Over the counter sexual enhancement drugs sold in USA pose health risks.

Herbal medicines are gaining popularity globally and many incidents leading to adulterations are taking place under the guise of herbal medicine, posinggreater health risk concerns. 

Several sex-enhancement drugs without FDA approval with unknown ingredients are widely accessible. Products Viagra with much higher doses other than the one prescribed by the physicians or the products with unknown quantities of Thiosildenafil , the active ingredient in Cialis may rise considerable health risks for the general public as they are hiding the possible side effects. Read more...............

Face-to-face Interaction Behaviors of Preadolescent Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Friends and Acquaintances

Having close friends in grade school has been associated with better social skills , and in at least one study, sixth graders who had close friends achieved higher academic levels by eighth grade, highlighting the importance of grade school friendships. Children attending the same school have the opportunity to develop and maintain friendships. In one study, for example, 76% of friendships were maintained acrosssecond to sixth grade. Although most of the friendship studies have involved same-sex pairs, occasionally even in early grade school, children select opposite gender best friends. For example, in a study on third and fourth graders, 14% of the sample had cross-sex friendships that were their primary or only friendships.

Very little is known about the face-to-face interaction behaviors of Preadolescent friends and acquaintances, either in their same-sex or opposite-sex friendships, although face-to-face interaction researchers have suggested that people who frequently interact with each other come to behave in similar ways. Face-to-face interactions of 56 sixth grade friend and acquaintance pairs were videotaped in an earlier study by our group. Read more................

Hidden Shame as a Cause of Violence

Recall that when Gilligan asked about the killers' motives, a typical response was "He dissed (disrespected) me. What did you expect me to do?" A different expectation would be negotiation¬, talking first rather than violence first. An answer like this might work: "Before we get real mad, let's try talking about it." Talk might be the road to getting an apology for an insult, which could be the road for reducing shame, or at lease ceasing to hide it completely.

It is clear that before most wars, even vast ones, there was little or no negotiation. As a nation, France felt humiliated by the loss of theFranco-Prussian War in 1871, and the terms of settlement the Germans imposed. However, during the forty-three years before World War I, they made no attempt to meet with the German government to negotiate about the terms. One of Hitler's greatest appeals to the German people was that he would see that the settlement of WWI would be destroyed, which was taken as humiliating. There was virtually no attempt to change the terms during the twenty-one years before the outbreak of WWII. These nations fought first, rather than last. Read more.................

The Effects of Noise Disturbed Sleep in Children on Cognitive Development and Long Term Health

In the recently published guideline by the WHO for the burden of disease from environmental noise and elsewhere it is concluded that future epidemiological noise research will need to focus on vulnerable groups; some noise exposures may be worse for particular subgroups than for others such as children, older people and lower socioeconomic groups. This conclusion supports the notion that noise effects can and should be differentiated between subgroups. In most recent reviews on noise and health, this topic has been touched upon, but evidence is still scarce and scattered. 

A recent review identified thirty seven papers (2007-2011) pertaining to primary school children, two to preschool children and four to neonates. Four papers address effects of noise in specific patient groups such as children with autism, asthma and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Health effects most frequently described in the literature are annoyance, sleep disturbance, cardiovascular disease, cognitive effects and effects on hearing. Knowledge of how cognitive and long term health effects are mediated by noise disturbed sleep is very incomplete. It is generally accepted that undisturbed sleep is essential for physiological and psychological health. Children have a special need for uninterrupted sleep for growth and cognitive development. Read more...................

Physical Exercise as an Epigenetic Factor Determining Behavioral Outcomes

The science of behavior has been afforded much fuel for advancement of notions of lifespan development through the emerging observations of (i) physical exercise as an intervention for disease states and health assurances and (ii) epigenetics as the biological avenues determining whether or not individuals well-being or ill being. Any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness implies the involvement of regular and frequent exercise have defined exercise as a planned, structured physical activity with the purpose of improving one or more aspects of physical fitness and functional capacity. 

Epigenetics may be defined as the study of heritable phenotypic expressions resulting from changes in a chromosome without alterations in the DNA sequence. It has been applied in developmental psychology to examine psychobiological development emerging from an ongoing, bi-directional interchange between heredity and the environment through mechanisms of temporal and spatial control of gene activity during the development of complex organisms thereby shaping the behavior of individuals and organisms; as an experimental aspect of psychology it investigates how the life-span of ‘nurture’ orchestrates the biological heredity of ‘nature’.  Read more..................

Group Psycho Therapy prevents weight regain after Bariatic Surgery

Success of the weight loss surgeries depends on certain factors like nutritional intake, psychological and surgery related factors may affect them so that they regain weight. Weight loss after the surgery may also brings with it several cognitive and behavioral challenges to these patients. Group psychotherapy may help in restoring the body image as well as the emotional balance of the patients.

30 patients: mean age=25-26; 18 women, 12 men; mean Body Mass Index (BMI) 48 SD ±8.31suffering from onset obesity, were enrolled in this study. They had five years of various and unsuccessful diets. They were assessed for bariatric surgery: sleeve or gastric by-pass. Patients were referred to the Eating Disorder and Obesity Unit of the School of Medicine “Federico II” Naples by the Bariatric Regional Units. They signed a written voluntary informed consent form before entering the study. All participants were evaluated before bariatric surgery in according to the standard procedure for psychological/psychiatric assessment and took part of the nutritional follow-up. Read more....................

Early Developmental Delays

Assessment of developmental milestones and the relative meaning of delays are not always clear. Some clinicians may consider a delay to simply represent a developmental lag and others may view the delay as central nervous system pathology that may resolve or subsequently manifest differently with aging of the Central Nervous System (CNS). Developmental delay is considered when a child fails to meet one or more developmental milestones related to motor, speech and language, socialfunctioning, or daily living skills.

Incidence reports that a diagnosis of developmental delay occurs in up to 15% of children under age five, with the incidence increasing from 12.84% to 15.04% over the past 12 years. For the purposes of this paper, developmental delay is defined as a significant developmental difficulty achieving specific milestones when compared with same age peers. Most relevant literature defines significance as performance that is one to two standard deviations below the mean on age appropriate, standardized, norm reference testing. Read more.........................

Mutual Influence between Rehabilitation and Psychoanalysis

This paper argues that two seemingly contradictory theoretical perspectives,that of Psychoanalysis and that of psychiatric rehabilitation – are in fact more similar than first meets the eye. Moreover, they are likely to be of mutual influence to each other, as opposed to rejecting of one another. The parallels between these two schools of thought are becoming more apparent following the developments over the last two decades both in terms of their conceptualization as well as their theoretical insights. Such resemblance is surprising in light of some of the clear seemingly structural differences between them. The purpose of this paper is to discuss some of these inherent differences as well as parallel developments and discuss their implications for theory and practice:

Discussing the similarities: 

To begin with, the two disciplines traditionally target different populations: psychoanalytic therapy is tailored primarily for those suffering from anxiety and depression - disorders considered to be in the lighter end of the psychiatric disorders spectrum, while psychiatric rehabilitation targets those who are experiencing more severe psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This distinction in the target population has led to some of the differences seen in the intervention perspectives and practice, which characterize each of these disciplines.  Read more..................

CMV Encephalitis with Brain Stem Involvement without Evidence of CMV Retinitis two Weeks after Initiation of Art

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a double-stranded DNA virus in the herpes virus family that can cause disseminated or localized endorgan disease in patients with advanced immunosuppression. Endorgan disease caused by CMV occurs in patients with advanced immunosuppression, typically those with CD4 T-lymphocyte cell (CD4) counts <50 cells/mm3, who are either not receiving or have failed to respond to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is found universally throughout all geographic and socioeconomic areas and infects an estimated 40%to 100% of adults by the fourth decade of life. 

In addition, almost all homosexual men with HIV are coinfected with CMV. In HIV-infected persons, CMV can infect the GI tract, liver, lung, and nervous system. CMV can also infect the retina and is the leading cause of blindness in the HIV population. The most common manifestation of CMV disease is CMV retinitis, which accounts for 85% of all cases of CMV clinical syndromes. GI disease is also a common manifestation, accounting for approximately 15% of cases, and includes esophagitis, colitis, gastritis, and hepatitis.  Read more........................

The Anger-Aggression Bidirectional-Causation (AABC) Model s Relevance for Dyadic Violence, Revenge, and Catharsis

In a recent article on family violence, Finkenauer et al.  invoked a host of distal factors (societal, structural, personality), but failed to address a frequent and potentially crucial proximal cause – the dyadic aggression sequence – of which the main components are provocation, anger, and retaliation. A detailed analysis of the aggression sequence, including the behavioral and physiological consequences of revenge, was, for perhaps understandable reasons, also missing in the recentadaptationist discussion of the revenge and forgiveness systems by McCullough,et al. 

Yet the culmination of numerous aggressionrelated exchanges between members of a dyad (consisting of a couple, parent and offspring, and other relations), repeated over protracted time periods, may be the particularly deleterious anger-free preemptive strikes. The ingredients of an aggression series, its specific content and form, may be at the core of intrafamilial violence and offer insightsregarding the possibilities of treatment tailored for dyads. Read more..........

Patient with Major Depressive Disorder Responds to L-Methylfolate Post-Genetic Testing

Depression is the leading cause of disability world-wide, affecting approximately 350 million people. Several studies have found that about 70% of patients with depression treated with first-line therapies show some level of response; however, 30% ofpatients remain refractory to treatments leading to poor quality of life andimpairment in overall functioning. There are numerous factors that contribute to treatment resistance including depression severity, number of psychiatric and medical comorbidities, environmental factors such as family conflict, maternal depression, history of physical or sexual abuse, as well as genetic vulnerabilities. 

It has long been recognized that there is substantial variation of psychiatric treatment response. Understanding an individual’s genetic background can help to predict drug response and potential risk for adverse health events. Case Report  : A 69-year old Caucasian male presented to a psychiatric nurse practitioner with sadness, negative and perseverative thinking, and sleep difficulties. He reported sleep onset insomnia and frequent awakenings. The patient complained of fatigue, low energy, and lack of interest in activities. He reported a decreased ability to concentrate and complained of ongoing procrastination in his activities and interference with his longstanding hobbies. Read more............

The Relationship between Temperament and Character Traits and Burnout among Nurses

Burnout syndrome was first defined at the beginning of 1970s in occupations providing services to people, particularly those of healthcare, and has become an extensively studied concept in the last 20–30 years . According to Maslach, burnout is a “syndrome occurring by reflection of the physical exhaust, long term fatigue, helplessness and infelicity feelings to work performed, life and to the other people with negative manners”. Nurses’ burnout has received extensive and continuous research attention over the years, and among healthcare workers, nursing is thought to be the most stressful profession. 

Nurses are considered to be particularly susceptible to the danger of burnout due to the very stressful nature of their work, which has a negative impact on their mental and physical health, efficacy, and productivity. Multidimensional comprehension and interpretation of burnout syndrome of healthcare workers will help in revealing multidimensional correction–intervention options. Up to the present, studies focusing on environmental, working environment and clinical conditions have been carried out regarding burnout syndrome. Read more.........................

All eyes on me? Role of Negative Parenting in the Development of Social Anxiety Disorder among Children and Adolescents

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in developed and developing countries. It usually starts in childhood or adolescence and associated with significant functional impairment. If left untreated, SAD is associated with the subsequent development of major depression, substance abuse, and other mental health problems. SAD also can beassociated with functional disability, low health-related quality of life, andeconomic burden.

In addition, relationship between the social and generalized anxiety symptoms and alcohol and cigarette use in adolescence is well documented. Whereas, high level of fear of negative evaluation was associated with drinking initiation in boys and girls and the negative effects of SAD may continue throughout their lives. Fear of Negative Evaluation (FNE) is regarded as being the core feature and fundamental component of social anxiety. Individuals with SAD are apprehensive of saying or doing something in such situations that will result in humiliation and indignity.  Read more.............

Derivation of Linkage Ordered Gene Sets (LoGS) and Testing for Bias in its Implementation

In a recent paper, we have shown that immune function can play an important role in autism. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disease and its incidence has been rising. It is a highly heterogeneous and complex disorder. Despite considerable work, including linkage and genome-wide associationstudies, its genetic causes are unknown. 

In Mendelian disorders, various pedigree analyses point to the same locus. However, such analyses in autism have mapped to different genetic loci, possibly a reflection of its complex nature. Single gene approaches may fail to find underlying mechanisms in such a complex disease whereas an integrative approach might succeed. We present here a detailed description of the derivation of LoGS which reflects such an integrative approach. LoGS can overcome the limitations of non-pathway-based approaches.  Read more....................

How to improve Externalizing behavior in Preschool behavior?

Externalizing behavior (EB) is one the most common problems resulting in children of preschool age and it is associated with a decreased ability of social cognition and social problem solving skills. 

Recently, researchers developed a social cognition training model that can significantly improvesocial adjustment, social cognition and externalizing behaviors inpreschoolers.

In developmental psychology, several models have emerged to explain the development of social cognition in connection with the development of social and interactive skills and ER, or to understand how deficits in social cognition could have an impact on social maladjustment in children. In this study, we refer to both the Theory of Mind (ToM) and the Social Information Processing (SIP) model, to test the potential role of deficits in social cognition in preschoolers’ problems with social abilities and EB disorders. Read more..............

Insulin ? like Growth Factor 1 in Adolescent Girls with Anorexia Nervosa: Relation to Bone Formation Parameters

The prevalence of AN is increasing in western societies and its estimated prevalence is 0.2-1.0%. Osteopenia is a common complication of this disorder, leading to many negative consequences at a young age. Severe degrees of reduced bone mass have been described in young adolescents even during the initial stages of their illness.

A significant amount of bone mass is accumulated during adolescence and diseases that affect bone deposition during this time have persistent and severe effects. The onset of anorexia nervosa (AN) during this critical time impedes the achievement of pubertal bone mass. In addition, significant changes in body weight and composition, pubertal development, and pubertal hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), occur during AN may affect bone. Read more................

Burnout Syndrome among Medical Workers at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), Nairobi, Kenya

Hardly, is there published work on burnout syndrome in Kenya to date, a condition that had not been classified by the ICD-10 or DSM-IV TR 2000. Burnout was first described by Maslach in 1976 and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) first used as a research instrument in 1982. This is a recent development and it partly explains the scanty information about the syndrome among medical workers in Kenya. In the absence of published local scientific information, the ability to diagnose burnout syndrome has been limited.

Events in which health workers all over Kenya had been agitating for better terms of service followed by their exodus to other countries including South Africa, could suggest a possibility of their dissatisfaction at work whose underlying cause may be burnout syndrome. Studies on burnout syndrome among medical workers mainly in Europe and the United States of America have demonstrated that all cadres of health personnel suffer from various levels of burnout syndrome. Burnout syndrome, or cumulative stress, is defined as a state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by depletion of one’s ability to cope with one’s environment, resultant from one’s responses to the on-going demand characteristics (stress) of the medical workers’ daily lives.  Read more.......................

Emotional Education and Employability among Higher Education Students

In the following pages we will have the opportunity to present a revision of the article mentioned above. In it the author presented an analysis about the importance of the emotional intelligence as an educational strategy in order to improve the employability. Since the late twentieth century, the interest in the employability and the emotional intelligence plays an essential role in academic and professional success. One of the basis objectives of the implementation of European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is the learning ability to achieve the employability on the basis of quality higher education.

The current professional requirements are increasingly demanding faster changes. The educational future is unthinkable without professional emotional learning that promoted personal, social and academic success, and without the use of methodologies that facilitates students to be able to adapt and live in a permanent transformation world. Read more....................

Structural and Neurochemical Alterations in Brain Regions of Depression and Suicide Patients

Depression is a common mental disorder that accompanies sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, guilty feelings, disturbances in sleep and many cognitive deficiencies that impair an individual’s ability to function properly in daily works deteriorating the quality of his life. At least 350 million people in theworld at present are the victims of depression making it as a leading cause ofdisability globally . Onset of depression may be triggered by multiple factors like genetics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical conditions, stress, grief or difficult life circumstances etc. 

Any of these factors alone or in combination can give rise to changes in brain chemistry that give rise to many symptoms of depression. Depression is considered as the psychiatric diagnosis most commonly associated with suicide. It has been reported that more than two-thirds of suicide completers and suicide attempters, exhibit serious depressive episodes at the time of their suicidal acts. Recent studies have demonstrated that structural abnormalities occur in brain regions implicated in higher cognitive functions both in depression patients and in suicidal brains.  Read more........................

The Thin Line between Munchausen Syndrome and Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy

Factitious disorders (FD) are the intentional production of feigning symptoms or disabilities; physical or psychological, aroused in a person who aims to assume the patient role.Munchausen syndrome (MS) and other FD differ from somatoform disorders (such as conversion disorder, somatization disorder and somatoform disorder undifferentiated) because in somatoform disorders there is no evidence of deceiving clinicians.

For the samereason FD differ from Somatic Symptom Disorder that’s a reconceptualization of somatoformdisorders in DSM5.The most extreme and serious form of FD, referred to as the MS, is characterized by a history of various outpatient visits and hospitalizations whose symptoms aggravated or changed following negative test results, or once the treatment had begun, patients would be overwhelmed by eager to get medical tests, operations, and other procedures. 

Münchausen syndrome by proxy (MBP) is a complex and potentially fatal form of child abuse in which a parent or guardian - usually the mother - repeatedly induces physical or psychological symptoms in a child in order to simulate an illness in the latter. The next paragraph presents the case of a young girl, victim of MBP who became a Münchausen patient. Read more..........