Indirect measurement of dysfunctional attitudes in bipolar affective disorder

Objective. The present study uses an indirect measure to explore whether dysfunctional attitudes are characteristic of all phases of bipolar disorder. Previous studies with bipolar patients using indirect measurements have uncovered depression-like responses that were otherwise undetected. Design. A cross-sectional study design was adopted to explore the presence of dysfunctional attitudes within each phase of the illness. Method. Manic patients, depressed bipolar patients, remitted bipolar patients, and healthy controls were compared on a sentence stem completion task designed to implicitly assess dysfunctional attitudes. Results. The manic, depressed, and remitted patients all exceeded the controls on implicit measures of dysfunctional attitudes. Conclusions. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that all phases of bipolar disorder are associated with depressogenic dysfunctional attitudes. © 2009 The British Psychological Society

Minimally invasive physiological correlates of social behaviour in belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) under human care

Simultaneous observations of reproductive physiology and behaviour were conducted on a group of two male and two female belugas under professionally managed care for one year to explore potential mating strategies. Weekly blow sampling for progesterone in females was used to define the breeding season by detecting three oestrous cycles in one female. Twice weekly blow sampling for testosterone and twice monthly testes measurements via ultrasonography were used to detect reproductive seasonality in both males. Female–male association frequency varied longitudinally, with 70% of all interactions occurring during the 16-week breeding season. Male–male associations did not vary seasonally. Male display behaviours towards the female occurred 14.8 times more frequently during the breeding season (0.164 ± 0.188 behaviours/min) than outside of the breeding season (0.011 ± 0.042 behaviours/min). The cycling female responded variably to male display behaviours by altering swim speed or body orientation towards the male. Although this small sample size limits broad conclusions, the frequent display behaviours, low copulation rate and lack of serious male–male aggression are consistent with predictions for pre-copulatory female mate choice developed from the current knowledge of beluga reproductive physiology. These observations, which are not feasible for wild belugas, provide important management considerations because reduced opportunities for mate choice could limit the reproductive rate, especially in small populations

High Sensitivity DNA Detection Using Gold Nanoparticle Functionalised Polyaniline Nanofibres

Polyaniline (PANI) nanofibres (PANI-NF) have been modified with chemically grown gold nanoparticles to give a nanocomposite material (PANI-NF–AuNP) and deposited on gold electrodes. Single stranded capture DNA was then bound to the gold nanoparticles and the underlying gold electrode and allowed to hybridise with a complementary target strand that is uniquely associated with the pathogen, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), that causes mastitis. Significantly, cyclic voltammetry demonstrates that deposition of the gold nanoparticles increases the area available for DNA immobilisation by a factor of approximately 4. EPR reveals that the addition of the Au nanoparticles efficiently decreases the interactions between adjacent PANI chains and/or motional broadening. Finally, a second horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labelled DNA strand hybridises with the target allowing the concentration of the target DNA to be detected by monitoring the reduction of a hydroquinone mediator in solution. The sensors have a wide dynamic range, excellent ability to discriminate DNA mismatches and a high sensitivity. Semi-log plots of the pathogen DNA concentration vs. faradaic current were linear from 150 × 10−12 to 1 × 10−6 mol L−1 and pM concentrations could be detected without the need for molecular, e.g., PCR or NASBA, amplification

Capturing Fleeting Intermediates in a Catalytic C-H Amination Reaction Cycle

We have applied an ambient ionization technique, desorption electrospray ionization MS, to identify transient reactive species of an archetypal C–H amination reaction catalyzed by a dirhodium tetracarboxylate complex. Using this analytical method, we have detected previously proposed short-lived reaction intermediates, including two nitrenoid complexes that differ in oxidation state. Our findings suggest that an Rh-nitrene oxidant can react with hydrocarbon substrates through a hydrogen atom abstraction pathway and raise the intriguing possibility that two catalytic C–H amination pathways may be operative in a typical bulk solution reaction. As highlighted by these results, desorption electrospray ionization MS should have broad applicability for the mechanistic study of catalytic processes

Innovating online journalism: new ways of storytelling

Journalism faces a number of challenges: patterns of news consumption have changed and audiences for traditional news outlets are declining. In this context, we explore whether the “inverted pyramid” model – a system of news writing that arranges facts in descending order of importance, which remains predominant in journalism – is the most effective way of communicating information online. Based on a mixed-methods approach using qualitative data from workshops and expert consultations, we developed a series of new “prototypes” of online news storytelling and tested them with a wide range of audiences (N = 1268). Building on earlier work, we find that linear forms of storytelling - rarely used in news - are more effective in transferring knowledge to news consumers and are seen as more engaging, convenient and useful than the traditional inverted pyramid. We then identified key principles that should underlie a more user-focussed approach to narratives in online news

Symptoms of Paranoia Experienced by Students of Pakistani Heritage in England: The Role of Explicit and Implicit Identities and Perceived Discrimination

ABSTRACT: Individuals belonging to ethnic minority groups are less likely to experience symptoms of psychosis, such as paranoia, if they live in areas with high proportions of people from the same ethnic background. This effect may be due to processes associated with group belonging (social identification). We examined whether the relationship between perceived discrimination and paranoia was moderated by explicit and implicit Pakistani/English identification among students of Pakistani heritage (N = 119). Participants completed measures of explicit and implicit Pakistani and English identity, a measure of perceived discrimination, and a measure of paranoia. Perceived discrimination was the strongest predictor of paranoia (0.31). Implicit identities moderated the relationship between perceived discrimination and paranoia (-0.17). The findings suggest that higher levels of implicit Pakistani identity were most protective against high levels of paranoia (0.26, with low implicit English identity; 0.78, with medium English identity; 1.46, with high English identity). Overall, a complex relationship between identity and paranoia was apparent

Clwstwr Policy Brief No 2: Journalism Quo Vadis? New ways of storytelling. Findings from a Clwstwr project on storytelling in online news

This Policy Brief is built on the findings of a Clwstwr funded project, drawing on data collected from focus groups, the development of innovative prototypes and extensive user testing of over a thousand audience members. We find that by focusing on content that is genuinely useful to readers and viewers, using linear narratives, providing broader context, and giving users more agency in how they engage with stories, it is clearly possible to provide news which is trusted, informative and engages audiences from all demographics. This Policy Brief introduces seven building blocks of reflective journalism and suggests multiple new ways of narrative storytelling that point the way to more effective forms of news

Kyra Miller and Morgan Music Senior Recital

https://dc.ewu.edu/music_performances/1687/thumbnail.jp

Nonattachment as a Mediator of the Mindfulness-Well-being Relationship: Comparing Emirati and Australian Students

ObjectivesFew studies have explored mindfulness and nonattachment in Arab populations. This study extends our understanding of mindfulness and nonattachment to Arab students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based on the 20-item Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the 7-item Nonattachment Scale (NAS-7). This study investigated the model fit of each measure, in conjunction with examining the measurement invariance of both measures across Emirati and Australian samples. Next, this study investigated the mediating role of nonattachment.MethodsUniversity students from the UAE (N = 452) and Australia (N = 731) completed self-report measures of mindfulness, nonattachment, positive and negative affect, and depression, stress, and anxiety.ResultsFor the FFMQ, a four-factor model—excluding the facet Observe but with the addition of covariance between two items from the facet Describe—provided adequate fit in both samples. The NAS-7 provided adequate fit in the Australian sample but not the UAE. While the FFMQ model was invariant across samples, the NAS-7 was non-invariant, thus preventing sample comparison. Overall, nonattachment partially mediated the relationship between mindfulness and well-being with differences across samples.ConclusionsFindings support the use of a four-factor model of the FFMQ in Emirati samples and attest to its robustness and suitability as a measure for cross-cultural comparisons. Findings also support a partial mediating role for nonattachment and attest to the intricacies of the Emirati culture

Transcriptomics of C4 photosynthesis in rice paddy

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Society of Plant Biologists via http://dx.doi.org/​10.​1104/​pp.​15.​00889The C₄ pathway is a highly complex trait that increases photosynthetic efficiency in over sixty plant lineages. Although the majority of C₄ plants occupy disturbed, arid and nutrient-poor habitats, some grow in high-nutrient, waterlogged conditions. One such example is Echinochloa glabrescens, which is an aggressive weed of rice paddies. We generated comprehensive transcriptome datasets for C₄ E. glabrescens and C₃ rice to identify genes associated with adaption to waterlogged, nutrient-replete conditions, but also used the data to better understand how C₄ photosynthesis operates in these conditions. Leaves of E. glabrescens exhibited classical Kranz anatomy with lightly lobed mesophyll cells having low chloroplast coverage. As with rice and other hygrophytic C₃ species, leaves of E. glabrescens accumulated a chloroplastic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase protein, albeit at reduced amounts relative to rice. The arid-grown species Setaria italica (C₄) and Brachypodium distachyon (C₃) were also found to accumulate chloroplastic PEPC. We identified a molecular signature associated with C₄ photosynthesis in nutrient-replete, waterlogged conditions that is highly similar to those previously reported from C₄ plants that grow in more arid conditions. We also identified a cohort of genes that have been subjected to a selective sweep associated with growth in paddy conditions. Overall, this approach highlights the value of using wild species such as weeds to identify adaptions to specific conditions associated with high-yielding crops in agriculture