The Role Body-Esteem Plays in Impairment Associated with Hair-Pulling and Skin Picking in Adolescents

Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder, HPD) and pathological skin picking (PSP) are associated with significant rates of psychosocial impairment and distress. Little research has addressed the physical consequences and associated impairment in youth (e.g., poor body-esteem). The present study explores the relationship between body-esteem, skin picking (SP), and pulling-related impairment in a sample of adolescents with primary HPD. Ninety four adolescents who pull their hair, 40 of whom also pick their skin, were recruited via internet-sampling as part of the Child and Adolescent Trichotillomania Impact Study (CA-TIP). All youth and a parent completed anonymous questionnaires online assessing psychiatric symptoms, repetitive behaviors, and psychosocial impairment, among other variables. Appearance-based body-esteem was not found to be predictive of more severe psychosocial impairment in these youth. However, SP, in combination with HPD, contributed to worse appearance-based body-esteem above and beyond symptoms of HPD alone. The current study suggests that psychosocial functioning in youth with HPD is less impacted by body-esteem or pulling than other factors (e.g., depression and anxiety), and that SP contributes to lowered body-esteem. These findings suggest the importance of addressing body-esteem in case conceptualization for youth with both HPD and SP. Further research is required to confirm these suggestions

Phylogenetic relationships of the Wolbachia of nematodes and arthropods

Wolbachia are well known as bacterial symbionts of arthropods, where they are reproductive parasites, but have also been described from nematode hosts, where the symbiotic interaction has features of mutualism. The majority of arthropod Wolbachia belong to clades A and B, while nematode Wolbachia mostly belong to clades C and D, but these relationships have been based on analysis of a small number of genes. To investigate the evolution and relationships of Wolbachia symbionts we have sequenced over 70 kb of the genome of wOvo, a Wolbachia from the human-parasitic nematode Onchocerca volvulus, and compared the genes identified to orthologues in other sequenced Wolbachia genomes. In comparisons of conserved local synteny, we find that wBm, from the nematode Brugia malayi, and wMel, from Drosophila melanogaster, are more similar to each other than either is to wOvo. Phylogenetic analysis of the protein-coding and ribosomal RNA genes on the sequenced fragments supports reciprocal monophyly of nematode and arthropod Wolbachia. The nematode Wolbachia did not arise from within the A clade of arthropod Wolbachia, and the root of the Wolbachia clade lies between the nematode and arthropod symbionts. Using the wOvo sequence, we identified a lateral transfer event whereby segments of the Wolbachia genome were inserted into the Onchocerca nuclear genome. This event predated the separation of the human parasite O. volvulus from its cattle-parasitic sister species, O. ochengi. The long association between filarial nematodes and Wolbachia symbionts may permit more frequent genetic exchange between their genomes

An evaluation of the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale's psychometric properties using portuguese teachers

Classroom management research is an important topic as teachers cannot effectively educate students in unstructured environments. With that said, few psychometrically sound measures are available to measure behavior and instructional management. Using 1520 Portuguese teachers, we evaluated the Behavior and Instructional Management Scale's (BIMS) psychometric properties using Bayesian estimation and found that the original 12-item scale provided reasonable evidence of factorial validity and internal consistency reliability; however, a slightly revised model may be more promising. The BIMS subscales also had strong concurrent validity evidence based on the associations with perceived student engagement, perceived instructional strategies, and perceived classroom management

e-Mental Health in Central Massachusetts

e-Mental Health in Central Massachusetts (EMH) is a web-based resource designed to improve access to evidence-based mental health information and local resources for mental health professionals and consumers. The Lamar Soutter Library, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), in collaboration with the UMMS Department of Psychiatry and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, developed EMH to meet the needs of practitioners, patients and caregivers. The project provides an integrative web-based information resource that includes searchable databases of (1) local mental health care services and (2) quality-filtered information about mental health conditions and diseases. Centralized access to professional resources, information literacy training, professional reference services and document delivery to a traditionally underserved population are also provided. After training, participants in the program use the resource regularly and demonstrate heightened awareness of reliable mental health information available to them. The collaborative spirit also continues and will surely benefit future endeavors

Spectral signatures of photosynthesis II: coevolution with other stars and the atmosphere on extrasolar worlds

As photosynthesis on Earth produces the primary signatures of life that can be detected astronomically at the global scale, a strong focus of the search for extrasolar life will be photosynthesis, particularly photosynthesis that has evolved with a different parent star. We take planetary atmospheric compositions simulated by Segura, et al. (2003, 2005) for Earth-like planets around observed F2V and K2V stars, modeled M1V and M5V stars, and around the active M4.5V star AD Leo; our scenarios use Earth's atmospheric composition as well as very low O2 content in case anoxygenic photosynthesis dominates. We calculate the incident spectral photon flux densities at the surface of the planet and under water. We identify bands of available photosynthetically relevant radiation and find that photosynthetic pigments on planets around F2V stars may peak in absorbance in the blue, K2V in the red-orange, and M stars in the NIR, in bands at 0.93-1.1 microns, 1.1-1.4 microns, 1.5-1.8 microns, and 1.8-2.5 microns. In addition, we calculate wavelength restrictions for underwater organisms and depths of water at which they would be protected from UV flares in the early life of M stars. We estimate the potential productivity for both surface and underwater photosynthesis, for both oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis, and for hypothetical photosynthesis in which longer wavelength, multi-photosystem series are used.Comment: 59 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, forthcoming in Astrobiology ~March 200

Curriculum Materials for Elementary Reading: Shackles and Scaffolds for Four Beginning Teachers

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to learn how beginning elementary teachers understood and used curriculum materials for teaching reading, and how, in turn, these materials shaped teachers\u27 instruction. We followed 4 teachers who worked in markedly different school situations and were provided a variety of curriculum materials, ranging from scripted reading programs to supplemental materials without teaching guides. Data were gathered through classroom observations, interviews, and curriculum artifacts over the teachers\u27 first 3 years on the job. Our analysis suggested that curriculum materials interacted with teachers\u27 knowledge of reading and reading instruction, and with the contexts in which they worked. As a result, curriculum materials both fostered and inhibited teachers\u27 on-the-job learning. We found that the 2 teachers with weak knowledge or more restrictive materials and environments learned the least and were least able to adapt instruction to meet the needs of their students. The 2 teachers with stronger knowledge, access to multiple materials, and support for decision making regarding materials and instructional strategies learned the most and were most able to adapt instruction. Furthermore, early experiences with specific curriculum materials had effects 2 years later on these teachers\u27 instructional practices. Implications for curriculum mandates, material selection, and professional development are discussed

Biology and Clinical Significance of Virulence Plasmids in Salmonella Serovars

Non-typhoid Salmonella strains containing virulence plasmids are highly associated with bacteremia and disseminated infection in humans. These plasmids are found in Salmonella serovars adapted to domestic animals, such as Salmonella dublin and Salmonella choleraesuis, as well as in the widely distributed pathogens Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis. Although virulence plasmids differ between serovars, all contain a highly conserved 8-kb region containing the spv locus that encodes the spvR regulatory gene and four structural spvABCD genes. Studies in mice suggest that the spv genes enhance the ability of Salmonella strains to grow within cells of the reticuloendothelial system. The spv genes are not expressed during exponential growth in vitro but are rapidly induced following entry of Salmonella strains into mammalian cells, including macrophages. Transcription of the spv genes is controlled by the stationary-phase (T factor RpoS, and mutations in RpoS abolish virulence. These studies suggest that the ability of Salmonella strains to respond to starvation stress in the host tissues is an essential component of virulenc

Gender impacts the post-exercise substrate and endocrine response in trained runners

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although several studies have investigated gender differences in the substrate and endocrine responses during and following endurance exercise, few have studied sex differences during a more prolonged recovery period post endurance exercise. The purpose of this study was to compare and characterize the endocrine and substrate profiles of trained male and female adult runners during the three-and-a-half hour recovery period from an endurance run.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>After consuming a euenergetic diet (1.8 g·kg^-1·d^-1protein, 26% fat, 58% carbohydrates, 42.8 ± 1.2 kcal/kg body weight) for 8 days, blood was collected from trained male (n = 6, 21 yrs, 70 kg, 180 cm, 9% body fat, VO_2peak78.0 ± 3.4 mL·kg FFM^-1·min^-1) and female (n = 6, 23 y, 66 kg, 170 cm, 29% body fat, VO_2peak71.6 ± 4.5 mL·kg FFM^-1·min^-1) endurance runners at rest and during recovery from a 75 min run at 70% VO_2peak. Circulating levels of glucose, lactate, free fatty acids (FFAs), insulin, cortisol, growth hormone (GH), and free insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the recovery period, females experienced increases in glucose, lactate and insulin while no changes were noted in men (<it>P </it>< 0.05). Males experienced increases in GH and decreases in IGF-I levels respectively (<it>P </it>< 0.05) while no changes were observed in females. FFA levels increased during recovery from endurance exercise, but changes were not different between genders.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data further document gender differences in substrate and endocrine changes during a prolonged recovery period following endurance exercise. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effect of differing diets and nutritional supplements on these gender-specific post-exercise substrate and endocrine differences.</p