Are intuitive eating and eating disorder symptomatology opposite poles of the same construct?

Two studies explored whether intuitive eating (i.e., eating based on physiological hunger and satiety cues rather than situational and emotional cues) is a distinct construct from low levels of eating disorder (ED) symptomatology among college women. Previous research has demonstrated that high levels of ED symptomatology are related to lower levels of well-being. Therefore, if intuitive eating is a distinct construct, then it should be associated with indices of well-being above and beyond the variance accounted for by ED symptomatology. Findings revealed that two intuitive eating components (i.e., eating for physical rather than emotional reasons and reliance on internal hunger and satiety cues) made unique contributions to each well-being measure, whereas the remaining intuitive eating component (i.e., unconditional permission to eat) overlapped substantially with low levels of ED symptomatology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Covert antisocial behavior in boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: External validation and effects of methylphenidate.

Covert antisocial behaviors such as stealing, destroying property, and cheating carry high risk for delinquency. An individual laboratory setting was devised in which youngsters could take desired objects and use answer keys to assist with worksheets. 22 boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 22 comparison boys were observed on 2 occasions, with the ADHD Ss receiving a methylphenidate–placebo crossover. Lab stealing and property destruction were positively correlated with maternal and staff ratings of parallel behaviors. Methylphenidate resulted in significant reductions of these acts, but it also effected an increase in cheating, presumably because of its enhancement of task involvement. The generalizability of the lab findings, actions of stimulants in this domain, and the ethics of experimental investigations of covert antisocial behavior are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Severity of perinatal cerebral injury and developmental outcome: A dose-response relationship.

The purpose of this study was to establish a dose–response relationship between extent of perinatal cerebral injury and quality of developmental outcome in childhood. To attain this goal, 54 school and preschool-age children who had incurred perinatal intracranial hemorrhage were recruited. The main index of hemorrhage severity—the degree of acute ventriculomegaly observed on the cranial ultrasonogram during the neonatal period—was significantly associated with outcome in all measured domains. These included verbal and nonverbal intelligence, motor skills, and behavioral problems associated with the externalizing and internalizing syndromal groupings. The putative neurobiological mechanisms underlying the observed dose–response relationship between perinatal lesion severity and developmental outcome are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Osteocalcin and osteonectin immunoreactivity in the diagnosis of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcomas (OSAs) can be difficult to distinguish histologically from tumors with significantly different biologic potentials and treatment protocols. The correct diagnosis of OSA relies on identification of malignant osteoblasts that are capable of producing neoplastic bone. To determine the use of immunohistochemistry for the diagnosis of OSA, 106 tumors from the Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Vermont were immunostained with monoclonal antiosteocalcin (OC) and antiosteonectin (ON) antibodies. They included 42 OSAs, 25 non-bone-forming sarcomas, 24 other malignant tumors including lymphomas, carcinomas, and melanomas, and 15 benign bone tumors. Cytoplasmic staining with OC showed 70% sensitivity and 100% specificity, while staining with ON showed 90% sensitivity and 54% specificity for bone-forming tumors, consistently staining cell types other than osteoblasts. Of the OSAs, 83% demonstrated matrix staining with one or both antibodies, whereas dense collagen was negative for both antibodies in all tumors. We conclude that tumor cell cytoplasmic staining with monoclonal OC may be helpful in distinguishing OSAs from other malignancies, and staining of extracellular matrix for OC and ON antibodies concurrently may help distinguish bone matrix from dense collagen.     

Assessing the Validity of Implicit Egotism: A Reply to Gallucci (2003).

B. W. Pelham, M. C. Mirenberg, and J. T. Jones (see record 2002-12744-001) argued that most people prefer stimuli that are associated with the self, a preference they called implicit egotism. In support of implicit egotism, Pelham et al presented evidence from 10 archival studies showing that people gravitate toward careers and places of residence that resemble their names or birthday numbers. M. Gallucci (see record 2003-09138-001) argued that alternate analyses of the same data provide strong evidence against implicit egotism. Whereas Gallucci was correct that Pelham et al's original analyses were flawed, their results remain significant even when more conservative tests are used. The authors also present new data in support of implicit egotism, including exhaustive studies of (a) common surnames and US city names and (b) common surnames and street names. The new studies also revealed that as sample sizes grow larger, studies are more likely to produce evidence of implicit egotism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of culturally focused and generic skills training approaches to alcohol and drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: Two-year follow-up results.

Two-year follow-up data (from inner-city, minority adolescents) were collected to test the effectiveness of 2 skills-based substance abuse prevention programs and were compared both with a control condition and with each other. Students were originally recruited from 6 New York City public schools while in 7th grade. Schools were matched and assigned to receive a generic skills training prevention approach, a culturally focused prevention approach, or an information-only control. Students in both prevention approaches had less current alcohol use and had lower intentions to engage in future alcohol use relative to students in the control group. Students in the culturally focused group also engaged less in current alcohol behavior and had lower intentions to drink beer or wine than those in the generic skills group. Both prevention programs influenced several mediating variables in a direction consistent with nondrug use, and these variables also mediated alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Incorporating biomarkers of exposure and genetic susceptibility into smoking cessation treatment: Effects on smoking-related cognitions, emotions, and behavior change.

In this article the authors report on the short-term impact of incorporating biomarker feedback about exposure and genetic susceptibility into minimal-contact quit-smoking counseling (QSC). Four hundred and twenty-seven smokers were randomized to 1 of 3 treatments: (a) QSC, (b) QSC + exposure biomarker feedback (EBF) about carbon monoxide in exhaled breath, or (b) QSC + EBF + biomarker feedback about genetic susceptibility to lung cancer (SBF). We observed significant immediate positive effects of SBF, compared with EBF and QSC, on perceived risk, perceived quitting benefits, and fear arousal. However, at the 2-month follow-up, there were no group differences in quit rates. SBF did lead to significant reductions in the number of cigarettes smoked for smokers who were in the preparation stage. Smokers in the EBF and QSC conditions showed reductions in depressive symptoms by 2 months, but smokers in the SBF condition did not. In the context of QSC, genetic feedback may heighten vulnerability and possibly promote distress, but may not immediately enhance quitting in most smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in the contents of mono-, di- and oligosaccharides in leek plants stored in cold room

The aim of this work is to present the results of the analysis of composition of mono-, di- and oligosaccharides, including the content of fructooligosaccharides as well as rafinose, stachyose in pseudo stalk of leek plants of the following cultivars: Shelton F1, Belton F1 and Parton F1. Leek plants were stored in cold room at the temperature 0 °C and relative humidity around 98% in the period from December to May. Fructose, glucose, saccharose, fructooligosaccharides (FOS) as well as α-galactosides were determined with the HPLC method with the application of water-alcohol extracts. It was shown that some of the studied parameters have changed during storage, i.e., the glucose content increased from 4.4 ± 0.3 to 16.2 ± 1.6, fructose from 4.7 ± 0.2 to 23.8 ± 0.4, saccharose from 5.1 ± 0.7 to 18.7 ± 0.1, depending on the cultivar and the storage period. The largest increase in the content of fructose and glucose took place between 60th and 90th day of storage which testifies to intensive hydrolysis of fructans. Leek cv. Parton F1 was characterised by the largest content of fructans and the lowest susceptibility to hydrolysis. The amount of kestose, nystose and rafinose after the period of storage changed from 0.3 ± 0.0 to 0.9 ± 0.2, 0.5 ± 0.1 to 1.8 ± 0.1, 0.8 ± 0.1 to 1.8 ± 0.2 g/100 g of dry mass, respectively. The content of stachyose, in turn, remained at a constant level and amounts to around 0.5 g/100 g of dry mass. Leek plants kept in typical refrigeration conditions are characterised by good durability and constitute a valuable merchandise. However, due to ongoing hydrolysis processes, the content of prebiotic substances decreased what lowered the health-promoting value.     

Patient dropout from a couples' group treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia.

This study examined premature termination from couples' group treatment for panic disorder with agoraphobia. Patients were classified as either treatment noncompleters or treatment completers. Comparisons of pretreatment self-report and clinician-rated measures of anxiety and depression indicated no differences between groups. On communication measures, however, partners of noncompleters rated themselves as less communicative about panic-related issues. Of noncompleters, the majority reported "getting to treatment sessions" as problematic and indicated dissatisfaction with the cognitive-behavioral treatment approach. Results are discussed in terms of these issues and their impact on the treatment of these patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)