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Substantial research has shown that positive psychological interventions (PPIs) have beneficial effects on well-being. This article evaluates whether PPIs would be effective for everyone, across different cultures. It starts by reviewing the effectiveness of PPIs among the general population, as well as their effectiveness in ameliorating depressive symptoms and increasing well-being among clinical samples. Though generally beneficial, PPIs however, may not be equally effective across cultures. We present evidence showing that certain types of PPIs may be less effective for Asians than those from Western cultures. Next, the article examines whether prosocial behavior may be a PPI that is universally beneficial and the possible explanations for its widespread benefits. Finally, we proceed to propose how the current repertoire of PPIs may be expanded to include new types that may be more suited for those in collectivistic cultures. Synthesizing across these areas, this article concludes with suggestions on how PPIs can be adapted for use across cultures, as well as future directions for the field of PPIs.

Co-infection with HIV/HPV and bio-behavioral risk factors (e.g., immunodeficiency, un-protected sex) increase likelihood for developing anal and other HPV-associated cancers among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We explored knowledge, attitudes, and health communication regarding HPV-associated anal cancers among HIV/AIDS service organization (ASO) employees/volunteers delivering non-clinical services to PLWHA. Participants (n=59) were recruited from six ASOs located in the South United States Census region and completed a 118-item self-administered survey. For current analyses, outcome measures were knowledge, attitudes, and health communication regarding anal cancer. Descriptive statistics assessed outcome measures which were subsequently dichotomized into binary variables (i.e., high/favorable or low/unfavorable). Fisher's exact test examined associations between outcome measures and ASO employees/volunteers' sex/sexual orientation (i.e., heterosexual female, heterosexual male, LGBTI female, LGBTI male). Mean age for ASO employees/volunteers was 45.5 years (±13.5 SD). Participants were heterosexual females (45.7%), LGBTI males (27.3%), heterosexual males (13.5%), and LGBTI females (13.5%). Almost half (44.8%) had not heard about anal Pap screening and 39.0% did not think HPV can cause anal cancer. Overall, 73.9% had low knowledge scores. Participants (47.4%) were unsure or believed HPV vaccinations were non-protective against anal cancer while 94.9% had favorable health communication behaviors. Knowledge regarding anal cancer being linked to HPV (p=0.006) and health information seeking on anal cancer (p=0.000) were statistically significantly different by sex/sexual orientation. Fostering increased knowledge, favorable attitudes, and improved health communication behaviors among ASO employees/volunteers could facilitate dissemination and promotion of anal cancer prevention strategies (anal Pap screenings, HPV vaccinations) among PLWHA.

Emotional regulation and intolerance of uncertainty have been independently implicated in the overuse of experiential avoidance in stress-related situations. However, little research has examined how this relationship manifests altogether in a non-clinical sample. The current study aimed to determine the predictive nature of intolerance of uncertainty and the ability to regulate emotions on experiential avoidance. A secondary aim was to establish the role of worry in these relationships. Participants (N = 360) completed questionnaires that measured intolerance of uncertainty, emotion dysregulation, worry and experiential avoidance. In stage one of the analysis, a bivariate linear regression was conducted to see if both intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulations would significant predict avoidance. These were then entered into a multiple linear regression model with forced entry method to explain the variance in experiential avoidance. Subsequently, a mediation analysis was conducted using worry, between intolerance of uncertainty and experiential avoidance and between emotion regulation and experiential avoidance. As expected, individuals’ tendency to intolerance of uncertainty and poor emotion regulation individually predicted experiential avoidance. Furthermore, worry mediated these relationships. These findings have implications for self-awareness responses in healthy individuals who show avoidant behaviours. Inflexible use of emotion regulation and low tolerance of uncertainty make a significant contribution to experiential avoidance. Therefore, therapeutic interventions specifically targeting both intolerance of uncertainty and appropriate use of emotion regulation may help enhance individuals’ self-awareness in relation to avoidant responses to prevent the potential creation of the cycle that maintains anxiety disorders.

Distress intolerance (DI) is a well-established cognitive-affective factor that reflects the inability to tolerate negative emotional experiences. DI has been consistently linked with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but no research to date has demonstrated whether DI confers pre-existing risk for PTSD-like symptoms following an analogue trauma. Participants (n = 70) were recruited based on either a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or elevations on a related emotional vulnerability. After completing self-report measures, participants watched a film depicting life-threatening car accidents and then monitored the occurrence of intrusions. Ambulatory assessments of film-related traumatic intrusions were then reported 3x/day for 7 days. As hypothesized, greater DI predicted a poorer ability to volitionally suppress intrusions during the lab-based monitoring period. DI also predicted greater naturalistic intrusions on average throughout the subsequent week, and this difference was largest at the beginning of the follow-up period. Unexpectedly, DI did not predict the trajectory (i.e., slope) of naturalistic intrusions during the follow-up period. TBI status was also not related to intrusions during the follow-up period. These findings provide critical support for DI as a pre-existing risk factor for the development of intrusive thoughts following an analogue trauma. Future research should seek to extend these findings to a clinical sample.

Knowledge of within-day factors associated with binge-eating severity among middle-aged fathers is limited. The purpose of the current report was to examine within-day associations of affect, diet, and activity in relation to binge-eating severity using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in men. Twenty-three middle-aged fathers completed 8 days of EMA and wore accelerometers to objectively assess activity. Generalized estimating equations assessed relationships among affect, diet, and activity and binge-eating severity. When positive affect was above average, men reported greater binge-eating severity in the next 2 h. Oppositely, when negative affect was above average, men reported less binge-eating severity in the next 2 h. At times when men reported consumption of sweets and fast food, they reported higher binge-eating severity during the same 2-h window. Men with greater average levels of light activity reported less overall binge-eating severity. Findings show that affect, unhealthy food intake, and light activity could be targeted among middle-aged fathers to reduce binge-eating severity and prevent eating disorders. Level III: Evidence obtained from cohort or case-control analytic studies.

This study examined the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) in improving non-clinical adolescents’ anger. MBI for anger and anger rumination among non-clinical adolescents has not yet been developed. Previous studies had two major limitations: First, the interventions were not based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and second, there were no measures of mindfulness, impeding the development of effective anger prevention and treatment. This study adopted an intervention derived from MCBT to examine its effects in alleviating anger and anger rumination among non-clinical adolescents. A total of eight Japanese undergraduates participated in the intervention, which comprised five weekly sessions. The intervention modified some components of the original MBCT to focus on anger and anger rumination. Results indicate that the five-session intervention in the present study had a significant impact on anger rumination, trait anger, and anger-control, despite insufficient increases in mindfulness skills. A self-monitoring component, but not mindfulness exercises, may work in the intervention. The necessity of mindfulness components in interventions for adolescent anger is discussed. Future studies need to include appropriate measures of mindfulness and examine the effects of an intervention with a larger non-clinical adolescent sample.

According to the cognitive model, the cognitive structure has three layers. It consists of core beliefs, intermediate beliefs and automatic thoughts. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between depression clinical severity, automatic thoughts, intermediate beliefs and core beliefs. Core beliefs and intermediate beliefs are defined as schemas according to Beck and form a source for automatic thoughts. We aimed to discuss our findings in terms of schema activation model. A total of 101 outpatients and 82 healthy controls were evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), sociodemographic data form, Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ), Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale-short form (DAS-SF), and Social Comparison Scale (SCI). For the clinical sample, higher depression scores were associated with more automatic thoughts (r = .75) and intermediate beliefs (r = .55). When the structural equation model was examined, it was found that automatic thoughts significantly predicted the severity of depressive symptoms in both the clinical group (β = .64) and the non-clinical group (β = .57). For the clinical sample, automatic thoughts directly predict the severity of depression. Intermediate beliefs predict the severity of depression indirectly through automatic thoughts; core beliefs predict both directly and indirectly through automatic thoughts as weaker than automatic thoughts. For the non-clinical sample, the relationship between automatic thoughts and severity of depressive symptoms are significant, but other ways are not. This may indicate that the disease does not occur clinically without scheme activation.

Past research has demonstrated mixed findings on attentional biases toward food and body words among non-clinical restrained eaters (Brooks, S., Prince, A., Stahl, D., Campbell, I. C., & Treasure, J. (2011). A systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive bias to food stimuli in people with disordered eating behavior. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(1), 37–151. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.09.006 ; Dobson, K. S., & Dozois, D. J. (2004). Attentional biases in eating disorders: A meta-analytic review of Stroop performance. Clinical Psychology Review, 23(8), 1001−1022. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2003.09.004 ; Francis, J. A., Stewart, S. H., & Hounsell, S. (1997). Dietary restraint and the selective processing of forbidden and nonforbidden food words. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21(6), 633–646. doi:10.1023/A:1021804207132). Addressing previous methodological issues, this study examined college female restrained eaters’ attentional bias to food words. We used 120 college females – 20 were classified as restrained eaters by the Restrained Eating subscale of Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (Van Strien, T., Frijters, J. E., Bergers, G. P., & Defares, P. B. (1986). The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 5(2), 295–315. doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/1098-108X(198602)5:2 3.0.CO;2-T ). Using a computer-based program called MouseTracker for a Stroop test (Freeman, J. B., & Ambady, N. (2010). MouseTracker: Software for studying real-time mental processing using a computer mouse-tracking method . Behavior Research Methods, 42(1), 226–241. doi:10.3758/BRM.42.1.226), attentional bias indicators of both process (i.e., what happens while attention is captured and directed; Area under the Curve and Maximum Deviation) and outcome (i.e., the end results of attention captured by certain stimuli; Reaction Time and Percentage of Errors) were measured to forbidden (i.e., unhealthy) and unforbidden (i.e., healthy) food words over animal words (i.e., used as control condition). Word stimuli were matched on frequency and syllables between conditions (Francis, J. A., Stewart, S. H., & Hounsell, S. (1997). Dietary restraint and the selective processing of forbidden and nonforbidden food words. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 21(6), 633–646. doi:10.1023/A:1021804207132). No evidence of attentional bias to food words was found among non-clinical restrained eaters. Based on the results in the current study, non-clinical restrained eaters with no accompanying overeating may not show attentional bias to food words. Future studies could compare clinical and non-clinical restrained eaters with and without overeating symptoms on attentional bias to food versus body stimuli.

A large number of authors have studied the links between impulsivity and emotion, including the links between the dimensions of impulsivity defined by the UPPS model and the capacity of emotional regulation. Although there is some evidence to suggest that these links differ with age and sex, these relationships remain poorly identified. The objective of this study was thus to study the effects of age and sex on these links. Two hundred and forty adults (aged 18 to 82 years, 69 men, 171 women) completed the French versions of the UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The impulsivity dimensions were negatively correlated with the use of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and positively correlated with the use of non-adaptive strategies. The urgency dimension correlated most with the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. These correlations disappeared with increasing age, while there were distinct interaction profiles according to the sex of the participants. The influence of the impulsivity on the ability to regulate cognitive emotions varied according to the age and sex of the participants. We discuss the potential cognitive factors explaining these relationships, in particular, the involvement of different operating modes explaining the differences in profiles.

The Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ) are employed across countries to assess empathizing and systemizing abilities, however limited research on EQ and SQ has been conducted in China. To this end, the current study investigated psychometric properties of these two questionnaires in Chinese university students (n = 1564). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) indicated that previous structures of EQ and SQ did not fit this sample adequately. Exploratory Factor Analysis and CFA were then conducted to produce a 22-item three-factor EQ and a shortened 12-item one-factor SQ; both questionnaires were reliable and valid. In comparison to previous research, gender differences of the EQ were small in effect size, whereas that of the SQ were medium in effect size. Moreover, EQ scores were negatively correlated with traits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), consistent with the hypothesis of Extreme Male Brain of ASD, but SQ scores were negatively correlated with traits of ASD, inconsistent with the Extreme Male Brain hypothesis.

Objective To evaluate the impact on cesarean section (CS) rate with of a program of multiple non-clinical interventions targeted at health-care professional within a hospital maternity ward. Materials and methods Retrospective quasi-experimental pre-post intervention study with an historical control group conducted in a second-level teaching hospital. All women who gave birth in the period 2014 to 2018 were included. A series of multiple non-clinical interventions including a dedicated team of obstetricians for delivery room and antenatal counseling, monthly internal audits and physician education by local opinion leader were prospectively introduced from September 2016. The primary outcome of the study was the CS rate. The incidences of operative vaginal delivery, 3rd−/4th-degree perineal tears and further maternal and neonatal complications were considered as secondary outcomes. Results The CS rate dropped from 33.05 to 26.06% after starting the interventions (p p p p p p = 0.010). Conclusions The introduction of multiple non-clinical interventions can significantly reduce the CS rate. However, beside an improvement in neonatal composite outcome, a potential increase in high-degree perineal tears should be taken in account.

To investigate whether baseline [262 de novo PD patients from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database were stratified into two CI groups at the 36-month follow-up: MoCA-defined diagnosis: PD patients who had a MoCA score 26; neuropsychological test-defined diagnosis: PD patients with MoCA-defined diagnosis and at least two test scores (of six; irrespective of test domain) greater than 1.5 standard deviation below the mean score in healthy controls. Predictive variables of CI were divided into deciles, providing us with ideal cutoff values for each variable.At the 36-month follow-up, 108/262 (41.2%) PD patients had CI as defined by the MoCA, of which 40/108 (37.0%) had neuropsychological test-defined CI. Baseline CSF Aβ42 (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.996, confidence interval [CI]: 0.992-0.999, p = 0.025), CSF total tau ([HR]: 1.023, [CI]: 1.002-1.044, p = 0.031) and caudate [We report a characteristic profile (reduced CSF Aβ42, increased CSF total tau and reduced caudate [

Belief in afterlife is frequent, but little is known about how it relates to religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and socio-demographic variables. To investigate how the beliefs in afterlife and that "there is something beyond matter" are associated with socio-demographic, health, and R/S dimensions in a sample of medical inpatients and their companions. In multivariate analysis, afterlife belief correlated positively to educational level, religious affiliation, belief in something beyond matter, and private religious practices. Believe in something beyond matter correlated positively to afterlife belief and being spiritual. Educational level, rates of spirituality, religious affiliation, and private religious practices seem to influence the belief of afterlife and in a non-materialist cosmology.

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Hebrew version of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) in a non-clinical sample of Israeli children and adolescents. We produced a Hebrew translation of the BIQ and collected 227 responses to it from parents of children aged 4–15. Some respondents in the larger sample also completed the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) questionnaire (n = 91) and the Conners’ Abbreviated Parent-Teacher (CONNERS) questionnaire (n = 39), in addition to the BIQ. Lastly, 21 children of BIQ respondents (aged 8–14) completed a self-report version of the questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess how well the established six correlated factor model of the BIQ applied to the sample data. The Hebrew BIQ demonstrated good internal consistency (Chronbach’s α = .94, n = 227) and 3 month test–retest reliability, (r = .95, p

This study examined performance on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neurological Status (RBANS), a brief neuropsychological test battery of cognitive function, in participants with two levels of sub-clinical autistic symptoms as quantified by the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ). Participants were non-clinical college participants classified as displaying either Low (0–15 ASQ score, n = 183) ASQ traits or High (16 or higher ASQ score, n = 91) ASQ traits. Participants were given the ASQ and the RBANS. High ASQ subjects scored lower on Picture Naming (p < .02), Semantic Fluency (p < .05), Story Recall (p < .04) and the Language Index (p < .01).

Several studies showed the effectiveness of alpha/theta (A/T) neurofeedback training in treating some psychiatric conditions. Despite the evidence of A/T effectiveness, the psychological and neurobiological bases of its effects is still unclear. The aim of the present study was to explore the usefulness of the A/T training in increasing mentalization in a non-clinical sample. The modifications of electroencephalographic (EEG) functional connectivity in Default Mode Network (DMN) associated with A/T training were also investigated. Forty-four subjects were enrolled in the study and randomly assigned to receive ten sessions of A/T training [neurofeedback group (NFG) = 22], or to act as controls [waiting list group (WLG) = 22]. All participants were administered the mentalization questionnaire (MZQ) and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). In the post training assessment, compared to WLG, NFG showed a significant increase of MZQ total scores (3.94 ± 0.73 vs. 3.53 ± 0.77; F1;43 = 8.19; p = 0.007; d = 0.863). Furthermore, A/T training was also associated with a significant increase of EEG functional connectivity in several DMN brain areas (e.g. Posterior Cingulate Cortex). Taken together our results support the usefulness of the A/T training in enhancing mentalization and DMN connectivity.

Biotherapeutics are known for their potential to induce drug specific immune responses, which are commonly evaluated by the detection of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). For some biotherapeutics, pre-existing ADAs against drug have been observed in drug-naïve matrix. The presence of pre-existing drug specific antibodies may significantly complicate assessment of the screening ADA assay cutpoint value, which is usually established based on the statistical analysis of signal distribution from the drug-naïve individuals. A Gaussian mixture model-based approach is presented herein to address high prevalence of pre-existing ADAs to a modified monoclonal antibody-based biotherapeutic (m-mAb). A high prevalence of pre-existing anti-m-mAb antibodies was observed in drug-naïve individual cynomolgus monkey serum samples with signal ranging from 100 to 7000 relative light units (RLU, as determined in an electrochemiluminescence readout-based assay). Application of the industry standard statistical algorithm resulted in a relatively high floating screening assay cutpoint factor (CPF) of 9.80, which potentially would have reported a high percent of false negative samples. An alternative, Gaussian mixture model-based approach was applied to identify the least reactive individual samples in the tested population, which resulted in a floating screening assay CPF of 2.35. The low CPF value significantly reduced the risk of reporting false negative results. The proposed Gaussian mixture model-based approach described herein provides an alternate method for the calculation of biologically relevant screening assay CPF when high prevalence of pre-existing drug specific antibodies is observed.

This study assessed and validated a Greek version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R) in a large community sample. A total of 1379 Greek adults, including university students and individuals from the community, participated. Overall, the Greek OCI-R supported the six-factor solution, namely checking, ordering, obsessing, hoarding, washing and neutralizing, which was suggested by the original scale development and was later confirmed in other cultural settings. OCI-R was found to have very good to excellent psychometric properties as demonstrated by the application of traditional and alternative validating methods. Further, a five-factor structure that excluded the hoarding scale provided a slightly better conceptual fit of the data. In light of new recommendations, the Greek version of OCI-R provides compelling evidence of its efficacy to clearly differentiate between high- and low self-reports of OCD symptoms. We discuss that scores from the Greek community sample were commensurate with those observed in clinical samples.

Background Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) are a scarce resource that can provide advanced emergency medical care to unwell or injured patients. Accurate tasking of HEMS is required to incidents where advanced pre-hospital clinical care is needed. We sought to evaluate any association between non-clinically trained dispatchers, following a bespoke algorithm, compared with HEMS paramedic dispatchers with respect to incidents requiring a critical HEMS intervention. Methods Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from two 12-month periods was performed (Period one: 1st April 2014 – 1st April 2015; Period two: 1st April 2016 – 1st April 2017). Period 1 was a Paramedic-led dispatch process. Period 2 was a non-clinical HEMS dispatcher assisted by a bespoke algorithm. Kent, Surrey & Sussex HEMS (KSS HEMS) is tasked to approximately 2500 cases annually and operates 24/7 across south-east England. The primary outcome measure was incidence of a HEMS intervention. Results A total of 4703 incidents were included; 2510 in period one and 2184 in period two. Variation in tasking was reduced by introducing non-clinical dispatchers. There was no difference in median time from 999 call to HEMS activation between period one and two (period one; median 7 min (IQR 4–17) vs period two; median 7 min (IQR 4–18). Non-clinical dispatch improved accuracy of HEMS tasking to a mission where a critical care intervention was required (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04–1.51, p = 0.02). Conclusion The introduction of non-clinical, HEMS-specific dispatch, aided by a bespoke algorithm improved accuracy of HEMS tasking. Further research is warranted to explore where this model could be effective in other HEMS services.

This paper examined the reliability, convergent validity and factor structure of the self-report Screen for Child Anxiety Disorders (SCARED; Birmaher et al. in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 36:545-553, 1997) in a large community sample of children and adolescents in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire showed moderate to high internal consistency and satisfactory test-retest reliability over a 2 week period. In addition, there were significant positive correlations between reported anxiety symptoms with parent report behavioural difficulties. The five factor structure model of the SCARED also had a good model fit in this population. The results showed that self-report anxiety symptoms decreased with age (for boys and not girls) and were higher in adolescent girls. The results suggest that the SCARED could be useful in this population to identify individuals who are at risk of developing anxiety disorders in childhood with a view to implementing prevention and intervention methods to ensure positive developmental outcome over time.

Mindfulness-based programs for adolescents have become increasingly popular, in line with preliminary evidence supporting their positive effects on psychological functioning. More studies are needed to establish the validity of mindfulness measures for adolescents, in particular with regard to gender differences. This study used confirmatory factor analysis to test the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the recently developed Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measures (CAMM) with non-clinical adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (N = 562). Additionally, the study aimed to assess the internal consistency of the CAMM with this sample and to determine its convergent validity. All analyses were conducted for the entire sample as well as for males and females separately. Results confirmed the one-dimensional factor structure of the CAMM and the internal consistency of the ten CAMM items, and there were no significant gender group differences. The convergent validity was also supported, with significant correlations between CAMM scores and measures of psychological functioning/distress in the expected directions. When considering correlations separately by gender, mindfulness was weakly but significantly correlated with positive affect in females but not in males. All other correlations were comparable across gender. Overall, the CAMM appears to be a reliable and valid mindfulness measure for both boys and girls.

Iron can both induce and inhibit nitrosative stress. Intracellular iron levels play an important role in nitric oxide (NO•) signaling mechanisms. Depending on various factors, such as the cell's redox state and transition metal levels, NO• generation may lead to lipid peroxidation and DNA damage as well as both anti- and pro-apoptotic effects. Administration of intravenous iron sucrose originator (ISORIG) has been shown not to cause significant tyrosine nitration or significantly increased caspase 3 levels in non-anemic rats. In this study, the potential of several marketed iron sucrose similars (ISSs) to induce tyrosine nitration and caspase 3 expression in non-anemic rats was assessed. Although the physico-chemical properties of most of the analyzed ISSs complied with the United States Pharmacopeia for iron sucrose injection, all ISSs resulted in higher levels of tyrosine nitration and increased the expression of caspase 3 versus ISORIG. Moreover, significant differences were detected in tissue iron distribution between ISORIG- and ISS-treated animals. In general, ISORIG resulted in higher levels of ferritin deposits versus ISSs whereas ISSs showed higher Prussian blue-stainable iron(III) deposits than ISORIG. This result suggests that some iron from ISSs bypassed the tightly regulated pathway through resident macrophages of the liver, spleen and bone marrow thus, ending up in the cellular compartment that favors oxidative and or nitrosative stress as well as apoptosis. The results also confirm that polynuclear iron(III)-oxyhydroxide carbohydrates, such as iron sucrose, cannot be fully characterized by physico-chemical methods alone. Fil: Toblli, Jorge Eduardo. Hospital Alemán. Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas; Argentina Fil: Cao, Gabriel Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas; Argentina. Hospital Alemán. Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental; Argentina Fil: Angerosa, Margarita. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina; Argentina. Hospital Alemán. Laboratorio de Medicina Experimental; Argentina

The present research employed the illusion-of-control paradigm to investigate the relationships between Obsessive-Compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms, religiosity levels, and illusory sense of control (SC). An opportunistic sample of 60 undergraduate students was presented with a pre-programmed series of neutral visual stimuli (i.e. lines) and was expected to try to control the sequence through the use of keyboard presses. Participants assessed their perceived level of control twice throughout the computerised task. In addition, the study was interested at examining the relationship between religiosity and OC behaviour and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire (SCSRF) was employed. In proportion to predictions, OCD symptoms were correlated with higher illusory SC; furthermore, religiosity levels were related to some degree to OCD symptoms. The essential role of mental control in OCD is discussed, particularly the significant clinical implications of such an association. Furthermore, the possible contribution of religious affiliations to the maintenance of OC behaviour is further discussed.

Chemiluminescence (CL) is an important method for quantification and analysis of various macromolecules. A wide range of CL agents such as luminol, hydrogen peroxide, fluorescein, dioxetanes and derivatives of oxalate, and acridinium dyes are used according to their biological specificity and utility. This review describes the application of luminol chemiluminescence (LCL) in forensic, biomedical, and clinical sciences. LCL is a very useful detection method due to its selectivity, simplicity, low cost, and high sensitivity. LCL has a dynamic range of applications, including quantification and detection of macro and micromolecules such as proteins, carbohydrates, DNA, and RNA. Luminol-based methods are used in environmental monitoring as biosensors, in the pharmaceutical industry for cellular localization and as biological tracers, and in reporter gene-based assays and several other immunoassays. Here, we also provide information about different compounds that may enhance or inhibit the LCL along with the effect of pH and concentration on LCL. This review covers most of the significant information related to the applications of luminol in different fields.

This study examined relationships between the self-conscious emotions of shame and guilt, behavioral inhibition (as an index of anxiety proneness), and anxiety disorder symptoms in non-clinical children aged 8-13 years (N = 126), using children's self-report data. Results showed that there were positive and significant correlations between shame and guilt, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety disorders symptoms. When controlling for the overlap between shame and guilt, it was found that shame (but not guilt) remained significantly associated with higher levels of anxiety proneness and anxiety symptoms. Further, when controlling for the effect of behavioral inhibition, shame still accounted for a significant proportion of the variance of total anxiety and generalized anxiety scores. For these anxiety problems, support emerged for a model in which shame acted as a partial mediator in the relation between behavioral inhibition and anxiety. These results indicate that the self-conscious emotion of shame is a robust correlate of anxiety pathology in children.

Individuals with depressive symptoms tend to adopt an abstract-analytical (A-A) rather than a concrete-experiential (C-E) mode of rumination. A large body of evidence shows that this leads to many deficits that are associated with depression (Watkins in Psychol Bull 134:163–206, 2008). In two studies, the present research examined whether indecision in a non-clinical population could also result from the mode of rumination adopted. In the first study, 174 participants completed measures of depressive symptoms, rumination, decision-making styles and indecision. The results of this study showed that indecision and one dysfunctional decision-making style (hyper-vigilance) significantly correlated with A-A rumination, even when controlling for depression. In a second study, 71 participants with mild to severe depressive symptoms (MSDs) and 49 participants with no to minimal depressive symptoms were trained to adopt either an A-A or a C-E rumination mode, and subsequently requested to make 10 choices. Consistent with the results of the first study, the results of the second study showed that participants in the A-A condition took longer to make their choice compared to participants in the C-E condition, irrespective of their level of depression. Moreover, the group of participants with MSDs experienced slightly more difficulty in decision making when they were in the A-A mode than in the C-E mode. This suggests that the A-A rumination mode could be an antecedent of indecision, whereas the C-E mode predicts its reduction. These interpretations are in line with the idea that A-A rumination is maladaptive and C-E rumination is adaptive.

The origin of pathogenic Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), a major causative agent of childhood diarrhea worldwide, remains ill-defined. The objective of this study was to determine the relative prevalence of EAEC in clinical and non-clinical sources and compare their genetic characteristics in order to identify strains that rarely and commonly cause human diarrhea. The virulence gene astA was commonly detectable in both clinical and non-clinical EAEC, while clinical isolates, but not the non-clinical strains, were consistently found to harbor other virulence factors such as aap (32%), aatA (18%) and aggR (11%). MLST analysis revealed the extremely high diversity of EAEC ST types, which can be grouped into three categories including: (i) non-clinical EAEC that rarely cause human infections; (ii) virulent strains recoverable in diarrhea patients that are also commonly found in the non-clinical sources; (iii) organisms causing human infections but rarely recoverable in the non-clinical setting. In addition, the high resistance in these EAEC isolates in particular resistance to fluoroquinolones and cephalosporins raised a huge concern for clinical EAEC infection control. The data from this study suggests that EAEC strains were diversely distributed in non-clinical and clinical setting and some of the clinical isolates may originate from the non-clinical setting.

Depressed patients commonly experience intrusive memories. There is some evidence that ruminative responses to those intrusions are important for maintaining depressive symptoms. Three models concerning the interplay of intrusions and rumination in the prediction of depressive symptoms were tested in students in 2 studies (N = 711): (a) rumination moderating between intrusions and depressive symptoms, (b) rumination partially mediating between intrusions and depressive symptoms, and (c) intrusions partially mediating between rumination and depressive symptoms. In our first, cross-sectional study, evidence was found for all models. In our second study, depressive symptoms were also measured prospectively. As for concurrent symptoms, we again found support for the mediation models but not for the moderation model. As for prospective symptoms, we only found evidence for the moderation model. Our findings suggest that rumination and intrusions are mutually reinforcing and that rumination about intrusions indeed contributes to the maintenance of depressive symptoms.

This study investigated content specificity of children’s threat interpretations in a group of 40 clinically anxious (18 boys, 22 girls; ages 7–14 years) and a group of 40 non-clinical children (19 boys, 21 girls; ages 8–14 years). Associations between disorder-specific threat interpretations (in response to situations selected by each child) and each of six DSM-IV anxiety and depressive disorder symptom domains were examined for each group of children through multivariate regression analyses. Supporting theories of cognitive content specificity, results showed that for clinically anxious children, symptoms of social phobia and panic disorder were significantly and specifically predicted by threat interpretation in response to situations that corresponded to each disorder, while symptoms of separation anxiety were predicted by threat perception in situations relevant to separation anxiety and panic disorder. There was little evidence of cognitive content specificity within the non-clinical group of children. Implications for theories of development of interpretation biases associated with child anxiety disorders are discussed.

Clark and Wells’ (1995) model of social phobia proposes that there are three types of maladaptive self-beliefs responsible for persistent social anxiety (high standard, conditional, and unconditional beliefs). Although these beliefs are theoretically important, there currently is not a validated measure of these beliefs in the social anxiety literature. Hence, the Self-Beliefs Related to Social Anxiety (SBSA) Scale was developed (Wong and Moulds 2009) and its psychometric properties were examined in the current study using a non-clinical sample (N = 600). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses ultimately indicated that a correlated three-factor solution optimally summarized the data with the three factors corresponding to the three belief types. The SBSA and its three subscales demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability, as well as convergent and divergent validity. The SBSA thus appears to have good psychometric properties and is appropriate for use in non-clinical samples. The potential applications of the SBSA and avenues for future research are discussed.

Self-compassion, or the ability to kindly accept oneself while suffering, is a topic of significant and growing scientific interest. Past research has shown, for example, that self-compassion is associated with less concurrent depression. So far, however, it remained untested whether self-compassion also prospectively predicts depression symptoms. Three hundred and forty-seven first-year psychology students (303 women; 44 men), ages 17–36, completed measures of self-compassion and depression symptoms at two assessments separated by a 5-month period. Results showed that self-compasion significantly predicted changes in depression symptoms, such that higher levels of self-compassion at baseline were significantly associated with greater reductions and/or smaller increases in such symptoms over the 5-month interval. These findings are consistent with the idea that self-compassion respresents a potentially important protective factor for emotional problems such as depression. Additional analyses further suggest that self-compassion is a relatively stable trait-like characteristic.

Previous research indicates that self-disgust partially mediates the relationship between dysfunctional cognitions and depression. However, as self-disgust is only a partial mediator, other variables are also likely to mediate this relationship. One potential variable is self-esteem, which has consistently been linked to depression in the literature. Hence, the current study aimed to examine whether self-disgust and self-esteem both mediate the relationship between dysfunctional cognitions and depression. Measures of self-disgust, self-esteem, dysfunctional cognitions and depression were completed by a non clinical sample of 120 participants. Self-disgust and self-esteem were found to be conceptually distinct constructs and both constructs were found to be partial mediators of the relationship between dysfunctional cognitions and depression: a finding which generalised across two measures of depression. The important mediational role of emotions in the development of depression needs to be taken into account in therapeutic practice.

Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) has recently been conceptualized as the male form of Eating Disorders (ED); although, it is not currently classified as an ED. The current study compares etiological models of MD symptomatology and ED symptomatology. It was hypothesized that sociocultural influences on appearance (SIA) would predict body dissatisfaction (BD), and that this relationship would be mediated by self-esteem (SE) and perfectionism (P); that BD would predict negative affect (NA); and that NA would predict MD and ED symptomatology. Two-hundred-forty-seven female and 101 male college students at a midsouth university completed the study. All participants completed measures assessing each of the constructs, and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test each model's fit. In both models, most predictor paths were significant. These results suggest similarity in symptomatology and etiological models between ED and MD.

The current study represents the further development and validation of an expanded version of the Inferential Confusion Questionnaire (ICQ-EV) in non-clinical and clinical samples. Inferential confusion seems to be particularly relevant to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and is defined as a failure to recognize the unrealistic nature of obsessions due to a subjective form of reasoning. Factor analysis of the item-set of the ICQ-EV indicated a one-dimensional solution in non-clinical and clinical samples. It was hypothesized that inferential confusion as measured by the ICQ-EV would be particularly relevant to participants with OCD. Results confirmed convergent validity with strong relationships between the ICQ-EV and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in all samples independent of other cognitive domains and general distress. In addition, those with OCD scored higher on the ICQ-EV than non-clinical controls and a mixed anxiety disorder group so confirming group-criterion validity. Finally, the ICQ-EV also showed clinical validity with change in ICQ-EV scores during treatment significantly related to successful treatment outcome.

General practitioners and consultants in the Republic of Ireland manage patients with chronic low back pain (LBP), but little is known about the non-clinical factors that impact on their management.To establish the non-clinical factors that impact on the management of chronic LBP by a cohort of general practitioners and consultants.Using a multiple case study design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with general practitioners (n = 7) and consultants (n = 7). Interviews were transcribed and analysed qualitatively.Two main themes emerged: policy factors (the health care system, the medico-legal system), and patient factors (need for reassurance, lack of patient adherence).These factors operate at national and local levels. Nationally, they underscore the lack of resources, and the impact of the medico-legal system. Local issues include changing practice by reassuring patients using evidence-based biopsychosocial strategies to maximise patient care and reduce healthcare costs.

Aim To examine factors (individual, familiar and socio-cultural) associated with body dissatisfaction (BD) by gender in non-clinical adolescents at risk of eating disorders (rED) and in a control group (CG).

Research demonstrates that the constructive use of family rituals is reliably linked to family health and to psychosocial adjustment. This study explores the relationship between family rituals and child well-being. Two samples participated: 21 families whose adolescent was receiving psychiatric treatment and 21 families in which the adolescent was a public school student. A parent and the adolescent were individually interviewed regarding family rituals and completed standardized measures of adolescent and family functioning. Analyses demonstrated that, in addition to significant sample differences in the expected direction on measures of functioning, the non-clinical families scored significantly higher on the index of family rituality than did the treatment families; this is additional evidence that family rituals are a correlate of child well-being. Further analysis of the data pointed to “people resources” as a robust dimension in its association to adolescent functioning. The role family ritual and routine plays in defining family relationships, both within the nuclear family and with other important adults, was significantly related to clinical status. This work may point to an important, yet overlooked, dimension of family ritual life, the relational qualities of rituals and routines.

The concomitant use of medicinal products may trigger the development of a fixed combination product with the intention to facilitate for the user and improve compliance. At present, there is a lack of detailed regulatory guidance on the strategies for the non-clinical development of a fixed combination, and companies often seek scientific advice at the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) and its scientific committee, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). Four main scenarios can be identified: combination of well known compounds already approved/used in combination; combination of approved/well known compounds not previously approved in combination; combination of one or more new chemical entity(ies) [NCE] with one or more well known compound(s); and combination of two or more NCEs. The level of knowledge and experience in these scenarios will differ markedly and, therefore, different strategies for the non-clinical development programme are justified.

Shame has been shown to be related both to symptoms of depression and eating pathology. However, the independence of this relationship has not yet been established. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the relationship between shame and eating disorder symptoms was independent of the relationships of these variables with depression. Seventy non-clinical female participants completed measures of eating disorder-related concerns using the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire version (EDE-Q), depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and two measures of shame, the Other As Shamer Scale (QAS) and the Test of Self-Conscious Affect (TOSCA). Despite a strong association between BDI-II and EDE-Q scores and a moderate relationship between the shame measures, the two measures of shame showed some specificity in their relationships with symptom measures. The OAS was independently related to levels of BDI-II scores while the TOSCA was independently related to scores on the EDE-Q. There are a number of differences between the two measures of shame used in this study. The fact that each was differentially related to eating concerns and depressive symptoms may give clues as to which aspects of shame are important in each of the two types of pathology.

The current study examined the temporal stability of threat perception abnormalities and anxiety disorder symptoms in non-clinical children. One-hundred-and-thirteen primary school children aged 9 to 13 years completed a self-report measure of anxiety disorder symptoms, and were interviewed individually using an ambiguous story paradigm from which a number of threat perception indices were derived. The assessment was repeated some 4 weeks later, so that it became possible to study prospective relationships for threat perception abnormalities and anxiety disorder symptoms. Results indicated that, on both occasions, anxiety disorder symptoms were significantly associated with threat perception abnormalities. Furthermore, threat perception abnormalities were moderately stable with test-retest correlations between 0.44 and 0.63 for the various threat indices and a test-retest correlation of 0.61 for the threat perception composite score. Finally, no evidence was obtained for a direct prospective link between threat perception and anxiety disorder symptoms. Implications for the role of threat perception distortions in the maintenance of anxiety complaints in children are briefly discussed.

Stress is considered to be a major trigger for aggravation of headaches. In a previous study we demonstrated a high prevalence of ADHD among patients who were referred to a pediatric clinic due to headaches. In the present study we examined whether this is true for the general population of adolescents.

This paper addresses research in the life sciences, responsible for significant national expenditures for scientific investigations funded by both the federal government and industry. Our investigation examines faculty members' involvement with industry in “entrepreneurial” ways that is, involved in translating their research into potentially marketable knowledge or products. First, this study examines whether there are differences in entrepreneurial behaviour between clinical and non-clinical faculty in the life sciences with industry relationships, and, second, to discover any linkage between entrepreneurship and secrecy or productivity in different ways for clinical and non-clinical faculty. The study is based on survey responses of a national sample of 4,000 clinical and non-clinical life sciences faculty in 49 U.S. research universities. The results show non-clinical faculty as more involved at the back end. The more entrepreneurial end of commercialization while clinical faculty are involved at the back end. The more entrepreneurial faculty (non-clinical) are more likely to be secretive about their research. Clinical faculty are less likely to have been denied access to research results or products. Entrepreneurial faculty are not less productive in their faculty roles. This investigation is preliminary in that it addresses one large area of academic research but excludes fields with longer historical relationships with industry.

One of the most frequently used measures of eating and weight problems is the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). The paper discusses conceptual heterogeneity in the EAT in the light of eating disorder continuum theory. Psychometric qualities of the Norwegian 12-item version of the EAT was based on a sample of 224 female and 261 male adolescents aged 14-15 years. Generalizability theory enabled us to study the impact of multiple sources of measurement errors of the EAT-12. The analyses suggest that acceptable generalizability is achieved by the present design on applying 4 items within 3 categories of the EAT. Alternative designs are suggested, and the utility of G-theory is discussed. The results also provide evidence of a gender difference in the structure of the universe score variance. Non-clinical adolescents' ways of organizing information about food and eating are discussed in the light of gender differences.

Background The proportion of medical school graduates who pursue careers other than full-time clinical practice has increased in some countries as the physician’s role has evolved and diversified with the changing landscape of clinical practice and the advancement of biomedicine. Still, past studies of medical students’ career choices have focused on clinical specialties and little is known about their choice of non-clinical careers. The present study examined backgrounds, motivation and perceptions of medical students who intended non-clinical careers. Methods A questionnaire was administered to students at six Korean medical schools distributed across all provinces in the nation. The questionnaire comprised 40 items on respondents’ backgrounds, their motivation for and interest in the study of medicine, their perceptions of medical professions, and their career intentions. Data was analyzed using various descriptive and inferential statistics. Results In total, 1,388 students returned the questionnaire (60% response rate), 12.3% of whom intended non-clinical careers (i.e., basic sciences, non-clinical medical fields, and non-medical fields). Those who planned non-clinical careers were comparable with their peers in their motivation for studying medicine and in their views of medical professions, but they were less interested in the study of medicine (P Conclusions Our study found some differences in backgrounds and perceptions of the study of medicine in medical students interested in non-clinical careers from their peers. Future studies are suggested to enhance our understanding of medical students” choice of non-clinical careers.

In the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, the Hospital Authority managing >90% of hospital beds and 74 outpatient clinics in Hong Kong implemented mandatory reporting for healthcare workers (HCWs) with confirmed pH1N1 and collected detailed data on infected HCWs.

International harmonisation of safety testing is currently of interest to industries and government agencies involved in the development and regulation of new drugs, chemicals, food products, and biological devices in global markets. A special meeting of an international working group representing ten professional scientific organisations involved primarily with clinical pathology testing in non-clinical toxicity and safety studies was held on conjunction with the 1993 European Comparative Clinical Pathology meeting in Nottingham, England. Delegates representing professional scientific organisations from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Italy, Israel, Canada, Sweden, and The Netherland have agreed to use the published testing recommendations of the American Association of Clinical Chemistry's Division of Animal Clinical Chemistry and the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology as a starting point for scientific discussion and the development of internationally harmonised testing recommendations. Approximately 80 written revision proposals were reviewed and discussed. Technical issues that generated significant discussion included blood sampling protocols, urinalysis testing, and statistical analysis of clinical pathology data. A voting procedure was defined for resolution of technical issues. Final recommendations for international harmonisation of clinical pathology testing in non-clinical toxicity and safety studies are anticipated by the end of 1993.

Positive correlation between medial prefrontal activity and trait anhedonia severity during the processing of positive information in non-clinical subjects