Corticosteroid therapy in ulcerative colitis: Clinical response and predictors

PubMed Central

Li, Jin; Wang, Fan; Zhang, Hong-Jie; Sheng, Jian-Qiu; Yan, Wen-Feng; Ma, Min-Xing; Fan, Ru-Ying; Gu, Fang; Li, Chuan-Feng; Chen, Da-Fan; Zheng, Ping; Gu, Yu-Pei; Cao, Qian; Yang, Hong; Qian, Jia-Ming; Hu, Pin-Jin; Xia, Bing

2015-01-01

AIM: To evaluate clinical response to initial corticosteroid (CS) treatment in Chinese ulcerative colitis patients (UC) and identify predictors of clinical response. METHODS: Four hundred and twenty-three UC patients who were initially treated with oral or intravenous CS from 2007 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed at eight inflammatory bowel disease centers in China, and 101 consecutive cases with one-year follow-up were analyzed further for clinical response and predictors. Short-term outcomes within one month were classified as primary response and primary non-response. Long-term outcomes within one year were classified as prolonged CS response, CS dependence and secondary non-response. CS refractoriness included primary and secondary non-response. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors associated with clinical response. RESULTS: Within one month, 95.0% and 5.0% of the cases were classified into primary response and non-response, respectively. Within one year, 41.6% of cases were assessed as prolonged CS response, while 49.5% as CS dependence and 4.0% as secondary non-response. The rate of CS refractoriness was 8.9%, while the cumulative rate of surgery was 6.9% within one year. After multivariate analysis of all the variables, tenesmus was found to be a negative predictor of CS dependence (OR = 0.336; 95%CI: 0.147-0.768; P = 0.013) and weight loss as a predictor of CS refractoriness (OR = 5.662; 95%CI: 1.111-28.857; P = 0.040). After one-month treatment, sustained high Sutherland score (≥ 6) also predicted CS dependence (OR = 2.347; 95%CI: 0.935-5.890; P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Tenesmus was a negative predictor of CS dependence, while weight loss and sustained high Sutherland score were strongly associated with poor CS response. PMID:25780299

Personality, organizational stress, and attitudes toward work as prospective predictors of professional burnout in hospital nurses

PubMed Central

Hudek-Knežević, Jasna; Kalebić Maglica, Barbara; Krapić, Nada

2011-01-01

Aim To examine to what extent personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness), organizational stress, and attitudes toward work and interactions between personality and either organizational stress or attitudes toward work prospectively predict 3 components of burnout. Methods The study was carried out on 118 hospital nurses. Data were analyzed by a set of hierarchical regression analyses, in which personality traits, measures of organizational stress, and attitudes toward work, as well as interactions between personality and either organizational stress or attitudes toward work were included as predictors, while 3 indices of burnout were measured 4 years later as criteria variables. Results Personality traits proved to be significant but weak prospective predictors of burnout and as a group predicted only reduced professional efficacy (R2 = 0.10), with agreeableness being a single negative predictor. Organizational stress was positive, affective-normative commitment negative predictor, while continuance commitment was not related to any dimension of burnout. We found interactions between neuroticism as well as conscientiousness and organizational stress, measured as role conflict and work overload, on reduced professional efficacy (βNRCWO = -0.30; ßcRCWO = -0.26). We also found interactions between neuroticism and affective normative commitment (β = 0.24) and between openness and continuance commitment on reduced professional efficacy (β = -0.23), as well as interactions between conscientiousness and continuance commitment on exhaustion. Conclusion Although contextual variables were strong prospective predictors and personality traits weak predictors of burnout, the results suggested the importance of the interaction between personality and contextual variables in predicting burnout. PMID:21853549

Relationships between social competence, psychopathology and work performance and their predictive value for vocational rehabilitation of schizophrenic outpatients.

PubMed

Hoffmann, H; Kupper, Z

1997-01-17

Earlier studies suggest that social competence has a higher predictive value for vocational outcome than psychopathology. These studies, however, show methodological shortcomings, including the fact that the instruments used for assessing social competence, psychopathology and work performance are strongly interrelated. The present study, involving a population of 34 chronically schizophrenic outpatients enrolled in a vocational rehabilitation program, was conducted in order to determine: (1) how closely the Role Play Test, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Work Behavior Assessment Scale are related to each other; and (2) whether social competence is a better predictor of work performance and outcome of vocational rehabilitation than psychopathology. Factor analysis has revealed that the instruments are interrelated, mainly in the dimensions of negative symptoms, social relationships, non-verbal measures of social competence and conceptual disorganization. In backward regression analyses, psychopathological indicators proved to be the best predictors of work performance both cross-sectionally as well as in the longterm course. In the traditional two-syndrome model of schizophrenic psychopathology only negative symptoms were left in the regression model. In a four-dimension model the disorder of relating and the conceptual disorganization dimension were the best predictors. Differences between disorder of relating and social competence, assessed by the Role Play Test, are discussed here as well as the implications of this study for rehabilitation.

Spatial patterns of air pollutants and social groups: a distributive environmental justice study in the phoenix metropolitan region of USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pope, Ronald; Wu, Jianguo; Boone, Christopher

2016-11-01

Quantifying spatial distribution patterns of air pollutants is imperative to understand environmental justice issues. Here we present a landscape-based hierarchical approach in which air pollution variables are regressed against population demographics on multiple spatiotemporal scales. Using this approach, we investigated the potential problem of distributive environmental justice in the Phoenix metropolitan region, focusing on ambient ozone and particulate matter. Pollution surfaces (maps) are evaluated against the demographics of class, age, race (African American, Native American), and ethnicity (Hispanic). A hierarchical multiple regression method is used to detect distributive environmental justice relationships. Our results show that significant relationships exist between the dependent and independent variables, signifying possible environmental inequity. Although changing spatiotemporal scales only altered the overall direction of these relationships in a few instances, it did cause the relationship to become nonsignificant in many cases. Several consistent patterns emerged: people aged 17 and under were significant predictors for ambient ozone and particulate matter, but people 65 and older were only predictors for ambient particulate matter. African Americans were strong predictors for ambient particulate matter, while Native Americans were strong predictors for ambient ozone. Hispanics had a strong negative correlation with ambient ozone, but a less consistent positive relationship with ambient particulate matter. Given the legacy conditions endured by minority racial and ethnic groups, and the relative lack of mobility of all the groups, our findings suggest the existence of environmental inequities in the Phoenix metropolitan region. The methodology developed in this study is generalizable with other pollutants to provide a multi-scaled perspective of environmental justice issues.

Use of assisted reproductive technology treatment as reported by mothers in comparison with registry data: the Upstate KIDS Study.

PubMed

Buck Louis, Germaine M; Druschel, Charlotte; Bell, Erin; Stern, Judy E; Luke, Barbara; McLain, Alexander; Sundaram, Rajeshwari; Yeung, Edwina

2015-06-01

To assess the validity of maternally reported assisted reproductive technologies (ART) use and to identify predictors of reporting errors. Linkage study. Not applicable. A total of 5,034 (27%) mothers enrolled, from whom 4,886 (97%) self-reported information about use of infertility treatment, including ART, for the index birth. None. Four measures of validity (sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) and use of net reclassification improvement (NRI) methods to identify predictors associated with concordant/discordant maternal reporting. The Upstate New York Infant Development Screening Program (Update KIDS Study) was linked with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SART CORS) using a defined algorithm for 2008-2010. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were high (0.93, 0.99, 0.80, and 1.00, respectively). The validity of maternal report was high, reflecting few differences by participant characteristics except for maternal age dichotomized at 29 years as identified with NRI methods. Maternally reported ART is valid, with little variation across various characteristics. No strong predictors of discordant reporting were found, supporting the utility of population-based research with SART CORS linkage. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Preliminary Examination of Negative Life Events and Sexual Assault Victimization as Predictors of Psychological Functioning in Female College Students: Does One Matter More Than the Other?

PubMed

Chang, Edward C; Lee, Jerin; Morris, Lily E; Lucas, Abigael G; Chang, Olivia D; Hirsch, Jameson K

2017-07-01

The present study examined negative life events (NLEs) and sexual assault victimization as predictors of positive and negative psychological functioning in a sample of 151 female college students. Results obtained from conducting regression analyses indicated several notable patterns. NLEs, compared with sexual assault victimization, were a stronger negative predictor of positive functioning based on indices related to subjective well-being (e.g., life satisfaction, positive affect). Alternatively, sexual assault victimization, compared with NLEs, was a stronger positive predictor of negative functioning based on indices related to posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (e.g., anxiety) and related conditions (e.g., alcohol use). Furthermore, both NLEs and sexual assault victimization were found to be positive predictors of negative functioning based on indices related to suicide risk (e.g., depressive symptoms, suicidal behaviors). Overall, our findings indicate that both NLEs and sexual assault victimization represent important and distinct predictors of psychological functioning in female college students.

Wealth and happiness across the world: material prosperity predicts life evaluation, whereas psychosocial prosperity predicts positive feeling.

PubMed

Diener, Ed; Ng, Weiting; Harter, James; Arora, Raksha

2010-07-01

The Gallup World Poll, the first representative sample of planet Earth, was used to explore the reasons why happiness is associated with higher income, including the meeting of basic needs, fulfillment of psychological needs, increasing satisfaction with one's standard of living, and public goods. Across the globe, the association of log income with subjective well-being was linear but convex with raw income, indicating the declining marginal effects of income on subjective well-being. Income was a moderately strong predictor of life evaluation but a much weaker predictor of positive and negative feelings. Possessing luxury conveniences and satisfaction with standard of living were also strong predictors of life evaluation. Although the meeting of basic and psychological needs mediated the effects of income on life evaluation to some degree, the strongest mediation was provided by standard of living and ownership of conveniences. In contrast, feelings were most associated with the fulfillment of psychological needs: learning, autonomy, using one's skills, respect, and the ability to count on others in an emergency. Thus, two separate types of prosperity-economic and social psychological-best predict different types of well-being.

The Impact of Parental Modeling and Permissibility on Alcohol Use and Experienced Negative Drinking Consequences in College

PubMed Central

Abar, Caitlin; Abar, Beau; Turrisi, Rob

2009-01-01

This study examined the impact of parental modeled behavior and permissibility of alcohol use in late high school on the alcohol use and experienced negative drinking consequences of college students. Two-hundred ninety college freshmen at a large university were assessed for perceptions of their parents’ permissibility of alcohol use, parents’ alcohol-related behavior, and own experienced negative consequences associated with alcohol use. Results indicate that parental permissibility of alcohol use is a consistent predictor of teen drinking behaviors, which was strongly associated with experienced negative consequences. Parental modeled use of alcohol was also found to be a risk factor, with significant differences being seen across the gender of the parents and teens. Discussion focuses on risk factors and avenues for prevention research. PMID:19398278

The spiral of distrust: (Non-)cooperation in a repeated trust game is predicted by anger and individual differences in negative reciprocity orientation.

PubMed

Harth, Nicole S; Regner, Tobias

2017-12-01

This study investigated state anger and individual differences in negative reciprocity orientation as predictors of individuals' willingness to cooperate with strangers. In order to observe real behaviour, we used a trust game that was played over six periods. In the trust game, a first player (sender) determines how much of a certain endowment she/he wants to share with a second player (trustee), who then can give something back. We varied whether participants received feedback [feedback (yes, no)] about the trustee's behavioural decision (amount sent back). Supporting our hypotheses, the results suggest that feedback compared with no feedback about the trustee's behaviour increased anger. Specifically, information about low back transfers triggered anger and non-cooperation in return. Importantly, participants with a strong negative reciprocity orientation reported higher levels of anger and were less willing to cooperate with the trustee compared with those with low negative reciprocity orientation. Moreover, even when anger was low, individuals with a strong negative reciprocity orientation were less willing to cooperate compared with those with a low negative reciprocity orientation. Thus, negative reciprocity orientation seems to arouse a spiral of distrust. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

[Influential factors on psychosocial health of the migrant workers in Guangzhou].

PubMed

Lin, Qiu-hong; Liu, Yi-min; Zhou, Jing-dong; Cao, Nai-qiong; Fang, Yuan-yu

2012-03-01

To study the influential factors on psychosocial health of the migrant workers in Guangzhou. The Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) were used to investigate 518 migrant workers in Guangzhou. The rate of migrant workers with psychosocial problems was 36.5%. The scores of SCL-90 and positive rates in migrant workers with the different personality types had significant difference (P < 0.01). The results of binary logistic regression analysis indicated that the working years, drinking, sex, P scores, E scores and N scores of EPQ were main predictors of the poor physical fitness status. The vocations, working years, P scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the somatization. he vocations, P scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the obsessive compulsive symptom. The smoking, P scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the interpersonal sensitivity. The working years, P scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the depression. P scores of EPQ was strong predictors of the anxiety. P scores, E scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the hostility. The working years, smoking, P scores, E scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the phobic anxiety. The working years, P scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the paranoid ideation. The working years, P scores and N scores of EPQ were strong predictors of the psychosis. The level of mental health of the migrant workers was significantly associated with the personality. The results of present study indicated that different vocation, sex, working years, smoking and drinking might interfere with the psychological states. The migrant workers with the personality of psychoticism, neuroticism and introversion may have unhealthy mental reaction.

Demographic predictors of false negative self-reported tobacco use status in an insurance applicant population.

PubMed

Palmier, James; Lanzrath, Brian; Dixon, Ammon; Idowu, Oluseun

2014-01-01

To identify and quantify demographic correlates of false-negative self-reporting of tobacco use in life insurance applicants. Several studies have assessed the sensitivity of self-reporting for tobacco use in various populations, but statistical examination of the causes of misreporting has been rarer. The very large (488,000 confirmed tobacco users) sample size, US-wide geographic scope, and unique incentive structure of the life insurance application process permit more robust and insurance industry-specific results in this study. Approximately 6.2 million life insurance applicants for whom both tobacco-use interview questions and a confirmatory urine cotinine test were completed between 1999 and 2012 were evaluated for consistency between self-reported and laboratory-confirmed tobacco-use status. The data set was subjected to logistic regression to identify predictors of false negative self-reports (FNSR). False-negative self-reporting was found to be strongly associated with male gender, applicant ages of less than 30 or greater than 60, and low cotinine positivity rates in the applicant's state of residence. Policy face value was also moderately predictive, values above $500,000 associated with moderately higher FNSR. The findings imply that FNSR in life insurance applicants may be the result of complex interactions among financial incentives, geography and presumptive peer groups, and gender.

Expectations and illness perceptions as predictors of benefit recipiency among workers with common mental disorders: secondary analysis from a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Løvvik, Camilla; Shaw, William; Øverland, Simon; Reme, Silje Endresen

2014-01-01

Objective Common mental disorders (CMDs) are among the leading causes of sick leave, and more knowledge on factors related to work participation and return-to-work (RTW) in CMDs is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate RTW-expectations and illness perceptions as predictors of benefit recipiency in CMDs. Design Study participants were enrolled in a randomised controlled trial and reported CMDs as a main obstacle for work participation. Three prespecified subgroups were included: people at risk of going on sick leave, people on sick leave (>3 weeks) or people on long-term benefits. Baseline questionnaire data and registry data at baseline and 6 months were used to investigate predictors of benefit recipiency at 6-month follow-up. Benefit recipiency included sickness benefits, disability pension, work assessment allowance and unemployment benefits. Results In this study, uncertain and negative RTW-expectations were strong predictors of benefit recipiency at 6 months follow-up. Illness perceptions predicted benefit recipiency in the unadjusted model, but not in the fully adjusted model. In the subgroup on sick leave, uncertain and negative RTW-expectations predicted benefit recipiency, while in the subgroup of people at risk of going on sick leave, negative RTW-expectations predicted benefit recipiency. In the subgroup on long-term benefits, only female gender predicted benefit recipiency. Conclusions For people with CMDs, uncertain and negative RTW-expectations predict later benefit recipiency, and expectations seem particularly important for those at risk of or on sick leave. For those at risk of sick leave, benefit recipiency at follow-up denoted a transition onto sick leave or long-term benefit, while those on sick leave had remained so or were receiving long-term benefits. Addressing RTW-expectations in occupational healthcare services or vocational rehabilitation might be beneficial in early stages or even prior to a sick leave episode. Trial registration http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01146730. PMID:24589824

Outcomes After Diagnostic Hip Injection.

PubMed

Lynch, T Sean; Steinhaus, Michael E; Popkin, Charles A; Ahmad, Christopher S; Rosneck, James

2016-08-01

To provide a comprehensive review of outcomes associated with local anesthetic (LA) or LA and corticosteroid (CS) diagnostic hip injections, and how well response predicts subsequent operative success. A systematic review from database (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase) inception to January 2015 for English-language articles reporting primary patient outcomes data was performed, excluding studies with >50% underlying osteoarthritis. Studies were assessed by 2 reviewers who collected pertinent data. Seven studies were included, reporting on a total 337 patients undergoing diagnostic hip injection. The mean age was 34.4 years, with 5 studies reporting 94 (35.2%) males and 173 (64.8%) females. One study examined the rate of pain relief with LA (92.5%); 2 CS studies reported relief on a scale from 0% to 100% (no to complete relief), ranging from 61% to 82.3%; and 3 studies used 10-point pain scales, with a CS study noting a pain score of 1.0, an LA study with a score of 3.03, and 1 study using either CS or LA scores of 3 to 5.6. Duration of pain relief was 9.8 (CS) and 2.35 days (LA). By pathology, greatest relief was achieved in acetabular chondral injury (93.3%) and least in cam impingement (81.6%), with clinical and imaging findings being unreliable predictors of relief. One study showed nonresponse to be a strong predictor of negative surgical outcome for femoroacetabular impingement. Diagnostic hip injections provide substantial pain relief for patients with various hip pathologies, with limited data to suggest greatest relief for those with chondral injury. Clinical and imaging findings are unreliable predictors of injection response, and nonresponse to injection is a strong negative predictor of surgical outcome. Future research should focus on elucidating differences by underlying pathology and predicting future operative success. Level IV, systematic review. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive and affective predictors of boredom proneness.

PubMed

Isacescu, Julia; Struk, Andriy Anatolievich; Danckert, James

2017-12-01

Boredom proneness has been linked to various forms of cognitive and affective dysregulation including poor self-control and mind-wandering (MW), as well as depression and aggression. As such, understanding boredom and the associated cognitive and affective components of the experience, represents an important first step in combatting the consequences of boredom for psychological well-being. We surveyed 1928 undergraduate students on measures of boredom proneness, self-control, MW, depression and aggression to investigate how these constructs were related. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that self-control operated as a strong negative predictor of boredom proneness. Finally, when controlling for age and self-control, we observed large decreases in the magnitudes of the relationships between boredom proneness and our other measures of interest. Together, these results imply a strong relationship between boredom proneness and cognitive and affective dysregulation, and show that individual levels of self-control can account for the lion's share of variance in the relationships between boredom, cognition, and affect.

Association of hyperandrogenemic and metabolic phenotype with carotid intima-media thickness in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

PubMed

Vryonidou, Andromachi; Papatheodorou, Athanasios; Tavridou, Anna; Terzi, Thomais; Loi, Vasiliki; Vatalas, Ioannis-Anastasios; Batakis, Nikolaos; Phenekos, Constantinos; Dionyssiou-Asteriou, Amalia

2005-05-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrinopathy of women of reproductive age, is associated with the early appearance of multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. However, premature atherosclerosis of the carotid artery has not yet been demonstrated in young women with PCOS. Measurement of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) is considered an easy and reliable index of subclinical atherosclerosis, which is predictive of subsequent myocardial infarction and stroke. To evaluate the cardiovascular risk of PCOS and the participation of the hyperandrogenemic and metabolic pattern, we measured carotid IMT by B-mode ultrasound as well as hormonal and several cardiovascular disease-associated parameters in 75 young women with PCOS and 55 healthy, age- and body mass index-matched women. The PCOS women had significantly increased carotid IMT (0.58 vs. 0.47 mm, P < 0.001) and abdominal adiposity; higher levels of androgens, insulin, homeostasis model assessment score of insulin sensitivity, and total and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; and significantly lower levels of SHBG and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. In the studied population (n = 130), PCOS status, age, body mass index, and parental history of coronary heart disease were strong positive predictors of carotid IMT, whereas dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was a strong negative predictor. In PCOS patients lower delta4-androstenedione and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels were additionally strong positive predictors of carotid IMT, whereas in control women only total cholesterol was the additional positive predictor of carotid IMT. In conclusion, young women with PCOS have an early increase of cardiovascular risk factors and greater carotid IMT, both of which may be responsible for subclinical atherosclerosis. The hyperandrogenemic phenotype of the syndrome may attenuate the consequences of the dysmetabolic phenotype on the vascular wall.

Gender-role conflict and gender-role orientation in a sample of gay men.

PubMed

Choi, Namok; Herdman, Kevin; Fuqua, Dale R; Newman, Jody L

2011-01-01

This exploratory study was designed to examine the relationship between gender role dimensions derived from the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the 4 dimensions of gender role conflict represented on the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) using a sample (N = 400) composed of exclusively gay men. Results from regression of 3 BSRI scores (femininity, social masculinity, personal masculinity) on the 4 subscale scores of the GRCS indicated that gender role conflict was most strongly and positively associated with the negative aspect of masculinity (social masculinity), accounting for about 11% of variability in social masculinity scores. In particular, the success-power-competition dimension of the GRCS was the major predictor of social masculinity in gay men. Gender role conflict was also strongly but negatively associated with femininity, accounting for approximately 10% of the variance in femininity scores among the men in the sample. Implications and recommendations for further studies are discussed.

The impact of aging, cognition, and symptoms on functional competence in individuals with schizophrenia across the lifespan.

PubMed

Kalache, Sawsan M; Mulsant, Benoit H; Davies, Simon J C; Liu, Angela Y; Voineskos, Aristotle N; Butters, Meryl A; Miranda, Dielle; Menon, Mahesh; Kern, Robert S; Rajji, Tarek K

2015-03-01

Life expectancy in individuals with schizophrenia continues to increase. It is not clear whether cognitive deficits associated with schizophrenia remain as strong predictors of function in older and younger individuals. Thus, we assessed the relationship between cognition and functional competence in individuals with schizophrenia across 7 decades of life. We analyzed data obtained in 232 community-dwelling participants with schizophrenia (age range: 19-79 years). Cognition was assessed using the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia Consensus Cognitive Battery. Functional competence was assessed using the UCSD Performance-based Skills Assessment, which includes measures of Comprehension and Planning of Recreational Activities Skills, Financial Skills, Communication Skills, Transportation Skills, and Household Management Skills. To assess the effects of Global Cognition on functional competence, we performed hierarchical multivariate linear or logistic regression analyses controlling for age, education, gender, and negative symptoms. Participants' mean age was 49.1 (SD = 13.2, range = 19-79 years), 161 (69%) were male, and 55 (24%) were aged ≥60. Global Cognition was a predictor of Comprehension and Planning Skills (Exp(β) = 1.048), Financial Skills (Exp(β) = 1.104), Communication Skills (ΔR (2) = .31) and Transportation Skills (Exp(β) = 1.066), but not Household Management Skills after adjusting for age, education, gender, and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Cognition remains a strong predictor of functional competence across the lifespan. These findings suggest that treating cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia could improve individuals' function independent of their age. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Predictors of Extradyadic Sexual Involvement in Unmarried Opposite-Sex Relationships

PubMed Central

Maddox Shaw, Amanda M.; Rhoades, Galena K.; Allen, Elizabeth S.; Stanley, Scott M.; Markman, Howard J.

2012-01-01

Using a sample of unmarried individuals in opposite-sex romantic relationships that was representative of the United States (N = 933), the current study prospectively evaluated predictors of extradyadic sexual involvement (ESI) over 20-months. Data were collected with self-report questionnaires via U.S. mail. Participants were 18–35 years old and were 34.9% male. Variables tested as predictors included involved-partner factors such as demographic characteristics, sexual history, and mental health, as well as relationship-related factors including communication, sexual dynamics, and aspects of commitment. Future ESI was significantly predicted by lower baseline relationship satisfaction, negative communication, aggression, lower dedication, absence of plans to marry, suspicion of partner’s ESI, and partner’s ESI. It was not predicted by sexual frequency, sexual dissatisfaction, or cohabitation status. Although more problems with alcohol use, more previous sex partners, and having parents who never married one another predicted future ESI, there were many involved-partner demographic factors that did not predict later ESI (e.g., gender, age, education, religiosity, having divorced parents, and having children). None of the results were moderated by gender. These results suggest that compared to demographic characteristics, relationship dynamics and negative interactions are more strongly predictive of future ESI. Implications for future research are discussed. PMID:22524318

The utility of elementary school TOCA-R scores in identifying later criminal court violence among adolescent females.

PubMed

Petras, Hanno; Ialongo, Nicholas; Lambert, Sharon F; Barrueco, Sandra; Schaeffer, Cindy M; Chilcoat, Howard; Kellam, Sheppard

2005-08-01

To evaluate the utility of a teacher-rating instrument (Teacher Observation of Classroom Adaptation-Revised [TOCA-R]) of aggressive behavior during elementary school years in identifying girls at risk of later criminal court violence. A community epidemiological sample of 845 urban public school girls was rated at six time points during elementary school regarding their level of aggressive/disruptive behavior (75% of whom were African American). Criminal violence was measured using juvenile court records. Logistic regression was used to study the strength of the association between early indicators of aggressive behavior and adolescent females' violent outcomes. An extension of the traditional receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to study the accuracy of identifying girls at risk of violence under three different screening and intervention scenarios. For girls, teacher ratings of aggression were a strong and consistent predictor of later violence across grades 1-5 and were strongest in fifth grade. Three screening scenarios were compared to determine the optimal identification threshold. The screening scenario with a focus on minimizing false negatives yielded the highest value (kappa = 0.803). This study supports other studies indicating that early levels of aggressive behavior are strong and robust predictors of later violence among girls but are of limited utility in the early identification of girls at risk, especially when the focus is on reducing both false positives and negatives.

Predictors of self-reported negative mood following a depressive mood induction procedure across previously depressed, currently anxious, and control individuals.

PubMed

Scherrer, Martin C; Dobson, Keith S; Quigley, Leanne

2014-09-01

This study identified and examined a set of potential predictors of self-reported negative mood following a depressive mood induction procedure (MIP) in a sample of previously depressed, clinically anxious, and control participants. The examined predictor variables were selected on the basis of previous research and theories of depression, and included symptoms of depression and anxiety, negative and positive affect, negative and positive automatic thoughts, dysfunctional beliefs, rumination, self-concept, and occurrence and perceived unpleasantness of recent negative events. The sample consisted of 33 previously depressed, 22 currently anxious, and 26 non-clinical control participants, recruited from community sources. Participant group status was confirmed through structured diagnostic interviews. Participants completed the Velten negative self-statement MIP as well as self-report questionnaires of affective, cognitive, and psychosocial variables selected as potential predictors of mood change. Symptoms of anxiety were associated with increased self-reported negative mood shift following the MIP in previously depressed participants, but not clinically anxious or control participants. Increased occurrence of recent negative events was a marginally significant predictor of negative mood shift for the previously depressed participants only. None of the other examined variables was significant predictors of MIP response for any of the participant groups. These results identify factors that may increase susceptibility to negative mood states in previously depressed individuals, with implications for theory and prevention of relapse to depression. The findings also identify a number of affective, cognitive, and psychosocial variables that do not appear to influence mood change following a depressive MIP in previously depressed, currently anxious, and control individuals. Limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed. Current anxiety symptomatology was a significant predictor and occurrence of recent negative events was a marginally significant predictor of greater negative mood shift following the depressive mood induction for previously depressed individuals. None of the examined variables predicted change in mood following the depressive mood induction for currently anxious or control individuals. These results suggest that anxiety symptoms and experience with negative events may increase risk for experiencing depressive mood states among individuals with a vulnerability to depression. The generalizability of the present results to individuals with comorbid depression and anxiety is limited. Future research employing appropriate statistical approaches for confirmatory research is needed to test and confirm the present results. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Delinquency as a mediator of the relation between negative affectivity and adolescent alcohol use disorder.

PubMed

Shoal, Gavin D; Gudonis, Lauren C; Giancola, Peter R; Tarter, Ralph E

2007-12-01

This investigation examined mediators of the longitudinal relation between negative affectivity and the development of problematic drinking behavior in adolescent boys and girls. In the present study, 499 early adolescents completed inventories of negative affectivity, attitudes toward delinquency, personal delinquency, and affiliation with delinquent peers. Positive attitudes toward delinquency emerged as the most consistent mediator and strongly predicted drinking frequency in various situations. Compared with personal delinquency, both attitudes toward delinquency and peer delinquency were superior predictors of affect-related drinking. Our results also demonstrated that positive attitudes toward delinquency mediated the relation between negative affectivity and later development of an alcohol use disorder. These findings suggest that a proneness to unpleasant affect impacts adolescent drinking by heightening risk for general rejection of normative behavior, rather than by increasing drinking as a means of managing affect. The importance and implications of testing delinquency variables together in the same model are discussed.

Motivation and future temporal orientation: a test of the self-handicapping hypothesis.

PubMed

Lennings, C J

1999-06-01

Self-handicapping motivation refers to the likelihood a person will project personal ambition into the future, make a pessimistic judgement, and then mobilise effort in the present to avoid an anticipated negative outcome. It should, therefore, be a correlate of future time perspective. This study showed for a sample of 120 first-year students that, whilst future time perspective did strongly predict scores on a measure of self-handicapping motivation, neither variable was a useful predictor of outcome.

Performance of time-varying predictors in multilevel models under an assumption of fixed or random effects.

PubMed

Baird, Rachel; Maxwell, Scott E

2016-06-01

Time-varying predictors in multilevel models are a useful tool for longitudinal research, whether they are the research variable of interest or they are controlling for variance to allow greater power for other variables. However, standard recommendations to fix the effect of time-varying predictors may make an assumption that is unlikely to hold in reality and may influence results. A simulation study illustrates that treating the time-varying predictor as fixed may allow analyses to converge, but the analyses have poor coverage of the true fixed effect when the time-varying predictor has a random effect in reality. A second simulation study shows that treating the time-varying predictor as random may have poor convergence, except when allowing negative variance estimates. Although negative variance estimates are uninterpretable, results of the simulation show that estimates of the fixed effect of the time-varying predictor are as accurate for these cases as for cases with positive variance estimates, and that treating the time-varying predictor as random and allowing negative variance estimates performs well whether the time-varying predictor is fixed or random in reality. Because of the difficulty of interpreting negative variance estimates, 2 procedures are suggested for selection between fixed-effect and random-effect models: comparing between fixed-effect and constrained random-effect models with a likelihood ratio test or fitting a fixed-effect model when an unconstrained random-effect model produces negative variance estimates. The performance of these 2 procedures is compared. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Emotion in Global Warming Policy Support and Opposition

PubMed Central

Smith, Nicholas; Leiserowitz, Anthony

2014-01-01

Prior research has found that affect and affective imagery strongly influence public support for global warming. This article extends this literature by exploring the separate influence of discrete emotions. Utilizing a nationally representative survey in the United States, this study found that discrete emotions were stronger predictors of global warming policy support than cultural worldviews, negative affect, image associations, or sociodemographic variables. In particular, worry, interest, and hope were strongly associated with increased policy support. The results contribute to experiential theories of risk information processing and suggest that discrete emotions play a significant role in public support for climate change policy. Implications for climate change communication are also discussed. PMID:24219420

The role of emotion in global warming policy support and opposition.

PubMed

Smith, Nicholas; Leiserowitz, Anthony

2014-05-01

Prior research has found that affect and affective imagery strongly influence public support for global warming. This article extends this literature by exploring the separate influence of discrete emotions. Utilizing a nationally representative survey in the United States, this study found that discrete emotions were stronger predictors of global warming policy support than cultural worldviews, negative affect, image associations, or sociodemographic variables. In particular, worry, interest, and hope were strongly associated with increased policy support. The results contribute to experiential theories of risk information processing and suggest that discrete emotions play a significant role in public support for climate change policy. Implications for climate change communication are also discussed. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Predictors of mental health competence in a population cohort of Australian children.

PubMed

Goldfeld, Sharon; Kvalsvig, Amanda; Incledon, Emily; O'Connor, Meredith; Mensah, Fiona

2014-05-01

The child mental health epidemiology literature focuses almost exclusively on reporting the prevalence and predictors of child mental disorders. However, there is growing recognition of positive mental health or mental health competence as an independent outcome that cannot be inferred from the absence of problems, and requires epidemiological investigation in its own right. We developed a novel measure of child mental health competence within the framework of the Australian Early Development Index, a three-yearly national census of early child development. Predictors of this outcome were investigated by linking these census data at individual level to detailed background information collected by a large longitudinal cohort study. Predictors of competence were consistent with previously described theoretical and empirical models. Overall, boys were significantly less likely than girls to demonstrate a high level of competence (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.91). Other strong predictors of competence were parent education and a relative absence of maternal psychological distress; these factors also appeared to attenuate the negative effect of family hardship on child competence. This measure of mental health competence shows promise as a population-level indicator with the potential benefit of informing and evaluating evidence-based public health intervention strategies that promote positive mental health.

Development of alcohol expectancies and early alcohol use in children and adolescents: A systematic review.

PubMed

Smit, Koen; Voogt, Carmen; Hiemstra, Marieke; Kleinjan, Marloes; Otten, Roy; Kuntsche, Emmanuel

2018-03-01

Developmental changes in alcohol expectancies (AE) have been proposed to lead to alcohol use initiation and later alcohol use in adolescence. This systematic review aims to provide longitudinal evidence of the development of AE and the relation of AE to alcohol outcomes from childhood to late adolescence (4-18 years old). A computer-assisted search of relevant articles identified 1602 studies, of which 43 studies (conducted between 1996 and 2016) were selected. First, negative AE decline and positive AE increase in early adolescence. Moreover, alcohol use (initiation) seems to strongly influence changes in AE. Second, AE predict alcohol use initiation and drinking patterns over time. Third, longitudinal predictors of AE could be divided into individual predictors (i.e., alcohol-related cognitions, psychopathology, and genetics) and environmental predictors (i.e., family, peer, and media influences). Lastly, the results indicated that AE function as mediators of the relations between the various individual and environmental predictors and adolescent's alcohol use. Alcohol expectancies form an important framework through which drinking behavior can be explained over time. Due to the diverse findings on the predictors of AE, future longitudinal studies should further clarify the factors that are essential in the development of AE and adolescent's later alcohol use. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sensitivity and specificity of the Brøset Violence Checklist as predictor of violence in forensic psychiatry.

PubMed

Hvidhjelm, Jacob; Sestoft, Dorte; Skovgaard, Lene Theil; Bue Bjorner, Jakob

2014-11-01

Violence and aggressive behavior within psychiatric facilities are serious work environment problems, which have negative consequences for both patients and staff. It is therefore of great importance to reduce both the number and the severity of these violent incidents to improve quality of care. To evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the Brøset Violence Checklist (BVC) as a predictor of violent incidents for Danish forensic psychiatry patients. A total of 156 patients were assessed three times daily with the BVC for 24 months. All aggressive or violent incidents were recorded using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R). SOAS-R scores of 9 or more defined violent incidents. Data were analyzed using standard logistic regression models as well as models incorporating a random person effect. We used receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis to evaluate different BVC thresholds. Of a total of 139,579 BVC registrations we found 1999 scores above 0 and 419 violent incidents. The BVC score was a strong predictor of violence. For the standard cut-off point of 3, specificity was 0.997 and sensitivity was 0.656. For the general risk of violence seen in this study, the risk of violence given a BVC score > 3 (positive predictive value) was 37.2%, and the risk of violence given a BVC score < 3 (negative predictive value) was 0.1%. The BVC showed satisfactory specificity and sensitivity as a predictor of the short-term risk of violence against staff and others by patients in a forensic setting.

Investigating how menopausal factors and self-compassion shape well-being: An exploratory path analysis.

PubMed

Brown, Lydia; Bryant, Christina; Brown, Valerie; Bei, Bei; Judd, Fiona

2015-06-01

A large body of work has investigated the relationship between menopausal factors and negative well-being (e.g. anxiety and depressive symptoms), but less is known about positive well-being and its correlates among midlife women. This study tests two models with both positive and negative well-being indices as outcomes: the first included menopausal factors as predictors; the second model expanded the first by adding self-compassion, a protective trait, as a predictor and moderator. Cross-sectional study based on self-report questionnaires from 206 women aged 40-60, currently experiencing hot flushes. Hot flush interference ratings, emotional balance, satisfaction with life, eudaimonic well-being and depressive symptoms. In model one, menopausal stage and hot flush frequency were independent of well-being outcomes. Beliefs about perceived control over menopause was the strongest predictor of well-being (β range: .22-.32), followed by hot flush interference ratings (β range: .15-.33). In model two, self-compassion was the strongest predictor of well-being indices (β range: .20-.39), followed by beliefs about control (β range: .16-.20) and interference ratings (β range: .17-.26). Psychological aspects of the menopause appear more strongly linked to well-being than physiological aspects such as menopausal stage and hot flush frequency. Specifically, self-compassion, feeling in control of menopause and low interference ratings are three factors that are associated with well-being among midlife women. These aspects could be considered in tandem, as a means to support well-being in the context of menopause. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Homocysteine in small-for-gestational age and appropriate-for-gestational age preterm neonates from mothers receiving folic acid supplementation.

PubMed

Gomes, Thushari S; Lindner, Ulrike; Tennekoon, Kamani H; Karandagoda, Wimal; Gortner, Ludwig; Obeid, Rima

2010-08-01

Prematurity and small-for-gestational age (SGA) neonates are at risk for postnatal complications. Concentrations of total homocysteine (tHcy) might be related to neonatal outcome. We hypothesized that concentrations of tHcy are not related to growth restriction in neonates from mothers receiving 5 mg/day folic acid. We studied a total of 133 preterm neonates from normotensive mothers; SGA (n=96) and appropriate-for-gestational age (AGA, n=37). Concentrations of tHcy, folate and vitamin B12 were measured in venous umbilical cord plasma. AGA preterm neonates had higher mean birth weight (BW) compared to SGA preterms (2472 g vs. 2007 g; p<0.001) of comparable mean gestational age (GA) (35.1 vs. 35.7 weeks; p=0.059). Concentrations of tHcy (4.86 vs. 4.95 micromol/L), folate (63.3 vs. 55.7 nmol/L), and vitamin B12 (409 vs. 394 pmol/L) were not significantly different between the groups. GA was a strong positive predictor, BW was a significant negative predictor of cord plasma folate. Vitamin B12 concentration was a significant negative predictor of cord tHcy. Concentrations of tHcy did not differ between SGA and AGA preterm neonates born to mothers supplemented with folic acid. This finding argues against a causal role for folate deficiency or increased tHcy in growth restriction.

Dynamical adjustment of Scandinavian glacier mass-balance time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonan, D.; Christian, J. E.; Christianson, K. A.

2017-12-01

Glacier mass wastage is often cited as one of the most visible manifestations of anthropogenic climate change. Annual glacier mass-balance is related to local climate and atmospheric circulation, as it is defined as the yearly sum of accumulation and ablation—processes that are strongly influenced by year-to-year fluctuations in precipitation and temperature. Glacier response to a climatic trend can, however, be masked by internal variability in atmospheric circulation, and by non-climatic factors (such as topographic control, wind deposition, and incident solar radiation). Thus, unambiguous attribution of a negative glacier mass-balance trend to anthropogenic forcing remains challenging. Maritime glacier mass-balance records may be especially difficult to interpret due to the high winter balances from decadal-scale climate oscillations and the relatively short time series. Here we examine the influence of climate and atmospheric circulation variability on 14 Norwegian glaciers that span 20° of latitude, from southern Norway to Svalbard. We use dynamical adjustment—a statistical method based on partial least squares regression—to identify the components of variability within the mass-balance records that are associated with the time-varying sea level pressure (SLP) and sea surface temperature (SST) fields. We find that 30-50% of the variance in the winter mass-balance records of the glaciers in southern Norway is explained by using sea level pressure as a predictor. The leading SLP predictor pattern mimics the spatial signature of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), indicating that winter balance is strongly influenced by the NAO. Moreover, the adjusted mass-balance records indicate a geographic trend: the southern Norwegian glaciers have significant negative trends in the summer balance that remain negative after adjustment, while the more northern glaciers have negative winter balance trends that only become significant after adjustment. We look into anthropogenic warming to explain the trends after dynamical adjustment.

MRI Predictive Factors for Tumor Response in Rectal Cancer Following Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy - Implications for Induction Chemotherapy?

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

Yu, Stanley K.T.; Tait, Diana; Chau, Ian

2013-11-01

Purpose: Clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics at baseline and following chemoradiation therapy (CRT) most strongly associated with histopathologic response were investigated and survival outcomes evaluated in accordance with imaging and pathological response. Methods and Materials: Responders were defined as mrT3c/d-4 downstaged to ypT0-2 on pathology or low at risk mrT2 downstaged to ypT1 or T0. Multivariate logistic regression of baseline and posttreatment MRI: T, N, extramural venous invasion (EMVI), circumferential resection margin, craniocaudal length <5 cm, and MRI tumor height ≤5 cm were used to identify independent predictor(s) for response. An association between induction chemotherapy and EMVI statusmore » was analyzed. Survival outcomes for pathologic and MRI responders and nonresponders were analyzed. Results: Two hundred eighty-one patients were eligible; 114 (41%) patients were pathology responders. Baseline MRI negative EMVI (odds ratio 2.94, P=.007), tumor height ≤5 cm (OR 1.96, P=.02), and mrEMVI status change (positive to negative) following CRT (OR 3.09, P<.001) were the only predictors for response. There was a strong association detected between induction chemotherapy and ymrEMVI status change after CRT (OR 9.0, P<.003). ymrT0-2 gave a positive predictive value of 80% and OR of 9.1 for ypT0-2. ymrN stage accuracy of ypN stage was 75%. Three-year disease-free survival for pathology and MRI responders were similar at 80% and 79% and significantly better than poor responders. Conclusions: Tumor height and mrEMVI status are more important than baseline size and stage of the tumor as predictors of response to CRT. Both MRI- and pathologic-defined responders have significantly improved survival. “Good response” to CRT in locally advanced rectal cancer with ypT0-2 carries significantly better 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival. Use of induction chemotherapy for improving mrEMVI status and knowledge of MRI predictive factors could be taken into account in the pursuit of individualized neoadjuvant treatments for patients with rectal cancer.« less

Factors influencing consumption of farmed seafood products in the Pacific northwest.

PubMed

Hall, Troy E; Amberg, Shannon M

2013-07-01

This study used a mail survey (n=1159 usable surveys) of Pacific northwest (US) residents to understand general seafood preferences (familiarity, price, freshness, health and environmental concerns), beliefs and attitudes specific to aquaculture versus wild products, and how those cognitive factors affect decisions to consume types of farmed seafood products. Respondents strongly agreed that seafood is healthy, and they preferred wild over farmed products. Many respondents were uncertain about human health and environmental benefits and problems associated with aquaculture. While there was agreement that aquaculture reduces pressure on wild fish, there was equally strong agreement that it has the same problems as other agricultural practices. Belief in the superiority of wild seafood was a strong predictor of consumption choices. Belief in the benefits of aquaculture was positively related to higher consumption of farmed products, but--unexpectedly--beliefs related to environmental and health problems associated with aquaculture did not predict specific consumption choices. Nearly half of respondents recalled hearing or reading about aquaculture in the mass media, and recall of negative stories contributed to a general preference for wild products, but not consumption of specific types of farmed products. Consumption of the different classes of products had some different predictors, and communication efforts directed at different beliefs may have different impacts on consumer behavior. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Resilience in Elders of the Sardinian Blue Zone: An Explorative Study.

PubMed

Fastame, Maria Chiara; Hitchcott, Paul Kenneth; Mulas, Ilaria; Ruiu, Marilena; Penna, Maria Pietronilla

2018-02-26

Background : older adults from the Sardinian Blue Zone self-report low depressive symptoms and high psychological well-being. However, the role of dispositional resilience as a determinant of these characteristics is unknown. Objectives : the current study had three aims. First, to investigate associations among several putative predictors, including dispositional resilience and three established markers of positive and negative mental health. Second, to determine if gender differences in dispositional resilience, independent of age and cognitive impairment, are present in this population. Third, to examine the relative importance of the predictors of self-reported mental health and well-being. Methods : 160 elders were recruited in the Sardinian Blue Zone. The participants completed self-report measures of dispositional resilience, satisfaction with social ties, physical health, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being. Results : trait resilience was significantly associated with predictors and markers of mental health. Males had significantly greater trait resilience. In regression analyses, dispositional resilience and satisfaction with social ties were significant predictors of all markers of mental health. Other factors were significantly associated only with certain markers. Conclusions : trait resilience and strong social ties appear to be key determinants of the high mental health of Sardinian Blue Zone older adults.

Negative Sibling Interaction Patterns as Predictors of Later Adjustment Problems in Adolescent and Young Adult Males.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bank, Lew; And Others

1996-01-01

This study investigated sibling interaction patterns in middle childhood as predictors of adjustment outcomes in males during adolescence and early adulthood using a social interactional perspective. It was theorized that negative interaction during middle childhood with siblings and parents would be the most powerful predictor of adjustment in…

Revenge versus forgiveness/forbearance in response to narrative-simulated victimization.

PubMed

Milgram, Noach; Stern, Miri; Levin, Shelly

2006-03-01

The authors engaged men and women (N = 120) who read one of two versions of a dramatic narrative in which the narrator became HIV-positive following heterosexual intercourse with an AIDS-infected partner. Assuming the role of the narrator, the participants completed two situation-instigated criterion measures as a response to becoming HIV-infected, indicated whom they blamed for their predicament, and completed two "trait" predictor measures-negative affect and response to perceived victimization in everyday life. Trait victimization response and blaming the sexual partner were strongly associated with high rather than low negative affect. Reasons for the reluctance to blame the sexual partner and seek revenge were discussed, and recommendations were made to develop less problematic simulated victimization narratives.

Predictors of Parent-Teacher Agreement in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Typically Developing Siblings.

PubMed

Stratis, Elizabeth A; Lecavalier, Luc

2017-08-01

This study evaluated the magnitude of informant agreement and predictors of agreement on behavior and emotional problems and autism symptoms in 403 children with autism and their typically developing siblings. Parent-teacher agreement was investigated on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Agreement between parents and teachers fell in the low to moderate range. Multiple demographic and clinical variables were considered as predictors, and only some measures of parent broad autism traits were associated with informant agreement. Parent report on the SRS was a positive predictor of agreement, while teacher report was a negative predictor. Parent report on the CBCL emerged as a positive predictor of agreement, while teacher report emerged as a negative predictor.

Predictors of Negative Spillover from Family to Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dilworth, Jennie E. Long

2004-01-01

Prior research has inconsistently documented the gendered nature of negative spillover between the domains of home and work. Little is known about predictors of negative spillover for employed mothers and fathers. Using the 1997 wave of the National Study of the Changing Workforce, this study's purpose was twofold: to determine if a difference…

Is wealthier always healthier in poor countries? The health implications of income, inequality, poverty, and literacy in India.

PubMed

Rajan, Keertichandra; Kennedy, Jonathan; King, Lawrence

2013-07-01

Standard policy prescriptions for improving public health in less developed countries (LDCs) prioritise raising average income levels over redistributive policies since it is widely accepted that 'wealthier is healthier'. It is argued that income inequality becomes a significant predictor of public health only after the 'epidemiological transition'. This paper tests this theory in India, where rising income levels have not been matched by improvements in public health. We use state-, district-, and individual-level data to investigate the relationship between infant and under-five mortality, and average income, poverty, income inequality, and literacy. Our analysis shows that at both state- and district-level public health is negatively associated with average income and positively associated with poverty. But, at both levels, controlling for poverty and literacy renders average income statistically insignificant. At state-level, only literacy remains a significant and negative predictor. At the less aggregated district-level, both poverty and literacy predict public health but literacy has a stronger effect than poverty. Inequality does not predict public health at state- or district-levels. At the individual-level, however, it is a strong predictor of self-reported ailment, even after we control for district average income, individual income, and individual education. Our analysis suggests that wealthier is indeed healthier in India - but only to the extent that high average incomes reflect low poverty and high literacy. Furthermore, inequality has a strong effect on self-reported health. Standard policy prescriptions, then, need revision: first, alleviating poverty may be more effective than raising average income levels; second, non-income goods like literacy may make an important contribution to public health; and third, policy should be based on a broader understanding of societal well-being and the factors that promote it. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delinquency as a Mediator of the Relation between Negative Affectivity and Adolescent Alcohol Use Disorder

PubMed Central

Shoal, Gavin D.; Gudonis, Lauren C.; Giancola, Peter R.; Tarter, Ralph E.

2007-01-01

This investigation examined mediators of the longitudinal relation between negative affectivity and the development of problematic drinking behavior in adolescent boys and girls. In the present study, 499 early adolescents completed inventories of negative affectivity, attitudes toward delinquency, personal delinquency, and affiliation with delinquent peers. Positive attitudes toward delinquency emerged as the most consistent mediator and strongly predicted drinking frequency in various situations. Compared with personal delinquency, both attitudes toward delinquency and peer delinquency were superior predictors of affect-related drinking. Our results also demonstrated that positive attitudes toward delinquency mediated the relation between negative affectivity and later development of an alcohol use disorder. These findings suggest that a proneness to unpleasant affect impacts adolescent drinking by heightening risk for general rejection of normative behavior, rather than by increasing drinking as a means of managing affect. The importance and implications of testing delinquency variables together in the same model are discussed. PMID:17490823

Diffusion of Impaired Driving Laws Among US States.

PubMed

Macinko, James; Silver, Diana

2015-09-01

We examined internal and external determinants of state's adoption of impaired driving laws. Data included 7 state-level, evidence-based public health laws collected from 1980 to 2010. We used event history analyses to identify predictors of first-time law adoption and subsequent adoption between state pairs. The independent variables were internal state factors, including the political environment, legislative professionalism, government capacity, state resources, legislative history, and policy-specific risk factors. The external factors were neighboring states' history of law adoption and changes in federal law. We found a strong secular trend toward an increased number of laws over time. The proportion of younger drivers and the presence of a neighboring state with similar laws were the strongest predictors of first-time law adoption. The predictors of subsequent law adoption included neighbor state adoption and previous legislative action. Alcohol laws were negatively associated with first-time adoption of impaired driving laws, suggesting substitution effects among policy choices. Organizations seeking to stimulate state policy changes may need to craft strategies that engage external actors, such as neighboring states, in addition to mobilizing within-state constituencies.

Demographic Predictors of Students' Science Participation over the Age of 16: an Australian Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, Grant; Berry, Amanda; Baglin, James

2018-01-01

Using the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) data, this paper aimed to examine if, and to what extent, demographic factors predict students' participation in science over the age of 16 (post-16). While all the students participating in this study are attending Australian schools, the comprehensiveness of these datasets, together with inclusion of studies from around the world provides a useful reference point for an international audience. Over 7000 students are included in the analysis of this paper. Characteristics of focus in this paper include groups who have been identified as being underrepresented in past studies including Indigenous students, those from lower-socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, sex differences and immigrants. Among the factors tested, Indigenous status was the strongest negative predictor of post-16 science participation. SES was also a relatively strong predictor of post-16 science participation. Compared to students categorised with an Australian-ancestry, first-generation and foreign-background students were more likely to participate in post-16 science. The findings of this study contribute to existing research on debates about equity and trends in science participation.

Diffusion of Impaired Driving Laws Among US States

PubMed Central

Silver, Diana

2015-01-01

Objectives. We examined internal and external determinants of state’s adoption of impaired driving laws. Methods. Data included 7 state-level, evidence-based public health laws collected from 1980 to 2010. We used event history analyses to identify predictors of first-time law adoption and subsequent adoption between state pairs. The independent variables were internal state factors, including the political environment, legislative professionalism, government capacity, state resources, legislative history, and policy-specific risk factors. The external factors were neighboring states’ history of law adoption and changes in federal law. Results. We found a strong secular trend toward an increased number of laws over time. The proportion of younger drivers and the presence of a neighboring state with similar laws were the strongest predictors of first-time law adoption. The predictors of subsequent law adoption included neighbor state adoption and previous legislative action. Alcohol laws were negatively associated with first-time adoption of impaired driving laws, suggesting substitution effects among policy choices. Conclusions. Organizations seeking to stimulate state policy changes may need to craft strategies that engage external actors, such as neighboring states, in addition to mobilizing within-state constituencies. PMID:26180969

Predictors of Positive Mood and Negative Mood among Children with Learning Disabilities and Their Peers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharabi, Adi; Margalit, Malka

2014-01-01

Positive and negative mood have often been considered indicators of wellbeing, affecting behavior and adjustment. This study evaluated the personal and familial predictors of positive and negative mood among 1,024 Israeli students (children with learning disabilities [LD]: 302 boys, 198 girls; children without LD: 308 boys, 216 girls). They were…

The physiological determinants of low-level urine cadmium: an assessment in a cross-sectional study among schoolchildren.

PubMed

Wang, Hongyu; Dumont, Xavier; Haufroid, Vincent; Bernard, Alfred

2017-09-12

Recent studies in children have reported associations of urinary cadmium (U-Cd), used as biomarker of Cd body burden, with renal dysfunction, retarded growth and impaired cognitive development in children. Little is known, however, about factors influencing U-Cd in children and likely to act as confounders. In a cross-sectional study involving 249 schoolchildren (mean age, 5.72 years; 138 boys), we measured the urine concentrations of cadmium, zinc, lead, albumin, alpha 1 -microglobulin (A1M), retinol-binding protein, β 2 -microglobulin and club cell protein (CC16). Determinants of U-Cd expressed per creatinine or adjusted to specific gravity were identified by multiple regression analyses. Girls and boys had similar median concentrations of U-Cd (0.22 and 0.24 μg/L, 0.33 and 0.35 μg/g creatinine, respectively). When models were run without including creatinine or specific gravity among independent variables, urinary zinc, urinary A1M and age emerged as the strongest predictors of U-Cd expressed per g creatinine or adjusted to SG. When adding creatinine among predictors, urinary creatinine emerged as an additional strong predictor correlating negatively with U-Cd per g creatinine. This strong residual influence of diuresis, not seen when adding specific gravity among predictors, linked U-Cd to U-A1M or U-CC16 through secondary associations mimicking those induced by Cd nephrotoxity. In young children U-Cd largely varies with diuresis, zinc metabolism and urinary A1M. These physiological determinants, unrelated to Cd body burden, may confound the child renal and developmental outcomes associated with low-level U-Cd.

Understanding the prevalence of lifetime abstinence from alcohol: An ecological study.

PubMed

Probst, Charlotte; Manthey, Jakob; Rehm, Jürgen

2017-09-01

The level of alcohol consumption and related burden in a country are strongly impacted by the prevalence of abstinence from alcohol use. The objective of this study was to characterize the association of lifetime abstinence from alcohol use with economic wealth (as measured in the gross domestic product [GDP]) and Muslim religion on a country level. An ecological study was performed using aggregate data of 183 countries for the year 2010. Lifetime abstinence among men and women was predicted using fractional response regression models with the natural logarithm of GDP-PPP (purchasing power parity) and the proportion of Muslim population as predictors. The models were further adjusted by the country's median age and World Health Organization region. Precision of prediction was investigated. Descriptive analyses showed a strong negative association between GDP-PPP and lifetime abstinence in countries without a Muslim majority and a GDP-PPP up to 20,000 international dollars. Regression models confirmed the negative association with GDP-PPP and showed a strong positive association between lifetime abstinence and the proportion of Muslim population. Stratified sensitivity analyses showed that in countries without a Muslim majority only GDP-PPP showed a statistically significant association whereas in Muslim majority countries only the proportion of Muslims was associated with the prevalence of lifetime abstinence. Particularly in countries with a lower GDP and without Muslim majority the prevalence of lifetime abstinence from alcohol use is strongly negatively associated with GDP-PPP. Future research should analyze the accordance in trends of GDP and lifetime abstinence over time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role versatility among men who have sex with men in urban Peru.

PubMed

Goodreau, Steven M; Peinado, Jesus; Goicochea, Pedro; Vergara, Jorge; Ojeda, Nora; Casapia, Martin; Ortiz, Abner; Zamalloa, Victoria; Galvan, Rosa; Sanchez, Jorge R

2007-08-01

Role versatility refers to the practice in which individual men who have sex with men (MSM) play both insertive and receptive sexual roles over time. Versatility has been thought to be relatively uncommon among Latin American MSM but possibly rising. Versatility has also been shown to be a potentially large population-level risk factor for HIV infection. In this study we examine the correlates of versatile behavior and identity among 2,655 MSM in six Peruvian cities. Versatile behavior with recent male partners was found in 9% of men and versatile ("moderno") identity was reported by 16%. Significant predictors included high education, white-collar occupation, sex work, and residence in Lima. Age was not significant in any analysis. Since sex work is negatively correlated with other predictors, versatile men appear to comprise two distinct sub-populations. Insertive-only men appear to play a strong role in bridging the HIV epidemic between MSM and women.

Measuring what matters: Effectively predicting language and literacy in children with cochlear implants

PubMed Central

Nittrouer, Susan; Caldwell, Amanda; Holloman, Christopher

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate how well various language measures typically used with very young children after they receive cochlear implants predict language and literacy skills as they enter school. Methods Subjects were 50 children who had just completed kindergarten and were 6 or 7 years of age. All had previously participated in a longitudinal study from 12 to 48 months of age. 27 children had severe-to-profound hearing loss and wore cochlear implants, 8 had moderate hearing loss and wore hearing aids, and 15 had normal hearing. A latent variable of language/literacy skill was constructed from scores on six kinds of measures: (1) language comprehension; (2) expressive vocabulary; (3) phonological awareness; (4) literacy; (5) narrative skill; and (6) processing speed. Five kinds of language measures obtained at six-month intervals from 12 to 48 months of age were used as predictor variables in correlational analyses: (1) language comprehension; (2) expressive vocabulary; (3) syntactic structure of productive speech; (4) form and (5) function of language used in language samples. Results Outcomes quantified how much variance in kindergarten language/literacy performance was explained by each predictor variable, at each earlier age of testing. Comprehension measures consistently predicted roughly 25 to 50 percent of the variance in kindergarten language/literacy performance, and were the only effective predictors before 24 months of age. Vocabulary and syntactic complexity were strong predictors after roughly 36 months of age. Amount of speech produced in language samples and number of answers to parental queries explained moderate amounts of variance in performance after 24 months of age. Number of manual gestures and nonspeech vocalizations produced in language samples explained little to no variance before 24 months of age, and after that were negatively correlated with kindergarten performance. The number of imitations produced in language samples at 24 months of age explained about 10 percent of variance in kindergarten performance, but was otherwise not correlated or negatively correlated with kindergarten outcomes. Conclusions Before 24 months of age, the best predictor of later language success is language comprehension. In general, measures that index a child’s cognitive processing of language are the most sensitive predictors of school-age language abilities. PMID:22648088

Perceived social norms, expectations, and attitudes toward corporal punishment among an urban community sample of parents.

PubMed

Taylor, Catherine A; Hamvas, Lauren; Rice, Janet; Newman, Denise L; DeJong, William

2011-04-01

Despite the fact that corporal punishment (CP) is a significant risk factor for increased aggression in children, child physical abuse victimization, and other poor outcomes, approval of CP remains high in the United States. Having a positive attitude toward CP use is a strong and malleable predictor of CP use and, therefore, is an important potential target for reducing use of CP. The Theory of Planned Behavior suggests that parents' perceived injunctive and descriptive social norms and expectations regarding CP use might be linked with CP attitudes and behavior. A random-digit-dial telephone survey of parents from an urban community sample (n = 500) was conducted. Perceived social norms were the strongest predictors of having positive attitudes toward CP, as follows: (1) perceived approval of CP by professionals (β = 0.30), (2) perceived descriptive norms of CP use (β = 0.22), and (3) perceived approval of CP by family and friends (β = 0.19); also, both positive (β = 0.13) and negative (β = -0.13) expected outcomes for CP use were strong predictors of these attitudes. Targeted efforts are needed to both assess and shift the attitudes and practices of professionals who influence parents regarding CP use; universal efforts, such as public education campaigns, are needed to educate parents and the general public about the high risk/benefit ratio for using CP and the effectiveness of non-physical forms of child discipline.

The Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey: measuring conflicting attitudes about giving blood.

PubMed

Fox, K R; Himawan, L K; France, C R

2017-05-18

This study was designed to develop and conduct initial validation testing for a novel measure of ambivalence about donating blood. Previous studies of living organ, bone marrow and stem cell donors have identified donation-related ambivalence as a predictor of decisions about donation and post-donation outcomes. Ambivalence about blood donation has not received the same attention. In Study 1, a sample of young adults (N = 396) were administered test items of ambivalence, and exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed to identify the Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey. In Study 2, a separate sample of young adults (N = 241) completed the Blood Donation Ambivalence Survey in addition to questionnaires assessing known predictors of blood donation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated a two-factor structure reflecting commitment to donating blood and indecision about giving blood. The commitment subscale was positively related to known predictors of increased donation behaviour (e.g. donation intention, self-efficacy), whereas the indecision subscale was positively related to known predictors of decreased donation behaviour (e.g. donation anxiety, negative affect). Furthermore, a history of blood donation was associated with greater commitment and less indecision. The present findings provide strong initial support for the reliability and validity of a novel measure of blood donor ambivalence. © 2017 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Below-ground biotic interactions moderated the postglacial range dynamics of trees.

PubMed

Pither, Jason; Pickles, Brian J; Simard, Suzanne W; Ordonez, Alejandro; Williams, John W

2018-05-17

Tree range shifts during geohistorical global change events provide a useful real-world model for how future changes in forest biomes may proceed. In North America, during the last deglaciation, the distributions of tree taxa varied significantly as regards the rate and direction of their responses for reasons that remain unclear. Local-scale processes such as establishment, growth, and resilience to environmental stress ultimately influence range dynamics. Despite the fact that interactions between trees and soil biota are known to influence local-scale processes profoundly, evidence linking below-ground interactions to distribution dynamics remains scarce. We evaluated climate velocity and plant traits related to dispersal, environmental tolerance and below-ground symbioses, as potential predictors of the geohistorical rates of expansion and contraction of the core distributions of tree genera between 16 and 7 ka bp. The receptivity of host genera towards ectomycorrhizal fungi was strongly supported as a positive predictor of poleward rates of distribution expansion, and seed mass was supported as a negative predictor. Climate velocity gained support as a positive predictor of rates of distribution contraction, but not expansion. Our findings indicate that understanding how tree distributions, and thus forest ecosystems, respond to climate change requires the simultaneous consideration of traits, biotic interactions and abiotic forcing. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Parent and Peer Pathways Linking Childhood Experiences of Abuse with Marijuana Use in Adolescence and Adulthood

PubMed Central

Russo, M. Jean; Chmelka, Mary B.; Herrenkohl, Roy C.; Herrenkohl, Todd I.

2016-01-01

Introduction The social developmental processes by which child maltreatment increases risk for marijuana use are understudied. This study examined hypothesized parent and peer pathways linking preschool abuse and sexual abuse with adolescent and adult marijuana use. Methods Analyses used data from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study. Measures included child abuse (physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and neglect) in preschool, sexual abuse up to age 18, adolescent (average age = 18 years) parental attachment and peer marijuana approval/use, as well as adolescent and adult (average age = 36 years) marijuana use. Results Confirming elevated risk due to child maltreatment, path analysis showed that sexual abuse was positively related to adolescent marijuana use, whereas preschool abuse was positively related to adult marijuana use. In support of mediation, it was found that both forms of maltreatment were negatively related to parental attachment, which was negatively related, in turn, to having peers who use and approve of marijuana use. Peer marijuana approval/use was a strong positive predictor of adolescent marijuana use, which was a strong positive predictor, in turn, of adult marijuana use. Conclusions Results support social developmental theories that hypothesize a sequence of events leading from child maltreatment experiences to lower levels of parental attachment and, in turn, higher levels of involvement with pro-marijuana peers and, ultimately, to both adolescent and adult marijuana use. This sequence of events suggests developmentally-timed intervention activities designed to prevent maltreatment as well as the initiation and progression of marijuana use among vulnerable individuals. PMID:27889563

Parent and peer pathways linking childhood experiences of abuse with marijuana use in adolescence and adulthood.

PubMed

Alex Mason, W; Jean Russo, M; Chmelka, Mary B; Herrenkohl, Roy C; Herrenkohl, Todd I

2017-03-01

The social developmental processes by which child maltreatment increases risk for marijuana use are understudied. This study examined hypothesized parent and peer pathways linking preschool abuse and sexual abuse with adolescent and adult marijuana use. Analyses used data from the Lehigh Longitudinal Study. Measures included child abuse (physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic violence, and neglect) in preschool, sexual abuse up to age 18, adolescent (average age=18years) parental attachment and peer marijuana approval/use, as well as adolescent and adult (average age=36years) marijuana use. Confirming elevated risk due to child maltreatment, path analysis showed that sexual abuse was positively related to adolescent marijuana use, whereas preschool abuse was positively related to adult marijuana use. In support of mediation, it was found that both forms of maltreatment were negatively related to parental attachment, which was negatively related, in turn, to having peers who use and approve of marijuana use. Peer marijuana approval/use was a strong positive predictor of adolescent marijuana use, which was a strong positive predictor, in turn, of adult marijuana use. Results support social developmental theories that hypothesize a sequence of events leading from child maltreatment experiences to lower levels of parental attachment and, in turn, higher levels of involvement with pro-marijuana peers and, ultimately, to both adolescent and adult marijuana use. This sequence of events suggests developmentally-timed intervention activities designed to prevent maltreatment as well as the initiation and progression of marijuana use among vulnerable individuals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural generality and specificity in self-regulation: avoidance personal goals and multiple aspects of well-being in the United States and Japan.

PubMed

Elliot, Andrew J; Sedikides, Constantine; Murayama, Kou; Tanaka, Ayumi; Thrash, Todd M; Mapes, Rachel R

2012-10-01

The authors examined avoidance personal goals as concurrent (Study 1) and longitudinal (Study 2) predictors of multiple aspects of well-being in the United States and Japan. In both studies, participants adopted more avoidance personal goals in Japan relative to the United States. Both studies also demonstrated that avoidance personal goals were significant negative predictors of the most relevant aspects of well-being in each culture. Specifically, avoidance personal goals were negative predictors of intrapersonal and eudaimonic well-being in the United States and were negative predictors of interpersonal and eudaimonic well-being in Japan. The findings clarify and extend puzzling findings from prior empirical work in this area, and raise provocative possibilities about the nature of avoidance goal pursuit.

Consumer segmentation as a means to investigate emotional associations to meals.

PubMed

Piqueras-Fiszman, Betina; Jaeger, Sara R

2016-10-01

Consumers naturally associate emotions to meal occasions and understanding these can advance knowledge of food-related behaviours and attitudes. The present study used an online survey to investigate the emotional associations that people have with recalled meals: 'memorable' (MM) and 'routine' evening (RM). Heterogeneity in the studied consumer population (UK adults, n = 576 and 571, respectively) was accounted for using a data-driven approach to establish emotion-based segments. Two groups of people were identified with very different emotional response patterns to recalled meals. For 'memorable' and 'routine' meals the majority of people (Cluster 1) held strong positive and weak negative emotional associations. In Cluster 2, positive emotions remained more strongly associated than negative emotions, but much less so. In accordance with findings based on other response variables (e.g., preference, attitudes), psychographic variables accounted better for the heterogeneity found in the emotion associations than socio-demographic variables. Participants' level of meal engagement and difficulty in describing feelings (DDF scale) were the two most important predictors of cluster membership. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reappraisal with meta-analysis of bacteremia, endotoxemia, and mortality in gram-negative sepsis.

PubMed Central

Hurley, J C

1995-01-01

Among patients with suspected sepsis, endotoxemia is variably present in association with gram-negative bacteremia. A total of 738 patients with suspected sepsis from 11 studies could be classified into four groups: 131 (18%) patients had both endotoxemia and gram-negative bacteremia (group 1), 87 (12%) had only gram-negative bacteremia (group 2), and 143 (19%) had only endotoxemia (group 3); in 377 (51%) patients neither could be detected (group 4). By the statistical techniques of meta-analysis, the fatality risk for patients with either endotoxemia or gram-negative bacteremia or both was estimated with group-specific case fatality rates from these studies and expressed as an odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]) versus patients with these factors absent. This risk was increased marginally when endotoxemia was detected without gram-negative bacteremia (OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.0) or the converse (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.0 to 3.8), in contrast to the striking increase when both endotoxemia and gram-negative bacteremia were detected (OR, 6.3; 95% CI, 4.0 to 10.0). Alone, neither endotoxemia nor gram-negative bacteremia is a strong predictor of outcome in patients with suspected sepsis. However, in combination, the two identify a subpopulation with a substantially increased risk of mortality. PMID:7615741

Longitudinal predictors of subjective recovery in psychosis.

PubMed

Law, Heather; Shryane, Nick; Bentall, Richard P; Morrison, Anthony P

2016-07-01

Research has highlighted the importance of recovery as defined by the service user, and suggests a link to negative emotion, although little is known about the role of negative emotion in predicting subjective recovery. To investigate longitudinal predictors of variability in recovery scores with a focus on the role of negative emotion. Participants (n = 110) with experience of psychosis completed measures of psychiatric symptoms, social functioning, subjective recovery, depression, hopelessness and self-esteem at baseline and 6 months later. Path analysis was used to examine predictive factors for recovery and negative emotion. Subjective recovery scores were predicted by negative emotion, positive self-esteem and hopelessness, and to a lesser extent by symptoms and functioning. Current recovery score was not predicted by past recovery score after accounting for past symptoms, current hopelessness and current positive self-esteem. Psychosocial factors and negative emotion appear to be the strongest longitudinal predictors of variation in subjective recovery, rather than psychiatric symptoms. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Emotional Intelligence and Gender as Predictors of Academic Achievement among Some University Students in Barbados

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fayombo, Grace A.

2012-01-01

This study investigated emotional intelligence (attending to emotion, positive expressivity and negative expressivity) and gender as predictors of academic achievement among 163 undergraduate psychology students in The University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. Results revealed significant positive and negative correlations…

A Comparison of Autonomous Regulation and Negative Self-Evaluative Emotions as Predictors of Smoking Behavior Change among College Students

PubMed Central

Lee, Hyoung S.; Catley, Delwyn; Harris, Kari Jo

2011-01-01

This study compared autonomous self-regulation and negative self-evaluative emotions as predictors of smoking behavior change in college student smokers (N=303) in a smoking cessation intervention study. Although the two constructs were moderately correlated, latent growth curve modeling revealed that only autonomous regulation, but not negative self-evaluative emotions, was negatively related to the number of days smoked. Results suggest that the two variables tap different aspects of motivation to change smoking behaviors, and that autonomous regulation predicts smoking behavior change better than negative self-evaluative emotions. PMID:21911436

A comparison of autonomous regulation and negative self-evaluative emotions as predictors of smoking behavior change among college students.

PubMed

Lee, Hyoung S; Catley, Delwyn; Harris, Kari Jo

2012-05-01

This study compared autonomous self-regulation and negative self-evaluative emotions as predictors of smoking behavior change in college student smokers (N = 303) in a smoking cessation intervention study. Although the two constructs were moderately correlated, latent growth curve modeling revealed that only autonomous regulation, but not negative self-evaluative emotions, was negatively related to the number of days smoked. Results suggest that the two variables tap different aspects of motivation to change smoking behaviors, and that autonomous regulation predicts smoking behavior change better than negative self-evaluative emotions.

Response to novelty as a predictor of cocaine sensitization and conditioning in rats: a correlational analysis.

PubMed

Carey, Robert J; DePalma, Gail; Damianopoulos, Ernest

2003-07-01

An animal's response to novelty has been suggested to be a predictor of its response to drugs of abuse. The possible relationship between an individual's behavioral response to novelty and its subsequent behavioral response to cocaine has not been subjected to a detailed correlational analysis. To use a repeated cocaine treatment protocol to induce cocaine sensitization and conditioned cocaine locomotor stimulant effects and to assess the relationship of these effects to pre-cocaine locomotor behavior in a novel environment. In two separate experiments, rats were given a 20-min test in a novel open-field environment. Subsequently, the rats were given a series of additional tests in conjunction with either saline or cocaine (10 mg/kg) treatments to induce cocaine sensitization and conditioned effects. The repeated cocaine treatments induced cocaine behavioral sensitization and conditioned effects. Correlational analyses showed that the initial 20-min novel environment test proved to be a strong predictor of an animal's subsequent saline activity level but did not predict the rats' behavioral acute and sensitized response to cocaine. When change in activity was used as the dependent variable, initial activity level was reliably negatively correlated with activity changes on cocaine tests as well as cocaine conditioning tests. The negative correlation between initial activity in a novel environment and the change in activity induced by cocaine indicates that low responders to environmental novelty tend to have the strongest response to cocaine. These results appear consistent with the classic initial value and response rate dependent analyses of stimulant drug effects.

The effects of valence and arousal on the neural activity leading to subsequent memory.

PubMed

Mickley Steinmetz, Katherine R; Kensinger, Elizabeth A

2009-11-01

This study examined how valence and arousal affect the processes linked to subsequent memory for emotional information. While undergoing an fMRI scan, participants viewed neutral pictures and emotional pictures varying by valence and arousal. After the scan, participants performed a recognition test. Subsequent memory for negative or high arousal information was associated with occipital and temporal activity, whereas memory for positive or low arousal information was associated with frontal activity. Regression analyses confirmed that for negative or high arousal items, temporal lobe activity was the strongest predictor of later memory whereas for positive or low arousal items, frontal activity corresponded most strongly with later memory. These results suggest that the types of encoding processes relating to memory (e.g., sensory vs. elaborative processing) can differ based on the affective qualities of emotional information.

The effects of valence and arousal on the neural activity leading to subsequent memory

PubMed Central

Mickley Steinmetz, Katherine R.; Kensinger, Elizabeth A.

2010-01-01

This study examined how valence and arousal affect the processes linked to subsequent memory for emotional information. While undergoing an fMRI scan, participants viewed neutral pictures and emotional pictures varying by valence and arousal. After the scan, participants performed a recognition test. Subsequent memory for negative or high arousal information was associated with occipital and temporal activity, while memory for positive or low arousal information was associated with frontal activity. Regression analyses confirmed that for negative or high arousal items, temporal lobe activity was the strongest predictor of later memory whereas for positive or low arousal items, frontal activity corresponded most strongly with later memory. These results suggest that the types of encoding processes relating to memory (e.g., sensory vs. elaborative processing) can differ based on the affective qualities of emotional information. PMID:19674398

Dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Falconier, Mariana K; Jackson, Jeffrey B; Hilpert, Peter; Bodenmann, Guy

2015-12-01

Meta-analytic methods were used to empirically determine the association between dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction. Dyadic coping is a systemic conceptualization of the processes partners use to cope with stressors, such as stress communication, individual strategies to assist the other partner cope with stress, and partners' strategies to cope together. A total of 72 independent samples from 57 reports with a combined sum of 17,856 participants were included. The aggregated standardized zero-order correlation (r) for total dyadic coping with relationship satisfaction was .45 (p=.000). Total dyadic coping strongly predicted relationship satisfaction regardless of gender, age, relationship length, education level, and nationality. Perceptions of overall dyadic coping by partner and by both partners together were stronger predictors of relationship satisfaction than perceptions of overall dyadic coping by self. Aggregated positive forms of dyadic coping were a stronger predictor of relationship satisfaction than aggregated negative forms of dyadic coping. Comparisons among dyadic coping dimensions indicated that collaborative common coping, supportive coping, and hostile/ambivalent coping were stronger predictors of relationship satisfaction than stress communication, delegated coping, protective buffering coping, and overprotection coping. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Smoking and body weight as markers of fitness for duty among U.S. military personnel.

PubMed

Haddock, C Keith; Pyle, Sara A; Poston, Walker S C; Bray, Robert M; Stein, Risa J

2007-05-01

Both tobacco and overweight present serious threats to public health. Although the military has targeted both health issues, only weight status is included in tests of fitness. This study contrasted the relative utility of body weight and smoking as markers for fitness for duty. Using data from the 2002 Department of Defense Survey of Health-Related Behaviors among Military Personnel (N = 12,149; 24.7% female), troops were categorized according to weight (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese) and smoking status (never smoker, former smoker, or current smoker). Logistic models were developed to examine the usefulness of smoking status and weight status as predictors of items assessing four domains of military fitness for duty, namely, physical health, mental health, substance abuse, and legal problems. Smoking status was a consistent and strong predictor of items within all four fitness domains. In contrast, weight status was not a consistent predictor of fitness. The military should consider adding smoking status to assessments of military fitness. Also, given that underweight and not overweight status predicted negative outcomes among military members, the services should consider revising their weight status fitness standards.

Concurrent and prospective analyses of peer, television and social media influences on body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms and life satisfaction in adolescent girls.

PubMed

Ferguson, Christopher J; Muñoz, Mónica E; Garza, Adolfo; Galindo, Mariza

2014-01-01

The degree to which media contributes to body dissatisfaction, life satisfaction and eating disorder symptoms in teenage girls continues to be debated. The current study examines television, social media and peer competition influences on body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms and life satisfaction in a sample of 237 mostly Hispanic girls. 101 of these girls were reassessed in a later 6-month follow-up. Neither television exposure to thin ideal media nor social media predicted negative outcomes either concurrently nor prospectively with the exception of a small concurrent correlation between social media use and life satisfaction. Social media use was found to contribute to later peer competition in prospective analysis, however, suggesting potential indirect but not direct effects on body related outcomes. Peer competition proved to be a moderate strong predictor of negative outcomes both concurrently and prospectively. It is concluded that the negative influences of social comparison are focused on peers rather than television or social media exposure.

Intentions to Prevent Weight Gain in Older and Younger Adults; The Importance of Perceived Health and Appearance Consequences.

PubMed

Beeken, Rebecca J; Mahdi, Sundus; Johnson, Fiona; Meisel, Susanne F

2018-01-01

This study investigates whether health and appearance consequences predict intentions to prevent weight gain and whether these relationships differ in younger versus older adults and in men versus women. UK adults aged 18-26 years (younger adults; n = 584) or >45 years (older adults; n = 107) participated in an online survey. Logistic regression assessed associations between intentions to avoid gaining weight and age, gender as well as perceived negative consequences of weight gain for health and appearance. Co-variates were ethnicity, education, weight perception and perceived weight gain vulnerability. Interactions between age, gender and perceived health and appearance consequences of weight gain were also tested. Perceived negative appearance consequences of weight gain predicted weight gain prevention intentions (OR = 9.3, p < 0.001). Health concerns were not a significant predictor of intentions overall but were a strong predictor for older adults (age × health concern interaction: OR = 13.6, p > 0.01). Concerns about feeling unattractive predict intentions to prevent weight gain. However, health consequences of weight gain are only important motivators for older adults. Future research should identify ways to shift the focus of young people from appearance concerns towards the health benefits of maintaining a healthy weight. © 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Negative Aspects of Close Relationships are More Strongly Associated than Supportive Personal Relationships with Illness Burden of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

PubMed Central

Lackner, Jeffrey M.; Gudleski, Gregory D.; Firth, Rebecca; Keefer, Laurie A.; Brenner, Darren M.; Guy, Katie; Simonetti, Camille; Radziwon, Christopher; Quinton, Sarah; Krasner, Susan S.; Katz, Leonard; Garbarino, Guido; Iacobucci, Gary; Sitrin, Michael D.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE This study assessed the relative magnitude of associations between IBS outcomes and different aspects of social relationships (social support, negative interactions). METHOD Subjects included 235 Rome III diagnosed IBS patients (M age = 41 yrs, F=78%) without comorbid GI disease. Subjects completed a testing battery that included the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (Social support or SS), Negative Interaction (NI) Scale, IBS Symptom Severity Scale (IBS-SSS), IBS-QOL, BSI Depression, STAI Trait Anxiety, SOMS-7 (somatization), Perceived Stress Scale, and a medical comorbidity checklist. RESULTS After controlling for demographic variables, both SS and NI were significantly correlated with all of the clinical variables (SS r’s = .20 to .36; NI r’s = .17 to .53, respectively; ps < .05) save for IBS symptom severity (IBS-SSS). NI, but not SS, was positively correlated with IBS-SSS. After performing r-to-z transformations on the correlation coefficients and then comparing z-scores, the correlation between, perceived stress, and NI was significantly stronger than with SS. There was no significant difference between the strength of correlations between NI and SS for depression, somatization, trait anxiety, and IBSQOL. A hierarchical linear regression identified both SS and NI as significant predictors of IBS-QOL. CONCLUSIONS Different aspects of social relationships -- support and negative interactions -- are associated with multiple aspects of IBS experience (e.g. stress, QOL impairment). Negative social relationships marked by conflict and adverse exchanges are more consistently and strongly related to IBS outcomes than social support. PMID:23731746

Diversity and the Civic Spirit in British Neighbourhoods: An Investigation with MCDS and EMBES 2010 Data

PubMed Central

Heath, Anthony

2014-01-01

Recently, there has been a proliferation of studies investigating the relationship between diversity and outcomes such as social cohesion and civic mindedness. This article addresses several common problems in this field and, using data for British neighbourhoods, elaborates on the experiences of both white British and ethnic minority respondents. We conclude that, if anything, diversity should be encouraged to cement the integration progress of migrants and foster stronger identification with Britain in the second generation. Deprivation at the neighbourhood level along with individual factors such as fear of crime is a much stronger predictor of deterioration of the civic spirit than diversity. Bridging contacts have the expected strong positive association with cohesion outcomes; and contrary to policy concerns no strong negative impact is observed for associational bonding among minority ingroupers. PMID:25544783

Repressive coping and alexithymia in idiopathic environmental intolerance

PubMed Central

Zachariae, Robert; Rasmussen, Alice; Johansen, Jeanne Duus; Elberling, Jesper

2010-01-01

Objective To examine if the non-expression of negative emotions (i.e., repressive coping) and differences in the ability to process and regulate emotions (i.e., alexithymia) is associated with idiopathic environmental intolerance (IEI). Methods The study included participants who had previously participated in a general population-based study and reported symptoms of environmental intolerance (n = 787) and patients with IEI (n = 237). The participants completed questionnaires assessing IEI, namely, a measure of repressive coping combining scores on the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS) and the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (TMAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and a negative affectivity scale (NAS). Multiple, hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted using IEI variables as the dependent variables. Results The TMAS and MCSDS scores were independently associated with the IEI variables, but there was no evidence of a role of the repressive coping construct. While the total alexithymia score was unrelated to IEI, the TAS-20 subscale of difficulties identifying feelings (DIF) was independently associated with symptoms attributed to IEI. Negative affectivity was a strong independent predictor of the IEI variables and a mediator of the association between DIF and IEI. Conclusion Our results provide no evidence for a role of repressive coping in IEI, and our hypothesis of an association with alexithymia was only partly supported. In contrast, strong associations between IEI and negative emotional reactions, defensiveness and difficulties identifying feelings were found, suggesting a need for exploring the influence of these emotional reactions in IEI. PMID:21432559

Red blood cell distribution width is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with gram-negative bacteremia.

PubMed

Ku, Nam Su; Kim, Hye-Won; Oh, Hyung Jung; Kim, Yong Chan; Kim, Min Hyung; Song, Je Eun; Oh, Dong Hyun; Ahn, Jin Young; Kim, Sun Bean; Jeong, Su Jin; Han, Sang Hoon; Kim, Chang Oh; Song, Young Goo; Kim, June Myung; Choi, Jun Yong

2012-08-01

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is known to be a predictor of severe morbidity and mortality in some chronic diseases such as congestive heart failure. However, to our knowledge, little is known about RDW as a predictor of mortality in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia, a major nosocomial cause of intra-abdominal infections, urinary tract infections, and primary bacteremia. Therefore, we investigated whether RDW is an independent predictor of mortality in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia. Clinical characteristics, laboratory parameters, and outcomes of 161 patients with Gram-negative bacteremia from November 2010 to March 2011 diagnosed at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, were retrospectively analyzed. The main outcome measure was 28-day all-cause mortality. The 28-day mortality rate was significantly higher in the increased RDW group compared with the normal RDW group (P < 0.001). According to multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, RDW levels at the onset of bacteremia (per 1% increase, P = 0.036), the Charlson index (per 1-point increase, P < 0.001), and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score (per 1-point increase, P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for 28-day mortality. Moreover, the nonsurvivor group had significantly higher RDW levels 72 h after the onset of bacteremia than did the survivor group (P = 0.001). In addition, the area under the curve of RDW at the onset of bacteremia, the 72-h RDW, and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score for 28-day mortality were 0.764 (P = 0.001), 0.802 (P < 0.001), and 0.703 (P = 0.008), respectively. Red blood cell distribution width at the onset of bacteremia was an independent predictor of mortality in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia. Also, 72-h RDW could be a predictor for all-cause mortality in patients with Gram-negative bacteremia.

The Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS): predictors of alcohol attitudes and expectancies in Hispanic national groups.

PubMed

Mills, Britain A; Caetano, Raul

2010-05-01

Multiple theoretical frameworks identify attitudes and expectancies as important predictors of alcohol behavior. Few studies have examined demographic predictors of these evaluative and belief-based cognitive mediators in the general population, and none have examined them in large-scale studies of Hispanics, a group at higher risk for drinking behavior and problems. This study probes the extent to which dimensions of attitudes and expectancies share common demographic predictors in a large sample of Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and South/Central Americans. The 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS) used a multistage cluster sample design to interview 5,224 individuals randomly selected from households in Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. This study focused on 2,773 respondents self-identified as current drinkers. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of positive and negative dimensions of attitudes and expectancies, controlling for various background variables. Religious affiliation selectively predicted alcohol attitudes, with Catholics having more positive and fewer negative attitudes than other religious groups. Hispanic group selectively predicted alcohol expectancies, with Cuban-Americans having less positive and less negative expectancies than other groups. Being U.S.-born or male predicted more positive attitudes and expectancies, but birthplace and gender did not predict negative dimensions of attitudes or expectancies. Higher acculturation and more education were linked to a decreased tendency to agree with any item. Age was positively and negatively associated with negative expectancies and positive attitudes, respectively, and having never been married, higher income, and unemployment were each linked to fewer negative attitudes. Although there is some overlap, attitudes and expectancies are influenced by different sociodemographic variables. Positive and negative dimensions of those constructs also show distinct patterns of relations. Prevention and treatment programs targeting cognitive mediators of behavior should be mindful of these differential determinants and future modeling endeavors should incorporate them.

The Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS): Predictors of alcohol attitudes and expectancies in Hispanic national groups

PubMed Central

Mills, Britain A.; Caetano, Raul

2012-01-01

Background Multiple theoretical frameworks identify attitudes and expectancies as important predictors of alcohol behavior. Few studies have examined demographic predictors of these evaluative and belief-based cognitive mediators in the general population, and none have examined them in large-scale studies of Hispanics, a group at higher risk for drinking behavior and problems. This study probes the extent to which dimensions of attitudes and expectancies share common demographic predictors in a large sample of Puerto Ricans, Cuban-Americans, Mexican-Americans, and South/Central Americans. Methods The 2006 Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey (HABLAS) used a multistage cluster sample design to interview 5,224 individuals randomly selected from households in Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. This study focused on 2,773 respondents self-identified as current drinkers. Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of positive and negative dimensions of attitudes and expectancies, controlling for various background variables. Results Religious affiliation selectively predicted alcohol attitudes, with Catholics having more positive and fewer negative attitudes than other religious groups. Hispanic group selectively predicted alcohol expectancies, with Cuban-Americans having less positive and less negative expectancies than other groups. Being U.S.-born or male predicted more positive attitudes and expectancies, but birthplace and gender did not predict negative dimensions of attitudes or expectancies. Higher acculturation and more education were linked to a decreased tendency to agree with any item. Age was positively and negatively associated with negative expectancies and positive attitudes, respectively, and having never been married, higher income, and unemployment were each linked to fewer negative attitudes. Conclusions Although there is some overlap, attitudes and expectancies are influenced by different sociodemographic variables. Positive and negative dimensions of those constructs also show distinct patterns of relations. Prevention and treatment programs targeting cognitive mediators of behavior should be mindful of these differential determinants and future modeling endeavors should incorporate them. PMID:20184565

Biopsy Specimens Obtained 7 Days After Starting Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) Provide Reliable Predictors of Response to CRT for Rectal Cancer

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

Suzuki, Toshiyuki; Sadahiro, Sotaro, E-mail: sadahiro@is.icc.u-tokai.ac.jp; Tanaka, Akira

2013-04-01

Purpose: Preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) significantly decreases local recurrence in locally advanced rectal cancer. Various biomarkers in biopsy specimens obtained before CRT have been proposed as predictors of response. However, reliable biomarkers remain to be established. Methods and Materials: The study group comprised 101 consecutive patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT with oral uracil/tegafur (UFT) or S-1. We evaluated histologic findings on hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) staining and immunohistochemical expressions of Ki67, p53, p21, and apoptosis in biopsy specimens obtained before CRT and 7 days after starting CRT. These findings were contrasted with themore » histologic response and the degree of tumor shrinkage. Results: In biopsy specimens obtained before CRT, histologic marked regression according to the Japanese Classification of Colorectal Carcinoma (JCCC) criteria and the degree of tumor shrinkage on barium enema examination (BE) were significantly greater in patients with p21-positive tumors than in those with p21-negative tumors (P=.04 and P<.01, respectively). In biopsy specimens obtained 7 days after starting CRT, pathologic complete response, histologic marked regression according to both the tumor regression criteria and JCCC criteria, and T downstaging were significantly greater in patients with apoptosis-positive and p21-positive tumors than in those with apoptosis-negative (P<.01, P=.02, P=.01, and P<.01, respectively) or p21-negative tumors (P=.03, P<.01, P<.01, and P=.02, respectively). The degree of tumor shrinkage on both BE as well as MRI was significantly greater in patients with apoptosis-positive and with p21-positive tumors than in those with apoptosis-negative or p21-negative tumors, respectively. Histologic changes in H and E-stained biopsy specimens 7 days after starting CRT significantly correlated with pathologic complete response and marked regression on both JCCC and tumor regression criteria, as well as with tumor shrinkage on BE and MRI (P<.01, P<.01, P<.01, P<.01, and P=.03, respectively). Conclusions: Immunohistochemical expressions of p21 and apoptosis together with histologic changes on H and E-stained biopsy specimens obtained 7 days after starting CRT are strong predictors of the response to CRT.« less

Development of Social Anxiety: Social Interaction Predictors of Implicit and Explicit Fear of Negative Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teachman, Bethany A.; Allen, Joseph P.

2007-01-01

Little is known about how to predict which individuals with known temperament vulnerabilities will go on to develop social anxiety problems. Adolescents (N = 185) were followed from age 13 to 18 to evaluate psychosocial, prospective predictors of social anxiety symptoms and fears of negative evaluation (FNE), after accounting for pre-existing…

Children exposed to intimate partner violence: influences of parenting, family distress, and siblings.

PubMed

Tailor, Ketan; Stewart-Tufescu, Ashley; Piotrowski, Caroline

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to investigate associations between maternal stress, parenting behavior, and sibling adjustment in relation to child trauma symptoms in families with and without a history of intimate partner violence (IPV). Maternal report was used to measure maternal stress and child trauma symptoms, whereas parenting behavior was assessed through an observational measure. Participants consisted of mothers with 2 school-age siblings recruited from the community. Results indicated that violent families reported higher levels of maternal stress and sibling trauma symptoms than nonviolent families, although no differences were found in parenting behavior. Sibling trauma symptoms and negative maternal behavior toward a sibling were strong predictors of trauma symptoms in younger siblings exposed to IPV but only modest predictors for older siblings. Moderator analyses showed that in IPV-affected families, the trauma symptoms of older siblings were related to the trauma symptoms of younger siblings when maternal stress was high. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Improving transmembrane protein consensus topology prediction using inter-helical interaction.

PubMed

Wang, Han; Zhang, Chao; Shi, Xiaohu; Zhang, Li; Zhou, You

2012-11-01

Alpha helix transmembrane proteins (αTMPs) represent roughly 30% of all open reading frames (ORFs) in a typical genome and are involved in many critical biological processes. Due to the special physicochemical properties, it is hard to crystallize and obtain high resolution structures experimentally, thus, sequence-based topology prediction is highly desirable for the study of transmembrane proteins (TMPs), both in structure prediction and function prediction. Various model-based topology prediction methods have been developed, but the accuracy of those individual predictors remain poor due to the limitation of the methods or the features they used. Thus, the consensus topology prediction method becomes practical for high accuracy applications by combining the advances of the individual predictors. Here, based on the observation that inter-helical interactions are commonly found within the transmembrane helixes (TMHs) and strongly indicate the existence of them, we present a novel consensus topology prediction method for αTMPs, CNTOP, which incorporates four top leading individual topology predictors, and further improves the prediction accuracy by using the predicted inter-helical interactions. The method achieved 87% prediction accuracy based on a benchmark dataset and 78% accuracy based on a non-redundant dataset which is composed of polytopic αTMPs. Our method derives the highest topology accuracy than any other individual predictors and consensus predictors, at the same time, the TMHs are more accurately predicted in their length and locations, where both the false positives (FPs) and the false negatives (FNs) decreased dramatically. The CNTOP is available at: http://ccst.jlu.edu.cn/JCSB/cntop/CNTOP.html. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insight dimensions in first-episode psychosis patients: clinical, cognitive, pre-morbid and socio-demographic correlates.

PubMed

Ayesa-Arriola, Rosa; Rodríguez-Sánchez, Jose Manuel; Morelli, Chiara; Pelayo-Terán, Jose María; Pérez-Iglesias, Rocío; Mata, Ignacio; Martínez-Garcia, Obdulia; Pardo-Garcia, Gema; Vazquez-Barquero, Jose L; Crespo-Facorro, Benedicto

2011-05-01

To investigate pre-morbid, socio-demographic, clinical and cognitive variables as predictors of insight in a large and representative sample of first-episode psychosis patients. The abbreviated Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorder was used to assess insight dimensions. Patients with good and poor insight were independently compared on insight dimensions and logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify explanatory variables associated with each insight dimension. The patients with good and poor insight of having a mental disorder differed in duration of untreated psychosis, diagnosis and attention, but only attention appeared as a predictor. The insight of the need for medication groups showed differences in age of onset, depression, severity of disorganized symptoms and hospitalization rate.Nevertheless, age of onset and disorganized symptoms seem to be the predictors. Groups of insight of the social consequences differed in duration of untreated psychosis, the negative and disorganized symptoms severity, disability, education, diagnosis and hospitalization rate.However, exclusively, the severity of disorganized symptoms seems to predict insight of social consequences. When independently analysed, the three insight dimensions showed different rates of affectation and different predictors. These results suggest that there must be different mechanisms underlying the lack of insight. First-episode psychosis is a crucial period for treatment adherence formation, an issue strongly associated with good insight. Thus, a more accurate evaluation of the predictors of lack of insight into each dimension is warranted to achieve a better comprehension of the lack of insight in schizophrenia and in turn, to implement treatment programmes seeking to improve it.

Patient-oncologist alliance as protection against suicidal ideation in young adults with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Trevino, Kelly M; Abbott, Caroline H; Fisch, Michael J; Friedlander, Robert J; Duberstein, Paul R; Prigerson, Holly G

2014-08-01

Young adults with cancer are at an increased risk of suicidal ideation. To the authors' knowledge, the impact of the patient-oncologist alliance on suicidal ideation has not been examined to date. The current study examined the relationship between the patient-oncologist therapeutic alliance and suicidal ideation in young adults with advanced cancer. A total of 93 young adult patients (aged 20 years-40 years) with incurable, recurrent, or metastatic cancer were evaluated by trained interviewers. Suicidal ideation was assessed with the Yale Evaluation of Suicidality scale, dichotomized into a positive and negative score. Predictors included diagnoses of major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder, physical quality of life, social support, and use of mental health and supportive care services. The Human Connection Scale, dichotomized into a strong (upper third) and weak (lower two-thirds) therapeutic alliance, assessed the strength of the patients' perceived oncologist alliance. Approximately 22.6% of patients screened positive for suicidal ideation. Patients with a strong therapeutic alliance were found to be at reduced risk of suicidal ideation after controlling for confounding influences of cancer diagnosis, Karnofsky performance status, number of physical symptoms, physical quality of life, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and social support. A strong therapeutic alliance was also associated with a reduced risk of suicidal ideation after controlling for mental health discussions with health care providers and use of mental health interventions. The patient-oncologist alliance was found to be a robust predictor of suicidal ideation and provided better protection against suicidal ideation than mental health interventions, including psychotropic medications. Oncologists may significantly influence patients' mental health and may benefit from training and guidance in building strong alliances with their young adult patients. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

Epicardial adipose tissue volume and adipocytokine imbalance are strongly linked to human coronary atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Shimabukuro, Michio; Hirata, Yoichiro; Tabata, Minoru; Dagvasumberel, Munkhbaatar; Sato, Hiromi; Kurobe, Hirotsugu; Fukuda, Daiju; Soeki, Takeshi; Kitagawa, Tetsuya; Takanashi, Shuichiro; Sata, Masataka

2013-05-01

The impact of epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) over abdominal or overall adiposity on coronary artery disease (CAD) is currently unknown. We compared the association among EAT volume (EATV), cytokine/adipocytokine profiles in EAT and subcutaneous fat, and atherogenic CAD. Paired samples were obtained from EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue during elective cardiac surgery for CAD (n=50) or non-CAD (n=50). EATV was the sum of cross-sectional EAT areas, and visceral and subcutaneous fat areas were determined at the umbilicus level on computed tomography scans. CD68(+), CD11c(+), and CD206(+) cells were counted using immunohistochemical staining. Cytokine/adipocytokine expression was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Multivariate analysis indicated that male sex, age, diabetes mellitus, high triglycerides, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and EATV index (EATV/body surface area, cm(3)/m(2)) were significant CAD predictors (corrected R(2)=0.401; P<0.001); visceral fat area, hypertension, smoking, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (140 mg/dL [3.63 mmol/L]) or statin use were not predictors. The EATV index positively correlated with the CD68(+) and CD11c(+) cell numbers and nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3), interleukin-1β, and interleukin-1R expression; and negatively correlated with adiponectin expression in EAT. A multivariate analysis model, including CD68(+) cells and interleukin-1β, and adiponectin expression in EAT strongly predicted CAD (corrected R(2)=0.756; P<0.001). EATV and macrophage and cytokine/adipocytokine signals in EAT strongly correlated with CAD. Our findings suggest that EATV and adipocytokine imbalance are strongly linked to human coronary atherosclerosis.

Context-dependent interactions and the regulation of species richness in freshwater fish.

PubMed

MacDougall, Andrew S; Harvey, Eric; McCune, Jenny L; Nilsson, Karin A; Bennett, Joseph; Firn, Jennifer; Bartley, Timothy; Grace, James B; Kelly, Jocelyn; Tunney, Tyler D; McMeans, Bailey; Matsuzaki, Shin-Ichiro S; Kadoya, Taku; Esch, Ellen; Cazelles, Kevin; Lester, Nigel; McCann, Kevin S

2018-03-06

Species richness is regulated by a complex network of scale-dependent processes. This complexity can obscure the influence of limiting species interactions, making it difficult to determine if abiotic or biotic drivers are more predominant regulators of richness. Using integrative modeling of freshwater fish richness from 721 lakes along an 11 o latitudinal gradient, we find negative interactions to be a relatively minor independent predictor of species richness in lakes despite the widespread presence of predators. Instead, interaction effects, when detectable among major functional groups and 231 species pairs, were strong, often positive, but contextually dependent on environment. These results are consistent with the idea that negative interactions internally structure lake communities but do not consistently 'scale-up' to regulate richness independently of the environment. The importance of environment for interaction outcomes and its role in the regulation of species richness highlights the potential sensitivity of fish communities to the environmental changes affecting lakes globally.

Context-dependent interactions and the regulation of species richness in freshwater fish

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacDougall, Andrew S.; Harvey, Eric; McCune, Jenny L.; Nilsson, Karin A.; Bennett, Joseph; Firn, Jennifer; Bartley, Timothy; Grace, James B.; Kelly, Jocelyn; Tunney, Tyler D.; McMeans, Bailey; Matsuzaki, Shin-Ichiro S.; Kadoya, Taku; Esch, Ellen; Cazelles, Kevin; Lester, Nigel; McCann, Kevin S.

2018-01-01

Species richness is regulated by a complex network of scale-dependent processes. This complexity can obscure the influence of limiting species interactions, making it difficult to determine if abiotic or biotic drivers are more predominant regulators of richness. Using integrative modeling of freshwater fish richness from 721 lakes along an 11olatitudinal gradient, we find negative interactions to be a relatively minor independent predictor of species richness in lakes despite the widespread presence of predators. Instead, interaction effects, when detectable among major functional groups and 231 species pairs, were strong, often positive, but contextually dependent on environment. These results are consistent with the idea that negative interactions internally structure lake communities but do not consistently ‘scale-up’ to regulate richness independently of the environment. The importance of environment for interaction outcomes and its role in the regulation of species richness highlights the potential sensitivity of fish communities to the environmental changes affecting lakes globally.

Impulsivity-like Traits and Risky Driving Behaviors among College Students

PubMed Central

Murphy, Elaine M.; Doane, Ashley N.

2017-01-01

The present study examined the predictive effects of five impulsivity-like traits (Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Negative Urgency, and Positive Urgency) on driving outcomes (driving errors, driving lapses, driving violations, cell phone driving, traffic citations, and traffic collisions). With a convenience sample of 266 college student drivers, we found that each of the impulsivity-like traits was related to multiple risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency (tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative affect) was the most robust predictor of risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency is a relatively newly conceptualized impulsivity-like trait that was not examined in the driving literature previously, suggesting a strong need to further examine its role as a personality trait related to risky driving. These findings generally support the multidimensional assessment of impulsivity-like traits, and they specifically support the addition of Positive Urgency to a list of risk factors for risky driving behaviors. PMID:23428428

Impulsivity-like traits and risky driving behaviors among college students.

PubMed

Pearson, Matthew R; Murphy, Elaine M; Doane, Ashley N

2013-04-01

The present study examined the predictive effects of five impulsivity-like traits (Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Negative Urgency, and Positive Urgency) on driving outcomes (driving errors, driving lapses, driving violations, cell phone driving, traffic citations, and traffic collisions). With a convenience sample of 266 college student drivers, we found that each of the impulsivity-like traits was related to multiple risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency (tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative affect) was the most robust predictor of risky driving outcomes. Positive Urgency is a relatively newly conceptualized impulsivity-like trait that was not examined in the driving literature previously, suggesting a strong need to further examine its role as a personality trait related to risky driving. These findings generally support the multidimensional assessment of impulsivity-like traits, and they specifically support the addition of Positive Urgency to a list of risk factors for risky driving behaviors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Symptom reporting in cancer patients: the role of negative affect and experienced social stigma.

PubMed

Koller, M; Kussman, J; Lorenz, W; Jenkins, M; Voss, M; Arens, E; Richter, E; Rothmund, M

1996-03-01

Recent research suggests that patients' appraisal of somatic symptoms is more closely related to emotional variables (particularly negative affect) than to their actual health as determined by external criteria. Sixty surgical cancer patients who at the time of a routine follow-up examination filled out the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire-C30, which included a positive/negative affect scale and a scale tapping into experienced social stigma. Patients' health status was determined in two ways: the examining physician gave a global judgement on a standardized scale at the end of the examination, and an additional two external physicians later rated the patients based on the findings listed in the medical record. Patients' reports of somatic symptoms were strongly correlated with two measures of negative affect (r = 0.75 and r = 0.65, respectively) and with experienced social stigma (r = 0.51). In contrast, the correlations between reported symptoms and the examining or external physicians' ratings were considerably weaker (r = 0.31 and r = 0.19). According to a multiple linear regression with 6 predictors, negative affect was the best single predictor of symptom reporting (beta = 0.68; P < 0.001) and global quality of life (beta = 0.48; P < 0.001). Factor analysis yielded a dimension of somatopsychosocial distress that accounted for 44.1% of the variance and is comprised of reported symptoms (factor loading = 0.86), negative affect (0.90 and 0.82), experienced social stigma (0.74), and global quality of life (0.70). Physicians' ratings and positive affect constituted two additional separate factors. Cancer patients' reporting of somatic symptoms by means of a standardized quality of life questionnaire is closely related to emotional and social distress and is not equivalent to health status as determined from a clinical perspective. Researchers and practitioners have to be aware of this fact when interpreting quality of life data. Furthermore, negative affect deserves attention as an important signal for intervention in tumor follow-up programs.

Maternal responses to child frustration and requests for help in dyads with fragile X syndrome.

PubMed

Wheeler, A C; Hatton, D; Holloway, V T; Sideris, J; Neebe, E C; Roberts, J E; Reznick, J S

2010-06-01

Variability in behaviour displayed by children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) may be partially attributable to environmental factors such as maternal responsivity. The purpose of this study was to explore variables associated with maternal behaviour during a task designed to elicit frustration in their children with FXS. Forty-six mother-child dyads, in which the child had full-mutation FXS, were observed in their homes during a task designed to elicit frustration in the child. Each child was given a wrong set of keys and asked to open a box to retrieve a desired toy. Mothers were provided with the correct set of keys and instructed to intervene when they perceived their child was getting too frustrated. Child-expressed frustration and requests for help and maternal behaviours (comforting, negative control, and encouraging/directing) were observed and coded. Maternal variables (e.g. depression, stress, education levels), child variables (e.g. autistic behaviours, age, medication use) and child behaviours (frustration, requests for help) were explored as predictors of maternal behaviour. Almost all mothers intervened to help their children and most used encouraging/directing behaviours, whereas very few used comforting or negative control. Child age and child behaviours during the frustrating event were significant predictors of encouraging/directing behaviours in the mothers. Children whose mothers reported higher depressive symptomology used fewer requests for help, and mothers of children with more autistic behaviours used more negative control. The results of this study suggest that child age and immediate behaviours are more strongly related to maternal responsivity than maternal traits such as depression and stress.

Interpersonal sensitivity, bullying victimization and paranoid ideation among help-seeking adolescents and young adults.

PubMed

Masillo, Alice; Valmaggia, Lucia R; Saba, Riccardo; Brandizzi, Martina; Lo Cascio, Nella; Telesforo, Ludovica; Venturini, Paola; Izzo, Aniello; Mattioli, M Teresa; D'Alema, Marco; Girardi, Paolo; Fiori Nastro, Paolo

2017-05-30

The effects of a negative interpersonal experience, such as bullying victimization in childhood and adolescence, can be strong and long lasting. Bullying victimization is associated with paranoid ideation and suspiciousness. Few studies have focused on personality traits of victims of bullying. The aim of this study is to investigate whether a particular personality trait called interpersonal sensitivity may be related to suspiciousness in those who experienced bullying victimization. The study sample consisted of 147 help-seeking adolescents (mean age 17 years) selected after a screening phase (Prodromal Questionnaire) and evaluated with the Structured Interview for Psychosis-risk Syndromes (SIPS). All participants were specifically asked if they had experienced either psychological bullying or physical bullying, and they completed the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM). Of the whole sample, 30 (20%) participants had experienced psychological bullying or physical bullying at least once in their life. Performing a multiple regression, bullying victimization was found to be an independent predictor of subtle paranoid ideation and suspiciousness. Interpersonal sensitivity was also found to be an independent predictor of subtle paranoid ideation; in particular, two IPSM subscales, fragile inner-self and separation anxiety, showed a significant correlation with subtle paranoid ideation. Our results confirmed that bullying victimization is a negative interpersonal experience associated with paranoid ideation and suspiciousness. However, being overly sensitive and having negative beliefs about the self as fragile and vulnerable to threat also lead to a tendency to attribute experiences as externally caused and, in turn, facilitate the formation and maintenance of paranoid ideation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Jugular bulb oxygen saturation correlates with Full Outline of Responsiveness score in severe traumatic brain injury patients

PubMed Central

Senapathi, Tjokorda Gde Agung; Wiryana, Made; Sinardja, Ketut; Nada, Ketut Wibawa; Sutawan, Ida Bagus Krisna Jaya; Ryalino, Christopher; Alphonso, Aloysius

2017-01-01

Background Maintaining brain oxygenation status is the main goal of treatment in severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Jugular venous oxygen saturation (SjvO2) monitoring is a technique to estimate global balance between cerebral oxygen supply and its metabolic requirement. Full Outline of Responsiveness (FOUR) score, a new consciousness measurement scoring, is expected to become an alternative for Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in evaluating neurologic status of patients with severe traumatic head injury, especially for those under mechanical ventilation. Methods A total of 63 patients with severe TBI admitted to emergency department (ED) were included in this study. SjvO2 sampling was taken every 24 hours, until 72 hours after arrival. The assessment of FOUR score was conducted directly after each blood sample for SjvO2 was taken. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to determine the correlation between SjvO2 and FOUR score. Regression analysis was used to determine mortality predictors. Results From the 63 patients, a weak positive correlation between SjvO2 and FOUR score (r=0.246, p=0.052) was found upon admission. Meanwhile, strong and moderate negative correlation values were found in 48 hours (r=−0.751, p<0.001) and 72 hours (r=−0.49, p=0.002) after admission. Both FOUR score (p<0.001) and SjvO2 (p=0.04) were found to be independent mortality predictors in severe TBI. Conclusion There was a negative correlation between the value of SjvO2 and FOUR score at 48 and 72 hours after admission. Both SjvO2 and FOUR score are independent mortality predictors in severe TBI. PMID:28919828

Understanding Adolescent Low Back Pain From a Multidimensional Perspective: Implications for Management.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Peter; Smith, Anne; Beales, Darren; Straker, Leon

2017-10-01

Synopsis Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide. It often begins in adolescence, setting a course for later in life. We have tracked the course of LBP in the Raine Study cohort from the age of 14 years into early adulthood. Our work has found that LBP is already prevalent in individuals at 14 years of age and increases throughout adolescence and into early adulthood. It is often comorbid with other musculoskeletal pain. For some adolescents, LBP has little impact; for others, its impact includes care seeking, taking medication, taking time off from school and work, as well as modifying physical and functional activity. Of concern is the increasing prevalence of LBP with impact across adolescence, reaching adult rates by 22 years of age. The predictors of disabling LBP in adolescence are multidimensional. They include female sex, negative back pain beliefs, poor mental health status, somatic complaints, involvement in sports, and altered stress responses. Genetics also plays a role. Ironically, the factors that we have historically thought to be important predictors of LBP, such as "poor" spinal posture, scoliosis, carrying school bags, joint hypermobility, and poor back muscle endurance, are not strong predictors. This challenges our clinical beliefs and highlights that adolescent LBP needs a flexible and targeted multidimensional approach to assessment and management. In most cases, we recommend a cognitive functional approach that challenges negative LBP beliefs, educates adolescents regarding factors associated with their LBP, restores functional capacity where it is impaired, and encourages healthy lifestyle habits. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(10):741-751. Epub 12 Sep 2017. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7376.

Increasing hepatitis B viral load is associated with risk of significant liver fibrosis in HBeAg-negative but not HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B.

PubMed

Croagh, Catherine M N; Bell, Sally J; Slavin, John; Kong, Yu X G; Chen, Robert Y; Locarnini, Stephen; Desmond, Paul V

2010-09-01

To evaluate the association between demographical features, serum ALT and HBV DNA and the prevalence of significant fibrosis and inflammation on liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis B. In this cross-sectional study of patients on St Vincent's Hospital HBV database, patients were classified into three groups on the basis of HBeAg status and HBV DNA level and the prevalence of significant (F2/3/4) fibrosis and (A2/3) inflammation in each group was established. Patients were also divided into HBeAg-positive and -negative groups and examined for the prevalence of significant fibrosis/inflammation in the strata of HBV DNA and ALT. Predictors of significant fibrosis and inflammation in HBeAg-positive and -negative patients were examined by logistic regression. Three hundred and ninety four patients (HBeAg positive=198; HBeAg negative=196) with liver biopsy were identified. Fifty-eight percent of HBeAg-negative patients with HBV DNA >25,000 IU/ml had F2/3/4 fibrosis. HBV DNA and F2/3/4 were positively correlated in HBeAg-negative patients [odds ratio (OR) 1.42, P=0.001] but inversely correlated in HBeAg-positive patients (OR 0.71, P=0.03). HBV DNA was an independent predictor of significant fibrosis in HBeAg negative (P=0.03) but not HBeAg-positive patients. In HBeAg-positive patients, age was the only predictor of significant fibrosis (P=0.001) and ALT the only predictor of significant inflammation (P=0.003). In the whole cohort there was a close positive association between inflammation and fibrosis. Increasing levels of HBV DNA are associated with increasing prevalence of significant fibrosis only in patients with HBeAg-negative CHB.

Predictors of a negative labour and birth experience based on a national survey of Canadian women.

PubMed

Smarandache, Andrei; Kim, Theresa H M; Bohr, Yvonne; Tamim, Hala

2016-05-18

A negative birth experience has been shown to have a significant impact on the well-being and future choices of mothers. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of, and identify the risk factors associated with a negative birth experience for women in Canada. The study was based on secondary data analysis of the Maternity Experiences Survey (MES), a Canadian population database administered to 6,421 Canadian women in 2006. The examined outcome - negative birth experience - was derived from mothers' self-report of overall labour and birth experience. Independent variables were maternal demographics, health characteristics, pregnancy-related characteristics, and birth characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the significant predictors of negative birth experience. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) and 95 % Confidence Intervals (CI) are reported. Negative birth experience was reported among 9.3 % of women. The main significant predictors of a negative birth experience included older age (AOR 2.29, 95 % CI, 1.03-5.07), violence experienced in the past two years (AOR, 1.62, 95 % CI, 1.21-2.18), poor self-perceived health (adjusted OR, 1.95, 95 % CI, 1.36-2.80), prenatal classes attended (adjusted OR, 1.36, 95 % CI, 1.06-1.76), unintended pregnancy (adjusted OR, 1.30, 95 % CI, 1.03-1.63), caesarean birth (AOR, 1.65, 95 % CI, 1.32-2.06), and neonate admission to intensive care (AOR, 1.40, 95 % CI, 1.08-1.82). Significant predictors of a negative labour and birth experience were identified through this study, a first in the Canadian context. These findings suggest future research directions and provide a basis for the design and evaluation of maternal health policy and prevention programs.

Late Pregnancy Thyroid-Binding Globulin Predicts Perinatal Depression

PubMed Central

Pedersen, Cort; Leserman, Jane; Garcia, Nacire; Stansbury, Melissa; Meltzer-Brody, Samantha; Johnson, Jacqueline

2016-01-01

Previously we found that late pregnancy total and free thyroxine (TT4, FT4) concentrations were negatively related to greater pre and/or postpartum depressive symptoms. In a much larger cohort, the current study examined whether these thyroid indices measured earlier in the third trimester (31-33 weeks) predict subsequent perinatal depression and anxiety ratings as well as syndromal depression. Thyroid-binding globulin (TBG) concentrations increase markedly during pregnancy and may be an index of sensitivity to elevated estrogen levels. TBG was examined in this study because prior findings suggest that postpartum depression is related to sensitivity to mood destabilization by elevated sex hormone concentrations during pregnancy. Our cohort was 199 euthyroid women recruited from a public health obstetrics clinic (63.8% Hispanic, 21.6% Black). After screening and blood draws for hormone measures at pregnancy weeks 31-33, subjects were evaluated during home visits at pregnancy weeks 35-36 as well as postpartum weeks 6 and 12. Evaluations included psychiatric interviews for current and life-time DSM-IV psychiatric history (M.I.N.I.-Plus), subject self-ratings and interviewer ratings for depression and anxiety (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Montgomery-Ǻsberg Depression Rating Scale; Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Inventory), as well as a standardized interview to obtain life-time trauma history. Numerous covariates were included in all regression analyses. Trauma and major depression history were robustly significant predictors of depression and anxiety ratings over the study period when these variables were analyzed individually or in a combined model including FT4 or TBG (p<.001). When analyzed alone, FT4 levels were a less strong but still significant predictor of all depression and anxiety ratings (p<.05) while TBG levels was a significant or nearly significant predictor of most ratings. FT4, TBG and trauma history, but not major depression history, were significant individual predictors of syndromal depression during the study period (p<.05) in single predictor models. In models combining each with trauma and major depression history, FT4 and TBG generally were not significantly predictive of depression or anxiety ratings, and FT4 was also not a significant predictor of syndromal depression: however, in the combined model TBG was a particularly strong predictor of perinatal syndromal depression (p=.005) and trauma history was also significant (p=.016). Further study of the interactions among TBG, FT4, sex hormones, trauma history and perinatal depression may provide insights into the pathophysiological basis of individual variance in vulnerability to mood destabilization by the hormone conditions of pregnancy. PMID:26731573

Examination of Predictors and Moderators for Self-help Treatments of Binge Eating Disorder

PubMed Central

Masheb, Robin M.; Grilo, Carlos M.

2008-01-01

Predictors and moderators of outcomes were examined in 75 overweight patients with binge eating disorder (BED) who participated in a randomized clinical trial of guided self-help treatments. Age variables, psychiatric and personality disorder comorbidity and clinical characteristics were tested as predictors and moderators of treatment outcomes. Current age and age of BED onset did not predict outcomes. Key dimensional outcomes (binge frequency, eating psychopathology, and negative affect) were predominately predicted, but not moderated, by their respective pretreatment levels. Presence of personality disorders, particularly Cluster C, predicted both post-treatment negative affect and eating disorder psychopathology. Negative affect, but not major depressive disorder, predicted attrition, and post-treatment negative affect and eating disorder psychopathology. Despite the prognostic significance of these findings for dimensional outcomes, none of the variables tested were predictive of binge remission (i.e., a categorical outcome). No moderator effects were found. The present study found poorer prognosis for patients with negative affect and personality disorders suggesting that treatment outcomes may be enhanced by attending to the cognitive and personality styles of these patients. PMID:18837607

Hospital nurses' attitudes, negative perceptions, and negative acts regarding workplace bullying.

PubMed

Ma, Shu-Ching; Wang, Hsiu-Hung; Chien, Tsair-Wei

2017-01-01

Workplace bullying is a prevalent problem in today's work places that has adverse effects on both bullying victims and organizations. To investigate the predictors of workplace bullying is an important task to prevent bullying victims of nurses in hospitals. This study aims to explore the relationships among nurses' attitudes, negative perceptions, and negative acts regarding workplace bullying under the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). A total of 811 nurses from three hospitals in Taiwan were surveyed. Nurses' responses to the 201 items of 10 scales were calibrated using Rasch analysis and then subjected to path analysis with partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The instrumental attitude was significant predictors of nurses' negative perceptions to be bullied in the workplace. Instead, the other TPB components of subjective norm and perceived behavioral control were not effective predictors of nurses' negative acts regarding workplace bullying. The findings provided hospital nurse management with important implications for prevention of bullying, particularly to them who are tasked with providing safer and more productive workplaces to hospital nurses. Awareness of workplace bullying was recommended to other kinds of workplaces for further studies in future.

The Relationship Between Perceived Hookup Attitudes and Negative Hookup Consequences: Do Perceived Attitudes of Close Friends Matter?

PubMed

Montes, Kevin S; Blanco, Lyzette; LaBrie, Joseph W

2017-01-01

Research suggests that the perceived hookup attitudes of close referents are generally a poor predictor of hookup behavior and likely a poor direct predictor of negative hookup consequences. The current study aimed to examine three intervening variables as mediators of the relationship between the perceived hookup attitudes of college students' close friends and negative hookup consequences (e.g., regret, embarrassment). Self-report data were collected from 589 heavy-drinking college students from three midsized universities. The results indicated that students' own attitudes toward hooking up, motivation to hook up, and self-reported number of hookup partners significantly mediated the relationship between the perceived hookup attitudes of close friends and negative hookup consequences. The perceived hookup attitudes of close friends were positively associated with participants' attitudes toward hooking up. Participants' attitudes toward hooking up were positively associated with social-sexual motivation to hook up. Elevated social-sexual motivation to hook up was positively associated with hooking up with multiple partners, with hooking up with multiple partners positively associated with negative hookup consequences. A better understanding of the predictors and mediators of negative hookup consequences has the potential to inform prevention and intervention efforts.

Predictors of Change Following Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Children with Anxiety Problems: A Preliminary Investigation on Negative Automatic Thoughts and Anxiety Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muris, Peter; Mayer, Birgit; den Adel, Madelon; Roos, Tamara; van Wamelen, Julie

2009-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate negative automatic thoughts and anxiety control as predictors of change produced by cognitive-behavioral treatment of youths with anxiety disorders. Forty-five high-anxious children aged between 9 and 12 years who were selected from the primary school population, received a standardized CBT…

The effects of natural disturbances, reef state, and herbivorous fish densities on ciguatera poisoning in Rarotonga, southern Cook Islands.

PubMed

Rongo, Teina; van Woesik, Robert

2013-03-15

Ciguatera poisoning is a critical public-health issue among Pacific island nations. Accurately predicting ciguatera outbreaks has become a priority, particularly in Rarotonga in the southern Cook Islands, which has reported the highest incidence of ciguatera poisoning globally. Since 2006, however, cases of ciguatera poisoning have declined, and in 2011 ciguatera cases were the lowest in nearly 20 years. Here we examined the relationships between cases of ciguatera poisoning, from 1994 to 2011, and: (i) coral cover, used as a proxy of reef state, (ii) the densities of herbivorous fishes, and (iii) reef disturbances. We found that coral cover was not a good predictor of cases of ciguatera poisoning, but high densities of the herbivorous fish Ctenochaetus striatus and reef disturbances were both strong predictors of ciguatera poisoning. Yet these two predictors were correlated, because the densities of C. striatus increased only after major cyclones had disturbed the reefs. Since 2006, the number of cyclones has decreased considerably in Rarotonga, because of the climatic shift toward the negative phase of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. We suggest that fewer cyclones have led to decreases in both the densities of C. striatus and of the number of reported cases of ciguatera poisoning in Rarotonga. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research experiences and mentoring practices in selected east Asian graduate programs: predictors of research productivity among doctoral students in molecular biology.

PubMed

Ynalvez, Ruby; Garza-Gongora, Claudia; Ynalvez, Marcus Antonius; Hara, Noriko

2014-01-01

Although doctoral mentors recognize the benefits of providing quality advisement and close guidance, those of sharing project management responsibilities with mentees are still not well recognized. We observed that mentees, who have the opportunity to co-manage projects, generate more written output. Here we examine the link between research productivity, doctoral mentoring practices (DMP), and doctoral research experiences (DRE) of mentees in programs in the non-West. Inspired by previous findings that early career productivity is a strong predictor of later productivity, we examine the research productivity of 210 molecular biology doctoral students in selected programs in Japan, Singapore, and Taiwan. Using principal component (PC) analysis, we derive two sets of PCs: one set from 15 DMP and another set from 16 DRE items. We model research productivity using Poisson and negative-binomial regression models with these sets as predictors. Our findings suggest a need to re-think extant practices and to allocate resources toward professional career development in training future scientists. We contend that doctoral science training must not only be an occasion for future scientists to learn scientific and technical skills, but it must also be the opportunity to experience, to acquire, and to hone research management skills. © 2014 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Bioactivity Plays a Prosurvival Role in Older Participants

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to address the intriguing issue of the role of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 system in longevity looking at the role of different components of IGF system. Vital status was ascertained in 1,197 men and women aged greater than or equal to 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Hormonal levels were categorized into quartiles, and ratio of IGF-1 to IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-1 was calculated. The relationship between hormones and mortality was tested by Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, and confounders. During the 8-year follow-up period, 240 died and 957 survived. Lowest quartiles of IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 were considered as reference. Compared with the lowest quartiles, IGF-1 in upper quartiles was a negative predictor of mortality independent of age and sex (p = .01) but not independent of IGFBP-1 and other confounders. IGFBP-1 in second–third quartiles was negatively associated and that in the fourth quartiles was positively associated with risk of death. IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio in the lowest quartiles was a strong positive predictor of mortality, in age- and sex-adjusted model (p = .005), and independent of additional confounders (p = .037). High IGFBP-1 and low IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio are associated with all-cause mortality in older population. PMID:23671288

Insulin-like growth factor-1 bioactivity plays a prosurvival role in older participants.

PubMed

Maggio, Marcello; Cattabiani, Chiara; Lauretani, Fulvio; Bandinelli, Stefania; De Vita, Francesca; Dall'Aglio, Elisabetta; Corsonello, Andrea; Lattanzio, Fabrizia; Paolisso, Giuseppe; Ferrucci, Luigi; Ceda, Gian Paolo

2013-11-01

The aim of this study was to address the intriguing issue of the role of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 system in longevity looking at the role of different components of IGF system. Vital status was ascertained in 1,197 men and women aged greater than or equal to 65 years from the InCHIANTI study. Hormonal levels were categorized into quartiles, and ratio of IGF-1 to IGF-binding protein (IGFBP)-1 was calculated. The relationship between hormones and mortality was tested by Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for age, sex, and confounders. During the 8-year follow-up period, 240 died and 957 survived. Lowest quartiles of IGF-1 and IGFBP-1 were considered as reference. Compared with the lowest quartiles, IGF-1 in upper quartiles was a negative predictor of mortality independent of age and sex (p = .01) but not independent of IGFBP-1 and other confounders. IGFBP-1 in second-third quartiles was negatively associated and that in the fourth quartiles was positively associated with risk of death. IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio in the lowest quartiles was a strong positive predictor of mortality, in age- and sex-adjusted model (p = .005), and independent of additional confounders (p = .037). High IGFBP-1 and low IGF-1/IGFBP-1 ratio are associated with all-cause mortality in older population.

An examination of the effects of intra and inter-individual changes in wellbeing and mental health on self-rated health in a population study of middle and older-aged adults.

PubMed

Burns, Richard A; Sargent-Cox, Kerry; Mitchell, Paul; Anstey, Kaarin J

2014-11-01

Self-rated health is frequently used as an indicator of health and quality of life in epidemiological studies. While the association between self-rated health and negative mental health is well established, associations with indictors of positive wellbeing are less clear. Data from the Dynamic Analyses to Optimise Ageing (DYNOPTA) project were used to compare the effects of vitality and mental health on self-rated health. Participants (n = 40,712) provided information on vitality, mental health and self-rated health, were aged 45-95 years at baseline, and were followed between 1 and 10 years (M = 5.6; SD = 2.9). In comparison with mental health, multi-level modelling indicated between- and within-person change in vitality was more strongly associated with self-rated health. Bivariate dual change score modelling of the cross-lagged associations between vitality and self-rated health indicated vitality to be a stronger predictor of change in self-rated health. Self-rated health was unrelated to change in vitality. Vitality accounted for most of the mental health effect on self-rated health and was identified as a significant predictor of change in self-rated health over a 10-year period. Promoting wellbeing and psychological functioning may have significant protective effects on negative health outcomes throughout the adult lifespan and into late life.

Emotion dysregulation mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and psychopathology: A structural equation model.

PubMed

Jennissen, Simone; Holl, Julia; Mai, Hannah; Wolff, Sebastian; Barnow, Sven

2016-12-01

The present study investigated the mediating effects of emotion dysregulation on the relationship between child maltreatment and psychopathology. An adult sample (N=701) from diverse backgrounds of psychopathology completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the negative affect subscale of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) in a cross-sectional online survey. Correlational analyses showed that all types of child maltreatment were uniformly associated with emotion dysregulation, and dimensions of emotion dysregulation were strongly related to psychopathology. Limited access to strategies for emotion regulation emerged as the most powerful predictor. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that emotion dysregulation partially mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and psychopathology, even after controlling for shared variance with negative affect. These findings emphasize the importance of emotion dysregulation as a possible mediating mechanism in the association between child maltreatment and later psychopathology. Additionally, interventions targeting specific emotion regulation strategies may be effective to reduce psychopathology in victims of child maltreatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to Define Different Domains of Negative Symptoms

PubMed Central

Khan, Anzalee; Keefe, Richard S. E.

2017-01-01

Background: Reduced emotional experience and expression are two domains of negative symptoms. The authors assessed these two domains of negative symptoms using previously developed Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) factors. Using an existing dataset, the authors predicted three different elements of everyday functioning (social, vocational, and everyday activities) with these two factors, as well as with performance on measures of functional capacity. Methods: A large (n=630) sample of people with schizophrenia was used as the data source of this study. Using regression analyses, the authors predicted the three different aspects of everyday functioning, first with just the two Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale factors and then with a global negative symptom factor. Finally, we added neurocognitive performance and functional capacity as predictors. Results: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale reduced emotional experience factor accounted for 21 percent of the variance in everyday social functioning, while reduced emotional expression accounted for no variance. The total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative symptom factor accounted for less variance (19%) than the reduced experience factor alone. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale expression factor accounted for, at most, one percent of the variance in any of the functional outcomes, with or without the addition of other predictors. Implications: Reduced emotional experience measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, often referred to as “avolition and anhedonia,” specifically predicted impairments in social outcomes. Further, reduced experience predicted social impairments better than emotional expression or the total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative symptom factor. In this cross-sectional study, reduced emotional experience was specifically related with social outcomes, accounting for essentially no variance in work or everyday activities, and being the sole meaningful predictor of impairment in social outcomes. PMID:29410933

Ethnic Variables and Negative Life Events as Predictors of Depressive Symptoms and Suicidal Behaviors in Latino College Students: On the Centrality of "Receptivo a los Demás"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Edward C.; Yu, Elizabeth A.; Yu, Tina; Kahle, Emma R.; Hernandez, Viviana; Kim, Jean M.; Jeglic, Elizabeth L.; Hirsch, Jameson K.

2016-01-01

In the present study, we examined ethnic variables (viz., multigroup ethnic identity and other group orientation) along with negative life events as predictors of depressive symptoms and suicidal behaviors in a sample of 156 (38 male and 118 female) Latino college students. Results of conducting hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the…

Prevalence and predictors of smoking in “smoke-free” bars. Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Europe Surveys

PubMed Central

Nagelhout, Gera E.; Mons, Ute; Allwright, Shane; Guignard, Romain; Beck, Francois; Fong, Geoffrey T.; de Vries, Hein; Willemsen, Marc C.

2015-01-01

National level smoke-free legislation is implemented to protect the public from exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS). The first aim of this study was to investigate how successful the smoke-free hospitality industry legislation in Ireland (March 2004), France (January 2008), the Netherlands (July 2008), and Germany (between August 2007 and July 2008) was in reducing smoking in bars. The second aim was to assess individual smokers’ predictors of smoking in bars post-ban. The third aim was to examine country differences in predictors and the fourth aim to examine differences between educational levels (as an indicator of socioeconomic status). This study used nationally representative samples of 3,147 adult smokers from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Europe Surveys who were surveyed pre- and post-ban. The results reveal that while the partial smoke-free legislation in the Netherlands and Germany was effective in reducing smoking in bars (from 88% to 34% and from 87% to 44% respectively), the effectiveness was much lower than the comprehensive legislation in Ireland and France which almost completely eliminated smoking in bars (from 97% to 3% and from 84% to 3% respectively). Smokers who were more supportive of the ban, were more aware of the harm of SHS, and who had negative opinions of smoking were less likely to smoke in bars post-ban. Support for the ban was a stronger predictor in Germany. SHS harm awareness was a stronger predictor among less educated smokers in the Netherlands and Germany. The results indicate the need for strong comprehensive smoke-free legislation without exceptions. This should be accompanied by educational campaigns in which the public health rationale for the legislation is clearly explained. PMID:21497973

Functional Anthology of Intrinsic Disorder. I. Biological Processes and Functions of Proteins with Long Disordered Regions

PubMed Central

Xie, Hongbo; Vucetic, Slobodan; Iakoucheva, Lilia M.; Oldfield, Christopher J.; Dunker, A. Keith; Uversky, Vladimir N.; Obradovic, Zoran

2008-01-01

Identifying relationships between function, amino acid sequence and protein structure represents a major challenge. In this study we propose a bioinformatics approach that identifies functional keywords in the Swiss-Prot database that correlate with intrinsic disorder. A statistical evaluation is employed to rank the significance of these correlations. Protein sequence data redundancy and the relationship between protein length and protein structure were taken into consideration to ensure the quality of the statistical inferences. Over 200,000 proteins from Swiss-Prot database were analyzed using this approach. The predictions of intrinsic disorder were carried out using PONDR VL3E predictor of long disordered regions that achieves an accuracy of above 86%. Overall, out of the 710 Swiss-Prot functional keywords that were each associated with at least 20 proteins, 238 were found to be strongly positively correlated with predicted long intrinsically disordered regions, whereas 302 were strongly negatively correlated with such regions. The remaining 170 keywords were ambiguous without strong positive or negative correlation with the disorder predictions. These functions cover a large variety of biological activities and imply that disordered regions are characterized by a wide functional repertoire. Our results agree well with literature findings, as we were able to find at least one illustrative example of functional disorder or order shown experimentally for the vast majority of keywords showing the strongest positive or negative correlation with intrinsic disorder. This work opens a series of three papers, which enriches the current view of protein structure-function relationships, especially with regards to functionalities of intrinsically disordered proteins and provides researchers with a novel tool that could be used to improve the understanding of the relationships between protein structure and function. The first paper of the series describes our statistical approach, outlines the major findings and provides illustrative examples of biological processes and functions positively and negatively correlated with intrinsic disorder. PMID:17391014

Functional anthology of intrinsic disorder. 1. Biological processes and functions of proteins with long disordered regions.

PubMed

Xie, Hongbo; Vucetic, Slobodan; Iakoucheva, Lilia M; Oldfield, Christopher J; Dunker, A Keith; Uversky, Vladimir N; Obradovic, Zoran

2007-05-01

Identifying relationships between function, amino acid sequence, and protein structure represents a major challenge. In this study, we propose a bioinformatics approach that identifies functional keywords in the Swiss-Prot database that correlate with intrinsic disorder. A statistical evaluation is employed to rank the significance of these correlations. Protein sequence data redundancy and the relationship between protein length and protein structure were taken into consideration to ensure the quality of the statistical inferences. Over 200,000 proteins from the Swiss-Prot database were analyzed using this approach. The predictions of intrinsic disorder were carried out using PONDR VL3E predictor of long disordered regions that achieves an accuracy of above 86%. Overall, out of the 710 Swiss-Prot functional keywords that were each associated with at least 20 proteins, 238 were found to be strongly positively correlated with predicted long intrinsically disordered regions, whereas 302 were strongly negatively correlated with such regions. The remaining 170 keywords were ambiguous without strong positive or negative correlation with the disorder predictions. These functions cover a large variety of biological activities and imply that disordered regions are characterized by a wide functional repertoire. Our results agree well with literature findings, as we were able to find at least one illustrative example of functional disorder or order shown experimentally for the vast majority of keywords showing the strongest positive or negative correlation with intrinsic disorder. This work opens a series of three papers, which enriches the current view of protein structure-function relationships, especially with regards to functionalities of intrinsically disordered proteins, and provides researchers with a novel tool that could be used to improve the understanding of the relationships between protein structure and function. The first paper of the series describes our statistical approach, outlines the major findings, and provides illustrative examples of biological processes and functions positively and negatively correlated with intrinsic disorder.

Body image flexibility: A predictor and moderator of outcome in transdiagnostic outpatient eating disorder treatment.

PubMed

Pellizzer, Mia L; Waller, Glenn; Wade, Tracey D

2018-04-01

Predictors of attrition and predictors and moderators of outcome were explored in a transdiagnostic sample of patients who received ten-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-T) for nonunderweight eating disorders. Body image flexibility, a protective positive body image construct, was hypothesized to be a significant moderator. Data from two case series were combined to form a sample of 78 participants who received CBT-T. Baseline measures of body image, negative affect, personality, and motivation (readiness to change and self-efficacy) were included as potential predictors. Global eating disorder psychopathology at each assessment point (baseline, mid- and post-treatment, 1- and 3-month follow-up) was the outcome variable. Predictors of attrition were assessed using logistic regression, and multilevel modeling was applied for predictors and moderators of outcome. Body image flexibility emerged as the strongest predictor and moderator of global eating disorder psychopathology, followed by body image avoidance. Body checking, negative affect, personality beliefs, and self-efficacy were significant predictors of global eating disorder psychopathology. Higher body image flexibility predicted lower global eating disorder psychopathology at every assessment point. Further research is required to replicate findings and explore the benefit of focusing on positive body image in treatment. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Attentional bias and emotional reactivity as predictors and moderators of behavioral treatment for social phobia.

PubMed

Niles, Andrea N; Mesri, Bita; Burklund, Lisa J; Lieberman, Matthew D; Craske, Michelle G

2013-10-01

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a well-established treatment for anxiety disorders, and evidence is accruing for the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Little is known about factors that relate to treatment outcome overall (predictors), or who will thrive in each treatment (moderators). The goal of the current project was to test attentional bias and negative emotional reactivity as moderators and predictors of treatment outcome in a randomized controlled trial comparing CBT and ACT for social phobia. Forty-six patients received 12 sessions of CBT or ACT and were assessed for self-reported and clinician-rated symptoms at baseline, post treatment, 6, and 12 months. Attentional bias significantly moderated the relationship between treatment group and outcome with patients slow to disengage from threatening stimuli showing greater clinician-rated symptom reduction in CBT than in ACT. Negative emotional reactivity, but not positive emotional reactivity, was a significant overall predictor with patients high in negative emotional reactivity showing the greatest self-reported symptom reduction. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motivational state controls the prediction error in Pavlovian appetitive-aversive interactions.

PubMed

Laurent, Vincent; Balleine, Bernard W; Westbrook, R Frederick

2018-01-01

Contemporary theories of learning emphasize the role of a prediction error signal in driving learning, but the nature of this signal remains hotly debated. Here, we used Pavlovian conditioning in rats to investigate whether primary motivational and emotional states interact to control prediction error. We initially generated cues that positively or negatively predicted an appetitive food outcome. We then assessed how these cues modulated aversive conditioning when a novel cue was paired with a foot shock. We found that a positive predictor of food enhances, whereas a negative predictor of that same food impairs, aversive conditioning. Critically, we also showed that the enhancement produced by the positive predictor is removed by reducing the value of its associated food. In contrast, the impairment triggered by the negative predictor remains insensitive to devaluation of its associated food. These findings provide compelling evidence that the motivational value attributed to a predicted food outcome can directly control appetitive-aversive interactions and, therefore, that motivational processes can modulate emotional processes to generate the final error term on which subsequent learning is based. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychometric and demographic predictors of the perceived risk of terrorist threats and the willingness to pay for terrorism risk management programs.

PubMed

Mumpower, Jeryl L; Shi, Liu; Stoutenborough, James W; Vedlitz, Arnold

2013-10-01

A 2009 national telephone survey of 924 U.S. adults assessed perceptions of terrorism and homeland security issues. Respondents rated severity of effects, level of understanding, number affected, and likelihood of four terrorist threats: poisoned water supply; explosion of a small nuclear device in a major U.S. city; an airplane attack similar to 9/11; and explosion of a bomb in a building, train, subway, or highway. Respondents rated perceived risk and willingness to pay (WTP) for dealing with each threat. Demographic, attitudinal, and party affiliation data were collected. Respondents rated bomb as highest in perceived risk but gave the highest WTP ratings to nuclear device. For both perceived risk and WTP, psychometric variables were far stronger predictors than were demographic ones. OLS regression analyses using both types of variables to predict perceived risk found only two significant demographic predictors for any threat--Democrat (a negative predictor for bomb) and white male (a significant positive predictor for airline attack). In contrast, among psychometric variables, severity, number affected, and likelihood were predictors of all four threats and level of understanding was a predictor for one. For WTP, education was a negative predictor for three threats; no other demographic variables were significant predictors for any threat. Among psychometric variables, perceived risk and number affected were positive predictors of WTP for all four threats; severity and likelihood were predictors for three; level of understanding was a significant predictor for two. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Testing the bi-dimensional effects of attitudes on behavioural intentions and subsequent behaviour.

PubMed

Elliott, Mark A; Brewster, Sarah E; Thomson, James A; Malcolm, Carly; Rasmussen, Susan

2015-11-01

Attitudes are typically treated as unidimensional predictors of both behavioural intentions and subsequent behaviour. On the basis of previous research showing that attitudes comprise two independent, positive and negative dimensions, we hypothesized that attitudes would be bi-dimensional predictors of both behavioural intentions and subsequent behaviour. We focused on health-risk behaviours. We therefore also hypothesized that the positive dimension of attitude (evaluations of positive behavioural outcomes) would better predict both behavioural intentions and subsequent behaviour than would the negative dimension, consistent with the positivity bias/offset principle. In Study 1 (cross sectional design), N = 109 university students completed questionnaire measures of their intentions to binge-drink and the positive and negative dimensions of attitude. Consistent with the hypotheses, both attitude dimensions independently predicted behavioural intentions and the positive dimension was a significantly better predictor than was the negative dimension. The same pattern of findings emerged in Study 2 (cross sectional design; N = 186 university students) when we predicted intentions to binge-drink, smoke and consume a high-fat diet. Similarly, in Study 3 (prospective design; N = 1,232 speed limit offenders), both the positive and negative dimensions of attitude predicted subsequent (6-month post-baseline) speeding behaviour on two different road types and the positive dimension was the better predictor. The implications for understanding the motivation of behaviour and the development of behaviour-change interventions are discussed. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Very early predictors of conduct problems and crime: results from a national cohort study.

PubMed

Murray, Joseph; Irving, Barrie; Farrington, David P; Colman, Ian; Bloxsom, Claire A J

2010-11-01

  Longitudinal research has produced a wealth of knowledge about individual, family, and social predictors of crime. However, nearly all studies have started after children are age 5, and little is known about earlier risk factors. The 1970 British Cohort Study is a prospective population survey of more than 16,000 children born in 1970. Pregnancy, birth, child, parent, and socioeconomic characteristics were measured from medical records, parent interviews, and child assessments at birth and age 5. Conduct problems were reported by parents at age 10, and criminal convictions were self-reported by study members at ages 30-34.   Early (up to age 5) psychosocial risk factors were strong predictors of conduct problems and criminal conviction. Among pregnancy and birth measures, only prenatal maternal smoking was strongly predictive. Risk factors were similar for girls and boys. Additive risk scores predicted antisocial behaviour quite strongly.   Risk factors from pregnancy to age 5 are quite strong predictors of conduct problems and crime. New risk assessment tools could be developed to identify young children at high risk for later antisocial behaviour. © 2010 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2010 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Individual, Social-Normative, and Policy Predictors of Smoking Cessation: A Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis

PubMed Central

Hamilton, William L.; Siegel, Michael; Sullivan, Eileen M.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the prospective impact of individual, social-normative, and policy predictors of quit attempts and smoking cessation among Massachusetts adults. Methods. We interviewed a representative sample of current and recent smokers in Massachusetts by telephone in 2001 through 2002 and then again twice at 2-year intervals. The unit of analysis was the 2-year transition from wave 1 to wave 2 and from wave 2 to wave 3. Predictors of quit attempts and abstinence of longer than 3 months were analyzed using multilevel analysis. Predictors included individual, social-normative, and policy factors. Results. Multivariate analyses of 2-year transitions showed that perceptions of strong antismoking town norms were predictive of abstinence (odds ratio = 2.06; P < .01). Household smoking bans were the only policy associated with abstinence, but smoking bans at one's worksite were significant predictors of quit attempts. Conclusions. Although previous research showed a strong relation between local policy and norms, we found no observable, prospective impact of local policy on smoking cessation over 2 years. Our findings provide clear support for the importance of strong antismoking social norms as a facilitator of smoking cessation. PMID:19696387

Yes: The Symptoms of OCD and Depression Are Discrete and Not Exclusively Negative Affectivity

PubMed Central

Moore, Kathleen A.; Howell, Jacqui

2017-01-01

Although Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Depression are classified as separate disorders, the high incidence of co-morbidity and the strong correlations between measures of each has led to debate about the nature of their relationship. Some authors have proposed that OCD is in fact a mood disorder while others have suggested that the two disorders are grounded in negative affectivity. A third proposition is that depression is an essential part of OCD but that OCD is a separate disorder from depression. The aim in this study was to investigate these diverse propositions in a non-clinical sample and also to determine whether factors implicated in each, that is anxious and depressive cognitions, hopelessness, and self-criticism, would demonstrate commonality as predictors of the symptoms of OCD and of depression. Two hundred participants (59% female) (M age = 34 years, SD = 16) completed the Padua Inventory, Carroll Rating Scale, Cognitions Checklist, Self-Criticism Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory-Revised and a Negative Affectivity Schedule. Results indicated a strong correlation between OCD and depression, depression, and negative affectivity but a weaker relationship between OCD and negative affectivity. Path analyses revealed that both anxious and depressive cognitions, as well as hostility predicted both disorders but the Beta-weights were stronger on OCD. Self-criticism predicted only depression while hopelessness failed to predict either disorder but was itself predicted by depressive cognitions. Depression was a stronger indicator of negative affect than OCD and while OCD positively predicted depression, depression was a negative indicator of OCD. These results support the hypothesis that OCD and depression are discrete disorders and indicate that while depression is implicated in OCD, the reverse does not hold. While both disorders are related to negative affectivity, this relationship is much stronger for depression thus failing to confirm that both are subsumed by a common factor, in this case, negative affectivity. The proposition that depression is part of OCD but that OCD is not necessarily implicated in depression and is, in fact, a separate disorder, is supported by the current model. Further research is required to support the utility of the model in clinical samples. PMID:28553250

Negative predictors for satisfaction in patients seeking facial cosmetic surgery: a systematic review.

PubMed

Herruer, Jasmijn M; Prins, Judith B; van Heerbeek, Niels; Verhage-Damen, Godelieve W J A; Ingels, Koen J A O

2015-06-01

Facial cosmetic surgery is becoming more popular. Patients generally indicate they are satisfied with the results. Certain patient characteristics, however, have been described as negative predictors for satisfaction. Psychopathology such as body dysmorphic disorder and personality disorders are notorious. Psychosocial and cultural factors are more difficult to distinguish. This systematic review defines the predictors, other than body dysmorphic disorder, of an unsatisfactory outcome after facial cosmetic surgery. The authors are also interested in whether valid preoperative assessment instruments are available to determine these factors. An extensive systematic PubMed/MEDLINE and Cochrane Library search was performed. In addition, relevant studies from the reference lists of the selected articles were added. There were no publication-year restrictions, and the last search was conducted on July 20, 2014. All factors described as negative predictors for patient satisfaction after facial cosmetic surgery were identified. Twenty-seven articles were analyzed, including 11 prospective studies, two retrospective studies, one case study, eight reviews, and five expert opinions. The following factors were identified: male sex, young age, unrealistic expectations, minimal deformities, demanding patients, "surgiholics," relational or familial disturbances, an obsessive personality, and a narcissistic personality. This review indicates the possible demographic and psychosocial predictors for an unsatisfactory outcome of facial cosmetic surgery. A brief personality assessment tool that could be used to address predictors preoperatively was not found. The authors suggest use of the Glasgow Benefit Inventory to assess patient satisfaction postoperatively. Further research is being undertaken to develop such an instrument.

Predictors of Longitudinal Quality of Life in Juvenile Localized Scleroderma.

PubMed

Ardalan, Kaveh; Zigler, Christina K; Torok, Kathryn S

2017-07-01

Localized scleroderma can negatively affect children's quality of life (QoL), but predictors of impact have not been well described. We sought to identify predictors of QoL impact in juvenile localized scleroderma patients. We analyzed longitudinal data from a single-center cohort of juvenile localized scleroderma patients, using hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) to identify predictors of QoL impact. HGLM is useful for nested data and allows for evaluation of both time-variant and time-invariant predictors. The number of extracutaneous manifestations (ECMs; e.g., joint contracture and hemifacial atrophy) and female sex predicted negative QoL impact, defined as a Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index score >1 (P = 0.019 for ECMs and P = 0.002 for female sex). As the time since the initial visit increased, the odds of reporting a negative QoL impact decreased (P < 0.001). Our results suggest that ECMs, sex, and time since initial visit are more predictive of QoL impact in localized scleroderma than cutaneous features. Further study is required to determine which ECMs have the most impact on QoL, which factors underlie sex differences in QoL in localized scleroderma, and why increasing the time since the initial visit appears to be protective. An improved understanding of predictors of QoL impact may allow for the identification of patients at risk of poorer outcomes and for the tailoring of treatment and psychosocial support. © 2016, American College of Rheumatology.

Predictors of caregiving burden: impact of subjective health, negative affect, and loneliness of octogenarians and centenarians.

PubMed

Lee, Kyuho; Martin, Peter; Poon, Leonard W

2017-11-01

This study aimed (1) to determine whether octogenarian and centenarian care recipients' self-report on physical, social, and emotional status are different from caregivers' reports, (2) to assess associations between octogenarian and centenarian care recipients' poor physical, social, and emotional status and caregiver burden, and (3) to determine which report, the care recipients' self-report or caregivers' report, about the participants' physical and emotional status predicted more accurately levels of caregiver burden. Self-ratings and caregiver informant ratings were obtained from 309 participants of the Georgia Centenarian Study. Care recipients' health, negative affect, and loneliness were reported by both the caregivers and care recipients for the analyses. Differences between care recipients' and caregivers' reports were assessed by t-test. Blockwise multiple regression analysis was computed to assess predictors of caregiver burden. Caregivers' reports on the three measures were significantly higher than self-reports. Caregivers' negative affect and loneliness, not physical health, reported by caregivers predicted higher caregiver burden. Care recipients' reports did not predict caregiver burden. Caregivers perceived care recipients' social and emotional status more negatively, and caregivers' negative perceptions on care recipients' well-being status were an important predictor of caregiver burden.

Intrinsic motivation as a predictor of work outcome after vocational rehabilitation in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Saperstein, Alice M; Fiszdon, Joanna M; Bell, Morris D

2011-09-01

Intrinsic motivation is a construct commonly used in explaining goal-directed behavior. In people with schizophrenia, intrinsic motivation is usually subsumed as a feature of negative symptoms or underlying neurocognitive dysfunction. A growing literature reflects an interest in defining and measuring motivational impairment in schizophrenia and in delineating the specific role of intrinsic motivation as both an independent predictor and a mediator of psychosocial functioning. This cross-sectional study examined intrinsic motivation as a predictor of vocational outcomes for 145 individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder participating in a 6-month work rehabilitation trial. Correlation and mediation analyses examined baseline intrinsic motivation and negative symptoms in relation to work hours and work performance. Data support a significant relationship between intrinsic motivation and negative symptoms and significant correlations with outcome variables, such that lower negative symptoms and greater intrinsic motivation were associated with better work functioning. Moreover, in this sample, intrinsic motivation fully mediated the relationships between negative symptoms, work productivity, and work performance. These results have significant implications on the design of work rehabilitation interventions for people with schizophrenia and support a role for targeting intrinsic motivation directly to influence vocational functioning. Future directions for research and intervention are discussed.

Early indicators of relapses vs pseudorelapses in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder

PubMed Central

Kessler, Remi A.; Mealy, Maureen A.

2016-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to review cases of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) relapses and pseudorelapses to identify early features that differentiate between them at onset of symptoms. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 74 hospitalizations of patients with NMOSD who were admitted to the Johns Hopkins Hospital for workup and treatment of a presumed relapse. Standard workup included MRI and blood and urine testing for metabolic and infectious etiologies. The gold standard for a relapse was defined as new or worsening symptoms and a change in neurologic examination correlating with a new or enhancing MRI lesion. A pseudorelapse was a clinical exacerbation with similar symptoms and signs but the MRI was negative, and workup identified an alternative cause for the symptoms that, when treated, resulted in the improvement of neurologic symptoms. Factors considered to be early predictors of relapses vs pseudorelapses were analyzed using the Fisher test. Results: Among 74 NMOSD hospitalizations for presumed relapse, 57 were confirmed relapses while 17 had a negative MRI and an identifiable cause of pseudorelapse. The most common causes of pseudorelapse were infection, pain, and dysautonomia. The only early predictor that reliably differentiated relapse from pseudorelapse among this NMOSD patient population was vision loss (p = 0.039). Race, sex, presentations of weakness, numbness, and bowel/bladder dysfunction, white blood cell count, and urinary tract infection were not different among patients with relapses vs pseudorelapses. Conclusions: Vision loss in NMOSD is strongly suggestive of a true relapse vs a pseudorelapse. Pseudorelapses localized to the spinal cord in patients with previous myelitis presented similarly to true relapses and could only be ruled out by a negative MRI. PMID:27508210

Exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors after participation in a randomized controlled trial: an attribution theory perspective.

PubMed

Courneya, Kerry S; Friedenreich, Christine M; Sela, Rami A; Quinney, H Arthur; Rhodes, Ryan E; Jones, Lee W

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors who participated in the Group Psychotherapy and Home-Based Physical Exercise (GROUP-HOPE; Courneya, Friedenreich, Sela, Quinney, & Rhodes, 2002) trial. At the completion of the GROUP-HOPE trial, 46 of 51 (90%) participants in the exercise group completed measures of attribution theory constructs. A 5-week follow-up self-report of exercise was then completed by 30 (65%) participants. Correlational analyses indicated that program exercise, perceived success, expected success, and affective reactions were strong predictors of postprogram exercise. In multivariate stepwise regression analyses, program exercise and perceived success were the strongest predictors of postprogram exercise. Additionally, perceived success was more important than objective success in understanding the attribution process, and it interacted with personal control to influence expected success and negative affect. Finally, postprogram quality of life and changes in physical fitness were correlates of perceived success. We concluded that attribution theory may have utility for understanding postprogram exercise motivation and adherence in cancer survivors.

Urinary incontinence in very young and mostly nulliparous women with a history of regular organised high-impact trampoline training: occurrence and risk factors.

PubMed

Eliasson, Kerstin; Edner, Ann; Mattsson, Eva

2008-05-01

The aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of urinary incontinence (UI) in mostly nulliparous women with a history of regular organised trampoline training as adolescents and to identify possible predictors. Female trampolinists in Sweden with licence for trampolining between 1995--1999 (n = 305), with a median age of 21 (range 18-44) years answered retrospectively a validated questionnaire. Competition with double somersaults had been performed by 85 women, the "competition group" (CG), while 220 women comprised the "recreational group" (RG). Of the trampolinists with UI during trampolining, 76% continued to leak. In CG, 57% and, in RG, 48% reported current UI. Strong predictors for UI were inability to interrupt micturition (p < 0.001) and constipation (p = 0.007). Training factors such as frequency/week x years of trampolining (p < 0.001) and years of trampolining after menarche increased the risk of UI (p < 0.001). The prevalence of current UI was higher in ex-trampolinists than in normals (p < 0.001), and hence the negative effects of trampolining cannot be ruled out.

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress.

PubMed

Leigh, Bronwyn; Milgrom, Jeannette

2008-04-16

Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program 1. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26-32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161) also completed questionnaires at 10-12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1). Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2). Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3). Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator for other risk factors. Risk factor profiles for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress differ but are interrelated. Antenatal depression was the strongest predictor of postnatal depression, and in turn postnatal depression was the strongest predictor for parenting stress. These results provide clinical direction suggesting that early identification and treatment of perinatal depression is important.

Short communication: Species group-specific predictors at the cow and quarter level for intramammary infection with coagulase-negative staphylococci in dairy cattle throughout lactation.

PubMed

De Visscher, A; Piepers, S; Supré, K; Haesebrouck, F; De Vliegher, S

2015-08-01

Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are frequently isolated from quarters with subclinical mastitis, teat apices, and the cows' environment. Virulence, ecology, epidemiological behavior, and effect on udder health vary between different CNS species. Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staph. simulans, and Staph. xylosus are frequently present in milk and have a more substantial effect on quarter milk somatic cell count than other species. Therefore, these species are considered the "more relevant" CNS. As species-specific factors associated with CNS intramammary infection (IMI) have not yet been identified and susceptibility for IMI differs between cows and quarters, this study aimed to identify predictors for CNS IMI at the cow and quarter level (some of them changing over time) with a specific focus on the aforementioned more relevant CNS. Precise data were available from a longitudinal study (3,052 observations from 344 quarters from 86 dairy cows belonging to 3 commercial dairy herds). All CNS were molecularly identified to the species level, and multivariable, multilevel logistic regression models taking into account the longitudinal nature of the data, were fit to study the likelihood of infection. Staphylococcus chromogenes, Staph. xylosus, and Staph. cohnii were the most frequently isolated species from CNS IMI in older cows, whereas Staph. chromogenes, Staph. xylosus, and Staph. simulans were the main species found in IMI in heifers. Quarters from heifers (as opposed to multiparous cows), from heifers and multiparous cows in third or fourth month in lactation (as opposed to early lactation, <60 d in milk), and with an increasing quarter milk SCC were more likely to be infected with the more relevant CNS species. Quarter milk SCC was identified as the sole statistically significant predictor for IMI with other CNS species, although the size of the effect was lower [odds ratio of 1.6 (1.4-1.9) vs. 2.1 (1.8-2.5)] than the effect for IMI with the more relevant CNS. As a strong herd effect was present, studying herd-level predictors is warranted. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial work characteristics and social support as predictors of SF-36 health functioning: the Whitehall II study.

PubMed

Stansfeld, S A; Bosma, H; Hemingway, H; Marmot, M G

1998-01-01

To assess whether work characteristics and social support are predictors of physical, psychological, and social functioning. Work characteristics (Karasek and Siegrist models) and social support at baseline were used to predict health functioning measured by the SF-36 General Health Survey 5 years later in a prospective cohort study of 10,308 British male and female civil servants. Effort-reward imbalance and negative aspects of close relationships predicted poor physical, psychological, and social functioning after adjustment for the potential confounding effects of age, employment grade, baseline ill health, and negative affectivity. These psychosocial characteristics seem to act in a similar way in the healthy and those with existing illness. Psychological demands at work in women, and low confiding/emotional support in men, also predicted poor functioning. Etiologically. these effects are not mediated through health-related behaviors. Negative aspects of work (high demands and effort-reward imbalance) and negative aspects of close relationships are independent powerful predictors of poor health functioning. They may have an etiological role, which is independent of baseline illness.

Can small pelagic fish landings be used as predictors of high-frequency oceanographic fluctuations in the 1-2 El Niño region?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ormaza-González, Franklin Isaac; Mora-Cervetto, Alejandra; María Bermúdez-Martínez, Raquel; Hurtado-Domínguez, Mario Armando; Raúl Peralta-Bravo, Manuel; Mariuxi Jurado-Maldonado, Viviana

2016-08-01

A group of small pelagic fish captured between 1981 and 2012 within El Niño area 1-2 by the Ecuadorian fleet was correlated with the oceanographic Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI), and the Oceanographic El Niño Index (ONI) referred to El Niño region 3-4. For the period 1981-2012, total landings correlated poorly with the indexes, but during 2000-2012 (cold PDO) they proved to have a 14-29 % association with both indexes; the negative slope of the curves suggested higher landing during cold events (La Niña) and also indicated a tendency to decrease at extreme values ( > 0.5 and < -1.0). Round herring (Etrumeus teres) fourth-quarter (Q4) landings were related to the MEI in a nonlinear analysis by up to 80 %. During moderate or strong La Niña events landings noticeably increased. Bullet tuna (Auxis spp.) catches showed a negative gradient from cold to warm episodes with an R2 of 0.149. For Chilean jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi) irregular landings between 2003 and 2007 were observed and were poorly correlated (R2 < 0.1) with ONI or MEI. Anchovy (Engraulis ringens) captured in Ecuadorian waters since 2000 had an R2 of 0.302 and 0.156 for MEI and ONI, respectively, but showed a higher correlation with the cold Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). South American pilchard (Sardinops sagax) was higher than -0.5 for the ONI and MEI, and landings dramatically decreased; however, Q4 landings correlated with ONI and MEI, with R2 of 0.109 and 0.225, respectively (n = 3). Linear correlation of Q4 indexes against the following year's Q1 landings had a linkage of up to 22 %; this species could therefore be considered a predictor of El Niño. Chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) landings did not have a significant linear correlation with the indexes for 1981-2012 and therefore could not be considered a valid predictor. Chuhueco (Cetengraulis mysticetus) is a local species with high landings during El Niño years and, conversely, remarkably low landings during La Niña years. Additionally, chuhueco availability and landings were negatively affected by cold PDOs. Pacific thread herring (Opisthonema spp.) showed a 24 and 36 % relationship between landings (Q1) and the MEI and ONI (Q4). Therefore, results suggest that the South American pilchard and Pacific thread herring could be considered good species to use as predictors of El Niño in region 1-2 (Ecuador), especially when average Q4 MEI / ONI is used against the next trimester Q1 landing. All species were prone to lower landings and/or fishing availability during strong-extreme events (ONI/MEI, > 1.0 and < -1.0), and were also shown to be affected by the PDO. In the long term, landings decreased under warm PDO and vice versa, and therefore PDO fluctuations could be used to help manage these fisheries and to help the industry in long-term planning.

The 2 × 2 Standpoints Model of Achievement Goals

PubMed Central

Korn, Rachel M.; Elliot, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

In the present research, we proposed and tested a 2 × 2 standpoints model of achievement goals grounded in the development-demonstration and approach-avoidance distinctions. Three empirical studies are presented. Study 1 provided evidence supporting the structure and psychometric properties of a newly developed measure of the goals of the 2 × 2 standpoints model. Study 2 documented the predictive utility of these goal constructs for intrinsic motivation: development-approach and development-avoidance goals were positive predictors, and demonstration-avoidance goals were a negative predictor of intrinsic motivation. Study 3 documented the predictive utility of these goal constructs for performance attainment: Demonstration-approach goals were a positive predictor and demonstration-avoidance goals were a negative predictor of exam performance. The conceptual and empirical contributions of the present research were discussed within the broader context of existing achievement goal theory and research. PMID:27242641

A hierarchical perspective of plant diversity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sarr, Daniel; Hibbs, D.E.; Huston, M.

2005-01-01

Predictive models of plant diversity have typically focused on either a landscapea??s capacity for richness (equilibrium models), or on the processes that regulate competitive exclusion, and thus allow species to coexist (nonequilibrium models). Here, we review the concepts and purposes of a hierarchical, multiscale model of the controls of plant diversity that incorporates the equilibrium model of climatic favorability at macroscales, nonequilibrium models of competition at microscales, and a mixed model emphasizing environmental heterogeneity at mesoscales. We evaluate the conceptual model using published data from three spatially nested datasets: (1) a macroscale analysis of ecoregions in the continental and western U.S.; (2) a mesoscale study in California; and (3) a microscale study in the Siskiyou Mountains of Oregon and California. At the macroscale (areas from 3889 km2 to 638,300 km2), climate (actual evaporation) was a strong predictor of tree diversity (R2 = 0.80), as predicted by the conceptual model, but area was a better predictor for vascular plant diversity overall (R2 = 0.38), which suggests different types of plants differ in their sensitivity to climatic controls. At mesoscales (areas from 1111 km2 to 15,833 km2 ), climate was still an important predictor of richness (R2 = 0.52), but, as expected, topographic heterogeneity explained an important share of the variance (R2 = 0.19), showed positive correlations with diversity of trees, shrubs, and annual and perennial herbs, and was the primary predictor of shrub and annual plant species richness. At microscales (0.1 ha plots), spatial patterns of diversity showed a clear unimodal pattern along a climatea??driven productivity gradient and a negative relationship with soil fertility. The strong decline in understory and total diversity at the most productive sites suggests that competitive controls, as predicted, can override climatic controls at this scale. We conclude that this hierarchical, multiscale model provides a sound basis to understand and analyze plant species diversity. Specifically, future research should employ the principles in this paper to explore climatic controls on species richness of different life forms, better quantify environmental heterogeneity in landscapes, and analyze how these largea??scale factors interact with local nonequilibrium dynamics to maintain plant diversity.

Prediction of Coronal Mass Ejections From Vector Magnetograms: Quantitative Measures as Predictors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.; Gary, G. A.; Rose, M. Franklin (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

We derived two quantitative measures of an active region's global nonpotentiality from the region's vector magnetogram, 1) the net current (I(sub N)), and 2) the length of strong-shear, strong-field main neutral line (Lss), and used these two measures in a pilot study of the CME productivity of 4 active regions. We compared the global nonpotentiality measures to the active regions' CME productivity determined from GOES and Yohkoh/SXT observations. We found that two of the active regions were highly globally nonpotential and were CME productive, while the other two active regions had little global nonpotentiality and produced no CMEs. At the Fall 2000 AGU, we reported on an expanded study (12 active regions and 17 magnetograms) in which we evaluated four quantitative global measures of an active region's magnetic field and compared these measures with the CME productivity. The four global measures (all derived from MSFC vector magnetograms) included our two previous measures (I(sub N) and L(sub ss)) as well as two new ones, the total magnetic flux (PHI) (a measure of an active region's size), and the normalized twist (alpha (bar)= muIN/PHI). We found that the three quantitative measures of global nonpotentiality (I(sub N), L(sub ss), alpha (bar)) were all well correlated (greater than 99% confidence level) with an active region's CME productivity within plus or minus 2 days of the day of the magnetogram. We will now report on our findings of how good our quantitative measures are as predictors of active-region CME productivity, using only CMEs that occurred after the magnetogram. We report the preliminary skill test of these quantitative measures as predictors. We compare the CME prediction success of our quantitative measures to the CME prediction success based on an active region's past CME productivity. We examine the cases of the handful of false positive and false negatives to look for improvements to our predictors. This work is funded by NSF through the Space Weather Program and by NASA through the Solar Physics Supporting Research and Technology Program.

Prediction of Coronal Mass Ejections from Vector Magnetograms: Quantitative Measures as Predictors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falconer, D. A.; Moore, R. L.; Gary, G. A.

2001-05-01

In a pilot study of 4 active regions (Falconer, D.A. 2001, JGR, in press), we derived two quantitative measures of an active region's global nonpotentiality from the region's vector magnetogram, 1) the net current (IN), and 2) the length of the strong-shear, strong-field main neutral line (LSS), and used these two measures of the CME productivity of the active regions. We compared the global nonpotentiality measures to the active regions' CME productivity determined from GOES and Yohkoh/SXT observations. We found that two of the active regions were highly globally nonpotential and were CME productive, while the other two active regions had little global nonpotentiality and produced no CMEs. At the Fall 2000 AGU (Falconer, Moore, & Gary, 2000, EOS 81, 48 F998), we reported on an expanded study (12 active regions and 17 magnetograms) in which we evaluated four quantitative global measures of an active region's magnetic field and compared these measures with the CME productivity. The four global measures (all derived from MSFC vector magnetograms) included our two previous measures (IN and LSS) as well as two new ones, the total magnetic flux (Φ ) (a measure of an active region's size), and the normalized twist (α =μ IN/Φ ). We found that the three measures of global nonpotentiality (IN, LSS, α ) were all well correlated (>99% confidence level) with an active region's CME productivity within (2 days of the day of the magnetogram. We will now report on our findings of how good our quantitative measures are as predictors of active-region CME productivity, using only CMEs that occurred after the magnetogram. We report the preliminary skill test of these quantitative measures as predictors. We compare the CME prediction success of our quantitative measures to the CME prediction success based on an active region's past CME productivity. We examine the cases of the handful of false positive and false negatives to look for improvements to our predictors. This work is funded by NSF through the Space Weather Program and by NASA through the Solar Physics Supporting Research and Technology Program.

The relationships between psychological mindedness, parental bonding and adult attachment.

PubMed

Bourne, Kathryn; Berry, Katherine; Jones, Lisa

2014-06-01

The aims of this study were to clarify the relationship between psychological mindedness and attachment relationships in childhood and adulthood. This analogue study examined associations between psychological mindedness and attachment using a cross-sectional design. Participants completed questionnaire measures of psychological mindedness, parental bonding, and adulthood attachment relationships. As hypothesized, psychological mindedness was strongly, negatively correlated with attachment avoidance in adulthood. Psychological mindedness was also positively correlated with perceived maternal care in childhood, and negatively correlated with perceived paternal over-protection. However, a regression analysis found that attachment avoidance in adulthood was a more significant predictor of psychological mindedness than parental bonding experiences in childhood. Further research is needed to replicate associations between attachment and psychological mindedness in clinical samples and to explore additional constructs which influence psychological mindedness. High attachment avoidance may be a potential risk factor for poor psychological mindedness. Helping individuals to develop more secure attachments in their adult relationships may improve their psychological mindedness. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

The Role of Self-esteem and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Compulsive Buying

PubMed Central

Biolcati, Roberta

2017-01-01

Compulsive buying is a relatively new addictive disorder that interferes with everyday functioning and may result in serious psychological and financial problems (1). A very few data are currently available regarding this behavioral addiction. This study investigated gender differences in the relationships between contingent self-esteem (CSE), fear of negative evaluation (FNE), and compulsive buying. Participants included 240 Italian adults (170 females, M age = 33.80) who responded to self-report questionnaires. The results showed that women scored higher on CSE and FNE scales than men. No gender differences were found in compulsive buying tendencies. CSE and FNE were positively related to CB. Furthermore, structural equation modeling confirmed the evidence on CSE as a strong predictor of CB for both genders. Interestingly, FNE seems to play a mediating role between CSE and compulsive buying behaviors only for women. These findings highlight the importance of studying self-esteem in compulsive buying tendencies to inquire more deeply into the underlying mechanisms of some compulsive behaviors. PMID:28512435

Sharing Concerns: Interpersonal Worry Regulation in Romantic Couples

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Two dyadic studies investigated interpersonal worry regulation in heterosexual relationships. In Study 1, we video-recorded 40 romantic couples discussing shared concerns. Male partners’ worry positively predicted female partners’ interpersonal calming attempts, and negatively predicted female partners’ interpersonal alerting attempts (i.e., attempts to make their partners appreciate the seriousness of concerns). Video-cued recall data also indicated that changes in partner A’s worry over time positively predicted partner B’s motivation to reduce partner A’s worry, and that this effect was stronger when B was the female partner. Study 2 was a dyadic survey of 100 couples. Individual differences in partner A’s negative affect were positive predictors of partner B’s interpersonal calming, and individual differences in partner A’s expressive suppression were negative predictors of partner B’s interpersonal calming. Further, individual differences in male partners’ expressivity were significant positive predictors of female partners’ interpersonal calming, and individual differences in male partners’ reappraisal were significant positive predictors of female partners’ interpersonal alerting. These findings suggest that interpersonal worry regulation relates to partners’ expression and intrapersonal regulation of worry, but not equally for men and women. PMID:26882336

Predictors of Self-Rated Health: Does Education Play a Role Above and Beyond Age?

PubMed

Spuling, Svenja M; Huxhold, Oliver; Wurm, Susanne

2017-05-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that while health factors lose importance for the individual conceptualization of self-rated health (SRH) with advancing age, subjective well-being (SWB) factors gain in importance. The present study examined whether this age-related pattern differs between educational groups. Longitudinal data of adults aged 40 years and older of the German Ageing Survey was used (N = 6,812). The role of education in age-related changes in the predictive value of different health and SWB facets for SRH was investigated with a cross-lagged panel regression model. Physical conditions were a stronger predictor in lower than in higher educated individuals while the association did not change with age. In contrast, positive affect and life satisfaction only gained in importance with advancing age for higher educated individuals. Negative affect was an equally strong predictor independent of education, and loneliness had a stronger association with SRH in people with lower education compared to those with high education while the associations did not change with age. The findings highlight the importance of considering the multidimensionality of SWB and the educational background of individuals for the study of SRH and indicate possible limits to adjustment to age-related declines in 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.

Predicting nonadherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy in women with early stage breast cancer.

PubMed

Corter, Arden L; Broom, Reuben; Porter, David; Harvey, Vernon; Findlay, Michael

2018-05-18

Failing to take endocrine therapy (ET) as prescribed (nonadherence) increases risk of morbidity and mortality from breast cancer recurrence. We explored predictors of nonadherence, including demographic, clinical, treatment, and personal factors, among women newly prescribed ET for early stage breast cancer. We also examined predictors of their thoughts about stopping treatment (TST). A baseline survey prior to ET assessed demographics, illness beliefs, beliefs about medicines, fear of recurrence, symptoms, and negative affect. A follow-up survey at 3 months repeated these measures with additional questions about nonadherence and TST. Nonadherence and TST were analyzed using logistic and multiple regression, respectively. Patient record review provided clinical data. The baseline survey was completed by 125 women, with a 96% retention rate at follow-up. Thirty-six percent reported nonadherence, and 30% reported TST. Results of regression analyses showed that TST was most strongly associated with symptom severity at follow-up, whereas, lower coherence beliefs, and the absence of comorbid conditions were the strongest predictors of actual nonadherence. This is the first longitudinal study to examine concurrently the association of demographic, personal and treatment factors with nonadherence, and TST. Findings have potentially important clinical implications; interventions to improve adherence and reduce TST may need to target women's understanding of their diagnosis and treatment, illness beliefs, and symptoms prior to starting therapy. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prediction of obeche wood-induced asthma by specific skin prick testing.

PubMed

Hannu, T; Lindström, I; Palmroos, P; Kuuliala, O; Sauni, R

2013-09-01

It has previously been shown that a positive skin prick test (SPT) result is a good predictor of a positive specific inhalation challenge (SIC) in patients with occupational asthma (OA) related to wheat or rye flours. This association has not been previously studied in OA attributable to obeche wood. To describe a clinical series of patients with OA induced by obeche wood. To investigate if the SPT result can be used as a predictor for the outcome of SIC tests. OA was diagnosed according to patient history, lung function examinations and SIC tests, as well as the determination of obeche SPTs. We analysed sensitivity, specificity and positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV) at different wheal sizes of the SPTs and drew receiver-operating characteristic plots using the SIC test result as the gold standard. Obeche wood SIC tests were performed on 34 symptomatic workers. Of these, 27 workers had a positive test result and were diagnosed as having OA. The minimal cut-off value with a PPV of 100% was an SPT wheal of 3.5 mm from obeche wood. This means that all workers with a wheal size of ≥ 3.5 mm from obeche wood had a positive SIC. Positive SPT results in symptomatic workers were good predictors of a positive SIC. SIC with obeche wood may be unnecessary in strongly sensitized workers.

Predictors of Student Commitment at Two-Year and Four-Year Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strauss, Linda C.; Volkwein, J. Fredericks

2004-01-01

The research presented in this article examines the predictors of institutional commitment of first-year students at 28 two-year and 23 four-year public institutions. Previous research has demonstrated that institutional commitment is a strong predictor of college students' intent to persist, and ultimately student persistence itself (Braxton,…

A Meta-Analysis of the Predictors of Delinquency among Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Dana Jones; Pratt, Travis C.

2002-01-01

Presents the results of a meta-analysis of the predictors of female delinquency. Finds that most of the strong predictors of female delinquency are the same as those for males, including history of antisocial behavior, antisocial attitudes, antisocial peers, and antisocial personality. School and family relationships and a history of…

Isolating the Role of Psychological Dysfunction in Smoking Cessation Failure: Relations of Personality and Psychopathology to Attaining Smoking Cessation Milestones

PubMed Central

Leventhal, Adam M.; Japuntich, Sandra J.; Piper, Megan E.; Jorenby, Douglas E.; Schlam, Tanya R.; Baker, Timothy B.

2012-01-01

Research exploring psychological dysfunction as a predictor of smoking cessation success may be limited by nonoptimal predictor variables (i.e., categorical psychodiagnostic measures vs. continuous personality-based manifestations of dysfunction) and imprecise outcomes (i.e., summative point prevalence abstinence vs. constituent cessation milestone measures). Accordingly, this study evaluated the unique and overlapping relations of broad-spectrum personality traits (positive emotionality, negative emotionality, and constraint) and past-year psychopathology (anxiety, mood, and substance use disorder) to point prevalence abstinence and three smoking cessation milestones: (1) initiating abstinence; (2) first lapse; and (3) transition from lapse to relapse. Participants were daily smokers (N=1365) enrolled in a smoking cessation treatment study. In single predictor regression models, each manifestation of internalizing dysfunction (lower positive emotionality, higher negative emotionality, and anxiety and mood disorder) predicted failure at one or more cessation milestone. In simultaneous predictor models, lower positive and higher negative emotionality significantly predicted failure to achieve milestones after controlling for psychopathology. Psychopathology did not predict any outcome when controlling for personality. Negative emotionality showed the most robust and consistent effects, significantly predicting failure to initiate abstinence, earlier lapse, and lower point prevalence abstinence rates. Substance use disorder and constraint did not predict cessation outcomes, and no single variable predicted lapse-to-relapse transition. These findings suggest that personality-related manifestations of internalizing dysfunction are more accurate markers of affective sources of relapse risk than mood and anxiety disorders. Further, individuals with high trait negative emotionality may require intensive intervention to promote the initiation and early maintenance of abstinence. PMID:22642858

Stigmatization of people with pedophilia: two comparative surveys.

PubMed

Jahnke, Sara; Imhoff, Roland; Hoyer, Juergen

2015-01-01

Despite productive research on stigma and its impact on people's lives in the past 20 years, stigmatization of people with pedophilia has received little attention. We conducted two surveys estimating public stigma and determining predictors of social distance from this group. In both studies, pedophilia was defined as a "dominant sexual interest in children." The survey was comprised of items measuring agreement with stereotypes, emotions, and social distance (among others). Responses were compared with identical items referring to either people who abuse alcohol (Study 1), sexual sadists or people with antisocial tendencies (Study 2). Study 1 was conducted in two German cities (N = 854) and Study 2 sampled 201 English-speaking online participants. Both studies revealed that nearly all reactions to people with pedophilia were more negative than those to the other groups, including social distance. Fourteen percent (Study 1) and 28 % (Study 2) of the participants agreed that people with pedophilia should better be dead, even if they never had committed criminal acts. The strongest predictors of social distance towards people with pedophilia were affective reactions to this group (anger and, inversely, associated, pity) and the political attitude of right-wing authoritarianism (Study 1). Results strongly indicate that people with pedophilia are a stigmatized group who risk being the target of fierce discrimination. We discuss this particular form of stigmatization with respect to social isolation of persons with pedophilia and indirect negative consequences for child abuse prevention.

Microsites Matter: Improving the Success of Rare Species Reintroductions.

PubMed

Dunwiddie, Peter W; Martin, R Adam

2016-01-01

Our study was undertaken to better understand how to increase the success rates of recovery plantings of a rare hemiparasite, golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta-Orobanchaceae). This species is endemic to western Washington and Oregon, USA, and southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Over 5000 golden paintbrush plants were outplanted as plugs in 2007 at six different native prairie sites that were considered to be suitable habitat, based on general evaluations of vegetation and soil conditions. Outplantings were installed at regular intervals along transects up to 1 km long to include a range of conditions occurring at each site. All plantings were re-examined five years later. The patchy distribution of surviving plugs and new recruits within each reintroduction site suggested success is strongly influenced by microsite characteristics. Indicator species analysis of taxa growing in microsites around outplanted golden paintbrush identified species that were positively or negatively associated with paintbrush survival. Species such as Festuca roemeri, Eriophyllum lanatum, and Viola adunca were strong indicators at some sites; non-natives such as Hypochaeris radicata and Teesdalia nudicaulis tended to be frequent negative indicators. Overall, higher richness of native perennial forbs was strongly correlated with both survival and flowering of golden paintbrush, a pattern that may reflect interactions of this hemiparasite with the immediately surrounding plant community. Topographic position also influenced outcomes, with greater survival occurring on mounds and in swales, where soils generally were deeper. Our findings suggest that assessments of site suitability based on vegetation alone, and coarser, site-level assessments that do not characterize heterogeneity at the microsite scale, may not be strong predictors of restoration success over the longer term and in sites with variability in vegetation and soils. By identifying suitable microsites to focus rare species plantings, survival and efficiency may be significantly enhanced.

Illness Perceptions in Patients of Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Investigation from Lahore, Pakistan.

PubMed

Hussain, Sadia; Imran, Nazish; Hotiana, Usman Amin; Mazhar, Nauman; Asif, Aftab

2017-01-01

Patient's perception of their illness influences their healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study were to explore patient's own beliefs about their illness (Schizophrenia) and perceived social support, and its impact on their attitudes toward pharmacological treatment in Lahore, Pakistan. This study was conducted at Mayo Hospital Lahore from March to September 2016. Hundred individuals suffering from Schizophrenia completed four questionnaires; a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia(IPQ-S), Drug attitude Inventory-10 (DAI) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSS). Stress, family problems, lack of friends & financial worries were endorsed strongly by patients as cause of their mental illness. Ambiguity regarding their mental illness duration and personal control was observed. Patients' perceived significant negative consequences, negative emotional response, as well as had poor understanding of their mental illness and treatment effectiveness. Statistically significant gender differences in treatment control and illness coherence subscales of IPQS were observed. Drug attitude inventory was positively correlated with Treatment control subscale (p < .01) and negatively correlated with Illness coherence subscale of IPQS (p < .05). The negative consequences subscale and perceived social support was negatively correlated (p < .01). Patient's perception about their own illness is predictor of their drug taking attitude and perceived social support. Study results should help to develop new interventions to correct inaccurate beliefs in patients with schizophrenia to improve illness outcome.

On the costs and benefits of gaming: the role of passion.

PubMed

Lafrenière, Marc-André K; Vallerand, Robert J; Donahue, Eric G; Lavigne, Geneviève L

2009-06-01

The dualistic model of passion defines passion as a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that a person likes and values and in which he or she invests time and energy. The model proposes two distinct types of passion: harmonious and obsessive passion that predict adaptive and less adaptive outcomes respectively. In the present research, we were interested in assessing both the negative and positive consequences that can result from gaming. Participants (n = 222) were all players involved in massively multiplayer online games. They completed an online survey. Results from a canonical correlation revealed that both harmonious and obsessive passion were positively associated with the experience of positive affect while playing. However, only obsessive passion was also positively related to the experience of negative affect while playing. In addition, only obsessive passion was positively related to problematic behaviors generally associated with excessive gaming, the amount of time spent playing, and negative physical symptoms. Moreover, obsessive passion was negatively related to self-realization and unrelated to life satisfaction. Conversely, harmonious passion was positively associated with both types of psychological well-being. This general pattern of results suggests that obsessive passion for gaming is an important predictor of the negative outcomes of gaming, while harmonious passion seems to account for positive consequences. Future research directions are discussed in light of the dualistic model of passion.

Using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) to Define Different Domains of Negative Symptoms: Prediction of Everyday Functioning by Impairments in Emotional Expression and Emotional Experience.

PubMed

Harvey, Philip D; Khan, Anzalee; Keefe, Richard S E

2017-12-01

Background: Reduced emotional experience and expression are two domains of negative symptoms. The authors assessed these two domains of negative symptoms using previously developed Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) factors. Using an existing dataset, the authors predicted three different elements of everyday functioning (social, vocational, and everyday activities) with these two factors, as well as with performance on measures of functional capacity. Methods: A large (n=630) sample of people with schizophrenia was used as the data source of this study. Using regression analyses, the authors predicted the three different aspects of everyday functioning, first with just the two Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale factors and then with a global negative symptom factor. Finally, we added neurocognitive performance and functional capacity as predictors. Results: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale reduced emotional experience factor accounted for 21 percent of the variance in everyday social functioning, while reduced emotional expression accounted for no variance. The total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative symptom factor accounted for less variance (19%) than the reduced experience factor alone. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale expression factor accounted for, at most, one percent of the variance in any of the functional outcomes, with or without the addition of other predictors. Implications: Reduced emotional experience measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, often referred to as "avolition and anhedonia," specifically predicted impairments in social outcomes. Further, reduced experience predicted social impairments better than emotional expression or the total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative symptom factor. In this cross-sectional study, reduced emotional experience was specifically related with social outcomes, accounting for essentially no variance in work or everyday activities, and being the sole meaningful predictor of impairment in social outcomes.

Investigation of NS3 Protease Resistance-Associated Variants and Phenotypes for the Prediction of Treatment Response to HCV Triple Therapy.

PubMed

Dietz, Julia; Rupp, Daniel; Susser, Simone; Vermehren, Johannes; Peiffer, Kai-Henrik; Filmann, Natalie; Bon, Dimitra; Kuntzen, Thomas; Mauss, Stefan; Grammatikos, Georgios; Perner, Dany; Berkowski, Caterina; Herrmann, Eva; Zeuzem, Stefan; Bartenschlager, Ralf; Sarrazin, Christoph

2016-01-01

Triple therapy of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with boceprevir (BOC) or telaprevir (TVR) leads to virologic failure in many patients which is often associated with the selection of resistance-associated variants (RAVs). These resistance profiles are of importance for the selection of potential rescue treatment options. In this study, we sequenced baseline NS3 RAVs population-based and investigated the sensitivity of NS3 phenotypes in an HCV replicon assay together with clinical factors for a prediction of treatment response in a cohort of 165 German and Swiss patients treated with a BOC or TVR-based triple therapy. Overall, the prevalence of baseline RAVs was low, although the frequency of RAVs was higher in patients with virologic failure compared to those who achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) (7% versus 1%, P = 0.06). The occurrence of RAVs was associated with a resistant NS3 quasispecies phenotype (P<0.001), but the sensitivity of phenotypes was not associated with treatment outcome (P = 0.2). The majority of single viral and host predictors of SVR was only weakly associated with treatment response. In multivariate analyses, low AST levels, female sex and an IFNL4 CC genotype were independently associated with SVR. However, a combined analysis of negative predictors revealed a significantly lower overall number of negative predictors in patients with SVR in comparison to individuals with virologic failure (P<0.0001) and the presence of 2 or less negative predictors was indicative for SVR. These results demonstrate that most single baseline viral and host parameters have a weak influence on the response to triple therapy, whereas the overall number of negative predictors has a high predictive value for SVR.

Amphibian occurrence and aquatic invaders in a changing landscape: Implications for wetland mitigation in the Willamette Valley, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearl, Christopher A.; Adams, Michael J.; Leuthold, N.; Bury, R. Bruce

2005-01-01

Despite concern about the conservation status of amphibians in western North America, few field studies have documented occurrence patterns of amphibians relative to potential stressors. We surveyed wetland fauna in Oregon's Willamette Valley and used an information theoretic approach (AIC) to rank the associations between native amphibian breeding occurrence and wetland characteristics, non-native aquatic predators, and landscape characteristics in a mixed urban-agricultural landscape. Best predictors varied among the five native amphibians and were generally consistent with life history differences. Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla) and long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum) occurrence was best predicted by the absence of non-native fish. Northern red-legged frog (Rana a. aurora) and northwestern salamander (Ambystoma gracile) were most strongly related to wetland vegetative characteristics. The occurrence of rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa), a migratory species that makes extensive use of terrestrial habitats, was best predicted by greater forest cover within 1 km. The absence of non-native fish was a strong predictor of occurrence for four of the five native species. In contrast, amphibians were not strongly related to native fish presence. We found little evidence supporting negative effects of the presence of breeding populations of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) on any native species. Only the two Ambystoma salamanders were associated with wetland permanence. Northwestern salamanders (which usually have a multi-year larval stage) were associated with permanent waters, while long-toed salamanders were associated with temporary wetlands. Although all the species make some use of upland habitats, only one (rough-skinned newt) was strongly associated with surrounding landscape conditions. Instead, our analysis suggests that within-wetland characteristics best predict amphibian occurrence in this region. We recommend that wetland preservation and mitigation efforts concentrate on sites lacking non-native fish for the conservation of native amphibians in the Willamette Valley and other western lowlands.

Use of Bead-Based Serologic Assay to Evaluate Chikungunya Virus Epidemic, Haiti.

PubMed

Rogier, Eric W; Moss, Delynn M; Mace, Kimberly E; Chang, Michelle; Jean, Samuel E; Bullard, Stevan M; Lammie, Patrick J; Lemoine, Jean Frantz; Udhayakumar, Venkatachalam

2018-06-01

The index case of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in Haiti was reported during early 2014; the vector, the pervasive Aedes aegypti mosquito, promoted rapid spread throughout the country. During December 2014-February 2015, we collected blood samples from 4,438 persons at 154 sites (62 urban, 92 rural) throughout Haiti and measured CHIKV IgG by using a multiplex bead assay. Overall CHIKV seroprevalence was 57.9%; differences between rural (mean 44.9%) and urban (mean 78.4%) areas were pronounced. Logistic modeling identified the urban environment as a strong predictor of CHIKV exposure (adjusted odds ratio 3.34, 95% CI 2.38-4.69), and geographic elevation provided a strong negative correlation. We observed no correlation between age and antibody positivity or titer. Our findings demonstrated through serologic testing the recent and rapid dissemination of the arbovirus throughout the country. These results show the utility of serologic data to conduct epidemiologic studies of quickly spreading mosquitoborne arboviruses.

Groundwater level trends and drivers in two northern New England glacial aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shanley, James B.; Chalmers, Ann T.; Mack, Thomas J.; Smith, Thor E.; Harte, Philip T.

2016-01-01

We evaluated long-term trends and predictors of groundwater levels by month from two well-studied northern New England forested headwater glacial aquifers: Sleepers River, Vermont, 44 wells, 1992-2013; and Hubbard Brook, New Hampshire, 15 wells, 1979-2004. Based on Kendall Tau tests with Sen slope determination, a surprising number of well-month combinations had negative trends (decreasing water levels) over the respective periods. Sleepers River had slightly more positive than negative trends overall, but among the significant trends (p < 0.1), negative trends dominated 67 to 40. At Hubbard Brook, negative trends outnumbered positive trends by a nearly 2:1 margin and all seven of the significant trends were negative. The negative trends occurred despite generally increasing trends in monthly and annual precipitation. This counterintuitive pattern may be a result of increased precipitation intensity causing higher runoff at the expense of recharge, such that evapotranspiration demand draws down groundwater storage. We evaluated predictors of month-end water levels by multiple regression of 18 variables related to climate, streamflow, snowpack, and prior month water level. Monthly flow and prior month water level were the two strongest predictors for most months at both sites. The predictive power and ready availability of streamflow data can be exploited as a proxy to extend limited groundwater level records over longer time periods.

Bird-habitat relationships in interior Columbia Basin shrubsteppe

USGS Publications Warehouse

Earnst, S.L.; Holmes, A.L.

2012-01-01

Vegetation structure is considered an important habitat feature structuring avian communities. In the sagebrush biome, both remotely-sensed and field-acquired measures of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) cover have proven valuable in understanding avian abundance. Differences in structure between the exotic annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and native bunchgrasses are also expected to be important. We used avian abundance data from 318 point count stations, coupled with field vegetation measurements and a detailed vegetation map, to model abundance for four shrub- and four grassland-associated avian species in southeastern Washington shrubsteppe. Specifically, we ask whether species distinguish between bunchgrass and cheatgrass, and whether mapped, categorical cover types adequately explain species' abundance or whether fine-grained, field-measured differences in vegetation cover are also important. Results indicate that mapped cover types alone can be useful for predicting patterns of distribution and abundance within the sagebrush biome for several avian species (five of eight studied here). However, field-measured sagebrush cover was a strong positive predictor for Sage Sparrow (Amphispiza belli), the only sagebrush obligate in this study, and a strong negative predictor for two grassland associates, Horned Lark (Eremophila alpestris) and Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum). Likewise, shrub associates did not differ in abundance in sagebrush with a cheatgrass vs. bunchgrass understory, but grassland associates were more common in either bunchgrass (Horned Lark and Grasshopper Sparrow) or cheatgrass grasslands (Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus), or tended to use sagebrush-cheatgrass less than sagebrush-bunchgrass (Horned Lark, Grasshopper Sparrow, and Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis).

Time perspective as a predictor of acute postsurgical pain and coping with pain following abdominal surgery.

PubMed

Sobol-Kwapinska, M; Plotek, W; Bąbel, P; Cybulski, M; Kluzik, A; Krystianc, J; Mandecki, M

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to predict acute postsurgical pain and coping with pain following surgery based on preoperative time perspectives. Time perspective is a basic dimension of psychological time. It is a tendency to focus on a particular time area: the past, the present and the future. Seventy-six patients completed measures of time perspective and pain 24 h before abdominal surgery. During the 3 days after surgery, measures of pain and coping with pain were completed. We performed hierarchical regression analyses to identify predictors of acute postsurgical pain and how patients cope with it. These analyses suggested that a preoperative past-negative time perspective can be a predictor of postoperative pain level and catastrophizing after surgery. The findings of our study indicate the importance of time perspective, especially the past perspective, in dealing with postoperative pain. Our research indicates that a preoperative past-negative time perspective is a significant predictor of acute postsurgical pain intensity and the strongest predictor of pain catastrophizing. © 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

An Examination of the Impact of Racial and Ethnic Identity, Impostor Feelings, and Minority Status Stress on the Mental Health of Black College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClain, Shannon; Beasley, Samuel T.; Jones, Bianca; Awosogba, Olufunke; Jackson, Stacey; Cokley, Kevin

2016-01-01

This study examined ethnic identity, racial centrality, minority status stress, and impostor feelings as predictors of mental health in a sample of 218 Black college students. Ethnic identity was found to be a significant positive predictor of mental health, whereas minority status stress and impostor feelings were significant negative predictors.…

Thinking Styles and Regret in Physicians.

PubMed

Djulbegovic, Mia; Beckstead, Jason; Elqayam, Shira; Reljic, Tea; Kumar, Ambuj; Paidas, Charles; Djulbegovic, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Decision-making relies on both analytical and emotional thinking. Cognitive reasoning styles (e.g. maximizing and satisficing tendencies) heavily influence analytical processes, while affective processes are often dependent on regret. The relationship between regret and cognitive reasoning styles has not been well studied in physicians, and is the focus of this paper. A regret questionnaire and 6 scales measuring individual differences in cognitive styles (maximizing-satisficing tendencies; analytical vs. intuitive reasoning; need for cognition; intolerance toward ambiguity; objectivism; and cognitive reflection) were administered through a web-based survey to physicians of the University of South Florida. Bonferroni's adjustment was applied to the overall correlation analysis. The correlation analysis was also performed without Bonferroni's correction, given the strong theoretical rationale indicating the need for a separate hypothesis. We also conducted a multivariate regression analysis to identify the unique influence of predictors on regret. 165 trainees and 56 attending physicians (age range 25 to 69) participated in the survey. After bivariate analysis we found that maximizing tendency positively correlated with regret with respect to both decision difficulty (r=0.673; p<0.001) and alternate search strategy (r=0.239; p=0.002). When Bonferroni's correction was not applied, we also found a negative relationship between satisficing tendency and regret (r=-0.156; p=0.021). In trainees, but not faculty, regret negatively correlated with rational-analytical thinking (r=-0.422; p<0.001), need for cognition (r=-0.340; p<0.001), and objectivism (r=-0.309; p=0.003) and positively correlated with ambiguity intolerance (r=0.285; p=0.012). However, after conducting a multivariate regression analysis, we found that regret was positively associated with maximizing only with respect to decision difficulty (r=0.791; p<0.001), while it was negatively associated with satisficing (r=-0.257; p=0.020) and objectivism (r=-0.267; p=0.034). We found no statistically significant relationship between regret and overall accuracy on conditional inferential tasks. Regret in physicians is strongly associated with their tendency to maximize; i.e. the tendency to consider more choices among abundant options leads to more regret. However, physicians who exhibit satisficing tendency - the inclination to accept a "good enough" solution - feel less regret. Our observation that objectivism is a negative predictor of regret indicates that the tendency to seek and use empirical data in decision-making leads to less regret. Therefore, promotion of evidence-based reasoning may lead to lower regret.

Thinking Styles and Regret in Physicians

PubMed Central

Djulbegovic, Mia; Beckstead, Jason; Elqayam, Shira; Reljic, Tea; Kumar, Ambuj; Paidas, Charles; Djulbegovic, Benjamin

2015-01-01

Background Decision-making relies on both analytical and emotional thinking. Cognitive reasoning styles (e.g. maximizing and satisficing tendencies) heavily influence analytical processes, while affective processes are often dependent on regret. The relationship between regret and cognitive reasoning styles has not been well studied in physicians, and is the focus of this paper. Methods A regret questionnaire and 6 scales measuring individual differences in cognitive styles (maximizing-satisficing tendencies; analytical vs. intuitive reasoning; need for cognition; intolerance toward ambiguity; objectivism; and cognitive reflection) were administered through a web-based survey to physicians of the University of South Florida. Bonferroni’s adjustment was applied to the overall correlation analysis. The correlation analysis was also performed without Bonferroni’s correction, given the strong theoretical rationale indicating the need for a separate hypothesis. We also conducted a multivariate regression analysis to identify the unique influence of predictors on regret. Results 165 trainees and 56 attending physicians (age range 25 to 69) participated in the survey. After bivariate analysis we found that maximizing tendency positively correlated with regret with respect to both decision difficulty (r=0.673; p<0.001) and alternate search strategy (r=0.239; p=0.002). When Bonferroni’s correction was not applied, we also found a negative relationship between satisficing tendency and regret (r=-0.156; p=0.021). In trainees, but not faculty, regret negatively correlated with rational-analytical thinking (r=-0.422; p<0.001), need for cognition (r=-0.340; p<0.001), and objectivism (r=-0.309; p=0.003) and positively correlated with ambiguity intolerance (r=0.285; p=0.012). However, after conducting a multivariate regression analysis, we found that regret was positively associated with maximizing only with respect to decision difficulty (r=0.791; p<0.001), while it was negatively associated with satisficing (r=-0.257; p=0.020) and objectivism (r=-0.267; p=0.034). We found no statistically significant relationship between regret and overall accuracy on conditional inferential tasks. Conclusion Regret in physicians is strongly associated with their tendency to maximize; i.e. the tendency to consider more choices among abundant options leads to more regret. However, physicians who exhibit satisficing tendency – the inclination to accept a “good enough” solution – feel less regret. Our observation that objectivism is a negative predictor of regret indicates that the tendency to seek and use empirical data in decision-making leads to less regret. Therefore, promotion of evidence-based reasoning may lead to lower regret. PMID:26241650

Nervousness and Performance Characteristics as Predictors of Peer Behavior Towards Socially Anxious Adolescents

PubMed Central

Duvekot, Jorieke; Schalk, Rozemarijn D. F.; Tuinenburg, Eveline M.; Westenberg, P. Michiel

2009-01-01

Social anxiety in adolescents has frequently been linked to negative outcomes from social interactions. The present study investigated whether socially anxious adolescents are treated negatively by their classmates and which characteristics of socially anxious adolescents could explain negative social responses. Classroom observations of class behavior were made during oral presentations of 94 students (60% females) in the ages of 13–18 years. Speakers’ social performance, speech quality, and nervousness during the presentation were also rated. Findings showed that the social performance of socially anxious students was a predictor of class behavior, whereas their overt nervousness was not. Surprisingly, the quality of their speech was negatively related to class behavior. Implications of these findings for the treatment of socially anxious adolescents are discussed. PMID:19842023

Negative urgency mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and problems with alcohol and cannabis in late adolescence

PubMed Central

Wardell, Jeffrey D.; Strang, Nicole M.; Hendershot, Christian S.

2017-01-01

Background Childhood maltreatment is an important risk factor for problems with alcohol and other drugs such as cannabis. Although this link has been well established, the mechanisms in this association require further study. High levels of impulsivity and difficulties with emotion regulation are often associated with childhood maltreatment. Negative urgency – an emotion-based facet of impulsivity – is a strong predictor of substance use problems and may be a particularly relevant facet of impulsivity in the link between childhood maltreatment and alcohol and cannabis outcomes. However, few studies have examined the specific mediational pathway from childhood maltreatment to alcohol and cannabis problems through negative urgency. Objectives We tested the hypothesis that the associations between history of childhood maltreatment and current alcohol and cannabis problems would be mediated by negative urgency, but not other facets of impulsivity. Methods Participants (N=232), who were in late adolescence (mean age=19.75), completed self-report measures of different facets of impulsivity, past childhood maltreatment, and current alcohol and cannabis use and problems. Results In analyses including several facets of impulsivity as simultaneous mediators, negative urgency was the only facet to mediate the associations of childhood maltreatment severity with alcohol and cannabis problems. Conclusions These findings provide support for negative urgency as a unique mediator of the association between childhood maltreatment and both alcohol and cannabis problems, suggesting that future work on mechanisms in this association should focus on mood-based impulsivity. PMID:26774820

Sepsis-Related Mortality of Very Low Birth Weight Brazilian Infants: The Role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

PubMed Central

Pereira, Sylvia Maria Porto; Cardoso, Maria Helena Cabral de Almeida; Figuexeds, Ana Lucia; Mattos, Haroldo; Rozembaum, Ronaldo; Ferreira, Vanessa Isidoro; Portinho, Maria Antonieta; Gonçalves, Ana Cristina; da Costa, Elaine Sobral

2009-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify risk factors for sepsis-related mortality in low birth weight (<1500 g) infants. We performed retrospective cohort study to investigate risk factors for sepsis-related mortality in all neonates birth weight <1500 g admitted to Level III neonatal intensive care unit, Brazil, April 2001/September 2004. Of the 203 cases, 71 (35%) had sepsis. Of those, gram-positive was identified in 52/87 blood cultures (59.8%), the most common Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (31/87; 35.5%). Gram-negative was present in 29 of the 87 positive blood cultures (33.3%), with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (8/87; 9.1%), the most frequent agent. Overall 21 of 71 infants with sepsis (29.6%) died. Risk factors for sepsis-related mortality were gestational age ≤28 weeks, birth weight ≤1000 g (9.6 times more often than birth weight >1000 g), five-minute Apgar ≤7, gram-negative sepsis, mechanical ventilation (6.7 times higher than no use), and intravascular catheter. Sepsis-related mortality was due, mainly, to Pseudomonas aeruginosa; birth weight ≤1000 g and mechanical ventilation were strong sepsis-related mortality predictors. PMID:20182631

The Interaction of Conduct Problems and Depressed Mood in Relation to Adolescent Substance Involvement and Peer Substance Use

PubMed Central

Hitchings, Julia E.; Spoth, Richard L.

2010-01-01

Conduct problems are strong positive predictors of substance use and problem substance use among teens, whereas predictive associations of depressed mood with these outcomes are mixed. Conduct problems and depressed mood often co-occur, and such co-occurrence may heighten risk for negative outcomes. Thus, this study examined the interaction of conduct problems and depressed mood at age 11 in relation to substance use and problem use at age 18, and possible mediation through peer substance use at age 16. Analyses of multirater longitudinal data collected from 429 rural youths (222 girls) and their families were conducted using a methodology for testing latent variable interactions. The link between the conduct problems X depressed mood interaction and adolescent substance use was negative and statistically significant. Unexpectedly, positive associations of conduct problems with substance use were stronger at lower levels of depressed mood. A significant negative interaction in relation to peer substance use also was observed, and the estimated indirect effect of the interaction on adolescent use through peer use as a mediator was statistically significant. Findings illustrate the complexity of multiproblem youth. PMID:18455886

Eating styles in the morbidly obese: restraint eating, but not emotional and external eating, predicts dietary behaviour.

PubMed

Brogan, Amy; Hevey, David

2013-01-01

The research explored (1) the relationships between self-reported eating style (restraint, emotional and external eating) and dietary intake and (2) emotional eater status as a moderator of food intake when emotional, in a morbidly obese population. A sample of 57 obese participants (BMI: M = 51.84, SD = 8.66) completed a five-day food diary together with a reflective diary, which assessed eating style and positive and negative affect daily. A dietician-scored food pyramid analysis of intake. Restraint eating was the only predictor (negative) of overall food intake and the variable most strongly associated with the consumption of top-shelf foods. Emotional and external eating were unrelated to food intake. Emotional eater status did not moderate food intake in response to positive and negative mood states. The findings indicated largely analogous relationships between eating style and dietary intake in this obese sample compared with previous results from healthy populations. The lack of predictive validity for emotional eating scales (when emotional) raises questions over people's ability to adequately assess their eating style and consequently, the overall validity of emotional eater scales.

Predictors of attributional style change in children.

PubMed

Gibb, Brandon E; Alloy, Lauren B; Walshaw, Patricia D; Comer, Jonathan S; Shen, Gail H C; Villari, Annette G

2006-06-01

A number of studies have supported the hypothesis that negative attributional styles may confer vulnerability to the development of depression. The goal of this study was to explore factors that may contribute to the development of negative attributional styles in children. As hypothesized, elevated levels of depressive symptoms and hopelessness at the initial assessment predicted negative changes in children's attributional styles over the 6-month follow-up period. In addition, elevated levels of verbal victimization occurring between the 2 assessments, as well as that occurring in the 6 months preceding the initial assessment, prospectively predicted negative changes in children's attributional styles over the follow-up. Further, initial depressive symptoms and verbal victimization during the follow-up continued to significantly predict attributional style change even when the overlap among the predictors was statistically controlled. Contrary to the hypotheses, however, neither parent-reported levels of overall negative life events nor parents' attributions for their children's events predicted changes in children's attributional styles.

Positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and coping with stress by attachment styles in Turkish students.

PubMed

Deniz, M Engin; Işik, Erkan

2010-10-01

The purpose was to investigate positive and negative affect, life satisfaction, and coping with stress in relation to attachment styles. Undergraduate students (N=421) completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Coping with Stress Scale. Results indicated that secure attachment style was the unique predictor of positive affect while fearful and preoccupied attachment styles significantly predicted negative affect. Regarding life satisfaction, a positive correlation with secure attachment style and a negative correlation with fearful and preoccupied styles were seen. However, the unique predictor of life satisfaction was preoccupied attachment style. In terms of coping with stress, there was no significant association between attachment variables and avoidance coping style, but significant links were observed between problem-focused coping and dismissing, and fearful and preoccupied attachment styles.

The prognostic value of CT coronary angiography in patients attending hospital with troponin-negative acute chest pain and inconclusive exercise treadmill tests.

PubMed

Mordi, Ify; Tzemos, Nikolaos

2016-05-01

Once acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is excluded in patients presenting to hospital with acute chest pain, usual practice is to stratify future risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Commonly this is performed by pre-discharge exercise treadmill testing (ETT). Often however, patients are unable to perform the test for various reasons, or the final result is inconclusive. This potentially could lead to uncertainty and to unnecessary invasive coronary angiography. We wished to evaluate the potential prognostic significance of CT coronary angiography (CTCA) in patients with prior inconclusive ETTs. Two hundred and thirty-two consecutive patients underwent CTCA and calcium scoring following hospital attendance with acute chest pain and following exclusion of ACS. All patients were followed up for a combined primary outcome of death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and late revascularization. The mean follow-up period was 2.5 ± 0.9 years. The combined primary outcome occurred in 26 patients (11.2%). Calcium score (HR 1.16; 95% CI 1.02-1.31, P = 0.023 per 100 Agatston unit increase), the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) on CTCA (non-obstructive CAD, HR 4.52; 95% CI 1.30-15.73, P = 0.018; obstructive CAD, HR 17.00; 95% CI 4.60-62.85, P < 0.001), and ≥3 segments with non-calcified plaque (HR 3.30; 95% CI 1.24-8.76, P = 0.017) were significant univariable predictors of the primary outcome. CTCA was the only significant multivariable predictor of adverse outcome. The presence of CAD assessed by CTCA is a strong predictor of adverse events in patients with troponin-negative acute chest pain and could potentially be used as an alternative, non-invasive risk stratifier in patients with inconclusive exercise tests. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A variant of sparse partial least squares for variable selection and data exploration.

PubMed

Olson Hunt, Megan J; Weissfeld, Lisa; Boudreau, Robert M; Aizenstein, Howard; Newman, Anne B; Simonsick, Eleanor M; Van Domelen, Dane R; Thomas, Fridtjof; Yaffe, Kristine; Rosano, Caterina

2014-01-01

When data are sparse and/or predictors multicollinear, current implementation of sparse partial least squares (SPLS) does not give estimates for non-selected predictors nor provide a measure of inference. In response, an approach termed "all-possible" SPLS is proposed, which fits a SPLS model for all tuning parameter values across a set grid. Noted is the percentage of time a given predictor is chosen, as well as the average non-zero parameter estimate. Using a "large" number of multicollinear predictors, simulation confirmed variables not associated with the outcome were least likely to be chosen as sparsity increased across the grid of tuning parameters, while the opposite was true for those strongly associated. Lastly, variables with a weak association were chosen more often than those with no association, but less often than those with a strong relationship to the outcome. Similarly, predictors most strongly related to the outcome had the largest average parameter estimate magnitude, followed by those with a weak relationship, followed by those with no relationship. Across two independent studies regarding the relationship between volumetric MRI measures and a cognitive test score, this method confirmed a priori hypotheses about which brain regions would be selected most often and have the largest average parameter estimates. In conclusion, the percentage of time a predictor is chosen is a useful measure for ordering the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, serving as a form of inference. The average parameter estimates give further insight regarding the direction and strength of association. As a result, all-possible SPLS gives more information than the dichotomous output of traditional SPLS, making it useful when undertaking data exploration and hypothesis generation for a large number of potential predictors.

Hope as a Predictor of Interpersonal Suicide Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davidson, Collin L.; Wingate, LaRicka R.; Rasmussen, Kathy A.; Slish, Meredith L.

2009-01-01

The current study hypothesized that (1) hope would negatively predict burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability to enact lethal injury; (2) hope would negatively predict suicidal ideation; and (3) the interpersonal suicide risk factors would predict suicidal ideation. Results indicated that hope negatively predicted…

Clinical utility of an epigenetic assay to detect occult prostate cancer in histopathologically negative biopsies: results of the MATLOC study.

PubMed

Stewart, Grant D; Van Neste, Leander; Delvenne, Philippe; Delrée, Paul; Delga, Agnès; McNeill, S Alan; O'Donnell, Marie; Clark, James; Van Criekinge, Wim; Bigley, Joseph; Harrison, David J

2013-03-01

Concern about possible false-negative prostate biopsy histopathology findings often leads to rebiopsy. A quantitative methylation specific polymerase chain reaction assay panel, including GSTP1, APC and RASSF1, could increase the sensitivity of detecting cancer over that of pathological review alone, leading to a high negative predictive value and a decrease in unnecessary repeat biopsies. The MATLOC study blindly tested archived prostate biopsy needle core tissue samples of 498 subjects from the United Kingdom and Belgium with histopathologically negative prostate biopsies, followed by positive (cases) or negative (controls) repeat biopsy within 30 months. Clinical performance of the epigenetic marker panel, emphasizing negative predictive value, was assessed and cross-validated. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate all risk factors. The epigenetic assay performed on the first negative biopsies of this retrospective review cohort resulted in a negative predictive value of 90% (95% CI 87-93). In a multivariate model correcting for patient age, prostate specific antigen, digital rectal examination and first biopsy histopathological characteristics the epigenetic assay was a significant independent predictor of patient outcome (OR 3.17, 95% CI 1.81-5.53). A multiplex quantitative methylation specific polymerase chain reaction assay determining the methylation status of GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 was strongly associated with repeat biopsy outcome up to 30 months after initial negative biopsy in men with suspicion of prostate cancer. Adding this epigenetic assay could improve the prostate cancer diagnostic process and decrease unnecessary repeat biopsies. Copyright © 2013 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Choline Intake, Plasma Riboflavin, and the Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase G5465A Genotype Predict Plasma Homocysteine in Folate-Deplete Mexican-American Men with the Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase 677TT Genotype12

PubMed Central

Caudill, Marie A.; Dellschaft, Neele; Solis, Claudia; Hinkis, Sabrina; Ivanov, Alexandre A.; Nash-Barboza, Susan; Randall, Katharine E.; Jackson, Brandi; Solomita, Gina N.; Vermeylen, Francoise

2009-01-01

We previously showed that provision of the folate recommended dietary allowance and either 300, 550, 1100, or 2200 mg/d choline for 12 wk resulted in diminished folate status and a tripling of plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) in men with the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677TT genotype. However, the substantial variation in tHcy within the 677TT genotype at wk 12 implied that several factors were interacting with this genotype to affect homocysteine. As an extension of this work, the present study sought to identify the main predictors of wk-12 plasma tHcy, alone and together with the MTHFR C677T genotype (29 TT, 31 CC), using linear regression analysis. A basic model explaining 82.5% of the variation (i.e. adjusted R2 = 0.825) was constructed. However, the effects of the variables within this model were dependent upon the MTHFR C677T genotype (P for interaction ≤ 0.021). Within the 677TT genotype, serum folate (P = 0.005) and plasma riboflavin (P = 0.002) were strong negative predictors (inversely related) explaining 12 and 15%, respectively, of the variation in tHcy, whereas choline intake (P = 0.003) and serum creatinine (P < 0.001) were strong positive predictors, explaining 19 and 25% of the variation. None of these variables, except creatinine (P = 0.021), correlated with tHcy within the 677CC genotype. Of the 8 additional polymorphisms tested, none appeared to influence tHcy. However, when creatinine was not in the model, the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase 5465G→A variant predicted lower tHcy (P < 0.001); an effect confined to the MTHFR 677TT genotype. Thus, in folate-deplete men, several factors with roles in 1-carbon metabolism interact with the MTHFR C677T genotype to affect plasma tHcy. PMID:19211833

Factors associated with the amount of public home care received by elderly and intellectually disabled individuals in a large Norwegian municipality.

PubMed

Døhl, Øystein; Garåsen, Helge; Kalseth, Jorid; Magnussen, Jon

2016-05-01

This study reports an analysis of factors associated with home care use in a setting in which long-term care services are provided within a publicly financed welfare system. We considered two groups of home care recipients: elderly individuals and intellectually disabled individuals. Routinely collected data on users of public home care in the municipality of Trondheim in October 2012, including 2493 people aged 67 years or older and 270 intellectually disabled people, were used. Multivariate regression analysis was used to analyse the relationship between the time spent in direct contact with recipients by public healthcare personnel and perceived individual determinants of home care use (i.e. physical disability, cognitive impairment, diagnoses, age and gender, as well as socioeconomic characteristics). Physical disability and cognitive impairment are routinely registered for long-term care users through a standardised instrument that is used in all Norwegian municipalities. Factor analysis was used to aggregate the individual items into composite variables that were included as need variables. Both physical disability and cognitive impairment were strong predictors of the amount of received care for both elderly and intellectually disabled individuals. Furthermore, we found a negative interaction effect between physical disability and cognitive impairment for elderly home care users. For elderly individuals, we also found significant positive associations between weekly hours of home care and having comorbidity, living alone, living in a service flat and having a safety alarm. The reduction in the amount of care for elderly individuals living with a cohabitant was substantially greater for males than for females. For intellectually disabled individuals, receiving services involuntarily due to severe behavioural problems was a strong predictor of the amount of care received. Our analysis showed that routinely collected data capture important predictors of home care use and thus facilitate both short-term budgeting and long-term planning of home care services. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Meta-Analyses of Predictors of Hope in Adolescents.

PubMed

Yarcheski, Adela; Mahon, Noreen E

2016-03-01

The purposes of this study were to identify predictors of hope in the literature reviewed, to use meta-analysis to determine the mean effect size (ES) across studies between each predictor and hope, and to examine four moderators on each predictor-hope relationship. Using preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for the literature reviewed, 77 published studies or doctoral dissertations completed between 1990 and 2012 met the inclusion criteria. Eleven predictors of hope were identified and each predictor in relation to hope was subjected to meta-analysis. Five predictors (positive affect, life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem, and social support) of hope had large mean ESs, 1 predictor (depression) had a medium ES, 4 predictors (negative affect, stress, academic achievement, and violence) had small ESs, and 1 predictor (gender) had a trivial ES. Findings are interpreted for the 11 predictors in relation to hope. Limitations and conclusions are addressed; future studies are recommended. © The Author(s) 2014.

Risk score predicts high-grade prostate cancer in DNA-methylation positive, histopathologically negative biopsies.

PubMed

Van Neste, Leander; Partin, Alan W; Stewart, Grant D; Epstein, Jonathan I; Harrison, David J; Van Criekinge, Wim

2016-09-01

Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis is challenging because efforts for effective, timely treatment of men with significant cancer typically result in over-diagnosis and repeat biopsies. The presence or absence of epigenetic aberrations, more specifically DNA-methylation of GSTP1, RASSF1, and APC in histopathologically negative prostate core biopsies has resulted in an increased negative predictive value (NPV) of ∼90% and thus could lead to a reduction of unnecessary repeat biopsies. Here, it is investigated whether, in methylation-positive men, DNA-methylation intensities could help to identify those men harboring high-grade (Gleason score ≥7) PCa, resulting in an improved positive predictive value. Two cohorts, consisting of men with histopathologically negative index biopsies, followed by a positive or negative repeat biopsy, were combined. EpiScore, a methylation intensity algorithm was developed in methylation-positive men, using area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic as metric for performance. Next, a risk score was developed combining EpiScore with traditional clinical risk factors to further improve the identification of high-grade (Gleason Score ≥7) cancer. Compared to other risk factors, detection of DNA-methylation in histopathologically negative biopsies was the most significant and important predictor of high-grade cancer, resulting in a NPV of 96%. In methylation-positive men, EpiScore was significantly higher for those with high-grade cancer detected upon repeat biopsy, compared to those with either no or low-grade cancer. The risk score resulted in further improvement of patient risk stratification and was a significantly better predictor compared to currently used metrics as PSA and the prostate cancer prevention trial (PCPT) risk calculator (RC). A decision curve analysis indicated strong clinical utility for the risk score as decision-making tool for repeat biopsy. Low DNA-methylation levels in PCa-negative biopsies led to a NPV of 96% for high-grade cancer. The risk score, comprising DNA-methylation intensity and traditional clinical risk factors, improved the identification of men with high-grade cancer, with a maximum avoidance of unnecessary repeat biopsies. This risk score resulted in better patient risk stratification and significantly outperformed current risk prediction models such as PCPTRC and PSA. The risk score could help to identify patients with histopathologically negative biopsies harboring high-grade PCa. Prostate 76:1078-1087, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. The Prostate Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors. The Prostate Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide is a strong predictor of mortality in systemic sclerosis.

PubMed

Allanore, Yannick; Komocsi, Andras; Vettori, Serena; Hachulla, Eric; Hunzelmann, Nicolas; Distler, Jörg; Avouac, Jérôme; Gobeaux, Camille; Launay, David; Czirjak, Laszlo; Kahan, André; Meune, Christophe

2016-11-15

Cardiovascular involvement is a major contributor to mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). We examined whether N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a reliable predictor of mortality in SSc. This multicentre prospective cohort study included 523 patients presenting with SSc, whose mean age was 54±13years, mean disease duration 8±9years, and diffuse cutaneous form in 168. Plasma NT-proBNP was measured at baseline and the patients were followed yearly. Overall mortality was measured at 3years. At baseline, cardiovascular involvement was present in 37 patients, including 17 with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and 20 with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <55%. At 3years, 32 (7%) patients had died. The median [25th-75th percentile] NT-proBNP concentration was 203ng/l [129-514] in patients who died within 3years, versus 88ng/l [47-167] in survivors (P<0.001). NT-proBNP was an independent predictor of 3-years mortality in multivariate analysis (P=0.046). The optimal cut-off derived from the ROC curve was 129ng/l; sensitivity and specificity to predict 3y mortality were 78.1 and 66.7%. Using the previously recommended 125-ng/l concentration as threshold value, NT-proBNP reliably and independently predicted 3year mortality, with a sensitivity of 78.1 and a negative predictive value of 97.6%, respectively (P=0.006). The consideration of SSc patients without PAH or LVEF<55% at baseline yielded similar results. NT-proBNP appears as a reliable and independent predictor of mortality in patients with SSc. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of SOA for achieving healthcare interoperability. An empirical investigation based on a hypothetical adoption.

PubMed

Daskalakis, S; Mantas, J

2009-01-01

The evaluation of a service-oriented prototype implementation for healthcare interoperability. A prototype framework was developed, aiming to exploit the use of service-oriented architecture (SOA) concepts for achieving healthcare interoperability and to move towards a virtual patient record (VPR) paradigm. The prototype implementation was evaluated for its hypothetical adoption. The evaluation strategy was based on the initial proposition of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems (IS) success [1], as modeled by Iivari [2]. A set of SOA and VPR characteristics were empirically encapsulated within the dimensions of IS success model, combined with measures from previous research works. The data gathered was analyzed using partial least squares (PLS). The results highlighted that system quality is a partial predictor of system use but not of user satisfaction. On the contrary, information quality proved to be a significant predictor of user satisfaction and partially a strong significant predictor of system use. Moreover, system use did not prove to be a significant predictor of individual impact whereas the bi-directional relation between use and user satisfaction did not confirm. Additionally, user satisfaction was found to be a strong significant predictor of individual impact. Finally, individual impact proved to be a strong significant predictor of organizational impact. The empirical study attempted to obtain hypothetical, but still useful beliefs and perceptions regarding the SOA prototype implementation. The deduced observations can form the basis for further investigation regarding the adaptability of SOA implementations with VPR characteristics in the healthcare domain.

Large Portions Encourage the Selection of Palatable Rather Than Filling Foods.

PubMed

Brunstrom, Jeffrey M; Jarvstad, Andreas; Griggs, Rebecca L; Potter, Christina; Evans, Natalie R; Martin, Ashley A; Brooks, Jon Cw; Rogers, Peter J

2016-10-01

Portion size is an important driver of larger meals. However, effects on food choice remain unclear. Our aim was to identify how portion size influences the effect of palatability and expected satiety on choice. In Study 1, adult participants (n = 24, 87.5% women) evaluated the palatability and expected satiety of 5 lunchtime meals and ranked them in order of preference. Separate ranks were elicited for equicaloric portions from 100 to 800 kcal (100-kcal steps). In Study 2, adult participants (n = 24, 75% women) evaluated 9 meals and ranked 100-600 kcal portions in 3 contexts (scenarios), believing that 1) the next meal would be at 1900, 2) they would receive only a bite of one food, and 3) a favorite dish would be offered immediately afterwards. Regression analysis was used to quantify predictors of choice. In Study 1, the extent to which expected satiety and palatability predicted choice was highly dependent on portion size (P < 0.001). With smaller portions, expected satiety was a positive predictor, playing a role equal to palatability (100-kcal portions: expected satiety, β: 0.42; palatability, β: 0.46). With larger portions, palatability was a strong predictor (600-kcal portions: β: 0.53), and expected satiety was a poor or negative predictor (600-kcal portions: β: -0.42). In Study 2, this pattern was moderated by context (P = 0.024). Results from scenario 1 replicated Study 1. However, expected satiety was a poor predictor in both scenario 2 (expected satiety was irrelevant) and scenario 3 (satiety was guaranteed), and palatability was the primary driver of choice across all portions. In adults, expected satiety influences food choice, but only when small equicaloric portions are compared. Larger portions not only promote the consumption of larger meals, but they encourage the adoption of food choice strategies motivated solely by palatability. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Predictors of negative attitudes toward Indigenous Australians and a unit of study among undergraduate nursing students: A mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Ramjan, Lucie; Hunt, Leanne; Salamonson, Yenna

2016-03-01

Indigenous people are the most disadvantaged population within Australia. The Bachelor of Nursing program at a large university in Western Sydney embedded Indigenous health into the undergraduate teaching program. This paper reviews the negative responses received towards course content on evaluation of the Indigenous health unit and explores the predictors for the negative attitudes towards Indigenous Australians. Two surveys were used (baseline and follow-up) to: 1. Determine the main predictors for negative attitudes towards Indigenous people and; 2. Explore students' perceptions of the educational quality of the Indigenous health unit. The surveys allowed collection of socio-demographic, academic data and included the 18 item 'Attitude Toward Indigenous Australians' (ATIA) scale and open-ended responses. Students who were: 1. Overseas born, 2. Enrolment category: International student and; 3. Whose primary source of information about Indigenous Australians were the media and school were significantly more likely to have higher negative attitudes towards Indigenous Australians. Qualitative data revealed some unfavourable comments dismissing the value and educational quality of the content within the Indigenous health unit. Community engagement is paramount to enhancing the student experience. Movement away from media driven 'hype' to an educated perspective is necessary to create an accurate portrayal of the Indigenous community. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prediction of P300 BCI Aptitude in Severe Motor Impairment

PubMed Central

Halder, Sebastian; Ruf, Carolin Anne; Furdea, Adrian; Pasqualotto, Emanuele; De Massari, Daniele; van der Heiden, Linda; Bogdan, Martin; Rosenstiel, Wolfgang; Birbaumer, Niels; Kübler, Andrea; Matuz, Tamara

2013-01-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) provide a non-muscular communication channel for persons with severe motor impairments. Previous studies have shown that the aptitude with which a BCI can be controlled varies from person to person. A reliable predictor of performance could facilitate selection of a suitable BCI paradigm. Eleven severely motor impaired participants performed three sessions of a P300 BCI web browsing task. Before each session auditory oddball data were collected to predict the BCI aptitude of the participants exhibited in the current session. We found a strong relationship of early positive and negative potentials around 200 ms (elicited with the auditory oddball task) with performance. The amplitude of the P2 (r  =  −0.77) and of the N2 (r  =  −0.86) had the strongest correlations. Aptitude prediction using an auditory oddball was successful. The finding that the N2 amplitude is a stronger predictor of performance than P3 amplitude was reproduced after initially showing this effect with a healthy sample of BCI users. This will reduce strain on the end-users by minimizing the time needed to find suitable paradigms and inspire new approaches to improve performance. PMID:24204597

EI competencies as a related but different characteristic than intelligence

PubMed Central

Boyatzis, Richard E.; Batista-Foguet, Joan M.; Fernández-i-Marín, Xavier; Truninger, Margarida

2015-01-01

Amid the swarm of debate about emotional intelligence (EI) among academics are claims that cognitive intelligence, or general mental ability (g), is a stronger predictor of life and work outcomes as well as the counter claims that EI is their strongest predictor. Nested within the tempest in a teapot are scientific questions as to what the relationship is between g and EI. Using a behavioral approach to EI, we examined the relationship of a parametric measure of g as the person’s GMAT scores and collected observations from others who live and work with the person as to the frequency of his or her EI behavior, as well as the person’s self-assessment. The results show that EI, as seen by others, is slightly related to g, especially for males with assessment from professional relations. Further, we found that cognitive competencies are more strongly related to GMAT than EI competencies. For observations from personal relationships or self-assessment, there is no relationship between EI and GMAT. Observations from professional relations reveal a positive relationship between cognitive competencies and GMAT and EI and GMAT for males, but a negative relationship between EI and GMAT for females. PMID:25713545

EI competencies as a related but different characteristic than intelligence.

PubMed

Boyatzis, Richard E; Batista-Foguet, Joan M; Fernández-I-Marín, Xavier; Truninger, Margarida

2015-01-01

Amid the swarm of debate about emotional intelligence (EI) among academics are claims that cognitive intelligence, or general mental ability (g), is a stronger predictor of life and work outcomes as well as the counter claims that EI is their strongest predictor. Nested within the tempest in a teapot are scientific questions as to what the relationship is between g and EI. Using a behavioral approach to EI, we examined the relationship of a parametric measure of g as the person's GMAT scores and collected observations from others who live and work with the person as to the frequency of his or her EI behavior, as well as the person's self-assessment. The results show that EI, as seen by others, is slightly related to g, especially for males with assessment from professional relations. Further, we found that cognitive competencies are more strongly related to GMAT than EI competencies. For observations from personal relationships or self-assessment, there is no relationship between EI and GMAT. Observations from professional relations reveal a positive relationship between cognitive competencies and GMAT and EI and GMAT for males, but a negative relationship between EI and GMAT for females.

Generalized SAMPLE SIZE Determination Formulas for Investigating Contextual Effects by a Three-Level Random Intercept Model.

PubMed

Usami, Satoshi

2017-03-01

Behavioral and psychological researchers have shown strong interests in investigating contextual effects (i.e., the influences of combinations of individual- and group-level predictors on individual-level outcomes). The present research provides generalized formulas for determining the sample size needed in investigating contextual effects according to the desired level of statistical power as well as width of confidence interval. These formulas are derived within a three-level random intercept model that includes one predictor/contextual variable at each level to simultaneously cover various kinds of contextual effects that researchers can show interest. The relative influences of indices included in the formulas on the standard errors of contextual effects estimates are investigated with the aim of further simplifying sample size determination procedures. In addition, simulation studies are performed to investigate finite sample behavior of calculated statistical power, showing that estimated sample sizes based on derived formulas can be both positively and negatively biased due to complex effects of unreliability of contextual variables, multicollinearity, and violation of assumption regarding the known variances. Thus, it is advisable to compare estimated sample sizes under various specifications of indices and to evaluate its potential bias, as illustrated in the example.

Impact of hepatitis C virus infection on health-related quality of life before and after liver transplantation: a multidisciplinary point of view.

PubMed

Golfieri, Lucia; Gitto, Stefano; Morelli, Maria Cristina; Pinna, Antonio Daniele; Grandi, Silvana; Andreone, Pietro

2017-08-01

Hepatitis C negatively changes patient quality of life even in the absence of advanced liver disease. The specific patterns of quality of life of hepatitis C positive patients waiting for transplant or after surgery are not widely studied. Areas covered: A significant percentage of infected patients show cognitive impairment, fatigue, and/or a 'brain fog', that cannot be explained by the liver disease. Depression can be diagnosed in one third of hepatitis C positive patients. Conflicting data are available regarding the possible role of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score as predictor of impaired quality of life. In the first period after liver transplant, quality of life tends to increase at the pre-transplant period but in the medium and long-term period, it declines. The recurrence of hepatitis C infection represents a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality and can significantly affect the global quality of life of patients. Expert commentary: Hepatologists, surgeons and psychologists should collaborate to support infected patients in all phases of transplant including the long-term period after surgery. Education and information should be implemented especially regarding the positive role of new direct antivirals.

Nurse staffing levels and Medicaid reimbursement rates in nursing facilities.

PubMed

Harrington, Charlene; Swan, James H; Carrillo, Helen

2007-06-01

To examine the relationship between nursing staffing levels in U.S. nursing homes and state Medicaid reimbursement rates. Facility staffing, characteristics, and case-mix data were from the federal On-Line Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) system and other data were from public sources. Ordinary least squares and two-stage least squares regression analyses were used to separately examine the relationship between registered nurse (RN) and total nursing hours in all U.S. nursing homes in 2002, with two endogenous variables: Medicaid reimbursement rates and resident case mix. RN hours and total nursing hours were endogenous with Medicaid reimbursement rates and resident case mix. As expected, Medicaid nursing home reimbursement rates were positively related to both RN and total nursing hours. Resident case mix was a positive predictor of RN hours and a negative predictor of total nursing hours. Higher state minimum RN staffing standards was a positive predictor of RN and total nursing hours while for-profit facilities and the percent of Medicaid residents were negative predictors. To increase staffing levels, average Medicaid reimbursement rates would need to be substantially increased while higher state minimum RN staffing standards is a stronger positive predictor of RN and total nursing hours.

Predictors of Genital Pain in Young Women

PubMed Central

Farmer, Melissa A.; Meston, Cindy M.

2010-01-01

Despite the high prevalence of genital pain in healthy young adult women, limited research has addressed genital pain during intercourse using contemporary models of multidimensional sexual function. The objectives of this study were threefold: (1) to identify differences in sexual functioning in women who experience genital pain compared to pain free women; (2) to identify predictors of sexual functioning in women with and without genital pain; and (3) to identify predictors of sexual satisfaction in women with and without genital pain. Sexually active female undergraduates (n = 651) were administered the Female Sexual Function Index and the Derogatis Sexual Functioning Inventory. We evaluated the sexual factors that impact the sexual function of women with any pain (including high and low pain groups) versus women with no history of pain. Women with genital pain reported greater rates of sexual dysfunction as compared to pain-free women; however, sexual functioning in the high versus low pain groups was distinguished primarily by vaginal lubrication. Women in the high pain group showed negative correlations between domains of sexual satisfaction and genital pain frequency and intensity that were not found in the low pain group. For pain-free women, intercourse played a strong role in sexual satisfaction, whereas non-intercourse sexual behavior was central to sexual satisfaction in women who reported pain. The evaluation of levels of genital pain may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the impairment of sexual function, sexual behavior, and sexual satisfaction. PMID:17674182

Prevalence and predictors of postpartum depression among Arabic Muslim Jordanian women serving in the military.

PubMed

Yehia, Dalal Bashir Moh'd; Callister, Lynn Clark; Hamdan-Mansour, Ayman

2013-01-01

The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to investigate the prevalence of symptoms and psychosocial predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) among Arabic Muslim Jordanian women serving in the military. Jordanian active-duty military women who had given birth within the last year (n = 300) and were working in 4 military hospitals participated in the study. Tools used included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, and the Multidimensional Perception of Social Support. Sixty-seven percent of study participants had mild to moderate symptoms of PPD, and 16% had high levels of symptoms of PPD. Seventy-five percent reported having adequate social support, and 75% reported perceived stress above the cutoff score. There was a strong positive significant relationship between symptoms of PPD and perceptions of stress. There was a significant moderate negative relationship between symptoms of PPD and perception of social support. Income, intendedness of pregnancy, mode of birth, family social support, and perception of stress were the strongest predictors of PPD. There was a reciprocal relationship between PPD and psychosocial variables, with women having low levels of perceived stress and satisfaction with social support having fewer symptoms of postpartum. These findings demonstrate the need to address the psychosocial needs of Arabic Muslim Jordanian childbearing women serving in the military through comprehensive interventions. Findings highlight the importance of social support in decreasing perceived stress and symptoms of PPD in these women.

Parenting Style Dimensions As Predictors of Adolescent Antisocial Behavior

PubMed Central

Álvarez-García, David; García, Trinidad; Barreiro-Collazo, Alejandra; Dobarro, Alejandra; Antúnez, Ángela

2016-01-01

Antisocial behavior is strongly associated with academic failure in adolescence. There is a solid body of evidence that points to parenting style as one of its main predictors. The objective of this work is to elaborate a reduced, valid, and reliable version of the questionnaire by Oliva et al. (2007) to evaluate the dimensions of parenting style and to analyze its psychometric properties in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To that end, the designed questionnaire was applied to 1974 adolescents 12–18 years of age from Asturias (Spain). Regarding construct validity, the results show that the model that best represents the data is composed of six dimensions of parenting style, just as in the original scale, namely affection and communication; promotion of autonomy; behavioral control; psychological control; self-disclosure; and humor. The psychological control factor negatively correlates with the other factors, with the exception of behavioral control, with which it positively correlates. The remaining correlations among the factors in the parenting style questionnaire are positive. Regarding internal consistency, the reliability analysis for each factor supports the suitability of this six-factor model. With regard to criterion validity, as expected based on the evidence available, the six dimensions of parenting style correlate in a statistically significant manner with the three antisocial behavior measures used as criteria (off-line school aggression, antisocial behavior, and antisocial friendships). Specifically, all dimensions negatively correlate with the three variables, except for psychological control. In the latter case, the correlation is positive. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. PMID:27679591

Climatic controls of aboveground net primary production in semi-arid grasslands along a latitudinal gradient portend low sensitivity to warming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mowll, Whitney; Blumenthal, Dana M.; Cherwin, Karie; Smith, Anine; Symstad, Amy J.; Vermeire, Lance; Collins, Scott L.; Smith, Melinda D.; Knapp, Alan K.

2015-01-01

Although climate models forecast warmer temperatures with a high degree of certainty, precipitation is the primary driver of aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in most grasslands. Conversely, variations in temperature seldom are related to patterns of ANPP. Thus forecasting responses to warming is a challenge, and raises the question: how sensitive will grassland ANPP be to warming? We evaluated climate and multi-year ANPP data (67 years) from eight western US grasslands arrayed along mean annual temperature (MAT; ~7-14 °C) and mean annual precipitation (MAP; ~250-500 mm) gradients. Weused regression and analysis of covariance to assess relationships between ANPP and temperature, as well as precipitation (annual and growing season) to evaluate temperature sensitivity of ANPP. We also related ANPP to the standardized precipitation evaporation index (SPEI), which combines precipitation and evapotranspiration to better represent moisture available for plant growth. Regression models indicated that variation in growing season temperature was negatively related to total and graminoid ANPP, but precipitation was a stronger predictor than temperature. Growing season temperature was also a significant parameter in more complex models, but again precipitation was consistently a stronger predictor of ANPP. Surprisingly, neither annual nor growing season SPEI were as strongly related to ANPP as precipitation. We conclude that forecasted warming likely will affect ANPP in these grasslands, but that predicting temperature effects from natural climatic gradients is difficult. This is because, unlike precipitation, warming effects can be positive or negative and moderated by shifts in the C3/C4 ratios of plant communities.

Does the Presence of Blood in the Catheter or the Degree of Difficulty of Embryo Transfer Affect Live Birth?

PubMed

Plowden, Torie C; Hill, Micah J; Miles, Shana M; Hoyt, Benjamin; Yauger, Belinda; Segars, James H; Csokmay, John M; Chason, Rebecca J

2017-05-01

The technique used for embryo transfer (ET) can affect implantation. Prior research that evaluated the effect of postprocedural blood of the transfer catheter tip have yielded mixed results, and it is unclear whether this is actually a marker of difficulty of the transfer. Our objective was to estimate the effect of blood at the time of ET and the difficulty of ET on live birth rates (LBR). This retrospective cohort study utilized generalized estimating equations (GEEs) with nesting for repeated cycles for all analyses. Univariate modeling was performed and a final multivariate (adjusted) GEE model accounted for all significant confounders. Embryo transfers were subjectively graded (easy, medium, or hard) by a physician at the time of transfer. The presence of blood at ET was associated with more difficult ETs, retained embryos, and presence of mucous in the catheter. In the univariate analysis, ET with blood was not associated with live birth, while the degree of difficulty for ET had a negative impact on LBR. In the final multivariate GEE model, which accounts for repeated cycles from a patient, the only factors associated with an increased LBR were the degree of difficulty of the ET, female age, and blastocyst transfer. After controlling for confounding variables, the presence of blood in the transfer catheter was not associated with the likelihood of pregnancy and thus was not an independent predictor of cycle outcome. This indicates that the difficulty of the transfer itself was a strong negative predictor of pregnancy.

Parenting Style Dimensions As Predictors of Adolescent Antisocial Behavior.

PubMed

Álvarez-García, David; García, Trinidad; Barreiro-Collazo, Alejandra; Dobarro, Alejandra; Antúnez, Ángela

2016-01-01

Antisocial behavior is strongly associated with academic failure in adolescence. There is a solid body of evidence that points to parenting style as one of its main predictors. The objective of this work is to elaborate a reduced, valid, and reliable version of the questionnaire by Oliva et al. (2007) to evaluate the dimensions of parenting style and to analyze its psychometric properties in a sample of Spanish adolescents. To that end, the designed questionnaire was applied to 1974 adolescents 12-18 years of age from Asturias (Spain). Regarding construct validity, the results show that the model that best represents the data is composed of six dimensions of parenting style, just as in the original scale, namely affection and communication; promotion of autonomy; behavioral control; psychological control; self-disclosure; and humor. The psychological control factor negatively correlates with the other factors, with the exception of behavioral control, with which it positively correlates. The remaining correlations among the factors in the parenting style questionnaire are positive. Regarding internal consistency, the reliability analysis for each factor supports the suitability of this six-factor model. With regard to criterion validity, as expected based on the evidence available, the six dimensions of parenting style correlate in a statistically significant manner with the three antisocial behavior measures used as criteria (off-line school aggression, antisocial behavior, and antisocial friendships). Specifically, all dimensions negatively correlate with the three variables, except for psychological control. In the latter case, the correlation is positive. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.

Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Gestational Weight Gain Have No Negative Impact on Maternal or Neonatal Iron Status.

PubMed

Cao, Chang; Pressman, Eva K; Cooper, Elizabeth M; Guillet, Ronnie; Westerman, Mark; O'Brien, Kimberly O

2016-05-01

To assess the impact of maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) on maternal and neonatal iron status and to explore the possible mediating role of inflammation on hepcidin. This analysis included 230 pregnant adolescents (13-18 years) enrolled in either a longitudinal or a cross-sectional study. Prepregnancy body mass index (ppBMI) and GWG were obtained from medical records. Maternal iron status (hemoglobin, serum iron, ferritin, transferrin receptor, total body iron, and hepcidin) and inflammation (interleukin-6 [IL-6] and leptin) were assessed at midgestation (26.2 ± 3.3 weeks) in the longitudinal cohort and at delivery (39.8 ± 1.3 weeks) in both study cohorts. Cord blood was collected in both studies and analyzed for iron indicators. Approximately 40% of the adolescents entered pregnancy overweight or obese. Multivariate analysis identified ppBMI as a negative predictor of serum iron at midgestation (P = .009) and a positive predictor of serum hepcidin at delivery (P = .02). None of the other maternal iron status indicators were significantly associated with ppBMI or GWG. Serum IL-6 was significantly positively associated with hepcidin at delivery (P = .0001) but not at midgestation. There was a positive relationship between ppBMI and cord hemoglobin (P = .03). These results suggest that adiposity-related inflammation does not override the iron-mediated signals that regulate hepcidin production during pregnancy, and in this adolescent cohort, there is no strong evidence for a detrimental effect of maternal obesity and excessive weight gain on iron status in the offspring at birth. © The Author(s) 2015.

pLoc-mGneg: Predict subcellular localization of Gram-negative bacterial proteins by deep gene ontology learning via general PseAAC.

PubMed

Cheng, Xiang; Xiao, Xuan; Chou, Kuo-Chen

2017-10-06

Information of the proteins' subcellular localization is crucially important for revealing their biological functions in a cell, the basic unit of life. With the avalanche of protein sequences generated in the postgenomic age, it is highly desired to develop computational tools for timely identifying their subcellular locations based on the sequence information alone. The current study is focused on the Gram-negative bacterial proteins. Although considerable efforts have been made in protein subcellular prediction, the problem is far from being solved yet. This is because mounting evidences have indicated that many Gram-negative bacterial proteins exist in two or more location sites. Unfortunately, most existing methods can be used to deal with single-location proteins only. Actually, proteins with multi-locations may have some special biological functions important for both basic research and drug design. In this study, by using the multi-label theory, we developed a new predictor called "pLoc-mGneg" for predicting the subcellular localization of Gram-negative bacterial proteins with both single and multiple locations. Rigorous cross-validation on a high quality benchmark dataset indicated that the proposed predictor is remarkably superior to "iLoc-Gneg", the state-of-the-art predictor for the same purpose. For the convenience of most experimental scientists, a user-friendly web-server for the novel predictor has been established at http://www.jci-bioinfo.cn/pLoc-mGneg/, by which users can easily get their desired results without the need to go through the complicated mathematics involved. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multidecadal Increase in North Atlantic Coccolithophores and Potential Role of Increasing CO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivero-Calle, S.; Gnanadesikan, A.; del Castillo, C. E.; Balch, W. M.; Guikema, S.

2016-02-01

As anthropogenic CO2 emissions acidify the oceans, calcifiers are expected to be negatively impacted. Using data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder, we show that coccolithophore occurrence in the North Atlantic has increased from 2 to over 20% from 1965 through 2010. We used Random Forest models to examine more than 20 possible environmental drivers of this change. CO2 and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation were the best predictors. Since coccolithophore photosynthesis is strongly carbon-limited, we hypothesize that higher CO2 levels might be encouraging growth. A compilation of 41 independent laboratory studies supports our hypothesis. Our study shows a long-term basin-scale increase in coccolithophores and suggests that increasing pCO2 and temperature accelerated the growth rate of a key phytoplankton group for carbon cycling.

Euphausiids in the eastern Bering Sea: A synthesis of recent studies of euphausiid production, consumption and population control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hunt, George L.; Ressler, Patrick H.; Gibson, Georgina A.; De Robertis, Alex; Aydin, Kerim; Sigler, Michael F.; Ortiz, Ivonne; Lessard, Evelyn J.; Williams, Benjamin C.; Pinchuk, Alexei; Buckley, Troy

2016-12-01

Euphausiids are an important component of the eastern Bering Sea marine ecosystem. We synthesized information on the ecological roles of two species, Thysanoessa raschii, which predominates over the Middle and Inner Shelf Domains, and Thysanoessa inermis, which predominates over the Outer Shelf Domain. Although estimates of euphausiid biomass across the shelf are not well constrained, we estimated that, between April and July, 2004-2010, euphausiid biomass was 3.08-5.25 g C m-2 on the outer shelf and 1.95-3.92 g C m-2 on the middle shelf. Modeled estimates of euphausiid production, for spring and summer combined, varied between 0.043 g C m-2 d-1 and 0.051 g C m-2 d-1, depending on location, with a mean of 0.048 g C m-2 d-1. Recently reported field measurements of annual primary production over the southeastern Bering Sea in 2008-2009 vary between 0.06 and 6.65 g C m-2 d-1, with a mean of 1.262 g C m-2 d-1±2.049 g C m-2 d-1 in spring and summer combined, a level sufficient to support euphausiids, at least on an annualized basis. Walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus, hereafter pollock) is the single most important consumer of euphausiids over the eastern Bering Sea shelf. We estimated that pollock consumed between 0.0042 and 0.019.7 g C m-2 d-1 of euphausiids, depending on year, with a mean of 0.011 g C m-2 d-1 in summer averaged over 1999-2009. This consumption is equivalent to between 17% and 29% of summer euphausiid production, depending on location. Over the period for which data were available (2004-2012), we observed a strong negative relationship between euphausiid biomass as determined in acoustic surveys and pollock biomass as estimated in the eastern Bering Sea pollock stock assessment (r2=0.82). During this time period, sea-surface temperature was the second strongest predictor of euphausiid biomass, (r2=0.63). However, for the period 2004-2010, bottom temperature (r2=0.94) was the strongest predictor, followed by pollock biomass from the pollock stock assessment (r2=0.82), and sea-surface temperature (r2=0.81). Mean pollock density in the acoustic surveys was not a powerful predictor of euphausiid biomass during either period. In spatially explicit multiple regression analyses for the periods 2004-2012 and 2004-2010 those formulations that included sea-surface and bottom temperatures as well as survey estimates of pollock had the greatest explanatory value. However, when either or both temperature terms were dropped, the explanatory value of the models dropped considerably. When pollock biomass was dropped from the models, there was little change in explanatory value compared to the full model. Euphausiid production and pollock consumption data coupled with a negative relationship between euphausiid biomass and stock assessment estimates of pollock biomass indicate a top-down predation effect. However, strong negative relationships between euphausiid biomass and water temperatures indicate the influence of a bottom-up mechanism. The apparent differences in these results may relate to the different spatial and temporal scales used to assess the pollock biomass used in the analyses. Alternatively, euphausiid biomass may be strongly controlled during a restricted portion of the year, such as spring, if critical food needs are not met in some years. We lack the data necessary to resolve these alternative hypotheses.

Illness Perceptions in Patients of Schizophrenia: A Preliminary Investigation from Lahore, Pakistan

PubMed Central

Hussain, Sadia; Imran, Nazish; Hotiana, Usman Amin; Mazhar, Nauman; Asif, Aftab

2017-01-01

Background and Objective: Patient’s perception of their illness influences their healthcare decisions. The objectives of this study were to explore patient’s own beliefs about their illness (Schizophrenia) and perceived social support, and its impact on their attitudes toward pharmacological treatment in Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: This study was conducted at Mayo Hospital Lahore from March to September 2016. Hundred individuals suffering from Schizophrenia completed four questionnaires; a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Illness Perception Questionnaire for Schizophrenia(IPQ-S), Drug attitude Inventory-10 (DAI) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (PSS). Results: Stress, family problems, lack of friends & financial worries were endorsed strongly by patients as cause of their mental illness. Ambiguity regarding their mental illness duration and personal control was observed. Patients’ perceived significant negative consequences, negative emotional response, as well as had poor understanding of their mental illness and treatment effectiveness. Statistically significant gender differences in treatment control and illness coherence subscales of IPQS were observed. Drug attitude inventory was positively correlated with Treatment control subscale (p < .01) and negatively correlated with Illness coherence subscale of IPQS (p < .05). The negative consequences subscale and perceived social support was negatively correlated (p < .01). Conclusion: Patient’s perception about their own illness is predictor of their drug taking attitude and perceived social support. Study results should help to develop new interventions to correct inaccurate beliefs in patients with schizophrenia to improve illness outcome. PMID:29067048

Family System Characteristics and Parental Behaviors as Predictors of Adolescent Substance Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Allan R.; Henry, Carolyn S.

1994-01-01

Examined adolescent perceptions of family system characteristics and parental behaviors as predictors of adolescent substance use. Findings from 489 high school students indicated that frequency of parental substance use was positively related to adolescent substance use, whereas family bonding and parental support were negatively related to…

Maternal Beliefs as Long-Term Predictors of Mother-Child Interaction and Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochanska, Grazyna

1990-01-01

Two kinds of parental beliefs, endorsed rearing philosophy (authoritative-authoritarian dimension) and affective attitude toward child (positive-negative affect dimension), were examined in 20 normal and 36 depressed mothers as long-term predictors of child rearing behaviors and interaction patterns with their children. (BC)

Risk factors for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress

PubMed Central

Leigh, Bronwyn; Milgrom, Jeannette

2008-01-01

Background Given that the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal depression is high, with estimates around 13%, and the consequences serious, efforts have been made to identify risk factors to assist in prevention, identification and treatment. Most risk factors associated with postnatal depression have been well researched, whereas predictors of antenatal depression have been less researched. Risk factors associated with early parenting stress have not been widely researched, despite the strong link with depression. The aim of this study was to further elucidate which of some previously identified risk factors are most predictive of three outcome measures: antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress and to examine the relationship between them. Methods Primipara and multiparae women were recruited antenatally from two major hoitals as part of the beyondblue National Postnatal Depression Program [1]. In this subsidiary study, 367 women completed an additional large battery of validated questionnaires to identify risk factors in the antenatal period at 26–32 weeks gestation. A subsample of these women (N = 161) also completed questionnaires at 10–12 weeks postnatally. Depression level was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results Regression analyses identified significant risk factors for the three outcome measures. (1). Significant predictors for antenatal depression: low self-esteem, antenatal anxiety, low social support, negative cognitive style, major life events, low income and history of abuse. (2). Significant predictors for postnatal depression: antenatal depression and a history of depression while also controlling for concurrent parenting stress, which was a significant variable. Antenatal depression was identified as a mediator between seven of the risk factors and postnatal depression. (3). Postnatal depression was the only significant predictor for parenting stress and also acted as a mediator for other risk factors. Conclusion Risk factor profiles for antenatal depression, postnatal depression and parenting stress differ but are interrelated. Antenatal depression was the strongest predictor of postnatal depression, and in turn postnatal depression was the strongest predictor for parenting stress. These results provide clinical direction suggesting that early identification and treatment of perinatal depression is important. PMID:18412979

Dysfunctional Attitudes and Affective Responses to Daily Stressors: Separating Cognitive, Genetic, and Clinical Influences on Stress Reactivity

PubMed Central

Conway, Christopher C.; Slavich, George M.; Hammen, Constance

2016-01-01

Despite decades of research examining diathesis-stress models of emotional disorders, it remains unclear whether dysfunctional attitudes interact with stressful experiences to shape affect on a daily basis and, if so, how clinical and genetic factors influence these associations. To address these issues, we conducted a multi-level daily diary study that examined how dysfunctional attitudes and stressful events relate to daily fluctuations in negative and positive affect in 104 young adults. Given evidence that clinical and genetic factors underlie stress sensitivity, we also examined how daily affect is influenced by internalizing and externalizing symptoms and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genotype, which have been shown to influence neural, endocrine, and affective responses to stress. In multivariate models, internalizing symptoms and BDNF Val66Met genotype independently predicted heightened negative affect on stressful days, but dysfunctional attitudes did not. Specifically, the BDNF Met allele and elevated baseline internalizing symptomatology predicted greater increases in negative affect in stressful circumstances. These data are the first to demonstrate that BDNF genotype and stress are jointly associated with daily fluctuations in negative affect, and they challenge the assumption that maladaptive beliefs play a strong independent role in determining affective responses to everyday stressors. The results may thus inform the development of new multi-level theories of psychopathology and guide future research on predictors of affective lability. PMID:27041782

Use of the lymphocyte count as a diagnostic screen in adults with suspected Epstein-Barr virus infectious mononucleosis.

PubMed

Biggs, Timothy C; Hayes, Stephen M; Bird, Jonathan H; Harries, Philip G; Salib, Rami J

2013-10-01

To evaluate the predictive diagnostic accuracy of the lymphocyte count in Epstein-Barr virus-related infectious mononucleosis (IM). Retrospective case note and blood results review within a university-affiliated teaching hospital. A retrospective review of 726 patients undergoing full blood count and Monospot testing was undertaken. Monospot testing outcomes were compared with the lymphocyte count, examining for significant statistical correlations. With a lymphocyte count of ≤4 × 10(9) /L, 99% of patients had an associated negative Monospot result (sensitivity of 84% and specificity of 94%). A group subanalysis of the population older than 18 years with a lymphocyte count ≤4 × 10(9) /L revealed that 100% were Monospot negative (sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 97%). A lymphocyte count of ≤4 × 10(9) /L correlated significantly with a negative Monospot result. A lymphocyte count of ≤4 × 10(9) /L appears to be a highly reliable predictor of a negative Monospot result, particularly in the population aged >18 years. Pediatric patients, and adults with strongly suggestive symptoms and signs of IM, should still undergo Monospot testing. However, in adults with more subtle symptoms and signs, representing the vast majority, Monospot testing should be restricted to those with a lymphocyte count >4 × 10(9) /L. NA Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Predictors of urge to smoke under stressful conditions: An experimental investigation utilizing the PASAT-C task to induce negative affect in smokers.

PubMed

Karekla, Maria; Panayiotou, Georgia; Collins, Bradley N

2017-11-01

Experimental evidence has demonstrated that the presence of cues previously associated with smoking behavior can increase urges to smoke in abstinent smokers. This study examined the effect of a laboratory-induced negative affective task (paced auditory serial addition task) on smoking urges among a sample of 35 abstinent college smokers (Mage = 20.83 years, SD = 1.71). Emotional states and physiological reactions experienced during the experiment, as well as individual differences in stress intolerance (anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance) were examined as predictors of the association between stressful states and smoking cravings. Smoking urges (smoking desire and negative affect relief) and negative emotions (frustration, irritability, stress) significantly increased, whereas positive emotions decreased from pre- to posttask. No significant interactions between individual differences and changes in urge were found. Results suggest that changes in negative affect may in part explain the association between induced stress and smoking cravings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Role of Negative Affect on Headache-Related Disability Following Traumatic Physical Injury.

PubMed

Pacella, Maria L; Hruska, Bryce; George, Richard L; Delahanty, Douglas L

2018-03-01

Acute postinjury negative affect (NA) may contribute to headache pain following physical injury. Early psychiatric-headache comorbidity conveys increased vulnerability to chronic headache-related disability and impairment. Yet, it is unknown whether NA is involved in the transition to chronic headache related-disability after injury. This prospective observational study examined the role of acute postinjury NA on subacute and chronic headache-related disability above and beyond nonpsychiatric factors. Eighty adult survivors of single-incident traumatic physical injury were assessed for negative affect (NA): a composite of depression and anxiety symptoms, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSS) during the acute 2-week postinjury phase. NA was examined as the primary predictor of subacute (6-week) and chronic (3-month) headache-related disability; secondary analyses examined whether the individual NA components differentially impacted the outcomes. Hierarchical linear regression confirmed NA as a unique predictor of subacute (Cohen's f  2  = 0.130; P = .005) and chronic headache related-disability (Cohen's f  2  = 0.160; P = .004) beyond demographic and injury-related factors (sex, prior headaches, and closed head injury). Upon further analysis, PTSS uniquely predicted greater subacute (Cohen's f  2  = 0.105; P = .012) and chronic headache-related disability (Cohen's f  2  = 0.103; P = .022) above and beyond demographic and injury-related factors, depression, and anxiety. Avoidance was a robust predictor of subacute headache impairment (explaining 15% of the variance) and hyperarousal was a robust predictor of chronic headache impairment (10% of the variance). Although NA consistently predicted headache-related disability, PTSS alone was a unique predictor above and beyond nonpsychiatric factors, depression, and anxiety. These results are suggestive that early treatment of acute postinjury PTSS may correlate with reductions in disability and negative physical health sequelae associated with PTSS and chronic headache. © 2017 American Headache Society.

Predictors of Adolescent Functioning in Girls with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): The Role of Childhood ADHD, Conduct Problems, and Peer Status

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Predictors of adolescent functioning were studied in an ethnically diverse sample of girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 140) and age- and ethnicity-matched comparison girls (n = 88) who participated in naturalistic summer programs during childhood. Over a five-year follow-up (sample retention = 92%; age range = 11.3–18.2 years), conduct problems were predicted by hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) symptoms and noncompliance (NC). Academic achievement was predicted only by inattention symptoms, whereas school suspensions/expulsions were predicted by inattention symptoms (ADHD sample only), NC, and negative peer status. Substance use was predicted by NC and HI symptoms. Internalizing problems were predicted by HI symptoms, noncompliance, and covert antisocial behavior. Finally, initial peer status was the only significant predictor of later negative social preference. PMID:16836474

Predicting preschool pain-related anticipatory distress: the relative contribution of longitudinal and concurrent factors.

PubMed

Racine, Nicole M; Pillai Riddell, Rebecca R; Flora, David B; Taddio, Anna; Garfield, Hartley; Greenberg, Saul

2016-09-01

Anticipatory distress prior to a painful medical procedure can lead to negative sequelae including heightened pain experiences, avoidance of future medical procedures, and potential noncompliance with preventative health care, such as vaccinations. Few studies have examined the longitudinal and concurrent predictors of pain-related anticipatory distress. This article consists of 2 companion studies to examine both the longitudinal factors from infancy as well as concurrent factors from preschool that predict pain-related anticipatory distress at the preschool age. Study 1 examined how well preschool pain-related anticipatory distress was predicted by infant pain response at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months of age. In study 2, using a developmental psychopathology framework, longitudinal analyses examined the predisposing, precipitating, perpetuating, and present factors that led to the development of anticipatory distress during routine preschool vaccinations. A sample of 202 caregiver-child dyads was observed during their infant and preschool vaccinations (the Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt cohort) and was used for both studies. In study 1, pain response during infancy was not found to significantly predict pain-related anticipatory distress at preschool. In study 2, a strong explanatory model was created whereby 40% of the variance in preschool anticipatory distress was explained. Parental behaviours from infancy and preschool were the strongest predictors of child anticipatory distress at preschool. Child age positively predicted child anticipatory distress. This strongly suggests that the involvement of parents in pain management interventions during immunization is one of the most critical factors in predicting anticipatory distress to the preschool vaccination.

Crack smokers' intention to use condoms with loved partners: intervention development using the theory of reasoned action, condom beliefs, and processes of change.

PubMed

Bowen, A M; Williams, M; McCoy, H V; McCoy, C B

2001-10-01

Prevalence rates of HIV infection acquired through heterosexual contacts have risen steadily since 1982. Crack cocaine smokers are at particular risk of HIV infection due to heterosexual exposure. HIV risk reduction interventions seeking to increase condom use among drug users have met with minimal success, and there is a need for interventions to be strongly grounded in psychosocial models of behaviour change. This study presents the results of an investigation of predictors of intention to use condoms and related therapy processes among heterosexual drug users. Data were analyzed from 586 crack smokers recruited in Washington, DC, Miami, Florida, and Collier County, Florida who reported having both primary and casual sex partners. Participants responded to items derived from the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behaviour and the transtheoretical model of change. Condom use beliefs and therapy processes used to initiate and maintain condom use were assessed. Outcome expectancies and normative beliefs were the strongest predictors of intention to use condoms with a primary sexual partner. In turn, beliefs that condoms inhibit sexual romance and decrease sexual pleasure strongly predicted outcome expectancies. Therapy processes found to be associated with these constructs included: self-liberation, counter conditioning and stimulus control/reinforcement. Results suggest that HIV risk reduction interventions using a group format and targeting condom beliefs related to sexual romance and pleasure will decrease negative outcome expectancies about condom use. Also, reinforcing attempts to use condoms with intimate partners should increase positive outcome expectancies and intention to initiate or maintain condoms with a primary sexual partner.

Family Caregivers' Patterns of Positive and Negative Affect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Suzanne M.; Zarit, Steven H.; Duncan, Larissa G.; Rovine, Michael J.; Femia, Elia E.

2007-01-01

Stressful and positive family caregiving experiences were examined as predictors of caregivers' patterns of positive and negative affect in a sample of families providing care for a relative with dementia (N = 234). Four affect pattern groups were identified: (a) Well Adjusted (i.e., high positive affect, low negative affect); (b) Ambiguous (i.e.,…

Cognitive Risk and Protective Factors for Suicidal Ideation: A Two Year Longitudinal Study in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Burke, Taylor A.; Connolly, Samantha L.; Hamilton, Jessica L.; Stange, Jonathan P.; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Alloy, Lauren B.

2015-01-01

Adolescence is a developmental period associated with heightened risk for both the onset and escalation of suicidal ideation (SI). Given that SI is a potent predictor of suicidal behavior, it is important to develop models of vulnerability for and protection against SI, particularly among young adolescents. This study examined the relative impact of several cognitive vulnerabilities, as well as protective factors, for SI among young adolescents over a 2-year interval encompassing their transition to mid-adolescence. At baseline, 324 adolescents (M=12.39 years; SD=0.63; 52.5 % female) completed measures of depressive symptoms, self-referent information processing biases, negative inferential style, and responses to negative affect. Further, the adolescents and their mothers were administered a diagnostic interview to assess current and past depressive disorders and SI. Over follow-up, adolescents and their mothers were administered the diagnostic interview every 12 months and adolescents completed a self-report measure inquiring about SI every 6 months to assess interviewer-rated and self-reported SI. Logistic regressions indicated that preferential endorsement of negative adjectives as self-referent (only among girls), rumination in response to negative affect, and a negative inferential style prospectively predicted SI. Additionally, young adolescents’ tendency to respond to negative affect with distraction and problem-solving buffered against their risk for exhibiting SI. When these factors were entered simultaneously, preferential endorsement of negative adjectives as self-referent and the use of distraction and problem-solving skills remained the only significant prospective predictors of SI. No previous studies have examined these variables as predictors of SI, thereby highlighting their potential utility in improving the predictive validity of extant models of suicide risk and resilience. PMID:26597963

Clinical validation of an epigenetic assay to predict negative histopathological results in repeat prostate biopsies.

PubMed

Partin, Alan W; Van Neste, Leander; Klein, Eric A; Marks, Leonard S; Gee, Jason R; Troyer, Dean A; Rieger-Christ, Kimberly; Jones, J Stephen; Magi-Galluzzi, Cristina; Mangold, Leslie A; Trock, Bruce J; Lance, Raymond S; Bigley, Joseph W; Van Criekinge, Wim; Epstein, Jonathan I

2014-10-01

The DOCUMENT multicenter trial in the United States validated the performance of an epigenetic test as an independent predictor of prostate cancer risk to guide decision making for repeat biopsy. Confirming an increased negative predictive value could help avoid unnecessary repeat biopsies. We evaluated the archived, cancer negative prostate biopsy core tissue samples of 350 subjects from a total of 5 urological centers in the United States. All subjects underwent repeat biopsy within 24 months with a negative (controls) or positive (cases) histopathological result. Centralized blinded pathology evaluation of the 2 biopsy series was performed in all available subjects from each site. Biopsies were epigenetically profiled for GSTP1, APC and RASSF1 relative to the ACTB reference gene using quantitative methylation specific polymerase chain reaction. Predetermined analytical marker cutoffs were used to determine assay performance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate all risk factors. The epigenetic assay resulted in a negative predictive value of 88% (95% CI 85-91). In multivariate models correcting for age, prostate specific antigen, digital rectal examination, first biopsy histopathological characteristics and race the test proved to be the most significant independent predictor of patient outcome (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.60-4.51). The DOCUMENT study validated that the epigenetic assay was a significant, independent predictor of prostate cancer detection in a repeat biopsy collected an average of 13 months after an initial negative result. Due to its 88% negative predictive value adding this epigenetic assay to other known risk factors may help decrease unnecessary repeat prostate biopsies. Copyright © 2014 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scientific Message Translation and the Heuristic Systematic Model: Insights for Designing Educational Messages About Progesterone and Breast Cancer Risks

PubMed Central

Perrault, Evan; Smith, Sandi; Keating, David M.; Nazione, Samantha; Silk, Kami; Russell, Jessica

2017-01-01

Results of ongoing scientific research on environmental determinants of breast cancer are not typically presented to the public in ways they can easily understand and use to take preventive actions. In this study, results of scientific studies on progesterone exposure as a risk factor for breast cancer were translated into high and low literacy level messages. Using the heuristic systematic model, this study examined how ability, motivation, and message processing (heuristic and systematic) influenced perceptions of risk beliefs and negative attitudes about progesterone exposure among women who read the translated scientific messages. Among the 1254 participants, those given the higher literacy level message had greater perceptions of risk about progesterone. Heuristic message cues of source credibility and perceived message quality, as well as motivation, also predicted risk beliefs. Finally, risk beliefs were a strong predictor of negative attitudes about exposure to progesterone. The results can help improve health education message design in terms of practitioners having better knowledge of message features that are the most persuasive to the target audiences on this topic. PMID:25903053

Mindfulness and Self-compassion as Unique and Common Predictors of Affect in the General Population.

PubMed

López, Angélica; Sanderman, Robbert; Schroevers, Maya J

2016-01-01

In contrast to the increased research interest in the benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion, relatively few studies have examined their unique and combined effects in predicting affect. This cross-sectional study examined the predictive value of mindfulness and self-compassion for depressive symptoms, negative affect, and positive affect in a large representative sample of community adults ( N  = 1736). The Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) was used as a measure of mindfulness and the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) as a measure of self-compassion. Five FFMQ facets were explored: observe, describe, act with awareness, non-judgment, and non-reactivity. Two SCS facets were explored: its positive items (SCS Pos) and its negative items (SCS Neg). When simultaneously examining all seven facets of mindfulness and self-compassion, three of the five FFMQ facets and SCS Neg significantly predicted both depressive symptoms and negative affect, with SCS Neg and act with awareness being the strongest predictors. These findings suggest that a harsh attitude towards oneself and a lack of attention when acting have the greatest value in predicting the presence of psychological symptoms. With respect to positive affect, four of the five FFMQ facets (except non-judgment) were significant predictors, with no unique predictive value of the two SCS's facets, suggesting that mindfulness is a more important predictor of positive affect than self-compassion, as measured by the FFMQ and SCS.

Overactive bladder is a negative predictor of achieving continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy.

PubMed

Yamada, Yuta; Fujimura, Tetsuya; Fukuhara, Hiroshi; Sugihara, Toru; Miyazaki, Hideyo; Nakagawa, Tohru; Kume, Haruki; Igawa, Yasuhiko; Homma, Yukio

2017-10-01

To investigate predictors of continence outcomes after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. Clinical records of 272 patients who underwent robot-assisted radical prostatectomy were investigated. Preoperative Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, International Prostate Symptom Score and clinicopathological factors were investigated, and relationships between factors and recovery of continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy were assessed. The presence of overactive bladder was defined as having urgency for more than once a week and having ≥3 points according to the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score. Age (≤66 years) was significantly associated with continence within 6 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (P = 0.033). The absence of overactive bladder and lower Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (<3) were significantly associated with recovery of continence within 12 months after surgery (both variables P = 0.009). In terms of achieving recovery of continence after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy, Kaplan-Meier curves showed earlier recovery in "age ≤66 years," "prostate weight ≤40 g" and "overactive bladder symptom score <3" (P = 0.0072, 0.0172 and 0.0140, respectively). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of overactive bladder was an independent negative predictor for recovery of continence within 12 months after surgery (P = 0.019). The presence of baseline overactive bladder seems to represent an independent negative predictor for recovery of continence at 12 months after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy. © 2017 The Japanese Urological Association.

Analyzing older users' home telehealth services acceptance behavior-applying an Extended UTAUT model.

PubMed

Cimperman, Miha; Makovec Brenčič, Maja; Trkman, Peter

2016-06-01

Although telehealth offers an improved approach to providing healthcare services, its adoption by end users remains slow. With an older population as the main target, these traditionally conservative users pose a big challenge to the successful implementation of innovative telehealth services. The objective of this study was to develop and empirically test a model for predicting the factors affecting older users' acceptance of Home Telehealth Services (HTS). A survey instrument was administered to 400 participants aged 50 years and above from both rural and urban environments in Slovenia. Structural equation modeling was applied to analyze the causal effect of seven hypothesized predicting factors. HTS were introduced as a bundle of functionalities, representing future services that currently do not exist. This enabled users' perceptions to be measured on the conceptual level, rather than attitudes to a specific technical solution. Six relevant predictors were confirmed in older users' HTS acceptance behavior, with Performance Expectancy (r=0.30), Effort Expectancy (r=0.49), Facilitating Conditions (r=0.12), and Perceived Security (r=0.16) having a direct impact on behavioral intention to use HTS. In addition, Computer Anxiety is positioned as an antecedent of Effort Expectancy with a strong negative influence (r=-0.61), and Doctor's Opinion influence showed a strong impact on Performance Expectancy (r=0.31). The results also indicate Social Influence as an irrelevant predictor of acceptance behavior. The model of six predictors yielded 77% of the total variance explained in the final measured Behavioral Intention to Use HTS by older adults. The level at which HTS are perceived as easy to use and manage is the leading acceptance predictor in older users' HTS acceptance. Together with Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Security, these three factors represent the key influence on older people's HTS acceptance behavior. When promoting HTS, interventions should focus to portray it as secure. Marketing interventions should focus also on promoting HTS among health professionals, using them as social agents to frame the services as useful and beneficial. The important role of computer anxiety may result in a need to use different equipment such as a tablet computer to access HTS. Finally, this paper introduces important methodological guidelines for measuring perceptions on a conceptual level of future services that currently do not exist. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Role of maternal health and infant inflammation in nutritional and neurodevelopmental outcomes of two-year-old Bangladeshi children.

PubMed

Donowitz, Jeffrey R; Cook, Heather; Alam, Masud; Tofail, Fahmida; Kabir, Mamun; Colgate, E Ross; Carmolli, Marya P; Kirkpatrick, Beth D; Nelson, Charles A; Ma, Jennie Z; Haque, Rashidul; Petri, William A

2018-05-01

Previous studies have shown maternal, inflammatory, and socioeconomic variables to be associated with growth and neurodevelopment in children from low-income countries. However, these outcomes are multifactorial and work describing which predictors most strongly influence them is lacking. We conducted a longitudinal study of Bangladeshi children from birth to two years to assess oral vaccine efficacy. Variables pertaining to maternal and perinatal health, socioeconomic status, early childhood enteric and systemic inflammation, and anthropometry were collected. Bayley-III neurodevelopmental assessment was conducted at two years. As a secondary analysis, we employed hierarchical cluster and random forests techniques to identify and rank which variables predicted growth and neurodevelopment. Cluster analysis demonstrated three distinct groups of predictors. Mother's weight and length-for-age Z score (LAZ) at enrollment were the strongest predictors of LAZ at two years. Cognitive score on Bayley-III was strongly predicted by weight-for-age (WAZ) at enrollment, income, and LAZ at enrollment. Top predictors of language included Rotavirus vaccination, plasma IL 5, sCD14, TNFα, mother's weight, and male gender. Motor function was best predicted by fecal calprotectin, WAZ at enrollment, fecal neopterin, and plasma CRP index. The strongest predictors for social-emotional score included plasma sCD14, income, WAZ at enrollment, and LAZ at enrollment. Based on the random forests' predictions, the estimated percentage of variation explained was 35.4% for LAZ at two years, 34.3% for ΔLAZ, 42.7% for cognitive score, 28.1% for language, 40.8% for motor, and 37.9% for social-emotional score. Birth anthropometry and maternal weight were strong predictors of growth while enteric and systemic inflammation had stronger associations with neurodevelopment. Birth anthropometry was a powerful predictor for all outcomes. These data suggest that further study of stunting in low-income settings should include variables relating to maternal and prenatal health, while investigations focusing on neurodevelopmental outcomes should additionally target causes of systemic and enteric inflammation.

Surgical results for active endocarditis with prosthetic valve replacement: impact of culture-negative endocarditis on early and late outcomes.

PubMed

Murashita, Toshifumi; Sugiki, Hiroshi; Kamikubo, Yasuhiro; Yasuda, Keishu

2004-12-01

Surgical treatment of active infective endocarditis requires not only hemodynamic repair, but also special emphasis on the eradication of the infectious focus to prevent recurrence. This goal can be achieved by the combination of aggressive debridement of infective tissue and appropriate and adequate antibiotic treatment. We reviewed our experience with active endocarditis and identified factors determining early and late outcomes, particularly focusing on the factor of culture-negative endocarditis. Sixty seven patients with clinical evidence of active endocarditis who underwent operation between 1991 and 2001 were evaluated. The aortic valve was infected in 28 (42%), the mitral valve in 23 (34%), and multiple valves in 16 (24%). Native valve endocarditis was present in 58 (87%) and prosthetic valve endocarditis in 9 (13%). Mean follow-up was 5.7 years (range, 0.2-11.5 years). Microorganisms were detected in 46 (69%): Staphylococcus aureus in 9 (13%), other staphylococci in 9 (13%), streptococcus species in 19 (28%), and others in 9 (28%), whereas 21 (31%) patients had culture-negative endocarditis. Operative mortality was 17.8% (12 patients). Reoperation was required in 8 (12%), while 3 late deaths (5.5% of hospital survivors) occurred. All events, including death, reoperation, periprosthetic leak, and recurrence of infection, occurred within 2 years after operation. Actuarial freedom from reoperation, late survival, and events at 5 years were 81.6, 76.4, and 68.6%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, no independent adverse predictor was detected for hospital death, whereas the following independent adverse predictors were identified: preoperative heart failure (P=0.0375), prosthetic valve endocarditis (P=0.0391) and culture-negative endocarditis (P=0.0354) for poor late survival; culture-negative endocarditis (P=0.0354) and annular abscess (P=0066) for poor event-free survival. Freedom from events was similar between patients with Staphylococcus aureus infection (3-year freedom 55.6%) and culture-negative endocarditis (3-year freedom 47.6%), whereas events were significantly low in patients with streptococcus infection (3-year freedom 100%). In our analysis, no independent adverse predictor was detected for hospital death; however, culture-negative endocarditis was identified as an independent predictor for both late survival and events after surgery. Event-free survivals were similar between staphylococcus infection and culture-negative endocarditis, and all events occurred within 2 years after operation, suggesting the necessity of close follow-up during that period.

Local-scale drivers of tree survival in a temperate forest.

PubMed

Wang, Xugao; Comita, Liza S; Hao, Zhanqing; Davies, Stuart J; Ye, Ji; Lin, Fei; Yuan, Zuoqiang

2012-01-01

Tree survival plays a central role in forest ecosystems. Although many factors such as tree size, abiotic and biotic neighborhoods have been proposed as being important in explaining patterns of tree survival, their contributions are still subject to debate. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the relative importance of tree size, local abiotic conditions and the density and identity of neighbors on tree survival in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China at three levels (community, guild and species). Tree size and both abiotic and biotic neighborhood variables influenced tree survival under current forest conditions, but their relative importance varied dramatically within and among the community, guild and species levels. Of the variables tested, tree size was typically the most important predictor of tree survival, followed by biotic and then abiotic variables. The effect of tree size on survival varied from strongly positive for small trees (1-20 cm dbh) and medium trees (20-40 cm dbh), to slightly negative for large trees (>40 cm dbh). Among the biotic factors, we found strong evidence for negative density and frequency dependence in this temperate forest, as indicated by negative effects of both total basal area of neighbors and the frequency of conspecific neighbors. Among the abiotic factors tested, soil nutrients tended to be more important in affecting tree survival than topographic variables. Abiotic factors generally influenced survival for species with relatively high abundance, for individuals in smaller size classes and for shade-tolerant species. Our study demonstrates that the relative importance of variables driving patterns of tree survival differs greatly among size classes, species guilds and abundance classes in temperate forest, which can further understanding of forest dynamics and offer important insights into forest management.

Delayed tuberculin reactivity in persons of Indochinese origin: implications for preventive therapy.

PubMed

Robertson, J M; Burtt, D S; Edmonds, K L; Molina, P L; Kiefe, C I; Ellner, J J

1996-05-01

To 1) study a variant delayed reaction to tuberculin testing as a way to enhance screening for tuberculosis among high-risk persons and 2) correlate the delayed reaction with lymphocyte blastogenesis. Cross-sectional study. 2 public health department clinics in North Carolina. 121 adults who had recently emigrated from Vietnam to North Carolina and who were ethnic Vietnamese and ethnic Dega, a minority population group from the central highlands region of Vietnam. Medical history, physical examination, laboratory evaluation, and standard purified protein derivative (PPD) testing (Mantoux method). Skin test results were read at 72 hours and again at 6 days. Variant reactivity was defined as induration of less than 10 mm at 72 hours that, when reassessed at 6 days, had increased in size to 10 mm or greater. Persons with negative (n=54) and variant (n=32) PPD results also had booster testing at 10 to 12 weeks. Serum samples were obtained from 57 participants for lymphocyte blastogenesis studies. 26% of participants had variant tuberculin reactivity. Variant reactivity was strongly associated with booster positivity: Sixty-five percent of persons with variant PPD results had booster positivity compared with 16% of persons with negative PPD results (P<0.001). The lymphocyte blastogenesis response of persons with variant PPD results was between the response of persons with negative PPD results and that of persons with positive PPD results. Variant reactivity in this high-risk group was a predictor of booster positivity. Together with the blastogenic response pattern, this association strongly suggests that variant reactivity has a high positive predictive value for tuberculous infection. Clinicians should incorporate these findings into their approach for choosing candidates for preventive therapy.

Local-Scale Drivers of Tree Survival in a Temperate Forest

PubMed Central

Wang, Xugao; Comita, Liza S.; Hao, Zhanqing; Davies, Stuart J.; Ye, Ji; Lin, Fei; Yuan, Zuoqiang

2012-01-01

Tree survival plays a central role in forest ecosystems. Although many factors such as tree size, abiotic and biotic neighborhoods have been proposed as being important in explaining patterns of tree survival, their contributions are still subject to debate. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine the relative importance of tree size, local abiotic conditions and the density and identity of neighbors on tree survival in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China at three levels (community, guild and species). Tree size and both abiotic and biotic neighborhood variables influenced tree survival under current forest conditions, but their relative importance varied dramatically within and among the community, guild and species levels. Of the variables tested, tree size was typically the most important predictor of tree survival, followed by biotic and then abiotic variables. The effect of tree size on survival varied from strongly positive for small trees (1–20 cm dbh) and medium trees (20–40 cm dbh), to slightly negative for large trees (>40 cm dbh). Among the biotic factors, we found strong evidence for negative density and frequency dependence in this temperate forest, as indicated by negative effects of both total basal area of neighbors and the frequency of conspecific neighbors. Among the abiotic factors tested, soil nutrients tended to be more important in affecting tree survival than topographic variables. Abiotic factors generally influenced survival for species with relatively high abundance, for individuals in smaller size classes and for shade-tolerant species. Our study demonstrates that the relative importance of variables driving patterns of tree survival differs greatly among size classes, species guilds and abundance classes in temperate forest, which can further understanding of forest dynamics and offer important insights into forest management. PMID:22347996

Predictors of Psychological Sequelae of Torture among South African Former Political Prisoners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halvorsen, Joar Overaas; Kagee, Ashraf

2010-01-01

The present study investigated potential predictors of the psychological sequelae of torture among 143 former political activists who had been detained during the apartheid era in South Africa. Using multiple regression analyses, the authors found that the number of times detained for political reasons, negative social support, strong…

Low productivity of Chinook salmon strongly correlates with high summer stream discharge in two Alaskan rivers in the Yukon drainage

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuswanger, Jason R.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Evenson, Matthew J.; Hughes, Nicholas F.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.

2015-01-01

Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations are declining for unknown reasons, creating hardship for thousands of stakeholders in subsistence and commercial fisheries. An informed response to this crisis requires understanding the major sources of variation in Chinook salmon productivity. However, simple stock–recruitment models leave much of the variation in this system’s productivity unexplained. We tested adding environmental predictors to stock–recruitment models for two Yukon drainage spawning streams in interior Alaska — the Chena and Salcha rivers. Low productivity was strongly associated with high stream discharge during the summer of freshwater residency for young-of-the-year Chinook salmon. This association was more consistent with the hypothesis that sustained high discharge negatively affects foraging conditions than with acute mortality during floods. Productivity may have also been reduced in years when incubating eggs experienced major floods or cold summers and falls. These freshwater effects — especially density dependence and high discharge — helped explain population declines in both rivers. They are plausible as contributors to the decline of Chinook salmon throughout the Yukon River drainage.

[Inpatient Treatment of Complex PTSD Following Childhood Abuse: Effectiveness and Predictors of Treatment Outcome].

PubMed

Kratzer, Leonhard; Heinz, Peter; Schennach, Rebecca; Schiepek, Günter Karl; Padberg, Frank; Jobst, Andrea

2018-05-30

There is a lack of studies investigating the effectiveness of inpatient trauma-focused psychotherapy of complex post-traumatic stress disorder. The first aim of this retrospective investigation was to analyze the course of PTSD. Second, possible predictors of treatment response were investigated. 150 inpatients of Clinic St. Irmingard with complex PTSD following childhood physical and childhood sexual abuse were assessed regarding childhood abuse, PTSD symptomatology, mindfulness, dissociation and general psychopathology. Differences in pre and post scores were analyzed using regression analyses. A classification tree was used to identify predictors of response. The significant reduction of PTSD symptoms corresponded to a large effect (d=1.8) and a reponse rate of 52% according to the reliable change index (p<0.05). Effect sizes for other symptoms were medium to large (0.5

Cognitive, emotive, and cognitive-behavioral correlates of suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Kwok, Sylvia Lai Yuk Ching; Shek, Daniel Tan Lei

2010-03-05

Utilizing Daniel Goleman's theory of emotional competence, Beck's cognitive theory, and Rudd's cognitive-behavioral theory of suicidality, the relationships between hopelessness (cognitive component), social problem solving (cognitive-behavioral component), emotional competence (emotive component), and adolescent suicidal ideation were examined. Based on the responses of 5,557 Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 students from 42 secondary schools in Hong Kong, results showed that suicidal ideation was positively related to adolescent hopelessness, but negatively related to emotional competence and social problem solving. While standard regression analyses showed that all the above variables were significant predictors of suicidal ideation, hierarchical regression analyses showed that hopelessness was the most important predictor of suicidal ideation, followed by social problem solving and emotional competence. Further regression analyses found that all four subscales of emotional competence, i.e., empathy, social skills, self-management of emotions, and utilization of emotions, were important predictors of male adolescent suicidal ideation. However, the subscale of social skills was not a significant predictor of female adolescent suicidal ideation. Standard regression analysis also revealed that all three subscales of social problem solving, i.e., negative problem orientation, rational problem solving, and impulsiveness/carelessness style, were important predictors of suicidal ideation. Theoretical and practice implications of the findings are discussed.

The impact of subjective memory complaints on quality of life in community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Maki, Yohko; Yamaguchi, Tomoharu; Yamagami, Tetsuya; Murai, Tatsuhiko; Hachisuka, Kenji; Miyamae, Fumiko; Ito, Kae; Awata, Shuichi; Ura, Chiaki; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Yamaguchi, Haruyasu

2014-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of memory complaints on quality of life (QOL) in elderly community dwellers with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants included 120 normal controls (NC) and 37 with MCI aged 65 and over. QOL was measured using the Japanese version of Satisfaction in Daily Life, and memory complaints were measured using a questionnaire consisting of four items. The relevance of QOL was evaluated with psychological factors of personality traits, sense of self-efficacy, depressive mood, self-evaluation of daily functioning, range of social activities (Life-Space Assessment), social network size, and cognitive functions including memory. The predictors of QOL were analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. QOL was not significantly different between the NC and MCI groups. In both groups, QOL was positively correlated with self-efficacy, daily functioning, social network size, Life-Space Assessment, and the personality traits of extraversion and agreeableness; QOL was negatively correlated with memory complaints, depressive mood, and the personality trait of neuroticism. In regression analysis, memory complaints were a negative predictor of QOL in the MCI group, but not in the NC group. The partial correlation coefficient between QOL and memory complaints was -0.623 (P < 0.05), after scores of depressive mood and self-efficacy were controlled. Depressive mood was a common negative predictor in both groups. Positive predictors were Life-Space Assessment in the NC group and sense of self-efficacy in the MCI group. Memory complaints exerted a negative impact on self-rated QOL in the MCI group, whereas a negative correlation was weak in the NC group. Memory training has been widely practised in individuals with MCI to prevent the development of dementia. However, such approaches inevitably identify their memory deficits and could aggravate their awareness of memory decline. Thus, it is critical to give sufficient consideration not to reduce QOL in the intervention for those with MCI. © 2014 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2014 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Peer Status in Boys With and Without Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Predictions from Overt and Covert Antisocial Behavior, Social Isolation, and Authoritative Parenting Beliefs.

PubMed

Hinshaw, Stephen P; Zupan, Brian A; Simmel, Cassandra; Nigg, Joel T; Melnick, Sharon

1997-10-01

Because of the centrality of peer relationship difficulties for children with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we investigated behavioral (overt and covert antisocial activity), internalizing (self-reports and observed social isolation), and familial (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting beliefs) predictors of peer sociometric nominations among previously unfamiliar, ethnically diverse ADHD (N=73) and comparison (N=60) boys, aged 6-12 years. Authoritative maternal parenting beliefs and negatively weighted social isolation explained significant variance in positive peer regard; aggression, covert behavior, and authoritative parenting beliefs were the independent predictors of both negative peer status and peer social preference. We extended such predictions with statistical control of (1) child cognitive variables, (2) maternal psychopathology, and (3) ADHD boys, but authoritative parenting beliefs were stronger predictors in ADHD than in comparison youth. We discuss family-peer linkages regarding peer competence.

The importance of thinking styles in predicting binge eating.

PubMed

Nikčević, A V; Marino, C; Caselli, G; Spada, M M

2017-08-01

Impulsivity, Body Mass Index, negative emotions and irrational food beliefs are often reported as predictors of binge eating. In the current study we explored the role played by two thinking styles, namely food thought suppression and desire thinking, in predicting binge eating among young adults controlling for established predictors of this condition. A total of 338 university students (268 females) participated in this study by completing a battery of questionnaires measuring the study variables. Path analysis revealed that impulsivity was not associated with binge eating, that Body Mass Index and negative emotions predicted binge eating, and that irrational food beliefs only influenced binge eating via food thought suppression and desire thinking. In conclusion, thinking styles appear an important predictor of binge eating and they should be taken into consideration when developing clinical interventions for binge eating. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive appraisals of alcohol use in early adolescence: Psychosocial predictors and reciprocal associations with alcohol use

PubMed Central

Colder, Craig R.; Read, Jennifer P.; Wieczorek, William F.; Eiden, Rina D.; Lengua, Liliana J.; Hawk, Larry W.; Trucco, Elisa M.; Lopez-Vergara, Hector I.

2016-01-01

Early adolescence is a dynamic period for the development of alcohol appraisals (expected outcomes of drinking and subjective evaluations of expected outcomes), yet the literature provides a limited understanding of psychosocial factors that shape these appraisals during this period. This study took a comprehensive view of alcohol appraisals and considered positive and negative alcohol outcome expectancies, as well as subjective evaluations of expected outcomes. Developmental-ecological theory guided examination of individual, peer, family, and neighborhood predictors of cognitive appraisals of alcohol and use. A community sample of 378 adolescents (mean age 11.5 years at Wave 1, 52% female) was assessed annually for 4 years. Longitudinal path analysis suggested that the most robust predictors of alcohol appraisals were peer norms. Furthermore, perceived likelihood of positive and negative alcohol outcomes prospectively predicted increases in drinking. There was limited support for appraisals operating as mediators of psychosocial risk and protective factors. PMID:28479653

Prey versus substrate as determinants of habitat choice in a feeding shorebird

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, Paul G.; Catterall, Carla P.; Driscoll, Peter V.

2008-11-01

Many shorebirds on their non-breeding grounds feed on macrobenthic fauna which become available at low tide in coastal intertidal flats. The Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis in Moreton Bay Australia, varies greatly in density among different tidal flats. This study asks: how important is the abundance of intertidal prey as a predictor of this variation? We quantified feeding curlews' diet across 12 sites (different tidal flats, each re-visited at least eight times), through 970 focal observations. We also estimated the abundance of total macrobenthic fauna, potential prey taxa and crustacean prey on each tidal flat; measured as the number of individuals and a relative biomass index per unit substrate surface area obtained from substrate core samples. We estimated curlew density at each site using low-tide surveys from every site visit. Curlew density showed a strong positive association with both the density and biomass of fauna and of potential prey ( r values all around 0.70) across the 12 flats. Associations with crustacean density and biomass were also statistically significant (r values both 0.60). However, these variables also showed a strong negative correlation with a measure of substrate resistance (based on the amount of hard material in the substrate core), which was the best predictor of curlew density ( r = -0.82). Curlews were most abundant at sites with the least resistant substrate, and these sites also generally had the highest faunal density and biomass. When the effect of substrate resistance was statistically removed, curlew density was no longer significantly correlated with fauna density and biomass. This suggests that macro-scale habitat choice by Eastern Curlew on their non-breeding grounds is more strongly influenced by prey availability (which is higher when substrate resistance is lower) than by prey density or biomass, although in Moreton Bay a positive correlation across sites meant that these factors were synergistic.

Psychological factors associated with uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine and perception of post-vaccination side-effects: A cross-sectional survey in England.

PubMed

Smith, Louise E; Webster, Rebecca K; Weinman, John; Amlôt, Richard; Yiend, Jenny; Rubin, G James

2017-04-04

To identify predictors of: uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine in the 2015-2016 influenza season, parental perceptions of side-effects from the influenza vaccine and intention to vaccinate one's child for influenza in the 2016-2017 influenza season. Cross-sectional online survey. Data were collected in England shortly after the end of the 2015-2016 immunization campaign. 1001 parents or guardians of children aged between two and seven. Self-reported uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine in the 2015-2016 influenza season, perception of side-effects from the influenza vaccine and intention to vaccinate one's child in the 2016-2017 influenza season. Self-reported uptake of the childhood influenza vaccine was 52.8%. Factors strongly positively associated with uptake included the child having previously been vaccinated against influenza, perceiving the vaccine to be effective and perceiving the child to be susceptible to flu. Factors strongly negatively associated with uptake included perceiving the vaccine to be unsafe, to cause short-term side-effects or long-term health problems and believing that yearly vaccination may overload the immune system. Predictors of intended vaccine uptake in 2016-2017 were similar. Participants who perceived side-effects after the 2015-2016 vaccination reported being less likely to vaccinate their child next year. Side-effects were more likely to be reported in first-born children, by participants who knew another child who had side-effects, those who thought that the vaccine would interact with medication that the child was currently taking, and those who believed the vaccine causes short-term side-effects. Perceptions about the childhood influenza vaccine show strong associations with uptake, intended uptake and perception of side-effects. Attempts to improve uptake rates from their current low levels must address these perceptions. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Synoptical situations and meteorological conditions associated to floods in the mouth of rivers in the European part of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matveeva, Tatiana; Gushchina, Daria

2013-04-01

The synoptical situations associated to the various type of floods in the mouth of rivers in European part of Russia are described. The storm surges, water flows and ice-jams are considered for Baltic, Barents sea, White sea, Azov sea, Black sea and Caspian sea regions. It is shown that the specific types of flood may be associated to various synoptical situations. Therefore it is unlikely to introduce the classification of synoptical regimes resulting in specific type of floods. However for each zone under consideration and for each specific flood type it is possible to determine the potential predictors of inundation: i.e. meteorological parameters which are characteristics of all cases of specific flood. There are: • for storm surges - long term wind forcing resulting in seiches in the sea, strong wind speed (the threshold varies in dependence on region), the wind direction orthogonal to the flow of river and strong baric gradient; • for water flows - the abundant precipitation, usually associate with the intensive frontal zone, the sudden change of air temperature resulting in snow melting in spring time; • for ice-jams - the strong temperature gradient extended in north-south direction resulting in negative temperature in the river mouth and positive temperature in the other basin. The probability of occurrence of predictors mentioned above was estimated for modern climate and global warming conditions using the outputs of ECHAM5/MPI-OM model. It is shown that the occurrence of intensive frontal zone and rainfall in the South of Russia will increase (decrease) in summer (winter) under warmer climate conditions which may contribute to the increase of water flows in this region. Maximum of floods occurs during the warm period, we can conclude that global warming increases the risk of floods in Black Sea coast.

Predictors and moderators of response to cognitive behavioral therapy and medication for the treatment of binge eating disorder.

PubMed

Grilo, Carlos M; Masheb, Robin M; Crosby, Ross D

2012-10-01

To examine predictors and moderators of response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication treatments for binge-eating disorder (BED). 108 BED patients in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial testing CBT and fluoxetine treatments were assessed prior, throughout, and posttreatment. Demographic factors, psychiatric and personality disorder comorbidity, eating disorder psychopathology, psychological features, and 2 subtyping methods (negative affect, overvaluation of shape/weight) were tested as predictors and moderators for the primary outcome of remission from binge eating and 4 secondary dimensional outcomes (binge-eating frequency, eating disorder psychopathology, depression, and body mass index). Mixed-effects models analyzed all available data for each outcome variable. In each model, effects for baseline value and treatment were included with tests of both prediction and moderator effects. Several demographic and clinical variables significantly predicted and/or moderated outcomes. One demographic variable signaled a statistical advantage for medication only (younger participants had greater binge-eating reductions), whereas several demographic and clinical variables (lower self-esteem, negative affect, and overvaluation of shape/weight) signaled better improvements if receiving CBT. Overvaluation was the most salient predictor/moderator of outcomes. Overvaluation significantly predicted binge-eating remission (29% of participants with vs. 57% of participants without overvaluation remitted). Overvaluation was especially associated with lower remission rates if receiving medication only (10% vs. 42% for participants without overvaluation). Overvaluation moderated dimensional outcomes: Participants with overvaluation had significantly greater reductions in eating disorder psychopathology and depression levels if receiving CBT. Overvaluation predictor/moderator findings persisted after controlling for negative affect. Our findings have clinical utility for prescription of CBT and medication and implications for refinement of the BED diagnosis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Predictors and Moderators of Response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Medication for the Treatment of Binge Eating Disorder

PubMed Central

Grilo, Carlos. M.; Masheb, Robin M.; Crosby, Ross D.

2012-01-01

Objective To examine predictors and moderators of response to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and medication treatments for binge-eating disorder (BED). Method 108 BED patients in a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial testing CBT and fluoxetine treatments were assessed prior, throughout-, and post-treatment. Demographic factors, psychiatric and personality-disorder co-morbidity, eating-disorder psychopathology, psychological features, and two sub-typing methods (negative-affect, overvaluation of shape/weight) were tested as predictors and moderators for the primary outcome of remission from binge-eating and four secondary dimensional outcomes (binge-eating frequency, eating-disorder psychopathology, depression, and body mass index). Mixed-effects-models analyzed all available data for each outcome variable. In each model, effects for baseline value and treatment were included with tests of both prediction and moderator effects. Results Several demographic and clinical variables significantly predicted and/or moderated outcomes. One demographic variable signaled a statistical advantage for medication-only (younger participants had greater binge-eating reductions) whereas several demographic and clinical variables (lower self-esteem, negative-affect, and overvaluation of shape/weight) signaled better improvements if receiving CBT. Overvaluation was the most salient predictor/moderator of outcomes. Overvaluation significantly predicted binge-eating remission (29% of participants with versus 57% of participants without overvaluation remitted). Overvaluation was especially associated with lower remission rates if receiving medication-only (10% versus 42% for participants without overvaluation). Overvaluation moderated dimensional outcomes: participants with overvaluation had significantly greater reductions in eating-disorder psychopathology and depression levels if receiving CBT. Overvaluation predictor/moderator findings persisted after controlling for negative-affect. Conclusions Our findings have clinical utility for prescription of CBT and medication and implications for refinement of the BED diagnosis. PMID:22289130

A daily diary study of perceived social isolation, dietary restraint, and negative affect in binge eating.

PubMed

Mason, Tyler B; Heron, Kristin E; Braitman, Abby L; Lewis, Robin J

2016-02-01

Negative affect and dietary restraint are key predictors of binge eating, yet less is known about the impact of social factors on binge eating. The study sought to replicate and extend research on the relationships between negative affect, dietary restraint, perceived social isolation and binge eating using a daily diary methodology. College women (N = 54) completed measures of dietary restraint, negative affect, perceived social isolation, and binge eating daily for 14 days. Participants completed the measures nightly each day. A series of generalized estimating equations showed that dietary restraint was associated with less binge eating while controlling for negative affect and for perceived social isolation separately. Negative affect and perceived social isolation were associated with greater binge eating while controlling for restraint in separate analyses, but only perceived social isolation was significant when modeled simultaneously. All two-way interactions between negative affect, dietary restraint, and perceived social isolation predicting binge eating were nonsignificant. This study furthers our understanding of predictors of binge eating in a nonclinical sample. Specifically, these data suggest perceived social isolation, negative affect, and dietary restraint are important variables associated with binge eating in daily life and warrant further research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predictors of Early Growth in Academic Achievement: The Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClelland, Megan M.; Cameron, Claire E.; Duncan, Robert; Bowles, Ryan P.; Acock, Alan C.; Miao, Alicia; Pratt, Megan E.

2014-01-01

Children's behavioral self-regulation and executive function (EF; including attentional or cognitive flexibility, working memory, and inhibitory control) are strong predictors of academic achievement. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a measure of behavioral self-regulation called the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders (HTKS) by…

The Impact of Institutional Mission on Student Volunteering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Susan Crawford; Ludden, Alison Bryant; Singleton, Royce A., Jr.

2013-01-01

This study examined patterns and predictors of volunteering among students at a liberal arts college with an institutional culture that strongly promotes community service. Results showed that predictors varied across four different types of volunteering: community service, social action, religious service, and service to the college. Year in…

Neuroticism Predicts Acculturative Stress in Mexican American College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangold, Deborah L.; Veraza, Rafael; Kinkler, Lori; Kinney, Nathan A.

2007-01-01

Neuroticism is a risk factor for mood and anxiety disorders and a strong predictor of subjective stress in non-Hispanics. This study examined neuroticism as a predictor of subjective acculturative stress in 122 Mexican American college students. Neuroticism was measured using the Revised Neuroticism Extroversion Openness Personality Inventory…

Predictors of Heterosexual College Students' Attitudes toward LGBT People

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodford, Michael R.; Silverschanz, Perry; Swank, Eric; Scherrer, Kristin S.; Raiz, Lisa

2012-01-01

This study identifies the predictors of U.S. heterosexual undergraduate and graduate college students' attitudes toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people as a group rather than toward individual identities. Findings suggest that affirming LGBT attitudes are most strongly associated with liberal political ideology and whether…

Factors Associated with Drug Use among Youth Living in Homeless Shelters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Tracy; Dusenbury, Linda; Botvin, Gilbert J.; Farmer-Huselid, Rebecca

1997-01-01

Examined predictors of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use with homeless adolescents and preadolescents (N=234). Results reveal that social influences (friends and family drug use) are strong predictors of experimental drug use and intentions to use drugs, as are several psychological factors (psychological well-being, assertiveness, and social…

Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations in the Self-Regulation of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingery, Paul M.; Glasgow, Russell E.

1989-01-01

Findings from a study of 127 outpatients with noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus indicate that self-efficacy and outcome expectations are moderately strong predictors of self-care in the exercise regimen, but weaker predictors in the dietary and glucose testing areas. (IAH)

The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Adolescent Social Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Emily; Hessel, Elenda T.; Allen, Joseph

2016-01-01

Adolescents' negative social expectations of their peers were examined as long-term predictors of problematic self-reported social functioning. Early adolescent negative expectations were hypothesized to predict risk-averse functioning in late adolescence that would ultimately contribute to confirmation of those expectations. Utilizing…

Social and Environmental Predictors of Alcohol-Related Legal Infractions in College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juth, Vanessa; Smyth, Joshua M.; Thompson, Kevin; Nodes, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Research on alcohol consumption among college students is often limited by self-reported outcomes and a narrow focus of predictor factors. This study examined both traditional risk factors for alcohol use as well as broader factors (e.g., weather, seasons) in predicting objective negative outcomes of alcohol use--alcohol-related legal infractions…

The relationship between occupational stress, burnout, and turnover intention among managerial staff from a Sino-Japanese joint venture in Guangzhou, China.

PubMed

Lin, Qiu-Hong; Jiang, Chao-Qiang; Lam, Tai Hing

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between occupational stress, burnout and turnover intention and explore their associated factors among managerial staff in Guangzhou, China. This cross-sectional study recruited 288 managerial employees from a Sino-Japanese joint venture automobile manufacturing enterprise in Guangzhou. The questionnaire included questions about sociodemographic characteristics, smoking, drinking and physical activity and the Chinese versio ns of the Occupational Stress Indicator (OSI), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ) and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS). The response rate was 57.6%. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to examine the associations between burnout and occupational stress and turnover intention and related factors. The respondents had a high level burnout on the personal accomplishment subscale and had a high prevalence of turnover intention. Neuroticism, psychoticism, job satisfaction, occupational stress and social support were strong predictors of emotional exhaustion. Psychoticism, passive coping, occupational stress, objective support, utilization of support, male gender and job satisfaction were strong predictors of depersonalization. Active and passive coping and job satisfaction were strong predictors of personal accomplishment. Job dissatisfaction and emotional exhaustion were strong predictors of turnover intention. High occupational stress and low job satisfaction were associated with high burnout, particularly in the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization dimensions. Low job satisfaction and high emotional exhaustion were associated with high turnover intention among employees. Personality traits, social support and coping style were also found to be associated with burnout.

Negative Treatment by Family as a Predictor of Depressive Symptoms, Life Satisfaction, Suicidality, and Tobacco/Alcohol Use in Vietnamese Sexual Minority Women.

PubMed

Nguyen, Trang Quynh; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; German, Danielle; Nguyen, Nam T T; Bass, Judith K; Knowlton, Amy R

2016-10-01

Research linking family rejection and health outcomes in sexual minority people is mostly limited to North America. We assessed the associations between negative treatment by family members and depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, suicidality, and tobacco/alcohol use in sexual minority women (SMW) in Viet Nam. Data were from an anonymous internet survey (n = 1936). Latent class analysis characterized patterns of negative treatment by family members experienced by respondents. Latent class with distal outcome modeling was used to regress depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, suicidality, and tobacco/alcohol use on family treatment class, controlling for predictors of family treatment and for two other types of sexual prejudice. Five latent family treatment classes were extracted, including four negative classes representing varying patterns of negative family treatment. Overall, more than one negative class predicted lower life satisfaction, more depressive symptoms, and higher odds of attempted suicide (relative to the non-negative class), supporting the minority stress hypothesis that negative family treatment is predictive of poorer outcomes. Only the most negative class had elevated alcohol use. The association between family treatment and smoking status was not statistically significant. The most negative class, unexpectedly, did not have the highest odds of having attempted suicide, raising a question about survivor bias. This population requires public health attention, with emphasis placed on interventions targeting the family to promote acceptance and to prevent negative treatment, and interventions supporting those SMW who encounter the worst types of negative family treatment.

The incremental role of trait emotional intelligence on perceived cervical screening barriers.

PubMed

Costa, Sebastiano; Barberis, Nadia; Larcan, Rosalba; Cuzzocrea, Francesca

2018-02-13

Researchers have become increasingly interested in investigating the role of the psychological aspects related to the perception of cervical screening barriers. This study investigates the influence of trait EI on perceived cervical screening barriers. Furthermore, this study investigates the incremental validity of trait EI beyond the Big Five, as well as emotion regulation in the perceived barrier towards the Pap test as revealed in a sample of 206 Italian women that were undergoing cervical screening. Results have shown that trait EI is negatively related to cervical screening barriers. Furthermore, trait EI can be considered as a strong incremental predictor of a woman's perception of screening over and above the Big Five, emotion regulation, age, sexual intercourse experience and past Pap test. Detailed information on the study findings and future research directions are discussed.

Role of CYP24A1, VDR and GC gene polymorphisms on deferasirox pharmacokinetics and clinical outcomes.

PubMed

Allegra, S; Cusato, J; De Francia, S; Arduino, A; Longo, F; Pirro, E; Massano, D; De Nicolò, A; Piga, A; D'Avolio, A

2018-05-22

β-Thalassemia patients develop deficiency in vitamin D absorption and liver hydroxylation, resulting in extremely low calcitriol levels. We explored the role of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in vitamin D metabolism, transport and activity on deferasirox pharmacokinetics and outcomes (effectiveness trough levels (C trough ) and the area under the curve (AUC) cutoffs of 20 μg ml -1 and 360 μg ml -1  h -1 , respectively; nonresponse AUC limit of 250 μg ml -1  h -1 ). Ninety-nine β-thalassemic patients were enrolled. Drug plasma C trough and AUC were measured by the high-performance liquid chromatography system coupled with an ultraviolet determination method. Allelic discrimination for VDR, CYP24A1, CYP27B1 and GC gene SNPs was performed by real-time PCR. CYP24A1 22776 TT significantly influenced C min and negatively predicted it in regression analysis. CYP24A1 3999 CC was associated with C trough and C min and was a negative predictor of T max , whereas CYP24A1 8620 GG seemed to have a role in C trough , AUC, t 1/2 and C min , and was an AUC negative predictor factor. Considering treatment outcome, Cdx2 and GC 1296 were retained in regression analysis as AUC efficacy cutoff negative predictors.

Effectiveness and clinical predictors of response to combined ECT and antipsychotic therapy in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and dominant negative symptoms.

PubMed

Pawełczyk, Tomasz; Kołodziej-Kowalska, Emilia; Pawełczyk, Agnieszka; Rabe-Jabłońska, Jolanta

2014-12-15

The effectiveness and predictors of response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) combined with antipsychotics (AP) in treatment-resistant schizophrenia patients with the dominance of negative symptoms (TRS-NS) have not been studied systematically so far. 29 patients aged 21-55 years diagnosed with TRS-NS underwent ECT combined with antipsychotics (ECT+AP). Prior to the ECT, the symptom profile and severity were evaluated using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Demographic and medical data was collected; ECT parameters and pharmacotherapy results were evaluated. After the combined ECT+AP therapy a significant decrease in symptom severity was found. A response to treatment was achieved by 60% of patients. The greatest reductions were obtained in general and positive PANSS subscale (median change: 11 and 7 pts.) and the smallest, but still significant, ones in negative symptoms subscale (median: 3.5 pts.). Patients who responded to ECT+AP demonstrated a significantly shorter duration of the current episode in comparison with patients who did not experience at least a 25% reduction in symptom severity (median: 4 vs. 8 months). A combination of ECT and antipsychotic therapy can provide a useful treatment option for patients with TRS-NS. The only significant predictor of response to treatment was a shorter duration of the current episode. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Error-related brain activity predicts cocaine use after treatment at 3-month follow-up.

PubMed

Marhe, Reshmi; van de Wetering, Ben J M; Franken, Ingmar H A

2013-04-15

Relapse after treatment is one of the most important problems in drug dependency. Several studies suggest that lack of cognitive control is one of the causes of relapse. In this study, a relative new electrophysiologic index of cognitive control, the error-related negativity, is investigated to examine its suitability as a predictor of relapse. The error-related negativity was measured in 57 cocaine-dependent patients during their first week in detoxification treatment. Data from 49 participants were used to predict cocaine use at 3-month follow-up. Cocaine use at follow-up was measured by means of self-reported days of cocaine use in the last month verified by urine screening. A multiple hierarchical regression model was used to examine the predictive value of the error-related negativity while controlling for addiction severity and self-reported craving in the week before treatment. The error-related negativity was the only significant predictor in the model and added 7.4% of explained variance to the control variables, resulting in a total of 33.4% explained variance in the prediction of days of cocaine use at follow-up. A reduced error-related negativity measured during the first week of treatment was associated with more days of cocaine use at 3-month follow-up. Moreover, the error-related negativity was a stronger predictor of recent cocaine use than addiction severity and craving. These results suggest that underactive error-related brain activity might help to identify patients who are at risk of relapse as early as in the first week of detoxification treatment. Copyright © 2013 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Postwar winners and losers in the long run: determinants of war related stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth.

PubMed

Kimhi, Shaul; Eshel, Yohanan; Zysberg, Leehu; Hantman, Shira

2010-02-01

The study focuses on the long-term impact of war on adolescents (N = 821) and adults (N = 870) living in a war afflicted Israeli community a year after the war. Results indicate the following: (a) stress symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG) correlate negatively with each other. (b) Age was positively associated with stress symptoms and negatively with PTG. (c) Economic condition predicted stress symptoms as well as PTG of adults better than exposure to traumatic events, whereas for school students the best predictor of stress symptoms was exposure to traumatic events while the best predictor of PTG was age of participants.

Mental health treatment needs for medical students: a national longitudinal study.

PubMed

Midtgaard, Mirim; Ekeberg, Øivind; Vaglum, Per; Tyssen, Reidar

2008-10-01

We aimed to study the occurrence and predictors of medical students' mental health problems that required treatment. Medical students from all Norwegian universities (N=421) were surveyed in their first term (T1), and 3 (T2) and 6 (T3) years later. The dependent variable was "Mental health problems in need of treatment". Predictor variables included personality traits, medical school stress and negative life events. The lifetime prevalence of mental health problems was 15% at T1. At T2, of the 31% who reported problems during the first 3years, a majority had not sought help. At T3, 14% reported problems during the preceding year. Adjusted predictors of problems at T2 were previous mental health problems (p<.001), low level of intensity personality trait (extraversion) (p<.01), reality weakness personality trait (p<.01), perceived medical school stress (p<.05) and negative life events (p<.05). Mental health problems during the first 3years were predicted by previous problems, personality, medical school stress and negative life events. A third of the students reported mental health problems during the first 3years. Intervention should focus on both individual problems and contextual stress.

Childhood peer reputation as a predictor of competence and symptoms 10 years later.

PubMed

Gest, Scott D; Sesma, Arturo; Masten, Ann S; Tellegen, Auke

2006-08-01

This study examined the differential developmental significance of multiple domains of peer reputation in childhood for current and future competence and symptoms. Participants were 205 children from a normative school cohort who completed assessments in grades 3-6 and then again 10 years later. Through re-analysis of original data from the Revised Class Play (RCP; N=612), new narrow-band subscales were examined as distinct correlates and predictors of competence in age-relevant developmental tasks and psychological well being as indexed by internalizing symptoms. Findings support the differentiation of peer exclusion, withdrawal, and sadness within the broad sensitive-isolated domain of reputation, as well as the distinctive meaning of reputations for Popularity-Leadership and Prosocial Behavior within the broad Sociable-Leader domain. When the Sensitive-Isolated predictors were considered, academic and job competence at the 10-year follow-up were predicted uniquely and negatively by peer exclusion, problems in the social and romantic domains were predicted distinctively by withdrawal from peers, and internalizing symptoms were uniquely predicted by childhood reputation as Sad-Sensitive. When the Sociable-Leader predictors were considered, academic and (for ethnic minority youth) job success was predicted by a Prosocial reputation, social success was forecasted by Popularity-Leadership, and romantic competence was predicted positively by Popularity-Leadership and negatively by Prosocial reputation. Negative academic and job outcomes were also predicted by a childhood reputation as Aggressive-Disruptive. Results are discussed in relation to conceptualizing and measuring peer social competence and its relation to later adaptation.

A multigene predictor of metastatic outcome in early stage hormone receptor-negative and triple-negative breast cancer

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Various multigene predictors of breast cancer clinical outcome have been commercialized, but proved to be prognostic only for hormone receptor (HR) subsets overexpressing estrogen or progesterone receptors. Hormone receptor negative (HRneg) breast cancers, particularly those lacking HER2/ErbB2 overexpression and known as triple-negative (Tneg) cases, are heterogeneous and generally aggressive breast cancer subsets in need of prognostic subclassification, since most early stage HRneg and Tneg breast cancer patients are cured with conservative treatment yet invariably receive aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods An unbiased search for genes predictive of distant metastatic relapse was undertaken using a training cohort of 199 node-negative, adjuvant treatment naïve HRneg (including 154 Tneg) breast cancer cases curated from three public microarray datasets. Prognostic gene candidates were subsequently validated using a different cohort of 75 node-negative, adjuvant naïve HRneg cases curated from three additional datasets. The HRneg/Tneg gene signature was prognostically compared with eight other previously reported gene signatures, and evaluated for cancer network associations by two commercial pathway analysis programs. Results A novel set of 14 prognostic gene candidates was identified as outcome predictors: CXCL13, CLIC5, RGS4, RPS28, RFX7, EXOC7, HAPLN1, ZNF3, SSX3, HRBL, PRRG3, ABO, PRTN3, MATN1. A composite HRneg/Tneg gene signature index proved more accurate than any individual candidate gene or other reported multigene predictors in identifying cases likely to remain free of metastatic relapse. Significant positive correlations between the HRneg/Tneg index and three independent immune-related signatures (STAT1, IFN, and IR) were observed, as were consistent negative associations between the three immune-related signatures and five other proliferation module-containing signatures (MS-14, ONCO-RS, GGI, CSR/wound and NKI-70). Network analysis identified 8 genes within the HRneg/Tneg signature as being functionally linked to immune/inflammatory chemokine regulation. Conclusions A multigene HRneg/Tneg signature linked to immune/inflammatory cytokine regulation was identified from pooled expression microarray data and shown to be superior to other reported gene signatures in predicting the metastatic outcome of early stage and conservatively managed HRneg and Tneg breast cancer. Further validation of this prognostic signature may lead to new therapeutic insights and spare many newly diagnosed breast cancer patients the need for aggressive adjuvant chemotherapy. PMID:20946665

Parental Mediation Regarding Children's Smartphone Use: Role of Protection Motivation and Parenting Style.

PubMed

Hwang, Yoori; Choi, Inho; Yum, Jung-Yoon; Jeong, Se-Hoon

2017-06-01

Parental mediation is a type of behavior that could protect children against the negative uses and effects of smartphones. Based on protection motivation theory, this research (a) predicted parental mediation based on parents' threat and efficacy perceptions and (b) predicted threat and efficacy perceptions based on parenting styles and parents' addiction to smartphone use. An online survey of 448 parents of fourth to sixth graders was conducted. Results showed that both restrictive and active parental mediation were predicted by perceived severity, response efficacy, and self-efficacy. With regard to parenting styles, (a) authoritative parenting was positively related to perceived severity as well as response- and self-efficacy, whereas (b) permissive parenting was negatively related to self-efficacy. In addition, parents' addiction was a negative predictor of perceived severity, but a positive predictor of perceived susceptibility.

Psychosocial work characteristics and sleep quality: a systematic review of longitudinal and intervention research.

PubMed

Van Laethem, Michelle; Beckers, Debby G J; Kompier, Michiel A J; Dijksterhuis, Ap; Geurts, Sabine A E

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to review longitudinal and intervention studies examining the association between psychosocial work characteristics (eg, job demands, job control, and social support) and sleep quality. Our main research aims were to examine whether (i) psychosocial work characteristics are a predictor of sleep quality, and (ii) sleep quality, in turn, is a predictor of psychosocial work characteristics. A systematic literature search resulted in 20 relevant papers, of which 16 were longitudinal studies and 3 were intervention studies (1 study was discussed in separate papers). To quantify results, we assessed the strength of evidence of all examined associations and subsequently evaluated the studies' research quality based on predefined quality criteria. One intervention and three longitudinal studies studies were categorized as being of high-quality. In longitudinal studies, we found consistent and strong evidence for a negative relation between job demands and sleep quality as well as evidence for a positive relation between job control and sleep quality. Other psychosocial work characteristics were examined in an insufficient number of (high-quality) studies. Moreover, both intervention studies as well as studies investigating reversed and reciprocal relations are rare, which further limits the possibility of drawing conclusions on causality. Based on the current literature, it can be concluded that high job demands and low job control are predictors of poor sleep quality. More high-quality research is needed to examine the possible causal relationship between these and other psychosocial work characteristics with sleep quality, in addition to research focusing on reversed and reciprocal relations.

Self-efficacy and quality of life in adults who stutter.

PubMed

Carter, Alice; Breen, Lauren; Yaruss, J Scott; Beilby, Janet

2017-12-01

Self-efficacy has emerged as a potential predictor of quality of life for adults who stutter. Research has focused primarily on the positive relationship self-efficacy has to treatment outcomes, but little is known about the relationship between self-efficacy and quality of life for adults who stutter. The purpose of this mixed- methods study is to determine the predictive value of self-efficacy and its relationship to quality of life for adults who stutter. The Self-Efficacy Scale for Adult Stutterers and the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience with Stuttering were administered to 39 adults who stutter, aged 18- 77. Percentage of syllables stuttered was calculated from a conversational speech sample as a measure of stuttered speech frequency. Qualitative interviews with semi-structured probes were conducted with 10 adults and analyzed using thematic analysis to explore the lived experience of adults who stutter. Self-efficacy emerged as a strong positive predictor of quality of life for adults living with a stuttered speech disorder. Stuttered speech frequency was a moderate negative predictor of self-efficacy. Major qualitative themes identified from the interviews with the participants were: encumbrance, self-concept, confidence, acceptance, life-long journey, treatment, and support. Results provide clarity on the predictive value of self-efficacy and its relationship to quality of life and stuttered speech frequency. Findings highlight that the unique life experiences of adults who stutter require a multidimensional approach to the assessment and treatment of stuttered speech disorders. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lymph node status as a prognostic factor after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Li, Qingguo; Wang, Changjian; Li, Yaqi; Li, Xinxiang; Xu, Ye; Cai, Guoxiang; Lian, Peng; Cai, Sanjun

2017-07-18

Lymph node (LN) status is one of the most important predictors for M0 colorectal cancer patients. However, its clinical impact on stage IV colorectal cancer remains unclear. The study aimed to explore the prognostic value of LN status after palliative resection of primary tumor for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We combined analyses of mCRC patients in Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC).A total of 17,553 patients with mCRC were identified in SEER database. X-tile program was adopted to identify 2 and 10 as optimal cutoff values for negative lymph node (NLN) count to divide patients into 3 subgroups of high, middle and low risk of cancer related death. N stage and NLN count were verified as independent prognostic factors in multivariate analyses of patients in whole cohort and in subgroup analyses of each N stage (P<0.05). Validation of FUSCC cohort of patients demonstrated that metastatic tumor burden (P = 0.042), NLN count (P = 0.039) and sequential chemotherapy (P = 0.040) were significant predictors of poorer CSS. Specifically, the prognosis of patients at stage N0 was significantly more favorable than that of patients at stage N2 (P = 0.038). In conclusion, primary tumor LN status was a strong predictor of CSS after palliative resection of metastatic colorectal cancer. Advanced N stage and small number of NLN were correlated with high risk of cancer related death after palliative resection of primary tumor.

First line treatment of aplastic anemia with thymoglobuline in Europe and Asia: Outcome of 955 patients treated 2001-2012.

PubMed

Bacigalupo, Andrea; Oneto, Rosi; Schrezenmeier, Hubert; Hochsmann, Britta; Dufour, Carlo; Kojima, Seiji; Zhu, Xiaofan; Chen, Xiaojuan; Issaragrisil, Surapol; Chuncharunee, Suporn; Jeong, Dae Chul; Giammarco, Sabrina; Van Lint, Maria Teresa; Zheng, Yizhou; Vallejo, Carlos

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients with aplastic anemia (AA), receiving rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin, SANOFI) and cyclosporin, as first line treatment. Eligible were 955 patients with AA, treated first line with Thymoglobulin, between 2001 and 2008 (n = 492), or between 2009 and 2012 (n = 463). The median age of the patients was 21 years (range 1-84). Mortality within 90 days was 5.7% and 2.4%, respectively in the two time periods (P = .007).The actuarial 10-year survival for the entire population was 70%; transplant free survival was 64%. Predictors of survival in multivariate analysis, were severity of the disease, patients age and the interval between diagnosis and treatment. Survival was 87% vs 61% for responders at 6 months versus nonresponders (P < .0001). The 10-year survival of nonresponders at 6 months, undergoing a subsequent transplant (n = 110), was 64%, vs 60% for patient not transplantated (n = 266) (P = .1). The cumulative incidence of response was 37%, 52%, 65% respectively, at 90, 180, and 365 days. In multivariate analysis, negative predictors of response at 6 months, were older age, longer interval diagnosis treatment, and greater severity of the disease. In conclusion, early mortality is low after first line treatment of AA with Thymoglobulin, and has been further reduced after year 2008. Patients age, together with interval diagnosis-treament and severity of the disease, remain strong predictors of response and survival. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

New serum biomarkers for prostate cancer diagnosis

PubMed Central

Chadha, Kailash C.; Miller, Austin; Nair, Bindukumar B.; Schwartz, Stanley A.; Trump, Donald L.; Underwood, Willie

2014-01-01

Background Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is currently used as a biomarker for diagnosis and management of prostate cancer (CaP). However, PSA typically lacks the sensitivity and specificity desired of a diagnostic marker. Objective The goal of this study was to identify an additional biomarker or a panel of biomarkers that is more sensitive and specific than PSA in differentiating benign versus malignant prostate disease and/or localized CaP versus metastatic CaP. Methods Concurrent measurements of circulating interleukin-8 (IL-8), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and soluble tumor necrosis factor-α receptors 1 (sTNFR1) were obtained from four groups of men: (1) Controls (2) with elevated prostate-specific antigen with a negative prostate biopsy (elPSA_negBx) (3) with clinically localized CaP and (4) with castration resistant prostate cancer. Results TNF-α Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC = 0.93) and sTNFR1 (AUC = 0.97) were strong predictors of elPSA_negBx (vs. CaP). The best predictor of elPSA_negBx vs CaP was sTNFR1 and IL-8 combined (AUC = 0.997). The strongest single predictors of localized versus metastatic CaP were TNF-α (AUC = 0.992) and PSA (AUC = 0.963) levels. Conclusions The specificity and sensitivity of a PSA-based CaP diagnosis can be significantly enhanced by concurrent serum measurements of IL-8, TNF-α and sTNFR1. In view of the concerns about the ability of PSA to distinguish clinically relevant CaP from indolent disease, assessment of these biomarkers in the larger cohort is warranted. PMID:25593898

Retraining the addicted brain: a review of hypothesized neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness-based relapse prevention.

PubMed

Witkiewitz, Katie; Lustyk, M Kathleen B; Bowen, Sarah

2013-06-01

Addiction has generally been characterized as a chronic relapsing condition (Leshner, 1999). Several laboratory, preclinical, and clinical studies have provided evidence that craving and negative affect are strong predictors of the relapse process. These states, as well as the desire to avoid them, have been described as primary motives for substance use. A recently developed behavioral treatment, mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP), was designed to target experiences of craving and negative affect and their roles in the relapse process. MBRP offers skills in cognitive-behavioral relapse prevention integrated with mindfulness meditation. The mindfulness practices in MBRP are intended to increase discriminative awareness, with a specific focus on acceptance of uncomfortable states or challenging situations without reacting "automatically." A recent efficacy trial found that those randomized to MBRP, as compared with those in a control group, demonstrated significantly lower rates of substance use and greater decreases in craving following treatment. Furthermore, individuals in MBRP did not report increased craving or substance use in response to negative affect. It is important to note, areas of the brain that have been associated with craving, negative affect, and relapse have also been shown to be affected by mindfulness training. Drawing from the neuroimaging literature, we review several plausible mechanisms by which MBRP might be changing neural responses to the experiences of craving and negative affect, which subsequently may reduce risk for relapse. We hypothesize that MBRP may affect numerous brain systems and may reverse, repair, or compensate for the neuroadaptive changes associated with addiction and addictive-behavior relapse. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Health Communication in Social Media: Message Features Predicting User Engagement on Diabetes-Related Facebook Pages.

PubMed

Rus, Holly M; Cameron, Linda D

2016-10-01

Social media provides unprecedented opportunities for enhancing health communication and health care, including self-management of chronic conditions such as diabetes. Creating messages that engage users is critical for enhancing message impact and dissemination. This study analyzed health communications within ten diabetes-related Facebook pages to identify message features predictive of user engagement. The Common-Sense Model of Illness Self-Regulation and established health communication techniques guided content analyses of 500 Facebook posts. Each post was coded for message features predicted to engage users and numbers of likes, shares, and comments during the week following posting. Multi-level, negative binomial regressions revealed that specific features predicted different forms of engagement. Imagery emerged as a strong predictor; messages with images had higher rates of liking and sharing relative to messages without images. Diabetes consequence information and positive identity predicted higher sharing while negative affect, social support, and crowdsourcing predicted higher commenting. Negative affect, crowdsourcing, and use of external links predicted lower sharing while positive identity predicted lower commenting. The presence of imagery weakened or reversed the positive relationships of several message features with engagement. Diabetes control information and negative affect predicted more likes in text-only messages, but fewer likes when these messages included illustrative imagery. Similar patterns of imagery's attenuating effects emerged for the positive relationships of consequence information, control information, and positive identity with shares and for positive relationships of negative affect and social support with comments. These findings hold promise for guiding communication design in health-related social media.

Re-Training the Addicted Brain: A Review of Hypothesized Neurobiological Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention

PubMed Central

Witkiewitz, Katie; Lustyk, M. Kathleen B.; Bowen, Sarah

2013-01-01

Addiction has generally been characterized as a chronic relapsing condition. Several laboratory, preclinical, and clinical studies have provided evidence that craving and negative affect are strong predictors of the relapse process. These states, as well as the desire to avoid them, have been described as primary motives for substance use. A recently developed behavioral treatment, Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention (MBRP), was designed to target experiences of craving and negative affect and their roles in the relapse process. MBRP offers skills in cognitive behavioral relapse prevention integrated with mindfulness meditation. The mindfulness practices in MBRP are intended to increase discriminative awareness, with a specific focus on acceptance of uncomfortable states or challenging situations without reacting “automatically.” A recent efficacy trial found that those randomized to MBRP, as compared to those in a control group, demonstrated significantly lower rates of substance use and greater decreases in craving following treatment. Furthermore, individuals in MBRP did not report increased craving or substance use in response to negative affect. Importantly, areas of the brain that have been associated with craving, negative affect, and relapse have also been shown to be affected by mindfulness training. Drawing from the neuroimaging literature, we review several plausible mechanisms by which MBRP might be changing neural responses to the experiences of craving and negative affect, which subsequently may reduce risk for relapse. We hypothesize that MBRP may affect numerous brain systems and may reverse, repair, or compensate for the neuroadaptive changes associated with addiction and addictive behavior relapse. PMID:22775773

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.

Iron deficiency up-regulates iron absorption from ferrous sulphate but not ferric pyrophosphate and consequently food fortification with ferrous sulphate has relatively greater efficacy in iron-deficient individuals.

PubMed

Zimmermann, Michael B; Biebinger, Ralf; Egli, Ines; Zeder, Christophe; Hurrell, Richard F

2011-04-01

Fe absorption from water-soluble forms of Fe is inversely proportional to Fe status in humans. Whether this is true for poorly soluble Fe compounds is uncertain. Our objectives were therefore (1) to compare the up-regulation of Fe absorption at low Fe status from ferrous sulphate (FS) and ferric pyrophosphate (FPP) and (2) to compare the efficacy of FS with FPP in a fortification trial to increase body Fe stores in Fe-deficient children v. Fe-sufficient children. Using stable isotopes in test meals in young women (n 49) selected for low and high Fe status, we compared the absorption of FPP with FS. We analysed data from previous efficacy trials in children (n 258) to determine whether Fe status at baseline predicted response to FS v. FPP as salt fortificants. Plasma ferritin was a strong negative predictor of Fe bioavailability from FS (P < 0·0001) but not from FPP. In the efficacy trials, body Fe at baseline was a negative predictor of the change in body Fe for both FPP and FS, but the effect was significantly greater with FS (P < 0·01). Because Fe deficiency up-regulates Fe absorption from FS but not from FPP, food fortification with FS may have relatively greater impact in Fe-deficient children. Thus, more soluble Fe compounds not only demonstrate better overall absorption and can be used at lower fortification levels, but they also have the added advantage that, because their absorption is up-regulated in Fe deficiency, they innately 'target' Fe-deficient individuals in a population.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on HER-2 expression in surgically treated gastric and oesophagogastric junction carcinoma: a multicentre Italian study.

PubMed

Chiari, Damiano; Orsenigo, Elena; Guarneri, Giovanni; Baiocchi, Gian Luca; Mazza, Elena; Albarello, Luca; Bissolati, Massimiliano; Molfino, Sarah; Staudacher, Carlo

2017-03-01

Predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy are not available for gastric and oesophago-gastric junction carcinoma. HER-2 over-expression in breast cancer correlates with poor prognosis and high incidence of recurrence. First aim of this study was to evaluate if the HER-2 expression/amplification is predictive of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in terms of pathologic regression. Secondary aim was to evaluate if HER-2 expression varies after neoadjuvant treatment. Thirty-five patients with locally advanced gastric or oesophago-gastric junction carcinoma underwent preoperative chemotherapy and surgical resection at San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Spedali Civili of Brescia. HER-2 expression/amplification was evaluated on every biopsy at diagnosis time and on every surgical sample after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Pathologic response to chemotherapy was evaluated according to TNM classification (ypT status and ypN status) and Mandard's tumour regression grade classification. In our series 10 patients (28.6%) showed a reduction in HER-2 overexpression and in 6 of them (17.1%) HER-2 expression completely disappeared. Only three of the six patients with HER-2 disappearance had a complete pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. There was a strong correlation between HER-2 negativity on biopsy and absence of lymph node metastasis in surgical samples after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, irrespective of nodal status before chemotherapy. A direct correlation between HER-2 reduction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and pathologic regression (primary tumour and lymph nodes) in surgical samples was found. HER-2 negativity may represent a predictor of pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for gastric and oesophago-gastric junction adenocarcinoma. Neoadjuvant treatment can reduce HER-2 overexpression.

NT-pro-BNP predicts worsening renal function in patients with chronic systolic heart failure.

PubMed

Pfister, R; Müller-Ehmsen, J; Hagemeister, J; Hellmich, M; Erdmann, E; Schneider, C A

2011-06-01

Worsening renal function (WRF) is frequently observed in patients with heart failure and is associated with worse outcome. The aim of this study was to examine the association of the cardiac serum marker N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP) and WRF. A total of 125 consecutive patients of a tertiary care outpatient clinic for heart failure prospectively underwent evaluation of renal function every 6 months. The association of baseline NT-pro-BNP with WRF was analysed during a follow up of 18 months. Twenty-eight (22.4%) patients developed WRF (increase in serum creatinine ≥0.3 mg/dL). Patients with WRF (2870 pg/mL, interquartile range (IQR) 1063-4765) had significantly higher baseline NT-pro-BNP values than patients without WRF (547 pg/mL, IQR 173-1454). The risk for WRF increased by 4.0 (95% CI 2.1-7.5) for each standard deviation of log NT-pro-BNP. In multivariable analysis including age, baseline renal function, ejection fraction, New York Heart Association class and diuretic dose, only NT-pro-BNP and diabetes were independent predictors of WRF. At a cut-off level of 696 pg/mL, NT-pro-BNP showed a sensitivity of 92.9% and a negative predictive value of 96.4% for WRF. NT-pro-BNP is a strong independent predictor of WRF within 18 months in patients with systolic heart failure with a high negative predictive value. Further studies are needed to evaluate reno-protective strategies in patients with elevated NT-pro-BNP. © 2011 The Authors. Internal Medicine Journal © 2011 Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Pretransplant soluble CD30 is a better predictor of posttransplant development of donor-specific antibodies and acute vascular rejection than panel reactive antibodies.

PubMed

Vaidya, Smita; Partlow, David; Barnes, Titus; Gugliuzza, Kristine

2006-12-27

This study tests a hypothesis that pretransplant concentration of soluble CD30 (sCD30) is a better predictor of posttransplant development of donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA) and acute vascular rejection (AVR) than panel reactive HLA antibodies (PRA). Pretransplant sera from 115 patients were evaluated for their PRA and sCD30 concentrations. All patients received calcineurin-inhibitor based immunosuppressive therapy. Objective measurements for rejection were biopsy-proven AVR episodes within first 6 months of the transplant. Posttransplant sera of patients with or without AVR were tested for the presence of DSA. AVR rate was 16% (18/115). Patients positive for PRA and sCD30 tests were at significantly higher risk for AVR compared to those patients negative for both tests (36% versus 5%, p = 0.01). Among negative PRA patients risk for AR was significantly elevated if they were also tested positive for sCD30 concentrations (21% versus 5%, p = 0.04). Of the 18 patients with AVR, 14 were positive for sCD30, and 13 of them (93%) developed DSA posttransplant (p = 0.001) Nineteen patients without AVR were tested for DSA and sCD30 concentrations. Only two of these 19 patients were positive for sCD30 and DSA. AVR was strongly associated with the patients tested positive for both the tests: DSA and sCD30 (p = 0.00007). Furthermore, patients with AVR are more likely to produce DSA than those without AVR (p = 0.02). These data support our hypothesis that patients positive for sCD30 contents are at high risk the development of DSA and AVR posttransplant regardless of their pretransplant PRA.

The specificity of parenting effects: Differential relations of parent praise and criticism to children's theories of intelligence and learning goals.

PubMed

Gunderson, Elizabeth A; Donnellan, M Brent; Robins, Richard W; Trzesniewski, Kali H

2018-04-24

Individuals who believe that intelligence can be improved with effort (an incremental theory of intelligence) and who approach challenges with the goal of improving their understanding (a learning goal) tend to have higher academic achievement. Furthermore, parent praise is associated with children's incremental theories and learning goals. However, the influences of parental criticism, as well as different forms of praise and criticism (e.g., process vs. person), have received less attention. We examine these associations by analyzing two existing datasets (Study 1: N = 317 first to eighth graders; Study 2: N = 282 fifth and eighth graders). In both studies, older children held more incremental theories of intelligence, but lower learning goals, than younger children. Unexpectedly, the relation between theories of intelligence and learning goals was nonsignificant and did not vary with children's grade level. In both studies, overall perceived parent praise positively related to children's learning goals, whereas perceived parent criticism negatively related to incremental theories of intelligence. In Study 2, perceived parent process praise was the only significant (positive) predictor of children's learning goals, whereas perceived parent person criticism was the only significant (negative) predictor of incremental theories of intelligence. Finally, Study 2 provided some support for our hypothesis that age-related differences in perceived parent praise and criticism can explain age-related differences in children's learning goals. Results suggest that incremental theories of intelligence and learning goals might not be strongly related during childhood and that perceived parent praise and criticism have important, but distinct, relations with each motivational construct. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Negative Academic Emotion and Psychological Well-being in Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal

PubMed Central

Wang, Daoyang; Li, Shuting; Hu, Mingming; Dong, Dan; Tao, Sha

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore the relationship among negative academic emotions (e.g., anxiety, shame, anger, boredom, hopelessness, disappointment, and hatred), psychological well-being (including life vitality, health concern, altruism commitment, self-value, friendly relationship, and personal development), and cognitive reappraisal in rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the relationship between psychological well-being and negative academic emotions is moderated by cognitive reappraisal. A total of 311 migrant adolescents aged 14–20 years were selected, including 132 boys and 179 girls. Results of a regression analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal (positive) and negative academic emotions were significant predictors of psychological well-being. The interaction effect between cognitive reappraisal and negative academic emotion was also a significant predictor of psychological well-being. In the simple slope analysis the group with a below average cognitive reappraisal score the negative academic emotions were associated with lower psychological well-being, whereas in the group with above average cognitive reappraisal the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. However, for those with a cognitive reappraisal score of 1 standard deviation above the average, the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal was a significant moderator in the relationship between negative academic emotion and psychological well-being. PMID:28824495

Negative Academic Emotion and Psychological Well-being in Chinese Rural-to-Urban Migrant Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Cognitive Reappraisal.

PubMed

Wang, Daoyang; Li, Shuting; Hu, Mingming; Dong, Dan; Tao, Sha

2017-01-01

The study aimed to explore the relationship among negative academic emotions (e.g., anxiety, shame, anger, boredom, hopelessness, disappointment, and hatred), psychological well-being (including life vitality, health concern, altruism commitment, self-value, friendly relationship, and personal development), and cognitive reappraisal in rural-to-urban migrant adolescents in China. Specifically, it was hypothesized that the relationship between psychological well-being and negative academic emotions is moderated by cognitive reappraisal. A total of 311 migrant adolescents aged 14-20 years were selected, including 132 boys and 179 girls. Results of a regression analysis showed that cognitive reappraisal (positive) and negative academic emotions were significant predictors of psychological well-being. The interaction effect between cognitive reappraisal and negative academic emotion was also a significant predictor of psychological well-being. In the simple slope analysis the group with a below average cognitive reappraisal score the negative academic emotions were associated with lower psychological well-being, whereas in the group with above average cognitive reappraisal the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. However, for those with a cognitive reappraisal score of 1 standard deviation above the average, the effect of negative academic emotions on psychological well-being was not significant. These results suggest that cognitive reappraisal was a significant moderator in the relationship between negative academic emotion and psychological well-being.

Undifferentiated negative affect and impulsivity in borderline personality and depressive disorders: A momentary perspective.

PubMed

Tomko, Rachel L; Lane, Sean P; Pronove, Lisa M; Treloar, Hayley R; Brown, Whitney C; Solhan, Marika B; Wood, Phillip K; Trull, Timothy J

2015-08-01

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often report experiencing several negative emotions simultaneously, an indicator of "undifferentiated" negative affect. The current study examined the relationship between undifferentiated negative affect and impulsivity. Participants with a current BPD (n = 67) or depressive disorder (DD; n = 38) diagnosis carried an electronic diary for 28 days, reporting on emotions and impulsivity when randomly prompted (up to 6 times per day). Undifferentiated negative affect was quantified using momentary intraclass correlation coefficients, which indicated how consistently negative emotion items were rated across fear, hostility, and sadness subscales. Undifferentiated negative affect at the occasion-level, day-level, and across 28 days was used to predict occasion-level impulsivity. Multilevel modeling was used to test the hypothesis that undifferentiated negative emotion would be a significant predictor of momentary impulsivity above and beyond levels of overall negative affect. Undifferentiated negative affect at the occasion and day levels were significant predictors of occasion-level impulsivity, but undifferentiated negative affect across the 28-day study period was only marginally significant. Results did not differ depending on BPD or DD status, though individuals with BPD did report significantly greater momentary impulsivity and undifferentiated negative affect. Undifferentiated negative affect may increase risk for impulsivity among individuals with BPD and depressive disorders, and the current data suggest that this process can be relatively immediate as well as cumulative over the course of a day. This research supports the consideration of undifferentiated negative affect as a transdiagnostic construct, but one that may be particularly relevant for those with BPD. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Undifferentiated Negative Affect and Impulsivity in Borderline Personality and Depressive Disorders: A Momentary Perspective

PubMed Central

Pronove, Lisa M.; Treloar, Hayley R.; Brown, Whitney C.; Solhan, Marika B.; Wood, Phillip K.; Trull, Timothy J.

2015-01-01

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often report experiencing several negative emotions simultaneously, an indicator of “undifferentiated” negative affect. The current study examined the relationship between undifferentiated negative affect and impulsivity. Participants with a current BPD (n = 67) or depressive disorder (DD; n = 38) diagnosis carried an electronic diary for 28 days, reporting on emotions and impulsivity when randomly prompted (up to 6 times per day). Undifferentiated negative affect was quantified using momentary intraclass correlation coefficients, which indicated how consistently negative emotion items were rated across fear, hostility, and sadness subscales. Undifferentiated negative affect at the occasion-level, day-level, and across 28 days was used to predict occasion-level impulsivity. Multilevel modeling was used to test the hypothesis that undifferentiated negative emotion would be a significant predictor of momentary impulsivity above and beyond levels of overall negative affect. Undifferentiated negative affect at the occasion and day levels were significant predictors of occasion-level impulsivity, but undifferentiated negative affect across the 28-day study period was only marginally significant. Results did not differ depending on BPD or DD status, though BPD individuals did report significantly greater momentary impulsivity and undifferentiated negative affect. Undifferentiated negative affect may increase risk for impulsivity among individuals with BPD and depressive disorders, and the current data suggest that this process can be relatively immediate as well as cumulative over the course of a day. This research supports the consideration of undifferentiated negative affect as a transdiagnostic construct, but one that may be particularly relevant for those with BPD. PMID:26147324

Factors Predicting Internalized Stigma Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaohua; Sheng, Yu; Khoshnood, Kaveh; Clark, Kirsty

Internalized stigma in people living with HIV is associated with negative outcomes including sexual risk behaviors and depression. Little research has focused on internalized stigma in men who have sex with men living with HIV (MSMLWH) in China. We measured internalized stigma and examined its potential predictors in a sample of 277 MSMLWH from two infectious disease specialist hospitals in Beijing, China. Descriptive analysis showed an intermediate high level of internalized stigma in these men. Multiple linear regression revealed that higher levels of stereotypes, negative affect, older age, lower levels of mastery, and limited information and emotional support were significant predictors of internalized stigma. Cognitive reconstruction interventions should be developed to change negative stereotypes and reduce internalized stigma, and information and emotional support should be provided to develop mastery, foster coping skills for internalized stigma, and alleviate negative affect. MSMLWH of older ages need more attention in stigma reduction programs. Copyright © 2016 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

Lymph Node Micrometastases are Associated with Worse Survival in Patients with Otherwise Node-Negative Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma.

PubMed

Mantel, Hendrik T J; Wiggers, Jim K; Verheij, Joanne; Doff, Jan J; Sieders, Egbert; van Gulik, Thomas M; Gouw, Annette S H; Porte, Robert J

2015-12-01

Lymph node metastases on routine histology are a strong negative predictor for survival after resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Additional immunohistochemistry can detect lymph node micrometastases in patients who are otherwise node negative, but the prognostic value is unsure. The objective of this study was to assess the effect on survival of immunohistochemically detected lymph node micrometastases in patients with node-negative (pN0) hilar cholangiocarcinoma on routine histology. Between 1990 and 2010, a total of 146 patients underwent curative-intent resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma with regional lymphadenectomy at two university medical centers in the Netherlands. Ninety-one patients (62 %) without lymph node metastases at routine histology were included. Micrometastases were identified by multiple sectioning of all lymph nodes and additional immunostaining with an antibody against cytokeratin 19 (K19). The association with overall survival was assessed in univariable and multivariable analysis. Median follow-up was 48 months. Micrometastases were identified in 16 (5 %) of 324 lymph nodes, corresponding to 11 (12 %) of 91 patients. There were no differences in clinical variables between K19 lymph node-positive and -negative patients. Five-year survival rates in patients with lymph node micrometastases were significantly lower compared to patients without micrometastases (27 vs. 54 %, P = 0.01). Multivariable analysis confirmed micrometastases as an independent prognostic factor for survival (adjusted Hazard ratio 2.4, P = 0.02). Lymph node micrometastases are associated with worse survival after resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical detection of lymph node micrometastases leads to better staging of patients who were initially diagnosed with node-negative (pN0) hilar cholangiocarcinoma on routine histology.

Can unaided non-linguistic measures predict cochlear implant candidacy?

PubMed Central

Shim, Hyun Joon; Won, Jong Ho; Moon, Il Joon; Anderson, Elizabeth S.; Drennan, Ward R.; McIntosh, Nancy E.; Weaver, Edward M.; Rubinstein, Jay T.

2014-01-01

Objective To determine if unaided, non-linguistic psychoacoustic measures can be effective in evaluating cochlear implant (CI) candidacy. Study Design Prospective split-cohort study including predictor development subgroup and independent predictor validation subgroup. Setting Tertiary referral center. Subjects Fifteen subjects (28 ears) with hearing loss were recruited from patients visiting the University of Washington Medical Center for CI evaluation. Methods Spectral-ripple discrimination (using a 13-dB modulation depth) and temporal modulation detection using 10- and 100-Hz modulation frequencies were assessed with stimuli presented through insert earphones. Correlations between performance for psychoacoustic tasks and speech perception tasks were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to estimate the optimal psychoacoustic score for CI candidacy evaluation in the development subgroup and then tested in an independent sample. Results Strong correlations were observed between spectral-ripple thresholds and both aided sentence recognition and unaided word recognition. Weaker relationships were found between temporal modulation detection and speech tests. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the unaided spectral ripple discrimination shows a good sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value compared to the current gold standard, aided sentence recognition. Conclusions Results demonstrated that the unaided spectral-ripple discrimination test could be a promising tool for evaluating CI candidacy. PMID:24901669

An investigation of the relationship between subjective sleep quality, loneliness and mood in an Australian sample: can daily routine explain the links?

PubMed

Smith, Simon Squire; Kozak, Nahum; Sullivan, Karen Anne

2012-03-01

Loneliness and low mood are associated with significant negative health outcomes including poor sleep, but the strength of the evidence underlying these associations varies. There is strong evidence that poor sleep quality and low mood are linked, but only emerging evidence that loneliness and poor sleep are associated. To independently replicate the finding that loneliness and poor subjective sleep quality are associated and to extend past research by investigating lifestyle regularity as a possible mediator of relationships, since lifestyle regularity has been linked to loneliness and poor sleep. Using a cross-sectional design, 97 adults completed standardized measures of loneliness, lifestyle regularity, subjective sleep quality and mood. Loneliness was a significant predictor of sleep quality. Lifestyle regularity was not a predictor of, nor associated with, mood, sleep quality or loneliness. This study provides an important independent replication of the association between poor sleep and loneliness. However, the mechanism underlying this link remains unclear. A theoretically plausible mechanism for this link, lifestyle regularity, does not explain the relationship between loneliness and poor sleep. The nexus between loneliness and poor sleep is unlikely to be broken by altering the social rhythm of patients who present with poor sleep and loneliness.

Relative Importance of Emotional Dysregulation, Hostility, and Impulsiveness in Predicting Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrated by Men in Alcohol Treatment

PubMed Central

Tharp, Andra Teten; Schumacher, Julie A.; McLeish, Alison C.; Samper, Rita E.; Coffey, Scott F.

2013-01-01

The current study employs dominance analysis to assess the relative importance of three constructs—hostility, impulsiveness, and emotional dysregulation (difficulties managing one’s emotions when experiencing negative emotion or distress)—in explaining psychological, physical, and sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration by men seeking alcohol treatment. A sample of 121 predominantly White, heterosexual men (average age 33.28, range = 18 - 62) enrolled in residential substance abuse treatment completed measures of emotional dysregulation, hostility, and impulsiveness, which are three highly related constructs identified as risk factors for both substance use disorders and IPV. The constructs collectively accounted for 20-25% of the variance in each form of IPV. Because impulsiveness, hostility, and emotional dysregulation are highly correlated, dominance analysis was used to examine which factor most strongly predicted each form of IPV. Dominance analysis findings favored hostility as a predictor of physical IPV perpetration, and impulsiveness as a predictor of sexual and psychological IPV perpetration. Differential associations between the constructs and each form of IPV may be used to inform assessment and treatment planning of men who abuse alcohol. Better understanding, preventing, and treating male-to-female IPV will protect women from the far-reaching consequences of this violence. PMID:23990693

Internet Searches for Affect-Related Terms: An Indicator of Subjective Well-Being and Predictor of Health Outcomes across US States and Metro Areas.

PubMed

Ford, Michael T; Jebb, Andrew T; Tay, Louis; Diener, Ed

2018-03-01

The present study explored the potential for internet search data to serve as indicators of subjective well-being (SWB) and predictors of health at the state and metro area levels. We propose that searches for positive and negative affect-related terms represent information-seeking behavior of individuals who are experiencing emotions and seeking information about them. Data on the frequency of Google searches for 15 affect terms were collected from Google's Trends website (trends.google.com). These were paired with data on health, self-reported emotions, psychological well-being, personality, and Twitter postings at the state and metro area levels. Several internet search scores correlated with indicators of cardiovascular health and depression. Some search term scores also correlated strongly with self-reported emotions, well-being metrics, neuroticism, per capita income, and Twitter postings at the state or metro area level. Multiple regression analyses suggest that affect searches predict depression rates at the metro area level beyond the effects of income and other well-being measures. The results highlight the promise and challenges of using internet search data at the aggregate level for physical and mental health assessment and surveillance. © 2018 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

The intake of selected foods by six-year-old Swedish children differs according to parental education and migration status.

PubMed

Säfsten, Eleonor; Nyberg, Gisela; Elinder, Liselotte Schäfer; Norman, Åsa; Patterson, Emma

2016-04-01

Little is known about how parental migration status may be associated with children's diets. We examined whether the intake of selected foods by six-year-old children differed according to their parents' migration status, taking education level into account. This study used pooled baseline data from two clustered randomised controlled trials of A Healthy School Start, conducted in municipalities of low-to-medium socio-economic status in Stockholm County, Sweden. The children's intake of selected healthy and unhealthy foods was reported by parents using the Eating and Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the children's height and weight were measured. Parental education and country of birth were self-reported. Data were available for 520 children. Low parental education was associated with significantly higher intakes of fruit, higher intakes of several unhealthy foods and lower intakes of vegetables. Children of parents born outside the Nordic region had higher intakes of all unhealthy foods as well as fruit and vegetables, even when adjusted for education. A negative association between high education and overweight was only seen in children of Nordic-born parents. Parental migration status was a strong predictor of the intake of selected foods and was a stronger predictor than parental education. ©2015 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How do attitudes, personality traits, and driver behaviors relate to pedestrian behaviors?: A Turkish case.

PubMed

Şimşekoğlu, Özlem

2015-01-01

The present study aimed to investigate the role of pedestrian attitudes and personality traits (social conformity and empathy) on pedestrian behaviors in a Turkish sample. An equally important aim of the study was to examine the association between pedestrian and driver behaviors. The sample included 289 road users including pedestrians and drivers (169 females and 120 males). The participants' age ranged from 15 to 78 years (M = 32.00, SD = 13.89). Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A regression analysis showed that increased age, high level of satisfaction with traffic infrastructure and environment, safer attitudes toward pedestrian violations, and empathy were negatively related to risky pedestrian behaviors, whereas social conformity was positively related. Attitudes were the strongest predictor of pedestrian behaviors. In addition, bivariate correlation analysis showed that all dimensions of pedestrian and driver behaviors were positively correlated with each other, which indicates that a tendency to take risks remains the same regardless of the road user role (i.e., driver vs. pedestrian). Attitudes are strong predictors of pedestrian behaviors. A tendency to take risks as a pedestrian and as a driver is correlated. Results are discussed for their implications to traffic safety campaigns targeting increased pedestrian safety.

Apathy is associated with lower mental and physical quality of life in persons infected with HIV.

PubMed

Kamat, Rujvi; Woods, Steven Paul; Cameron, Marizela V; Iudicello, Jennifer E

2016-10-01

HIV infection is associated with lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which is influenced by immunovirological factors, negative affect, neurocognitive impairment, and functional dependence. Although apathy is a common neuropsychiatric sequela of HIV infection, emerging findings regarding its unique role in lower HRQoL have been mixed. The present study was guided by Wilson and Cleary's (1995), model in examining the association between apathy and physical and mental HRQoL in 80 HIV+ individuals who completed a neuromedical examination, neuropsychological assessment, structured psychiatric interview, and a series of questionnaires including the SF-36. Apathy was measured using a composite of the apathy subscale of the Frontal Systems Behavioral Scale and the vigor-activation subscale of the Profile of Mood States. Independent of major depressive disorder, neurocognitive impairment, functional status, and current CD4 count, apathy was strongly associated with HRQoL. Specifically, apathy and CD4 count were significant predictors of physical HRQoL, whereas apathy and depression were the only predictors of mental HRQoL. All told, these findings suggest that apathy plays a unique role in HRQoL and support the importance of assessing and managing apathy in an effort to maximize health outcomes among individuals with HIV disease.

A Bayesian model averaging approach to examining changes in quality of life among returning Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

PubMed Central

Stock, Eileen M.; Kimbrel, Nathan A.; Meyer, Eric C.; Copeland, Laurel A.; Monte, Ralph; Zeber, John E.; Gulliver, Suzy Bird; Morissette, Sandra B.

2016-01-01

Many Veterans from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan return home with physical and psychological impairments that impact their ability to enjoy normal life activities and diminish their quality of life (QoL). The present research aimed to identify predictors of QoL over an 8-month period using Bayesian model averaging (BMA), which is a statistical technique useful for maximizing power with smaller sample sizes. A sample of 117 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans receiving care in a southwestern healthcare system was recruited, and BMA examined the impact of key demographics (e.g., age, gender), diagnoses (e.g., depression), and treatment modalities (e.g., individual therapy, medication) on QoL over time. Multiple imputation based on Gibbs sampling was employed for incomplete data (6.4% missingness). Average follow-up QoL scores were significantly lower than at baseline (73.2 initial vs 69.5 4-month and 68.3 8-month). Employment was associated with increased QoL during each follow-up, while posttraumatic stress disorder and black race were inversely related. Additionally, predictive models indicated that depression, income, treatment for a medical condition, and group psychotherapy were strong negative predictors of 4-month QoL but not 8-month QoL. PMID:24942672

Explanatory model of emotional-cognitive variables in school mathematics performance: a longitudinal study in primary school.

PubMed

Cerda, Gamal; Pérez, Carlos; Navarro, José I; Aguilar, Manuel; Casas, José A; Aragón, Estíbaliz

2015-01-01

This study tested a structural model of cognitive-emotional explanatory variables to explain performance in mathematics. The predictor variables assessed were related to students' level of development of early mathematical competencies (EMCs), specifically, relational and numerical competencies, predisposition toward mathematics, and the level of logical intelligence in a population of primary school Chilean students (n = 634). This longitudinal study also included the academic performance of the students during a period of 4 years as a variable. The sampled students were initially assessed by means of an Early Numeracy Test, and, subsequently, they were administered a Likert-type scale to measure their predisposition toward mathematics (EPMAT) and a basic test of logical intelligence. The results of these tests were used to analyse the interaction of all the aforementioned variables by means of a structural equations model. This combined interaction model was able to predict 64.3% of the variability of observed performance. Preschool students' performance in EMCs was a strong predictor for achievement in mathematics for students between 8 and 11 years of age. Therefore, this paper highlights the importance of EMCs and the modulating role of predisposition toward mathematics. Also, this paper discusses the educational role of these findings, as well as possible ways to improve negative predispositions toward mathematical tasks in the school domain.

LpMab-23-recognizing cancer-type podoplanin is a novel predictor for a poor prognosis of early stage tongue cancer.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Akihiro; Nakai, Hiromi; Sonoda, Tomoko; Hirohashi, Yoshihiko; Kaneko, Mika K; Kato, Yukinari; Sawa, Yoshihiko; Hiratsuka, Hiroyoshi

2018-04-20

We report that the reactivity of a novel monoclonal antibody LpMab-23 for human cancer-type podoplanin (PDPN) is a predictor for a poor prognosis of tongue cancer. The association between LpMab-23-recognizing cancer-type PDPN expression and clinical/pathological features were analyzed on 60 patients with stage I and II tongue cancer treated with transoral resection of the primary tumor. In the mode of invasion, the LpMab-23-dull/negative cases were significantly larger in cases with low-grade malignancies and without late cervical lymph node metastasis, than in cases with high-grade malignancies and the metastasis. In the high-grade malignant cases, LpMab-23-positive cases were significantly larger than LpMab-23-dull/negative cases. The Kaplan-Meier curves of the five-year metastasis-free survival rate (MFS) were significantly lower in the LpMab-23 positive patients than in LpMab-23 dull/negative patients. The LpMab-23-dull/negative cases showed the highest MFS in all of the clinical/pathological features and particularly, the MFS of the LpMab-23 positive cases decreased to less than 60% in the first year. In the Cox proportional hazard regression models a comparison of the numbers of LpMab-23 dull/negative with positive cases showed the highest hazard ratio with statistical significance in all of the clinical/pathological features. LpMab-23 positive cases may be considered to present a useful predictor of poor prognosis for early stage tongue cancer.

Predictors of vitamin D status in subjects that consume a vitamin D supplement.

PubMed

Levy, M A; McKinnon, T; Barker, T; Dern, A; Helland, T; Robertson, J; Cuomo, J; Wood, T; Dixon, B M

2015-01-01

Although dietary supplement use has increased significantly among the general population, the interplay between vitamin D supplementation and other factors that influence vitamin D status remains unclear. The objective of this study was to identify predictor variables of vitamin D status in free-living subjects to determine the extent to which vitamin D supplements and other factors influence vitamin D status. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study involving 743 volunteers. Serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) level and the variables diet, supplement usage, latitude of residence, ethnicity, age and body mass index (BMI) were used to predict vitamin D status in a summer and winter cohort. Supplemental vitamin D3 consumption was the most significant positive predictor, whereas BMI was the most significant negative predictor, of vitamin D status in each cohort. Other positive predictors were fortified beverage and dairy consumption in the summer and winter cohort, respectively. Negative predictors were: African American, Asian and Hispanic race in the summer; latitude of residence >36°N, Asian and Hispanic ethnicity in the winter. Mean(± s.d.) 25(OH)D levels were 101.1 (± 42.1) and 92.6 (± 39.0) nmol/l in summer and winter, respectively. Comparing non-supplement vs supplement users, approximately 38 vs 2.5% in the winter and 18 vs 1.4% in the summer had vitamin D levels <50 nmol/l. Vitamin D supplementation was the most significant positive predictor of vitamin D status. Collectively, these data point to the practicality of utilizing vitamin D supplements to reduce hypovitaminosis D in adults throughout the United States.

Association between work time loss and quality of life in patients with Herpes Zoster: a pooled analysis of the MASTER studies.

PubMed

Rampakakis, Emmanouil; Stutz, Melissa; Kawai, Kosuke; Tsai, Tsen-Fang; Cheong, Hee Jin; Dhitavat, Jittima; Ortiz-Covarrubias, Alejandro; Cashat-Cruz, Miguel; Monsanto, Homero; Johnson, Kelly D; Sampalis, John S; Acosta, Camilo J

2017-01-18

Herpes zoster (HZ) has a significant negative effect on the productive work life of individuals, and has been shown to be responsible for cases of absenteeism, presenteeism and decreased work effectiveness. The aim of this study was to evaluate health utility scores and associated predictors in an actively employed population of Herpes Zoster (HZ) patients with and without work time loss (WTL). This was a pooled analysis of the prospective, observational MASTER cohort studies, conducted in 8 countries across North America, Latin America and Asia. A total of 428 HZ patients engaged in full or part time work were included. WTL, defined as missing ≥ 1 partial or full work day, and work effectiveness, reported on a scale of 0-100%, were evaluated with the Work and Productivity Questionnaire (WPQ). The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to assess the correlation between work effectiveness and HRQoL. Mixed models with repeated measures assessed the relationship between HZ-related WTL over a 6-month follow-up period, and HRQoL, as evaluated by the EQ-5D. Additional predictors of HRQoL were also identified. Overall, 57.7% of respondents reported WTL. Mean (SD) percent work effectiveness of patients in the WTL group was significantly lower compared to non-WTL (NWTL) patients at baseline [50.3 (31.6) vs. 71.4 (27.8); p < 0.001]. Patients in the WTL group also reported lower health utility scores at baseline and overall than their NWTL counterparts, with WTL identified as an independent negative predictor of both the EQ-5D summary scores and the EQ-5D VAS (p < 0.001). Decrease in work effectiveness was negatively associated with HRQoL overall (p < 0.001). Predictors of lower HRQoL were worst Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) pain score, the presence of HZ complications and country income (predictor of EQ-5D VAS only). HZ adversely impacts the work and productive life of actively employed individuals. In turn, HZ-related reductions in work effectiveness and work time are associated with a negative effect on HRQoL.

Collective Efficacy: Explaining School Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manthey, George

2006-01-01

If pressed to provide a predictor of academic success, most people would choose socioeconomic status (SES). SES is a strong predictor when one looks at averages, but everyone knows that there are individual students of high wealth who are academic disasters and students of low wealth who are academic marvels. Wayne Hoy and colleagues, in numerous…

Gender Identity and Adversarial Sexual Beliefs as Predictors of Attitudes toward Sexual Harassment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murrell, Audrey J.; Dietz-Uhler, Beth L.

1993-01-01

Examines impact of gender identity and adversarial sexual beliefs as predictors of attitudes toward sexual harassment for 52 female and 55 male college students. Adversarial beliefs and experience with sexual harassment predict less tolerant attitudes toward harassment for males, whereas strong gender group identity and experience with harassment…

Teacher and Child Predictors of Achieving IEP Goals of Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruble, Lisa; McGrew, John H.

2013-01-01

It is encouraging that children with autism show a strong response to early intervention, yet more research is needed for understanding the variability in responsiveness to specialized programs. Treatment predictor variables from 47 teachers and children who were randomized to receive the COMPASS intervention (Ruble et al. in "The…

Adolescent internalizing symptoms and negative life events: the sensitizing effects of earlier life stress and cortisol.

PubMed

Ruttle, Paula L; Armstrong, Jeffrey M; Klein, Marjorie H; Essex, Marilyn J

2014-11-01

Although adolescence is marked by increased negative life events and internalizing problems, few studies investigate this association as an ongoing longitudinal process. Moreover, while there are considerable individual differences in the degree to which these phenomena are linked, little is known about the origins of these differences. The present study examines early life stress (ELS) exposure and early-adolescent longitudinal afternoon cortisol level as predictors of the covariation between internalizing symptoms and negative life events across high school. ELS was assessed by maternal report during infancy, and the measure of cortisol was derived from assessments at ages 11, 13, and 15 years. Life events and internalizing symptoms were assessed at ages 15, 17, and 18 years. A two-level hierarchical linear model revealed that ELS and cortisol were independent predictors of the covariation of internalizing symptoms and negative life events. Compared to those with lower levels of ELS, ELS-exposed adolescents displayed tighter covariation between internalizing symptoms and negative life events. Adolescents with lower longitudinal afternoon cortisol displayed tighter covariation between negative life events and internalizing symptoms, while those with higher cortisol demonstrated weaker covariation, partially due to increased levels of internalizing symptoms when faced with fewer negative life events.

Testing the generality of a trophic-cascade model for plague

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collinge, S.K.; Johnson, W.C.; Ray, C.; Matchett, R.; Grensten, J.; Cully, J.F.; Gage, K.L.; Kosoy, M.Y.; Loye, J.E.; Martin, A.P.

2005-01-01

Climate may affect the dynamics of infectious diseases by shifting pathogen, vector, or host species abundance, population dynamics, or community interactions. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) are highly susceptible to plague, yet little is known about factors that influence the dynamics of plague epizootics in prairie dogs. We investigated temporal patterns of plague occurrence in black-tailed prairie dogs to assess the generality of links between climate and plague occurrence found in previous analyses of human plague cases. We examined long-term data on climate and plague occurrence in prairie dog colonies within two study areas. Multiple regression analyses revealed that plague occurrence in prairie dogs was not associated with climatic variables in our Colorado study area. In contrast, plague occurrence was strongly associated with climatic variables in our Montana study area. The models with most support included a positive association with precipitation in April-July of the previous year, in addition to a positive association with the number of "warm" days and a negative association with the number of "hot" days in the same year as reported plague events. We conclude that the timing and magnitude of precipitation and temperature may affect plague occurrence in some geographic areas. The best climatic predictors of plague occurrence in prairie dogs within our Montana study area are quite similar to the best climatic predictors of human plague cases in the southwestern United States. This correspondence across regions and species suggests support for a (temperature-modulated) trophic-cascade model for plague, including climatic effects on rodent abundance, flea abundance, and pathogen transmission, at least in regions that experience strong climatic signals. ?? 2005 EcoHealth Journal Consortium.

Prevalence and predictors of Lymphogranuloma venereum in a high risk population attending a STD outpatients clinic in Italy.

PubMed

Foschi, Claudio; Marangoni, Antonella; D'Antuono, Antonietta; Nardini, Paola; Compri, Monica; Bellavista, Sara; Filippini, Andrea; Bacchi Reggiani, Maria Letizia; Cevenini, Roberto

2014-04-09

We evaluated LGV prevalence and predictors in a high risk population attending a STI Outpatients Clinic in the North of Italy. A total of 108 patients (99 MSM and 9 women), with a history of unsafe anal sexual intercourses, were enrolled. Anorectal swabs and urine samples were tested for Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) DNA detection by Versant CT/GC DNA 1.0 Assay (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Terrytown, USA). RFLP analysis was used for CT molecular typing. L2 CT genotype was identified in 13/108 (12%) rectal swabs. All LGV cases were from MSM, declaring high-risk sexual behaviour and complaining anorectal symptoms. Patients first attending the STI Outpatient Clinic received a significant earlier LGV diagnosis than those first seeking care from general practitioners or gastroenterologists (P = 0.0046). LGV prevalence and characteristics found in our population are in agreement with international reports. Statistical analysis showed that LGV positive patients were older (P = 0.0008) and presented more STIs (P = 0.0023) than LGV negative ones, in particular due to syphilis (P < 0.001), HIV (P < 0.001) and HBV (P = 0.001).Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that HIV and syphilis infections are strong risk factors for LGV presence (respectively, P = 0.001 and P = 0.010). Even if our results do not provide sufficient evidence to recommend routine screening of anorectal swabs in high-risk population, they strongly suggest to perform CT NAAT tests and genotyping on rectal specimens in presence of ulcerative proctitis in HIV and/or syphilis-positive MSM. In this context, CT DNA detection by Versant CT/GC DNA 1.0 Assay, followed by RFLP analysis for molecular typing demonstrated to be an excellent diagnostic algorithm for LGV identification.

The Effect of Student-Centered Approaches on Students' Interest and Achievement in Science: Relevant Topic-Based, Open and Guided Inquiry-Based, and Discussion-Based Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jingoo; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-04-01

Since students have lost their interest in school science, several student-centered approaches, such as using topics that are relevant for students, inquiry-based learning, and discussion-based learning have been implemented to attract pupils into science. However, the effect of these approaches was usually measured in small-scale research, and thus, the large-scale evidence supporting student-centered approaches in general use is insufficient. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effect of student-centered approaches on students' interest and achievement by analyzing a large-scale data set derived from Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006, to add evidence for advocating these approaches in school science, and to generalize the effects on a large population. We used Finnish PISA 2006 data, which is the most recent data that measures science literacy and that contains relevant variables for the constructs of this study. As a consequence of the factor analyses, four teaching methods were grouped as student-centered approaches (relevant topic-based, open and guided inquiry-based, and discussion-based approaches in school science) from the Finnish PISA 2006 sample. The structural equation modeling result indicated that using topics relevant for students positively affected students' interest and achievement in science. Guided inquiry-based learning was also indicated as a strong positive predictor for students' achievement, and its effect was also positively associated with students' interest. On the other hand, open inquiry-based learning was indicated as a strong negative predictor for students' achievement, as was using discussion in school science. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed.

Conditional entropy in variation-adjusted windows detects selection signatures associated with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs)

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background Over the past 50,000 years, shifts in human-environmental or human-human interactions shaped genetic differences within and among human populations, including variants under positive selection. Shaped by environmental factors, such variants influence the genetics of modern health, disease, and treatment outcome. Because evolutionary processes tend to act on gene regulation, we test whether regulatory variants are under positive selection. We introduce a new approach to enhance detection of genetic markers undergoing positive selection, using conditional entropy to capture recent local selection signals. Results We use conditional logistic regression to compare our Adjusted Haplotype Conditional Entropy (H|H) measure of positive selection to existing positive selection measures. H|H and existing measures were applied to published regulatory variants acting in cis (cis-eQTLs), with conditional logistic regression testing whether regulatory variants undergo stronger positive selection than the surrounding gene. These cis-eQTLs were drawn from six independent studies of genotype and RNA expression. The conditional logistic regression shows that, overall, H|H is substantially more powerful than existing positive-selection methods in identifying cis-eQTLs against other Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the same genes. When broken down by Gene Ontology, H|H predictions are particularly strong in some biological process categories, where regulatory variants are under strong positive selection compared to the bulk of the gene, distinct from those GO categories under overall positive selection. . However, cis-eQTLs in a second group of genes lack positive selection signatures detectable by H|H, consistent with ancient short haplotypes compared to the surrounding gene (for example, in innate immunity GO:0042742); under such other modes of selection, H|H would not be expected to be a strong predictor.. These conditional logistic regression models are adjusted for Minor allele frequency(MAF); otherwise, ascertainment bias is a huge factor in all eQTL data sets. Relationships between Gene Ontology categories, positive selection and eQTL specificity were replicated with H|H in a single larger data set. Our measure, Adjusted Haplotype Conditional Entropy (H|H), was essential in generating all of the results above because it: 1) is a stronger overall predictor for eQTLs than comparable existing approaches, and 2) shows low sequential auto-correlation, overcoming problems with convergence of these conditional regression statistical models. Conclusions Our new method, H|H, provides a consistently more robust signal associated with cis-eQTLs compared to existing methods. We interpret this to indicate that some cis-eQTLs are under positive selection compared to their surrounding genes. Conditional entropy indicative of a selective sweep is an especially strong predictor of eQTLs for genes in several biological processes of medical interest. Where conditional entropy is a weak or negative predictor of eQTLs, such as innate immune genes, this would be consistent with balancing selection acting on such eQTLs over long time periods. Different measures of selection may be needed for variant prioritization under other modes of evolutionary selection. PMID:26111110

Life Course Influences on African American Men's Depression: Adolescent Parental Composition, Self-Concept, and Adult Earnings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mizell, C. Andre

1999-01-01

Examines factors over the life course that affect levels of depression in Black men using samples of 892 African-American and 1,454 White men from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Parental educational attainment is a significant negative predictor of depression. Its role and that of other identified predictors of depression are…

Predictors of Grief and Depressed Mood among Gay Men Following an Aids-Related Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wayment, Heidi A.; Kemeny, Margaret E.

2004-01-01

This prospective study examined the unique predictors of grief and depressed mood in a sample of gay men (34 HIV positive, 69 HIV negative) who lost a close friend to AIDS. Individuals low in self-esteem reported greater depressed mood but no differences in grief following the death. Individuals with personality factors that predispose toward…

Predictors of Suicide-Related Hospitalization among U.S. Veterans Receiving Treatment for Comorbid Depression and Substance Dependence: Who Is the Riskiest of the Risky?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mrnak-Meyer, Jennifer; Tate, Susan R.; Tripp, Jessica C.; Worley, Matthew J.; Jajodia, Archana; Mcquaid, John R.

2011-01-01

This study examined whether widely accepted suicide risk factors are useful in predicting suicide-related hospitalization, beyond history of a suicide attempt, in high-risk treatment-seeking veterans with depression and substance dependence. Negative mood regulation expectancies were the only significant predictor of hospitalization during…

A State-Trait Model of Negative Life Event Occurrence in Adolescence: Predictors of Stability in the Occurrence of Stressors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Kevin M.; Molina, Brooke S. G.; Chassin, Laurie

2008-01-01

Stressful life events are an important risk factor for psychopathology among children and adolescents. However, variation in life stress may be both stable and time-varying with associated differences in the antecedents. We tested, using latent variable modeling, a state-trait model of stressful life events in adolescence, and predictors of…

Predictors of quality of life among Chinese people with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Qin; Petrini, Marcia A; Morisky, Donald E

2017-06-01

This study was designed to investigate the association of quality of life, perceived stigma, and medication adherence among Chinese patients with schizophrenia, and to ascertain the predictors of quality of life. A cross-sectional correlation study was conducted with 146 participants. All participants completed self-report scales: the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale, Link's Stigma Scale, and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Pearson parametric correlations and stepwise multiple regressions were performed. The total quality of life score and psychosocial subscale was significantly positively correlated with perceived stigma, coping orientation of withdrawal, and feelings of stigma, and negatively correlated with age and medication adherence. The means of all subscale scores except perceived devaluation-discrimination and different/guilty feelings were significantly higher than the midpoint of 2.5. The best predictors of quality of life and psychosocial domains were stigma-related feelings: feeling misunderstood, feeling different/shame, and age. Our findings suggest that an individual's negative emotional response may strengthen internalized stigma and decrease quality of life. As the best predictor, age indicated that adaptation to mental illness may relieve perceived stigma and achieve favorable quality of life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Personality Traits as Prospective Predictors of Suicide Attempts

PubMed Central

Yen, Shirley; Shea, M. Tracie; Sanislow, Charles A.; Skodol, Andrew E.; Grilo, Carlos M.; Edelen, Maria Orlando; Stout, Robert L.; Morey, Leslie C.; Zanarini, Mary C.; Markowitz, John C.; McGlashan, Thomas H.; Daversa, Maria T.; Gunderson, John G.

2009-01-01

OBJECTIVE To examine higher order personality factors of negative affectivity (NA) and disinhibition (DIS), as well as lower order facets of impulsivity, as prospective predictors of suicide attempts in a predominantly personality disordered (PD) sample. METHOD Data were analyzed from 701 participants of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study (CLPS) with available follow-up data for up to 7 years. Cox proportional hazards regression analyses was used to examine NA and DIS, and facets of impulsivity (e.g., urgency, lack of perseverance, lack of premeditation, and sensation seeking), as prospective predictors of suicide attempts. RESULTS NA, DIS, and all facets of impulsivity except for sensation seeking were significant in univariate analyses. In multivariate models which included sex, childhood sexual abuse (CSA), course of major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorders (SUD), only NA and lack of premeditation remained significant in predicting suicide attempts. Disinhibition and the remaining impulsivity facets were not significant. CONCLUSION Negative affectivity emerged as a stronger and more robust predictor of suicide attempts than disinhibition and impulsivity, and warrants greater attention in suicide risk assessment. Distinguishing between facets of impulsivity is important for clinical risk assessment. PMID:19298413

An examination of organizational and team commitment in a self-directed team environment.

PubMed

Bishop, James W; Scott, K Dow

2000-06-01

A model hypothesizing differential relationships among predictor variables and individual commitment to the organization and work team was tested. Data from 485 members of sewing teams supported the existence of differential relationships between predictors and organizational and team commitment. In particular, intersender conflict and satisfaction with coworkers were more strongly related to team commitment than to organizational commitment. Resource-related conflict and satisfaction with supervision were more strongly related to organizational commitment than to team commitment. Perceived task interdependence was strongly related to both commitment foci. Contrary to prediction, the relationships between perceived task interdependence and the 2 commitment foci were not significantly different. Relationships with antecedent variables help explain how differential levels of commitment to the 2 foci may be formed. Indirect effects of exogenous variables are reported.

Getting What You Expect: Negative Social Expectations in Early Adolescence Predict Hostile Romantic Partnerships and Friendships into Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Emily L.; Tan, Joseph S.; Hessel, Elenda T.; Allen, Joseph P.

2018-01-01

Adolescents' negative expectations of their peers were examined as predictors of their future selection of hostile partners, in a community sample of 184 adolescents followed from ages 13 to 24. Utilizing observational data, close friend- and self-reports, adolescents with more negative expectations at age 13 were found to be more likely to form…

Clinical predictors cannot replace biological predictors in HIV-2 infection in a community setting in West Africa

PubMed Central

Gourlay, Annabelle J.; van Tienen, Carla; Dave, Sangeeta S.; Vincent, Tim; Rowland-Jones, Sarah L.; Glynn, Judith R.; Whittle, Hilton C.; van der Loeff, Maarten F. Schim

2012-01-01

Summary Objective To identify clinical predictors of mortality in HIV-2-infected individuals that may be used in place of CD4 count or plasma viral load (PVL) to guide treatment management in resource-limited settings. Methods A prospective community cohort study of HIV-infected and HIV-negative individuals in a rural area of Guinea-Bissau has been ongoing since 1989. In 2003 participants were invited for a clinical examination and blood tests. They were followed-up for vital status until 2010. Antiretroviral treatment (ART) became available in 2007. Cox regression was used to examine the association of clinical measures (World Health Organization (WHO) stage, body mass index (BMI), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and WHO performance scale) measured in 2003 with subsequent mortality. Results In 2003, 146 HIV-2-infected individuals (68% women; mean age 56 years) were examined. Over the next 7 years, 44 (30%) died. BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 was associated with a crude mortality hazard ratio (HR) of 1.9 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0–3.9, p = 0.08); adjusted for age and sex, HR 1.8 (95% CI 0.9–3.8, p = 0.1). MUAC <230 mm in women and <240 mm in men was also associated with an elevated mortality HR, though statistical evidence was weak (crude HR 2.2, 95% CI 0.9–5.3, p = 0.1). WHO clinical stage and WHO performance scale were not associated with mortality (p = 0.6 and p = 0.2, respectively, for crude associations). Conclusions Baseline BMI, MUAC, WHO stage, and WHO performance scale were not strong or statistically significant predictors of mortality among HIV-2-infected individuals. CD4 count and PVL are more reliable tools, when available, for the management of HIV-2-infected patients in the community setting. PMID:22387142

A Prospective Cohort Study of Absconsion Incidents in Forensic Psychiatric Settings: Can We Identify Those at High-Risk?

PubMed Central

Cullen, Alexis E.; Jewell, Amelia; Tully, John; Coghlan, Suzanne; Dean, Kimberlie; Fahy, Tom

2015-01-01

Background Incidents of absconsion in forensic psychiatric units can have potentially serious consequences, yet surprisingly little is known about the characteristics of patients who abscond from these settings. The few previous studies conducted to date have employed retrospective designs, and no attempt has been made to develop an empirically-derived risk assessment scale. In this prospective study, we aimed to identify predictors of absconsion over a two-year period and investigate the feasibility of developing a brief risk assessment scale. Methods The study examined a representative sample of 135 patients treated in forensic medium- and low-secure wards. At baseline, demographic, clinical, treatment-related, and offending/behavioural factors were ascertained from electronic medical records and the treating teams. Incidents of absconsion (i.e., failure to return from leave, incidents of escape, and absconding whilst on escorted leave) were assessed at a two-year follow-up. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine the strongest predictors of absconsion which were then weighted according to their ability to discriminate absconders and non-absconders. The predictive utility of a brief risk assessment scale based on these weighted items was evaluated using receiver operator characteristics (ROC). Results During the two-year follow-up period, 27 patients (20%) absconded, accounting for 56 separate incidents. In multivariate analyses, four factors relating to offending and behaviour emerged as the strongest predictors of absconsion: history of sexual offending, previous absconsion, recent inpatient verbal aggression, and recent inpatient substance use. The weighted risk scale derived from these factors had moderate-to-good predictive accuracy (ROC area under the curve: 0.80; sensitivity: 067; specificity: 0.71), a high negative predictive value (0.91), but a low positive predictive value (0.34). Conclusion Potentially-targetable recent behaviours, such as inpatient verbal aggression and substance use, are strong predictors of absconsion in forensic settings; the absence of these factors may enable clinical teams to identify unnecessarily restricted low-risk individuals. PMID:26401653

The Impact of Early Substance Use Disorder Treatment Response on Treatment Outcomes Among Pregnant Women With Primary Opioid Use.

PubMed

Tuten, Michelle; Fitzsimons, Heather; Hochheimer, Martin; Jones, Hendree E; Chisolm, Margaret S

2018-03-13

This study examined the impact of early patient response on treatment utilization and substance use among pregnant participants enrolled in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Treatment responders (TRs) and treatment nonresponders (TNRs) were compared on pretreatment and treatment measures. Regression models predicted treatment utilization and substance use. TR participants attended more treatment and had lower rates of substance use relative to TNR participants. Regression models for treatment utilization and substance use were significant. Maternal estimated gestational age (EGA) and baseline cocaine use were negatively associated with treatment attendance. Medication-assisted treatment, early treatment response, and baseline SUD treatment were positively associated with treatment attendance. Maternal EGA was negatively associated with counseling attendance; early treatment response was positively associated with counseling attendance. Predictors of any substance use at 1 month were maternal education, EGA, early treatment nonresponse, and baseline cocaine use. The single predictor of any substance use at 2 months was early treatment nonresponse. Predictors of opioid use at 1 month were maternal education, EGA, early treatment nonresponse, and baseline SUD treatment. Predictors of opioid use at 2 months were early treatment nonresponse, and baseline cocaine and marijuana use. Predictors of cocaine use at 1 month were early treatment nonresponse, baseline cocaine use, and baseline SUD treatment. Predictors of cocaine use at 2 months were early treatment nonresponse and baseline cocaine use. Early treatment response predicts more favorable maternal treatment utilization and substance use outcomes. Treatment providers should implement interventions to maximize patient early response to treatment.

A Review of the Relationship Between Socioeconomic Position and the Early-Life Predictors of Obesity.

PubMed

Cameron, Adrian J; Spence, Alison C; Laws, Rachel; Hesketh, Kylie D; Lioret, Sandrine; Campbell, Karen J

2015-09-01

A range of important early-life predictors of later obesity have been identified. Children of lower socioeconomic position (SEP) have a steeper weight gain trajectory from birth with a strong socioeconomic gradient in child and adult obesity prevalence. An assessment of the association between SEP and the early-life predictors of obesity has been lacking. The review involved a two-stage process: Part 1, using previously published systematic reviews, we developed a list of the potentially modifiable determinants of obesity observable in the pre-natal, peri-natal or post-natal (pre-school) periods; and part 2, conducting a literature review of evidence for socioeconomic patterning in the determinants identified in part 1. Strong evidence was found for an inverse relationship between SEP and (1) pre-natal risk factors (pre-pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI), diabetes and pre-pregnancy diet), (2) antenatal/peri natal risk factors (smoking during pregnancy and low birth weight) and (3) early-life nutrition (including breastfeeding initiation and duration, early introduction of solids, maternal and infant diet quality, and some aspects of the home food environment), and television viewing in young children. Less strong evidence (because of a lack of studies for some factors) was found for paternal BMI, maternal weight gain during pregnancy, child sleep duration, high birth weight and lack of physical activity in young children. A strong socioeconomic gradient exists for the majority of the early-life predictors of obesity suggesting that the die is cast very early in life (even pre-conception). Lifestyle interventions targeting disadvantaged women at or before child-bearing age may therefore be particularly important in reducing inequality. Given the likely challenges of reaching this target population, it may be that during pregnancy and their child's early years are more feasible windows for engagement.

Climate, soil and plant functional types as drivers of global fine-root trait variation

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

Freschet, Grégoire T.; Valverde-Barrantes, Oscar J.; Tucker, Caroline M.

Ecosystem functioning relies heavily on below-ground processes, which are largely regulated by plant fine-roots and their functional traits. However, our knowledge of fine-root trait distribution relies to date on local- and regional-scale studies with limited numbers of species, growth forms and environmental variation. We compiled a world-wide fine-root trait dataset, featuring 1115 species from contrasting climatic areas, phylogeny and growth forms to test a series of hypotheses pertaining to the influence of plant functional types, soil and climate variables, and the degree of manipulation of plant growing conditions on species fine-root trait variation. Most particularly, we tested the competing hypothesesmore » that fine-root traits typical of faster return on investment would be most strongly associated with conditions of limiting versus favourable soil resource availability. We accounted for both data source and species phylogenetic relatedness. We demonstrate that: (i) Climate conditions promoting soil fertility relate negatively to fine-root traits favouring fast soil resource acquisition, with a particularly strong positive effect of temperature on fine-root diameter and negative effect on specific root length (SRL), and a negative effect of rainfall on root nitrogen concentration; (ii) Soil bulk density strongly influences species fine-root morphology, by favouring thicker, denser fine-roots; (iii) Fine-roots from herbaceous species are on average finer and have higher SRL than those of woody species, and N 2-fixing capacity positively relates to root nitrogen; and (iv) Plants growing in pots have higher SRL than those grown in the field. Synthesis. This study reveals both the large variation in fine-root traits encountered globally and the relevance of several key plant functional types and soil and climate variables for explaining a substantial part of this variation. Climate, particularly temperature, and plant functional types were the two strongest predictors of fine-root trait variation. High trait variation occurred at local scales, suggesting that wide-ranging below-ground resource economics strategies are viable within most climatic areas and soil conditions.« less

Climate, soil and plant functional types as drivers of global fine-root trait variation

DOE PAGES

Freschet, Grégoire T.; Valverde-Barrantes, Oscar J.; Tucker, Caroline M.; ...

2017-03-08

Ecosystem functioning relies heavily on below-ground processes, which are largely regulated by plant fine-roots and their functional traits. However, our knowledge of fine-root trait distribution relies to date on local- and regional-scale studies with limited numbers of species, growth forms and environmental variation. We compiled a world-wide fine-root trait dataset, featuring 1115 species from contrasting climatic areas, phylogeny and growth forms to test a series of hypotheses pertaining to the influence of plant functional types, soil and climate variables, and the degree of manipulation of plant growing conditions on species fine-root trait variation. Most particularly, we tested the competing hypothesesmore » that fine-root traits typical of faster return on investment would be most strongly associated with conditions of limiting versus favourable soil resource availability. We accounted for both data source and species phylogenetic relatedness. We demonstrate that: (i) Climate conditions promoting soil fertility relate negatively to fine-root traits favouring fast soil resource acquisition, with a particularly strong positive effect of temperature on fine-root diameter and negative effect on specific root length (SRL), and a negative effect of rainfall on root nitrogen concentration; (ii) Soil bulk density strongly influences species fine-root morphology, by favouring thicker, denser fine-roots; (iii) Fine-roots from herbaceous species are on average finer and have higher SRL than those of woody species, and N 2-fixing capacity positively relates to root nitrogen; and (iv) Plants growing in pots have higher SRL than those grown in the field. Synthesis. This study reveals both the large variation in fine-root traits encountered globally and the relevance of several key plant functional types and soil and climate variables for explaining a substantial part of this variation. Climate, particularly temperature, and plant functional types were the two strongest predictors of fine-root trait variation. High trait variation occurred at local scales, suggesting that wide-ranging below-ground resource economics strategies are viable within most climatic areas and soil conditions.« less

Shame as a predictor of post-event rumination in social anxiety.

PubMed

Cândea, Diana-Mirela; Szentágotai-Tătar, Aurora

2017-12-01

Evidence shows that people with high social anxiety levels ruminate about distressing social events, which contributes to the maintenance of social anxiety symptoms. The present study aimed to explore the role of shame in maintaining post-event rumination (PER) following a negative social event (an impromptu speech with negative feedback) in a student sample (N = 104). Participants reported negative rumination related to the event one day and one week after the speech. PER measured one day after the speech was not associated with social anxiety symptoms and state anxiety. One week later, participants with clinically relevant social anxiety symptoms experienced greater PER. State shame was the only significant predictor of PER in a regression equation that also included social anxiety symptoms, state anxiety and self-evaluation of performance. Possible explanations and implications are discussed in light of cognitive models of social anxiety.

Parent Predictors of Adolescents' Explanatory Style

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vélez, Clorinda E.; Krause, Elizabeth D.; Brunwasser, Steven M.; Freres, Derek R.; Abenavoli, Rachel M.; Gillham, Jane E.

2015-01-01

The current study tested the prospective relations (6-month lag) between three aspects of the parent-child relationship at Time 1 (T1) and adolescents' explanatory styles at Time 2 (T2): caregiving behaviors, parents' explanatory style for their own negative events, and parents' explanatory style for their children's negative events. The sample…

Predictors of Health Behavior from a Behavior-Analytic Orientation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birkimer, John C.; And Others

1996-01-01

Discovers a high correlation between positive emotional states, supportive self talk, and specific healthy behaviors in college students. The correlated health behaviors were vigorous exercise, mild exercise, seat belts, and avoidance of alcohol and junk food. Considers the impact of negative self talk on the avoidance of negative behavior. (MJP)

Predictors of early versus late smoking abstinence within a 24-month disease management program.

PubMed

Cox, Lisa Sanderson; Wick, Jo A; Nazir, Niaman; Cupertino, A Paula; Mussulman, Laura M; Ahluwalia, Jasjit S; Ellerbeck, Edward F

2011-03-01

Standard smoking cessation treatment studies have been limited to 6- to 12-month follow-up, and examination of predictors of abstinence has been restricted to this timeframe. The KanQuit study enrolled 750 rural smokers across all stages of readiness to stop smoking and provided pharmacotherapy management and/or disease management, including motivational interviewing (MI) counseling every 6 months over 2 years. This paper examines differences in predictors of abstinence following initial (6-month) and extended (24-month) intervention. Baseline variables were analyzed as potential predictors of self-reported smoking abstinence at Month 6 and at Month 24. Chi-square tests, 2-sample t tests, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to identify predictors of abstinence among 592 participants who completed assessment at baseline and Months 6 and 24. Controlling for treatment group, the final regression models showed that male gender and lower baseline cigarettes per day predicted abstinence at both 6 and 24 months. While remaining significant, the relative advantage of being male decreased over time. Global motivation to stop smoking, controlled motivation, and self-efficacy predicted abstinence at 6 months but did not predict abstinence at Month 24. In contrast, stage of change was strongly predictive of 24-month smoking status. While the importance of some predictors of successful smoking cessation appeared to diminish over time, initial lack of interest in cessation and number of cigarettes per day strongly predicted continued smoking following a 2-year program.

Are Competition and Extrinsic Motivation Reliable Predictors of Academic Cheating?

PubMed Central

Orosz, Gábor; Farkas, Dávid; Roland-Lévy, Christine

2013-01-01

Previous studies suggest that extrinsic motivation and competition are reliable predictors of academic cheating. The aim of the present questionnaire study was to separate the effects of motivation- and competition-related variables on academic cheating by Hungarian high school students (N = 620, M = 264, F = 356). Structural equation modeling showed that intrinsic motivation has a negative effect, and amotivation has a positive indirect effect on self-reported academic cheating. In contrast, extrinsic motivation had no significant effect. Indirect positive influence on cheating, based on some characteristics of hypercompetition, was also found, whereas attitudes toward self-developmental competition had a mediated negative influence. Neither constructive nor destructive competitive classroom climate had a significant impact on academic dishonesty. Acceptance of cheating and guilt has significant and direct effect on self-reported cheating. In comparison with them, the effects of motivational and competition-related variables are relatively small, even negligible. These results suggest that extrinsic motivation and competition are not amongst the most reliable predictors of academic cheating behavior. PMID:23450676

Writing content predicts benefit from written expressive disclosure: Evidence for repeated exposure and self-affirmation.

PubMed

Niles, Andrea N; Byrne Haltom, Kate E; Lieberman, Matthew D; Hur, Christopher; Stanton, Annette L

2016-01-01

Expressive disclosure regarding a stressful event improves psychological and physical health, yet predictors of these effects are not well established. The current study assessed exposure, narrative structure, affect word use, self-affirmation and discovery of meaning as predictors of anxiety, depressive and physical symptoms following expressive writing. Participants (N = 50) wrote on four occasions about a stressful event and completed self-report measures before writing and three months later. Essays were coded for stressor exposure (level of detail and whether participants remained on topic), narrative structure, self-affirmation and discovery of meaning. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software was used to quantify positive and negative affect word use. Controlling for baseline anxiety, more self-affirmation and detail about the event predicted lower anxiety symptoms, and more negative affect words (very high use) and more discovery of meaning predicted higher anxiety symptoms three months after writing. Findings highlight the importance of self-affirmation and exposure as predictors of benefit from expressive writing.

Are competition and extrinsic motivation reliable predictors of academic cheating?

PubMed

Orosz, Gábor; Farkas, Dávid; Roland-Lévy, Christine

2013-01-01

Previous studies suggest that extrinsic motivation and competition are reliable predictors of academic cheating. The aim of the present questionnaire study was to separate the effects of motivation- and competition-related variables on academic cheating by Hungarian high school students (N = 620, M = 264, F = 356). Structural equation modeling showed that intrinsic motivation has a negative effect, and amotivation has a positive indirect effect on self-reported academic cheating. In contrast, extrinsic motivation had no significant effect. Indirect positive influence on cheating, based on some characteristics of hypercompetition, was also found, whereas attitudes toward self-developmental competition had a mediated negative influence. Neither constructive nor destructive competitive classroom climate had a significant impact on academic dishonesty. Acceptance of cheating and guilt has significant and direct effect on self-reported cheating. In comparison with them, the effects of motivational and competition-related variables are relatively small, even negligible. These results suggest that extrinsic motivation and competition are not amongst the most reliable predictors of academic cheating behavior.

Can community consciousness be a bad thing? A moderated mediation analysis of heterosexism, mental health, and body appreciation in sexual minority men

PubMed Central

Simpson, Courtney C.; Sutter, Megan; Perrin, Paul B.

2016-01-01

This study examined the connections among heterosexism, mental health, body appreciation, and community consciousness in sexual minority men. Participants (N = 89) completed a national online survey. Simultaneous multiple regression found that heterosexism explained 9.4% of the variance in body appreciation and 25.8% of the variance in mental health; mental health accounted for 28.0% of the variance in body appreciation. Within these models, harassment/rejection heterosexism was a unique positive predictor of mental health and a unique negative predictor of body appreciation; depression was a unique negative predictor of body appreciation. A moderated mediational model found that depression mediated the relationship between harassment/rejection heterosexism and body appreciation, but only in men who endorsed high community consciousness. Intervention research might benefit from helping sexual minority men explore the ways in which body image is affected by heterosexism and mental health, as well as the ways that contemporary Western gay communities might contribute to these connections. PMID:27210047

Sociodemographic Predictors of Sex Offender Stigma: How Politics Impact Attitudes, Social Distance, and Perceptions of Sex Offender Recidivism.

PubMed

DeLuca, Joseph S; Vaccaro, John; Rudnik, Amalia; Graham, Nicole; Giannicchi, Anna; Yanos, Philip T

2017-08-01

Stigma toward general criminal offenders has been found to be particularly salient among community members who identify as politically conservative; however, less is known about how political identification relates to stigma toward sex offenders. This is a particularly important area of inquiry, given that criminal jurisprudence and politics legitimatize stigmatizing labels attributed to sex offenders through laws and policies that apply specifically to this group. A nonrandom sample ( N = 518) of participants living in the United States was recruited for this survey study. Findings indicated that a specific aspect of conservative political ideology-right-wing authoritarianism (RWA)-significantly predicts negative attitudes and intended social distancing behavior toward sex offenders, even when controlling for other important predictors, such as education and prior contact. RWA was found to be the strongest predictor of negative attitudes and estimations of sex offender recidivism, and also significantly predicted intended social distancing behavior. Implications for addressing stigma toward sex offenders are discussed.

The association between an abusive father-son relationship, quantity of alcohol consumption, and male-to-male alcohol-related aggression.

PubMed

Miller, Peter; Hargreaves, Jessica; Curtis, Ashlee; Zinkiewicz, Lucy

2013-09-01

While alcohol consumption and heavy episodic (binge) drinking are well-established predictors of male-to-male alcohol-related aggression (MMARA), the role of the father-son relationship in MMARA has yet to be explored. This study therefore examined whether fathering by the biological father rather than another father figure, negative fathering, and gender role modeled by the father figure were significant predictors of involvement in MMARA, once drinking frequency and quantity and heavy episodic drinking were controlled for. A total of 121 university students aged 18 to 25 years (M = 20.63, SD = 1.77 years) voluntarily completed the online questionnaire. The only significant predictors of perpetration of MMARA were a more abusive paternal relationship and drinking quantity (number of standard drinks usually consumed when drinking). Negative father-son relationships may play a role in fostering young men's perpetration of MMARA in the barroom context. Copyright © 2013 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Human factors in cybersecurity; examining the link between Internet addiction, impulsivity, attitudes towards cybersecurity, and risky cybersecurity behaviours.

PubMed

Hadlington, Lee

2017-07-01

The present study explored the relationship between risky cybersecurity behaviours, attitudes towards cybersecurity in a business environment, Internet addiction, and impulsivity. 538 participants in part-time or full-time employment in the UK completed an online questionnaire, with responses from 515 being used in the data analysis. The survey included an attitude towards cybercrime and cybersecurity in business scale, a measure of impulsivity, Internet addiction and a 'risky' cybersecurity behaviours scale. The results demonstrated that Internet addiction was a significant predictor for risky cybersecurity behaviours. A positive attitude towards cybersecurity in business was negatively related to risky cybersecurity behaviours. Finally, the measure of impulsivity revealed that both attentional and motor impulsivity were both significant positive predictors of risky cybersecurity behaviours, with non-planning being a significant negative predictor. The results present a further step in understanding the individual differences that may govern good cybersecurity practices, highlighting the need to focus directly on more effective training and awareness mechanisms.

Can community consciousness be a bad thing? A moderated mediation analysis of heterosexism, mental health and body appreciation in sexual minority men.

PubMed

Simpson, Courtney C; Sutter, Megan; Perrin, Paul B

2016-11-01

This study examined the connections between heterosexism, mental health, body appreciation and community consciousness in sexual minority men (SMM). Participants (n = 89) completed a national online survey. Simultaneous multiple regressions found that heterosexism explained 9.4% of the variance in body appreciation and 25.8% of the variance in mental health; mental health accounted for 28.0% of the variance in body appreciation. Within these models, harassment/rejection heterosexism was a unique positive predictor of mental health problems and a unique negative predictor of body appreciation; depression was a unique negative predictor of body appreciation. A moderated mediational model found that depression mediated the relationship between harassment/rejection heterosexism and body appreciation, but only in men who endorsed high community consciousness. Intervention research might benefit from helping SMM explore the ways in which body image is affected by heterosexism and mental health, as well as the ways that contemporary Western gay communities might contribute to these connections.

Cultural Capital and Intellectual Ability as Predictors of Scholastic Achievement: A Study of Slovenian Secondary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flere, Sergej; Krajnc, Marina Tavcar; Klanjsek, Rudi; Musil, Bojan; Kirbis, Andrej

2010-01-01

Cultural capital, originally a general sociological concept, has been transformed into a construct that is often applied in predicting scholastic attainment. Intellectual ability (IQ) has also been proven to be a strong, although basically psychological, predictor of educational attainment. However, these strands of research have hardly been…

Perceived emotional intelligence and life satisfaction among university teachers.

PubMed

Augusto Landa, José María; López-Zafra, E; Martínez de Antoñana, R; Pulido, M

2006-01-01

This study examined the relationship between Perceived Emotional Intelligence (PEI) and Life Satisfaction in university teachers. To assess the nature of these relationships and to predict the factors implied on life satisfaction, positive and negative affect, work satisfaction and alexithymia measures were used. 52 university teachers (30 men and 22 women) completed the Spanish version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale for emotional intelligence (TMMS, Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera & Ramos, 2004). Alexithymia was measured by the Spanish version of the TAS-20 (Martínez-Sánchez, 1996), and life satisfaction was measured by SWLS (Díaz Morales, 2001). Also, Work Satisfaction Scale was used (JWS, Grajales & Araya, 2001). Our results yield a strong correlation between life satisfaction and TMMS subscales (emotional Clarity and emotional Repair), TAS-20 subscales (difficulty to describe emotions and external oriented thinking), and Work Satisfaction Scale. Further analyses show that the life satisfaction most significant predictors were positive and negative affect and emotional Clarity. These results support the incremental validity of self-report measures, as the TMMS, and the capacity of constructs related to emotional intelligence to explain the differences on life satisfaction independently from personality traits and mood states constructs.

The effects of temperament, psychopathy, and childhood trauma among delinquent youth: A test of DeLisi and Vaughn's temperament-based theory of crime.

PubMed

DeLisi, Matt; Fox, Bryanna H; Fully, Matthew; Vaughn, Michael G

Recent interest among criminologists on the construct of temperament has been fueled by DeLisi and Vaughn's (2014) temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior. Their theory suggests that core self-regulation capacity and negative emotionality are the most salient temperament features for understanding the emergence and maintenance of antisocial and violent behavior, even among offending populations. The present study tests the relative effects of these temperamental features along with psychopathic traits and trauma in their association with violent and non-violent delinquency in a sample of 252 juvenile offenders. Results from a series of negative binomial regression models indicate that temperament was uniformly more strongly associated with violent and non-violent delinquency than psychopathic traits and childhood traumatic events. Exploratory classification models suggested that temperament and psychopathy possessed similar predictive capacity, but neither surpassed prior history of violence and delinquency as a predictor of future offending. Overall, findings are supportive of DeLisi and Vaughn's temperament-based theory and suggest temperament as conceptualized and measured in the present study may play an important role as a risk factor for violent and non-violent delinquency. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is Positive Emotionality a Specific Risk Factor for Depression? A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies

PubMed Central

Khazanov, Gabriela Kattan; Ruscio, Ayelet Meron

2016-01-01

Depression is well known to share a negative cross-sectional relationship with personality constructs defined by positive emotion (positive affect, extraversion, behavioral activation). These Positive Emotionality (PE) constructs have been proposed to represent stable temperamental risk factors for depression, not merely current mood state. These constructs have also been proposed to increase risk specifically for depression, relative to anxiety. We performed a meta-analysis of longitudinal studies to examine the relationship of PE to depression (59 effect sizes) and anxiety (26 effect sizes). In cross-sectional analyses, PE constructs were negatively associated with depression (r = −.34) and anxiety (r = −.24). PE constructs also prospectively predicted depression (r = −.26) and anxiety (r = −.19). These relationships remained statistically significant, but were markedly attenuated, when baseline levels of depression (β = −.08) and anxiety (β = −.06) were controlled. Moreover, depression and anxiety were equally strong predictors of subsequent changes in PE (β = −.07 and −.09, respectively). These findings are consistent with theoretical accounts of low PE as a temperamental vulnerability for depression, but suggest that the prospective relationship of PE to depression may be weaker and less specific than previously assumed. PMID:27416140

Substance Use as a Strong Predictor of Poor Academic Achievement among University Students

PubMed Central

Fekadu, Wubalem; Mekonnen, Tefera Chane; Workie, Shimelash Bitew

2017-01-01

Background Substance use is a growing concern globally and its association with students' academic performance is not well studied. Objective This study was aimed to assess the prevalence of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and khat) and its association with academic performance among university students. Methods Cross-sectional study was conducted among Wolaita Sodo University students. A total of 747 students were selected by using cluster sampling technique. Data were collected by pretested self-administered questionnaire and examined using descriptive statistics and linear regression with 95% confidence intervals. Variables with p value of less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Result Prevalence of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, and khat) was 28.6%. Substance use (current smoking, chewing khat at least weekly, drinking alcohol on a daily basis, and having intimate friend who uses substance) was significantly and negatively associated with students' academic performance. Conclusion Substance use among Wolaita Sodo University students was as common as other studies in Sub-Saharan countries and negatively associated with students' academic achievement. The common practice of substance use and its association with poor academic performance demand the universities to have a good control of substance and to implement youth friendly activities. PMID:28680879

Teachers' feeling of belonging, exhaustion, and job satisfaction: the role of school goal structure and value consonance.

PubMed

Skaalvik, Einar M; Skaalvik, Sidsel

2011-07-01

In their daily teaching and classroom management, teachers inevitably communicate and represent values. The purpose of this study was to explore relations between teachers' perception of school level values represented by the goal structure of the school and value consonance (the degree to which they felt that they shared the prevailing norms and values at the school), teachers' feeling of belonging, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and motivation to leave the teaching profession. The participants were 231 Norwegian teachers in elementary school and middle school. Data were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling (SEM). Teachers' perception of mastery goal structure was strongly and positively related to value consonance and negatively related to emotional exhaustion, whereas performance goal structure, in the SEM model, was not significantly related to these constructs. Furthermore, value consonance was positively related to teachers' feeling of belonging and job satisfaction, whereas emotional exhaustion was negatively associated with job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was the strongest predictor of motivation to leave the teaching profession. A practical implication of the study is that educational goals and values should be explicitly discussed and clarified, both by education authorities and at the school level.

Perception of stress, depression, hypertension and myocardial infarction as predictors of adherence to hypertension drug treatment.

PubMed

Ljubotina, Aleksandar; Mićović, Vladimir; Kapović, Miljenko; Ljubotina, Maja; Popović, Branislava; Materljan, Eris

2014-12-01

This survey was performed to determine the relationship between the adherence to hypertension drug treatment and the perception of stress, depression, hypertension, and myocardial infarction. 300 patients with uncomplicated hyperten- sion from Rijeka, Croatia, were included (131 women, 169 men, mean age 53.5 years). Adherence to hypertension drug treatment as criterion, and the perception of stress, depression hypertension and myocardial infarction as prediclors were determined by self-assessment. Collected data were analysed using factor analysis, regression analysis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, chi2-test and t-test. The statistical significance was set at a probability rate of less than 5% (p < 0.05). 45.09% of women (p=0.479), and 64.08% of men (p = 0.032) were motivated to take antihypertensives. 55.79% of women (p = 0.382) and 64.78% of men (p = 0.028) had sufficient knowledge about drug treatment of hypertension. The positive predictors of motivation for taking antihypertensives were physiological disturbances and perceived potency of hypertension and the negative were perceived helplessness in stress control and negative thoughts and emotions. The positive predictors of knowledge about taking antihypertensives were perceived helplessness in stress control, perceived potency of hypertension and myocardial infarction and the negative predictors were perceived self-efficacy in stress control, physiological disturbances and evaluation of hypertension. Both the motivation as well as the knowledge about taking antihypertensives should be improved, especially in women. The perception of stress, depression, hypertension and myocardial infarction can be used to predict adherence to hypertension drug treatment.

Condom use among young women: Modeling the Theory of Gender and Power

PubMed Central

DePadilla, Lara; Windle, Michael; Wingood, Gina; Cooper, Hannah; DiClemente, Ralph

2012-01-01

Objective This study sought to articulate pathways between constructs from the Theory of Gender and Power (TGP) and their associations with sexual behavior. Design The data were collected pre-intervention during a randomized controlled HIV prevention trial. Participants were 701 sexually active, unmarried African-American females, aged 14–20, who were not pregnant, and were recruited from three health clinics in a southeastern U.S. city. Structural equation modeling was used for the analyses. Main Outcome Measure Self-reported condom use. Results Theoretical associations yielded a well-fitting structural model across initial and cross-validation samples. A significant amount of variance was explained for the variables of condom use (R2=.31, .18), partner communication (R2=.30, .26), substance use during sex (R2=.32, .51), and negative personal affect (R2=.36, .48). Partner communication (.35, .38) was the strongest predictor of condom use, negative personal affect (−.41, −.37) was the strongest predictor of partner communication, and physical risk (.54, .54) was the strongest predictor of negative personal affect. Conclusion This model provides evidence to support both direct and indirect associations between social and behavioral risk factors and condom use. Associations between TGP constructs and condom use can facilitate future development and analyses of interventions based on this theory. PMID:21553975

Motivational predictors of prosocial and antisocial behaviour in football.

PubMed

Kavussanu, Maria

2006-06-01

This study examined (a) the main and interactive effects of goal orientations and perceived motivational climate on prosocial and antisocial behaviour, and (b) whether number of seasons one has played for the team interacts with motivational climate in predicting prosocial and antisocial behaviour in association football. Participants were 325 male association football players, whose age ranged from 12 to 17 years. Athletes completed questionnaires measuring frequency of prosocial and antisocial behaviours in football, goal orientation, motivational climate and social desirability, and indicated the number of seasons they had played for their current team. Regression analyses revealed that task orientation and mastery climate were positive predictors of prosocial behaviour, whereas ego orientation and performance climate were positive predictors of antisocial behaviour. In addition, task orientation negatively predicted antisocial behaviour, while ego orientation negatively predicted prosocial behaviour. No significant interactions between task and ego orientation and mastery and performance motivational climate were found. Finally, mastery climate negatively predicted antisocial behaviour for those who had played many seasons for the team. In conclusion, strengthening task orientation and mastery climate and weakening ego orientation may enhance prosocial behaviour. However, for antisocial conduct to be eliminated from the context of association football, ego orientation and performance climate need to be tempered, as these constructs exert unique independent effects on antisocial behaviour.

Is the gap more than gender? A longitudinal analysis of gender, gender role orientation, and earnings.

PubMed

Judge, Timothy A; Livingston, Beth A

2008-09-01

This study investigated the relationships among gender, gender role orientation (i.e., attitudes toward the gendered separation of roles at work and at home), and earnings. A multilevel model was conceptualized in which gender role orientation and earnings were within-individual variables that fluctuate over time (although predictors of between-individual differences in gender role orientation were also considered). Results indicated that whereas traditional gender role orientation was positively related to earnings, gender significantly predicted the slope of this relationship: Traditional gender role orientation was strongly positively associated with earnings for men; it was slightly negatively associated with earnings for women. Occupational segregation partly explained these gender differences. Overall, the results suggest that although gender role attitudes are becoming less traditional for men and for women, traditional gender role orientation continues to exacerbate the gender wage gap.

Coming Out and the Potential for Growth in Sexual Minorities: The Role of Social Reactions and Internalized Homonegativity.

PubMed

Solomon, David; McAbee, James; Åsberg, Kia; McGee, Ashley

2015-01-01

Coming out is a significant and sometimes difficult process in the lives of sexual minorities, but disclosure can also affect wellbeing in positive ways, including reduced distress and greater relationship satisfaction. This study investigates the possibility of stress-related growth and depreciation following coming out. To obtain a diverse sample with varying coming-out experiences, data were collected from undergraduate students as well as from online sources, including lesbian, gay, and bisexual support groups and Pride groups. Regression analyses indicated that negative social reactions to coming out predicted both growth and depreciation, although they more strongly predicted depreciation. Positive social reactions were positively related to stress-related growth, while internalized homonegativity was inversely associated with growth. Although the two sample sources (online and campus) differed in some ways, sample source was not a significant predictor in the regressions, nor was it indicated as a moderator in exploratory ANOVA analyses.

Culture, risk factors and suicide in rural China: a psychological autopsy case control study.

PubMed

Zhang, J; Conwell, Y; Zhou, L; Jiang, C

2004-12-01

Previous research on sociocultural factors for Chinese suicide have been basically limited to single case studies or qualitative research with ethnographic methodology. The current study examines the major risk factors and some cultural uniqueness related to Chinese rural suicide using a quantitative design. This is a case control study with 66 completed suicides and 66 living controls obtained from psychological autopsy interviews in rural China. Both bivariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the Chinese rural suicide patterns are basically similar to those in most other cultures in the world: strong predictors of rural Chinese suicide are the psychopathological, psychological, and physical health variables, followed by social support and negative and stressful life events. Other significant correlates include lower education, poverty, religion, and family disputes. Culture has an important impact on suicide patterns in a society.

Impact of insomnia on self-perceived health in the elderly.

PubMed

Silva, Janiciene; Truzzi, Annibal; Schaustz, Fayanne; Barros, Roberta; Santos, Marisa; Laks, Jerson

2017-05-01

To investigate the association between self-perceived health, and sociodemographic and clinical factors in a sample of elderly outpatients in Rio de Janeiro. A sample of 345 elderly patients was assessed with an anamnesis, Lawton and Brody's Scale, Katz Index, Geriatric Depression Scale, Timed Up and Go Test, and Study of Osteoporotic Fracture Index. Logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the predictors of self-perceived health. Risk of falls, frailty, functional performance on the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, insomnia, and familial support were related to self-perceived health. Insomnia was the variable that strongly influenced self-perceived health (OR = 0.47, CI 95%: 0.28-0.80, p = 0.01) in our sample. The investigation of insomnia in the elderly should be routinely performed in primary care, because of the negative impact it imposes on the health of this population.

Neuroticism and facial emotion recognition in healthy adults.

PubMed

Andric, Sanja; Maric, Nadja P; Knezevic, Goran; Mihaljevic, Marina; Mirjanic, Tijana; Velthorst, Eva; van Os, Jim

2016-04-01

The aim of the present study was to examine whether healthy individuals with higher levels of neuroticism, a robust independent predictor of psychopathology, exhibit altered facial emotion recognition performance. Facial emotion recognition accuracy was investigated in 104 healthy adults using the Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task (DFAR). Participants' degree of neuroticism was estimated using neuroticism scales extracted from the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. A significant negative correlation between the degree of neuroticism and the percentage of correct answers on DFAR was found only for happy facial expression (significant after applying Bonferroni correction). Altered sensitivity to the emotional context represents a useful and easy way to obtain cognitive phenotype that correlates strongly with inter-individual variations in neuroticism linked to stress vulnerability and subsequent psychopathology. Present findings could have implication in early intervention strategies and staging models in psychiatry. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Culture, risk factors and suicide in rural China: a psychological autopsy case control study

PubMed Central

Zhang, J.; Conwell, Y.; Zhou, L.; Jiang, C.

2009-01-01

Objective Previous research on sociocultural factors for Chinese suicide have been basically limited to single case studies or qualitative research with ethnographic methodology. The current study examines the major risk factors and some cultural uniqueness related to Chinese rural suicide using a quantitative design. Method This is a case control study with 66 completed suicides and 66 living controls obtained from psychological autopsy interviews in rural China. Results Both bivariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the Chinese rural suicide patterns are basically similar to those in most other cultures in the world: strong predictors of rural Chinese suicide are the psychopathological, psychological, and physical health variables, followed by social support and negative and stressful life events. Other significant correlates include lower education, poverty, religion, and family disputes. Conclusion Culture has an important impact on suicide patterns in a society. PMID:15521827

Interrelations among the adipocytokines leptin and adiponectin, oxidative stress and aseptic inflammation markers in pre- and early-pubertal normal-weight and obese boys.

PubMed

Paltoglou, George; Schoina, Maria; Valsamakis, George; Salakos, Nicolaos; Avloniti, Alexandra; Chatzinikolaou, Athanasios; Margeli, Alexandra; Skevaki, Chrysanthi; Papagianni, Maria; Kanaka-Gantenbein, Christina; Papassotiriou, Ioannis; Chrousos, George P; Fatouros, Ioannis G; Mastorakos, George

2017-03-01

Presumed interrelationships among deleterious aspects of adipose tissue metabolism, inflammation, and cellular oxidative stress could be influenced by pubertal hormonal changes. They were investigated in pre- and early pubertal normal-weight and obese boys before and after an exercise bout employed as an energy demanding stimulator. Cross-sectional study. Seventy-six healthy pre- (mean ± SD, 10.6 ± 0.2 years old, 28 normal-weight, and 11 obese) and early-(11.4 ± 0.2 years old, 25 normal-weight, and 12 obese) pubertal boys, were blood-sampled before and after a bout of exercise at 70% VO 2 max. Leptin, adiponectin, markers of inflammation (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, high sensitivity IL-6), pro- (thiobarbitouric acid reactive substances, protein carbonyls) and anti- (glutathione, oxidized glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, total antioxidant capacity) oxidation were measured. Baseline and post-exercise adiponectin was greater and leptin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were lower in normal-weight than in obese pre- and early pubertal boys, while high sensitivity IL-6 was greater in obese than in normal-weight pre-pubertal boys. In pre-pubertal obese boys: at baseline, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein correlated negatively with catalase; high sensitivity IL-6 correlated positively with protein carbonyls; Δ (difference during exercise) adiponectin correlated positively with Δcatalase. In all boys: at baseline, high sensitivity IL-6 correlated positively with leptin and was the best negative and the second best positive predictor for post-exercise glutathione/oxidized glutathione and protein carbonyls, respectively; leptin was the best negative predictor for post-exercise glutathione; waist to height ratio was the best positive predictor for post-exercise thiobarbitouric acid reactive substances; body mass index z-score and adiponectin were, respectively, the best positive predictor for post-exercise protein carbonyls and catalase. In all subjects, leptin and adiponectin predict negatively and positively anti-oxidation, respectively, while high sensitivity IL-6 predicts positively and negatively pro- and anti-oxidation, respectively. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein is increased and negatively associated with anti-oxidation in pre-pubertal obese boys, suggesting that childhood obesity is associated with aseptic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety in Doctor of Physical Therapy Students.

PubMed

Macauley, Kelly; Plummer, Laura

2017-01-01

Anxiety is a condition with multiple physical manifestations and sequelae, including negatively impacting learning. The prevalence of anxiety and the factors that predict it in health professions students are unknown. The current study assessed the prevalence of anxiety in DPT students and examined the predictors of anxiety. The findings showed high student anxiety levels that were analogous to military recruits. Female gender and low GPA were predictors of anxiety in the sample. Further research is necessary to determine other factors that contribute to anxiety so that interventions to reduce anxiety in health professions students can be initiated.

Neighborhood racial discrimination and the development of major depression.

PubMed

Russell, Daniel W; Clavél, Frederick D; Cutrona, Carolyn E; Abraham, W Todd; Burzette, Rebecca G

2018-02-01

This study examined the impact of neighborhood racial discrimination on the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) in a sample of African American women. Participants were 499 women from Georgia and Iowa with no history of MDD who were followed for 9 to 11 years. Several neighborhood characteristics (community social disorder, community cohesion, and community racism) and individual characteristics (negative life events, financial strain, personal outlook, religious involvement, relationship quality, negative affectivity, and individual experiences of racism) were employed as predictors of whether or not the women met criteria for MDD during this period of time. In a multilevel logistic regression analysis, neighborhood-level discrimination as well as individual-level variables including the number of negative life events, financial strain, and negative affectivity were found to be significant predictors of developing MDD. Analyses of cross-level interactions indicated that the effects of neighborhood-level discrimination were moderated by the quality of individuals' relationships, such that better relationships with others served to lessen the effect of neighborhood discrimination on depression. Implications of these findings for understanding the negative effects of racial discrimination are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Cognitive Vulnerabilities as Predictors of Stress Generation in Early Adolescence: Pathway to Depressive Symptoms

PubMed Central

Hamilton, Jessica L.; Stange, Jonathan P.; Shapero, Benjamin G.; Connolly, Samantha L.; Abramson, Lyn Y.; Alloy, Lauren B.

2013-01-01

Although individuals with depression have been found to experience a higher rate of stress in their lives, it remains unclear to what extent other personal characteristics may contribute to stress generation. The current study extended past research by examining the effects of two theoretically and empirically supported cognitive vulnerabilities to depression (negative cognitive style and rumination) as predictors of dependent interpersonal and achievement events, independent events, and relational peer victimization. In a diverse sample of 301 early adolescents (56% female; Mage = 12.82 years), we found that negative cognitive style prospectively predicted the experience of dependent interpersonal stress and relational victimization, and that rumination did not predict stress in any of the domains. Furthermore, the occurrence of intervening stress mediated the associations between negative cognitive style and subsequent depressive symptoms. Additionally, whereas negative cognitive style predicted relational victimization among both boys and girls, girls were particularly vulnerable to developing depressive symptoms following the occurrence of relational victimization. Thus, a negative cognitive may contribute to the occurrence of stressful events, which in turn increases depressive symptoms. Girls may be particularly reactive to the effects of relational victimization, representing one pathway through which sex differences in depression may emerge. PMID:23624770

Longitudinal Risk and Resilience Factors Predicting Psychiatric Disruption, Mental Health Service Utilization & Military Retention in OIF National Guard Troops

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

disorders. These predictors were found to be distinct from personality variables (i.e., high negative emotionality and disconstraint) that were...experiencing relationship distress (Meis, Erbes, Polusny, & Compton, 2010). Specifically, high levels of negative emotionality , as measured by the MMPI-2 RF...relationship between negative emotionality (measured at pre-deployment) and relationship maladjustment at post- deployment. This suggests that

Hot temperatures during the dry season reduce survival of a resident tropical bird.

PubMed

Woodworth, Bradley K; Norris, D Ryan; Graham, Brendan A; Kahn, Zachary A; Mennill, Daniel J

2018-05-16

Understanding how climate change will shape species distributions in the future requires a functional understanding of the demographic responses of animals to their environment. For birds, most of our knowledge of how climate influences population vital rates stems from research in temperate environments, even though most of Earth's avian diversity is concentrated in the tropics. We evaluated effects of Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and local temperature and rainfall at multiple temporal scales on sex-specific survival of a resident tropical bird, the rufous-and-white wren Thryophilus rufalbus , studied over 15 years in the dry forests of northwestern Costa Rica. We found that annual apparent survival of males was 8% higher than females, more variable over time, and responded more strongly to environmental variation than female survival, which did not vary strongly with SOI or local weather. For males, mean and maximum local temperatures were better predictors of survival than either rainfall or SOI, with high temperatures during the dry season and early wet season negatively influencing survival. These results suggest that, even for species adapted to hot environments, further temperature increases may threaten the persistence of local populations in the absence of distributional shifts. © 2018 The Author(s).

A cross-sectional examination of psychological distress, positive mental health and their predictors in medical students in their clinical clerkships.

PubMed

van Dijk, Inge; Lucassen, Peter L B J; van Weel, Chris; Speckens, Anne E M

2017-11-17

Medical students can experience the transition from theory to clinical clerkships as stressful. Scientific literature on the mental health of clinical clerkship students is scarce and mental health is usually defined as absence of psychological distress without assessing psychological, emotional and social wellbeing, together called 'positive mental health'. This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of psychological distress and positive mental health and explores possible predictors in a Dutch sample of clinical clerkship students. Fourth-year medical students in their first year of clinical clerkships were invited to complete an online questionnaire assessing demographics, psychological distress (Brief Symptom Inventory), positive mental health (Mental Health Continuum- SF), dysfunctional cognitions (Irrational Beliefs Inventory) and dispositional mindfulness skills (Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore relationships between psychological distress, positive mental health (dependent variables) and demographics, dysfunctional cognitions and dispositional mindfulness skills (predictors). Of 454 eligible students, 406 (89%) completed the assessment of whom 21% scored in the clinical range of psychological distress and 41% reported a flourishing mental health. These proportions partially overlap each other. Female students reported a significantly higher mean level of psychological distress than males. In the regression analysis the strongest predictors of psychological distress were 'acting with awareness' (negative) and 'worrying' (positive). Strongest predictors of positive mental health were 'problem avoidance' (negative) and 'emotional irresponsibility' (negative). The prevalence of psychopathology in our sample of Dutch clinical clerkship students is slightly higher than in the general population. Our results support conclusions of previous research that psychological distress and positive mental health are not two ends of one continuum but partially overlap. Although no conclusion on causality can be drawn, this study supports the idea that self-awareness and active, nonavoidant coping strategies are related to lower distress and higher positive mental health.

The Lateral Habenula and Its Input to the Rostromedial Tegmental Nucleus Mediates Outcome-Specific Conditioned Inhibition.

PubMed

Laurent, Vincent; Wong, Felix L; Balleine, Bernard W

2017-11-08

Animals can readily learn that stimuli predict the absence of specific appetitive outcomes; however, the neural substrates underlying such outcome-specific conditioned inhibition remain largely unexplored. Here, using female and male rats as subjects, we examined the involvement of the lateral habenula (LHb) and of its inputs onto the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) in inhibitory learning. In these experiments, we used backward conditioning and contingency reversal to establish outcome-specific conditioned inhibitors for two distinct appetitive outcomes. Then, using the Pavlovian-instrumental transfer paradigm, we assessed the effects of manipulations of the LHb and the LHb-RMTg pathway on that inhibitory encoding. In control animals, we found that an outcome-specific conditioned inhibitor biased choice away from actions delivering that outcome and toward actions earning other outcomes. Importantly, this bias was abolished by both electrolytic lesions of the LHb and selective ablation of LHb neurons using Cre-dependent Caspase3 expression in Cre-expressing neurons projecting to the RMTg. This deficit was specific to conditioned inhibition; an excitatory predictor of a specific outcome-biased choice toward actions delivering the same outcome to a similar degree whether the LHb or the LHb-RMTg network was intact or not. LHb lesions also disrupted the ability of animals to inhibit previously encoded stimulus-outcome contingencies after their reversal, pointing to a critical role of the LHb and of its inputs onto the RMTg in outcome-specific conditioned inhibition in appetitive settings. These findings are consistent with the developing view that the LHb promotes a negative reward prediction error in Pavlovian conditioning. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stimuli that positively or negatively predict rewarding outcomes influence choice between actions that deliver those outcomes. Previous studies have found that a positive predictor of a specific outcome biases choice toward actions delivering that outcome. In contrast, a negative predictor of an outcome biases choice away from actions earning that outcome and toward other actions. Here we reveal that the lateral habenula is critical for negative predictors, but not positive predictors, to affect choice. Furthermore, these effects were found to require activation of lateral habenula inputs to the rostromedial tegmental nucleus. These results are consistent with the view that the lateral habenula establishes inhibitory relationships between stimuli and food outcomes and computes a negative prediction error in Pavlovian conditioning. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/3710932-11$15.00/0.

Acculturative stressors and acculturative strategies as predictors of negative affect among Chinese international students in Australia and Hong Kong: a cross-cultural comparative study.

PubMed

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung

2011-11-01

There are few studies comparing cross-cultural adaptation of migrant groups in two different cultural settings. This study compares the level of negative affect and acculturative stressors between Chinese international students in Australia and Mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong. The predictive effects of acculturative stressors and acculturative strategies on negative affect were also compared between the two groups. A total of 606 graduate students were recruited for a cross-sectional survey in Melbourne, and Hong Kong, China. The measurement included the Acculturative Hassles Scale for Chinese Students, Acculturative Strategy Scale, and Chinese Affect Scale. Independent t-tests and hierarchical regression analysis were conducted for data analysis. Chinese international students in Australia were found to encounter more acculturative stressors and experience a higher level of negative affect than their counterparts in Hong Kong. The acculturative stressor of academic work and a marginalization strategy significantly predicted negative affect in both groups. The acculturative stressor of cultural difference predicted negative affect in the Hong Kong sample, and assimilation strategy predicted negative affect in the Australian sample only. It is more difficult for Chinese international students to adapt to a host society with greater cultural distance. Cross-cultural comparative study helps to find out culture-general and culture-specific predictors of acculturation and helps design tailor-made intervention programs for international students across cultures.

A Prospective Study Investigating the Impact of School Belonging Factors on Negative Affect in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shochet, Ian M.; Smith, Coral L.; Furlong, Michael J.; Homel, Ross

2011-01-01

School belonging, measured as a unidimensional construct, is an important predictor of negative affective problems in adolescents, including depression and anxiety symptoms. A recent study found that one such measure, the Psychological Sense of School Membership scale, actually comprises three factors: Caring Relations, Acceptance, and Rejection.…

Identifying Predictors of Negative Psychological Reactions to Stalking Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Matthew C.; Kercher, Glen A.

2009-01-01

Victims of stalking often experience a number of negative psychological problems including such things as fear, symptoms of depression, and anger. However, research on factors that lead to these outcomes is limited. The goal of this study was to first identify distinct subgroups of stalking victims based on measures of psychological problems…

The Importance of Being Gifted: Stages of Gifted Identity Development, Their Correlates and Predictors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baudson, Tanja Gabriele; Ziemes, Johanna Fee

2016-01-01

Identity formation is particularly challenging for stigmatized minorities. The minority stress model (MSM) posits that both negative stereotypes and their internalization represent stressors. There is evidence that this applies to the gifted, too. However, their status is ambiguous, given that both negative and positive stereotypes exist.…

Parents' Emotion Expression as a Predictor of Child's Social Competence: Children with or without Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, S.; Baker, B.

2011-01-01

Background: Parents' expression of positive emotion towards children who are typically developing (TD) is generally associated with better social development. However, the association between parents' negative emotion expression and social development can be positive or negative depending upon a number of factors, including the child's emotion…

Parents' Emotion Related Beliefs and Behaviors and Child Grade: Associations with Children's Perceptions of Peer Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Maria S.; Diener, Marissa L.; Isabella, Russell A.

2008-01-01

Mothers' and fathers' beliefs and reported behaviors regarding negative emotional expression and observed family negative emotion expressiveness were investigated as predictors of first-, third-, and fifth-grade children's self-reported peer competence. Parents' beliefs were related to their reported behaviors, and mothers accepted and encouraged…

Relations of Parenting and Negative Life Events to Cognitive Diatheses for Depression in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruce, Alanna E.; Cole, David A.; Dallaire, Danielle H.; Jacquez, Farrah M.; Pineda, Ashley Q.; LaGrange, Beth

2006-01-01

In a sample of 299 children (grades 2, 4, and 6), we examined parenting and negative life events as predictors of depressive cognitions, specifically low self-perceived competence, depressive cognitive schemas, and depressogenic attributional style. We also examined developmental trends in these relations. Children completed measures of parenting,…

Leukocytosis and neutrophilia predicts outcome in anal cancer.

PubMed

Schernberg, Antoine; Escande, Alexandre; Rivin Del Campo, Eleonor; Ducreux, Michel; Nguyen, France; Goere, Diane; Chargari, Cyrus; Deutsch, Eric

2017-01-01

Leukocytosis and neutrophilia could be the tip of the iceberg in the inflammatory tumor microenvironment. We aimed to validate their prognostic significance in a cohort of patients treated with definitive chemoradiation for anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Clinical records from all consecutive patients treated in a single institution between 2006 and 2016 with curative-intent radiotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Leukocytosis and neutrophilia, defined as leukocyte or neutrophil count over 10,000 and 7500/mm 3 , respectively, were studied in terms of overall survival (OS), progression (PFS), locoregional (LFS) and distant (DFS)-free survival. We identified 103 non-metastatic HIV-negative patients, with concurrent chemotherapy use in 78%. Twelve and 8% displayed baseline leukocytosis and neutrophilia, respectively. Estimated 3-year OS and PFS were 88% and 67%, respectively. In univariate analysis, both leukocytosis and neutrophilia were strongly associated with inferior OS, PFS, LFS and DFS (p<0.01). In multivariate analysis, leukocytosis and neutrophilia remained strongly associated with patient outcome (p<0.01), independently from tumor T and N-stage. Anemia was an independent predictor of worse OS and PFS, while chemoradiation overall treatment time below 50days improved PFS. Leukocytosis and neutrophilia are strong prognostic factors for OS, PFS, LFS and DFS in anal cancer treated with chemoradiation. These biomarkers could help identify patients with higher risk of tumor relapse that require treatment intensification. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale factor structure and longitudinal relationships with functioning in early psychosis.

PubMed

Best, Michael W; Grossman, Michael; Oyewumi, L Kola; Bowie, Christopher R

2016-04-01

We examined the factor structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in early-episode psychosis and its relationships with functioning at baseline and follow-up. A total of 240 consecutive admissions to an early intervention in psychosis clinic were assessed at intake to the program with the PANSS, Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). Seventy individuals were reassessed at follow-up. A maximum likelihood factor analysis was conducted on baseline PANSS scores and the ability of each factor to predict baseline and follow-up GAF and SOFAS was examined. A five-factor model with varimax rotation was the best fit to our data and was largely congruent with factors found previously. The negative symptom factor was the best predictor of GAF and SOFAS at baseline and follow-up. Negative symptoms are the best symptomatic predictor of functioning in individuals with early psychosis and are an important treatment target to improve recovery. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Prediction of lipoprotein signal peptides in Gram-negative bacteria.

PubMed

Juncker, Agnieszka S; Willenbrock, Hanni; Von Heijne, Gunnar; Brunak, Søren; Nielsen, Henrik; Krogh, Anders

2003-08-01

A method to predict lipoprotein signal peptides in Gram-negative Eubacteria, LipoP, has been developed. The hidden Markov model (HMM) was able to distinguish between lipoproteins (SPaseII-cleaved proteins), SPaseI-cleaved proteins, cytoplasmic proteins, and transmembrane proteins. This predictor was able to predict 96.8% of the lipoproteins correctly with only 0.3% false positives in a set of SPaseI-cleaved, cytoplasmic, and transmembrane proteins. The results obtained were significantly better than those of previously developed methods. Even though Gram-positive lipoprotein signal peptides differ from Gram-negatives, the HMM was able to identify 92.9% of the lipoproteins included in a Gram-positive test set. A genome search was carried out for 12 Gram-negative genomes and one Gram-positive genome. The results for Escherichia coli K12 were compared with new experimental data, and the predictions by the HMM agree well with the experimentally verified lipoproteins. A neural network-based predictor was developed for comparison, and it gave very similar results. LipoP is available as a Web server at www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/LipoP/.

Prediction of lipoprotein signal peptides in Gram-negative bacteria

PubMed Central

Juncker, Agnieszka S.; Willenbrock, Hanni; von Heijne, Gunnar; Brunak, Søren; Nielsen, Henrik; Krogh, Anders

2003-01-01

A method to predict lipoprotein signal peptides in Gram-negative Eubacteria, LipoP, has been developed. The hidden Markov model (HMM) was able to distinguish between lipoproteins (SPaseII-cleaved proteins), SPaseI-cleaved proteins, cytoplasmic proteins, and transmembrane proteins. This predictor was able to predict 96.8% of the lipoproteins correctly with only 0.3% false positives in a set of SPaseI-cleaved, cytoplasmic, and transmembrane proteins. The results obtained were significantly better than those of previously developed methods. Even though Gram-positive lipoprotein signal peptides differ from Gram-negatives, the HMM was able to identify 92.9% of the lipoproteins included in a Gram-positive test set. A genome search was carried out for 12 Gram-negative genomes and one Gram-positive genome. The results for Escherichia coli K12 were compared with new experimental data, and the predictions by the HMM agree well with the experimentally verified lipoproteins. A neural network-based predictor was developed for comparison, and it gave very similar results. LipoP is available as a Web server at www.cbs.dtu.dk/services/LipoP/. PMID:12876315

Shyness and cognitions: an examination of Turkish university students.

PubMed

Koydemir, Selda; Demir, Ayhan

2008-11-01

The authors aimed to examine the relation between shyness and dysfunctional relationship beliefs and to extend findings of previous studies to understand the role of fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem in shyness. Participants were 415 Turkish undergraduate students at Middle East Technical University. The participants completed Turkish versions of the J. M. Cheek and A. H. Buss (1981) Shyness Scale, the Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (Z. Hamamci & S. Büyükoztürk, 2004) the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (M. R. Leary, 1983), and the M. Rosenberg (1965) Self-Esteem Scale. Bivariate correlations showed that shyness had a significant positive correlation with unrealistic relationship expectations and interpersonal rejection. Fear of negative evaluation and self-esteem also had significant relations to shyness. A stepwise regression analysis indicated that fear of negative evaluation, self-esteem, and interpersonal rejection were significant predictors of shyness, and self-esteem was the best predictor. These results provided evidence of the role of distorted relationship beliefs, approval concerns, and self-evaluations in shyness for Turkish university students. The authors discuss the findings in terms of relevant literature and cultural issues.

Leadership as a predictor of stigma and practical barriers toward receiving mental health treatment: a multilevel approach.

PubMed

Britt, Thomas W; Wright, Kathleen M; Moore, Dewayne

2012-02-01

The present research examined positive and negative leadership behaviors as predictors of stigma and practical barriers to mental health treatment. Soldiers completed measures of noncommissioned officer (NCO) and officer leadership, stigma, and practical barriers to getting mental health treatment at 2, 3, and 4 months following a 15-month deployment to Afghanistan. The results revealed that positive and negative NCO and officer leader behaviors were predictive of overall stigma and barriers to care (collapsed across the three time periods), with only NCO positive and negative behaviors being uniquely predictive of stigma when included in the same model with officer behaviors. In addition, negative and positive NCO leader behaviors were predictive of stigma within participants over the course of the three month time period, and positive NCO leader behaviors were inversely related to practical barriers to mental health treatment within participants across the same time period. The results are discussed in terms of how different leader behaviors may be linked to different factors influencing a soldier's decision to seek mental health treatment.

Anxiety, depression and coping strategies in post-hysterectomy Chinese women prior to discharge.

PubMed

Wang, X Q; Lambert, C E; Lambert, V A

2007-09-01

This survey investigated the relationships among anxiety, depression, coping strategies and demographic characteristics of post-hysterectomy Chinese women before discharge and further determined the best predictors of anxiety and depression among this group. The sample consisted of 105 women who were administered, 1-2 days prior to discharge, via one-to-one interview, the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale, the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale, the Brief COPE Scale and a demographic questionnaire. Only 1.9% of the participants experienced anxiety, while 4.8% experienced depression after having a hysterectomy. Active coping, positive reframing, planning, emotional support and venting were the most frequently used coping strategies. Significant positive and negative correlations were found among anxiety, depression, coping strategies and the demographic characteristics of the subjects. The best predictors of anxiety were self-blame, venting and medical payment. The best predictors of depression were self-blame and employment status. Self-blame was the predictor of both anxiety and depression. It implied that a patient's negative self-evaluation may influence both psychological status and mental health. The ways of medical payment and employment status were predictors of anxiety and depression respectively, both of which reflected the economic stress that affected the psychological status and quality of life of the Chinese women, post-hysterectomy, before discharge. The findings of this study indicate that care for Chinese women post-hysterectomy, before discharge, should address their physical, psychological, social and economic well-being.

Progression to problem drinking among Mexican American and White European first-year college students: a multiple group analysis.

PubMed

Schweizer, C Amanda; Doran, Neal; Roesch, Scott C; Myers, Mark G

2011-11-01

Problem drinking during college is a well-known phenomenon. However, predictors of progression to problematic drinking, particularly among ethnic minorities such as Mexican Americans, have received limited research attention. The current study compared the rates and predictors of problem drinking progression from the first to the second year of college among four groups: Mexican American men, Mexican American women, White European men, and White European women (N = 215). At baseline, participants were all first-year college students who scored as nonproblem drinkers on the Young Adult Alcohol Problems Screening Test (YAAPST). Participants were classified as progressors or stable nondrinkers/nonproblem drinkers based on YAAPST scores 12 months later. Hypothesized predictors of progression included behavioral undercontrol, negative emotionality, alcohol use expectancies, and cultural orientation (Mexican American sample only). Differences were anticipated between gender and ethnic groups in both progression rates and predictors of progression. Twenty-nine percent of the sample progressed to problematic drinking; however, no differences emerged by gender or ethnicity. For the full sample, higher behavioral undercontrol and higher negative emotionality significantly predicted progression. Differences in predictors were not found across gender and ethnic subgroups. The hypothesis that rates of progression to problem drinking would differ among the four gender and ethnic groups was not supported. Thus, although White European men are most often identified as at high risk for alcohol use problems, the present findings indicate that women and Mexican American students also should be targeted for prevention and/or intervention.

An exploration of Intolerance of Uncertainty and memory bias.

PubMed

Francis, Kylie; Dugas, Michel J; Ricard, Nathalie C

2016-09-01

Research suggests that individuals high in Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) have information processing biases, which may explain the close relationship between IU and worry. Specifically, high IU individuals show an attentional bias for uncertainty, and negatively interpret uncertain information. However, evidence of a memory bias for uncertainty among high IU individuals is limited. This study therefore explored the relationship between IU and memory for uncertainty. In two separate studies, explicit and implicit memory for uncertain compared to other types of words was assessed. Cognitive avoidance and other factors that could influence information processing were also examined. IUS Factor 1 was a significant positive predictor of explicit memory for positive words, and IUS Factor 2 a significant negative predictor of implicit memory for positive words. Stimulus relevance and vocabulary were significant predictors of implicit memory for uncertain words. Cognitive avoidance was a significant predictor of both explicit and implicit memory for threat words. Female gender was a significant predictor of implicit memory for uncertain and neutral words. Word stimuli such as those used in these studies may not be the optimal way of assessing information processing biases related to IU. In addition, the predominantly female, largely student sample may limit the generalizability of the findings. Future research focusing on IU factors, stimulus relevance, and both explicit and implicit memory, was recommended. The potential role of cognitive avoidance on memory, information processing, and worry was explored. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antecedents of emotion knowledge: Predictors of individual differences in young children

PubMed Central

Bennett, David S.; Bendersky, Margaret; Lewis, Michael

2006-01-01

Individual differences in emotion knowledge were examined among 188 4-year-old, predominantly African American children. Cognitive ability and negative emotionality, maternal characteristics (parenting, verbal intelligence, and depressive symptoms), environmental risk, and child sex were examined as predictors of emotion knowledge. Regression analyses indicated that cognitively skilled children who resided in relatively low risk environments with verbally intelligent mothers possessed greater emotion knowledge. Proximal (4-year) child cognitive ability was a stronger predictor than distal (2-year) cognitive ability. Positive parenting at 4 years was correlated with child emotion knowledge, but this relation disappeared when parenting was examined in the context of other predictors. These findings highlight the potential role of child cognitive ability, along with environmental risk and maternal verbal intelligence, in children’s emotion knowledge and demonstrate the importance of examining a variety of predictors for their unique contribution to emotion knowledge. PMID:16894396

Coronary sinus signal amplitude predicts left atrial scarring.

PubMed

Attanasio, Philipp; Qaiyumi, Daniel; Röhle, Robert; Wutzler, Alexander; Safak, Erdal; Muntean, Bogdan; Boldt, Leif-Hendrik; Pieske, Burkert; Haverkamp, Wilhelm; Huemer, Martin

2017-12-22

Left atrial scarring is recognised as a critical component in the maintenance of atrial fibrillation and is associated with the failure of interventional treatment. Diminished bipolar voltage (LV) has been proposed as a useful tool for left atrial scar quantification. We hypothesised that, due to its anatomic location, signals on the coronary sinus catheter might be used to predict the amount of left atrial low voltage. A total of 124 patients (42% women, average age 66 ± 9 years) were included. Forty-one with paroxysmal and 83 with persistent atrial fibrillation. Left atrial low-voltage (<0.5 mV, measured during sinus rhythm) area size and distribution varied considerably among the included patients (mean: 34.9%; maximum: 94.6%; minimum: 0.4%). Spearman correlation revealed a strong negative correlation between bipolar voltage of the signals on the coronary sinus catheter and the amount of left atrial scarring (R = -0.778, p < .0001). The optimal CS voltage cut off for prediction of left atrial low-voltage size of ≥50% was 1.9 mV with an area-under-the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.982, a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 98%. There is a strong negative correlation between the size of left atrial low-voltage areas (LVA) and coronary sinus signal amplitude. With increasing left atrial LVA size, CS signal amplitudes decrease, and vice versa. On the basis of these findings, average CS signal amplitudes of ≤1.9 mV can be used as a predictor for a left atrial low-voltage size of ≥50%.

Predictors of physician career satisfaction, work-life balance, and burnout.

PubMed

Keeton, Kristie; Fenner, Dee E; Johnson, Timothy R B; Hayward, Rodney A

2007-04-01

To explore factors associated with physician career satisfaction, work-life balance, and burnout focusing on differences across age, gender, and specialty. A cross-sectional, mailed, self-administered survey was sent to a national sample of 2,000 randomly-selected physicians, stratified by specialty, age, and gender (response rate 48%). Main outcome measures included career satisfaction, burnout, and work-life balance. Scales ranged from 1 to 100. Both women and men report being highly satisfied with their careers (79% compared with 76%, P<.01), having moderate levels of satisfaction with work-life balance (48% compared with 49%, P=.24), and having moderate levels of emotional resilience (51% compared with 53%, P=.09). Measures of burnout strongly predicted career satisfaction (standardized beta 0.36-0.60, P<.001). The strongest predictor of work-life balance and burnout was having some control over schedule and hours worked (standardized beta 0.28, P<.001, and 0.20-0.32, P<.001, respectively). Physician gender, age, and specialty were not strong independent predictors of career satisfaction, work-life balance, or burnout. This national physician survey suggests that physicians can struggle with work-life balance yet remain highly satisfied with their career. Burnout is an important predictor of career satisfaction, and control over schedule and work hours are the most important predictors of work-life balance and burnout. II.

Alienation, Aggression, and Sensation Seeking as Predictors of Adolescent Use of Violent Film, Computer, and Website Content.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Michael D.

2003-01-01

Examines predictors of various types of self-reported use of violent media content by eighth graders. Indicates that gender, sensation-seeking, aggression, and frequency of Internet use had relatively strong contributions to explaining the use of violent media content. Notes that alienation from school and family also appeared to partially mediate…

Drivers of variation in aboveground net primary productivity and plant community composition differe across a broad precipitation gradient

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

It has long been a goal of ecology to determine what factors drive variation in aboveground net primary production (ANPP). Total annual precipitation has been shown to be a strong predictor of ANPP across broad spatial scales, but a poor predictor at local scales. Here we aim to determine the amount...

Predictors of Suicidal Ideation in Late Childhood and Adolescence: A 5-Year Follow-Up of Two Nationally Representative Cohorts in the Republic of Korea

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sunhee

2013-01-01

This study explores the trajectory of suicidal ideation in childhood and adolescence and identifies its strong predictors. Secondary data obtained from two nationally representative cohorts of South Korean youth were longitudinally analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and discrete time survival analysis. This study revealed an increase in the…

The prognostic role of stress echocardiography in a contemporary population and the clinical significance of limited apical ischaemia.

PubMed

Papachristidis, Alexandros; Roper, Damian; Cassar Demarco, Daniela; Tsironis, Ioannis; Papitsas, Michael; Byrne, Jonathan; Alfakih, Khaled; Monaghan, Mark J

2016-12-01

In this study, we aim to reassess the prognostic value of stress echocardiography (SE) in a contemporary population and to evaluate the clinical significance of limited apical ischaemia, which has not been previously studied. We included 880 patients who underwent SE. Follow-up data with regards to MACCE (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, any repeat revascularisation and cerebrovascular accident) were collected over 12 months after the SE. Mortality data were recorded over 27.02 ± 4.6 months (5.5-34.2 months). We sought to investigate the predictors of MACCE and all-cause mortality. In a multivariable analysis, only the positive result of SE was predictive of MACCE (HR, 3.71; P = 0.012). The positive SE group was divided into 2 subgroups: (a) inducible ischaemia limited to the apical segments ('apical ischaemia') and (b) ischaemia in any other segments with or without apical involvement ('other positive'). The subgroup of patients with apical ischaemia had a significantly worse outcome compared to the patients with a negative SE (HR, 3.68; P = 0.041) but a similar outcome to the 'other positive' subgroup. However, when investigated with invasive coronary angiography, the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and their rate of revascularisation was considerably lower. Only age (HR, 1.07; P < 0.001) was correlated with all-cause mortality. SE remains a strong predictor of patients' outcome in a contemporary population. A positive SE result was the only predictor of 12-month MACCE. The subgroup of patients with limited apical ischaemia have similar outcome to patients with ischaemia in other segments despite a lower prevalence of CAD and a lower revascularisation rate. © 2016 The authors.

Hostility, anger, and sense of coherence as predictors of health-related quality of life. Results of an ASCOT substudy.

PubMed

Julkunen, Juhani; Ahlström, Richard

2006-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of hostility and anger expression to sense of coherence (SOC) and their role as predictors of health-related quality of life (HQL). It was hypothesised that SOC would mediate the impact of hostility and anger on HQL. This is a substudy of the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial, which evaluates different treatment strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients. At baseline, SOC was assessed with a short form measure, and hostility-anger with the Cynical Distrust scale and with the Anger Expression scales. HQL was assessed at 6 months with the RAND-36. The sample comprised of 774 subjects (77.5% men). Results showed that strong SOC associates with ability to control expression of anger and with low levels of suppressed or openly expressed anger. Anger control and SOC were related to good HQL; cynicism, anger-out, and anger-in correlated negatively with HQL. Path models revealed that SOC was the strongest predictor of HQL while hostility and anger lost their direct impact on HQL. Given the significant associations of hostility and anger with SOC, it is concluded that the salutogenic theory of Antonovsky (A. Antonovsky, Health, Stress, and Coping: New Perspectives on Mental Health and Physical Well-Being, Jossey-Bass Inc, San Francisco, 1979) should be extended to include hostility-related constructs. The impact of hostility and anger on HQL is, to a great extent, mediated through SOC, which implies that in future studies, the role of hostility as a risk factor of ill health should be reconsidered from the SOC theory perspective.

Interaction among general practitioners age and patient load in the prediction of job strain, decision latitude and perception of job demands. A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Vanagas, Giedrius; Bihari-Axelsson, Susanna

2004-12-07

It is widely recognized and accepted that job strain adversely impacts the workforce. Individual responses to stressful situations can vary greatly and it has been shown that certain people are more likely to experience high levels of stress in their job than others. Studies highlighted that there can be age differences in job strain perception. Cross-sectional postal survey of 300 Lithuanian general practitioners. Psychosocial stress was investigated with a questionnaire based on the Reeder scale. Job demands were investigated with the Karasek scale. The analysis included descriptive statistics; logistic regression beta coefficients to find out predictors and interactions between characteristics and predictors. Response rate was 66% (N = 197). Logistic regression as significant predictors for job strain assigned - duration of work in primary care; for job demands- age and duration of working in primary care; for decision latitude- age and patient load.The interactions with regard to job strain showed that GP's age and job strain are negatively associated to a low patient load. Lower decision latitude for older GP age is strongly related to higher patient load. Job demands and GP age are slightly positively related at low patient load. Lithuanian GP's have high patient load and are at risk of stress, they have high job demands and low decision latitude. Older GP's perceive less strain, lower job demands and higher decision latitude in case of low patient load. Young GP's decision latitude has week association to patient load. Regarding to the changes in patient load younger GP's perceive it more sensitively as changes in job demands.

Impact of the revised International Prognostic Scoring System, cytogenetics and monosomal karyotype on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation for myelodysplastic syndromes and secondary acute myeloid leukemia evolving from myelodysplastic syndromes: a retrospective multicenter study of the European Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation

PubMed Central

Koenecke, Christian; Göhring, Gudrun; de Wreede, Liesbeth C.; van Biezen, Anja; Scheid, Christof; Volin, Liisa; Maertens, Johan; Finke, Jürgen; Schaap, Nicolaas; Robin, Marie; Passweg, Jakob; Cornelissen, Jan; Beelen, Dietrich; Heuser, Michael; de Witte, Theo; Kröger, Nicolaus

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the revised 5-group International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification on outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or secondary acute myeloid leukemia who were reported to the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation database. A total of 903 patients had sufficient cytogenetic information available at stem cell transplantation to be classified according to the 5-group classification. Poor and very poor risk according to this classification was an independent predictor of shorter relapse-free survival (hazard ratio 1.40 and 2.14), overall survival (hazard ratio 1.38 and 2.14), and significantly higher cumulative incidence of relapse (hazard ratio 1.64 and 2.76), compared to patients with very good, good or intermediate risk. When comparing the predictive performance of a series of Cox models both for relapse-free survival and for overall survival, a model with simplified 5-group cytogenetics (merging very good, good and intermediate cytogenetics) performed best. Furthermore, monosomal karyotype is an additional negative predictor for outcome within patients of the poor, but not the very poor risk group of the 5-group classification. The revised International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification allows patients with myelodysplastic syndromes to be separated into three groups with clearly different outcomes after stem cell transplantation. Poor and very poor risk cytogenetics were strong predictors of poor patient outcome. The new cytogenetic classification added value to prediction of patient outcome compared to prediction models using only traditional risk factors or the 3-group International Prognostic Scoring System cytogenetic classification. PMID:25552702

Environmental Predictors of Ice Seal Presence in the Bering Sea

PubMed Central

Miksis-Olds, Jennifer L.

2014-01-01

Ice seals overwintering in the Bering Sea are challenged with foraging, finding mates, and maintaining breathing holes in a dark and ice covered environment. Due to the difficulty of studying these species in their natural environment, very little is known about how the seals navigate under ice. Here we identify specific environmental parameters, including components of the ambient background sound, that are predictive of ice seal presence in the Bering Sea. Multi-year mooring deployments provided synoptic time series of acoustic and oceanographic parameters from which environmental parameters predictive of species presence were identified through a series of mixed models. Ice cover and 10 kHz sound level were significant predictors of seal presence, with 40 kHz sound and prey presence (combined with ice cover) as potential predictors as well. Ice seal presence showed a strong positive correlation with ice cover and a negative association with 10 kHz environmental sound. On average, there was a 20–30 dB difference between sound levels during solid ice conditions compared to open water or melting conditions, providing a salient acoustic gradient between open water and solid ice conditions by which ice seals could orient. By constantly assessing the acoustic environment associated with the seasonal ice movement in the Bering Sea, it is possible that ice seals could utilize aspects of the soundscape to gauge their safe distance to open water or the ice edge by orienting in the direction of higher sound levels indicative of open water, especially in the frequency range above 1 kHz. In rapidly changing Arctic and sub-Arctic environments, the seasonal ice conditions and soundscapes are likely to change which may impact the ability of animals using ice presence and cues to successfully function during the winter breeding season. PMID:25229453

Individual and Social Predictors of Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong

PubMed Central

Lai, Frank H. Y.; Siu, Andrew M. H.; Shek, Daniel T. L.

2015-01-01

Based on the human ecological model, this study hypothesized that individual competence in empathy, prosocial moral reasoning, and social influence from parents, peers, and school are the key determinants of prosocial behavior among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. We recruited a sample of high school students who engaged in volunteering activities regularly (N = 580). They completed a self-administrated questionnaire designed to measure prosocial behavior and its hypothesized predictors using a number of standardized instruments. The results of multiple regression show that social influence factors, including peer, school, and parent influence, are strong predictors of helping intention and prosocial behavior, while individual competence factors like empathy and prosocial moral reasoning are not. Male participants had higher empathy scores and helping intention than females, perceived their parents as more helpful, and their schools as more supportive of prosocial behavior. However, the significant predictors of prosocial behavior and helping intention were similar across gender. The findings indicate that social influence is strongly linked to prosocial behavior. This implies that socialization and social support for prosocial norms and behavior can exert a powerful influence on the behavior of young people in a Chinese population. PMID:26029684

Individual and Social Predictors of Prosocial Behavior among Chinese Adolescents in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Lai, Frank H Y; Siu, Andrew M H; Shek, Daniel T L

2015-01-01

Based on the human ecological model, this study hypothesized that individual competence in empathy, prosocial moral reasoning, and social influence from parents, peers, and school are the key determinants of prosocial behavior among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. We recruited a sample of high school students who engaged in volunteering activities regularly (N = 580). They completed a self-administrated questionnaire designed to measure prosocial behavior and its hypothesized predictors using a number of standardized instruments. The results of multiple regression show that social influence factors, including peer, school, and parent influence, are strong predictors of helping intention and prosocial behavior, while individual competence factors like empathy and prosocial moral reasoning are not. Male participants had higher empathy scores and helping intention than females, perceived their parents as more helpful, and their schools as more supportive of prosocial behavior. However, the significant predictors of prosocial behavior and helping intention were similar across gender. The findings indicate that social influence is strongly linked to prosocial behavior. This implies that socialization and social support for prosocial norms and behavior can exert a powerful influence on the behavior of young people in a Chinese population.

Predictors of Initiation and Engagement of Cognitive Processing Therapy Among Veterans With PTSD Enrolled in Collaborative Care.

PubMed

Grubbs, Kathleen M; Fortney, John C; Pyne, Jeffrey M; Hudson, Teresa; Moore, William Mark; Custer, Paul; Schneider, Ronald; Schnurr, Paula P

2015-12-01

Collaborative care (CC) increases access to evidence-based pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy. The study aim was to identify the characteristics of rural veterans receiving a telemedicine-based CC intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who initiated and engaged in cognitive processing therapy (CPT) delivered via interactive video. Veterans diagnosed with PTSD were recruited from 11 community-based outpatient clinics (N = 133). Chart abstraction identified all mental health encounters received during the 12-month study. General linear mixed models were used to identify characteristics that predicted CPT initiation and engagement (attendance at 8 or more sessions). For initiation, higher PTSD severity according to the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (d = -0.39, p = .038) and opt-out recruitment (vs. self-referral; d = -0.49, p = .010) were negative predictors. For engagement, major depression (d = -1.32, p = .006) was a negative predictor whereas a pending claim for military service connected disability (d = 2.02, p = .008) was a positive predictor. In general, veterans enrolled in CC initiated and engaged in CPT at higher rates than usual care. Those with more severe symptoms and comorbidity, however, were at risk of not starting or completing CPT. © 2015 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

Symptom clusters and related factors in bladder cancer patients three months after radical cystectomy.

PubMed

Ren, Hongyan; Tang, Ping; Zhao, Qinghua; Ren, Guosheng

2017-08-23

To identify symptom distress and clusters in patients 3 months after radical cystectomy and to explore their potential predictors. A cross-sectional design was used to investigate 99 bladder cancer patients 3 months after radical cystectomy. Data were collected by demographic and disease characteristic questionnaires, the symptom experience scale of the M.D. Anderson symptom inventory, two additional symptoms specific to radical cystectomy, and the functional assessment of cancer therapy questionnaire. A factor analysis, stepwise regression, and correlation analysis were applied. Three symptom clusters were identified: fatigue-malaise, gastrointestinal, and psycho-urinary. Age, complication severity, albumin post-surgery (negative), orthotropic neobladder reconstruction, adjuvant chemotherapy and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores were significant predictors of fatigue-malaise. Adjuvant chemotherapy, orthotropic neobladder reconstruction, female gender, ASA scores and albumin (negative) were significant predictors of gastrointestinal symptoms. Being unmarried, having a higher educational level and complication severity were significant predictors of psycho-urinary symptoms. The correlations between clusters and for each cluster with quality of life were significant, with the highest correlation observed between the psycho-urinary cluster and quality of life. Bladder cancer patients experience concurrent symptoms that appear to cluster and are significantly correlated with quality of life. Moreover, symptom clusters may be predicted by certain demographic and clinical characteristics.

The modifying role of caregiver burden on predictors of quality of life of caregivers of hospitalized chronic stroke patients.

PubMed

Jeong, Yeon-Gyu; Myong, Jun-Pyo; Koo, Jung-Wan

2015-10-01

Caregiver burden is an important predictor of quality of life (QoL) among caregivers of stroke patients. While caregiver burden and QoL might be closely related, caregiver burden seems also to be a potential modifier of the associations between patients' and caregivers' characteristics and caregivers' QoL. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of caregiver burden in caregivers of hospitalized chronic stroke patients and the predictors of caregivers' QoL by level of caregiver burden. A total of 238 patients and their caregivers were interviewed using questionnaires consisting of the Zarit Burden Interview and the Korean-version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were performed to determine the predictors of caregivers' QoL among caregivers stratified by median caregiver burden score (high/low). Caregiver burden had a modifying effect on caregivers' QoL. In caregivers with high burden, the patient characteristics of being unemployed and the caregiver characteristics of poor health status, lower income, and being a spouse were negative predictors of caregivers' QoL. In caregivers with low burden, the patient characteristics of being hospitalized for a longer duration and the caregiver characteristics of poor health status were negative predictors of caregivers' QoL (all ps < 0.05). This study found that in South Korea, more attention should be paid to spouses who are caring for hospitalized chronic stroke patients, particularly with regard to their health status and financial problems. Further studies are needed to examine the impact of factors not examined in the Korean cultural context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Predictors of Urgent Findings on Abdominopelvic CT in Patients with Crohn's Disease Presenting to the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Jung, Yoon Suk; Park, Dong Il; Hong, Sung Noh; Kim, Eun Ran; Kim, Young Ho; Cheon, Jae Hee; Eun, Chang Soo; Han, Dong Soo; Lee, Chang Kyun; Kim, Jae Hak; Huh, Kyu Chan; Yoon, Soon Man; Song, Hyun Joo; Shin, Jeong Eun; Jeon, Seong Ran

2015-04-01

Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) are frequently exposed to diagnostic radiation, mainly as a result of abdominopelvic computed tomography (APCT) examinations. However, there are limited data on the impact of APCT on clinical management in this population. To investigate clinical predictors of urgent findings on APCT in patients with CD who presented to the emergency department (ED). A retrospective study was performed among patients with CD presenting to 11 EDs with a gastrointestinal complaint. The primary outcome, OPAN (obstruction, perforation, abscess, or non-CD-related urgent findings), included new or worsening CD-related urgent findings or non-CD-related urgent findings that required urgent or emergency treatment. Variables with P < 0.1 in univariate analyses were included in a multivariable logistic regression model. Of the 266 APCTs performed, 103 (38.7 %) had OPAN and 113 (42.5 %) required changes in treatment plan. Stricturing or penetrating disease (odds ratio [OR] 2.72, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.21-6.13), heart rate >100 beats/min (OR 2.33, 95 % CI 1.10-4.93), leukocyte count >10,000/mm(3) (OR 4.38, 95 % CI 2.10-9.13), and CRP >2.5 mg/dL (OR 3.11, 95 % CI 1.23-7.86) were identified as the independent predictors of OPAN, whereas biologic agent use (OR 0.37; 95 % CI 0.15-0.90) was identified as the negative predictor in patients with CD. Only 39 % of the APCTs performed in the ED among patients with CD showed urgent findings. Stricturing or penetrating disease, tachycardia, leukocytosis, and high CRP level were predictors of urgent CT findings, while biologic agent use was a negative predictor. To reduce unnecessary radiation exposure, the selection process for CD patients referred for APCT must be improved.

Motivational predictors of coping with academic examination.

PubMed

Doron, Julie; Stephan, Yannick; Maiano, Christophe; Le Scanff, Christine

2011-01-01

The present study focused on the motivational predictors of coping with academic examination through the test of the contribution of self-determination for academic studies and achievement goals. Coping strategies, academic motivation and achievement goals were assessed among 199 undergraduate students. Regression analysis revealed that problem-focused coping is positively predicted by identified regulation and negatively by amotivation, whereas emotion-focused coping is positively predicted by introjected regulation and amotivation. Mastery approach goals contributed positively to problem-focused coping. Identified regulation and mastery approach goals made a unique positive contribution to problem-focused coping, and amotivation was negatively related. Students' coping actions may vary according to both the reasons why they engage in academic studies and the goals they pursue in this setting.

Development of Social Anxiety: Social Interaction Predictors of Implicit and Explicit Fear of Negative Evaluation

PubMed Central

Allen, Joseph P.

2012-01-01

Little is known about how to predict which individuals with known temperament vulnerabilities will go on to develop social anxiety problems. Adolescents (N = 185) were followed from age 13 to 18 to evaluate psychosocial, prospective predictors of social anxiety symptoms and fears of negative evaluation (FNE), after accounting for pre-existing social withdrawal symptoms. Results from structural equation modeling suggest that lack of perceived social acceptance predicts subsequent explicit social anxiety and FNE, whereas the emotional intensity of close peer interactions predicts subsequent implicit FNE. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of peer interaction in the development of social anxiety, and the value of measuring both implicit and explicit FNE. PMID:17171538

Negative and positive urgency may both be risk factors for compulsive buying.

PubMed

Rose, Paul; Segrist, Daniel J

2014-06-01

Descriptions of compulsive buying often emphasize the roles of negative moods and trait impulsivity in the development of problematic buying habits. Trait impulsivity is sometimes treated as a unidimensional trait in compulsive buying research, but recent factor analyses suggest that impulsivity consists of multiple components that are probably best treated as independent predictors of problem behavior. In order to draw greater attention to the role of positive moods in compulsive buying, in this study we tested whether negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in negative moods) and positive urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in positive moods) account for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. North American adults (N = 514) completed an online survey containing the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (Ridgway, Kukar-Kinney & Monroe, 2008), established measures of positive and negative urgency (Cyders et al., 2007), ad hoc measures of buying-specific positive and negative urgency, measures of extraversion and neuroticism obtained from the International Personality Item Pool (http://ipip.ori.org/), and demographic questions. In several multiple regression analyses, when demographic variables, neuroticism, and extraversion were controlled, positive urgency and negative urgency both emerged as significant predictors of compulsive buying. Whether the two urgency variables were domain-general or buying-specific, they accounted for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Preventing and reducing compulsive buying may require attention not only to the purchasing decisions people make while in negative states, but also to the purchasing decisions they make while in positive states.

Examining the psychosocial determinants of women's decisions to delay childbearing.

PubMed

Kearney, Allison L; White, Katherine M

2016-08-01

What are the psychosocial determinants of women's intentions to delay childbearing until after 35 years? Attitudes, pressure from important others, perceived self-confidence and anticipated regret all influence the decision-making process of women aged 18-30 years to defer their attempts to conceive their first child until 35+ years. Research has consistently demonstrated that, for many women, the decision to delay childbearing can lead to 'unintentional childlessness' due to a failure to consider the impact of age-related fertility decline. A large body of literature has also found strong links between age-related involuntary infertility and negative psychological impacts, including an increased prevalence of anxiety, depression, guilt, stigma and poor mental health. The study initially conducted focus groups designed to ascertain important beliefs informing participants' intentions to delay childbearing. A subsequent larger-scale quantitative questionnaire followed. Participants (n = 358) were female, aged between 18 and 30 years, lived in Australia, identified as being open to the idea of having children, were heterosexual, had not already had children, were not already pregnant, and had not received a diagnosis of medical infertility prior to participating. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed strong support for psychosocial predictors of attitude, pressure from others and perceived self-confidence as predictors of women's intentions to delay childbearing, accounting for 59% of total variance. The extended model that included anticipated regret, accounted for a significant additional 4.4% variance in intention to delay childbearing past the age of 35 years. Proportionally more participants were younger, Caucasian, and were university students, thus limiting the generalizability of results to the wider Australian community. Future research in this domain is recommended to adopt a prospective design and incorporate a measure of behaviour to investigate the link between intentions to delay childbearing and future fertility behaviour. This research augments our understanding of the decision-making process and key beliefs underlying the decision to delay childbearing. Further efforts are needed to advise young women to investigate their fertility options during the peak of their reproductive years in order to prevent negative psychological consequences associated with unintentional childlessness. None. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Performance comparison of quantitative semantic features and lung-RADS in the National Lung Screening Trial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Qian; Balagurunathan, Yoganand; Liu, Ying; Schabath, Matthew; Gillies, Robert J.

2016-03-01

Background: Lung-RADS is the new oncology classification guideline proposed by American College of Radiology (ACR), which provides recommendation for further follow up in lung cancer screening. However, only two features (solidity and size) are included in this system. We hypothesize that additional sematic features can be used to better characterize lung nodules and diagnose cancer. Objective: We propose to develop and characterize a systematic methodology based on semantic image traits to more accurately predict occurrence of cancerous nodules. Methods: 24 radiological image traits were systematically scored on a point scale (up to 5) by a trained radiologist, and lung-RADS was independently scored. A linear discriminant model was used on the semantic features to access their performance in predicting cancer status. The semantic predictors were then compared to lung-RADS classification in 199 patients (60 cancers, 139 normal controls) obtained from the National Lung Screening Trial. Result: There were different combinations of semantic features that were strong predictors of cancer status. Of these, contour, border definition, size, solidity, focal emphysema, focal fibrosis and location emerged as top candidates. The performance of two semantic features (short axial diameter and contour) had an AUC of 0.945, and was comparable to that of lung-RADS (AUC: 0.871). Conclusion: We propose that a semantics-based discrimination approach may act as a complement to the lung-RADS to predict cancer status.

Minority stress and relationship functioning among young male same-sex couples: An examination of actor-partner interdependence models.

PubMed

Feinstein, Brian A; McConnell, Elizabeth; Dyar, Christina; Mustanski, Brian; Newcomb, Michael E

2018-05-01

In different-sex couples, individual and partner stress can both have a negative impact on relationship functioning (actor and partner effects). Gay and bisexual men experience unique stress (sexual minority stress), but few studies have examined the effects of this stress on relationship functioning among young male couples. The current study examined (a) actor and partner effects of general and minority stress (internalized stigma, microaggressions, victimization, and outness) on relationship functioning (relationship quality and negative relationship interactions), (b) interactions between individual and partner stress as predictors of relationship functioning, and (c) dyadic coping and relationship length as moderators of actor and partner effects. Actor-partner interdependence models were tested using data from 153 young male couples. There was strong support for actor effects. Higher general stress and internalized stigma were associated with lower relationship quality, but only for those in longer relationships. Additionally, higher general stress, internalized stigma, and microaggressions, and lower outness, were associated with more negative relationship interactions. There was limited support for partner effects. Having a partner with higher internalized stigma was associated with more negative relationship interactions, but none of the other partner effects were significant. There was no support for individual and partner stress interacting to predict relationship functioning or for dyadic coping as a stress buffer. Findings highlight the influence of one's own experiences of general and minority stress on relationship functioning, but raise questions about how partner stress influences relationship functioning among young male couples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Case-control studies in neurosurgery.

PubMed

Nesvick, Cody L; Thompson, Clinton J; Boop, Frederick A; Klimo, Paul

2014-08-01

Observational studies, such as cohort and case-control studies, are valuable instruments in evidence-based medicine. Case-control studies, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular in the neurosurgical literature due to their low cost and relative ease of execution; however, no one has yet systematically assessed these types of studies for quality in methodology and reporting. The authors performed a literature search using PubMed/MEDLINE to identify all studies that explicitly identified themselves as "case-control" and were published in the JNS Publishing Group journals (Journal of Neurosurgery, Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, and Neurosurgical Focus) or Neurosurgery. Each paper was evaluated for 22 descriptive variables and then categorized as having either met or missed the basic definition of a case-control study. All studies that evaluated risk factors for a well-defined outcome were considered true case-control studies. The authors sought to identify key features or phrases that were or were not predictive of a true case-control study. Those papers that satisfied the definition were further evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist. The search detected 67 papers that met the inclusion criteria, of which 32 (48%) represented true case-control studies. The frequency of true case-control studies has not changed with time. Use of odds ratios (ORs) and logistic regression (LR) analysis were strong positive predictors of true case-control studies (for odds ratios, OR 15.33 and 95% CI 4.52-51.97; for logistic regression analysis, OR 8.77 and 95% CI 2.69-28.56). Conversely, negative predictors included focus on a procedure/intervention (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.13-0.998) and use of the word "outcome" in the Results section (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.082-0.65). After exclusion of nested case-control studies, the negative correlation between focus on a procedure/intervention and true case-control studies was strengthened (OR 0.053, 95% CI 0.0064-0.44). There was a trend toward a negative association between the use of survival analysis or Kaplan-Meier curves and true case-control studies (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.015-1.12). True case-control studies were no more likely than their counterparts to use a potential study design "expert" (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.57-3.95). The overall average STROBE score was 72% (range 50-86%). Examples of reporting deficiencies were reporting of bias (28%), missing data (55%), and funding (44%). The results of this analysis show that the majority of studies in the neurosurgical literature that identify themselves as "case-control" studies are, in fact, labeled incorrectly. Positive and negative predictors were identified. The authors provide several recommendations that may reverse the incorrect and inappropriate use of the term "case-control" and improve the quality of design and reporting of true case-control studies in neurosurgery.

Surrounding land cover types as predictors of palustrine wetland vegetation quality in conterminous USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stapanian, Martin A.; Gara, Brian; Schumacher, William

2018-01-01

The loss of wetland habitats and their often-unique biological communities is a major environmental concern. We examined vegetation data obtained from 380 wetlands sampled in a statistical survey of wetlands in the USA. Our goal was to identify which surrounding land cover types best predict two indices of vegetation quality in wetlands at the regional scale. We considered palustrine wetlands in four regions (Coastal Plains, North Central East, Interior Plains, and West) in which the dominant vegetation was emergent, forested, or scrub-shrub. For each wetland, we calculated weighted proportions of eight land cover types surrounding the area in which vegetation was assessed, in four zones radiating from the edge of the assessment area to 2 km. Using Akaike's Information Criterion, we determined the best 1-, 2- and 3-predictor models of the two indices, using the weighted proportions of the land cover types as potential predictors. Mean values of the two indices were generally higher in the North Central East and Coastal Plains than the other regions for forested and emergent wetlands. In nearly all cases, the best predictors of the indices were not the dominant surrounding land cover types. Overall, proportions of forest (positive effect) and agriculture (negative effect) surrounding the assessment area were the best predictors of the two indices. One or both of these variables were included as predictors in 65 of the 72 models supported by the data. Wetlands surrounding the assessment area had a positive effect on the indices, and ranked third (33%) among the predictors included in supported models. Development had a negative effect on the indices and was included in only 28% of supported models. These results can be used to develop regional management plans for wetlands, such as creating forest buffers around wetlands, or to conserve zones between wetlands to increase habitat connectivity.

Genetic variation throughout the folate metabolic pathway influences negative symptom severity in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Roffman, Joshua L; Brohawn, David G; Nitenson, Adam Z; Macklin, Eric A; Smoller, Jordan W; Goff, Donald C

2013-03-01

Low serum folate levels previously have been associated with negative symptom risk in schizophrenia, as has the hypofunctional 677C>T variant of the MTHFR gene. This study examined whether other missense polymorphisms in folate-regulating enzymes, in concert with MTHFR, influence negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and whether total risk allele load interacts with serum folate status to further stratify negative symptom risk. Medicated outpatients with schizophrenia (n = 219), all of European origin and some included in a previous report, were rated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. A subset of 82 patients also underwent nonfasting serum folate testing. Patients were genotyped for the MTHFR 677C>T (rs1801133), MTHFR 1298A>C (rs1801131), MTR 2756A>G (rs1805087), MTRR 203A>G (rs1801394), FOLH1 484T>C (rs202676), RFC 80A>G (rs1051266), and COMT 675G>A (rs4680) polymorphisms. All genotypes were entered into a linear regression model to determine significant predictors of negative symptoms, and risk scores were calculated based on total risk allele dose. Four variants, MTHFR 677T, MTR 2756A, FOLH1 484C, and COMT 675A, emerged as significant independent predictors of negative symptom severity, accounting for significantly greater variance in negative symptoms than MTHFR 677C>T alone. Total allele dose across the 4 variants predicted negative symptom severity only among patients with low folate levels. These findings indicate that multiple genetic variants within the folate metabolic pathway contribute to negative symptoms of schizophrenia. A relationship between folate level and negative symptom severity among patients with greater genetic vulnerability is biologically plausible and suggests the utility of folate supplementation in these patients.

Feasibility of using negative ultrasonography results of axillary lymph nodes to predict sentinel lymph node metastasis in breast cancer patients.

PubMed

Chen, Xue; He, Yingjian; Wang, Jiwei; Huo, Ling; Fan, Zhaoqing; Li, Jinfeng; Xie, Yuntao; Wang, Tianfeng; Ouyang, Tao

2018-06-14

Knowledge of the pathology of axillary lymph nodes (ALN) in breast cancer patients is critical for determining their treatment. Ultrasound is the best noninvasive evaluation for the ALN status. However, the correlation between negative ultrasound results and the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) pathology remains unknown. To test the hypothesis that negative ultrasound results of ALN predict the negative pathology results of SLN in breast cancer patients, we assessed the association between ALN ultrasonography-negative results and the SLN pathology in 3115 patients with breast cancer recruited between October 2010 and April 2016 from a single cancer center, prospective database. Of these patients who met the inclusion criteria, 2317 (74.4%) had no SLN pathological metastasis. In the univariate analysis, other 798 patient with positive SLN tended to be under age 40 and premenopausal, having large tumor sizes (>2 cm), higher histological grade of primary tumor, positive hormone receptors, and negative HER-2 status (P < .05 for all). In the multivariate analysis, menstrual status, tumor size, ER status and histological types of primary tumor remained to be independent predictors for SLN pathological metastasis. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.658 (95% CI = 0.637-0.679), P > .05. In conclusion, only a 74.4% consistency between ALN ultrasonography-negative results and negative pathological SLN results, although menstrual status, tumor size, histologic subtypes of primary tumor and ER status were found to be statistically independent predictors of positive SLN among patients negative for ALN ultrasonography. Therefore, the present study suggests that negative ultrasound results of ALN do not adequately predict the negative pathology results of SLN in breast cancer patients. © 2018 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Treatment seeking for problematic pornography use among women.

PubMed

Lewczuk, Karol; Szmyd, Joanna; Skorko, Maciej; Gola, Mateusz

2017-12-01

Background and aims Previous studies examined psychological factors related to treatment seeking for problematic pornography use (PU) among males. In this study, we focused on females who seek treatment for problematic PU and compared them with non-problematic pornography users with regard to variables related to problematic PU. Second, we investigated the relationships between critical constructs related to problematic PU with the path analysis method, emphasizing the predictors for treatment seeking among women. We also compared our results with previous studies on males. Methods A survey study was conducted on 719 Polish-speaking Caucasian females, 14-63 years old, including 39 treatment seekers for problematic PU. Results The positive relationship between the mere amount of PU and treatment seeking loses its significance after introducing two other predictors of treatment-seeking: religiosity and negative symptoms associated with PU. This pattern is different from the results obtained in previous studies on males. Discussion Different from previous studies on male samples, our analysis showed that in the case of women, mere amount of PU may be related to treatment-seeking behavior even after accounting for negative symptoms associated with PU. Moreover, religiousness is a significant predictor of treatment seeking among women, which may indicate that in the case of women, treatment seeking for problematic PU is motivated not only by experienced negative symptoms of PU but also by personal beliefs about PU and social norms. Conclusion For females, negative symptoms associated with PU, the amount of PU and religiosity is associated with treatment seeking. Those factors should be considered in treatment.

Clinical Predictors of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection From Children to Adults.

PubMed

Wu, Jia-Feng; Song, Shih-Hsi; Lee, Chee-Seng; Chen, Huey-Ling; Ni, Yen-Hsuan; Hsu, Hong-Yuan; Wu, Tzee-Chung; Chang, Mei-Hwei

2018-04-11

This study aimed to elucidate predictors of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Transient elastography was performed to define liver stiffness in 533 patients with chronic HBV infection (mean age ± standard deviation, 30.72 ± 0.57 years). Protein array was performed on serum samples and lysates of Huh7 cells transfected with HBV mutants; the results were confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding interleukin 1β (IL-1β) were examined in patients with chronic HBV infection with and without liver fibrosis. Male sex, age ≥18 years, and serum α-fetoprotein level >3.6 ng/mL were independent predictors of a liver stiffness measurement of ≥7 kPa (P = .005, .019, and <.001, respectively). HBV e antigen (HBeAg)-negative hepatitis is associated with increased liver stiffness (P < .001). Elevation of the serum IL-1β level was demonstrated in subjects with liver fibrosis. IL-1β was upregulated in Huh7 cells transfected with HBV mutants associated with HBeAg-negative hepatitis. The AA genotype at rs16944 and the CC genotype at rs1143627 in the gene encoding IL-1β were associated with higher serum IL-1β levels and liver fibrosis. Male sex, age ≥18 years, elevated α-fetoprotein level, and HBeAg-negative hepatitis are risk factors for liver fibrosis. IL-1β is involved in the progression of liver fibrosis in subjects with HBeAg-negative hepatitis.

Prevalence of positive ppd in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis patients.

PubMed

Tamborenea, Maria Natalia; Tate, Guillermo; Mysler, Eduardo; Debonis, Jose; Schijedman, Adrian

2010-03-01

The main objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of positive and anergic tuberculin skin test (ppd) in a rheumatoid arthritis cohort of patients (RA) and assess the association among ppd results and clinical and treatment variables. Patients with RA diagnosis were included. The ppd was done by Mantoux method. Positive result was considered when indurations were equal or greater than 5 mm. Anergic reaction was defined when the indurations was 0 mm. We included 105 patients (N = 105). The prevalence of positive ppd was 12.4% (n = 13), while the 87.6% (n = 92) presented a negative result. The 69.5% (n = 73) of the population were anergic to ppd. Patients with negative result received higher steroids dosages than patients with positive ppd (p < 0.04). In the multivariable model, the steroids dosage was a significant and independent predictor of negative ppd (p = 0.021, OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55-0.95). Anergic and non-anergic patients were separated in groups, and a new analysis was done. The higher dosage of methotrexate was associated to tuberculine anergy (p = 0.025). In the multivariable model, the methotrexate dosage was a significant and independent predictor of tuberculine anergy (p = 0.005, OR 1.14, 95% CIs 1.04-1.24). In conclusion, in our cohort, the prevalence of positive ppd was lower than others studies. Among analyzed variables, the high steroid dose was a significant and independent predictor of negative ppd. The methotrexate treatment and dose were associated with ppd anergy.

Cigarette graphic health warning labels and information avoidance among individuals from low socioeconomic position in the U.S.

PubMed

McCloud, Rachel Faulkenberry; Okechukwu, Cassandra; Sorensen, Glorian; Viswanath, K

2017-04-01

Although graphic health warning labels (GHWs) on cigarette packs have influenced cessation behaviors in other countries, no U.S. studies have explored the impact of avoidance of GHW content among individuals from low socioeconomic position (SEP). The purpose of this study was to determine the predictors of intention to avoid GHWs, and how avoidance impacts cessation intention, in a low SEP sample in the U.S. Data come from low SEP smokers (n = 541) involved in a field experiment. The participants responded to questions pre- and post viewing of GHWs assessing SEP, intention to avoid them, emotional reactions, and intention to seek health information or quit smoking. Backwards stepwise logistic regression determined the predictors for intention to avoid GHWs. Simple and adjusted logistic regression analyzed the association between avoidance and its main predictors and outcomes of intentions to seek information or quit smoking. Predictors for avoidance included being somewhat addicted to cigarettes (OR 2.3, p = 0.002), younger than 25 (OR 2.6, p = 0.008), and having medium (OR 3.4, p < 0.001) or high (OR 4.7, p < 0.001) levels of negative emotional reaction to the labels. Intention to avoid GHWs was positively associated with the intent to look for health information about smoking (OR 2.2, p = 0.002). Higher levels of negative emotional reaction were positively associated with cessation behaviors, with high negative emotional reaction associated with nine times the odds of quitting (p < 0.001). Results indicate avoidance of GHWs does not detract from the labels' benefit and that GHWs are an effective means of communicating smoking risk information among low SEP groups.

Type D personality is associated with social anxiety in the general population.

PubMed

Kupper, Nina; Denollet, Johan

2014-06-01

Research on the emotional processes associated with Type D personality is important for its further conceptualization. We examined the associations of Type D personality with social and general anxiety symptoms in a large community sample. The aim of the current study was to disentangle the associations of Type D personality and its components with social anxiety and general anxiety in a large sample from the general population. A random sample of 2,475 adults from the general population filled out questionnaires to assess Type D personality (DS-14), social anxiety (SIAS(10), SPS(11), BFNE-II), and general anxiety (HADS-A, GAD-7). Type D individuals were characterized by increased levels of both social and general anxiety. The social inhibition (SI) component of Type D personality was most strongly associated with social interaction anxiety (r = .63), while negative affectivity (NA) was strongly associated with general anxiety (GAD-7: r = .70; HADS-A: r = .66). Within social anxiety, SI was more strongly associated with facets of social interaction anxiety than with social phobia. Multiple regression analysis showed that the synergistic interaction of NA and SI was a predictor of social anxiety (SIAS(10): β = .32, p < .0005; SPS(11): β = .27, p < .0005; BFNE-II: β = .11, p = .007) independent of demographics and the scores on the individual Type D components. This interaction was not a significant predictor of general anxiety. Logistic regression using the dichotomous Type D classification demonstrated a 9.1-fold (95%CI, 7.0-11.8) increased odds of a score in the highest quartile of social interaction anxiety and a 7.6-fold (95%CI, 5.8-9.8) increased odds of high social phobia. Odds ratios for clinically relevant levels of general anxiety were 8.3 (95%CI, 5.5-12.5) for GAD-7 and 6.5 (95%CI, 3.4-12.6) for HADS-A. In the general population, Type D individuals were characterized by both social and general anxiety. The SI component of Type D is strongly associated with social interaction anxiety and the synergistic interaction of NA and SI was associated with high social anxiety, above and beyond the main NA and SI effects.

Explanatory model of emotional-cognitive variables in school mathematics performance: a longitudinal study in primary school

PubMed Central

Cerda, Gamal; Pérez, Carlos; Navarro, José I.; Aguilar, Manuel; Casas, José A.; Aragón, Estíbaliz

2015-01-01

This study tested a structural model of cognitive-emotional explanatory variables to explain performance in mathematics. The predictor variables assessed were related to students’ level of development of early mathematical competencies (EMCs), specifically, relational and numerical competencies, predisposition toward mathematics, and the level of logical intelligence in a population of primary school Chilean students (n = 634). This longitudinal study also included the academic performance of the students during a period of 4 years as a variable. The sampled students were initially assessed by means of an Early Numeracy Test, and, subsequently, they were administered a Likert-type scale to measure their predisposition toward mathematics (EPMAT) and a basic test of logical intelligence. The results of these tests were used to analyse the interaction of all the aforementioned variables by means of a structural equations model. This combined interaction model was able to predict 64.3% of the variability of observed performance. Preschool students’ performance in EMCs was a strong predictor for achievement in mathematics for students between 8 and 11 years of age. Therefore, this paper highlights the importance of EMCs and the modulating role of predisposition toward mathematics. Also, this paper discusses the educational role of these findings, as well as possible ways to improve negative predispositions toward mathematical tasks in the school domain. PMID:26441739

PREDICTORS OF TRYPANOSOMA LEWISI IN RATTUS NORVEGICUS FROM DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA.

PubMed

Archer, Colleen Edith; Schoeman, M Corrie; Appleton, Christopher Charles; Mukaratirwa, Samson; Hope, Karen J; Matthews, Glenda Beverly

2018-03-16

This study investigated associations between Trypanosoma lewisi; Xenopsylla cheopis, a common cyclical vector of T. lewisi; Polyplax spinulosa, a reported mechanical vector; and Laelaps ecidnina and L. lamborni, two rodent mites of Rattus norvegicus in Durban. Three hundred and seventy nine R. norvegicus were live-trapped at 48 sites in 4 locality types of Durban during a one year period. Rats were euthanized, cardiac blood was taken to check for hemoparasites and ectoparasites were removed for identification. Parasite species richness was higher in pups (2.11) and juveniles (1.02) than adults (0.87). Most rats in the study harbored 1 or 2 of the 5 parasites examined. Rats with trypanosomes and fleas were more prevalent in the city center and harbor, and juveniles were most affected. Rats with lice were more prevalent in informal settlements and urban/peri-urban areas and pups had the highest infestations. There was a significant positive association between rats with fleas and trypanosomes and a negative association between rats with lice and trypanosomes. Location and rat age were significant predictors of T. lewisi, X. cheopis and P. spinulosa. Mites showed no strong associations with trypanosomes. Ectoparasite associations are possibly habitat and life-cycle related. We conclude that Durban's city center, which offers rats harborage, an unsanitary environment and availability of food, is a high transmission area for fleas and trypanosomes, and consequently, a potential public health risk.

Chinese translation norms for 1,429 English words.

PubMed

Wen, Yun; van Heuven, Walter J B

2017-06-01

We present Chinese translation norms for 1,429 English words. Chinese-English bilinguals (N = 28) were asked to provide the first Chinese translation that came to mind for 1,429 English words. The results revealed that 71 % of the English words received more than one correct translation indicating the large amount of translation ambiguity when translating from English to Chinese. The relationship between translation ambiguity and word frequency, concreteness and language proficiency was investigated. Although the significant correlations were not strong, results revealed that English word frequency was positively correlated with the number of alternative translations, whereas English word concreteness was negatively correlated with the number of translations. Importantly, regression analyses showed that the number of Chinese translations was predicted by word frequency and concreteness. Furthermore, an interaction between these predictors revealed that the number of translations was more affected by word frequency for more concrete words than for less concrete words. In addition, mixed-effects modelling showed that word frequency, concreteness and English language proficiency were all significant predictors of whether or not a dominant translation was provided. Finally, correlations between the word frequencies of English words and their Chinese dominant translations were higher for translation-unambiguous pairs than for translation-ambiguous pairs. The translation norms are made available in a database together with lexical information about the words, which will be a useful resource for researchers investigating Chinese-English bilingual language processing.

Trends along the debt-income axis: implications for medical students' selections of family practice careers.

PubMed

Rosenthal, M P; Marquette, P A; Diamond, J J

1996-06-01

To examine whether medical students' levels of debt have an influence on selection of family practice careers, independent of other factors. Data from the Jefferson Longitudinal Study were analyzed for 1,350 graduates from the classes of 1987-1993 at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University; a focused analysis for 326 graduates from the classes of 1992 and 1993 was specifically performed to identify recent trends. A binary logistic regression equation was used to predict the probability of a graduate's entrance into a family practice residency based on first-year preference for family practice, income expectation, debt level, age, and gender. A high level of indebtedness (at least $75,000) was a significant independent predictor of specialty choice (away from family practice); first-year preference for family practice and income expectation were also significant independent predictors. Combining these three factors (debt, specialty preference, and income expectation) led to a greater than 12-fold difference in specialty selection of family practice. Notably, 36% of the students graduating in 1992-1993 had debts of at least $75,000, more than three times the percentage in the classes graduating in 1987-1989. High levels of debt had a significant negative effect on family practice specialty, choice among recent Jefferson graduates. An increase in the number of students with such debt carries strong implications for the selection of careers in family practice.

Academic and non-academic predictors of student psychological distress: the role of social identity and loneliness.

PubMed

McIntyre, Jason C; Worsley, Joanne; Corcoran, Rhiannon; Harrison Woods, Paula; Bentall, Richard P

2018-06-01

University students experience high rates of stress and mental illness; however, few studies have comprehensively examined the impact of academic and non-academic stressors on student mental health. Similarly, there has been little focus on the role of social groups in protecting against mental distress in this young adult group. To identify the key social determinants of mental health symptoms in a student population. Using an online survey, we administered measures of social connectedness and mental health symptoms alongside academic and non-academic stressors to a large sample of UK university students. Loneliness was the strongest overall predictor of mental distress, while assessment stress was the most important academic predictor. Strong identification with university friendship groups was most protective against distress relative to other social identities, and the beneficial impact of identification on symptoms was mediated by reduced loneliness. The study highlights the benefits of establishing strong social connections at university and the importance of minimising stress associated with assessment tasks.

ADHD Dimensions and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms in Relation to Self-Report and Laboratory Measures of Neuropsychological Functioning in College Students.

PubMed

Jarrett, Matthew A; Rapport, Hannah F; Rondon, Ana T; Becker, Stephen P

2017-06-01

This study examined ADHD and sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms in relation to self-report and laboratory measures of neuropsychological functioning in college students. College students ( N = 298, aged 17-25, 72% female) completed self-reports of ADHD, SCT, depression, sleep, functional impairment, and executive functioning (EF). Participants also completed a visual working memory task, a Stroop test, and the Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II). ADHD inattentive and SCT symptoms were strong predictors of self-reported EF, with inattention the strongest predictor of Time Management and Motivation and SCT the strongest predictor of Self-Organization/Problem Solving. SCT (but not inattention) was associated with Emotion Regulation. No relationships were found between self-reported symptoms and laboratory task performance. Between-group analyses were largely consistent with regression analyses. Self-reported ADHD and SCT symptoms are strongly associated with college students' self-reported EF, but relationships with laboratory task measures of neuropsychological functioning are limited.

Stress and coping as predictors of children's divorce-related ruminations.

PubMed

Weyer, M; Sandler, I N

1998-03-01

Examined stress and coping variables as predictors of divorce-related ruminations in children whose parents had recently divorced. Simultaneous multiple regression was used to analyze the cross-sectional data of 351 children of divorce. Divorce-related stressful events and threat appraisal were positively related to children's ruminations. A prospective longitudinal design was employed to predict rumination at Time 2 (T2) controlling for Time 1 (T1) rumination. Efficacy of coping was negatively related to T2 rumination after controlling for T1 rumination and all other predictors. This study also provided descriptive data on the frequency of children's divorce-related ruminations.

Parenting, Community, and Religious Predictors of Positive and Negative Developmental Outcomes among Muslim Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krauss, Steven Eric; Hamzah, Azimi; Ismail, Ismi Arif; Suandi, Turiman; Hamzah, Siti Raba'ah; Dahalan, Dzuhailmi; Idris, Fazilah

2014-01-01

Despite existing research on the contribution of social context and religiosity to adolescent behavioral outcomes, few studies have attempted to explore this topic among Muslim adolescents in non-Western settings, looking at both positive and negative outcomes. In response to this gap, the current study explored the effects of three dimensions of…

Children's Implicit Personality Theories as Predictors of Their Social Judgments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdley, Cynthia A.; Dweck, Carol S.

1993-01-01

Fourth and fifth graders viewed a slide show that depicted a boy displaying negative behaviors and that had a negative consistent or a positive inconsistent ending. Children who believed that personality is fixed, but not children who believed personality is malleable, did not differ in their ratings of the boy in the consistent- and…

Outcomes of Child Sexual Abuse as Predictors of Later Sexual Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese-Weber, Marla; Smith, Dana M.

2011-01-01

The association between a history of child sexual abuse (CSA) and specific negative outcomes (attachment, feelings of power, and self-esteem) was explored as was the relationship between those negative outcomes and sexual victimization during the first semester of college. Two groups of freshman college women (67 who had experienced CSA and 55 who…

Stress, Self-Esteem, Hope, Optimism, and Well-Being in Urban, Ethnic Minority Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vacek, Kimberly R.; Coyle, Laura D.; Vera, Elizabeth M.

2010-01-01

This study examined hope, optimism, self-esteem, social support, stress, and indices of subjective well-being (SWB) in 137 low-income, urban, ethnic minority adolescents. Hope, optimism, and self-esteem were significant predictors of SWB indices, but stress predicted only 1 SWB index: negative affect. No moderators of stress and negative affect…

The Marine Corps Basic Training Experience: Stresses, Leadership, and Group Cohesion as Predictors of Attitudes, Health, and Performance.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-11-01

related to better attitudes toward the Marine Corps and greater feelings of self-improvement. (c) Negative stresses... attitudes toward the Marine Corps and higher perceived self-improvement scores. (e) Group cohesion had very little relation to attitudes toward the ...Predictors of Attitudes toward the M-ri n• C-rps. The stonificant associations between leadersnip and qroup co- hesion inl aI ttitudes toward the

The decision to vaccinate or not during the H1N1 pandemic: selecting the lesser of two evils?

PubMed

Ashbaugh, Andrea R; Herbert, Christophe F; Saimon, Elena; Azoulay, Nelson; Olivera-Figueroa, Lening; Brunet, Alain

2013-01-01

With the release of the H1N1 vaccine, there was much controversy surrounding its use despite strong encouragements to be vaccinated in the media. Though studies have examined factors influencing people's decision to be vaccinated, few have focused on how general beliefs about the world or where an individual gathers information might influence that decision. A cross-sectional web-based survey (N = 817) was conducted during the H1N1 outbreak after the vaccine was available. Variables examined included sociodemographic information, health related behaviours, specific beliefs concerning the H1N1 virus and its vaccine, as well as general beliefs, such as fear of contamination, intolerance of uncertainty, emotional states, coping behaviour, and the source of information concerning the virus. Three converging statistical methods were used to examine the associations - analysis of variance, logistic regression, and recursive partition modelling. The most consistent and strongest association was that negative beliefs about the H1N1 vaccine (e.g. fear of its side effects) was related to the decision not to be vaccinated, whereas beliefs about the dangers of the H1N1 virus was related to the decision to be vaccinated. Most notably, having very strong negative beliefs about the vaccine was a more powerful predictor than even strong beliefs about the dangers of the H1N1 virus. Furthermore, obtaining information from the Internet, as compared to more traditional sources of information (e.g., TV, newspapers) was related to the decision not to be vaccinated. These results are consistent with the Health Belief Model. Importantly they suggest that during future pandemics public health officials should not only discuss the dangers of the pandemic but also (i) take additional steps to reassure the public about the safety of vaccines and (ii) monitor the information disseminated over the Internet rather than strictly relying on the more traditional mass media.

Altruism, Helping, and Volunteering: Pathways to Well-Being in Late Life

PubMed Central

Kahana, Eva; Bhatta, Tirth; Lovegreen, Loren D.; Kahana, Boaz; Midlarsky, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Objectives We examined the influence of prosocial orientations including altruism, volunteering, and informal helping on positive and negative well-being outcomes among retirement community dwelling elders. Method We utilize data from 2 waves, 3 years apart, of a panel study of successful aging (N = 585). Psychosocial well-being outcomes measured include life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptomatology. Results Ordinal logistic regression results indicate that altruistic attitudes, volunteering, and informal helping behaviors make unique contributions to the maintenance of life satisfaction, positive affect and other well being outcomes considered in this research. Predictors explain variance primarily in the positive indicators of psychological well-being, but are not significantly associated with the negative outcomes. Female gender and functional limitations are also associated with diminished psychological well-being. Discussion Our findings underscore the value of altruistic attitudes as important additional predictors, along with prosocial behaviors in fostering life satisfaction and positive affect in old age. PMID:23324536

Trajectories of affective states in adolescent hockey players: turning point and motivational antecedents.

PubMed

Gaudreau, Patrick; Amiot, Catherine E; Vallerand, Robert J

2009-03-01

This study examined longitudinal trajectories of positive and negative affective states with a sample of 265 adolescent elite hockey players followed across 3 measurement points during the 1st 11 weeks of a season. Latent class growth modeling, incorporating a time-varying covariate and a series of predictors assessed at the onset of the season, was used to chart out distinct longitudinal trajectories of affective states. Results provided evidence for 3 trajectories of positive affect and 3 trajectories of negative affect. Two of these trajectories were deflected by team selection, a seasonal turning point occurring after the 1st measurement point. Furthermore, the trajectories of positive and negative affective states were predicted by theoretically driven predictors assessed at the start of the season (i.e., self-determination, need satisfaction, athletic identity, and school identity). These results contribute to a better understanding of the motivational, social, and identity-related processes associated with the distinct affective trajectories of athletes participating in elite sport during adolescence.

The effects of ambivalent fertility desires on pregnancy risk in young women in Michigan, United States

PubMed Central

Miller, Warren B.; Barber, Jennifer S.; Gatny, Heather H.

2012-01-01

Many different definitions of the construct of motivational ambivalence have appeared in the literature on reproductive health. Using a theoretical framework in which motivational ambivalence is defined as an interaction between positive and negative pregnancy desires, we propose two hypotheses. The first is that positive and negative pregnancy desires independently predict the risk of an unplanned pregnancy. The second is that ambivalence and three related constructs that are also based on the interaction between positive and negative desires are each important predictors of pregnancy risk. We use weekly journal data collected from a U.S. sample of 1,003 women aged 18–19 years and conduct hazard model analysis to test our hypotheses. Using both dummy and continuous predictors, we report results that confirm both hypotheses. The proposed interaction framework has demonstrated validity, compares favorably with previously reported alternative approaches, and incorporates a set of constructs that have potential importance for further research directed at the prevention of unplanned pregnancy. PMID:23234316

Socio-environmental predictors of Barmah forest virus transmission in coastal areas, Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

Naish, Suchithra; Hu, Wenbiao; Nicholls, Neville; Mackenzie, John S; Dale, Pat; McMichael, Anthony J; Tong, Shilu

2009-02-01

To assess the socio-environmental predictors of Barmah forest virus (BFV) transmission in coastal areas, Queensland, Australia. Data on BFV notified cases, climate, tidal levels and socioeconomic index for area (SEIFA) in six coastal cities, Queensland, for the period 1992-2001 were obtained from the relevant government agencies. Negative binomial regression models were used to assess the socio-environmental predictors of BFV transmission. The results show that maximum and minimum temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, high and low tide were statistically significantly associated with BFV incidence at lags 0-2 months. The fitted negative binomial regression models indicate a significant independent association of each of maximum temperature (beta = 0.139, P = 0.000), high tide (beta = 0.005, P = 0.000) and SEIFA index (beta = -0.010, P = 0.000) with BFV transmission after adjustment for confounding variables. The transmission of BFV disease in Queensland coastal areas seemed to be determined by a combination of local social and environmental factors. The model developed in this study may have applications in the control and prevention of BFV disease in these areas.

Adjustment after miscarriage: Predicting positive mental health trajectories among young Australian women.

PubMed

Rowlands, Ingrid; Lee, Christina

2010-01-01

Understanding predictors of adjustment after miscarriage can assist in the development of supportive interventions. This article uses data from three waves of the Younger Cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (1996, 2000, 2003) to examine predictors of positive Mental Health trajectories among 998 women who had experienced miscarriages. Using the five-item Mental Health subscale of the SF-36 (MHI-5) as an outcome, a multilevel model of change showed a general positive trend in Mental Health over time; also, higher education and satisfaction with the primary care physician were associated with higher Mental Health scores at each survey. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, stress and negative life events were negatively associated with Mental Health. A history of medically diagnosed depression or anxiety was a significant predictor of change in Mental Health across the surveys, with women with such a history showing downward trajectories in Mental Health over time. The data suggest that greater targeted support and monitoring for women who have a history of mental health problems may assist those women to cope following miscarriage.

Explicit and Implicit Stigma of Mental Illness as Predictors of the Recovery Attitudes of Assertive Community Treatment Practitioners.

PubMed

Stull, Laura G; McConnell, Haley; McGrew, John; Salyers, Michelle P

2017-01-01

While explicit negative stereotypes of mental illness are well established as barriers to recovery, implicit attitudes also may negatively impact outcomes. The current study is unique in its focus on both explicit and implicit stigma as predictors of recovery attitudes of mental health practitioners. Assertive Community Treatment practitioners (n = 154) from 55 teams completed online measures of stigma, recovery attitudes, and an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Three of four explicit stigma variables (perceptions of blameworthiness, helplessness, and dangerousness) and all three implicit stigma variables were associated with lower recovery attitudes. In a multivariate, hierarchical model, however, implicit stigma did not explain additional variance in recovery attitudes. In the overall model, perceptions of dangerousness and implicitly associating mental illness with "bad" were significant individual predictors of lower recovery attitudes. The current study demonstrates a need for interventions to lower explicit stigma, particularly perceptions of dangerousness, to increase mental health providers' expectations for recovery. The extent to which implicit and explicit stigma differentially predict outcomes, including recovery attitudes, needs further research.

The relationship between personality and sexual motivation: an investigation based on Cloninger's model in nonclinical Italian subjects.

PubMed

Micò, Umberto; Scimeca, Giuseppe; Bruno, Antonio; Pandolfo, Gianluca; Romeo, Vincenzo M; Mallamace, Domenico; Zoccali, Rocco; Muscatello, Maria R A

2013-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality and sexual motivation according to Cloninger's psychobiological model of the personality. Three hundred and ten volunteers recruited among the students of the University of Messina, Italy, participated in the study. All subjects underwent a psychometric examination with the following instruments: Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and Sex and the Average Woman (or Man; SAWM). The best negative predictor of Sexual Excitement and Satisfaction was the temperamental dimension Harm Avoidance; as it regards character dimensions, Cooperativeness was the best negative predictor of Sexual Excitement, while Self-Directedness was the best positive predictor of Sexual Satisfaction. Overall, inhibitory aspects of the personality have deeper effects on sexual motivation than excitatory ones. The results of this research suggest the importance of studying the relationship between personality and sexual behavior. An integrative psychobiological approach to the study of sexual excitement and satisfaction may give a fundamental contribution to the assessment and psychological treatment of predisposing personality factors (like avoidant tendencies) involved in the development and persistence of sexual dysfunction.

Relationship of psychological symptoms, antipsychotics and social data with psychosocial function in schizophrenia patients in Malaysia.

PubMed

Norlelawati, A Talib; Kartini, Abdullah; Norsidah, Kuzaifah; Ramli, Musa; Wan Azizi, Wan Sulaiman; Tariq, Abdul Razak

2015-03-01

The present study investigated the relationship between psychological symptoms and psychosocial function and the role of relevant sociodemographic data and antipsychotic use in the prediction of psychosocial function among multiracial schizophrenia outpatients in Malaysia. A total of 223 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study conducted from December 2010 to April 2011. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale whilst the psychosocial function was assessed using the Personal and Social Performance scale. Sociodemographic and treatment variables were gathered through interview or review of the medical records. All dimensions of psychosocial functions were inversely correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale sub-domains. Only the disorganization sub-domain significantly predicts all dimensions of psychosocial function. For social data, body mass index and employment status were significant predictors of all dimensions of psychosocial functions. Typical antipsychotics significantly predict social function negatively as compared to sulpiride (β = -0.152, P = 0.028). We found that the relationship between psychological symptoms and psychosocial functions were relatively consistent with the findings from the Caucasian population. Additionally, disorganization was the only significant predictor of all dimensions of psychosocial functions. This further emphasized the importance of cognition in psychosocial function. The roles of sulpiride, body mass index and employment status as predictors of psychosocial function were also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The effect of interval tubal sterilization on sexual interest and pleasure.

PubMed

Costello, Caroline; Hillis, Susan D; Marchbanks, Polly A; Jamieson, Denise J; Peterson, Herbert B

2002-09-01

To determine if interval tubal sterilization leads to a change in female sexual interest or pleasure and to identify predictors of a positive or negative effect. Our study population comprised 4576 women enrolled in a prospective, multicenter cohort study between 1978 and 1983. Potential demographic, clinical, and surgical predictors of sexual outcome were tested for significant variation from the overall pattern of unchanged, increased, and decreased sexual interest and pleasure. Over 80% of the 4576 study women reported no consistent change in either sexual interest (80.0%) or pleasure (81.7%) after interval tubal sterilization. Among women with consistent change, positive effects were reported ten and 15 times more often than negative effects for sexual interest and pleasure, respectively. All subgroups of women, except for those with poststerilization regret, were significantly (P <.05) more likely to experience increased rather than decreased interest or pleasure. Women with poststerilization regret were the subgroup most likely to have a negative effect; in multivariate analyses, poststerilization regret was the only factor to be a predictor for decreased interest (odds ratio 4.0) and decreased pleasure (odds ratio 5.1). Similarly, women reporting regret were significantly less likely to report increased interest or pleasure. Whether the regret or the decreased sexual interest or pleasure occurred first is unclear. Interval tubal ligation is unlikely to result in changed sexual interest or pleasure. Among those with change, the majority experienced positive sexual effects.

Impact of neonatal risk and temperament on behavioral problems in toddlers born preterm.

PubMed

Guilherme Monte Cassiano, Rafaela; Gaspardo, Claudia Maria; Cordaro Bucker Furini, Guilherme; Martinez, Francisco Eulogio; Martins Linhares, Maria Beatriz

2016-12-01

Children born preterm are at risk for later developmental disorders. The present study examined the predictive effects of neonatal, sociodemographic, and temperament characteristics on behavioral outcomes at toddlerhood, in children born preterm. The sample included 100 toddlers born preterm and with very-low-birth-weight, and their mothers. Neonatal characteristics were evaluated using medical records. The mothers were interviewed using the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire for temperament assessment, and the Child Behavior Checklist for behavioral assessment. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed. Predictors of 39% of the variability of the total behavioral problems in toddlers born prematurely were: temperament with more Negative Affectivity and less Effortful Control, lower family socioeconomic status, and younger mothers at childbirth. Temperament with more Negative Affectivity and less Effortful Control and lower family socioeconomic status were predictors of 23% of the variability of internalizing behavioral problems. Additionally, 37% of the variability of externalizing behavioral problems was explained by temperament with more Negative Affectivity and less Effortful Control, and younger mothers at childbirth. The neonatal characteristics and stressful events in the neonatal intensive care unit did not predict behavioral problems at toddlerhood. However, temperament was a consistent predictor of behavioral problems in toddlers born preterm. Preventive follow-up programs could assess dispositional traits of temperament to provide early identification of preterm infants at high-risk for behavioral problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of and At-Risk Interventions for Pre-Deployment Psychophysiologic Predictors of PostDeployment Mental Health Outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-01

Bias Assessment Program – Serves as a non-self-report measure of negative cognitive bias. Use of this program will allow researchers to determine...participants who may be at high risk for trauma-related distress because of negative cognitive bias. • Cognitive Bias Training Program – Modification...of negative cognitive bias is the target of the Cognitive Training Program. By learning how to make positive attributions about events, one can

A systematic review of preoperative predictors for postoperative clinical outcomes following lumbar discectomy.

PubMed

Wilson, Courtney A; Roffey, Darren M; Chow, Donald; Alkherayf, Fahad; Wai, Eugene K

2016-11-01

Sciatica is often caused by a herniated lumbar intervertebral disc. When conservative treatment fails, a lumbar discectomy can be performed. Surgical treatment via lumbar discectomy is not always successful and may depend on a variety of preoperative factors. It remains unclear which, if any, preoperative factors can predict postsurgical clinical outcomes. This review aimed to determine preoperative predictors that are associated with postsurgical clinical outcomes in patients undergoing lumbar discectomy. This is a systematic review. This systematic review of the scientific literature followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. MEDLINE and PubMed were systematically searched through June 2014. Results were screened for relevance independently, and full-text studies were assessed for eligibility. Reporting quality was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Quality of evidence was assessed using a modified version of Sackett's Criteria of Evidence Support. No financial support was provided for this study. No potential conflict of interest-associated biases were present from any of the authors. The search strategy yielded 1,147 studies, of which a total of 40 high-quality studies were included. There were 17 positive predictors, 20 negative predictors, 43 non-significant predictors, and 15 conflicting predictors determined. Preoperative predictors associated with positive postoperative outcomes included more severe leg pain, better mental health status, shorter duration of symptoms, and younger age. Preoperative predictors associated with negative postoperative outcomes included intact annulus fibrosus, longer duration of sick leave, worker's compensation, and greater severity of baseline symptoms. Several preoperative factors including motor deficit, side and level of herniation, presence of type 1 Modic changes and degeneration, age, and gender had non-significant associations with postoperative clinical outcomes. It may be possible for certain preoperative factors to be targeted for clinical evaluation by spine surgeons to assess the suitability of patients for lumbar discectomy surgery, the hope being to thereby improve postoperative clinical outcomes. Prospective cohort studies are required to increase the level of evidence with regard to significant predictive factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Classification of coronary artery calcifications according to motion artifacts in chest CT using a convolutional neural network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Šprem, Jurica; de Vos, Bob D.; de Jong, Pim A.; Viergever, Max A.; Išgum, Ivana

2017-02-01

Coronary artery calcification (CAC) is a strong and independent predictor of cardiovascular events (CVEs). CAC can be quantified in chest CT scans acquired in lung screening. However, in these images the reproducibility of CAC quantification is compromised by cardiac motion that occurs during scanning, thereby limiting the reproducibility of CVE risk assessment. We present a system for the identification of CACs strongly affected by cardiac motion artifacts by using a convolutional neural network (CNN). This study included 125 chest CT scans from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). Images were acquired with CT scanners from four different vendors (GE, Siemens, Philips, Toshiba) with varying tube voltage, image resolution settings, and without ECG synchronization. To define the reference standard, an observer manually identified CAC lesions and labeled each according to the presence of cardiac motion: strongly affected (positive), mildly affected/not affected (negative). A CNN was designed to automatically label the identified CAC lesions according to the presence of cardiac motion by analyzing a patch from the axial CT slice around each lesion. From 125 CT scans, 9201 CAC lesions were analyzed. 8001 lesions were used for training (19% positive) and the remaining 1200 (50% positive) were used for testing. The proposed CNN achieved a classification accuracy of 85% (86% sensitivity, 84% specificity). The obtained results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can identify CAC lesions that are strongly affected by cardiac motion. This could facilitate further investigation into the relation of CAC scoring reproducibility and the presence of cardiac motion artifacts.

Perceived discrimination and poor health: Accounting for self-blame complicates a well-established relationship.

PubMed

Blodorn, Alison; Major, Brenda; Kaiser, Cheryl

2016-03-01

Past research has reliably demonstrated that both perceiving oneself as a target of discrimination and a tendency to blame negative events on oneself undermine psychological and physical health. These two literatures, however, have evolved largely independently of one another. The present research sought to develop a deeper understanding of the health effects of perceived discrimination by taking into account the relationship between perceived discrimination and self-blame. In two correlational studies, we examined perceived ethnic-based discrimination, self-blame, and psychological and physical health among White and ethnic minority adults residing in the United States. Contrary to the hypothesis that attributing negative events to discrimination leads to the discounting of self-blame, perceived discrimination and self-blame were positively related. Replicating past research, perceived discrimination was negatively related to health when examined as an independent predictor. When perceived discrimination and self-blame were examined as simultaneous predictors of health, however, the negative health effects of perceived discrimination were weakened. Furthermore, an alternative model revealed that perceived discrimination indirectly predicted decreased health through increased self-blame. The present findings highlight the importance of taking self-blame into account when assessing and interpreting the negative health effects of perceived discrimination. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perseverative thought: a robust predictor of response to emotional challenge in generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Ruscio, Ayelet Meron; Seitchik, Allison E; Gentes, Emily L; Jones, Jason D; Hallion, Lauren S

2011-12-01

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) frequently co-occur, yet the reasons for their comorbidity remain poorly understood. In the present experiment, we tested whether a tendency to engage in negative, repetitive thinking constitutes a common risk process for the two disorders. A mixed sample of adults with comorbid GAD-MDD (n=50), GAD only (n=35), MDD only (n=34), or no lifetime psychopathology (n=35) was administered noncontingent failure and success feedback on consecutive performance tasks. Perseverative thought (PT), measured by negative thought intrusions during a baseline period of focused breathing, emerged as a powerful prospective predictor of responses to this experimental challenge. Participants reporting more frequent negative thought intrusions at baseline, irrespective of thought content or diagnostic status, exhibited a stronger negative response to failure that persisted even after subsequent success. Higher PT over the course of the experiment was associated with later behavioral avoidance, with negative affect and other traits closely linked to anxiety and depression, and with the presence and severity of GAD and MDD. These findings provide evidence for a broadly-defined PT trait that is shared by GAD and MDD and contributes to adverse outcomes in these disorders. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Description and predictors of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences in the first year of college.

PubMed

Barnett, Nancy P; Clerkin, Elise M; Wood, Mark; Monti, Peter M; O'Leary Tevyaw, Tracy; Corriveau, Donald; Fingeret, Allan; Kahler, Christopher W

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences during the first year of college and to evaluate gender, race/ethnicity, time of year, alcohol use, and intoxication as predictors of consequences using frequent assessments. Participants (N = 1,053; 57.5% female) completed biweekly assessments of alcohol use and positive and negative alcohol-related consequences throughout the year. The majority of drinkers reported both positive and negative consequences. Having a good time and feeling less stressed were the most commonly reported positive consequences. Blackouts and getting physically sick were the most commonly endorsed negative consequences. At the weekly level, number of drinking days, drinks per drinking day, and estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC, reflecting intoxication) were significantly related to all consequences after controlling for demographics and time of year. Negative consequences had stronger associations with number of drinks and eBAC than positive consequences did. With each additional drink consumed on a drinking day, the incidence of negative consequences more than doubled (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.34, 95% CI [2.19, 2.50]), whereas the incidence of positive consequences increased by about half (IRR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.47, 1.56]). The consequence with the largest gender difference was regretted sex, with women reporting it more often. Few racial/ethnic differences were found in report of negative consequences. Greater positive and negative consequences were endorsed at the beginning of both academic semesters. As number of drinks and eBAC increase, the relative odds of a negative consequence are higher than that of a positive consequence. Alcohol interventions could promote greater awareness of the likelihood of specific consequences and could highlight that positive consequences are associated with lower levels of drinking.

Length of positive surgical margin after radical prostatectomy as a predictor of biochemical recurrence.

PubMed

Shikanov, Sergey; Song, Jie; Royce, Cassandra; Al-Ahmadie, Hikmat; Zorn, Kevin; Steinberg, Gary; Zagaja, Gregory; Shalhav, Arieh; Eggener, Scott

2009-07-01

Length and location of positive surgical margins are independent predictors of biochemical recurrence after open radical prostatectomy. We assessed their impact on biochemical recurrence in a large robotic prostatectomy series. Data were collected prospectively from 1,398 men undergoing robotic radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer from 2003 to 2008 at a single institution. The associations of preoperative prostate specific antigen, pathological Gleason score, pathological stage and positive surgical margin parameters (location, length and focality) with biochemical recurrence rate were evaluated. Margin status and length were measured by a single uropathologist. Biochemical recurrence was defined as serum prostate specific antigen greater than 0.1 ng/ml on 2 consecutive tests. Cox regression models were constructed to evaluate predictors of biochemical recurrence. Of 1,398 consecutive patients who underwent robotic prostatectomy positive margins were present in 243 (17%) (11% of pathological T2 and 41% of T3). Preoperative prostate specific antigen, pathological stage, Gleason score, margin status, and margin length as a continuous and categorical variable (less than 1, 1 to 3, more than 3 mm) were independent predictors of biochemical recurrence. Patients with negative margins and those with a positive margin less than 1 mm had similar rates of biochemical recurrence (log rank test p = 0.18). Surgical margin location was not independently associated with biochemical recurrence. Margin status and length are independent predictors of biochemical recurrence following robotic radical prostatectomy. Although longer followup and validation studies are necessary for confirmation, patients with a positive margin less than 1 mm appear to have similar recurrence rates as those with negative margins.

Selective use of preoperative endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the era of laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Nataly, Yogesh; Merrie, Arend E; Stewart, Ian D

2002-03-01

The use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in the management of suspected common bile duct (CBD) stones prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy is common. The associated morbidity can be significant. The present study determines significant predictors of CBD stones and improves the selection of patients for preoperative ERCP. All preoperative ERCP for suspected CBD stones in the year 1998 were studied retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses of a number of clinical, biochemical and radiological variables were carried out to determine the best predictors of CBD stones. A total of 112 patients had successful preoperative ERCP. Sixty-one per cent of these were negative for stones and the morbidity was 9%. Univariate analysis revealed the following variables as predictors: cholangitis (P = 0.006), abnormal serum bilirubin > or = 3 days (P = 0.002), serum alkaline phosphatase > or = 130 U/L (P = 0.002), deranged liver function tests (P = < 0.001) and CBD diameter > or = 8 mm (P = 0.009) with positive predictive values of 80%, 68%, 49%, 38% and 52%, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed the model with the best ability to discriminate for CBD stones (P = 0.0005) was cholangitis, abnormal serum bilirubin for > or = 3 days and CBD diameter > or = 8 mm. The best predictors from this study had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 27%. The predictors of CBD stones are imprecise. Until laparoscopic exploration of CBD becomes widely available, ERCP prior to cholecystectomy will remain popular. The use of stricter selection criteria can reduce the number of negative preoperative ERCP.

Hostility and Learning: A Follow-Up Note

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costin, Frank

1971-01-01

Hostility scores, as measured by the Scrambled Sentence Test, were found to be statistically significant negative predictors of course achievement in a meteorology course at a military installation. (MS)

Pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an independent predictive factor irrespective of simplified breast cancer intrinsic subtypes: a landmark and two-step approach analyses from the EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 phase III trial.

PubMed

Bonnefoi, H; Litière, S; Piccart, M; MacGrogan, G; Fumoleau, P; Brain, E; Petit, T; Rouanet, P; Jassem, J; Moldovan, C; Bodmer, A; Zaman, K; Cufer, T; Campone, M; Luporsi, E; Malmström, P; Werutsky, G; Bogaerts, J; Bergh, J; Cameron, D A

2014-06-01

Pathological complete response (pCR) following chemotherapy is strongly associated with both breast cancer subtype and long-term survival. Within a phase III neoadjuvant chemotherapy trial, we sought to determine whether the prognostic implications of pCR, TP53 status and treatment arm (taxane versus non-taxane) differed between intrinsic subtypes. Patients were randomized to receive either six cycles of anthracycline-based chemotherapy or three cycles of docetaxel then three cycles of eprirubicin/docetaxel (T-ET). pCR was defined as no evidence of residual invasive cancer (or very few scattered tumour cells) in primary tumour and lymph nodes. We used a simplified intrinsic subtypes classification, as suggested by the 2011 St Gallen consensus. Interactions between pCR, TP53 status, treatment arm and intrinsic subtype on event-free survival (EFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and overall survival (OS) were studied using a landmark and a two-step approach multivariate analyses. Sufficient data for pCR analyses were available in 1212 (65%) of 1856 patients randomized. pCR occurred in 222 of 1212 (18%) patients: 37 of 496 (7.5%) luminal A, 22 of 147 (15%) luminal B/HER2 negative, 51 of 230 (22%) luminal B/HER2 positive, 43 of 118 (36%) HER2 positive/non-luminal, 69 of 221(31%) triple negative (TN). The prognostic effect of pCR on EFS did not differ between subtypes and was an independent predictor for better EFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.40, P < 0.001 in favour of pCR], DMFS (HR = 0.32, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 0.32, P < 0.001). Chemotherapy arm was an independent predictor only for EFS (HR = 0.73, P = 0.004 in favour of T-ET). The interaction between TP53, intrinsic subtypes and survival outcomes only approached statistical significance for EFS (P = 0.1). pCR is an independent predictor of favourable clinical outcomes in all molecular subtypes in a two-step multivariate analysis. EORTC 10994/BIG 1-00 Trial registration number NCT00017095. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Sexual Assault Disclosure Recipients' Experiences: Emotional Distress and Changes in the Relationship With the Victim.

PubMed

Milliken, Jennifer; Paul, Lisa A; Sasson, Sapir; Porter, Abigail; Hasulube, Jemi

2016-01-01

Sexual assault victims are more likely to disclose their experience to friends and family than formal support sources (e.g., police, counselors). As such, disclosure receipt is a relatively common occurrence, but little is known about the recipients' disclosure experience. This study examined predictors of recipient emotional distress and positive and negative changes in the victim-recipient relationship postdisclosure among 69 female undergraduates at 3 universities. Predictors of distress included greater self-rated closeness to the victim and greater confusion about how to help. Positive changes were predicted by greater closeness and less responsibility attributed to the victim, and negative changes were predicted by less closeness, greater assigned responsibility, and greater perceived ineffectiveness of one's help. Implications for improving the disclosure experience via psychoeducational interventions are presented.

Psychosocial predictors of resilience after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

PubMed

Butler, Lisa D; Koopman, Cheryl; Azarow, Jay; Blasey, Christine M; Magdalene, Juliette C; DiMiceli, Sue; Seagraves, David A; Hastings, T Andrew; Chen, Xin-Hua; Garlan, Robert W; Kraemer, Helena C; Spiegel, David

2009-04-01

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 inflicted distress beyond those directly exposed, thereby providing an opportunity to examine the contributions of a range of factors (cognitive, emotional, social support, coping) to psychological resilience for those indirectly exposed. In an Internet convenience sample of 1281, indices of resilience (higher well-being, lower distress) at baseline (2.5-12 weeks post-attack) were each associated with less emotional suppression, denial and self-blame, and fewer negative worldview changes. After controlling for initial outcomes, baseline negative worldview changes and aspects of social support and coping all remained significant predictors of 6-month outcomes, with worldview changes bearing the strongest relationship to each. These findings highlight the role of emotional, coping, social support, and particularly, cognitive variables in adjustment after terrorism.

General functioning predicts reward and punishment learning in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Somlai, Zsuzsanna; Moustafa, Ahmed A; Kéri, Szabolcs; Myers, Catherine E; Gluck, Mark A

2011-04-01

Previous studies investigating feedback-driven reinforcement learning in patients with schizophrenia have provided mixed results. In this study, we explored the clinical predictors of reward and punishment learning using a probabilistic classification learning task. Patients with schizophrenia (n=40) performed similarly to healthy controls (n=30) on the classification learning task. However, more severe negative and general symptoms were associated with lower reward-learning performance, whereas poorer general psychosocial functioning was correlated with both lower reward- and punishment-learning performances. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that general psychosocial functioning was the only significant predictor of reinforcement learning performance when education, antipsychotic dose, and positive, negative and general symptoms were included in the analysis. These results suggest a close relationship between reinforcement learning and general psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rate and predictors of negative effects of psychotherapy in psychiatric and psychosomatic inpatients.

PubMed

Rheker, Julia; Beisel, Sylvia; Kräling, Svenja; Rief, Winfried

2017-08-01

Studies examining the rates of negative effects of psychotherapy are rare and the reported rates differ widely. To be able to calculate adequate benefit-cost ratios in conjunction with different samples and settings, we need a deeper understanding of these effects. We therefore investigated whether different treatment settings would reveal varying rates and kinds of negative effects by recruiting patients from a psychiatric (n=93) and a psychosomatic rehabilitation (n=63) hospital. Negative effects of psychotherapy were assessed with the Inventory for the Assessment of Negative Effects of Psychotherapy post-treatment. To investigate whether patients' pre-treatment expectations have an influence on reported negative effects, patients filled in the Patient Questionnaire on Therapy Expectation and Evaluation prior to treatment begin. Patients from the psychiatric hospital reported an average 1.41 negative effects, with 58.7% reporting at least one negative effect. Those from the psychosomatic hospital reported 0.76 negative effects on average, with 45.2% of patients reporting at least one negative effect. The differences between these samples are significant. The two samples' top three reported types of negative effects are that patients had experienced more downs during or just before the end of the therapy, that patients had difficulty making important decisions without the therapist, and that patients were concerned that colleagues or friends might find out about the therapy. A regression analysis revealed that the clinical setting (psychosomatic rehabilitation hospital vs. psychiatric hospital) and expectations in the form of hope of improvement were significant predictors for negative effects of psychotherapy. Our study highlights the need to examine the negative effects of psychotherapy in different settings and samples to better evaluate the benefit-cost ratios of treatments for different patient groups. It also shows that we need guidelines for assessing and reporting negative effects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

Negative and positive urgency may both be risk factors for compulsive buying

PubMed Central

ROSE, PAUL; SEGRIST, DANIEL J.

2014-01-01

Background and aims: Descriptions of compulsive buying often emphasize the roles of negative moods and trait impulsivity in the development of problematic buying habits. Trait impulsivity is sometimes treated as a unidimensional trait in compulsive buying research, but recent factor analyses suggest that impulsivity consists of multiple components that are probably best treated as independent predictors of problem behavior. In order to draw greater attention to the role of positive moods in compulsive buying, in this study we tested whether negative urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in negative moods) and positive urgency (the tendency to act rashly while in positive moods) account for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Methods: North American adults (N = 514) completed an online survey containing the Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (Ridgway, Kukar-Kinney & Monroe, 2008), established measures of positive and negative urgency (Cyders et al., 2007), ad hoc measures of buying-specific positive and negative urgency, measures of extraversion and neuroticism obtained from the International Personality Item Pool (http://ipip.ori.org/), and demographic questions. Results: In several multiple regression analyses, when demographic variables, neuroticism, and extraversion were controlled, positive urgency and negative urgency both emerged as significant predictors of compulsive buying. Whether the two urgency variables were domain-general or buying-specific, they accounted for similar amounts of variance in compulsive buying. Conclusions: Preventing and reducing compulsive buying may require attention not only to the purchasing decisions people make while in negative states, but also to the purchasing decisions they make while in positive states. PMID:25215224

Whole-Body and Hepatic Insulin Resistance in Obese Children

PubMed Central

Ibarra-Reynoso, Lorena del Rocío; Pisarchyk, Liudmila; Pérez-Luque, Elva Leticia; Garay-Sevilla, Ma. Eugenia; Malacara, Juan Manuel

2014-01-01

Background Insulin resistance may be assessed as whole body or hepatic. Objective To study factors associated with both types of insulin resistance. Methods Cross-sectional study of 182 obese children. Somatometric measurements were registered, and the following three adiposity indexes were compared: BMI, waist-to-height ratio and visceral adiposity. Whole-body insulin resistance was evaluated using HOMA-IR, with 2.5 as the cut-off point. Hepatic insulin resistance was considered for IGFBP-1 level quartiles 1 to 3 (<6.67 ng/ml). We determined metabolite and hormone levels and performed a liver ultrasound. Results The majority, 73.1%, of obese children had whole-body insulin resistance and hepatic insulin resistance, while 7% did not have either type. HOMA-IR was negatively associated with IGFBP-1 and positively associated with BMI, triglycerides, leptin and mother's BMI. Girls had increased HOMA-IR. IGFBP-1 was negatively associated with waist-to-height ratio, age, leptin, HOMA-IR and IGF-I. We did not find HOMA-IR or IGFBP-1 associated with fatty liver. Conclusion In school-aged children, BMI is the best metric to predict whole-body insulin resistance, and waist-to-height ratio is the best predictor of hepatic insulin resistance, indicating that central obesity is important for hepatic insulin resistance. The reciprocal negative association of IGFBP-1 and HOMA-IR may represent a strong interaction of the physiological processes of both whole-body and hepatic insulin resistance. PMID:25411786

Class Attendance in College: A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship of Class Attendance with Grades and Student Characteristics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crede, Marcus; Roch, Sylvia G.; Kieszczynka, Urszula M.

2010-01-01

A meta-analysis of the relationship between class attendance in college and college grades reveals that attendance has strong relationships with both class grades (k = 69, N = 21,195, p = 0.44) and GPA (k = 33, N = 9,243, p = 0.41). These relationships make class attendance a better predictor of college grades than any other known predictor of…

IQ Is Not Strongly Related to Response to Reading Instruction: A Meta-Analytic Interpretation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuebing, Karla K.; Barth, Amy E.; Molfese, Peter J.; Weiss, Brandon; Fletcher, Jack M.

2009-01-01

A meta-analysis of 22 studies evaluating the relation of different assessments of IQ and intervention response did not support the hypothesis that IQ is an important predictor of response to instruction. We found an R[superscript 2] of 0.03 in models with IQ and the autoregressor as predictors and a unique lower estimated R[superscript 2] of 0.006…

Predictors of organizational commitment among staff in assisted living.

PubMed

Sikorska-Simmons, Elzbieta

2005-04-01

This study examines the role of organizational culture, job satisfaction, and sociodemographic characteristics as predictors of organizational commitment among staff in assisted living. It is particularly important to examine organizational commitment, because of its close links to staff turnover. Data were collected from 317 staff members in 61 facilities, using self-administered questionnaires. The facilities were selected from licensed assisted living programs and were stratified into small, traditional, and new-model homes. Staff questionnaires were distributed by a researcher during 1-day visits to each facility. Organizational commitment was measured by the extent of staff identification, involvement, and loyalty to the organization. Organizational culture, job satisfaction, and education were strong predictors of commitment, together explaining 58% of the total variance in the dependent variable. Higher levels of organizational commitment were associated with more favorable staff perceptions of organizational culture and greater job satisfaction. In addition, more educated staff members tended to report higher levels of organizational commitment. Other than education, sociodemographic characteristics failed to account for a significant amount of variance in organizational commitment. Because job satisfaction and organizational culture were strong predictors of commitment, interventions aimed at increasing job satisfaction and creating an organizational culture that values and respects staff members could be most effective in producing higher levels of organizational commitment.

Interaction matters: quantifying conduct problem × depressive symptoms interaction and its association with adolescent alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use in a national sample.

PubMed

Maslowsky, Julie; Schulenberg, John E

2013-11-01

Substance use is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among American adolescents. Conduct problems and depressive symptoms have each been found to be associated with adolescent substance use. Although they are highly comorbid, the role of the interaction of conduct problems and depressive symptoms in substance use is not clear. In national samples of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students from the Monitoring the Future study, latent moderated structural equation modeling was used to estimate the association of conduct problems, depressive symptoms, and their interaction to the use of alcohol (including binge drinking), cigarettes, and marijuana. Moderation by age and sex was tested. The interaction of conduct problems with depressive symptoms was a strong predictor of substance use, particularly among younger adolescents. With few exceptions, adolescents with high levels of both conduct problems and depressive symptoms used substances most frequently. Conduct problems were a strong positive predictor of substance use, and depressive symptoms were a weak positive predictor. Whereas conduct problems are often thought to be a primary predictor of substance use, this study revealed that depressive symptoms potentiate the relation of conduct problems to substance use. Therefore, substance use prevention efforts should target both depressive symptoms and conduct problems.

Subjective well-being in centenarians: a comparison of Japan and the United States.

PubMed

Nakagawa, Takeshi; Cho, Jinmyoung; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Martin, Peter; Johnson, Mary Ann; Poon, Leonard W; Hirose, Nobuyoshi

2017-07-06

The present study examined the cultural differences and similarities in the levels and predictors of subjective well-being in Japanese and American centenarians. We analyzed data on cognitively intact Japanese (N = 59) and American (N = 125) participants from the Tokyo and Georgia Centenarian Studies, respectively. The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale was used to measure subjective well-being, while sociodemographic, social, and health resources were assessed as potential predictors. The American participants reported higher scores on well-being (satisfaction with social relations and psychological comfort). However, cultural differences in the levels of well-being disappeared after we controlled for its predictors. The regression models revealed that health resources (cognitive function, hearing problems, and activities of daily living) were strong predictors of well-being in both countries. Social resources (living with others) were strongly associated with one dimension of well-being (attitude toward one's aging) among the Japanese participants. The findings support the existing lifespan and cross-cultural literature, indicating that declines in health impose certain limitations on adaptive capacity in oldest-old age irrespective of cultures, and that social embeddedness is valued in Eastern cultures. The authors speculate that cultural values, i.e. personal autonomy versus relational harmony, play an important role for well-being in oldest-old age.

Predictors of Attitudes toward Disability and Employment Policy Issues among Undergraduate Students at the University of Nairobi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mamboleo, George Isaboke

2009-01-01

Disability rights issues are an emerging area of discourse in Kenya. Persons with disabilities in Kenya face many barriers to integration into the larger Kenyan society possibly due to barriers such as societal negative attitudes. Research has indicated that the greatest barrier to rehabilitation of persons with disabilities is negative attitudes…

Accentuating the Positive, Eliminating the Negative? Relationship Maintenance as a Predictor of Two-Dimensional Relationship Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malinen, Kaisa; Tolvanen, Asko; Ronka, Anna

2012-01-01

In this study, relationship maintenance and its connections with positive and negative relationship quality were examined among Finnish parents (N = 177 women and 153 men; i.e., partners from 150 couples and 27 women and 3 men whose partner did not participate in the study). Relationship maintenance was measured using Stafford, Dainton, and Haas's…

Psychosocial predictors of affect in adult patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Peñacoba, Cecilia; González, M José; Santos, Noelia; Romero, Martín

2014-02-01

In this paper we propose to study the role of psychosocial variables in affect in adult patients undergoing orthodontic treatment, considering that affect is a key variable in treatment adherence. Seventy-four patients (average age 33,24 ± 10,56) with metal multibracket-fixed orthodontic treatment were included. Patients were assessed twice. The first stage, at the beginning of treatment, included assessment of dental impact (Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire), trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), self-esteem (Rosenberg's self-esteem scale), and self-efficacy (General Self-efficacy Scale). In the second stage, 6 months later, positive and negative affect towards treatment was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. Dental social impact differentiates between patients with high and low negative affect, while self-efficacy differentiates between patients with high and low positive affect. Trait anxiety and self-esteem differentiate between both types of affect (positive and negative). Trait anxiety and self-esteem (when trait anxiety weight is controlled) are significant predictor variables of affective balance. These results have important practical implications, because it seems essential to adopt a bio-psychosocial model incorporating assessment methods focusing on day-to-day changes in mood and well-being.

Quality of life and related factors of nursing home residents in Singapore.

PubMed

Wang, Pei; Yap, Philip; Koh, Gerald; Chong, Jia An; Davies, Lucy Jennifer; Dalakoti, Mayank; Fong, Ngan Phoon; Tiong, Wei Wei; Luo, Nan

2016-07-28

Litter is known about the well-being of nursing home (NH) residents in Singapore. This study aimed to identify predictors of self-reported quality of life (QOL) of NH residents in Singapore. In face-to-face interviews, trained medical students assessed each consenting resident recruited from 6 local NHs using a modified Minnesota QOL questionnaire, and rating scales and questions assessing independence, cognitive function, depression, and communication. Predictors of residents' QOL in five aspects (comfort, dignity, food enjoyment, autonomy, and security) were identified using the censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) models. A total of 375 residents completed the interviews. A higher score on comfort was negatively associated with major depression while a higher score on dignity was positively associated with no difficulty in communication with staff. Higher scores in food enjoyment were negatively associated with major depression and poorer cognitive function. Higher scores in autonomy were negatively associated with major depression, greater dependence, and difficulty in communication with staff. A higher score on security were negatively associated with major depression. It appears that depression and difficulty in communication with staff are the two main modifiable risk factors of poor quality of life of local NH residents.

A mediator model to predict workplace influenza vaccination behaviour--an application of the health action process approach.

PubMed

Ernsting, Anna; Gellert, Paul; Schneider, Michael; Lippke, Sonia

2013-01-01

Applying the health action process approach (HAPA) to vaccination behaviour as a single-event health behaviour to study vaccination adherence and its predictors in a worksite flu vaccination programme. A total of N = 823 employees participated in a longitudinal survey. Predictors (risk perception, self-efficacy, positive and negative outcome expectancies, intention and planning) were assessed at Time 1, and behaviour was assessed five months later at Time 2. Intention and planning were specified as mediators in a path analytical logistic regression model. Risk perception, self-efficacy and positive as well as negative outcome expectancies predicted intention (R² = .76). Intention and planning predicted subsequent behaviour, and planning mediated the relation between intention and vaccination behaviour (R² = .67). In addition, results suggested the adjustment of the theoretical model: risk perception and negative outcome expectancies showed direct effects on behaviour resulting in a significantly better model fit. Findings support the general applicability of the HAPA to vaccination behaviour and the importance of planning for translating intentions into behaviour. However, the adjusted model was superior and underlined the particular role of risk perception and negative outcome expectancies for vaccination behaviour to explain underlying mechanisms in vaccination behaviour.

Media use, cancer knowledge and lifestyle choices: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Nelissen, Sara; Beullens, Kathleen; Lemal, Marijke; Van den Bulck, Jan

2015-10-01

Both media use and cancer knowledge have been identified as important predictors of a healthy lifestyle. However, little is known about the interplay between these two variables, and about differences between cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed consumers of media and knowledge. This study investigated the relationship between media use (television and internet exposure) and lifestyle choices of cancer diagnosed and non-diagnosed individuals, and looked at the influence of cancer knowledge on this relationship. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey (the Leuven Cancer Information Survey) was administered to 621 cancer diagnosed and 1387 non-diagnosed individuals, aged 16-88 years old in Flanders (Belgium). Bivariate analyses, hierarchical linear regression analyses and advanced moderation and mediation analyses were conducted. Internet exposure was not a predictor of lifestyle choices. Television exposure, however, was a negative predictor of healthy lifestyle choices. Moreover, television exposure was a direct negative predictor of cancer knowledge, which in turn positively predicted lifestyle choices. However, no differences were found in the investigated relationships between the two subsamples. These results indicate that higher levels of television exposure coincide with less cancer knowledge and with less healthy lifestyle choices. It offers a pathway for intervention by suggesting that improving cancer knowledge through television might positively affect lifestyle choices. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Which nerve conduction parameters can predict spontaneous electromyographic activity in carpal tunnel syndrome?

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Wei; Lee, Wei-Ju; Liao, Yi-Chu; Chang, Ming-Hong

2013-11-01

We investigate electrodiagnostic markers to determine which parameters are the best predictors of spontaneous electromyographic (EMG) activity in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). We enrolled 229 patients with clinically proven and nerve conduction study (NCS)-proven CTS, as well as 100 normal control subjects. All subjects were evaluated using electrodiagnostic techniques, including median distal sensory latencies (DSLs), sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs), distal motor latencies (DMLs), compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs), forearm median nerve conduction velocities (FMCVs) and wrist-palm motor conduction velocities (W-P MCVs). All CTS patients underwent EMG examination of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) muscle, and the presence or absence of spontaneous EMG activities was recorded. Normal limits were determined by calculating the means ± 2 standard deviations from the control data. Associations between parameters from the NCS and EMG findings were investigated. In patients with clinically diagnosed CTS, abnormal median CMAP amplitudes were the best predictors of spontaneous activity during EMG examination (p<0.001; OR 36.58; 95% CI 15.85-84.43). If the median CMAP amplitude was ≤ 2.1 mV, the rate of occurrence of spontaneous EMG activity was >95% (positive predictive rate >95%). If the median CMAP amplitude was higher than the normal limit (>4.9 mV), the rate of no spontaneous EMG activity was >94% (negative predictive rate >94%). An abnormal SNAP amplitude was the second best predictor of spontaneous EMG activity (p<0.001; OR 4.13; 95% CI 2.16-7.90), and an abnormal FMCV was the third best predictor (p=0.01; OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.20-3.67). No other nerve conduction parameters had significant power to predict spontaneous activity upon EMG examination. The CMAP amplitudes of the APB are the most powerful predictors of the occurrence of spontaneous EMG activity. Low CMAP amplitudes are strongly associated with spontaneous activity, whereas high CMAP amplitude are less associated with spontaneous activity, implying that needle EMG examination should be recommended for the detection of spontaneous activity in those CTS patients whose NCS reveals CMAP amplitudes between 2.1 mV and the lower normal limit (4.9mV in the present study). Using NCS, electromyographers can predict the presence of spontaneous EMG activity in CTS patients. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial predictors of the onset of anxiety disorders in women: Results from a prospective 3-year longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Calkins, Amanda W.; Otto, Michael W.; Cohen, Lee S.; Soares, Claudio N.; Vitonis, Alison F.; Hearon, Bridget A.; Harlow, Bernard L.

2009-01-01

In a prospective, longitudinal, population-based study of 643 women participating in the Harvard Study of Moods and Cycles we examined whether psychosocial variables predicted a new or recurrent onset of an anxiety disorder. Presence of anxiety disorders was assessed every six months over three years via structured clinical interviews. Among individuals who had a new episode of anxiety, we confirmed previous findings that history of anxiety, increased anxiety sensitivity (the fear of anxiety related sensations), and increased neuroticism were significant predictors. We also found trend level support for assertiveness as a predictor of anxiety onset. However, of these variables, only history of anxiety and anxiety sensitivity provided unique prediction. We did not find evidence for negative life events as a predictor of onset of anxiety either alone or in interaction with other variables in a diathesis-stress model. These findings from a prospective longitudinal study are discussed in relation to the potential role of such predictors in primary or relapse prevention efforts. PMID:19699609

Correlates of sexual initiation among European adolescents.

PubMed

Gambadauro, Pietro; Carli, Vladimir; Hadlaczky, Gergö; Sarchiapone, Marco; Apter, Alan; Balazs, Judit; Banzer, Raphaela; Bobes, Julio; Brunner, Romuald; Cosman, Doina; Farkas, Luca; Haring, Christian; Hoven, Christina W; Kaess, Michael; Kahn, Jean Pierre; McMahon, Elaine; Postuvan, Vita; Sisask, Merike; Värnik, Airi; Zadravec Sedivy, Nusa; Wasserman, Danuta

2018-01-01

Sexuality is a physiological component of adolescent development, though early initiation is associated with reproductive health risk. This study aimed at identifying correlates and predictors of sexual initiation in a large multinational cohort of European adolescents. A questionnaire addressing socio-demographics, behaviours, mental health and sexual activity, was delivered to 11,110 adolescents recruited from 168 randomly selected schools in 10 European countries between 2009 and 2011. A follow-up questionnaire was delivered after 12 months. The longitudinal association of baseline risk behaviors, psychological attributes and contextual vulnerabilities, with sexual initiation during follow-up was evaluated through simple and multivariable age/sex stratified logistic regression. Multinomial logistic regression measured the association between predictors and sexual initiation with or without coexisting reproductive risk factors, such as multiple partners or infrequent condom use. Baseline sexual experience was reported by 19.2% of 10,757 respondents (median age 15; IQR 14-15; females 59.6%). This was significantly more frequent among pupils older than 15 (41%) and males (20.8%). Of 7,111 pupils without previous experience who were available at follow-up (response rate 81.8%), 17% reported sexual initiation, without differences between females and males. Baseline smoking (age/sex adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.63), alcohol use (aOR 2.95), illegal drugs use (aOR 2.72), and poor sleep (aOR 1.71) predicted sexual initiation. Stratified analyses showed a particularly strong association in case of younger and female pupils, and, among girls, when initiation was reported together with multiple partners and/or infrequent condom use. Externalizing (i.e. conduct and hyperactivity) symptoms independently predicted sexual initiation. Internalizing difficulties (i.e. emotional and peer problems) were negatively associated with early and risky sexual initiation among boys. Significant predictors included also being bullied, fighting, truancy, and low parental involvement. Adolescent sexual behaviours are related to non-sexual risk behaviours, psychological difficulties and contextual vulnerabilities. While gateway effects explain some associations, a comprehensive model is needed to understand adolescent sexual behaviours, their physical, mental, and social health outcomes, and their potential positive effects on wellbeing. Tailored interventions may need to consider younger girls as a particularly vulnerable group in view of a strong association between non-sexual and sexual behaviors.

Correlates of sexual initiation among European adolescents

PubMed Central

Carli, Vladimir; Hadlaczky, Gergö; Sarchiapone, Marco; Apter, Alan; Balazs, Judit; Banzer, Raphaela; Bobes, Julio; Brunner, Romuald; Cosman, Doina; Farkas, Luca; Haring, Christian; Hoven, Christina W.; Kaess, Michael; Kahn, Jean Pierre; McMahon, Elaine; Postuvan, Vita; Sisask, Merike; Värnik, Airi; Zadravec Sedivy, Nusa; Wasserman, Danuta

2018-01-01

Background Sexuality is a physiological component of adolescent development, though early initiation is associated with reproductive health risk. This study aimed at identifying correlates and predictors of sexual initiation in a large multinational cohort of European adolescents. Methods A questionnaire addressing socio-demographics, behaviours, mental health and sexual activity, was delivered to 11,110 adolescents recruited from 168 randomly selected schools in 10 European countries between 2009 and 2011. A follow-up questionnaire was delivered after 12 months. The longitudinal association of baseline risk behaviors, psychological attributes and contextual vulnerabilities, with sexual initiation during follow-up was evaluated through simple and multivariable age/sex stratified logistic regression. Multinomial logistic regression measured the association between predictors and sexual initiation with or without coexisting reproductive risk factors, such as multiple partners or infrequent condom use. Results Baseline sexual experience was reported by 19.2% of 10,757 respondents (median age 15; IQR 14–15; females 59.6%). This was significantly more frequent among pupils older than 15 (41%) and males (20.8%). Of 7,111 pupils without previous experience who were available at follow-up (response rate 81.8%), 17% reported sexual initiation, without differences between females and males. Baseline smoking (age/sex adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 3.63), alcohol use (aOR 2.95), illegal drugs use (aOR 2.72), and poor sleep (aOR 1.71) predicted sexual initiation. Stratified analyses showed a particularly strong association in case of younger and female pupils, and, among girls, when initiation was reported together with multiple partners and/or infrequent condom use. Externalizing (i.e. conduct and hyperactivity) symptoms independently predicted sexual initiation. Internalizing difficulties (i.e. emotional and peer problems) were negatively associated with early and risky sexual initiation among boys. Significant predictors included also being bullied, fighting, truancy, and low parental involvement. Conclusions Adolescent sexual behaviours are related to non-sexual risk behaviours, psychological difficulties and contextual vulnerabilities. While gateway effects explain some associations, a comprehensive model is needed to understand adolescent sexual behaviours, their physical, mental, and social health outcomes, and their potential positive effects on wellbeing. Tailored interventions may need to consider younger girls as a particularly vulnerable group in view of a strong association between non-sexual and sexual behaviors. PMID:29420612

Will They or Won't They? Secret Telling in Interpersonal Interactions.

PubMed

Kowalski, Robin Marie; Morgan, Chad Alan; Whittaker, Elizabeth; Zaremba, Brittany; Frazee, Laura; Dean, Jessica

2015-01-01

This study investigated predictors of within-gender secret telling. Eighty-eight participants were exposed to either a "positive" or a "negative" secret about another individual. Just under 20% of participants told the secret. Conscientiousness, secret condition, empathy, and the conscientiousness by secret condition interaction had effects on the rate of secret telling, χ(2) (5,82) = 17.78, p = .003, AIC = 80.60. Conscientiousness had a negative effect on secret telling among participants that told the "negative" secret.

What Factors Predict Who Will Have a Strong Social Network Following a Stroke?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northcott, Sarah; Marshall, Jane; Hilari, Katerina

2016-01-01

Purpose: Measures of social networks assess the number and nature of a person's social contacts, and strongly predict health outcomes. We explored how social networks change following a stroke and analyzed concurrent and baseline predictors of social networks 6 months poststroke. Method: We conducted a prospective longitudinal observational study.…

Predictors of Mobile Phone and Social Networking Site Dependency in Adulthood.

PubMed

Burnell, Kaitlyn; Kuther, Tara L

2016-10-01

The present study explored social and psychological predictors of social networking site (SNS) and mobile phone dependency in a sample of emerging adults (ages 18-25, n = 159, M = 21.87, SD = 2.08) and young adults (ages 26-40, n = 97, M = 31.21, SD = 4.11). Path analysis revealed that SNS dependency mediated the relationship of social comparison, SNS support, and impulsivity on mobile phone dependency. Impulsivity also showed direct links to mobile phone dependency. The present findings suggest that individuals with a strong orientation toward social comparison, who perceive a strong sense of support through SNS networks, or who show difficulty with self-regulation may be at risk for SNS and mobile phone dependency.

Multifactor leadership styles and new exposure to workplace bullying: a six-month prospective study

PubMed Central

TSUNO, Kanami; KAWAKAMI, Norito

2014-01-01

This study investigated the prospective association between supervisor leadership styles and workplace bullying. Altogether 404 civil servants from a local government in Japan completed baseline and follow-up surveys. The leadership variables and exposure to bullying were measured by Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, respectively. The prevalence of workplace bullying was 14.8% at baseline and 15.1% at follow-up. Among respondents who did not experience bullying at baseline (n=216), those who worked under the supervisors as higher in passive laissez-faire leadership had a 4.3 times higher risk of new exposure to bullying. On the other hand, respondents whose supervisors with highly considerate of the individual had a 70% lower risk of new exposure to bullying. In the entire sample (n=317), passive laissez-faire leadership was significantly and positively associated, while charisma/inspiration, individual consideration, and contingent reward were negatively associated both after adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics at baseline, life events during follow-up, and exposure to workplace bullying at baseline. Results indicated that passive laissez-faire and low individual consideration leadership style at baseline were strong predictors of new exposure to bullying and high individual consideration leadership of supervisors/managers could be a preventive factor against bullying. PMID:25382384

Multifactor leadership styles and new exposure to workplace bullying: a six-month prospective study.

PubMed

Tsuno, Kanami; Kawakami, Norito

2015-01-01

This study investigated the prospective association between supervisor leadership styles and workplace bullying. Altogether 404 civil servants from a local government in Japan completed baseline and follow-up surveys. The leadership variables and exposure to bullying were measured by Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised, respectively. The prevalence of workplace bullying was 14.8% at baseline and 15.1% at follow-up. Among respondents who did not experience bullying at baseline (n=216), those who worked under the supervisors as higher in passive laissez-faire leadership had a 4.3 times higher risk of new exposure to bullying. On the other hand, respondents whose supervisors with highly considerate of the individual had a 70% lower risk of new exposure to bullying. In the entire sample (n=317), passive laissez-faire leadership was significantly and positively associated, while charisma/inspiration, individual consideration, and contingent reward were negatively associated both after adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics at baseline, life events during follow-up, and exposure to workplace bullying at baseline. Results indicated that passive laissez-faire and low individual consideration leadership style at baseline were strong predictors of new exposure to bullying and high individual consideration leadership of supervisors/managers could be a preventive factor against bullying.

Testing the Relations Between Impulsivity-Related Traits, Suicidality, and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: A Test of the Incremental Validity of the UPPS Model

PubMed Central

Lynam, Donald R.; Miller, Joshua D.; Miller, Drew J.; Bornovalova, Marina A.; Lejuez, C. W.

2011-01-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has received significant attention as a predictor of suicidal behavior (SB) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Despite significant promise, trait impulsivity has received less attention. Understanding the relations between impulsivity and SB and NSSI is confounded, unfortunately, by the heterogeneous nature of impulsivity. This study examined the relations among 4 personality pathways to impulsive behavior studied via the UPPS model of impulsivity and SB and NSSI in a residential sample of drug abusers (N = 76). In this study, we tested whether these 4 impulsivity-related traits (i.e., Negative Urgency, Sensation Seeking, Lack of Premeditation, and Lack of Perseverance) provide incremental validity in the statistical prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond BPD; they do. We also tested whether BPD symptoms provide incremental validity in the prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond these impulsivity-related traits; they do not. In addition to the main effects of Lack of Premeditation and Negative Urgency, we found evidence of a robust interaction between these 2 personality traits. The current results argue strongly for the consideration of these 2 impulsivity-related domains—alone and in interaction—when attempting to understand and predict SB and NSSI. PMID:21833346

Testing the relations between impulsivity-related traits, suicidality, and nonsuicidal self-injury: a test of the incremental validity of the UPPS model.

PubMed

Lynam, Donald R; Miller, Joshua D; Miller, Drew J; Bornovalova, Marina A; Lejuez, C W

2011-04-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has received significant attention as a predictor of suicidal behavior (SB) and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Despite significant promise, trait impulsivity has received less attention. Understanding the relations between impulsivity and SB and NSSI is confounded, unfortunately, by the heterogeneous nature of impulsivity. This study examined the relations among 4 personality pathways to impulsive behavior studied via the UPPS model of impulsivity and SB and NSSI in a residential sample of drug abusers (N = 76). In this study, we tested whether these 4 impulsivity-related traits (i.e., Negative Urgency, Sensation Seeking, Lack of Premeditation, and Lack of Perseverance) provide incremental validity in the statistical prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond BPD; they do. We also tested whether BPD symptoms provide incremental validity in the prediction of SB and NSSI above and beyond these impulsivity-related traits; they do not. In addition to the main effects of Lack of Premeditation and Negative Urgency, we found evidence of a robust interaction between these 2 personality traits. The current results argue strongly for the consideration of these 2 impulsivity-related domains--alone and in interaction--when attempting to understand and predict SB and NSSI.

Health promotion, psychological distress, and disease prevention in the workplace: a cross-sectional study of Italian adults.

PubMed

Ramaci, Tiziana; Pellerone, Monica; Ledda, Caterina; Rapisarda, Venerando

2017-01-01

Job insecurity resulting from new types of employment contracts, together with organizational dynamics such as restructuring and internationalization, is emerging as an important source of organizational and individual stress, often transforming the workplace into a hostile and, above all, extremely demanding context from a psychological point of view. The aim of this study was to identify the possible relationships between individual and organizational dimensions of work (such as engagement, autonomy, personal and collective efficacy at work, and satisfaction) and their impact on stress levels. The survey involved 120 Italian workers: 72 females (60%) and 48 males (40%), with a mean age of 41.8 years ±7.31 years. The groups of participants were selected on the basis of employment contract type (traditional or atypical) to emphasize potential differences. The study was conducted using a set of self-administered questionnaires, including the Psychological Stress Measure and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The data show that personal and collective efficacy at work correlates negatively with stress, which in turn correlates negatively with engagement and satisfaction. The results support the hypothesis that job insecurity could be considered a strong predictor of poor health. The study should be considered as a preliminary assessment prior to studies of broader interventions to increase quality of life.

Occupational exposure assessment of magnetic fields generated by induction heating equipment-the role of spatial averaging.

PubMed

Kos, Bor; Valič, Blaž; Kotnik, Tadej; Gajšek, Peter

2012-10-07

Induction heating equipment is a source of strong and nonhomogeneous magnetic fields, which can exceed occupational reference levels. We investigated a case of an induction tempering tunnel furnace. Measurements of the emitted magnetic flux density (B) were performed during its operation and used to validate a numerical model of the furnace. This model was used to compute the values of B and the induced in situ electric field (E) for 15 different body positions relative to the source. For each body position, the computed B values were used to determine their maximum and average values, using six spatial averaging schemes (9-285 averaging points) and two averaging algorithms (arithmetic mean and quadratic mean). Maximum and average B values were compared to the ICNIRP reference level, and E values to the ICNIRP basic restriction. Our results show that in nonhomogeneous fields, the maximum B is an overly conservative predictor of overexposure, as it yields many false positives. The average B yielded fewer false positives, but as the number of averaging points increased, false negatives emerged. The most reliable averaging schemes were obtained for averaging over the torso with quadratic averaging, with no false negatives even for the maximum number of averaging points investigated.

Gambling Related Cognitive Distortions in Adolescence: Relationships with Gambling Problems in Typically Developing and Special Needs Students.

PubMed

Taylor, Robyn N; Parker, James D A; Keefer, Kateryna V; Kloosterman, Patricia H; Summerfeldt, Laura J

2015-12-01

The present study examined the link between problematic gambling and gambling related cognitions (GRCs) in a large sample of adolescents with (N = 266) and without (N = 1,738) special education needs (SEN) between the ages of 14 and 18 years attending several high schools in eastern central Ontario. The adolescents with SENs were identified as having various learning disorders and/or internalizing and externalizing problems [e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)]. All adolescents completed a self-report questionnaire package that included the GRC Scale (GRCS; Raylu and Oei in Addiction 99:757-769, 2004), as well as measures of problem gambling, negative affect, and ADHD symptomatology. Results showed that adolescents with SEN hold more erroneous beliefs about gambling and had a higher risk of developing problematic patterns of gambling behaviour than their typically developing peers. Moreover, the GRCS subscales were found to be strong predictors of problem gambling among adolescents both with and without SEN, accounting for a substantial amount of the variance even when controlling for the effects of age, gender, ADHD, and negative affect. It is suggested that intervention and prevention programs aimed at adolescent gambling need to give particular attention to those with SEN.

Multi-location gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial protein subcellular localization using gene ontology and multi-label classifier ensemble.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao; Zhang, Jun; Li, Guo-Zheng

2015-01-01

It has become a very important and full of challenge task to predict bacterial protein subcellular locations using computational methods. Although there exist a lot of prediction methods for bacterial proteins, the majority of these methods can only deal with single-location proteins. But unfortunately many multi-location proteins are located in the bacterial cells. Moreover, multi-location proteins have special biological functions capable of helping the development of new drugs. So it is necessary to develop new computational methods for accurately predicting subcellular locations of multi-location bacterial proteins. In this article, two efficient multi-label predictors, Gpos-ECC-mPLoc and Gneg-ECC-mPLoc, are developed to predict the subcellular locations of multi-label gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial proteins respectively. The two multi-label predictors construct the GO vectors by using the GO terms of homologous proteins of query proteins and then adopt a powerful multi-label ensemble classifier to make the final multi-label prediction. The two multi-label predictors have the following advantages: (1) they improve the prediction performance of multi-label proteins by taking the correlations among different labels into account; (2) they ensemble multiple CC classifiers and further generate better prediction results by ensemble learning; and (3) they construct the GO vectors by using the frequency of occurrences of GO terms in the typical homologous set instead of using 0/1 values. Experimental results show that Gpos-ECC-mPLoc and Gneg-ECC-mPLoc can efficiently predict the subcellular locations of multi-label gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial proteins respectively. Gpos-ECC-mPLoc and Gneg-ECC-mPLoc can efficiently improve prediction accuracy of subcellular localization of multi-location gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial proteins respectively. The online web servers for Gpos-ECC-mPLoc and Gneg-ECC-mPLoc predictors are freely accessible at http://biomed.zzuli.edu.cn/bioinfo/gpos-ecc-mploc/ and http://biomed.zzuli.edu.cn/bioinfo/gneg-ecc-mploc/ respectively.

Invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm vs. sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a stage-matched comparison of outcomes

PubMed Central

Wasif, Nabil; Bentrem, David J.; Farrell, James J.; Ko, Clifford Y.; Hines, Oscar J.; Reber, Howard A.; Tomlinson, James S.

2010-01-01

Introduction Although invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) of the pancreas is thought to be more indolent than sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), the natural history remains poorly defined. We compare survival and identify prognostic factors following resection for invasive IPMN vs. stage-matched PAC. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1991-2005) was utilized to identify 729 patients with invasive IPMN and 8082 patients with PAC who underwent surgical resection. Results Patients with resected invasive IPMN experienced improved overall survival when compared to resected PAC (median survival 21mos vs. 14mos, p<0.001). Stratification by nodal status demonstrated no difference in survival among node positive patients, however, median survival of resected, node negative, invasive IPMN was significantly improved compared to node negative PAC (34mos vs. 18mos, p <0.001). On multivariate analysis PAC histology was an adverse predictor of overall survival (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.15-1.50) compared to invasive IPMN. For patients with invasive IPMN, positive lymph nodes (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.50- 2.60), high tumor grade (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.31- 2.31), tumor size >2cm (HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.04- 2.19), and age >66 years (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03- 1.73) were adverse predictors of survival. Conclusions Although node negative invasive IPMN shows improved survival following resection compared to node negative PAC, the natural history of node positive invasive IPMN mimics that of node positive PAC. We also identify adverse predictors of survival in invasive IPMN to guide discussions regarding use of adjuvant therapies and prognosis following resection of invasive IPMN. PMID:20564064

Invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm versus sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma: a stage-matched comparison of outcomes.

PubMed

Wasif, Nabil; Bentrem, David J; Farrell, James J; Ko, Clifford Y; Hines, Oscar J; Reber, Howard A; Tomlinson, James S

2010-07-15

Although invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is thought to be more indolent than sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC), the natural history remains poorly defined. The authors compared survival and identify prognostic factors after resection for invasive IPMN versus stage-matched PAC. The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (1991-2005) was used to identify 729 patients with invasive IPMN and 8082 patients with PAC who underwent surgical resection. Patients with resected invasive IPMN experienced improved overall survival when compared with resected PAC (median survival, 21 vs 14 months; P<.001). Stratification by nodal status demonstrated no difference in survival among lymph node-positive patients; however, median survival of resected, lymph node-negative, invasive IPMN was significantly improved compared with lymph node-negative PAC (34 vs 18 months; P<.001). On multivariate analysis, PAC histology was an adverse predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15-1.50) compared with invasive IPMN. For patients with invasive IPMN, positive lymph nodes (HR, 1.98; 95% CI, 1.50-2.60), high tumor grade (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.31-2.31), tumor size>2 cm (HR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.04-2.19), and age>66 years (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.03-1.73) were adverse predictors of survival. Although lymph node-negative invasive IPMN showed improved survival after resection compared with lymph node-negative PAC, the natural history of lymph node-positive invasive IPMN mimicked that of lymph node-positive PAC. The authors also identified adverse predictors of survival in invasive IPMN to guide discussions regarding use of adjuvant therapies and prognosis after resection of invasive IPMN. Copyright (c) 2010 American Cancer Society.

Effect of pharmacogenetic markers of vitamin D pathway on deferasirox pharmacokinetics in children.

PubMed

Allegra, Sarah; Cusato, Jessica; De Francia, Silvia; Longo, Filomena; Pirro, Elisa; Massano, Davide; Piga, Antonio; D'Avolio, Antonio

2018-01-01

Patients with β-thalassemia major have extremely low vitamin D levels, owing to reduced intestinal absorption, subicteric tint, and/or iron-induced higher pigmentation. We investigated whether some polymorphisms within the VDR, CYP24A1, CYP27B1, and GC genes could play a role in deferasirox pharmacokinetics in a cohort of pediatric patients. Eighteen children with β-thalassemia were enrolled. Drug plasma concentrations at the end of dosing interval (Ctrough) and after 0, 2, 4, 6, and 24 h of drug administration were measured by a HPLC-UV method. Allelic discrimination for VDR (TaqI, FokI, BsmI, Cdx2, and ApaI), CYP24A1 (22776, 3999 and 8620), CYP27B1 (2838 and -1260), and GC (1296) single nucleotide polymorphisms was performed by real-time PCR. CYP24A1 8620 AG/GG group negatively predicted Ctrough in regression analysis (P=0.012). ApaI AA genotype resulted as a negative predictor of Ctrough (P=0.025) and area under the concentration curve (P=0.007); FoKI CC genotype remained as area under the concentration curve positive predictor (P=0.008) and TC/CC group as half-life (t1/2) (P=0.003) and volume of distribution (Vd) (P=0.011) negative one; TaqI TC/CC was retained as a negative predictor of drug maximum concentration (Cmax) (P=0.004). Moreover, GC 1296 TG/GG seemed able to predict lower time to reach drug maximum concentration (Tmax) (P=0.033). Our preliminary experience suggested the potential usefulness of vitamin D pharmacogenetic to better understand deferasirox interindividual variability, also in pediatric patients.

Can we predict urinary stress incontinence by using demographic, clinical, imaging and urodynamic data?

PubMed

Wlaźlak, Edyta; Surkont, Grzegorz; Shek, Ka L; Dietz, Hans P

2015-10-01

It has been claimed that urethral hypermobility and resting urethral pressure can largely explain stress incontinence in women. In this study we tried to replicate these findings in an unselected cohort of women seen for urodynamic testing, including as many potential confounders as possible. This study is a retrospective analysis of data obtained from 341 women. They attended for urodynamic testing due to symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. We excluded from the analysis women with a history of previous anti-incontinence and prolapse surgery. All patients had a standardised clinical assessment, 4D transperineal pelvic floor ultrasound and multichannel urodynamic testing. Urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) was diagnosed by multichannel urodynamic testing. Its severity was subjectively graded as mild, moderate and severe. Candidate variables were: age, BMI, symptoms of prolapse, vaginal parity, significant prolapse (compartment-specific), levator avulsion, levator hiatal area, Oxford grading, midurethral mobility, maximum urethral pressure (MUP), maximum cough pressure and maximum Valsalva pressure reached. On binary logistic regression, the following parameters were statistically significant in predicting urodynamic stress incontinence: age (P=0.03), significant rectocele (P=0.02), max. abdominal pressure reached (negatively, P<0.0001), midurethral mobility (P=0.0004) and MUP (negatively, P<0.0001). On multivariate analysis, accounting for multiple interdependencies, the following predictors remained significant: max. abdominal pressure reached (negatively, P<0.0001), cough pressure (P=0.006), midurethral mobility (P=0.003) and MUP (negatively, P<0.0001), giving an R(2) of 0.24. Mid-urethral mobility and MUP are the main predictors of USI. Demographic and clinical data are at best weak predictors. Our results suggest the presence of major unrecognised confounders. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Maternal predictors related to quality of life in pregnant women in the Northeast of Brazil.

PubMed

Calou, Cinthia Gondim Pereira; de Oliveira, Mirna Fontenele; Carvalho, Francisco Herlânio Costa; Soares, Paula Renata Amorim Lessa; Bezerra, Raylla Araújo; de Lima, Sâmua Kelen Mendes; Antezana, Franz Janco; de Souza Aquino, Priscila; Castro, Régia Christina Moura Barbosa; Pinheiro, Ana Karina Bezerra

2018-05-31

Gestation is a period that can positively or negatively influence the life of a woman in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle. Thus, evaluating the quality of life of this population can redirect the implementation of innovative practices, with the goal of making them more effective and practical or the promotion of humanized care. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictors that influence the health-related quality of life of low-risk pregnant women, as well as to describe the main areas affected in the quality of life of pregnant women. A correlational, quantitative and cross-sectional study was carried out in two public units that provide prenatal care services and a private unit in the city of Fortaleza, a municipality in the Northeast of Brazil. The sample consisted of 261 pregnant women who were interviewed from September to November 2014. The collection instruments were a questionnaire covering sociodemographic, obstetric and quality of life variables, in addition to the Brazilian version of the Mother-Generated Index (MGI). The data were compiled and analyzed through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0. A descriptive analysis was performed through the application of Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and one-way ANOVA. Maternal predictors for the quality of life of pregnant woman were identified through a multivariate analysis/multiple regression. The response rate was 100%, corresponding to 261 respondents. Occupation, parity, partner support, marital status and persons with whom the women live were the predictors that positively interfered in the quality of life of pregnant women. In contrast, gestational age, type of housing, occupation, use of illicit drugs, non-receipt of partner support and maternal age were the predictors that negatively influenced quality of life. Our results indicate that happiness to become a mother and body image were areas with the greatest positive and negative influence on health-related quality of life, which suggests being relevant aspects in the planning and implementation of actions aimed at its improvement.

Transition of vegetation states positively affects harvester ants in the Great Basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holbrook, Joseph D.; Pilliod, David S.; Arkle, Robert; Rachlow, Janet L.; Vierling, Kerri T.; Wiest, Michelle M.

2016-01-01

Invasions by non-native plants can alter ecosystems such that new ecological states are reached, but less is known about how these transitions influence animal populations. Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems are experiencing state changes because of fire and invasion by exotic annual grasses. Our goal was to study the effects of these state changes on the Owyhee and western harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex salinusOlsen and P. occidentalis Cresson, respectively). We sampled 358 1-ha plots across the northern Great Basin, which captured unburned and burned conditions across 1 −≥31 years postfire. Our results indicated an immediate and consistent change in vegetation states from shrubland to grassland between 1 and 31 years postfire. Harvester ant occupancy was unrelated to time since fire, whereas we observed a positive effect of fire on nest density. Similarly, we discovered that fire and invasion by exotic annuals were weak predictors of harvester ant occupancy but strong predictors of nest density. Occupancy of harvester ants was more likely in areas with finer-textured soils, low precipitation, abundant native forbs, and low shrub cover. Nest density was higher in arid locations that recently burned and exhibited abundant exotic annual and perennial (exotic and native) grasses. Finally, we discovered that burned areas that received postfire restoration had minimal influence on harvester ant occupancy or nest density compared with burned and untreated areas. These results suggest that fire-induced state changes from native shrublands to grasslands dominated by non-native grasses have a positive effect on density of harvester ants (but not occupancy), and that postfire restoration does not appear to positively or negatively affect harvester ants. Although wildfire and invasion by exotic annual grasses may negatively affect other species, harvester ants may indeed be one of the few winners among a myriad of losers linked to vegetation state changes within sagebrush ecosystems.

Predictors of Criminal Justice Outcomes Among Mental Health Courts Participants: The Role of Perceived Coercion and Subjective Mental Health Recovery

PubMed Central

Yanos, Philip T.; Kopelovich, Sarah L.; Koerner, Joshua; Alexander, Mary Jane

2013-01-01

Internationally, one effort to reduce the number of people with serious mental illness (SMI) in jails and prisons is the development of Mental Health Courts (MHC). Research on MHCs to date has been disproportionately focused on the study of recidivism and re-incarceration over the potential of these problem-solving courts to facilitate mental health recovery and affect the slope or gradient of opportunity for recovery. Despite the strong conceptual links between the MHC approach and the recovery-orientation in mental health, the capacity for MHCs to facilitate recovery has not been explored. This user-informed mental health and criminal justice (MH/CJ) community based participatory (CBPR) study assesses the extent to which MHC practices align with recovery-oriented principles and may subsequently affect criminal justice outcomes. We report on the experiences and perceptions of 51 MHC participants across four metropolitan Mental Health Courts. Specifically, the current study assesses: 1) how defendants’ perceptions of court practices, particularly with regard to procedural justice and coercion, relate to perceptions of mental health recovery and psychiatric symptoms, and, 2) how perceptions of procedural justice and mental health recovery relate to subsequent criminal justice outcomes. The authors hypothesized that perceived coercion and mental health recovery would be inversely related, that perceived coercion would be associated with worse criminal justice outcomes, and perceptions of mental health recovery would be associated with better criminal justice outcomes. Results suggest that perceived coercion in the MHC experience was negatively associated with perceptions of recovery among MHC participants. Perceptions of “negative pressures,” a component of coercion, were important predictors of criminal justice involvement in the 12 month period following MHC admission, even when controlling for other factors that were related to criminal justice outcomes, and that an increase in procedural justice was associated with a decrease in symptoms but curiously not to an increase in attitudes toward recovery. Implications and future directions are discussed. PMID:24039547

Clinical determinants of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in differentiated thyroid cancer patients with elevated thyroglobulin and negative (131)iodine whole body scans after (131)iodine therapy.

PubMed

Shamim, Syed Ejaz; Nang, Lee Boon; Shuaib, Ibrahim Lutfi; Muhamad, Nor Asiah

2014-05-01

A cross-sectional prospective study has been conducted on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients using negative (131)Iodine ((131)I) whole body scans and elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. The main objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer patients during follow up at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. It has been demonstrated that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is inversely proportional to the iodine concentration and to differentiation of the cells. Thirty-five patients with histologically proven DTC that have undergone total or near total thyroidectomy, and post (131)I radioactive iodine ablation therapy, were selected and prospectively analysed. The patients also had to show at least one negative whole body scan and Tg levels of 10 μg/L and above. The results of the FDG-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) were then studied to determine the association and the predictors influencing the outcome by using univariable and multivariable analyses. Out of the thirty-five patients, 60% of them (twenty-one) showed positive results and 40% (fourteen) showed negative. Age, gender, and type of histopathology (HPE) showed significant associations with the positive results of the FDG-PET/CT. The results also showed no correlations observed between the Tg levels and standardised uptake value (SUV)max in the DTC patients with positive disease findings in the FDG-PET/CT. The predictor for this study was age. The prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer among patients with negative (131)I and elevated Tg was 60%, with age as the predictor. DTC patients aged 45 year-old and older were seven times more likely to have positive results of FDG-PET/CT imaging.

Clinical Determinants of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Patients with Elevated Thyroglobulin and Negative 131Iodine Whole Body Scans after 131Iodine Therapy

PubMed Central

SHAMIM, Syed Ejaz; NANG, Lee Boon; SHUAIB, Ibrahim Lutfi; MUHAMAD, Nor Asiah

2014-01-01

Background: A cross-sectional prospective study has been conducted on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients using negative 131Iodine (131I) whole body scans and elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. The main objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer patients during follow up at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. It has been demonstrated that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is inversely proportional to the iodine concentration and to differentiation of the cells. Methods: Thirty-five patients with histologically proven DTC that have undergone total or near total thyroidectomy, and post 131I radioactive iodine ablation therapy, were selected and prospectively analysed. The patients also had to show at least one negative whole body scan and Tg levels of 10 μg/L and above. The results of the FDG-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) were then studied to determine the association and the predictors influencing the outcome by using univariable and multivariable analyses. Results: Out of the thirty-five patients, 60% of them (twenty-one) showed positive results and 40% (fourteen) showed negative. Age, gender, and type of histopathology (HPE) showed significant associations with the positive results of the FDG-PET/CT. The results also showed no correlations observed between the Tg levels and standardised uptake value (SUV)max in the DTC patients with positive disease findings in the FDG-PET/CT. The predictor for this study was age. Conclusion: The prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer among patients with negative 131I and elevated Tg was 60%, with age as the predictor. DTC patients aged 45 year-old and older were seven times more likely to have positive results of FDG-PET/CT imaging. PMID:25246834

The six-minute walk test is an excellent predictor of functional ambulation after total knee arthroplasty

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The Six-minute walk (6MW) and Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) are short walk tests commonly used to evaluate functional recovery after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, little is known about walking capacity of TKA recipients over extended periods typical of everyday living and whether these short walk tests actually predict longer, more functional distances. Further, short walk tests only correlate moderately with patient-reported outcomes. The overarching aims of this study were to compare the performance of TKA recipients in an extended walk test to healthy age-matched controls and to determine the utility of this extended walk test as a research tool to evaluate longer term functional mobility in TKA recipients. Methods The mobility of 32 TKA recipients one year post-surgery and 43 healthy age-matched controls were assessed using the TUG, 6MW and 30-minute walk (30MW) tests. The latter test was repeated one week later. Self-reported function was measured using the WOMAC Index and a physical activity questionnaire. Results 30MW distance was significantly shorter amongst TKA recipients (mean 2108 m [95% CI 1837 to 2381 m]; Controls 3086 m [2981 to 3191 m], P < 0.001). Test-retest repeatability was high (ICC = 0.97, TKA; 0.96, Controls). Amongst TKA recipients, the 30MW distance correlated strongly with the shorter tests (6MW, r = 0.97, P < 0.001; TUG, r = −0.82, P < 0.001). Multiple regression modeling found 6MW distance to be the only significant predictor (P < 0.001) of 30MW distance, explaining 96% of the variability. The TUG test models were moderate predictors of WOMAC function (55%) and physical activity (36%) and were stronger predictors than 6MW and 30 MW tests. Conclusions Though TKA recipients are able to walk for 30 minutes one year post-surgery, their performance falls significantly short of age-matched norms. The 30MW test is strongly predicted by 6MW test performance, thus providing strong construct validity for the use of the 6MW test in the TKA population. Neither a short nor long walk test is a strong predictor of patient-reported function after TKA. PMID:23617377

Complimentary mechanisms of dual checkpoint blockade expand unique T-cell repertoires and activate adaptive anti-tumor immunity in triple-negative breast tumors

PubMed Central

Wei, Junping; Yang, Xiao Yi; Lei, Gangjun; Wang, Tao; Liu, Cong-Xiao; Morse, Michael A.; Gouin, Kenneth; Knott, Simon R. V.; Hartman, Zachary C.

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and molecularly diverse breast cancer subtype typified by the presence of p53 mutations (∼80%), elevated immune gene signatures and neoantigen expression, as well as the presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). As these factors are hypothesized to be strong immunologic prerequisites for the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) antibodies, multiple clinical trials testing single ICBs have advanced to Phase III, with early indications of heterogeneous response rates of <20% to anti-PD1 and anti-PDL1 ICB. While promising, these modest response rates highlight the need for mechanistic studies to understand how different ICBs function, how their combination impacts functionality and efficacy, as well as what immunologic parameters predict efficacy to different ICBs regimens in TNBC. To address these issues, we tested anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 in multiple models of TNBC and found that their combination profoundly enhanced the efficacy of either treatment alone. We demonstrate that this efficacy is due to anti-CTLA4-driven expansion of an individually unique T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire whose functionality is enhanced by both intratumoral Treg suppression and anti-PD1 blockade of tumor expressed PDL1. Notably, the individuality of the TCR repertoire was observed regardless of whether the tumor cells expressed a nonself antigen (ovalbumin) or if tumor-specific transgenic T-cells were transferred prior to sequencing. However, responsiveness was strongly correlated with systemic measures of tumor-specific T-cell and B-cell responses, which along with systemic assessment of TCR expansion, may serve as the most useful predictors for clinical responsiveness in future clinical trials of TNBC utilizing anti-PD1/anti-CTLA4 ICB. PMID:29721371

Association between site-specific bone mineral density and glucose homeostasis and anthropometric traits in healthy men and women.

PubMed

Kim, Se-Min; Cui, Jinrui; Rhyu, Jane; Guo, Xiuqing; Chen, Yii-Der I; Hsueh, Willa A; Rotter, Jerome I; Goodarzi, Mark O

2018-06-01

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of fracture despite normal or increased bone mineral density (BMD). Studies on the relationship of glucose homeostasis with BMD phenotypes have been inconclusive because distinguishing the roles of insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia in bone remodelling is challenging. In this study, we sought to define the relationship of site-specific BMD with glucose homeostasis traits and anthropometric traits. In a cross-sectional study, we examined 787 subjects from the Mexican-American Coronary Artery Disease (MACAD) cohort who had undergone euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamps, oral glucose tolerance testing and dual X-ray absorptiometry. Glucose homeostasis traits included insulinogenic index (IGI30), insulin sensitivity (M value), insulin clearance (MCRI), fasting insulin, fasting glucose and 2-hour glucose. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the association of glucose homeostasis and anthropometric traits with site-specific BMD. Two-hour glucose was negatively associated with arm BMD in women, which remained significant in multivariate analysis (β = -.15, P = .0015). Positive correlations between fasting insulin and BMD at weight-bearing sites, including pelvis (β = .22, P < .0001) and legs (β = .17, P = .001) in women and pelvis (β = .33, P < .0001) in men, lost significance after multivariate adjustment. Lean mass exhibited strong independent positive associations with BMD at multiple sites in both sexes. Our findings suggest that (i) anabolic effects of insulin might work via mechanical loading from lean mass; (ii) a direct negative effect of increasing glucose might be more prominent at cortical-bone-rich sites in women; and (iii) lean mass is a strong positive predictor of bone mass. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Population characteristics, mechanisms of primary care and premature mortality in England: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Baker, Richard; Honeyford, Kate; Levene, Louis S; Mainous, Arch G; Jones, David R; Bankart, M John; Stokes, Tim

2016-02-11

Health systems with strong primary care tend to have better population outcomes, but in many countries demand for care is growing. We sought to identify mechanisms of primary care that influence premature mortality. We developed a conceptual model of the mechanisms by which primary care influences premature mortality, and undertook a cross-sectional study in which population and primary care variables reflecting the model were used to explain variations in mortality of those aged under 75 years. The premature standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) for each practice, available from the Department of Health, had been calculated from numbers of deaths in the 5 years from 2006 to 2010. A regression model was undertaken with explanatory variables for the year 2009/2010, and repeated to check stability using data for 2008/2009 and 2010/2011. All general practices in England were eligible for inclusion and, of the total of 8290, complete data were available for 7858. Population variables, particularly deprivation, were the most powerful predictors of premature mortality, but the mechanisms of primary care depicted in our model also affected mortality. The number of GPs/1000 population and detection of hypertension were negatively associated with mortality. In less deprived practices, continuity of care was also negatively associated with mortality. Greater supply of primary care is associated with lower premature mortality even in a health system that has strong primary care (England). Health systems need to sustain the capacity of primary care to deliver effective care, and should assist primary care providers in identifying and meeting the needs of socioeconomically deprived groups. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Complimentary mechanisms of dual checkpoint blockade expand unique T-cell repertoires and activate adaptive anti-tumor immunity in triple-negative breast tumors.

PubMed

Crosby, Erika J; Wei, Junping; Yang, Xiao Yi; Lei, Gangjun; Wang, Tao; Liu, Cong-Xiao; Agarwal, Pankaj; Korman, Alan J; Morse, Michael A; Gouin, Kenneth; Knott, Simon R V; Lyerly, H Kim; Hartman, Zachary C

2018-01-01

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and molecularly diverse breast cancer subtype typified by the presence of p53 mutations (∼80%), elevated immune gene signatures and neoantigen expression, as well as the presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). As these factors are hypothesized to be strong immunologic prerequisites for the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) antibodies, multiple clinical trials testing single ICBs have advanced to Phase III, with early indications of heterogeneous response rates of <20% to anti-PD1 and anti-PDL1 ICB. While promising, these modest response rates highlight the need for mechanistic studies to understand how different ICBs function, how their combination impacts functionality and efficacy, as well as what immunologic parameters predict efficacy to different ICBs regimens in TNBC. To address these issues, we tested anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 in multiple models of TNBC and found that their combination profoundly enhanced the efficacy of either treatment alone. We demonstrate that this efficacy is due to anti-CTLA4-driven expansion of an individually unique T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire whose functionality is enhanced by both intratumoral Treg suppression and anti-PD1 blockade of tumor expressed PDL1. Notably, the individuality of the TCR repertoire was observed regardless of whether the tumor cells expressed a nonself antigen (ovalbumin) or if tumor-specific transgenic T-cells were transferred prior to sequencing. However, responsiveness was strongly correlated with systemic measures of tumor-specific T-cell and B-cell responses, which along with systemic assessment of TCR expansion, may serve as the most useful predictors for clinical responsiveness in future clinical trials of TNBC utilizing anti-PD1/anti-CTLA4 ICB.

Unusual transformation from strong negative to positive thermal expansion in PbTiO3-BiFeO3 perovskite.

PubMed

Chen, Jun; Fan, Longlong; Ren, Yang; Pan, Zhao; Deng, Jinxia; Yu, Ranbo; Xing, Xianran

2013-03-15

Tetragonal PbTiO(3)-BiFeO(3) exhibits a strong negative thermal expansion in the PbTiO(3)-based ferroelectrics that consist of one branch in the family of negative thermal expansion materials. Its strong negative thermal expansion is much weakened, and then unusually transforms into positive thermal expansion as the particle size is slightly reduced. This transformation is a new phenomenon in the negative termal expansion materials. The detailed structure, temperature dependence of unit cell volume, and lattice dynamics of PbTiO(3)-BiFeO(3) samples were studied by means of high-energy synchrotron powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Such unusual transformation from strong negative to positive thermal expansion is highly associated with ferroelectricity weakening. An interesting zero thermal expansion is achieved in a wide temperature range (30-500 °C) by adjusting particle size due to the negative-to-positive transformation character. The present study provides a useful method to control the negative thermal expansion not only for ferroelectrics but also for those functional materials such as magnetics and superconductors.

Debunking vaccination myths: strong risk negations can increase perceived vaccination risks.

PubMed

Betsch, Cornelia; Sachse, Katharina

2013-02-01

Information about risks is often contradictory, especially in the health domain. A vast amount of bizarre information on vaccine-adverse events (VAE) can be found on the Internet; most are posted by antivaccination activists. Several actors in the health sector struggle against these statements by negating claimed risks with scientific explanations. The goal of the present work is to find optimal ways of negating risk to decrease risk perceptions. In two online experiments, we varied the extremity of risk negations and their source. Perception of the probability of VAE, their expected severity (both variables serve as indicators of perceived risk), and vaccination intentions. Paradoxically, messages strongly indicating that there is "no risk" led to a higher perceived vaccination risk than weak negations. This finding extends previous work on the negativity bias, which has shown that information stating the presence of risk decreases risk perceptions, while information negating the existence of risk increases such perceptions. Several moderators were also tested; however, the effect occurred independently of the number of negations, recipient involvement, and attitude. Solely the credibility of the information source interacted with the extremity of risk negation: For credible sources (governmental institutions), strong and weak risk negations lead to similar perceived risk, while for less credible sources (pharmaceutical industries) weak negations lead to less perceived risk than strong negations. Optimal risk negation may profit from moderate rather than extreme formulations as a source's trustworthiness can vary.

Predictors of Satisfaction With Doctor and Nurse Communication: A National Study.

PubMed

McFarland, Daniel C; Johnson Shen, Megan; Holcombe, Randall F

2017-10-01

Prior research indicates that effective communication between medical providers and patients is associated with a number of positive patient outcomes, yet little research has examined how ecological factors (e.g., hospital size, local demographics) influence patients' reported satisfaction with doctor and nurse communication. Given the current emphasis on improving patient satisfaction in hospitals across the United States, understanding these factors is critical to interpreting patient satisfaction and improving patient-centered communication, particularly in diverse and dense populations. As such, this study examined county-level data including population density, population diversity, and hospital structural factors as predictors of patient satisfaction with doctor and nurse communication. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), U.S. Census data, and number of hospital beds were obtained from publicly available Hospital Compare, U.S. Census, and American Hospital Directory websites, respectively. Multivariate regression modeling was performed for the individual dimensions of HCAHPS scores assessing doctor and nurse communication. Standardized partial regression coefficients were used to assess strengths of county-level predictors. County-level factors accounted for 30% and 16% of variability in patient satisfaction with doctor and nurse communication, respectively. College education (β = 0.45) and White ethnicity (β = 0.25) most strongly predicted a favorable rating of doctor and nurse communication, respectively. Primary language (non-English speaking; β = -0.50) most strongly predicted an unfavorable rating of doctor communication, while number of hospital beds (β = -0.16) and foreign-born (β = -0.16) most strongly predicted an unfavorable rating of nurse communication. County-level predictors should be considered when interpreting patient satisfaction with doctor and nurse communication and designing multilevel patient-centered communication improvement strategies. Discordant findings with individual-level factors should be explored further.

Predictors of CD4 count over time among HIV patients initiated ART in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, northwest Ethiopia: multilevel analysis.

PubMed

Gezie, Lemma Derseh

2016-07-30

The response of HIV patients to antiretroviral therapy could be measured by its strong predictor, the CD4+ T cell (CD4) count for the initiation of antiretroviral therapy and proper management of disease progress. However, in addition to HIV, there are other factors which can influence the CD4 cell count. Patient's socio-economic, demographic, and behavioral variables, accessibility, duration of treatment etc., can be used to predict CD4 count. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the predictors of CD4 count among ART users enrolled in the first 6 months of 2010 and followed upto mid 2014. The covariance components model was employed to determine the predictors of CD4 count over time. A total of 1196 ART attendants were used to analyze their data descriptively. Eight hundred sixty-one of the attendants had two or more CD4 count measurements and were used in modeling their data using the linear mixed method. Thus, the mean rates of incensement of CD4 counts for patients with ambulatory/bedridden and working baseline functional status were 17.4 and 30.6 cells/mm(3) per year, respectively. After adjusting for other variables, for each additional baseline CD4 count, the gain in CD4 count during treatment was 0.818 cells/mm(3) (p value <0.001). Patient's age and baseline functional status were also statistically significantly associated with CD4 count. In this study, higher baseline CD4 count, younger age, working functional status, and time in treatment contributed positively to the increment of the CD4 count. However, the observed increment at 4 year was unsatisfactory as the proportion of ART users who reached the normal range of CD4 count was very low. To see their long term treatment outcome, it requires further research with a sufficiently longer follow up data. In line with this, the local CD4 count for HIV negative persons should also be investigated for better comparison and proper disease management.

Strong coupling strategy for fluid-structure interaction problems in supersonic regime via fixed point iteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storti, Mario A.; Nigro, Norberto M.; Paz, Rodrigo R.; Dalcín, Lisandro D.

2009-03-01

In this paper some results on the convergence of the Gauss-Seidel iteration when solving fluid/structure interaction problems with strong coupling via fixed point iteration are presented. The flow-induced vibration of a flat plate aligned with the flow direction at supersonic Mach number is studied. The precision of different predictor schemes and the influence of the partitioned strong coupling on stability is discussed.

Anxiety, emotional processing and depression in people with multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Gay, Marie-Claire; Bungener, Catherine; Thomas, Sarah; Vrignaud, Pierre; Thomas, Peter W; Baker, Roger; Montel, Sébastien; Heinzlef, Olivier; Papeix, Caroline; Assouad, Rana; Montreuil, Michèle

2017-02-23

Despite the high comorbidity of anxiety and depression in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), little is known about their inter-relationships. Both involve emotional perturbations and the way in which emotions are processed is likely central to both. The aim of the current study was to explore relationships between the domains of mood, emotional processing and coping and to analyse how anxiety affects coping, emotional processing, emotional balance and depression in people with MS. A cross-sectional questionnaire study involving 189 people with MS with a confirmed diagnosis of MS recruited from three French hospitals. Study participants completed a battery of questionnaires encompassing the following domains: i. anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)); ii. emotional processing (Emotional Processing Scale (EPS-25)); iii. positive and negative emotions (Positive and Negative Emotionality Scale (EPN-31)); iv. alexithymia (Bermond-Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire) and v. coping (Coping with Health Injuries and Problems-Neuro (CHIP-Neuro) questionnaire. Relationships between these domains were explored using path analysis. Anxiety was a strong predictor of depression, in both a direct and indirect way, and our model explained 48% of the variance of depression. Gender and functional status (measured by the Expanded Disability Status Scale) played a modest role. Non-depressed people with MS reported high levels of negative emotions and low levels of positive emotions. Anxiety also had an indirect impact on depression via one of the subscales of the Emotional Processing Scale ("Unregulated Emotion") and via negative emotions (EPN-31). This research confirms that anxiety is a vulnerability factor for depression via both direct and indirect pathways. Anxiety symptoms should therefore be assessed systematically and treated in order to lessen the likelihood of depression symptoms.

The relationship between perceived preceptor power use and student empowerment during clerkship rotations: a study of hidden curriculum.

PubMed

Baird, Judy; Bracken, Keyna; Grierson, Lawrence E M

2016-07-01

Medical learners are vulnerable to the social power used by preceptors. Furthermore, an individual's perceived level of personal empowerment has been identified as a predictor of positive behaviour in education environments. The degree to which medical students feel empowered in their clinical environments factors largely into how vulnerable they are to having their professional values influenced negatively by structural and cultural aspects of these environments. The goal of this study was to explore the relationship between clerks' perceptions of personal empowerment and the social power employed by their preceptors. This research also investigates the prevalence of negative power use as a function of the hierarchical organisation of a clerkship rotation. Validated power use and empowerment surveys were modified for clinical learning environments and administered to clerkship learners across six clerkship rotations. The outcomes of the two surveys were subjected to correlational analyses. Outcomes associated with the use of each type of perceived power were analysed to determine the influence of the relative involvement of residents and staff physicians in preceptorship. Correlational analyses revealed strong relationships between clerks' perceptions of preceptor power use and their own personal empowerment. Furthermore, although participants perceived significantly more pro-social preceptor uses of power, clerks perceived a higher prevalence of coercive power on rotations with high involvement of residents as preceptors. Clerks' perceptions of empowerment correlate positively with positive power bases and negatively with negative dimensions of preceptor power. This research has implications for the importance of the development of resident and faculty staff as educators, the identification of clerks who are vulnerable to ethical violation, and for a refined understanding of the transactional way in which power is experienced in a medical education context. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Diversification rates are more strongly related to microhabitat than climate in squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes).

PubMed

Bars-Closel, Melissa; Kohlsdorf, Tiana; Moen, Daniel S; Wiens, John J

2017-09-01

Patterns of species richness among clades can be directly explained by the ages of clades or their rates of diversification. The factors that most strongly influence diversification rates remain highly uncertain, since most studies typically consider only a single predictor variable. Here, we explore the relative impacts of macroclimate (i.e., occurring in tropical vs. temperate regions) and microhabitat use (i.e., terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal, aquatic) on diversification rates of squamate reptile clades (lizards and snakes). We obtained data on microhabitat, macroclimatic distribution, and phylogeny for >4000 species. We estimated diversification rates of squamate clades (mostly families) from a time-calibrated tree, and used phylogenetic methods to test relationships between diversification rates and microhabitat and macroclimate. Across 72 squamate clades, the best-fitting model included microhabitat but not climatic distribution. Microhabitat explained ∼37% of the variation in diversification rates among clades, with a generally positive impact of arboreal microhabitat use on diversification, and negative impacts of fossorial and aquatic microhabitat use. Overall, our results show that the impacts of microhabitat on diversification rates can be more important than those of climate, despite much greater emphasis on climate in previous studies. © 2017 The Author(s). Evolution © 2017 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Tree species effects on topsoil properties in an old tropical plantation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauters, Marijn; Boeckx, Pascal; Ampoorter, Evy; Verbeeck, Hans; Döetterl, Sebastian; Baert, Geert; Verheyen, Kris

2016-04-01

Forest biogeochemistry is strongly linked to the functional strategies of the tree community and the topsoil. Research has long documented that tree species affect soil properties in forests. Our current understanding on this interaction is mainly based on common garden experiments in temperate forest and needs to be extended to other ecosystems if we want to understand this interaction in natural forests worldwide. Using a 77-year-old tropical experimental plantation from central Africa, we examined the relationship between canopy and litter chemical traits and topsoil properties. By the current diversity in this site, the unique setup allowed us to extend the current knowledge from temperate and simplified systems to near-natural tropical forests, and thus bridge the gap between planted monocultures in common gardens, and correlative studies in natural systems. We linked the species-specific leaf and litter chemical traits to the topsoil cation composition, acidity, pH and soil organic matter. We found that average canopy trait values were a better predictor for the topsoil than the litter chemistry. Canopy base cation content positively affected topsoil pH and negatively affected acidity. These, in turn strongly determined the soil organic carbon contents of the topsoil, which ranged a tree-fold in the experiment.

Neural predictors of evaluative attitudes toward celebrities

PubMed Central

Shibata, Kazuhisa; Matsumoto, Kenji; Adolphs, Ralph

2017-01-01

Abstract Our attitudes toward others influence a wide range of everyday behaviors and have been the most extensively studied concept in the history of social psychology. Yet they remain difficult to measure reliably and objectively, since both explicit and implicit measures are typically confounded by other psychological processes. We here address the feasibility of decoding incidental attitudes based on brain activations. Participants were presented with pictures of members of a Japanese idol group inside an functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner while performing an unrelated detection task, and subsequently (outside the scanner) performed an incentive-compatible choice task that revealed their attitude toward each celebrity. We used a real-world election scheme that exists for this idol group, which confirmed both strongly negative and strongly positive attitudes toward specific individuals. Whole-brain multivariate analyses (searchlight-based support vector regression) showed that activation patterns in the anterior striatum predicted each participant’s revealed attitudes (choice behavior) using leave-one-out (as well as 4-fold) cross-validation across participants. In contrast, attitude extremity (unsigned magnitude) could be decoded from a distinct region in the posterior striatum. The findings demonstrate dissociable striatal representations of valenced attitude and attitude extremity and constitute a first step toward an objective and process-pure neural measure of attitudes. PMID:27651542

The characteristics of impaired fasting glucose associated with obesity and dyslipidaemia in a Chinese population.

PubMed

Qian, Yun; Lin, Yudi; Zhang, Tiemei; Bai, Jianling; Chen, Feng; Zhang, Yi; Luo, Senlin; Shen, Hongbing

2010-03-17

Different populations have diverse patterns of relationships between Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) and obesity and lipid markers, it is important to investigate the characteristics of associations between IFG and other related risk factors including body mass index (BMI), waist circumstance (WC), serum lipids and blood pressure (BP) in a Chinese population. This was a case-control study of 648 IFG subjects and 1,296 controls derived from a large-scale, community-based, cross-sectional survey of 10,867 participants. Each subject received a face-to-face interview, physical examination, and blood tests, including fasting blood glucose and lipids. Student's t-test, Chi-square test, Spearman correlation and multiple logistic regressions were used for the statistical analyses. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was positively correlated with BMI, WC, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC), and was negatively correlated with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (all p < 0.05). BMI was more strongly correlated with IFG than with WC. The correlation coefficient of FPG was remarkably higher with TG (0.244) than with TC (0.134) and HDL-C (-0.192). TG was an important predictor of IFG, with odds ratios of 1.76 (95%CI: 1.31-2.36) for subjects with borderline high TG level (1.70 mmol/l < or = TG < 2.26 mmol/l) and 3.13 (95% CI: 2.50-3.91) for those with higher TG level (TG > or = 2.26 mmol/l), when comparing to subjects with TG < 1.70 mmol/l. There was a significant dose-response relationship between the number of abnormal variables and increased risk of IFG. In this Chinese population, both BMI and WC were important predictors of IFG. Abnormal TG as a lipid marker was more strongly associated with IFG than were TC and HDL-C. These factors should be taken into consideration simultaneously for prevention of IFG.

Acculturative Stressors and Acculturative Strategies as Predictors of Negative Affect among Chinese International Students in Australia and Hong Kong: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Jia-Yan; Wong, Daniel Fu Keung

2011-01-01

Objective: There are few studies comparing cross-cultural adaptation of migrant groups in two different cultural settings. This study compares the level of negative affect and acculturative stressors between Chinese international students in Australia and Mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong. The predictive effects of acculturative stressors and…

Predictors of Adolescent Male Body Image Dissatisfaction: Implications for Negative Health Practices and Consequences for School Health from a Regionally Representative Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leone, James E.; Fetro, Joyce V.; Kittleson, Mark; Welshimer, Kathleen J.; Partridge, Julie A.; Robertson, Stacia L.

2011-01-01

Background: Adolescent males are more likely to sustain intentional and unintentional injuries, be involved in a physical confrontation, and be successful in suicide attempts. Body image dissatisfaction (BID) has been linked as a possible contributing factor to these negative health behaviors and risks; however, research is limited with males. The…

Cumulative Risk, Negative Emotionality, and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Social Competence in Transition to School: A Mediated Moderation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Hyein; Shelleby, Elizabeth C.; Cheong, JeeWon; Shaw, Daniel S.

2012-01-01

The goals of this study were to examine the additive and interactive effects of cumulative risk and child negative emotionality on children's social competence in the transition from preschool to school and to test whether these associations were mediated by child emotion regulation within a sample of 310 low-income, ethnically diverse boys.…

The motivations and experiences of students enrolled in online science courses at the community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Urbi

An important question in online learning involves how to effectively motivate and retain students in science online courses. There is a dearth of research and knowledge about the experiences of students enrolled in online science courses in community colleges which has impeded the proper development and implementation of online courses and retention of students in the online environment. This study sought to provide an understanding of the relationships among each of the following variables: self-efficacy, task value, negative-achievement emotions, self-regulation learning strategies (metacognition), learning strategy (elaboration), and course satisfaction to student's performance (course final grade). Bandura's social-cognitive theory was used as a framework to describe the relationships among students' motivational beliefs (perceived task value, self-efficacy, and self-regulation) and emotions (frustration and boredom) with the dependent variables (elaboration and overall course satisfaction). A mixed-method design was used with a survey instrumentation and student interviews. A variety of science online courses in biology, genetics, astronomy, nutrition, and chemistry were surveyed in two community colleges. Community colleges students (N = 107) completed a questionnaire during enrollment in a variety of online science online courses. Upon course completion, 12 respondents were randomly selected for follow-up in-depth interviews. Multiple regression results from the study indicate perceived task value and self-regulatory learning strategies (metacognition) were as important predictors for students' use of elaboration, while self-efficacy and the number of prior online courses was not significant predictors for students' elaboration when all four predictors were included. Frustration was a significant negative predictor of overall course satisfaction, and boredom unexpectedly emerged as a positive predictor when frustration was also in the model. In addition, the correlations indicated that elaboration and overall course satisfaction were not significantly related to participants' course grade (performance). Furthermore, five major themes emerged from the students' experiences: the role of personal dispositions, academic challenge, self-regulated learning, student communication, and the negative emotions that shaped student experiences. In particular, negative emotions most experienced by students were found to be anxiety, stress, frustration and confusion. In total, results from this study implicate an important role of emotions such as frustration in students' overall course satisfaction and the importance of task value. Students' career aspirations and direct use of the course content were more likely to report greater use of elaboration strategies. Finally, this research also found that students self-regulated their learning in the online environment on a variety of levels.

A comprehensive model of food addiction in patients with binge-eating symptomatology: The essential role of negative urgency.

PubMed

Wolz, Ines; Granero, Roser; Fernández-Aranda, Fernando

2017-04-01

Food addiction has been widely researched in past years. However, there is a debate on the mechanisms underlying addictive eating and a better understanding of the processes associated to these behaviors is needed. Previous studies have found characteristic psychological correlates of food addiction, such as high negative urgency, emotion regulation difficulties and low self-directedness, in different samples of adults with addictive eating patterns. Still, it seems difficult to disentangle effects independent from general eating disorder psychopathology. Therefore, this study aimed to test a comprehensive model under control of eating disorder severity, in order to find independent predictors of food addiction. 315 patients with eating disorder diagnoses on the binge-eating spectrum were assessed in personality, emotion regulation, negative urgency, eating disorder symptomatology, and food addiction by self-report. Hypothesis-driven structural equation modeling was conducted to test the comprehensive model. The only independent predictor found for food addiction was negative urgency, while self-directedness and emotion regulation predicted negative urgency and were highly related to eating disorder symptomatology, but not to food addiction. Altogether the model suggests that low self-directedness and difficulties in emotion regulation are related to higher eating disorder symptomatology in general. Those patients who, in addition to these traits, tend to act impulsively when in negative mood states, are at risk for developing addictive eating patterns. Urgency-based treatments are therefore recommended for this subgroup of patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Duration of active psychosis and first-episode psychosis negative symptoms.

PubMed

Lyne, John; Joober, Ridha; Schmitz, Norbert; Lepage, Martin; Malla, Ashok

2017-02-01

Duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) has been associated with negative symptoms in several studies; however, longitudinal findings have been inconsistent. No previous study has accounted for active psychosis after presentation, although this could impact on outcomes in a manner similar to DUP. We measured Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms at frequent intervals during the 12 months after initial presentation to determine the active psychosis duration for 230 individuals with first-episode psychosis. This duration was added to DUP prior to presentation to create a new variable, duration of active psychosis (DAP). Negative symptoms were divided into expressivity and motivation/pleasure domains as measured by Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). The relationship of DUP and DAP with negative symptoms at 24-month follow up was determined and confounders controlled for using regression analysis. When DUP and DAP were compared as binary variables with long and short groups, 25.2% of individuals had differing category membership. DAP had a significant uncorrected association with both expressivity domain and motivation/pleasure domains at 24 months; however, relationship with DUP was not significant. DAP remained a significant predictor of 24-month expressivity domain after controlling for potential confounders. Active psychosis after presentation is substantial, which is a limitation of DUP studies if active psychosis is considered as the key factor within DUP. DAP is a better predictor of negative symptoms than DUP at 2-year follow up, which suggests this concept requires further research. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Cultural and Personality Predictors of Facebook Intrusion: A Cross-Cultural Study.

PubMed

Błachnio, Agata; Przepiorka, Aneta; Benvenuti, Martina; Cannata, Davide; Ciobanu, Adela M; Senol-Durak, Emre; Durak, Mithat; Giannakos, Michail N; Mazzoni, Elvis; Pappas, Ilias O; Popa, Camelia; Seidman, Gwendolyn; Yu, Shu; Wu, Anise M S; Ben-Ezra, Menachem

2016-01-01

The increase in the number of users of social networking sites (SNS) has inspired intense efforts to determine intercultural differences between them. The main aim of the study was to investigate the cultural and personal predictors of Facebook intrusion. A total of 2628 Facebook users from eight countries took part in the study. The Facebook Intrusion Questionnaire, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, and the Singelis Scale were used. We found that two variables related to Country were significantly related to Facebook intrusion: uniqueness (negatively) and low context (positively); of the personality variables, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were negatively related to the dependent variable of Facebook intrusion across different countries, which may indicate the universal pattern of Facebook intrusion. The results of the study will contribute to the international debate on the phenomenon of SNS.