A Latent Profile Analysis of Suicidal and Self-Injurious Behavior, Other Dysregulated Behaviors, and Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms

Those with borderline personality disorder (BPD) exhibit many dysregulated behaviors, such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), dysregulated eating, and substance use. The purpose of this study was to examine BPD symptoms and levels of these dysregulated behaviors with latent profile analysis, which allows for the empirical investigation of distinct behaviors patterns among those with BPD. A non-clinical student sample was screened for elevated BPD symptoms (N=128, age =18.75 years [SD=1.05], 76.8% female) and used in mixture modeling analyses. Results supported five profiles from the sample, primarily distinguished by suicidality and NSSI: a low BPD-low dysregulated behavior profile, a low BPD profile with elevated suicidality, a low BPD profile with elevated NSSI, a high-BPD with low NSSI and somewhat elevated suicidality, and a high-BPD profile with high NSSI and low suicidality. Follow-up analyses indicated that other dysregulated behaviors did little to distinguish between those with high BPD symptoms. There were also important difference in motivational functions for NSSI between two of the profiles: those with high or low BPD symptoms who self-injured frequently. These findings are relevant to the ongoing debate about the existence of a NSSI disorder distinct from BPD

The posited effect of positive affect in anorexia nervosa: Advocating for a forgotten piece of a puzzling disease

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex and life‐threatening eating disorder. Current models of AN onset and maintenance have largely focused on the role of negative affect, while fewer models have described the role of positive affect (PA). Given that these theoretical models have informed current treatment approaches, and that treatment remains minimally effective for adults with AN, we advocate that targeting PA is one avenue for advancing maintenance models and by extension, treatment. We specifically propose that AN may arise and be chronically and pervasively maintained as a function of dysregulated PA in response to weight loss and weight loss behaviors (e.g., restriction, excessive exercise), to a degree that is not accounted for in existing models of AN. We present evidence from multiple domains, including biological, behavioral, and self‐report, supporting the hypothesis that PA dysregulation in AN contributes to the maintenance of the disorder. We conclude with several specific avenues for treatment development research as well as a call for future work elucidating the biological correlates of PA.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151291/1/eat23147.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151291/2/eat23147_am.pd

Transactions Processing Subsystems for Databases Based On ARIES Write-Ahead Logging for The Client-Server Architecture Approach

This paper proposes a formal framework specification that applies an advanced recovery mechanism, functional in a client-server architecture while addressing atomicity and consistency issues. Another palpable issue in using such dominant architectures is recovery. This paper also addresses this issue in context with the client-server architecture using extensions of the original ARIES algorithm and concepts of Software Transaction Memory. This novelty has been successfully implemented and tested for propriety and applicability

A Flexible Framework For Implementing Multi-Nested Software Transaction Memory

Programming with locks is very difficult in multi-threaded programmes. Concurrency control of access to shared data limits scalable locking strategies otherwise provided for in software transaction memory. This work addresses the subject of creating dependable software in the face of eminent failures. In the past, programmers who used lock-based synchronization to implement concurrent access to shared data had to grapple with problems with conventional locking techniques such as deadlocks, convoying, and priority inversion. This paper proposes another advanced feature for Dynamic Software Transactional Memory intended to extend the concepts of transaction processing to provide a nesting mechanism and efficient lock-free synchronization, recoverability and restorability. In addition, the code for implementation has also been researched, coded, tested, and implemented to achieve the desired objectives

To have and to hold: Modelling the drivers of employee turnover and skill retention in Australian organisations

This paper examines the determinants of employee turnover and long-term skill retention in Australian organisations. Three new perspectives are examined: the difference between short-run turnover and long-term retention; the role of different high performance work systems philosophies and human resource practices; and an examination of turnover for various groups of employees based on skill level. The results suggest that the role of learning within organisations is of fundamental importance in reducing short-run turnover and improving long-term skills retention. A series of training and human resource practices have also been found to be important for individual-specific skill categories, but general conclusions for all skill categories cannot be readily made. Finally, different drivers to short-term turnover maybe at play when retention is considered from a long-term strategic perspective. © 2011 Taylor & Francis

Critical international relations and the impact agenda

How should critical International Relations (IR) scholars approach the ‘impact agenda’? While most have been quite resistant to it, I argue in this essay that critical IR should instead embrace the challenge of impact – and that both IR as a field and the impact agenda more broadly would gain greatly from it doing so. I make this case through three steps. I show, firstly, that critical IR has till now been very much at the impact agenda’s margins, and that this situation contrasts strikingly with its well-established importance within IR teaching and research. I argue, secondly, that critical IR scholars both could and should do more impact work – that the current political conjuncture demands it, that many of the standard objections to doing so are misplaced, and indeed that ‘critical’ modes of research are in some regards better suited than ‘problem-solving’ ones to generating meaningful change – and offer a series of recommended principles for undertaking critically-oriented impact and engagement work. But I also argue, thirdly, that critical social science holds important lessons for the impact agenda, and that future impact assessments need to take these lessons on board – especially if critical IR scholarship is to embrace impact more fully. Critical IR, I submit, should embrace impact; but at the same time, research councils and assessments could do with modifying their approach to it, including by embracing a more critical and political understanding of what impact is and how it is achieved

Ertapenem susceptibility of extended spectrum beta-lactamase-producing organisms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Infections caused by multiply drug resistant organisms such as extended spectrum <it>beta</it>-lactamase (ESBL)-producing <it>Escherichia coli </it>and <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>are increasing. Carbapenems (imipenem and meropenem) are the antibiotics commonly used to treat these agents. There is limited clinical data regarding the efficacy of the newest carbapenem, ertapenem, against these organisms. Ertapenem susceptibility of ESBL-producing <it>E. coli </it>and <it>K. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates were evaluated and compared to imipenem to determine if imipenem susceptibility could be used as a surrogate for ertapenem susceptibility.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>100 ESBL isolates (n = 34 <it>E. coli </it>and n = 66 <it>K. pneumoniae</it>) collected from 2005–2006 clinical specimens at WRAMC were identified and tested for susceptibility by Vitek Legacy [bioMerieux, Durham, NC]. Ertapenem susceptibility was performed via epsilometer test (E-test) [AB Biodisk, Solna, Sweden].</p> <p>Results</p> <p>100% of ESBL isolates tested were susceptible to ertapenem. 100% of the same isolates were also susceptible to imipenem.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results, based on 100% susceptibility, suggest that ertapenem may be an alternative to other carbapenems for the treatment of infections caused by ESBL-producing <it>E. coli </it>and <it>K. pneumoniae</it>. Clinical outcomes studies are needed to determine if ertapenem is effective for the treatment of infection caused by these organisms. However, due to lack of resistant isolates, we are unable to conclude whether imipenem susceptibility accurately predicts ertapenem susceptibility.</p

Intrapersonal and interpersonal functions as pathways to future self-harm repetition and suicide attempts

Background: Research has identified functions of non-suicidal self-harm/self-injury (NSSH) but whether functions change over time, from adolescence to early adulthood, or predict the continuation of the behaviour prospectively remains unclear. This study aimed to prospectively explore whether intrapersonal and interpersonal NSSH functions in adolescence predict repetition of self-harm (regardless of suicidal intent) and incident suicide attempts in early adulthood. Methods: Participants were 528 individuals with NSSH at age 16 years from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a population-based birth cohort in the UK. Descriptive statistics were used to explore changes in functions over time from age 16 to 21, and logistic regression used to examine associations between NSSH functions and repeat self-harm and suicide attempts at age 21, 24 and 25 years. Findings: The majority of 16-year-olds with NSSH endorsed intrapersonal (e.g., affect regulatory) functions only (73% at 16 years and 64% at 21 years). Just under half of adolescents (42%) and three quarters of 21 years olds reported more than one function simultaneously. A greater number of intrapersonal functions at 16 years independently predicted future repetition of self-harm at ages 21-25 years, over and above interpersonal functions (OR=1.46, 95% CI 1.06 to 2.01). Interpersonal functions during adolescence did not predict repeat self-harm or suicide attempts in adulthood. Discussion: Our findings suggest that intrapersonal but not interpersonal NSSH functions are a prospective risk factor for future self-harm and might also predict incident suicide attempts. The results highlight the central role of underlying affective difficulties and motivations in self-harm maintenance