Structured after‐school activities as a moderator of depressed mood for adolescents with detached relations to their parents

This study investigated whether participation in structured after‐school activities moderates the association between detached parent–adolescent relationships and adolescent depressed mood. A representative sample of 539 14‐year‐olds and their parents were assessed concerning adolescent participation in after‐school activities, the parent–adolescent relationship, and adolescent depressed mood. Results showed that adolescents with detached relations to their parents reported high levels of depressed mood. Adolescents who participated in after‐school activities reported low levels of depressed mood compared to adolescents not participating in such activities; however, this was primarily true of participants who perceived high support from their activity leader. Support from after‐school activity leaders was particularly important for a subgroup of youth characterized by highly detached relations to their parents. Although girls reported higher levels of depressed mood than did boys, the associated benefits of perceived support from an activity leader were consistent across gender. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Parent‐of‐origin‐environment interactions in case‐parent triads with or without independent controls

With case–parent triad data, one can frequently deduce parent of origin of the child's alleles. This allows a parent‐of‐origin (PoO) effect to be estimated as the ratio of relative risks associated with the alleles inherited from the mother and the father, respectively. A possible cause of PoO effects is DNA methylation, leading to genomic imprinting. Because environmental exposures may influence methylation patterns, gene–environment interaction studies should be extended to allow for interactions between PoO effects and environmental exposures (i.e., PoOxE). One should thus search for loci where the environmental exposure modifies the PoO effect. We have developed an extensive framework to analyze PoOxE effects in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS), based on complete or incomplete case–parent triads with or without independent control triads. The interaction approach is based on analyzing triads in each exposure stratum using maximum likelihood estimation in a log‐linear model. Interactions are then tested applying a Wald‐based posttest of parameters across strata. Our framework includes a complete setup for power calculations. We have implemented the models in the R software package Haplin. To illustrate our PoOxE test, we applied the new methodology to top hits from our previous GWAS, assessing whether smoking during the periconceptional period modifies PoO effects on cleft palate only.     

Family‐ and community‐level predictors of parent support seeking

The influences of community‐ and family‐level socio‐demographic factors on parent formal and informal support‐seeking activities were examined. Data analyzed were collected from 1,260 parents of sixth graders from 26 rural Iowa communities. Hierarchical linear modeling results indicated that both family‐ and community‐level factors were significant predictors of parent support seeking. Findings at the family level indicated that household income, parent gender, and number of children were significantly predictive of informal support seeking; parent education and parent gender were significantly predictive of formal support seeking. In addition, significant community population size effects on informal parent support seeking were found. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dispositional optimism,goals, and engagement in health treatment programs

It has been proposed that dispositional optimism is positively associated with treatment program engagement. However, conflicting evidence exists regarding this relationship. We examined whether the importance of a treatment goal moderates this association. In Study 1 (N = 95), individuals high in optimism were more interested in attending a nutrition education program when the importance of nutrition was first highlighted. In Study 2 (N = 91), participants were given the opportunity to attend psychotherapy to address an academic problem. Dispositional optimism was associated with greater treatment attendance when participants rated their problems as high, relative to low, in importance. It is concluded that the personality variable of dispositional optimism does relate to interest and attendance in treatment, however, treatment goal importance moderates these relationships. It is recommended that practitioners and researchers take an interactionist approach when assessing the role of personality and situational factors in treatment program interest and attendance.     

Who benefits from inpatient short‐term psychotherapy in the long run? Patients' evaluations,outpatient after‐care and determinants of outcome

Background. Little work has been published on short‐term inpatient treatments combining the virtues of inpatient treatments and short‐term psychotherapy. The purposes of this study are to (a) determine the outcomes of short‐term psychodynamic inpatient psychotherapy from patients' and therapists' perspectives, (b) assess the stability of changes, and (c) identify predictors of long‐term outcome. Methods. 83 consecutive inpatients (76% of those eligible) were assessed at intake, discharge, and 1 year follow‐up by standardized questionnaires regarding symptoms (SCL‐90R), interpersonal problems (IIP), object relationships (IPO), and the therapeutic relationship (HAQ). Diagnoses and functioning (GAF) were assessed by the therapists. Results. Psychological distress (effect size S=1.14) and physical complaints (ES=1.03) decreased strongly from intake to discharge, the majority of patients moving from the pathological to the normal range of the global severity index GSI (SCL‐90R). At follow‐up, average distress remained at a low level, and the majority of patients, and their therapists and physicians, regarded their well‐being as improved. In a multivariate approach, a substantial proportion of variance of the distress at follow‐up (42%) was explained by an infantile object relationship pattern (IPO), social avoidance (IIP), negative vocational changes, and a lack of a confidant at follow‐up. A delayed start of subsequent ambulatory psychotherapy was another negative outcome predictor. Conclusions. Attention should be given to maladaptive interpersonal relationship patterns, to vocational reintegration, and a confiding relationship as potential predictors of long‐term outcome. Also, patterns of ambulatory after‐care following inpatient treatment need further scrutiny.     

Nonparametric Tests of Associations with Disease Based on U‐Statistics

In case‐control studies, association analysis was designed to test whether genetic variants were associated with human diseases. To evaluate the association, analysing one genetic marker at a time suffered from weak power, because of the correction for multiple testing and possibly small genetic effects. An alternative strategy was to test simultaneous effects of multiple markers, which was believed to be more powerful. However, when the number of markers under investigation was large, they would be subjected to weak power as well, because of the greater degrees of freedom. To conquer these limitations in case‐control studies, we proposed a novel method that could test joint association of several loci (i.e. haplotype), with only a single degree of freedom. In this research, we developed a nonparametric approach, which was based on U‐statistics. We also introduced a new kernel for U‐statistic, which could combine the haplotype structure information, and was expected to enhance the power. Simulations indicated that our proposed approach offered merits in identifying the associations between diseases and haplotypes. Application of our method to a study of candidate genes for internalising disorder illustrated its virtue in utility and interpretation, and provided an excellent result in detecting the associations.     

Associations between self‐reported sleep measures and dietary behaviours in a large sample of Australian school students (n = 28,010)

This study examined the associations between self‐reported sleep timing and quality, and the frequency of breakfast and junk food consumption in 28,010 Australian school students (mean ± SD age = 13.3 ± 1.2 years, 51% male). After controlling for age, sex and socioeconomic status, regression analyses revealed that the odds of missing breakfast were significantly higher in children who reported poor sleep or later bedtimes, while the odds of junk food consumption were significantly higher in children reporting later weeknight bedtimes (p < 0.001). These findings suggest that sleep timing and quality influence the dietary choices of adolescents.     

Associations of physician-diagnosed asthma with country of residence in the first year of life and other immigration-related factors: Chicago asthma school study.

BACKGROUND: Among Mexican Americans in the United States, US-born children have higher rates of asthma than their Mexico-born peers. Objective: To evaluate the associations of immigration-related variables with physician-diagnosed asthma in a sample of Mexican American children. METHODS: We analyzed data from the ongoing Chicago Asthma School Study, a population-based cross-sectional study, for 10,106 Mexican American schoolchildren in Chicago, Illinois. RESULTS: Mexican American children who lived in the United States in the first year of life were more likely to have physician-diagnosed asthma than their peers who lived in Mexico in the first year of life, independent of age, sex, income, language, and country of birth (odds ratio [OR], 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.09-2.94). The risk of asthma in US-born children was higher (but not significantly) than that observed in Mexico-born children after accounting for covariates, including country of residence in the first year of life (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.86-2.18). Long-term immigrants (lived in the United States for 10 years) had an increased risk of asthma compared with short-term immigrants (lived in the United States for <10 years), independent of country of residence in the first year of life (OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.00-3.73). CONCLUSION: These findings confirm the importance of early childhood exposures and environmental factors that are modified with migration and acculturation in asthma development.     

Treatment of behavior problems in preschoolers: a review of parent training programs

The literature for parent training interventions with conduct-problem preschool-aged children is reviewed. Although previous reviews have identified the preschool years as a critical point for intervention [J. Clin. Psychol. 21 (1992) 306; School Psychol. Rev. 22 (1993) 437], there still remains a paucity of well-designed outcome studies that have focused exclusively on preschoolers. Interventions that utilize parents as active sources of change remain predominant. The review reveals the need for further research to improve accessibility and delivery of interventions. Treatments that have undergone modification in their delivery format (e.g., use of telephone and videotape) were also identified and critically evaluated. Results of the review indicate that many studies are still accompanied by methodological limitations. Although promising interventions exist for young conduct-problem children, it is recommended that treatment effectiveness for preschoolers be evaluated more rigorously.     

Evidence for parent of origin effect in late‐onset Alzheimer disease

Evidence for a parent of origin effect in Alzheimer disease was obtained from a sample of 148 sibships on which affection status of the parents was sought using family history interviews. The parent study recruited families with two or more affected sibs for late onset AD utilizing rigorous diagnostic criteria. In 74 families, there was evidence of an affected parent, 49 maternal and 25 paternal. Genome scan data were analyzed for the sample as a whole and for the maternal and paternal families separately, using Genehunter‐ASM. Seven regions with Z_lr scores ≥2 were identified, four in maternal families (chr. 10,12,19,20) and three in paternal families (chr. 1,7,13). With the exception of the chromosome 10 finding, analysis by parent of origin greatly increased evidence of linkage in areas showing no linkage in the overall analyses. For example, a chr. 12 region reached a LOD = 2.29 among maternal families whereas the same region showed a LOD = 0.3 when all families were analyzed together. The strongest findings among maternal families (chr. 10 and 12) were followed up with fine mapping that resulted in an increase in maximum LOD scores from 2.7–3.2 on chr. 10, and 2.29–2.42 on chr. 12. These analyses highlight the importance of parent of origin effects in late‐onset AD families and identify several genomic regions that may include genes linked to late‐onset AD specific to disease transmission from the mother and require further investigation. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Duration of SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA shedding and factors associated with prolonged viral shedding in patients with COVID‐19

To investigate the factors associated with the duration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA shedding in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A retrospective cohort of COVID‐19 patients admitted to a designated hospital in Beijing was analyzed to study the factors affecting the duration of viral shedding. The median duration of viral shedding was 11 days (IQR, 8‐14.3 days) as measured from illness onset. Univariate regression analysis showed that disease severity, corticosteroid therapy, fever (temperature>38.5°C), and time from onset to hospitalization were associated with prolonged duration of viral shedding (P < .05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that fever (temperature>38.5°C) (OR, 5.1, 95%CI: 1.5‐18.1), corticosteroid therapy (OR, 6.3, 95%CI: 1.5‐27.8), and time from onset to hospitalization (OR, 1.8, 95%CI: 1.19‐2.7) were associated with increased odds of prolonged duration of viral shedding. Corticosteroid treatment, fever (temperature>38.5°C), and longer time from onset to hospitalization were associated with prolonged viral shedding in COVID‐19 patients.     

Associations of menopausal symptoms with job-related stress factors in nurses in Japan

ObjectiveThe main objective was to ascertain the typical menopausal symptoms and job-related stress factors in Japanese nurses during the menopausal transition, and the associations of menopausal symptoms with job-related stress. A supplementary objective was to determine whether there were any differences in menopausal symptoms and job-related stress factors among nurses in managerial positions.MethodsOne thousand seven hundred female registered nurses aged 45–60 years who were working in hospitals in Japan were asked to complete a self-administered survey that included Greene's Climacteric Scale and the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire.ResultsThe proportions of nurses who reported feelings of tiredness, irritability and difficulty in concentration were higher than the proportions with other menopausal symptoms. The proportions of nurses reporting feeling unhappy or depressed and having crying spells were higher among nurses in managerial positions than among other nurses. Stresses related to ‘quantitative overload’ on the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire among nurses in managerial positions were significantly greater than among nurses not in managerial positions, while stresses related to ‘physical overload’, ‘job control’, ‘skill discretion’, ‘workplace environment’ and ‘job satisfaction’ among nurses not in managerial positions were significantly greater than they were among nurses in managerial positions. Psychological symptoms were significantly correlated with poor job-related interpersonal relationships.ConclusionsHealth care practitioners should be aware that menopausal symptoms are associated with job-related stress during the menopausal transition. Information on the differences in these associations between nurses in managerial positions and other nurses is important as it will allow their health care to be managed on a more individual basis.     

Trajectories of peer victimization in elementary school children: Associations with changes in internalizing,externalizing, social competence,and school climate

The current study examines the developmental changes (internalizing and externalizing symptoms, social competence, and experiences of school climate) in children who follow distinct trajectories of peer victimization in a sample of elementary school children across 2 years. Data were from children, and their parents and teachers, in Grades 1–3 followed across five waves. Latent class analyses revealed four distinct victimization trajectory groups characterized by chronically high, increasing, decreasing, or low-stable levels across time. Multilevel analyses showed that children in the chronically high peer victimization group had higher initials levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms, lower levels of social competence, and poorer experiences of school climate compared to children in the low-stable group. Over time, children in the increasing group had slower rates of increases in social competence than children in the low-stable group and had worsening experiences of school climate compared to children in the low-stable peer victimization group. Findings suggest children who are chronically victimized may be at a developmental disadvantage compared to children who report little or declining peer victimization over time.     

microRNA management of NK‐cell developmental and functional programs

NK cells are innate lymphoid cells that are critical for host defense against infection, and mediate anti‐tumor responses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large family of small noncoding RNAs that target the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs, thereby attenuating protein translation. The expression of miRNAs within human peripheral blood and mouse splenic NK cells has been cataloged, with the majority of the miRNA sequence pool represented in the top 60 most abundantly expressed miRNAs. Global miRNA deficiency within NK cells has confirmed their critical role in NK‐cell biology, including defects in NK‐cell development and altered functionality. Studies using gain‐ and loss‐of‐function of individual miRNAs in NK cells have demonstrated the role of specific miRNAs in regulating NK‐cell development, maturation, and activation. miRNAs also regulate fundamental NK‐cell processes including cytokine production, cytotoxicity, and proliferation. This review provides an update on the intrinsic miRNA regulation of NK cells, including miRNA expression profiles, as well as their impact on NK‐cell biology. Additional profiling is needed to better understand miRNA expression within NK‐cell developmental intermediates, subsets, tissues, and in the setting of disease. Furthermore, key open questions in the field as well as technical challenges in the study of miRNAs in NK cells are highlighted.     

Dispositional optimism and health behaviour in community‐dwelling older people: Associations with healthy ageing

Objective Dispositional optimism measured with the Life Orientation Test has been associated with a variety of health outcomes. We assessed whether optimism was related to indices of healthy ageing, and if effects were mediated through health behaviours. Method A community sample of 128 men and women aged 65 to 80 years was recruited from general practice lists. Optimism and health behaviours were assessed by questionnaire, and healthy ageing indexed by physical health summary scores from the Short Form 36, and by self‐rated health. Results Optimism was associated with not smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, brisk walking, and vigorous physical activities (women only), independently of socio‐demographic factors and clinical condition. Physical health status was associated with optimism, independently of socio‐demographic factors, clinical condition, negative affectivity, and body mass. This effect was attenuated when health behaviours were taken into account. Self‐rated health was also positively related to optimism, and this association was not mediated by health behaviours. Neither the optimism nor pessimism subscales of the Life Orientation Test showed as consistent effects as the full scale. Conclusions We conclude that dispositional optimism is associated with healthy ageing. The relationship between optimism and healthy ageing was only partly mediated by the health behaviours assessed in this sample.