Achievement and Aspiration

In contrast to previous work, our study considers both meaning and mediation factors in the achievement-aspiration relationship. In a sample of graduate students ("academic-career aspirants"), we examine sex differences in the achievement- aspiration relationship as they vary with type of academic achievement and professional aspirations, and as it is mediated by individuals' perceptions of their professional roles and their faculty's support. We find: (1) Women's achievement-aspiration conversion is different from, but not necessarily lower than, men's. Rather, the strength and direction of the relationship vary with aspiration type (traditional versus alternative) and, to some extent, with specific types of academic achievement (e.g., paper publication and GPA). (2) The mediators of the achievement-aspiration relationship also vary by sex and aspiration type. Notably, women's aspirations for traditional career rewards are largely a function of their perceptions of the structural availability of job opportunity.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68567/2/10.1177_073088848100800403.pd

Whole-genome sequencing reveals host factors underlying critical COVID-19

Critical COVID-19 is caused by immune-mediated inflammatory lung injury. Host genetic variation influences the development of illness requiring critical care1 or hospitalization2,3,4 after infection with SARS-CoV-2. The GenOMICC (Genetics of Mortality in Critical Care) study enables the comparison of genomes from individuals who are critically ill with those of population controls to find underlying disease mechanisms. Here we use whole-genome sequencing in 7,491 critically ill individuals compared with 48,400 controls to discover and replicate 23 independent variants that significantly predispose to critical COVID-19. We identify 16 new independent associations, including variants within genes that are involved in interferon signalling (IL10RB and PLSCR1), leucocyte differentiation (BCL11A) and blood-type antigen secretor status (FUT2). Using transcriptome-wide association and colocalization to infer the effect of gene expression on disease severity, we find evidence that implicates multiple genes—including reduced expression of a membrane flippase (ATP11A), and increased expression of a mucin (MUC1)—in critical disease. Mendelian randomization provides evidence in support of causal roles for myeloid cell adhesion molecules (SELE, ICAM5 and CD209) and the coagulation factor F8, all of which are potentially druggable targets. Our results are broadly consistent with a multi-component model of COVID-19 pathophysiology, in which at least two distinct mechanisms can predispose to life-threatening disease: failure to control viral replication; or an enhanced tendency towards pulmonary inflammation and intravascular coagulation. We show that comparison between cases of critical illness and population controls is highly efficient for the detection of therapeutically relevant mechanisms of disease

Overview of systematic reviews of mindfulness meditation-based interventions for people with long-term conditions

Context: Increasing numbers of people worldwide live with a long-term health condition (LTC). Finding new ways to support people diagnosed with LTCs is important, both to improve their health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to manage the demands on health services that their conditions present. This effort includes a recognition of the importance of interventions to promote self-care. A growing number of systematic reviews of mindfulness meditation-based interventions (MMIs) for people with long-term conditions (LTC) have been published but are diverse in scope and quality. Objectives: This systematic review of reviews aims to provide a critical overview of reviews evaluating studies using MMIs and to identify outcomes and conditions for which the clearest evidence exists for MMIs’ effectiveness. Design: The Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Medline, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases were searched in November 2013 for systematic reviews of MMIs for long-term health conditions (LTCs) published since January 2005. Review selection and methodological quality assessment were subject to independent checking. Results: Of 3178 identified articles, 27 papers reporting on 26 reviews met the inclusion criteria. A substantially consistent picture emerged. Improvements in depressive disorders, particularly recurrent major depression, were strongly supported. Evidence for other psychological conditions was limited by lack of data. In populations with physical conditions, the evidence for significant improvements in psychological well-being was clear, regardless of population or specific mindfulness intervention. Changes in physical-health measures were inconclusive; however, pain acceptance and coping were improved. Further research is needed to determine long-term and mindfulness-specific effects and to clarify the relationship between levels of mindfulness practice and outcomes. Conclusions: MMIs are potentially beneficial to people with depression and a range of long-term physical conditions, particularly in improving psychological well-being