Approaching Complex Cases With a Crisis Intervention Model and Teamwork: A Commentary

This article is a response to the case of SA presented by O'Daniel and Wells. In this response I support the approach used with the patient, and discuss and expand on the applicability of a crisis intervention model to genetic counseling. In addition, I explore the issue of autonomy and informed decision making for patients who are in crisis. I also discuss the surface contradiction between the mandate for nondirectiveness and the need to provide direction during crisis intervention are discussed and reframe the issue as one of process versus content directiveness. I argue that during times of crisis, genetic counselors may need to direct process in order for patients to be able to make autonomous decisions.     

Recent Developments in the Treatment of Depression

The cognitive and behavioral interventions can be as efficacious as antidepressant medications and more enduring, but some patients will be more likely to respond to one than the other. Recent work has focused on developing sophisticated selection algorithms using machine-learning approaches that answer the question, “What works best for whom?” Moreover, the vast majority of people suffering from depression reside in low- and middle-income countries where access to either psychotherapy or medications is virtually nonexistent. Great strides have been made in training nonspecialist providers (known as task sharing) to overcome this gap. Finally, recent work growing out of evolutionary psychology suggests that antidepressant medications may suppress symptoms at the expense of prolonging the underlying episode so as to increase the risk of relapse whenever someone tries to stop. We address each of these developments and their cumulative implications.     

A pawn by any other name? Social information processing as a function of psychopathic traits

Past research has linked psychopathic traits with the ability to manipulate others, either through deception or violence. Recent observations in corporate settings suggest that enhanced interpersonal assessments might underlie this process, giving psychopathic individuals the ability to detect useful and/or vulnerable victims. To test this hypothesis, a non-forensic sample of males participated in a social memory experiment involving the recognition of faces and recalling the biographical details of artificially created characters differing in their relative career success and emotional vulnerability. High-psychopathy participants had near-perfect recognition for sad, unsuccessful female characters, but impaired memory for other characters. The findings suggest that psychopathic personality is associated with “predatory memory” even in the absence of overt criminality.     

社会学和心理学的择偶理论的比较分析

配偶选择是人生最重要的选择之一,是社会学和心理学研究的重要课题。文章旨在介绍和分析社会学和心理学的配偶选择理论的异同,对理论解释进行反思：社会学和心理学对此的研究各有偏重,有着重要的现实意义。     

系统视角下致癌基因与遗传背景的相互作用

肿瘤是当今人类生命健康的主要威胁之一。致癌基因与遗传背景和肿瘤的形成有密切关系。致癌基因与遗传背景,致癌基因与抗癌基因之间的时空结构和非线性作用都有可能使正常细胞恶变,导致肿瘤的形成。致癌基因与遗传背景实际上构成了细胞中的一个完整的遗传系统。本文试图用系统方法探讨两者的相互作用,以便更好地探讨肿瘤发生的机理和治疗手段。     

Complex Genetic Disorders: Evaluating When Genetic Research Findings Are Applicable for Genetic Counseling Practice

Traditional genetic counseling processes and principles will be extended to a new realm—complex disorders. Although it may seem like a daunting task, understanding the methodologies used to study complex genetic disorders will enable genetic counselors to critically analyze research studies involving complex disorders. In this article, we explain newly evolving methodologies for genetic research, including case-control studies and transmission disequilibrium testing (TDT). Additionally, a framework is provided for evaluating original research findings and replication studies.     

Factors Influencing Uptake of Genetic Testing For Colorectal Cancer Risk in an Australian Jewish Population

There is a significant excess of colorectal cancer in the Australian Ashkenazi Jewish community. This excess can partially be attributed to inherited factors that are over represented in this population, such as the APC variant I1307K, which is associated with a modest increase in colorectal cancer risk. There is currently only sporadic clinical genetic testing offered for this variant, as neither the exact increase in cancer risk and therefore the appropriate screening strategies for I1307K carriers, nor the acceptability of such testing in Jewish communities have been determined. This study reports a high acceptability of such genetic testing within a community sample of 300 Australian Jewish individuals—94% of participants would have a test for predisposition to colorectal cancer and a majority would make this decision based on the desire for information for their families and to decrease their own cancer risk. Some concerns were noted about genetic testing for cancer predisposition, including insurance discrimination, test accuracy and confidentiality.     

Do capuchin monkeys use weight to select hammer tools?

The extent to which tool-using animals take into account the properties of the tool is little explored. The use of percussors to crack open encapsulated fruit is a complex form of tool use, the choice of an adequate tool being a critical aspect in success. Several properties (e.g., material, resistance, friability, shape and weight) affect the suitability of an object to open a hard-shelled nut, with weight being amongst the most important factors. In general, heavier tools require fewer strikes to crack open a nut.     

Culture and Acculturation Influences on Palestinian Perceptions of Prenatal Genetic Counseling

Patient cultural backgrounds strongly influence decision-making processes and outcomes in genetic counseling. The present study investigated influences of culture and acculturation on prenatal decision making processes of native Palestinians and Palestinian Americans. Seventeen native Palestinians and 14 first-generation, Palestinian Americans were interviewed and asked to imagine themselves as patients in hypothetical premarital and prenatal situations. Five major issues were investigated: 1) Influence of family history of an inherited condition on pre-marital decisions; 2) Perceptions of non-directive genetic counselor statements regarding options; 3) Role of gender in prenatal decisions; 4) Gender differences in emotional expression; and 5) Role of family and society in prenatal decisions. Several similarities and differences in native Palestinian and Palestinian American responses were obtained. Similarities appear to be due to common cultural roots, while differences may be due to acculturation. Practice and research recommendations are provided. An erratum to this article can be found at     

人员选拔研究的新进展

本文在大量的文献基础上,从三个方面介绍了近十余年来人员选拔的新进展：预测源内容和过程研究、新兴选拔模式和内容研究、选拔有效性研究。从中可以看到人员选拔的以下几个特点：①在选拔模式和内容上．人员选拔突破了传统的框架;②选拔有效性原因研究受到重视;⑧团队成员选拔,跨文化选拔成为选拔研究的新热点．并获得了有价值的研究成果。