PITFALLS IN ANOREXIA NERVOSA RESEARCH: THE RISK OF ARTIFACTS LINKED TO DENIAL OF ILLNESS AND METHODS OF PREVENTING THEM

One of the most serious problems faced by researchers studying eating disorders is denial of illness in individuals with anorexia nervosa. Importantly, the term “denial” not only has different meanings, but in the case of anorexia nervosa its very nature still remains obscure. It is not even known whether it is deliberate or unintentional. Denial of illness in anorexic patients has serious consequences for evaluation of the reliability of information obtained from those individuals. Indeed, the most frequently used screening questionnaires, such as the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) (Garner & Garfinkel 1979) and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) (Garner et al. 1983), may not reflect the psychological state of the subjects due to distorted responses. The objective of this review article is to elucidate, at least in part, the nature of denial of illness in anorexic individuals and, importantly, to present methods for direct or indirect measurement of this variable. The authors emphasize the detrimental effect of denial of illness on the quality of information obtained from the patients and the notorious unreliability of self-report data. The final part of the paper contains suggestions as to methods of bypassing the pitfalls associated with the influence of denial of illness on the results of studies involving anorexic individuals; for instance, it is recommended that one should build an honest and trustful relationship with the patient. Last but not least, the focus is placed on the potential of experimental psychology, which offers tools producing robust data, resistant to deliberate distortion by patients

A Systematic and Methodological Review of Attentional Biases in Eating Disorders: Food, Body, and Perfectionism

Objective: The current systematic and methodological review aimed to critically review existing literature utilizing implicit processing, or automatic approach- and/or avoidance-related attentional biases between eating disorder (ED) and nonclinical samples, which: (1) highlights how psychophysiological methods advance knowledge of ED implicit bias; (2) explains how findings fit into transdiagnostic versus disorder-specific ED frameworks; and (3) suggests how research can address perfectionism-related ED biases. Method: Three databases were systematically searched to identify studies: Pubmed, Scopus, and PsychInfo electronic databases. Peer-reviewed studies of 18-39-year-olds with both clinical ED and heathy samples assessing visual attentional biases using pictorial and/or linguistic stimuli related to food, body, and/or perfectionism were included. Results: Forty-six studies were included. While behavioral results were often similar across ED diagnoses, studies incorporating psychophysiological measures often revealed disease-specific attentional biases. Specifically, women with bulimia nervosa (BN) tend to approach food and other body types, whereas women with anorexia nervosa (AN) tend to avoid food as well as overweight bodies. Conclusions: Further integration of psychophysiological and behavioral methods may identify subtle processing variations in ED, which may guide prevention strategies and interventions, and provide important clinical implications. Few implicit bias studies include male participants, investigate binge eating disorder, or evaluate perfectionism-relevant stimuli, despite the fact that perfectionism is implicated in models of ED

Thyroid disfunction and obesity - what comes first? A complex relationship between hypothyroidism and weight gain

Introduction: Obesity and mild thyroid failure are common diseases, and the complex relationship between thyroid function and excess weight gain is still being researched. This study analyzes and summarizes the current scientific reports on the intricate correlation between thyroid dysfunction and obesity.   Material and methods: We have gathered the available materials and scientific reports, analyzing and summarizing them in a single study.   Aim of study: We aimed to summarize the studies conducted so far by analyzing the available scientific reports to answer the question of ‘what comes first’ and to understand the correlation between thyroid dysfunction and excessive weight gain.   Discussion: Thyroid dysfunction in the form of hypothyroidism is associated with metabolic abnormalities, which may play a crucial role in the development of metabolic syndrome. On the other hand, excess level of leptin associated with excess adipose tissue is a potential cause of disruptions in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, manifested as elevated TSH levels. Therefore, it is worth considering certain aspects regarding the inclusion of hormone replacement therapy in obese patients presenting laboratory features of subclinical hypothyroidism.   Conclusion. Obesity-induced thyroid dysfunction is typically reversible with weight loss and hormone replacement therapy should be considered for obese patients with subclinical hypothyroidism only if thyroid antibodies are present to confirm an autoimmune thyroid disorder

Zestaw turbiny wodnej z kierownicą nurtu - model matematyczny momentu napędowego

This paper presents the idea of the wheel water turbine with an innovative current steering, due to its structure, operation principle and innovative way to use the energy offlowing water This device meets the prevailing trends in the energy and water authorities issuing environmental decisions and preferred low-speed and law-falling turbine to minimize the impact on the ecosystem. The use of the described solution allows for the effective gain of the energy from watercourses that are economically unviable or impossible for technical reasons of the use of conventional turbines. The described device is the water turbine with a vertical axis rotor and planetary motion blades. They were also the power and torque of the rotor designated for the heptagonal solution based on the component of the relative velocity of water moving towards the rotor blades

Myśli, które tuczą. „Fuzja myśl-kształt” w zaburzeniach jedzenia

Psychiatric disorders are characterized by a range of specific cognitive distortions. One of the most interesting cognitive phenomena is Thought-Shape Fusion, which occurs when thinking about eating certain types of food increases a person’s estimate of their shape and/or weight, elicits a perception of moral wrongdoing, and/or makes the person feel fat. TSF can be induced experimentally in healthy volunteers, but it is especially associated with eating pathology. It may be that thought–shape fusion is both a direct expression of the core psychopathology and also serves to  maintain it. In patients for whom thought–shape fusion appear

Badania innowacyjnej turbiny wodnej

The possibility of using rivers with small depths and dips to produce electricity requires building innovative turbines. Prototype of a new turbine is tested on a natural watercourse, and is designed to determine the hydrodynamic characteristics. Water turbines installed on the rivers with small dips and depths without the need for building any extra bottlenecks may contribute to development of micro power plants

Metoda obliczania temperatury powietrza w otwartej warstwie powietrznej

The building envelopes with the open air layer are common in building energy-efficient houses. In such buildings, air gap is used for moisture elimination from a surface of external wall, which improves its thermal properties. To improve the thermal quality of building envelopes with open air layer and reduce the heat transfer rate during the cold period, it is necessary to conduct more in-depth study of heat exchange in the ventilated layer of air. The article presents a mathematical model of heat transfer through building envelopes with an open air layer for the cold season. In the proposed mathematical model connective and radiant heat fluxes were considered separately

Assessment of Thermal Comfort in Rooms Equipped with a Decentralised Façade Ventilation Unit

Thermal comfort affects not only the well-being of the occupants of a building but also the effectiveness of their learning and work efficiency. It can be disturbed if the ventilation airflow is increased when improving indoor air quality. When natural ventilation is used in the fall and winter period, the supply air temperature is low, resulting in a lack of thermal comfort. In existing buildings, there is often no place for mechanical ventilation; hence, decentralised façade ventilation units are increasingly used. The article presents an analysis of thermal comfort in rooms with this type of unit equipped with heat recovery exchangers of different efficiencies. Studies have shown that the alternating supply/exhaust airflow and the related unevenness of air streams flowing through the heat accumulator cause an inflow of low-temperature air, resulting in thermal discomfort. The highest value of the PMV index was −1.6, and the lowest was −4.1, which means that 54.8 to 100% of the occupants are dissatisfied with their thermal comfort. This means there is a need to change the construction of inlet/exhaust vents so that the stream of supply air is not directly parallel to the floor. In addition, the use of an air heater should be considered