Reduced specificity of autobiographical memories following a negative mood induction

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) to emotional and neutral cue words appears to be a stable cognitive marker of clinical depression. For example, reduced AMS is present in remitted/recovered depressed patients and shows no reliable relationship with current levels of depressed mood in correlational studies. The present study examined whether reduced AMS could be induced in healthy volunteers with no history of depression, using a negative mood manipulation and whether levels of AMS and induced mood were positively correlated. Results showed a reduction in AMS following negative mood induction, compared to a neutral induction, whereas positive mood induction had no effects on AMS. Furthermore, lower happiness following the induction phase correlated positively with reduced AMS, and the extent of happiness reduction from pre- to post-induction correlated positively with reduction in AMS. These results suggest that AMS is, at least in part, a function of current emotion state. The implications for the literature on AMS as a stable marker of clinical depression are discussed

The Impact of Affective Context on Autobiographical Recollection in Depression.

Across two studies we investigated the influence of contextual cues on autobiographical memory recall. In Study 1, participants (N = 37) with major depressive disorder, in episode or in varying degrees of remission, were administered a Negative Autobiographical Memory Task (NAMT) that required them to retrieve negatively valenced memories in response to positive cue words (a positive context). We reasoned that increased depression symptom severity would be associated with a reduced ability to override priming from this disadvantageous context. Consequently, we hypothesized that increased depressive severity would counterintuitively be associated with reduced negativity ratings for retrieved personal memories to positive cues on the NAMT. This hypothesis was supported. Study 2, using a community sample (N = 63), demonstrated that a similar reduction in memory negativity was observed in individuals with lower working memory capacity-an index of executive control. Implications for autobiographical memory and executive training paradigms for depression are discussed

Impact of culture on autobiographical life structure in depression.

OBJECTIVES: Distortions in autobiographical memory have been implicated in major depressive disorder (MDD). Those with MDD demonstrate a 'depressogenic' autobiographical life structure. Research has not examined how culture influences this process. We investigated whether Malay individuals (members of an interdependent culture) with MDD demonstrated a 'depressogenic' autobiographical life structure similar to that of British individuals (members of an independent culture) with MDD. DESIGN: A 2 (Culture; Malay, British) × 2 (Mood; depressed, control) cross-sectional design using a card sort task and self-report measures was used. METHODS: Malay individuals with MDD or no history of MDD completed the life-structure card-sorting task, which provided a novel method for investigating organizational structure of the life narrative. These data were compared to previously collected data in which British individuals with MDD or without MDD had completed the same task within the same experimental protocol. RESULTS: Pan-culturally those with MDD had greater negativity (i.e., used more negative attributes), negative redundancy (i.e., used the same negative attributes repeatedly across life chapters) and negative emodiversity (i.e., had greater variety and relative abundance of negative attributes), and reduced positive redundancy (i.e., used the same positive attributes repeatedly across chapters) in their structuring relative to controls. While the British MDD group had greater compartmentalization (i.e., the negative and positive attributes were clustered separately across different chapters) than British controls, the Malay MDD group had lower levels of compartmentalization than Malay controls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest culture may shape aspects of the autobiographical life structure in MDD. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The majority of the literature investigating depression pertains to individuals from European Western cultures, despite recognition that depression ranks as one of the most debilitating diseases worldwide. This raises questions as to whether current depression models and interventions can be applied universally or whether they are limited to European Western groups. The current study found that pan-culturally those with MDD had similar structuring of their life story relative to controls. However, there were some cultural differences that need to be considered (e.g., Malay individuals provided less detailed, less elaborate and less emotionally diverse life stories and while the British MDD group had greater compartmentalization than British controls, the Malay MDD group had lower levels of compartmentalization than Malay controls). Limitations of the study included group differences in gender and mood at the time of testing. Cultural differences in the number of attributes used may have influenced findings. Only the Malay group completed the individualism-collectivism measure

A cash-based intervention and the risk of acute malnutrition in children aged 6-59 months living in internally displaced persons camps in Mogadishu, Somalia: A non-randomised cluster trial.

BACKGROUND: Somalia has been affected by conflict since 1991, with children aged <5 years presenting a high acute malnutrition prevalence. Cash-based interventions (CBIs) have been used in this context since 2011, despite sparse evidence of their nutritional impact. We aimed to understand whether a CBI would reduce acute malnutrition and its risk factors. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We implemented a non-randomised cluster trial in internally displaced person (IDP) camps, located in peri-urban Mogadishu, Somalia. Within 10 IDP camps (henceforth clusters) selected using a humanitarian vulnerability assessment, all households were targeted for the CBI. Ten additional clusters located adjacent to the intervention clusters were selected as controls. The CBI comprised a monthly unconditional cash transfer of US$84.00 for 5 months, a once-only distribution of a non-food-items kit, and the provision of piped water free of charge. The cash transfers started in May 2016. Cash recipients were female household representatives. In March and September 2016, from a cohort of randomly selected households in the intervention (n = 111) and control (n = 117) arms (household cohort), we collected household and individual level data from children aged 6-59 months (155 in the intervention and 177 in the control arms) and their mothers/primary carers, to measure known malnutrition risk factors. In addition, between June and November 2016, data to assess acute malnutrition incidence were collected monthly from a cohort of children aged 6-59 months, exhaustively sampled from the intervention (n = 759) and control (n = 1,379) arms (child cohort). Primary outcomes were the mean Child Dietary Diversity Score in the household cohort and the incidence of first episode of acute malnutrition in the child cohort, defined by a mid-upper arm circumference < 12.5 cm and/or oedema. Analyses were by intention-to-treat. For the household cohort we assessed differences-in-differences, for the child cohort we used Cox proportional hazards ratios. In the household cohort, the CBI appeared to increase the Child Dietary Diversity Score by 0.53 (95$29.60 (95% CI 3.51; 55.68), increase the household Food Consumption Score by 14.8 (95% CI 4.83; 24.8), and decrease the Reduced Coping Strategies Index by 11.6 (95% CI 17.5; 5.96). The study limitations were as follows: the study was not randomised, insecurity in the field limited the household cohort sample size and collection of other anthropometric measurements in the child cohort, the humanitarian vulnerability assessment data used to allocate the intervention were not available for analysis, food market data were not available to aid results interpretation, and the malnutrition incidence observed was lower than expected. CONCLUSIONS: The CBI appeared to improve beneficiaries' wealth and food security but did not appear to reduce acute malnutrition risk in IDP camp children. Further studies are needed to assess whether changing this intervention, e.g., including specific nutritious foods or social and behaviour change communication, would improve its nutritional impact. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN Registy ISRCTN29521514

Affective enhancement of working memory is maintained in depression.

We currently know little about how performance on assessments of working memory capacity (WMC) that are designed to mirror the concurrent task demands of daily life are impacted by the presence of affective information, nor how those effects may be modulated by depression-a syndrome where sufferers report global difficulties with executive processing. Across 3 experiments, we investigated WMC for sets of neutral words in the context of processing either neutral or affective (depressogenic) sentences, which had to be judged on semantic accuracy (Experiments 1 and 2) or self-reference (Experiment 3). Overall, WMC was significantly better in the context of depressogenic compared with neutral sentences. However, there was no support for this effect being modulated by symptoms of depression (Experiment 1) or the presence of recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD; Experiments 2 and 3). Implications of these findings for cognitive theories of the role of WM in depression are discussed in the context of a growing body of research showing no support for a differential impact of depressogenic compared with neutral information on WM accuracy. (PsycINFO Database Recor

Evaluation of an emergency department lean process improvement program to reduce length of stay

Study objective In recent years, lean principles have been applied to improve wait times in the emergency department (ED). In 2009, an ED process improvement program based on lean methods was introduced in Ontario as part of a broad strategy to reduce ED length of stay and improve patient flow. This study seeks to determine the effect of this program on ED wait times and quality of care. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all ED visits at program and control sites during 3 program waves from April 1, 2007, to June 30, 2011, in Ontario, Canada. Time series analyses of outcomes before and after the program and difference-in-differences analyses comparing changes in program sites with control sites were conducted. Results In before-after models among program sites alone, 90th percentile ED length of stay did not change in wave 1 (–14 minutes [95% confidence interval {CI} –47 to 20]) but decreased after wave 2 (–87 [95% CI –108 to –66]) and wave 3 (–33 [95% CI –50 to –17]); median ED length of stay decreased after wave 1 (–18 [95% CI –24 to –12]), wave 2 (–23 [95% CI –27 to –19]), and wave 3 (–15 [95% CI –18 to –12]). In all waves, decreases were observed in time to physician assessment, left-without-being-seen rates, and 72-hour ED revisit rates. In the difference-in-difference models, in which changes in program sites were compared with controls, the program was associated with no change in 90th percentile ED length of stay in wave 2 (17 [95% CI –0.2 to 33]) and increases in wave 1 (23 [95% CI 0.9 to 45]) and wave 3 (31 [95% CI 10 to 51]), modest reductions in median ED length of stay in waves 2 and 3 alone, and a decrease in time to physician assessment in wave 3 alone. Conclusion Although the program reduced ED waiting times, it appeared that its benefits were diminished or disappeared when compared with that of control sites, which were exposed to system-wide initiatives such as public reporting and pay for performance. This study suggests that further evaluation of the effectiveness of lean methods in the ED is warranted before widespread implementation

Prospectus, October 10, 1984

SO YOU AND THE BULLY ON THE BLOCK ARE GOING TO DESTROY THE WORLD?\u27; PC Digest; Use your vote to make needed changes; First semester headaches; Auntie Miranda-Yes? or No?; Dear Reader; PC Happenings; Lifelong Learners to meet; Parkalnd schedules special registration; Workshop focuses on time management; Animal Health Technicians conference set; Health issues series continues; Emotional problems reason for help, not condemnation; Consumer Health Care Hotline; Notes of interest Prospectus read far and wide; Pictures worth more than a thousand words and dollars; Parkland instructor to teach GM class; Staff profile-Jim Scott-Entertainment writer; Advice from the duodenum-by Auntie Miranda; Wallace and Gray assets to both Parkland and \u27Taken in Marriage\u27; Music Poll; Explore the workings of the brain; Who\u27s top in pop?; Chick\u27s newest more than child\u27s play; Don\u27t miss a night of hilarity; Creative Corner...Especially for you!!; \u27The Foreigner\u27; The alarm clock-Monday morning blues; Natural selection; Bittersweet Memory; Pathways; Beautiful Stranger; Too Late; Love in the winter woods; \u27Doom Story\u27 the nightmare begins; Eternity; Green Eyes; Our day; Rejoice the Poet; Life Choices; Our place; Classifieds; Trust and acceptance provide supportive atmosphere; Change brings creation of destiny; Did You Know...; Kirby leads Cobra harriers to 7th; Lady Cobras win three, improve record to 18-5; A Tale of Three Freshmen; IM Volleyball; IM Football; Kirby says \u27Running is good for heart\u27; Schriefer takes pride in Parkland X-Country; Stewart places 3rd to lead Lady Cobras; Mullen twins guests on Cobra Raphttps://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1984/1009/thumbnail.jp

Top Quark Seesaw, Vacuum Structure and Electroweak Precision Constraints

We present a complete study of the vacuum structure of Top Quark Seesaw models of the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking, including bottom quark mass generation. Such models emerge naturally from extra dimensions. We perform a systematic gap equation analysis and develop an improved broken phase formulation for including exact seesaw mixings. The composite Higgs boson spectrum is studied in the large-N_c fermion-bubble approximation and an improved renormalization group approach. The theoretically allowed parameter space is restrictive, leading to well-defined predictions. We further analyze the electroweak precision constraints. Generically, a heavy composite Higgs boson with a mass of ~1TeV is predicted, yet fully compatible with the precision data.Comment: 73 pages, 26 Figures, Latex2e (minor refinements, one Fig added

Age shall not weary us: Deleterious effects of self-regulation depletion are specific to younger adults

Self-regulation depletion (SRD), or ego-depletion, refers to decrements in self-regulation performance immediately following a different self-regulation-demanding activity. There are now over a hundred studies reporting SRD across a broad range of tasks and conditions. However, most studies have used young student samples. Because prefrontal brain regions thought to subserve self-regulation do not fully mature until 25 years of age, it is possible that SRD effects are confined to younger populations and are attenuated or disappear in older samples. We investigated this using the Stroop color task as an SRD induction and an autobiographical memory task as the outcome measure. We found that younger participants (<25 years) were susceptible to depletion effects, but found no support for such effects in an older group (40–65 years). This suggests that the widely-reported phenomenon of SRD has important developmental boundary conditions casting doubt on claims that it represents a general feature of human cognition

Physics searches at the LHC

With the LHC up and running, the focus of experimental and theoretical high energy physics will soon turn to an interpretation of LHC data in terms of the physics of electroweak symmetry breaking and the TeV scale. We present here a broad review of models for new TeV-scale physics and their LHC signatures. In addition, we discuss possible new physics signatures and describe how they can be linked to specific models of physics beyond the Standard Model. Finally, we illustrate how the LHC era could culminate in a detailed understanding of the underlying principles of TeV-scale physics.Comment: 184 pages, 55 figures, 14 tables, hundreds of references; scientific feedback is welcome and encouraged. v2: text, references and Overview Table added; feedback still welcom