Patterns of adaptation to children's food allergies

BACKGROUND

Families with food allergy (FA) are at risk of reduced quality of life and elevated anxiety. A moderate level of anxiety may be beneficial to sustain vigilance for food avoidance; however, excessive anxiety may increase risk for burden and maladjustment. The current study presents a framework for understanding the patterns of adaptation to FA across families and to identify typologies of families that would benefit from intervention.

METHODS

Participants included 57 children, 6-12 years old with documented FA, and their mothers. Families were assessed using the Food Allergy Management and Adaptation Scale. Families also completed measures of quality of life, anxiety, FA management, and psychosocial impairment.

RESULTS

A hierarchical cluster analysis revealed that 56 of the 57 families of food-allergic children were categorized into four groups that differed on their adequacy of family FA management, levels of anxiety, and balanced psychosocial functioning: balanced responders (n = 23; 41%), high responders (n = 25; 45%), and low responders (n = 3; 5%). The fourth group, anxious high responders (n = 5; 9%), was characterized by extremely high maternal FA anxiety scores and low scores for balanced integration of FA management and psychosocial functioning. Families in clusters differed across illness and psychosocial outcome variables.

CONCLUSION

Families with FA were characterized by patterns of FA management, anxiety, and ability to integrate FA demands into daily life. Identified adaptation patterns correspond with clinical impressions and provide a framework for identifying families in need of intervention.

Spatially resolved ultrafast magnetic dynamics initiated at a complex oxide heterointerface

Static strain in complex oxide heterostructures has been extensively used to engineer electronic and magnetic properties at equilibrium. In the same spirit, deformations of the crystal lattice with light may be used to achieve functional control across heterointerfaces dynamically. Here, by exciting large-amplitude infrared-active vibrations in a LaAlO3 substrate we induce magnetic order melting in a NdNiO3 film across a heterointerface. Femtosecond resonant soft X-ray diffraction is used to determine the spatiotemporal evolution of the magnetic disordering. We observe a magnetic melt front that propagates from the substrate interface into the film, at a speed that suggests electronically driven motion. Light control and ultrafast phase front propagation at heterointerfaces may lead to new opportunities in optomagnetism, for example by driving domain wall motion to transport information across suitably designed devices.

Genome-wide Evidence Reveals that African and Eurasian Golden Jackals Are Distinct Species

The golden jackal of Africa (Canis aureus) has long been considered a conspecific of jackals distributed throughout Eurasia, with the nearest source populations in the Middle East. However, two recent reports found that mitochondrial haplotypes of some African golden jackals aligned more closely to gray wolves (Canis lupus), which is surprising given the absence of gray wolves in Africa and the phenotypic divergence between the two species. Moreover, these results imply the existence of a previously unrecognized phylogenetically distinct species despite a long history of taxonomic work on African canids. To test the distinct-species hypothesis and understand the evolutionary history that would account for this puzzling result, we analyzed extensive genomic data including mitochondrial genome sequences, sequences from 20 autosomal loci (17 introns and 3 exon segments), microsatellite loci, X- and Y-linked zinc-finger protein gene (ZFX and ZFY) sequences, and whole-genome nuclear sequences in African and Eurasian golden jackals and gray wolves. Our results provide consistent and robust evidence that populations of golden jackals from Africa and Eurasia represent distinct monophyletic lineages separated for more than one million years, sufficient to merit formal recognition as different species: C. anthus (African golden wolf) and C. aureus (Eurasian golden jackal). Using morphologic data, we demonstrate a striking morphologic similarity between East African and Eurasian golden jackals, suggesting parallelism, which may have misled taxonomists and likely reflects uniquely intense interspecific competition in the East African carnivore guild. Our study shows how ecology can confound taxonomy if interspecific competition constrains size diversification.

Perceptions of people with multiple sclerosis on the effect and comfort of two different textured insoles: A qualitative study

Background:

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer from progressive impairment of gait and balance. One of the causal factors is reduced plantar sensation. Pilot studies indicate that textured insoles may improve gait and balance by way of enhanced plantar tactile stimulation. However, no studies have reported subjective outcomes, which could provide significant information regarding the acceptance of textured insoles and their effect on psychological wellbeing. This study aimed to report the subjective experience of participants with MS when they wore insoles with two different textures.

Methods:

A within-subjects experimental design was used with two insole textures. Forty six participants were recruited (12 males, 34 females, mean age 49.1 years, SD=6.83). Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two textured insole types, which they wore for 2 weeks. They then took part in individual semi-structured interviews about their experience of wearing the insoles. Their answers were coded using thematic analysis to identify key themes.

Results:

The same themes emerged in both texture groups. Two key themes were identified: insole comfort and efficacy. Individual participants responded to the same texture in different ways; the perception of comfort was highly individual, as was insole acceptability. Perception of efficacy influenced acceptability, with participants more likely to wear the insoles if they thought they were beneficial. In several cases, confidence in mobility increased during insole use.

Conclusions:

Textured insoles have therapeutic potential in an MS population in regard to improving mobility confidence. However, their acceptability is highly individual so generalisations about their efficacy are difficult to make. Their acceptability and efficacy appear to be linked with a perception of benefit. The perception that they are beneficial encourages participants to wear the insoles and they are more likely to experience increased confidence.

Implications:

Textured insoles could provide a simple, inexpensive intervention to help people with MS maintain function and independence, thus enhancing quality of life. However, there is likely to be considerable individual variability regarding subjective outcomes.