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Computer programs may be able to identify teenagers most at risk of mental disorders such as anxiety and depression by analyzing brain scans, researchers say.

When it comes to mental illnesses, spotting those at high risk early in life is critical for treatment.

“Anxiety and mood disorders can have a devastating effect on the individuals concerned and on their families and friends,” said researcher Mary Phillips at the University of Pittsburgh. “If we are able to identify those individuals at greatest risk early on, we can offer early and appropriate interventions to delay, or even prevent, onset of these terrible conditions.”

Most psychiatric disorders typically emerge in adolescence or early adulthood. However, there are no known biological markers that can accurately predict which adolescents may or may not develop these illnesses.

Even genetic risk cannot accurately predict the risk an individual faces. For example, a family history of bipolar disorder confers a 10 percent risk of future bipolar disorder as well as a 10 to 25 percent risk of disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, major depression or anxiety disorders, but it is impossible to accurately determine whether an individual will develop these disorders.

Now, scientists reveal that computer programs can distinguish between brain scans of healthy, at-risk adolescents and healthy adolescents without such risk of mental disorders.

“We have a technique which shows enormous potential to help us identify which adolescents are at true risk of developing anxiety and mood disorders, especially where there is limited clinical or genetic information,” said researcher Janaina Mour?o-Miranda, a computer neuroscientist at University College London.

Researchers looked at 16 healthy adolescents who each had a bipolar parent, as well as 16 healthy adolescents whose parents had no history of psychiatric illness. While the volunteers took part in two tasks in which they had to determine the gender of pairs of faces with emotional expressions ? happy and neutral or fearful and neutral ? they had their brains scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging. ?Previous studies have shown the brains of those with mood disorders respond differently when looking at emotional facial expressions than those without such disorders. [10 Facts About the Teen Brain]

In three out of four cases, the computer program accurately identified the teen who belonged to either the low-risk or high-risk group. Follow-up interviews 12 months to 45 months later showed that those teens identified as high risk often did develop mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

“This was a preliminary study,” Mour?o-Miranda cautioned. “This work needs to be replicated with more people.”

Interestingly, the researchers found the program was best able to discriminate between adolescents in the low-risk and high-risk groups when they were shown neutral faces. This supports previous studies suggesting that people with anxiety or mood disorders are more likely to perceive neutral faces as ambiguous or potentially threatening.

“Focusing on the brain’s response to neutral faces could help us diagnose the risk of mental disorders,” Mour?o-Miranda told LiveScience.

Future research could see if this approach works for a wide variety of other mental illnesses.

“This might not only help us diagnose neurological and psychiatric disorders in general, but also determine the course they take and how they might respond to treatment,” Mour?o-Miranda said.

The scientists detailed their findings online today (Feb. 15) in the journal PLoS ONE.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20120215/sc_livescience/computerprogramidsteensatriskofmentalillness

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MARIETTA, Ga.?(BUSINESS WIRE)?Independent risk management software company Riskonnect, Inc. continues to grow at a rapid pace with the addition of top talent at Riskonnect headquarters, as well as their new Chicago location.

The risk technology market continues to thrive despite continued uncertainty in the global economy. Riskonnect staff grew 65% in 2011 and continues to grow at a rapid pace in 2012, with new offices in Chicago?s River North District (opened last week) and opening in London in late March, 2012.

Leading the company?s new Chicago office is Trudy Prahler, Director of Professional Services. Trudy comes to Riskonnect with more than 30 years of experience in many facets of the insurance and risk management industry. In addition to managing client implementations and managing a team of service professionals, Trudy will also head Riskonnect?s Chicago office. As a seasoned professional with a broad background in the industry, Trudy is highly respected by clients for her business knowledge and level of commitment to quality and timeliness. Previously, Trudy was with Chartis as a Regional Manager where she focused on delivering Risk Management Information System products and reporting solutions. She has also held positions at Marsh, RSKCO, and Zurich.

Joining Trudy in Riskonnect?s Chicago office are David Newhouse, JoAnn Ebert and Debbie Yurik. David Newhouse, Senior Account Manager, has 20 years of experience in the insurance and risk management industry. Before joining Riskonnect, he worked at Crawford & Company?s Risk Sciences Group (RSG) as a Senior Account Manager. He specializes in managing Fortune 1000 accounts for Risk Management Information Systems needs, including application development, data reporting, data quality assurance, user training and project management. Prior to his work at RSG, David worked at Aon Risk Services as a Senior Client Specialist.

JoAnn Ebert joined Riskonnect in November 2011 as a Senior Business Analyst in Riskonnect?s Chicago office. She is an effective technical professional with more than 14 years RMIS experience with excellent relational database and problem solving skills. She is an expert in authoring complex analytic reports, designing/re-engineering processes and analyzing and defining business requirements. She has a proven ability to lead multiple projects to deliver high quality technical solutions to clients. Before joining Riskonnect, she worked at Aon eSolutions.

Debbie Yurik, also based in Riskonnect?s Chicago office, joined Riskonnect in January as a Data Engineer. She previously worked at RSG, where she was a Technical Consultant and responsible for training members of the data load team. She graduated from St. Xavier University in Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts in Management Information Systems.

Based at the Riskonnect Corporate Offices in Atlanta are the following six new team members: Kelly Frost joins Riskonnect as a Project Coordinator. She has a unique blend of engineering, training, and communication proficiencies. Kelly is a results-oriented leader experienced with problem solving, developing and implementing solutions, and translating complex technical specifications and concepts into easily understood and practical solutions. Her industry experience includes Aerospace and Defense, Industrial Products, and Adult Education.

Evan Volgas joined Riskonnect in December 2011, as a Senior Business Analyst providing advanced report development and support internally and externally for users of Riskonnect applications. Evan previously worked at Capital One, where he provided analytical support for the deposit pricing team. His work required expertise in SAS, T-SQL, and JCL/MVS.

Andrew Barnhart is a recent graduate of the Terry College of Business and the Honors Program at the University of Georgia. He joins Riskonnect as a System Consultant. He will be a part of a team providing direct support to Riskonnect client users. Before graduating with a dual-degree in Risk Management and Finance, he participated in the Riskonnect intern program.

Also joining as a System Consultant is David Regenwor. He is a recent graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia with a Bachelors degree in Management Information Systems.

Lisa Cantrell comes to Riskonnect as a Sales Analyst. She provides support to the Vice President of Global Business Development. Lisa graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Business Administration degree in Marketing.

Joining the Data Services team is Matang Patel as Data Engineer. Matang is experienced in database activities including data modeling, database design and development, implementation, performance tuning and monitoring. Matang has his Masters Degree in Computer and Electrical Engineering.

About Riskonnect, Inc.

Riskonnect, Inc. is the provider of a premier, enterprise-class technology platform for the risk management industry. As an independent innovator in risk management software, Riskonnect develops and markets a growing suite of software solutions on a world-class cloud computing model, helping clients elevate their risk management programs, safety solutions and programs for management of risks across the enterprise. Through its strategic, operational and insurable risk software applications, Riskonnect provides the risk management industry with the specific, configurable solutions needed to reduce losses, control risk and affect shareholder value. For more information about Riskonnect, contact us at www.riskonnect.com, email to info@riskonnect.com or call 770-790-4700.

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Riskonnect Taps Top Talent and Continues To Hire Rapidly in Atlanta and New Chicago Office

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Source: http://www.enterprisecommunicate.com/riskonnect-taps-top-talent-and-continues-to-hire-rapidly-in-atlanta-and-new-chicago-office/

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A health and safety risk management system supplies a structured, documented, ongoing risk management strategy in contrast to an ad-hoc approach. It defines occupational safe practices responsibilities.
It integrates occupational safety and health with quality as well as other business and risk management systems.

Any adverse health and safety system lays the principles to accomplish continuous improvement safely.

The principles connected with a health and safety risk management system

? Commitment and Policy
? Planning
? Implementation
? Measurement and Evaluation
? Review and Improvement

1. Commitment and Policy
From your that resolve for safety starts on top while using the progression of policy by senior management. And, the implementation of health and safety through safety policies and programs is remains a continuous commitment for everyone managers and employees, each and every level.

When reviewing an organization?s safety risk management policy you can find three areas to a target:

? The selling points for the organization?s safety risk management policy.

? Examples which demonstrate leadership and commitment to safety and health risk management policy.

? Identification belonging to the risk management responsibilities and accountabilities.

2. Planning
Planning is definitely important through the health and safety risk management process.

The main objectives, targets as well as indicators in your organization?s safety and health risk management plan ought to be identified.

The health and safety risk management plan really ought to match the organization?s overall business strategy and mission.

A hazard identification system is required to be established. Processes and systems needs to be constantly in place regarding their assessment and control.

3. Implementation
? Consultation and communication will be the initial step.
? The implementation of your safety risk management system involves a lot of activities, processes and procedures.
? Managers and employees ought to be cognizant of their accountability and responsibility.
? Managers and employees require tools to execute their responsibilities.
? Organization?s performance management processes end up being measurable with built-in continual feedback.

Health and Safety Risk management really should be built into business processes. And, organizations have to have the proportions to implement its OH&S management system.
Yourwants that are needed due to this prefer include:
? allocation of resources
? competencies
? training
? management accountability
? appraisals and reasons support and assistance.

Measurement and Evaluation
It is very important be capable to identify what main measurement and evaluation procedures come in the organization. Consists of treatments for ones investigation of OH&S incidents.

Review and Improvement
It is critical that policies be continually under review so along with providing practical information on safety and health risk management there is a scope for continual improvement.

The inner and external business environments for all those organisations continually change. Therefore, improvement for their OH&S performance utilizes the totally normal analysis of their policies, plans and objectives.

Health and safety risk management systems are implemented by all major organizations using some form or other, only to find they all share the same objective.

A health and safety risk management system is key to implementing risk management. This article outlines the reasons and the essential components of a typical system for health and safety risk management.

Source: http://submityourbestarticle.com/why-employ-a-safety-and-health-risk-management-system/

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) — Subtle problems with memory and thinking skills — known as mild cognitive impairment — often precede Alzheimer’s disease, and a new study finds that men are at higher risk for these troubles than women.

Lead researcher Rosebud Roberts and her colleagues looked at 1,450 people from Olmsted County, Minn., who were between 70 and 89 years old and free of dementia in October 2004. Some three and a half years later, 296 had become mildly impaired.

New cases of mild cognitive impairment were consistently higher among men, except in the 85 to 89 age group. Overall, the risk was 40 percent higher for men.

Having a high school or less education was also linked to greater risk, and the study found that the combination of being male without college education brought an “unexpectedly high risk” of impairment that did not involve memory loss.

Currently married people were at lower risk of mild cognitive impairment than those widowed, divorced or single.

“One of every 16 persons in this age group develops this condition in a given year,” said Roberts, a professor of epidemiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “As we have a large increase in baby boomers reaching the age of 65 and older, this is going to have a tremendous impact.”

Bill Thies, chief medical and scientific officer for the Alzheimer’s Association, commented on the study.

“It’s an interesting observation that mild cognitive impairment is a little more common in men than in women,” he said. “It’s not clear what that means or even if it’s universal. Certainly, it hadn’t been reported before in much smaller studies. It may be that they found it because their study is big.”

Roberts said the difference may be due to timing of risk factors for dementia. “Diseases such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension may occur at an earlier age in men than women,” she said. In future studies, the risk factors should be studied separately for men and women, the study authors said.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, everyone who develops the age-related brain disorder experiences a stage of minimal impairment. “People with mild cognitive impairment experience a decline in memory, reasoning or visual perception that’s measurable and noticeable to themselves or to others, but not severe enough to be diagnosed as Alzheimer’s or another dementia,” the association states.

However, not everyone who has mild cognitive impairment will go on to develop Alzheimer’s.

For the study, participants met with nurses and physicians and took tests at 15-month intervals to measure memory, executive function, visual-spatial skills, dementia symptoms and neurological, psychological and mental status. At each interval, a panel of examiners made a fresh assessment of the participants’ cognitive status.

The study findings are published in the Jan. 25 online edition of the journal Neurology.

About 88 percent of study participants who developed mild cognitive impairment each year either continued with the condition or progressed to full-blown dementia. The others reverted to normal when tested later, but these were marginal cases, Roberts said.

Most of the participants were of European ancestry, and the researchers said the findings might be different for other ethnic groups.

Thies said he was surprised by the high percentage of people living in the community with cognitive impairment that caused them difficulties. “The issue is even broader than Alzheimer’s disease, and the importance of finding medications for cognitive decline is even more important than we might have thought,” he said.

Having the occasional “senior moment” — forgetting an acquaintance’s name, for instance — does not mean you have mild cognitive impairment, Roberts explained.

It becomes more significant “if the individual notices this is happening more frequently, that it’s affecting other aspects of their life,” she said. “They’re having more problems balancing their checkbook or remembering the names of people they know very well — their own nieces or grandchildren or whatever.”

Recognizing whether you’re experiencing simple forgetfulness or a warning sign of impairment isn’t always cut and dried, Thies said.

One day misplacing your car keys is a trivial, normal event, and the difference between that and the “first time it’s a pathological event are absolutely indistinguishable,” he said. “There is a moment where you can clearly have an overlap.”

More information

To learn about memory loss, visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/seniors/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120126/hl_hsn/menathigherriskformentaldeclinethatprecedesalzheimers

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ScienceDaily (Dec. 14, 2011) ? A simple online calculator could offer family GPs a powerful new tool in tackling two of the most deadly forms of cancer, say researchers.

Academics from The University of Nottingham and ClinRisk Ltd have developed two new QCancer algorithms, which cross-reference symptoms and risk factors of patients to red flag those most likely to have pancreatic and bowel cancer, which could help doctors to diagnose these illnesses more quickly and potentially save thousands of lives every year.

Leading the research, Professor Julia Hippisley-Cox in the University’s Division of Primary Care, said: “We hope these new tools will help GPs with the difficult task of identifying patients with suspected cancer earlier and that this in turn could help improve treatment options and outcomes for patients.”

Pancreatic cancer, which affects more than 8,000 people in the UK every year, has the worst survival rate for any cancer — almost three-quarters of patients die within a year of diagnosis. Catching the disease in the early stages can offer a more optimistic prognosis for patients — however, with very few established risk factors and no reliable screening test available, it is also one of the toughest cancers for GPs to spot.

The research, published in the January edition of the British Journal of General Practice (BJGP), used patient data from 564 GPs practices to develop the algorithm and test its success at predicting which patients were likely to have pancreatic cancer, based on a combination of symptoms such as weight loss, appetite loss, and abdominal pain and risk factors such as age, chronic pancreatitis, smoking and diabetes.

It was successful in predicting 62 per cent of all pancreatic cancers diagnosed over the following two years which were in the top 10 per cent of patients predicted to be most at risk.

Colorectal cancer, or bowel cancer, is the second most common cancer in Europe as well as the second most common cause of cancer-related death. In the UK, 16,500 people die every year from bowel cancer and 36,000 people develop the disease. The UK has one of the poorest survival rates for bowel cancer in Europe, which is thought to be largely due to late presentation, delays in diagnosis and delays in treatment. Swift diagnosis can make all the difference — among patients where the disease is diagnosed early, the five year survival rate can be as high as 90 per cent.

Many of the major symptoms, such as rectal bleeding, weight loss, appetite loss, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain are very common and can more often be linked to other less serious conditions, presenting GPs with a diagnostic challenge.

Based on using single ‘red flag’ symptoms such as rectal bleeding, doctors could miss 60 per cent of current bowel cancers.

For the research, published in the same edition of the BJGP, academics used anonymous data from the same 564 GP surgeries to develop and test the colorectal cancer algorithm by looking at a combination of risk factors, including age, family history of bower cancer, anemia, symptoms including rectal bleeding, abdominal pain, appetite loss, weight loss, diarrhea and changes in bowel habits. The researchers also took into account the different risks affecting men and women.

The study found that the algorithm was very successful in spotting which patients would be most likely to develop bowel cancer over the following two years — 70 per cent of all bowel cancer patients subsequently diagnosed were in the top 10 per cent of patients predicted to be most at risk, The two studies used the anonymous data of patients aged between 30 and 84 years old who were all free from diagnosis or symptoms of the two cancers over the previous 12 months. The GPs’ practices were all contributing to the QResearch? database system — a not-for-profit partnership between The University of Nottingham and leading GP systems supplier EMIS.

The new algorithms for pancreatic and bowel cancer could be incorporated into existing GP computer systems to alert doctors to patients who are potentially most at risk of developing the diseases.

They could support the work of GPs in reducing diagnosis times in line with current Government policy and the National Awareness and Early Diagnosis Initiative (NAEDI) — a public/third sector partnership between the Department of Health, National Cancer Action Team and Cancer Research UK. Evidence suggests that simply raising awareness of symptoms and speeding up diagnosis could save 5,000 lives per year without any new advances in medicine.

The study has resulted in two simple web calculators — one for pancreatic cancer (http://www.qcancer.org/pancreas/) and one for bowel cancer (http://www.qcancer.org/colorectal) — which are designed for doctors but a simpler version could also be made available on the internet to raise awareness among the general public and to prompt patients with risk factors or symptoms to seek advice from their doctor.

Similar QResearch? scores have already proven effective in previous research in identifying patients at most risk of developing lung cancer, gastro-esophageal cancer, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fractures, kidney disease and serious blood clots.

Dr Clare Gerada, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, which publishes the BJGP, said: “Early diagnosis, and access to appropriate diagnostic tests and tools, can make an enormous difference to the treatment and outcomes of patients with cancer and this new calculator, which is concerned with two of the most deadly forms of cancer, has the potential to save many lives.

“Professor Hippisley-Cox and her colleagues at The University of Nottingham are leading the way in devising simple but effective ways to help GPs speed up and improve their identification and diagnosis of cancer, and they should be rightly proud of this new research.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Nottingham.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/RZb1CGlELQg/111214094847.htm

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