The Precarious Role of Education in Identity and Value Formation Processes: the shift from state to market forces

This article briefly reviews the evolving role of major institutions thought to form, reproduce and transform individual as well as collective identities and values, with an emphasis on the impact of state vs market forces via educational systems. This is accompanied by a discussion of various pressures against the state to exert social control on identity and value formation processes. The growing influence of market forces on education and in turn on identity and value formation processes is outlined with reference to specific policy prescriptions that are aligned with the neoliberal agenda, for example the No Child Left Behind Act in the US. The analysis suggests that these prescriptions have contributed to a narrower role for education which may have positive as well as negative implications on identity and value formation processes

Neuropeptidomic Components Generated by Proteomic Functions in Secretory Vesicles for Cell–Cell Communication

Diverse neuropeptides participate in cell–cell communication to coordinate neuronal and endocrine regulation of physiological processes in health and disease. Neuropeptides are short peptides ranging in length from ~3 to 40 amino acid residues that are involved in biological functions of pain, stress, obesity, hypertension, mental disorders, cancer, and numerous health conditions. The unique neuropeptide sequences define their specific biological actions. Significantly, this review article discusses how the neuropeptide field is at the crest of expanding knowledge gained from mass-spectrometry-based neuropeptidomic studies, combined with proteomic analyses for understanding the biosynthesis of neuropeptidomes. The ongoing expansion in neuropeptide diversity lies in the unbiased and global mass-spectrometry-based approaches for identification and quantitation of peptides. Current mass spectrometry technology allows definition of neuropeptide amino acid sequence structures, profiling of multiple neuropeptides in normal and disease conditions, and quantitative peptide measures in biomarker applications to monitor therapeutic drug efficacies. Complementary proteomic studies of neuropeptide secretory vesicles provide valuable insight into the protein processes utilized for neuropeptide production, storage, and secretion. Furthermore, ongoing research in developing new computational tools will facilitate advancements in mass-spectrometry-based identification of small peptides. Knowledge of the entire repertoire of neuropeptides that regulate physiological systems will provide novel insight into regulatory mechanisms in health, disease, and therapeutics

Service engagement among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: Examining the role of insight and executive functioning

This study utilized a person-centered approach to investigate the role of insight and executive functioning in service engagement among patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The sample was comprised of 61 patients with schizophrenia-spectrum and psychotic disorders who were receiving outpatient treatment at the St. Luke’s Hospital Psychiatric Recovery Center. The study addressed gaps in the literature by testing the utility of an integrative insight model for predicting short-term service engagement among this population. Findings provided limited support for study hypotheses. Two distinct groups of patients with poor insight did emerge from the cluster analysis: one characterized by poor executive functioning and poor insight, and a second characterized by average executive functioning and poor insight. However, these two groups did not differ on clinician-rated service engagement over the first three months of treatment. Instead, level of insight at baseline, regardless of level of executive functioning, predicted 3-month service engagement. The small size of the average executive functioning—poor insight group may have prevented significant differences from emerging across the two poor insight groups, and thus future research evaluating integrative insight models will benefit from larger overall sample sizes. Also, level of executive functioning was assessed using a single index. Future research exploring associations between insight, executive functioning, and service engagement will benefit from more nuanced and comprehensive assessments of executive functioning. However, current findings do highlight the association between insight and service engagement and reinforce the importance of identifying patients with poor insight and providing them with additional clinical attention

Examining the Functions and Forms of Aggression in Adolescents Using the Person-Centered Approach

Abstract not availabl