Spousal similarity in depression: a dyadic latent panel analysis of the panel study of Belgian households

Dyadic latent panel analysis (DLPA) was applied to eight waves of the Panel Study of Belgium Households (N = 954 couples). DLPA decomposes the observed variance of both members of a dyad into variance due to stable factors, factors that gradually change over time, and occasion-specific factors including random error. Total observed similarity between members of a dyad on one occasion is decomposed into stable similarity, similarity in factors that change over time, and occasion-specific similarity. The results show that depressive symptoms are influenced by stable and changing factors and that spousal similarity in both factors contribute to spousal similarity in depression on a single occasion. Spousal similarity in factors that change gradually over time suggests that shared-environmental factors contribute to depressive symptoms.     

Comparison of tongue muscle characteristics of preterm and full term infants during nutritive and nonnutritive sucking

Background

Independent oral feeding requires coordination of suck, swallow and breathe and the lingual musculature plays a significant role in this coordinative action. However, clinical benchmarks of lingual function fundamental to successful feeding have not been explored.

Aims

The present study tests our model for quantifying infant lingual force and size and compares the muscle measures of interest in two cohorts: healthy full-term infants (FT) (N = 5) and healthy preterm infants (PT) (N = 6).

Method

Using an instrumented pacifier and bottle nipple, we determined the resultant compressive forces applied to the nipple by the tongue during nutritive (NS) and nonnutritive sucking (NNS). Muscle size was estimated from measures of posterior tongue thickness using ultrasonography.

Results

After controlling for weight and post menstrual age, statistically significant differences were found between FT and PT infants beginning to feed for NNS frequency and NS tongue force. Clinically significant differences were detected for NNS tongue force and posterior tongue thickness. Additionally, PT infants demonstrated a significant difference in mean tongue force between NS and NNS and FT infants did not. FT infants demonstrated a significant difference in mean frequency between NS and NNS and PT infants did not. Linear regression indicated that mean posterior tongue thickness alone predicted 55% of the variance in NS force.

Conclusions

Results demonstrate the feasibility of our approach and suggest that infant tongue muscle characteristics necessary for successful feeding differ between healthy full term infants and preterm infants who are beginning oral feeding.     

When Good Consumers Turn Bad: Psychological Contract Breach in Committed Brand Relationships

To better understand the conditions under which committed consumers continue to support their preferred brand after a transgression versus turn against the brand and the underlying theoretical process, we study the interplay between brand commitment and specific types of transgressions. Across three scenario‐based and field studies, we show that consumers have psychological contracts with brands, which dictate the terms of the relationship, and for committed consumers, violations of any aspect in (out of) the contract results in a negative (indifferent) response. Furthermore, we demonstrate that consumer trust is the underlying mechanism: committed consumers exhibit more negative responses to in‐contract transgressions as a result of their lower trust in the brand.     

Sb 2 Te 3 and In 0.2 Sb 1.8 Te 3 : A comparative study of thermoelectric and related properties

Sb 2 Te 3 and its solid solutions with group III elements such as In are materials of current interest for their potential thermoelectric applications. Single crystals of Sb 2 Te 3 and In 0.2 Sb 1.8 Te 3 have been grown by the Bridgman method and their powder X-ray diffractograms obtained and indexed. The transport properties, namely electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity, as well as the optical bandgap of the alloys have been measured and are compared. The ternary alloy containing In has a smaller optical bandgap and lower electrical and thermal conductivity than Sb 2 Te 3, but a higher Seebeck coefficient.     

Gambling, health and age: data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions.

The health effects of recreational gambling are presently unclear, particularly across age groups. Theories of healthy aging suggest that social activities, including gambling, may be beneficial to the health of older adults. Using cross-sectional data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (N=43,093), the authors examined associations between gambling (categorized as nongambling, recreational gambling, or problem/pathological gambling) and health and functioning measures stratified by age (40-64 years and >/=65). Problem/pathological gambling was uniformly associated with poorer health measures among both younger and older adults. Among younger respondents, poorer health measures were also found among recreational gamblers. However, among older respondents, recreational gambling was associated not only with some negative measures (e.g., obesity) but also with some positive measures (e.g., better physical and mental functioning). Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between gambling and health in older adults in the context of healthy aging.     

The utility of the AusEd driving simulator in the clinical assessment of driver fatigue

Several driving simulators have been developed which range in complexity from PC based driving tasks to advanced "real world" simulators. The AusEd driving simulator is a PC based task, which was designed to be conducive to and test for driver fatigue. This paper describes the AusEd driving simulator in detail, including the technical requirements, hardware, screen and file outputs, and analysis software. Some aspects of the test are standardized, while others can be modified to suit the experimental situation. The AusEd driving simulator is sensitive to performance decrement from driver fatigue in the laboratory setting, potentially making it useful as a laboratory or office based test for driver fatigue risk management. However, more research is still needed to correlate laboratory based simulator performance with real world driving performance and outcomes.     

BDNF Regulates the Intrinsic Excitability of Cortical Neurons

Neocortical pyramidal neurons respond to prolonged activity blockade by modulating their balance of inward and outward currents to become more sensitive to synaptic input, possibly as a means of homeostatically regulating firing rates during periods of intense change in synapse number or strength. Here we show that this activity-dependent regulation of intrinsic excitability depends on the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). In experiments on rat visual cortical cultures, we found that exogenous BDNF prevented, and a TrkB–IgG fusion protein reproduced, the change in pyramidal neuron excitability produced by activity blockade. Most of these effects were also observed in bipolar interneurons, indicating a very general role for BDNF in regulating neuronal excitability. Moreover, earlier work has demonstrated that BDNF mediates a different kind of homeostatic plasticity present in these same cultures: scaling of the quantal amplitude of AMPA-mediated synaptic inputs up or down as a function of activity. Taken together, these results suggest that BDNF may be the signal controlling a coordinated regulation of synaptic and intrinsic properties aimed at allowing cortical networks to adapt to long-lasting changes in activity.     

Therapeutic Identity among Clinical Psychology Professionals in India

This study explored the therapeutic identity among clinical psychology professionals in India with objectives of assessing therapeutic style, attitudes, orientation, values and its relationship with work experience, age and gender. Out of 79 clinical psychology professionals contacted, 50 gave written informed consent for participation in study. The data obtained from Psycho-Therapeutic Identity Questionnaire (ThIdQ). Cluster analysis of the responses on attitude scales revealed broad themes of therapeutic identity in the form of three cluster profiles: Vague psychodynamic assumptions with high self-doubt and low optimism about change (n = 9); Entangled in their own strong feelings of limitations and doubts as a therapist (n = 16); and Eclectic approach with low self-doubt and high optimism about change(n = 25). A lack of synchrony was seen between assessed and reported therapeutic orientation with overuse of the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) orientation. Correlation findings indicated that increased work experience in the field and higher age were associated with low self-doubt and high optimism about change in therapy. Findings on therapeutic identity provide mixed bag of results, positive as well as negative, with equal number of participants on each side.     

Correlates of religious,supernatural and psychosocial causal beliefs about depression among Latino immigrants in primary care

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to explore causal attributions about depression and to identify psychosocial factors associated with these beliefs among Latino immigrants. We interviewed 177 primary care patients with instruments to assess causal beliefs, depressive and somatic symptoms, ethnic identity and stigma. An exploratory factor analysis of the Causal Beliefs scale yielded three factors, “Balance,” “Psychosocial” and “Malevolent Spirituality/Transgressions” that were used as dependent variables in multivariate analyses. Depressive symptoms, age, country of origin and religiosity were significantly associated with particular factors of causal beliefs. Those with higher education were most likely to endorse psychosocial causal beliefs. Stigma pertained to causal beliefs related to “malevolent forces” and “personal transgressions.” In conclusion, psychosocial and religious explanations of illness were strongly endorsed by these Latino immigrants, indicating a dual system of Western-medicine and traditional beliefs. These results suggest culturally-specific interventions for improving health knowledge and communication with patients about depression.