Search

Mississippi has the oldest state-wide system of public 2-year colleges in the USA. The story of the creation of the community college system in Mississippi is both complex and powerful. Founded upon the combination of the needs of rural students, the challenge of poor transportation, and a serendipitous conference side-trip, the college system has faced and overcome many challenges. During the systems infancy, there was a struggle to define what role the colleges were to play in society, which is a struggle that continues today. Beginning as an outgrowth of a state K-12 system with agricultural roots, the system became an independent higher education entity that supported all the people of the state. The colleges of Mississippi experienced all of the transitional challenges common to the community college movement and navigated these challenges against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving view of segregation and race relations. The purpose of this paper is to present a concise picture of the history and development of the community college movement in Mississippi.

Objective: Functioning gonadotroph adenomas (FGAs) are rare pituitary tumours stimulating ovarian function with potential life‐threatening consequences in women. However, a lack of aggregated clinical experience of FGAs impairs management in affected women. The aim of this study is to present the clinical course of FGA‐induced ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) cases as identified by some of the largest UK pituitary endocrine tertiary centres with a view to increasing awareness and improving diagnosis and management of women with FGA. Design: A retrospective observational study; audit of eight UK regional pituitary centres for cases of FGAs. Setting: Specialist neuroendocrine centres in the United Kingdom. Patients and Measurements: Women diagnosed with FGA‐induced OHSS. Description of their clinical course. Results: Seven cases of FGA were identified in women, all causing OHSS. Mean age was 33.4 years at diagnosis. Abdominal pain, irregular periods, headache, and visual disturbances were reported at presentation by 100%, 71%, 57% and 43% of women, respectively. Three of seven women underwent ovarian surgery before FGA diagnosis. Six women underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) with incomplete tumour resection in five of those, but all showed improvement or resolution in symptoms and biochemistry postoperatively. Conclusion: FGA is a rare cause of spontaneous OHSS. TSS improves clinical and biochemical features of ovarian hyperstimulation in FGAs. Improved awareness of FGA will prevent inappropriate emergency ovarian surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dysfunction in major stress response systems during the acute aftermath of trauma may contribute to risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The current study investigated how PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity, depressive symptoms, and childhood trauma uniquely relate to diurnal neuroendocrine secretion (cortisol and alpha-amylase rhythms) in women who recently experienced interpersonal trauma compared to non-traumatized controls (NTCs). Method: Using a longitudinal design, we examined diurnal cortisol and alpha-amylase rhythms in 98 young women (n = 57 exposed to recent interpersonal trauma, n = 41 NTCs). Participants provided saliva samples and completed symptom measures at baseline and 1-, 3-, and 6-month follow-up. Results: Multilevel models (MLMs) revealed lower waking cortisol predicted the development of PTSD in trauma survivors and distinguished at-risk women from NTCs. Women with greater childhood trauma exposure exhibited flatter diurnal cortisol slopes. Among trauma-exposed individuals, lower waking cortisol levels were associated with higher concurrent PTSD symptom severity. Regarding alpha-amylase, MLMs revealed women with greater childhood trauma exposure exhibited higher waking alpha-amylase and slower diurnal alpha-amylase increase. Conclusions: Results suggest lower waking cortisol in the acute aftermath of trauma may be implicated in PTSD onset and maintenance. Findings also suggest childhood trauma may predict a different pattern of dysfunction in stress response systems following subsequent trauma exposure than the stress system dynamics associated with PTSD risk; childhood trauma appears to be associated with flattened diurnal cortisol and alpha-amylase slopes, as well as higher waking alpha-amylase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating a community of lifelong learners is one of Brimbank City Council's strategic directions for community well- being and improving the social and economic outcomes of individuals and the community. [...]

Competition occurs between species for shared resources and the subordinate species can reduce this by avoiding competitors, either proactively or reactively. Cheetah are subordinate members of the African large carnivore guild, vulnerable to losing resources or being killed by larger carnivores. We directly investigate how cheetah space and habitat use are affected by the reintroduction of lion 9 years after cheetah reintroduction. We explored whether cheetah respond on the spatial scale proactively (contracting home range, low overlap and differences in habitat use), reactively (located further than expected at random from lions) or did not respond to lion presence at given monitoring points. We found that there was no difference in cheetah habitat use nor their home range/core area size. Moreover, cheetah home range/core areas overlapped extensively with that of lions. Revealingly, cheetah were located further than expected at random from lions. Our results support a reactive response by cheetah to lion presence. Using this unplanned experiment, we were able to grow our knowledge on the competition occurring between these two large carnivores, by determining that lions did not displace cheetah except on the fine scale. These results can also be of particular use for managers of reserves or metapopulations who are trying to conserve both species sympatrically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Qualitative olfactory (smell) dysfunctions are a common side effect of post-viral illness and known to impact quality of life and health status. Evidence is emerging that taste and smell loss are common symptoms of Covid-19 that may emerge and persist long after initial infection. The aim of the present study was to document the impact of post Covid-19 alterations to taste and smell. Methods: We conducted exploratory thematic analysis of user-generated text from 9000 users of the AbScent Covid-19 Smell and Taste Loss moderated Facebook support group from March 24 to 30th September 2020. Results: Participants reported difficulty explaining and managing an altered sense of taste and smell; a lack of interpersonal and professional explanation or support; altered eating; appetite loss, weight change; loss of pleasure in food, eating and social engagement; altered intimacy and an altered relationship to self and others. Conclusions: Our findings suggest altered taste and smell with Covid-19 may lead to severe disruption to daily living that impacts on psychological well-being, physical health, relationships and sense of self. More specifically, participants reported impacts that related to reduced desire and ability to eat and prepare food; weight gain, weight loss and nutritional insufficiency; emotional wellbeing; professional practice; intimacy and social bonding; and the disruption of people's sense of reality and themselves. Our findings should inform further research and suggest areas for the training, assessment and treatment practices of health care professionals working with long Covid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense, causal agent of Panama disease, is one of the biggest threats to global banana production, particularly the Cavendish competent tropical race 4 (Foc TR4). It continues to spread globally with detections occurring in regions of the Middle East and new continents such as Africa and South America in the last decade. As the search was on for new management strategies and resistant cultivars to combat the disease, a banana cultivar-screening trial took place in the Northern Territory of Australia, which examined the responses of 24 banana cultivars to the soil borne fungus. These cultivars included material from TBRI, FHIA and selections from Thailand, Indonesia and Australia and evaluated for their resistance to tropical race 4 for two cropping cycles. Several cultivars displayed considerable resistance to Foc TR4, including several FHIA parental lines and hybrids, the Cavendish (AAA) selections GCTCV 215 and GCTCV 247 from TBRI and an Indonesian selection CJ19 showed either very little to no plant death due to the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Suicidal behaviour is known to aggregate in families. Patients with psychiatric disorders are at higher risk for suicide attempts (SA), however protective and risk genetic variants for suicide appear to be independent of underlying psychiatric disorders. Here we investigate genetic variants in genes important for neurobiological pathways linked to suicidal behaviour and/or associated endophenotypes, for association with SA among patients with co-existing psychiatric illness. Selected gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were also tested. Methods DNA was obtained from bloods of 159 patients (76 suicide attempters and 83 non-attempters), who were profiled for DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 candidate genes (COMT, 5-HT2A, 5-HT1A, 5-HTR1B, TPH1, MAO-A, TPH2, DBH, CNR1, BDNF, ABCG1, GABRA5, GABRG2, GABRB2, SLC1A2, SLC1A3, NTRK2, CRHR1) were genotyped. Genotyping was performed by KBioscience. Tests of association between genetic variants and SA were conducted using Chi squared and Armitage Trend tests. Binary logistical regression analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of individual genetic variants to the prediction of SA, and to examine SNPs for potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Results Our analysis identified 4 SNPs (rs4755404, rs2269272, rs6296 and rs1659400), which showed evidence of association with SA compared to a non-attempter control group. We provide evidence of a 3-locus gene-gene interaction, and a putative gene-environment interaction, whereby genetic variation at the NTRK2 locus may moderate the risk associated with history of childhood abuse. Conclusion Preliminary findings suggest that allelic variability in SLC1A2/3, 5-HTR1B and NTRK2 may be relevant to the underlying diathesis for suicidal acts.

Aims: Develop, calibrate and evaluate with clinical data a human electromechanical modelling and simulation framework for multiscale, mechanistic investigations in healthy and post-myocardial infarction (MI) conditions, from ionic to clinical biomarkers.Methods and Results: Human healthy and post-MI electromechanical simulations were conducted with a novel biventricular model, calibrated and evaluated with experimental and clinical data, including torso/biventricular anatomy from clinical magnetic resonance, state-of-the-art human-based membrane kinetics, excitation-contraction and active tension models, and orthotropic electromechanical coupling. Electromechanical remodelling of the infarct/ischaemic region and the border zone were simulated for ischaemic, acute, and chronic states in a fully transmural anterior infarct and a subendocardial anterior infarct. The results were compared with clinical electrocardiogram and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data at similar states. Healthy model simulations show LVEF 63%, with 11% peak systolic wall thickening, QRS duration and QT interval of 100 ms and 330 ms. LVEF in ischaemic, acute, and chronic post-MI states were 56%, 51%, and 52%, respectively. In linking the three post-MI simulations, it was apparent that elevated resting potential due to hyperkalaemia in the infarcted region led to ST-segment elevation, while a large repolarization gradient corresponded to T-wave inversion. Mechanically, the chronic stiffening of the infarct region had the benefit of improving systolic function by reducing infarct bulging at the expense of reducing diastolic function by inhibiting inflation.Conclusion: Our human-based multiscale modelling and simulation framework enables mechanistic investigations into patho-physiological electrophysiological and mechanical behaviour and can serve as testbed to guide the optimization of pharmacological and electrical therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remains the commonest cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes. Differentiating between physiologically adaptive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy observed in athletes' hearts and pathological HCM remains challenging. By quantifying the diffusion of water molecules, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) MRI allows voxelwise characterization of myocardial microstructure.Purpose: To explore microstructural differences between healthy volunteers, athletes, and HCM patients using DTI.Study Type: Prospective cohort.Population: Twenty healthy volunteers, 20 athletes, and 20 HCM patients.Field Strength/sequence: 3T/DTI spin echo.Assessment: In-house MatLab software was used to derive mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) as markers of amplitude and anisotropy of the diffusion of water molecules, and secondary eigenvector angles (E2A)-reflecting the orientations of laminar sheetlets.Statistical Tests: Independent samples t-tests were used to detect statistical significance between any two cohorts. Analysis of variance was utilized for detecting the statistical difference between the three cohorts. Statistical tests were two-tailed. A result was considered statistically significant at P ≤ 0.05.Results: DTI markers were significantly different between HCM, athletes, and volunteers. HCM patients had significantly higher global MD and E2A, and significantly lower FA than athletes and volunteers. (MDHCM = 1.52 ± 0.06 × 10-3 mm2 /s, MDAthletes = 1.49 ± 0.03 × 10-3 mm2 /s, MDvolunteers = 1.47 ± 0.02 × 10-3 mm2 /s, P < 0.05; E2AHCM = 58.8 ± 4°, E2Aathletes = 47 ± 5°, E2Avolunteers = 38.5 ± 7°, P < 0.05; FAHCM = 0.30 ± 0.02, FAAthletes = 0.35 ± 0.02, FAvolunteers = 0.36 ± 0.03, P < 0.05). HCM patients had significantly higher E2A in their thickest segments compared to the remote (E2Athickest = 66.8 ± 7, E2Aremote = 51.2 ± 9, P < 0.05).Data Conclusion: DTI depicts an increase in amplitude and isotropy of diffusion in the myocardium of HCM compared to athletes and volunteers as reflected by increased MD and decreased FA values. While significantly higher E2A values in HCM and athletes reflect steeper configurations of the myocardial sheetlets than in volunteers, HCM patients demonstrated an eccentric rise in E2A in their thickest segments, while athletes demonstrated a concentric rise. Further studies are required to determine the diagnostic capabilities of DTI.Evidence Level: 1 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical psychological science is long overdue to incorporate antiracism and social justice as core principles. To evaluate the current state of clinical science training programs' public-facing statements on antiracism and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (ADEIJ), we formed a workgroup under the guidance of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science (APCS) Task Force to Center Racial and Social Justice in Clinical Science. Our workgroup evaluated the public-facing web materials of 78 APCS doctoral and internship programs. Following existing frameworks that have conceptualized the development of multicultural organizations, we evaluated the degree to which materials mentioned inclusivity, acknowledged inequities, and reported planned and enacted actions to promote ADEIJ. We examined rationales for engaging in this work, differentiating between moral and instrumental rationales. Results showed not all programs had ADEIJ statements, but a coding scheme can reliably assess existing statements. While all programs mentioned inclusivity and most acknowledged inequities, some had subtle or implicit exclusionary language, and a minority described concrete actions. Current efforts within our field may represent more symbolic than identity or structural change. Our findings inform recommendations for improving the efforts of training programs. Public Significance Statement: A coding scheme can reliably assess how clearly public-facing statements communicate a program's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, or antiracist values. The programs assessed showed more indications of symbolic change than identity or structural change, perhaps reflecting a lack of knowledge about how to enact structural change and/or limited willingness to reflect on our field's contributions to historical and current inequities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structured education is key to achieving early glycaemic control in type 1 diabetes; however, most structured education programmes are designed for people with established diabetes. The Scottish Type 1 Education Programme (STEP) was therefore developed to provide in-depth, structured education for people newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, to give them the knowledge and confidence to self-manage their condition, carbohydrate count and independently adjust their insulin doses. This article outlines the development of STEP and presents audit data from the three years since its introduction. Feedback from participants has been extremely positive, and registry data show that the proportion of people with type 1 diabetes achieving target HbA1c levels in the first year from diagnosis has increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the feasibility of undertaking a pragmatic single-blind randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a visual arts participation programme to evaluate effects on survivor wellbeing within stroke rehabilitation. Methods: Stroke survivors receiving in-patient rehabilitation were randomised to receive eight art participation sessions (n = 41) or usual care (n = 40). Recruitment, retention, preference for art participation and change in selected outcomes were evaluated at end of intervention outcome assessment and three-month follow-up. Results: Of 315 potentially eligible participants 81 (29%) were recruited. 88% (n = 71) completed outcome and 77% (n = 62) follow-up assessments. Of eight intervention group non-completers, six had no preference for art participation. Outcome completion varied between 97% and 77%. Running groups was difficult because of randomisation timing. Effectiveness cannot be determined from this feasibility study but effects sizes suggested art participation may benefit emotional wellbeing, measured on the positive and negative affect schedule, and self-efficacy for Art (d = 0.24-0.42). Conclusions: Undertaking a RCT of art participation within stroke rehabilitation was feasible. Art participation may enhance self-efficacy and positively influence emotional wellbeing. These should be outcomes in a future definitive trial. A cluster RCT would ensure art groups could be reliably convened. Fewer measures, and better retention strategies are required. Implications for Rehabilitation: This feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) showed that recruiting and retaining stroke survivors in an RCT of a visual arts participation intervention within stroke rehabilitation was feasible. Preference to participate in art activities may influence recruitment and drop-out rates, and should be addressed and evaluated fully. Art participation as part of rehabilitation may improve some aspects of post-stroke wellbeing, including positive affect and self-efficacy for art. A future definitive cluster RCT would facilitate full evaluation of the value art participation can add to rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore stroke survivors’ and artists’ beliefs about participatory visual arts programme participation during in-patient rehabilitation to identify benefits and potential mechanisms of action.Method: Qualitative design using semi-structured in-depth interviews with stroke survivors (n = 11) and artists (n = 3).Analysis: Data were audio-recorded and transcribed. Framework approach was used to identify themes and develop conceptual schemes.Results: The non-medical,social contextof art facilitated social interaction, provided enjoyment and distraction from stroke and re-established social identity thereby improving mood. Theprocesses of art makinggenerated confidence and self-efficacy, setting and achievement of creative, communication and physical recovery goals that provided control over survivors’ situation and hope for recovery.Creative outputinvolved completion of artwork and display for viewing. This enhanced self-esteem and improved mood, providing survivors with new identities through positive appraisal of the work by others. Self-efficacy, hope and control appeared to mediate benefits.Conclusion: This study provides a model of intervention components, mechanisms of action and outcome mediators to explain how art participation may work. Findings suggest that art may influence important psychosocial outcomes that other rehabilitation approaches do not typically address. The study paves the way for a future effectiveness trial.Implications for RehabilitationParticipation in an art programme during rehabilitation appears to improve stroke survivors’ mood, confidence and self-esteem and enhances perceptions of hope and control over recovery.Social interactions, the processes of art making and review and appraisal by others may be key intervention components from which benefits are derived.Benefits from art participation may enhance survivors’ experiences of rehabilitation and appear to provide benefits that other rehabilitation interventions do not.Art participation should be considered as an important adjunct to traditional rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article examines Aboriginal artists in Canada. Particular focus is given to what number of these artists are Francophones. Additional topics discussed include how French-speaking aboriginal artists are underrepresented in galleries and museums, the work of the artist Sylvie Paré, and Canadian art history.

Background: Liraglutide may be less effective in patients with more advanced type 2 diabetes. This study from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists Nationwide Liraglutide Audit analysed changes in HbA1c of patients after 26 weeks of treatment with liraglutide 1.2 mg, stratified according to the intensity of their background diabetes therapy, or according to their duration of diabetes. Methods: Patients using liraglutide as add- on therapy were stratified for receipt to one, two or three oral antidi-abetic agents (OADs) or insulin (± OAD), or for diabetes duration of 0-5 years, 6-10 years, or >10 years. Changes in HbA[sub 1c] were compared across groups after adjusting for baseline HbA[sub 1c]. Results: After exclusions to standardise comparisons, 937 patients with background diabetes treatment and 802 patients with recorded diabetes duration were analysed. Least-squares adjusted mean changes in HbA[sub 1C] (± SEM) were -1.8% ± 0.1 for 135 patients on one OAD, -1.7% ± 0.1 for 284 patients on two OADs,-1.9% ± 0.1 for 94 patients on three OADs (n=94) and -1.0% ± 0.1 for 424 patients receiving insulin. HbA[sub 1c] changes did not differ significantly between OAD groups, but all OAD groups had greater HbA[sub 1c] reductions compared with the insulin group (all p<0.00001). Adjusted mean HbA[sub 1c] changes were -2.0% ± 0.1 for patients with diabetes duration 0-5 years (n=147, p<0.05 vs. longer diabetes durations), -1.6% ± 0.1 for 6-10 years (n=256), and -1.2% ± 0.1 for >10 years (n=399). Conclusion: The need for insulin and long diabetes dura- tion, but not the number of OADs taken, predicted a smaller treatment response to liraglutide. Br J Diabetes Vasc Dis 201 5;15:169-172 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Large DNA sequence data sets require special bioinformatics tools to search and compare them. Such tools should be easy to use so that the data can be easily accessed by a wide array of researchers. In the past, the use of suffix trees for searching DNA sequences has been limited by a practical need to keep the trees in RAM. Newer algorithms solve this problem by using disk-based approaches. However, none of the fastest suffix tree algorithms have been implemented with a graphical user interface, preventing their incorporation into a feasible laboratory workflow. Results: Suffix Tree Searcher (STS) is designed as an easy-to-use tool to index, search, and analyze very large DNA sequence datasets. The program accommodates very large numbers of very large sequences, with aggregate size reaching tens of billions of nucleotides. The program makes use of pre-sorted persistent “building blocks” to reduce the time required to construct new trees. STS is comprised of a graphical user interface written in Java, and four C modules. All components are automatically downloaded when a web link is clicked. The underlying suffix tree data structure permits extremely fast searching for specific nucleotide strings, with wild cards or mismatches allowed. Complete tree traversals for detecting common substrings are also very fast. The graphical user interface allows the user to transition seamlessly between building, traversing, and searching the dataset. Conclusions: Thus, STS provides a new resource for the detection of substrings common to multiple DNA sequences or within a single sequence, for truly huge data sets. The re-searching of sequence hits, allowing wild card positions or mismatched nucleotides, together with the ability to rapidly retrieve large numbers of sequence hits from the DNA sequence files, provides the user with an efficient method of evaluating the similarity between nucleotide sequences by multiple alignment or use of Logos. The ability to re-use existing suffix tree pieces considerably shortens index generation time. The graphical user interface enables quick mastery of the analysis functions, easy access to the generated data, and seamless workflow integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicidal behaviour is known to aggregate in families. Patients with psychiatric disorders are at higher risk for suicide attempts (SA), however protective and risk genetic variants for suicide appear to be independent of underlying psychiatric disorders. Here we investigate genetic variants in genes important for neurobiological pathways linked to suicidal behaviour and/or associated endophenotypes, for association with SA among patients with co-existing psychiatric illness. Selected gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were also tested. Methods: DNA was obtained from bloods of 159 patients (76 suicide attempters and 83 non-attempters), who were profiled for DSM-IV Axis I psychiatric diagnosis. Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 18 candidate genes (COMT, 5-HT2A, 5-HT1A, 5-HTR1B, TPH1, MAO-A, TPH2, DBH, CNR1, BDNF, ABCG1, GABRA5, GABRG2, GABRB2, SLC1A2, SLC1A3, NTRK2, CRHR1) were genotyped. Genotyping was performed by KBioscience. Tests of association between genetic variants and SA were conducted using Chi squared and Armitage Trend tests. Binary logistical regression analyses were performed to evaluate the contribution of individual genetic variants to the prediction of SA, and to examine SNPs for potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Results: Our analysis identified 4 SNPs (rs4755404, rs2269272, rs6296 and rs1659400), which showed evidence of association with SA compared to a non-attempter control group. We provide evidence of a 3-locus gene-gene interaction, and a putative gene-environment interaction, whereby genetic variation at the NTRK2 locus may moderate the risk associated with history of childhood abuse. Conclusion: Preliminary findings suggest that allelic variability in SLC1A2/3, 5-HTR1B and NTRK2 may be relevant to the underlying diathesis for suicidal acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complex illness characterized by fatigue, impaired concentration, and musculoskeletal pain, is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric illness due to the overlap of its symptoms with mood and anxiety disorders. Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H MRSI), we previously measured levels of the major brain metabolites in CFS, in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and in healthy control subjects, and found significantly higher levels of ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate in CFS compared to the other two groups. In the present study, we sought to assess the specificity of this observation for CFS by comparing ventricular lactate levels in a new cohort of 17 CFS subjects with those in 19 healthy volunteers and in 21 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), which, like GAD, is a neuropsychiatric disorder that has significant symptom overlap with CFS. Ventricular CSF lactate was significantly elevated in CFS compared to healthy volunteers, replicating the major result of our previous study. Ventricular lactate measures in MDD did not differ from those in either CFS or healthy volunteers. We found a significant correlation between ventricular CSF lactate and severity of mental fatigue that was specific to the CFS group. In an exploratory analysis, we did not find evidence for altered levels of the amino acid neurotransmitters, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate + glutamine ('Glx'), in CFS compared to MDD or healthy controls. Future 1H MRS studies with larger sample sizes and well-characterized populations will be necessary to further clarify the sensitivity and specificity of neurometabolic abnormalities in CFS and MDD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]