Tobacco smoking increases dramatically air concentrations of endotoxin

We used a mass spectrometry-based assay for identifying the endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) marker (R)-3-hydroxytetradecanoic acid in cigarette smoke particles and found that smoking involved inhalation of 17.4 pmol of endotoxin per each smoked cigarette. Indoor exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) entailed inhalation of 12.1 pmol of LPS/m3 air, an amount that was 120 times higher than the levels found in smoke-free indoor air. Endotoxin is one of the most potent inflammatory agents known, hence our results may help to explain the high prevalence of respiratory disorders among smokers, and they may also draw attention to a hitherto unknown or neglected risk factor of ETS. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Endotoxin represents a largely neglected risk factor of smoking and passive smoking and this knowledge may lead to a reduced smoking.     

The utility of motivational interviewing as an adjunct to exposure therapy in the treatment of anxiety disorders.

Motivational interviewing (MI; W. R. Miller & S. Rollnick, 2002) was designed as a prelude to standard substance use treatment. Because of its purported capacity to resolve ambivalence about change, MI has been applied to many other behavioral and mental health problems. Ambivalence about engaging in exposure-based therapies is common among those with anxiety disorders, and systematic efforts (e.g., MI) to ameliorate such ambivalence may yield superior clinical outcomes. The use of MI as an adjunct intervention to standard exposure therapy in anxiety disorders is explored with a focus on treatment retention and adherence. Shared and disparate treatment difficulties among substance use and anxiety disorder populations suggest that MI may be especially effective with anxiety disorders. Empirical evidence supporting the use of MI with substance abuse and anxiety disorder populations is presented. Practical aspects of MI's clinical application as an adjunct intervention to standard exposure therapies for anxiety disorders are discussed. Last, a future research agenda is delineated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gender bias in diagnostic criteria for personality disorders: An item response theory analysis.

The authors examined gender bias in the diagnostic criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) personality disorders. Participants (N=599) were selected from 2 large, nonclinical samples on the basis of information from self-report questionnaires and peer nominations that suggested the presence of personality pathology. All were interviewed with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (B. Pfohl, N. Blum, & M. Zimmerman, 1997). Using item response theory methods, the authors compared data from 315 men and 284 women, searching for evidence of differential item functioning in the diagnostic features of 10 personality disorder categories. Results indicated significant but moderate measurement bias pertaining to gender for 6 specific criteria. In other words, men and women with equivalent levels of pathology endorsed the items at different rates. For 1 paranoid personality disorder criterion and 3 antisocial criteria, men were more likely to endorse the biased items. For 2 schizoid personality disorder criteria, women were more likely to endorse the biased items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital distress and DSM-IV psychiatric disorders in a population-based national survey.

The associations between marital distress and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) Axis I psychiatric disorders were evaluated in a United States population-based survey of married individuals in which there was no upper age exclusionary criterion (N = 2,213). Marital distress was associated with (a) broad-band classifications of anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders and (b) all narrow-band classifications of specific disorders except for panic disorder, with the strongest associations obtained between marital distress and bipolar disorder, alcohol use disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. The association between marital distress and major depressive disorder increased in magnitude with increasing age; there was no evidence that the association between marital distress and other psychiatric disorders was moderated by gender or age. Results support continued research on the association between couple functioning and mental health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Effect of Anxiety Reduction on Children's School Performance and Social Adjustment": Correction to Wood (2006).

Reports an error in "Effect of anxiety reduction on children's school performance and social adjustment" by Jeffrey Wood (Developmental Psychology, 2006[Mar], Vol 42[2], 345-349). The byline and author note should have included the author's middle initial, J. Thus, the byline and author note should refer to "Jeffrey J. Wood." The correction is reflected in this record. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2006-03514-012.) This study tested the effect of reductions in children's anxiety over time on improvements in school performance and social functioning in the context of participation in a cognitive-behavioral intervention program. Participants included 40 children with high anxiety (6-13 years of age). Independent evaluators, children, and parents rated child anxiety; parents rated school performance; and children and parents rated social functioning. Measures were completed at preintervention, midintervention, and postintervention. Fixed-effects regression analyses and random-effects regression analyses indicated that decreased anxiety was predictive of improved school performance and social functioning over the course of the intervention. These findings suggest that changes in anxiety influence trajectories of children's scholastic and social functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sense of coherence as a predictor of work reentry following multidisciplinary rehabilitation for individuals with chronic musculoskeletal pain.

This study investigated the association between sense of coherence (SOC) and work reentry. One hundred and fifty-three patients with musculoskeletal pain (mean age=45.6 years, SD=9.1) were included. SOC, demographics, personal characteristics, work status, pain intensity, pain experience, anxiety, and depression were collected during a 57-week rehabilitation period. SOC significantly improved, and pain experience, anxiety, and depression significantly decreased during the rehabilitation period. SOC was found to significantly predict anxiety and depression in the nonwork reentry subsample (n=44). No significant association was found between SOC and work reentry. These data clarify the role of SOC in chronic pain and emotional distress and question the role of SOC in predicting work reentry in long-term chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Theory and practice for the implementation of ‘in-house’, continuous improvement participatory ergonomic programs

This paper presents a case study of an implementation of a participatory ergonomics program in a public service agency. The objective of the study was to develop a theoretical model and related design principles for the implementation of ‘in-house’, continuous improvement participatory programs. The proposed model is based on the behavioral cybernetic theory of learning (Smith and Smith, 1966, Cybernetic Principles of Learning and Educational Design held, Rhinehart and Winsten, New York) and emphasizes the concepts of action, feedback, feedback control, and individual learning as essential for a progression from external regulation (by outside experts) to internal regulation (by organizational members) of participatory programs. Results support the proposed model, but do suggest an expansion of the model to include macro-level organizational variables as additional factors necessary for developing internally regulated participatory programs. Results have led to the specification of several design principles for implementing ‘in-house’, continuous improvement participatory programs.     

Characterization of New Proteomic Biomarker Candidates in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type IVA

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IVA (MPS IVA) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS) gene. Skeletal dysplasia and the related clinical features of MPS IVA are caused by disruption of the cartilage and its extracellular matrix, leading to a growth imbalance. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human GALNS has yielded positive results in activity of daily living and endurance tests. However, no data have demonstrated improvements in bone lesions and bone grow thin MPS IVA after ERT, and there is no correlation between therapeutic efficacy and urine levels of keratan sulfate, which accumulates in MPS IVA patients. Using qualitative and quantitative proteomics approaches, we analyzed leukocyte samples from healthy controls (n = 6) and from untreated (n = 5) and ERT-treated (n = 8, sampled before and after treatment) MPS IVA patients to identify potential biomarkers of disease. Out of 690 proteins identified in leukocytes, we selected a group of proteins that were dysregulated in MPS IVA patients with ERT. From these, we identified four potential protein biomarkers, all of which may influence bone and cartilage metabolism: lactotransferrin, coronin 1A, neutral alpha-glucosidase AB, and vitronectin. Further studies of cartilage and bone alterations in MPS IVA will be required to verify the validity of these proteins as potential biomarkers of MPS IVA.     

基于模糊逻辑的快速上肢评估方法(RULA)改进

为更加有效地进行人机工效评估,基于模糊逻辑,对快速上肢评估(RULA)方法进行改进,以避免因为不精确的关节角度输入,产生差异较大的评估结果.利用梯形函数对关节角度、负荷和肌肉使用进行模糊化处理,利用三角形函数对RULA中间得分和最终得分进行模糊化表示,并选取重心平均法进行去模糊化.随机选取29个姿势进行相关性验证,结果表明:该方法和RULA的相关性为0.937(p0.01),和工作体位分析系统(OWAS)相关性为0.725(p0.01),能够良好地反应真实结果.通过运动捕捉实验,模拟控制台捕捉实验,获取12个操作姿势的精确关节数据进行分析,验证了该方法能够有效地改进RULA评估方法,并具有较高的可靠性,更有利于实现人机工效评估.