The counselling self-estimate inventory (COSE): Does it work in Chinese counsellors?

Counselling self-efficacy is an important construct for research and evaluation in counsellors' competencies and training effectiveness. Larson et al. developed the Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory (COSE) for counsellors in America and examined its factor structure using exploratory factor analysis. They recommended a five-factor model (microskills, counselling process, difficult client behaviour, cultural competence, and awareness of values) and the use of the COSE for future research. However, little research has investigated the validity of the COSE in the context of counselling Chinese students in schools. In the present study, the factor structure of responses to the Chinese version of the Counselling Self-Estimate Inventory in a sample of 578 Hong Kong secondary school guidance teachers was examined using the EQS approach to confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that while a five-factor model was fairly able to fit the data, the deletion of items related to the awareness of values factor yielded a better fitting model. The discussion of potential uses and limitations of the C-COSE in the context of preparing and supervising school guidance personnel in student counselling is relevant to counselling psychologists and researchers in Hong Kong and other parts of the world.postprin

Impaired vasoreactivity in bodybuilders using androgenic anabolic steroids

Background Anabolic androgenic steroids are used by some bodybuilders to enhance performance. While the cardiovascular implications of supraphysiological androgen levels requires further clarification, use is associated with sudden death, left ventricular hypertrophy, thrombo-embolism and cerebro-vascular events. Materials and methods To further understand the effect of androgenic anabolic steroid abuse on vascular function, this study assessed vascular stiffness (pulse-wave analysis) and cardiovascular risk factors in 28 male, bodybuilding subjects, of whom ten were actively receiving anabolic agents (group A; 26·4 ± 7·2 years) and eight had undergone a 3-month ‘wash-out’ period (group B; 32·1 ± 7·1 years). The remaining ten bodybuilding subjects (group C; 24·4 ± 4·4 years) denied any past use of anabolic steroids or other performance enhancing drugs. Comparisons were made with ten sedentary male controls (group D, 29·3 ± 4·7 years). Results Endothelial independent dilatation in response to glycerol trinitrate was significantly impaired in the group currently using anabolic steroids (group A) compared with the other three groups [A (5·63 ± 3·24%) versus; B (11·10 ± 4·91%), C (17·88 ± 9·2%) and D (14·46 ± 3·9%), P < 0·0005, respectively], whereas no significant differences in endothelial-dependant dilatation were detected between the groups [A (5·0 ± 3·0%), B (7·4 ± 3·4%), C (9·6 ± 4·5%) and D (8·2 ± 3·3%), P < 0·059, respectively]. Conclusions Previous studies described a decline in vascular reactivity occurring in bodybuilding subjects which is independent of anabolic steroid use and may result from smooth muscle hypertrophy with increased vascular stiffness. This study revealed impaired vascular reactivity associated with anabolic agents and that improvement in vascular function may occur following their discontinuation

Mass Spectrometry Methods for Food Safety/Detection of Toxins in Food

In this chapter, a brief overview of fundamentals in mass spectrometry (MS) and on methods for food safety and detection of toxins in food is described. It is&nbsp;focused on ionization techniques, analyzers, high resolution MS, tandem MS and on different methodologies and approaches that modern mass spectrometry offers in this field

Evidence of Altered Cardiac Electrophysiology Following Prolonged Androgenic Anabolic Steroid Use

The non-therapeutic use of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) is associated with sudden cardiac death. Despite this, there is no proposed mechanism by which this may occur. Signal-averaged ECG (SAECG) allows the assessment of cardiac electrical stability, reductions of which are a known risk factor for cardiac arrhythmias. The aim of the present study was to examine cardiac electrical stability using SAECG in a group (n = 15) of long-term AAS users (AAS use 21.3 ± 3.1 years) compared with a group (n = 15) of age-matched weight lifters (WL) and age-matched sedentary controls [C (n = 15)]. AS, WL and C underwent SAECG analysis at rest and following an acute bout of exercise to volitional exhaustion. SAECGs were analyzed using a 40 Hz filter and were averaged over 200 beats. Results indicate a non-significant trend for increased incidence of abnormal SAECG measures at rest in AS (P = 0.55). However, AS demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of abnormalities of SAECG following exercise than C or WL (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the higher incidence of abnormal SAECG measurements immediately post-exercise in the AAS group places them at a greater risk of sudden death. The present study provides a strong contraindication to the use of AAS