Mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy : the mediating role of attention and empathy

"The number of counseling positions in the United States is expected to grow at least 27% by the year 2014. Counselor educators are ethically charged with ensuring that these new counselors are well-prepared to handle the challenges of the profession. This requires attention to both specific skill training and the cultivation of confidence in those skills - counseling self-efficacy. The key skills for effective counseling include the ability to strategically control attention and genuinely empathize with the client. Current counselor education methods are effective in teaching discrete behavioral manifestations of these skills. Counselor educators have little guidance from the literature, however, on how to prepare students in the habits of mind and ways of being necessary for sustained attention and empathic understanding. A number of theorists have suggested that mindfulness training may be an important tool for bridging this gap. In this study, a path model was examined that hypothesized a relationship between mindfulness and counseling self-efficacy mediated by attention and empathy. A total of 179 master's level counseling interns and doctoral counseling students were surveyed to determine their levels of mindfulness, attention, empathy, and counseling self-efficacy using the Five-Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Counseling Attention Scale, the Everyday Attention Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Counseling Activity Self-Efficacy Scales. Pearson Product Moment Coefficients revealed significant pairwise relationships among the four variables of interest. A MANOVA found that doctoral students scored significantly higher than master's students on measures of mindfulness, attention, and counseling self-efficacy. An ANOVA found that females had higher mean scores of empathy than males. A path analysis supported the hypotheses that mindfulness is a significant predictor of counseling self-efficacy and that attention is a mediator of that relationship. The results indicated that empathy, however, was not a mediator of this relationship and that it did not significantly predict counseling self-efficacy. The results suggest that mindfulness may be an important variable in the development of key counselor training outcomes. The results have implications for counselor training admissions, counselor education, and counseling practice. Further research using different research methodology is needed to provide more empirical support for these findings."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Legal aspects of ability grouping, tracking, and classification

While some school officials have concluded that ability grouping causes mere problems than it selves and thus have abandoned such practices within the schools, many school systems continue to utilize various forms of ability or achievement grouping. Even in those schools where ability grouping is not practiced, various forms of student classification and sorting are employed throughout the school day. The purpose of this study is to provide school officials with a comprehensive set of data concerning both the educational and the legal issues associated with ability grouping, tracking, and classification practices in order that they can make decisions concerning these practices which are educationally and legally sound. Even though the major educational questions concerning ability grouping are reviewed in this study, it is not intended that this study reach any conclusions regarding the educational advantages or disadvantages of such practices; rather, the purpose is to identify those educational issues associated with ability grouping and tracking which might become litigious in the future

The effects of dietary lipid on spawning performance and egg quality in black sea bass Centropristis striata

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary lipid on spawning performance and egg quality in black sea bass (BSB) (Centropristis striata). The study was conducted over two consecutive spawning seasons. During year one, adult broodstock (N=162) were held in 1.8-m dia. Controlled environment tanks in sea water (35 g/L) and were fed three different dietary treatments: two commercially-prepared diets each with 45% protein and two different lipid levels (12% and 20%), and a natural diet of frozen fish, Atlantic silversides Menidia menidia. Broodstock were fed to satiation 6d/week beginning 3 mos. Before the spawning season and were subjected to photothermal conditions that mimicked natural variation until the spawning season (Apr.-Jul. 2005) when constant temperature (mean = 20.2) and photoperiod (13 L:11 D) were maintained. Mature females (mean oocyte diameter (MOD) = 330 µm) were implanted with a lutenizing hormone releasing hormone analog (LHRHa) pellet at a nominal dose of 72 µm/kg body weight (BW) and then held with 5 running males for volitional spawning. Egg collectors were monitored daily, and non-viable (sinking) eggs and viable (floating) eggs were quantified. Buoyant eggs were transferred to 18-L incubators at 35 g/L and 19ºC where fertilization and hatching success were determined as indices of egg quality. A total of 6 induced spawning trials were conducted for fish fed a natural diet of silversides, 7 for fish fed a 20% lipid diet, and 6 for fed a 12% lipid diet. Spawning performance varied widely among individual females within each treatment; however, fish fed a diet of silversides (31.9% lipid) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher fertilization success (22.4%) than the commercially prepared diets with 20% and 12% lipid (4.8 and 0.6%, respectively). The silverside diet treatment also produced significantly more yolk sac larvae (YSL) per female (21.8 x 103) than the 12% treatment (0.3 x 103). Hatching success of the fertilized eggs was similar in all diets (silverside diet: 51.3%; 20% lipid diet: 58.6%; and 12% lipid diet: 40.0%), but only two spans from the 12% lipid diet yielded viable yolk-sac larvae. Eggs from the silverside treatment contained a significantly greater proportion of n-3 series fatty acids with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6n-3) as the largest fraction. The eggs from commercially prepared dietary treatments contained significantly more n-6 fatty acids. The proportions of egg n-3 and n-6 fatty acids were similar to those found in the diets and are likely associated with the higher fertilization success of fish fed a diet of silversides. During year two, broodstock were fed three different dietary treatments: frozen Atlantic silversides, and two commercially-prepared diets with 45% protein and two different lipid levels (18% and 23%). Spawning protocols were the same as for the previous season, with the following exception: mean nominal dose of LHRHa was 50 µg/kg BW. A total of 8 spawning trials was conducted for fish in each dietary treatment. No significant (P<0.05) differences were detected among dietary treatments for spawning performance or egg quality parameters. As in year 1, eggs from the silverside treatment contained significantly (P<0.05) more n-3 fatty acids than eggs from the commercially prepared dietary treatments and significantly (P<0.05) fewer n-6 fatty acids. Docosahxaenoic acid was the largest portion of fatty acids in eggs of all treatments, with eggs from the silverside treatment containing a significantly larger proportion. The results suggested that dietary lipid has pronounced effects on spawning performance, egg fatty acid composition, and egg quality in BSB. For fish fed the commercially prepared diets, a dietary lipid level of 12% was clearly inadequate for successful reproduction. The poor spawning performance from the fish fed the 12% lipid diet may have been related to higher levels of linoleic acid (18:2n-6) found in this diet. For fish fed silversides, spawning performance varied greatly between experiments, which may indicate a variation in the quality of this natural diet

Profile of humoral and cellular immune responses to single doses of BNT162b2 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccines in residents and staff within residential care homes (VIVALDI): an observational study

BACKGROUND: Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs) have been prioritised for COVID-19 vaccination because of the high COVID-19 mortality in this population. Several countries have implemented an extended interval of up to 12 weeks between the first and second vaccine doses to increase population coverage of single-dose vaccination. We aimed to assess the magnitude and quality of adaptive immune responses following a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in LTCF residents and staff. METHODS: From the LTCFs participating in the ongoing VIVALDI study (ISRCTN14447421), staff and residents who had received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2 [tozinameran] or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19), had pre-vaccination and post-vaccination blood samples (collected between Dec 11, 2020, and Feb 16, 2021), and could be linked to a pseudoidentifier in the COVID-19 Data Store were included in our cohort. Past infection with SARS-CoV-2 was defined on the basis of nucleocapsid-specific IgG antibodies being detected through a semiquantitative immunoassay, and participants who tested positive on this assay after but not before vaccination were excluded from the study. Processed blood samples were assessed for spike-specific immune responses, including spike-specific IgG antibody titres, T-cell responses to spike protein peptide mixes, and inhibition of ACE2 binding by spike protein from four variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the original strain as well as the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 variants). Responses before and after vaccination were compared on the basis of age, previous infection status, role (staff or resident), and time since vaccination. FINDINGS: Our cohort comprised 124 participants from 14 LTCFs: 89 (72%) staff (median age 48 years [IQR 35·5–56]) and 35 (28%) residents (87 years [77–90]). Blood samples were collected a median 40 days (IQR 25–47; range 6–52) after vaccination. 30 (24%) participants (18 [20%] staff and 12 [34%] residents) had serological evidence of previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. All participants with previous infection had high antibody titres following vaccination that were independent of age (rs=0·076, p=0·70). In participants without evidence of previous infection, titres were negatively correlated with age (rs=–0·434, p<0·0001) and were 8·2-times lower in residents than in staff. This effect appeared to result from a kinetic delay antibody generation in older infection-naive participants, with the negative age correlation disappearing only in samples taken more than 42 days post-vaccination (rs=–0·207, p=0·20; n=40), in contrast to samples taken after 0–21 days (rs=–0·774, p=0·0043; n=12) or 22–42 days (rs=–0·437, p=0·0034; n=43). Spike-specific cellular responses were similar between older and younger participants. In infection-naive participants, antibody inhibition of ACE2 binding by spike protein from the original SARS-CoV-2 strain was negatively correlated with age (rs=–0·439, p<0·0001), and was significantly lower against spike protein from the B.1.351 variant (median inhibition 31% [14–100], p=0·010) and the P.1 variant (23% [14–97], p<0·0001) than against the original strain (58% [27–100]). By contrast, a single dose of vaccine resulted in around 100% inhibition of the spike–ACE2 interaction against all variants in people with a history of infection. INTERPRETATION: History of SARS-CoV-2 infection impacts the magnitude and quality of antibody response after a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine in LTCF residents. Residents who are infection-naive have delayed antibody responses to the first dose of vaccine and should be considered for an early second dose where possible. FUNDING: UK Government Department of Health and Social Care

War of Ontology Worlds: Mathematics, Computer Code, or Esperanto?

The use of structured knowledge representations—ontologies and terminologies—has become standard in biomedicine. Definitions of ontologies vary widely, as do the values and philosophies that underlie them. In seeking to make these views explicit, we conducted and summarized interviews with a dozen leading ontologists. Their views clustered into three broad perspectives that we summarize as mathematics, computer code, and Esperanto. Ontology as mathematics puts the ultimate premium on rigor and logic, symmetry and consistency of representation across scientific subfields, and the inclusion of only established, non-contradictory knowledge. Ontology as computer code focuses on utility and cultivates diversity, fitting ontologies to their purpose. Like computer languages C++, Prolog, and HTML, the code perspective holds that diverse applications warrant custom designed ontologies. Ontology as Esperanto focuses on facilitating cross-disciplinary communication, knowledge cross-referencing, and computation across datasets from diverse communities. We show how these views align with classical divides in science and suggest how a synthesis of their concerns could strengthen the next generation of biomedical ontologies

Homozygous microdeletion of exon 5 in ZNF277 in a girl with specific language impairment

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Diagnostic and treatment pathways for men with prostate cancer in Queensland: investigating spatial and demographic inequalities

Background: Patterns of diagnosis and management for men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Queensland, Australia, have not yet been systematically documented and so assumptions of equity are untested. This longitudinal study investigates the association between prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment outcomes and key area-level characteristics and individual-level demographic, clinical and psychosocial factors.---------- Methods/Design: A total of 1064 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between February 2005 and July 2007 were recruited through hospital-based urology outpatient clinics and private practices in the centres of Brisbane, Townsville and Mackay (82% of those referred). Additional clinical and diagnostic information for all 6609 men diagnosed with prostate cancer in Queensland during the study period was obtained via the population-based Queensland Cancer Registry. Respondent data are collected using telephone and self-administered questionnaires at pre-treatment and at 2 months, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months and 60 months post-treatment. Assessments include demographics, medical history, patterns of care, disease and treatment characteristics together with outcomes associated with prostate cancer, as well as information about quality of life and psychological adjustment. Complementary detailed treatment information is abstracted from participants’ medical records held in hospitals and private treatment facilities and collated with health service utilisation data obtained from Medicare Australia. Information about the characteristics of geographical areas is being obtained from data custodians such as the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Geo-coding and spatial technology will be used to calculate road travel distances from patients’ residences to treatment centres. Analyses will be conducted using standard statistical methods along with multilevel regression models including individual and area-level components.---------- Conclusions: Information about the diagnostic and treatment patterns of men diagnosed with prostate cancer is crucial for rational planning and development of health delivery and supportive care services to ensure equitable access to health services, regardless of geographical location and individual characteristics. This study is a secondary outcome of the randomised controlled trial registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12607000233426

Linking species concepts to natural product discovery in the post-genomic era

A widely accepted species concept for bacteria has yet to be established. As a result, species designations are inconsistently applied and tied to what can be considered arbitrary metrics. Increasing access to DNA sequence data and clear evidence that bacterial genomes are dynamic entities that include large numbers of horizontally acquired genes have added a new level of insight to the ongoing species concept debate. Despite uncertainties over how to apply species concepts to bacteria, there is clear evidence that sequence-based approaches can be used to resolve cohesive groups that maintain the properties of species. This cohesion is clearly evidenced in the genus Salinispora, where three species have been discerned despite very close relationships based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The major phenotypic differences among the three species are associated with secondary metabolite production, which occurs in species-specific patterns. These patterns are maintained on a global basis and provide evidence that secondary metabolites have important ecological functions. These patterns also suggest that an effective strategy for natural product discovery is to target the cultivation of new Salinispora taxa. Alternatively, bioinformatic analyses of biosynthetic genes provide opportunities to predict secondary metabolite novelty and reduce the redundant isolation of well-known metabolites. Although much remains to be learned about the evolutionary relationships among bacteria and how fundamental units of diversity can be resolved, genus and species descriptions remain the most effective method of scientific communication

Allelic Diversity of the Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 Entails Variant-Specific Red Cell Surface Epitopes

The clonally variant Plasmodium falciparum PfEMP1 adhesin is a virulence factor and a prime target of humoral immunity. It is encoded by a repertoire of functionally differentiated var genes, which display architectural diversity and allelic polymorphism. Their serological relationship is key to understanding the evolutionary constraints on this gene family and rational vaccine design. Here, we investigated the Palo Alto/VarO and IT4/R29 and 3D7/PF13_003 parasites lines. VarO and R29 form rosettes with uninfected erythrocytes, a phenotype associated with severe malaria. They express an allelic Cys2/group A NTS-DBL1α1 PfEMP1 domain implicated in rosetting, whose 3D7 ortholog is encoded by PF13_0003. Using these three recombinant NTS-DBL1α1 domains, we elicited antibodies in mice that were used to develop monovariant cultures by panning selection. The 3D7/PF13_0003 parasites formed rosettes, revealing a correlation between sequence identity and virulence phenotype. The antibodies cross-reacted with the allelic domains in ELISA but only minimally with the Cys4/group B/C PFL1955w NTS-DBL1α. By contrast, they were variant-specific in surface seroreactivity of the monovariant-infected red cells by FACS analysis and in rosette-disruption assays. Thus, while ELISA can differentiate serogroups, surface reactivity assays define the more restrictive serotypes. Irrespective of cumulated exposure to infection, antibodies acquired by humans living in a malaria-endemic area also displayed a variant-specific surface reactivity. Although seroprevalence exceeded 90% for each rosetting line, the kinetics of acquistion of surface-reactive antibodies differed in the younger age groups. These data indicate that humans acquire an antibody repertoire to non-overlapping serotypes within a serogroup, consistent with an antibody-driven diversification pressure at the population level. In addition, the data provide important information for vaccine design, as production of a vaccine targeting rosetting PfEMP1 adhesins will require engineering to induce variant-transcending responses or combining multiple serotypes to elicit a broad spectrum of immunity