences between the clinical and healthy groups, although the depressed group continued to engage in more attention-seeking and touching behaviour and the mania group continued to touch their infants more. Only mothers in the schizophrenia group showed changes in interactional behaviours between admission and discharge, talking more to their infants. The findings challenge previous conclusions that mothers with schizophrenia have deficits in their interactions with their babies, and demonstrate that mothers with severe mental illness are able to respond appropriately to their infants' cues.

Stable methods for ill-posed problems and application to reconstruction of atmospheric temperature profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, H.H.; Luong, P.T.; Loan, N.T.

1990-04-01

The problems of Remote Sensing (passive or active) are investigated on the base of main principle which consists in interpretation of radiometric electromagnetic measurements in such spectral interval where the radiation is sensitive to interested physical property of medium. Those problems such as an analysis of composition and structure of atmosphere using the records of scattered radiation, cloud identification, investigation of thermodynamic state and composition of system, reconstructing the atmospheric temperature profile on the base of data processing of infrared radiation emitted by system Earth-Atmosphere... belong to class of inverse problems of mathematical physics which are often incorrect. Int his paper a new class of regularized solution corresponding to general formulated RATP-problem is considered. (author). 14 refs, 3 figs, 3 tabs

Power laws and inverse motion modelling: application to turbulence measurements from satellite images

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pablo D. Mininni

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In the context of tackling the ill-posed inverse problem of motion estimation from image sequences, we propose to introduce prior knowledge on flow regularity given by turbulence statistical models. Prior regularity is formalised using turbulence power laws describing statistically self-similar structure of motion increments across scales. The motion estimation method minimises the error of an image observation model while constraining second-order structure function to behave as a power law within a prescribed range. Thanks to a Bayesian modelling framework, the motion estimation method is able to jointly infer the most likely power law directly from image data. The method is assessed on velocity fields of 2-D or quasi-2-D flows. Estimation accuracy is first evaluated on a synthetic image sequence of homogeneous and isotropic 2-D turbulence. Results obtained with the approach based on physics of fluids outperform state-of-the-art. Then, the method analyses atmospheric turbulence using a real meteorological image sequence. Selecting the most likely power law model enables the recovery of physical quantities, which are of major interest for turbulence atmospheric characterisation. In particular, from meteorological images we are able to estimate energy and enstrophy fluxes of turbulent cascades, which are in agreement with previous in situ measurements.

Specific storage and hydraulic conductivity tomography through the joint inversion of hydraulic heads and self-potential data

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, A. Soueid; Jardani, A.; Revil, A.; Dupont, J. P.

2016-03-01

Transient hydraulic tomography is used to image the heterogeneous hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields of shallow aquifers using time series of hydraulic head data. Such ill-posed and non-unique inverse problem can be regularized using some spatial geostatistical characteristic of the two fields. In addition to hydraulic heads changes, the flow of water, during pumping tests, generates an electrical field of electrokinetic nature. These electrical field fluctuations can be passively recorded at the ground surface using a network of non-polarizing electrodes connected to a high impedance (> 10 MOhm) and sensitive (0.1 mV) voltmeter, a method known in geophysics as the self-potential method. We perform a joint inversion of the self-potential and hydraulic head data to image the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields. We work on a 3D synthetic confined aquifer and we use the adjoint state method to compute the sensitivities of the hydraulic parameters to the hydraulic head and self-potential data in both steady-state and transient conditions. The inverse problem is solved using the geostatistical quasi-linear algorithm framework of Kitanidis. When the number of piezometers is small, the record of the transient self-potential signals provides useful information to characterize the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage fields. These results show that the self-potential method reveals the heterogeneities of some areas of the aquifer, which could not been captured by the tomography based on the hydraulic heads alone. In our analysis, the improvement on the hydraulic conductivity and specific storage estimations were based on perfect knowledge of electrical resistivity field. This implies that electrical resistivity will need to be jointly inverted with the hydraulic parameters in future studies and the impact of its uncertainty assessed with respect to the final tomograms of the hydraulic parameters.

Is the Partners in Recovery program connecting with the intended population of people living with severe and persistent mental illness? What are their prioritised needs?

Science.gov (United States)

Hancock, Nicola; Smith-Merry, Jennifer; Gillespie, James A; Yen, Ivy

2017-10-01

Objective The Partners in Recovery (PIR) program is an Australian government initiative designed to make the mental health and social care sectors work in more coordinated ways to meet the needs of those with severe and complex mental illness. Herein we reflect on demographic data collected during evaluation of PIR implementation in two Western Sydney sites. The aims of the present study were to: (1) explore whether two Sydney-based PIR programs had recruited their intended population, namely people living with severe and persistent mental illness; and (2) learn more about this relatively unknown population and their self-identified need priorities. Methods Routinely collected initial client assessment data were analysed descriptively. Results The data suggest that the two programs are engaging the intended population. The highest unmet needs identified included psychological distress, lack of daytime activities and company, poor physical health and inadequate accommodation. Some groups remain hard to connect, including people from Aboriginal and other culturally diverse communities. Conclusions The data confirm that the PIR program, at least in the two regions evaluated, is mostly reaching its intended audience. Some data were being collected inconsistently, limiting the usefulness of the data and the ability to build on PIR findings to develop ongoing support for this population. What is known about the topic? PIR is a unique national program funded to engage with and address the needs of Australians living with severe and persistent mental illness by facilitating service access. What does this paper add? This paper reports on recruitment of people living with severe and persistent mental illness, their need priorities and data collection. These are three central elements to successful roll-out of the much anticipated mental health component of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, as well as ongoing PIR operation. What are the implications for practitioners

Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability, version II (TRIPS-II): a simple and practical neonatal illness severity score.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Shoo K; Aziz, Khalid; Dunn, Michael; Clarke, Maxine; Kovacs, Lajos; Ojah, Cecil; Ye, Xiang Y

2013-05-01

Derive and validate a practical assessment of infant illness severity at admission to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Prospective study involving 17,075 infants admitted to 15 NICUs in 2006 to 2008. Logistic regression was used to derive a prediction model for mortality comprising four empirically weighted items (temperature, blood pressure, respiratory status, response to noxious stimuli). This Transport Risk Index of Physiologic Stability, version II (TRIPS-II) was then validated for prediction of 7-day and total NICU mortality. TRIPS-II discriminated 7-day (receiver operating curve [ROC] area, 0.90) and total NICU mortality (ROC area, 0.87) from survival. Furthermore, there was a direct association between changes in TRIPS-II at 12 and 24 hours and mortality. There was good calibration across the full range of TRIPS-II scores and the gestational age at birth, and addition of TRIPS-II improved performance of prediction models that use gestational age and baseline population risk variables. TRIPS-II is a validated benchmarking tool for assessing infant illness severity at admission and for up to 24 hours after. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.