Disgust sensitivity is not associated with health in a rural Bangladeshi sample.

Disgust can be considered a psychological arm of the immune system that acts to prevent exposure to infectious agents. High disgust sensitivity is associated with greater behavioral avoidance of disease vectors and thus may reduce infection risk. A cross-sectional survey in rural Bangladesh provided no strong support for this hypothesis. In many species, the expression of pathogen- and predator-avoidance mechanisms is contingent on early life exposure to predators and pathogens. Using childhood health data collected in the 1990s, we examined if adults with more infectious diseases in childhood showed greater adult disgust sensitivity: no support for this association was found. Explanations for these null finding and possible directions for future research are discussed

Macroalgae Decrease Growth and Alter Microbial Community Structure of the Reef-Building Coral, Porites astreoides

This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by the Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plosone.org/home.action.With the continued and unprecedented decline of coral reefs worldwide, evaluating the factors that contribute to coral demise is of critical importance. As coral cover declines, macroalgae are becoming more common on tropical reefs. Interactions between these macroalgae and corals may alter the coral microbiome, which is thought to play an important role in colony health and survival. Together, such changes in benthic macroalgae and in the coral microbiome may result in a feedback mechanism that contributes to additional coral cover loss. To determine if macroalgae alter the coral microbiome, we conducted a field-based experiment in which the coral Porites astreoides was placed in competition with five species of macroalgae. Macroalgal contact increased variance in the coral-associated microbial community, and two algal species significantly altered microbial community composition. All macroalgae caused the disappearance of a γ-proteobacterium previously hypothesized to be an important mutualist of P. astreoides. Macroalgal contact also triggered: 1) increases or 2) decreases in microbial taxa already present in corals, 3) establishment of new taxa to the coral microbiome, and 4) vectoring and growth of microbial taxa from the macroalgae to the coral. Furthermore, macroalgal competition decreased coral growth rates by an average of 36.8%. Overall, this study found that competition between corals and certain species of macroalgae leads to an altered coral microbiome, providing a potential mechanism by which macroalgae-coral interactions reduce coral health and lead to coral loss on impacted reefs

Клиническое значение коморбидности аффективных расстройств и алкогольной зависимости

The aim was to study the clinical-psychopathological, clinical-follow-up, clinical-dynamic features of mood disorders (MD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) with their comorbidity combinations.Materials and methods. The study included 88 people with AUD and MD: 33 women (37.5%) and 55 (62.5%) men. The first group was 31 patients (35,0%) with AUD without comorbid affective symptoms, the second was 29 patients (33.0%) with MD without alcohol dependence, and the third was 28 patients (32.0%) with comorbid AUD and MD. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups by age and sex composition, by the level of statistical significance of differences (p = 0.115 – by sex, ð = 0.248 – by age). The study used clinical, psychopathological, clinical and follow-up, clinical, dynamic and statistical methods. Statistical processing was performed using Pearson’s χ2, Mann – Whitney U-test for comparing independent samples and Spearman’s correlation analysis (r).Results. Patients of the second and third groups were diagnosed with dysthymia more rarely in statistically significant values by the level of statistical significance of differences (10.4% and 32.1% respectively, p = 0.023) and this testifies to MD taking chronic course in patients with AUD. The average duration of bout of heavy-drinking in the first group was longer than in the third group – 7 (4; 17) and 5,5 (3.5; 9.5) days accordingly (p = 0.043). Duration of the disease in the first and third groups was 10 (6; 18.5) and 14 (10; 19.75) years, respectively (p = 0.036). It confirms the negative impact of comorbidity on the clinicaldynamic features in the case of co-existing of AUD and MD.Conclusion. The coexistence of alcohol dependence and affective pathology enhances the suicidal risk of certain diseases. A tendency to the early appearance of symptoms of AUD and their rapid dynamics, a shorter duration of light intervals of MD and AUC, a relatively low tolerance to alcohol and pronounced depressogenic effect of alcohol in the case of comorbidity were found. Цель исследования – изучение клинико-психопатологических, клинико-катамнестических, клинико-динамических особенностей аффективных расстройств (АР) и алкогольной зависимости (АЗ) приих коморбидных сочетаниях.Материалы и методы. Обследованы 88 человек с АР и АЗ – 33 женщины (37,5%) и 55 (62,5%)мужчин. Первая группа – 31 пациент (35,0%) с АЗ без коморбидной аффективной симптоматики,вторая – 29 больных (33,0%) с расстройством настроения без зависимости от алкоголя, третья – 28пациентов (32,0%) с коморбидным течением АЗ и АР. Между группами по половозрастному составупо уровню статистической значимости различий не выявлено (p = 0,115 – по половому составу, р= 0,248 – по возрастному составу). В исследовании использовался клинико-психопатологический,клинико-катамнестический, клинико-динамический и статистические методы. Статистическую обработку проводили с использованием χ2 Пирсона, U-критерия Манна – Уитни для сравнения независимых выборок и корреляционного анализа Спирмена (r).Результаты. У пациентов второй и третьей групп по уровню статистической значимости различийреже диагностировалась дистимия (10,4 и 32,1% соответственно, p = 0,023), что свидетельствует охроническом варианте течения аффективной патологии в группе пациентов, страдающих АЗ. Средняя продолжительность псевдозапоев в первой группе пациентов была выше – 7 (4; 17) сут, чем втретьей группе – 5,5 (3,5; 9,5) (p = 0,043). Давность заболевания в первой и третьей группах составила 10 (6; 18,5) и 14 (10; 19,75) лет соответственно (p = 0,036), что подтверждает негативное влияниекоморбидности на клинико-динамические особенности при сочетании АЗ и АР.Заключение. Сосуществование АЗ и аффективной патологии усиливает суицидальный риск отдельных заболеваний; в случае коморбидного течения АЗ и аффективной патологии отмечена тенденцияк раннему появлению симптомов АЗ и быстрой их динамике, меньшая продолжительность светлыхпромежутков АР и АЗ, относительно низкая толерантность к спиртному, более выражен депрессогенный эффект этилового спирта

Клиническая характеристика и эффективность антидепрессивной терапии аффективных расстройств при коморбидности с алкогольной зависимостью

 Aim. To determine the nosological and clinical features of mood disorders (MD) with comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and efficiency of antidepressant therapy.Materials and methods. We examined 88 patients with MD and comorbid AUD – 33 females (37.5%) and 55 males (62.5%). The first group included 31 patients with AUD without comorbid affective symptoms, the second group contained 29 patients with MD without AUD, the third group included 28 patients with AUD and MD. In the study, we applied clinical-psychopathologic, clinical-dynamic, and statistical methods with Pearson’s χ2 test, Mann – Whitney U-test (for comparison of independent samples), Kruskal – Wallis test (for more than two independent samples), and Wilcoxon test (for comparison of dependent samples). At the level of statistical  significance, no differences between the groups according to the gender – age composition were revealed (p = 0.115 – according to gender composition, р = 0.248 – according to age composition, Pearson’s χ2 test).Results. The patients with the diagnosis of AUD with comorbid MD showed worse dynamics of the reduction of depressive [from 24.0 (18.3; 33.0) to 9.0 (4.3; 12.0) points according to the Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SIGH-SAD)  (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test)] and anxiety [from 20.5 (12.5; 25.0) to 5.5 (3.3; 8.0) points according to the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test)] symptoms against the background of the therapy with initially lower indices compared to the group with MD alone [from 27.0 (21.0; 36.0) to 6.0 (5.0; 11.0) points according to SIGH-SAD (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test) (intergroup differences upon admission р = 0.046; upon  discharge р = 0.683, Mann – Whitney U-test) and from 21.0 (14.0; 29.0) to 5.0 (3; 10.5) points according to HARS (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test) (intergroup differences upon admission р = 0.082; upon discharge р = 0.825, Mann –  Whitney U-test)]. The course of AUD is characterized by a larger extent of malignancy in the group with a comorbidity: decrease in pathological  alcohol craving from 31.5 (16.3; 43.5) points to 8 (2.3; 14.8) (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test) in the group with a comorbidity and from 29.5 (21.8; 37.0) to 7 (3.0; 11.3) points with AUD alone (р = 0.001, Wilcoxon test) (intergroup  differences upon admission р = 0.058; upon discharge р = 0.04, Mann – Whitney U-test on the Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS).Conclusion. Clinical-dynamic characteristics of MD with comorbid AUD  result in therapeutic difficulties associated with comparatively worse dynamics of reduction of the symptoms of both diseases.   Цель исследования – определение нозологической структуры, клинических особенностей аффективных расстройств (АР) при коморбидности с алкогольной  зависимостью (АЗ) и эффективности антидепрессивной  терапии.Материалы и методы. Обследованы 88 человек с АР и АЗ – 33 женщины (37,5%) и 55 (62,5%) мужчин. Первая группа – 31 пациент с АЗ без коморбидной аффективной  симптоматики, вторая – 29 больных с расстройством настроения без зависимости от алкоголя, третья – 28  пациентов с коморбидным течением АЗ и АР. В исследовании применялись клинико-психопатологический,  клинико-динамический и статистический методы с  использованием критериев χ2 Пирсона, Манна – Уитни (для  сравнения независимых выборок), Краскела – Уоллиса (для более двух независимых выборок), Вилкоксона (для  сравнения зависимых выборок). По уровню статистической значимости различий между группами по половозрастному составу не выявлено (p = 0,115 – по половому составу, р = 0,248 – по возрастному составу, критерий χ2).Результаты. Пациенты с коморбидным диагнозом АЗ и АР демонстрируют худшую динамику редукции депрессивной (с 24,0 (18,3; 33,0) до 9,0 (4,3; 12,0) баллов по шкале SIGH-SAD (р = 0,001, критерий Вилкоксона)) и тревожной (с 20,5 (12,5; 25,0) до 5,5 (3,3; 8,0) баллов по шкале HARS (р = 0,001, критерий Вилкоксона)) симптоматики на фоне лечения, при изначально более низких показателях, в сравнении с группой с «чистыми» АР (с 27,0 (21,0; 36,0) до 6,0 (5,0; 11,0) баллов по SIGH-SAD (р = 0,001, критерий Вилкоксона) (межгрупповые различия при поступлении р = 0,046; при  выписке р = 0,683, критерий Манна – Уитни) и с 21,0 (14,0; 29,0) до 5,0 (3; 10,5) баллов по HARS (р = 0,001, критерий  Вилкоксона) (межгрупповые различия при поступлении р =  0,082; при выписке р = 0,825, критерий Манна – Уитни)).  Течение АЗ отличается большей злокачественностью в группе с коморбидностью: снижение патологического влечения к алкоголю с 31,5 (16,3; 43,5) балла до 8 (2,3; 14,8) (р = 0,001, критерий Вилкоксона) в группе с коморбидностью и с 29,5 (21,8; 37,0) до 7 (3,0; 11,3) баллов  при «чистой» АЗ (р = 0,001, критерий Вилкоксона) (межгрупповые различия при поступлении р = 0,058; при  выписке р = 0,04, критерий Манна – Уитни по обсессивно-компульсивной шкале употребления алкоголя). Заключение. Клинико-динамические характеристики  коморбидного сочетания АР и АЗ ведут к терапевтическим  затруднениям, сопряженным со сравнительно худшей  динамикой редуцирования симптомов каждого из заболеваний.

The Shadows of the Past

We examined associations between two orientations based on historical group trauma, a form of enduring group victimhood (Perpetual Ingroup Victimhood Orientation [PIVO]) and the belief that one’s group might itself become a victimizer (Fear of Victimizing [FOV]), and attitudes, cognitions, and emotions related to intergroup conflicts. PIVO was positively and FOV was negatively related to aggressive attitudes and emotions toward the outgroup (Studies 1a-1c, Israeli–Palestinian conflict), and to the attribution of responsibility for a series of hostilities to the outgroup (Study 3, Israeli–Palestinian conflict). PIVO was negatively and FOV positively related to support for forgiveness and reconciliation (Study 2, Northern Ireland conflict). In Experimental Study 4, FOV predicted greater accuracy in remembering harm, regardless of victims’ group identity, whereas PIVO was associated with reduced accuracy only when victims were Palestinians (outgroup members). Taken together, these findings indicate that both orientations have a significant impact on intergroup conflicts and their resolution

Barriers to sustainable consumption attenuated by foreign language use

The adoption of certain innovative products, such as recycled water, artificial meat and insect-based food, could help promote sustainability. However, the disgust these products elicit acts as a barrier to their consumption. Here, we show that describing such products in a foreign language attenuates the disgust these products trigger and heightens their intended as well as actual consumption

The effect of disgust-related side-effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety in people treated for cancer: a moderated mediation model

As maladaptive disgust responses are linked to mental health problems, and cancer patients may experience heightened disgust as a result of treatments they receive, we explored the associations between disgust-related side-effects and symptoms of depression and anxiety in people treated for cancer. One hundred and thirty two (83 women, Mage = 57.48 years) participants answered questions about their treatments, side-effects, disgust responding, and mental health. Experiencing bowel and/or bladder problems, sickness and/or nausea (referred to here as “core” disgust-related side-effects) was significantly related to greater symptoms of depression and borderline increased anxiety. Further, these links were explained by a moderated mediation model, whereby the effects of core disgust side-effects on depression and anxiety were mediated by (physical and behavioural) self-directed disgust, and disgust propensity moderated the effect of core disgust side-effects on self-disgust. These findings stress the importance of emotional responses, like disgust, in psychological adaptation to the side-effects of cancer treatments