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Understanding the drivers of population dynamics informs management actions and assures the public that harvest activities are not detrimental to the long-term stability of wildlife populations. We examined the survival and cause-specific mortality of 66 adult coyotes (34 males, 32 females) using GPS radiotelemetry in southwestern Wisconsin during October 2016 to March 2020. We paired our study with a literature review of coyote survival and mortality across the United States and Canada, focusing on the geographical distribution of studies, demographic aspects of survival, and the level of exploitation by humans on coyote populations. In Wisconsin, annual survival did not differ between sexes or across years but did vary among seasons and social statuses. The relative risk for a coyote dying was higher during the winter compared to the summer. A transient coyote had a higher relative risk of mortality compared to a resident coyote. Mean annual survival probability (sexes combined) was higher for a year-long resident compared to a year-long transient. The predominant sources of known mortality (n = 37) were harvest (83.8%) and vehicle collisions (13.5%). For our literature review, we identified 56 studies estimating coyote survival or mortality from 1971 to 2021 spanning the geographic range of coyotes. We found no distinct temporal or regional patterns in survival probability or the proportion of human-induced mortality, although fewer studies originated from the northeast region of the United States. Additionally, we detected weak correlation between survival probability and proportion of human-induced mortality, suggesting coyote harvest may be compensatory. Although our findings indicate that the Wisconsin coyote population had relatively higher human-induced mortality than populations in other regions, these mortality rates appear to be sustainable for this population under current landscape and habitat conditions.

Empathy is the ability to adopt another person's perspective and experience the thoughts and emotions of that individual. Existing literature has demonstrated that high levels of affective empathy may represent a risk factor for the development of internalizing symptoms in college students. The mechanisms underlying the possible relationship between empathy and psychopathology, however, are not yet understood. This study aimed to examine difficulties in emotion regulation as one possible mediator of the relationship between empathy and internalizing symptoms in a large sample of college students. Six hundred and sixteen male and female college students completed a series of self-report questionnaires measuring empathy, difficulties in emotion regulation, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Findings revealed that difficulties in emotion regulation mediated the relationship between affective empathy and internalizing symptoms, after controlling for participants’ year in college and gender. These results suggest that the development and practice of emotion regulation skills in college students may represent one important component of skill-oriented preventive interventions and health promotion programs buffering against the development of internalizing symptoms in those young adults who tend to demonstrate high levels of affective empathy.

The positive mental health correlates of mindfulness have become increasingly well-established. Recent literature has documented an association between the present-moment awareness and attention that is characteristic of mindfulness, and the capacity to adopt the emotions, cognitions, and perspectives of another individual, as displayed in empathy. The mechanisms underlying this relationship, however, are still poorly understood. This study aimed to examine alexithymia—or the difficulty identifying, labeling, understanding, and processing one’s own emotions—as a mediator of the relationship between five facets of dispositional mindfulness (i.e., observing, describing, acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreacting) and empathy in a sample of 616 undergraduate college students. Results revealed that alexithymia mediated the relationships between the describing and acting with awareness domains of mindfulness and cognitive empathy, while accounting for the effects of the other mindfulness subscales and participant sex. These findings suggest that the relationship between specific mindfulness skills and greater understanding of another individual’s emotional and cognitive experiences may be explained in part by one’s emotional self-awareness.

In recent decades, aquaculture has emerged as a viable method to help supply the growing global demand for seafood; however, expansion of the industry comes with potential negative impacts. Regulatory decisions governing aspects like aquaculture farming practices and farm siting inherently lead to trade-offs between profitability and the health of the surrounding environment through impacts including pollution, disease, and disturbance from escaped fish. Efficiently and sustainably scaling up aquaculture will require the development of methods for explicitly examining the trade-offs among these impacts and socioeconomic objectives. We developed a model to assess these trade-offs and illustrate the approach with a case study of salmon aquaculture in southern Chile. In the case study we found evidence that all 21 farms with approved permits may be underperforming on both profitability and the protection of ecosystem health. Our model suggests that explicit evaluation of trade-offs can illuminate the...

The current study examined expectations and preferences of psychotherapy approach in 225 college students. Psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) techniques were generally favored over cognitive-behavioral (CB) techniques both in expectations of what is characteristic of a typical therapy session and perceived helpfulness. There was no difference in findings between therapy naive college students and those with a history of psychotherapy. Psychological mindedness was correlated with PI ratings, but not CB ratings. College counselors may want to emphasize emotional and relational strategies when working with college students and may benefit from examining the psychological mindedness of new clients to assist with determining their treatment plan.

Agonist‐triggered downregulation of β‐adrenergic receptors (ARs) constitutes vital negative feedback to prevent cellular overexcitation. Here, we report a novel downregulation of β2 AR signaling highly specific for Cav1.2. We find that β2‐AR binding to Cav1.2 residues 1923–1942 is required for β‐adrenergic regulation of Cav1.2. Despite the prominence of PKA‐mediated phosphorylation of Cav1.2 S1928 within the newly identified β2 AR binding site, its physiological function has so far escaped identification. We show that phosphorylation of S1928 displaces the β2 AR from Cav1.2 upon β‐adrenergic stimulation rendering Cav1.2 refractory for several minutes from further β‐adrenergic stimulation. This effect is lost in S1928A knock‐in mice. Although AMPARs are clustered at postsynaptic sites like Cav1.2, β2 AR association with and regulation of AMPARs do not show such dissociation. Accordingly, displacement of the β2 AR from Cav1.2 is a uniquely specific desensitization mechanism of Cav1.2 regulation by highly localized β2 AR/cAMP/PKA/S1928 signaling. The physiological implications of this mechanism are underscored by our finding that LTP induced by prolonged theta tetanus (PTT‐LTP) depends on Cav1.2 and its regulation by channel‐associated β2 AR.

Background: Controlled qualitative methods complement quantitative treatment outcome research and enable a more thorough understanding of the effects of therapy and the suspected mechanisms of action. Aims: Thematic analyses were used to examine outcomes of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a randomized controlled trial of individuals diagnosed with military-related PTSD (n = 15). Method: After sessions 1 and 11, participants wrote “impact statements” describing their appraisals of their trauma and beliefs potentially impacted by traumatic events. Trained raters coded each of these statements using a thematic coding scheme. Results: An analysis of thematic coding revealed positive changes over the course of therapy in participants’ perspective on their trauma and their future, supporting the purported mechanisms of CPT. Conclusion: Implications of this research for theory and clinical practice are discussed.

The L-type Ca2+ channel Cav1.2 controls heart rate and neuronal excitability. Qian et al . found that enhancement of Cav1.2 channel activity in the brain by β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) signaling required phosphorylation of Ser1928, whereas in the heart, this site was dispensable for βAR-mediated regulation. In contrast to those from wild-type mice, hippocampal neurons from mice, in which Ser1928 of Cav1.2 was mutated to alanine, did not exhibit increased L-type calcium channel activity in response to β-adrenergic stimulation. Phosphorylation of Ser1928 involved signaling through the β2AR, but not through the β1AR, and this phosphorylation event enabled a particular form of long-term potentiation, a process linked to learning and memory. These results were in marked contrast to βAR-mediated regulation of Cav1.2 activity in cardiomyocytes, which involved β1AR and was independent of Ser1928. This differential regulation in the heart and brain implies that tissue-specific therapeutics could be identified.

Objective The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of (1) using the existing clinic, clinicians, interns, faculty, and staff from our college in conducting all components of a planned randomized controlled clinical trial; (2) successfully recruiting patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS); and (3) consistently, effectively, and safely implementing the study protocols and therapy. Methods Diagnostic, treatment, and blind assessment procedures were carried out while recruitment and administrative techniques for managing long-term storage of data and files were developed. Thirty-one patients were randomized into a local manipulative group (group A) or to a full kinetic chain manipulative therapy group (group B), each combined with exercise and soft tissue treatment. The Anterior Knee Pain Scale, visual analog scale, and Patient Satisfaction Scale were used. Results All phases of the feasibility study including use of the clinic, staff, recruitment techniques, treatment protocols, data collection, input, and analysis were effectively and safely carried out. Conclusions A feasibility study investigating the ability to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a manipulative therapy protocol for PFPS using available chiropractic college infrastructure was accomplished. A fully powered PFPS trial is feasible and merited.

This study assessed the longitudinal association between clinician and patient ratings of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms over the course of 2 different randomized clinical trials of veterans with chronic PTSD. One trial, the Department of Veterans Affairs Cooperative Study 420 (CSP 420; N = 360) compared trauma-focused and present-centered group therapies, and the 2nd trial compared cognitive processing theory and a waitlist control condition (N = 60). Linear mixed effects modeling revealed significant associations between clinician ratings (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale; CAPS; D. D. Blake et al., 1990) and patient ratings (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist; PCL; F. W. Weathers, B. T. Litz, J. A. Herman, J. A. Huska, & T. M. Keane, 1993) in total and symptom clusters of PTSD. Contrary to hypothesis, the amount of change on the CAPS ranged from .75 to .82 standard deviations for every 1 standard deviation change on the PCL. The CAPS and PCL were more closely associated in the trauma-focused vs. present-centered treatment condition in CSP 420, and especially regarding hyperarousal symptoms. When comparing categorization of clinically significant change on the CAPS and PCL, the authors found no differences in the percentages of agreement between clinicians and patients in improvement and exacerbation. The value of multimodal assessment of PTSD treatment outcomes is discussed.

Summary Introduction Stiffness and pain in the big toe, known as hallux rigidus (HR), is a complication of acute or chronic sprain/strain of the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ). As a cause of pain and dysfunction in the big toe, HR is the most common athletic disorder and secondary only to hallux abductovalgus in incidence. HR is divided into three grades based on the amount of degenerative joint disease found at the first MTPJ. Grade 1 HR cases, those with little or no degenerative changes, and possibly some Grade 2 HR cases, with mild-to-moderate loss of joint space and degenerative changes, appear to improve with joint mobilization/manipulation, modalities and exercise. Methods (case study) A 31-year-old male professional golfer presented with a complaint of big toe pain of 7 months’ duration. After history, physical and regional evaluation, and radiography of the right foot and big toe, a diagnosis of Grade 1 hallux rigidus was made. Management of the patient included chiropractic adjusting of the first MTPJ using graded axial elongation, mobilization of the sesamoids, adjustment of additional foot and ankle joint dysfunction, big toe and foot flexor strengthening and stretching exercises, and ultrasound. Outcome measures included the Lower Extremity Functional Index (LEFI), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and goniometric range of motion (ROM). The patient received 17 visits over 10 months. Results The initial NRS was 6, and on the final visit was 0–1. Initial goniometer ROM of the big toe in passive dorsiflexion was 45° and on the final visit was 84°. The LEFI had a score of 22% on the initial visit and 2% on the final visit. Substantial improvement was noted after the first treatment and in fact the patient did not return for further treatment for 5 months. Slowly, mild big toe pain and stiffness returned and the patient came back, and remained compliant with treatment. Steady and substantial improvement occurred after his return. Although an occasional mild increase in symptoms occurs after prolonged practice or play, he has resumed normal professional activities with no restrictions and is pleased with treatment outcome. Conclusion Natural history, a desire to please the doctor and lack of control does not allow extrapolation of these findings to the general population. Nevertheless, in this patient, chiropractic adjusting, foot flexor strengthening and ultrasound was effective in treatment of hallux rigidus. Randomized controlled trials are needed.

Clinical samples of child sexual abuse survivors report a variety of psychiatric symptoms and interpersonal difficulties. The treatment outcome literature for this population is often incomplete due to numerous methodological constraints. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an open trial of individual short-term, psychodynamic psychotherapy with a naturalistic sample of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Sexual abuse survivors demonstrated significant improvement in symptomatic distress, level of functioning and dynamic personality variables according to self-report measures and clinical rating scales. Abuse survivors developed positive therapeutic alliances, which remained high throughout the course of treatment, and comparable to the non-abused clinical sample. Sexual abuse survivors' response to treatment was similar to that of non-abused patients, with the potential for greater change in feelings about the self. These findings demonstrate that psychodynamic psychotherapy may be useful for childhood sexual abuse survivors presenting with depressive symptoms and interpersonal difficulties. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This study investigates the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Differences between abused and nonabused individuals in psychiatric symptomatology, interpersonal functioning, social and occupational functioning, personality dynamics, and therapeutic alliance were examined. The relationship between abuse severity and long-term effects was also analyzed. Data were gathered from 51 patients seeking individual psychotherapy at a community outpatient clinic. Findings suggested that CSA survivors tend to experience greater psychiatric distress and poorer interpersonal functioning than nonabused clinical controls. No significant differences were found in social and occupational functioning or in alliance developed by the end of the therapeutic assessment process. Abuse severity was significantly related to increased symptomatology and poorer interpersonal functioning. Findings support and extend existing literature and are especially useful for clinicians working with abuse survivors.

This review examines the current literature on individual psychotherapy outcomes with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. As compared to the literature on treatment with victims of sexual trauma in adulthood, fewer researchers have explored the field of psychotherapy outcome with this population, particularly with regard to individual treatments. For this reason, a review of psychotherapy outcome for adult survivors of child sexual abuse is needed. This review first presents issues salient to the study of treatment with this population, such as prevalence, short-term impact, and long-term sequelae of childhood sexual trauma. Next, the eight studies that have been published on individual psychotherapy for this population are presented and evaluated according to both efficacy and effectiveness criteria for a methodologically sound study. Last, directions for future research with this population include continued integration of efficacy and effectiveness methodology, use of multi-method/multi-rater assessment data, as well as further investigation of interpersonal variables such as the therapeutic alliance.

The authors investigated the reliability and convergent and discriminant validity of the DSM-IV Global Assessment of Functioning Scale and two experimental DSM-IV axis V global rating scales, the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale.Forty-four patients admitted to a university-based outpatient community clinic were rated by trained clinicians on the three DSM-IV axis V scales. Patients also completed self-report measures of DSM-IV symptoms as well as measures of relational, social, and occupational functioning.The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale, Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale, and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale all exhibited very high levels of interrater reliability. Factor analysis revealed that the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale are each more related to the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale individually than they are to each other. The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale was significantly related to concurrent patient responses on the SCL-90-R global severity index. The Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale was significantly related to concurrent patient responses on the SCL-90-R global severity index and to a greater degree with both the Social Adjustment Scale global score and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems total score. Although the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale was not significantly related to any of the three self-report measures, it was related to the presence of clinician-rated axis II pathology.The three axis V scales can be scored reliably. The Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale and the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale evaluate different constructs. These findings support the validity of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale as a scale of global psychopathology; the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale as a measure of problems in social, occupational, and interpersonal functioning; and the Global Assessment of Relational Functioning Scale as an index of personality pathology. The authors discuss further refinement and use of the three axis V measures in treatment research.

This article discusses the use of interpersonal-psychodynamic group treatments for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Empirically based interpersonal-psychodynamic group outcome studies are reviewed according to efficacy and effectiveness models of treatment outcome research. To facilitate the evaluation and comparison of clinically significant change across studies, effect size indicators were calculated when descriptive data were reported. Findings suggest that interpersonal-psychodynamic group therapy is an effective treatment approach for many survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Implications for future research are considered.

This two-part study investigated the cross-sectional and across-treatment relationships among measures of emotional functioning and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology for veterans receiving specialized treatment for military-related PTSD. Cross-sectional analyses revealed overlap among emotion regulation, affective control, depressive symptoms, and PTSD symptoms at pre-treatment. In regression analyses, fear of losing affective control was most predictive of PTSD symptoms. Bivariate analyses of residualized change scores showed that changes in emotion regulation and fear of losing affective control were associated with changes in PTSD and depressive symptoms across treatment. Regression analyses revealed that changes in fear of losing affective control most strongly predicted changes in PTSD and depressive symptoms. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, including an understanding of the differences between emotion regulation and affective control processes. Future research directions are offered, including improved measurement of emotional functioning and longitudinal research delineating the likely bi-directional relationship between emotional functioning and PTSD.

To expound on the nature of emotional deficits in PTSD, the current study investigated the relationships among emotion content and process variables and PTSD symptomatology in a sample of 85 veterans with military-related trauma. Alexithymic externally oriented thinking and negative affectivity emerged as the most consistent predictors of PTSD symptoms; however, depression was the only variable associated with emotional numbing. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed, as well as future research directions including the collateral and clinician assessment of emotional functioning, use of other process measures, and inclusion of various control groups.