An effectiveness trial of a selected dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for female high school students: Long-term effects.

Objective: Efficacy trials found that a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program in which female high school and college students with body image concerns critique the thin ideal reduced eating disorder risk factors, eating disorder symptoms, and future eating disorder onset. The present effectiveness trial tested whether this program produces effects through long-term follow-up when high school clinicians recruit students and deliver the intervention under real-world conditions. Method: Female high school students with body image concerns (N = 306; M age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.1) were randomized to the dissonance intervention or an educational brochure control condition and completed assessments through 3-year follow-up. Results: Dissonance participants showed significantly greater decreases in body dissatisfaction at 2-year follow-up and eating disorder symptoms at 3-year follow-up than controls; effects on other risk factors, risk for eating disorder onset, and other outcomes (e.g., body mass) were marginal or nonsignificant. Conclusions: Although it was encouraging that some key effects persisted over long-term follow-up, effects were on average smaller in this effectiveness trial than previous efficacy trials, which could be due to (a) facilitator selection, training, and supervision; (b) the lower risk status of participants; or (c) the use of a control condition that produces some effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk for suicidal ideation in the U.S. Air Force: An ecological perspective.

Objective: Suicidal members of the U.S. military often fail to disclose their suicidal urges and behaviors. Military suicide prevention efforts may therefore be enhanced if they also target less stigmatized psychosocial factors that may decrease risk of suicidality. In keeping with Bronfenbrenner's (1977, 1994) model, this study simultaneously examined 4 ecological levels (i.e., individual, family, workplace, and community) of factors variously associated with increased or decreased risk for suicidal ideation. Method: Active-duty U.S. Air Force members (N = 52,780; 79.3% male; 79.2% non-Hispanic White; mean age = 31.78 years, SD = 7.38) completed the 2006 Community Assessment survey (a biennial, anonymous survey conducted at 82 U.S. Air Force bases worldwide), including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (2008) 5-item measure of past-year suicidality along with scales assessing an array of potential predictors. Results: The 1-year rate of suicidal ideation, defined as (a) more than rarely thinking about suicide or (b) ever seriously considering suicide, was approximately 4%. In multivariate models, for men and women, individual- (depressive symptoms and alcohol problems), family- (relationship satisfaction and intimate partner victimization), workplace- (hours worked), and community-level (social support) variables were retained in the final model. However, some sex differences in retained predictors were noted (e.g., men: dissatisfaction with the U.S. Air Force way of life; women: workplace relationship satisfaction and financial stressors). Conclusions: Addressing depressive symptoms and alcohol use, facilitating healthy relationship functioning, and increasing job satisfaction and social support may aid military suicide prevention efforts. These findings illustrate the importance of attending to multiple levels of potential influence when designing integrated suicide prevention and intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Parenting during adolescence, attachment styles, and romantic narratives in emerging adulthood.

In this longitudinal study, a quantitative and qualitative examination of the associations among parent–child relations, adult attachment styles, and relationship quality and theme in romantic narratives was conducted. Parenting and adult attachment style were assessed through questionnaires, whereas overall quality of romantic relationships (regard and importance), intimacy, and romantic story theme were examined with a life story approach (McAdams, 1993). At ages 17 and 26 years, 100 participants completed a series of questionnaires and also, at age 26, told a story about a “relationship-defining moment” with a romantic partner. Parent–child relations when participants were 17 years old were related predictably to all three attachment styles. About 70% of the sample told romantic stories with a “true love” type of theme. Associations between parent–child relations when the child was 17 and this type of theme in the story told when the participant was 26 were mediated by a more secure (and a less avoidant) attachment style when the participant was 26, as predicted. The implications of these findings for links between attachment models and the life story are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The impact of interpersonal violence in adulthood on women's job satisfaction and productivity: The mediating roles of mental and physical health.

Objective: With growing awareness of the prevalence of interpersonal violence victimization among women, research has begun to examine the impact of these experiences on employment. To date, much of this work in the United States has centered on low-income women moving from public assistance to paid employment and research gaps in our understanding of a broader range of working women's experiences still exist. The present study explored the impact of multiple types of victimization (sexual violence, physical intimate partner violence, psychological abuse, and stalking) on a range of work outcomes (job satisfaction, job benefits, job interference). Method: A random-digit-dial telephone survey of 1,079 women living in New Hampshire was conducted. Measures included questions about victimization in adulthood and current perceptions of employment. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance and regression analyses showed clear links between victimization experiences and negative work outcomes. Mental and physical health symptoms represent important mediators explaining these links. Conclusion: Results support the need for workplace policies and supports that provide safety nets for survivors and encourages the development of community norms that assist survivors in accessing such supports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exploratory Data Analysis With Categorical Variables: An Improved Rank-by-Feature Framework and a Case Study

Multidimensional data sets often include categorical information. When most dimensions have categorical information, clustering the data set as a whole can reveal interesting patterns in the data set. However, the categorical information is often more useful as a way to partition the data set: gene expression data for healthy versus diseased samples or stock performance for common, preferred, or convertible shares. We present novel ways to utilize categorical information in exploratory data analysis by enhancing the rank-by-feature framework. First, we present ranking criteria for categorical variables and ways to improve the score overview. Second, we present a novel way to utilize the categorical information together with clustering algorithms. Users can partition the data set according to categorical information vertically or horizontally, and the clustering result for each partition can serve as new categorical information. We report the results of a longitudinal case study with a biomedical research team, including insights gained and potential future work.     

Folding and unfolding manual wheelchairs: an ergonomic evaluation of health-care workers

The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses (i) that health-care workers vary greatly in the methods used to fold and unfold selected manual wheelchairs, and (ii) that many of the methods used include bent and twisted back postures that are known to be associated with a high risk of injury. We studied 20 health-care workers in a rehabilitation center. Subjects folded and unfolded two wheelchairs of cross-brace design, one with and one without a sling seat. As outcome measures, we used a questionnaire, time taken, visual analog scales of perceived exertion and back strain, folded width, videotape and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) back scores (1–4). Subjects used up to 14 different combinations of approach, hand placement and back posture to accomplish the tasks. The mean OWAS scores were in the 2.4–3.1 range and 49 (42%) of the 118 scores recorded were class 4 (back simultaneously “bent and twisted”, considered to be associated with the highest risk of injury). We also observed methods that appeared to be safe and effective. Age, gender, profession, experience and seat condition did not generally influence the outcome measures. We conclude that health-care workers use a variety of methods to fold and unfold wheelchairs, many of which include bent and twisted back postures that may carry a risk of injury. Further study is needed to confirm this risk, to identify more ergonomically sound wheelchair designs and to develop better methods of carrying out the common and important task of folding and unfolding wheelchairs.     

Childhood maltreatment, object relations, and suicidal behavior in women.

Findings from a study examining object relations (OR) as a mediator of the link between childhood maltreatment and suicidal behavior in a sample of predominantly low-income, African American women (suicide attempters: n?=?53; nonattempters: n?=?106) revealed that each OR dimension fully, yet differentially, mediated specific links between 5 types of childhood maltreatment (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and emotional and physical neglect) and suicide attempt status. The alienation subscale of 1 of the 2 OR measures used was the most robust mediator, fully mediating the links between all types of childhood maltreatment and suicide attempt status. For both childhood sexual abuse and physical neglect, the links with suicide attempt status were fully mediated by 5 of 6 OR dimensions measured, whereas the other childhood maltreatment types (physical abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect) were fully mediated by just 1 or 2 OR dimensions. Research directions and clinical implications of the findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Method for characterizing sulfated glycoproteins in a glycosylation site-specific fashion, using ion pairing and tandem mass spectrometry

Structural analysis of sulfated glycans is essential in understanding their biological significance. Here, we present a new approach to characterize sulfated glycans present on glycoproteins. The analysis is performed on glycopeptides, so information about the sulfated species is obtained in a glycosylation site-specific manner. This method employs an ion-pairing reagent to stabilize the SO3 group of the glycopeptide, allowing useful information to be obtained during MS/MS experiments. The amount of structural information obtained from (+)ESI-MS/MS of the ion-pair complexes for sulfated glycopeptides of equine thyroid stimulating hormone is compared with information obtained by (-)ESI-MS/MS of the underivatized, sulfated glycopeptides. The results indicate that this new method provides detailed insights into the sequence, branching, and type of N-glycans present, compared to analysis via (-)ESI-MS/MS.     

Impurity profiling to match a nerve agent to its precursor source for chemical forensics applications

Chemical forensics is a developing field that aims to attribute a chemical (or mixture) of interest to its source by the analysis of the chemical itself or associated material constituents. Herein, for the first time, trace impurities detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and originating from a chemical precursor were used to match a synthesized nerve agent to its precursor source. Specifically, six batches of sarin (GB, isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate) and its intermediate methylphosphonic difluoride (DF) were synthesized from two commercial stocks of 97% pure methylphosphonic dichloride (DC); the GB and DF were then matched by impurity profiling to their DC stocks from a collection of five possible stocks. Source matching was objectively demonstrated through the grouping by hierarchal cluster analysis of the GB and DF synthetic batches with their respective DC precursor stocks based solely upon the impurities previously detected in five DC stocks. This was possible because each tested DC stock had a unique impurity profile that had 57% to 88% of its impurities persisting through product synthesis, decontamination, and sample preparation. This work forms a basis for the use of impurity profiling to help find and prosecute perpetrators of chemical attacks.