An Exploration of Lived Experiences of Sexually and Gender Diverse Staff Members in Higher Education: A Case Study.

Sexually and gender diverse staff in Higher Education Institutions may experience a sense of belonging and acceptance in inclusive environments, but may also face discrimination and bias, leading to feelings of isolation and exclusion. This paper reports on findings from 40 in-depth interviews and six focus group discussions with LGBTQIA+ self-identified staff members in a HEI and LGBTQIA+ allies who may identify as LGBTQIA+ themselves. Findings reveal that first impressions when joining a university as a staff member may have a long-lasting effect, while both positive and negative experiences are present. Further, a pattern is developed among gay men who may be placing more emphasis on their relationship with line managers, which can be supportive but at times toxic, unsupportive and inattentive. In addition to this, the findings highlight discrimination faced by staff, its impact on their wellbeing, and the significance of visibility and representation. This paper concludes that lived experiences of LGBTQIA+ staff members in Higher Education continue to be mixed with a high percentage of staff experiencing discrimination, primarily in the form of microaggressions, but institutions need to be more pro-active to foster safe spaces for all with more inclusive policies and practices.

Validity of A Web-based Measure of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Preliminary Study.

PURPOSE: Early identification of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is important as timely interventions are beneficial and cost-effective. Unrecognized BPD not only results in suffering for individuals and their families, but also leads to considerable social costs. Although web-based measures have the potential to facilitate screening assessment of BPD for research and clinical purposes, little is known about whether the results of web-based measures of BPD are valid. This preliminary study aims to examine the validity of a web-based measure of BPD. METHOD: We analyzed data from five independent samples (N = 828 in total). RESULTS: The web-based BPD measure had a consistent relationship with relevant variables, including trauma exposure, mental well-being, depression, post-traumatic stress, dissociation and psychotic features across samples. It was also strongly correlated with another BPD measure. The web-based BPD measure could discriminate between participants with and without BPD and the discrimination performance was excellent (area under the curve =.853). DISCUSSION: The initial findings suggest that the web-based BPD measure used in the present study is valid and may be helpful for research and screening purposes, although it should be followed up with a more comprehensive assessment in clinical settings. Implications are discussed. Given the limitations in this study, further studies are needed.

A comparative analysis of polyfunctional T cells and secreted cytokines induced by Bacille Calmette-Guérin immunisation in children and adults.

BCG vaccine is one of the most commonly-administered vaccines worldwide. Studies suggest the protective efficacy of BCG against TB is better for children than for adults. One potential explanation is that BCG induces a better protective immune response in children. Twenty six children and adults were immunised with BCG. The proportion of Th1-cytokine-producing mycobacterial-specific T cells, and the concentrations of secreted cytokines, were measured before and 10 weeks after BCG immunisation. A significant increase in the proportion of mycobacterial-specific cytokine-producing T cells was observed in both age groups. After BCG immunisation, children and adults had comparable proportions of mycobacterial-specific polyfunctional CD4 T cells when measured relative to the total number of CD4 T cells. However, relative to the subset of Th-1-cytokine-producing CD4 T cells, the proportion of polyfunctional cells was greater in children. Concentrations of secreted cytokines were comparable in children and adults. These findings suggest that the mycobacterial-specific cell-mediated immune response induced by BCG immunisation in children and adults is similar. The implication of a shift to a more polyfunctional immune response within the Th1-cytokine-producing CD4 T cells in children is uncertain as this aspect of the immune response has not been assessed as a potential correlate of protection against TB.

Outcomes of lower eyelid cicatricial entropion with grey-line split, retractor recession, lateral-horn lysis, and anterior lamella repositioning.

PURPOSE: To report indications and outcomes of a technique for the correction of lower eyelid cicatricial entropion using a lower eyelid gray-line split, inferior retractor recession, lateral-horn lysis, and anterior lamella repositioning. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective, 5-year, single-center, consecutive case series of patients with lower eyelid cicatricial margin entropion undergoing the above procedure. Patients with significant inferior fornix contraction or symblepharon undergoing concurrent fornix reconstruction with buccal mucosal grafts at the same time as lamella repositioning were excluded. Outcomes were assessed based on the review of medical case notes and clinical photographs assessed independently. Success was defined by: 1) improvement in eyelid position and 2) improvement in lower eyelid retraction. RESULTS: Twenty-one eyelids of 19 patients (mean age 57.7 ± 22.6 years, range 5-95 years, 8 men and 11 women) were included. The mean follow up was 27.4 ± 16.8 (range 3.2-59.6) months. The causes of cicatricial entropion were as follows: ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (6), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (3), previous eyelid reconstruction (2), socket scarring (2), thermal burn (1), chemical burn (3), postradiotherapy (1), and meibomian gland dysfunction (1). A second procedure was carried out in 38% (8/21) of eyelids within 1 year. Within 3 years, 10% (2/21) and 5% (1/21) of eyelids required a third and fourth procedure, respectively. The most common lower eyelid revision procedures included anterior lamellar repositioning. Other procedures required included buccal mucous membrane grafts, everting sutures, and lateral tarsorrhaphy. Three patients with loss of >50% inferior fornix depth were included. Two had previously undergone mucosal grafts and 2 required subsequent mucosal grafts. Overall, 90% (19/21) of eyelids eventually achieved improvement in lower eyelid position following repeat surgery, including mucosal grafts in 3 eyelids. Mid-pupil lower eyelid elevation was 1 mm in 6 of 19 (32%) patients and lower eyelid lateral retraction significantly improved in 9 of 19 (47%) patients. CONCLUSION: Based on the principles of lamella repositioning and posterior middle lamella release with formal retractor recession through a gray-line incision, this technique is of value as a lash-preserving procedure in moderate-to-severe cicatricial lower eyelid entropion, particularly where tarsoconjuctival contraction or eyelid margin distortion exists.

The validity and reliability of chinese frontal assessment battery in evaluating executive dysfunction among Chinese patients with small subcortical infarct.

OBJECTIVES: Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is a valid and reliable screening test for evaluating executive dysfunction among whites with frontal and subcortical degenerative lesions. We studied the properties of a Chinese version of FAB (CFAB) in evaluating executive dysfunction among Chinese stroke patients with small subcortical infarct. METHODS: Concurrent validity was evaluated using Wisconsin Card Sorting Tst (WCST) and Mattis Dementia Rating Scale-Initiation/Perseveration Subset (MDRS I/P) among 41 controls and 30 stroke patients with small subcortical infarct. Discriminant validities of CFAB and its subitems were compared with those of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Internal consistency, test-retest, and interrater reliability of CFAB were evaluated. RESULTS: The CFAB had low to good correlation with various executive measures: MDRS I/P (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), number of category completed (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), and number of perseverative errors (r = -0.37, p < 0.01) of WCST. Among the executive measures, only number of category completed had significant but small contribution (6.5%, p = 0.001) to the variance of CFAB. A short version of CFAB using three items yielded higher overall classification accuracy (86.6%) than that of CFAB full version (80.6%) and MMSE (77.6%). Internal consistency (alpha = 0.77), test-retest reliability (rho = 0.89, p < 0.001), and interrater reliability (rho = 0.85, p < 0.001) of CFAB were good. CONCLUSION: Although CFAB is reliable, it is only moderately valid in evaluating executive dysfunction among Chinese stroke patients with small subcortical infarct. The clinical use of CFAB in the evaluation of executive dysfunction among this group of patients cannot be recommended at this stage.

The executive clock drawing task (CLOX) is a poor screening test for executive dysfunction in Chinese elderly patients with subcortical ischemic vascular disease.

Executive dysfunction (ED) is a prominent feature of subcortical ischemic vascular disease. A screening test for ED is lacking among Chinese. The objective of the study is to investigate the validity and reliability of a Chinese version of the Executive clock drawing task (CLOX) in screening ED among Chinese elderly patients with small subcortical infarct (SSI). The Chinese version of CLOX correlated with MMSE, CDRS I/P, and WCST perseverative errors. However, multivariate regression analysis showed that only education (R(2) change=0.22, p < 0.001 ) and MMSE (R(2) change=0.35, p < 0.001), but none of the standard executive function tests, significantly accounted for the variance in the CLOX. Test-retest (r=0.84) and inter-rater reliability (r=0.84) were high for the CLOX. Conclusions. Although the CLOX is reliable, it is not valid in detecting ED in Chinese elderly patients with SSI.