Stress, resilience, and leisure coping among university students : applying the broaden-and-build theory

Iwasaki and Mannell (2000) defined leisure as a coping strategy in their hierarchical model demonstrating the psychosocial functions of leisure and its relationship to stress. Evidence suggests that leisure coping is affiliated with resilience, and that both predict stress-coping and wellbeing. However, a theoretical explanation of how resilience is associated with the stress-reducing properties of leisure coping is lacking. Using the broaden-and-build theory (Fredrickson, 2001), a model was developed proposing that resilient individuals proactively use leisure coping to cultivate positive emotions and in turn enhance wellbeing. Leisure coping and positive affect were suggested to mediate the relationship between resilience and wellbeing outcomes (stress and flourishing). The model was tested among 202 UK undergraduates, a population reported to experience high stress. Structural equation modelling revealed that resilience had a significant positive effect on flourishing. Leisure coping beliefs demonstrated a positive relationship with resilience, positive affect, and flourishing. Positive affect mediated the relationship between resilience and flourishing, and between resilience and stress. Leisure coping strategies did not meaningfully contribute to the model. Leisure beliefs may have emerged as more important than leisure strategies because leisure beliefs are relatively stable with more enduring effects on health and wellbeing, while leisure strategies are transient and situation-based. Future research should examine the relationships longitudinally to explore developmental change. Implications of the findings for undergraduates are discussed. Keywords: flourishing; leisure coping; positive emotion; resilience; student stres

Non-cognitive adaptive resourcefulness: scrutiny of its multidimensionality and nomological validity

Recent research has observed that Mental Toughness, Optimal Regulation, and Self-Efficacy share core features and variance. Investigators have named this commonality Non-Cognitive Adaptive Resourcefulness (NCAR). The NCAR validation study reported that the construct possesses promising psychometric properties, however, further research is required to replicate and extend these findings. Acknowledging this, the present paper using a UK-based sample of 1998 participants (Mage = 40 years, range 18-83), tested the NCAR model against competing alternatives (multidimensional and one-factor solutions), and assessed the nomological validity of NCAR in relation to Perceived Stress and Anxiety Control. Participants completed the self-report study measures online. Exploratory structural equation modelling revealed that a bifactor solution represented data more effectively than one-factor and multi-factor alternatives. Additionally, a structural equation model found that NCAR significantly predicted Perceived Stress (subfactors of Distress and Coping) and Anxiety Control (subfactors of Emotional Control, Threat Control, and Stress Control). Moreover, NCAR predicted PSS Coping and Emotional Control to a greater extent than the specific bifactors (Mental Toughness, Optimal Regulation, and Self-Efficacy). This suggested that NCAR comprises an underpinning, positive psychological energy that facilitates coping. Particularly, an enabling resource that enhances the capacity to thrive under pressure and retain emotional control in demanding and trying circumstances

Omega 3 fatty acids and the brain : review of studies in depression

The brain is a lipid-rich organ containing mostly complex polar&nbsp; phospholipids, sphingolipids, gangliosides and cholesterol. These lipids are involved in the structure and function of cell membranes in the brain. The glycerophospholipids in the brain contain a high proportion of&nbsp; polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) derived from the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. The main PUFA in the brain are docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, all cis 4,7,10,13,16,19-22:6) derived from the omega 3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid (AA, all cis 5,8,11,14-20:4) and docosatetraenoic acid (all cis 7,10,13,16-22:4), both derived from the omega 6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. Experimental studies in animals have shown that diets lacking omega 3 PUFA lead to substantial disturbances in neural function, which in most circumstances can be restored by the inclusion of omega 3 PUFA in the diet. In the past 10 years there has been an emerging interest in treating neuropsychological&nbsp; disorders (depression and schizophrenia) with omega 3 PUFA. This paper discusses the clinical studies conducted in the area of depression and omega 3 PUFA and the possible mechanisms of action of these PUFA. It is clear from the literature that DHA is involved in a variety of processes in neural cells and that its role is far more complex than simply influencing cell membrane properties.<br /

EVALUASI PENGELOLAAN DAN PENGKLASIFIKASIAN ASET DAERAH PADA PEMERINTAH PROVINSI SUMATERA SELATAN

Penulisan ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui evaluasi pengelolaan dan pengklasifikasian aset daerah pada pemerintah provinsi sumatera selatan. Penulisan menggunakan jenis data primer berupa wawancara kepada bagian pengelolaan aset daerah dan data sekunder berupa kartu inventaris barang A dan B. Hasil penulisan menunjukan bahwa adanya pencatatan aset yang tidak sesuai antara data manual yang dimiliki pengelola aset dengan yang berada di Sistem Informasi Manajemen Daerah (SIMDA) serta Sistem Informasi Manajemen Daerah (SIMDA) yang belum memberikan transparansi kerja karena hanya dapat diakses oleh pengelola aset saja tidak dapat diakses secara umum. Kesimpulan yaitu Pengelolaan Aset Daerah pada Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Selatan belum berjalan secara efektif dan efisien, yang berdampak pada pemborosan anggaran yang dikeluarkan. Saran yaitu Sebaiknya dilakukan pengecekan fisik setiap 3 (bulan) sekali untuk memastikan data yang tercatat akurat dan up to date, Sistem Informasi Manajemen Daerah (SIMDA) harus terus dikembangkan lagi sehingga tidak ada celah untuk terjadinya korupsi, kolusi, nepotisme (KKN)

An independent evaluation of the Routes into AHP Careers resource

Background People interested in a career in the Allied Health Professions (AHP), and those seeking occupational development, require effective online resources that provide up-to-date accessible information about related vocations. The Routes into Allied Health Professions (AHP) Careers Resource, which delivers this essential function launched on AHP Day, 14th October 2019. This report evaluates the effectiveness of the Resource from the perspective of the user/client. The Evaluation centres on three key domains: visibility, usability, and impact: Visibility refers to the ease with which respondents can locate the Resource on the web. This includes quality and quantity of promotional links and search engine results. Usability, in the context of web design, denotes user ‘friendliness’. Primary features include content layout, site interface, appearance, visual design and structure, ease of navigation, intuitiveness, search facilities, and readability/comprehension/clarity. Hence, key components of usability from the user/client perspective are Resource look and feel. In the present evaluation, usability relates also to accessibility, which indexes availability and responsiveness of the site. Explicitly, the expectation that the Resource provides users with current data/information in a rapid and effective manner. Finally, impact refers to the influence that the Resource has on the user/client. Particularly, the degree to which the resource elicits a favourable reaction and positively influences user/client feelings. Concomitantly, impact indexes whether users/clients perceive that the resource is beneficial to them. Specifically, that the Resource conveys important, relevant, meaningful, and helpful material. Methodology Design of the Evaluation Tool In order to assess user/client perceptions and interactions with the Resource the authors of the evaluation designed an online self-report tool. This took the form of an internet-based survey hosted by Qualtrics (see Appendix 1). Generally, researchers refer to this established, widely used approach as internet-mediated research (IMR). The advantage of IMR is that it possesses broad reach, facilitates the rapid collection of responses from diverse and distant geographical locations, and enhances disclosure by reducing social barriers. For these reasons, researchers mostly agree that IMR gathers representative, reliable and valid data. A potential disadvantage of IMR is bias in the form of common method variance (CMV). This typically occurs when participants respond in systematic ways to survey items because of poor design, or the desire to provide socially desirable responses. To prevent this in the current evaluation the self-report instrument divided information into distinct sections and utilised various response formats (i.e., 7-point Likert scale, Yes/No, open text, and select an option). Researchers generally acknowledge that these strategies reduce/eliminate bias, and encourage respondents to reflect on question content. Accordingly, the Evaluation survey comprised independent sections using different response formats that assessed Resource visibility, usability, and impact: • Demographics (i.e., age, preferred gender, ethnicity, and disability), • Reasons for using the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Careers Resource (yes/no), 2 • Experience of using the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Careers Resource (7-point Likert scale; 1= disagree strongly, 2= disagree moderately, 3= disagree moderately, 4= neither agree, nor disagree, 5= agree slightly, 6= agree moderately, 7=agree strongly), • Accessing the Allied Health Professions (AHP) Careers Resource [how and ease] (forced choice), • Careers information [increased awareness of vocational opportunities and qualifications] (yes/no) • Maximizing resource visibility, understanding/accessing AHP career, what users liked/disliked about the Resource, and further comments [open text responses]. The evaluation survey launched on the 24th of February 2019 and closed on the 9th of March 2019. Sample Criterion for inclusion was completion of survey section two (Reasons for using the AHP Careers Resource). In total 83 respondents began the evaluation. Of these, 49 (59%) reached the inclusion threshold. Thirty (36%) of the sample then progressed to survey completion. The average (mean) age of the sample was 39.91 years (standard deviation = 10.86), with a minimum age of 19 and a maximum age of 61. The sample comprised 11 men (mean age = 39.54, standard deviation = 10.89, minimum age = 22, maximum age = 61) and 38 women (mean age = 40.02, standard deviation = 10.99, minimum age = 19, maximum age = 61). In terms of ethnicity, 42 identified themselves as White: English / Welsh / Scottish / Northern Irish / British. Four participants identified as Asian, one as White: Irish, and two as any other White background. Within the sample, 42 indicated that they did not have a disability, two preferred not to say, and five reported the presence of a disability (three indicated a physical disability, and two indicated an intellectual disability)

Sustained striatal ciliary neurotrophic factor expression negatively affects behavior and gene expression in normal and R6/1 mice

Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by an elongation of CAG repeats in the HD gene, which encodes a mutant copy of huntingtin with an expanded polyglutatmine repeat. Individuals who are affected by the disease suffer from motor, cognitive, and emotional impairments. Levels of certain striatal-enriched mRNAs decrease in both HD patients and transgenic HD mice prior to the development of motor symptoms and neuronal cell death. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has been shown to protect neurons against chemically induced toxic insults in vitro and in vivo. To test the hypothesis that CNTF might protect neurons from the negative effects of the mutant huntingtin protein in vivo, CNTF was continuously expressed following transduction of the striatum by recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV2). Wild-type and R6/1 HD transgenic (R6/1) mice that received bilateral or unilateral intrastriatal injections of rAAV2-CNTF experienced weight loss. The CNTF-treated R6/1 HD transgenic mice experienced motor impairments at an earlier age than expected compared with age-matched control R6/1 HD transgenic animals. CNTF also caused abnormal behavior in WT mice. In addition to behavioral impairments, in situ hybridization showed that, in both WT and R6/1 mice, CNTF expression caused a significant decrease in the levels of striatal-enriched transcripts. Overall, continuous expression of striatal CNTF at the dose mediated by the expression cassette used in this study was detrimental to HD and wild-type mice. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/58641/1/21636_ftp.pd

Dosimetry considerations in the irradiation of biological populations

The effects of changes in dosimetry conditions on the radiation sensitivity of a constant biological population were determined. The organism used for this study was the strain B of Escherichia coli. The percentage survivals of these cells in an aqueous solution were determined at the same total exposure with different quality x-rays. The total absorbed dose was measured as a function of x-ray quality. During all irradiations the focal-target distance, tube current, field size, and biological population were held constant. The distribution of radiation to which the organisms were exposed was kept constant by the use of a rotating exposure platform. This platform was constructed of materials such that the contributions from backscatter would be minimized. The results indicated that the test organism was more sensitive to low energy x-rays than to high energy x-rays in the range from 15 keV to 145 keV effective energy. However, at low effective x-ray energies the absorbed dose was found to be lower than at higher effective energies. This was explained by differences in the specific ionization of different energy x-rays in aqueous solutions. It was concluded that dosimetry conditions are a significant factor in the determination of the radiation sensitivity of E. coli B. The results indicate the necessity of reporting accurate exposure conditions when studying the radiation response of biological populations

Development and Evaluation of the Chronic Time Pressure Inventory

The negative effects of chronic time pressure (i.e., time shortage and feelings of being rushed) are pervasive within modern society. Noting this, and the absence of an established self-report measure, the present paper developed and evaluated the Chronic Time Pressure Inventory (CTPI). Established theory informed the generation of items, resulting in an initial 15-item measure. Study 1, using parallel analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, examined CTPI factorial structure within a sample of 401 respondents. Additionally, reliability (omega and alpha) and convergent validity testing occurred by correlating the CTPI with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10). Study 2 replicated the emergent, superior factor model in an independent sample of 163 respondents and assessed measurement invariance. Analysis further examined reliability (omega and alpha) and convergent validity. Across the two studies, results supported a bifactor solution, where a general overarching factor encompassed two discrete, but overlapping temporal factors (i.e., Feeling Harried and Cognitive Awareness of Time Shortage). Invariance testing indicated invariance of form, factor loadings, item intercepts and residuals across Study 1 and 2. The CTPI also demonstrated good internal reliability and satisfactory convergent validity with the PSS-10. Findings supported Szollos’ (2009) theoretical conceptualization of chronic time pressure and established the CTPI as a psychometrically sound, theoretically aligned measure of the construct. Indeed, results advocate the CTPI as a promising instrument for conducting survey-based research into chronic time pressure