Facial Emotional Perception, Psychosis, Antisocial Traits, and Violence in Schizophrenia

Compromised social cognition, psychosis, and antisocial traits are associated with violence in individuals with schizophrenia. Facial emotional perception (FEP) has been used to measure social cognition in schizophrenia, but its relationships to psychosis, antisocial behavior, and violence have not been explored. Archival data from a sample of 38 participants ages 18-55 with schizophrenia were analyzed in a quasi-experimental design using a 2-way analysis of variance to determine the relationship of psychosis, antisocial traits, and FEP. The main factors of the analysis were psychosis, classified as either high or low, and antisocial traits, classified as high or low. The dependent variable was FEP. Additionally, logistic regression was used to determine if the recent violent behavior was related to FEP, psychosis, and antisocial traits. Results showed significant main effects for psychosis and antisocial traits and interaction between psychotic state and antisocial traits. Logistic regression identified antisocial traits as a predictor of violence. The results are consistent with previous studies showing that a deficit in social cognition is a risk factor in violence. This study shows that antisocial traits are a predictor of a recent history of violence. These findings are consistent with the theory of the mind, perceptual organization theory, and integrative emotional system theory and provide additional information about how social cognition is manifested in some adults with schizophrenia. The study contributes to positive social change by providing a basis for treatment options with schizophrenia which distinguish social cognition, psychosis and antisocial behavior and violence

Are we really delivering evidence-based treatments for eating disorders? How eating disordered patients describe their experience of cognitive behavioral therapy

Psychotherapists report routinely not practising evidence-based treatments. However, there is little research examining the content of therapy from the patient perspective. This study examined the self-reported treatment experiences of individuals who had been told that they had received cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) for their eating disorder. One hundred and fifty-seven such sufferers (mean age = 25.69 years) were recruited from self-help organisations. Participants completed an online survey assessing demographics, clinical characteristics, and therapy components. The use of evidence-based CBT techniques varied widely, with core elements for the eating disorders (e.g., weighing and food monitoring) used at well below the optimum level, while a number of unevidenced techniques were reported as being used commonly. Cluster analysis showed that participants received different patterns of intervention under the therapist label of ‘CBT’, with evidence-based CBT being the least common. Therapist age and patient diagnosis were related to the pattern of intervention delivered. It appears that clinicians are not subscribing to a transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of eating disorders. Patient recollections in this study support the conclusion that evidence-based practice is not routinely undertaken with this client group, even when the therapy offered is described as such

Dominant Root Associated Fungi (RAF) from Drynaria quercifolia L. either Induce or Retard Growth of PSB Rc10 Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Gibberellic Acid-Inhibited Medium

The testing and use of microorganisms for in vitro growth promotion of agriculturally significant crops such as rice has increased but remains underexploited. The current study aims to explore growth-enhancing mechanisms of dominant root-associated fungi (RAF) isolates from Drynaria quercifolia and test their effects on rice. The most abundant RAF on five tree-collection sites were cultured in vitro. Genomic DNA of the RAF were extracted and the ITS (internal transcribed spacer) region of the 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were sequenced and molecularly identified. Two RAF isolates significantly increased the plant shoot/total length (Meyerozyma guilliermondii: 10.29±4.18/13.46±4.18 cm; Trichoderma simmonsii: 10.33±1.38/13.23+1.58 cm), shoot/total fresh weight (Meyerozyma guilliermondii: 57.33±15.76/71.00±16.10 mg; Trichoderma simmonsii: 63.22±12.23/76.00±10.67 mg) and shoot/total dry weight (Meyerozyma guilliermondii: 16.99±6.74/22.78±7.41 mg; Trichoderma simmonsii: 16.89±3.33/23.11±5.30 mg) weight compared to the negative control. These results possibly show the ability of the two isolates to produce the hormone gibberellic acid. On the other hand, three of the RAF isolates did not significantly increase seedling growth and biomass. The Trichoderma yunnanense (shoot: 0.36±0.16 cm; total: 0.53±0.20 cm), unidentified Mucoromycotina isolate F5P1RAF16 (shoot: 1.87±0.59 cm; total: 2.12±0.58 cm) and the unidentified Mucoromycotina isolate F9P2RAF21 (shoot: 3.26±1.56 cm; total: 5.19±2.00 cm) approximated the growth of rice seedlings inoculated with broth and water negative control (shoot: 4.40+2.27 cm; total: 6.38+2.28 cm). This possibly indicates the inability of these isolates to produce GA or their potential ability to produce growth-retarding metabolites. Preliminary data from this study reveal potential growth-promoting capacity of RAF isolates on rice

The Relationship between 21st century leadership zones and generational attitudes in the workplace of faculty members in a private basic education school

The study aimed to determine if there is a relationship between 21st century leadership zones and generational attitude in the workplace. The study made use of two instruments to gather data. These were The Leadership Assessment (Perrin et al., 2010) an

EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL SANITATION AND DISINFECTION MEASURES APPLICABLE FOR ANTIBIOTIC-FREE PIG PRODUCTION

Implementation of antibiotic-free production practices in pig barns to mitigate the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has led to reported increase in the occurrence of certain pathogens in the barn environment. One potential solution to address this issue is to develop improved sanitization and disinfection procedures to prevent the occurrence of increased pathogen prevalence and to eliminate or significantly reduce the exposure of pigs to potential antimicrobial-resistant pathogens. Hence, this study aimed to investigate alternative sanitization and disinfection procedures to reduce the prevalence of pathogens in pig production. Based on screening using developed assessment criteria (i.e., applicability, intrinsic property, cost and safety) and laboratory-scale tests, the application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and peracetic acid (PAA) were selected for further evaluation under in-barn conditions. In the barn tests, the surviving microbial population on different types of surfaces such as concrete (flooring), metal (drinkers), plastic (pens), and wood (partitions) in grow-finish, nursery, and farrowing rooms were assessed at various time points to compare the effectiveness of the selected treatments relative to a control treatment (conventional disinfectant). Based on the evaluation, the performance of PAA and SAEW was comparable to conventional disinfectants (Virkon) in grow-finish and farrowing rooms. Results also showed longer effectivity of PAA and SAEW compared to Virkon, up to 24 h after application, while the difference in the performance of the disinfectants tested in nursery rooms was largely influenced by the reduced efficacy of all treatments on rough surfaces like concrete. This study indicated that SAEW and PAA solutions could be a better alternative to conventional disinfectants. Economic analysis showed that PAA and SAEW increase the overall cost of disinfectant used per market pig by about 17 to 19%, resulting in $0.81 and$0.84 per market pig per cycle compared to Virkon with $0.675; this can be compensated by its better effectiveness against a broad spectrum of disease-causing microorganisms and prolonged reactivity over time. The present research will augment the biosecurity tools available to pig producers, particularly those who adopted antibiotic-free production practices, to mitigate the impact of restrictions on the use of antibiotics

Defining a Catholic teacher leader: Cultivating the seeds of Catholic school charism

This research study was an attempt to explore the attributes of a teacher as a leader in Catholic basic education schools. Becoming a teacher leader was a good reference to discover the attributes of teachers as leaders in Catholic basic education schools. It was considered as the substantive area of interest. In order to identify the main attribute of a teacher leader, the Classic Grounded Theory Methodology was utilized. It enabled the researcher to get closer to the phenomena under study through constant comparison analysis in each coding process – open, selective, and theoretical coding. Twenty-three participants from different Catholic basic education schools in the National Capital Region participated to provide a substantial response to the substantive area of interest. Hence, Cultivating the Seeds of Catholic School Charism has emerged as the main concern of teacher leaders in Catholic basic education schools. Four significant attributes have been identified and explained that resolved the emerging theory. These related attributes are: allowing to germinate, allowing to thrive, allowing to bloom, and allowing to proliferate. The main attributes of the teacher leader and the processes that go with it provide a new insight relative to educational leadership and management. Therefore, this study offers a better understanding of teacher leadership in Catholic basic education schools which has implications on leadership formation programs, succession planning, enhanced roles of teachers in these volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous times, application to other substantive areas, and further research

Dissemination of evidence-based practices for anxiety disorders in Wyoming: A survey of practicing psychotherapists

Despite the well-established effectiveness of exposure-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of anxiety disorders, therapists have been slow to adopt CBT into their clinical practice. The present study was conducted to examine the utilization of psychotherapy techniques for anxiety disorders among community practitioners in a rural setting in order to determine the current status of the dissemination of CBT. A sample of 51 licensed psychotherapists from various mental health professions was recruited from online practice listings in the state of Wyoming. Participants completed a survey assessing their use of various psychotherapy techniques in the past 12 months for clients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, and social phobia. Nearly all psychotherapists reported providing CBT, and techniques such as cognitive restructuring, arousal-reduction strategies, and mindfulness were used by the vast majority of respondents. Therapist-assisted exposure was rarely utilized, and providers who delivered exposure therapy often did so alongside other techniques of questionable compatibility with this approach. Non-evidence-based techniques were frequently used, particularly by self-proclaimed anxiety specialists. Our findings highlight the successes and failures of efforts to disseminate exposure-based CBT to community practitioners. Implications for clinical training and practice are discussed