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The main aim of this study was to evaluate the measurement properties of the Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS Nordic) and the domains of demand, control and support. The Rasch analysis (RUMM 2030) was based on responses from 226 subjects with back pain who completed the QPS Nordic dimensions of demand, control, and social support (30 items) at one year follow up. The Rasch analysis revealed disordered thresholds in a total of 25 of the 30 items. The domains of demand, control and support fit the Rasch model when analyzed separately. The demand domain was well targeted, whereas patients with current neck and back pain had lower control and higher support than reflected by the questions. Two items revealed DIF by gender, otherwise invariance to age, gender, occupation and sick-leave was documented. The demand, control support domains of QPS Nordic comprised unidimensional constructs with adequate measurement properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Norway "Transmyocardial laser revascularization" as a routine method was prohibited by the Ministry of Health in 1995 due to lacking evidence of treatment effect and concerns about procedural morbidity and mortality. In 1999 Norwegian health authorities asked for a re-evaluation of the method based on a systematic review of literature.Methods: Medline and Embase were searched and a total of 267 articles were identified. Publications were classified by an expert panel according to type of study and importance for the project.Results: Based on the literature review the panel concluded that heart laser treatment does not have a life-saving effect, nor does it improve myocardial function. However, the method has a considerable short-term symptomatic effect, the mechanism of which is not understood. Neoangiogenesis, denervation and placebo may play a role. Based on the report the Norwegian health authorities recommended use of this method be restricted to scientific trials only.Conclusions: Based on a systematic literature review it was concluded that the only documented effect of heart laser treatment is symptom relief, the mechanism for which is unclear. It could partly or totally be a placebo effect. A conflict of interest may arise when new technologies are to be implemented in health care. The communication between professionals evaluating scientific results and decision makers is challenging. Quality assurance of this process may be obtained by use of expert panels working under the auspices of an official institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elimination kinetics and penetration of ceftazidime into skin blister and lymphatic fluid were studied in nine healthy volunteers following a 1 g iv bolus injection. From the concentration time curve in plasma the following pharmacokinetic parameters (mean±S.D.) were calculated: elimination half-life 1.85±0.33 h; area under the curves 127±12 mg. h/l; apparent volume of distribution: 21.1±2.61; total plasma clearance: 133±13 ml/min and renal clearance: 109±7 ml/min. Urine recovery after 8 h was 82% of the administered dose. Nearly the same elimination rate constant, half-life and area under the curve were demonstrated for blister fluid and lymph.The penetration of ceftazidime into cerebrospinal fluid (n = 19), aqueous humour (n = 21) and pleural effusions (n = 5) were studied in patients after a 2 g iv bolus injection. In patients with normal meninges (n = 14) the penetration was poor: the concentrations were less than 1 mg/1. In patients with meningitis (n = 5) levels of 18, 17, 16, 1 and 0.8 mg/l were found. Aqueous humour penetration was satisfactory, and a mean concentration of 11±4 mg/l corresponding to a penetration ratio of 19% was found. The penetration of ceftazidime into large pleural effusions was also good with concentrations from 17±3 to 28±2 mg/l, corresponding to a mean penetration ratio of 38%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

272-279. The aim of the present study was to compare some field methods of diagnosing traumatic vasospastic disease (TVD). Eleven forest workers with TVD (Raynaud phenomena of occupational origin) from the use of chain saws and seven controls underwent various exposures to cold. Sitting naked at 10 to 12°C for 40 minutes and exposing the hands to water of 13 to 16°C during the last 20 minutes provoked blanching of the fingers of all subjects in the TVD group and in none of the controls. These group differences were only partially supported by skin temperature recordings. Finger cooling during general cold exposure, rewarming after local cold exposures that did not provoke blanching, cold-induced vasodilatation, and rewarming after local vibration in cool water did not differ significantly between the groups. The production of attacks was apparently facilitated by hand grip in the cold. The results underline the diagnostic uncertainties present in those approaches which do not provoke attacks of finger blanching. Such attacks are most easily produced by a combined general and local cold exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article looks at how emotions are associated with performance in elite women handball in Norway. The results show that positive A motions such as joy (exemplified by feeling satisfied, pleased, and happy), serenity (exemplified by feeling calm, balanced, and hopeful), interest (exemplified by feeling curious, interested, and immersed) and ecstasy (exemplified by feeling exhilarated, enthusiastic, and convinced) are positively associated with subjective performance. On the other hand, negative emotions such as anger (exemplified by feeling aggressive and angry), fear (exemplified by feeling nervous and afraid), sadness (exemplified by feeling sad and depressed) and remorse (exemplified by feeling ashamed and guilty) were found to be negatively associated with subjective performance. The present results showed that joy, serenity, and remorse uniquely explained 51% of the variance in subjective performance. In general, results showed that positive emotions were most intense when the female elite athletes experienced positive events during trainings and matches and that negative emotions were most intense when the athletes experienced too challenging and negative events during trainings and matches. Triggers that elicited positive emotional responses in female elite athletes in the current study were mostly proactive in nature. The results are discussed in regard of applied implications and possible future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study looks at how emotions were associated with ski jumping competitions in world cup for four athletes representing the Norwegian national team in Nordic combined. The athletes documented their emotional experiences during competition rounds (trial-, and competition rounds) and non-competitive episodes (the period just after the competition round). The results in this study show that there is no clear relationship between emotions and performance between- and within the different episodes among the athletes. However, both hedonic emotions and eudaimonic emotions were experienced at high levels across all the measured episodes. Eudaimonic emotions were significantly higher during competing episodes (trial- and competition round) compared with non-competing episodes. Anger and sadness were higher after both trial jumps and competing jumps, whereas the opposite pattern was found for fear: more fear was experienced during jumps than after jumps. The results are discussed in regard of applied implications and possible future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at how emotions are associated with performance during cross-country skiing competitions among 10 senior Norwegian national level athletes. The results in this study show that there is a relatively similar emotional distribution pattern found among the athletes who are most satisfied with their performance compared to the less satisfied ones. However, the intensity in their emotions is different. The most satisfied athletes have higher intensity in their eudaimonic and hedonic emotions, while the negative emotions "sad" and "scared" are higher among the less satisfied athletes. The emotion "angry" is not significantly different between the two groups of athletes, and significantly higher in intensity compared to "sad" and "scared". The emotions in this study explain 53 % of the variance in subjective performance. The results are discussed in regard of applied implications and possible future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at how psychological variables such as passion, perceived performance, affect, worries and working alliance are associated with athlete burnout and illness and injuries among junior athletes in sport. A sample of 356 junior elite athletes from different sports such as cross country skiing, biathlon, Nordic combined, shooting, ice-hockey, ice-skating, ski jumping, alpine skiing, cycling, track and field, football, orienteering, handball, football and volleyball participated in the investigation. Our results show that harmonic passion, perceived performance, positive and negative affect, worry and working alliance are uniquely associated with athlete burnout, whereas sex, perceived performance and working alliance uniquely are associated with illness and injuries. The results are discussed in regard of applied implications and possible future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This trial assessed the efficacy of naproxen in patients with sciatica in outpatient clinics across 4 Norwegian hospitals. A total of 123 adults with radiating pain below the knee (≥4 on a 0-10 numeric rating scale) and signs consistent with nerve root involvement were included. Participants were randomized to receive either naproxen 500 mg or a placebo twice daily for 10 days. The primary outcome, daily leg pain intensity measured on a 0 to 10 numeric rating scale throughout the treatment period, revealed a statistically significant difference in favor of naproxen, with an adjusted mean difference of -0.5 (95% CI -0.8 to -0.1, P = 0.015). In the naproxen group, the treatment effect was significantly related to time, and over the whole 10-day period, the average adjusted difference was -0.6 (95% CI -0.8 to -0.5). Mean numbers needed to treat for 30% and 50% improvement were 9.9 (95% CI 4.7-15.0) and 20.7 (8.7-32.7), respectively. The adjusted mean difference for back pain was -0.4 (95% CI -0.8 to 0.0), and for Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire for Sciatica, it was -1.5 (95% CI -3.0 to 0.0). No differences were found for sciatica bothersomeness or consumption of rescue medication or opioids. Participants in the naproxen group exhibited an adjusted odds ratio of 4.7 (95% CI 1.3-16.2) for improvement by 1 level on the global perceived change scale. In conclusion, naproxen treatment showed small, likely clinically unimportant benefits compared with placebo in patients with moderate-to-severe sciatica., (Copyright © 2024 International Association for the Study of Pain.)

Objectives: To assess whether radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT), sham-rESWT or a standardised exercise programme in combination with advice plus customised foot orthoses is more effective than advice plus customised foot orthoses alone in alleviating heel pain in patients with plantar fasciopathy., Methods: 200 patients with plantar fasciopathy were included in a four-arm, parallel-group, sham-controlled, observer-blinded, partly patient-blinded trial. At baseline, before randomisation, all patients received advice plus customised foot orthoses. Patients were randomised to rESWT (n=50), sham-rESWT (n=50), exercise (n=50) or advice plus customised foot orthoses alone (n=50). Patients in the rESWT and sham-rESWT groups received three treatments. The exercise programme comprised two exercises performed three times a week for 12 weeks, including eight supervised sessions with a physiotherapist. Patients allocated to advice plus customised foot orthoses did not receive additional treatment. The primary outcome was change in heel pain during activity in the previous week per Numeric Rating Scale (0-10) from baseline to 6-month follow-up. The outcome was collected at baseline, and 3, 6 and 12 months., Results: The primary analysis showed no statistically significant between-group differences in mean change in heel pain during activity for rESWT versus advice plus customised foot orthoses (-0.02, 95% CI -1.01 to 0.96), sham-rESWT versus advice plus customised foot orthoses (0.52, 95% CI -0.49 to 1.53) and exercise versus advice plus customised foot orthoses (-0.11, 95% CI -1.11 to 0.89) at 6 months., Conclusion: In patients with plantar fasciopathy, there was no additional benefit of rESWT, sham-rESWT or a standardised exercise programme over advice plus customised foot orthoses in alleviating heel pain., Trial Registration Number: NCT03472989., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Suicide is a serious mental health concern and the second leading cause of death for adolescents in the United States. Suicide risk is a complex interaction of social, psychological, and physiological factors. Previous research has identified family functioning as being related to adolescent suicide risk, but it is not well studied in clinical settings. This study uses the Behavioral Health Screen-Primary care (BHS-PC) to examine the relationship between current suicide risk in adolescent and a dysfunctional family environment., Method: Adolescents presenting for primary care appointments ( n = 6,609; age 14-17) completed the BHS-PC, a broad-based, psychometrically validated screening tool that measures a wide range of adolescent behavioral and mental health concerns. Using data from the BHS-PC, hierarchical logistic regression modeling was used to build and compare models of current suicide risk to determine the effect of including family factors. Fisher's Exact test was utilized to examine the relationship between family functioning and firearm access, a critical factor in youth safety and risk of completing suicide., Results: In the final model, three family functioning related variables were associated with current suicide risk in adolescents: never talking to adult family member about their concerns, witnessing violence in the home, and arguing in the home. In addition, all but one family functioning factor was related to adolescent firearm access., Conclusions: Family functioning and access to firearms are critical to understanding adolescent suicide risk. Utilizing a holistic approach in primary care to screen for adolescent suicide risk may improve clinical response and linkages to care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).