Negative Capacitance in BaTiO3/BiFeO3 Bilayer Capacitors.

PubMed

Hou, Ya-Fei; Li, Wei-Li; Zhang, Tian-Dong; Yu, Yang; Han, Ren-Lu; Fei, Wei-Dong

2016-08-31

Negative capacitances provide an approach to reduce heat generations in field-effect transistors during the switch processes, which contributes to further miniaturization of the conventional integrated circuits. Although there are many studies about negative capacitances using ferroelectric materials, the direct observation of stable ferroelectric negative capacitances has rarely been reported. Here, we put forward a dc bias assistant model in bilayer capacitors, where one ferroelectric layer with large dielectric constant and the other ferroelectric layer with small dielectric constant are needed. Negative capacitances can be obtained when external dc bias electric fields are larger than a critical value. Based on the model, BaTiO3/BiFeO3 bilayer capacitors are chosen as study objects, and negative capacitances are observed directly. Additionally, the upward self-polarization effect in the ferroelectric layer reduces the critical electric field, which may provide a method for realizing zero and/or small dc bias assistant negative capacitances.

The direct and indirect effects of corruption on motor vehicle crash deaths.

PubMed

Hua, Law Teik; Noland, Robert B; Evans, Andrew W

2010-11-01

Recent empirical research has found that there is an inverted U-shaped or Kuznets relationship between income and motor vehicle crash (MVC) deaths, such that MVC deaths increase as national income increases and decrease after reaching a critical level. Corruption has been identified as one of the underlying factors that could affect this relationship, primarily by undermining institutional development and effective enforcement schemes. The total effect of corruption can be decomposed into two components, a direct and an indirect effect. The direct effect measures the immediate impact of corruption on MVC deaths by undermining effective enforcement and regulations, while the indirect effect captures the impact of corruption on hindering increases in per capita income and the consequent impact of reduced income on MVC deaths. By influencing economic growth, corruption can lead to an increase or decrease in MVC deaths depending on the income level. Using data from 60 countries between 1982 and 2003, these effects are estimated using linear panel and fixed effects negative binomial models. The estimation results suggest that corruption has different direct effects for less developed and highly developed countries. It has a negative (decreasing) effect on MVC deaths for less developed countries and a positive (increasing) effect on MVC deaths for highly developed countries. For highly developed countries, the total effect is positive at lower per capita income levels, but decreases with per capita income and becomes negative at per capita income levels of about US$ 38,248. For less developed countries, the total effect is negative within the sample range and decreases with increased per capita income. In summary, the results of this study suggest that reduction of corruption is likely a necessary condition to effectively tackle road safety problems. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Self-Stigma and Its Relationship with Victimization, Psychotic Symptoms and Self-Esteem among People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

PubMed Central

Horsselenberg, Ellen M. A.; van Busschbach, Jooske T.; Aleman, Andre; Pijnenborg, Gerdine H. M.

2016-01-01

Objective Self-stigma is highly prevalent in schizophrenia and can be seen as an important factor leading to low self-esteem. It is however unclear how psychological factors and actual adverse events contribute to self-stigma. This study empirically examines how symptom severity and the experience of being victimized affect both self-stigma and self-esteem. Methods Persons with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (N = 102) were assessed with a battery of self-rating questionnaires and interviews. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was subsequently applied to test the fit of three models: a model with symptoms and victimization as direct predictors of self-stigma and negative self-esteem, a model with an indirect effect for symptoms mediated by victimization and a third model with a direct effect for negative symptoms and an indirect effect for positive symptoms mediated by victimization. Results Results showed good model fit for the direct effects of both symptoms and victimization: both lead to an increase of self-stigma and subsequent negative self-esteem. Negative symptoms had a direct association with self-stigma, while the relationship between positive symptoms and self-stigma was mediated by victimization. Conclusions Our findings suggest that symptoms and victimization may contribute to self-stigma, leading to negative self-esteem in individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Especially for patients with positive symptoms victimization seems to be an important factor in developing self-stigma. Given the burden of self-stigma on patients and the constraining effects on societal participation and service use, interventions targeting victimization as well as self-stigma are needed. PMID:27783677

Self-Stigma and Its Relationship with Victimization, Psychotic Symptoms and Self-Esteem among People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

PubMed

Horsselenberg, Ellen M A; van Busschbach, Jooske T; Aleman, Andre; Pijnenborg, Gerdine H M

2016-01-01

Self-stigma is highly prevalent in schizophrenia and can be seen as an important factor leading to low self-esteem. It is however unclear how psychological factors and actual adverse events contribute to self-stigma. This study empirically examines how symptom severity and the experience of being victimized affect both self-stigma and self-esteem. Persons with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (N = 102) were assessed with a battery of self-rating questionnaires and interviews. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was subsequently applied to test the fit of three models: a model with symptoms and victimization as direct predictors of self-stigma and negative self-esteem, a model with an indirect effect for symptoms mediated by victimization and a third model with a direct effect for negative symptoms and an indirect effect for positive symptoms mediated by victimization. Results showed good model fit for the direct effects of both symptoms and victimization: both lead to an increase of self-stigma and subsequent negative self-esteem. Negative symptoms had a direct association with self-stigma, while the relationship between positive symptoms and self-stigma was mediated by victimization. Our findings suggest that symptoms and victimization may contribute to self-stigma, leading to negative self-esteem in individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Especially for patients with positive symptoms victimization seems to be an important factor in developing self-stigma. Given the burden of self-stigma on patients and the constraining effects on societal participation and service use, interventions targeting victimization as well as self-stigma are needed.

Helping employees sleep well: Effects of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia on work outcomes.

PubMed

Barnes, Christopher M; Miller, Jared A; Bostock, Sophie

2017-01-01

Drawing from recent research advances indicating the harmful effects of insomnia on negative affect, job satisfaction, self-control, organizational citizenship behavior, and interpersonal deviance, we hypothesized that treating insomnia with Internet based cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia would lead to improvements in these outcomes. In a field experiment with a randomized wait-list control group, we found that treatment had a beneficial direct effect on negative affect, job satisfaction, and self-control. Moreover, the effect of treatment on job satisfaction was mediated by negative affect. We were not able to detect a direct effect of treatment on organizational citizenship behavior or interpersonal deviance. However, treatment had a beneficial indirect effect on organizational citizenship behavior through the mediators of negative affect and job satisfaction, and a beneficial indirect effect on interpersonal deviance through the mediator of self-control. These results move the applied psychology literature on insomnia beyond simply pointing out problematic effects of employee insomnia to providing evidence of a partial solution to such effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Interactive and Indirect Effects of Anxiety and Negative Urgency on Alcohol-Related Problems

PubMed Central

Menary, Kyle R.; Corbin, William R.; Leeman, Robert F.; Fucito, Lisa M.; Toll, Benjamin A.; DeMartini, Kelly; O’Malley, Stephanie S.

2015-01-01

Background Although drinking for tension reduction has long been posited as a risk factor for alcohol-related problems, studies investigating anxiety in relation to risk for alcohol problems have returned inconsistent results, leading researchers to search for potential moderators. Negative urgency (the tendency to become behaviorally dysregulated when experiencing negative affect) is a potential moderator of theoretical interest because it may increase risk for alcohol problems among those high in negative affect. The present study tested a cross-sectional mediated moderation hypothesis whereby an interactive effect of anxiety and negative urgency on alcohol problems is mediated through coping-related drinking motives. Method The study utilized baseline data from a hazardously drinking sample of young adults (N = 193) evaluated for participation in a randomized controlled trial of naltrexone and motivational interviewing for drinking reduction. Results The direct effect of anxiety on physiological dependence symptoms was moderated by negative urgency such that the positive association between anxiety and physiological dependence symptoms became stronger as negative urgency increased. Indirect effects of anxiety and negative urgency on alcohol problems (operating through coping motives) were also observed. Conclusions Although results of the current cross-sectional study require replication using longitudinal data, the findings suggest that the simultaneous presence of anxiety and negative urgency may be an important indicator of risk for AUDs via both direct interactive effects and indirect additive effects operating through coping motives. These findings have potentially important implications for prevention/intervention efforts for individuals who become disinhibited in the context of negative emotional states. PMID:26031346

Direct and Indirect Associations Between Social Anxiety and Nicotine Dependence and Cessation Problems: Multiple Mediator Analyses

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction: Little empirical work has evaluated why socially anxious smokers are especially vulnerable to more severe nicotine dependence and cessation failure. Presumably, these smokers rely on cigarettes to help them manage their chronically elevated negative affect elicited by a wide array of social contexts. Methods: The current study examined the direct and indirect effects of social anxiety cross-sectionally in regard to a range of smoking processes among 466 treatment-seeking smokers. Negative affect and negative affect reduction motives were examined as mediators of the relations of social anxiety with nicotine dependence and cessation problems. Results: Social anxiety was directly and robustly associated with perceived barriers to smoking cessation and problems experienced during past quit attempts. Social anxiety was also associated with greater nicotine dependence and smoking inflexibility indirectly through negative affect and negative affect smoking motives. Negative affect and smoking to reduce negative affect mediated these relations. Conclusions: These findings document the important role of negative affect and negative affect reduction motives in the relationships of social anxiety with nicotine dependence and cessation problems. PMID:24492021

Direct and indirect associations between social anxiety and nicotine dependence and cessation problems: multiple mediator analyses.

PubMed

Buckner, Julia D; Farris, Samantha G; Schmidt, Norman B; Zvolensky, Michael J

2014-06-01

Little empirical work has evaluated why socially anxious smokers are especially vulnerable to more severe nicotine dependence and cessation failure. Presumably, these smokers rely on cigarettes to help them manage their chronically elevated negative affect elicited by a wide array of social contexts. The current study examined the direct and indirect effects of social anxiety cross-sectionally in regard to a range of smoking processes among 466 treatment-seeking smokers. Negative affect and negative affect reduction motives were examined as mediators of the relations of social anxiety with nicotine dependence and cessation problems. Social anxiety was directly and robustly associated with perceived barriers to smoking cessation and problems experienced during past quit attempts. Social anxiety was also associated with greater nicotine dependence and smoking inflexibility indirectly through negative affect and negative affect smoking motives. Negative affect and smoking to reduce negative affect mediated these relations. These findings document the important role of negative affect and negative affect reduction motives in the relationships of social anxiety with nicotine dependence and cessation problems.

Selection on parental performance opposes selection for larger body mass in a wild population of blue tits.

PubMed

Thomson, Caroline E; Bayer, Florian; Crouch, Nicholas; Farrell, Samantha; Heap, Elizabeth; Mittell, Elizabeth; Zurita-Cassinello, Mar; Hadfield, Jarrod D

2017-03-01

There is abundant evidence in many taxa for positive directional selection on body size, and yet little evidence for microevolutionary change. In many species, variation in body size is partly determined by the actions of parents, so a proposed explanation for stasis is the presence of a negative genetic correlation between direct and parental effects. Consequently, selecting genes for increased body size would result in a correlated decline in parental effects, reducing body size in the following generation. We show that these arguments implicitly assume that parental care is cost free, and that including a cost alters the predicted genetic architectures needed to explain stasis. Using a large cross-fostered population of blue tits, we estimate direct selection on parental effects for body mass, and show it is negative. Negative selection is consistent with a cost to parental care, mainly acting through a reduction in current fecundity rather than survival. Under these conditions, evolutionary stasis is possible for moderately negative genetic correlations between direct and parental effects. This is in contrast to the implausibly extreme correlations needed when care is assumed to be cost-free. Thus, we highlight the importance of accounting correctly for complete selection acting on traits across generations. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

The Many Faces of Affect: A Multilevel Model of Drinking Frequency/Quantity and Alcohol Dependence Symptoms Among Young Adults

PubMed Central

Simons, Jeffrey S.; Wills, Thomas A.; Neal, Dan J.

2016-01-01

This research tested a multilevel structural equation model of associations between 3 aspects of affective functioning (state affect, trait affect, and affective lability) and 3 alcohol outcomes (likelihood of drinking, quantity on drinking days, and dependence symptoms) in a sample of 263 college students. Participants provided 49 days of experience sampling data over 1.3 years in a longitudinal burst design. Within-person results: At the daily level, positive affect was directly associated with greater likelihood and quantity of alcohol consumption. Daily negative affect was directly associated with higher consumption on drinking days and with higher dependence symptoms. Between-person direct effects: Affect lability was associated with higher trait negative, but not positive, affect. Trait positive affect was inversely associated with the proportion of drinking days, whereas negative affectivity predicted a greater proportion of drinking days. Affect lability exhibited a direct association with dependence symptoms. Between-person indirect effects: Trait positive affect was associated with fewer dependence symptoms via proportion of drinking days. Trait negative affect was associated with greater dependence symptoms via proportion of drinking days. The results distinguish relations of positive and negative affect to likelihood versus amount of drinking and state versus trait drinking outcomes, and highlight the importance of affect variability for predicting alcohol dependence symptoms. PMID:24933278

Emotionality and self-regulation, threat appraisal, and coping in children of divorce.

PubMed

Lengua, L J; Sandler, I N; West, S G; Wolchik, S A; Curran, P J

1999-01-01

A model of the effects of children's temperament (negative and positive emotionality, impulsivity and attention focusing) on post-divorce threat appraisals, coping (active and avoidant), and psychological symptoms (depression and conduct problems) was investigated. The study utilized a sample of 223 mothers and children (ages 9 to 12 years) who had experienced divorce within the last two years. Evidence was found of direct effects of child-report negative emotionality on children's threat perceptions and of child-report positive emotionality and impulsivity on children's coping. Indirect effects of negative emotionality on active and avoidant coping through threat appraisal were found. Direct effects of the temperament variables on symptoms were also found. Cross group analyses indicated that the models were robust to age differences, but gender differences were found in the relation between negative emotionality and depression. The results of this study indicate that temperament and threat appraisals are important predictors of children's post-divorce symptoms, and that temperament is a predictor of children's appraisal and coping process.

Direct effects dominate responses to climate perturbations in grassland plant communities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Theory predicts that strong indirect effects of environmental change will impact communities when niche differences between competitors are small and variation in the direct effects experienced by competitors is large, but empirical tests are lacking. Here we estimate negative frequency dependence, ...

Impacts of a gape limited Brook Trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, on larval Northwestern salamander, Ambystoma gracile, growth: A field enclosure experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Currens, C.R.; Liss, W.J.; Hoffman, R.L.

2007-01-01

The formation of amphibian population structure is directly affected by predation. Although aquatic predators have been shown to have direct negative effects on larval salamanders in laboratory and field experiments, the potential impacts of gape-limited fish on larval salamander growth has been largely underexplored. We designed an enclosure experiment conducted in situ to quantify the effects of gape-limited Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) on larval Northwestern Salamander (Ambystoma gracile) growth. We specifically tested whether the presence of fish too small to consume larvae had a negative effect on larval growth. The results of this study indicate that the presence of a gape-limited S. fontinalis can have a negative effect on growth of larval A. gracile salamanders. Copyright 2007 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Quantifying the balance between bycatch and predator or competitor release for nontarget species.

PubMed

Aalto, Emilius A; Baskett, Marissa L

2013-07-01

If a species is bycatch in a fishery targeted at its competitor or predator, it experiences both direct anthropogenic mortality and indirect positive effects through species interactions. If the species involved interact strongly, the release from competition or predation can counteract or exceed the negative effects of bycatch. We used a set of two- and three-species community modules to analyze the relative importance of species interactions when modeling the overall effect of harvest with bycatch on a nontarget species. To measure the trade-off between direct mortality and indirect positive effects, we developed a "bycatch transition point" metric to determine, for different scenarios, what levels of bycatch shift overall harvest impact from positive to negative. Under strong direct competition with a targeted competitor, release from competition due to harvest leads to a net increase in abundance even under moderate levels of bycatch. For a three-species model with a shared obligate predator, the release from apparent competition exceeds direct competitive release and outweighs the decrease from bycatch mortality under a wide range of parameters. Therefore, in communities where a shared predator forms a strong link between the target and nontarget species, the effects of indirect interactions on populations can be larger than those of direct interactions. The bycatch transition point metric can be used for tightly linked species to evaluate the relative strengths of positive indirect effects and negative anthropogenic impacts such as bycatch, habitat degradation, and introduction of invasive species.

Appraisals of Negative Events by Preadolescent Children of Divorce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheets, Virgil; And Others

1996-01-01

Investigated children's appraisals of the significance of negative events. Subjects were 256 preadolescent children of divorced parents. Cross-sectional structural equation models found significant paths between negative appraisal and psychological symptoms, over and above the direct effects of the traditional life event measure of stress. (MDM)

Transmission Electron Microscopy as a Tool to Image Bio-Inorganic Nanohybrids: The Case of Phage-Gold Nanocomposites

PubMed Central

Cao, Binrui; Xu, Hong; Mao, Chuanbin

2011-01-01

In recent years, bio-inorganic nanohybrids composed of biological macromolecules and functional inorganic nanomaterials have revealed many unique properties that show promise for the future. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is a popular and relatively simple tool that can offer a direct visualization of the nanomaterials with high resolutions. When TEM is applied to visualize bio-inorganic nanohybrids, a treatment of negative staining is necessary due to the presence of biological molecules in the nanohybrids except for those with densely packed inorganic materials. However, the conventional negative-staining procedure for regular biological samples cannot be directly applied to such bio-inorganic nanohybrids. To image a specific bio-inorganic nanohybrid, negative-staining factors such as negative stain type, working pH, staining time, and drying method, should be identified. Currently, no detailed studies have been done to investigate how to adjust negative-staining factors based on specific bio-inorganic nanohybrids. In this study, bacteriophage-gold nanoparticle hybrids were chosen as a model to systematically study the effects of each factor on the negative staining of the nanohybrids. The best staining conditions for gold nanoparticle-phage nanohybrids were obtained and the effects of each factor on the negative staining of general nanohybrids were discussed. This work indicates that with proper staining it is possible to use TEM to directly visualize both biological and inorganic components without introducing any artifact. PMID:21678527

Do aggressive driving and negative emotional driving mediate the link between impulsiveness and risky driving among young Italian drivers?

PubMed

Smorti, Martina; Guarnieri, Silvia

2016-01-01

The present study examined the contribution of impulsiveness and aggressive and negative emotional driving to the prediction of traffic violations and accidents taking into account potential mediation effects. Three hundred and four young drivers completed self-report measures assessing impulsiveness, aggressive and negative emotional driving, driving violations, and accidents. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the direct and indirect effects of impulsiveness on violations and accidents among young drivers through aggressive and negative emotional driving. Impulsiveness only indirectly influenced drivers' violations on the road via both the behavioral and emotional states of the driver. On the contrary, impulsiveness was neither directly nor indirectly associated with traffic accidents. Therefore, impulsiveness modulates young drivers' behavioral and emotional states while driving, which in turn influences risky driving.

Disentangling gaze shifts from preparatory ERP effects during spatial attention

PubMed Central

Kennett, Steffan; van Velzen, José; Eimer, Martin; Driver, Jon

2007-01-01

After a cue directing attention to one side, anterior event-related potentials (ERPs) show contralateral negativity (Anterior Directing Attention Negativity, ADAN). It is unclear whether ADAN effects are contaminated by contralateral negativity arising from residual gaze shifts. Conversely, it is possible that ADAN-related potentials contaminate the horizontal electrooculogram (HEOG), via volume conduction. To evaluate these possibilities, we used high-resolution infrared eye tracking, while recording EEG and HEOG in a cued spatial-attention task. We found that, after conventional ERP and HEOG pre-processing exclusions, small but systematic residual gaze shifts in the cued direction can remain, as revealed by the infrared measure. Nevertheless, by using this measure for more stringent exclusion of small gaze shifts, we confirmed that reliable ADAN components remain for preparatory spatial attention in the absence of any systematic gaze shifts toward the cued side. PMID:17241141

78 FR 33010 - Airworthiness Directives; Saab AB, Saab Aerosystems Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-03

... the probability of a negative effect on the handling quality during stall, which could result in... the probability of a negative effect on the handling quality during stall. For the reasons described above, this [EASA] AD requires a one- time inspection of the stick pusher rigging and, depending on...

The invasive American weed parthenium hysterophorus can negatively impact malaria control in Africa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The direct negative effects of invasive plant species on agriculture and biodiversity are well known, but their indirect effects on human health, and particularly their interactions with disease-transmitting vectors, remains poorly explored. This study sought to investigate the impact of the invasiv...

Electrified emotions: Modulatory effects of transcranial direct stimulation on negative emotional reactions to social exclusion.

PubMed

Riva, Paolo; Romero Lauro, Leonor J; Vergallito, Alessandra; DeWall, C Nathan; Bushman, Brad J

2015-01-01

Social exclusion, ostracism, and rejection can be emotionally painful because they thwart the need to belong. Building on studies suggesting that the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) is associated with regulation of negative emotions, the present experiment tests the hypothesis that decreasing the cortical excitability of the rVLPFC may increase negative emotional reactions to social exclusion. Specifically, we applied cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the rVLPFC and predicted an increment of negative emotional reactions to social exclusion. In Study 1, participants were either socially excluded or included, while cathodal tDCS or sham stimulation was applied over the rVLPFC. Cathodal stimulation of rVLPFC boosted the typical negative emotional reaction caused by social exclusion. No effects emerged from participants in the inclusion condition. To test the specificity of tDCS effects over rVLPFC, in Study 2, participants were socially excluded and received cathodal tDCS or sham stimulation over a control region (i.e., the right posterior parietal cortex). No effects of tDCS stimulation were found. Our results showed that the rVLPFC is specifically involved in emotion regulation and suggest that cathodal stimulation can increase negative emotional responses to social exclusion.

Directed Forgetting of Recently Recalled Autobiographical Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnier, Amanda J.; Conway, Martin A.; Mayoh, Lyndel; Speyer, Joanne; Avizmil, Orit; Harris, Celia B.

2007-01-01

In 6 experiments, the authors investigated list-method directed forgetting of recently recalled autobiographical memories. Reliable directed forgetting effects were observed across all experiments. In 4 experiments, the authors examined the impact of memory valence on directed forgetting. The forget instruction impaired recall of negative,…

Suicide and war: the mediating effects of negative mood, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms, and social support among army National Guard soldiers.

PubMed

Griffith, James

2012-08-01

The mediating effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, negative mood, and social support on the relationship of war experiences to suicidality were examined. The research literature suggested a sequence among study scales representing these constructs, which was then tested on survey data obtained from a sample of National Guard soldiers (N=4,546). Results from structural equation modeling suggested that war experiences may precipitate a sequence of psychological consequences leading to suicidality. However, suicidality may be an enduring behavioral health condition. War experiences showed no direct effects on postdeployment suicidality, rather its effect was indirect through PTSD symptoms and negative mood. War experiences were, however, predictive of PTSD symptoms, as would be expected. PSTD symptoms showed no direct effect on postdeployment suicidality, but showed indirect effects through negative mood. Results also suggested that suicidality is relatively persistent, at least during deployment and postdeployment. The percentage of those at risk for suicide was low both during and after deployment, with little association between suicidality and time since returning from deployment. Additionally, few soldiers were initially nonsuicidal and then reported such symptoms at postdeployment. Implications of relationships of both negative mood and combat trauma to suicidality are discussed, as well as possible mediating effects of both personal dispositions and social support on relationships of war experiences to PTSD, negative mood, and suicidality. © 2012 The American Association of Suicidology.

A longitudinal path analysis of peer victimization, threat appraisals to the self, and aggression, anxiety, and depression among urban African American adolescents.

PubMed

Taylor, Katherine A; Sullivan, Terri N; Kliewer, Wendy

2013-02-01

Threat appraisals-individuals' perceptions of how stressful situations may threaten their well-being-are an important but understudied mechanism that could explain links between peer victimization and adjustment. The goal of the present study was to examine relationships between physical and relational victimization by peers, threats to the self, and aggression, anxiety, and depression to better understand the cognitive evaluations that make youth vulnerable to negative adjustment. The sample comprised two cohorts of African American adolescents (N = 326; 54 % female; M = 12.1; SD = 1.6) and their maternal caregivers, who participated in three waves of a longitudinal study. Path models revealed significant direct effects from Time 1 relational victimization, but not physical victimization, to Time 2 threat appraisals (i.e., negative self-evaluations and negative evaluations by others), controlling for Time 1 threat appraisals. Significant direct effects were found from Time 2 threats of negative evaluations by others to Time 3 youth-reported aggression, controlling for Time 1 and Time 2 aggression. Significant direct effects also were found from Time 2 threats of negative self-evaluations to T3 youth-reported depression, controlling for Time 1 and Time 2 depression. Overall, findings highlight the need to consider the role of threats to the self in pathways from peer victimization to adjustment and the implications these appraisals have for youth prevention and intervention efforts.

The mediating effect of self-esteem, depression and anxiety between satisfaction with body appearance and problematic internet use.

PubMed

Koronczai, Beatrix; Kökönyei, Gyöngyi; Urbán, Róbert; Kun, Bernadette; Pápay, Orsolya; Nagygyörgy, Katalin; Griffiths, Mark D; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2013-07-01

Given that dissatisfaction with bodily appearance can sometimes lead to the avoidance of personal contacts and the increase of internet use, this study examines this relationship. The direct role of dissatisfaction with bodily appearance along with the possible mediation effects of depression, anxiety and self-esteem were tested. A total of 694 participants completed an online questionnaire (58.5% male, mean age 21.5 years), containing measures on problematic internet use, depression and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and satisfaction with body image. Path analyses were used to test direct and indirect effects. Satisfaction with body appearance had a significant negative direct effect on problematic internet use among both sexes. Though, satisfaction with body appearance had a positive effect on self-esteem and negative on anxiety, neither self-esteem nor anxiety had a direct significant effect on problematic internet use. The effect of dissatisfaction with body appearance was mediated via the self-esteem-depression path toward problematic internet use. Dissatisfaction with physical appearance seems to have a significant role in individuals' immersing themselves in internet use.

Gaze-cueing effect depends on facial expression of emotion in 9- to 12-month-old infants

PubMed Central

Niedźwiecka, Alicja; Tomalski, Przemysław

2015-01-01

Efficient processing of gaze direction and facial expression of emotion is crucial for early social and emotional development. Toward the end of the first year of life infants begin to pay more attention to negative expressions, but it remains unclear to what extent emotion expression is processed jointly with gaze direction at this age. This study sought to establish the interactions of gaze direction and emotion expression in visual orienting in 9- to 12-month-olds. In particular, we tested whether these interactions can be explained by the negativity bias hypothesis and the shared signal hypothesis. We measured saccadic latencies in response to peripheral targets in a gaze-cueing paradigm with happy, angry, and fearful female faces. In the Pilot Experiment three gaze directions were used (direct, congruent with target location, incongruent with target location). In the Main Experiment we sought to replicate the results of the Pilot experiment using a simpler design without the direct gaze condition. In both experiments we found a robust gaze-cueing effect for happy faces, i.e., facilitation of orienting toward the target in the gaze-cued location, compared with the gaze-incongruent location. We found more rapid orienting to targets cued by happy relative to angry and fearful faces. We did not find any gaze-cueing effect for angry or fearful faces. These results are not consistent with the shared signal hypothesis. While our results show differential processing of positive and negative emotions, they do not support a general negativity bias. On the contrary, they indicate that toward the age of 12 months infants show a positivity bias in gaze-cueing tasks. PMID:25713555

The Effect of Marijuana Scenes in Anti-marijuana Public Service Announcements on Adolescents’ Evaluation of Ad Effectiveness

PubMed Central

Kang, Yahui; Cappella, Joseph N.; Fishbein, Martin

2014-01-01

This study explored the possible negative impact of a specific ad feature—marijuana scenes—on adolescents’ perception of ad effectiveness. A secondary data analysis was conducted on adolescents’ evaluations of 60 anti-marijuana public service announcements (PSAs) that were a part of national and state anti-drug campaigns directed at adolescents. The major finding of the study was that marijuana scenes in anti-marijuana PSAs negatively affected ad liking and thought valence toward the ads among adolescents who are at higher levels of risk for marijuana use. This negative impact was not reversed in the presence of strong anti-marijuana arguments. The results may be used to partially explain the lack of effectiveness of the anti-drug media campaign. It may also help us design more effective anti-marijuana PSAs by isolating adverse elements in the ads that may elicit boomerang effects in the target population. Limitations of the study and future directions were discussed. PMID:19735026

Psilocybin biases facial recognition, goal-directed behavior, and mood state toward positive relative to negative emotions through different serotonergic subreceptors.

PubMed

Kometer, Michael; Schmidt, André; Bachmann, Rosilla; Studerus, Erich; Seifritz, Erich; Vollenweider, Franz X

2012-12-01

Serotonin (5-HT) 1A and 2A receptors have been associated with dysfunctional emotional processing biases in mood disorders. These receptors further predominantly mediate the subjective and behavioral effects of psilocybin and might be important for its recently suggested antidepressive effects. However, the effect of psilocybin on emotional processing biases and the specific contribution of 5-HT2A receptors across different emotional domains is unknown. In a randomized, double-blind study, 17 healthy human subjects received on 4 separate days placebo, psilocybin (215 μg/kg), the preferential 5-HT2A antagonist ketanserin (50 mg), or psilocybin plus ketanserin. Mood states were assessed by self-report ratings, and behavioral and event-related potential measurements were used to quantify facial emotional recognition and goal-directed behavior toward emotional cues. Psilocybin enhanced positive mood and attenuated recognition of negative facial expression. Furthermore, psilocybin increased goal-directed behavior toward positive compared with negative cues, facilitated positive but inhibited negative sequential emotional effects, and valence-dependently attenuated the P300 component. Ketanserin alone had no effects but blocked the psilocybin-induced mood enhancement and decreased recognition of negative facial expression. This study shows that psilocybin shifts the emotional bias across various psychological domains and that activation of 5-HT2A receptors is central in mood regulation and emotional face recognition in healthy subjects. These findings may not only have implications for the pathophysiology of dysfunctional emotional biases but may also provide a framework to delineate the mechanisms underlying psylocybin's putative antidepressant effects. Copyright © 2012 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Positive Parenting as a Protective Resource for Parentally Bereaved Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haine, Rachel A.; Wolchik, Sharlene A.; Sandler, Irwin N.; Millsap, Roger E.; Ayers, Tim S.

2006-01-01

Positive parenting was examined as a protective resource against the adverse effects of negative life events on parentally bereaved children's mental health problems. The sample consisted of 313 recently bereaved children ages 8 to 16 and their current caregiver. Both the compensatory (direct effect independent of negative life events) and the…

Direct biodiesel production from wet microalgae biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa through in situ transesterification.

PubMed

Cao, Hechun; Zhang, Zhiling; Wu, Xuwen; Miao, Xiaoling

2013-01-01

A one-step process was applied to directly converting wet oil-bearing microalgae biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa containing about 90% of water into biodiesel. In order to investigate the effects of water content on biodiesel production, distilled water was added to dried microalgae biomass to form wet biomass used to produce biodiesel. The results showed that at lower temperature of 90°C, water had a negative effect on biodiesel production. The biodiesel yield decreased from 91.4% to 10.3% as water content increased from 0% to 90%. Higher temperature could compensate the negative effect. When temperature reached 150°C, there was no negative effect, and biodiesel yield was over 100%. Based on the above research, wet microalgae biomass was directly applied to biodiesel production, and the optimal conditions were investigated. Under the optimal conditions of 100 mg dry weight equivalent wet microalgae biomass, 4 mL methanol, 8 mL n-hexane, 0.5 M H2SO4, 120°C, and 180 min reaction time, the biodiesel yield reached as high as 92.5% and the FAME content was 93.2%. The results suggested that biodiesel could be effectively produced directly from wet microalgae biomass and this effort may offer the benefits of energy requirements for biodiesel production.

Direct Biodiesel Production from Wet Microalgae Biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa through In Situ Transesterification

PubMed Central

Cao, Hechun; Zhang, Zhiling; Wu, Xuwen; Miao, Xiaoling

2013-01-01

A one-step process was applied to directly converting wet oil-bearing microalgae biomass of Chlorella pyrenoidosa containing about 90% of water into biodiesel. In order to investigate the effects of water content on biodiesel production, distilled water was added to dried microalgae biomass to form wet biomass used to produce biodiesel. The results showed that at lower temperature of 90°C, water had a negative effect on biodiesel production. The biodiesel yield decreased from 91.4% to 10.3% as water content increased from 0% to 90%. Higher temperature could compensate the negative effect. When temperature reached 150°C, there was no negative effect, and biodiesel yield was over 100%. Based on the above research, wet microalgae biomass was directly applied to biodiesel production, and the optimal conditions were investigated. Under the optimal conditions of 100 mg dry weight equivalent wet microalgae biomass, 4 mL methanol, 8 mL n-hexane, 0.5 M H2SO4, 120°C, and 180 min reaction time, the biodiesel yield reached as high as 92.5% and the FAME content was 93.2%. The results suggested that biodiesel could be effectively produced directly from wet microalgae biomass and this effort may offer the benefits of energy requirements for biodiesel production. PMID:24195081

Elevated atmospheric CO2 negatively impacts photosynthesis through radiative forcing and physiology-mediated climate feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Peng; Zhuang, Qianlai; Ciais, Philippe; Welp, Lisa; Li, Wenyu; Xin, Qinchuan

2017-02-01

Increasing atmospheric CO2 affects photosynthesis involving directly increasing leaf carboxylation rates, stomatal closure, and climatic effects. The direct effects are generally thought to be positive leading to increased photosynthesis, while its climatic effects can be regionally positive or negative. These effects are usually considered to be independent from each other, but they are in fact coupled through interactions between land surface exchanges of gases and heat and the physical climate system. In particular, stomatal closure reduces evapotranspiration and increases sensible heat emissions from ecosystems, leading to decreased atmospheric moisture and precipitation and local warming. We use a coupled earth system model to attribute the influence of the increase in CO2 on gross primary productivity (GPP) during the period of 1930-2011. In our model, CO2 radiative effects cause climate change that has only a negligible effect on global GPP (a reduction of 0.9 ± 2% during the last 80 years) because of opposite responses between tropical and northern biomes. On the other hand, CO2 physiological effects on GPP are both positive, by increased carboxylation rates and water use efficiency (7.1 ± 0.48% increase), and negative, by vegetation-climate feedback reducing precipitation, as a consequence of decreased transpiration and increased sensible heat in areas without water limitation (2.7 ± 1.76% reduction).When considering the coupled atmosphere-vegetation system, negative climate feedback on photosynthesis and plant growth due to the current level of CO2 opposes 29-38% of the gains from direct fertilization effects.

Negative affect, negative urgency, thought suppression, and bulimic symptoms: a moderated mediation analysis in a sample at-risk for bulimic symptoms.

PubMed

Lavender, Jason M; Green, Daniel; Anestis, Michael D; Tull, Matthew T; Gratz, Kim L

2015-05-01

Research suggests that negative affect, negative urgency, and thought suppression are related to bulimic symptoms, either directly or indirectly. This study examined associations between these constructs in a sample at-risk for bulimic symptoms. Participants (N = 80) recruited from a residential substance abuse treatment facility completed self-report questionnaires. A regression-based bootstrapping approach was used to examine the indirect effect of negative affect on bulimic symptoms through negative urgency and the moderating role of thought suppression in the association between negative affect and negative urgency. Results revealed a significant indirect effect, significant moderation, and a significant moderated mediation effect, with an indirect effect of negative affect on bulimic symptoms through negative urgency, conditional upon low to moderate (but not high) levels of thought suppression. These findings suggest that negative affect may promote rash actions, particularly in the context of low to moderate thought suppression, leading to increased risk of bulimic symptoms. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

The Emergence of Parent-Child Coercive Processes in Toddlerhood

PubMed Central

Chang, Hyein; Shaw, Daniel S.

2015-01-01

Parent-child coercion typically emerges in toddlerhood with the child’s first acts of willful defiance and the parent’s first disciplinary attempts. We explored how parents and children may contribute to this process by examining bidirectional and interactive effects between child and maternal negative behavior in 310 low-income, ethnically diverse boys. Using multiple informants and methods, child negative emotionality and maternal negative control were assessed at 18 months and child disruptive behavior and maternal negative control were measured at 24 months. Indicative of parent effects, maternal negative control at 18 months amplified the relation between children’s negative emotionality at 18 months and disruptive behavior at 24 months. Child effects were found in an unexpected direction such that children’s negative emotionality at 18 months predicted decreases in mothers’ negative control at 24 months. Findings are discussed within a transactional framework that emphasizes mutual influence of children and parents over the course of development. PMID:26068801

Modeling the effects of functional performance and post-transplant comorbidities on health-related quality of life after heart transplantation.

PubMed

Butler, Javed; McCoin, Nicole S; Feurer, Irene D; Speroff, Theodore; Davis, Stacy F; Chomsky, Don B; Wilson, John R; Merrill, Walter H; Drinkwater, Davis C; Pierson, Richard N; Pinson, C Wright

2003-10-01

Health-related quality of life and functional performance are important outcome measures following heart transplantation. This study investigates the impact of pre-transplant functional performance and post-transplant rejection episodes, obesity and osteopenia on post-transplant health-related quality of life and functional performance. Functional performance and health-related quality of life were measured in 70 adult heart transplant recipients. A composite health-related quality of life outcome measure was computed via principal component analysis. Iterative, multiple regression-based path analysis was used to develop an integrated model of variables that affect post-transplant functional performance and health-related quality of life. Functional performance, as measured by the Karnofsky scale, improved markedly during the first 6 months post-transplant and was then sustained for up to 3 years. Rejection Grade > or =2 was negatively associated with health-related quality of life, measured by Short Form-36 and reversed Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale scores. Patients with osteopenia had lower Short Form-36 physical scores and obese patients had lower functional performance. Path analysis demonstrated a negative direct effect of obesity (beta = - 0.28, p < 0.05) on post-transplant functional performance. Post-transplant functional performance had a positive direct effect on the health-related quality of life composite score (beta = 0.48, p < 0.001), and prior rejection episodes grade > or =2 had a negative direct effect on this measure (beta = -0.29, p < 0.05). Either directly or through effects mediated by functional performance, moderate-to-severe rejection, obesity and osteopenia negatively impact health-related quality of life. These findings indicate that efforts should be made to devise immunosuppressive regimens that reduce the incidence of acute rejection, weight gain and osteopenia after heart transplantation.

Religious Engagement in a Risky Family Model Predicting Health in Older Black and White Seventh-day Adventists.

PubMed

Morton, Kelly R; Lee, Jerry W; Haviland, Mark G; Fraser, Gary E

2012-11-01

In a structural equation model, associations among latent variables - Child Poverty, Risky Family exposure, Religious Engagement, Negative Social Interactions, Negative Emotionality, and Perceived Physical Health - were evaluated in 6,753 Black and White adults aged 35-106 years (M = 60.5, SD = 13.0). All participants were members of the Seventh-day Adventist church surveyed in the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study (BRHS). Child Poverty was positively associated with both Risky Family exposure (conflict, neglect, abuse) and Religious Engagement (intrinsic religiosity, religious coping, religiousness). Risky Family was negatively associated with Religious Engagement and positively associated with both Negative Social Interactions (intrusive, failed to help, insensitive, rejecting) and Negative Emotionality (depression, negative affect, neuroticism). Religious Engagement was negatively associated with Negative Emotionality and Negative Social Interactions at a given level of risky family. Negative Social Interactions was positively associated with Negative Emotionality, which had a direct, negative effect on Perceived Physical Health. All constructs had indirect effects on Perceived Physical Health through Negative Emotionality. The effects of a risky family environment appear to be enduring, negatively affecting one's adult religious life, emotionality, social interactions, and perceived health. Religious engagement, however, may counteract the damaging effects of early life stress.

Environmental Regulation, Foreign Direct Investment and Green Technological Progress-Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Industries.

PubMed

Hu, Jiangfeng; Wang, Zhao; Lian, Yuehan; Huang, Qinghua

2018-01-29

This study examines the spillover effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on green technology progress rate (as measured by the green total factor productivity). The analysis utilizes two measures of FDI, labor-based FDI and capital-based FDI, and separately investigates four sets of industry classifications-high/low discharge regulation and high/low emission standard regulation. The results indicate that in the low discharge regulation and low emission standard regulation industry, labor-based FDI has a significant negative spillover effect, and capital-based FDI has a significant positive spillover effect. However, in the high-intensity environmental regulation industry, the negative influence of labor-based FDI is completely restrained, and capital-based FDI continues to play a significant positive green technological spillover effects. These findings have clear policy implications: the government should be gradually reducing the labor-based FDI inflow or increasing stringency of environmental regulation in order to reduce or eliminate the negative spillover effect of the labor-based FDI.

Environmental Regulation, Foreign Direct Investment and Green Technological Progress—Evidence from Chinese Manufacturing Industries

PubMed Central

Hu, Jiangfeng; Wang, Zhao; Lian, Yuehan; Huang, Qinghua

2018-01-01

This study examines the spillover effects of foreign direct investment (FDI) on green technology progress rate (as measured by the green total factor productivity). The analysis utilizes two measures of FDI, labor-based FDI and capital-based FDI, and separately investigates four sets of industry classifications—high/low discharge regulation and high/low emission standard regulation. The results indicate that in the low discharge regulation and low emission standard regulation industry, labor-based FDI has a significant negative spillover effect, and capital-based FDI has a significant positive spillover effect. However, in the high-intensity environmental regulation industry, the negative influence of labor-based FDI is completely restrained, and capital-based FDI continues to play a significant positive green technological spillover effects. These findings have clear policy implications: the government should be gradually reducing the labor-based FDI inflow or increasing stringency of environmental regulation in order to reduce or eliminate the negative spillover effect of the labor-based FDI. PMID:29382112

The influence of presentation format on the "bigger is better" (BIB) effect.

PubMed

Bromgard, Gregg D; Trafimow, David; Silvera, David H

2013-04-01

Two experiments tested the "bigger is better" (BIB) effect, whereby bigger objects are perceived more favorably than smaller ones. In Experiment 1, participants directly compared pairs of objects and a strong BIB effect was obtained for both positively and negatively valenced stimuli. In Experiment 2, comparative and absolute evaluations were combined in a single experiment and the BIB effect was mediated for positively and negatively valenced stimuli. Taken in combination, the data support a complex hypothesis that pair-wise presentations induce a comparative process that causes a BIB effect. But when objects are evaluated separately, size and valence interact such that increased size evokes more positive ratings of positive objects and more negative ratings for negative objects.

Anxiety symptoms mediate the relationship between exposure to stressful negative life events and depressive symptoms: A conditional process modelling of the protective effects of resilience.

PubMed

Anyan, Frederick; Worsley, Lyn; Hjemdal, Odin

2017-10-01

Resilience has provided a useful framework that elucidates the effects of protective factors to overcome psychological adversities but studies that address the potential contingencies of resilience to protect against direct and indirect negative effects are lacking. These obvious gaps have also resulted in oversimplification of complex processes that can be clarified by moderated mediation associations. This study examines a conditional process modelling of the protective effects of resilience against indirect effects. Two separate samples were recruited in a cross-sectional survey from Australia and Norway to complete the Patient Health Questionnaire -9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Stressful Negative Life Events Questionnaire and the Resilience Scale for Adults. The final sample sizes were 206 (females=114; males=91; other=1) and 210 (females=155; males=55) for Australia and Norway respectively. Moderated mediation analyses were conducted across the samples. Anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between exposure to stressful negative life events and depressive symptoms in both samples. Conditional indirect effects of exposure to stressful negative life events on depressive symptoms mediated by anxiety symptoms showed that high subgroup of resilience was associated with less effect of exposure to stressful negative life events through anxiety symptoms on depressive symptoms than the low subgroup of resilience. As a cross-sectional survey, the present study does not answer questions about causal processes despite the use of a conditional process modelling. These findings support that, resilience protective resources can protect against both direct and indirect - through other channels - psychological adversities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cruel intentions on television and in real life: can viewing indirect aggression increase viewers' subsequent indirect aggression?

PubMed

Coyne, Sarah M; Archer, John; Eslea, Mike

2004-07-01

Numerous studies have shown that viewing violence in the media can influence an individual's subsequent aggression, but none have examined the effect of viewing indirect aggression. This study examines the immediate effect of viewing indirect and direct aggression on subsequent indirect aggression among 199 children ages 11 to 14 years. They were shown an indirect, direct, or no-aggression video and their subsequent indirect aggression was measured by negative evaluation of a confederate and responses to a vignette. Participants viewing indirect or direct aggression gave a more negative evaluation of and less money to a confederate than participants viewing no-aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave less money to the confederate than those viewing direct aggression. Participants viewing indirect aggression gave more indirectly aggressive responses to an ambiguous situation and participants viewing direct aggression gave more directly aggressive responses. This study provides the first evidence that viewing indirect aggression in the media can have an immediate impact on subsequent aggression.

[Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: from electrophysiology to electrotherapy].

PubMed

Micoulaud Franchi, J-A; Quiles, C; Belzeaux, R; Adida, M; Azorin, J-M

2015-12-01

The aim of this review of the literature is to summarize the state of the knowledge concerning the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia, electrophysiology and electrotherapy. The scientific literature search of international articles was performed during August and September 2015 using the PubMed electronic database. We used the following MeSH terms: "Negative symptoms", "Schizophrenia", "Electrophysiology", "Neurophysiology", "EEG power", "Alpha rhythm", "Transcranial magnetic stimulation", "Transcranial direct current stimulation", "Electroconvulsive therapy", "Neurofeedback", "Vagus Nerve Stimulation", "Deep Brain Stimulation", and "State dependent". Negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with altered activity in prefrontal cortex in functional neuroimaging studies. This is in line with electrophysiological measurements that found a change in EEG spectral power in the alpha frequency band over prefrontal brain regions. The notion of functional hypofrontality has led to hypotheses that electrotherapy applied to the prefrontal cortex may be an effective treatment of negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) were used to increase cortical activity in schizophrenia and achieve a clinical effect on negative symptoms. Three meta-analyses confirmed, with a moderate effect size, that rTMS is an effective treatment option for negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The two subsequently published prospective multicenter studies, however, found opposite results from each other. Two randomized controlled studies suggested that tDCS is an effective treatment option for negative symptoms. There is no study on the efficacy of neurofeedback, vagal nerve stimulation or deep brain stimulation on negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Additional studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of rTMS and tDCS on negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Influencing factors, related to clinical and stimulation parameters, of rTMS and tDCS on negative symptoms should be better investigated. Effects related to electrophysiological brain activity of the patient, especially in the alpha band, during the stimulation should also be better investigated. The action of electrotherapy may be state dependent, and a better understanding of electrophysiological effects of electrotherapy techniques could enable their optimization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Abnormal brain activation during directed forgetting of negative memory in depressed patients.

PubMed

Yang, Wenjing; Chen, Qunlin; Liu, Peiduo; Cheng, Hongsheng; Cui, Qian; Wei, Dongtao; Zhang, Qinglin; Qiu, Jiang

2016-01-15

The frequent occurrence of uncontrollable negative thoughts and memories is a troubling aspect of depression. Thus, knowledge on the mechanism underlying intentional forgetting of these thoughts and memories is crucial to develop an effective emotion regulation strategy for depressed individuals. Behavioral studies have demonstrated that depressed participants cannot intentionally forget negative memories. However, the neural mechanism underlying this process remains unclear. In this study, participants completed the directed forgetting task in which they were instructed to remember or forget neutral or negative words. Standard univariate analysis based on the General Linear Model showed that the depressed participants have higher activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), superior parietal gyrus (SPG), and inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) than the healthy individuals. The results indicated that depressed participants recruited more frontal and parietal inhibitory control resources to inhibit the TBF items, but the attempt still failed because of negative bias. We also used the Support Vector Machine to perform multivariate pattern classification based on the brain activation during directed forgetting. The pattern of brain activity in directed forgetting of negative words allowed correct group classification with an overall accuracy of 75% (P=0.012). The brain regions which are critical for this discrimination showed abnormal activation when depressed participants were attempting to forget negative words. These results indicated that the abnormal neural circuitry when depressed individuals tried to forget the negative words might provide neurobiological markers for depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Social Support, Social Loss and Positive and Negative Psychological Functioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGowan, John R.

While the relationship between stressful life events, social support, and health outcomes has received much attention, efforts to quantify social support and directly examine specific ameliorative effects have resulted in mixed findings. Direct and mediational effects of two psychometrically validated measures of perceived and received social…

The synergic role of sociotechnical and personal characteristics on work injuries in mines.

PubMed

Paul, P S; Maiti, J

2008-05-01

Occupational injuries in mines are attributed to many factors. In this study, an attempt was made to identify the various factors related to work injuries in mines and to estimate their effects on work injuries to mine workers. An accident path model was developed to estimate the pattern and strength of relationships amongst the personal and sociotechnical variables in accident/injury occurrences. The input data for the model were the correlation matrix of 18 variables, which were collected from the case study mines. The case study results showed that there are sequential interactions amongst the sociotechnical and personal factors leading to accidents/injuries in mines. Amongst the latent endogenous constructs, job dissatisfaction and safe work behaviour show a significant positive and negative direct relationship with work injury, respectively. However, the construct safety environment has a significant negative indirect relationship with work injury. The safety environment is negatively affected by work hazards and positively affected by social support. The safety environment also shows a significant negative relationship with job stress and job dissatisfaction. However, negative personality has no significant direct or indirect effect on work injury, but it has a significant negative relationship with safe work behaviour. The endogenous construct negative personality is positively influenced by job stress and negatively influenced by social support.

Predation and fragmentation portrayed in the statistical structure of prey time series

PubMed Central

Hendrichsen, Ditte K; Topping, Chris J; Forchhammer, Mads C

2009-01-01

Background Statistical autoregressive analyses of direct and delayed density dependence are widespread in ecological research. The models suggest that changes in ecological factors affecting density dependence, like predation and landscape heterogeneity are directly portrayed in the first and second order autoregressive parameters, and the models are therefore used to decipher complex biological patterns. However, independent tests of model predictions are complicated by the inherent variability of natural populations, where differences in landscape structure, climate or species composition prevent controlled repeated analyses. To circumvent this problem, we applied second-order autoregressive time series analyses to data generated by a realistic agent-based computer model. The model simulated life history decisions of individual field voles under controlled variations in predator pressure and landscape fragmentation. Analyses were made on three levels: comparisons between predated and non-predated populations, between populations exposed to different types of predators and between populations experiencing different degrees of habitat fragmentation. Results The results are unambiguous: Changes in landscape fragmentation and the numerical response of predators are clearly portrayed in the statistical time series structure as predicted by the autoregressive model. Populations without predators displayed significantly stronger negative direct density dependence than did those exposed to predators, where direct density dependence was only moderately negative. The effects of predation versus no predation had an even stronger effect on the delayed density dependence of the simulated prey populations. In non-predated prey populations, the coefficients of delayed density dependence were distinctly positive, whereas they were negative in predated populations. Similarly, increasing the degree of fragmentation of optimal habitat available to the prey was accompanied with a shift in the delayed density dependence, from strongly negative to gradually becoming less negative. Conclusion We conclude that statistical second-order autoregressive time series analyses are capable of deciphering interactions within and across trophic levels and their effect on direct and delayed density dependence. PMID:19419539

Competitive testing of health behavior theories: how do benefits, barriers, subjective norm, and intention influence mammography behavior?

PubMed Central

Murphy, Caitlin C.; Vernon, Sally W.; Diamond, Pamela M.; Tiro, Jasmin A.

2013-01-01

Background Competitive hypothesis testing may explain differences in predictive power across multiple health behavior theories. Purpose We tested competing hypotheses of the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) to quantify pathways linking subjective norm, benefits, barriers, intention, and mammography behavior. Methods We analyzed longitudinal surveys of women veterans randomized to the control group of a mammography intervention trial (n=704). We compared direct, partial mediation, and full mediation models with Satorra-Bentler χ2 difference testing. Results Barriers had a direct and indirect negative effect on mammography behavior; intention only partially mediated barriers. Benefits had little to no effect on behavior and intention; however, it was negatively correlated with barriers. Subjective norm directly affected behavior and indirectly affected intention through barriers. Conclusions Our results provide empiric support for different assertions of HBM and TRA. Future interventions should test whether building subjective norm and reducing negative attitudes increases regular mammography. PMID:23868613

Itraconazole decreases left ventricular contractility in isolated rabbit heart: Mechanism of action

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qu, Yusheng, E-mail: yqu@amgen.com; Fang, Mei; Gao, BaoXi

Itraconazole (ITZ) is an approved antifungal agent that carries a “black box warning” in its label regarding a risk of negative cardiac inotropy based on clinical findings. Since the mechanism of the negative inotropic effect is unknown, we performed a variety of preclinical and mechanistic studies to explore the pharmacological profile of ITZ and understand the negative inotropic mechanism. ITZ was evaluated in: (1) an isolated rabbit heart (IRH) preparation using Langendorff retrograde perfusion; (2) ion channel studies; (3) a rat heart mitochondrial function profiling screen; (4) a mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay; (5) in vitro pharmacology profiling assays (148more » receptors, ion channels, transporters, and enzymes); and (6) a kinase selectivity panel (451 kinases). In the IRH, ITZ decreased cardiac contractility (> 30%) at 0.3 μM, with increasing effect at higher concentrations, which indicated a direct negative inotropic effect upon the heart. It also decreased heart rate and coronary flow (≥ 1 μM) and prolonged PR/QRS intervals (3 μM). In mechanistic studies, ITZ inhibited the cardiac NaV channel (IC{sub 50}: 4.2 μM) and was devoid of any functional inhibitory effect at the remaining pharmacological targets. Lastly, ITZ did not affect MMP, nor interfere with mitochondrial enzymes or processes involved with fuel substrate utilization or energy formation. Overall, the cardiovascular and mechanistic data suggest that ITZ-induced negative inotropy is a direct effect on the heart, in addition, the potential involvement of mitochondria function and L-type Ca{sup 2+} channels are eliminated. The exact mechanism underlying the negative inotropy is uncertain, and requires further study. - Highlights: ► Effect of itraconazole (ITZ) was assessed in the isolated rabbit heart (IRH) assay. ► ITZ decreased ventricular contractility in IRH, indicating a direct effect. ► IC{sub 50} of ITZ on L-type I{sub Ca} was greater than 30 μM, on I{sub Na} was 4.2 μM. ► ITZ had minimal effects on mitochondrial functions. ► ITZ had minimal hits in pharmacology profiling and kinase selectivity panel.« less

Effect of direct current sputtering power on the behavior of amorphous indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistors under negative bias illumination stress: A combination of experimental analyses and device simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang, Jun Tae; Kim, Dong Myong; Choi, Sung-Jin

The effect of direct current sputtering power of indium-gallium-zinc-oxide (IGZO) on the performance and stability of the corresponding thin-film transistor devices was studied. The field effect mobility increases as the IGZO sputter power increases, at the expense of device reliability under negative bias illumination stress (NBIS). Device simulation based on the extracted sub-gap density of states indicates that the field effect mobility is improved as a result of the number of acceptor-like states decreasing. The degradation by NBIS is suggested to be induced by the formation of peroxides in IGZO rather than charge trapping.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Bereaved HIV-Positive Adults: Relationships between HIV Symptoms, Grief, Social Support, and Axis II Indication

PubMed Central

Hansen, Nathan B.; Vaughan, Ellen L.; Cavanaugh, Courtenay E.; Connell, Christian M.; Sikkema, Kathleen J.

2008-01-01

Objective This study evaluated a model of the impact of borderline and antisocial personality disorder indications on HIV symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in AIDS-bereaved adults, accounting for grief severity, social support and years since HIV diagnosis. Design Structural Equation modeling was used to test the proposed model in a sample of 268 HIV-seropositive adults enrolled in an intervention for coping with AIDS-related bereavement. Main Outcome Measures Functional Assessment of HIV Infection, HIV symptoms. Results The proposed model demonstrated excellent fit with study data and all hypothesized paths were supported. Personality disorder indication was directly related to HIV symptoms and HRQoL, and indirectly related through both social support and grief severity. Social support was negatively related to HIV symptoms and positively related to HRQoL, while grief severity was positively related to HIV symptoms and negatively related to HRQoL. Finally, HIV symptoms had a direct negative relationship with HRQoL. Conclusion Personality disorders have a direct negative effect on HIV symptoms and HRQoL, and indirect effects through grief severity and social support. PMID:19290717

Understanding less than nothing: children's neural response to negative numbers shifts across age and accuracy.

PubMed

Gullick, Margaret M; Wolford, George

2013-01-01

We examined the brain activity underlying the development of our understanding of negative numbers, which are amounts lacking direct physical counterparts. Children performed a paired comparison task with positive and negative numbers during an fMRI session. As previously shown in adults, both pre-instruction fifth-graders and post-instruction seventh-graders demonstrated typical behavioral and neural distance effects to negative numbers, where response times and parietal and frontal activity increased as comparison distance decreased. We then determined the factors impacting the distance effect in each age group. Behaviorally, the fifth-grader distance effect for negatives was significantly predicted only by positive comparison accuracy, indicating that children who were generally better at working with numbers were better at comparing negatives. In seventh-graders, negative number comparison accuracy significantly predicted their negative number distance effect, indicating that children who were better at working with negative numbers demonstrated a more typical distance effect. Across children, as age increased, the negative number distance effect increased in the bilateral IPS and decreased frontally, indicating a frontoparietal shift consistent with previous numerical development literature. In contrast, as negative comparison task accuracy increased, the parietal distance effect increased in the left IPS and decreased in the right, possibly indicating a change from an approximate understanding of negatives' values to a more exact, precise representation (particularly supported by the left IPS) with increasing expertise. These shifts separately indicate the effects of increasing maturity generally in numeric processing and specifically in negative number understanding.

Vibration stress relief of DH 36 rectangle welded plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shuqi; Fang, Hongyuan

2018-03-01

Vibration stress relief (VSR) is widely used in reducing residual stress in welded structures. However, the effectiveness of this method is still instable in some circumstance. In this study, a covert negative treatment phenomenon was investigated, i.e. natural frequency of welded structures decreased after VSR but residual stress in one direction increased. When the alteration of natural frequency after VSR is significant, the residual stresses in both the longitudinal and transversal directions shall decrease. Otherwise, residual stresses may increase on one direction. Thus, sufficient power shall be applied to the welded structures to avoid negative results.

Direct and indirect influences of fate control belief, gambling expectancy bias, and self-efficacy on problem gambling and negative mood among Chinese college students: a multiple mediation analysis.

PubMed

Tang, Catherine So-Kum; Wu, Anise M S

2010-12-01

A multiple mediation model was proposed to integrate core concepts of the social axioms framework and the social cognitive theory in order to understand gambling behavior. It was hypothesized that the influence of general fate control belief on problem gambling and negative mood would be mediated by gambling-specific beliefs. Data from 773 Chinese college recreational gamblers were collected. The bootstrapping procedure was used to test the multiple mediation hypotheses. Significant indirect effects of fate control belief on problem gambling and negative mood through two gambling-specific mediators were found. Gambling expectancy bias was a more salient mediator than gambling self-efficacy. Fate control belief was also found to have a significant direct effect on negative mood. In general, a high level of general fate control belief was related to greater gambling expectancy bias and lower self-efficacy in resisting gambling, which were in turn related to problem gambling and negative mood. Limitations and implications of the study were discussed.

Moderate effects of noninvasive brain stimulation of the frontal cortex for improving negative symptoms in schizophrenia: Meta-analysis of controlled trials.

PubMed

Aleman, André; Enriquez-Geppert, Stefanie; Knegtering, Henderikus; Dlabac-de Lange, Jozarni J

2018-06-01

Negative symptoms in schizophrenia concern a clinically relevant reduction of goal-directed behavior that strongly and negatively impacts daily functioning. Existing treatments are of marginal effect and novel approaches are needed. Noninvasive neurostimulation by means of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are novel approaches that may hold promise. To provide a quantitative integration of the published evidence regarding effects of rTMS and tDCS over the frontal cortex on negative symptoms, including an analysis of effects of sham stimulation. Meta-analysis was applied, using a random effects model, to calculate mean weighted effect sizes (Cohen's d). Heterogeneity was assessed by using Cochrans Q and I 2 tests. For rTMS treatment, the mean weighted effect size compared to sham stimulation was 0.64 (0.32-0.96; k = 22, total N = 827). Studies with younger participants showed stronger effects as compared to studies with older participants. For tDCS studies a mean weighted effect size of 0.50 (-0.07 to 1.07; k = 5, total N = 134) was found. For all frontal noninvasive neurostimulation studies together (i.e., TMS and tDCS studies combined) active stimulation was superior to sham, the mean weighted effect size was 0.61 (24 studies, 27 comparisons, 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.89; total N = 961). Sham rTMS (baseline - posttreatment comparison) showed a significant improvement of negative symptoms, d = 0.31 (0.09-0.52; k = 16, total N = 333). Whereas previous meta-analyses were underpowered, our meta-analysis had a power of 0.87 to detect a small effect. The available evidence indicates that noninvasive prefrontal neurostimulation can improve negative symptoms. This finding suggests a causal role for the lateral frontal cortex in self-initiated goal-directed behavior. The evidence is stronger for rTMS than for tDCS, although this may be due to the small number of studies as yet with tDCS. More research is needed to establish moderator variables that may affect response to neurostimulation and to optimize treatment parameters in order to achieve stable and durable (and thus clinically relevant) effects. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Religious Engagement in a Risky Family Model Predicting Health in Older Black and White Seventh-day Adventists

PubMed Central

Morton, Kelly R.; Lee, Jerry W.; Haviland, Mark G.; Fraser, Gary E.

2012-01-01

In a structural equation model, associations among latent variables – Child Poverty, Risky Family exposure, Religious Engagement, Negative Social Interactions, Negative Emotionality, and Perceived Physical Health – were evaluated in 6,753 Black and White adults aged 35–106 years (M = 60.5, SD = 13.0). All participants were members of the Seventh-day Adventist church surveyed in the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study (BRHS). Child Poverty was positively associated with both Risky Family exposure (conflict, neglect, abuse) and Religious Engagement (intrinsic religiosity, religious coping, religiousness). Risky Family was negatively associated with Religious Engagement and positively associated with both Negative Social Interactions (intrusive, failed to help, insensitive, rejecting) and Negative Emotionality (depression, negative affect, neuroticism). Religious Engagement was negatively associated with Negative Emotionality and Negative Social Interactions at a given level of risky family. Negative Social Interactions was positively associated with Negative Emotionality, which had a direct, negative effect on Perceived Physical Health. All constructs had indirect effects on Perceived Physical Health through Negative Emotionality. The effects of a risky family environment appear to be enduring, negatively affecting one’s adult religious life, emotionality, social interactions, and perceived health. Religious engagement, however, may counteract the damaging effects of early life stress. PMID:23560134

Impact of non-medical switching on clinical and economic outcomes, resource utilization and medication-taking behavior: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Nguyen, Elaine; Weeda, Erin R; Sobieraj, Diana M; Bookhart, Brahim K; Piech, Catherine Tak; Coleman, Craig I

2016-07-01

To evaluate current knowledge of the impact of non-medical switching on clinical and economic outcomes, resource utilization and medication-taking behavior. The literature was searched (Medline and Web of Science, January 2000-November 2015) to identify United States' studies evaluating ≥25 patients and measuring the impact of non-medical switching of drugs (switching to a chemically distinct but similar medication for reasons other than lack of clinical efficacy/response, side effects or poor adherence) on ≥1 clinical, economic, resource utilization or medication-taking behavior outcome. The direction of association between non-medical switching and outcomes was classified as negative or positive if a statistically significant worsening or improvement was reported, or neutral if no significant difference was observed. Twenty-nine studies contributed 96 outcomes (60.4% clinical; 21.9% resource utilization; 13.5% economic; 4.2% medication-taking behavior) within six disease categories (cardio-metabolic, immune-mediated, acid suppression, psychiatric, hormone replacement therapy and pain). The direction of association was more frequently negative (33.3%) or neutral (55.2%) than it was positive (11.5%). Stratified by outcome type, non-medical switching was negatively associated with clinical, economic, healthcare utilization and medication-taking behavior outcomes in 20.7%, 69.2%, 38.1% and 75.0% of cases, respectively; and positively in only 4.8%-17.2% of outcomes subgroups. Of 32 outcomes in patients demonstrating stable/well controlled disease, 68.8% and 31.3% had a negative and neutral direction of association. In patients without demonstrated disease stability, outcomes were negatively, neutrally and positively impacted by non-medical switching in 15.6%, 67.2% and 17.2% of 64 outcomes. Our inability to evaluate specific disease state categories and studies/outcomes received equal weight regardless of sample size or magnitude of effect. Non-medical switching was more often associated with negative or neutral effects than positive effects on an array of important outcomes. Among patients with stable/well controlled disease, non-medical switching was associated with mostly negative effects.

The Effects of Life Events and Socioeconomic Position in Childhood and Adulthood on Successful Aging.

PubMed

Kok, Almar A L; Aartsen, Marja J; Deeg, Dorly J H; Huisman, Martijn

2017-03-01

Building on social stress theory, this study has 2 aims. First, we aim to estimate the effects of stressful life events in childhood and adulthood on Successful Aging (SA). Second, we examine how unequal exposure to such life events between individuals with different socioeconomic position (SEP) contributes to socioeconomic inequalities in SA. We used 16-year longitudinal data from 2,185 respondents aged 55-85 years in 1992 in the Dutch nationally representative Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Measurement of SA was based on earlier work, in which we integrated trajectories in 9 indicators of functioning into an index of SA. Using path analysis, we investigated direct and indirect effects of parental and adulthood SEP as well as of self-reported childhood and adulthood life events on SA. Almost all included life events had negative direct effects on SA. Parental SEP had no direct effect on SA, whereas adulthood SEP had. Higher Parental SEP increased the likelihood of parental problems and parental death in childhood, resulting in negative indirect effects on SA. Higher adulthood SEP had both positive and negative indirect effects on SA, through increasing the likelihood of divorce and unemployment, but decreasing the likelihood of occupational disability. SEP and particular stressful life events are largely, but not entirely independent predictors of SA. We found that high and low SEP may increase exposure to particular events that negatively affect SA. Findings suggest that low (childhood) SEP and stressful life events are interrelated factors that may limit individual opportunities to age successfully. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Do managed bees have negative effects on wild bees?: A systematic review of the literature

PubMed Central

Gratton, Claudio

2017-01-01

Managed bees are critical for crop pollination worldwide. As the demand for pollinator-dependent crops increases, so does the use of managed bees. Concern has arisen that managed bees may have unintended negative impacts on native wild bees, which are important pollinators in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. The goal of this study was to synthesize the literature documenting the effects of managed honey bees and bumble bees on wild bees in three areas: (1) competition for floral and nesting resources, (2) indirect effects via changes in plant communities, including the spread of exotic plants and decline of native plants, and (3) transmission of pathogens. The majority of reviewed studies reported negative effects of managed bees, but trends differed across topical areas. Of studies examining competition, results were highly variable with 53% reporting negative effects on wild bees, while 28% reported no effects and 19% reported mixed effects (varying with the bee species or variables examined). Equal numbers of studies examining plant communities reported positive (36%) and negative (36%) effects, with the remainder reporting no or mixed effects. Finally, the majority of studies on pathogen transmission (70%) reported potential negative effects of managed bees on wild bees. However, most studies across all topical areas documented the potential for impact (e.g. reporting the occurrence of competition or pathogens), but did not measure direct effects on wild bee fitness, abundance, or diversity. Furthermore, we found that results varied depending on whether managed bees were in their native or non-native range; managed bees within their native range had lesser competitive effects, but potentially greater effects on wild bees via pathogen transmission. We conclude that while this field has expanded considerably in recent decades, additional research measuring direct, long-term, and population-level effects of managed bees is needed to understand their potential impact on wild bees. PMID:29220412

Do managed bees have negative effects on wild bees?: A systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Mallinger, Rachel E; Gaines-Day, Hannah R; Gratton, Claudio

2017-01-01

Managed bees are critical for crop pollination worldwide. As the demand for pollinator-dependent crops increases, so does the use of managed bees. Concern has arisen that managed bees may have unintended negative impacts on native wild bees, which are important pollinators in both agricultural and natural ecosystems. The goal of this study was to synthesize the literature documenting the effects of managed honey bees and bumble bees on wild bees in three areas: (1) competition for floral and nesting resources, (2) indirect effects via changes in plant communities, including the spread of exotic plants and decline of native plants, and (3) transmission of pathogens. The majority of reviewed studies reported negative effects of managed bees, but trends differed across topical areas. Of studies examining competition, results were highly variable with 53% reporting negative effects on wild bees, while 28% reported no effects and 19% reported mixed effects (varying with the bee species or variables examined). Equal numbers of studies examining plant communities reported positive (36%) and negative (36%) effects, with the remainder reporting no or mixed effects. Finally, the majority of studies on pathogen transmission (70%) reported potential negative effects of managed bees on wild bees. However, most studies across all topical areas documented the potential for impact (e.g. reporting the occurrence of competition or pathogens), but did not measure direct effects on wild bee fitness, abundance, or diversity. Furthermore, we found that results varied depending on whether managed bees were in their native or non-native range; managed bees within their native range had lesser competitive effects, but potentially greater effects on wild bees via pathogen transmission. We conclude that while this field has expanded considerably in recent decades, additional research measuring direct, long-term, and population-level effects of managed bees is needed to understand their potential impact on wild bees.

Negative mobility of a Brownian particle: Strong damping regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Słapik, A.; Łuczka, J.; Spiechowicz, J.

2018-02-01

We study impact of inertia on directed transport of a Brownian particle under non-equilibrium conditions: the particle moves in a one-dimensional periodic and symmetric potential, is driven by both an unbiased time-periodic force and a constant force, and is coupled to a thermostat of temperature T. Within selected parameter regimes this system exhibits negative mobility, which means that the particle moves in the direction opposite to the direction of the constant force. It is known that in such a setup the inertial term is essential for the emergence of negative mobility and it cannot be detected in the limiting case of overdamped dynamics. We analyse inertial effects and show that negative mobility can be observed even in the strong damping regime. We determine the optimal dimensionless mass for the presence of negative mobility and reveal three mechanisms standing behind this anomaly: deterministic chaotic, thermal noise induced and deterministic non-chaotic. The last origin has never been reported. It may provide guidance to the possibility of observation of negative mobility for strongly damped dynamics which is of fundamental importance from the point of view of biological systems, all of which in situ operate in fluctuating environments.

Bi-directional effects of depressed mood in the postnatal period on mother-infant non-verbal engagement with picture books.

PubMed

Reissland, Nadja; Burt, Mike

2010-12-01

The purpose of the present study is to examine the bi-directional nature of maternal depressed mood in the postnatal period on maternal and infant non-verbal behaviors while looking at a picture book. Although, it is acknowledged that non-verbal engagement with picture books in infancy plays an important role, the effect of maternal depressed mood on stimulating the interest of infants in books is not known. Sixty-one mothers and their infants, 38 boys and 23 girls, were observed twice approximately 3 months apart (first observation: mean age 6.8 months, range 3-11 months, 32 mothers with depressed mood; second observation: mean age 10.2 months, range 6-16 months, 17 mothers with depressed mood). There was a significant effect for depressed mood on negative behaviors: infants of mothers with depressed mood tended to push away and close books more often. The frequency of negative behaviors (pushing the book away/closing it on the part of the infant and withholding the book and restraining the infant on the part of the mother) were behaviors which if expressed during the first visit were more likely to be expressed during the second visit. Levels of negative behaviors by mother and infant were strongly related during each visit. Additionally, the pattern between visits suggests that maternal negative behavior may be the cause of her infant negative behavior. These results are discussed in terms of the effects of maternal depressed mood on the bi-directional relation of non-verbal engagement of mother and child. Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plant diversity enhances productivity and soil carbon storage

PubMed Central

Chen, Shiping; Wang, Wantong; Xu, Wenting; Wang, Yang; Wan, Hongwei; Tang, Xuli; Zhou, Guoyi; Xie, Zongqiang; Zhou, Daowei; Shangguan, Zhouping; Huang, Jianhui; Wang, Yanfen; Sheng, Jiandong; Tang, Lisong; Li, Xinrong; Dong, Ming; Wu, Yan; Wang, Qiufeng; Wu, Jianguo; Chapin, F. Stuart; Bai, Yongfei

2018-01-01

Despite evidence from experimental grasslands that plant diversity increases biomass production and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, it remains unclear whether this is true in natural ecosystems, especially under climatic variations and human disturbances. Based on field observations from 6,098 forest, shrubland, and grassland sites across China and predictions from an integrative model combining multiple theories, we systematically examined the direct effects of climate, soils, and human impacts on SOC storage versus the indirect effects mediated by species richness (SR), aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and belowground biomass (BB). We found that favorable climates (high temperature and precipitation) had a consistent negative effect on SOC storage in forests and shrublands, but not in grasslands. Climate favorability, particularly high precipitation, was associated with both higher SR and higher BB, which had consistent positive effects on SOC storage, thus offsetting the direct negative effect of favorable climate on SOC. The indirect effects of climate on SOC storage depended on the relationships of SR with ANPP and BB, which were consistently positive in all biome types. In addition, human disturbance and soil pH had both direct and indirect effects on SOC storage, with the indirect effects mediated by changes in SR, ANPP, and BB. High soil pH had a consistently negative effect on SOC storage. Our findings have important implications for improving global carbon cycling models and ecosystem management: Maintaining high levels of diversity can enhance soil carbon sequestration and help sustain the benefits of plant diversity and productivity. PMID:29666315

Plant diversity enhances productivity and soil carbon storage.

PubMed

Chen, Shiping; Wang, Wantong; Xu, Wenting; Wang, Yang; Wan, Hongwei; Chen, Dima; Tang, Zhiyao; Tang, Xuli; Zhou, Guoyi; Xie, Zongqiang; Zhou, Daowei; Shangguan, Zhouping; Huang, Jianhui; He, Jin-Sheng; Wang, Yanfen; Sheng, Jiandong; Tang, Lisong; Li, Xinrong; Dong, Ming; Wu, Yan; Wang, Qiufeng; Wang, Zhiheng; Wu, Jianguo; Chapin, F Stuart; Bai, Yongfei

2018-04-17

Despite evidence from experimental grasslands that plant diversity increases biomass production and soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, it remains unclear whether this is true in natural ecosystems, especially under climatic variations and human disturbances. Based on field observations from 6,098 forest, shrubland, and grassland sites across China and predictions from an integrative model combining multiple theories, we systematically examined the direct effects of climate, soils, and human impacts on SOC storage versus the indirect effects mediated by species richness (SR), aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and belowground biomass (BB). We found that favorable climates (high temperature and precipitation) had a consistent negative effect on SOC storage in forests and shrublands, but not in grasslands. Climate favorability, particularly high precipitation, was associated with both higher SR and higher BB, which had consistent positive effects on SOC storage, thus offsetting the direct negative effect of favorable climate on SOC. The indirect effects of climate on SOC storage depended on the relationships of SR with ANPP and BB, which were consistently positive in all biome types. In addition, human disturbance and soil pH had both direct and indirect effects on SOC storage, with the indirect effects mediated by changes in SR, ANPP, and BB. High soil pH had a consistently negative effect on SOC storage. Our findings have important implications for improving global carbon cycling models and ecosystem management: Maintaining high levels of diversity can enhance soil carbon sequestration and help sustain the benefits of plant diversity and productivity.

Negative emotions and behaviour: The role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

PubMed

Mesurado, Belén; Vidal, Elisabeth Malonda; Mestre, Anna Llorca

2018-04-01

The objective of this study is to test a longitudinal model that analyses the direct effect of negative emotions (anger, depression and anxiety, wave 1) on prosocial and aggressive behaviour (wave 2) in adolescents. And the indirect effect of negative emotions (wave 1) on prosocial and aggressive behaviour (wave 2) through regulatory emotional self-efficacy. Data was obtained from 417 adolescents in a two-wave longitudinal study (225 girls, M age = 14.70 years) from schools located in Valencia, Spain. SEM was employed to explore longitudinal models. The results showed that anger had a direct relationship with prosocial behaviour and aggression, measured two years later. However, the depression and anxiety states did not predict prosociality and aggressiveness. The mediation role of regulatory emotional self-efficacy between negative emotion and behaviours was only partially confirmed. Finally, only the perception of self-efficacy in expressing positive affect is related to prosociality and aggressiveness. Copyright © 2018 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emotions in word and face processing: early and late cortical responses.

PubMed

Schacht, Annekathrin; Sommer, Werner

2009-04-01

Recent research suggests that emotion effects in word processing resemble those in other stimulus domains such as pictures or faces. The present study aims to provide more direct evidence for this notion by comparing emotion effects in word and face processing in a within-subject design. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded as participants made decisions on the lexicality of emotionally positive, negative, and neutral German verbs or pseudowords, and on the integrity of intact happy, angry, and neutral faces or slightly distorted faces. Relative to neutral and negative stimuli both positive verbs and happy faces elicited posterior ERP negativities that were indistinguishable in scalp distribution and resembled the early posterior negativities reported by others. Importantly, these ERP modulations appeared at very different latencies. Therefore, it appears that similar brain systems reflect the decoding of both biological and symbolic emotional signals of positive valence, differing mainly in the speed of meaning access, which is more direct and faster for facial expressions than for words.

Linking masculinity to negative drinking consequences: the mediating roles of heavy episodic drinking and alcohol expectancies.

PubMed

Wells, Samantha; Flynn, Andrea; Tremblay, Paul F; Dumas, Tara; Miller, Peter; Graham, Kathryn

2014-05-01

This study extends previous research on masculinity and negative drinking consequences among young men by considering mediating effects of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol expectancies. We hypothesized that masculinity would have a direct relationship with negative consequences from drinking as well as indirect relationships mediated by HED and alcohol expectancies of courage, risk, and aggression. A random sample of 1,436 college and university men ages 19-25 years completed an online survey, including conformity to masculine norms, alcohol-related expectancies, HED, and negative drinking consequences. Regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used. Six of seven dimensions of masculinity and the alcohol expectancy scales were significantly associated with both HED and negative consequences. In multivariate regression models predicting HED and negative consequences, the playboy and violence dimensions of masculinity and the risk/aggression alcohol expectancy remained significant. HED and the risk-taking dimension of masculinity were also significant in the model predicting negative consequences. The structural equation model indicated that masculinity was directly associated with HED and negative consequences but also influenced negative consequences indirectly through HED and alcohol expectancies. The findings suggest that, among young adult male college and university students, masculinity is an important factor related to both HED and drinking consequences, with the latter effect partly mediated by HED and alcohol expectancies. Addressing male norms about masculinity may help to reduce HED and negative consequences from drinking.

Targeting alpha-7 nicotinic neurotransmission in schizophrenia: A novel agonist strategy

PubMed Central

Deutsch, Stephen I.; Schwartz, Barbara L.; Schooler, Nina R.; Brown, Clayton H.; Rosse, Richard B.; Rosse, Stephanie M.

2013-01-01

Alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR) agonists may be valuable treatments for negative symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. Unfortunately, chronic exposure to an agonist may reduce the receptor’s sensitivity. Therefore, we combined CDP-choline, a dietary source of the direct agonist choline, with galantamine, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, to improve the efficiency of transducing the choline signal and, possibly, preserve the receptor in a sensitive state. We conducted a single-site, double-blind randomized clinical trial comparing galantamine/CDP-choline to placebos in schizophrenia patients with negative symptoms who were receiving second generation antipsychotics. Forty-three subjects received galantamine and CDP-choline or matching placebos for 16 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the 5-item Marder negative-symptoms factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognition and functioning were also assessed. Trial completion was high; 79%. There was no significant treatment effect on negative symptoms, other PANSS symptom factors, or the MATRICS Cognitive Consensus Battery. There were significant treatment effects in overall functioning and a test of free verbal recall. Three subjects discontinued treatment in the active treatment group for gastro-intestinal adverse events (AE). The most common AE for galantamine/CDP-choline was abdominal pain; for placebo it was headache and sweating. Although there was no significant treatment effect on negative symptoms, the direction of effect mirrored the effects on a cognitive measure and overall functioning. Further study of α7 nAChR agonist/PAMs are warranted in larger studies that will have greater power. PMID:23768813

Perceived teaching behaviors and self-determined motivation in physical education: a test of self-determination theory.

PubMed

Koka, Andre; Hagger, Martin S

2010-03-01

In the present study, we tested the effects of specific dimensions of perceived teaching behaviors on students' self-determined motivation in physical education. In accordance with the tenets of self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000), we expected the psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness would mediate these effects. Secondary school students (N=498) ages 12-17 years completed measures of perceived teaching behaviors for seven dimensions: (a) democratic behavior, (b) autocratic behavior (c) teaching and instruction, (d) situation consideration, (e) positive general feedback, (f) positive nonverbal feedback, and (h) negative nonverbal feedback. They also completed measures of perceived satisfaction for competence, autonomy, relatedness, and self-determined motivation. A path-analytic model revealed a positive, indirect effect of perceived positive general feedback on self-determined motivation. The effects of perceived autocratic behavior and negative nonverbal feedback were direct and negative, whereas the effects of teaching and instruction and situation consideration were direct and positive. Results suggest that feedback, situation consideration, and teaching and instruction are essential antecedents to self-determined motivation.

An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Propellers Used as Aerodynamic Brakes on Stability and Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanson, Frederick H

1945-01-01

Tests were made of a model representative of a single-engine tractor-type airplane for the purpose of determining the stability and control effects of a propeller used as an aerodynamic brake. The tests were made with single-and dual-rotation propellers to show the effect of type of propeller rotation, and with positive thrust to provide basic data with which to compare the effects of negative thrust. Four configurations of the model were used to give the effects of tilting the propeller thrust axis down 5 deg., raising the horizontal tail, and combining both tilt and raised tail. Results of the tests are reported herein. The effects of negative thrust were found to be significant. The longitudinal stability was increased because of the loss of wing lift and increase of the angle of attack of the tail. Directional stability and both longitudinal and directional control were decreased because of the reduced velocity at the tail. These effects are moderate for moderate braking but become pronounced with full-power braking, particularly at high values of lift coefficient. The effects of model configuration changes were small when compared with the over-all effects of negative-thrust operation; however, improved stability and control characteristics were exhibited by the model with the tilted thrust axis. Raising the horizontal tail improved the longitudinal characteristics, but was detrimental to directional characteristics. The use of dual-rotation propeller reduced the directional trim charges resulting from the braking operation. A prototype airplane was assumed and handling qualities were computed and analyzed for normal (positive thrust) and braking operation with full and partial power. The results of these analyses are presented for the longitudinal characteristics in steady and accelerated flight, and for the directional characteristics in high- and low-speed flight. It was found that by limiting the power output of the engine (assuming the constant-speed propeller will function in the range of blade angles required for negative thrust) the stability and control characteristics may be held within the limits required for safe operation. Braking with full power, particularly at low speeds, is dangerous, but braking with very small power output is satisfactory from the standpoint of control. The amount of braking produced with zero power output is equal to or better than that produced by conventional spoiler-type brakes.

Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries.

PubMed

Wicki, Matthias; Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Eichenberger, Yvonne; Aasvee, Katrin; Bendtsen, Pernille; Dankulincová Veselská, Zuzana; Demetrovics, Zsolt; Dzielska, Anna; Farkas, Judit; de Matos, Margarida Gaspar; Roberts, Chris; Tynjälä, Jorma; Välimaa, Raili; Vieno, Alessio

2017-11-01

This study, which builds on previous research demonstrating that drinking motives are associated with adverse consequences, investigates the associations between drinking motives and non-alcohol-attributed adverse consequences and disentangles alcohol-related and direct effects. On the basis of a sample of 22 841 alcohol-using 13- to 16-year-olds (50.6% female) from Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Wales, structural equation models were used to estimate direct and indirect effects. Additionally, differences across countries were tested in a multigroup analysis. The indirect effect (via alcohol use) was greater for injuries and academic problems than for more general outcomes such as life dissatisfaction and negative body image. For social, enhancement and coping motives, we found positive indirect effects (via alcohol use) on injuries and academic problems; the association was negative for conformity motives. The direct effect, that is, the effect above and beyond alcohol use, indicated more negative consequences among those who tended to drink more frequently for coping motives. More negative consequences, such as injuries and negative body image, were also found among those who drink for conformity motives. The pattern of association was largely comparable across countries. While the actual mean level of drinking motives, alcohol use and adverse consequence varied across countries, the consistency of association patterns implies that drinking motive-inspired health promotion efforts are likely to be beneficial across Europe. This is particularly important for coping drinkers because they are especially prone to adverse consequences over and above their alcohol use. [Wicki M, Kuntsche E, Eichenberger Y, Aasvee K, Bendtsen P, Dankulincová Veselská Z, Demetrovics Z, Dzielska A, Farkas J, de Matos MG, Roberts C, Tynjälä J, Välimaa R, Vieno A. Different drinking motives, different adverse consequences? Evidence among adolescents from 10 European countries. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Absolute Negative Resistance Induced by Directional Electron-Electron Scattering in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaya, Ismet I.; Eberl, Karl

2007-05-01

A three-terminal device formed by two electrostatic barriers crossing an asymmetrically patterned two-dimensional electron gas displays an unusual potential depression at the middle contact, yielding absolute negative resistance. The device displays momentum and current transfer ratios that far exceed unity. The observed reversal of the current or potential in the middle terminal can be interpreted as the analog of Bernoulli’s effect in a Fermi liquid. The results are explained by directional scattering of electrons in two dimensions.

Household illness, poverty and physical and emotional child abuse victimisation: findings from South Africa's first prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Meinck, Franziska; Cluver, Lucie D; Boyes, Mark E

2015-05-01

Physical and emotional abuse of children is a large scale problem in South Africa, with severe negative outcomes for survivors. Although chronic household illness has shown to be a predictor for physical and emotional abuse, no research has thus far investigated the different pathways from household chronic illness to child abuse victimisation in South Africa. Confidential self-report questionnaires using internationally utilised measures were completed by children aged 10-17 (n = 3515, 56.7% female) using door-to-door sampling in randomly selected areas in rural and urban locations of South Africa. Follow-up surveys were conducted a year later (96.7% retention rate). Using multiple mediation analyses, this study investigated direct and indirect effects of chronic household illness (AIDS or other illness) on frequent (monthly) physical and emotional abuse victimisation with poverty and extent of the ill person's disability as hypothesised mediators. For children in AIDS-ill families, a positive direct effect on physical abuse was obtained. In addition, positive indirect effects through poverty and disability were established. For boys, a positive direct and indirect effect of AIDS-illness on emotional abuse through poverty were detected. For girls, a positive indirect effect through poverty was observed. For children in households with other chronic illness, a negative indirect effect on physical abuse was obtained. In addition, a negative indirect effect through poverty and positive indirect effect through disability was established. For boys, positive and negative indirect effects through poverty and disability were found respectively. For girls, a negative indirect effect through poverty was observed. These results indicate that children in families affected by AIDS-illness are at higher risk of child abuse victimisation, and this risk is mediated by higher levels of poverty and disability. Children affected by other chronic illness are at lower risk for abuse victimisation unless they are subject to higher levels of household disability. Interventions aiming to reduce poverty and increase family support may help prevent child abuse in families experiencing illness in South Africa.

Does Negative Interaction in the Church Increase Psychological Distress? Longitudinal Findings from the Presbyterian Panel Survey*

PubMed Central

Ellison, Christopher G.; Zhang, Wei; Krause, Neal; Marcum, John P.

2009-01-01

This study examines the effects of negative interaction in church on psychological distress. After outlining a series of theoretical arguments linking negative interaction with health and well-being, relevant hypotheses are tested using longitudinal data from two surveys of the 1997–1999 Presbyterian Panel, a nationwide panel of members and elders (lay leaders) in congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Findings confirm that negative interaction appears to foster or exacerbate distress over the study period. In addition, specific dimensions of social negativity have distinctive effects; the impact of criticisms on distress surface only in cross-sectional models, while the effects of excessive demands emerge only in the longitudinal models. No subgroup variations in these effects are detected. Implications of these findings are discussed with regard to (a) research on religion and health and (b) congregational life, and a number of promising directions for future research are elaborated. PMID:20694051

Direction of Auditory Pitch-Change Influences Visual Search for Slope From Graphs.

PubMed

Parrott, Stacey; Guzman-Martinez, Emmanuel; Orte, Laura; Grabowecky, Marcia; Huntington, Mark D; Suzuki, Satoru

2015-01-01

Linear trend (slope) is important information conveyed by graphs. We investigated how sounds influenced slope detection in a visual search paradigm. Four bar graphs or scatter plots were presented on each trial. Participants looked for a positive-slope or a negative-slope target (in blocked trials), and responded to targets in a go or no-go fashion. For example, in a positive-slope-target block, the target graph displayed a positive slope while other graphs displayed negative slopes (a go trial), or all graphs displayed negative slopes (a no-go trial). When an ascending or descending sound was presented concurrently, ascending sounds slowed detection of negative-slope targets whereas descending sounds slowed detection of positive-slope targets. The sounds had no effect when they immediately preceded the visual search displays, suggesting that the results were due to crossmodal interaction rather than priming. The sounds also had no effect when targets were words describing slopes, such as "positive," "negative," "increasing," or "decreasing," suggesting that the results were unlikely due to semantic-level interactions. Manipulations of spatiotemporal similarity between sounds and graphs had little effect. These results suggest that ascending and descending sounds influence visual search for slope based on a general association between the direction of auditory pitch-change and visual linear trend.

Rural neighborhoods and child aggression.

PubMed

Bowen, Natasha K; Wretman, Christopher J

2014-12-01

Structural equation modeling with latent variables was used to evaluate the direct and mediated effects of a neighborhood risk factor (negative teen behaviors) on the parent-report aggressive behavior of 213 students in grades 3 through 5 attending a school in a low-income, rural community. Contagion and social control hypotheses were examined as well as hypotheses about whether the neighborhood served as a microsystem or exosystem for rural pre-adolescents. Analyses took into account the clustering of students and ordinal nature of the data. Findings suggest that rural neighborhoods may operate as both a microsystem and exosystem for children, with direct contagion effects on their aggressive behaviors as well as indirect social control effects through parenting practices. Direct effects on aggression were also found for parenting practices and child reports of friends' negative behaviors. Pre-adolescence may be a transitional stage, when influences of the neighborhood on child behavior begin to compete with influences of caregivers. Findings can inform the timing and targets of violence prevention in rural communities.

Work-family conflict, locus of control, and women's well-being: tests of alternative pathways.

PubMed

Noor, Noraini M

2002-10-01

The author tested for the 3 possible pathways (i.e., direct, moderator, and mediator effects) in which locus of control can influence the relationship between work-family conflict and well-being. The author predicted that work-family conflict would be negatively correlated with well-being. In a sample of 310 Malaysian employed women with families, work-family conflict was a significant predictor of both job satisfaction and distress--negatively related to job satisfaction and positively related to symptoms of distress. More important, the results provided support for the effects of all 3 pathways of control on the relationship between work-family conflict and well-being, depending on the outcome measure: For job satisfaction, locus of control had direct effects, acted as a partial mediator, and played a significant moderating role. In contrast, only the direct effect of locus of control predicted distress. The author discusses those findings with reference to the literature on work-family conflict, locus of control, and the issue of stress-distress specificity.

The Effects of Direct Mail Appeals on Awareness, Readership, and Cognitive Response Content in a Community Heart Health Campaign.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loken, Barbara; And Others

A study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of direct mail appeals in a heart health campaign and to explore the effects of three appeal types (positive, negative, and informational) on knowledge levels and behavior patterns. Seven-hundred fifty randomly selected households were mailed brochures representing one of the three appeal types.…

Nucleation and growth mechanism of Co-Pt alloy nanowires electrodeposited within alumina template

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srivastav, Ajeet K.; Shekhar, Rajiv

2015-01-01

Co-Pt alloy nanowires were electrodeposited by direct current electrodeposition within nanoporous alumina templates with varying deposition potentials. The effect of deposition potential on nucleation and growth mechanisms during electrodeposition of Co-Pt alloy nanowires was investigated. The less negative deposition potential (-0.9 V) favours the instantaneous nucleation mechanism. The positive deviation from theoretical instantaneous and progressive nucleation mechanisms occurs at higher negative deposition potentials. The hysteresis behaviour and magnetic properties of electrodeposited Co-Pt alloy nanowires altered with varying deposition potential. The easy magnetization direction was in direction perpendicular to the wire axis. The deposition potential dependent change in hysteresis behaviour with increased coercivity and scattered remanence ratio was observed. This is attributed to better crystallinity with reduced defect density and hydrogen evolution causing structural changes at more negative deposition potentials.

Negative Life Events and Antenatal Depression among Pregnant Women in Rural China: The Role of Negative Automatic Thoughts.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Wang, Xiaohua; Liu, Fangnan; Jiang, Xiaoning; Xiao, Yun; Dong, Xuehan; Kong, Xianglei; Yang, Xuemei; Tian, Donghua; Qu, Zhiyong

2016-01-01

Few studies have looked at the relationship between psychological and the mental health status of pregnant women in rural China. The current study aims to explore the potential mediating effect of negative automatic thoughts between negative life events and antenatal depression. Data were collected in June 2012 and October 2012. 495 rural pregnant women were interviewed. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, stresses of pregnancy were measured by the pregnancy pressure scale, negative automatic thoughts were measured by the automatic thoughts questionnaire, and negative life events were measured by the life events scale for pregnant women. We used logistic regression and path analysis to test the mediating effect. The prevalence of antenatal depression was 13.7%. In the logistic regression, the only socio-demographic and health behavior factor significantly related to antenatal depression was sleep quality. Negative life events were not associated with depression in the fully adjusted model. Path analysis showed that the eventual direct and general effects of negative automatic thoughts were 0.39 and 0.51, which were larger than the effects of negative life events. This study suggested that there was a potentially significant mediating effect of negative automatic thoughts. Pregnant women who had lower scores of negative automatic thoughts were more likely to suffer less from negative life events which might lead to antenatal depression.

Modeling Deficits from Early Auditory Information Processing to Psychosocial Functioning in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Thomas, Michael L.; Green, Michael F.; Hellemann, Gerhard; Sugar, Catherine A.; Tarasenko, Melissa; Calkins, Monica E.; Greenwood, Tiffany A.; Gur, Raquel E.; Gur, Ruben C.; Lazzeroni, Laura C.; Nuechterlein, Keith H.; Radant, Allen D.; Seidman, Larry J.; Shiluk, Alexandra L.; Siever, Larry J.; Silverman, Jeremy M.; Sprock, Joyce; Stone, William S.; Swerdlow, Neal R.; Tsuang, Debby W.; Tsuang, Ming T.; Turetsky, Bruce I.; Braff, David L.; Light, Gregory A.

2017-01-01

Importance Neurophysiological measures of early auditory information processing (EAP) are used as endophenotypes in genomic studies and biomarkers in clinical intervention studies. Research in schizophrenia has established correlations among measures of EAP, cognition, clinical symptoms, and functional outcome. Clarifying these relationships by determining the pathways through which deficits in EAP affect functioning would suggest when and where to therapeutically intervene. Objective We sought to characterize the pathways from EAP to outcome and to estimate the extent to which enhancement of basic information processing might improve both cognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. Design Cross-sectional data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine the associations between EAP, cognition, negative symptoms, and functional outcome. Setting Participants were recruited from the community at five geographically distributed laboratories as part of the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia-2 (COGS-2). Participants This well-characterized cohort of schizophrenia patients (N = 1,415) underwent EAP and cognitive testing as well as thorough clinical and functional assessment. Main Outcome and Measures EAP was measured by mismatch negativity, P3a, and reorienting negativity. Cognition was measured by the Letter Number Span test and scales from the California Verbal Learning Test - Second Edition, the Wechsler Memory Scale Third Edition, and the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery. Negative symptoms were measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Functional outcome was measured by the Role Functioning Scale. Results EAP had a direct effect on cognition (β = 0.37, p < .001), cognition had a direct effect on negative symptoms (β = −0.16, p < .001), and both cognition (β = 0.26, p < .001) and experiential negative symptoms (β = −0.75, p < .001) had direct effects on functional outcome. Overall, EAP had a fully mediated effect on functional outcome, engaging general rather than modality-specific cognition, with separate pathways that either involved or bypassed negative symptoms. Conclusions and Relevance The data support a model where EAP deficits lead to poor functional outcome via impaired cognition and increased negative symptoms. Results can be used to help guide mechanistically informed, personalized treatments, and support the strategy of using EAP measures as surrogate endpoints in early stage pro-cognitive intervention studies. PMID:27926742

Negative mood reverses devaluation of goal-directed drug-seeking favouring an incentive learning account of drug dependence.

PubMed

Hogarth, Lee; He, Zhimin; Chase, Henry W; Wills, Andy J; Troisi, Joseph; Leventhal, Adam M; Mathew, Amanda R; Hitsman, Brian

2015-09-01

Two theories explain how negative mood primes smoking behaviour. The stimulus-response (S-R) account argues that in the negative mood state, smoking is experienced as more reinforcing, establishing a direct (automatic) association between the negative mood state and smoking behaviour. By contrast, the incentive learning account argues that in the negative mood state smoking is expected to be more reinforcing, which integrates with instrumental knowledge of the response required to produce that outcome. One differential prediction is that whereas the incentive learning account anticipates that negative mood induction could augment a novel tobacco-seeking response in an extinction test, the S-R account could not explain this effect because the extinction test prevents S-R learning by omitting experience of the reinforcer. To test this, overnight-deprived daily smokers (n = 44) acquired two instrumental responses for tobacco and chocolate points, respectively, before smoking to satiety. Half then received negative mood induction to raise the expected value of tobacco, opposing satiety, whilst the remainder received positive mood induction. Finally, a choice between tobacco and chocolate was measured in extinction to test whether negative mood could augment tobacco choice, opposing satiety, in the absence of direct experience of tobacco reinforcement. Negative mood induction not only abolished the devaluation of tobacco choice, but participants with a significant increase in negative mood increased their tobacco choice in extinction, despite satiety. These findings suggest that negative mood augments drug-seeking by raising the expected value of the drug through incentive learning, rather than through automatic S-R control.

An exploratory path model of the relationships between positive and negative adaptation to cancer on quality of life among non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors.

PubMed

Bryant, Ashley Leak; Smith, Sophia K; Zimmer, Catherine; Crandell, Jamie; Jenerette, Coretta M; Bailey, Donald E; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Mayer, Deborah K

2015-01-01

Adaptation is an ongoing, cognitive process with continuous appraisal of the cancer experience by the survivor. This exploratory study tested a path model examining the personal (demographic, disease, and psychosocial) characteristics associated with quality of life (QOL) and whether or not adaptation to living with cancer may mediate these effects. This study employed path analysis to estimate adaptation to cancer. A cross-sectional sample of NHL survivors (N = 750) was used to test the model. Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years, at least 2 years post-diagnosis, and living with or without active disease. Sixty-eight percent of the variance was accounted for in QOL. The strongest effect (-0.596) was direct by negative adaptation, approximately 3 times that of positive adaptation (0.193). The strongest demographic total effects on QOL were age and social support; <65 years of age had better QOL and better adaptation compared to those ≥ 65. Of the disease characteristics, comorbidity score had the strongest direct effect on QOL; each additional comorbidity was associated with a 0.309 standard deviation decline on QOL. There were no fully mediated effects through positive adaptation alone. Our exploratory findings support the coexistence of positive and negative adaptations perception as mediators of personal characteristics of the cancer experience. Negative adaptation can affect QOL in a positive way. Cancer survivorship is simultaneously shaped by both positive and negative adaptation with future research and implications for practice aimed at improving QOL.

The social ties that bind: social anxiety and academic achievement across the university years.

PubMed

Brook, Christina A; Willoughby, Teena

2015-05-01

Given that engagement and integration in university/college are considered key to successful academic achievement, the identifying features of social anxiety, including fear of negative evaluation and distress and avoidance of new or all social situations, may be particularly disadvantageous in the social and evaluative contexts that are integral to university/college life. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the direct effects of social anxiety on academic achievement, as well as investigate an indirect mechanism through which social anxiety might impact on academic achievement, namely, the formation of new social ties in university. The participants were 942 (71.7 % female; M = 19 years at Time 1) students enrolled in a mid-sized university in Southern Ontario, Canada. Students completed annual assessments of social anxiety, social ties, and academic achievement for three consecutive years. The results from an autoregressive cross-lag path analysis indicated that social anxiety had a significant and negative direct relationship with academic achievement. Moreover, the negative indirect effect of social anxiety on academic achievement through social ties was significant, as was the opposing direction of effects (i.e., the indirect effect of academic achievement on social anxiety through social ties). These findings highlight the critical role that social ties appear to play in successful academic outcomes and in alleviating the effects of social anxiety during university/college.

Bi-directional Effects of Peer Relationships and Adolescent Substance Use: A Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

McDonough, Meghan H; Jose, Paul E; Stuart, Jaimee

2016-08-01

Understanding the predictors of the onset and maintenance of substance use in adolescence is important because it is a recognized health risk. The present longitudinal study examined whether negative peer influence and peer connectedness predicted changes in adolescent alcohol, cigarette, marijuana, and other illegal drug use, and reciprocally whether substance use predicted changes in peer relationships. Adolescents (N = 1940; 52 % female; 52 % European New Zealanders, 30 % Maori, 12 % Pacific Islander) aged 10-15 years completed measures annually for 3 years. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine bi-directional effects. Negative peer influence predicted increased use of all substances. In turn, alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use predicted increased negative peer influence, but this effect was inconsistent over time. Peer connectedness, predicted to diminish the frequency of substance use, was found to be unrelated to it. Breaking the reciprocal cycle between peer coercion and substance use would seem to be useful for reducing substance use.

Inverse Doppler Effects in Broadband Acoustic Metamaterials

PubMed Central

Zhai, S. L.; Zhao, X. P.; Liu, S.; Shen, F. L.; Li, L. L.; Luo, C. R.

2016-01-01

The Doppler effect refers to the change in frequency of a wave source as a consequence of the relative motion between the source and an observer. Veselago theoretically predicted that materials with negative refractions can induce inverse Doppler effects. With the development of metamaterials, inverse Doppler effects have been extensively investigated. However, the ideal material parameters prescribed by these metamaterial design approaches are complex and also challenging to obtain experimentally. Here, we demonstrated a method of designing and experimentally characterising arbitrary broadband acoustic metamaterials. These omni-directional, double-negative, acoustic metamaterials are constructed with ‘flute-like’ acoustic meta-cluster sets with seven double meta-molecules; these metamaterials also overcome the limitations of broadband negative bulk modulus and mass density to provide a region of negative refraction and inverse Doppler effects. It was also shown that inverse Doppler effects can be detected in a flute, which has been popular for thousands of years in Asia and Europe. PMID:27578317

Inverse Doppler Effects in Broadband Acoustic Metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, S. L.; Zhao, X. P.; Liu, S.; Shen, F. L.; Li, L. L.; Luo, C. R.

2016-08-01

The Doppler effect refers to the change in frequency of a wave source as a consequence of the relative motion between the source and an observer. Veselago theoretically predicted that materials with negative refractions can induce inverse Doppler effects. With the development of metamaterials, inverse Doppler effects have been extensively investigated. However, the ideal material parameters prescribed by these metamaterial design approaches are complex and also challenging to obtain experimentally. Here, we demonstrated a method of designing and experimentally characterising arbitrary broadband acoustic metamaterials. These omni-directional, double-negative, acoustic metamaterials are constructed with ‘flute-like’ acoustic meta-cluster sets with seven double meta-molecules; these metamaterials also overcome the limitations of broadband negative bulk modulus and mass density to provide a region of negative refraction and inverse Doppler effects. It was also shown that inverse Doppler effects can be detected in a flute, which has been popular for thousands of years in Asia and Europe.

The effects of positive versus negative impact reflection on change in job performance and work-life conflict.

PubMed

Cardador, M Teresa

2014-01-01

Research on task significance and relational job design suggests that information from beneficiaries of one's work fosters perceptions of impact, and thus improved work outcomes. This paper presents results from a longitudinal field experiment examining the effect of another strategy for fostering perceptions of impact - engaging employees in regular reflection about how their work benefits others. With a sample of professionals from multiple organizations, this longitudinal study examined the effect on job performance and work-life conflict of both positive and negative impact reflection. Results show that negative impact reflection had a pronounced negative effect on job performance, but no effect on work-life conflict. Positive impact reflection had a weak positive effect on work-life conflict, but no significant effect on job performance. The direction of effects seen in the no intervention condition mirrored that of the negative impact reflection condition, suggesting a possible buffering effect for positive impact reflection. This research provides empirical and theoretical contributions to the literatures on relational job design and task significance.

The effects of positive versus negative impact reflection on change in job performance and work-life conflict

PubMed Central

Cardador, M. Teresa

2014-01-01

Research on task significance and relational job design suggests that information from beneficiaries of one’s work fosters perceptions of impact, and thus improved work outcomes. This paper presents results from a longitudinal field experiment examining the effect of another strategy for fostering perceptions of impact – engaging employees in regular reflection about how their work benefits others. With a sample of professionals from multiple organizations, this longitudinal study examined the effect on job performance and work-life conflict of both positive and negative impact reflection. Results show that negative impact reflection had a pronounced negative effect on job performance, but no effect on work-life conflict. Positive impact reflection had a weak positive effect on work-life conflict, but no significant effect on job performance. The direction of effects seen in the no intervention condition mirrored that of the negative impact reflection condition, suggesting a possible buffering effect for positive impact reflection. This research provides empirical and theoretical contributions to the literatures on relational job design and task significance. PMID:25505890

Direct and Indirect Influence of Non-Native Neighbours on Pollination and Fruit Production of a Native Plant.

PubMed

Montero-Castaño, Ana; Vilà, Montserrat

2015-01-01

Entomophilous non-native plants can directly affect the pollination and reproductive success of native plant species and also indirectly, by altering the composition and abundance of floral resources in the invaded community. Separating direct from indirect effects is critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying the impacts of non-native species on recipient communities. Our aims are: (a) to explore both the direct effect of the non-native Hedysarum coronarium and its indirect effect, mediated by the alteration of floral diversity, on the pollinator visitation rate and fructification of the native Leopoldia comosa and (b) to distinguish whether the effects of the non-native species were due to its floral display or to its vegetative interactions. We conducted field observations within a flower removal experimental setup (i.e. non-native species present, absent and with its inflorescences removed) at the neighbourhood scale. Our study illustrates the complexity of mechanisms involved in the impacts of non-native species on native species. Overall, Hedysarum increased pollinator visitation rates to Leopoldia target plants as a result of direct and indirect effects acting in the same direction. Due to its floral display, Hedysarum exerted a direct magnet effect attracting visits to native target plants, especially those made by the honeybee. Indirectly, Hedysarum also increased the visitation rate of native target plants. Due to the competition for resources mediated by its vegetative parts, it decreased floral diversity in the neighbourhoods, which was negatively related to the visitation rate to native target plants. Hedysarum overall also increased the fructification of Leopoldia target plants, even though such an increase was the result of other indirect effects compensating for the observed negative indirect effect mediated by the decrease of floral diversity.

Direct and Indirect Influence of Non-Native Neighbours on Pollination and Fruit Production of a Native Plant

PubMed Central

Montero-Castaño, Ana; Vilà, Montserrat

2015-01-01

Background Entomophilous non-native plants can directly affect the pollination and reproductive success of native plant species and also indirectly, by altering the composition and abundance of floral resources in the invaded community. Separating direct from indirect effects is critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying the impacts of non-native species on recipient communities. Objectives Our aims are: (a) to explore both the direct effect of the non-native Hedysarum coronarium and its indirect effect, mediated by the alteration of floral diversity, on the pollinator visitation rate and fructification of the native Leopoldia comosa and (b) to distinguish whether the effects of the non-native species were due to its floral display or to its vegetative interactions. Methods We conducted field observations within a flower removal experimental setup (i.e. non-native species present, absent and with its inflorescences removed) at the neighbourhood scale. Results Our study illustrates the complexity of mechanisms involved in the impacts of non-native species on native species. Overall, Hedysarum increased pollinator visitation rates to Leopoldia target plants as a result of direct and indirect effects acting in the same direction. Due to its floral display, Hedysarum exerted a direct magnet effect attracting visits to native target plants, especially those made by the honeybee. Indirectly, Hedysarum also increased the visitation rate of native target plants. Due to the competition for resources mediated by its vegetative parts, it decreased floral diversity in the neighbourhoods, which was negatively related to the visitation rate to native target plants. Hedysarum overall also increased the fructification of Leopoldia target plants, even though such an increase was the result of other indirect effects compensating for the observed negative indirect effect mediated by the decrease of floral diversity. PMID:26110630

Identification and susceptibility testing of microorganism by direct inoculation from positive blood culture bottles by combining MALDI-TOF and Vitek-2 Compact is rapid and effective.

PubMed

Romero-Gómez, María-Pilar; Gómez-Gil, Rosa; Paño-Pardo, Jose Ramón; Mingorance, Jesús

2012-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the combined use of MALDI-TOF MS bacterial identification and the Vitek-2 Compact antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) directly from positive blood cultures. Direct identification by MALDI-TOF MS and AST were performed in parallel to the standard methods in all positively flagged blood cultures bottles during the study period. Three hundred and twenty four monomicrobial positive blood cultures were included in the present study, with 257 Gram-negative and 67 Gram-positive isolates. MALDI-TOF MS identification directly from blood bottles reported the correct identification for Enterobacteriaceae in 97.7%, non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli 75.0%, Staphylococcus aureus 75.8%, coagulase negative staphylococci 63.3% and enterococci 63.3%. A total 6156 isolate/antimicrobial agent combinations were tested. Enterobacteriaceae group and non-fermentative Gram-negative Bacilli showed an agreement of 96.67% and 92.30%, respectively, for the Gram-positive cocci the overall agreement found was 97.84%. We conclude that direct identification by MALDI-TOF and inoculation of Vitek-2 Compact AST with positive blood culture bottles yielded very good results and decreased time between initial inoculation of blood culture media and determination of the antibiotic susceptibility for Gram-negative rods and Gram-positive cocci causing bacteremia. Copyright © 2012 The British Infection Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Direct/Indirect Association of ADHD/ODD Symptoms with Self-esteem, Self-perception, and Depression in Early Adolescents.

PubMed

Kita, Yosuke; Inoue, Yuki

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to reveal the influences of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms on self-esteem and self-perception during early adolescence and to clarify the spillover effect of self-esteem on depressive symptoms. ADHD symptoms in 564 early adolescents were evaluated via teacher-rating scales. Self-esteem and depressive symptoms were assessed via self-reported scales. We analyzed the relationships among these symptoms using structural equation modeling. Severe inattentive symptoms decreased self-esteem and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms affected self-perception for non-academic domains. Although these ADHD symptoms did not directly affect depressive symptoms, low self-esteem led to severe depression. ODD symptoms had a direct impact on depression without the mediating effects of self-esteem. These results indicated that inattentive symptoms had a negative impact on self-esteem and an indirect negative effect on depressive symptoms in adolescents, even if ADHD symptoms were subthreshold. Severe ODD symptoms can be directly associated with depressive symptoms during early adolescence.

The Direct/Indirect Association of ADHD/ODD Symptoms with Self-esteem, Self-perception, and Depression in Early Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kita, Yosuke; Inoue, Yuki

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to reveal the influences of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms on self-esteem and self-perception during early adolescence and to clarify the spillover effect of self-esteem on depressive symptoms. ADHD symptoms in 564 early adolescents were evaluated via teacher-rating scales. Self-esteem and depressive symptoms were assessed via self-reported scales. We analyzed the relationships among these symptoms using structural equation modeling. Severe inattentive symptoms decreased self-esteem and hyperactive–impulsive symptoms affected self-perception for non-academic domains. Although these ADHD symptoms did not directly affect depressive symptoms, low self-esteem led to severe depression. ODD symptoms had a direct impact on depression without the mediating effects of self-esteem. These results indicated that inattentive symptoms had a negative impact on self-esteem and an indirect negative effect on depressive symptoms in adolescents, even if ADHD symptoms were subthreshold. Severe ODD symptoms can be directly associated with depressive symptoms during early adolescence. PMID:28824468

Modeling Deficits From Early Auditory Information Processing to Psychosocial Functioning in Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Thomas, Michael L; Green, Michael F; Hellemann, Gerhard; Sugar, Catherine A; Tarasenko, Melissa; Calkins, Monica E; Greenwood, Tiffany A; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Lazzeroni, Laura C; Nuechterlein, Keith H; Radant, Allen D; Seidman, Larry J; Shiluk, Alexandra L; Siever, Larry J; Silverman, Jeremy M; Sprock, Joyce; Stone, William S; Swerdlow, Neal R; Tsuang, Debby W; Tsuang, Ming T; Turetsky, Bruce I; Braff, David L; Light, Gregory A

2017-01-01

Neurophysiologic measures of early auditory information processing (EAP) are used as endophenotypes in genomic studies and biomarkers in clinical intervention studies. Research in schizophrenia has established correlations among measures of EAP, cognition, clinical symptoms, and functional outcome. Clarifying these associations by determining the pathways through which deficits in EAP affect functioning would suggest when and where to therapeutically intervene. To characterize the pathways from EAP to outcome and to estimate the extent to which enhancement of basic information processing might improve cognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine the associations among EAP, cognition, negative symptoms, and functional outcome. Participants were recruited from the community at 5 geographically distributed laboratories as part of the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia 2 from July 1, 2010, through January 31, 2014. This well-characterized cohort of 1415 patients with schizophrenia underwent EAP, cognitive, and thorough clinical and functional assessment. Mismatch negativity, P3a, and reorienting negativity were used to measure EAP. Cognition was measured by the Letter Number Span test and scales from the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition, the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition, and the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery. Negative symptoms were measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Functional outcome was measured by the Role Functioning Scale. Participants included 1415 unrelated outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (mean [SD] age, 46 [11] years; 979 males [69.2%] and 619 white [43.7%]). Early auditory information processing had a direct effect on cognition (β = 0.37, P < .001), cognition had a direct effect on negative symptoms (β = -0.16, P < .001), and both cognition (β = 0.26, P < .001) and experiential negative symptoms (β = -0.75, P < .001) had direct effects on functional outcome. The indirect effect of EAP on functional outcome was significant as well (β = 0.14, P < .001). Overall, EAP had a fully mediated effect on functional outcome, engaging general rather than modality-specific cognition, with separate pathways that involved or bypassed negative symptoms. The data support a model in which EAP deficits lead to poor functional outcome via impaired cognition and increased negative symptoms. Results can be used to help guide mechanistically informed, personalized treatments and support the strategy of using EAP measures as surrogate end points in early-stage procognitive intervention studies.

Effects of attention manipulations on motivated attention to feared and nonfeared negative distracters in spider fear.

PubMed

Norberg, Joakim; Wiens, Stefan

2013-11-09

When people view emotional and neutral pictures, the emotional pictures capture more attention than do neutral pictures. In support, studies with event-related potentials have shown that the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP) to emotional versus neutral pictures are enhanced when pictures are attended. However, this motivated attention decreases when voluntary attention is directed away from the pictures. Most previous studies included only generally emotional pictures of either negative or positive valence. Because people with spider fear report intense fear of spiders, we examined whether directing attention away from emotional pictures at fixation decreases motivated attention less strongly for spiders than for generally negative distracters. We recorded event-related potentials from 128 channels to study whether manipulations of attention (i.e., spatial attention and perceptual load) decrease the EPN and the LPP to emotional distracters less strongly for spiders than for fear-irrelevant negative pictures in people with spider fear. Results confirmed that the EPN and the LPP to spiders (vs. neutral pictures) were particularly enhanced in participants with spider fear compared to participants without spider fear. When attention was directed away from the pictures, the EPN and the LPP to spiders (vs. neutral pictures) decreased similarly in fearful and nonfearful participants. Further, in fearful participants, the decrease in the EPN and the LPP was similar for spiders and for fear-irrelevant negative pictures. Our findings suggest that for people with spider fear, directing attention away from emotional pictures at fixation decreases motivated attention to these distracters similarly for spiders as for fear-irrelevant negative pictures. These findings imply that attention to spiders in spider fear does not exceed the level of attention expected from the spider pictures' high arousal and negative valence (i.e., their intrinsic motivated attention).

Nature and Nurturing: Parenting in the Context of Child Temperament

PubMed Central

Kiff, Cara J.; Lengua, Liliana J.; Zalewski, Maureen

2011-01-01

Accounting for both bidirectional and interactive effects between parenting and child temperament can fine-tune theoretical models of the role of parenting and temperament in children's development of adjustment problems. Evidence for bidirectional and interactive effects between parenting and children's characteristics of frustration, fear, self-regulation, and impulsivity was reviewed, and an overall model of children's individual differences in response to parenting is proposed. In general, children high in frustration, impulsivity and low in effortful control are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of negative parenting, while in turn, many negative parenting behaviors predict increases in these characteristics. Frustration, fearfulness, and effortful control also appear to elicit parenting behaviors that can predict increases in these characteristics. Irritability renders children more susceptible to negative parenting behaviors. Fearfulness operates in a very complex manner, sometimes increasing children's responses to parenting behaviors and sometimes mitigating them and apparently operating differently across gender. Important directions for future research include the use of study designs and analytic approaches that account for the direction of effects and for developmental changes in parenting and temperament over time. PMID:21461681

Socioeconomic stress and academic adjustment among Asian American adolescents: the protective role of family obligation.

PubMed

Kiang, Lisa; Andrews, Kandace; Stein, Gabriela L; Supple, Andrew J; Gonzalez, Laura M

2013-06-01

Socioeconomic stress has long been found to place youth at risk, with low family income conferring disadvantages in adolescents' school achievement and success. This study investigates the role of socioeconomic stress on academic adjustment, and pinpoints family obligation as a possible buffer of negative associations. We examined direct and interactive effects at two time points in the same sample of Asian American adolescents-early high school (N = 180 9th-10th graders; 60 % female) and 2 years later in late high school (N = 156 11th-12th graders; 87% of original sample). Results suggest that socioeconomic stress is indeed associated with poor academic adjustment, measured broadly through self-reported GPA, importance of academic success, and educational aspirations and expectations. Family obligation was positively related to adjustment, and also was found to buffer the negative effects of socioeconomic stress, but only during adolescents' later high school years. Adolescents reporting more family obligation experienced less of the negative effects of financial stress on academic outcomes than those reporting lower obligation. Cultural and developmental implications are discussed in light of these direct and moderating effects.

When the Cat Is Near, the Mice Won't Play: The Effect of External Examiners in Italian Schools. CEP Discussion Paper No. 1191

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertoni, Marco; Brunello, Giorgio; Rocco, Lorenzo

2013-01-01

We use a natural experiment to show that the presence of an external examiner has both a direct and an indirect negative effect on the performance of monitored classes in standardized educational tests. The direct effect is the difference in the test performance between classes of the same school with and without external examiners. The indirect…

Integrating eating disorder-specific risk factors into the acquired preparedness model of dysregulated eating: A moderated mediation analysis.

PubMed

Racine, Sarah E; Martin, Shelby J

2017-01-01

Tests of the acquired preparedness model demonstrate that the personality trait of negative urgency (i.e., the tendency to act impulsively when distressed) predicts the expectation that eating alleviates negative affect, and this eating expectancy subsequently predicts dysregulated eating. Although recent data indicate that eating disorder-specific risk factors (i.e., appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dietary restraint) strengthen negative urgency-dysregulated eating associations, it is unclear whether these risk factors impact associations directly or indirectly (i.e., through eating expectancies). The current study used latent moderated structural equation modeling to test moderated mediation hypotheses in a sample of 313 female college students. Eating expectancies mediated the association between negative urgency and dysregulated eating, and the indirect effect of negative urgency on dysregulated eating through eating expectancies was conditional on level of each eating disorder risk factor. Appearance pressures, thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and dietary restraint significantly moderated the association between eating expectancies and dysregulated eating, while only dietary restraint moderated the direct effect of negative urgency on dysregulated eating. Findings suggest that the development of high-risk eating expectancies among individuals with negative urgency, combined with sociocultural pressures for thinness and their consequences, is associated with the greatest risk for dysregulated eating. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Urban sprawl as a risk factor in motor vehicle crashes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ewing, Reid; Hamidi, Shima; Grace, James B.

2016-01-01

A decade ago, compactness/sprawl indices were developed for metropolitan areas and counties which have been widely used in health and other research. In this study, we first update the original county index to 2010, then develop a refined index that accounts for more relevant factors, and finally seek to test the relationship between sprawl and traffic crash rates using structural equation modelling. Controlling for covariates, we find that sprawl is associated with significantly higher direct and indirect effects on fatal crash rates. The direct effect is likely due to the higher traffic speeds in sprawling areas, and the indirect effect is due to greater vehicle miles driven in such areas. Conversely, sprawl has negative direct relationships with total crashes and non-fatal injury crashes, and these offset (and sometimes overwhelm) the positive indirect effects of sprawl on both types of crashes through the mediating effect of increased vehicle miles driven. The most likely explanation is the greater prevalence of fender benders and other minor accidents in the low speed, high conflict traffic environments of compact areas, negating the lower vehicle miles travelled per capita in such areas.

Selective rehearsal is affected by the emotionality of the encoding context in item-method directed forgetting: An event-related potential study.

PubMed

Liu, Tzu-Ling; Chen, Nai-Feng; Cheng, Shih-Kuen

2017-02-01

Emotional items are often remembered more clearly than neutral items. However, whether stimuli embedded in an emotional context are more resistant to directed forgetting than those presented in a neutral context remains unclear. This question was tested by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) in an item-method directed forgetting paradigm involving neutral words that were embedded in neutral or negative contexts. During the study phase, participants were asked to associate a neutral word with a negative or neutral picture. A remember (R) or forget (F) cue was then designated to indicate whether the word was a to-be-remembered (TBR) or to-be-forgotten (TBF) word. In the test phase, participants were asked to identify all previously presented old words regardless of the R/F cues. The behavioral results indicated a significant interaction between the valence of the encoding contexts and the R/F cues. The hit rate was lower for the TBR words encoded in negative contexts relative to those encoded in neutral contexts. No such valence effect was observed in the hit rates of the TBF words. For the ERP data, the R cues elicited a P3b-like effect that has been linked to the selective rehearsal of the TBR items. This effect was more sustained in the negative encoding context than in the neutral context. The F cues elicited a frontal positivity that has been linked to the active inhibition of the TBF words; however, this positivity was not modulated by the valence of the encoding context. The sustained P3b-like effect for the R cues in the negative encoding context might reflect a compensative encoding for the TBR words caused by the attention-capturing negative contexts. Therefore, we argue that the emotional context affected the selective elaboration of the TBR words; however, we also argue that there was no supportive evidence of an emotional effect on the forgetting of TBF items. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Outgroup helping as a tool to communicate ingroup warmth.

PubMed

van Leeuwen, Esther; Täuber, Susanne

2012-06-01

The authors extend previous research on the effects of metastereotype activation on outgroup helping by examining in more detail the role of group impression management motives and by studying direct helping (i.e., helping the outgroup believed to hold a negative view of the ingroup). Data from three experiments provided full support for the communicative nature of direct outgroup helping by demonstrating that outgroup helping in response to a negative metastereotype was predicted by participants' concern for the image of their ingroup, but not by their self-image concerns. Moreover, group image concerns predicted outgroup helping but not ingroup helping and predicted outgroup helping only when a negative metastereotype was activated, compared with a positive metastereotype, or a (negative or positive) autostereotype. The results also ruled out an alternative explanation in terms of denying the self-relevance of the metastereotype.

Negative electrospray ionization on porous supporting tips for mass spectrometric analysis: electrostatic charging effect on detection sensitivity and its application to explosive detection.

PubMed

Wong, Melody Yee-Man; Man, Sin-Heng; Che, Chi-Ming; Lau, Kai-Chung; Ng, Kwan-Ming

2014-03-21

The simplicity and easy manipulation of a porous substrate-based ESI-MS technique have been widely applied to the direct analysis of different types of samples in positive ion mode. However, the study and application of this technique in negative ion mode are sparse. A key challenge could be due to the ease of electrical discharge on supporting tips upon the application of negative voltage. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of supporting materials, including polyester, polyethylene and wood, on the detection sensitivity of a porous substrate-based negative ESI-MS technique. By using nitrobenzene derivatives and nitrophenol derivatives as the target analytes, it was found that the hydrophobic materials (i.e., polyethylene and polyester) with a higher tendency to accumulate negative charge could enhance the detection sensitivity towards nitrobenzene derivatives via electron-capture ionization; whereas, compounds with electron affinities lower than the cut-off value (1.13 eV) were not detected. Nitrophenol derivatives with pKa smaller than 9.0 could be detected in the form of deprotonated ions; whereas polar materials (i.e., wood), which might undergo competitive deprotonation with the analytes, could suppress the detection sensitivity. With the investigation of the material effects on the detection sensitivity, the porous substrate-based negative ESI-MS method was developed and applied to the direct detection of two commonly encountered explosives in complex samples.

The Influence of Staff Training on Challenging Behaviour in Individuals with Intellectual Disability: A Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Alison D.; Dube, Charmayne; Temple, Beverley

2015-01-01

Many individuals with intellectual disability engage in challenging behaviour. This can significantly limit quality of life and also negatively impact caregivers (e.g., direct care staff, family caregivers and teachers). Fortunately, efficacious staff training may alleviate some negative side effects of client challenging behaviour. Currently, a…

How ocean acidification can benefit calcifiers.

PubMed

Connell, Sean D; Doubleday, Zoë A; Hamlyn, Sarah B; Foster, Nicole R; Harley, Christopher D G; Helmuth, Brian; Kelaher, Brendan P; Nagelkerken, Ivan; Sarà, Gianluca; Russell, Bayden D

2017-02-06

Reduction in seawater pH due to rising levels of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) in the world's oceans is a major force set to shape the future of marine ecosystems and the ecological services they provide [1,2]. In particular, ocean acidification is predicted to have a detrimental effect on the physiology of calcifying organisms [3]. Yet, the indirect effects of ocean acidification on calcifying organisms, which may counter or exacerbate direct effects, is uncertain. Using volcanic CO 2 vents, we tested the indirect effects of ocean acidification on a calcifying herbivore (gastropod) within the natural complexity of an ecological system. Contrary to predictions, the abundance of this calcifier was greater at vent sites (with near-future CO 2 levels). Furthermore, translocation experiments demonstrated that ocean acidification did not drive increases in gastropod abundance directly, but indirectly as a function of increased habitat and food (algal biomass). We conclude that the effect of ocean acidification on algae (primary producers) can have a strong, indirect positive influence on the abundance of some calcifying herbivores, which can overwhelm any direct negative effects. This finding points to the need to understand ecological processes that buffer the negative effects of environmental change. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Micromegas-based Directional Dark Matter Detector for Use with Negative Ion Gases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicoloff, Catherine; Battat, James

2017-01-01

Directional dark matter detectors seek to measure the direction of WIMP-induced nuclear recoils. The angular distribution of these recoils provides a unique signature that is not mimicked by any known background population. Low-pressure gas time projection chambers (TPCs) have a long and successful history in directional dark matter searches. The benefit of the low-pressure gas target is that nuclear recoils from dark matter extend long enough to be reliably reconstructed. For the last decade, the DRIFT collaboration has employed a MWPC-based negative-ion TPC for directional dark matter detection. DRIFT recently published the leading limit from a directional detector on the spin-dependent WIMP-proton interaction (1.1 pb at a WIMP mass of 100 GeV/c2) . Although the effective spatial granularity along the drift direction is 60 um, the MWPC wire spacing of 2 mm limits DRIFT's track reconstruction. DRIFT is now exploring TPC readouts that offer higher spatial resolution. Here, we report on one such effort that uses a Micromegas for gas amplification with orthogonal strips for charge signal readout. The detector can be used with both electron drift and negative ion gases. We will describe the detector design and present preliminary commissioning data taken in a surface laboratory. Research Corporation, NSF, and MA Space Grant.

Roselle Polyphenols Exert Potent Negative Inotropic Effects via Modulation of Intracellular Calcium Regulatory Channels in Isolated Rat Heart.

PubMed

Lim, Yi-Cheng; Budin, Siti Balkis; Othman, Faizah; Latip, Jalifah; Zainalabidin, Satirah

2017-07-01

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa Linn.) calyces have demonstrated propitious cardioprotective effects in animal and clinical studies; however, little is known about its action on cardiac mechanical function. This study was undertaken to investigate direct action of roselle polyphenols (RP) on cardiac function in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. We utilized RP extract which consists of 12 flavonoids and seven phenolic acids (as shown by HPLC profiling) and has a safe concentration range between 125 and 500 μg/ml in this study. Direct perfusion of RP in concentration-dependent manner lowered systolic function of the heart as shown by lowered LVDP and dP/dt max , suggesting a negative inotropic effect. RP also reduced heart rate (negative chronotropic action) while simultaneously increasing maximal velocity of relaxation (positive lusitropic action). Conversely, RP perfusion increased coronary pressure, an indicator for improvement in coronary blood flow. Inotropic responses elicited by pharmacological agonists for L-type Ca 2+ channel [(±)-Bay K 8644], ryanodine receptor (4-chloro-m-cresol), β-adrenergic receptor (isoproterenol) and SERCA blocker (thapsigargin) were all abolished by RP. In conclusion, RP elicits negative inotropic, negative chronotropic and positive lusitropic responses by possibly modulating calcium entry, release and reuptake in the heart. Our findings have shown the potential use of RP as a therapeutic agent to treat conditions like arrhythmia.

Positivity effect in source attributions of arousal-matched emotional and non-emotional words during item-based directed forgetting.

PubMed

Gallant, Sara N; Yang, Lixia

2014-01-01

Consistent with their emphasis on emotional goals, older adults often exhibit a positivity bias in attention and memory relative to their young counterparts (i.e., a positivity effect). The current study sought to determine how this age-related positivity effect would impact intentional forgetting of emotional words, a process critical to efficient operation of memory. Using an item-based directed forgetting task, 36 young and 36 older adults studied a series of arousal-equivalent words that varied in valence (i.e., positive, negative, and neutral). Each word was followed by a cue to either remember or forget the word. A subsequent "tagging" recognition task required classification of items as to-be-remembered (TBR), to-be-forgotten (TBF), or new as a measure of directed forgetting and source attribution in participants' memory. Neither young nor older adults' intentional forgetting was affected by the valence of words. A goal-consistent valence effect did, however, emerge in older adults' source attribution performance. Specifically, older adults assigned more TBR-cues to positive words and more TBF-cues to negative words. Results are discussed in light of existing literature on emotion and directed forgetting as well as the socioemotional selectivity theory underlying the age-related positivity effect.

Positivity effect in source attributions of arousal-matched emotional and non-emotional words during item-based directed forgetting

PubMed Central

Gallant, Sara N.; Yang, Lixia

2014-01-01

Consistent with their emphasis on emotional goals, older adults often exhibit a positivity bias in attention and memory relative to their young counterparts (i.e., a positivity effect). The current study sought to determine how this age-related positivity effect would impact intentional forgetting of emotional words, a process critical to efficient operation of memory. Using an item-based directed forgetting task, 36 young and 36 older adults studied a series of arousal-equivalent words that varied in valence (i.e., positive, negative, and neutral). Each word was followed by a cue to either remember or forget the word. A subsequent “tagging” recognition task required classification of items as to-be-remembered (TBR), to-be-forgotten (TBF), or new as a measure of directed forgetting and source attribution in participants' memory. Neither young nor older adults' intentional forgetting was affected by the valence of words. A goal-consistent valence effect did, however, emerge in older adults' source attribution performance. Specifically, older adults assigned more TBR-cues to positive words and more TBF-cues to negative words. Results are discussed in light of existing literature on emotion and directed forgetting as well as the socioemotional selectivity theory underlying the age-related positivity effect. PMID:25477850

Influences of selected socioeconomic and demographic variables on fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, S M; Khan, H T

1995-06-01

"The data used in this study are from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (1989 BFS), which was conducted...by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT)....A two-stage probability sample design was used for the survey.... It has been found that female age at marriage has a significant direct negative influence on fertility. Thus, raising the age at marriage by implementing a minimum-age marriage law is likely to lower fertility on a national scale. Duration of breast-feeding is also found to have a significant direct negative effect on fertility....Fetal loss appears to have a significant direct positive effect on fertility...which means that mothers who have experienced fetal loss are found to have higher fertility.... Maternal mortality is also high in Bangladesh. Therefore, it is essential to provide primary health care, particularly maternal and child health care, for surviving children." excerpt

Positive, negative, or all relative? Evaluative conditioning of ambivalence.

PubMed

Glaser, Tina; Woud, Marcella L; Labib Iskander, Michael; Schmalenstroth, Vera; Vo, Thuy My

2018-04-01

In evaluative conditioning (EC), the pairing of a positively or negatively valenced stimulus (US) with a neutral stimulus (CS) leads to a corresponding change in liking of the CS. EC research so far has concentrated on using unambiguously positive or negative USs. However, attitude objects are often ambivalent, i.e., can simultaneously possess positive and negative features. The present research investigated whether ambivalence can be evaluatively conditioned and whether contingency awareness moderates this effect. In two studies, positive, negative, neutral, and ambivalent USs were paired with affectively neutral CSs. Results showed standard EC effects that were moderated by contingency awareness. Most interestingly, EC effects were also obtained for the ambivalent USs, indicating that ambivalence can indeed be conditioned. However, contingency awareness seemed to play a lesser role in ambivalence conditioning. Ambivalence EC effects were obtained on subjective and objective direct measures of ambivalence as well as on a more indirect measure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconceptualizing synergism and antagonism among multiple stressors.

PubMed

Piggott, Jeremy J; Townsend, Colin R; Matthaei, Christoph D

2015-04-01

The potential for complex synergistic or antagonistic interactions between multiple stressors presents one of the largest uncertainties when predicting ecological change but, despite common use of the terms in the scientific literature, a consensus on their operational definition is still lacking. The identification of synergism or antagonism is generally straightforward when stressors operate in the same direction, but if individual stressor effects oppose each other, the definition of synergism is paradoxical because what is synergistic to one stressor's effect direction is antagonistic to the others. In their highly cited meta-analysis, Crain et al. (Ecology Letters, 11, 2008: 1304) assumed in situations with opposing individual effects that synergy only occurs when the cumulative effect is more negative than the additive sum of the opposing individual effects. We argue against this and propose a new systematic classification based on an additive effects model that combines the magnitude and response direction of the cumulative effect and the interaction effect. A new class of "mitigating synergism" is identified, where cumulative effects are reversed and enhanced. We applied our directional classification to the dataset compiled by Crain et al. (Ecology Letters, 11, 2008: 1304) to determine the prevalence of synergistic, antagonistic, and additive interactions. Compared to their original analysis, we report differences in the representation of interaction classes by interaction type and we document examples of mitigating synergism, highlighting the importance of incorporating individual stressor effect directions in the determination of synergisms and antagonisms. This is particularly pertinent given a general bias in ecology toward investigating and reporting adverse multiple stressor effects (double negative). We emphasize the need for reconsideration by the ecological community of the interpretation of synergism and antagonism in situations where individual stressor effects oppose each other or where cumulative effects are reversed and enhanced.

Does it pay to be smart, attractive, or confident (or all three)? Relationships among general mental ability, physical attractiveness, core self-evaluations, and income.

PubMed

Judge, Timothy A; Hurst, Charlice; Simon, Lauren S

2009-05-01

The authors investigated core self-evaluations and educational attainment as mediating mechanisms for the influence of appearance (physical attractiveness) and intelligence (general mental ability) on income and financial strain. The direct effects of core self-evaluations on financial strain, as well as the indirect effects through income, were also considered. Longitudinal data were obtained as part of a national study, the Harvard Study of Health and Life Quality, and proposed models were evaluated with structural equation modeling. Results supported a partially mediated model, such that general mental ability and physical attractiveness exhibited both direct and indirect effects on income, as mediated by educational attainment and core self-evaluations. Finally, income negatively predicted financial strain, whereas core self-evaluations had both a direct and an indirect (through income) negative effect on financial strain. Overall, the results suggest that looks (physical attractiveness), brains (intelligence), and personality (core self-evaluations) are all important to income and financial strain. (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Effect-directed analysis via hyphenated high-performance thin-layer chromatography for bioanalytical profiling of sunflower leaves.

PubMed

Móricz, Ágnes M; Ott, Péter G; Yüce, Imanuel; Darcsi, András; Béni, Szabolcs; Morlock, Gertrud E

2018-01-19

High-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) coupled with effect-directed analysis was used for non-targeted screening of sunflower leaf extract for components exhibiting antioxidant, antibacterial and/or cholinesterase enzyme inhibitory effects. The active compounds were characterized by HPTLC-electrospray ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS) and HPTLC-Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART)-MS/MS. The latter ambient ionization technique (less soft than ESI) resulted in oxidation and fragmentation products and characteristic fragment ions. NMR spectroscopy after targeted isolation via preparative normal phase flash chromatography and semi-preparative reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography supported the identification of two diterpenes to be (-)-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid and 15-α-angeloyloxy-ent-kaur-16-en-19-oic acid. Both compounds found to be multi-potent as they inhibited acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase and showed antibacterial effects against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Aliivibrio fischeri bacteria. Kaurenoic acid was also active against the Gram-negative pepper pathogenic Xanthomonas euvesicatoria bacteria. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactive direct and plant-mediated effects of elevated atmospheric [CO2 ] and temperature on a eucalypt-feeding insect herbivore.

PubMed

Murray, T J; Ellsworth, D S; Tissue, D T; Riegler, M

2013-05-01

Understanding the direct and indirect effects of elevated [CO2 ] and temperature on insect herbivores and how these factors interact are essential to predict ecosystem-level responses to climate change scenarios. In three concurrent glasshouse experiments, we measured both the individual and interactive effects of elevated [CO2 ] and temperature on foliar quality. We also assessed the interactions between their direct and plant-mediated effects on the development of an insect herbivore of eucalypts. Eucalyptus tereticornis saplings were grown at ambient or elevated [CO2 ] (400 and 650 μmol mol(-1) respectively) and ambient or elevated ( + 4 °C) temperature for 10 months. Doratifera quadriguttata (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae) larvae were feeding directly on these trees, on their excised leaves in a separate glasshouse, or on excised field-grown leaves within the temperature and [CO2 ] controlled glasshouse. To allow insect gender to be determined and to ensure that any sex-specific developmental differences could be distinguished from treatment effects, insect development time and consumption were measured from egg hatch to pupation. No direct [CO2 ] effects on insects were observed. Elevated temperature accelerated larval development, but did not affect leaf consumption. Elevated [CO2 ] and temperature independently reduced foliar quality, slowing larval development and increasing consumption. Simultaneously increasing both [CO2 ] and temperature reduced these shifts in foliar quality, and negative effects on larval performance were subsequently ameliorated. Negative nutritional effects of elevated [CO2 ] and temperature were also independently outweighed by the direct positive effect of elevated temperature on larvae. Rising [CO2 ] and temperature are thus predicted to have interactive effects on foliar quality that affect eucalypt-feeding insects. However, the ecological consequences of these interactions will depend on the magnitude of concurrent temperature rise and its direct effects on insect physiology and feeding behaviour. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The theoretical investigation of solvent effects on the relative stability and 15N NMR shielding of antidepressant heterocyclic drug

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tahan, Arezoo; Khojandi, Mahya; Salari, Ali Akbar

2016-01-01

The density functional theory (DFT) and Tomasi's polarized continuum model (PCM) were used for the investigation of solvent polarity and its dielectric constant effects on the relative stability and NMR shielding tensors of antidepressant mirtazapine (MIR). The obtained results indicated that the relative stability in the polar solvents is higher than that in non-polar solvents and the most stable structure was observed in the water at the B3LYP/6-311++G ( d, p) level of theory. Also, natural bond orbital (NBO) interpretation demonstrated that by increase of solvent dielectric constant, negative charge on nitrogen atoms of heterocycles and resonance energy for LP(N10) → σ* and π* delocalization of the structure's azepine ring increase and the highest values of them were observed in water. On the other hand, NMR calculations showed that with an increase in negative charge of nitrogen atoms, isotropic chemical shielding (σiso) around them increase and nitrogen of piperazine ring (N19) has the highest values of negative charge and σiso among nitrogen atoms. NMR calculations also represented that direct solvent effect on nitrogen of pyridine ring (N15) is more than other nitrogens, while its effect on N19 is less than other ones. Based on NMR data and NBO interpretation, it can be deduced that with a decrease in the negative charge on nitrogen atoms, the intramolecular effects on them decrease, while direct solvent effect increases.

A structural equation model of the relationship between insomnia, negative affect, and paranoid thinking

PubMed Central

Rowse, Georgina; Webb, Thomas L.

2017-01-01

Background A growing body of evidence points to relationships between insomnia, negative affect, and paranoid thinking. However, studies are needed to examine (i) whether negative affect mediates the relation between insomnia and paranoid thinking, (ii) whether different types of insomnia exert different effects on paranoia, and (iii) to compare the impact of objective and self-reported sleeping difficulties. Method Structural equation modelling was therefore used to test competing models of the relationships between self-reported insomnia, negative affect, and paranoia. n = 348 participants completed measures of insomnia, negative affect and paranoia. A subset of these participants (n = 91) went on to monitor their sleep objectively (using a portable sleep monitor made by Zeo) for seven consecutive nights. Associations between objectively recorded sleep, negative affect, and paranoia were explored using linear regression. Results The findings supported a fully mediated model where self-reported delayed sleep onset, but not self-reported problems with sleep maintenance or objective measures of sleep, was directly associated with negative affect that, in turn, was associated with paranoia. There was no evidence of a direct association between delayed sleep onset or sleep maintenance problems and paranoia. Conclusions Taken together, the findings point to an association between perceived (but not objective) difficulties initially falling asleep (but not maintaining sleep) and paranoid thinking; a relationship that is fully mediated by negative affect. Future research should seek to disentangle the causal relationships between sleep, negative affect, and paranoia (e.g., by examining the effect of an intervention using prospective designs that incorporate experience sampling). Indeed, interventions might profitably target (i) perceived sleep quality, (ii) sleep onset, and / or (iii) emotion regulation as a route to reducing negative affect and, thus, paranoid thinking. PMID:29049381

Lonely people are no longer lonely on social networking sites: the mediating role of self-disclosure and social support.

PubMed

Lee, Kyung-Tag; Noh, Mi-Jin; Koo, Dong-Mo

2013-06-01

Most previous studies assert the negative effect of loneliness on social life and an individual's well-being when individuals use the Internet. To expand this previous research tradition, the current study proposes a model to test whether loneliness has a direct or indirect effect on well-being when mediated by self-disclosure and social support. The results show that loneliness has a direct negative impact on well-being but a positive effect on self-disclosure. While self-disclosure positively influences social support, self-disclosure has no impact on well-being, and social support positively influences well-being. The results also show a full mediation effect of social support in the self-disclosure to well-being link. The results imply that even if lonely people's well-being is poor, their well-being can be enhanced through the use of SNSs, including self-presentation and social support from their friends.

Elephants in the understory: opposing direct and indirect effects of consumption and ecosystem engineering by megaherbivores.

PubMed

Coverdale, Tyler C; Kartzinel, Tyler R; Grabowski, Kathryn L; Shriver, Robert K; Hassan, Abdikadir A; Goheen, Jacob R; Palmer, Todd M; Pringle, Robert M

2016-11-01

Positive indirect effects of consumers on their resources can stabilize food webs by preventing overexploitation, but the coupling of trophic and non-trophic interactions remains poorly integrated into our understanding of community dynamics. Elephants engineer African savanna ecosystems by toppling trees and breaking branches, and although their negative effects on trees are well documented, their effects on small-statured plants remain poorly understood. Using data on 117 understory plant taxa collected over 7 yr within 36 1-ha experimental plots in a semi-arid Kenyan savanna, we measured the strength and direction of elephant impacts on understory vegetation. We found that elephants had neutral effects on most (83-89%) species, with a similar frequency of positive and negative responses among the remainder. Overall, estimated understory biomass was 5-14% greater in the presence of elephants across a range of rainfall levels. Whereas direct consumption likely accounts for the negative effects, positive effects are presumably indirect. We hypothesized that elephants create associational refuges for understory plants by damaging tree canopies in ways that physically inhibit feeding by other large herbivores. As predicted, understory biomass and species richness beneath elephant-damaged trees were 55% and 21% greater, respectively, than under undamaged trees. Experimentally simulated elephant damage increased understory biomass by 37% and species richness by 49% after 1 yr. Conversely, experimentally removing elephant damaged branches decreased understory biomass by 39% and richness by 30% relative to sham-manipulated trees. Camera-trap surveys revealed that elephant damage reduced the frequency of herbivory by 71%, whereas we detected no significant effect of damage on temperature, light, or soil moisture. We conclude that elephants locally facilitate understory plants by creating refuges from herbivory, which countervails the direct negative effects of consumption and enhances larger-scale biomass and diversity by promoting the persistence of rare and palatable species. Our results offer a counterpoint to concerns about the deleterious impacts of elephant "overpopulation" that should be considered in debates over wildlife management in African protected areas: understory species comprise the bulk of savanna plant biodiversity, and their responses to elephants are buffered by the interplay of opposing consumptive and non-consumptive interactions. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Effect of the Contents in Advance Directives on Individuals' Decision-Making.

PubMed

Park, Jae Yoon; Lim, Chi-Yeon; Puurveen, Gloria; Kim, Do Yeun; Lee, Jae Hang; Do, Han Ho; Kim, Kyung Soo; Yoo, Kyung Don; Kim, Hyo Jin; Kim, Yunmi; Shin, Sung Joon

2018-01-01

Completing an advance directive offers individuals the opportunity to make informed choices about end-of-life care. However, these decisions could be influenced in different ways depending on how the information is presented. We randomly presented 185 participants with four distinct types of advance directive: neutrally framed (as reference), negatively framed, religiously framed, and a combination. Participants were asked which interventions they would like to receive at the end of life. Between 60% and 70% of participants responded "accept the special interventions" on the reference form. However, the majority (70%-90%) chose "refuse the interventions" on the negative form. With respect to the religious form, 70% to 80% chose "not decided yet." Participants who refused special life-sustaining treatments were older, female, and with better prior knowledge about advance directives. Our findings imply that the specific content of advance directives could affect decision-making with regard to various interventions for end-of-life care.

Neurophysiological correlates of emotional directed-forgetting in persons with Schizophrenia: An event-related brain potential study.

PubMed

Patrick, Regan E; Kiang, Michael; Christensen, Bruce K

2015-12-01

Recent research has shown that patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) exhibit reduced directed forgetting (DF) for negative words, suggesting impaired ability to instantiate goal-directed inhibition in order to suppress a competing, emotion-driven responses (i.e., emotional memory enhancement). However, disrupted inhibition is not the only possible mechanism by which patients could manifest reduced emotional DF. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study was to use event-related brain potential (ERP) recordings to investigate alternative hypotheses. ERPs were recorded while patients and controls completed an item-method DF paradigm using negative and neutral words. The N2 indexed goal-directed inhibition of to-be-forgotten items. The late positive potential (LPP) indexed emotional memory enhancement for negative study items. The P300 indexed selective rehearsal of to-be-remembered items. The SCZ group exhibited a reduced DF effect overall, but this was not modulated by emotion. N2 amplitude at anterior sites was larger for forget versus remember cues in the control group only, but this effect was not modulated by emotion. LPP amplitude was greater for negative versus neutral words in both groups, independent of region. P300 amplitude at posterior sites was greater for remember versus forget cues in the control group only. These data suggest that reduced DF in SCZ may be due, in part, to both diminished goal-directed inhibition of to-be-forgotten items and reduced selective rehearsal of to-be-remembered items. However, these data do not support the hypothesis that goal-directed, inhibitory processes are disrupted by competing, emotion-driven processes in SCZ. Patients' ERP data also suggested that they did not exhibit disproportionately heightened encoding of emotional stimuli, nor did they have deficient selective rehearsal of to-be-remembered emotional items. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Time evolution of the eddy viscosity in two-dimensional navier-stokes flow

PubMed

Chaves; Gama

2000-02-01

The time evolution of the eddy viscosity associated with an unforced two-dimensional incompressible Navier-Stokes flow is analyzed by direct numerical simulation. The initial condition is such that the eddy viscosity is isotropic and negative. It is shown by concrete examples that the Navier-Stokes dynamics stabilizes negative eddy viscosity effects. In other words, this dynamics moves monotonically the initial negative eddy viscosity to positive values before relaxation due to viscous term occurs.

Moods as spotlights: the influence of mood on accessibility effects.

PubMed

Avramova, Yana R; Stapel, Diederik A

2008-09-01

Three studies explore the manner in which one's mood may affect the use and impact of accessible information on judgments. Specifically, the authors demonstrated that positive and negative moods differentially influence the direction of accessibility effects (assimilation, contrast) by determining whether abstract traits or concrete actor-trait links are primed. Study 1 investigated the impact of positive versus negative mood on the judgmental impact of trait-implying behaviors and found that positive moods lead to assimilation and negative moods to contrast. In Study 2, this effect was replicated in a subliminal priming paradigm. In Study 3, it was demonstrated that the type of information activated by trait-implying behaviors is indeed mood dependent, such that abstract trait information is activated in a positive mood, whereas specific actor-trait links are activated in a negative mood.

The nonconscious cessation of goal pursuit: when goals and negative affect are coactivated.

PubMed

Aarts, Henk; Custers, Ruud; Holland, Rob W

2007-02-01

Extending on the recent investigation into the implicit affective processes underlying motivation and decision making, 5 studies examined the role of negative affect in moderating goal priming effects. Specifically, experimental effects on measures that typify motivational qualities of goal systems, such as keeping a goal at a heightened level of mental accessibility and exerting effort to work for a goal and experiencing desire to attain the goal, showed that the motivation and resultant operation of social goals cease when these goals are primed in temporal proximity of negatively valenced information. These goal cessation effects resulting from the mere coactivation of a goal and negative affect are discussed against the background of present research on nonconscious goal pursuit and the role of accessibility and desirability in the regulation of automatic goal-directed behavior. ((c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

[Testing a Model to Predict Problem Gambling in Speculative Game Users].

PubMed

Park, Hyangjin; Kim, Suk Sun

2018-04-01

The purpose of the study was to develop and test a model for predicting problem gambling in speculative game users based on Blaszczynski and Nower's pathways model of problem and pathological gambling. The participants were 262 speculative game users recruited from seven speculative gambling places located in Seoul, Gangwon, and Gyeonggi, Korea. They completed a structured self-report questionnaire comprising measures of problem gambling, negative emotions, attentional impulsivity, motor impulsivity, non-planning impulsivity, gambler's fallacy, and gambling self-efficacy. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the hypothesized model and to examine the direct and indirect effects on problem gambling in speculative game users using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 20.0 programs. The hypothetical research model provided a reasonable fit to the data. Negative emotions, motor impulsivity, gambler's fallacy, and gambling self-efficacy had direct effects on problem gambling in speculative game users, while indirect effects were reported for negative emotions, motor impulsivity, and gambler's fallacy. These predictors explained 75.2% problem gambling in speculative game users. The findings suggest that developing intervention programs to reduce negative emotions, motor impulsivity, and gambler's fallacy, and to increase gambling self-efficacy in speculative game users are needed to prevent their problem gambling. © 2018 Korean Society of Nursing Science.

The effect of Channeling on in-home utilization and subsequent nursing home care: a simultaneous equation perspective.

PubMed Central

Rabiner, D J; Stearns, S C; Mutran, E

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE. This study explored the relationship between participation in a home/community-based long-term care case management intervention (known as the Channeling demonstration), use of formal in-home care, and subsequent nursing home utilization. STUDY DESIGN. Structural analysis of the randomized Channeling intervention was conducted to decompose the total effects of Channeling on nursing home use into direct and indirect effects. DATA COLLECTION METHOD. Secondary data analysis of the National Long-Term Care Data Set. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS. The use of formal in-home care, which was increased by the Channeling intervention, was positively associated with nursing home utilization at 12 months. However, the negative direct effect of Channeling on nursing home use was of sufficient magnitude to offset this positive indirect effect, so that a small but significant negative total effect of Channeling on subsequent nursing home utilization was found. CONCLUSIONS. This study shows why Channeling did not have a large total impact on nursing home utilization. The analysis did not provide evidence of direct substitution of in-home care for nursing home care because the direct reductions in nursing home utilization due to other aspects of Channeling (including, but not limited to case management) were substantially offset by the indirect increases in nursing home utilization associated with additional home care use. PMID:8002352

Impact of food, housing, and transportation insecurity on ART adherence: a hierarchical resources approach.

PubMed

Cornelius, Talea; Jones, Maranda; Merly, Cynthia; Welles, Brandi; Kalichman, Moira O; Kalichman, Seth C

2017-04-01

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed HIV into a manageable illness. However, high levels of adherence must be maintained. Lack of access to basic resources (food, transportation, and housing) has been consistently associated with suboptimal ART adherence. Moving beyond such direct effects, this study takes a hierarchical resources approach in which the effects of access to basic resources on ART adherence are mediated through interpersonal resources (social support and care services) and personal resources (self-efficacy). Participants were 915 HIV-positive men and women living in Atlanta, GA, recruited from community centers and infectious disease clinics. Participants answered baseline questionnaires, and provided prospective data on ART adherence. Across a series of nested models, a consistent pattern emerged whereby lack of access to basic resources had indirect, negative effects on adherence, mediated through both lack of access to social support and services, and through lower treatment self-efficacy. There was also a significant direct effect of lack of access to transportation on adherence. Lack of access to basic resources negatively impacts ART adherence. Effects for housing instability and food insecurity were fully mediated through social support, access to services, and self-efficacy, highlighting these as important targets for intervention. Targeting service supports could be especially beneficial due to the potential to both promote adherence and to link clients with other services to supplement food, housing, and transportation. Inability to access transportation had a direct negative effect on adherence, suggesting that free or reduced cost transportation could positively impact ART adherence among disadvantaged populations.

CRISPR-mediated targeting of HER2 inhibits cell proliferation through a dominant negative mutation.

PubMed

Wang, Huajing; Sun, William

2017-01-28

With the discovery of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, genome editing could be performed in a rapid, precise and effective manner. Its potential applications in functional interrogation of cancer-causing genes and cancer therapy have been extensively explored. In this study, we demonstrated the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to directly target the oncogene HER2. Directing Cas9 to exons of the HER2 gene inhibited cell growth in breast cancer cell lines that harbor amplification of the HER2 locus. The inhibitory effect was potentiated with the addition of PARP inhibitors. Unexpectedly, CRISPR-induced mutations did not significantly affect the level of HER2 protein expression. Instead, CRISPR targeting appeared to exert its effect through a dominant negative mutation. This HER2 mutant interfered with the MAPK/ERK axis of HER2 downstream signaling. Our work provides a novel mechanism underlying the anti-cancer effects of HER2-targeting by CRISPR/Cas9, which is distinct from the clinical drug Herceptin. In addition, it opens up the possibility that incomplete CRISPR targeting of certain oncogenes could still have therapeutic value by generation of dominant negative mutants. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental cascade models linking peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement in Chinese children.

PubMed

Liu, Junsheng; Bullock, Amanda; Coplan, Robert J; Chen, Xinyin; Li, Dan; Zhou, Ying

2018-03-01

This study explored the longitudinal relations among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement in Chinese primary school students. Participants were N = 945 fourth-grade students (485 boys, 460 girls; M age  = 10.16 years, SD = 2 months) attending elementary schools in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Three waves of data on peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement were collected from peer nominations, self-reports, and school records, respectively. The results indicated that peer victimization had both direct and indirect effects on later depression and academic achievement. Depression also had both direct and indirect negative effects on later academic achievement, but demonstrated only an indirect effect on later peer victimization. Finally, academic achievement had both direct and indirect negative effects on later peer victimization and depression. The findings show that there are cross-cultural similarities and differences in the various transactions that exist among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Peer victimization directly and indirectly relates to depression and academic achievement. Depression directly and indirectly relates to academic achievement. Academic achievement directly and indirectly relates to depression. What the present study adds? A developmental cascade approach was used to assess the interrelations among peer victimization, depression, and academic achievement. Academic achievement mediates the relation between peer victimization and depression. Depression is related to peer victimization through academic achievement. Academic achievement directly and indirectly relates to peer victimization. Academic achievement is related to depression through peer victimization. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Effects of Co-Worker and Supervisor Support on Job Stress and Presenteeism in an Aging Workforce: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

PubMed Central

Yang, Tianan; Shen, Yu-Ming; Zhu, Mingjing; Liu, Yuanling; Deng, Jianwei; Chen, Qian; See, Lai-Chu

2015-01-01

We examined the effects of co-worker and supervisor support on job stress and presenteeism in an aging workforce. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate data from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Survey in the United States (n = 1649). The level of presenteeism was low and the level of job stress was moderate among aging US workers. SEM revealed that co-worker support and supervisor support were strongly correlated (β = 0.67; p < 0.001). Job stress had a significant direct positive effect on presenteeism (β = 0.30; p < 0.001). Co-worker support had a significant direct negative effect on job stress (β = −0.10; p < 0.001) and presenteeism (β = −0.11; p < 0.001). Supervisor support had a significant direct negative effect on job stress (β = −0.40; p < 0.001) but not presenteeism. The findings suggest that presenteeism is reduced by increased respect and concern for employee stress at the workplace, by necessary support at work from colleagues and employers, and by the presence of comfortable interpersonal relationships among colleagues and between employers and employees. PMID:26703705

Effects of Co-Worker and Supervisor Support on Job Stress and Presenteeism in an Aging Workforce: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach.

PubMed

Yang, Tianan; Shen, Yu-Ming; Zhu, Mingjing; Liu, Yuanling; Deng, Jianwei; Chen, Qian; See, Lai-Chu

2015-12-23

We examined the effects of co-worker and supervisor support on job stress and presenteeism in an aging workforce. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate data from the 2010 wave of the Health and Retirement Survey in the United States (n = 1649). The level of presenteeism was low and the level of job stress was moderate among aging US workers. SEM revealed that co-worker support and supervisor support were strongly correlated (β = 0.67; p < 0.001). Job stress had a significant direct positive effect on presenteeism (β = 0.30; p < 0.001). Co-worker support had a significant direct negative effect on job stress (β = -0.10; p < 0.001) and presenteeism (β = -0.11; p < 0.001). Supervisor support had a significant direct negative effect on job stress (β = -0.40; p < 0.001) but not presenteeism. The findings suggest that presenteeism is reduced by increased respect and concern for employee stress at the workplace, by necessary support at work from colleagues and employers, and by the presence of comfortable interpersonal relationships among colleagues and between employers and employees.

Experimental warming decreases arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization in prairie plants along a Mediterranean climate gradient.

PubMed

Wilson, Hannah; Johnson, Bart R; Bohannan, Brendan; Pfeifer-Meister, Laurel; Mueller, Rebecca; Bridgham, Scott D

2016-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide numerous services to their plant symbionts. Understanding climate change effects on AMF, and the resulting plant responses, is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses at regional and global scales. We investigated how the effects of climate change on AMF-plant symbioses are mediated by soil water availability, soil nutrient availability, and vegetation dynamics. We used a combination of a greenhouse experiment and a manipulative climate change experiment embedded within a Mediterranean climate gradient in the Pacific Northwest, USA to examine this question. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine the direct and indirect effects of experimental warming on AMF colonization. Warming directly decreased AMF colonization across plant species and across the climate gradient of the study region. Other positive and negative indirect effects of warming, mediated by soil water availability, soil nutrient availability, and vegetation dynamics, canceled each other out. A warming-induced decrease in AMF colonization would likely have substantial consequences for plant communities and ecosystem function. Moreover, predicted increases in more intense droughts and heavier rains for this region could shift the balance among indirect causal pathways, and either exacerbate or mitigate the negative, direct effect of increased temperature on AMF colonization.

Local cardiac effects of substance P: roles of acetylcholine and noradrenaline.

PubMed Central

Chiao, H; Caldwell, R W

1995-01-01

1. The local cardiac actions of substance P were examined in isolated perfused hearts and atria of the guinea-pig. 2. In both hearts and right atria, substance P caused negative inotropic and chronotropic effects. 3. Atropine (10(-6) M) or depletion of acetylcholine, by electrical stimulation and hemicholinium-3 perfusion, significantly attenuated the negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of substance P. alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor blockade by nadolol and phentolamine (10(-6) M each) did not prevent the negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of substance P. This indicates that cholinergic neurones, but not adrenergic neurones, partially mediate the effects of substance P. 4. There was no significant difference in the effects of substance P observed between groups with acetylcholine depletion and with cholinoceptor blockade. This suggests that substance P elicits its effects mainly through release of acetylcholine. 5. These results indicate that substance P has negative inotropic and chronotropic effects in guinea-pig hearts and right atria mediated partly by release of acetylcholine. Substance P also appears to have direct effects on cardiac tissue. PMID:7533612

Full Piezoelectric Multilayer-Stacked Hybrid Actuation/Transduction Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Su, Ji; Jiang, Xiaoning; Zu, Tian-Bing

2011-01-01

The Stacked HYBATS (Hybrid Actuation/Transduction system) demonstrates significantly enhanced electromechanical performance by using the cooperative contributions of the electromechanical responses of multilayer, stacked negative strain components and positive strain components. Both experimental and theoretical studies indicate that, for Stacked HYBATS, the displacement is over three times that of a same-sized conventional flextensional actuator/transducer. The coupled resonance mode between positive strain and negative strain components of Stacked HYBATS is much stronger than the resonance of a single element actuation only when the effective lengths of the two kinds of elements match each other. Compared with the previously invented hybrid actuation system (HYBAS), the multilayer Stacked HYBATS can be designed to provide high mechanical load capability, low voltage driving, and a highly effective piezoelectric constant. The negative strain component will contract, and the positive strain component will expand in the length directions when an electric field is applied on the device. The interaction between the two elements makes an enhanced motion along the Z direction for Stacked-HYBATS. In order to dominate the dynamic length of Stacked-HYBATS by the negative strain component, the area of the cross-section for the negative strain component will be much larger than the total cross-section areas of the two positive strain components. The transverse strain is negative and longitudinal strain positive in inorganic materials, such as ceramics/single crystals. Different piezoelectric multilayer stack configurations can make a piezoelectric ceramic/single-crystal multilayer stack exhibit negative strain or positive strain at a certain direction without increasing the applied voltage. The difference of this innovation from the HYBAS is that all the elements can be made from one-of-a-kind materials. Stacked HYBATS can provide an extremely effective piezoelectric constant at both resonance and off resonance frequencies. The effective piezoelectric constant can be alternated by varying the size of each component, the degree of the pre-curvature of the positive strain components, the thickness of each layer in the multilayer stacks, and the piezoelectric constant of the material used. Because all of the elements are piezoelectric components, Stacked HYBATS can serve as projector and receiver for underwater detection. The performance of this innovation can be enhanced by improving the piezoelectric properties.

A Newtonian approach to extraordinarily strong negative refraction.

PubMed

Yoon, Hosang; Yeung, Kitty Y M; Umansky, Vladimir; Ham, Donhee

2012-08-02

Metamaterials with negative refractive indices can manipulate electromagnetic waves in unusual ways, and can be used to achieve, for example, sub-diffraction-limit focusing, the bending of light in the 'wrong' direction, and reversed Doppler and Cerenkov effects. These counterintuitive and technologically useful behaviours have spurred considerable efforts to synthesize a broad array of negative-index metamaterials with engineered electric, magnetic or optical properties. Here we demonstrate another route to negative refraction by exploiting the inertia of electrons in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases, collectively accelerated by electromagnetic waves according to Newton's second law of motion, where this acceleration effect manifests as kinetic inductance. Using kinetic inductance to attain negative refraction was theoretically proposed for three-dimensional metallic nanoparticles and seen experimentally with surface plasmons on the surface of a three-dimensional metal. The two-dimensional electron gas that we use at cryogenic temperatures has a larger kinetic inductance than three-dimensional metals, leading to extraordinarily strong negative refraction at gigahertz frequencies, with an index as large as -700. This pronounced negative refractive index and the corresponding reduction in the effective wavelength opens a path to miniaturization in the science and technology of negative refraction.

Scyphomedusae of the Mediterranean: state of the art and future perspectives.

PubMed

D'Ambra, Isabella; Malej, Alenka

2015-01-01

Scyphomedusae (Phylum Cnidaria, Class Scyphozoa) are perceived as a nuisance due to their sudden outbreaks that negatively affect human activities (particularly tourism and fisheries) mainly because of their stings. A brief review of the history of scyphozoan blooms in the Mediterranean and updated information available after 2010 point to an increase in scyphozoan outbreaks. Whilst the negative effects on public health, aquaculture, coastal industrial activities and fisheries operations are undeniable, the effects on the ecosystem are not well defined. We focus on the trophic interactions between scyphomedusae and fish, highlighting that the negative effects of scyphomedusae on fish stocks exerted through direct predation on early life stages of fish and competition for plankton are at present speculative. In favor of a positive effect of scyphomedusae on fish populations, the reports of predation upon scyphozoans are increasing, which suggests that predators may benefit from the availability of scyphozoans by shifting their diet toward jelly prey. Additionally, scyphomedusae may provide nursery habitats to early life stages of ecologically and economically important forage fishes and other organisms which shelter underneath their bells. Together with these ecosystem services, compounds extracted from scyphozoan tissues and venoms are having a variety of biomedical applications and are likely to contribute to treat a growing number of diseases, including cancer. Our analysis highlights that a re-evaluation of the balance between "positive" and "negative" effects of scyphomedusae on the ecosystem and human activities is needed and provides indications on potential directions for future studies.

Lack of association between dopaminergic antagonism and negative symptoms in schizophrenia: a positron emission tomography dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy study

PubMed Central

Fervaha, Gagan; Caravaggio, Fernando; Mamo, David C.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Pollock, Bruce G.; Nakajima, Shinichiro; Gerretsen, Philip; Rajji, Tarek K.; Mar, Wanna; Iwata, Yusuke; Plitman, Eric; Chung, Jun Ku; Remington, Gary; Graff-Guerrero, Ariel

2016-01-01

Rationale Several pre-clinical studies suggest that antipsychotic medications cause secondary negative symptoms. However, direct evidence for a relationship among antipsychotic medications, their direct effects on neurotransmitter systems, and negative symptoms in schizophrenia remains controversial. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between antipsychotic-related dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Methods Forty-one clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia participated in this prospective dose reduction positron emission tomography (PET) study. Clinical assessments and [11C]-raclopride PET scans were performed before and after participants underwent gradual dose reduction of their antipsychotic medication by up to 40% from the baseline dose. Results No significant relationship was found between antipsychotic-related dopamine D2/3 receptor occupancy and negative symptom severity at baseline or follow-up. Similar null findings were found for subdomains of negative symptoms (amotivation and diminished expression). Occupancy was significantly lower following dose reduction; however, negative symptom severity did not change significantly, though a trend toward reduction was noted. Examination of change scores between these two variables revealed no systematic relationship. Conclusions Our cross-sectional and longitudinal results failed to find a significant dose-dependent relationship between severity of negative symptoms and antipsychotic-related dopaminergic antagonism in schizophrenia. These findings argue against the notion that antipsychotics necessarily cause secondary negative symptoms. Our results are also in contrast with the behavioural effects of dopaminergic antagonism routinely reported in pre-clinical investigations, suggesting that the role of this variable in the context of chronic treatment and schizophrenia needs to be re-examined. PMID:27557949

The differential effects of emotional salience on direct associative and relational memory during a nap.

PubMed

Alger, Sara E; Payne, Jessica D

2016-12-01

Relational memories are formed from shared components between directly learned memory associations, flexibly linking learned information to better inform future judgments. Sleep has been found to facilitate both direct associative and relational memories. However, the impact of incorporating emotionally salient information into learned material and the interaction of emotional salience and sleep in facilitating both types of memory is unknown. Participants encoded two sets of picture pairs, with either emotionally negative or neutral objects paired with neutral faces. The same objects were present in both sets, paired with two different faces across the sets. Baseline memory for these directly paired associates was tested immediately after encoding, followed by either a 90-min nap opportunity or wakefulness. Five hours after learning, a surprise test assessed relational memory, the indirect association between two faces paired with the same object during encoding, followed by a retest of direct associative memory. Overall, negative information was remembered better than neutral for directly learned pairs. A nap facilitated both preservation of direct associative memories and formation of relational memories, compared to remaining awake. Interestingly, however, this sleep benefit was observed specifically for neutral directly paired associates, while both neutral and negative relational associations benefitted from a nap. Finally, REM sleep played opposing roles in neutral direct and relational associative memory formation, with more REM sleep leading to forgetting of direct associations but promoting relational associations, suggesting that, while not benefitting memory consolidation for directly learned details, REM sleep may foster the memory reorganization needed for relational memory.

The influence of individual characteristics and contraceptive beliefs on parent-teen sexual communications: a structural model.

PubMed

Swain, Carolyne R; Ackerman, Lynn K; Ackerman, Mark A

2006-06-01

To explore relationships between parent and teen demographic characteristics, parent beliefs about the effectiveness, safety and usability of condoms and oral contraceptives, and parent-teen sexual communication. One thousand parents of 13-17-year-olds were surveyed. Structural equation modeling was used to test direct and indirect relationships between parent and teen characteristics, parent effectiveness beliefs, and amount of parent-teen communication about the negative consequences of sex and where to obtain birth control. Parent effectiveness beliefs were directly related to parent-teen communication levels. Minority, religious, politically conservative, and low income parents reported lower effectiveness beliefs than other parent groups. Low income, minority parents reported more discussion with their teens about the negative consequences of sex and where to obtain birth control than high income, White parents. Politically conservative, religious parents reported more discussion with their teen about the negative consequences of sex than their liberal and nonreligious counterparts. In general, nonreligious parents reported more discussion about where to obtain birth control than religious parents. Parents were less likely to talk with males, younger teens, and teens not believed to be romantically involved. Parent and teen gender interacted to predict the amount of parent-teen communication. Parent beliefs about condom and oral contraceptive efficacy, safety and usability related directly to amount of parent-teen sexual communication. Parent beliefs and communication levels varied across a number of demographic groups. Educating parent groups may result in more frequent and accurate sexual communications with their teenage children.

Adhesions and endometriosis: challenges in subfertility management : (An expert opinion of the ANGEL-The ANti-Adhesions in Gynaecology Expert PaneL-group).

PubMed

De Wilde, R L; Alvarez, J; Brölmann, H; Campo, R; Cheong, Y; Lundorff, P; Pawelczyk, L; Roman, H; di Spiezio Sardo, A; Wallwiener, M

2016-08-01

There is molecular evidence that endometriosis has a negative impact on the ovaries, although the exact pathophysiology concerning endometriosis-associated subfertility is not known. The negative impact on the tubo-ovarian unit can be directly by distorting the anatomy, indirectly by invoking inflammation or by oxidative damage with poorer-quality oocytes. Endometriosis even seems to have a negative effect on pregnancy outcome after in vitro fertilization.

When training boomerangs - Negative outcomes associated with Cockpit Resource Management programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmreich, Robert L.; Wilhelm, John A.

1989-01-01

Participants' self-reports and measures of attitudes regarding flightdeck management indicate that Cockpit Resource Management training is positively received and causes highly significant changes in attitudes regarding crew coordination and personal capabilities. However, a subset of participants react negatively to the training and show boomerangs (negative change) in attitudes. Explorations into the causes of this effect pinpoint personality factors and group dynamics as critical determinants of reactions to training and the magnitude and direction of attitude change.

Effects of attention manipulations on motivated attention to feared and nonfeared negative distracters in spider fear

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background When people view emotional and neutral pictures, the emotional pictures capture more attention than do neutral pictures. In support, studies with event-related potentials have shown that the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP) to emotional versus neutral pictures are enhanced when pictures are attended. However, this motivated attention decreases when voluntary attention is directed away from the pictures. Most previous studies included only generally emotional pictures of either negative or positive valence. Because people with spider fear report intense fear of spiders, we examined whether directing attention away from emotional pictures at fixation decreases motivated attention less strongly for spiders than for generally negative distracters. Results We recorded event-related potentials from 128 channels to study whether manipulations of attention (i.e., spatial attention and perceptual load) decrease the EPN and the LPP to emotional distracters less strongly for spiders than for fear-irrelevant negative pictures in people with spider fear. Results confirmed that the EPN and the LPP to spiders (vs. neutral pictures) were particularly enhanced in participants with spider fear compared to participants without spider fear. When attention was directed away from the pictures, the EPN and the LPP to spiders (vs. neutral pictures) decreased similarly in fearful and nonfearful participants. Further, in fearful participants, the decrease in the EPN and the LPP was similar for spiders and for fear-irrelevant negative pictures. Conclusions Our findings suggest that for people with spider fear, directing attention away from emotional pictures at fixation decreases motivated attention to these distracters similarly for spiders as for fear-irrelevant negative pictures. These findings imply that attention to spiders in spider fear does not exceed the level of attention expected from the spider pictures’ high arousal and negative valence (i.e., their intrinsic motivated attention). PMID:24207058

Low functional redundancy among mammalian browsers in regulating an encroaching shrub (Solanum campylacanthum) in African savannah

PubMed Central

Pringle, Robert M.; Goheen, Jacob R.; Palmer, Todd M.; Charles, Grace K.; DeFranco, Elyse; Hohbein, Rhianna; Ford, Adam T.; Tarnita, Corina E.

2014-01-01

Large herbivorous mammals play an important role in structuring African savannahs and are undergoing widespread population declines and local extinctions, with the largest species being the most vulnerable. The impact of these declines on key ecological processes hinges on the degree of functional redundancy within large-herbivore assemblages, a subject that has received little study. We experimentally quantified the effects of three browser species (elephant, impala and dik-dik) on individual- and population-level attributes of Solanum campylacanthum (Solanum incanum sensu lato), an encroaching woody shrub, using semi-permeable exclosures that selectively removed different-sized herbivores. After nearly 5 years, shrub abundance was lowest where all browser species were present and increased with each successive species deletion. Different browsers ate the same plant species in different ways, thereby exerting distinct suites of direct and indirect effects on plant performance and density. Not all of these effects were negative: elephants and impala also dispersed viable seeds and indirectly reduced seed predation by rodents and insects. We integrated these diffuse positive effects with the direct negative effects of folivory using a simple population model, which reinforced the conclusion that different browsers have complementary net effects on plant populations, and further suggested that under some conditions, these net effects may even differ in direction. PMID:24789900

Predicting complex syntactic structure in real time: Processing of negative sentences in Russian.

PubMed

Kazanina, Nina

2017-11-01

In Russian negative sentences the verb's direct object may appear either in the accusative case, which is licensed by the verb (as is common cross-linguistically), or in the genitive case, which is licensed by the negation (Russian-specific "genitive-of-negation" phenomenon). Such sentences were used to investigate whether case marking is employed for anticipating syntactic structure, and whether lexical heads other than the verb can be predicted on the basis of a case-marked noun phrase. Experiment 1, a completion task, confirmed that genitive-of-negation is part of Russian speakers' active grammatical repertoire. In Experiments 2 and 3, the genitive/accusative case manipulation on the preverbal object led to shorter reading times at the negation and verb in the genitive versus accusative condition. Furthermore, Experiment 3 manipulated linear order of the direct object and the negated verb in order to distinguish whether the abovementioned facilitatory effect was predictive or integrative in nature, and concluded that the parser actively predicts a verb and (otherwise optional) negation on the basis of a preceding genitive-marked object. Similarly to a head-final language, case-marking information on preverbal noun phrases (NPs) is used by the parser to enable incremental structure building in a free-word-order language such as Russian.

Quality of life, primary traumatisation, and positive and negative affects in primary school students in the Gaza Strip.

PubMed

Veronese, Guido; Pepe, Alessandro; Almurnak, Feda; Jaradah, Alaa; Hamdouna, Husam

2018-02-21

Many researchers have reported that exposure to war and ongoing political violence increases mental health problems in children. Results of studies have also shown a high prevalence (58-80%) of post-traumatic stress disorder in war-affected children living in the occupied Palestinian territory. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect effects of perceived life satisfaction on the consequences of children's exposure to trauma and the balance of positive and negative affect. Palestinian children were recruited from primary schools in four refugee camps in the Gaza Strip (Bureij, Gaza Beach Camp, Jabalia, Rafah). All children had been involved in or witnessed one or more episodes of violence involving other people in the 2 months prior to the study (the 2012 Gaza War). We used the Multidimensional Students Life Satisfaction Scale (peers, self, living environment, school, family), the Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, and the revised Children Impact of Events scale (intrusion and avoidance symptoms) to test (through structural equation modelling) the moderation effect of life satisfaction on war trauma via positive emotions. 1276 Palestinian children were enrolled in this study. The model tested with structural equation modelling was robust. Children's life satisfaction influenced both the intrusion (β=-0·48; p=0.003) and avoidance (β=-11; p=0·021) effects of primary traumatisation. The consequences of primary traumatisation by intrusion (β=0·34; p=0·008) and avoidance (β=0·27; p=0.011) contributed to increasing negative affect. Finally, perceived life satisfaction had direct effects on affective experience, specifically increasing positive affect and diminishing negative affect. Perceived quality of life in children has a role in controlling war-related traumas. Life satisfaction contributes both directly and indirectly to change affectivity. When children perceive themselves to be highly satisfied with their home and school environment, living conditions, and relationships with peers and parents, the effects of trauma are less severe. None. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Broad self-trapped and slow light bands based on negative refraction and interference of magnetic coupled modes.

PubMed

Fang, Yun-Tuan; Ni, Zhi-Yao; Zhu, Na; Zhou, Jun

2016-01-13

We propose a new mechanism to achieve light localization and slow light. Through the study on the coupling of two magnetic surface modes, we find a special convex band that takes on a negative refraction effect. The negative refraction results in an energy flow concellation effect from two degenerated modes on the convex band. The energy flow concellation effect leads to forming of the self-trapped and slow light bands. In the self-trapped band light is localized around the source without reflection wall in the waveguide direction, whereas in the slow light band, light becomes the standing-waves and moving standing-waves at the center and the two sides of the waveguide, respectively.

The Role of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate in Evaluating Behavior for Achieving Gains and Avoiding Losses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magno, Elena; Simoes-Franklin, Cristina; Robertson, Ian H.; Garavan, Hugh

2009-01-01

Effective goal-directed behavior relies on a network of regions including anterior cingulate cortex and ventral striatum to learn from negative outcomes in order to improve performance. We employed fMRI to determine if this frontal-striatal system is also involved in instances of behavior that do not presume negative circumstances. Participants…

75 FR 38001 - Airworthiness Directives; The Boeing Company Model 747 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

...). Support Frame upper Corner 8 None 680 162 110,160 Fastener Inspection (new required action). Post.... This AD will not have a substantial direct effect on the States, on the relationship between the... impact, positive or negative, on a substantial number of small entities under the criteria of the...

Self-control and parental control mediate the relationship between negative emotions and emotional eating among adolescents.

PubMed

Zhu, Hong; Luo, Xingwei; Cai, Taisheng; Li, Zhihua; Liu, Wenli

2014-11-01

The study was conducted to simultaneously investigate the mediating effects of parental control and adolescents' self-control on the relationship between adolescents' negative emotions and emotional eating, and to determine pathways with the greatest effect among these variables. Negative emotions, emotional eating, parental control, and self-control were investigated in 594 high school students (average age=16.70, SD=1.09) in Changsha City, China. High levels of negative emotions and parental control and low levels of self-control were strongly related to high levels of emotional eating in adolescents. In addition to the direct relationship between negative emotions and emotional eating, there was a mediating effect observed through low self-control and high parental control. The mediational effect of parental control was non-significant in adolescent boys. Furthermore, negative emotions related to emotional eating through the effect of parental control on adolescents' self-control. The degree to which both mediators explained the relationship between negative emotions and emotional eating ranged from 52.6% to 66.8%, and self-control had a stronger mediational effect than did parental control. The results indicate that both self-control and parental control should be considered in designing preventative measures against emotional eating in adolescents. Adolescent self-control training could also assist in preventing emotional eating. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Framing of feedback impacts student's satisfaction, self-efficacy and performance.

PubMed

van de Ridder, J M Monica; Peters, Claudia M M; Stokking, Karel M; de Ru, J Alexander; Ten Cate, Olle Th J

2015-08-01

Feedback is considered important to acquire clinical skills. Research evidence shows that feedback does not always improve learning and its effects may be small. In many studies, a variety of variables involved in feedback provision may mask either one of their effects. E.g., there is reason to believe that the way oral feedback is framed may affect its effect if other variables are held constant. In a randomised controlled trial we investigated the effect of positively and negatively framed feedback messages on satisfaction, self-efficacy, and performance. A single blind randomised controlled between-subject design was used, with framing of the feedback message (positively-negatively) as independent variable and examination of hearing abilities as the task. First year medical students' (n = 59) satisfaction, self-efficacy, and performance were the dependent variables and were measured both directly after the intervention and after a 2 weeks delay. Students in the positively framed feedback condition were significantly more satisfied and showed significantly higher self-efficacy measured directly after the performance. Effect sizes found were large, i.e., partial η (2) = 0.43 and η (2) = 0.32 respectively. They showed a better performance throughout the whole study. Significant performance differences were found both at the initial performance and when measured 2 weeks after the intervention: effects were of medium size, respectively r = -.31 and r = -.32. Over time in both conditions performance and self-efficacy decreased. Framing the feedback message in either a positive or negative manner affects students' satisfaction and self-efficacy directly after the intervention be it that these effects seem to fade out over time. Performance may be enhanced by positive framing, but additional studies need to confirm this. We recommend using a positive frame when giving feedback on clinical skills.

Can dispersal mode predict corridor effects on plant parasites?

PubMed

Sullivan, Lauren L; Johnson, Brenda L; Brudvig, Lars A; Haddad, Nick M

2011-08-01

Habitat corridors, a common management strategy for increasing connectivity in fragmented landscapes, have experimentally validated positive influences on species movement and diversity. However, long-standing concerns that corridors could negatively impact native species by spreading antagonists, such as disease, remain largely untested. Using a large-scale, replicated experiment, we evaluated whether corridors increase the incidence of plant parasites. We found that corridor impacts varied with parasite dispersal mode. Connectivity provided by corridors increased incidence of biotically dispersed parasites (galls on Solidago odora) but not of abiotically dispersed parasites (foliar fungi on S. odora and three Lespedeza spp.). Both biotically and abiotically dispersed parasites responded to edge effects, but the direction of responses varied across species. Although our results require additional tests for generality to other species and landscapes, they suggest that, when establishing conservation corridors, managers should focus on mitigating two potential negative effects: the indirect effects of narrow corridors in creating edges and direct effects of corridors in enhancing connectivity of biotically dispersed parasites.

Living Arrangements Modify the Relationship Between Depressive Symptoms and Self-care in Patients With Heart Failure.

PubMed

Lee, Kyoung Suk; Lennie, Terry A; Yoon, Ju Young; Wu, Jia-Rong; Moser, Debra K

Depressive symptoms hinder heart failure patients' engagement in self-care. As social support helps improve self-care and decrease depressive symptoms, it is possible that social support buffers the negative impact of depressive symptoms on self-care. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of living arrangements as an indicator of social support on the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-care in heart failure patients. Stable heart failure patients (N = 206) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to measure depressive symptoms. Self-care (maintenance, management, and confidence) was measured with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index. Path analyses were used to examine associations among depressive symptoms and the self-care constructs by living arrangements. Depressive symptoms had a direct effect on self-care maintenance and management (standardized β = -0.362 and -0.351, respectively), but not on self-care confidence in patients living alone. Depressive symptoms had no direct or indirect effect on any of the 3 self-care constructs in patients living with someone. Depressive symptoms had negative effects on self-care in patients living alone, but were not related to self-care in patients living with someone. Our results suggest that negative effects of depressive symptoms on self-care are buffered by social support.

Indirect effect of financial strain on daily cortisol output through daily negative to positive affect index in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study.

PubMed

Puterman, Eli; Haritatos, Jana; Adler, Nancy E; Sidney, Steve; Schwartz, Joseph E; Epel, Elissa S

2013-12-01

Daily affect is important to health and has been linked to cortisol. The combination of high negative affect and low positive affect may have a bigger impact on increasing HPA axis activity than either positive or negative affect alone. Financial strain may both dampen positive affect as well as increase negative affect, and thus provides an excellent context for understanding the associations between daily affect and cortisol. Using random effects mixed modeling with maximum likelihood estimation, we examined the relationship between self-reported financial strain and estimated mean daily cortisol level (latent cortisol variable), based on six salivary cortisol assessments throughout the day, and whether this relationship was mediated by greater daily negative to positive affect index measured concurrently in a sample of 776 Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study participants. The analysis revealed that while no total direct effect existed for financial strain on cortisol, there was a significant indirect effect of high negative affect to low positive affect, linking financial strain to elevated cortisol. In this sample, the effects of financial strain on cortisol through either positive affect or negative affect alone were not significant. A combined affect index may be a more sensitive and powerful measure than either negative or positive affect alone, tapping the burden of chronic financial strain, and its effects on biology. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual differences in cognitive control over emotional material modulate cognitive biases linked to depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Everaert, Jonas; Grahek, Ivan; Koster, Ernst H W

2017-06-01

Deficient cognitive control over emotional material and cognitive biases are important mechanisms underlying depression, but the interplay between these emotionally distorted cognitive processes in relation to depressive symptoms is not well understood. This study investigated the relations among deficient cognitive control of emotional information (i.e. inhibition, shifting, and updating difficulties), cognitive biases (i.e. negative attention and interpretation biases), and depressive symptoms. Theory-driven indirect effect models were constructed, hypothesising that deficient cognitive control over emotional material predicts depressive symptoms through negative attention and interpretation biases. Bootstrapping analyses demonstrated that deficient inhibitory control over negative material was related to negative attention bias which in turn predicted a congruent bias in interpretation and subsequently depressive symptoms. Both shifting and updating impairments in response to negative material had an indirect effect on depression severity through negative interpretation bias. No evidence was found for direct effects of deficient cognitive control over emotional material on depressive symptoms. These findings may help to formulate an integrated understanding of the cognitive foundations of depressive symptoms.

Negative affect mediates the relationship between interpersonal problems and binge-eating disorder symptoms and psychopathology in a clinical sample: a test of the interpersonal model.

PubMed

Ivanova, Iryna V; Tasca, Giorgio A; Hammond, Nicole; Balfour, Louise; Ritchie, Kerri; Koszycki, Diana; Bissada, Hany

2015-03-01

This study evaluated the validity of the interpersonal model of binge-eating disorder (BED) psychopathology in a clinical sample of women with BED. Data from a cross-sectional sample of 255 women with BED were examined for the direct effects of interpersonal problems on BED symptoms and psychopathology, and indirect effects mediated by negative affect. Structural equation modelling analyses demonstrated that higher levels of interpersonal problems were associated with greater negative affect, and greater negative affect was associated with higher frequency of BED symptoms and psychopathology. There was a significant indirect effect of interpersonal problems on BED symptoms and psychopathology mediated through negative affect. Interpersonal problems may lead to greater BED symptoms and psychopathology, and this relationship may be partially explained by elevated negative affect. The results of the study are the first to provide support for the interpersonal model of BED symptoms and psychopathology in a clinical sample of women. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.

Multi-Scale, Direct and Indirect Effects of the Urban Stream Syndrome on Amphibian Communities in Streams

PubMed Central

Canessa, Stefano; Parris, Kirsten M.

2013-01-01

Urbanization affects streams by modifying hydrology, increasing pollution and disrupting in-stream and riparian conditions, leading to negative responses by biotic communities. Given the global trend of increasing urbanization, improved understanding of its direct and indirect effects at multiple scales is needed to assist management. The theory of stream ecology suggests that the riverscape and the surrounding landscape are inextricably linked, and watershed-scale processes will also affect in-stream conditions and communities. This is particularly true for species with semi-aquatic life cycles, such as amphibians, which transfer energy between streams and surrounding terrestrial areas. We related measures of urbanization at different scales to frog communities in streams along an urbanization gradient in Melbourne, Australia. We used boosted regression trees to determine the importance of predictors and the shape of species responses. We then used structural equation models to investigate possible indirect effects of watershed imperviousness on in-stream parameters. The proportion of riparian vegetation and road density surrounding the site at the reach scale (500-m radius) had positive and negative effects, respectively, on species richness and on the occurrence of the two most common species in the area ( Crinia signifera and Limnodynastesdumerilii ). Road density and local aquatic vegetation interacted in influencing species richness, suggesting that isolation of a site can prevent colonization, in spite of apparently good local habitat. Attenuated imperviousness at the catchment scale had a negative effect on local aquatic vegetation, indicating possible indirect effects on frog species not revealed by single-level models. Processes at the landscape scale, particularly related to individual ranging distances, can affect frog species directly and indirectly. Catchment imperviousness might not affect adult frogs directly, but by modifying hydrology it can disrupt local vegetation and prove indirectly detrimental. Integrating multiple-scale management actions may help to meet conservation targets for streams in the face of urbanization. PMID:23922963

Brain potentials associated with the outcome processing in framing effects.

PubMed

Ma, Qingguo; Feng, Yandong; Xu, Qing; Bian, Jun; Tang, Huixian

2012-10-24

Framing effect is a cognitive bias referring to the phenomenon that people respond differently to different but objectively equivalent descriptions of the same problem. By measuring event-related potentials, the present study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the framing effect, especially how the negative and positive frames influence the outcome processing in our brain. Participants were presented directly with outcomes framed either positively in terms of lives saved or negatively in terms of lives lost in large and small group conditions, and were asked to rate the favorableness of each of them. The behavioral results showed that the framing effect occurred in both group size conditions, with more favorable evaluations associated with positive framing. Compared with outcomes in positive framing condition, a significant feedback-related negativity (FRN) effect was elicited by outcomes in negative framing condition, even though the outcomes in different conditions were objectively equivalent. The results are explained in terms of the associative model of attribute framing effect which states that attribute framing effect occurs as a result of a valence-based associative processing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlling Two-dimensional Tethered Vesicle Motion Using an Electric Field

PubMed Central

Yoshina-Ishii, Chiaki; Boxer, Steven G.

2008-01-01

We recently introduced methods to tether phospholipid vesicles or proteoliposomes onto a fluid supported lipid bilayer using DNA hybridization. These intact tethered vesicles diffuse in two dimensions parallel to the supporting membrane surface. In this paper, we report the dynamic response of individual tethered vesicles to an electric field applied parallel to the bilayer surface. Vesicles respond to the field by moving in the direction of electro-osmotic flow, and this can be used to reversibly concentrate tethered vesicles against a barrier. By adding increasing amounts of negatively charged phosphatidylserine to the supporting bilayer to increase electro-osmosis, the electrophoretic mobility of the tethered vesicles can be increased. The electro-osmotic contribution can be modeled well by a sphere connected to a cylindrical anchor in a viscous membrane with charged head groups. The electrophoretic force on the negatively charged tethered vesicles opposes the electro-osmotic force. By increasing the amount of negative charge on the tethered vesicle, drift in the direction of electro-osmotic flow can be slowed; at high negative charge on the tethered vesicle, motion can be forced in the direction of electrophoresis. The balance between these forces can be visualized on a patterned supporting bilayer containing negatively charged lipids which themselves reorganize in an externally applied electric field to create a gradient of charge within a corralled region. The charge gradient at the surface creates a gradient of electro-osmotic flow, and vesicles carrying similar amounts of negative charge can be focused to a region perpendicular to the applied field where electrophoresis is balanced by electro-osmosis, away from the corral boundary. Electric fields are effective tools to direct tethered vesicles, concentrate them and to measure the tethered vesicle’s electrostatic properties. PMID:16489833

The effect of marijuana scenes in anti-marijuana public service announcements on adolescents' evaluation of ad effectiveness.

PubMed

Kang, Yahui; Cappella, Joseph N; Fishbein, Martin

2009-09-01

This study explored the possible negative impact of a specific ad feature-marijuana scenes-on adolescents' perceptions of ad effectiveness. A secondary data analysis was conducted on adolescents' evaluations of 60 anti-marijuana public service announcements that were a part of national and state anti-drug campaigns directed at adolescents. The major finding of the study was that marijuana scenes in anti-marijuana public service announcements negatively affected ad liking and thought valence toward the ads among adolescents who were at higher levels of risk for marijuana use. This negative impact was not reversed in the presence of strong anti-marijuana arguments. The results may be used to partially explain the lack of effectiveness of the anti-drug media campaign. It may also help researchers design more effective anti-marijuana ads by isolating adverse elements in the ads that may elicit boomerang effects in the target population.

10 CFR 1022.13 - Floodplain or wetland assessment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... negative, direct and indirect, and long- and short-term effects of the proposed action on the floodplain... wetland values (§ 1022.4) appropriate to the location under evaluation. In addition, the effects of a..., the effects on the survival, quality, and function of the wetland shall be evaluated. (3) Alternatives...

Direct and contextual effects of individual values on organizational citizenship behavior in teams.

PubMed

Arthaud-Day, Marne L; Rode, Joseph C; Turnley, William H

2012-07-01

The authors use Schwartz's values theory as an integrative framework for testing the relationship between individual values and peer-reported organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in teams, controlling for sex, satisfaction, and personality traits. Using hierarchical linear modeling in a sample of 582 students distributed across 135 class project teams, the authors find positive, direct effects for achievement on citizenship behaviors directed toward individuals (OCB-I), for benevolence on citizenship behaviors directed toward the group (OCB-O), and for self-direction on both OCB-I and OCB-O. Applying relational demography techniques to test for contextual effects, the authors find that group mean power scores negatively moderate the relationship between individual power and OCB-I, whereas group mean self-direction scores positively moderate the relationship between self-direction and both OCB-I and OCB-O. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Pulling habits out of rats: adenosine 2A receptor antagonism in dorsomedial striatum rescues meth-amphetamine-induced deficits in goal-directed action.

PubMed

Furlong, Teri M; Supit, Alva S A; Corbit, Laura H; Killcross, Simon; Balleine, Bernard W

2017-01-01

Addiction is characterized by a persistent loss of behavioral control resulting in insensitivity to negative feedback and abnormal decision-making. Here, we investigated the influence of methamphetamine (METH)-paired contextual cues on decision-making in rats. Choice between goal-directed actions was sensitive to outcome devaluation in a saline-paired context but was impaired in the METH-paired context, a deficit that was also found when negative feedback was provided. Reductions in c-Fos-related immunoreactivity were found in dorsomedial striatum (DMS) but not dorsolateral striatum after exposure to the METH context suggesting this effect reflected a loss specifically in goal-directed control in the METH context. This reduction in c-Fos was localized to non-enkephalin-expressing neurons in the DMS, likely dopamine D1-expressing direct pathway neurons, suggesting a relative change in control by the D1-direct versus D2-indirect pathways originating in the DMS may have been induced by METH-context exposure. To test this suggestion, we infused the adenosine 2A receptor antagonist ZM241385 into the DMS prior to test to reduce activity in D2 neurons relative to D1 neurons in the hope of reducing the inhibitory output from this region of the striatum. We found that this treatment fully restored sensitivity to negative feedback in a test conducted in the METH-paired context. These results suggest that drug exposure alters decision-making by downregulation of the circuitry mediating goal-directed action, an effect that can be ameliorated by acute A 2A receptor inhibition in this circuit. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Bayesian network model of crowd emotion and negative behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramli, Nurulhuda; Ghani, Noraida Abdul; Hatta, Zulkarnain Ahmad; Hashim, Intan Hashimah Mohd; Sulong, Jasni; Mahudin, Nor Diana Mohd; Rahman, Shukran Abd; Saad, Zarina Mat

2014-12-01

The effects of overcrowding have become a major concern for event organizers. One aspect of this concern has been the idea that overcrowding can enhance the occurrence of serious incidents during events. As one of the largest Muslim religious gathering attended by pilgrims from all over the world, Hajj has become extremely overcrowded with many incidents being reported. The purpose of this study is to analyze the nature of human emotion and negative behavior resulting from overcrowding during Hajj events from data gathered in Malaysian Hajj Experience Survey in 2013. The sample comprised of 147 Malaysian pilgrims (70 males and 77 females). Utilizing a probabilistic model called Bayesian network, this paper models the dependence structure between different emotions and negative behaviors of pilgrims in the crowd. The model included the following variables of emotion: negative, negative comfortable, positive, positive comfortable and positive spiritual and variables of negative behaviors; aggressive and hazardous acts. The study demonstrated that emotions of negative, negative comfortable, positive spiritual and positive emotion have a direct influence on aggressive behavior whereas emotion of negative comfortable, positive spiritual and positive have a direct influence on hazardous acts behavior. The sensitivity analysis showed that a low level of negative and negative comfortable emotions leads to a lower level of aggressive and hazardous behavior. Findings of the study can be further improved to identify the exact cause and risk factors of crowd-related incidents in preventing crowd disasters during the mass gathering events.

Maternal Punitive Reactions to Children's Negative Emotions and Young Adult Trait Anger: Effect of Gender and Emotional Closeness.

PubMed

Perry, Nicole B; Cavanaugh, Alyson; Dunbar, Angel; Leerkes, Esther M

The current study tested whether young adult's recollected reports of their mother's punitive reactions to their negative emotions in childhood predicted anger expression in young adulthood and whether emotional closeness weakens this association. Further, a three-way interaction was tested to examine whether emotional closeness is a stronger protective factor for young women than for young men. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction (gender X emotional closeness X maternal punitive reactions). For young men, maternal punitive reactions to negative emotions were directly associated with increased anger expressions. Maternal punitive reactions to young women's negative emotions in childhood were associated with increased anger in adulthood only when they reported low maternal emotional closeness. Findings suggest that maternal emotional closeness may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of maternal punitive reactions for women's anger expression in young adulthood.

Maternal Punitive Reactions to Children's Negative Emotions and Young Adult Trait Anger: Effect of Gender and Emotional Closeness

PubMed Central

Perry, Nicole B.; Cavanaugh, Alyson; Dunbar, Angel; Leerkes, Esther M.

2015-01-01

The current study tested whether young adult’s recollected reports of their mother’s punitive reactions to their negative emotions in childhood predicted anger expression in young adulthood and whether emotional closeness weakens this association. Further, a three-way interaction was tested to examine whether emotional closeness is a stronger protective factor for young women than for young men. Results revealed a significant three-way interaction (gender X emotional closeness X maternal punitive reactions). For young men, maternal punitive reactions to negative emotions were directly associated with increased anger expressions. Maternal punitive reactions to young women’s negative emotions in childhood were associated with increased anger in adulthood only when they reported low maternal emotional closeness. Findings suggest that maternal emotional closeness may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of maternal punitive reactions for women’s anger expression in young adulthood. PMID:26568644

Convex Grooves in Staggered Herringbone Mixer Improve Mixing Efficiency of Laminar Flow in Microchannel.

PubMed

Kwak, Tae Joon; Nam, Young Gyu; Najera, Maria Alejandra; Lee, Sang Woo; Strickler, J Rudi; Chang, Woo-Jin

2016-01-01

The liquid streams in a microchannel are hardly mixed to form laminar flow, and the mixing issue is well described by a low Reynolds number scheme. The staggered herringbone mixer (SHM) using repeated patterns of grooves in the microchannel have been proved to be an efficient passive micro-mixer. However, only a negative pattern of the staggered herringbone mixer has been used so far after it was first suggested, to the best of our knowledge. In this study, the mixing efficiencies from negative and positive staggered herringbone mixer patterns as well as from opposite flow directions were tested to investigate the effect of the micro-structure geometry on the surrounding laminar flow. The positive herringbone pattern showed better mixing efficiency than the conventionally used negative pattern. Also, generally used forward flow gives better mixing efficiency than reverse flow. The mixing was completed after two cycles of staggered herringbone mixer with both forward and reverse flow in a positive pattern. The traditional negative pattern showed complete mixing after four and five cycles in forward and reverse flow direction, respectively. The mixing effect in all geometries was numerically simulated, and the results confirmed more efficient mixing in the positive pattern than the negative. The results can further enable the design of a more efficient microfluidic mixer, as well as in depth understanding of the phenomena of positive and negative patterns existing in nature with regards to the surrounding fluids.

Convex Grooves in Staggered Herringbone Mixer Improve Mixing Efficiency of Laminar Flow in Microchannel

PubMed Central

Nam, Young Gyu; Najera, Maria Alejandra; Lee, Sang Woo; Strickler, J. Rudi; Chang, Woo-Jin

2016-01-01

The liquid streams in a microchannel are hardly mixed to form laminar flow, and the mixing issue is well described by a low Reynolds number scheme. The staggered herringbone mixer (SHM) using repeated patterns of grooves in the microchannel have been proved to be an efficient passive micro-mixer. However, only a negative pattern of the staggered herringbone mixer has been used so far after it was first suggested, to the best of our knowledge. In this study, the mixing efficiencies from negative and positive staggered herringbone mixer patterns as well as from opposite flow directions were tested to investigate the effect of the micro-structure geometry on the surrounding laminar flow. The positive herringbone pattern showed better mixing efficiency than the conventionally used negative pattern. Also, generally used forward flow gives better mixing efficiency than reverse flow. The mixing was completed after two cycles of staggered herringbone mixer with both forward and reverse flow in a positive pattern. The traditional negative pattern showed complete mixing after four and five cycles in forward and reverse flow direction, respectively. The mixing effect in all geometries was numerically simulated, and the results confirmed more efficient mixing in the positive pattern than the negative. The results can further enable the design of a more efficient microfluidic mixer, as well as in depth understanding of the phenomena of positive and negative patterns existing in nature with regards to the surrounding fluids. PMID:27814386

Disentangling the effects of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation on aboveground biomass in dry zone homegarden agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Ali, Arshad; Mattsson, Eskil

2017-11-15

The biodiversity - aboveground biomass relationship has been intensively studied in recent decades. However, no consensus has been arrived to consider the interplay of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation in driving aboveground biomass, after accounting for the effects of plot size heterogeneity, soil fertility and stand quality in natural forest including agroforests. We tested the full, partial and no mediations effects of species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation on aboveground biomass by employing structural equation models (SEMs) using data from 45 homegarden agroforestry systems in Sri Lanka. The full mediation effect of either species diversity or intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation was rejected, while the partial and no mediation effects were accepted. In the no mediation SEM, homegarden size had the strongest negative direct effect (β=-0.49) on aboveground biomass (R 2 =0.65), followed by strong positive direct effect of intraspecific tree size variation (β=0.32), species diversity (β=0.29) and interspecific tree size variation (β=0.28). Soil fertility had a negative direct effect on interspecific tree size variation (β=-0.31). Stand quality had a significant positive total effect on aboveground biomass (β=0.28), but homegarden size had a significant negative total effect (β=-0.62), while soil fertility had a non-significant total effect on aboveground biomass. Similar to the no mediation SEM, the partial mediation SEMs had explained almost similar variation in aboveground biomass because species diversity, and intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation had non-significant indirect effects on aboveground biomass via each other. Our results strongly suggest that a multilayered tree canopy structure, due to high intraspecific and interspecific tree size variation, increases light capture and efficient utilization of resources among component species, and hence, support the niche complementarity mechanism via plant-plant interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding Associations Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Negative Consequences of Drinking: a Moderated Mediation Analysis.

PubMed

Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J; Liu, HuiGuo; Kaplan, Lauren M

2016-05-01

We explored how neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to negative consequences of drinking to explain why racial/ethnic minority group members are more at risk than Whites for adverse alcohol outcomes. We tested direct and indirect effects of neighborhood SES on alcohol problems and examined differences by gender and race. We used data from the 2000 and 2005 National Alcohol Surveys (N = 7912 drinkers aged 18 and older; 49 % female) linked with data from the 2000 Decennial Census in multivariate path models adjusting for individual demographics. In the full sample, neighborhood disadvantage had a significant direct path to increased negative consequences, with no indirect paths through depression, positive affect or pro-drinking attitudes. Neighborhood affluence had significant indirect paths to increased negative consequences through greater pro-drinking attitudes and increased heavy drinking. Subgroup analyses showed the indirect path from affluence to consequences held for White men, with no effects of neighborhood disadvantage. For racial/ethnic minority men, significant indirect paths emerged from both neighborhood disadvantage and affluence to increased consequences through greater pro-drinking attitudes and more heavy drinking. For minority women, there was an indirect effect of neighborhood affluence through reduced depression to fewer drinking consequences. There were limited neighborhood effects on alcohol outcomes for White women. Interventions targeting pro-drinking attitudes in both affluent and disadvantaged areas may help reduce alcohol-related problems among men. Initiatives to improve neighborhood conditions could enhance mental health of minority women and reduce alcohol-related health disparities.

Reaction-space analysis of homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion with varying levels of fuel stratification under positive and negative valve overlap conditions

DOE PAGES

Kodavasal, Janardhan; Lavoie, George A.; Assanis, Dennis N.; ...

2015-10-26

Full-cycle computational fluid dynamics simulations with gasoline chemical kinetics were performed to determine the impact of breathing and fuel injection strategies on thermal and compositional stratification, combustion and emissions during homogeneous charge compression ignition combustion. The simulations examined positive valve overlap and negative valve overlap strategies, along with fueling by port fuel injection and direct injection. The resulting charge mass distributions were analyzed prior to ignition using ignition delay as a reactivity metric. The reactivity stratification arising from differences in the distributions of fuel–oxygen equivalence ratio (Φ FO), oxygen molar fraction (χ O2) and temperature (T) was determined for threemore » parametric studies. In the first study, the reactivity stratification and burn duration for positive valve overlap valve events with port fuel injection and early direct injection were nearly identical and were dominated by wall-driven thermal stratification. nitrogen oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were negligible for both injection strategies. In the second study, which examined negative valve overlap valve events with direct injection and port fuel injection, reactivity stratification increased for direct injection as the Φ FO and T distributions associated with direct fuel injection into the hot residual gas were positively correlated; however, the latent heat absorbed from the hot residual gas by the evaporating direct injection fuel jet reduced the overall thermal and reactivity stratification. These stratification effects were offsetting, resulting in similar reactivity stratification and burn durations for the two injection strategies. The higher local burned gas temperatures with direct injection resulted in an order of magnitude increase in NO, while incomplete combustion of locally over-lean regions led to a sevenfold increase in CO emissions compared to port fuel injection. The final study evaluated positive valve overlap and negative valve overlap valve events with direct injection. Furthermore, relative to positive valve overlap, the negative valve overlap condition had a wider reactivity stratification, a longer burn duration and higher NO and CO emissions associated with reduced fuel–air mixing.« less

Negative life events vary by neighborhood and mediate the relation between neighborhood context and psychological well-being.

PubMed

King, Katherine; Ogle, Christin

2014-01-01

Researchers have speculated that negative life events are more common in troubled neighborhoods, amplifying adverse effects on health. Using a clustered representative sample of Chicago residents (2001-03; n = 3,105) from the Chicago Community Adult Health Survey, we provide the first documentation that negative life events are highly geographically clustered compared to health outcomes. Associations between neighborhood context and negative life events were also found to vary by event type. We then demonstrate the power of a contextualized approach by testing path models in which life events mediate the relation between neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes, including self-rated health, anxiety, and depression. The indirect paths between neighborhood conditions and health through negative life event exposure are highly significant and large compared to the direct paths from neighborhood conditions to health. Our results indicate that neighborhood conditions can have acute as well as chronic effects on health, and that negative life events are a powerful mechanism by which context may influence health.

Environmental Assessment During Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB) - Evaluation of the TIC-Master Computer Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-01

Definitions Environmental considerations: The spectrum of environmental media, resources, or programs that may impact, or are affected by, the...pollute, create negative- noise-related effects, degrade archeological/cultural resources, or negatively affect threatened or endangered species habitats...RM process. Many of the factors that affect the health of service members may be directly related to environmental considerations within the

The relationship between academic self-concept, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, and academic achievement among nursing students: mediating and moderating effects.

PubMed

Khalaila, Rabia

2015-03-01

The impact of cognitive factors on academic achievement is well documented. However, little is known about the mediating and moderating effects of non-cognitive, motivational and situational factors on academic achievement among nursing students. The aim of this study is to explore the direct and/or indirect effects of academic self-concept on academic achievement, and examine whether intrinsic motivation moderates the negative effect of test anxiety on academic achievement. This descriptive-correlational study was carried out on a convenience sample of 170 undergraduate nursing students, in an academic college in northern Israel. Academic motivation, academic self-concept and test anxiety scales were used as measuring instruments. Bootstrapping with resampling strategies was used for testing multiple mediators' model and examining the moderator effect. A higher self-concept was found to be directly related to greater academic achievement. Test anxiety and intrinsic motivation were found to be significant mediators in the relationship between self-concept and academic achievement. In addition, intrinsic motivation significantly moderated the negative effect of test anxiety on academic achievement. The results suggested that institutions should pay more attention to the enhancement of motivational factors (e.g., self-concept and motivation) and alleviate the negative impact of situational factors (e.g., test anxiety) when offering psycho-educational interventions designed to improve nursing students' academic achievements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of frequency-dependent microphone directionality on horizontal localization performance in hearing-aid users.

PubMed

Keidser, Gitte; O'Brien, Anna; Hain, Jens-Uwe; McLelland, Margot; Yeend, Ingrid

2009-11-01

Frequency-dependent microphone directionality alters the spectral shape of sound as a function of arrival azimuth. The influence of this on horizontal-plane localization performance was investigated. Using a 360 degrees loudspeaker array and five stimuli with different spectral characteristics, localization performance was measured on 21 hearing-impaired listeners when wearing no hearing aids and aided with no directionality, partial (from 1 and 2 kHz) directionality, and full directionality. The test schemes were also evaluated in everyday life. Without hearing aids, localization accuracy was significantly poorer than normative data. Due to inaudibility of high-frequency energy, front/back reversals were prominent. Front/back reversals remained prominent when aided with omnidirectional microphones. For stimuli with low-frequency emphasis, directionality had no further effect on localization. For stimuli with sufficient mid- and high-frequency information, full directionality had a small positive effect on front/back localization but a negative effect on left/right localization. Partial directionality further improved front/back localization and had no significant effect on left/right localization. The field test revealed no significant effects. The alternative spectral cues provided by frequency-dependent directionality improve front/back localization in hearing-aid users.

Fragmentation and matrix contrast favor understory plants through negative cascading effects on a strong competitor palm.

PubMed

Hernández-Ruedas, Manuel A; Arroyo-Rodríguez, Víctor; Morante-Filho, José Carlos; Meave, Jorge A; Martínez-Ramos, Miguel

2018-05-04

Understanding the patterns and processes driving biodiversity maintenance in fragmented tropical forests is urgently needed for conservation planning, especially in species-rich forest reserves. Of particular concern are the effects that habitat modifications at the landscape scale may have on forest regeneration and ecosystem functioning: a topic that has received limited attention. Here, we assessed the effects of landscape structure (i.e., forest cover, open area matrices, forest fragmentation, and mean inter-patch isolation distance) on understory plant assemblages in the Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve, Mexico. Previous studies suggest that the demographic burst of the strong competitor palm Astrocaryum mexicanum in the core area of this reserve limits plant recruitment and imperils biodiversity conservation within this protected area. Yet, the local and landscape predictors of this palm, and its impact on tree recruitment at a regional scale are unknown. Thus, we used structural equation modeling to assess the direct and cascading effects of landscape structure on stem and species density in the understory of 20 forest sites distributed across this biodiversity hotspot. Indirect paths included the effect of landscape structure on tree basal area (a proxy of local disturbance), and the effects of these variables on A. mexicanum. Density of A. mexicanum mainly increased with decreasing both fragmentation and open areas in the matrix (matrix contrast, hereafter), and such an increase in palm density negatively affected stem and species density in the understory. The negative direct effect of matrix contrast on stem density was overridden by the indirect positive effects (i.e., through negative cascading effects on A. mexicanum), resulting in a weak effect of matrix contrast on stem density. These findings suggest that dispersal limitation and negative edge effects in more fragmented landscapes dominated by open areas prevent the proliferation of this palm species, enhancing the diversity and abundance of understory trees. This "positive" news adds to an increasing line of evidence suggesting that fragmentation may have some positive effects on biodiversity, in this case by preventing the proliferation of species that can jeopardize biodiversity conservation within tropical reserves. © 2018 by the Ecological Society of America.

The power of positive and negative expectations to influence reported symptoms and mood during exposure to wind farm sound.

PubMed

Crichton, Fiona; Dodd, George; Schmid, Gian; Gamble, Greg; Cundy, Tim; Petrie, Keith J

2014-12-01

Wind farm developments have been hampered by claims that sound from wind turbines causes symptoms and negative health reports in nearby residents. As scientific reviews have failed to identify a plausible link between wind turbine sound and health effects, psychological expectations have been proposed as an explanation for health complaints. Building on recent work showing negative expectations can create symptoms from wind turbines, we investigated whether positive expectations can produce the opposite effect, in terms of a reduction in symptoms and improvements in reported health. 60 participants were randomized to either positive or negative expectation groups and subsequently exposed to audible wind farm sound and infrasound. Prior to exposure, negative expectation participants watched a DVD incorporating TV footage about health effects said to be caused by infrasound produced by wind turbines. In contrast, positive expectation participants viewed a DVD that outlined the possible therapeutic effects of infrasound exposure. During exposure to audible windfarm sound and infrasound, symptoms and mood were strongly influenced by the type of expectations. Negative expectation participants experienced a significant increase in symptoms and a significant deterioration in mood, while positive expectation participants reported a significant decrease in symptoms and a significant improvement in mood. The study demonstrates that expectations can influence symptom and mood reports in both positive and negative directions. The results suggest that if expectations about infrasound are framed in more neutral or benign ways, then it is likely reports of symptoms or negative effects could be nullified.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sullivan, Lauren, L.; Johnson, Brenda, L.; Brudvig, Lars, A.

Habitat corridors, a common management strategy for increasing connectivity in fragmented landscapes, have experimentally validated positive influences on species movement and diversity. However, long-standing concerns that corridors could negatively impact native species by spreading antagonists, such as disease, remain largely untested. Using a large-scale, replicated experiment, we evaluated whether corridors increase the incidence of plant parasites. We found that corridor impacts varied with parasite dispersal mode. Connectivity provided by corridors increased incidence of biotically dispersed parasites (galls on Solidago odora) but not of abiotically dispersed parasites (foliar fungi on S. odora and three Lespedeza spp.). Both biotically and abiotically dispersedmore » parasites responded to edge effects, but the direction of responses varied across species. Although our results require additional tests for generality to other species and landscapes, they suggest that, when establishing conservation corridors, managers should focus on mitigating two potential negative effects: the indirect effects of narrow corridors in creating edges and direct effects of corridors in enhancing connectivity of biotically dispersed parasites.« less

Comparative Dietary Therapy Effectiveness in Remission of Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis

PubMed Central

Henderson, Carol J.; Abonia, J. Pablo; King, Eileen C.; Putnam, Philip E.; Collins, Margaret H.; Franciosi, James P.; Rothenberg, Marc E.

2012-01-01

Background Eosinophilic esophagitis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disorder that responds to dietary therapy; however, data evaluating the effectiveness of dietary therapeutic strategies is limited. Objective This study compared the effectiveness of three frequently prescribed dietary therapies [elemental, six-food elimination, and skin prick and atopy patch-directed elimination] and assessed the remission predictability of skin tests and their utility in directing dietary planning. Methods A retrospective cohort of proton-pump inhibitor-unresponsive, non-glucocorticoid-treated eosinophilic esophagitis patients who had two consecutive endoscopic biopsies associated with dietary intervention was identified. Biopsy histology and remissions (< 15 eosinophils/high-power field) following dietary therapy and food reintroductions were evaluated. Results Ninety-eight of 513 patients met eligibility criteria. Of these 98, 50% (49), 27% (26), and 23% (23) received elemental, six-food elimination, and directed diets, respectively. Remission occurred in 96%, 81%, and 65% of patients on elemental, six-food elimination, and directed diets, respectively. The odds of post-diet remission vs. non-remission were 5.6-fold higher (P=0.05) on elemental vs. six-food elimination, 12.5-fold higher (P=0.003) on elemental vs. directed, and were not significantly different (P=0.22) on six-food elimination vs. directed diets. Following 116 single-food reintroductions, the negative predictive value of skin testing for remission was 40%–67% (milk 40%, egg 56%, soy 64%, and wheat 67%). Conclusion All three dietary therapies are effective; however, an elemental diet is superior at inducing histologic remission compared with six-food elimination and skin test-directed diets. Notably, an empiric six-food elimination diet is as effective as a skin test-directed diet. The negative predictive values of foods most commonly reintroduced in single-food challenges are not sufficient to support the development of dietary advancement plans solely based on skin tests. PMID:22541246

Understanding health food messages on Twitter for health literacy promotion.

PubMed

Zhou, J; Liu, F; Zhou, H

2018-05-01

With the popularity of social media, Twitter has become an important tool to promote health literacy. However, many health-related messages on Twitter are dead-ended and cannot reach many people. This is unhelpful for health literacy promotion. This article aims to examine the features of online health food messages that people like to retweet. We adopted rumour theory as our theoretical foundation and extracted seven characteristics (i.e. emotional valence, attractiveness, sender's authoritativeness, external evidence, argument length, hashtags, and direct messages). A total of 10,025 health-related messages on Twitter were collected, and 1496 messages were randomly selected for further analysis. Each message was treated as one unit and then coded. All the hypotheses were tested with logistic regression. Emotional valence, attractiveness, sender's authoritativeness, argument length, and direct messages in a Twitter message had positive effects on people's retweet behaviour. The effect of external evidence was negative. Hashtags had no significant effect after consideration of other variables. Online health food messages containing positive emotions, including pictures, containing direct messages, having an authoritative sender, having longer arguments, or not containing external URLs are more likely to be retweeted. However, a message only containing positive or negative emotions or including direct messages without any support information will not be retweeted.

Linking Traffic Noise, Noise Annoyance and Life Satisfaction: A Case Study

PubMed Central

Urban, Jan; Máca, Vojtěch

2013-01-01

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the link between rail and road traffic noise and overall life satisfaction. While the negative relationship between residential satisfaction and traffic noise is relatively well-established, much less is known about the effect of traffic noise on overall life satisfaction. Based on results of previous studies, we propose a model that links objective noise levels, noise sensitivity, noise annoyance, residential satisfaction and life satisfaction. Since it is not clear whether a bottom-up or top-down relationship between residential satisfaction and life satisfaction holds, we specify models that incorporate both of these theoretical propositions. Empirical models are tested using structural equation modeling and data from a survey among residents of areas with high levels of road traffic noise (n1 = 354) and rail traffic noise (n2 = 228). We find that traffic noise has a negative effect on residential satisfaction, but no significant direct or indirect effects on overall life satisfaction. Noise annoyance due to road and rail traffic noise has strong negative effect on residential satisfaction rather than on overall life satisfaction. These results are very similar for the road and railway traffic contexts and regardless of whether the model assumes the top-down or bottom-up direction of the causation between life satisfaction and residential satisfaction. PMID:23652784

Linking traffic noise, noise annoyance and life satisfaction: a case study.

PubMed

Urban, Jan; Máca, Vojtěch

2013-05-07

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the link between rail and road traffic noise and overall life satisfaction. While the negative relationship between residential satisfaction and traffic noise is relatively well-established, much less is known about the effect of traffic noise on overall life satisfaction. Based on results of previous studies, we propose a model that links objective noise levels, noise sensitivity, noise annoyance, residential satisfaction and life satisfaction. Since it is not clear whether a bottom-up or top-down relationship between residential satisfaction and life satisfaction holds, we specify models that incorporate both of these theoretical propositions. Empirical models are tested using structural equation modeling and data from a survey among residents of areas with high levels of road traffic noise (n1 = 354) and rail traffic noise (n2 = 228). We find that traffic noise has a negative effect on residential satisfaction, but no significant direct or indirect effects on overall life satisfaction. Noise annoyance due to road and rail traffic noise has strong negative effect on residential satisfaction rather than on overall life satisfaction. These results are very similar for the road and railway traffic contexts and regardless of whether the model assumes the top-down or bottom-up direction of the causation between life satisfaction and residential satisfaction.

The effect of perceived organisational support on burnout among community health nurses in China: the mediating role of professional self-concept.

PubMed

Cao, Xiaoyi; Chen, Lin; Tian, Lang; Diao, Yongshu

2016-01-01

To examine the mediating effect of professional self-concept on the association between perceived organisational support and burnout among community health nurses in Chengdu, China. Burnout is a common phenomenon among nurses and previous studies have focused on work environmental factors contributing to burnout. Limited studies have examined the effects of perceived organisational support and professional self-concept on burnout among community health nurses. This was a cross-sectional study with 551 community health nurses in Chengdu, China, which included a two-stage sampling method. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationships among perceived organisational support, professional self-concept and burnout. The final sample included 456 nurses (82.7%). Perceived organisational support was a significant positive direct predictor for professional self-concept and a significant negative direct predictor for burnout. Professional self-concept was a significant negative direct contributor to burnout. Professional self-concept had a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived organisational support and burnout. Perceived organisational support may result in reduced burnout by facilitating the development of positive professional self-concept. Strategies such as establishing a supportive work environment and professional competence training may be effective methods for burnout prevention and management among community health nurses. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of Media on Female Body Image: Myth or Reality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryla, Karen Y.

2002-01-01

Examines the media's influence on female body image. differentiating between the effects of print and electronic media. Results suggest that print media have a direct, immediate, and negative effect on female body image, while no such relationship exists for electronic media. Results also indicate that exploring only exposure to media images is…

Stress, depressive status and telomere length: Does social interaction and coping strategy play a mediating role?

PubMed

Liu, Jia Jia; Wei, Ya Bin; Forsell, Yvonne; Lavebratt, Catharina

2017-11-01

Telomeres have been reported to be shorter in individuals exposed to psychosocial stress and in those with depression. Since negative environmental stress is a risk factor for depression, the present study tested whether stressors in childhood (CA) and recent adulthood (NLE) predicted telomere attrition directly and/or indirectly through individuals' depressive status 3-6 years before TL measurement; and then if social interaction and coping strategies in adulthood influenced the relationship between depressive status and TL. Participants were 337 individuals with a recent depression diagnosis and 574 screened controls that derived from a longitudinal population-based cohort study conducted in Stockholm, Sweden. Relative TL was determined using qPCR. Relationships between the key variables stressors, depressive status, social interaction, coping strategies and TL were explored by path analysis in males and females, adjusting for age. The key variables were correlated in expected directions. In females, depressive status and age had direct negative effects on TL (p < 0.05) and both CA (p = 0.025) and NLE (p < 0.003) had indirect negative effects on TL. For males, the effects of stressors and depressive status on TL were mediated by social interaction (p = 0.005) and the coping strategy worry (p = 0.005). In females, no mediation effect of social interaction and coping strategy was detected. Only little of the TL variation was explained by the models. The environmental stress information was limited. Our findings propose gender-specific paths from environmental stressors through depressive status, social interaction and coping strategy to TL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural and Process Factors That Influence Clinical Nurse Specialist Role Implementation.

PubMed

Kilpatrick, Kelley; Tchouaket, Eric; Carter, Nancy; Bryant-Lukosius, Denise; DiCenso, Alba

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of structure and process on clinical nurse specialist (CNS) role implementation. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data. The study was performed in Canada. The authors included 445 of 471 questionnaires (94.5%) of graduate-prepared CNSs. Based on Donabedian's framework, we conducted a secondary analysis of CNS responses using hierarchical regression. The internal consistency of the 6 CNS role dimensions and team dynamics subscales was excellent. The use of a framework to guide CNS role implementation influences all the role dimensions. Employer understanding of the CNS role, working in an urban catchment area, specialty certification, and more years in a CNS role had a direct positive influence on team dynamics. Full-time employment exerted a direct negative influence on this dimension. Furthermore, team dynamics (as a mediator variable), seeing patients in practice, and having an office in the clinical unit exerted a direct positive influence on the clinical dimension. Having an annual performance appraisal and a job description exerted a direct negative influence on the clinical dimension. Employer understanding, working in an urban area, full-time employment, and specialty certification had an indirect effect on the clinical dimension. Accountability to a nonnurse manager exerted a direct negative influence on the education dimension. The research and scholarly/professional development dimensions were influenced by more years in a CNS role. Accountability to a nurse manager exerted a direct positive influence on the organizational leadership dimension; unionization and seeing patients in practice had a direct negative influence on this dimension. Seeing patients in practice and full-time employment exerted a direct positive influence on the consultation dimension. The identification of structures and processes that influence CNS role implementation may inform strategies used by providers and decision makers to optimize these roles across healthcare settings and support the delivery of high-quality care.

An Integrated Process Model of Stereotype Threat Effects on Performance

PubMed Central

Johns, Michael; Forbes, Chad

2008-01-01

Research showing that activation of negative stereotypes can impair the performance of stigmatized individuals on a wide variety of tasks has proliferated. However, a complete understanding of the processes underlying these stereotype threat effects on behavior is still lacking. The authors examine stereotype threat in the context of research on stress arousal, vigilance, working memory, and self-regulation to develop a process model of how negative stereotypes impair performance on cognitive and social tasks that require controlled processing, as well as sensorimotor tasks that require automatic processing. The authors argue that stereotype threat disrupts performance via 3 distinct, yet interrelated, mechanisms: (a) a physiological stress response that directly impairs prefrontal processing, (b) a tendency to actively monitor performance, and (c) efforts to suppress negative thoughts and emotions in the service of self-regulation. These mechanisms combine to consume executive resources needed to perform well on cognitive and social tasks. The active monitoring mechanism disrupts performance on sensorimotor tasks directly. Empirical evidence for these assertions is reviewed, and implications for interventions designed to alleviate stereotype threat are discussed. PMID:18426293

Acoustic manipulation of oscillating spherical bodies: Emergence of axial negative acoustic radiation force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, Majid; Mojahed, Alireza

2016-11-01

In this paper, emergence of negative axial acoustic radiation force on a rigid oscillating spherical body is investigated for acoustic manipulation purposes. The problem of plane acoustic wave scattering from an oscillating spherical body submerged in an ideal acoustic fluid medium is solved. For the case of oscillating direction collinear with the wave propagation wave number vector (desired path), it has been shown that the acoustic radiation force, as a result of nonlinear acoustic wave interaction with bodies can be expressed as a linear function of incident wave field and the oscillation properties of the oscillator (i.e., amplitude and phase of oscillation). The negative (i.e., pulling effects) and positive (i.e., pushing effects) radiation force situations are divided in oscillation complex plane with a specific frequency-dependant straight line. This characteristic line defines the radiation force cancellation state. In order to investigate the stability of the mentioned manipulation strategy, the case of misaligned oscillation of sphere with the wave propagation direction is studied. The proposed methodology may suggest a novel concept of single-beam acoustic handling techniques based on smart carriers.

The Articulatory In-Out Effect Resists Oral Motor Interference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindau, Berit; Topolinski, Sascha

2018-01-01

People prefer words with inward directed consonantal patterns (e.g., MENIKA) compared to outward patterns (KENIMA), because inward (outward) articulation movements resemble positive (negative) mouth actions such as swallowing (spitting). This effect might rely on covert articulation simulations, or subvocalizations, since it occurs also under…

A Lewinian Perspective on Taking Conflict Personally: Revision, Refinement, and Validation of the Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hample, Dale; Dallinger, Judith M.

1995-01-01

Describes theoretical connections among field theory, defensiveness, attributions, and taking conflict personally (TCP). Revises the original version of a multidimensional TCP scale, measuring six TCP subscales: direct personalization, persecution feelings, stress reaction, positive relational effects, negative relational effects, and like/dislike…

Effect of Position- and Velocity-Dependent Forces on Reaching Movements at Different Speeds

PubMed Central

Summa, Susanna; Casadio, Maura; Sanguineti, Vittorio

2016-01-01

The speed of voluntary movements is determined by the conflicting needs of maximizing accuracy and minimizing mechanical effort. Dynamic perturbations, e.g., force fields, may be used to manipulate movements in order to investigate these mechanisms. Here, we focus on how the presence of position- and velocity-dependent force fields affects the relation between speed and accuracy during hand reaching movements. Participants were instructed to perform reaching movements under visual control in two directions, corresponding to either low or high arm inertia. The subjects were required to maintain four different movement durations (very slow, slow, fast, very fast). The experimental protocol included three phases: (i) familiarization—the robot generated no force; (ii) force field—the robot generated a force; and (iii) after-effect—again, no force. Participants were randomly assigned to four groups, depending on the type of force that was applied during the “force field” phase. The robot was programmed to generate position-dependent forces—with positive (K+) or negative stiffness (K−)—or velocity-dependent forces, with either positive (B+) or negative viscosity (B−). We focused on path curvature, smoothness, and endpoint error; in the latter we distinguished between bias and variability components. Movements in the high-inertia direction are smoother and less curved; smoothness also increases with movement speed. Endpoint bias and variability are greater in, respectively, the high and low inertia directions. A robust dependence on movement speed was only observed in the longitudinal components of both bias and variability. The strongest and more consistent effects of perturbation were observed with negative viscosity (B−), which resulted in increased variability during force field adaptation and in a reduction of the endpoint bias, which was retained in the subsequent after-effect phase. These findings confirm that training with negative viscosity produces lasting effects in movement accuracy at all speeds. PMID:27965559

Direct and Indirect Effects of UV-B Exposure on Litter Decomposition: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Song, Xinzhang; Peng, Changhui; Jiang, Hong; Zhu, Qiuan; Wang, Weifeng

2013-01-01

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure in the course of litter decomposition may have a direct effect on decomposition rates via changing states of photodegradation or decomposer constitution in litter while UV-B exposure during growth periods may alter chemical compositions and physical properties of plants. Consequently, these changes will indirectly affect subsequent litter decomposition processes in soil. Although studies are available on both the positive and negative effects (including no observable effects) of UV-B exposure on litter decomposition, a comprehensive analysis leading to an adequate understanding remains unresolved. Using data from 93 studies across six biomes, this introductory meta-analysis found that elevated UV-B directly increased litter decomposition rates by 7% and indirectly by 12% while attenuated UV-B directly decreased litter decomposition rates by 23% and indirectly increased litter decomposition rates by 7%. However, neither positive nor negative effects were statistically significant. Woody plant litter decomposition seemed more sensitive to UV-B than herbaceous plant litter except under conditions of indirect effects of elevated UV-B. Furthermore, levels of UV-B intensity significantly affected litter decomposition response to UV-B (P<0.05). UV-B effects on litter decomposition were to a large degree compounded by climatic factors (e.g., MAP and MAT) (P<0.05) and litter chemistry (e.g., lignin content) (P<0.01). Results suggest these factors likely have a bearing on masking the important role of UV-B on litter decomposition. No significant differences in UV-B effects on litter decomposition were found between study types (field experiment vs. laboratory incubation), litter forms (leaf vs. needle), and decay duration. Indirect effects of elevated UV-B on litter decomposition significantly increased with decay duration (P<0.001). Additionally, relatively small changes in UV-B exposure intensity (30%) had significant direct effects on litter decomposition (P<0.05). The intent of this meta-analysis was to improve our understanding of the overall effects of UV-B on litter decomposition. PMID:23818993

The Lévy noise-induced current reversal phenomenon for self-propelled particles in a two-dimensional potential

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Bing; Qu, Zhongwei; Li, Xuechao; Ma, Jianli

2017-08-01

Effects of Lévy noise on self-propelled particles in a two-dimensional potential is investigated. The current reversal phenomenon appears in the system. V (x-direction average velocity) changes from negative to positive with increasing asymmetry parameter β, and changes from positive to negative with increasing self-propelled velocity v0. V has a maximum with increasing modulation constant λ.

Effects of social support at work on depression and organizational productivity.

PubMed

Park, Kyoung-Ok; Wilson, Mark G; Lee, Myung Sun

2004-01-01

To examine how social support at work affects depression and organizational productivity in a work-stress framework. A self-administered survey for 240 workers in a public hospital in the southeastern United States. Social support at work was directly related to high job control, low depression, and high job performance. Social support did not buffer the negative effects of work factors on depression and organizational productivity. Social support at work had a direct and beneficial effect on workers' psychological well-being and organizational productivity without any interaction effect on the work-stress framework.

Effects of mood induction on consumers with vs. without compulsive buying propensity: an experimental study.

PubMed

Vogt, Sinje; Hunger, Antje; Türpe, Tina; Pietrowsky, Reinhard; Gerlach, Alexander L

2014-12-15

Compulsive buying (CB) is excessive and leads to impairment and distress. Several studies aimed to explore the phenomenology and antecedents of CB, especially affective states. However, these studies mostly used retrospective self-report and mostly focused on compulsive buyers only. Therefore, this study aims to directly compare consumers with CB propensity and controls on experimental proxies of buying behavior and to investigate 1) effects of neutral vs. negative mood inductions and 2) whether mood effects on buying behavior are specific to CB. Forty female consumers with CB propensity and 40 female controls were randomly assigned to a neutral or negative mood induction. Buying related behavior (likelihood to expose oneself to a shopping situation, urge and probability to buy, willingness to pay) was assessed. Consumers with CB propensity differed from controls in all buying behavior aspects except for willingness to pay. Neither main effects of mood nor group×mood interaction effects on buying behavior were found. However, consumers with CB propensity were emotionally more strongly affected by a negative mood induction. Although negative affect has previously been reported to precede buying episodes in CB, our findings do not indicate specific negative mood effects on buying, neither in CB nor in controls. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Down-Regulation of Negative Emotional Processing by Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation: Effects of Personality Characteristics

PubMed Central

Peña-Gómez, Cleofé; Vidal-Piñeiro, Dídac; Clemente, Immaculada C.; Pascual-Leone, Álvaro; Bartrés-Faz, David

2011-01-01

Evidence from neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies indicates that the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a core region in emotional processing, particularly during down-regulation of negative emotional conditions. However, emotional regulation is a process subject to major inter-individual differences, some of which may be explained by personality traits. In the present study we used transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the left DLPFC to investigate whether transiently increasing the activity of this region resulted in changes in the ratings of positive, neutral and negative emotional pictures. Results revealed that anodal, but not cathodal, tDCS reduced the perceived degree of emotional valence for negative stimuli, possibly due to an enhancement of cognitive control of emotional expression. We also aimed to determine whether personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism) might condition the impact of tDCS. We found that individuals with higher scores on the introversion personality dimension were more permeable than extraverts to the modulatory effects of the stimulation. The present study underlines the role of the left DLPFC in emotional regulation, and stresses the importance of considering individual personality characteristics as a relevant variable, although replication is needed given the limited sample size of our study. PMID:21829522

Marginalized zero-inflated negative binomial regression with application to dental caries

PubMed Central

Preisser, John S.; Das, Kalyan; Long, D. Leann; Divaris, Kimon

2015-01-01

The zero-inflated negative binomial regression model (ZINB) is often employed in diverse fields such as dentistry, health care utilization, highway safety, and medicine to examine relationships between exposures of interest and overdispersed count outcomes exhibiting many zeros. The regression coefficients of ZINB have latent class interpretations for a susceptible subpopulation at risk for the disease/condition under study with counts generated from a negative binomial distribution and for a non-susceptible subpopulation that provides only zero counts. The ZINB parameters, however, are not well-suited for estimating overall exposure effects, specifically, in quantifying the effect of an explanatory variable in the overall mixture population. In this paper, a marginalized zero-inflated negative binomial regression (MZINB) model for independent responses is proposed to model the population marginal mean count directly, providing straightforward inference for overall exposure effects based on maximum likelihood estimation. Through simulation studies, the finite sample performance of MZINB is compared to marginalized zero-inflated Poisson, Poisson, and negative binomial regression. The MZINB model is applied in the evaluation of a school-based fluoride mouthrinse program on dental caries in 677 children. PMID:26568034

The blues of adolescent romance: observed affective interactions in adolescent romantic relationships associated with depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Ha, Thao; Dishion, Thomas J; Overbeek, Geertjan; Burk, William J; Engels, Rutger C M E

2014-05-01

We examined the associations between observed expressions of positive and negative emotions during conflict discussions and depressive symptoms during a 2-year period in a sample of 160 adolescents in 80 romantic relationships (M age = 15.48, SD = 1.16). Conflict discussions were coded using the 10-code Specific Affect Coding System. Depressive symptoms were assessed at the time of the observed conflict discussions (Time 1) and 2 years later (Time 2). Data were analyzed using actor-partner interdependence models. Girls' expression of both positive and negative emotions at T1 was related to their own depressive symptoms at T2 (actor effect). Boys' positive emotions and negative emotions (actor effect) and girls' negative emotions (partner effect) were related to boys' depressive symptoms at T2. Contrary to expectation, relationship break-up and relationship satisfaction were unrelated to changes in depressive symptoms or expression of negative or positive emotion during conflict discussion. These findings underscore the unique quality of adolescent romantic relationships and suggest new directions in the study of the link between mental health and romantic involvement in adolescence.

[Analysis of influential factors for job burnout among managers in a joint venture in Guangzhou, China].

PubMed

Lin, Qiu-hong; Jiang, Chao-qiang; Liu, Yi-min; Guo, Jing-yi; Lam, Tai Hing

2013-12-01

To investigate the influential factors for job burnout among the managerial staff in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer in Guangzhou, China. A total of 288 managers in a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturer were surveyed using the Occupational Stress Indicator, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Social Support Rating Scale. On the depersonalization dimension, the male managers had significantly higher scores than the female managers. The scores of emotion exhaustion and depersonalization of MBI showed significant differences among the managers with different levels of occupational stress. The path analysis showed that occupational stress, neuroticism, and psychoticism had negative effects on emotion exhaustion, while job satisfaction and utilization of social support had direct positive effects on emotion exhaustion. Occupational stress, psychoticism, and passive coping style had direct negative effects on depersonalization, while job satisfaction, objective support, and utilization of social support had positive effects on depersonalization. Job satisfaction and active coping style had positive effects on sense of personal accomplishment, while passive coping style had a negative effect on sense of personal accomplishment. Personality exerted its effect on social support through coping style and thus on job satisfaction and job burnout. Male managers have a greater propensity to depersonalization than their female counterparts. High occupational stress is a risk factor for job burnout. Personality, social support, and coping style are influential factors for job burnout.

Do shrubs reduce the adverse effects of grazing on soil properties?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eldridge, David J.; Beecham, Genevieve; Grace, James B.

2015-01-01

Increases in the density of woody plants are a global phenomenon in drylands, and large aggregations of shrubs, in particular, are regarded as being indicative of dysfunctional ecosystems. There is increasing evidence that overgrazing by livestock reduces ecosystem functions in shrublands, but that shrubs may buffer the negative effects of increasing grazing. We examined changes in water infiltration and nutrient concentrations in soils under shrubs and in their interspaces in shrublands in eastern Australia that varied in the intensity of livestock grazing. We used structural equation modelling to test whether shrubs might reduce the negative effects of overgrazing on infiltration and soil carbon and nitrogen (henceforth ‘soil nutrients’). Soils under shrubs and subject to low levels of grazing were more stable and had greater levels of soil nutrients. Shrubs had a direct positive effect on soil nutrients; but, grazing negatively affected nutrients by increasing soil bulk density. Structural equation modelling showed that shrubs had a direct positive effect on water flow under ponded conditions but also enhanced water flow, indirectly, through increased litter cover. Any positive effects of shrubs on water flow under low levels of grazing waned at high levels of grazing. Our results indicate that shrubs may reduce the adverse effects of grazing on soil properties. Specifically, shrubs could restrict access to livestock and therefore protect soils and plants beneath their canopies. Low levels of grazing are likely to ensure the retention of soil water and soil carbon and nitrogen in shrubland soils.

When the Going Gets Tough: Direct, Buffering and Indirect Effects of Social Support on Turnover Intention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pomaki, Georgia; DeLongis, Anita; Frey, Daniela; Short, Kathy; Woehrle, Trish

2010-01-01

We examined the role of social support in turnover intention among new teachers. First, we tested and found evidence for a direct negative relationship between social support and turnover intention. Second, we tested the social support buffer hypothesis, and found that teachers with higher social support had lower turnover intention in the face of…

Variable directionality of gene expression changes across generations does not constitute negative evidence of epigenetic inheritance.

PubMed

Sharma, Abhay

2015-01-01

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals has been controversial due to inherent difficulties in its experimental demonstration. A recent report has, however, opened a new front in the ongoing debate by claiming that endocrine disrupting chemicals, contrary to previous findings, do not cause effects across generations. This claim is based on the observation that gene expression changes induced by these chemicals in the exposed and unexposed generations are mainly in the opposite direction. This analysis shows that the pattern of gene expression reported in the two generations is not expected by chance and is suggestive of transmission across generations. A meta-analysis of diverse data sets related to endocrine disruptor-induced transgenerational gene expression alterations, including the data provided in the said report, further suggests that effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals persist in unexposed generations. Based on the prior evidence of phenotypic variability and gene expression alterations in opposite direction between generations, it is argued here that calling evidence of mismatched directionality in gene expression in experiments testing potential of environmental agents in inducing epigenetic inheritance of phenotypic traits as negative is untenable. This is expected to settle the newly raised doubts over epigenetic inheritance in mammals.

Synergistic effects of direct and indirect defences on herbivore egg survival in a wild crucifer

PubMed Central

Fatouros, Nina E.; Pineda, Ana; Huigens, Martinus E.; Broekgaarden, Colette; Shimwela, Methew M.; Figueroa Candia, Ilich A.; Verbaarschot, Patrick; Bukovinszky, Tibor

2014-01-01

Evolutionary theory of plant defences against herbivores predicts a trade-off between direct (anti-herbivore traits) and indirect defences (attraction of carnivores) when carnivore fitness is reduced. Such a trade-off is expected in plant species that kill herbivore eggs by exhibiting a hypersensitive response (HR)-like necrosis, which should then negatively affect carnivores. We used the black mustard (Brassica nigra) to investigate how this potentially lethal direct trait affects preferences and/or performances of specialist cabbage white butterflies (Pieris spp.), and their natural enemies, tiny egg parasitoid wasps (Trichogramma spp.). Both within and between black mustard populations, we observed variation in the expression of Pieris egg-induced HR. Butterfly eggs on plants with HR-like necrosis suffered lower hatching rates and higher parasitism than eggs that did not induce the trait. In addition, Trichogramma wasps were attracted to volatiles of egg-induced plants that also expressed HR, and this attraction depended on the Trichogramma strain used. Consequently, HR did not have a negative effect on egg parasitoid survival. We conclude that even within a system where plants deploy lethal direct defences, such defences may still act with indirect defences in a synergistic manner to reduce herbivore pressure. PMID:25009068

Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help: An Integrative Model Based on Contact, Essentialist Beliefs About Mental Illness, and Stigma.

PubMed

Hantzi, Alexandra; Anagnostopoulos, Fotios; Alexiou, Eva

2018-06-16

Based on intergroup contact theory, a proposed comprehensive model of attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help was tested, including both potential barriers to mental health help-seeking (i.e., public stigma and self-stigma of seeking help, prejudicial and essentialist beliefs about mental illness, intergroup anxiety) and potential facilitators (i.e., direct and extended contact with persons with mental illness). Relevant measures were completed by 119 community-dwelling participants. Path analysis showed that direct (but not extended) contact with mental illness, by reducing intergroup anxiety, led to less negative beliefs about mental illness and weaker essentialist beliefs about mental illness (the latter being directly and positively associated with negative beliefs about mental illness). Moreover, less negative beliefs about mental illness, by reducing perceptions of self (but not public) stigma of seeking psychological help, were related to more positive attitudes towards help-seeking. Results are discussed in the context of the (unintentional) adverse effects of biogenetic (essentialist) explanations of mental disorders, and the clinical implications regarding interventions that aim at improving help-seeking attitudes.

The effect of axial crucible rotation on microstructural uniformity during horizontal directional solidification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, R. N.; Kim, Shinwoo; Woodward, Tracey; Wang, T. G.

1992-01-01

The effects on microstructure of crucible orientation with respect to the earth's gravitational vector, g, during directional solidification of low-volume fraction copper and aluminum, Pb-Cu, and Sn-Al alloys are examined. It is demonstrated that horizontal alignment (i.e. perpendicular to g) in combination with axial rotation of the crucible during growth is sufficient to negate factors which initiate macrosegregation, e.g. density gradients attributed to temperature and/or compositional differences, and promotes a uniform microstructure.

SUMMARY OF PROGRESS ON THE STUDY OF BETA TREATMENT OF URANIUM, NOVEMBER 1, 1959-AUGUST 31, 1960

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russell, R.B.

Variables affecting the texture and grain size of uranium during beta treatment are summarized. The study of the effect of time and temperature in the beta phase on the growth index (G3) and grain size of the final alpha product is tentatively believed to show that higher beta temperatures for short times (up to about seven minutes) tend to promote slightly more negative growth indices and that higher beta temperatures give rise to somewhat finer grain sizes. Results of studies of both Jominy end-quenched bars and several full-sized rods and tubes quenched by total immersion showed that large thermal gradientsmore » promoted negative growth indices and produced grains somewhat elongated in the direction of the thermal gradient. The effects of endcooling in full-sized pieces quenched by total immersion in cold water showed that the axial growth index is negative up to distances from the end of about half the wall thickness of tubes and about half the radial dimension of rods. The grain refinement penetrates to a lesser distance from the ends. In the radial direction the growth index for these same pieces is largely negative to a distance below the outer diameter of about midwall in two tubes studied. In the case of one tube which was studied more completely, the growth index became negative again as the inner diameter was approached. A water-quenched rod was found to have a negative growth index down to a distance from the surface of about midradius. (auth)« less

On Intelligence Education and Religious Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ganzach, Yoav; Ellis, Shmuel; Gotlibovski, Chemi

2013-01-01

A number of authors have suggested that education mediates the negative effect of intelligence on religiosity. However, there is very little direct evidence for this mediation, and the indirect evidence is contradictory. The results of the current paper suggest that, by and large, education does not mediate the effect of intelligence on…

Fourth-Grade Slump: The Cause and Cure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcon, Rebecca A.

1995-01-01

Summarizes a study comparing effects of three different preschool models on urban public school children's success. Children enrolled in child-initiated programs mastered more basic skills than those in academically directed or middle-of-the-road classrooms. By fourth grade, the negative effects (lower scores and maladaptive behavior) of overly…

Discrimination, Subjective Wellbeing, and the Role of Gender: A Mediation Model of LGB Minority Stress.

PubMed

Conlin, Sarah E; Douglass, Richard P; Ouch, Staci

2017-10-26

The present study examined the link between discrimination and the three components of subjective wellbeing (positive and negative affect and life satisfaction) among a cisgender sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. Specifically, we investigated internalized homonegativity and expectations of rejection as potential mediators of the links between discrimination and subjective wellbeing among a sample of 215 participants. Results from our structural equation model demonstrated a strong, positive direct link between discrimination and negative affect. Discrimination also had small, negative indirect effects on life satisfaction through our two mediators. Interestingly, neither discrimination nor our two mediators were related with positive affect, demonstrating the need for future research to uncover potential buffers of this link. Finally, our model evidenced configural, metric, and scalar invariance, suggesting that our model applies well for both women and men. Practical implications and future directions for research are discussed.

Structural equation model for estimating risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Middle Eastern setting: evidence from the STEPS Qatar

PubMed Central

Ali, Faleh Mohamed Hussain; Reka, Husein; Renwick, Matthew J; Roman, Gabriela D; Mossialos, Elias

2016-01-01

Aims Understanding type 2 diabetes mellitus is critical for designing effective diabetes prevention policies in Qatar and the Middle East. Methods Using the Qatar 2012 WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance survey, a subsample of 1224 Qatari participants aged 18–64 years was selected. Subjects had their fasting blood glucose levels tested, had not been diagnosed with or treated for diabetes, had a fasting time >12 hours and were not pregnant. We applied a hypothesized structural equation model (SEM) to assess sociodemographic, behavioral, anthropometric and metabolic variables affecting persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Results There is a direct effect of triglyceride levels (0.336) and body mass index (BMI) (0.164) on diabetes status. We also found that physical activity levels negatively affect BMI (−0.148) and positively affect high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (0.106); sociodemographic background negatively affects diet (−0.522) and BMI (−0.352); HDL positively affects total cholesterol (0.230) and has a negative effect on BMI (−0.108), triglycerides (−0.128) and waist circumference (−0.104). Diet has a positive effect on triglycerides (0.281) while family history of diabetes negatively affects total cholesterol (−0.104). BMI has a positive effect on waist circumference (0.788) and mediates the effects of physical activity over diabetes status (−0.028). BMI also mediates the effects that sociodemographic factors (−0.058) and physical activity (−0.024) have on diabetes status. BMI and HDL (−0.002) together mediate the effect of physical activity on diabetes status and similarly HDL and tryglycerides (−0.005) also mediate the effect of physical activity on diabetes status. Finally diet and tryglycerides mediate the effects that sociodemographic factors have on diabetes status (−0.049). Conclusions This study's main finding is that triglyceride levels and BMI are the main variables directly affecting diabetes status in the Qatari population. PMID:27752326

Understanding Associations between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Negative Consequences of Drinking: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

PubMed Central

Karriker-Jaffe, Katherine J.; Liu, HuiGuo; Kaplan, Lauren M.

2016-01-01

Aims We explored how neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to negative consequences of drinking to explain why racial/ethnic minority group members are more at risk than Whites for adverse alcohol outcomes. We tested direct and indirect effects of neighborhood SES on alcohol problems and examined differences by gender and race. Methods We used data from the 2000 and 2005 National Alcohol Surveys (N=7,912 drinkers aged 18 and older; 49% female) linked with data from the 2000 Decennial Census in multivariate path models adjusting for individual demographics. Results In the full sample, neighborhood disadvantage had a significant direct path to increased negative consequences, with no indirect paths through depression, positive affect or pro-drinking attitudes. Neighborhood affluence had significant indirect paths to increased negative consequences through greater pro-drinking attitudes and increased heavy drinking. Sub-group analyses showed the indirect path from affluence to consequences held for White men, with no effects of neighborhood disadvantage. For racial/ethnic minority men, significant indirect paths emerged from both neighborhood disadvantage and affluence to increased consequences through greater pro-drinking attitudes and more heavy drinking. For minority women, there was an indirect effect of neighborhood affluence through reduced depression to fewer drinking consequences. There were limited neighborhood effects on alcohol outcomes for White women. Conclusions Interventions targeting pro-drinking attitudes in both affluent and disadvantaged areas may help reduce alcohol-related problems among men. Initiatives to improve neighborhood conditions could enhance mental health of minority women and reduce alcohol-related health disparities. PMID:26898509

Birth to weaning kid traits from a complete diallel of Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goat breeds semi-intensively managed on humid subtropical pasture.

PubMed

Browning, R; Leite-Browning, M L

2011-09-01

Boer, Kiko, and Spanish meat goats were semi-intensively managed in a complete 3-breed diallel mating scheme to evaluate genetic effects on preweaning kid performance. Over a 6-yr period, 1,547 kids were born in March and May with 1,173 kids raised by their dams to weaning at 3 mo of age. March-born kids were lighter (P < 0.01) at birth, but had greater (P < 0.01) preweaning ADG and survival rates and heavier (P < 0.01) weaning weights than May-born kids. For birth weight, the direct Boer effect was positive (P < 0.01) and direct effects were negative (P < 0.01) for Kiko and Spanish. The direct Kiko effect for preweaning ADG was positive (P < 0.05), whereas other direct breed effects for ADG and all direct effects for weaning weight did not differ from 0 (P > 0.10). Maternal Boer effects were negative (P < 0.01) for birth weight and weaning weight, whereas maternal Kiko effects were significantly (P < 0.05) positive for preweaning ADG and weaning weight. Maternal Spanish effect was positive (P < 0.05) for birth weight, but did not differ from 0 (P > 0.5) for preweaning ADG or weaning weight. Heterosis for birth weight was exhibited (P < 0.01) for each pair of breed crosses, but only between Boer and Kiko for ADG and weaning weight. Kiko and Spanish dams had greater (P < 0.01) preweaning kid survival rates than Boer dams, but the former 2 did not differ (P = 0.72). Significant genetic variation was observed between meat goat breeds for kid performance to weaning. Maternal breed effects were more influential than direct breed effects. Boer goats were not superior to Kiko or Spanish for preweaning kid performance when semi-intensively managed on humid, subtropical pasture. Kiko should be a preferred breed and to a lesser extent Spanish for enhancing birth to weaning kid performance. Findings of this study emphasize the importance of proper doe breed selection in achieving desired kid performance to weaning in meat goats.

The big two personality traits and adolescents' complete mental health: The mediation role of perceived school stress.

PubMed

Tian, Lili; Jiang, Siyi; Huebner, E Scott

2018-05-24

Based on Greenspoon and Saklofske's (2001) dual-factor model of mental health, we defined adolescents' mental health as comprised of two distinguishable factors: positive and negative mental health. We tested the direct relations between the Eysenck's (1967) Big Two personality traits (Extraversion and Neuroticism) and positive and negative mental health, and explored the mediation effects of perceived school stress in accounting for the relations. Direct and indirect relations were estimated by using structural equation modeling with data from 1,009 Chinese adolescents in a 3-wave study. Results indicated that (a) adolescents' levels of neuroticism showed a positive relation to negative mental health and a negative relation to positive mental health, whereas levels of extraversion showed a negative relation to negative mental health and a positive relation to positive mental health; and (b) adolescents' perceived school stress (PSS) mediated the relation between neuroticism and mental health but not the relation between extraversion and mental health. The findings suggest that school professionals should consider adolescents' personality traits and school-based stress when planning and delivering mental health services. The findings of the relations between extraversion and PSS are also discussed in light of the face culture in China. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-Esteem, Achievement Goals, and Self-Handicapping in College Physical Education.

PubMed

Chen, Zuosong; Sun, Kaihong; Wang, Kun

2017-01-01

This study aims to investigate the relationships among self-esteem, achievement goals, and self-handicapping and the potential mediating role of achievement goals in the relationship between self-esteem and self-handicapping in college physical education. The participants were 320 Chinese college students. Three validated scales were employed to assess participants' self-esteem, achievement goals, and self-handicapping in college physical education. Results showed that self-esteem had a negative effect on self-handicapping. Self-esteem had a positive effect on mastery goals, but had a negative effect on performance-avoidance goals. Mastery goals had a negative effect and performance-avoidance goals had a positive effect on self-handicapping. Moreover, mastery goals and performance-avoidance goals partially mediated the relationship between self-esteem and self-handicapping, and self-esteem had both direct and indirect effects on self-handicapping in college physical education. The findings indicate that improving individual's self-esteem and promoting mastery goals while reducing performance-avoidance goals may be relevant strategies to reduce self-handicapping in college physical education.

Myofibroblast androgen receptor expression determines cell survival in co-cultures of myofibroblasts and prostate cancer cells in vitro.

PubMed

Palethorpe, Helen M; Leach, Damien A; Need, Eleanor F; Drew, Paul A; Smith, Eric

2018-04-10

Fibroblasts express androgen receptor (AR) in the normal prostate and during prostate cancer development. We have reported that loss of AR expression in prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts is a poor prognostic indicator. Here we report outcomes of direct and indirect co-cultures of immortalised AR-positive (PShTert-AR) or AR-negative (PShTert) myofibroblasts with prostate cancer cells. In the initial co-cultures the AR-negative PC3 cell line was used so AR expression and signalling were restricted to the myofibroblasts. In both direct and indirect co-culture with PShTert-AR myofibroblasts, paracrine signalling to the PC3 cells slowed proliferation and induced apoptosis. In contrast, PC3 cells proliferated with PShTert myofibroblasts irrespective of the co-culture method. In direct co-culture PC3 cells induced apoptosis in and destroyed PShTerts by direct signalling. Similar results were seen in direct co-cultures with AR-negative DU145 and AR-positive LNCaP and C4-2B prostate cancer cell lines. The AR ligand 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibited the proliferation of the PShTert-AR myofibroblasts, thereby reducing the extent of their inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth. These results suggest loss of stromal AR would favour prostate cancer cell growth in vivo , providing an explanation for the clinical observation that reduced stromal AR is associated with a poorer outcome.

Myofibroblast androgen receptor expression determines cell survival in co-cultures of myofibroblasts and prostate cancer cells in vitro

PubMed Central

Palethorpe, Helen M.; Leach, Damien A.; Need, Eleanor F.; Drew, Paul A.; Smith, Eric

2018-01-01

Fibroblasts express androgen receptor (AR) in the normal prostate and during prostate cancer development. We have reported that loss of AR expression in prostate cancer-associated fibroblasts is a poor prognostic indicator. Here we report outcomes of direct and indirect co-cultures of immortalised AR-positive (PShTert-AR) or AR-negative (PShTert) myofibroblasts with prostate cancer cells. In the initial co-cultures the AR-negative PC3 cell line was used so AR expression and signalling were restricted to the myofibroblasts. In both direct and indirect co-culture with PShTert-AR myofibroblasts, paracrine signalling to the PC3 cells slowed proliferation and induced apoptosis. In contrast, PC3 cells proliferated with PShTert myofibroblasts irrespective of the co-culture method. In direct co-culture PC3 cells induced apoptosis in and destroyed PShTerts by direct signalling. Similar results were seen in direct co-cultures with AR-negative DU145 and AR-positive LNCaP and C4-2B prostate cancer cell lines. The AR ligand 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) inhibited the proliferation of the PShTert-AR myofibroblasts, thereby reducing the extent of their inhibitory effect on cancer cell growth. These results suggest loss of stromal AR would favour prostate cancer cell growth in vivo, providing an explanation for the clinical observation that reduced stromal AR is associated with a poorer outcome. PMID:29721186

Negative Magnus lift on a rotating sphere at around the critical Reynolds number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muto, Masaya; Tsubokura, Makoto; Oshima, Nobuyuki

2012-01-01

Negative Magnus lift acting on a sphere rotating about the axis perpendicular to an incoming flow was investigated using large-eddy simulation at three Reynolds numbers of 1.0 × 104, 2.0 × 105, and 1.14 × 106. The numerical methods used were first validated on a non-rotating sphere, and the spatial resolution around the sphere was determined so as to reproduce the laminar separation, reattachment, and turbulent transition of the boundary layer observed in the vicinity of the critical Reynolds number. The rotating sphere exhibited a positive or negative Magnus effect depending on the Reynolds number and the imposed rotating speed. At Reynolds numbers in the subcritical or supercritical regimes, the direction of the Magnus lift force was independent of the rotational speed. In contrast, the lift force was negative in the critical regime when particular rotating speeds were imposed. This negative Magnus effect was investigated in the context of suppression or promotion of boundary layer transition around the separation point.

My mother told me: the roles of maternal messages, body image, and disordered eating in maladaptive exercise.

PubMed

Lease, Haidee J; Doley, Joanna R; Bond, Malcolm J

2016-09-01

The current study examined the relevance of familial environment (negative maternal messages) to the phenomenon of maladaptive (obligatory) exercise, defined as exercise fixation. Weight/shape concerns and exercise frequency were examined as potential mediators, evaluated both with and without eating disorder symptoms as a covariate. Self-report data comprising sociodemographic details and measures of parental weight messages, body image, obligatory exercise, and disordered eating symptoms were completed by 298 young female attendees of health and fitness centres. The frequency of negative maternal messages demonstrated significant associations with all of weight/shape concerns, exercise frequency, exercise fixation, and eating disorder symptoms. In the initial model, partial mediation of maternal messages to exercise fixation was evident as negative maternal messages continued to have a direct effect on exercise fixation. In the second model, with the inclusion of eating disorder symptoms as a covariate, this direct effect was maintained while mediation was no longer evident. The data provide further support for the association between disordered eating symptoms and maladaptive exercise, as defined by exercise fixation. Nevertheless, the importance of negative maternal messages as a key environmental enabler of exercise fixation has been demonstrated, even after the effects of weight/shape concerns and exercise frequency were accounted for. Clinically, addressing weight-related talk in the family home may reduce the incidence of problematic cognitions and behaviours associated with both maladaptive exercise and disordered eating symptoms.

Coping and negative appraisal as mediators between control beliefs and psychological symptoms in children of divorce.

PubMed

Sandler, I N; Kim-Bae, L S; MacKinnon, D

2000-09-01

Examined control beliefs of children of divorce as predictors of their coping, negative appraisals for stressful events, and mental health problems. We tested whether coping and negative appraisal for stressful events mediated the relations between multiple dimensions of control beliefs and mental health problems. Different dimensions of control beliefs were related to different aspects of coping and negative stress appraisal. Internal control beliefs for positive events were related to both active and avoidant coping. Unknown control beliefs for positive events were related to higher active coping and higher negative appraisal. Unknown control beliefs for negative events were related to higher avoidant coping. In addition, evidence for mediation was found such that the effect of unknown control beliefs for positive events on mental health problems was mediated by negative appraisal. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.

Is perfectionism associated with academic burnout through repetitive negative thinking?

PubMed

Garratt-Reed, David; Howell, Joel; Hayes, Lana; Boyes, Mark

2018-01-01

Academic burnout is prevalent among university students, although understanding of what predicts burnout is limited. This study aimed to test the direct and indirect relationship between two dimensions of perfectionism (Perfectionistic Concerns and Perfectionistic Strivings) and the three elements of Academic Burnout (Exhaustion, Inadequacy, and Cynicism) through Repetitive Negative Thinking. In a cross-sectional survey, undergraduate students ( n  = 126, M age = 23.64, 79% female) completed well-validated measures of Perfectionism, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Academic Burnout. Perfectionistic Concerns was directly associated with all elements of burnout, as well as indirectly associated with Exhaustion and Cynicism via Repetitive Negative Thinking. Perfectionistic Strivings was directly associated with less Inadequacy and Cynicism; however, there were no indirect associations between Perfectionistic Strivings and Academic Burnout operating through Repetitive Negative Thinking. Repetitive Negative Thinking was also directly related to more burnout Exhaustion and Inadequacy, but not Cynicism. It is concluded that future research should investigate whether interventions targeting Perfectionistic Concerns and Repetitive Negative Thinking can reduce Academic Burnout in university students.

Is perfectionism associated with academic burnout through repetitive negative thinking?

PubMed Central

Garratt-Reed, David; Hayes, Lana; Boyes, Mark

2018-01-01

Academic burnout is prevalent among university students, although understanding of what predicts burnout is limited. This study aimed to test the direct and indirect relationship between two dimensions of perfectionism (Perfectionistic Concerns and Perfectionistic Strivings) and the three elements of Academic Burnout (Exhaustion, Inadequacy, and Cynicism) through Repetitive Negative Thinking. In a cross-sectional survey, undergraduate students (n = 126, Mage = 23.64, 79% female) completed well-validated measures of Perfectionism, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Academic Burnout. Perfectionistic Concerns was directly associated with all elements of burnout, as well as indirectly associated with Exhaustion and Cynicism via Repetitive Negative Thinking. Perfectionistic Strivings was directly associated with less Inadequacy and Cynicism; however, there were no indirect associations between Perfectionistic Strivings and Academic Burnout operating through Repetitive Negative Thinking. Repetitive Negative Thinking was also directly related to more burnout Exhaustion and Inadequacy, but not Cynicism. It is concluded that future research should investigate whether interventions targeting Perfectionistic Concerns and Repetitive Negative Thinking can reduce Academic Burnout in university students. PMID:29938132

Testing bird response to roads on a rural environment: A case study from Central Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morelli, Federico; Jerzak, Leszek; Pruscini, Fabio; Santolini, Riccardo; Benedetti, Yanina; Tryjanowski, Piotr

2015-11-01

The construction of roads is currently well spread in many parts of our world and impacts strongly on wildlife distribution. Some bird species avoid, while other prefer to be in the vicinity of these human structures. However, studies on roads effects on birds, in terms of strength or direction of these effects, are scarce. Therefore, in a study carried out in Central Italy we tested the responses of different bird species to roads at a local spatial scale, using generalized linear models (GLM). Analysis were conducted on a large dataset (more than 1400 sampled sites, mainly on rural environments). Both positive and negative effects of roads on birds were found for bird species of close or semi-close environments, while the negative effects of roads were negligible for bird species of open and semi-open environments. This fact suggest that roads can be a source of "functional heterogeneity" on semi-open environments, providing marginal habitats, hedgerows and residual vegetation typical of roadsides, offering breeding and feeding habitat for some bird species. The proposed methodology provide a useful explorative tool, in order to develop conservation policies to preserve the biodiversity, mainly in rural landscapes. The outputs of GLM can be used as inputs in ecological planning: direction and strength of the effects of roads on bird species are adequate to estimate the response of bird community, up front to the presence of new structures, or identifying which of them should be mitigated to reduce negative effects on the biodiversity.

Social Support Networks and Quality of Life of Rural Men in a Context of Marriage Squeeze in China.

PubMed

Wang, Sasa; Yang, Xueyan; Attané, Isabelle

2018-07-01

A significant number of rural Chinese men are facing difficulties in finding a spouse and may fail to ever marry due to a relative scarcity of women in the adult population. Research has indicated that marriage squeeze is a stressful event which is harmful to men's quality of life, and also weakens their social support networks. Using data collected in rural Chaohu city, Anhui, China, this study explores the effects of social support networks on quality of life of rural men who experience a marriage squeeze. The results indicate that the size of social contact networks is directly and positively associated with the quality of life of marriage-squeezed men, and moderate the negative effect of age on quality of life. Having no or limited instrumental support network and social contact network are double-edged swords, which have direct negative associations with the quality of life of marriage-squeezed men, and have moderate effects on the relationship between marriage squeeze and quality of life.

Economic growth, CO2 emissions, renewable waste and FDI relation in Pakistan: New evidences from 3SLS.

PubMed

Bakhsh, Khuda; Rose, Sobia; Ali, Muhammad Faisal; Ahmad, Najid; Shahbaz, Muhammad

2017-07-01

First attempt has been made to find the effects of foreign direct investment on environmental pollution and economic growth, in addition to finding the determinants of foreign direct investment inflows in Pakistan using the annual data set for the period of 1980-2014. Simultaneous equation model has been used to find relation between the variables of concern. Results from technique and composition effects show that increase in economic growth leads towards more pollution emissions. Scale effect shows stock of capital and labor have positive effect on the economic growth of Pakistan while pollution has negative effect on growth. In case of capital accumulation effect, economic growth and foreign direct investment have positive and significant effect on stock of capital. Although increase in economic growth increases pollution, however, economic growth declines as pollution crosses a certain limit. Foreign direct investment is also found positively related with pollution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Theoretical Basis of the Test-Negative Study Design for Assessment of Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Sheena G.; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric J.; Cowling, Benjamin J.

2016-01-01

Influenza viruses undergo frequent antigenic changes. As a result, the viruses circulating change within and between seasons, and the composition of the influenza vaccine is updated annually. Thus, estimation of the vaccine's effectiveness is not constant across seasons. In order to provide annual estimates of the influenza vaccine's effectiveness, health departments have increasingly adopted the “test-negative design,” using enhanced data from routine surveillance systems. In this design, patients presenting to participating general practitioners with influenza-like illness are swabbed for laboratory testing; those testing positive for influenza virus are defined as cases, and those testing negative form the comparison group. Data on patients' vaccination histories and confounder profiles are also collected. Vaccine effectiveness is estimated from the odds ratio comparing the odds of testing positive for influenza among vaccinated patients and unvaccinated patients, adjusting for confounders. The test-negative design is purported to reduce bias associated with confounding by health-care-seeking behavior and misclassification of cases. In this paper, we use directed acyclic graphs to characterize potential biases in studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness using the test-negative design. We show how studies using this design can avoid or minimize bias and where bias may be introduced with particular study design variations. PMID:27587721

Tunable thermal expansion in framework materials through redox intercalation

PubMed Central

Chen, Jun; Gao, Qilong; Sanson, Andrea; Jiang, Xingxing; Huang, Qingzhen; Carnera, Alberto; Rodriguez, Clara Guglieri; Olivi, Luca; Wang, Lei; Hu, Lei; Lin, Kun; Ren, Yang; Lin, Zheshuai; Wang, Cong; Gu, Lin; Deng, Jinxia; Attfield, J. Paul; Xing, Xianran

2017-01-01

Thermal expansion properties of solids are of fundamental interest and control of thermal expansion is important for practical applications but can be difficult to achieve. Many framework-type materials show negative thermal expansion when internal cages are empty but positive thermal expansion when additional atoms or molecules fill internal voids present. Here we show that redox intercalation offers an effective method to control thermal expansion from positive to zero to negative by insertion of Li ions into the simple negative thermal expansion framework material ScF3, doped with 10% Fe to enable reduction. The small concentration of intercalated Li ions has a strong influence through steric hindrance of transverse fluoride ion vibrations, which directly controls the thermal expansion. Redox intercalation of guest ions is thus likely to be a general and effective method for controlling thermal expansion in the many known framework materials with phonon-driven negative thermal expansion. PMID:28181576

Invited Commentary: Beware the Test-Negative Design.

PubMed

Westreich, Daniel; Hudgens, Michael G

2016-09-01

In this issue of the Journal, Sullivan et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2016;184(5):345-353) carefully examine the theoretical justification for use of the test-negative design, a common observational study design, in assessing the effectiveness of influenza vaccination. Using modern causal inference methods (in particular, directed acyclic graphs), they describe different threats to the validity of inferences drawn about the effect of vaccination from test-negative design studies. These threats include confounding, selection bias, and measurement error in either the exposure or the outcome. While confounding and measurement error are common in observational studies, the potential for selection bias inherent in the test-negative design brings into question the validity of inferences drawn from such studies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tunable thermal expansion in framework materials through redox intercalation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Gao, Qilong; Sanson, Andrea; Jiang, Xingxing; Huang, Qingzhen; Carnera, Alberto; Rodriguez, Clara Guglieri; Olivi, Luca; Wang, Lei; Hu, Lei; Lin, Kun; Ren, Yang; Lin, Zheshuai; Wang, Cong; Gu, Lin; Deng, Jinxia; Attfield, J. Paul; Xing, Xianran

2017-02-01

Thermal expansion properties of solids are of fundamental interest and control of thermal expansion is important for practical applications but can be difficult to achieve. Many framework-type materials show negative thermal expansion when internal cages are empty but positive thermal expansion when additional atoms or molecules fill internal voids present. Here we show that redox intercalation offers an effective method to control thermal expansion from positive to zero to negative by insertion of Li ions into the simple negative thermal expansion framework material ScF3, doped with 10% Fe to enable reduction. The small concentration of intercalated Li ions has a strong influence through steric hindrance of transverse fluoride ion vibrations, which directly controls the thermal expansion. Redox intercalation of guest ions is thus likely to be a general and effective method for controlling thermal expansion in the many known framework materials with phonon-driven negative thermal expansion.

Advertising/public relations campaign to combat the negative economic impact caused by the nuclear mishap at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, through the Department of Commerce, conducted a media advertising campaign to offset the negative implications and effects of the Three Mile Island incident. The emphasis of the campaign has been directed toward a friendly, all-clear image for Pennsylvania. The travel industry of the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the chief beneficiary of the proposed project.

Military sexual trauma, combat exposure, and negative urgency as independent predictors of PTSD and subsequent alcohol problems among OEF/OIF veterans.

PubMed

Hahn, Austin M; Tirabassi, Christine K; Simons, Raluca M; Simons, Jeffrey S

2015-11-01

This study tested a path model of relationships between military sexual trauma (MST), combat exposure, negative urgency, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use and related problems. The sample consisted of 86 Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans who reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage per week. PTSD mediated the relationships between MST and alcohol-related problems, negative urgency and alcohol-related problems, and combat exposure and alcohol-related problems. In addition, negative urgency had a direct effect on alcohol problems. These results indicate that MST, combat exposure, and negative urgency independently predict PTSD symptoms and PTSD symptoms mediate their relationship with alcohol-related problems. Findings support previous literature on the effect of combat exposure and negative urgency on PTSD and subsequent alcohol-related problems. The current study also contributes to the limited research regarding the relationship between MST, PSTD, and alcohol use and related problems. Clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotional dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptomology may subsequently improve alcohol-related outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Negative Life Events Vary by Neighborhood and Mediate the Relation between Neighborhood Context and Psychological Well-Being

PubMed Central

King, Katherine; Ogle, Christin

2014-01-01

Researchers have speculated that negative life events are more common in troubled neighborhoods, amplifying adverse effects on health. Using a clustered representative sample of Chicago residents (2001–03; n = 3,105) from the Chicago Community Adult Health Survey, we provide the first documentation that negative life events are highly geographically clustered compared to health outcomes. Associations between neighborhood context and negative life events were also found to vary by event type. We then demonstrate the power of a contextualized approach by testing path models in which life events mediate the relation between neighborhood characteristics and health outcomes, including self-rated health, anxiety, and depression. The indirect paths between neighborhood conditions and health through negative life event exposure are highly significant and large compared to the direct paths from neighborhood conditions to health. Our results indicate that neighborhood conditions can have acute as well as chronic effects on health, and that negative life events are a powerful mechanism by which context may influence health. PMID:24714115

Military Sexual Trauma, Combat Exposure, and Negative Urgency as Independent Predictors of PTSD and Subsequent Alcohol Problems among OEF/OIF Veterans

PubMed Central

Tirabassi, Christine K.; Simons, Raluca M.; Simons, Jeffrey S.

2015-01-01

This study tested a path model of relationships between military sexual trauma (MST), combat exposure, negative urgency, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol use and related problems. The sample consisted of 86 OEF/OIF veterans who reported drinking at least one alcoholic beverage per week. PTSD mediated the relationships between MST and alcohol-related problems, negative urgency and alcohol-related problems, as well as combat exposure and alcohol-related problems. In addition, negative urgency had a direct effect on alcohol problems. These results indicate that MST, combat exposure, and negative urgency independently predict PTSD symptoms and PTSD symptoms mediate their relationship with alcohol-related problems. Findings support previous literature on the effect of combat exposure and negative urgency on PTSD and subsequent alcohol-related problems. The current study also contributes to the limited research regarding the relationship between MST, PSTD, and alcohol use and related problems. Clinical interventions aimed at reducing emotional dysregulation and posttraumatic stress symptomology may subsequently improve alcohol related outcomes. PMID:26524279

Infant behavioral responses to infant-directed singing and other maternal interactions.

PubMed

de l'Etoile, Shannon K

2006-07-01

Seventy, 6-9-month-old infants were videotaped during six interactions: mother sings assigned song, "stranger" sings assigned song, mother sings song of choice, mother reads book, mother plays with toy, and mother and infant listen to recorded music. Infant-directed (ID) singing conditions elicited moderately positive cognitive behavior, low levels of positive physical behavior and minimal amounts of vocal behaviors, mostly negative. Across all conditions, cognitive scores remained positive at low to moderate levels. Physical responses were most positive during book and toy, most negative during recorded music, and differed by gender, especially during ID singing. Vocally, infants responded positively to toy, and 8-month-old infants vocalized more than younger infants, particularly during ID singing conditions. ID singing appears just as effective as book reading or toy play in sustaining infant attention and far more effective than listening to recorded music, while interactions involving objects may provide opportunity for shared attention.

Salinization triggers a trophic cascade in experimental freshwater communities with varying food-chain length.

PubMed

Hintz, William D; Mattes, Brian M; Schuler, Matthew S; Jones, Devin K; Stoler, Aaron B; Lind, Lovisa; Relyea, Rick A

2017-04-01

The application of road deicing salts in northern regions worldwide is changing the chemical environment of freshwater ecosystems. Chloride levels in many lakes, streams, and wetlands exceed the chronic and acute thresholds established by the United States and Canada for the protection of freshwater biota. Few studies have identified the impacts of deicing salts in stream and wetland communities and none have examined impacts in lake communities. We tested how relevant concentrations of road salt (15, 100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg Cl - /L) interacted with experimental communities containing two or three trophic levels (i.e., no fish vs. predatory fish). We hypothesized that road salt and fish would have a negative synergistic effect on zooplankton, which would then induce a trophic cascade. We tested this hypothesis in outdoor mesocosms containing filamentous algae, periphyton, phytoplankton, zooplankton, several macroinvertebrate species, and fish. We found that the presence of fish and high salt had a negative synergistic effect on the zooplankton community, which in turn caused an increase in phytoplankton. Contributing to the magnitude of this trophic cascade was a direct positive effect of high salinity on phytoplankton abundance. Cascading effects were limited with respect to impacts on the benthic food web. Periphyton and snail grazers were unaffected by the salt-induced trophic cascade, but the biomass of filamentous algae decreased as a result of competition with phytoplankton for light or nutrients. We also found direct negative effects of high salinity on the biomass of filamentous algae and amphipods (Hyalella azteca) and the mortality of banded mystery snails (Viviparus georgianus) and fingernail clams (Sphaerium simile). Clam mortality was dependent on the presence of fish, suggesting a non-consumptive interactive effect with salt. Our results indicate that globally increasing concentrations of road salt can alter community structure via both direct and indirect effects. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression co-occurrence: Structural relations among disorder constructs and trait and symptom dimensions.

PubMed

Post, Loren M; Feeny, Norah C; Zoellner, Lori A; Connell, Arin M

2016-12-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in response to trauma co-occur at high rates. A better understanding of the nature of this co-occurrence is critical to developing an accurate conceptualization of the disorders. This study examined structural relations among the PTSD and MDD constructs and trait and symptom dimensions within the framework of the integrative hierarchical model of anxiety and depression. Study participants completed clinician-rated and self-report measures during a pre-treatment assessment. The sample consisted of 200 treatment-seeking individuals with a primary DSM-IV PTSD diagnosis. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the relationship between the constructs. The trait negative affect/neuroticism construct had a direct effect on both PTSD and MDD. The trait positive affect/extraversion construct had a unique, negative direct effect on MDD, and PTSD had a unique, direct effect on the physical concerns symptoms construct. An alternative model with the PTSD and MDD constructs combined into an overall general traumatic stress construct produced a decrement in model fit. These findings provide a clearer understanding of the relationship between co-occurring PTSD and MDD as disorders with shared trait negative affect/neuroticism contributing to the overlap between them and unique trait positive affect/extraversion and physical concerns differentiating them. Therefore, PTSD and MDD in response to trauma may be best represented as two distinct, yet strongly related constructs. In assessing individuals who have been exposed to trauma, practitioners should recognize that co-occurring PTSD and MDD appears to be best represented as two distinct, yet strongly related constructs. Negative affect may be the shared vulnerability directly influencing both PTSD and MDD; however, in the presence of both PTSD and MDD, low positive affect appears to be more specifically related to MDD and fear of physical sensations to PTSD, which is information that could be used by practitioners in the determination of treatment approach. Overall, these findings are clinically relevant in that they may inform assessment, treatment planning, and ultimately diagnostic classification. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

The association between chronological age, age at injury and employment: Is there a mediating effect of secondary health conditions?

PubMed

Marti, A; Boes, S; Lay, V; Escorpizo, R; Reuben Escorpizo, P T; Trezzini, B

2016-03-01

Cross-sectional observational study with data from the 2012 community-based survey of the Swiss Spinal Cord Injury Cohort Study. To examine the relationships between chronological age, age at injury, secondary health conditions (SHCs) and paid employment. Community setting in Switzerland. A total of 1159 individuals of working age (16-63 years for women and 64 years for men) with traumatic or non-traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) were included in the study. Direct and indirect (via SHCs) effects of chronological age and age at injury on paid employment were tested using a decomposition method for logistic regression models. Both chronological age groups (age 35-49 and 50-63/64 years) and the group with age at injury beyond 40 years showed negative direct effects on employment status. A partial indirect effect (mediation) via chronic pain was found in the group with the highest chronological age (>50 years). Furthermore, pressure ulcer, pain and urinary tract infection were negatively related with employment in both models, that is, chronological age and employment and age at injury and employment. Being older and having a higher age at injury directly affects whether an individual is employed. Pain is mediating the relation between chronological age and employment. Furthermore, pressure ulcer, chronic pain and urinary tract infection directly reduce the likelihood to be employed and, therefore, represent important intervention targets in efforts to maintain or engage in employment of individuals with SCI.

Effect of Allylic Groups on SN2 Reactivity

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

The activating effects of the benzyl and allyl groups on SN2 reactivity are well-known. 6-Chloromethyl-6-methylfulvene, also a primary, allylic halide, reacts 30 times faster with KI/acetone than does benzyl chloride at room temperature. The latter result, as well as new experimental observations, suggests that the fulvenyl group is a particularly activating allylic group in SN2 reactions. Computational work on identity SN2 reactions, e.g., chloride– displacing chloride– and ammonia displacing ammonia, shows that negatively charged SN2 transition states (tss) are activated by allylic groups according to the Galabov–Allen–Wu electrostatic model but with the fulvenyl group especially effective at helping to delocalize negative charge due to some cyclopentadienide character in the transition state (ts). In contrast, the triafulvenyl group is deactivating. However, the positively charged SN2 transition states of the ammonia reactions are dramatically stabilized by the triafulvenyl group, which directly conjugates with a reaction center having SN1 character in the ts. Experiments and calculations on the acidities of a variety of allylic alcohols and carboxylic acids support the special nature of the fulvenyl group in stabilizing nearby negative charge and highlight the ability of fulvene species to dramatically alter the energetics of processes even in the absence of direct conjugation. PMID:24977317

The role of social toxicity in responses to a slowly-evolving environmental disaster: the case of amphibole asbestos exposure in Libby, Montana, USA.

PubMed

Cline, Rebecca J W; Orom, Heather; Chung, Jae Eun; Hernandez, Tanis

2014-09-01

Experiencing a disaster has significant negative effects on psychological adjustment. Case study accounts point to two consistent trends in slowly-evolving environmental disasters: (a) patterns of negative social dynamics, and (b) relatively worse psychological outcomes than in natural disasters. Researchers have begun to explicitly postulate that the social consequences of slowly-evolving environmental disasters (e.g., community conflict) have their own effects on victims' psychological outcomes. This study tested a model of the relationship between those social consequences and psychological adjustment of victims of a slowly-evolving environmental disaster, specifically those whose health has been compromised by the amphibole asbestos disaster in Libby, MT. Results indicate that experiencing greater community conflict about the disaster was associated with greater family conflict about the disaster which, in turn, was associated with greater social constraints on talking with others about their disease, both directly and indirectly through experiencing stigmatization. Experiencing greater social constraints was associated with worse psychological adjustment, both directly and indirectly through failed social support. Findings have implications for understanding pathways by which social responses create negative effects on mental health in slowly-evolving environmental disasters. These pathways suggest points for prevention and response (e.g., social support, stigmatization of victims) for communities experiencing slowly-evolving environmental disasters.

Positive phase evolution of waves propagating along a photonic crystal with negative index of refraction.

PubMed

Martínez, Alejandro; Martí, Javier

2006-10-16

We analyze propagation of electromagnetic waves in a photonic crystal at frequencies at which it behaves as an effective medium with a negative index in terms of refraction at its interface with free space. We show that the phase evolution along the propagation direction is positive, despite the fact that the photonic crystal displays negative refraction following Snell's law, and explain it in terms of the Fourier components of the Bloch wave. Two distinct behaviors are found at frequencies far and close to the band edge of the negative-index photonic band. These findings contrast with the negative phase evolution that occurs in left-handed materials, so care has to be taken when applying the term left-handed to photonic crystals.

Outcomes of crew resource management training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helmreich, Robert L.; Wilhelm, John A.

1991-01-01

Participants' self-reports and measures of attitudes regarding flightdeck management indicate that crew resource management training is favorably received and causes highly significant, positive changes in attitudes regarding crew coordination and personal capabilities. However, a subset of participants reacted negatively to the training and showed boomerangs (negative change) in attitudes. Explorations into the causes of this effect pinpoint personality factors and group dynamics as critical determinants of reactions to training and of the magnitude and direction of attitude changes. Implications of these findings for organizations desiring to enhance crew effectiveness are discussed, and areas of needed additional research are described.

Negative Body Attitudes and Sexual Dissatisfaction in Men: The Mediating Role of Body Self-Consciousness During Physical Intimacy.

PubMed

van den Brink, Femke; Vollmann, Manja; Sternheim, Lot C; Berkhout, Lotte J; Zomerdijk, Renée A; Woertman, Liesbeth

2018-04-01

Previous research indicated that negative attitudes about the body and appearance are common among men and demonstrated that negative body attitudes are associated with negative sexual experiences. The present study investigated the association between body attitudes and sexual dissatisfaction and the mediating role of body self-consciousness during physical intimacy. In a cross-sectional design, 201 Dutch men completed an online survey regarding body attitudes toward muscularity, body fat, height, and genitals, body self-consciousness during physical intimacy, and sexual dissatisfaction. Hypotheses were tested using correlation analyses and a mediation analysis with body attitudes as predictors, body self-consciousness as mediator, and sexual dissatisfaction as outcome. Correlation analyses showed that negative body attitudes and body self-consciousness during physical intimacy were significantly related to sexual dissatisfaction. The mediation analysis revealed that negative attitudes toward muscularity, body fat, and genitals had indirect effects on sexual dissatisfaction through body self-consciousness during physical intimacy. Negative attitudes toward genitals additionally had a direct effect on sexual dissatisfaction. These findings indicate that body image interventions focused on male body attitudes may be beneficial in improving men's body image, which may ultimately increase sexual satisfaction.

Direct effect of acaricides on pathogen loads and gene expression levels of honey bee Apis mellifera

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The effect of using miticides to control varroa mites has long been a concern to the beekeeping industry due to unintended negative impacts on honey bee health. Irregular ontogenesis, immune defense suppression, impairment of normal behavior are some of the described symptoms for the use of pestici...

Costs of living for juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in an increasingly warming and invaded world

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuehne, Lauren M.; Olden, Julian D.; Duda, Jeffrey J.

2012-01-01

Rapid environmental change in freshwater ecosystems has created a need to understand the interactive effects of multiple stressors, with temperature and invasive predators identified as key threats to imperiled fish species. We tested the separate and interactive effects of water temperature and predation by non-native smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) on the lethal (mortality) and sublethal (behavior, physiology, and growth) effects for juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in seminatural stream channel experiments. Over 48 h trials, there was no difference in direct predation with warmer temperatures, but significant interactive effects on sublethal responses of juvenile salmon. Warmer temperatures resulted in significantly stronger and more variable antipredator responses (surface shoaling and swimming activity), while physiological indicators (plasma glucose, plasma cortisol) suggested suppression of physiological mechanisms in response to the combined stressors. These patterns corresponded with additive negative growth in predation, temperature, and combined treatments. Our results suggest that chronic increases in temperature may not increase direct predation over short periods, but can result in significant sublethal costs with negative implications for long-term development, disease resistance, and subsequent size-selective mortality of Pacific salmon.

Testing direct and moderating effects of coping styles on the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms.

PubMed

Lau, Ying; Wang, Yuqiong; Kwong, Dennis Ho Keung; Wang, Ying

2015-01-01

The objective of this study was to test the direct and moderating effects of different coping styles in mitigating perceived stress associated with antenatal anxiety symptoms among 755 pregnant women in Chengdu. A cross-sectional study using a questionnaire survey was carried out. The Perceived Stress Scale, the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire and the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale were used to measure stress, coping and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the direct and moderating effects of coping styles in the relationship between perceived stress and antenatal anxiety symptoms. Direct effects of negative coping (NC) styles were found. Women with higher NC scores were more likely to have anxiety symptoms. Positive coping (PC) styles had moderating effects on perceived stress, whereas NC styles did not. The findings of this study highlight the direct and moderating effects of coping styles. This knowledge is important to healthcare professionals in planning health service provision. Health services should dedicate resources to teaching pregnant women how to enhance PC styles, alter NC styles and cultivate optimistic thinking to alleviate anxiety symptoms.

Behavior of streamwise rib vortices in a three-dimensional mixing layer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lopez, J. M.; Bulbeck, C. J.

1992-01-01

The structure and behavior of a streamwise rib vortex in a direct numerical simulation of a time-developing three-dimensional incompressible plane mixing layer is examined. Where the rib vortex is being stretched, the vorticity vector is primarily directed in the vortex axial direction and the radial and azimuthal velocity distribution is similar to that of a Burger's vortex. In the region where the vortex stretching is negative, there is a change in the local topology of the vortex. The axial flow is decelerated and a negative azimuthal component of vorticity is induced. These features are characteristic of vortex breakdown. The temporal evolution of the rib vortex is similar to the evolution of an axisymmetric vortex in the early stages of vortex breakdown. The effect of vortex breakdown on other parts of the flow is, however, not as significant as the interaction between the rib vortex and other vortices.

Neutron-skin effect in direct-photon and charged-hadron production in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Helenius, Ilkka; Paukkunen, Hannu; Eskola, Kari J.

2017-03-01

A well-established observation in nuclear physics is that in neutron-rich spherical nuclei the distribution of neutrons extends farther than the distribution of protons. In this work, we scrutinize the influence of this so called neutron-skin effect on the centrality dependence of high-p_T direct-photon and charged-hadron production. We find that due to the estimated spatial dependence of the nuclear parton distribution functions, it will be demanding to unambiguously expose the neutron-skin effect with direct photons. However, when taking a ratio between the cross sections for negatively and positively charged high-p_T hadrons, even centrality-dependent nuclear-PDF effects cancel, making this observable a better handle on the neutron skin. Up to 10% effects can be expected for the most peripheral collisions in the measurable region.

Indirect effects of an invasive annual grass on seed fates of two native perennial grass species

Treesearch

Susan E. Meyer; Katherine T. Merrill; Phil S. Allen; Julie Beckstead; Anna S. Norte

2014-01-01

Invasive plants exhibit both direct and indirect negative effects on recruitment of natives following invasion. We examined indirect effects of the invader Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass) on seed fates of two native grass species, Elymus elymoides and Pseudoroegneria spicata, by removing B. tectorum and by adding inoculum of the shared seed pathogen Pyrenophora...

Effects of Fantasy Behavior, Level of Fantasy Predisposition, Age, and Sex on Direction of Aggression in Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockwood, Julianne L.; Roll, Samuel

1980-01-01

Children who engaged in fantasy behavior after a frustrating incident were significantly more extrapunitive than control subjects. Age was significantly but negatively correlated with outward aggression. (Author/DB)

Genetic parameters for calving ease, gestation length, and birth weight in Charolais cattle.

PubMed

Mujibi, F D N; Crews, D H

2009-09-01

In this study, a 3-trait linear model was used to obtain genetic parameters for direct and maternal components of calving ease (CE), gestation length (GEST), and birth weight (BWT). Calving ease scores were transformed into Snell scores and expressed as percent unassisted calving (SC), ranging from 0 to 100% (least to greatest ease). A total of 40,420 records (n = 14,403 for CE) were obtained from the Canadian Charolais Association field database. The animal model included fixed effects of contemporary group (herd x year of birth combinations), age of heifer, and sex of calf (only for CE), whereas random effects included direct and maternal genetic effects, residual error, and permanent environmental effects (for CE). The BWT and GEST were preadjusted for age of dam and sex of calf effects. Variance components were estimated using REML. Mean SC was 83.31% (SD = 23.30) and ranged from 3.44 to 100%. Mean BWT was 46.54 kg (SD = 4.79), whereas mean GEST was 286.48 d (SD = 4.93). Direct heritability estimates for SC, BWT, and GEST were 0.14 +/- 0.02, 0.46 +/- 0.03, and 0.62 +/- 0.04, respectively, and maternal heritability estimates were 0.06 +/- 0.02, 0.14 +/- 0.02, and 0.10 +/- 0.02, respectively. The permanent environmental effect as a proportion of SC phenotypic variance was 0.35 +/- 0.11, indicating a large influence on CE. Genetic correlations of direct SC with direct BWT and GEST were -0.93 +/- 0.04 and -0.38 +/- 0.08, respectively, whereas maternal correlations were -0.69 +/- 0.14 and -0.49 +/- 0.17, respectively, illustrating the importance of including both traits in CE evaluations. Within trait direct x maternal genetic correlations were substantial and negative. Regression of average direct and average maternal EBV on year of birth yielded significant genetic trends for the direct effects of BWT, GEST, and CE, whereas no trends were detected for maternal effects. Even though CE is routinely analyzed, no study has evaluated transformed CE scores with 2 correlated traits. In these data, the large negative genetic correlation between BWT and CE suggests that increasing SC would also decrease BWT. Genetic improvement programs, therefore, should consider both CE and growth.

The consequences of language proficiency and difficulty of lexical access for translation performance and priming.

PubMed

Francis, Wendy S; Tokowicz, Natasha; Kroll, Judith F

2014-01-01

Repetition priming was used to assess how proficiency and the ease or difficulty of lexical access influence bilingual translation. Two experiments, conducted at different universities with different Spanish-English bilingual populations and materials, showed repetition priming in word translation for same-direction and different-direction repetitions. Experiment 1, conducted in an English-dominant environment, revealed an effect of translation direction but not of direction match, whereas Experiment 2, conducted in a more balanced bilingual environment, showed an effect of direction match but not of translation direction. A combined analysis on the items common to both studies revealed that bilingual proficiency was negatively associated with response time (RT), priming, and the degree of translation asymmetry in RTs and priming. An item analysis showed that item difficulty was positively associated with RTs, priming, and the benefit of same-direction over different-direction repetition. Thus, although both participant accuracy and item accuracy are indices of learning, they have distinct effects on translation RTs and on the learning that is captured by the repetition-priming paradigm.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms and tobacco abstinence effects in a non-clinical sample: evaluating the mediating role of negative affect reduction smoking expectancies.

PubMed

Langdon, Kirsten J; Leventhal, Adam M

2014-11-01

The relation between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking is well documented but poorly understood. The present investigation sought to evaluate the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on subjective and behavioral tobacco abstinence effects both directly and indirectly through negative affect reduction smoking outcome expectancies. Participants included 275 (68.7% male; Mage =43.9, 10+ cig/day) adult non-treatment seeking smokers, who attended two counterbalanced laboratory sessions (16 h of smoking deprivation vs ad libitum smoking), during which they completed self-report measures of withdrawal symptoms and mood followed by a smoking lapse task in which they could earn money for delaying smoking and purchase cigarettes to smoke. Results supported a mediational pathway whereby higher baseline symptoms of posttraumatic stress predicted greater endorsement of expectancies that smoking will effectively reduce negative affect, which in turn predicted greater abstinence-provoked exacerbations in nicotine withdrawal symptoms and negative affect. Posttraumatic stress symptoms also predicted number of cigarettes purchased independent of negative affect reduction expectancies, but did not predict delaying smoking for money. Findings highlight tobacco abstinence effects as a putative mechanism underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-smoking comorbidity, indicate an important mediating role of beliefs for smoking-induced negative affect reduction, and shed light on integrated treatment approaches for these two conditions. © The Author(s) 2014.

Potential risks associated with traditional herbal medicine use in cancer care: A study of Middle Eastern oncology health care professionals.

PubMed

Ben-Arye, Eran; Samuels, Noah; Goldstein, Lee Hilary; Mutafoglu, Kamer; Omran, Suha; Schiff, Elad; Charalambous, Haris; Dweikat, Tahani; Ghrayeb, Ibtisam; Bar-Sela, Gil; Turker, Ibrahim; Hassan, Azza; Hassan, Esmat; Saad, Bashar; Nimri, Omar; Kebudi, Rejin; Silbermann, Michael

2016-02-15

The authors assessed the use of herbal medicine by Middle Eastern patients with cancer, as reported by their oncology health care professionals (HCPs). Herbal products identified by the study HCPs were evaluated for potential negative effects. Oncology HCPs from 16 Middle Eastern countries received a 17-item questionnaire asking them to list 5 herbal products in use by their patients with cancer. A literature search (PubMed, Micromedex, AltMedDex, and the Natural Medicine Comprehensive Database) was conducted to identify safety-related concerns associated with the products listed. A total of 339 HCPs completed the study questionnaire (response rate of 80.3%), identifying 44 herbal and 3 nonherbal nutritional supplements. Safety-related concerns were associated with 29 products, including herb-drug interactions with altered pharmacodynamics (15 herbs), direct toxic effects (18 herbs), and increased in vitro response of cancer cells to chemotherapy (7 herbs). Herbal medicine use, which is prevalent in Middle Eastern countries, has several potentially negative effects that include direct toxic effects, negative interactions with anticancer drugs, and increased chemosensitivity of cancer cells, requiring a reduction in dose-density. Oncology HCPs working in countries in which herbal medicine use is prevalent need to better understand the implications of this practice. The presence of integrative physicians with training in complementary and traditional medicine can help patients and their HCPs reach an informed decision regarding the safety and effective use of these products. © 2015 American Cancer Society.

The Influence of Professional Identity, Job Satisfaction, and Work Engagement on Turnover Intention among Township Health Inspectors in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenjie; Meng, Hongdao; Yang, Shujuan; Liu, Danping

2018-05-14

Health inspectors are part of the public health workforce in China, and its shortage has been identified as an urgent priority that should be addressed. Turnover is one of the main contributors to the shortage problem. This research assessed the influence of professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement on turnover intention of township health inspectors and explored the intermediary effect of job satisfaction and work engagement between professional identity and turnover intention among township health inspectors in China. Data were collected from 2426 township health inspectors in Sichuan Province, China. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables. Results showed that a total of 11.3% of participants had a high turnover intention and 34.0% of participants had a medium turnover intention. Job satisfaction had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = -0.38, p < 0.001), work engagement had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = -0.13, p < 0.001), and professional identity had an indirect negative effect on turnover intention through the mediating effect of job satisfaction and work engagement. Our results strongly confirmed that professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement were strong predicators of turnover intention. According to the results, desirable work environment, quality facilities, fair compensation and adequate advancement opportunities should be emphasized to improve job satisfaction. The turnover intention of health inspectors could be reduced through improving professional identity, enhancing job satisfaction and work engagement.

Personality, negative affect coping, and drinking alone: a structural equation modeling approach to examine correlates of adolescent solitary drinking

PubMed Central

Creswell, Kasey G.; Chung, Tammy; Wright, Aidan G. C.; Clark, Duncan B.; Black, Jessica J.; Martin, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

Aims This study examined the personality traits of negative emotionality and constraint and the ability to resist drinking during negative affective states as correlates of solitary drinking in adolescence. We hypothesized that higher levels of negative emotionality and lower levels of constraint would predict solitary drinking and that these relationships would be mediated by the ability to resist drinking in response to negative emotions. Design Structural equation modeling was used to fit a path model from the personality traits of negative emotionality and constraint to solitary drinking status through intermediate effects on the ability to resist drinking during negative emotions using cross-sectional data. Setting Clinical and community settings in Pennsylvania, USA. Participants The sample included 761 adolescent drinkers (mean age = 17.1). Measurements Adolescents completed the Lifetime Drinking History, the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Constructive Thinking Inventory and the Situational Confidence Questionnaire. Findings The path model provided a good fit to the data. The association between trait negative emotionality and solitary drinking was fully mediated by adolescents' ability to resist drinking during negative affective states (b = 0.05, P = 0.01). In contrast, constraint had a direct effect on solitary drinking (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, b = –0.23, P<0.01), as well as an indirect effect through the ability to resist drinking during negative affective states (b = –0.03, P = 0.02). Conclusions The ability to resist drinking while experiencing negative feelings or emotions may be an important underlying mechanism linking trait negative emotionality (a tendency toward depression, anxiety and poor reaction to stress) and constraint (lack of impulsiveness) to adolescent solitary drinking. PMID:25664806

Personality, negative affect coping, and drinking alone: a structural equation modeling approach to examine correlates of adolescent solitary drinking.

PubMed

Creswell, Kasey G; Chung, Tammy; Wright, Aidan G C; Clark, Duncan B; Black, Jessica J; Martin, Christopher S

2015-05-01

This study examined the personality traits of negative emotionality and constraint and the ability to resist drinking during negative affective states as correlates of solitary drinking in adolescence. We hypothesized that higher levels of negative emotionality and lower levels of constraint would predict solitary drinking and that these relationships would be mediated by the ability to resist drinking in response to negative emotions. Structural equation modeling was used to fit a path model from the personality traits of negative emotionality and constraint to solitary drinking status through intermediate effects on the ability to resist drinking during negative emotions using cross-sectional data. Clinical and community settings in Pennsylvania, USA. The sample included 761 adolescent drinkers (mean age = 17.1). Adolescents completed the Lifetime Drinking History, the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, the Constructive Thinking Inventory and the Situational Confidence Questionnaire. The path model provided a good fit to the data. The association between trait negative emotionality and solitary drinking was fully mediated by adolescents' ability to resist drinking during negative affective states (b = 0.05, P = 0.01). In contrast, constraint had a direct effect on solitary drinking (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, b = -0.23, P<0.01), as well as an indirect effect through the ability to resist drinking during negative affective states (b = -0.03, P = 0.02). The ability to resist drinking while experiencing negative feelings or emotions may be an important underlying mechanism linking trait negative emotionality (a tendency toward depression, anxiety and poor reaction to stress) and constraint (lack of impulsiveness) to adolescent solitary drinking. © 2015 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Broadband All-angle Negative Refraction by Optimized Phononic Crystals.

PubMed

Li, Yang Fan; Meng, Fei; Zhou, Shiwei; Lu, Ming-Hui; Huang, Xiaodong

2017-08-07

All-angle negative refraction (AANR) of phononic crystals and its frequency range are dependent on mechanical properties of constituent materials and their spatial distribution. So far, it is impossible to achieve the maximum operation frequency range of AANR theoretically. In this paper, we will present a numerical approach for designing a two-dimensional phononic crystal with broadband AANR without negative index. Through analyzing the mechanism of AANR, a topology optimization problem aiming at broadband AANR is established and solved by bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization method. The optimal steel/air phononic crystal exhibits a record AANR range over 20% and its refractive properties and focusing effects are further investigated. The results demonstrate the multifunctionality of a flat phononic slab including superlensing effect near upper AANR frequencies and self-collimation at lower AANR frequencies.

Cost and cost-effectiveness of community based and health facility based directly observed treatment of tuberculosis in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

PubMed Central

Wandwalo, Eliud; Robberstad, Bjarne; Morkve, Odd

2005-01-01

Background Identifying new approaches to tuberculosis treatment that are effective and put less demand to meagre health resources is important. One such approach is community based direct observed treatment (DOT). The purpose of the study was to determine the cost and cost effectiveness of health facility and community based directly observed treatment of tuberculosis in an urban setting in Tanzania. Methods Two alternative strategies were compared: health facility based directly observed treatment by health personnel and community based directly observed treatment by treatment supervisors. Costs were analysed from the perspective of health services, patients and community in the year 2002 in US $ using standard methods. Treatment outcomes were obtained from a randomised-controlled trial which was conducted alongside the cost study. Smear positive, smear negative and extra-pulmonary TB patients were included. Cost-effectiveness was calculated as the cost per patient successfully treated. Results The total cost of treating a patient with conventional health facility based DOT and community based DOT were $ 145 and $ 94 respectively. Community based DOT reduced cost by 35%. Cost fell by 27% for health services and 72% for patients. When smear positive and smear negative patients were considered separately, community DOT was associated with 45% and 19% reduction of the costs respectively. Patients used about $ 43 to follow their medication to health facility which is equivalent to their monthly income. Indirect costs were as important as direct costs, contributing to about 49% of the total patient's cost. The main reason for reduced cost was fewer number of visits to the TB clinic. Community based DOT was more cost-effective at $ 128 per patient successfully treated compared to $ 203 for a patient successfully treated with health facility based DOT. Conclusion Community based DOT presents an economically attractive option to complement health facility based DOT. This is particularly important in settings where TB clinics are working beyond capacity under limited resources. PMID:16018806

Stress and Negative Relationship Quality among Older Couples: Implications for Blood Pressure

PubMed Central

Newton, Nicky J.; Cranford, James A.; Ryan, Lindsay H.

2016-01-01

Objectives: The cardiovascular system may represent a significant pathway by which marriage and stress influence health, but research has focused on married individuals cross-sectionally. This study examined associations among chronic stress, negative spousal relationship quality, and systolic blood pressure over time among middle-aged and older husbands and wives. Method: Participants were from the nationally representative longitudinal Health and Retirement Study. A total of 1,356 (N = 2,712) married and cohabitating couples completed psychosocial and biomeasure assessments in waves 2006 and 2010. Analyses examined whether Wave 1 (2006) relationship quality and stress were associated with changes in blood pressure over time. Results: The effects of stress and negative relationship quality were dyadic and varied by gender. Husbands had increased blood pressure when wives reported greater stress, and this link was exacerbated by negative spousal relationship quality. Negative relationship quality predicted increased blood pressure when both members of the couple reported negative quality relations. Discussion: Findings support the dyadic biopsychosocial model of marriage and health indicating: (a) stress and relationship quality directly effect the cardiovascular system, (b) relationship quality moderates the effect of stress, and (c) the dyad rather than only the individual should be considered when examining marriage and health. PMID:25852106

Reciprocal influences between negative life events and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Kimonis, Eva R; Centifanti, Luna C M; Allen, Jennifer L; Frick, Paul J

2014-11-01

Children with conduct problems and co-occurring callous-unemotional (CU) traits show more severe, stable, and aggressive antisocial behaviors than those without CU traits. Exposure to negative life events has been identified as an important contributing factor to the expression of CU traits across time, although the directionality of this effect has remained unknown due to a lack of longitudinal study. The present longitudinal study examined potential bidirectional effects of CU traits leading to experiencing more negative life events and negative life events leading to increases in CU traits across 3 years among a sample of community-based school-aged (M = 10.9, SD = 1.71 years) boys and girls (N = 98). Repeated rating measures of CU traits, negative life events and conduct problems completed by children and parents during annual assessments were moderately to highly stable across time. Cross-lagged models supported a reciprocal relationship of moderate magnitude between child-reported CU traits and "controllable" negative life events. Parent-reported CU traits predicted "uncontrollable" life events at the earlier time point and controllable life events at the later time point, but no reciprocal effect was evident. These findings have important implications for understanding developmental processes that contribute to the stability of CU traits in youth.

Negative affect in at-risk youth: Outcome expectancies mediate relations with both regular and electronic cigarette use.

PubMed

Miller, Stephen; Pike, James; Stacy, Alan W; Xie, Bin; Ames, Susan L

2017-06-01

Despite the general trend of declining use of traditional cigarettes among young adults in the United States, alternative high school students continue to smoke cigarettes and electronic cigarettes at rates much higher than do students attending regular high schools. Challenging life circumstances leading to elevated levels of negative affect may account for increased smoking behavior in this population. Further, a belief in the negative affect-reducing qualities of nicotine may mediate this effect. The current study tested the hypothesis that negative reinforcing outcome expectancies mediate the relationship between negative affect on smoking susceptibility in nonusers, smoking frequency in users, and smoking experimentation in the overall sample. Results support the hypothesis that negative affect in alternative high school students is correlated with smoking experimentation, smoking willingness, and smoking frequency and that the relationship between negative affect and smoking behavior outcomes is mediated by negative reinforcing outcome expectancies (i.e., beliefs in the negative affect-reducing effects of smoking). This finding was supported for both cigarettes and electronic cigarettes and coincides with a rapid increase in the number of high school students nationally who have experimented with electronic cigarettes. Future antismoking initiatives directed at at-risk youth should consider integrating healthier negative affect reduction techniques to counter the use of nicotine products. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin, Shengyong; Chen, Xinhua; Xie, Haiyang

Previous studies showed nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) can ablate solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but its effect on cell membrane is not fully understood. We hypothesized nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on outer-cellular membrane with direct mechanical force and as a result the plasma membrane permeability increases to facilitate the small molecule intake. Three HCC cells were pulsed one pulse per minute, an interval longer than nanopore resealing time. The cationized ferritin was used to mark up the electronegative microdomains, propidium iodide (PI) for membrane permeabilization, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for the negative cell surface charge and cisplatinmore » for inner-cellular cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that the ferritin marked-microdomain and negative cell surface charge were disrupted by nsPEF caused-mechanical force. The cell uptake of propidium and cytotoxicity of DNA-targeted cisplatin increased with a dose effect. Cisplatin gains its maximum inner-cellular cytotoxicity when combining with nsPEF stimulation. We conclude that nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on the outer cellular membrane directly and increase the membrane permeabilization for PI and cisplatin. The microdomain disruption and membrane infiltration changes are caused by the mechanical force from the changes of negative cell surface charge.« less

Dysphoria and smoking among treatment seeking smokers: the role of smoking-related inflexibility/avoidance

PubMed Central

Buckner, Julia D.; Farris, Samantha G.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Shah, Sonia M.; Leventhal, Adam M.; Minnix, Jennifer A.; Schmidt, Norman B.

2016-01-01

Background Emerging data suggest that dysphoria is one facet of depression that is especially related to various aspects of cigarette smoking. However, it is presently unknown what emotional processes may account for these relations. Objectives In the current cross-sectional study, the impact of avoidance and inflexibility to smoking (AIS), a smoking-specific form of experiential avoidance, was tested on the relationship of dysphoria to four specific smoking processes that are key factors in cessation: perceived barriers to cessation, severity of problems during prior quit attempts, negative reinforcement smoking expectancies, and motivation to quit smoking. Methods Participants (n = 465) were treatment-seeking adult daily smokers. Relative indirect effects were subjected to bootstrap analyses to test direct and indirect effects of dysphoria on smoking processes. Results After controlling for gender, nicotine dependence severity, drinking problems, cannabis use, negative affectivity, tobacco-related medical problems, and AIS, dysphoria remained directly, positively related to perceived barriers and cessation problems. Additionally, dysphoria was indirectly, positively related to perceived barriers, cessation problems, negative reinforcement smoking expectancies, and motivation to quit indirectly through higher levels of AIS. Conclusion In the context of dysphoria, AIS may explain a wide range of clinically-relevant smoking processes. PMID:25396705

Maternal social support, quality of birth experience, and post-partum depression in primiparous women.

PubMed

Tani, Franca; Castagna, Valeria

2017-03-01

Social relationships provide individuals with a general sense of self-worth, psychological wellbeing, as well as allowing them access to resources during stressful periods and transitions in life. Pregnancy is a time of significant life change for every woman. The aim of this study was to verify the influence of social support perceived by mothers during pregnancy on the quality of their birth experience and post-partum depression. A longitudinal study at three different times was carried out on 179 nulliparous pregnant women. Women completed a Maternal Social Support Questionnaire during the third trimester of their pregnancy. Then, on the first day after childbirth, clinical birth indices were collected. Finally, a month after childbirth, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was administered. Post-partum depression was influenced negatively by maternal perceived social support and positively by negative clinical birth indices. In addition to these direct effects, analyses revealed a significant effect of maternal perceived social support on post-partum depression, mediated by the clinical indices considered. Social support perceived by mothers during pregnancy plays a significant role as a protection factor against post-partum depression, both directly and indirectly, reducing the negative clinical aspects of the birth experience.

Recovering hidden diagonal structures via non-negative matrix factorization with multiple constraints.

PubMed

Yang, Xi; Han, Guoqiang; Cai, Hongmin; Song, Yan

2017-03-31

Revealing data with intrinsically diagonal block structures is particularly useful for analyzing groups of highly correlated variables. Earlier researches based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) have been shown to be effective in representing such data by decomposing the observed data into two factors, where one factor is considered to be the feature and the other the expansion loading from a linear algebra perspective. If the data are sampled from multiple independent subspaces, the loading factor would possess a diagonal structure under an ideal matrix decomposition. However, the standard NMF method and its variants have not been reported to exploit this type of data via direct estimation. To address this issue, a non-negative matrix factorization with multiple constraints model is proposed in this paper. The constraints include an sparsity norm on the feature matrix and a total variational norm on each column of the loading matrix. The proposed model is shown to be capable of efficiently recovering diagonal block structures hidden in observed samples. An efficient numerical algorithm using the alternating direction method of multipliers model is proposed for optimizing the new model. Compared with several benchmark models, the proposed method performs robustly and effectively for simulated and real biological data.

Assessment of ability of murine and human anti-lipid A monoclonal antibodies to bind and neutralize lipopolysaccharide

PubMed Central

1993-01-01

The use of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) directed to lipid A for the therapy of gram-negative sepsis is controversial. In an attempt to understand their biologic basis of action, we used a fluid-phase radioimmunoassay to measure binding between bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and two IgM mAbs directed to lipid A that are being evaluated for the treatment of gram-negative bacterial sepsis. Both antibodies bound 3H-LPS prepared from multiple strains of gram- negative bacteria when large excesses of antibody were used, although binding was modest and only slightly greater than control preparations. We also studied the ability of each anti-lipid A antibody to neutralize some of the biological effects of LPS in vitro. Despite large molar excesses, neither antibody neutralized LPS as assessed by the limulus lysate test, by a mitogenic assay for murine splenocytes, or by the production of cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, or tumor necrosis factor from human monocytes in culture medium or in whole blood. Our experiments do not support the hypothesis that either of these anti- lipid A mAbs function by neutralizing the toxic effects of LPS. PMID:8418211

Client cognitive responses to counselor paradoxical and nonparadoxical directives.

PubMed

Lee, D Y; Rossiter, B; Martin, J; Uhlemann, M R

1990-09-01

Client cognitive responses to counselor paradoxical and nonparadoxical directives were examined. It was predicted (a) that clients who received paradoxical symptom prescriptions would display a greater negativity toward the counselor and counseling than those who received nonparadoxical directives; and (b) that clients who received no rationale for the paradoxical directives would display a greater negativity than those who received a rationale. Thirty clients who had reported performance anxiety received one 45-minute counseling interview. Ten clients received paradoxical directives with a rationale, 10 received paradoxical directives with no rationale, and 10 received nonparadoxical directives. Results showed no significant differences in either client in-session negativity or out-of-session implementation of directives between the paradoxical and nonparadoxical conditions and between the rationale and no rationale paradoxical conditions. Possible implications of the findings are discussed.

The prospects of selection for social genetic effects to improve welfare and productivity in livestock

PubMed Central

Ellen, Esther D.; Rodenburg, T. Bas; Albers, Gerard A. A.; Bolhuis, J. Elizabeth; Camerlink, Irene; Duijvesteijn, Naomi; Knol, Egbert F.; Muir, William M.; Peeters, Katrijn; Reimert, Inonge; Sell-Kubiak, Ewa; van Arendonk, Johan A. M.; Visscher, Jeroen; Bijma, Piter

2014-01-01

Social interactions between individuals living in a group can have both positive and negative effects on welfare, productivity, and health of these individuals. Negative effects of social interactions in livestock are easier to observe than positive effects. For example, laying hens may develop feather pecking, which can cause mortality due to cannibalism, and pigs may develop tail biting or excessive aggression. Several studies have shown that social interactions affect the genetic variation in a trait. Genetic improvement of socially-affected traits, however, has proven to be difficult until relatively recently. The use of classical selection methods, like individual selection, may result in selection responses opposite to expected, because these methods neglect the effect of an individual on its group mates (social genetic effects). It has become clear that improvement of socially-affected traits requires selection methods that take into account not only the direct effect of an individual on its own phenotype but also the social genetic effects, also known as indirect genetic effects, of an individual on the phenotypes of its group mates. Here, we review the theoretical and empirical work on social genetic effects, with a focus on livestock. First, we present the theory of social genetic effects. Subsequently, we evaluate the evidence for social genetic effects in livestock and other species, by reviewing estimates of genetic parameters for direct and social genetic effects. Then we describe the results of different selection experiments. Finally, we discuss issues concerning the implementation of social genetic effects in livestock breeding programs. This review demonstrates that selection for socially-affected traits, using methods that target both the direct and social genetic effects, is a promising, but sometimes difficult to use in practice, tool to simultaneously improve production and welfare in livestock. PMID:25426136

The prospects of selection for social genetic effects to improve welfare and productivity in livestock.

PubMed

Ellen, Esther D; Rodenburg, T Bas; Albers, Gerard A A; Bolhuis, J Elizabeth; Camerlink, Irene; Duijvesteijn, Naomi; Knol, Egbert F; Muir, William M; Peeters, Katrijn; Reimert, Inonge; Sell-Kubiak, Ewa; van Arendonk, Johan A M; Visscher, Jeroen; Bijma, Piter

2014-01-01

Social interactions between individuals living in a group can have both positive and negative effects on welfare, productivity, and health of these individuals. Negative effects of social interactions in livestock are easier to observe than positive effects. For example, laying hens may develop feather pecking, which can cause mortality due to cannibalism, and pigs may develop tail biting or excessive aggression. Several studies have shown that social interactions affect the genetic variation in a trait. Genetic improvement of socially-affected traits, however, has proven to be difficult until relatively recently. The use of classical selection methods, like individual selection, may result in selection responses opposite to expected, because these methods neglect the effect of an individual on its group mates (social genetic effects). It has become clear that improvement of socially-affected traits requires selection methods that take into account not only the direct effect of an individual on its own phenotype but also the social genetic effects, also known as indirect genetic effects, of an individual on the phenotypes of its group mates. Here, we review the theoretical and empirical work on social genetic effects, with a focus on livestock. First, we present the theory of social genetic effects. Subsequently, we evaluate the evidence for social genetic effects in livestock and other species, by reviewing estimates of genetic parameters for direct and social genetic effects. Then we describe the results of different selection experiments. Finally, we discuss issues concerning the implementation of social genetic effects in livestock breeding programs. This review demonstrates that selection for socially-affected traits, using methods that target both the direct and social genetic effects, is a promising, but sometimes difficult to use in practice, tool to simultaneously improve production and welfare in livestock.

Negative emotionality and externalizing problems in toddlerhood: overreactive parenting as a moderator of genetic influences.

PubMed

Lipscomb, Shannon T; Leve, Leslie D; Shaw, Daniel S; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Scaramella, Laura V; Ge, Xiaojia; Conger, Rand D; Reid, John B; Reiss, David

2012-02-01

The current study examines the interplay between parental overreactivity and children's genetic backgrounds as inferred from birth parent characteristics on the development of negative emotionality during infancy, and in turn, to individual differences in externalizing problems in toddlerhood. The sample included 361 families linked through adoption (birth parents and adoptive families). Data were collected when the children were 9, 18, and 27 months old. Results indicated links between individual levels and changes in negative emotionality during infancy and toddlerhood to externalizing problems early in the third year of life. Findings also revealed an interaction between birth mother negative affect and adoptive mother overreactive parenting on children's negative emotionality. This Genotype × Environment interaction predicted externalizing problems indirectly through its association with negative emotionality and revealed stronger effects of genetic risk for children with less overreactive parenting from their mothers. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

Future directions in research on institutional and interpersonal discrimination and children's health.

PubMed

Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores; Rosenfeld, Lindsay E; Hardy, Erin; McArdle, Nancy; Osypuk, Theresa L

2013-10-01

Research evidence indicates that 2 forms of racial discrimination-perceived interpersonal discrimination and racial/ethnic residential segregation (a form of institutional discrimination)-may influence children's health and disparities. Although research on these 2 forms of discrimination and health has primarily focused on adults, smaller bodies of work have documented that perceived interpersonal discrimination and segregation have a negative effect on infants' health, and that perceived interpersonal discrimination may negatively affect children's mental health. Three directions for research are (1) incorporating a life-course perspective into studies of discrimination and children's health, (2) linking residential segregation with geography-of-opportunity conceptual frameworks and measures, and (3) considering residential segregation along with segregation in other contexts that influence children's health (e.g., schools).

When you see it coming: Stressor anticipation modulates stress effects on negative affect.

PubMed

Neubauer, Andreas B; Smyth, Joshua M; Sliwinski, Martin J

2018-04-01

Research on the effect of exposure to minor stressors in people's daily lives consistently reports negative effects on indicators of well-being, often coined stress reactivity. Recent advances in the intensity of data collection have brought about an increasing interest in within-day associations of stress exposure and indicators of well-being, including dynamic aspects of the stress response such as stress recovery. In the present work, we investigated the other end of the stress response: the anticipation of a stressor. We hypothesized that anticipation of an upcoming stressor would be accompanied by higher negative affect. Based on the anticipatory coping account, lower negative affect after occurrence of anticipated (vs. not anticipated) stressors was predicted. We approached this question with a measurement burst study that allowed us to disentangle variation in stress processes across different time scales. One-hundred and seventy-five participants (mean age = 50, range 20-79) completed up to 3 measurement bursts. Each burst consisted of an ecological momentary assessment with 5 assessments per day over 7 days. In line with our expectations, negative affect was significantly higher after stressor anticipation, especially on days with high levels of intrusive thoughts. However, negative affect was not lower after anticipated (vs. not anticipated) stressors. Findings point to the role of perseverative cognition in the effect of stressor anticipation. Directions for future research including the role of controllability and effects on stress recovery are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Approach for Assessing Direct Flood Damages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaňová, Lenka; Zeleňáková, Martina; Słyś, Daniel; Purcz, Pavol

2014-11-01

This article presents a methodological approach to flood direct tangible damage - damage to assets and direct intangible damage - environmental damage and loss of life assessment. The assessment of flood risk is an essential part of the risk management approach, which is the conceptual basis for the EU directive 2007/60/ES on the assessment and management of flood risk. The purpose of this directive is to establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risk, aiming at the reduction of the adverse consequences for human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity associated with flood in the community. Overall, an accurate estimation of negative effects on assets, environment and people is important in order to be able to determine the economy, environmental and social flood risk level in a system and the effects of risk mitigation measures.

Thioredoxin-1 Negatively Modulates ADAM17 Activity Through Direct Binding and Indirect Reductive Activity.

PubMed

Granato, Daniela C; E Costa, Rute A P; Kawahara, Rebeca; Yokoo, Sami; Aragão, Annelize Z; Domingues, Romênia R; Pauletti, Bianca A; Honorato, Rodrigo V; Fattori, Juliana; Figueira, Ana Carolina M; Oliveira, Paulo S L; Consonni, Silvio R; Fernandes, Denise; Laurindo, Francisco; Hansen, Hinrich P; Paes Leme, Adriana F

2018-02-27

A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) modulates signaling events by releasing surface protein ectodomains such as TNFa and the EGFR-ligands. We have previously characterized cytoplasmic thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) as a partner of ADAM17 cytoplasmic domain. Still, the mechanism of ADAM17 regulation by Trx-1 is unknown, and it has become of paramount importance to assess the degree of influence that Trx-1 has on metalloproteinase ADAM17. Combining discovery and targeted proteomic approaches, we uncovered that Trx-1 negatively regulates ADAM17 by direct and indirect effect. We performed cell-based assays with synthetic peptides and site-directed mutagenesis, and we demonstrated that the interaction interface of Trx-1 and ADAM17 is important for the negative regulation of ADAM17 activity. However, both Trx-1 K72A and catalytic site mutant Trx-1 C32/35S rescued ADAM17 activity, although the interaction with Trx-1 C32/35S was unaffected, suggesting an indirect effect of Trx-1. We confirmed that the Trx-1 C32/35S mutant showed diminished reductive capacity, explaining this indirect effect on increasing ADAM17 activity through oxidant levels. Interestingly, Trx-1 K72A mutant showed similar oxidant levels to Trx-1 C32/35S , even though its catalytic site was preserved. We further demonstrated that the general reactive oxygen species inhibitor, Nacetylcysteine (NAC), maintained the regulation of ADAM17 dependent of Trx-1 reductase activity levels; whereas the electron transport chain modulator, rotenone, abolished Trx-1 effect on ADAM17 activity. We show for the first time that the mechanism of ADAM17 regulation, Trx-1 dependent, can be by direct interaction and indirect effect, bringing new insights into the cross-talk between isomerases and mammalian metalloproteinases. This unexpected Trx-1 K72A behavior was due to more dimer formation and, consequently, the reduction of its Trx-1 reductase activity, evaluated through dimer verification, by gel filtration and mass spectrometry analysis. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000.

The interplay between seasonality and density: consequences for female breeding decisions in a small cyclic herbivore

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Cyclic rodent population dynamics are subjected to both intrinsic regulatory processes such as density-dependence and extrinsic environmental forcing. Among extrinsic factors, seasonal environmental variation is understood to facilitate cycles. In rodents, these processes have been studied mostly independently and their relative importance for population dynamics is poorly known. Results We performed a detailed analysis of common vole (Microtus arvalis) reproduction in a cyclic population using a spatially extensive data set over 17 years in central-western France. Environmental seasonality was the main source of explained variation in common vole reproduction. Additionally, inter-annual variation in the environment explained a smaller part of the variance in reproduction in spring and summer than in winter, whereas the effect of density was only found in autumn and winter. In particular, we detected a strong impact of plant productivity on fecundity during the breeding season, with low vegetation productivity being able to bring vole reproduction nearly to a halt. In contrast, vole reproduction during autumn and winter was mainly shaped by intrinsic factors, with only the longer and heavier females being able to reproduce. The effect of population density on reproduction was negative, mediated by direct negative effects on the proportion of breeders in autumn and winter during outbreak years and by a delayed negative effect on litter size the following year. Conclusions During the main breeding season, variability of female vole reproduction is predominantly shaped by food resources, suggesting that only highly productive environment may induce vole outbreaks. During fall and winter, variability of female vole reproduction is mainly controlled by intrinsic factors, with high population density suppressing reproduction. This suggests, in this cyclic population, that negative direct density dependence on reproduction could explain winter declines after outbreaks. PMID:24886481

The interplay between seasonality and density: consequences for female breeding decisions in a small cyclic herbivore.

PubMed

Pinot, Adrien; Gauffre, Bertrand; Bretagnolle, Vincent

2014-05-28

Cyclic rodent population dynamics are subjected to both intrinsic regulatory processes such as density-dependence and extrinsic environmental forcing. Among extrinsic factors, seasonal environmental variation is understood to facilitate cycles. In rodents, these processes have been studied mostly independently and their relative importance for population dynamics is poorly known. We performed a detailed analysis of common vole (Microtus arvalis) reproduction in a cyclic population using a spatially extensive data set over 17 years in central-western France. Environmental seasonality was the main source of explained variation in common vole reproduction. Additionally, inter-annual variation in the environment explained a smaller part of the variance in reproduction in spring and summer than in winter, whereas the effect of density was only found in autumn and winter. In particular, we detected a strong impact of plant productivity on fecundity during the breeding season, with low vegetation productivity being able to bring vole reproduction nearly to a halt. In contrast, vole reproduction during autumn and winter was mainly shaped by intrinsic factors, with only the longer and heavier females being able to reproduce. The effect of population density on reproduction was negative, mediated by direct negative effects on the proportion of breeders in autumn and winter during outbreak years and by a delayed negative effect on litter size the following year. During the main breeding season, variability of female vole reproduction is predominantly shaped by food resources, suggesting that only highly productive environment may induce vole outbreaks. During fall and winter, variability of female vole reproduction is mainly controlled by intrinsic factors, with high population density suppressing reproduction. This suggests, in this cyclic population, that negative direct density dependence on reproduction could explain winter declines after outbreaks.

Longitudinal links between work experiences and marital satisfaction in african american dual-earner couples.

PubMed

Sun, Xiaoran; McHale, Susan M; Crouter, Ann C; Jones, Damon E

2017-12-01

This study assessed associations between both work demands (pressure, hours) and work resources (self-direction) and marital satisfaction in a sample of 164 African American dual-earner couples who were interviewed annually across 3 years. Grounded in the work-home resources and family systems frameworks, results from longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models (APIM) revealed main effects of spouses' work experiences on their own marital satisfaction, but these effects were qualified by the interactive effects of spouses' and partners' work experiences. Some interactive effects were consistent with an amplifying pattern, for example that, beyond the main effects of actor self-direction, marital satisfaction was highest when both spouses experienced high work self-direction. Other effects were consistent with a comparative pattern, such that shorter work hours were linked to lower marital satisfaction only when partners worked longer hours. Gender moderation also was evident in findings that wives' work pressure was negatively linked to marital satisfaction only when their husbands reported high pressure, but husbands' work pressure was negatively linked to marital satisfaction only when their wives reported low pressure. This study advances understanding of work-marriage linkages in African American couples, an understudied group with a distinctive connection to the labor force. Analyses demonstrate what can be learned from investigating the couple as a unit and illustrate how family systems concepts can be addressed via APIM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The direct and indirect effects of a glyphosate-based herbicide and nutrients on Chironomidae (Diptera) emerging from small wetlands.

PubMed

Baker, Leanne F; Mudge, Joseph F; Houlahan, Jeff E; Thompson, Dean G; Kidd, Karen A

2014-09-01

Laboratory and mesocosm experiments have demonstrated that some glyphosate-based herbicides can have negative effects on benthic invertebrate species. Although these herbicides are among the most widely used in agriculture, there have been few multiple-stressor, natural system-based investigations of the impacts of glyphosate-based herbicides in combination with fertilizers on the emergence patterns of chironomids from wetlands. Using a replicated, split-wetland experiment, the authors examined the effects of 2 nominal concentrations (2.88 mg acid equivalents/L and 0.21 mg acid equivalents/L) of the glyphosate herbicide Roundup WeatherMax, alone or in combination with nutrient additions, on the emergence of Chironomidae (Diptera) before and after herbicide-induced damage to macrophytes. There were no direct effects of treatment on the structure of the Chironomidae community or on the overall emergence rates. However, after macrophyte cover declined as a result of herbicide application, there were statistically significant increases in emergence in all but the highest herbicide treatment, which had also received no nutrients. There was a negative relationship between chironomid abundance and macrophyte cover on the treated sides of wetlands. Fertilizer application did not appear to compound the effects of the herbicide treatments. Although direct toxicity of Roundup WeatherMax was not apparent, the authors observed longer-term impacts, suggesting that the indirect effects of this herbicide deserve more consideration when assessing the ecological risk of using herbicides in proximity to wetlands. © 2014 SETAC.

Marital Quality and Cognitive Limitations in Late Life

PubMed Central

Thomas, Patricia A.; Umberson, Debra

2016-01-01

Objectives. Identifying factors associated with cognitive limitations among older adults has become a major public health objective. Given the importance of marital relationships for older adults’ health, this study examines the association between marital quality and change in cognitive limitations in late life, directionality of the relationship between marital quality and cognitive limitations, and potential gender differences in these associations. Method. Latent growth curve models were used to estimate the association of marital quality with change in cognitive limitations among older adults and the direction of the association between marital quality and cognitive limitations using 4 waves of the Americans’ Changing Lives survey (N = 841). Results. Results indicate that more frequent negative (but not positive) marital experiences are associated with a slower increase in cognitive limitations over time, and the direction of this association does not operate in the reverse (i.e., cognitive limitations did not lead to change in marital quality over time). The association between negative marital experiences and cognitive limitations is similar for men and women. Discussion. The discussion highlights possible explanations for the apparent protective effect of negative marital experiences for older adults’ cognitive health over time, regardless of gender. PMID:25765315

Shared trauma reality in war: Mental health therapists' experience.

PubMed

Freedman, Sara A; Tuval Mashiach, Rivka

2018-01-01

Shared traumatic reality occurs when therapists are doubly exposed to a traumatic event, both through their clients' experience, along with their own direct exposure. Studies have shown that a shared traumatic reality can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for therapists. Most studies have examined these reactions sometime after the end of the traumatic event, and less is known about reactions that occur during a traumatic event. In addition, most studies have assumed, rather than examined, indirect exposure. In this study, we extend this literature by examining direct and indirect exposure of therapists during a war situation, and their psychological reactions. Over a period of two months in 2014, 70% of the Israeli population was exposed to rocket fire. Geographical areas differed in terms of amount of exposure, and its potential danger. 151 therapists living throughout Israel were assessed via an Internet based survey in the middle of the war, and were assessed for the effects on their professional and personal lives, degree of burnout, ways of coping and symptoms levels of PTSD and psychological distress. These indicate that significant differences in direct exposure occurred depending on place of residence. PTSD levels were related to higher direct exposure, as well as prior trauma exposure, but not to indirect exposure. Indirect exposure, as measured by increased workload, was related to increased distress and emotional exhaustion. These data shed light on the effects of direct and indirect exposure to a shared traumatic experience of war amongst therapists. The data support previous studies showing a greater effect of direct exposure on PTSD. Since indirect exposure appears to negatively impact burnout and psychological distress, rather than PTSD, this study shows that symptoms other than PTSD should be the result of in a shared traumatic reality.

Mediation analysis to estimate direct and indirect milk losses due to clinical mastitis in dairy cattle.

PubMed

Detilleux, J; Kastelic, J P; Barkema, H W

2015-03-01

Milk losses associated with mastitis can be attributed to either effects of pathogens per se (i.e., direct losses) or effects of the immune response triggered by intramammary infection (indirect losses). The distinction is important in terms of mastitis prevention and treatment. Regardless, the number of pathogens is often unknown (particularly in field studies), making it difficult to estimate direct losses, whereas indirect losses can be approximated by measuring the association between increased somatic cell count (SCC) and milk production. An alternative is to perform a mediation analysis in which changes in milk yield are allocated into their direct and indirect components. We applied this method on data for clinical mastitis, milk and SCC test-day recordings, results of bacteriological cultures (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus uberis, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and streptococci other than Strep. dysgalactiae and Strep. uberis), and cow characteristics. Following a diagnosis of clinical mastitis, the cow was treated and changes (increase or decrease) in milk production before and after a diagnosis were interpreted counterfactually. On a daily basis, indirect changes, mediated by SCC increase, were significantly different from zero for all bacterial species, with a milk yield decrease (ranging among species from 4 to 33g and mediated by an increase of 1000 SCC/mL/day) before and a daily milk increase (ranging among species from 2 to 12g and mediated by a decrease of 1000 SCC/mL/day) after detection. Direct changes, not mediated by SCC, were only different from zero for coagulase-negative staphylococci before diagnosis (72g per day). We concluded that mixed structural equation models were useful to estimate direct and indirect effects of the presence of clinical mastitis on milk yield. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Shared trauma reality in war: Mental health therapists’ experience

PubMed Central

Tuval Mashiach, Rivka

2018-01-01

Introduction Shared traumatic reality occurs when therapists are doubly exposed to a traumatic event, both through their clients’ experience, along with their own direct exposure. Studies have shown that a shared traumatic reality can lead to both positive and negative outcomes for therapists. Most studies have examined these reactions sometime after the end of the traumatic event, and less is known about reactions that occur during a traumatic event. In addition, most studies have assumed, rather than examined, indirect exposure. In this study, we extend this literature by examining direct and indirect exposure of therapists during a war situation, and their psychological reactions. Method Over a period of two months in 2014, 70% of the Israeli population was exposed to rocket fire. Geographical areas differed in terms of amount of exposure, and its potential danger. 151 therapists living throughout Israel were assessed via an Internet based survey in the middle of the war, and were assessed for the effects on their professional and personal lives, degree of burnout, ways of coping and symptoms levels of PTSD and psychological distress. Results These indicate that significant differences in direct exposure occurred depending on place of residence. PTSD levels were related to higher direct exposure, as well as prior trauma exposure, but not to indirect exposure. Indirect exposure, as measured by increased workload, was related to increased distress and emotional exhaustion. Discussion These data shed light on the effects of direct and indirect exposure to a shared traumatic experience of war amongst therapists. The data support previous studies showing a greater effect of direct exposure on PTSD. Since indirect exposure appears to negatively impact burnout and psychological distress, rather than PTSD, this study shows that symptoms other than PTSD should be the result of in a shared traumatic reality. PMID:29408879

Social support and social strain among husbands and wives: a multilevel analysis.

PubMed

DeLongis, Anita; Capreol, Martha; Holtzman, Susan; O'Brien, Tess; Campbell, Jennifer

2004-09-01

In response to recent calls in the literature for within-person examinations of social support processes over time, this study explores the relationships of spousal support, spousal strain, and well-being among husbands and wives, both within the same day and across days. Eighty-three couples were interviewed and completed a structured diary twice daily for 1 week. The results of multilevel hierarchical modeling suggest that both spousal support and spousal strain made significant, independent contributions to concurrent negative affect, although only spousal support was a significant predictor of next-day negative affect. Spousal strain interacted with spousal support to predict next-day negative affect. Direct and moderating effects of perceived marital adjustment on negative affect were discussed. Copyright 2004 American Psychological Association

Non-linear direct effects of acid rain on leaf photosynthetic rate of terrestrial plants.

PubMed

Dong, Dan; Du, Enzai; Sun, Zhengzhong; Zeng, Xuetong; de Vries, Wim

2017-12-01

Anthropogenic emissions of acid precursors have enhanced global occurrence of acid rain, especially in East Asia. Acid rain directly suppresses leaf function by eroding surface waxes and cuticle and leaching base cations from mesophyll cells, while the simultaneous foliar uptake of nitrates in rainwater may directly benefit leaf photosynthesis and plant growth, suggesting a non-linear direct effect of acid rain. By synthesizing data from literature on acid rain exposure experiments, we assessed the direct effects of acid rain on leaf photosynthesis across 49 terrestrial plants in China. Our results show a non-linear direct effect of acid rain on leaf photosynthetic rate, including a neutral to positive effect above pH 5.0 and a negative effect below that pH level. The acid rain sensitivity of leaf photosynthesis showed no significant difference between herbs and woody species below pH 5.0, but the impacts above that pH level were strongly different, resulting in a significant increase in leaf photosynthetic rate of woody species and an insignificant effect on herbs. Our analysis also indicates a positive effect of the molar ratio of nitric versus sulfuric acid in the acid solution on leaf photosynthetic rate. These findings imply that rainwater acidity and the composition of acids both affect the response of leaf photosynthesis and therefore result in a non-linear direct effect. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Explanations for side effect aversion in preventive medical treatment decisions

PubMed Central

Waters, Erika A.; Weinstein, Neil D.; Colditz, Graham A.; Emmons, Karen

2008-01-01

Objective Many laypeople demonstrate excessive sensitivity to negative side effects of medical treatments, which may lead them to refuse beneficial therapies. This Internet-based experiment investigated three possible explanations for such “side effect aversion.” One was derived from mental accounting, one examined the mere presence of a side effect, and one focused on computational difficulties. Design Participants (N = 5,379) were presented with a hypothetical cancer preventive treatment situation that was or was not accompanied by one or two small side effects. The side effects were either beneficial or harmful. In all conditions the net absolute risk reduction associated with the treatment was 15%. Main Outcome Measures Participants indicated their willingness to accept treatment and their perceptions of the treatment’s effects on their overall cancer risk. Results Data were consistent only with the “mere presence” explanation of side effect aversion, the idea that side effects act as a strong negative cue that directly affects treatment appraisal. The number of negative side effects did not influence treatment willingness. Conclusion Side effect aversion is a challenge to informed decision making. Specific mechanisms that produce side effect aversion should be identified. PMID:19290712

Learning under your gaze: the mediating role of affective arousal between perceived direct gaze and memory performance.

PubMed

Helminen, Terhi M; Pasanen, Tytti P; Hietanen, Jari K

2016-03-01

Previous studies have shown that cognitive performance can be affected by the presence of an observer and self-directed gaze. We investigated whether the effect of gaze direction (direct vs. downcast) on verbal memory is mediated by autonomic arousal. Male participants responded with enhanced affective arousal to both male and female storytellers' direct gaze which, according to a path analysis, was negatively associated with the performance. On the other hand, parallel to this arousal-mediated effect, males' performance was affected by another process impacting the performance positively and suggested to be related to effort allocation on the task. The effect of this process was observed only when the storyteller was a male. The participants remembered more details from a story told by a male with a direct vs. downcast gaze. The effect of gaze direction on performance was the opposite for female storytellers, which was explained by the arousal-mediated process. Surprisingly, these results were restricted to male participants only and no effects of gaze were observed among female participants. We also investigated whether the participants' belief of being seen or not (through an electronic window) by the storyteller influenced the memory and arousal, but this manipulation had no effect on the results.

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising: physician and public opinion and potential effects on the physician-patient relationship.

PubMed

Robinson, Andrew R; Hohmann, Kirsten B; Rifkin, Julie I; Topp, Daniel; Gilroy, Christine M; Pickard, Jeffrey A; Anderson, Robert J

2004-02-23

Previous studies have shown that direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising can influence consumer behavior and that many physicians have negative views of these advertisements. Physician and public opinions about these advertisements and how they may affect the physician-patient relationship are not well established. Mail survey of 523 Colorado physicians and 261 national physicians and telephone survey of 500 Colorado households asking respondents to rate their agreement with statements about DTC advertising. Most physicians tended to view DTC advertisements negatively, indicating that such advertisements rarely provide enough information on cost (98.7%), alternative treatment options (94.9%), or adverse effects (54.8%). Most also believed that DTC advertisements affected interactions with patients by lengthening clinical encounters (55.9%), leading to patient requests for specific medications (80.7%), and changing patient expectations of physicians' prescribing practices (67.0%). Only 29.0% of public respondents agreed that DTC advertising is a positive trend in health care and 28.6% indicated that advertisements make them better informed about medical problems; fewer indicated that advertisements motivated them to seek care (10.5%) or led them to request specific medications from their physicians (13.3%). Most physicians have negative views of DTC pharmaceutical advertising and see several potential effects of these advertisements on the physician-patient relationship. Many public respondents have similarly negative views, and only a few agree that they change their expectations of or interactions with physicians. While these advertisements may be influencing only a few consumers, it seems that the impact on physicians and their interactions with patients may be significant.

Direction-dependent stability of skyrmion lattice in helimagnets induced by exchange anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yangfan

2018-06-01

Exchange anisotropy provides a direction dependent mechanism for the stability of the skyrmion lattice phase in noncentrosymmetric bulk chiral magnets. Based on the Fourier representation of the skyrmion lattice, we explain the direction dependence of the temperature-magnetic field phase diagram for bulk MnSi through a phenomenological mean-field model incorporating exchange anisotropy. Through quantitative comparison with experimental results, we clarify that the stability of the skyrmion lattice phase in bulk MnSi is determined by a combined effect of negative exchange anisotropy and thermal fluctuation. The effect of exchange anisotropy and the order of Fourier representation on the equilibrium properties of the skyrmion lattice is discussed in detail.

A Technique of Treating Negative Weights in WENO Schemes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shi, Jing; Hu, Changqing; Shu, Chi-Wang

2000-01-01

High order accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes have recently been developed for finite difference and finite volume methods both in structural and in unstructured meshes. A key idea in WENO scheme is a linear combination of lower order fluxes or reconstructions to obtain a high order approximation. The combination coefficients, also called linear weights, are determined by local geometry of the mesh and order of accuracy and may become negative. WENO procedures cannot be applied directly to obtain a stable scheme if negative linear weights are present. Previous strategy for handling this difficulty is by either regrouping of stencils or reducing the order of accuracy to get rid of the negative linear weights. In this paper we present a simple and effective technique for handling negative linear weights without a need to get rid of them.

Effect of Drug and Alcohol Education on Attitudes of High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lignell, Constance; Davidhizar, Ruth

1991-01-01

Examined effects of 3-week alcohol and drug education course on attitudes about alcohol and drugs in ninth grade students (n=180). Results showed mean attitude score changed in desired direction after education indicating negative feelings toward drugs and alcohol use and abuse, polydrug use, dependency, social pressure, and media pressure and…

Volunteering and Subjective Well-Being in Later Adulthood: Is Self-Efficacy the Key?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muller, Doreen; Ziegelmann, Jochen P.; Simonson, Julia; Tesch-Römer, Clemens; Huxhold, Oliver

2014-01-01

This study investigated age differences in longitudinal effects of volunteering on three facets of subjective well-being (SWB), i.e. positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and life satisfaction (LS). Both direct and indirect effects with self-efficacy as mediator were tested. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was used on 5,564…

Behavior and nutritional condition buffer a large-bodied endotherm against direct and indirect effects of climate

Treesearch

Ryan A. Long; R. Terry Bowyer; Warren P. Porter; Paul Mathewson; Kevin L. Monteith; John G. Kie

2014-01-01

Temporal changes in net energy balance of animals strongly influence fitness; consequently, natural selection should favor behaviors that increase net energy balance by buffering individuals against negative effects of environmental variation. The relative importance of behavioral responses to climate-induced variation in costs vs. supplies of energy, however, is...

Effects of cortisol and lipopolysaccharide on expression of select growth-, stress- and immune-related genes in rainbow trout liver

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many studies have shown that stress-induced cortisol levels negatively influence growth and immunity in finfish. Despite this knowledge, few studies have assessed the direct effects of cortisol on liver immune function in finfish. Using real-time PCR, the expression of three cortisol-responsive ge...

Analysis of scattering by spheres having a negative acoustical refractive index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marston, Philip L.

2005-04-01

Electromagnetic waves having oppositely directed phase and group velocities propagate in metamaterials having a negative permeability and negative permittivity [J. B. Pendry and D. R. Smith, Phys. Today 57(6), 37-44 (2004)]. Such materials are predicted to have unusual electromagnetic scattering properties [R. Ruppin, Solid State Commun. 116, 411-415 (2000)]. If it is possible to fabricate acoustical materials having a simultaneously negative effective elastic modulus and density (in a dynamical sense), the mechanical energy flux will have the opposite direction as the wave-vector associated with phase evolution. Rays descriptive of the energy flux refracted by such hypothetical materials at interfaces with ordinary fluids would be characterized by a negative acoustical refractive index. Partial-wave-series calculations of high frequency scattering by fluid spheres having an acoustical refractive index at (or close to) 1 reveal backscattering enhancements associated with glory rays which, unlike ordinary spheres [P. L. Marston and D. S. Langley, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 73, 1464-1475 (1983)], require only a single internal chord. Generalized Lamb waves on elastic shells having opposite phase and group velocities also cause enhanced backscattering associated with unusual rays [G. Kaduchak, D. H. Hughes, and P. L. Marston, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 96, 3704-3714 (1994)].

Quantum entanglement analysis of an optically excited coupling of two nuclear spins via a mediator: Combining the quantum concurrence and negativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Chenghua; Hu, Zhanning

2018-03-01

In this paper, we investigate the characteristics of the nuclear spin entanglement generated by an intermedium with an optically excited triplet. Significantly, the interaction between the two nuclear spins presents to be a direct XY coupling in each of the effective subspace Hamiltonians which are obtained by applying a transformation on the natural Hamiltonian. The quantum concurrence and negativity are discussed to quantitatively describe the quantum entanglement, and a comparison between them can reveal the nature of their relationship. An innovative general equation describing the relationship between the concurrence and negativity is explicitly obtained.

Self-Efficacy Is Associated with Less Burden and More Gains from Behavioral Problems of Alzheimer's Disease in Hong Kong Chinese Caregivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Lam, Linda C. W.; Kwok, Timothy; Ng, Natalie S. S.; Fung, Ada W. T.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To test the effects of different self-efficacy beliefs on caregiver appraisals and depressive symptoms. We hypothesized that self-efficacy has a direct effect on depression while moderating the effects of behavioral problems on both negative (i.e., burden) and positive (i.e., uplifting) appraisals. Design and Methods: Ninety-nine Chinese…

Direct negative chronotropic action of desflurane on sinoatrial node pacemaker activity in the guinea pig heart.

PubMed

Kojima, Akiko; Ito, Yuki; Kitagawa, Hirotoshi; Matsuura, Hiroshi; Nosaka, Shuichi

2014-06-01

Desflurane inhalation is associated with sympathetic activation and concomitant increase in heart rate in humans and experimental animals. There is, however, little information concerning the direct effects of desflurane on electrical activity of sinoatrial node pacemaker cells that determines the intrinsic heart rate. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were conducted on guinea pig sinoatrial node pacemaker cells to record spontaneous action potentials and ionic currents contributing to sinoatrial node automaticity, namely, hyperpolarization-activated cation current (If), T-type and L-type Ca currents (ICa,T and ICa,L, respectively), Na/Ca exchange current (INCX), and rapidly and slowly activating delayed rectifier K currents (IKr and IKs, respectively). Electrocardiograms were recorded from ex vivo Langendorff-perfused hearts and in vivo hearts. Desflurane at 6 and 12% decreased spontaneous firing rate of sinoatrial node action potentials by 15.9% (n = 11) and 27.6% (n = 10), respectively, which was associated with 20.4% and 42.5% reductions in diastolic depolarization rate, respectively. Desflurane inhibited If, ICa,T, ICa,L, INCX, and IKs but had little effect on IKr. The negative chronotropic action of desflurane was reasonably well reproduced in sinoatrial node computer model. Desflurane reduced the heart rate in Langendorff-perfused hearts. High concentration (12%) of desflurane inhalation was associated with transient tachycardia, which was totally abolished by pretreatment with the β-adrenergic blocker propranolol. Desflurane has a direct negative chronotropic action on sinoatrial node pacemaking activity, which is mediated by its inhibitory action on multiple ionic currents. This direct inhibitory action of desflurane on sinoatrial node automaticity seems to be counteracted by sympathetic activation associated with desflurane inhalation in vivo.

Supercontinuum generation in quadratic nonlinear waveguides without quasi-phase matching.

PubMed

Guo, Hairun; Zhou, Binbin; Steinert, Michael; Setzpfandt, Frank; Pertsch, Thomas; Chung, Hung-ping; Chen, Yen-Hung; Bache, Morten

2015-02-15

Supercontinuum generation (SCG) is most efficient when the solitons can be excited directly at the pump laser wavelength. Quadratic nonlinear waveguides may induce an effective negative Kerr nonlinearity, so temporal solitons can be directly generated in the normal (positive) dispersion regime overlapping with common ultrafast laser wavelengths. There is no need for waveguide dispersion engineering. Here, we experimentally demonstrate SCG in standard lithium niobate (LN) waveguides without quasi-phase matching (QPM), pumped with femtosecond pulses in the normal dispersion regime. The observed large bandwidths (even octave spanning), together with other experimental data, indicate that negative nonlinearity solitons are indeed excited, which is backed up by numerical simulations. The QPM-free design reduces production complexity, extends the maximum waveguide length, and limits undesired spectral resonances. Finally, nonlinear crystals can be used where QPM is inefficient or impossible, which is important for mid-IR SCG. QPM-free waveguides in mid-IR nonlinear crystals can support negative nonlinearity solitons, as these waveguides have a normal dispersion at the emission wavelengths of mid-IR ultrafast lasers.

Self-regulation: from goal orientation to job performance.

PubMed

Porath, Christine L; Bateman, Thomas S

2006-01-01

The authors investigated the effects on job performance of 3 forms of goal orientation and 4 self-regulation (SR) tactics. In a longitudinal field study with salespeople, learning and performance-prove goal orientation predicted subsequent sales performance, whereas performance-avoid goal orientation negatively predicted sales performance. The SR tactics functioned as mediating variables between learning and performance-prove goal orientations and performance. Social competence and proactive behavior directly and positively predicted sales performance, and emotional control negatively predicted performance. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Neutron-skin effect in direct-photon and charged-hadron production in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC.

PubMed

Helenius, Ilkka; Paukkunen, Hannu; Eskola, Kari J

2017-01-01

A well-established observation in nuclear physics is that in neutron-rich spherical nuclei the distribution of neutrons extends farther than the distribution of protons. In this work, we scrutinize the influence of this so called neutron-skin effect on the centrality dependence of high-[Formula: see text] direct-photon and charged-hadron production. We find that due to the estimated spatial dependence of the nuclear parton distribution functions, it will be demanding to unambiguously expose the neutron-skin effect with direct photons. However, when taking a ratio between the cross sections for negatively and positively charged high-[Formula: see text] hadrons, even centrality-dependent nuclear-PDF effects cancel, making this observable a better handle on the neutron skin. Up to 10% effects can be expected for the most peripheral collisions in the measurable region.

Thermal treatment and leaching of biochar alleviates plant growth inhibition from mobile organic compounds

PubMed Central

Sackett, Tara E.; Thomas, Sean C.

2016-01-01

Recent meta-analyses of plant responses to biochar boast positive average effects of between 10 and 40%. Plant responses, however, vary greatly across systems, and null or negative biochar effects are increasingly reported. The mechanisms responsible for such responses remain unclear. In a glasshouse experiment we tested the effects of three forestry residue wood biochars, applied at five dosages (0, 5, 10, 20, and 50 t/ha) to a temperate forest drystic cambisol as direct surface applications and as complete soil mixes on the herbaceous pioneers Lolium multiflorum and Trifolium repens. Null and negative effects of biochar on growth were found in most cases. One potential cause for null and negative plant responses to biochar is plant exposure to mobile compounds produced during pyrolysis that leach or evolve following additions of biochars to soil. In a second glasshouse experiment we examined the effects of simple leaching and heating techniques to ameliorate potentially phytotoxic effects of volatile and leachable compounds released from biochar. We used Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to qualitatively describe organic compounds in both biochar (through headspace extraction), and in the water leachates (through direct injection). Convection heating and water leaching of biochar prior to application alleviated growth inhibition. Additionally, growth was inhibited when filtrate from water-leached biochar was applied following germination. SPME-GC-MS detected primarily short-chained carboxylic acids and phenolics in both the leachates and solid chars, with relatively high concentrations of several known phytotoxic compounds including acetic acid, butyric acid, 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol and benzoic acid. We speculate that variable plant responses to phytotoxic organic compounds leached from biochars may largely explain negative plant growth responses and also account for strongly species-specific patterns of plant responses to biochar amendments in short-term experiments. PMID:27635349

Facial emotion processing in pediatric social anxiety disorder: Relevance of situational context.

PubMed

Schwab, Daniela; Schienle, Anne

2017-08-01

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) typically begins in childhood. Previous research has demonstrated that adult patients respond with elevated late positivity (LP) to negative facial expressions. In the present study on pediatric SAD, we investigated responses to negative facial expressions and the role of social context information. Fifteen children with SAD and 15 non-anxious controls were first presented with images of negative facial expressions with masked backgrounds. Following this, the complete images which included context information, were shown. The negative expressions were either a result of an emotion-relevant (e.g., social exclusion) or emotion-irrelevant elicitor (e.g., weight lifting). Relative to controls, the clinical group showed elevated parietal LP during face processing with and without context information. Both groups differed in their frontal LP depending on the type of context. In SAD patients, frontal LP was lower in emotion-relevant than emotion-irrelevant contexts. We conclude that SAD patients direct more automatic attention towards negative facial expressions (parietal effect) and are less capable in integrating affective context information (frontal effect). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How the Brain Converts Negative Evaluation into Performance Facilitation.

PubMed

Prévost, Charlotte; Lau, Hakwan; Mobbs, Dean

2018-02-01

Surpassing negative evaluation is a recurrent theme of success stories. Yet, there is little evidence supporting the counterintuitive idea that negative evaluation might not only motivate people, but also enhance performance. To address this question, we designed a task that required participants to decide whether taking up a risky challenge after receiving positive or negative evaluations from independent judges. Participants believed that these evaluations were based on their prior performance on a related task. Results showed that negative evaluation caused a facilitation in performance. Concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the motivating effect of negative evaluation was represented in the insula and striatum, while the performance boost was associated with functional positive connectivity between the insula and a set of brain regions involved in goal-directed behavior and the orienting of attention. These findings provide new insight into the neural representation of negative evaluation-induced facilitation. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Molecular identification of leishmania species using samples obtained from negative stained smears.

PubMed

Mohaghegh, Ma; Fata, A; Salehi, Gh; Berenji, F; Bazzaz, M Mousavi; Rafatpanah, H; Parian, M; Movahedi, A

2013-04-01

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic skin disease. Diagnosis primarily is based on clinical signs and microscopic observation of parasite on direct stained smears or tissue sections. Sensitivity of direct smear is not as high as molecular methods. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize Leishmania species among the negative direct smears obtained from skin ulcers suspected to CL by PCR method. Among 81 patients with suspicious skin lesions to CL referred to the Parasitology lab, negative Giemsa stained smears were collected. DNA extraction performed by scraping stained smears, then PCR was performed. Among the DNA extracted from smears, L. tropica was isolated from 9 (11.1%) of the smears and L.major was not isolated from any samples. Direct microscopy on stained smears for diagnosis of leishmaniasis is not enough accurate. PCR is recommended for clinically suspected lesions with negative result of direct smear.

When self-efficacy negatively relates to motivation and performance in a learning context.

PubMed

Vancouver, Jeffrey B; Kendall, Laura N

2006-09-01

Recent reviews of the training literature have advocated directly manipulating self-efficacy in an attempt to improve the motivation of trainees. However, self-regulation theories conceive of motivation as a function of various goal processes, and assert that the effect of self-efficacy should depend on the process involved. Training contexts may evoke planning processes in which self-efficacy might negatively relate to motivation. Yet the typical between-persons studies in the current literature may obscure the effect. To examine this issue, 63 undergraduate students completed a series of questionnaires measuring self-efficacy and motivation before 5 class exams. Self-efficacy was negatively related to motivation and exam performance at the within-person level of analysis, despite a significant positive relation with performance at the between-persons level. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Peer group impulsivity moderated the individual-level relationship between depressive symptoms and adolescent nonsuicidal self-injury.

PubMed

You, Jianing; Zheng, Chuhua; Lin, Min-Pei; Leung, Freedom

2016-02-01

This study examined the influence of impulsive friendship group contexts on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and how peer group impulsivity (i.e. negative urgency and premeditation) moderated the individual level relationship between depression and NSSI among 1701 Chinese secondary school students (1147 females). Participants were assessed twice over a 6-month interval. After controlling for direct socialization effects for NSSI, multilevel analysis indicated that friendship group negative urgency exerted a significant influence on NSSI. Additionally, friendship group premeditation weakened the relation between individual depression and NSSI, while friendship group negative urgency strengthened the relation between depression and NSSI. The results suggest the contribution of indirect peer influence effects to NSSI. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The relationship between negative urgency and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms: the role of intolerance of negative emotions and intolerance of uncertainty.

PubMed

Pawluk, Elizabeth J; Koerner, Naomi

2016-11-01

GAD symptoms are associated with greater negative urgency, a dimension of impulsivity defined as the tendency to act rashly when distressed. This study examined the degree to which intolerance of negative emotional states and intolerance of uncertainty account for the association between negative urgency and GAD symptoms. An analysis of indirect effects evaluated whether intolerance of negative emotions and intolerance of uncertainty uniquely account for the association between negative urgency and GAD symptom severity. Undergraduate students (N = 308) completed measures of GAD symptoms, trait anxiety, negative urgency, distress tolerance, and intolerance of uncertainty. Greater symptoms of GAD, intolerance of negative emotional states, and intolerance of uncertainty were associated with greater negative urgency. There was an indirect relationship between negative urgency and GAD symptoms through intolerance of negative emotional states and intolerance of uncertainty even when controlling for trait anxiety. Intolerance of negative emotional states and intolerance of uncertainty each had an indirect relationship with GAD severity through negative urgency, suggesting possible bi-directional relations. Future studies should examine the role of intolerance of negative emotional states and intolerance of uncertainty in the impulsive behavior of individuals with GAD, and whether impulsive behavior reinforces these processes.

Does age affect the stress and coping process? Implications of age differences in perceived control.

PubMed

Aldwin, C M

1991-07-01

The perceived controllability of situations is thought to influence the types of coping strategies used, and thus is important in adaptive processes. Elderly individuals are widely perceived to have less control over their environment than other adults. This lack of perceived control should have adverse affects on how they cope with stressful situations. However, most studies have shown that older adults differ little from younger adults in their approaches to coping with stress. This contradiction was investigated in a sample of 228 community-residing adults with a mean age of 42.16 (SD = 14.88). Path analysis revealed that appraisals and attributions do affect the use of coping strategies such as instrumental action and escapism in the expected directions, and age is negatively associated with perceived control. However, there was an independent and negative relationship between age and the reported use of escapist coping strategies, which mitigated the adverse effects of perceived lack of control. Neither age nor perceived controllability had direct effects on depression, but they had indirect effects through their influence on the use of coping strategies and perceived efficacy.

In It Together: Mother Talk of Weight Concerns Moderates Negative Outcomes of Encouragement to Lose Weight on Daughter Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating

PubMed Central

Hillard, Erin E.; Gondoli, Dawn M.; Corning, Alexandra F.; Morrissey, Rebecca A.

2015-01-01

Mothers’ influence on their daughters is important for understanding girls’ disordered eating and body dissatisfaction. Direct maternal encouragement of daughters to lose weight is linked to daughters’ development of bulimic symptoms, and additional findings indicate that daughters whose mothers merely talk about dieting and body dissatisfaction are more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. The current study extends such research by examining the interactive contributions of maternal encouragement to lose weight and maternal dieting discussions to the prediction of early adolescent daughters’ body dissatisfaction and disordered eating over the middle school period. Participants were 89 adolescent girls who were in the 6th grade at Time 1. Regression analyses were conducted to examine interactive effects of mother encouragement to diet and talk of weight concerns on daughter body dissatisfaction, drive for thinness, and dieting behavior. Results suggest an interactive effect in which mothers’ dieting talk may act as a buffer against the negative effects of direct encouragement to lose weight. PMID:26551484

Brand emotional credibility: effects of mixed emotions about branded products with varying credibility.

PubMed

Mileti, Antonio; Prete, M Irene; Guido, Gianluigi

2013-10-01

This research investigates the effects of mixed emotions on the positioning and on the intention to purchase different categories of branded products (i.e., Attractiveness-products, Expertise-products, and Trustworthiness-products), in relation to their main component of credibility (Ohanian, 1990). On the basis of a focus group (n = 12) aimed to identify the three branded products used as stimuli and a pre-test (n = 240) directed to discover emotions elicited by them, two studies (n = 630; n = 240) were carried out. Positioning and multiple regression analyses showed that positive and negative emotions are positively related with the positioning and the purchase intention of Attractiveness-products, and, respectively, positively and negatively related with those of Trustworthiness-products; whereas negative emotions are negatively associated with those of Expertise-products. Brand Emotional Credibility--i.e., the emotional believability of the brand positioning signals--may help to identify unconscious elements and the simultaneous importance of mixed emotions associated with different products to match consumers' desires and expectations.

Tracing How Normative Messages May Influence Physical Activity Intention.

PubMed

van Bavel, René; Esposito, Gabriele; Baranowski, Tom; Duch-Brown, Néstor

2017-04-01

Normative messages have been shown to increase intention to do physical activity. We traced how "positive" and "negative" normative messages influenced physical activity intention by comparing constructs of the model of goal-directed behavior with descriptive norms (MGDB + DNs) across control and treatment groups in an experiment. For this purpose, 16-24-year-old respondents (n = 1,200) in Bulgaria, Croatia, and Romania were asked about their age, sex, and levels of physical activity before being exposed to positive and negative normative messages and completing a questionnaire with MGDB + DNs scales. Different MGDB + DNs constructs were influenced by the normative messages: compared with the control, the negative message group showed stronger attitudes (p = .003) and the positive message group showed higher positive anticipated emotions (p = .005). The positive message's effect is consistent with the literature on conformity to social norms. The negative message's effect lends itself to interpretations based on social identity and deviance regulation theories.

Associations Between Negative and Positive Life Events and the Course of Depression: A Detailed Repeated-Assessments Study.

PubMed

Blonski, Simon C; Conradi, Henk Jan; Oldehinkel, Albertina J; Bos, Elisabeth Henriette; de Jonge, Peter

2016-03-01

Although the effects of life events on the onset of depression are well documented, little is known regarding their effects on the course of symptoms in depressed persons. We prospectively examined the associations between negative and positive life events and the course of depressive symptomatology in depressed primary care patients. A total of 267 depressed patients were followed for 3 years using a repeated-assessments design consisting of 36 monthly assessments of the 9 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders depression symptoms and positive and negative life events. We examined whether the severity of depressive symptomatology changed directly after the occurrence of a life event. Negative events were not associated with short-term changes in depressive symptomatology. In contrast, positive events were followed by a significant decrease in depressive symptoms one and two months after their occurrence. These findings may translate into emphasis during treatment on engagement in activities that may increase the chance of positive life experiences.

Tunable thermal expansion in framework materials through redox intercalation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Jun; Gao, Qilong; Sanson, Andrea

Thermal expansion properties of solids are of fundamental interest and control of thermal expansion is important for practical applications but can be difficult to achieve. Many framework type materials show negative thermal expansion when internal cages are empty but positive thermal expansion when additional atoms or molecules fill internal voids present, offering a potential route for control. Here we show that redox intercalation offers an effective method to control thermal expansion from positive to zero to negative by insertion of Li ions into the simple negative thermal expansion framework material ScF 3, doped with 10% Fe to enable reduction. Themore » small concentration of intercalated Li ions has a strong influence through steric hindrance of transverse fluoride ion vibrations, which directly controls the thermal expansion. As a result, redox intercalation of guest ions is thus likely to be a general and effective method for controlling thermal expansion in the many known framework materials with phonon-driven negative thermal expansion.« less

Tunable thermal expansion in framework materials through redox intercalation

DOE PAGES

Chen, Jun; Gao, Qilong; Sanson, Andrea; ...

2017-02-09

Thermal expansion properties of solids are of fundamental interest and control of thermal expansion is important for practical applications but can be difficult to achieve. Many framework type materials show negative thermal expansion when internal cages are empty but positive thermal expansion when additional atoms or molecules fill internal voids present, offering a potential route for control. Here we show that redox intercalation offers an effective method to control thermal expansion from positive to zero to negative by insertion of Li ions into the simple negative thermal expansion framework material ScF 3, doped with 10% Fe to enable reduction. Themore » small concentration of intercalated Li ions has a strong influence through steric hindrance of transverse fluoride ion vibrations, which directly controls the thermal expansion. As a result, redox intercalation of guest ions is thus likely to be a general and effective method for controlling thermal expansion in the many known framework materials with phonon-driven negative thermal expansion.« less

When good is stickier than bad: Understanding gain/loss asymmetries in sequential framing effects.

PubMed

Sparks, Jehan; Ledgerwood, Alison

2017-08-01

Considerable research has demonstrated the power of the current positive or negative frame to shape people's current judgments. But humans must often learn about positive and negative information as they encounter that information sequentially over time. It is therefore crucial to consider the potential importance of sequencing when developing an understanding of how humans think about valenced information. Indeed, recent work looking at sequentially encountered frames suggests that some frames can linger outside the context in which they are first encountered, sticking in the mind so that subsequent frames have a muted effect. The present research builds a comprehensive account of sequential framing effects in both the loss and the gain domains. After seeing information about a potential gain or loss framed in positive terms or negative terms, participants saw the same issue reframed in the opposing way. Across 5 studies and 1566 participants, we find accumulating evidence for the notion that in the gain domain, positive frames are stickier than negative frames for novel but not familiar scenarios, whereas in the loss domain, negative frames are always stickier than positive frames. Integrating regulatory focus theory with the literatures on negativity dominance and positivity offset, we develop a new and comprehensive account of sequential framing effects that emphasizes the adaptive value of positivity and negativity biases in specific contexts. Our findings highlight the fact that research conducted solely in the loss domain risks painting an incomplete and oversimplified picture of human bias and suggest new directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Long-term results of positron emission tomography-directed management of the neck in node-positive head and neck cancer after organ preservation therapy.

PubMed

Sjövall, Johanna; Chua, Benjamin; Pryor, David; Burmeister, Elizabeth; Foote, Matthew C; Panizza, Benedict; Burmeister, Bryan H; Porceddu, Sandro V

2015-03-01

The current study presents the long-term results from a study designed to evaluate a restaging positron emission tomography (PET) directed policy whereby neck dissections were omitted in all node positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (N+HNSCC) patients with PET-negative lymph nodes after definitive radiotherapy (RT), with or without chemotherapy. A post-therapy nodal response assessment with PET and computed tomography (CT) was performed in patients who achieved a complete response at the primary site after definitive radiotherapy. Patients with PET-negative lymph nodes were observed regardless of residual CT abnormalities. One hundred and twelve patients, the majority of whom (83 patients, 74%) had oropharyngeal primaries, were treated on protocol. Median follow-up was 62months. Negative and positive predictive values for the restaging PET was 97.1% and 77.8% respectively, with only one patient who was PET-negative after treatment experiencing an isolated nodal relapse. PET-guided management of the neck following organ preservation therapy effectively spares neck dissections in patients with N+HNSCC without compromising isolated nodal control or overall survival. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Directed forgetting of complex pictures in an item method paradigm.

PubMed

Hauswald, Anne; Kissler, Johanna

2008-11-01

An item-cued directed forgetting paradigm was used to investigate the ability to control episodic memory and selectively encode complex coloured pictures. A series of photographs was presented to 21 participants who were instructed to either remember or forget each picture after it was presented. Memory performance was later tested with a recognition task where all presented items had to be retrieved, regardless of the initial instructions. A directed forgetting effect--that is, better recognition of "to-be-remembered" than of "to-be-forgotten" pictures--was observed, although its size was smaller than previously reported for words or line drawings. The magnitude of the directed forgetting effect correlated negatively with participants' depression and dissociation scores. The results indicate that, at least in an item method, directed forgetting occurs for complex pictures as well as words and simple line drawings. Furthermore, people with higher levels of dissociative or depressive symptoms exhibit altered memory encoding patterns.

Consumers mediate the effects of experimental ocean acidification and warming on primary producers.

PubMed

Alsterberg, Christian; Eklöf, Johan S; Gamfeldt, Lars; Havenhand, Jonathan N; Sundbäck, Kristina

2013-05-21

It is well known that ocean acidification can have profound impacts on marine organisms. However, we know little about the direct and indirect effects of ocean acidification and also how these effects interact with other features of environmental change such as warming and declining consumer pressure. In this study, we tested whether the presence of consumers (invertebrate mesograzers) influenced the interactive effects of ocean acidification and warming on benthic microalgae in a seagrass community mesocosm experiment. Net effects of acidification and warming on benthic microalgal biomass and production, as assessed by analysis of variance, were relatively weak regardless of grazer presence. However, partitioning these net effects into direct and indirect effects using structural equation modeling revealed several strong relationships. In the absence of grazers, benthic microalgae were negatively and indirectly affected by sediment-associated microalgal grazers and macroalgal shading, but directly and positively affected by acidification and warming. Combining indirect and direct effects yielded no or weak net effects. In the presence of grazers, almost all direct and indirect climate effects were nonsignificant. Our analyses highlight that (i) indirect effects of climate change may be at least as strong as direct effects, (ii) grazers are crucial in mediating these effects, and (iii) effects of ocean acidification may be apparent only through indirect effects and in combination with other variables (e.g., warming). These findings highlight the importance of experimental designs and statistical analyses that allow us to separate and quantify the direct and indirect effects of multiple climate variables on natural communities.

The Influence of Professional Identity, Job Satisfaction, and Work Engagement on Turnover Intention among Township Health Inspectors in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wenjie; Meng, Hongdao; Liu, Danping

2018-01-01

Health inspectors are part of the public health workforce in China, and its shortage has been identified as an urgent priority that should be addressed. Turnover is one of the main contributors to the shortage problem. This research assessed the influence of professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement on turnover intention of township health inspectors and explored the intermediary effect of job satisfaction and work engagement between professional identity and turnover intention among township health inspectors in China. Data were collected from 2426 township health inspectors in Sichuan Province, China. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables. Results showed that a total of 11.3% of participants had a high turnover intention and 34.0% of participants had a medium turnover intention. Job satisfaction had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = −0.38, p < 0.001), work engagement had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = −0.13, p < 0.001), and professional identity had an indirect negative effect on turnover intention through the mediating effect of job satisfaction and work engagement. Our results strongly confirmed that professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement were strong predicators of turnover intention. According to the results, desirable work environment, quality facilities, fair compensation and adequate advancement opportunities should be emphasized to improve job satisfaction. The turnover intention of health inspectors could be reduced through improving professional identity, enhancing job satisfaction and work engagement. PMID:29757985

New graduate nurses' experiences of bullying and burnout in hospital settings.

PubMed

Laschinger, Heather K Spence; Grau, Ashley L; Finegan, Joan; Wilk, Piotr

2010-12-01

This paper is a report of a study conducted to test a model linking new graduate nurses' perceptions of structural empowerment to their experiences of workplace bullying and burnout in Canadian hospital work settings using Kanter's work empowerment theory. There are numerous anecdotal reports of bullying of new graduates in healthcare settings, which is linked to serious health effects and negative organizational effects. We tested the model using data from the first wave of a 2009 longitudinal study of 415 newly graduated nurses (<3 years of experience) in acute care hospitals across Ontario, Canada. Variables were measured using the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire, Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey. The final model fit statistics revealed a reasonably adequate fit (χ² = 14·9, d.f. = 37, IFI = 0·98, CFI = 0·98, RMSEA = 0·09). Structural empowerment was statistically significantly and negatively related to workplace bullying exposure (β = -0·37), which in turn, was statistically significantly related to all three components of burnout (Emotional exhaustion: β = 0·41, Cynicism: β = 0·28, EFFICACY: β = -0·17). Emotional exhaustion had a direct effect on cynicism (β = 0·51), which in turn, had a direct effect on efficacy (β = -0·34). Conclusion.  The results suggest that new graduate nurses' exposure to bullying may be less when their work environments provide access to empowering work structures, and that these conditions promote nurses' health and wellbeing. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Relaxation Training and Written Emotional Disclosure for Tension or Migraine Headaches: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

D’Souza, Pamela J.; Lumley, Mark A.; Kraft, Christina A.; Dooley, John A.

2010-01-01

Background and Purpose Behavioral medicine interventions that directly reduce arousal and negative emotions, such as relaxation training (RT), are conceptually different from interventions that temporarily increase negative emotions, such as written emotional disclosure (WED), but no studies have directly compared their efficacy. We compared the effects of RT and WED on people with tension or migraine headaches. Methods College students with either tension (n = 51) or migraine (n = 90) headaches were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: RT, WED, or a neutral writing control condition; 4 sessions were held over 2 weeks. Mood was measured before and after each session, and outcomes (headache frequency, severity, disability, and general physical symptoms) were assessed at baseline and at 1-month and 3-month follow-ups. Results As expected, RT led to an immediate increase in calmness, whereas WED led to an immediate increase in negative mood, for both headache samples. Intent-to-treat analyses showed that for the tension headache sample, RT led to improved headache frequency and disability compared to both WED and the control group, but WED had no effect. For migraine headaches, RT improved pain severity relative to the control group, but WED again had no effect. Conclusions A brief RT protocol was effective for tension headaches, but WED had no effect on health status for either tension or migraine headaches. Modifications to WED, such as targeting people with unresolved stress, providing guidance to enhance the potency of the writing, or including additional at-home writing and exposure exercises, may improve its efficacy for people with headaches and other health problems. PMID:18696172

Anisotropic Negative Differential Resistance in Monolayer Black Phosphorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wanting; Kang, Peng; Chen, Huahui

2018-01-01

The tremendous potential application in emerging two-dimensional layered materials such as black phosphorus (BP) has attracted great attention as nanoscale devices. In this paper, the effect of anisotropic negative differential resistance (NDR) in monolayer black phosphorus field-effect transistors (FETs) is reported by the first-principles computational study based on the non-equilibrium Green’s function approach combined with density functional theory. The transport properties including current-voltage (I-V) relation and transmission spectrum of monolayer BP are investigated at different gate voltages (Vg). Further studies indicate that NDR occurs at a specific gate voltage in the armchair direction rather than in the zigzag direction. The decrease of current in I-V characteristics can be understood from the generation of non-conducting states region moving towards the Fermi level resulting in a reduction of the integration within corresponding energy range in the transmission spectrum. Our results offer useful guidance for designing FETs and other potential applications in nanoelectronic devices based on BP.

Nonlinear Magnus-induced dynamics and Shapiro spikes for ac and dc driven skyrmions on periodic quasi-one-dimensional substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reichhardt, Charles; Reichhardt, Cynthia J. Olson

We numerically examine skyrmions interacting with a periodic quasi-one-dimensional substrate. When we drive the skyrmions perpendicular to the substrate periodicity direction, a rich variety of nonlinear Magnus-induced effects arise, in contrast to an overdamped system that shows only a linear velocity-force curve for this geometry. The skyrmion velocity-force curve is strongly nonlinear and we observe a Magnus-induced speed-up effect when the pinning causes the Magnus velocity response to align with the dissipative response. At higher applied drives these components decouple, resulting in strong negative differential conductivity. For skyrmions under combined ac and dc driving, we find a new class of phase locking phenomena in which the velocity-force curves contain a series of what we call Shapiro spikes, distinct from the Shapiro steps observed in overdamped systems. There are also regimes in which the skyrmion moves in the direction opposite to the applied dc drive to give negative mobility.

Beyond self-serving bias: diffusion of responsibility reduces sense of agency and outcome monitoring

PubMed Central

Sidarus, Nura; Bonicalzi, Sofia; Haggard, Patrick

2017-01-01

Abstract Diffusion of responsibility across agents has been proposed to underlie decreased helping and increased aggression in group behaviour. However, few studies have directly investigated effects of the presence of other people on how we experience the consequences of our actions. This EEG study investigated whether diffusion of responsibility simply reflects a post-hoc self-serving bias, or rather has direct effects on how we process the outcomes of our actions, and our experience of agency over them. Participants made voluntary actions whose outcomes were more or less negative. Presence of another potential agent reduced participants’ sense of agency over those outcomes, even though it was always obvious who caused each outcome. Further, presence of another agent reduced the amplitude of feedback-related negativity evoked by outcome stimuli, suggesting reduced outcome monitoring. The presence of other agents may lead to diffusion of responsibility by weakening the neural linkage between one’s actions and their outcomes. PMID:27803288

Beyond self-serving bias: diffusion of responsibility reduces sense of agency and outcome monitoring.

PubMed

Beyer, Frederike; Sidarus, Nura; Bonicalzi, Sofia; Haggard, Patrick

2017-01-01

Diffusion of responsibility across agents has been proposed to underlie decreased helping and increased aggression in group behaviour. However, few studies have directly investigated effects of the presence of other people on how we experience the consequences of our actions. This EEG study investigated whether diffusion of responsibility simply reflects a post-hoc self-serving bias, or rather has direct effects on how we process the outcomes of our actions, and our experience of agency over them. Participants made voluntary actions whose outcomes were more or less negative. Presence of another potential agent reduced participants' sense of agency over those outcomes, even though it was always obvious who caused each outcome. Further, presence of another agent reduced the amplitude of feedback-related negativity evoked by outcome stimuli, suggesting reduced outcome monitoring. The presence of other agents may lead to diffusion of responsibility by weakening the neural linkage between one's actions and their outcomes. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press.

Imagery Rescripting of Early Traumatic Memories in Social Phobia

PubMed Central

Wild, Jennifer; Clark, David M.

2011-01-01

Negative self-images appear to play a role in the maintenance of social phobia and research suggests they are often linked to earlier memories of socially traumatic events. Imagery rescripting is a clinical intervention that aims to update such unpleasant or traumatic memories, and is increasingly being incorporated in cognitive behavioral therapy programs. In previous research, we have found that imagery rescripting was superior to a control condition in terms of its beneficial effects on negative beliefs, image and memory distress, fear of negative evaluation, and anxiety in social situations. In this article, we describe our imagery rescripting procedure. We consider the importance of updating negative imagery in social phobia, the theoretical basis for imagery rescripting, directions for future research, and how to conduct imagery rescripting, including potential problems and their solutions. PMID:22298942

Stress and Negative Relationship Quality among Older Couples: Implications for Blood Pressure.

PubMed

Birditt, Kira S; Newton, Nicky J; Cranford, James A; Ryan, Lindsay H

2016-09-01

The cardiovascular system may represent a significant pathway by which marriage and stress influence health, but research has focused on married individuals cross-sectionally. This study examined associations among chronic stress, negative spousal relationship quality, and systolic blood pressure over time among middle-aged and older husbands and wives. Participants were from the nationally representative longitudinal Health and Retirement Study. A total of 1,356 (N = 2,712) married and cohabitating couples completed psychosocial and biomeasure assessments in waves 2006 and 2010. Analyses examined whether Wave 1 (2006) relationship quality and stress were associated with changes in blood pressure over time. The effects of stress and negative relationship quality were dyadic and varied by gender. Husbands had increased blood pressure when wives reported greater stress, and this link was exacerbated by negative spousal relationship quality. Negative relationship quality predicted increased blood pressure when both members of the couple reported negative quality relations. Findings support the dyadic biopsychosocial model of marriage and health indicating: (a) stress and relationship quality directly effect the cardiovascular system, (b) relationship quality moderates the effect of stress, and (c) the dyad rather than only the individual should be considered when examining marriage and health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Aberrant interference of auditory negative words on attention in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Iwashiro, Norichika; Yahata, Noriaki; Kawamuro, Yu; Kasai, Kiyoto; Yamasue, Hidenori

2013-01-01

Previous research suggests that deficits in attention-emotion interaction are implicated in schizophrenia symptoms. Although disruption in auditory processing is crucial in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, deficits in interaction between emotional processing of auditorily presented language stimuli and auditory attention have not yet been clarified. To address this issue, the current study used a dichotic listening task to examine 22 patients with schizophrenia and 24 age-, sex-, parental socioeconomic background-, handedness-, dexterous ear-, and intelligence quotient-matched healthy controls. The participants completed a word recognition task on the attended side in which a word with emotionally valenced content (negative/positive/neutral) was presented to one ear and a different neutral word was presented to the other ear. Participants selectively attended to either ear. In the control subjects, presentation of negative but not positive word stimuli provoked a significantly prolonged reaction time compared with presentation of neutral word stimuli. This interference effect for negative words existed whether or not subjects directed attention to the negative words. This interference effect was significantly smaller in the patients with schizophrenia than in the healthy controls. Furthermore, the smaller interference effect was significantly correlated with severe positive symptoms and delusional behavior in the patients with schizophrenia. The present findings suggest that aberrant interaction between semantic processing of negative emotional content and auditory attention plays a role in production of positive symptoms in schizophrenia. (224 words).

Mediated Leader Effects: The Impact of Newspapers' Portrayal of Party Leadership on Electoral Support.

PubMed

Aaldering, Loes; van der Meer, Tom; Van der Brug, Wouter

2018-01-01

Conventional wisdom holds that party leaders matter in democratic elections. As very few voters have direct contact with party leaders, media are voters' primary source of information about these leaders and, thus, the likely origin of leader effects on party support. Our study focuses on these supposed electoral effects of the media coverage of party leaders. We examine the positive and negative effects of specific leadership images in Dutch newspapers on vote intentions. To this end, we combine an extensive automated content analysis of leadership images in the media with a panel data set, the Dutch 1Vandaag Opinion Panel (1VOP), consisting of more than fifty thousand unique respondents and 110 waves of interviews conducted between September 2006 and September 2012. The results confirm that media coverage of party leaders' character traits affects voters: Positive mediated leadership images increase support for the leader's party, while negative images decrease this support. However, this influence is not unconditional: During campaign periods, positive leadership images have a stronger effect, while negative images no longer have an impact on subsequent vote intentions.

Mediated Leader Effects: The Impact of Newspapers’ Portrayal of Party Leadership on Electoral Support

PubMed Central

Aaldering, Loes; van der Meer, Tom; Van der Brug, Wouter

2017-01-01

Conventional wisdom holds that party leaders matter in democratic elections. As very few voters have direct contact with party leaders, media are voters’ primary source of information about these leaders and, thus, the likely origin of leader effects on party support. Our study focuses on these supposed electoral effects of the media coverage of party leaders. We examine the positive and negative effects of specific leadership images in Dutch newspapers on vote intentions. To this end, we combine an extensive automated content analysis of leadership images in the media with a panel data set, the Dutch 1Vandaag Opinion Panel (1VOP), consisting of more than fifty thousand unique respondents and 110 waves of interviews conducted between September 2006 and September 2012. The results confirm that media coverage of party leaders’ character traits affects voters: Positive mediated leadership images increase support for the leader’s party, while negative images decrease this support. However, this influence is not unconditional: During campaign periods, positive leadership images have a stronger effect, while negative images no longer have an impact on subsequent vote intentions. PMID:29527251

What are the combined effects of negative emotions and illness cognitions on self-care in people with type 2 diabetes? A longitudinal structural equation model.

PubMed

Hudson, Joanna L; Bundy, Christine; Coventry, Peter; Dickens, Chris; Wood, Alex; Reeves, David

2016-07-01

To explore whether negative emotions mediate the effect of diabetes cognitions on diabetes self-care and conversely whether diabetes cognitions mediate the effect of negative emotions on diabetes self-care. Longitudinal observational study in adults with type 2 diabetes. Self-reported depression and anxiety (Diabetes Wellbeing Questionnaire), cognitions (Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised; Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire), and diabetes self-care (Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale) were completed at baseline and six months. Analyses used structural equation modelling. Baseline medication concerns were associated with elevated symptoms of depression and anxiety at follow-up, but emotions did not mediate medication concern's effect on diabetes self-care. Baseline depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with specific diabetes cognitions over time, but these cognition domains did not mediate emotion's effect on diabetes self-care. Personal control remained independent of emotions and was associated with diabetes self-care over time. Negative emotions did not act directly or alongside cognitions to influence diabetes self-care. The reciprocal relationship between diabetes cognitions and emotions suggests cognitive restructuring, in addition to other mood management intervention techniques would likely improve the emotional wellbeing of adults with type 2 diabetes. Likewise, personal control beliefs are likely important intervention targets for improving self-care.

Education, labor-force participation, and fertility in the USSR.

PubMed

Berliner, J S

1983-01-01

The effect of education on Soviet fertility and female labor participation is analyzed in terms of the neoclassical theory of the household. Using this theory, child worth in terms of services and real consumption or distribution of income are analyzed as factors in fertility decision making. The hypotheses are tested by multivariate analysis of Soviet census data. The contribution of husband and wife to family income is different from that in the West. The effect of female education on fertility should be in the range of small and negative to moderately positive. The effect of male education should be moderately negative. The effect of an individual family's education level on its fertility is often influenced by the community's education level. Rising educational levels of males have contributed most to the decline of Soviet fertility recently. The rising education of females has tended to offset this negative influence, however. The rural Soviet data support this. The female labor-force participation rates are negative and significant. Of the total (positive) effect of female higher education on fertility; half operates indirectly-by decreasing labor participation which in turn increases fertility. The other half affects fertility directly. These results imply a backward-bending female labor supply curve at the higher education level.

Reliving emotional personal memories: affective biases linked to personality and sex-related differences.

PubMed

Denkova, Ekaterina; Dolcos, Sanda; Dolcos, Florin

2012-06-01

Although available evidence suggests that the emotional valence and recollective properties of autobiographical memories (AMs) may be influenced by personality- and sex-related differences, overall these relationships remain poorly understood. The present study investigated these issues by comparing the effect of general personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism) and specific traits linked to emotion regulation (ER) strategies (reappraisal and suppression) on the retrieval of emotional AMs and on the associated postretrieval emotional states, in men and women. First, extraversion predicted recollection of positive AMs in both men and women, whereas neuroticism predicted the proportion of negative AMs in men and the frequency of rehearsing negative AMs in women. Second, reappraisal predicted positive AMs in men, and suppression predicted negative AMs in women. Third, while reliving of positive memories had an overall indirect effect on postretrieval positive mood through extraversion, reliving of negative AMs had a direct effect on postretrieval negative mood, which was linked to inefficient engagement of suppression in women. Our findings suggest that personality traits associated with positive affect predict recollection of positive AMs and maintenance of a positive mood, whereas personality traits associated with negative affect, along with differential engagement of habitual ER strategies in men and women, predict sex-related differences in the recollection and experiencing of negative AMs. These findings provide insight into the factors that influence affective biases in reliving AMs, and into their possible link to sex-related differences in the susceptibility to affective disorders.

Selection of Drought Tolerant Maize Hybrids Using Path Coefficient Analysis and Selection Index.

PubMed

Dao, Abdalla; Sanou, Jacob; V S Traore, Edgar; Gracen, Vernon; Danquah, Eric Y

2017-01-01

In drought-prone environments, direct selection for yield is not adequate because of the variable environment and genotype x environment interaction. Therefore, the use of secondary traits in addition to yield has been suggested. The relative usefulness of secondary traits as indirect selection criteria for maize grain yield is determined by the magnitudes of their genetic variance, heritability and genetic correlation with the grain yield. Forty eight testcross hybrids derived from lines with different genetic background and geographical origins plus 7 checks were evaluated in both well-watered and water-stressed conditions over two years for grain yield and secondary traits to determine the most appropriate secondary traits and select drought tolerant hybrids. Study found that broad-sense heritability of grain yield and Ear Per Plant (EPP) increased under drought stress. Ear aspect (EASP) and ear height (EHT) had larger correlation coefficients and direct effect on grain yield but in opposite direction, negative and positive respectively. Traits like, EPP, Tassel Size (TS) and Plant Recovery (PR) contributed to increase yield via EASP by a large negative indirect effect. Under drought stress, EHT had positive and high direct effect and negative indirect effect via plant height on grain yield indicating that the ratio between ear and plant heights (R-EPH) was associated to grain yield. Path coefficient analysis showed that traits EPP, TS, PR, EASP, R-EPH were important secondary traits in the present experiment. These traits were used in a selection index to classify hybrids according to their performance under drought. The selection procedure included also a Relative Decrease in Yield (RDY) index. Some secondary traits reported as significant selection criteria for selection under drought stress were not finally established in the present study. This is because the relationship between grain and secondary traits can be affected by various factors including germplasm, environment and applied statistical analysis. Therefore, different traits and selection procedure should be applied in the selection process of drought tolerant genotypes for diverse genetic materials and growing conditions.

Sex differences in physiological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress in adolescence.

PubMed

Ordaz, Sarah; Luna, Beatriz

2012-08-01

Females begin to demonstrate greater negative affective responses to stress than males in adolescence. This may reflect the concurrent emergence of underlying differences in physiological response systems, including corticolimbic circuitries, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA), and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This review examines when sex differences in physiological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress emerge and the directionality of these differences over development. Indeed, the literature indicates that sex differences emerge during adolescence and persist into adulthood for all three physiological response systems. However, the directionality of the differences varies by system. The emerging corticolimbic reactivity literature suggests greater female reactivity, particularly in limbic regions densely innervated by gonadal hormone receptors. In contrast, males generally show higher levels of HPAA and ANS reactivity. We argue that the contrasting directionality of corticolimbic and peripheral physiological responses may reflect specific effects of gonadal hormones on distinct systems and also sex differences in evolved behavioral responses that demand different levels of peripheral physiological activation. Studies that examine both subjective reports of negative affect and physiological responses indicate that beginning in adolescence, females respond to acute stressors with more intense negative affect than males despite their comparatively lower peripheral physiological responses. This dissociation is not clearly explained by sex differences in the strength of the relationship between physiological and subjective responses. We suggest that females' greater subjective responsivity may instead arise from a greater activity in brain regions that translate stress responses to subjective awareness in adolescence. Future research directions include investigations of the role of pubertal hormones in physiological reactivity across all systems, examining the relationship of corticolimbic reactivity and negative affect, and sex differences in emotion regulation processes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex differences in physiological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress in adolescence

PubMed Central

Ordaz, Sarah; Luna, Beatriz

2012-01-01

Summary Females begin to demonstrate greater negative affective responses to stress than males in adolescence. This may reflect the concurrent emergence of underlying differences in physiological response systems, including corticolimbic circuitries, the hypothalamic—pituitary— adrenal axis (HPAA), and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This review examines when sex differences in physiological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress emerge and the directionality of these differences over development. Indeed, the literature indicates that sex differences emerge during adolescence and persist into adulthood for all three physiological response systems. However, the directionality of the differences varies by system. The emerging corti-colimbic reactivity literature suggests greater female reactivity, particularly in limbic regions densely innervated by gonadal hormone receptors. In contrast, males generally show higher levels of HPAA and ANS reactivity. We argue that the contrasting directionality of corticolimbic and peripheral physiological responses may reflect specific effects of gonadal hormones on distinct systems and also sex differences in evolved behavioral responses that demand different levels of peripheral physiological activation. Studies that examine both subjective reports of negative affect and physiological responses indicate that beginning in adolescence, females respond to acute stressors with more intense negative affect than males despite their comparatively lower peripheral physiological responses. This dissociation is not clearly explained by sex differences in the strength of the relationship between physiological and subjective responses. We suggest that females' greater subjective responsivity may instead arise from a greater activity in brain regions that translate stress responses to subjective awareness in adolescence. Future research directions include investigations of the role of pubertal hormones in physiological reactivity across all systems, examining the relationship of corticolimbic reactivity and negative affect, and sex differences in emotion regulation processes. PMID:22281210

Consumers' reports on the health effects of direct-to-consumer drug advertising.

PubMed

Weissman, Joel S; Blumenthal, David; Silk, Alvin J; Zapert, Kinga; Newman, Michael; Leitman, Robert

2003-01-01

We conducted a national telephone survey about health care experiences associated with direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs. Among the 35 percent of our sample who had a physician visit during which DTCA was discussed, 25 percent received a new diagnosis, of which 43 percent were considered high priority according to authoritative sources. More than half also reported actions taken by their physician other than prescribing the advertised drug. Despite concerns about DTCA's negative consequences, we found no differences in health effects between patients who took advertised drugs and those who took other prescription drugs.

Effects of Weather on Caloric and Nutritive Intake in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Babiarz, K.; Goldhaber-Fiebert, J.; Lobell, D. B.

2012-12-01

Many studies have investigated effects of weather on production of key food crops, largely motivated by a desire to anticipate impacts of climate change. However, health outcomes are most directly affected by food consumption, not production. Consumption changes will not necessarily follow production changes, primarily because people can adjust their diets away from foods that are most negatively affected. To more directly evaluate the effects of weather on nutrition, we analyzed reported household expenditure and consumption data from 20 rounds of the National Sample Survey (NSS) of India along with aggregated weather data of the two main agricultural seasons, kharif and rabi. Per capita intake of calories, protein, fats, and micronutrients were calculated from reported data at the household level, and then aggregated to district level for comparison with weather data. Regression analysis revealed significant negative effects of increased temperatures on calorie consumption in rural areas, with lower sensitivities in urban areas. We also found a higher sensitivity of protein and fat consumption to weather than for calories, which likely reflects the ability of households to switch to cheaper sources of calories in lean times. The results of this analysis will be useful for assessing the overall health burdens associated with climate change in India.

Multiple Contaminant and Predatory Stressors in Experimental Pond Communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keeley, K.; Crumrine, P. W.; Barlow, P. F.

2005-05-01

Anthropogenic contaminants, such as agricultural pesticides found in aquatic systems, have the potential to negatively impact organisms via direct and indirect pathways. The magnitude of these indirect effects depends on the strength of the interactions through which they are propagated. We sought to determine how environmentally realistic levels of the insecticides endosulfan and malathion and the herbicide atrazine impact pond communities. We investigated the effects of these pesticides in mesocosm communities containing larval dragonflies (Anax junius), adult water bugs (Belostoma flumineum), and snails (Planorbella trivolvis). Dragonflies presented a moderate predatory threat to snails, as they affected snail behavior but not survival. Direct effects of pesticides on snails were limited, and pesticides only induced modest changes in snail behavior. All pesticides negatively influenced dragonfly survival and this was most pronounced in treatments with endosulfan. However, the reduction in dragonfly survival did not transmit benefits to snails that were detectable as changes in behavior or survival, as would be expected if dragonflies represented a stronger predatory threat. These results show that individuals in communities can be differentially impacted by contaminants, and indicate that strong indirect effects depend on the strength of underlying trophic interactions.

Greater Success of Primary Fascial Closure of the Open Abdomen: A Retrospective Study Analyzing Applied Surgical Techniques, Success of Fascial Closure, and Variables Affecting the Results.

PubMed

Kääriäinen, M; Kuuskeri, M; Helminen, M; Kuokkanen, H

2017-06-01

The open abdomen technique is a standard procedure in the treatment of intra-abdominal catastrophe. Achieving primary abdominal closure within the initial hospitalization is a main objective. This study aimed to analyze the success of closure rate and the effect of negative pressure wound therapy, mesh-mediated medial traction, and component separation on the results. We present the treatment algorithm used in our institution in open abdomen situations based on these findings. Open abdomen patients (n = 61) treated in Tampere University Hospital from May 2005 until October 2013 were included in the study. Patient characteristics, treatment prior to closure, closure technique, and results were retrospectively collected and analyzed. The first group included patients in whom direct or bridged fascial closure was achieved, and the second group included those in whom only the skin was closed or a free skin graft was used. Background variables and variables related to surgery were compared between groups. Most of the open abdomen patients (72.1%) underwent fascial defect repair during the primary hospitalization, and 70.5% of them underwent direct fascial closure. Negative pressure wound therapy was used as a temporary closure method for 86.9% of the patients. Negative pressure wound therapy combined with mesh-mediated medial traction resulted in the shortest open abdomen time (p = 0.039) and the highest fascial repair rate (p = 0.000) compared to negative pressure wound therapy only or no negative pressure wound therapy. The component separation technique was used for 11 patients; direct fascial closure was achieved in 5 and fascial repair by bridging the defect with mesh was achieved in 6. A total of 8 of 37 (21.6%) patients with mesh repair had a mesh infection. The negative pressure wound therapy combined with mesh-mediated medial traction promotes definitive fascial closure with a high closure rate and a shortened open abdomen time. The component separation technique can be used to facilitate fascial repair but it does not guarantee direct fascial closure in open abdomen patients.

Appraisals of negative events by preadolescent children of divorce.

PubMed

Sheets, V; Sandler, I; West, S G

1996-10-01

This study investigated the appraisals of the significance of negative events made by 256 preadolescent children of divorce. Appraisals were assessed by a 24-item self-report scale. Confirmatory factor analysis of this scale found support for a 3-dimensional model: negative self-appraisal, negative other-appraisal, and material loss. Differentiation between the dimensions of appraisal increased with age in both cross-sectional and over-time data. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity of the self-report measure of appraisals was found with scores derived from children's open-ended descriptions of their appraisals. Cross-sectional structural equation models found significant paths between negative appraisal and psychological symptoms, over and above the direct effects of the traditional life event measure of stress. Structural equation modeling of longitudinal (5.5 months) data found a significant path from Time 1 appraisal to Time 2 anxiety for the older children.

Dual CD19 and CD123 targeting prevents antigen-loss relapses after CD19-directed immunotherapies

PubMed Central

Barrett, David M.; Shestova, Olga; Hofmann, Ted J.; Perazzelli, Jessica; Klichinsky, Michael; Aikawa, Vania; Nazimuddin, Farzana; Kozlowski, Miroslaw; Scholler, John; Lacey, Simon F.; Melenhorst, Jan J.; Morrissette, Jennifer J.D.; Christian, David A.; Hunter, Christopher A.; Kalos, Michael; Porter, David L.; June, Carl H.; Grupp, Stephan A.

2016-01-01

Potent CD19-directed immunotherapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART) and blinatumomab, have drastically changed the outcome of patients with relapsed/refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). However, CD19-negative relapses have emerged as a major problem that is observed in approximately 30% of treated patients. Developing approaches to preventing and treating antigen-loss escapes would therefore represent a vertical advance in the field. Here, we found that in primary patient samples, the IL-3 receptor α chain CD123 was highly expressed on leukemia-initiating cells and CD19-negative blasts in bulk B-ALL at baseline and at relapse after CART19 administration. Using intravital imaging in an antigen-loss CD19-negative relapse xenograft model, we determined that CART123, but not CART19, recognized leukemic blasts, established protracted synapses, and eradicated CD19-negative leukemia, leading to prolonged survival. Furthermore, combining CART19 and CART123 prevented antigen-loss relapses in xenograft models. Finally, we devised a dual CAR-expressing construct that combined CD19- and CD123-mediated T cell activation and demonstrated that it provides superior in vivo activity against B-ALL compared with single-expressing CART or pooled combination CART. In conclusion, these findings indicate that targeting CD19 and CD123 on leukemic blasts represents an effective strategy for treating and preventing antigen-loss relapses occurring after CD19-directed therapies PMID:27571406

Threats from patients and their effects on medical decision making: a cross-sectional, randomised trial.

PubMed

Kristiansen, I S; Førde, O H; Aasland, O; Hotvedt, R; Johnsen, R; Førde, R

2001-04-21

Negative experiences are not uncommon among doctors in Norway. Our aim was to find out about the various types of negative reactions (eg, complaints, negative exposure to the media, financial claims, and notification to the police) received by physicians from patients or relatives in response to treatment, to identify their cause, and to study their effects on subsequent clinical decisions. We posted questionnaires about negative reactions of patients to a random sample (n=1260) of Norwegian doctors. Each doctor was additionally sent five written case simulations and asked to choose one of several proposed clinical strategies. Half (630) the physicians received cases containing threats from the patient or their relatives. 988 (78%) physicians returned the questionnaire, 463 (47%) of whom reported negative experiences. Such experiences were reported more frequently by men (357 [51%]) and family physicians (157 [58%]) than by other participants. Negative experiences did not affect choice of strategy for case simulations. For the first case, chest pain, 217 (44%) physicians presented with a threat chose a defensive strategy compared with 145 (30%) of those who were not (difference 14%; 95% CI 8-20). For the second case, a headache case, the corresponding numbers were 278 (57%) and 118 (25%) (32%; 26-38). Physician age, sex, specialty, or experience of negative reactions of patients did not alter the effect of threats received during our study. Negative experiences do not affect subsequent decision making. However, doctors do comply with wishes from patients or relatives when presented with direct threats.

The effects of a novel hostile interpretation bias modification paradigm on hostile interpretations, mood, and aggressive behavior.

PubMed

AlMoghrabi, Nouran; Huijding, Jorg; Franken, Ingmar H A

2018-03-01

Cognitive theories of aggression propose that biased information processing is causally related to aggression. To test these ideas, the current study investigated the effects of a novel cognitive bias modification paradigm (CBM-I) designed to target interpretations associated with aggressive behavior. Participants aged 18-33 years old were randomly assigned to either a single session of positive training (n = 40) aimed at increasing prosocial interpretations or negative training (n = 40) aimed at increasing hostile interpretations. The results revealed that the positive training resulted in an increase in prosocial interpretations while the negative training seemed to have no effect on interpretations. Importantly, in the positive condition, a positive change in interpretations was related to lower anger and verbal aggression scores after the training. In this condition, participants also reported an increase in happiness. In the negative training no such effects were found. However, the better participants performed on the negative training, the more their interpretations were changed in a negative direction and the more aggression they showed on the behavioral aggression task. Participants were healthy university students. Therefore, results should be confirmed within a clinical population. These findings provide support for the idea that this novel CBM-I paradigm can be used to modify interpretations, and suggests that these interpretations are related to mood and aggressive behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cost-effectiveness of using kidneys from Hepatitis C nucleic acid test positive donors for transplantation in Hepatitis C negative recipients.

PubMed

Kadatz, Matthew; Klarenbach, Scott; Gill, Jagbir; Gill, John S

2018-05-23

Kidneys from deceased donors that are hepatitis C (HCV) nucleic acid test (NAT) positive are infrequently used for transplantation in HCV negative patients due to concerns of disease transmission. With the development of direct acting antivirals (DAA's) for HCV, there is now potential to use these kidneys in HCV negative candidates. However, the high cost of DAAs poses a challenge to adoption of this strategy. We created a Markov model to examine the cost-effectiveness of using deceased donors infected with HCV for kidney transplantation in uninfected waitlist candidates. In the primary analysis this strategy was cost saving and improved health outcomes compared to remaining on the waitlist for an additional two or more years to receive a HCV negative transplant. The strategy was also cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $56018 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) from the payer perspective, and $4647 per QALY from the societal perspective, compared to remaining on the waitlist for one additional year. The results were consistent in one way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. We conclude that the use of kidneys from deceased donors with HCV infection are likely to lead to improved clinical outcomes at reduced cost for HCV negative transplant candidates. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Religious coping moderates the relation between racism and psychological well-being among Christian Asian American college students.

PubMed

Kim, Paul Youngbin; Kendall, Dana L; Webb, Marcia

2015-01-01

The authors examined the moderating role of positive and negative religious coping in the relation between racism and psychological well-being in a sample of Catholic and Protestant Asian American college students (N = 107). On the basis of prior theorizing on the 2 types of religious coping, combined with some limited empirical evidence, they predicted that positive religious coping would have a buffering effect (Hypothesis 1) on the racism-mental health relation and that negative religious coping would have an exacerbating effect (Hypothesis 2). Participants completed an online survey containing measures corresponding to the study variables. Results indicated that the interaction between positive religious coping and racism was nonsignificant, so Hypothesis 1 was not supported. For Hypothesis 2, the negative religious coping and racism interaction term was statistically significant, but the moderating effect was in an unexpected direction, such that negative religious coping actually protected against the deleterious impact of racism on mental health. The findings suggest that the theorized deleterious influence of negative religious coping may need to be reconsidered in an Asian American setting. The findings have the potential to inform practitioners who work with Asian American college students to better cope with the detrimental consequences of racism. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Adolescents' responses to anti-tobacco advertising: exploring the role of adolescents' smoking status and advertisement theme.

PubMed

Sutfin, Erin L; Szykman, Lisa R; Moore, Marian Chapman

2008-01-01

Anti-smoking media directed at adolescents use many different message themes, but little evidence exists as to which is most effective. Additionally, little is known about how teens who smoke respond to anti-tobacco ads. This study examined smoking and nonsmoking adolescents' responses to three popular thematic approaches: (1) endangering others, (2) negative life circumstances, and (3) industry manipulation. Sixteen groups of high school students (total N=488) were randomly assigned in a balanced fashion to one of three anti-tobacco ad conditions or a control condition. Outcome variables included adolescents' immediate emotional and cognitive responses, and intentions to smoke. Adolescents exposed to negative life circumstances ads reported lower intentions to smoke than those exposed to control and industry manipulation ads. Additionally, adolescents' responses differed based on smoking status. Smokers liked the ads less and had fewer positive and more negative thoughts. Findings suggest a media campaign focusing on negative life circumstances can be an effective component of a tobacco control program aimed at adolescents. Mechanisms through which the negative life circumstances ads influence adolescents' intentions to smoke are discussed. Findings also suggest that smokers respond differently to anti-tobacco ads, and their responses need to be considered when developing effective anti-tobacco advertising campaigns.

The mediating effect of sleep satisfaction on the relationship between stress and perceived health of adolescents suffering atopic disease: Secondary analysis of data from the 2013 9th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey.

PubMed

Oh, Won Oak; Im, YeoJin; Suk, Min Hyun

2016-11-01

Difficulty in sleep is one disturbing symptom in adolescents with atopic diseases including asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Assuming psychological stress can affect adolescents' health status, impaired sleep quality can be one mediator that negatively impacts the health status of adolescents with atopic disease. This study aimed to identify the mediating effect of sleep satisfaction on the relationship between stress and perceived health status in Korean adolescents with atopic disease and to examine the differences among three types of atopic disease. A cross-sectional descriptive study was completed based on secondary analysis of raw data from the 2013 9th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey. The 21,154 adolescents (29.2%) ever diagnosed and treated for at least one atopic disease regardless of the symptom presence in a recent year were extracted out of 72,435 survey participants. Then, the 13,216 individuals with exclusively single atopic diseases were included in analyzing the mediation model. Variables including demographics, stress, perceived health status, and sleep satisfaction were included. Pearson correlation, one-way ANOVA, path analysis to define direct/indirect effects with bootstrapping analysis, and multi-group variance analysis were conducted. High levels of stress in adolescents with atopic diseases had a significant and direct effect on their negative health status perception for all atopic disease groups. A significant negative mediating effect of sleep satisfaction was identified on the relationship between stress and perceived health status, irrespective of the type of atopic disease. Total effect and remaining direct effect on the path from stress and perceived health status via sleep satisfaction was high in adolescents with atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis compared to those with asthma. To improve sleep satisfaction for adolescents with atopic diseases, interventions are needed to enhance the adolescents' perceived health status through stress reduction and sleep quality improvement. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Negative values of quasidistributions and quantum wave and number statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peřina, J.; Křepelka, J.

2018-04-01

We consider nonclassical wave and number quantum statistics, and perform a decomposition of quasidistributions for nonlinear optical down-conversion processes using Bessel functions. We show that negative values of the quasidistribution do not directly represent probabilities; however, they directly influence measurable number statistics. Negative terms in the decomposition related to the nonclassical behavior with negative amplitudes of probability can be interpreted as positive amplitudes of probability in the negative orthogonal Bessel basis, whereas positive amplitudes of probability in the positive basis describe classical cases. However, probabilities are positive in all cases, including negative values of quasidistributions. Negative and positive contributions of decompositions to quasidistributions are estimated. The approach can be adapted to quantum coherence functions.

A new deflection technique applied to an existing scheme of electrostatic accelerator for high energy neutral beam injection in fusion reactor devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilan, N.; Antoni, V.; De Lorenzi, A.; Chitarin, G.; Veltri, P.; Sartori, E.

2016-02-01

A scheme of a neutral beam injector (NBI), based on electrostatic acceleration and magneto-static deflection of negative ions, is proposed and analyzed in terms of feasibility and performance. The scheme is based on the deflection of a high energy (2 MeV) and high current (some tens of amperes) negative ion beam by a large magnetic deflector placed between the Beam Source (BS) and the neutralizer. This scheme has the potential of solving two key issues, which at present limit the applicability of a NBI to a fusion reactor: the maximum achievable acceleration voltage and the direct exposure of the BS to the flux of neutrons and radiation coming from the fusion reactor. In order to solve these two issues, a magnetic deflector is proposed to screen the BS from direct exposure to radiation and neutrons so that the voltage insulation between the electrostatic accelerator and the grounded vessel can be enhanced by using compressed SF6 instead of vacuum so that the negative ions can be accelerated at energies higher than 1 MeV. By solving the beam transport with different magnetic deflector properties, an optimum scheme has been found which is shown to be effective to guarantee both the steering effect and the beam aiming.

Mathematics anxiety in children with developmental dyscalculia.

PubMed

Rubinsten, Orly; Tannock, Rosemary

2010-07-15

Math anxiety, defined as a negative affective response to mathematics, is known to have deleterious effects on math performance in the general population. However, the assumption that math anxiety is directly related to math performance, has not yet been validated. Thus, our primary objective was to investigate the effects of math anxiety on numerical processing in children with specific deficits in the acquisition of math skills (Developmental Dyscalculia; DD) by using a novel affective priming task as an indirect measure. Participants (12 children with DD and 11 typically-developing peers) completed a novel priming task in which an arithmetic equation was preceded by one of four types of priming words (positive, neutral, negative or related to mathematics). Children were required to indicate whether the equation (simple math facts based on addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) was true or false. Typically, people respond to target stimuli more quickly after presentation of an affectively-related prime than after one that is unrelated affectively. Participants with DD responded faster to targets that were preceded by both negative primes and math-related primes. A reversed pattern was present in the control group. These results reveal a direct link between emotions, arithmetic and low achievement in math. It is also suggested that arithmetic-affective priming might be used as an indirect measure of math anxiety.

Nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) enhance cytotoxicity of cisplatin to hepatocellular cells by microdomain disruption on plasma membrane.

PubMed

Yin, Shengyong; Chen, Xinhua; Xie, Haiyang; Zhou, Lin; Guo, Danjing; Xu, Yuning; Wu, Liming; Zheng, Shusen

2016-08-15

Previous studies showed nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) can ablate solid tumors including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but its effect on cell membrane is not fully understood. We hypothesized nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on outer-cellular membrane with direct mechanical force and as a result the plasma membrane permeability increases to facilitate the small molecule intake. Three HCC cells were pulsed one pulse per minute, an interval longer than nanopore resealing time. The cationized ferritin was used to mark up the electronegative microdomains, propidium iodide (PI) for membrane permeabilization, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for the negative cell surface charge and cisplatin for inner-cellular cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that the ferritin marked-microdomain and negative cell surface charge were disrupted by nsPEF caused-mechanical force. The cell uptake of propidium and cytotoxicity of DNA-targeted cisplatin increased with a dose effect. Cisplatin gains its maximum inner-cellular cytotoxicity when combining with nsPEF stimulation. We conclude that nsPEF disrupt the microdomains on the outer cellular membrane directly and increase the membrane permeabilization for PI and cisplatin. The microdomain disruption and membrane infiltration changes are caused by the mechanical force from the changes of negative cell surface charge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A new deflection technique applied to an existing scheme of electrostatic accelerator for high energy neutral beam injection in fusion reactor devices.

PubMed

Pilan, N; Antoni, V; De Lorenzi, A; Chitarin, G; Veltri, P; Sartori, E

2016-02-01

A scheme of a neutral beam injector (NBI), based on electrostatic acceleration and magneto-static deflection of negative ions, is proposed and analyzed in terms of feasibility and performance. The scheme is based on the deflection of a high energy (2 MeV) and high current (some tens of amperes) negative ion beam by a large magnetic deflector placed between the Beam Source (BS) and the neutralizer. This scheme has the potential of solving two key issues, which at present limit the applicability of a NBI to a fusion reactor: the maximum achievable acceleration voltage and the direct exposure of the BS to the flux of neutrons and radiation coming from the fusion reactor. In order to solve these two issues, a magnetic deflector is proposed to screen the BS from direct exposure to radiation and neutrons so that the voltage insulation between the electrostatic accelerator and the grounded vessel can be enhanced by using compressed SF6 instead of vacuum so that the negative ions can be accelerated at energies higher than 1 MeV. By solving the beam transport with different magnetic deflector properties, an optimum scheme has been found which is shown to be effective to guarantee both the steering effect and the beam aiming.

Trait-based Affective Processes in Alcohol-Involved Risk Behaviors

PubMed Central

Wray, Tyler B.; Simons, Jeffrey S.; Dvorak, Robert D.; Gaher, Raluca M.

2012-01-01

This study tested a theoretical model of alcohol use, markers of extreme intoxication, and risk behavior as a function of trait affect, distress tolerance, and affect-based behavior dysregulation. Positive affective pathways to risk behavior were primarily expected to be indirect via high levels of alcohol use, while negative affect paths were expected to be more directly associated with engagement in risk behavior. In addition, we expected trait affectivity and distress tolerance would primarily exhibit relationships with alcohol use and problems through behavioral dysregulation occurring during extreme affective states. To evaluate these hypotheses, we tested a SEM with three alcohol–related outcomes: “Typical” alcohol use, “blackout” drinking,” and risk behavior. Results were complex, but generally supported the hypotheses. High trait negative affect and low tolerance for affective distress contribute to difficulty controlling behavior when negatively aroused and this is directly associated with increased risk behavior when drinking. In contrast, associations between positive urgency and risk behaviors are indirect via increased alcohol consumption. Positive affectivity exhibited both inverse and positive effects in the model, with the net effect on alcohol outcomes being insignificant. These findings contribute important information about the distinct pathways between affect, alcohol use, and alcohol-involved risk behavior among college students. PMID:22770825

The influence of sensation-seeking and parental and peer influences in early adolescence on risk involvement through middle adolescence: A structural equation modeling analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Bo; Deveaux, Lynette; Lunn, Sonja; Dinaj-Koci, Veronica; Li, Xiaoming; Stanton, Bonita

2016-03-01

This study examined the relationships between youth and parental sensation-seeking, peer influence, parental monitoring and youth risk involvement in adolescence using structural equation modeling. Beginning in grade-six, longitudinal data were collected from 543 students over three years. Youth sensation-seeking in grade six contributed to risk involvement in early adolescence (grades six and seven) indirectly through increased peer risk influence and decreased parental monitoring but did not have a direct contribution. It contributed directly and indirectly to risk involvement in middle adolescence (grades eight and nine). Parent sensation-seeking at baseline was positively associated with peer risk influence and negatively associated with parental monitoring; it had no direct effect on adolescent risk involvement. Parental monitoring buffers negative peer influence on adolescent risk involvement. Results highlight the need for intervention efforts to provide normative feedback about adolescent risky behaviors and to vary among families in which parents and/or youth have high sensation-seeking propensities.

How trust and emotions influence policy acceptance: The case of the Irish water charges.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Sanchez, Carla; Schuitema, Geertje; Claudy, Marius; Sancho-Esper, Franco

2018-02-01

The introduction of new policies can evoke strong emotional reactions by the public. Yet, social-psychological research has paid little attention to affective determinants of individual-level policy acceptance. Building on recent theoretical and empirical advances around emotions and decision-making, we evaluate how people's trust and integral emotions function as important antecedents of cognitive evaluations, and subsequent acceptance of policies. We test our hypotheses within a sample of Irish citizens (n = 505), who were subject to the introduction of water charges in 2015. In line with our hypotheses, results show that general trust in government shapes emotions regarding water charges, which in turn, directly and via expected costs and benefits, influence policy acceptance. Additionally, we find that negative emotions have a larger direct effect on policy acceptance than positive emotions. Specifically, 'anger' was the main negative emotion that influenced the acceptance of the water charge. We conclude by discussing directions for future research around emotions and policy acceptance. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

ON THE CAUSE OF SOLAR-LIKE EQUATORWARD MIGRATION IN GLOBAL CONVECTIVE DYNAMO SIMULATIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warnecke, Jörn; Käpylä, Petri J.; Käpylä, Maarit J.

2014-11-20

We present results from four convectively driven stellar dynamo simulations in spherical wedge geometry. All of these simulations produce cyclic and migrating mean magnetic fields. Through detailed comparisons, we show that the migration direction can be explained by an αΩ dynamo wave following the Parker-Yoshimura rule. We conclude that the equatorward migration in this and previous work is due to a positive (negative) α effect in the northern (southern) hemisphere and a negative radial gradient of Ω outside the inner tangent cylinder of these models. This idea is supported by a strong correlation between negative radial shear and toroidal fieldmore » strength in the region of equatorward propagation.« less

The Effects of Job Characteristics on Marital Quality: Specifying Linking Mechanisms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Diane; And Others

1992-01-01

Evaluated conceptual model hypothesizing that two dimensions of work-family interference, structural role difficulties and negative mood spillover, intervene in direct relationship between discrete characteristics of work and marital quality. Findings from 334 male and female white-collar workers indicated that job characteristics predicted…

Effects of confidence and anxiety on flow state in competition.

PubMed

Koehn, Stefan

2013-01-01

Confidence and anxiety are important variables that underlie the experience of flow in sport. Specifically, research has indicated that confidence displays a positive relationship and anxiety a negative relationship with flow. The aim of this study was to assess potential direct and indirect effects of confidence and anxiety dimensions on flow state in tennis competition. A sample of 59 junior tennis players completed measures of Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2d and Flow State Scale-2. Following predictive analysis, results showed significant positive correlations between confidence (intensity and direction) and anxiety symptoms (only directional perceptions) with flow state. Standard multiple regression analysis indicated confidence as the only significant predictor of flow. The results confirmed a protective function of confidence against debilitating anxiety interpretations, but there were no significant interaction effects between confidence and anxiety on flow state.

The moderating effects of gender on the associations between multidimensional hostility and psychosomatic symptoms: a Chinese case.

PubMed

Weng, Chia-Ying; Lin, I-Mei; Jiang, Ding-Yu

2010-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of gender on the relationship between multidimensional hostility and psychosomatic symptoms in Chinese culture. The participants in this study were 398 Chinese college students (40% female) recruited from Taiwan. Four dimensions of multidimensional hostility-hostility cognition, hostility affect, expressive hostility behavior, and suppressive hostility behavior-were measured by the Chinese Hostility Inventory. After controlling for the effects of depression and anxiety, the results of path analysis revealed that the multidimensional hostility predicted psychosomatic symptoms directly, and predicted psychosomatic symptoms indirectly through negative health behavior. Furthermore, gender moderated the relationships between multidimensional hostility and health outcomes. Expressive hostility exacerbated psychosomatic symptom in females but buffered it in males, while affective hostility exacerbated psychosomatic symptoms in males. Additionally, suppressive hostility behavior was correlated to psychosomatic symptoms indirectly through negative health behavior in females. Moreover, expressive hostility was correlated to psychosomatic symptoms indirectly through negative health behavior more in males than in females.

Investigation on the Characteristics of Pellet Ablation in a Toroidal Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, K. N.; Sakakita, H.; Fujita, H.

2003-06-01

Characteristics of a cloud ablated from an ice pellet has been investigated in detail in the JIPP T-IIU tokamak plasma by utilizing a new scheme of pellet injection system, "the injection-angle controllable system". A long "helical tail" of ablation light has been observed using CCD cameras and a high speed framing photograph in the case of on-axis and off-axis injection with the injection angle smaller than a certain value. The direction of the helical tail is found to be independent to that of the total magnetic field lines of the torus. From the experiments with the combination of two toroildal filed directions and two plasma current directions, it is considered that the tail seems to rotate, in most cases, to the electron diamagnetic direction poloidally, and to the opposite to the plasma current direction toroidally. Consideration on various cross sections including charge exchange, ionization and elastic collisions leads us to the conclusion that the tail-shaped phenomena may come from the situation of charge exchange equilibrium of hydrogen ions and neutrals at extremely high density regime in the cloud. The relation of ablation behavior with plasma potential and rotation has also been studied. Potential measurements of pellet-injected plasmas using heavy ion beam probe (HIBP) method were carried out for the first time. In the case of an injection angle to be anti-parallel to the electron diamagnetic direction in the poloidal plane, the result shows that the direction of potential change is negative, and consequently the potential after the injection should be negative because it has been measured to be negative in usual ohmic plasmas without pellet injection. Thus, the direction of the "tail" structure seems to be consistent to that of the plasma potential measured, if it is considered that tail structure may be caused by the effect of the plasma potential and the rotation.

Theoretical Basis of the Test-Negative Study Design for Assessment of Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness.

PubMed

Sullivan, Sheena G; Tchetgen Tchetgen, Eric J; Cowling, Benjamin J

2016-09-01

Influenza viruses undergo frequent antigenic changes. As a result, the viruses circulating change within and between seasons, and the composition of the influenza vaccine is updated annually. Thus, estimation of the vaccine's effectiveness is not constant across seasons. In order to provide annual estimates of the influenza vaccine's effectiveness, health departments have increasingly adopted the "test-negative design," using enhanced data from routine surveillance systems. In this design, patients presenting to participating general practitioners with influenza-like illness are swabbed for laboratory testing; those testing positive for influenza virus are defined as cases, and those testing negative form the comparison group. Data on patients' vaccination histories and confounder profiles are also collected. Vaccine effectiveness is estimated from the odds ratio comparing the odds of testing positive for influenza among vaccinated patients and unvaccinated patients, adjusting for confounders. The test-negative design is purported to reduce bias associated with confounding by health-care-seeking behavior and misclassification of cases. In this paper, we use directed acyclic graphs to characterize potential biases in studies of influenza vaccine effectiveness using the test-negative design. We show how studies using this design can avoid or minimize bias and where bias may be introduced with particular study design variations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Motivation enhances control of positive and negative emotional distractions.

PubMed

Walsh, Amy T; Carmel, David; Harper, David; Grimshaw, Gina M

2018-01-03

Using cognitive control to ignore distractions is essential for successfully achieving our goals. In emotionally-neutral contexts, motivation can reduce interference from irrelevant stimuli by enhancing cognitive control. However, attention is commonly biased towards emotional stimuli, making them potent distractors. Can motivation aid control of emotional distractions, and does it do so similarly for positive and negative stimuli? Here, we examined how task motivation influences control of distraction from positive, negative, and neutral scenes. Participants completed a simple perceptual task while attempting to ignore task-irrelevant images. One group received monetary reward for fast and accurate task performance; another (control) group did not. Overall, both negative (mutilation) and positive (erotic) images caused greater slowing of responses than neutral images of people, but emotional distraction was reduced with reward. Crucially, despite the different motivational directions associated with negative and positive stimuli, reward reduced negative and positive distraction equally. Our findings suggest that motivation may encourage the use of a sustained proactive control strategy that can effectively reduce the impact of emotional distraction.

Gigantic negative magnetoresistance in the bulk of a disordered topological insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breunig, Oliver; Wang, Zhiwei; Taskin, A. A.; Lux, Jonathan; Rosch, Achim; Ando, Yoichi

2017-05-01

With the recent discovery of Weyl semimetals, the phenomenon of negative magnetoresistance (MR) is attracting renewed interest. Large negative MR is usually related to magnetism, but the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals is a rare exception. Here we report a mechanism for large negative MR which is also unrelated to magnetism but is related to disorder. In the nearly bulk-insulating topological insulator TlBi0.15Sb0.85Te2, we observed gigantic negative MR reaching 98% in 14 T at 10 K, which is unprecedented in a nonmagnetic system. Supported by numerical simulations, we argue that this phenomenon is likely due to the Zeeman effect on a barely percolating current path formed in the disordered bulk. Since disorder can also lead to non-saturating linear MR in Ag2+δSe, the present finding suggests that disorder engineering in narrow-gap systems is useful for realizing gigantic MR in both positive and negative directions.

Negative Emotionality and Externalizing Problems in Toddlerhood: Overreactive Parenting as a Moderator of Genetic Influences

PubMed Central

Lipscomb, Shannon T.; Leve, Leslie D.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Scaramella, Laura V.; Ge, Xiaojia; Conger, Rand D.; Reid, John B.; Reiss, David

2011-01-01

The current study examined the interplay between parental overreactivity and children’s genetic backgrounds as inferred from birth parent characteristics on the development of negative emotionality during infancy, and in turn, to individual differences in externalizing problems in toddlerhood. The sample included 361 families linked through adoption (birth parents and adoptive families). Data were collected when the children were 9-, 18-, and 27-months old. Results indicated links between individual levels and changes in negative emotionality during infancy and toddlerhood to externalizing problems early in the third year of life. Findings also revealed an interaction between birth mother negative affect and adoptive mother overreactive parenting on children’s negative emotionality. This genotype × environment interaction predicted externalizing problems indirectly through its association with negative emotionality and revealed stronger effects of genetic risk for children with less overreactive parenting from their mothers. Limitations of this study and directions for future research are discussed. PMID:22293002

Negative affect and parental aggression in child physical abuse.

PubMed

Mammen, Oommen K; Kolko, David J; Pilkonis, Paul A

2002-04-01

Parental negative affect is a risk factor for child physical abuse. As negative affect contributes to aggression, and because physical abuse involves an aggressive act directed at the child, we examined the relationship between negative affect and parent-to-child aggression (PTCA) in parents reported to Child Protective Services for physical abuse. Baseline assessment data were retrospectively examined on 49 participants in a treatment study for child physical abuse. The negative affects studied were depression, anxiety, and hostility on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Brief Symptom Inventory. PTCA was assessed using the physical aggression subscales (Minor and Severe Physical Violence) of the Conflict Tactics Scale. The contribution of these negative affects to PTCA was examined after controlling individually for the effects of parental attributions and contextual variables widely regarded as etiological factors in child physical abuse. Contributions of negative affect to PTCA after individually controlling for other predictors were found for Minor Physical Violence but not Severe Physical Violence. Findings were strongest with depression on the Beck Depression Inventory and to a lesser extent with hostility on the Brief Symptom Inventory. Finding that negative affect contributed to PTCA in this sample suggests that it may be important to study the effects of emotion-focused treatments in physically abusive parents. These findings also suggest that PTCA may have qualities of impulsive aggression, a form of aggression that is conceptualized as driven by negative affect, occurs in response to aversive events, and is not planned.

Clear Self, Better Relationships: Adolescents' Self-Concept Clarity and Relationship Quality With Parents and Peers Across 5 Years.

PubMed

Becht, Andrik I; Nelemans, Stefanie A; van Dijk, Marloes P A; Branje, Susan J T; Van Lier, Pol A C; Denissen, Jaap J A; Meeus, Wim H J

2017-11-01

This study examined reciprocal associations between adolescents' self-concept clarity (SCC) and their relationship quality with parents and best friends in a five-wave longitudinal study from age 13 to 18 years. In all, 497 adolescents (57% boys) reported on their SCC and all informants (i.e., adolescents, both parents, and adolescents' best friends) reported on support and negative interaction. Within-person cross-lagged analyses provided systematic evidence for both parent effects and child effects, with the direction of effects being strongly dependent on the relational context. For example, higher maternal support predicted higher adolescent SCC, supporting a parent effects perspective, whereas higher SCC predicted lower paternal negative interaction, supporting a child effects perspective. Peer effects on adolescent SCC were not consistently found across adolescent and best friend reports. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development © 2017 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Caring for mom and neglecting yourself? The health effects of caring for an elderly parent.

PubMed

Coe, Norma B; Van Houtven, Courtney Harold

2009-09-01

We examine the physical and mental health effects of providing care to an elderly mother on the adult child caregiver. We address the endogeneity of the selection in and out of caregiving using an instrumental variable approach, using the death of the care recipient and sibling characteristics. We also carefully control for baseline health and work status of the adult child. We explore flexible specifications, such as Arellano-Bond estimation techniques. Continued caregiving over time increases depressive symptoms and decreases self-rated health for married women and married men. In addition, the increase in depressive symptoms is persistent for married women. While depressive symptoms for single men and women are not affected by continued caregiving, there is evidence of increased incidence of heart conditions for single men, and that these effects are persistent. Robustness checks indicate that these health changes can be directly attributable to caregiving behavior, and not due to a direct effect of the death of the mother. The initial onset of caregiving has modest immediate negative effects on depressive symptoms for married women and no immediate effects on physical health. Negative physical health effects emerge 2 years later, however, suggesting that there are delayed effects on health that would be missed with a short recall period. Initial caregiving does not affect health of married men.

Spin-controlled negative magnetoresistance resulting from exchange interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrinskaya, N. V.; Kozub, V. I.; Mikhailin, N. Yu.; Shamshur, D. V.

2017-04-01

We studied conductivity of AlGaAs-GaAs quantum well structures (where centers of the wells were doped by Be) at temperatures higher than 4 K in magnetic fields up 10 T. Throughout all the temperature region considered the conductivity demonstrated activated behavior. At moderate magnetic fields 0.1 T < H < 1 T, we observed negative isotropic magnetoresistance, which was linear in magnetic field while for magnetic field normal with respect to the plane of the wells the magnetoresistance was positive at H > 2T. To the best of our knowledge, it was the first observation of linear negative magnetoresistance, which would be isotropic with respect to the direction of magnetic field. While the isotropic character of magnetoresistance apparently evidences role of spins, the existing theoretical considerations concerning spin effects in conductance fail to explain our experimental results. We believe that such a behavior can be attributed to spin effects supported by exchange interactions between localized states.

Pathways from marital aggression to infant emotion regulation: the development of withdrawal in infancy.

PubMed

Crockenberg, Susan C; Leerkes, Esther M; Lekka, Shamila K

2007-02-01

Associations between marital conflict and infant emotion regulation exist, but explanatory pathways have not been explored. For older children, parental behavior partially mediates this association through a "spillover" process. We test: associations between mothers' and fathers' verbally aggressive marital conflict, infant temperament, and infant withdrawal; mediating effects of negative maternal behavior, and moderating effects of infant temperament, exposure to marital arguments, and contact with father. Eighty mothers, 73 fathers, and their 6-month-old infants participated; parents reported marital aggression prenatally, mothers reported infant exposure to arguments, direct caregiving by father, and infant temperament at 5 months. Negative maternal behavior, infant withdrawal, distress to novelty, activity, and look away were observed at 6 months. Mothers' and fathers' aggressive marital conflict predicted infant withdrawal, interactively with exposure to marital arguments and extent of father caregiving, as did infant temperament and negative maternal behavior. Maternal behavior did not mediate between marital conflict and withdrawal.

Rapid and cost-effective identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia directly from blood-culture fluid.

PubMed

Sakarikou, Christina; Altieri, Anna; Bossa, Maria Cristina; Minelli, Silvia; Dolfa, Camilla; Piperno, Micol; Favalli, Cartesio

2018-03-01

Rapid pathogen identification (ID) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in bacteremia cases or sepsis could improve patient prognosis. Thus, it is important to provide timely reports, which make it possible for clinicians to set up appropriate antibiotic therapy during the early stages of bloodstream infection (BSI). This study evaluates an in-house microbiological protocol for early ID as well as AST on Gram negative bacteria directly from positive monomicrobial and polymicrobial blood cultures (BCs). A total of 102 non-duplicated positive BCs from patients with Gram-negative bacteremia were tested. Both IDs and ASTs were performed from bacterial pellets extracted directly from BCs using our protocol, which was applied through the combined use of a MALDI-TOF MS and Vitek2 automated system. The results of our study showed a 100% agreement in bacterial ID and 98.25% categorical agreement in AST when compared to those obtained by routine conventional methods. We recorded only a 0.76% minor error (mE), 0.76% major error (ME) and a 0.20% very major error (VME). Moreover, the turnaround time (TAT) regarding the final AST report was significantly shortened (ΔTAT = 8-20 h, p < 0.00001). This in-house protocol is rapid, easy to perform and cost effective and could be successfully introduced into any clinical microbiology laboratory. A final same-day report of ID and AST improves patient management, by early and appropriate antimicrobial treatment and could potentially optimize antimicrobial stewardship programs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Weak trophic links between a crab-spider and the effective pollinators of a rewardless orchid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintero, Carolina; Corley, Juan C.; Aizen, Marcelo A.

2015-01-01

Sit and wait predators hunting on flowers are considered to be exploiters of plant-pollinator mutualisms. Several studies have shown that plant-pollinator interactions can be highly susceptible to the impact of a third trophic level, via consumptive (direct) and non-consumptive (indirect) effects that alter pollinator behavior and, ultimately, plant fitness. However, most flowering plants attract a wide array of flower visitors, from which only a subset will be effective pollinators. Hence, a negative effect of an ambush predator on plant fitness should be expected only when: (i) the effective pollinators are part of the predators' diet and/or (ii) the non-consumptive effects of predator presence (e.g. dead prey) alter the behavior of effective pollinators and pollen movement among individual plants. We analyzed the direct and indirect effects of a crab-spider (Misumenops pallidus), on the pollination and reproductive success of Chloraea alpina, a Patagonian rewardless orchid. Our results indicate that most of the flower visitors do not behave as effective pollinators and most effective pollinators were not observed as prey for the crab-spider. In terms of non-consumptive effects, inflorescences with and without spiders and/or dead-prey did not vary the frequency of flower visitors, nor pollinia removal or deposition. Hence, it is not surprising that M. pallidus has a neutral effect on pollinia removal and deposition as well as on fruit and seed set. Similar to other rewardless orchids, the low reproductive success of C. alpina (∼6% fruit set) was associated with the limited number of visits by effective pollinators. Negative top-down effects of a flower-visitor predator on plant pollination may not be anticipated without studying the direct and indirect effects of this predator on the effective pollinators. In pollination systems where effective pollinators visited flowers erratically, such as in deceptive orchids, we expect weak or no effect of predators on plant fitness.

Genotypic character relationship and phenotypic path coefficient analysis in chili pepper genotypes grown under tropical condition.

PubMed

Usman, Magaji G; Rafii, Mohd Y; Martini, Mohammad Y; Oladosu, Yusuff; Kashiani, Pedram

2017-03-01

Studies on genotypic and phenotypic correlations among characters of crop plants are useful in planning, evaluating and setting selection criteria for the desired characters in a breeding program. The present study aimed to estimate the phenotypic correlation coefficients among yield and yield attributed characters and to work out the direct and indirect effects of yield-related characters on yield per plant using path coefficient analysis. Twenty-six genotypes of chili pepper were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Yield per plant showed positive and highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) correlations with most of the characters studied at both the phenotypic and genotypic levels. By contrast, disease incidence and days to flowering showed a significant negative association with yield. Fruit weight and number of fruits exerted positive direct effect on yield and also had a positive and significant (P ≤ 0.01) correlation with yield per plant. However, fruit length showed a low negative direct effect with a strong and positive indirect effect through fruit weight on yield and had a positive and significant association with yield. Longer fruits, heavy fruits and a high number of fruits are variables that are related to higher yields of chili pepper under tropical conditions and hence could be used as a reliable indicator in indirect selection for yield. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Correlation and path coefficient analysis of quantitative characters in spine gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.).

PubMed

Aliya, F; Begum, H; Reddy, M T; Sivaraj, N; Pandravada, S R; Narshimulu, G

2014-05-01

Fifty genotypes of spine gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.) were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications at the Vegetable Research Station, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India during kharif, 2012. Correlation and path coefficient analysis were carried out to study the character association and contribution, respectively for twelve quantitative characters namely vine length (m), number of stems per plant, days to first female flower appearance, first female flowering node, days to first fruit harvest, days to last fruit harvest, fruiting period (days), fruit length (cm), fruit width (cm), fruit weight (g), number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant (kg) for identification of the potential selection indices. Correlation and path coefficient analyses revealed that fruiting period and number of fruits per plant not only had positively significant correlation with fruit yield but also had positively high direct effect on it and are regarded as the main determinants of fruit yield. Days to first fruit harvest had positively moderate direct effect on fruit yield and its association was negatively significant, days to last fruit harvest had negatively high direct effect on fruit yield and its association was significant positively, hence restricted simultaneous selection can be made for days to first fruit harvest and days to last fruit harvest. The improvement in fruit yield can be effective if selection is based on days to first fruit harvest, days to last fruit harvest, fruiting period and number of fruits per plant.

Temporal dynamics of physical activity and affect in depressed and nondepressed individuals.

PubMed

Stavrakakis, Nikolaos; Booij, Sanne H; Roest, Annelieke M; de Jonge, Peter; Oldehinkel, Albertine J; Bos, Elisabeth H

2015-12-01

The association between physical activity and affect found in longitudinal observational studies is generally small to moderate. It is unknown how this association generalizes to individuals. The aim of the present study was to investigate interindividual differences in the bidirectional dynamic relationship between physical activity and affect, in depressed and nondepressed individuals, using time-series analysis. A pair-matched sample of 10 depressed and 10 nondepressed participants (mean age = 36.6, SD = 8.9, 30% males) wore accelerometers and completed electronic questionnaires 3 times a day for 30 days. Physical activity was operationalized as the total energy expenditure (EE) per day segment (i.e., 6 hr). The multivariate time series (T = 90) of every individual were analyzed using vector autoregressive modeling (VAR), with the aim to assess direct as well as lagged (i.e., over 1 day) effects of EE on positive and negative affect, and vice versa. Large interindividual differences in the strength, direction and temporal aspects of the relationship between physical activity and positive and negative affect were observed. An exception was the direct (but not the lagged) effect of physical activity on positive affect, which was positive in nearly all individuals. This study showed that the association between physical activity and affect varied considerably across individuals. Thus, while at the group level the effect of physical activity on affect may be small, in some individuals the effect may be clinically relevant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Compensation for obesity-induced insulin resistance in dogs: assessment of the effects of leptin, adiponectin, and glucagon-like peptide-1 using path analysis.

PubMed

Verkest, K R; Fleeman, L M; Morton, J M; Ishioka, K; Rand, J S

2011-07-01

The hormonal mediators of obesity-induced insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in dogs have not been identified. Plasma samples were obtained after a 24-h fast from 104 client-owned lean, overweight, and obese dogs. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were used to calculate insulin sensitivity and β-cell function with the use of the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA(insulin sensitivity) and HOMA(β-cell function), respectively). Path analysis with multivariable linear regression was used to identify whether fasting plasma leptin, adiponectin, or glucagon-like peptide-1 concentrations were associated with adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and basal insulin secretion. None of the dogs were hyperglycemic. In the final path model, adiposity was positively associated with leptin (P < 0.01) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (P = 0.04) concentrations. No significant total effect of adiposity on adiponectin in dogs (P = 0.24) was observed. If there is a direct effect of leptin on adiponectin, then our results indicate that this is a positive relationship, which at least partly counters a negative direct relationship between adiposity and adiponectin. Fasting plasma leptin concentration was directly negatively associated with fasting insulin sensitivity (P = 0.01) and positively associated with β-cell function (P < 0.01), but no direct association was observed between adiponectin concentration and either insulin sensitivity or β-cell function (P = 0.42 and 0.11, respectively). We conclude that dogs compensate effectively for obesity-induced insulin resistance. Fasting plasma leptin concentrations appear to be associated with obesity-associated changes in insulin sensitivity and compensatory hyperinsulinemia in naturally occurring obese dogs. Adiponectin does not appear to be involved in the pathophysiology of obesity-associated changes in insulin sensitivity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Inclusion Predicts Lower Blood Glucose and Low-Density Lipoproteins in Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Floyd, Kory; Veksler, Alice E; McEwan, Bree; Hesse, Colin; Boren, Justin P; Dinsmore, Dana R; Pavlich, Corey A

2017-08-01

Loneliness has been shown to have direct effects on one's personal well-being. Specifically, a greater feeling of loneliness is associated with negative mental health outcomes, negative health behaviors, and an increased likelihood of premature mortality. Using the neuroendocrine hypothesis, we expected social inclusion to predict decreases in both blood glucose levels and low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and increases in high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Fifty-two healthy adults provided self-report data for social inclusion and blood samples for hematological tests. Results indicated that higher social inclusion predicted lower levels of blood glucose and LDL, but had no effect on HDL. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Dimer motion on a periodic substrate: spontaneous symmetry breaking and absolute negative mobility.

PubMed

Speer, David; Eichhorn, Ralf; Evstigneev, Mykhaylo; Reimann, Peter

2012-06-01

We consider two coupled particles moving along a periodic substrate potential with negligible inertia effects (overdamped limit). Even when the particles are identical and the substrate spatially symmetric, a sinusoidal external driving of appropriate amplitude and frequency may lead to spontaneous symmetry breaking in the form of a permanent directed motion of the dimer. Thermal noise restores ergodicity and thus zero net velocity, but entails arbitrarily fast diffusion of the dimer for sufficiently weak noise. Moreover, upon application of a static bias force, the dimer exhibits a motion opposite to that force (absolute negative mobility). The key requirement for all these effects is a nonconvex interaction potential of the two particles.

Lyme disease and conservation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ginsberg, H.

1994-01-01

Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness that is wide-spread in North America, especially in the northeastern and northcentral United States. This disease could negatively influence efforts to conserve natural populations in two ways: (1) the disease could directly affect wild animal health; and (2) tick control efforts could adversely affect natural populations and communities. Lyme disease affects several domestic animals, but symptoms have been reported in only a few wild species. Direct effects of Lyme disease on wild animal populations have not been reported, but the disease should be considered as a possible cause in cases of unexplained population declines in endemic areas. Methods available to manage ticks and Lyme disease include human self-protection techniques, manipulation of habitats and hosts species populations, biological control, and pesticide applications. The diversity of available techniques allows selection of approaches to minimize environmental effects by (1) emphasizing personal protection techniques, (2) carefully targeting management efforts to maximize efficiency, and (3) integrating environmentally benign techniques to improve management while avoiding broad-scale environmentally destructive approaches. The environmental effects of Lyme disease depend, to a large extent, on the methods chosen to minimize human exposure to infected ticks. Conservation biologists can help design tick management programs that effectively lower the incidence of human Lyme disease while simultaneously minimizing negative effects on natural populations.

Electron rescattering in above-threshold photodetachment of negative ions.

PubMed

Gazibegović-Busuladzić, A; Milosević, D B; Becker, W; Bergues, B; Hultgren, H; Kiyan, I Yu

2010-03-12

We present experimental and theoretical results on photodetachment of Br(-) and F(-) in a strong infrared laser field. The observed photoelectron spectra of Br(-) exhibit a high-energy plateau along the laser polarization direction, which is identified as being due to the rescattering effect. The shape and the extension of the plateau is found to be influenced by the depletion of negative ions during the interaction with the laser pulse. Our findings represent the first observation of electron rescattering in above-threshold photodetachment of an atomic system with a short-range potential.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation modulates the impact of a negative mood induction

PubMed Central

Lacomblé, Lylis; Meyer, Thomas; Schutter, Dennis J.L.G.; Gielkens, Tom; Becker, Eni S.; Tendolkar, Indira; van Eijndhoven, Philip

2017-01-01

Abstract High frequency repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been found to alleviate depressive symptoms. However, the mechanisms driving these effects are still poorly understood. In the current study, we tested the idea that this intervention protects against negative mood shifts following emotional provocation. We furthermore explored changes in EEG activity (frontal alpha asymmetry) and effects on attentional processing (emotional Stroop). To this end, 23 healthy individuals participated in two sessions separated by one week, whereby they once received 15 min of 10Hz rTMS stimulation (1500 pulses) at 110% of the individual motor threshold, and once sham stimulation. Then, negative mood was induced using sad movie clips. The results revealed a significantly stronger mood decline following rTMS compared to sham stimulation. No changes were observed in frontal alpha asymmetry and attentional processing. Our findings are at odds with the view that high frequency rTMS over the left DLPFC directly protects against the induction of negative mood, but rather suggest that it enhances the effects of emotional provocation. Possibly, in healthy young individuals, this stimulation protocol heightens susceptibility to mood induction procedures in general. PMID:28008080

Pathways to childhood depressive symptoms: the role of social, cognitive, and genetic risk factors.

PubMed

Lau, Jennifer Y F; Rijsdijk, Frühling; Gregory, Alice M; McGuffin, Peter; Eley, Thalia C

2007-11-01

Childhood depressive conditions have been explored from multiple theoretical approaches but with few empirical attempts to address the interrelationships among these different domains and their combined effects. In the present study, the authors examined different pathways through which social, cognitive, and genetic risk factors may be expressed to influence depressive symptoms in 300 pairs of child twins from a longitudinal study. Path analysis supported several indirect routes. First, risks associated with living in a step- or single-parent family and punitive parenting did not directly influence depressive outcome but were instead mediated through maternal depressive symptoms and child negative attributional style. Second, the effects of negative attributional style on depressive outcome were greatly exacerbated in the presence of precipitating negative life events. Third, independent of these social and cognitive risk mechanisms, modest genetic effects were also implicated in symptoms, with some indication that these risks are expressed through exposure to negative stressors. Together, these routes accounted for approximately 13% of total phenotypic variance in depressive symptoms. Theoretical and analytical implications of these results are discussed in the context of several design-related caveats. (c) 2007 APA.

Negative impressions of childbirth in a North-West England student population.

PubMed

Thomson, Gill; Stoll, Kathrin; Downe, Soo; Hall, Wendy A

2017-03-01

Sociocultural childbirth representations can influence the perceptions of childbirth negatively. In this paper we report on a survey study to explore the factors associated with negative impressions of childbirth in a North-West England University student sample. We also explored whether different sources and perceptions of childbirth information were linked to fear of childbirth. All students received a survey link via an online messaging board and/or direct e-mail. Female students who were 18-40 years of age and childless (but planned to have children in the future) were invited to participate. Demographics, birth preferences, a fear of birth and general anxiety measures were included as well as questions about what sources of information shaped students' attitudes toward pregnancy and birth (i.e. visual/written media, experiences of friends/family members, school-based education and other) and impressions of birth from these sources (i.e. positive, negative, both positive and negative and not applicable). Eligible students (n = 276) completed the online questionnaire. The majority were Caucasian (87%) with a mean age of 22.6 years. Ninety-two students (33.3%) reported negative childbirth impressions through direct or vicarious sources. Students with negative birth impressions were significantly more likely to report higher fear of birth scores. Negatively perceived birth stories of friends/family members, and mixed perceptions of visual media representations of birth were associated with higher fear of birth scores. Having witnessed a birth first-hand and describing the experience as amazing was linked to lower fear scores. First-hand observations of birth, especially positive experiences, had implications for salutary outcomes. Negative or conflicting perceptions of vicarious experiences were associated with increased levels of childbirth fear. While further research is needed, these insights suggest a need for positive birth stories and messages to be disseminated to mitigate any negative effects of indirect accounts.

Recommendations for developing and applying genetic tools to assess and manage biological invasions in marine ecosystems

EPA Science Inventory

The European Union’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) aims to adopt integrated ecosystem management approaches to achieve or maintain “Good Environmental Status” for marine waters, habitats and resources, including mitigation of the negative effects of non-indigenous sp...

Effect of Mood on Children's Giving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Bill; And Others

1972-01-01

An experiment was conducted to clarify the relations between affect and altruism by inducing affect directly. It was hypothesized that children who experienced positive affect would share more than controls, while those experiencing negative affect would share significantly less than controls. Ss were 25 girls and 18 boys from the second and third…

Direct Manipulation of Physiological Arousal in Induced Anxiety Therapy-Biofeedback Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sappington, A. A.

1977-01-01

Induced Anxiety is a brief psychotherapy procedure that teaches individuals to cope with negative effect by using relaxation techniques. This research investigated the role of physiological arousal in the affect induction phase of Induced Anxiety therapy by using biofeedback to facilitate arousal. Twenty-one college students suffering from…

Some Aspects of Sustainable Development in Kindergartens in Slovenia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vodopivec, Jurka Lepicnik

2011-01-01

Aspects of environmental crisis (industrialization, explosive growth of population and urbanization) have a negative effect on the environment. However, they also impact the mentality of population (for example, urbanization has lead to the decreasing numbers of adults and children having a direct contact with the natural environment).…

Bias-stress characterization of solution-processed organic field-effect transistor based on highly ordered liquid crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kunii, M.; Iino, H.; Hanna, J.

2017-06-01

Bias-stress effects in solution-processed, 2-decyl-7-phenyl-[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (Ph-BTBT-10) field effect transistors (FETs) are studied under negative and positive direct current bias. The bottom gate, bottom contact polycrystalline Ph-BTBT-10 FET with a hybrid gate dielectric of polystyrene and SiO2 shows high field effect mobility as well as a steep subthreshold slope when fabricated with a highly ordered smectic E liquid crystalline (SmE) film as a precursor. Negative gate bias-stress causes negative threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) for Ph-BTBT-10 FET in ambient air, but ΔVth rapidly decreases as the gate bias decreases and approaches to near zero when the gate bias goes down to 9 V in amplitude. In contrast, positive gate bias-stress causes negligible ΔVth even with a relatively high bias voltage. These results conclude that Ph-BTBT-10 FET has excellent bias-stress stability in ambient air in the range of low to moderate operating voltages.

Impact of Maternal Death on Household Economy in Rural China: A Prospective Path Analysis.

PubMed

Ye, Fang; Ao, Deng; Feng, Yao; Wang, Lin; Chen, Jie; Huntington, Dale; Wang, Haijun; Wang, Yan

2015-01-01

The present study aimed to explore the inter-relationships among maternal death, household economic status after the event, and potential influencing factors. We conducted a prospective cohort study of households that had experienced maternal death (n = 195) and those that experienced childbirth without maternal death (n = 384) in rural China. All the households were interviewed after the event occurred and were followed up 12 months later. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationship model, utilizing income and expenditure per capita in the following year after the event as the main outcome variables, maternal death as the predictor, and direct costs, the amount of money offset by positive and negative coping strategies, whether the husband remarried, and whether the newborn was alive as the mediators. In the following year after the event, the path analysis revealed a direct effect from maternal death to lower income per capita (standardized coefficient = -0.43, p = 0.041) and to lower expenditure per capita (standardized coefficient = -0.51, p<0.001). A significant indirect effect was found from maternal death to lower income and expenditure per capita mediated by the influencing factors of higher direct costs, less money from positive coping methods, more money from negative coping, and the survival of the newborn. This study analyzed the direct and indirect effects of maternal death on a household economy. The results provided evidence for better understanding the mechanism of how this event affects a household economy and provided a reference for social welfare policies to target the most vulnerable households that have suffered from maternal deaths.

Math anxiety in Thai early adolescents: a cognitive-behavioral perspective.

PubMed

Wangsiriwech, Tawatchai; Pisitsungkagarn, Kullaya; Jarukasemthawee, Somboon

2017-08-29

With its high prevalence and debilitating impact on students, math anxiety is well studied within the educational context. However, the problem has yet to be examined from the psychological perspective, which is necessary in order to produce a more comprehensive perspective and to pave the way for therapeutic intervention. The current study, therefore, was conducted to identify cognitive and behavioral factors relevant to the occurrence and maintenance of math anxiety. Data were collected from 300 grade 9 students (150 females and 150 males) from public and private schools in Bangkok, Thailand. Participants responded to the measures of math anxiety, negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance. Structural equation modeling was conducted. Model fit indices obtained consistently suggested the good fitness of the model to the data [e.g. χ2/df = 0.42, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.00]. Negative math beliefs, negative math appraisals and math avoidance had a significant direct effect on math anxiety. Additionally, the indirect effect of negative math appraisal was observed between negative math beliefs and math anxiety. In summary, the proposed model accounted for 84.5% of the variance in the anxiety. The findings are discussed with particular focus on implications for therapeutic intervention for math anxiety.

Impact of sleep restriction versus idealized sleep on emotional experience, reactivity and regulation in healthy adolescents.

PubMed

Reddy, Radhika; Palmer, Cara A; Jackson, Christine; Farris, Samantha G; Alfano, Candice A

2017-08-01

Sleep loss is associated with affective disturbances and disorders; however, there is limited understanding of specific mechanisms underlying these links, especially in adolescence. The current study tested the effects of sleep restriction versus idealized sleep on adolescents' emotional experience, reactivity and regulation (specifically cognitive reappraisal). Following 1 week of sleep monitoring, healthy adolescents (n = 42; ages 13-17 years) were randomized to 1 night of sleep restriction (4 h) or idealized sleep (9.5 h). The following day, adolescents provided self-reports of affect and anxiety and completed a laboratory-based task to assess: (1) emotional reactivity in response to positive, negative, and neutral images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS); and (2) ability to use cognitive reappraisal to decrease negative emotional responses. Large effects were observed for the adverse impact of sleep restriction on positive affect and anxiety as well as a medium-sized effect for negative affect, compared to the idealized sleep condition. Subjective reactivity to positive and neutral images did not differ between the groups, but a moderate effect was detected for reactivity to negative images whereby sleep-restricted teens reported greater reactivity. Across both sleep conditions, use of cognitive reappraisal down-regulated negative emotion effectively; however, sleep restriction did not impact upon adolescents' ability to use this strategy. These findings add to a growing body of literature demonstrating the deleterious effects of sleep restriction on aspects of emotion and highlight directions for future research in adolescents. © 2016 European Sleep Research Society.

Drama-induced affect and pain sensitivity.

PubMed

Zillmann, D; de Wied, M; King-Jablonski, C; Jenzowsky, S

1996-01-01

This study was conducted to examine the pain-ameliorating and pain-sensitizing effects of exposure to emotionally engaging drama. Specifically, the consequences for pain sensitivity of exposure to dramatic expositions differing in both excitatory and hedonic qualities were determined. Hedonically negative, neutral, and positive affective states were induced in male respondents by exposure to excerpts from cinematic drama. Pain sensitivity was assessed by the cuff-pressure procedure before and after exposure and by the cold pressor test after exposure only. When compared against the control condition, pain sensitivity diminished under conditions of hedonically positive affect. An inverse effect was suggested for hedonically negative conditions, but proved tentative and statistically unreliable. The findings are consistent with earlier demonstrations of mood effects on pain sensitivity. Unlike inconclusive earlier findings concerning the magnitude of directional effects, however, they suggest an asymmetry that emphasizes the pain-ameliorating effect of positive affects while lending little, if any, support to the proposal of a pain-sensitizing effect of negative affects. The investigation did not accomplish the intended creation of conditions necessary to test the proposal that heightened sympathetic activity diminishes pain sensitivity. The utility of a rigorous determination of this hypothesized relationship is emphasized, and procedures for a viable test of the proposal are suggested.

Understanding the Relationship Between PTSD and Social Support: The Role of Negative Network Orientation

PubMed Central

Clapp, Joshua D.; Beck, J. Gayle

2009-01-01

Network orientation is conceptualized as an individual’s attitudes and expectations regarding the usefulness of support networks in coping with stress. The present research examined the potential for network orientation to explicate the well documented association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attenuated social support. Data collected from survivors of serious motor vehicle trauma (N = 458) were used to test the hypothesis that severity of PTSD would hold a significant indirect relationship with social support through negative network orientation. Childhood victimization and elapsed time from the accident were examined as potential moderators of this indirect relationship. Consistent with hypotheses, path analyses demonstrated a significant indirect relationship between PTSD and social support through negative network orientation. Specifically, this indirect effect was the result of a direct association between PTSD severity and negative network orientation and an inverse association between negative network orientation and social support. This pattern of relationships was invariant across mode of PTSD assessment (interview vs. self-report). No moderation effects were noted. These data suggest that network orientation may be an important factor in understanding interface of interpersonal processes and posttrauma pathology. PMID:19162260

The effect of praise, positive nonverbal response, reprimand, and negative nonverbal response on child compliance: a systematic review.

PubMed

Owen, Daniela J; Slep, Amy M S; Heyman, Richard E

2012-12-01

Lack of compliance has both short- and long-term costs and is a leading reason why parents seek mental health services for children. What parents do to help children comply with directives or rules is an important part of child socialization. The current review examines the relationship between a variety of parenting discipline behaviors (i.e., praise, positive nonverbal response, reprimand, negative nonverbal response) and child compliance. Forty-one studies of children ranging in age from 1½ to 11 years were reviewed. Reprimand and negative nonverbal responses consistently resulted in greater compliance. Praise and positive nonverbal responses resulted in mixed child outcomes. The findings are discussed based on theory and populations studied. The authors propose a mechanism that may increase children's sensitivity to both positive and negative behavioral contingencies.

Mediating effects of burden on quality of life for caregivers of first-time stroke patients discharged from the hospital within one year.

PubMed

Tsai, Yu-Hsia; Lou, Meei-Fang; Feng, Tsui-Hsia; Chu, Tsung-Lan; Chen, Ying-Jen; Liu, Hsueh-Erh

2018-04-25

Caregiver burden may be either a predictor or an outcome of caregiver quality of life (QoL). Patient or caregiver factors that directly affect caregiver QoL, predictors that are simultaneously shared with caregiver burden and QoL, and factors that affect caregiver QoL through caregiver burden are not well understood. This study explored predictors of caregiver QoL and identified whether caregiver burden is a mediator for caregivers of first-time stroke patients. This is a cross-sectional study. We recruited first-time stroke patients who had been discharged from the hospital within 1 year. We screened caregivers with two major inclusion criteria: age > 20 years old and being the family member who provides the most patient-care hours out of all family caregivers. Caregiver burden (Caregiver Strain Index, CSI), QoL (Caregiver Quality of Life Index, CQLI), and patient and caregiver characteristics were assessed with structured questionnaires. Multiple-regression and bootstrap analysis were conducted for data analysis. A total of 126 caregivers completed the questionnaires. Higher caregiver burdens, lower caregiver education level, lower self-rated health, lower monthly family income, and spouses who were responsible for medical fees were significant predictors of lower caregiver QoL. Poor self-rated health and monthly family income of $ 666 USD or below were the strongest predictors of caregiver QoL. Spouses who were responsible for medical fees and lower monthly family income had direct negative effects on caregiver QoL, but these factors exhibited no indirect mediating effect between caregiver characteristics and QoL through caregiver burden as a mediator. Caregiver education level at or below elementary school and poor or fair self-rated-health had direct negative effects on caregiver QoL, which were mediated by caregiver burden. Our study indicated predictors of caregiver QoL and the relationships with caregiver burden among first-time stroke survivors in the early stage. Caregivers' financial factors affected caregiver QoL directly. Caregivers' poor self-rated health and lower education level negatively affected caregiver QoL indirectly through caregiver burden as a mediator. Interventions to make appropriate policies for financial subsidies, to enhance caregivers' health and to provide tailored stroke-related education through multidisciplinary cooperation may effectively promote caregiver QoL.

Social anxiety and discomfort with friendly giving.

PubMed

Fernandez, Katya C; Rodebaugh, Thomas L

2011-04-01

Individuals higher in social anxiety report more impaired friendship quality, which past research suggests may stem from constrained warmth. We examined three motivations for constrained warmth in friendships and determined how these motivations related to social anxiety and friendship impairment. To do so, we assessed the psychometric properties of the Favor Scale (FS), which measures an individual's response to friendly giving. Results indicated that the FS has three subscales: negative reactions to favors (NEG), positive reactions to favors (POS), and expectation of tit-for-tat behavior (E-TFT). Structural equation modeling demonstrated that social anxiety related directly to NEG, and indirectly to POS and E-TFT through NEG. POS related directly to friendship quality, indicating that friendships may be impaired in social anxiety disorder due to the cumulative effects of responding negatively to friendly behavior. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TLR4-mediated podosome loss discriminates gram-negative from gram-positive bacteria in their capacity to induce dendritic cell migration and maturation.

PubMed

van Helden, Suzanne F G; van den Dries, Koen; Oud, Machteld M; Raymakers, Reinier A P; Netea, Mihai G; van Leeuwen, Frank N; Figdor, Carl G

2010-02-01

Chronic infections are caused by microorganisms that display effective immune evasion mechanisms. Dendritic cell (DC)-dependent T cell-mediated adaptive immunity is one of the mechanisms that have evolved to prevent the occurrence of chronic bacterial infections. In turn, bacterial pathogens have developed strategies to evade immune recognition. In this study, we show that gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria differ in their ability to activate DCs and that gram-negative bacteria are far more effective inducers of DC maturation. Moreover, we observed that only gram-negative bacteria can induce loss of adhesive podosome structures in DCs, a response necessary for the induction of effective DC migration. We demonstrate that the ability of gram-negative bacteria to trigger podosome turnover and induce DC migration reflects their capacity to selectively activate TLR4. Examining mice defective in TLR4 signaling, we show that this DC maturation and migration are mainly Toll/IL-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor-inducing IFNbeta-dependent. Furthermore, we show that these processes depend on the production of PGs by these DCs, suggesting a direct link between TLR4-mediated signaling and arachidonic metabolism. These findings demonstrate that gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria profoundly differ in their capacity to activate DCs. We propose that this inability of gram-positive bacteria to induce DC maturation and migration is part of the armamentarium necessary for avoiding the induction of an effective cellular immune response and may explain the frequent involvement of these pathogens in chronic infections.

Understanding negative impacts of perceived cognitive load on job learning effectiveness: a social capital solution.

PubMed

Lin, Chieh-Peng

2010-12-01

This study proposes a model explaining how social capital helps ease excessively required mental effort. Although organizational researchers have studied both social capital and cognitive load, no prior research has critically examined the role of social capital in improving individuals' mental load and effort and consequently enhancing job learning effectiveness. This study surveys participants made up of professionals in Taiwan's information technology industry. It measures the constructs with the use of 5-point Likert-type scale items modified from existing literature. The survey data were analyzed with the use of structural equation modeling. Job learning effectiveness is negatively influenced by role ambiguity and role conflict. Time pressure has a positive influence on role ambiguity and role conflict Although the relationship between task complexity and role ambiguity is insignificant, task complexity has a positive influence on role conflict. Because the relationship between network ties and role conflict is insignificant, trust has a negative influence on role conflict. Last, shared vision has a negative influence on role ambiguity. This study provides an example of how social capital can be applied as a useful remedy to ease the negative impact of perceived cognitive load on job learning effectiveness. The negative relationship between shared vision and role ambiguity suggests that a shared vision helps in disseminating organizationally common goals and directions among employees to alleviate individuals' mental efforts in dealing with the ambiguity of their job roles. A firm's management team should take actions to decrease role conflict by strengthening trust among employees.

The effects of sleep deprivation on emotional empathy.

PubMed

Guadagni, Veronica; Burles, Ford; Ferrara, Michele; Iaria, Giuseppe

2014-12-01

Previous studies have shown that sleep loss has a detrimental effect on the ability of the individuals to process emotional information. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that this negative effect extends to the ability of experiencing emotions while observing other individuals, i.e. emotional empathy. To test this hypothesis, we assessed emotional empathy in 37 healthy volunteers who were assigned randomly to one of three experimental groups: one group was tested before and after a night of total sleep deprivation (sleep deprivation group), a second group was tested before and after a usual night of sleep spent at home (sleep group) and the third group was tested twice during the same day (day group). Emotional empathy was assessed by using two parallel versions of a computerized test measuring direct (i.e. explicit evaluation of empathic concern) and indirect (i.e. the observer's reported physiological arousal) emotional empathy. The results revealed that the post measurements of both direct and indirect emotional empathy of participants in the sleep deprivation group were significantly lower than those of the sleep and day groups; post measurement scores of participants in the day and sleep groups did not differ significantly for either direct or indirect emotional empathy. These data are consistent with previous studies showing the negative effect of sleep deprivation on the processing of emotional information, and extend these effects to emotional empathy. The findings reported in our study are relevant to healthy individuals with poor sleep habits, as well as clinical populations suffering from sleep disturbances. © 2014 European Sleep Research Society.

Climate-driven disparities among ecological interactions threaten kelp forest persistence.

PubMed

Provost, Euan J; Kelaher, Brendan P; Dworjanyn, Symon A; Russell, Bayden D; Connell, Sean D; Ghedini, Giulia; Gillanders, Bronwyn M; Figueira, WillIAM; Coleman, Melinda A

2017-01-01

The combination of ocean warming and acidification brings an uncertain future to kelp forests that occupy the warmest parts of their range. These forests are not only subject to the direct negative effects of ocean climate change, but also to a combination of unknown indirect effects associated with changing ecological landscapes. Here, we used mesocosm experiments to test the direct effects of ocean warming and acidification on kelp biomass and photosynthetic health, as well as climate-driven disparities in indirect effects involving key consumers (urchins and rock lobsters) and competitors (algal turf). Elevated water temperature directly reduced kelp biomass, while their turf-forming competitors expanded in response to ocean acidification and declining kelp canopy. Elevated temperatures also increased growth of urchins and, concurrently, the rate at which they thinned kelp canopy. Rock lobsters, which are renowned for keeping urchin populations in check, indirectly intensified negative pressures on kelp by reducing their consumption of urchins in response to elevated temperature. Overall, these results suggest that kelp forests situated towards the low-latitude margins of their distribution will need to adapt to ocean warming in order to persist in the future. What is less certain is how such adaptation in kelps can occur in the face of intensifying consumptive (via ocean warming) and competitive (via ocean acidification) pressures that affect key ecological interactions associated with their persistence. If such indirect effects counter adaptation to changing climate, they may erode the stability of kelp forests and increase the probability of regime shifts from complex habitat-forming species to more simple habitats dominated by algal turfs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Complexity in African savannas: Direct, indirect, and cascading effects of animal densities, rainfall and vegetation availability

PubMed Central

Leeuwis, Tim; Peel, Mike

2018-01-01

Savanna ecosystems are popular subjects for interaction studies. Multiple studies have been done on the impact of elephants on vegetation, the impact of grass and browse availability on animal densities or on competition between herbivore species. Previous studies showed that elephant densities are frequently negatively correlated with densities of tall trees, and that browse and grass availability are correlated with browser and grazer density respectively. Additionally, a competition effect between browse and grass availability has been reported. These relationships are usually analysed by testing direct relationships between e.g., herbivore densities and food availability, without addressing competition effects or other indirect effects. In this study, multiple interactions in a savanna system have been analysed simultaneously using Partial Least Square-Path Modelling (PLS-PM) using mammal and vegetation data from three different wildlife reserves in southern KwaZulu-Natal. The results showed that the processes that three separate models for the three areas provided the best understanding of the importance of the different interactions. These models suggest that elephants had a negative impact on trees, but also on grass availability. The impact is stronger when elephants are not able to migrate during the dry season. Browsers and grazers were correlated with browse and grass availability, but competition between browse and grass was not detected. This study shows that due to the complexity of the interactions in an ecosystem and differences in environmental factors, these interactions are best studied per area. PLS-PM can be a useful tool for estimating direct, indirect, and cascading effects of changing animal densities in conservation areas. PMID:29768481

The characteristics of a new negative metal ion beam source and its applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paik, Namwoong

2001-10-01

Numerous efforts at energetic thin film deposition processes using ion beams have been made to meet the demands of today's thin film industry. As one of these efforts, a new Magnetron Sputter Negative Ion Source (MSNIS) was developed. In this study, the development and the characterization of the MSNIS were investigated. Amorphous carbon films were used as a sample coating medium to evaluate the ion beam energy effect. A review of energetic Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) techniques is presented in Chapter 1. The energetic PVD methods can be classified into two major categories: the indirect ion beam method Ion Beam Assisted Deposition (IBAD), and the direct ion beam method-Direct Ion Beam Deposition (DIBD). In this chapter, currently available DIBD processes such as Cathodic Arc, Laser Ablation, Ionized Physical Vapor Deposition (I-PVD) and Magnetron Sputter Negative Ion Source (MSNIS) are individually reviewed. The design and construction of the MSNIS is presented in chapter 2. The MSNIS is a hybrid of the conventional magnetron sputter configuration and the cesium surface ionizer. The negative sputtered ions are produced directly from the sputter target by surface ionization. In chapter 3, the ion beam and plasma characteristics of an 8″ diameter MSNIS are investigated using a retarding field analyzer and a cylindrical Langmuir Probe. The measured electron temperature is approximately 2-5 eV, while the plasma density and plasma potential were of the order of 10 11-1012 cm3 and 5-20 V, respectively, depending on the pressure and power. In chapter 4, in order to evaluate the effect of the ion beam on the resultant films, amorphous carbon films were deposited under various conditions. The structure of carbon films was investigated using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The result suggests the fraction of spa bonding is more than 70% in some samples prepared by MSNIS while magnetron sputtered samples showed less than 30%. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Multi-event capture–recapture modeling of host–pathogen dynamics among European rabbit populations exposed to myxoma and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Viruses: common and heterogeneous patterns

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Host–pathogen epidemiological processes are often unclear due both to their complexity and over-simplistic approaches used to quantify them. We applied a multi-event capture–recapture procedure on two years of data from three rabbit populations to test hypotheses about the effects on survival of, and the dynamics of host immunity to, both myxoma virus and Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (MV and RHDV). Although the populations shared the same climatic and management conditions, MV and RHDV dynamics varied greatly among them; MV and RHDV seroprevalences were positively related to density in one population, but RHDV seroprevalence was negatively related to density in another. In addition, (i) juvenile survival was most often negatively related to seropositivity, (ii) RHDV seropositives never had considerably higher survival, and (iii) seroconversion to seropositivity was more likely than the reverse. We suggest seropositivity affects survival depending on trade-offs among antibody protection, immunosuppression and virus lethality. Negative effects of seropositivity might be greater on juveniles due to their immature immune system. Also, while RHDV directly affects survival through the hemorrhagic syndrome, MV lack of direct lethal effects means that interactions influencing survival are likely to be more complex. Multi-event modeling allowed us to quantify patterns of host–pathogen dynamics otherwise difficult to discern. Such an approach offers a promising tool to shed light on causative mechanisms. PMID:24708296

Matching the Statistical Model to the Research Question for Dental Caries Indices with Many Zero Counts.

PubMed

Preisser, John S; Long, D Leann; Stamm, John W

2017-01-01

Marginalized zero-inflated count regression models have recently been introduced for the statistical analysis of dental caries indices and other zero-inflated count data as alternatives to traditional zero-inflated and hurdle models. Unlike the standard approaches, the marginalized models directly estimate overall exposure or treatment effects by relating covariates to the marginal mean count. This article discusses model interpretation and model class choice according to the research question being addressed in caries research. Two data sets, one consisting of fictional dmft counts in 2 groups and the other on DMFS among schoolchildren from a randomized clinical trial comparing 3 toothpaste formulations to prevent incident dental caries, are analyzed with negative binomial hurdle, zero-inflated negative binomial, and marginalized zero-inflated negative binomial models. In the first example, estimates of treatment effects vary according to the type of incidence rate ratio (IRR) estimated by the model. Estimates of IRRs in the analysis of the randomized clinical trial were similar despite their distinctive interpretations. The choice of statistical model class should match the study's purpose, while accounting for the broad decline in children's caries experience, such that dmft and DMFS indices more frequently generate zero counts. Marginalized (marginal mean) models for zero-inflated count data should be considered for direct assessment of exposure effects on the marginal mean dental caries count in the presence of high frequencies of zero counts. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Matching the Statistical Model to the Research Question for Dental Caries Indices with Many Zero Counts

PubMed Central

Preisser, John S.; Long, D. Leann; Stamm, John W.

2017-01-01

Marginalized zero-inflated count regression models have recently been introduced for the statistical analysis of dental caries indices and other zero-inflated count data as alternatives to traditional zero-inflated and hurdle models. Unlike the standard approaches, the marginalized models directly estimate overall exposure or treatment effects by relating covariates to the marginal mean count. This article discusses model interpretation and model class choice according to the research question being addressed in caries research. Two datasets, one consisting of fictional dmft counts in two groups and the other on DMFS among schoolchildren from a randomized clinical trial (RCT) comparing three toothpaste formulations to prevent incident dental caries, are analysed with negative binomial hurdle (NBH), zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB), and marginalized zero-inflated negative binomial (MZINB) models. In the first example, estimates of treatment effects vary according to the type of incidence rate ratio (IRR) estimated by the model. Estimates of IRRs in the analysis of the RCT were similar despite their distinctive interpretations. Choice of statistical model class should match the study’s purpose, while accounting for the broad decline in children’s caries experience, such that dmft and DMFS indices more frequently generate zero counts. Marginalized (marginal mean) models for zero-inflated count data should be considered for direct assessment of exposure effects on the marginal mean dental caries count in the presence of high frequencies of zero counts. PMID:28291962

Direct measurement of the resistivity weighting function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koon, D. W.; Chan, Winston K.

1998-12-01

We have directly measured the resistivity weighting function—the sensitivity of a four-wire resistance measurement to local variations in resistivity—for a square specimen of photoconducting material. This was achieved by optically perturbing the local resistivity of the specimen while measuring the effect of this perturbation on its four-wire resistance. The weighting function we measure for a square geometry with electrical leads at its corners agrees well with calculated results, displaying two symmetric regions of negative weighting which disappear when van der Pauw averaging is performed.

Is it better to receive than to give? Empathy in the conflict-distress relationship.

PubMed

Ferguson, Merideth; Carlson, Dawn; Zivnuska, Suzanne; Whitten, Dwayne

2010-07-01

The moderating effect of partner empathy on the relationship between both directions of work-family conflict (work-to-family and family-to-work) and psychological distress of both the job incumbent and partner are examined in this study. Considering empathy as a specific dimension of emotional social support, we hypothesized that receiving empathy would buffer negative spillover to the job incumbent while giving empathy would exacerbate negative crossover to the partner. A study of 270 job incumbents and their partners revealed that receiving partner empathy fully moderated spillover effects due to family-to-work conflict but had no effects with work-to-family conflict. We also found it interesting that giving partner empathy moderated the crossover effects on family-to-work conflict but had no effects with work-to-family conflict. Implications of these findings and avenues for future research are discussed.

LETTER: Biased limiter experiments on the Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF) torsatron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uckan, T.; Isler, R. C.; Jernigan, T. C.; Lyon, J. F.; Mioduszewski, P. K.; Murakami, M.; Rasmussen, D. A.; Wilgen, J. B.; Aceto, S. C.; Zielinski, J. J.

1994-02-01

The Advanced Toroidal Facility (ATF) torsatron incorporates two rail limiters that can be positioned by external controls. The influence on the plasma parameters of biasing these limiters both positively and negatively with respect to the walls has been investigated. Experiments have been carried out in the electron cyclotron heated plasmas at 200 kW with a typical density of 5 × 1012 cm-3 and a central electron temperature of ~900 eV. Negative biasing produces only small changes in the plasma parameters, but positive biasing increases the particle confinement by about a factor of 5, although the plasma stored energy does fall at the higher voltages. In addition, positive biasing produces the following effects compared with floating limiter discharges: the core density profiles become peaked rather than hollow, the electric field at the edge becomes more negative (pointing radially inward), the magnitudes of the edge fluctuations and the fluctuation induced transport are reduced, the fluctuation wavelengths become longer and their propagation direction reverses from the electron to the ion diamagnetic direction. Neither polarity of biasing appears to affect the impurity content or transport

Unplanned Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems: A Preliminary Test of the Model of Unplanned Drinking Behavior

PubMed Central

Pearson, Matthew R.; Henson, James M.

2013-01-01

Much research links impulsivity with alcohol use and problems. In two studies, unplanned (or impulsive) drinking is assessed directly to determine whether it has direct effects on alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. In study 1, we examined whether unplanned drinking serves as a proximal mediator of the effects of impulsivity-like traits on alcohol-related outcomes. With a sample of 211 college student drinkers, we found that the Unplanned Drinking Scale was significantly related to alcohol use, and perhaps more importantly, had a direct effect on alcohol-related problems even after controlling for frequency and quantity of alcohol use. Further, unplanned drinking partially mediated the effects of negative urgency on alcohol-related problems. In study 2, we examined whether unplanned drinking accounts for unique variance in alcohol-related outcomes when controlling for use of protective behavioral strategies. With a sample of 170 college students, we replicated the findings of Study 1 in that the Unplanned Drinking Scale had a significant direct effect on alcohol-related problems even after controlling for alcohol use; further, this effect was maintained when controlling for use of protective behavioral strategies. Limitations include the modest sample sizes and the cross-sectional design. Future directions for testing the Model of Unplanned Drinking Behavior are proposed. PMID:23276312

Working Memory Load and Negative Picture Processing: Neural and Behavioral Associations With Panic, Social Anxiety, and Positive Affect.

PubMed

MacNamara, Annmarie; Jackson, T Bryan; Fitzgerald, Jacklynn M; Hajcak, Greg; Phan, K Luan

2018-04-22

Internalizing disorders such as anxiety may be characterized by an imbalance between bottom-up (stimulus-driven) and top-down (goal-directed) attention. The late positive potential (LPP) can be used to assess these processes when task-irrelevant negative and neutral pictures are presented within a working memory paradigm. Prior work using this paradigm has found that working memory load reduces the picture-elicited LPP across participants; however, anxious individuals showed a reduced effect of working memory load on the LPP, suggesting increased distractibility. The current study assessed transdiagnostic associations between specific symptom dimensions of anxiety, the LPP, and behavior in a clinically representative, heterogeneous group of 76 treatment-seeking patients with internalizing disorders, who performed a working memory task interspersed with negative and neutral pictures. As expected, negative pictures enhanced the LPP, and working memory load reduced the LPP. Participants with higher social anxiety showed increased LPPs to negative stimuli during early and late portions of picture presentation. Panic symptoms were associated with reduced LPPs to negative pictures compared with neutral pictures as well as a reduced effect of working memory load on the LPP during the late time window. Reduced positive affect was associated with greater behavioral interference from negative pictures. Hypervigilance for negative stimuli was uniquely explained by social anxiety symptoms, whereas panic symptoms were associated with the opposing effect-blunted processing/avoidance of these stimuli. Panic symptoms were uniquely associated with reduced top-down control. Results reveal distinct associations between neural reactivity and anxiety symptom dimensions that transcend traditional diagnostic boundaries. Copyright © 2018 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Increased positive versus negative affective perception and memory in healthy volunteers following selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibition.

PubMed

Harmer, Catherine J; Shelley, Nicholas C; Cowen, Philip J; Goodwin, Guy M

2004-07-01

Antidepressants that inhibit the reuptake of serotonin (SSRIs) or norepinephrine (SNRIs) are effective in the treatment of disorders such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive psychological theories emphasize the importance of correcting negative biases of information processing in the nonpharmacological treatment of these disorders, but it is not known whether antidepressant drugs can directly modulate the neural processing of affective information. The present study therefore assessed the actions of repeated antidepressant administration on perception and memory for positive and negative emotional information in healthy volunteers. Forty-two male and female volunteers were randomly assigned to 7 days of double-blind intervention with the SSRI citalopram (20 mg/day), the SNRI reboxetine (8 mg/day), or placebo. On the final day, facial expression recognition, emotion-potentiated startle response, and memory for affect-laden words were assessed. Questionnaires monitoring mood, hostility, and anxiety were given before and after treatment. In the facial expression recognition task, citalopram and reboxetine reduced the identification of the negative facial expressions of anger and fear. Citalopram also abolished the increased startle response found in the context of negative affective images. Both antidepressants increased the relative recall of positive (versus negative) emotional material. These changes in emotional processing occurred in the absence of significant differences in ratings of mood and anxiety. However, reboxetine decreased subjective ratings of hostility and elevated energy. Short-term administration of two different antidepressant types had similar effects on emotion-related tasks in healthy volunteers, reducing the processing of negative relative to positive emotional material. Such effects of antidepressants may ameliorate the negative biases in information processing that characterize mood and anxiety disorders. They also suggest a mechanism of action potentially compatible with cognitive theories of anxiety and depression.

Drinking motives as mediators of the impulsivity-substance use relation: pathways for negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking.

PubMed

Adams, Zachary W; Kaiser, Alison J; Lynam, Donald R; Charnigo, Richard J; Milich, Richard

2012-07-01

Trait impulsivity is a reliable, robust predictor of risky, problematic alcohol use. Mounting evidence supports a multidimensional model of impulsivity, whereby several distinct traits serve as personality pathways to rash action. Different impulsivity-related traits may predispose individuals to drink for different reasons (e.g., to enhance pleasure, to cope with distress) and these different motives may, in turn, influence drinking behavior. Previous findings support such a mediational model for two well-studied traits: sensation seeking and lack of premeditation. This study addresses other impulsivity-related traits, including negative urgency. College students (N=432) completed questionnaires assessing personality, drinking motives, and multiple indicators of problematic drinking. Negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation were all significantly related to problematic drinking. When drinking motives were included in the model, direct effects for sensation seeking and lack of premeditation remained significant, and indirect effects of sensation seeking and lack of premeditation on problematic drinking were observed through enhancement motives. A distinct pathway was observed for negative urgency. Negative urgency bore a significant total effect on problematic drinking through both coping and enhancement motives. This study highlights unique motivational pathways through which different impulsive traits may operate, suggesting that interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic drinking should be tailored to individuals' personalities. For instance, individuals high in negative urgency may benefit from learning healthier strategies for coping with distress. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking Motives as Mediators of the Impulsivity-Substance Use Relation: Pathways for Negative Urgency, Lack of Premeditation, and Sensation Seeking

PubMed Central

Adams, Zachary W.; Kaiser, Alison J.; Lynam, Donald R.; Charnigo, Richard J.; Milich, Richard

2012-01-01

Trait impulsivity is a reliable, robust predictor of risky, problematic alcohol use. Mounting evidence supports a multidimensional model of impulsivity, whereby several distinct traits serve as personality pathways to rash action. Different impulsivity-related traits may predispose individuals to drink for different reasons (e.g., to enhance pleasure, to cope with distress) and these different motives may, in turn, influence drinking behavior. Previous findings support such a mediational model for two well-studied traits: sensation seeking and lack of premeditation. This study addresses other impulsivity-related traits, including negative urgency. College students (N = 432) completed questionnaires assessing personality, drinking motives, and multiple indicators of problematic drinking. Negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation were all significantly related to problematic drinking. When drinking motives were included in the model, direct effects for sensation seeking and lack of premeditation remained significant, and indirect effects of sensation seeking and lack of premeditation on problematic drinking were observed through enhancement motives. A distinct pathway was observed for negative urgency. Negative urgency bore a significant total effect on problematic drinking through both coping and enhancement motives. This study highlights unique motivational pathways through which different impulsive traits may operate, suggesting that interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic drinking should be tailored to individuals' personalities. For instance, individuals high in negative urgency may benefit from learning healthier strategies for coping with distress. PMID:22472524

Negative ions at Titan: New results using spacecraft attitude changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wellbrock, A.; Coates, A. J.; Lewis, G. R.; Jones, G. H.; Arridge, C. S.; Magee, B. A.; Crary, F. J.; Waite, J. H.; Sittler, E. C.; Young, D. T.

2009-04-01

A. Wellbrock, A. J. Coates, G. R. Lewis, G. H. Jones, C. S. Arridge, B. A. Magee, F. J. Crary, J. H. Waite, E. C. Sittler, D. T. Young The ELS (ELectron Spectrometer) part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) revealed the existence of negative ions in Titan's ionosphere (Coates et al, 2007, Waite et al, 2007). The instrument is mounted on a rotating platform called the actuator. The negative ions are detected when this actuator points in the direction in which the spacecraft travels (the ‘ram direction'). This is because the negative ions have slow thermal speeds compared to the spacecraft speed, whereas electrons have much higher thermal speeds and are detected in any direction as their distribution is isotropic. Hence the negative ions can be identified as narrow spikes in the ELS electron spectrograms. During most Titan flybys, the spacecraft attitude is oriented such that the central anode of the instrument points in the ram direction. However, during Titan encounters when the spacecraft rotates, other anodes can point in the ram direction for short periods of time, or in a direction very close to the ram direction. In the latter case, only higher mass ions are detected. Comparing data from different anodes in and near the ram direction can be used to obtain information related to the ion velocity and temperature, which we discuss. The study of measurements from all anodes of the instrument also significantly increases the number of negative ion spikes available for analysis. The resulting set of data allows a statistical study of the different mass groups at a range of altitudes and latitudes, and their scale heights. We summarise and discuss the results. References: Coates, A.J., F.J. Crary, G.R. Lewis, D.T. Young, J.H. Waite, Jr., E.C.Sittler Jr., Discovery of heavy negative ions in Titan's ionosphere, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L22103, 2007. Waite, J. H., Jr., D. T. Young, T. E. Cravens, A. J. Coates, F. J. Crary, B. Magee and J. Westlake, The Process of Tholin Formation in Titan's Upper Atmosphere, Science 316, 870 (11 May 2007).

Time with friends and physical activity as mechanisms linking obesity and television viewing among youth.

PubMed

Vandewater, Elizabeth A; Park, Seoung Eun; Hébert, Emily T; Cummings, Hope M

2015-07-27

Though bivariate relationships between childhood obesity, physical activity, friendships and television viewing are well documented, empirical assessment of the extent to which links between obesity and television may be mediated by these factors is scarce. This study examines the possibility that time with friends and physical activity are potential mechanisms linking overweight/obesity to television viewing in youth. Data were drawn from children ages 10-18 years old (M = 13.81, SD = 2.55) participating in the 2002 wave of Child Development Supplement (CDS) to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) (n = 1,545). Data were collected both directly and via self-report from children and their parents. Path analysis was employed to examine a model whereby the relationships between youth overweight/obesity and television viewing were mediated by time spent with friends and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Overweight/obesity was directly related to less time spent with friends, but not to MVPA. Time spent with friends was directly and positively related to MVPA, and directly and negatively related to time spent watching television without friends. In turn, MVPA was directly and negatively related to watching television without friends. There were significant indirect effects of both overweight/obesity and time with friends on television viewing through MVPA, and of overweight/obesity on MVPA through time with friends. Net of any indirect effects, the direct effect of overweight/obesity on television viewing remained. The final model fit the data extremely well (χ2 = 5.77, df = 5, p<0.0001, RMSEA = 0.01, CFI = 0.99, TLI =0.99). We found good evidence that the positive relationships between time with friends and physical activity are important mediators of links between overweight/obesity and television viewing in youth. These findings highlight the importance of moving from examinations of bivariate relationships between weight status and television viewing to more nuanced explanatory models which attempt to identify and unpack the possible mechanisms linking them.

Aerosol Radiative Effects on Deep Convective Clouds and Associated Radiative Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fan, J.; Zhang, R.; Tao, W.-K.; Mohr, I.

2007-01-01

The aerosol radiative effects (ARE) on the deep convective clouds are investigated by using a spectral-bin cloud-resolving model (CRM) coupled with a radiation scheme and an explicit land surface model. The sensitivity of cloud properties and the associated radiative forcing to aerosol single-scattering albedo (SSA) are examined. The ARE on cloud properties is pronounced for mid-visible SSA of 0.85. Relative to the case excluding the ARE, cloud fraction and optical depth decrease by about 18% and 20%, respectively. Cloud droplet and ice particle number concentrations, liquid water path (LWP), ice water path (IWP), and droplet size decrease significantly when the ARE is introduced. The ARE causes a surface cooling of about 0.35 K and significantly high heating rates in the lower troposphere (about 0.6K/day higher at 2 km), both of which lead to a more stable atmosphere and hence weaker convection. The weaker convection and the more desiccation of cloud layers explain the less cloudiness, lower cloud optical depth, LWP and IWP, smaller droplet size, and less precipitation. The daytime-mean direct forcing induced by black carbon is about 2.2 W/sq m at the top of atmosphere (TOA) and -17.4 W/sq m at the surface for SSA of 0.85. The semi-direct forcing is positive, about 10 and 11.2 W/sq m at the TOA and surface, respectively. Both the TOA and surface total radiative forcing values are strongly negative for the deep convective clouds, attributed mostly to aerosol indirect forcing. Aerosol direct and semi-direct effects are very sensitive to SSA. Because the positive semi-direct forcing compensates the negative direct forcing at the surface, the surface temperature and heat fluxes decrease less significantly with the increase of aerosol absorption (decreasing SSA). The cloud fraction, optical depth, convective strength, and precipitation decrease with the increase of absorption, resulting from a more stable and dryer atmosphere due to enhanced surface cooling and atmospheric heating.

The effect of transcranial direct current stimulation of the prefrontal cortex on implicit self-esteem is mediated by rumination after criticism.

PubMed

De Raedt, Rudi; Remue, Jonathan; Loeys, Tom; Hooley, Jill M; Baeken, Chris

2017-12-01

It has been proposed that a crucial link between cognitive (i.e., self-schemas) and biological vulnerability is prefrontal control. This is because decreased control leads to impaired ability to inhibit ruminative thinking after the activation of negative self-schemas. However, current evidence is mainly correlational. In the current experimental study we tested whether the effect of neurostimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on self-esteem is mediated by momentary ruminative self-referential thinking (MRST) after the induction of negative self-schemas by criticism. We used a single, sham-controlled crossover session of anodal transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) applied to the left DLPFC (cathode over the right supraorbital region) in healthy female individuals. After receiving tDCS/sham stimulation, we measured MRST and exposed the participants to critical audio scripts, followed by another MRST measurement. Subsequently, all participants completed two Implicit Relational Assessment Procedures to implicitly measure actual and ideal self-esteem. Our behavioral data indicated a significant decrease in MRST after real but not sham tDCS. Moreover, although there was no immediate effect of tDCS on implicit self-esteem, an indirect effect was found through double mediation, with the difference in MRST from baseline to after stimulation and from baseline to after criticism as our two mediators. The larger the decrease of criticism induced MRST after real tDCS, the higher the level of actual self-esteem. Our results show that tDCS can influence cognitive processes such as rumination, and subsequently self-esteem, but only after the activation of negative self-schemas. Rumination and negative self-esteem characterize different forms of psychopathology, and these data expand our knowledge of the role of the prefrontal cortex in controlling these self-referential processes, and the mechanisms of action of tDCS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Maternal Cocaine Use and Mother-Toddler Aggression

PubMed Central

Eiden, Rina D.; Schuetze, Pamela; Colder, Craig; Veira, Yvette

2011-01-01

This study examined the direct and indirect associations between maternal cocaine use during pregnancy and mother-toddler aggression in an interactive context at 2 years of child age. We hypothesized that in addition to direct effects of cocaine exposure on maternal and child aggression, the association between maternal cocaine use and mother-toddler aggression may be indirect via higher maternal psychiatric symptoms, negative affect, or poor infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Participants consisted of 220 (119 cocaine exposed, 101 non-cocaine exposed) mother-toddler dyads participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of prenatal cocaine exposure. Results indicated that mothers who used cocaine during pregnancy displayed higher levels of aggression toward their toddlers compared to mothers in the control group. Results from model testing indicated significant indirect associations between maternal cocaine use and maternal aggression via higher maternal negative affect as well as lower infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Although there were no direct associations between cocaine exposure and toddler aggression, there was a significant indirect effect via lower infant autonomic regulation at 13 months. Results highlight the importance of including maternal aggression in predictive models of prenatal cocaine exposure examining child aggression. Results also emphasize the important role of infant regulation as a mechanism partially explaining associations between cocaine exposure and mother-toddler aggression. PMID:21396441

The intervening role of urgency on the association between childhood maltreatment, PTSD, and substance-related problems

PubMed Central

Mirhashem, Rebecca; Allen, Holley C.; Adams, Zachary W.; van Stolk-Cooke, Katherine; Legrand, Alison; Price, Matthew

2017-01-01

A range of risk factors lead to opioid use and substance-related problems (SRP) including childhood maltreatment, elevated impulsivity, and psychopathology. These constructs are highly interrelated such that childhood maltreatment is associated with elevated impulsivity and traumarelated psychopathology such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and impulsivity—particularly urgency—and PTSD are related. Prior work has examined the association between these constructs and substance-related problems independently and it is unclear how these multifaceted constructs (i.e., maltreatment types and positive and negative urgency) are associated with one another and SRP. The current study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relations among childhood maltreatment, trait urgency, PTSD symptoms, and SRP in a sample of individuals with a history of opioid use. An initial model that included paths from each type of childhood maltreatment, positive and negative urgency, PTSD and SRP did not fit the data well. A pruned model with excellent fit was identified that suggested emotional abuse, positive urgency, and negative urgency were directly related to PTSD symptoms and only PTSD symptoms were directly related to SRP. Furthermore, significant indirect effects suggested that emotional abuse and negative urgency were related to SRP via PTSD symptom severity. These results suggest that PTSD plays an important role in the severity of SRP. PMID:28219827

Psychological Resilience, Affective Mechanisms, and Symptom Burden in a Tertiary Care Sample of Patients with Fibromyalgia

PubMed Central

McAllister, Samantha J; Vincent, Ann; Hassett, Afton L; Whipple, Mary O; Oh, Terry H; Benzo, Roberto P; Toussaint, Loren L

2014-01-01

Research demonstrates that patients with fibromyalgia who have higher positive and lower negative affect have lower symptom burden. Affect has been shown to be associated with resilience. This study examined the relationship between affect, resilience, and fibromyalgia symptom burden in a clinical sample of patients with fibromyalgia. We hypothesized that (a) positive and negative affect would be associated with fibromyalgia symptom burden; (b) resilience would be associated with positive and negative affect; (c) resilience would be associated with fibromyalgia symptom burden; and (d) the connection between resilience and fibromyalgia symptom burden would be mediated by both positive and negative affect. A sample of 858 patients with fibromyalgia completed questionnaires. Mediation modeling revealed statistically significant direct effects of resilience on fibromyalgia symptom burden (β =−.10, P < .001) and statistically significant indirect effects of resilience on fibromyalgia symptom burden through affect (β =−.36, P < .001), suggesting that both resilience and affect influence fibromyalgia symptom burden. Our results suggest that improving affect through resiliency training could be studied as a modality for improving fibromyalgia symptom burden. PMID:24376184

Acute aerobic exercise helps overcome emotion regulation deficits.

PubMed

Bernstein, Emily E; McNally, Richard J

2017-06-01

Although colloquial wisdom and some studies suggest an association between regular aerobic exercise and emotional well-being, the nature of this link remains poorly understood. We hypothesised that aerobic exercise may change the way people respond to their emotions. Specifically, we tested whether individuals experiencing difficulties with emotion regulation would benefit from a previous session of exercise and show swifter recovery than their counterparts who did not exercise. Participants (N = 80) completed measures of emotion response tendencies, mood, and anxiety, and were randomly assigned to either stretch or jog for 30 minutes. All participants then underwent the same negative and positive mood inductions, and reported their emotional responses. Analyses showed that more perceived difficulty generating regulatory strategies and engaging in goal-directed behaviours after the negative mood induction predicted more intense and persistent negative affect in response to the stressor, as would be expected. Interactions revealed that aerobic exercise attenuated these effects. Moderate aerobic exercise may help attenuate negative emotions for participants initially experiencing regulatory difficulties. This study contributes to the literature on aerobic exercise's therapeutic effects with experimental data, specifically in the realm of emotional processing.

Aptamer-Based Carboxyl-Terminated Nanocrystalline Diamond Sensing Arrays for Adenosine Triphosphate Detection

PubMed Central

Suaebah, Evi; Naramura, Takuro; Myodo, Miho; Hasegawa, Masataka; Shoji, Shuichi; Buendia, Jorge J.; Kawarada, Hiroshi

2017-01-01

Here, we propose simple diamond functionalization by carboxyl termination for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection by an aptamer. The high-sensitivity label-free aptamer sensor for ATP detection was fabricated on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD). Carboxyl termination of the NCD surface by vacuum ultraviolet excimer laser and fluorine termination of the background region as a passivated layer were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Single strand DNA (amide modification) was used as the supporting biomolecule to immobilize into the diamond surface via carboxyl termination and become a double strand with aptamer. ATP detection by aptamer was observed as a 66% fluorescence signal intensity decrease of the hybridization intensity signal. The sensor operation was also investigated by the field-effect characteristics. The shift of the drain current–drain voltage characteristics was used as the indicator for detection of ATP. From the field-effect characteristics, the shift of the drain current–drain voltage was observed in the negative direction. The negative charge direction shows that the aptamer is capable of detecting ATP. The ability of the sensor to detect ATP was investigated by fabricating a field-effect transistor on the modified NCD surface. PMID:28753998

Aptamer-Based Carboxyl-Terminated Nanocrystalline Diamond Sensing Arrays for Adenosine Triphosphate Detection.

PubMed

Suaebah, Evi; Naramura, Takuro; Myodo, Miho; Hasegawa, Masataka; Shoji, Shuichi; Buendia, Jorge J; Kawarada, Hiroshi

2017-07-21

Here, we propose simple diamond functionalization by carboxyl termination for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) detection by an aptamer. The high-sensitivity label-free aptamer sensor for ATP detection was fabricated on nanocrystalline diamond (NCD). Carboxyl termination of the NCD surface by vacuum ultraviolet excimer laser and fluorine termination of the background region as a passivated layer were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Single strand DNA (amide modification) was used as the supporting biomolecule to immobilize into the diamond surface via carboxyl termination and become a double strand with aptamer. ATP detection by aptamer was observed as a 66% fluorescence signal intensity decrease of the hybridization intensity signal. The sensor operation was also investigated by the field-effect characteristics. The shift of the drain current-drain voltage characteristics was used as the indicator for detection of ATP. From the field-effect characteristics, the shift of the drain current-drain voltage was observed in the negative direction. The negative charge direction shows that the aptamer is capable of detecting ATP. The ability of the sensor to detect ATP was investigated by fabricating a field-effect transistor on the modified NCD surface.

Do industrial incidents in the chemical sector create equity market contagion?

PubMed

Brown, Gavin D; Corbet, Shaen; McMullan, Caroline; Sharma, Ruchira

2015-12-01

This paper examines a number of US chemical industry incidents and their effect on equity prices of the incident company. Furthermore, this paper then examines the contagion effect of this incident on direct competitors. Event study methodology is used to assess the impact of chemical incidents on both incident and competitor companies. This paper finds that the incident company experiences deeper negative abnormal returns as the number of injuries and fatalities as a result of the incident increases. The equity value of the competitor companies suffer substantial losses stemming from contagion effects when disasters that occur cause ten or more injuries and fatalities, but benefit from the incident through increasing equity value when the level of injury and fatality is minor. Presence of contagion suggests collective action may reduce value destruction brought about by safety incidents that result in significant injury or loss of life. This research can be used as a resource to promote and justify the cost of safety mechanisms within the chemical industry, as incidents have been shown to negatively affect the equity value of the not just the incident company, but also their direct competitors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Exploring direct and indirect influences of physical work environment on job satisfaction for early-career registered nurses employed in hospitals.

PubMed

Djukic, Maja; Kovner, Christine T; Brewer, Carol S; Fatehi, Farida; Greene, William H

2014-08-01

We explored direct and indirect influences of physical work environment on job satisfaction in a nationally representative sample of 1,141 early-career registered nurses. In the fully specified model, physical work environment had a non-significant direct effect on job satisfaction. The path analysis used to test multiple indirect effects showed that physical work environment had a positive indirect effect (p < .05) on job satisfaction through ten variables: negative affectivity, variety, workgroup cohesion, nurse-physician relations, quantitative workload, organizational constraints, distributive justice, promotional opportunity, local and non-local job opportunities. The findings make important contributions to the understanding of the relationship between physical work environment and job satisfaction. The results can inform health care leaders' insight about how physical work environment influences nurses' job satisfaction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of BF3 adsorption on positively and negatively poled LiNbO3 (0001)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herdiech, M. W.; Mönig, H.; Altman, E. I.

2014-08-01

Adsorption of the strong Lewis acid BF3 was investigated to probe the sensitivity of the Lewis basicity of surface oxygens on LiNbO3 (0001) to the ferroelectric polarization direction. Adsorption and desorption were characterized by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to monitor the intensity and binding energy of the F 1s core level as a function of BF3 exposure and temperature. The results indicate that both BF3 uptake and desorption are very similar on the positively and negatively poled surfaces. In particular, BF3 only weakly adsorbs with the majority of the adsorbed BF3 desorbing below 200 K. Despite the similarities in the uptake and desorption behavior, the binding energy of the F 1s peak relative to the substrate Nb 3d5/2 peak was sensitive to the polarization direction, with the F 1s peak occurring at a binding energy up to 0.3 eV lower on positively poled than negatively poled LiNbO3 for equivalent BF3 exposures. Rather than reflecting a difference in bonding to the surface, however, this shift could be associated with oppositely oriented dipoles at the positively and negatively poled surfaces creating opposite band offsets between the adsorbate and the substrate. A similar effect was observed with lead zirconate titanate thin films where the Pb 4f XPS peak position changes as a function of temperature as a result of the pyroelectric effect which changes the magnitude of the surface and interface dipoles.

Negative affect is associated with alcohol, but not cigarette use in heavy drinking smokers.

PubMed

Bujarski, Spencer; Ray, Lara A

2014-12-01

Co-use of alcohol and cigarettes is highly prevalent, and heavy drinking smokers represent a large and difficult-to-treat subgroup of smokers. Negative affect, including anxiety and depressive symptomatology, has been associated with both cigarette and alcohol use independently, but less is known about the role of negative affect in heavy drinking smokers. Furthermore, while some studies have shown negative affect to precede substance use, a precise biobehavioral mechanism has not been established. The aims of the present study were twofold. First, to test whether negative affect is associated with alcohol and cigarette use in a large community sample of heavy drinking smokers (n=461). And second, to examine craving as a plausible statistical mediator of the association between negative affect and alcohol and/or cigarette use. Hypothesis testing was conducted using a structural equation modeling approach with cross-sectional data. Analysis revealed a significant main effect of negative affect on alcohol use (β=0.210, p<0.05), but not cigarette use (β=0.131, p>0.10) in this sample. Mediational analysis revealed that alcohol craving was a full statistical mediator of this association (p<0.05), such that there was no direct association between negative affect and alcohol use after accounting for alcohol craving. These results are consistent with a negative reinforcement and relief craving models of alcohol use insofar as the experience of negative affect was associated with increased alcohol use, and the relationship was statistically mediated by alcohol craving, presumably to alleviate negative affect. Further longitudinal or experimental studies are warranted to enhance the causal inferences of this mediated effect. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electrokinetic motion of a spherical micro particle at an oil-water interface in microchannel.

PubMed

Wang, Chengfa; Li, Mengqi; Song, Yongxin; Pan, Xinxiang; Li, Dongqing

2018-03-01

The electrokinetic motion of a negatively charged spherical particle at an oil-water interface in a microchannel is numerically investigated and analyzed in this paper. A three-dimensional (3D) transient numerical model is developed to simulate the particle electrokinetic motion. The channel wall, the surface of the particle and the oil-water interface are all considered negatively charged. The effects of the direct current (DC) electric field, the zeta potentials of the particle-water interface and the oil-water interface, and the dynamic viscosity ratio of oil to water on the velocity of the particle are studied in this paper. In addition, the influences of the particle size are also discussed. The simulation results show that the micro-particle with a small value of negative zeta potential moves in the same direction of the external electric field. However, if the zeta potential value of the particle-water interface is large enough, the moving direction of the particle is opposite to that of the electric field. The velocity of the particle at the interface increases with the increase in the electric field strength and the particle size, but decreases with the increase in the dynamic viscosity ratio of oil to water, and the absolute value of the negative zeta potentials of both the particle-water interface and the oil-water interface. This work is the first numerical study of the electrokinetic motion of a charged particle at an oil-water interface in a microchannel. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Creating double negative index materials using the Babinet principle with one metasurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lei; Koschny, Thomas; Soukoulis, C. M.

2013-01-01

Metamaterials are patterned metallic structures which permit access to a novel electromagnetic response, negative index of refraction, impossible to achieve with naturally occurring materials. Using the Babinet principle, the complementary split ring resonator (SRR) is etched in a metallic plate to provide negative ɛ, with perpendicular direction. Here we propose a new design, etched in a metallic plate to provide negative magnetic permeability μ, with perpendicular direction. The combined electromagnetic response of this planar metamaterial, where the negative μ comes from the aperture and the negative ɛ from the remainder of the continuous metallic plate, allows achievement of a double negative index metamaterial (NIM) with only one metasurface and strong transmission. These designs can be used to fabricate NIMs at microwave and optical wavelengths and three-dimensional metamaterials.

Barriers to physicians' adoption of healthcare information technology: an empirical study on multiple hospitals.

PubMed

Lin, Chihung; Lin, I-Chun; Roan, Jinsheng

2012-06-01

Prior research on technology usage had largely overlooked the issue of user resistance or barriers to technology acceptance. Prior research on the Electronic Medical Records had largely focused on technical issues but rarely on managerial issues. Such oversight prevented a better understanding of users' resistance to new technologies and the antecedents of technology rejection. Incorporating the enablers and the inhibitors of technology usage intention, this study explores physicians' reactions towards the electronic medical record. The main focus is on the barriers, perceived threat and perceived inequity. 115 physicians from 6 hospitals participated in the questionnaire survey. Structural Equation Modeling was employed to verify the measurement scale and research hypotheses. According to the results, perceived threat shows a direct and negative effect on perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions, as well as an indirect effect on behavioral intentions via perceived usefulness. Perceived inequity reveals a direct and positive effect on perceived threat, and it also shows a direct and negative effect on perceived usefulness. Besides, perceived inequity reveals an indirect effect on behavioral intentions via perceived usefulness with perceived threat as the inhibitor. The research finding presents a better insight into physicians' rejection and the antecedents of such outcome. For the healthcare industry understanding the factors contributing to physicians' technology acceptance is important as to ensure a smooth implementation of any new technology. The results of this study can also provide change managers reference to a smooth IT introduction into an organization. In addition, our proposed measurement scale can be applied as a diagnostic tool for them to better understand the status quo within their organizations and users' reactions to technology acceptance. By doing so, barriers to physicians' acceptance can be identified earlier and more effectively before leading to technology rejection.

Tunable positive and negative refraction of infrared radiation in graphene-dielectric multilayers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, R. Z.; Zhang, Z. M., E-mail: zhuomin.zhang@me.gatech.edu

2015-11-09

Graphene-dielectric multilayers consisting of alternating layers of atom-thick graphene and nanometer-scale dielectric films exhibit characteristics of hyperbolic metamaterials, in which one positive and one negative permittivity are defined for orthogonal directions. Negative permittivity for electric field polarized in the direction parallel to the conductive graphene sheets gives rise to a negative angle of refraction and low-loss transmission for the side-incidence perspective proposed in this work. The Poynting vector tracing demonstrates the switching between positive and negative refraction in the mid-infrared region by tuning the chemical potential of graphene. This adjustable dual-mode metamaterial holds promise for infrared imaging applications.

Oblique Interaction of Dust-ion Acoustic Solitons with Superthermal Electrons in a Magnetized Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parveen, Shahida; Mahmood, Shahzad; Adnan, Muhammad; Qamar, Anisa

2018-01-01

The oblique interaction between two dust-ion acoustic (DIA) solitons travelling in the opposite direction, in a collisionless magnetized plasma composed of dynamic ions, static dust (positive/negative) charged particles and interialess kappa distributed electrons is investigated. By employing extended Poincaré-Lighthill-Kuo (PLK) method, Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equations are derived for the right and left moving low amplitude DIA solitons. Their trajectories and corresponding phase shifts before and after their interaction are also obtained. It is found that in negatively charged dusty plasma above the critical dust charged to ion density ratio the positive polarity pulse is formed, while below the critical dust charged density ratio the negative polarity pulse of DIA soliton exist. However it is found that only positive polarity pulse of DIA solitons exist for the positively charged dust particles case in a magnetized nonthermal plasma. The nonlinearity coefficient in the KdV equation vanishes for the negatively charged dusty plasma case for a particular set of parameters. Therefore, at critical plasma density composition for negatively charged dust particles case, the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equations having cubic nonlinearity coefficient of the DIA solitons, and their corresponding phase shifts are derived for the left and right moving solitons. The effects of the system parameters including the obliqueness of solitons propagation with respect to magnetic field direction, superthermality of electrons and concentration of positively/negatively static dust charged particles on the phase shifts of the colliding solitons are also discussed and presented numerically. The results are applicable to space magnetized dusty plasma regimes.

The role of positive/negative outcome expectancy and refusal self-efficacy of Internet use on Internet addiction among college students in Taiwan.

PubMed

Lin, Min-Pei; Ko, Huei-Chen; Wu, Jo Yung-Wei

2008-08-01

Based on Bandura's social cognitive theory, this study was designed to examine positive and negative outcome expectancy and refusal self-efficacy of Internet use and their contribution to Internet addiction among college students by using hierarchical multiple regression analyses in a cross-sectional study design. Schools were first stratified into technical or nontechnical colleges and then into seven majors. A cluster random sampling by department was further applied to randomly choose participants from each major. A representative sample of 4,456 college students participated in this study. The Outcome Expectancy and Refusal Self-Efficacy of Internet Use Questionnaire and the Chen Internet Addiction Scale were used to assess the cognitive factors and the levels of Internet addiction. Results showed that both positive outcome expectancy and negative outcome expectancy were significantly and positively correlated with Internet addiction, and refusal self-efficacy of Internet use was significantly and negatively related to Internet addiction. Further analyses revealed that refusal self-efficacy of Internet use directly and negatively predicted Internet addiction. Moreover, we discovered that positive outcome expectancy positively predicted Internet addiction via refusal self-efficacy of Internet use; however, surprisingly, negative outcome expectancy had both a direct and indirect positive relationship in predicting Internet addiction via the refusal self-efficacy of Internet use. These results give empirical evidence to verify the theoretical effectiveness of the three cognitive factors to Internet addiction and should be incorporated when designing prevention programs and strategies for Internet addicted college students.

Cognitive indicators of social anxiety in youth: a structural equation analysis.

PubMed

Rudy, Brittany M; Davis, Thompson E; Matthews, Russell A

2014-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated significant relationships among various cognitive variables such as negative cognition, self-efficacy, and social anxiety. Unfortunately, few studies focus on the role of cognition among youth, and researchers often fail to use domain-specific measures when examining cognitive variables. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine domain-specific cognitive variables (i.e., socially oriented negative self-referent cognition and social self-efficacy) and their relationships to social anxiety in children and adolescents using structural equation modeling techniques. A community sample of children and adolescents (n=245; 55.9% female; 83.3% Caucasian, 9.4% African American, 2% Asian, 2% Hispanic, 2% "other," and 1.2% not reported) completed questionnaires assessing social cognition and social anxiety symptomology. Three latent variables were created to examine the constructs of socially oriented negative self-referent cognition (as measured by the SONAS scale), social self-efficacy (as measured by the SEQSS-C), and social anxiety (as measured by the SPAI-C and the Brief SA). The resulting measurement model of latent variables fit the data well. Additionally, consistent with the study hypothesis, results indicated that social self-efficacy likely mediates the relationship between socially oriented negative self-referent cognition and social anxiety, and socially oriented negative self-referent cognition yields significant direct and indirect effects on social anxiety. These findings indicate that socially oriented negative cognitions are associated with youth's beliefs about social abilities and the experience of social anxiety. Future directions for research and study limitations, including use of cross-sectional data, are discussed. © 2013.

Human attitudes towards herpetofauna: The influence of folklore and negative values on the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Portugal

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Human values and folklore of wildlife strongly influence the effectiveness of conservation efforts. These values and folklore may also vary with certain demographic characteristics such as gender, age, or education. Reptiles and amphibians are among the least appreciated of vertebrates and are victims of many negative values and wrong ideas resulting from the direct interpretation of folklore. We try to demonstrate how these values and folklore can affect the way people relate to them and also the possible conservation impacts on these animals. Methods A questionnaire survey distributed to 514 people in the district of Évora, Portugal, was used to obtain data regarding the hypothesis that the existence of wrong ideas and negative values contributes to the phenomenon of human-associated persecution of these animals. A structural equation model was specified in order to confirm the hypothesis about the possible relationships between the presence of perceptions and negative values about amphibians and reptiles and persecution and anti-conservation attitudes. Sociodemographic variables were also added. Results The results of the model suggest that the presence of folklore and negative values clearly predicts persecution and anti-conservation attitudes towards amphibians and reptiles. Also, the existence of folklore varies sociodemographically, but negative values concerning these animals are widespread in the population. Conclusions With the use of structural equation models, this work is a contribution to the study of how certain ideas and values can directly influence human attitudes towards herpetofauna and how they can be a serious conservation issue. PMID:22316318

Human attitudes towards herpetofauna: the influence of folklore and negative values on the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Portugal.

PubMed

Ceríaco, Luis Mp

2012-02-08

Human values and folklore of wildlife strongly influence the effectiveness of conservation efforts. These values and folklore may also vary with certain demographic characteristics such as gender, age, or education. Reptiles and amphibians are among the least appreciated of vertebrates and are victims of many negative values and wrong ideas resulting from the direct interpretation of folklore. We try to demonstrate how these values and folklore can affect the way people relate to them and also the possible conservation impacts on these animals. A questionnaire survey distributed to 514 people in the district of Évora, Portugal, was used to obtain data regarding the hypothesis that the existence of wrong ideas and negative values contributes to the phenomenon of human-associated persecution of these animals. A structural equation model was specified in order to confirm the hypothesis about the possible relationships between the presence of perceptions and negative values about amphibians and reptiles and persecution and anti-conservation attitudes. Sociodemographic variables were also added. The results of the model suggest that the presence of folklore and negative values clearly predicts persecution and anti-conservation attitudes towards amphibians and reptiles. Also, the existence of folklore varies sociodemographically, but negative values concerning these animals are widespread in the population. With the use of structural equation models, this work is a contribution to the study of how certain ideas and values can directly influence human attitudes towards herpetofauna and how they can be a serious conservation issue.

Measurement of negativity bias in personal narratives using corpus-based emotion dictionaries.

PubMed

Cohen, Shuki J

2011-04-01

This study presents a novel methodology for the measurement of negativity bias using positive and negative dictionaries of emotion words applied to autobiographical narratives. At odds with the cognitive theory of mood dysregulation, previous text-analytical studies have failed to find significant correlation between emotion dictionaries and negative affectivity or dysphoria. In the present study, an a priori list dictionary of emotion words was refined based on the actual use of these words in personal narratives collected from close to 500 college students. Half of the corpus was used to construct, via concordance analysis, the grammatical structures associated with the words in their emotional sense. The second half of the corpus served as a validation corpus. The resulting dictionary ignores words that are not used in their intended emotional sense, including negated emotions, homophones, frozen idioms etc. Correlations of the resulting corpus-based negative and positive emotion dictionaries with self-report measures of negative affectivity were in the expected direction, and were statistically significant, with medium effect size. The potential use of these dictionaries as implicit measures of negativity bias and in the analysis of psychotherapy transcripts is discussed.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents: do negative emotions and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function play a role?

PubMed

Pajer, Kathleen A

2007-10-01

Negative emotions such as depression and hostility/anger are important risk factors for cardiovascular disease in adults, but are often neglected in treatment or prevention programs. Adolescence is a stage of life when negative emotions often first become problematic and is also a time when the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease appears to accelerate. The literature on negative emotions and cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents is reviewed here. Research indicates that negative emotions are associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescence. Negative emotions are also associated with several types of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation. Such dysregulation appears to have a facilitatory effect on cardiovascular disease development and progression in adults. Thus, it is possible that negative emotions in adolescents may be risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease via dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Although this hypothesis has not been directly tested, some studies indirectly support the hypothesis. Negative emotions are associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors in adolescents; it is possible that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation is an important mechanism. This hypothesis merits further research. If the hypothesis is valid, it has significant implications for early prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Directed attention reduces processing of emotional distracters irrespective of valence and arousal level.

PubMed

Wiens, Stefan; Syrjänen, Elmeri

2013-09-01

Emotional stimuli tend to capture attention, and this so-called motivated attention is commonly measured using the early posterior negativity (EPN) and the late positive potential (LPP). We hypothesized that voluntary, directed attention reduces motivated attention more strongly for highly than moderately arousing pleasant or unpleasant pictures. Participants were instructed to direct their attention to either a picture at fixation or the letters flanking the picture. Pictures varied substantially in arousal and valence. When the pictures were attended to, EPN and LPP increased linearly with arousal. When the letters were attended to, these linear effects decreased in the EPN for pleasant and unpleasant pictures and in the LPP for pleasant pictures. Thus, directed attention decreases processing of emotional distracters more strongly for highly than moderately arousing pleasant and unpleasant pictures. These results are consistent with the view that directed attention decreases emotion effects on sensory gain. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of native herbs and light on garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) invasion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips-Mao, Laura; Larson, Diane L.; Jordan, Nicholas R.

2014-01-01

The degree to which invasive species drive or respond to environmental change has important implications for conservation and invasion management. Often characterized as a driver of change in North American woodlands, the invasive herb garlic mustard may instead respond to declines in native plant cover and diversity. We tested effects of native herb cover, richness, and light availability on garlic mustard invasion in a Minnesota oak woodland. We planted 50 garlic mustard seeds into plots previously planted with 0 to 10 native herb species. We measured garlic mustard seedling establishment, survival to rosette and adult stages, and average (per plant) and total (per plot) biomass and silique production. With the use of structural equation models, we analyzed direct, indirect, and net effects of native cover, richness, and light on successive garlic mustard life stages. Native plant cover had a significant negative effect on all life stages. Species richness had a significant positive effect on native cover, resulting in indirect negative effects on all garlic mustard stages, and net negative effects on adult numbers, total biomass, and silique production. Light had a strong negative effect on garlic mustard seedling establishment and a positive effect on native herb cover, resulting in significant negative net effects on garlic mustard rosette and adult numbers. However, light's net effect on total garlic mustard biomass and silique production was positive; reproductive output was high even in low-light/high-cover conditions. Combined effects of cover, richness, and light suggest that native herbs provide biotic resistance to invasion by responding to increased light availability and suppressing garlic mustard responses, although this resistance may be overwhelmed by high propagule pressure. Garlic mustard invasion may occur, in part, in response to native plant decline. Restoring native herbs and controlling garlic mustard seed production may effectively reduce garlic mustard spread and restore woodland diversity.

Direct binding of arsenic trioxide to AMPK and generation of inhibitory effects on acute myeloid leukemia precursors

PubMed Central

Beauchamp, Elspeth M.; Kosciuczuk, Ewa M.; Serrano, Ruth; Nanavati, Dhaval; Swindell, Elden P.; Viollet, Benoit; O'Halloran, Thomas V.; Altman, Jessica K.; Platanias, Leonidas C.

2014-01-01

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) exhibits potent antineoplastic effects and is used extensively in clinical oncology for the treatment of a subset of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Although As2O3 is known to regulate activation of several signaling cascades, the key events, accounting for its anti-leukemic properties, remain to be defined. We provide evidence that arsenic can directly bind to cysteine 299 in AMPKα and inhibit its activity. This inhibition of AMPK by arsenic is required in part for its cytotoxic effects on primitive leukemic progenitors from patients with AML, while concomitant treatment with an AMPK activator antagonizes in vivo the arsenic-induced antileukemic effects in a xenograft AML mouse model. A consequence of AMPK inhibition is activation of the mTOR pathway as a negative regulatory feedback loop. However, when AMPK expression is lost, arsenic-dependent activation of the kinase RSK downstream of MAPK activity compensates the generation of regulatory feedback signals through phosphorylation of downstream mTOR targets. Thus, therapeutic regimens with arsenic trioxide will need to include inhibitors of both the mTOR and RSK pathways in combination to prevent engagement of negative feedback loops and maximize antineoplastic responses. PMID:25344585

Effect of Direct Whole-Body Vibration on Upper-Body Muscular Power in Recreational, Resistance-Trained Men.

PubMed

Jones, Margaret T; Martin, Joel R; Jagim, Andrew R; Oliver, Jonathan M

2017-05-01

Jones, MT, Martin, JR, Jagim, AR, and Oliver, JM. Effect of direct whole-body vibration on upper-body muscular power in recreational, resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res 31(5): 1371-1377, 2017-To determine the acute effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) on upper-body power, 15 men (mean ± SD; age 21.5 ± 2.3 years; height 173.1 ± 6.5 cm; and weight 77.2 ± 13.8 kg) with ≥1-year resistance training experience and a bench press (BP): body mass ratio ≥1.25 participated in a repeated-measures crossover design. Session 1 included body composition ([Bod Pod] 15.76 ± 6.7% body fat), 3 repetition maximum BP, and familiarization with: seated medicine ball throw (SMBT), plyometric push-up (PPU) on a force plate, and vertical WBV platform. Sessions 2-5 were randomly ordered across condition and test, separated by 24 hours, and consisted of a warm-up followed by 4 × 30-second push-up holds (2 × elbows at 90° and 2 × arms extended) performed on the vibration platform with WBV (frequency: 30 Hz, amplitude: 2-4 mm, 1:1 work: relief ratio) or no WBV. Seated medicine ball throw and PPU were tested immediately, 1, 5, and 10 minutes post. Standardized magnitude-based inferences were used to define outcomes. A likely positive effect of WBV was observed for SMBT at 10 minutes post. A likely negative effect of WBV resulted at 1 minute in time-to-peak force. A possibly positive effect was observed 10 minutes post. A possibly negative effect was observed 10 minutes post for peak power, and a likely negative effect of WBV was observed on time-to-peak power immediate post. Incorporating a 10-minute rest period is recommended when implementing power exercises after upper-body static-hold exercises during WBV exposure.

Space charge characteristics of fluorinated polyethylene: Different effects of fluorine and oxygen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ni; Nie, Yongjie; Li, Shengtao

2018-04-01

Direct fluorination are proved having obvious effect on space charge characteristics of polyethylene. It is believed that fluorine has a positive effect on suppressing space charge injection while oxygen impurity has a negative effect. However, the mechanism for the opposite effect of fluorine and oxygen is still not clear. In this paper, the different effects of fluorine and oxygen on space charge characteristics of fluorinated low density polyethylene (LDPE) are investigated on the basis of dielectric property, chemical constitutes and trap performance of surface fluorinated layers. The results show that direct fluorination has obvious effect on chemical constitutes and dielectric properties of surface fluorinated layer. Introduced fluorine is the main factor for suppressing charge injection from the electrodes, because it seriously changes the chemical constitutes and further the trap properties of the surface fluorinated layer. While introduction of oxygen results in heterocharges and makes space charge distribution complex, due to the ionization of generated small groups like C=O containing groups. Moreover, direct fluorination will result in cleavage of some LDPE molecules whatever there is oxygen impurity or not.

The Media and Its Effect on Black Images.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawles, Beth

While the media is not directly responsible for establishing bigoted attitudes and prejudices, movies, television, radio, and print have reinforced racial prejudice and perpetuated the negative images and stereotypes of blacks in this country. Movies as early as 1902 reflect many of the early black stereotypes: the black male is stupid and lazy,…

Protective and Vulnerability Factors for Physically Abused Children: Effects of Ethnicity and Parenting Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haskett, Mary E.; Allaire, Jason C.; Kreig, Shawn; Hart, Kendrea C.

2008-01-01

Objective: Although social maladjustment appears to be common among abused children, negative outcomes are not inevitable. This investigation was designed to determine whether ethnicity and features of the parenting context predicted children's social adjustment, and whether the strength and direction of these relations differed for abused and…

Negative Opinion of Company Environment Mediates Career Choice of Accountancy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tong, David Yoon Kin; Tong, Xue Fa

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore accountancy students' pre-employment decisions as regards pursuing a career after completing an internship. The paper aims to analyse the mediating effect of aspects of students' training experience in firms as direct/indirect factors which influence their career decisions.…

Age Differences in Affective and Cardiovascular Responses to a Negative Social Interaction: The Role of Goals, Appraisals, and Emotion Regulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luong, Gloria; Charles, Susan T.

2014-01-01

Older adults often report less affective reactivity to interpersonal tensions than younger individuals, but few studies have directly investigated mechanisms explaining this effect. The current study examined whether older adults' differential endorsement of goals, appraisals, and emotion regulation strategies (i.e., conflict…

Photodetachment process for beam neutralization

DOEpatents

Fink, Joel H. [Livermore, CA; Frank, Alan M. [Livermore, CA

1979-02-20

A process for neutralization of accelerated ions employing photo-induced charge detachment. The process involves directing a laser beam across the path of a negative ion beam such as to effect photodetachment of electrons from the beam ions. The frequency of the laser beam employed is selected to provide the maximum cross-section for the photodetachment process.

Comparing root knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) effects on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and grapevine (Vitis spp.) metabolic profiles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp., RKN) can negatively impact both herbaceous annual and woody perennial hosts. RKN infestations also may increase plant host susceptibility to other stresses such as those imposed by water deficits or various diseases. However, little is known about direct or ind...

Attitudes towards same-sex parenting in Italy: the influence of traditional gender ideology.

PubMed

Ioverno, Salvatore; Baiocco, Roberto; Lingiardi, Vittorio; Verrastro, Valeria; D'Amore, Salvatore; Green, Robert-Jay

2018-04-20

This study aimed to examine the role of gender ideology, religiosity and political conservatism on attitudes toward same-sex parenting in Italy at a time when same-sex parent families are undergoing attacks from ideological campaigns opposing non-traditional gender roles and families. We collected data from 4,187 heterosexual respondents about attitudes towards two-father and two-mother parenting, homonegativity, attitudes toward traditional masculinity and femininity, religious involvement and political conservatism. We conducted multiple group structural equation model analyses to test whether sex moderated any of the estimated associations among variables. Results showed that traditional beliefs about femininity were directly associated with negative attitudes towards two-mother and two-father parenting, while traditional beliefs about masculinity had a significant direct effect only on two-father parenting. Homonegativity partially mediated the association between religiosity, political conservatism and traditional beliefs about masculinity and femininity on negative attitudes toward both types of same-sex parenting. Gender differences were found for the indirect effects of political conservatism and religiosity on attitudes towards same-sex parenting. The theoretical contributions and implications of the findings are discussed.

Psychosocial Mechanisms of Psychological Health Disparity in Japanese Workers

PubMed Central

SHIMAZU, Akihito; KAWAKAMI, Norito; KUBOTA, Kazumi; INOUE, Akiomi; KURIOKA, Sumiko; MIYAKI, Koichi; TAKAHASHI, Masaya; TSUTSUMI, Akizumi

2013-01-01

Recent epidemiologic research has shown that people with higher socioeconomic status (SES) (e.g., educational attainment) have better psychological health than those with lower SES. However, the psychosocial mechanisms of underlying this relationship remain unclear. To fill this gap, the current study examines the mediating effects of job demands and job resources in the relationship between educational attainment and psychological distress. The hypothesized model was tested using large data sets from two different studies: a cross-sectional study of 9,652 Japanese employees from 12 workplaces (Study 1), and a longitudinal study of 1,957 Japanese employees (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed that (1) educational attainment was positively related to psychological distress through job demands, (2) educational attainment was negatively related to psychological distress through job resources, and (3) educational attainment was not directly related to psychological distress. These results suggest that educational attainment has an indirect effect, rather than a direct one, on psychological distress among workers; educational attainment had both a positive and a negative relationship to psychological distress through job demands and job resources, respectively. PMID:23892903

Moderated path analysis of the relationships between masculinity and men's attitudes toward seeking psychological help.

PubMed

Levant, Ronald F; Stefanov, Dimitre G; Rankin, Thomas J; Halter, Margaret J; Mellinger, Chris; Williams, Christine M

2013-07-01

This study tested a theoretical model of one mediator and 4 moderators of the relationships between 2 masculinity variables (Traditional Masculinity Ideology and Gender Role Conflict) and Attitudes Toward Seeking Professional Psychological Services (Attitudes). Self-stigma was the hypothesized mediator, and the hypothesized moderators were (a) Depression, (b) General Self-efficacy, (c) Precontemplation, and (d) Barriers to Help-seeking. A sample of 654 men responded to an online survey of 9 questionnaires. After evaluating mediation in the absence of moderation, moderated path analyses were conducted for each moderator. The relationship between Traditional Masculinity Ideology and Attitudes was partially mediated by Self-stigma, whereas that between Gender Role Conflict and Attitudes was completely mediated. No indirect or direct paths involving Gender Role Conflict were moderated by any moderators. Both Depression and Barriers to Help-seeking demonstrated mediated moderation by moderating both Stage 1 (the path from Traditional Masculinity Ideology to Self-stigma) of the mediated relationships and the direct effects between Traditional Masculinity Ideology and Attitudes. Precontemplation moderated the direct effect between Traditional Masculinity Ideology and Attitudes. The findings suggest that the relationships between masculinity variables and men's negative help-seeking attitudes may be better understood through their relationships with other variables that serve as mediators and moderators. Findings from the present study may offer some direction in the design of interventions to remediate men's negative help-seeking attitudes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Direct and semidirect aerosol effects of southern African biomass burning aerosol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakaeda, Naoko; Wood, Robert; Rasch, Philip J.

2011-06-01

Direct and semidirect radiative effects of biomass burning aerosols from southern African fires during July-October are investigated using 20 year runs of the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM) coupled to a slab ocean model. Aerosol optical depth is constrained using observations in clear skies from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and for aerosol layers above clouds from Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO). Over the ocean, where the aerosol layers are primarily located above cloud, negative top of atmosphere (TOA) semidirect radiative effects associated with increased low cloud cover dominate over a weaker positive all-sky direct radiative effect (DRE). In contrast, over the land where the aerosols are often below or within cloud layers, reductions in cloud liquid water path (LWP) lead to a positive semidirect radiative effect that dominates over a near-zero DRE. Over the ocean, the cloud response can be understood as a response to increased lower tropospheric stability (LTS) which is caused both by radiative heating in overlying layers and surface cooling in response to direct aerosol forcing. The marine cloud changes are robust to changes in the cloud parameterization (removal of the hard-wired dependence of clouds on LTS), suggesting that they are physically realistic. Over land, decreased LWP is consistent with weaker convection driven by increased static stability. Over the entire region the overall TOA radiative effect from the biomass burning aerosols is almost zero due to opposing effects over the land and ocean. However, the surface forcing is strongly negative, which leads to a reduction in precipitation and also a reduction in sensible heat flux. The former is primarily realized through reductions in convective precipitation on both the southern and northern flanks of the convective precipitation region spanning the equatorial rain forest and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) in the southern Sahel. The changes are consistent with the low-level aerosol-forced cooling pattern. The results highlight the importance of semidirect radiative effects and precipitation responses for determining the climatic effects of aerosols in the African region.

Can reduced predation offset negative effects of sea louse parasites on chum salmon?

PubMed Central

Peacock, Stephanie J.; Connors, Brendan M.; Krkošek, Martin; Irvine, James R.; Lewis, Mark A.

2014-01-01

The impact of parasites on hosts is invariably negative when considered in isolation, but may be complex and unexpected in nature. For example, if parasites make hosts less desirable to predators then gains from reduced predation may offset direct costs of being parasitized. We explore these ideas in the context of sea louse infestations on salmon. In Pacific Canada, sea lice can spread from farmed salmon to migrating juvenile wild salmon. Low numbers of sea lice can cause mortality of juvenile pink and chum salmon. For pink salmon, this has resulted in reduced productivity of river populations exposed to salmon farming. However, for chum salmon, we did not find an effect of sea louse infestations on productivity, despite high statistical power. Motivated by this unexpected result, we used a mathematical model to show how a parasite-induced shift in predation pressure from chum salmon to pink salmon could offset negative direct impacts of sea lice on chum salmon. This shift in predation is proposed to occur because predators show an innate preference for pink salmon prey. This preference may be more easily expressed when sea lice compromise juvenile salmon hosts, making them easier to catch. Our results indicate how the ecological context of host–parasite interactions may dampen, or even reverse, the expected impact of parasites on host populations. PMID:24352951

Can reduced predation offset negative effects of sea louse parasites on chum salmon?

PubMed

Peacock, Stephanie J; Connors, Brendan M; Krkosek, Martin; Irvine, James R; Lewis, Mark A

2014-02-07

The impact of parasites on hosts is invariably negative when considered in isolation, but may be complex and unexpected in nature. For example, if parasites make hosts less desirable to predators then gains from reduced predation may offset direct costs of being parasitized. We explore these ideas in the context of sea louse infestations on salmon. In Pacific Canada, sea lice can spread from farmed salmon to migrating juvenile wild salmon. Low numbers of sea lice can cause mortality of juvenile pink and chum salmon. For pink salmon, this has resulted in reduced productivity of river populations exposed to salmon farming. However, for chum salmon, we did not find an effect of sea louse infestations on productivity, despite high statistical power. Motivated by this unexpected result, we used a mathematical model to show how a parasite-induced shift in predation pressure from chum salmon to pink salmon could offset negative direct impacts of sea lice on chum salmon. This shift in predation is proposed to occur because predators show an innate preference for pink salmon prey. This preference may be more easily expressed when sea lice compromise juvenile salmon hosts, making them easier to catch. Our results indicate how the ecological context of host-parasite interactions may dampen, or even reverse, the expected impact of parasites on host populations.

Mathematics anxiety in children with developmental dyscalculia

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Math anxiety, defined as a negative affective response to mathematics, is known to have deleterious effects on math performance in the general population. However, the assumption that math anxiety is directly related to math performance, has not yet been validated. Thus, our primary objective was to investigate the effects of math anxiety on numerical processing in children with specific deficits in the acquisition of math skills (Developmental Dyscalculia; DD) by using a novel affective priming task as an indirect measure. Methods Participants (12 children with DD and 11 typically-developing peers) completed a novel priming task in which an arithmetic equation was preceded by one of four types of priming words (positive, neutral, negative or related to mathematics). Children were required to indicate whether the equation (simple math facts based on addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) was true or false. Typically, people respond to target stimuli more quickly after presentation of an affectively-related prime than after one that is unrelated affectively. Result Participants with DD responded faster to targets that were preceded by both negative primes and math-related primes. A reversed pattern was present in the control group. Conclusion These results reveal a direct link between emotions, arithmetic and low achievement in math. It is also suggested that arithmetic-affective priming might be used as an indirect measure of math anxiety. PMID:20633269

A new deflection technique applied to an existing scheme of electrostatic accelerator for high energy neutral beam injection in fusion reactor devices

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pilan, N., E-mail: nicola.pilan@igi.cnr.it; Antoni, V.; De Lorenzi, A.

A scheme of a neutral beam injector (NBI), based on electrostatic acceleration and magneto-static deflection of negative ions, is proposed and analyzed in terms of feasibility and performance. The scheme is based on the deflection of a high energy (2 MeV) and high current (some tens of amperes) negative ion beam by a large magnetic deflector placed between the Beam Source (BS) and the neutralizer. This scheme has the potential of solving two key issues, which at present limit the applicability of a NBI to a fusion reactor: the maximum achievable acceleration voltage and the direct exposure of the BSmore » to the flux of neutrons and radiation coming from the fusion reactor. In order to solve these two issues, a magnetic deflector is proposed to screen the BS from direct exposure to radiation and neutrons so that the voltage insulation between the electrostatic accelerator and the grounded vessel can be enhanced by using compressed SF{sub 6} instead of vacuum so that the negative ions can be accelerated at energies higher than 1 MeV. By solving the beam transport with different magnetic deflector properties, an optimum scheme has been found which is shown to be effective to guarantee both the steering effect and the beam aiming.« less

Emotional language processing: how mood affects integration processes during discourse comprehension.

PubMed

Egidi, Giovanna; Nusbaum, Howard C

2012-09-01

This research tests whether mood affects semantic processing during discourse comprehension by facilitating integration of information congruent with moods' valence. Participants in happy, sad, or neutral moods listened to stories with positive or negative endings during EEG recording. N400 peak amplitudes showed mood congruence for happy and sad participants: endings incongruent with participants' moods demonstrated larger peaks. Happy and neutral moods exhibited larger peaks for negative endings, thus showing a similarity between negativity bias (neutral mood) and mood congruence (happy mood). Mood congruence resulted in differential processing of negative information: happy mood showed larger amplitudes for negative endings than neutral mood, and sad mood showed smaller amplitudes. N400 peaks were also sensitive to whether ending valence was communicated directly or as a result of inference. This effect was moderately modulated by mood. In conclusion, the notion of context for discourse processing should include comprehenders' affective states preceding language processing. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dissociable neural systems underwrite logical reasoning in the context of induced emotions with positive and negative valence.

PubMed

Smith, Kathleen W; Vartanian, Oshin; Goel, Vinod

2014-01-01

How emotions influence syllogistic reasoning is not well understood. fMRI was employed to investigate the effects of induced positive or negative emotion on syllogistic reasoning. Specifically, on a trial-by-trial basis participants were exposed to a positive, negative, or neutral picture, immediately prior to engagement in a reasoning task. After viewing and rating the valence and intensity of each picture, participants indicated by keypress whether or not the conclusion of the syllogism followed logically from the premises. The content of all syllogisms was neutral, and the influence of belief-bias was controlled for in the study design. Emotion did not affect reasoning performance, although there was a trend in the expected direction based on accuracy rates for the positive (63%) and negative (64%) versus neutral (70%) condition. Nevertheless, exposure to positive and negative pictures led to dissociable patterns of neural activation during reasoning. Therefore, the neural basis of deductive reasoning differs as a function of the valence of the context.

Dissociable Neural Systems Underwrite Logical Reasoning in the Context of Induced Emotions with Positive and Negative Valence

PubMed Central

Smith, Kathleen W.; Vartanian, Oshin; Goel, Vinod

2014-01-01

How emotions influence syllogistic reasoning is not well understood. fMRI was employed to investigate the effects of induced positive or negative emotion on syllogistic reasoning. Specifically, on a trial-by-trial basis participants were exposed to a positive, negative, or neutral picture, immediately prior to engagement in a reasoning task. After viewing and rating the valence and intensity of each picture, participants indicated by keypress whether or not the conclusion of the syllogism followed logically from the premises. The content of all syllogisms was neutral, and the influence of belief-bias was controlled for in the study design. Emotion did not affect reasoning performance, although there was a trend in the expected direction based on accuracy rates for the positive (63%) and negative (64%) versus neutral (70%) condition. Nevertheless, exposure to positive and negative pictures led to dissociable patterns of neural activation during reasoning. Therefore, the neural basis of deductive reasoning differs as a function of the valence of the context. PMID:25294997

Uni-directional interaction and plant-pollinator-robber coexistence.

PubMed

Wang, Yuanshi; DeAngelis, Donald L; Holland, J Nathaniel

2012-09-01

A mathematical model for the plant-pollinator-robber interaction is studied to understand the factors leading to the widespread occurrence and stability of such interactions. In the interaction, a flowering plant provides resource for its pollinator and the pollinator has both positive and negative effects on the plant. A nectar robber acts as a plant predator, consuming a common resource with the pollinator, but with a different functional response. Using dynamical systems theory, mechanisms of species coexistence are investigated to show how a robber could invade the plant-pollinator system and persist stably with the pollinator. In addition, circumstances are demonstrated in which the pollinator's positive and negative effects on the plant could determine the robber's invasibility and the three-species coexistence.

Evaluation of genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 line probe assay for the detection of MDR-TB in smear positive and negative sputum samples.

PubMed

Meaza, Abyot; Kebede, Abebaw; Yaregal, Zelalem; Dagne, Zekarias; Moga, Shewki; Yenew, Bazezew; Diriba, Getu; Molalign, Helina; Tadesse, Mengistu; Adisse, Desalegn; Getahun, Muluwork; Desta, Kassu

2017-04-17

Multi drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) poses formidable challenges to TB control due to its complex diagnostic and treatment challenges and often associated with a high rate of mortality. Accurate and rapid detection of MDR-TB is critical for timely initiation of treatment. Line Probe Assay (LPA) is a qualitative in vitro diagnostic test based on DNA-STRIP technology for the identification of the M. tuberculosis complex and its resistance to rifampicin (RMP) and/or isoniazid (INH). Hain Lifescience, GmbH, Germany has improved the sensitivity of Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 LPA for the detection of MDR-TB; with the possibility of applying the tool in smear negative sputum samples. A cross sectional study was conducted on 274 presumptive MDR-TB patients referred to the National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL), Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) who submitted sputum samples for laboratory diagnosis of drug resistant-TB testing. Seventy-two smear and culture positive samples processed in smear positive direct LPA category and 197 smear negative sputum samples were processed for direct LPA. Among the smear negative samples 145 (73.6%) were culture negative and 26 (13.2%) were culture positive. All specimens were processed using NALC-NaOH method and ZN smear microscopy done from sediments. Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 done from processed sputum sediments and the result was compared against the reference, BACTEC MGIT 960 culture and DST. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 assay was determined and P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 LPA were 96.4, 100, 100 and 96.9%, respectively for the detection of MDR-TB from direct smear positive sputum samples. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of Genotype MTBDR plus VER 2.0 LPA were 77.8, 97.2, 82.4 and 97.2%, respectively, for the detection of M. tuberculosis from direct smear negative sputum samples. Fourteen (53.8%) samples had valid results with LPA among the 26 smear negative culture positive samples. The remaining 8 (30.8%) and 4 (15.4%) were invalid and negative with LPA, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 LPA were 100% for the detection of MDR-TB among 14 direct smear negative and culture positive sputum samples. The most common mutations associated with RMP and INH resistance were S531L and S315TL, respectively. A single rare mutation (C15T/A16G) was detected for INH resistance. The diagnostic performance of Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 LPA in direct smear positive sputum sample was highly sensitive and specific for early detection of MDR-TB. However, the diagnostic performance of this molecular assay in direct smear negative sputum sample was low and showed a high level of invalid results for detection of M. tuberculosis and its resistance to RMP and/or INH so it is unlikely to implement Genotype MTBDRplus VER 2.0 for the detection of MDR-TB in direct smear negative sample in our routine settings. The sensitivity of the assay should be improved for detection of MDR-TB in direct smear negative sputum specimens.

Bi-layer plate-type acoustic metamaterials with Willis coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Fuyin; Huang, Meng; Xu, Yicai; Wu, Jiu Hui

2018-01-01

Dynamic effective negative parameters are principal to the representation of the physical properties of metamaterials. In this paper, a bi-layer plate-type unit was proposed with both a negative mass density and a negative bulk modulus; moreover, through analysis of these bi-layer structures, some important problems about acoustic metamaterials were studied. First, dynamic effective mass densities and the bulk modulus of the bi-layer plate-type acoustic structure were clarified through both the direct and the retrieval methods, and, in addition, the intrinsic relationship between the sound transmission (absorption) characteristics and the effective parameters was analyzed. Furthermore, the properties of dynamic effective parameters for an asymmetric bi-layer acoustic structure were further considered through an analysis of experimental data, and the modified effective parameters were then obtained through consideration of the Willis coupling in the asymmetric passive system. In addition, by taking both the clamped and the periodic boundary conditions into consideration in the bi-layer plate-type acoustic system, new perspectives were presented for study on the effective parameters and sound insulation properties in the range below the cut-off frequency. The special acoustic properties established by these effective parameters could enrich our knowledge and provide guidance for the design and installation of acoustic metamaterial structures in future sound engineering practice.

Direct and indirect effects of episodic frost on plant growth and reproduction in subalpine wildflowers.

PubMed

Pardee, Gabriella L; Inouye, David W; Irwin, Rebecca E

2018-02-01

Frost is an important episodic event that damages plant tissues through the formation of ice crystals at or below freezing temperatures. In montane regions, where climate change is expected to cause earlier snow melt but may not change the last frost-free day of the year, plants that bud earlier might be directly impacted by frost through damage to flower buds and reproductive structures. However, the indirect effects of frost mediated through changes in plant-pollinator interactions have rarely been explored. We examined the direct and pollinator-mediated indirect effects of frost on three wildflower species in southwestern Colorado, USA, Delphinium barbeyi (Ranunculaceae), Erigeron speciosus (Asteraceae), and Polemonium foliosissimum (Polemoniaceae), by simulating moderate (-1 to -5°C) frost events in early spring in plants in situ. Subsequently, we measured plant growth, and upon flowering measured flower morphology and phenology. Throughout the flowering season, we monitored pollinator visitation and collected seeds to measure plant reproduction. We found that frost had species-specific direct and indirect effects. Frost had direct effects on two of the three species. Frost significantly reduced flower size, total flowers produced, and seed production of Erigeron. Furthermore, frost reduced aboveground plant survival and seed production for Polemonium. However, we found no direct effects of frost on Delphinium. When we considered the indirect impacts of frost mediated through changes in pollinator visitation, one species, Erigeron, incurred indirect, negative effects of frost on plant reproduction through changes in floral traits and pollinator visitation, along with direct effects. Overall, we found that flowering plants exhibited species-specific direct and pollinator-mediated indirect responses to frost, thus suggesting that frost may play an important role in affecting plant communities under climate change. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of electronic health information technology implementation on nursing home resident outcomes.

PubMed

Pillemer, Karl; Meador, Rhoda H; Teresi, Jeanne A; Chen, Emily K; Henderson, Charles R; Lachs, Mark S; Boratgis, Gabriel; Silver, Stephanie; Eimicke, Joseph P

2012-02-01

To examine the effects of electronic health information technology (HIT) on nursing home residents. The study evaluated the impact of implementing a comprehensive HIT system on resident clinical, functional, and quality of care outcome indicators as well as measures of resident awareness of and satisfaction with the technology. The study used a prospective, quasi-experimental design, directly assessing 761 nursing home residents in 10 urban and suburban nursing homes in the greater New York City area. No statistically significant impact of the introduction of HIT on residents was found on any outcomes, with the exception of a significant negative effect on behavioral symptoms. Residents' subjective assessment of the HIT intervention were generally positive. The absence of effects on most indicators is encouraging for the future development of HIT in nursing homes. The single negative finding suggests that further investigation is needed on possible impact on resident behavior. © The Author(s) 2012

Personality Traits and Combat Exposure as Predictors of Psychopathology Over Time

PubMed Central

Koffel, Erin; Kramer, Mark D.; Arbisi, Paul A.; Erbes, Christopher R.; Kaler, Matthew; Polusny, Melissa A.

2016-01-01

Background Research suggests that personality traits have both direct and indirect effects on the development of psychological symptoms, with indirect effects mediated by stressful or traumatic events. This study models the direct influence of personality traits on residualized changes in internalizing and externalizing symptoms following a stressful and potentially traumatic deployment, as well as the indirect influence of personality on symptom levels mediated by combat exposure. Method We utilized structural equation modeling with a longitudinal prospective study of 522 US National Guard soldiers deployed to Iraq. Analyses were based on self-report measures of personality, combat exposure, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Results Both pre-deployment Disconstraint and externalizing symptoms predicted combat exposure, which in turn predicted internalizing and externalizing symptoms. There was a significant indirect effect for pre-deployment externalizing symptoms on post-deployment externalizing via combat exposure (p < .01). Negative Emotionality and pre-deployment internalizing symptoms directly predicted post-deployment internalizing symptoms, but both were unrelated to combat exposure. No direct effects of personality on residualized changes in externalizing symptoms were found. Conclusions Baseline symptom dimensions had significant direct and indirect effects on post-deployment symptoms. Controlling for both pre-exposure personality and symptoms, combat experiences remained positively related to both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Implications for diagnostic classification are discussed. PMID:26347314

An improved method for large-scale preparation of negatively and positively supercoiled plasmid DNA.

PubMed

Barth, Marita; Dederich, Debra; Dedon, Peter

2009-07-01

A rigorous understanding of the biological function of superhelical tension in cellular DNA requires the development of new tools and model systems for study. To this end, an ethidium bromide[#x02013]free method has been developed to prepare large quantities of either negatively or positively super-coiled plasmid DNA. The method is based upon the known effects of ionic strength on the direction of binding of DNA to an archaeal histone, rHMfB, with low and high salt concentrations leading to positive and negative DNA supercoiling, respectively. In addition to fully optimized conditions for large-scale (>500 microg) supercoiling reactions, the method is advantageous in that it avoids the use of mutagenic ethidium bromide, is applicable to chemically modified plasmid DNA substrates, and produces both positively and negatively supercoiled DNA using a single set of reagents.

tDCS over the left prefrontal cortex enhances cognitive control for positive affective stimuli.

PubMed

Vanderhasselt, Marie-Anne; De Raedt, Rudi; Brunoni, Andre R; Campanhã, Camila; Baeken, Chris; Remue, Jonathan; Boggio, Paulo S

2013-01-01

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a neuromodulation technique with promising results for enhancing cognitive information processes. So far, however, research has mainly focused on the effects of tDCS on cognitive control operations for non-emotional material. Therefore, our aim was to investigate the effects on cognitive control considering negative versus positive material. For this sham-controlled, within-subjects study, we selected a homogeneous sample of twenty-five healthy participants. By using behavioral measures and event related potentials (ERP) as indexes, we aimed to investigate whether a single session of anodal tDCS of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) would have specific effects in enhancing cognitive control for positive and negative valenced stimuli. After tDCS over the left DLPFC (and not sham control stimulation), we observed more negative N450 amplitudes along with faster reaction times when inhibiting a habitual response to happy compared to sad facial expressions. Gender did not influence the effects of tDCS on cognitive control for emotional information. In line with the Valence Theory of side-lateralized activity, this stimulation protocol might have led to a left dominant (relative to right) prefrontal cortical activity, resulting in augmented cognitive control specifically for positive relative to negative stimuli. To verify that tDCS induces effects that are in line with all aspects of the well known Valence Theory, future research should investigate the effects of tDCS over the left vs. right DLPFC on cognitive control for emotional information.

Differential effects of others' emotional cues on 18-month-olds' preferential reproduction of observed actions.

PubMed

Patzwald, Christiane; Curley, Charlotte A; Hauf, Petra; Elsner, Birgit

2018-05-01

Infants use others' emotional signals to regulate their own object-directed behavior and action reproduction, and they typically produce more actions after having observed positive as compared to negative emotional cues. This study explored infants' understanding of the referential specificity of others' emotional cues when being confronted with two actions that are accompanied by different emotional displays. Selective action reproduction was measured after 18-month-olds (N = 42) had observed two actions directed at the same object, one of which was modeled with a positive emotional expression and the other with a negative emotional expression. Across four trials with different objects, infants' first actions matched the positively-emoted actions more often than the negatively-emoted actions. In comparison with baseline-level, infants' initial performance changed only for the positively-emoted actions, in that it increased during test. Latencies to first object-touch during test did not differ when infants reproduced the positively- or negatively-emoted actions, respectively, indicating that infants related the cues to the respective actions rather than to the object. During demonstration, infants looked relatively longer at the object than at the model's face, with no difference in positive or negative displays. Infants during their second year of life thus capture the action-related referential specificity of others' emotional cues and seem to follow positive signals more readily when actively selecting which of two actions to reproduce preferentially. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of driving voltages in dual capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma: A study by nonlinear global model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bora, B., E-mail: bbora@cchen.cl

2015-10-15

On the basis of nonlinear global model, a dual frequency capacitively coupled radio frequency plasma driven by 13.56 MHz and 27.12 MHz has been studied to investigate the influences of driving voltages on the generation of dc self-bias and plasma heating. Fluid equations for the ions inside the plasma sheath have been considered to determine the voltage-charge relations of the plasma sheath. Geometrically symmetric as well as asymmetric cases with finite geometrical asymmetry of 1.2 (ratio of electrodes area) have been considered to make the study more reasonable to experiment. The electrical asymmetry effect (EAE) and finite geometrical asymmetry is found tomore » work differently in controlling the dc self-bias. The amount of EAE has been primarily controlled by the phase angle between the two consecutive harmonics waveforms. The incorporation of the finite geometrical asymmetry in the calculations shift the dc self-bias towards negative polarity direction while increasing the amount of EAE is found to increase the dc self-bias in either direction. For phase angle between the two waveforms ϕ = 0 and ϕ = π/2, the amount of EAE increases significantly with increasing the low frequency voltage, whereas no such increase in the amount of EAE is found with increasing high frequency voltage. In contrast to the geometrically symmetric case, where the variation of the dc self-bias with driving voltages for phase angle ϕ = 0 and π/2 are just opposite in polarity, the variation for the geometrically asymmetric case is different for ϕ = 0 and π/2. In asymmetric case, for ϕ = 0, the dc self-bias increases towards the negative direction with increasing both the low and high frequency voltages, but for the ϕ = π/2, the dc-self bias is increased towards positive direction with increasing low frequency voltage while dc self-bias increases towards negative direction with increasing high frequency voltage.« less

Absolute Negative Resistance Induced by Directional Electron-Electron Scattering in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaya, Ismet I.

2007-03-01

A ballistic conductor is restricted to have positive three terminal resistance just as a Drude conductor. Intercarrier scattering does not influence the conductivity of the latter transport regime and does not exist in the former. However, as the electron energies increased, in the intermediate regime, single or few intercarrier scattering events starts to dominate the transport properties of a conductor with sufficiently small dimensions. A three-terminal device formed by two electrostatic barriers crossing an asymmetrically patterned two dimensional electron gas displays an unusual potential depression at the middle contact, yielding absolute negative resistance. The device displays momentum and current transfer ratios that far exceed unity. The observed reversal of the current or potential in the middle terminal is interpreted as the analog of Bernoulli's effect in a Fermi liquid. The results are explained by directional scattering of electrons in two dimensions.

Negative emotionality and discipline as long-term predictors of behavioral outcomes in African American and European American children.

PubMed

Streit, Cara; Carlo, Gustavo; Ispa, Jean M; Palermo, Francisco

2017-06-01

The present study examined the early parenting and temperament determinants of children's antisocial and positive behaviors in a low-income, diverse ethno-racial sample. Participants were from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project, which included 960 European American (initial M age = 15.00 months; 51.2% female) and 880 African American mothers and their children (initial M age = 15.10 months; 49.2% female) followed from 15 months of age to 5th grade. For European American children, findings showed direct and indirect effects (via self-regulation) of early negative emotionality on later behaviors. For African American children, discipline practices in infancy had direct long-term implications for behaviors in 5th grade. Discussion highlights the interplay of parenting, temperament, and culture from infancy to late childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Social context factors, refusal self-efficacy, and alcohol use among female sex workers in China.

PubMed

Su, Shaobing; Li, Xiaoming; Lin, Danhua; Zhang, Chen; Qiao, Shan; Zhou, Yeujiao

2015-01-01

Excessive alcohol use is considered as a health-risk behavior that may produce negative health outcomes. Examining predictors of alcohol use in social and individual contexts can advance understanding of why people indulge in alcohol use. Our research on female sex workers (FSWs) examined associations among several social context factors (alcohol use by family members, alcohol use by peers, and client-perpetrated pressure or violence), refusal self-efficacy, and alcohol use. Seven hundred FSWs were recruited from two cities in southern China. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the direct effects of alcohol use by family members, alcohol use by peers, and client-perpetrated pressure or violence on FSWs' alcohol use. In addition, the mediation effects of refusal self-efficacy were also examined in the SEM model. Results showed that alcohol use by family members and alcohol use by peers significantly predicted FSWs' alcohol use; the prediction effect of alcohol use by peers on FSWs' alcohol use was stronger than that of alcohol use by family members; client-perpetrated pressure or violence directly predicted FSWs' alcohol use and indirectly influenced FSWs' alcohol use through refusal self-efficacy; refusal self-efficacy directly predicted FSWs' alcohol use. Administrators of effective intervention programs focused on alcohol use in China should adopt a multilevel approach to reduce negative social influences, particularly the influence from peer and sex work establishments on FSWs' alcohol use. Meanwhile, training to improve refusal self-efficacy should also be included in the intervention programs to reduce FSWs' alcohol use.

Does job burnout mediate negative effects of job demands on mental and physical health in a group of teachers? Testing the energetic process of Job Demands-Resources model.

PubMed

Baka, Łukasz

2015-01-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the direct and indirect - mediated by job burnout - effects of job demands on mental and physical health problems. The Job Demands-Resources model was the theoretical framework of the study. Three job demands were taken into account - interpersonal conflicts at work, organizational constraints and workload. Indicators of mental and physical health problems included depression and physical symptoms, respectively. Three hundred and sixteen Polish teachers from 8 schools participated in the study. The hypotheses were tested with the use of tools measuring job demands (Interpersonal Conflicts at Work, Organizational Constraints, Quantitative Workload), job burnout (the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory), depression (the Beck Hopelessness Scale), and physical symptoms (the Physical Symptoms Inventory). The regression analysis with bootstrapping, using the PROCESS macros of Hayes was applied. The results support the hypotheses partially. The indirect effect and to some extent the direct effect of job demands turned out to be statistically important. The negative impact of 3 job demands on mental (hypothesis 1 - H1) and physical (hypothesis 2 - H2) health were mediated by the increasing job burnout. Only organizational constraints were directly associated with mental (and not physical) health. The results partially support the notion of the Job Demands-Resources model and provide further insight into processes leading to the low well-being of teachers in the workplace. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

Striving for quality use of medicines: how effective is Australia's ban on direct-to-consumer prescription medicine advertising?

PubMed

Brown, Sonja

2009-02-01

The potential for both positive and negative effects arising from direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines challenges health policymakers to develop regulatory schemes which selectively capture the positive aspects of the practice. Australia has dealt with this quandary by banning the practice, while New Zealand and the United States permit it. However, in recent times pharmaceutical companies have been increasingly successful in introducing promotional materials into the Australian market. This article demonstrates that the Australian ban is consistent with striving for the major policy goal of quality use of medicines, thus providing the basis for arguing that solutions to strengthen the ban against the identified threats ought to be implemented. Quality use of medicines can be most effectively achieved via the combined effect of the strengthened ban and the mimicking of the limited positive aspects of direct-to-consumer advertising by government provision of non-promotional information to consumers.

Tunable two-dimensional acoustic meta-structure composed of funnel-shaped unit cells with multi-band negative acoustic property

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Sungjin; Kim, Boseung; Min, Dongki; Park, Junhong

2015-10-01

This paper presents a two-dimensional heat-exhaust and sound-proof acoustic meta-structure exhibiting tunable multi-band negative effective mass density. The meta-structure was composed of periodic funnel-shaped units in a square lattice. Each unit cell operates simultaneously as a Helmholtz resonator (HR) and an extended pipe chamber resonator (EPCR), leading to a negative effective mass density creating bandgaps for incident sound energy dissipation without transmission. This structure allowed large heat-flow through the cross-sectional area of the extended pipe since the resonance was generated by acoustic elements without using solid membranes. The pipes were horizontally directed to a flow source to enable small flow resistance for cooling. Measurements of the sound transmission were performed using a two-load, four-microphone method for a unit cell and small reverberation chamber for two-dimensional panel to characterize the acoustic performance. The effective mass density showed significant frequency dependent variation exhibiting negative values at the specific bandgaps, while the effective bulk modulus was not affected by the resonator. Theoretical models incorporating local resonances in the multiple resonator units were proposed to analyze the noise reduction mechanism. The acoustic meta-structure parameters to create broader frequency bandgaps were investigated using the theoretical model. The negative effective mass density was calculated to investigate the creation of the bandgaps. The effects of design parameters such as length, cross-sectional area, and volume of the HR; length and cross-sectional area of the EPCR were analyzed. To maximize the frequency band gap, the suggested acoustic meta-structure panel, small neck length, and cross-sectional area of the HR, large EPCR length was advantageous. The bandgaps became broader when the two resonant frequencies were similar.

Microwave experiments with left-handed materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shelby, Richard Allen

It has previously been predicted that materials that have a simultaneous negative permittivity and negative permeability, called left-handed materials (LHM), will possess very unusual properties, such as negative refraction, inverse Doppler effect, and reversed Cherenkov radiation. In this dissertation I present results from microwave experiments designed to confirm that LHMs will exhibit negative refraction. I also present a discussion about the LHM design, and numerical, electromagnetic simulations. The experiments presented here include transmission experiments, refraction experiments, and surface plasmon experiments. The refraction experiments in Chapter 4 directly observe negative refraction for the first time. The results from the other experiments are consistent with theoretical models and support the claim that negative refraction has been observed. The materials used in the experiments presented here are fabricated, structured materials that contain fiberglass and copper with unit cell parameters on the order of millimeters. Metamaterials have been defined as being composite materials whose bulk properties are different than those of the constituent materials. By this definition, the LHMs used here are metamaterials, so long as the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves being used to probe the LHM are longer than the unit cell parameter.

On the spontaneous collective motion of active matter

PubMed Central

Wang, Shenshen; Wolynes, Peter G.

2011-01-01

Spontaneous directed motion, a hallmark of cell biology, is unusual in classical statistical physics. Here we study, using both numerical and analytical methods, organized motion in models of the cytoskeleton in which constituents are driven by energy-consuming motors. Although systems driven by small-step motors are described by an effective temperature and are thus quiescent, at higher order in step size, both homogeneous and inhomogeneous, flowing and oscillating behavior emerges. Motors that respond with a negative susceptibility to imposed forces lead to an apparent negative-temperature system in which beautiful structures form resembling the asters seen in cell division. PMID:21876141

On the spontaneous collective motion of active matter.

PubMed

Wang, Shenshen; Wolynes, Peter G

2011-09-13

Spontaneous directed motion, a hallmark of cell biology, is unusual in classical statistical physics. Here we study, using both numerical and analytical methods, organized motion in models of the cytoskeleton in which constituents are driven by energy-consuming motors. Although systems driven by small-step motors are described by an effective temperature and are thus quiescent, at higher order in step size, both homogeneous and inhomogeneous, flowing and oscillating behavior emerges. Motors that respond with a negative susceptibility to imposed forces lead to an apparent negative-temperature system in which beautiful structures form resembling the asters seen in cell division.

The effects of CO2 on the negative reactant ions of IMS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spangler, Glenn E.

1995-01-01

In the presence of CO2, the negative reactant ions of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) are ion clusters of CO4(-) and CO3(-). Methyl salicylate is ionized by the CO4(-)(H2O(n))(N2(m)) reactant ions, but not by the CO3(-)(H2O(n))(N2(m)) reactant ions. While the CO4(-) ions are formed by direct association, the CO3(-) ions require additional energy to be formed. The additional energy is provided by either excited neutral gas molecules in a metastable state or UV (ultraviolet) radiation.

Are proactive personalities always beneficial? Political skill as a moderator.

PubMed

Sun, Shuhua; van Emmerik, Hetty I J

2015-05-01

Does proactive personality always enhance job success? The authors of this study draw on socioanalytic theory of personality and organizational political perspectives to study employees' political skill in moderating the effects of proactive personality on supervisory ratings of employee task performance, helping behaviors, and learning behaviors. Multisource data from 225 subordinates and their 75 immediate supervisors reveal that proactive personality is associated negatively with supervisory evaluations when political skill is low, and the negative relationship disappears when political skill is high. Implications and future research directions are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Colour-induced relationship between affect and reaching kinematics during a goal-directed aiming task.

PubMed

Williams, Camille K; Grierson, Lawrence E M; Carnahan, Heather

2011-08-01

A link between affect and action has been supported by the discovery that threat information is prioritized through an action-centred pathway--the dorsal visual stream. Magnocellular afferents, which originate from the retina and project to dorsal stream structures, are suppressed by exposure to diffuse red light, which diminishes humans' perception of threat-based images. In order to explore the role of colour in the relationship between affect and action, participants donned different pairs of coloured glasses (red, yellow, green, blue and clear) and completed Positive and Negative Affect Scale questionnaires as well as a series of target-directed aiming movements. Analyses of affect scores revealed a significant main effect for affect valence and a significant interaction between colour and valence: perceived positive affect was significantly smaller for the red condition. Kinematic analyses of variable error in the primary movement direction and Pearson correlation analyses between the displacements travelled prior to and following peak velocity indicated reduced accuracy and application of online control processes while wearing red glasses. Variable error of aiming was also positively and significantly correlated with negative affect scores under the red condition. These results suggest that only red light modulates the affect-action link by suppressing magnocellular activity, which disrupts visual processing for movement control. Furthermore, previous research examining the effect of the colour red on psychomotor tasks and perceptual acceleration of threat-based imagery suggest that stimulus-driven motor performance tasks requiring online control may be particularly susceptible to this effect.