Linguistic Agency and Life-Span Longevity.

Investigation of the influence of emotions on working memory capacity using ERP and ERSP

The association between socio-cultural factors and well-being among young adult Middle Eastern migrants in Australia

Individual differences in adaptation to rheumatoid arthritis are not fully accounted for by illness severity or duration of symptoms. In this study, we assessed differences in affect regulation and affect intensity as variables that might be important for identifying women with rheumatoid arthritis who are resilient versus those who have disrupted moods following pain exacerbations. Specifically, affective regulation, affect intensity, active coping, neuroticism and weekly reports of pain, positive affect, and negative affect were assessed in a sample of 81 women diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Our results indicated that affective regulation, affect intensity, and active coping played important but distinct roles in the ebb and flow of negative and positive affect. In particular, active coping was related to positive affect, whereas affective regulation and affect intensity showed interactive effects, moderating the prospective relationship between pain and negative affect and pain and positive affect. Overall, this study suggests that recovery from rheumatoid arthritis pain can be swift, except for those women who have difficulty regulating strong unpleasant affect.

Together with xanthine oxidase, aldehyde oxidase (AO) is a major member of a relatively small family of molybdenum hydroxylases. Both enzymes are homodimers with a subunit molecular weight of about 150 kDa and exhibit catalytic activity only as a dimer. An AO subunit contains a molybdopterin cofactor, an FAD and two different 2Fe-2S redox centers. The enzyme catalyzes oxidation of a wide range of endogenous and exogenous aldehydes and N-heterocyclic aromatic compounds. N-heterocycle-containing drugs such as methotrexate, 6-mercaptopurine, cinchona alkaloids and famciclovir are oxidized by this enzyme. Marked species differences have been well documented for the AO-catalyzed metabolism of drugs including methotrexate and famciclovir. In addition, a large rat strain variation has also been demonstrated in the oxidation activity of benzaldehyde and methotrexate. Marked differences in species, large differences in rat strains and individual differences in AO activities in some rat strains have been reported. However, little has been elucidated about any related molecular biological mechanisms. We examined the mechanism of individual variations and strain difference of rat AO using the technology of molecular biology. Our recent studies regarding the inter- and intra-difference of AO activities in rats are described.

Effects of day-to-day affect regulation on the pain experience of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Understanding the factors that promote positive affect and achievement in gifted students is essential for supporting their holistic development and success. This study aimed to explore the relationship among meaning in life (presence and search), character strengths (creativity, perseverance, social intelligence), social connectedness, positive/negative affect, and perceived academic achievement among gifted students in Hong Kong, China. A total of 348 gifted students participated in this study, comprising 196 males and 152 females, aged 10 to 18 years. The students completed a cross-sectional online survey in August and September 2024. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling with bootstrapping to estimate indirect effects. The results indicated significant indirect effects of meaning in life (presence and search) and character strengths (creativity, perseverance, social intelligence) on positive affect (β = 0.15 to 0.32, p < 0.05) and negative affect (β = −0.15 to −0.26, p < 0.05) via social connectedness, with small-to-moderate effect sizes. Additionally, significant indirect effects were observed for meaning in life and character strengths on perceived academic achievement via social connectedness (β = 0.13 to 0.20, p < 0.05), with small-to-moderate effect sizes. This research highlights the significant role of character strengths, meaning in life, and social connectedness in enhancing positive affect and perceived academic achievement, and reducing negative affect among gifted students.

Social belonging has long been conceptualized and studied as a stable individual difference characteristic, shaped by temperament, personality, and childhood experiences. In this talk, we will discuss how feelings of social connection vary on a daily basis, and how these variations are related to stressor reactivity. Using eight days of daily diary data from the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 2,022), we examine how daily social connection is related to negative affect experienced in response to a stressor in a national sample of midlife and later adulthood. Each day, participants reported whether they had experienced a daily stressor (e.g., an argument, a stressor at work, a stressor at home), and the extent to which they felt a sense of belonging across the past 24 hours. We used multilevel modelling to examine how levels of daily social belonging were related to changes in negative affect on days when people responded to stressors, after adjusting for average levels of positive affect, stressor exposure, and parental warmth. In a model examining the main effects, greater sense of belonging was related to lower levels of negative affect ( γ =-.022, p&amp;lt;.001), and stressor exposure was related to higher negative affect (γ =.127, p&amp;lt;.001). However, the addition of the within-person interaction indicated that negative affect was lower on stressor days when people felt a higher sense of belonging (γ = -0.065, p&amp;lt;.001). Results suggest that daily connection is important for well-being and how we respond to stressors in daily life.

The study examined links from acculturation experience (i.e., acculturation and enculturation) through coping strategies (i.e., social connectedness [SC]) to short-term outcomes (i.e., future subjective well-being [SWB]). Using a longitudinal design, 213 Chinese international students completed an online survey. Results partially supported two mediation hypotheses: Mainstream SC at Time 2 partially mediated the association between acculturation at Time 1 and life satisfaction and positive affect (but not negative affect) at Time 2; Ethnic SC at Time 2 partially mediated the association between enculturation at Time 1 and negative affect (but not life satisfaction and positive affect) at Time 2. Furthermore, unexpectedly, Mainstream SC at Time 2 partially mediated the association between enculturation at Time 1 and life satisfaction and positive affect (but not negative affect) at Time 2. Therefore, Mainstream SC and Ethic SC are both important coping resources for Chinese international students.

ObjectivesAssociations between awareness of one’s own aging and wellbeing have received increasing attention in the field of gerontology over the last decade. The current study examines how between-person differences and within-person fluctuations of awareness of age-related change (AARC) relate to daily negative affect and vitality. Of key interest was the extent to which fluctuations in AARC moderated reactivity to stressor exposure. We predicted that higher positive perceptions of aging (AARC-gains) would buffer the relationship between daily stressors and negative affect/vitality. Conversely, we expected that higher negative perceptions (AARC-losses) may exacerbate the relationship between daily stressors and the outcome variables.MethodsData were collected from a community-based sample of 152 Australian adults aged 53–86 (M = 69.18, SD = 5.73). For 10 consecutive days, participants completed surveys on their smartphones measuring daily stressors, AARC, and affect (positive and negative). Bayesian hierarchical linear models were used to examine whether AARC-gains and AARC-losses moderated within-person associations of daily stressors and affect (i.e., stress reactivity).ResultsAt the between-person level, higher AARC-gains was associated with lower negative affect and higher vitality, whereas those reporting higher AARC-losses scored higher on negative affect and lower on vitality. Within-person variables revealed that on days when AARC-gains was higher and AARC-losses was lower, this corresponded with lower negative affect and higher vitality. There was no evidence in support of individual moderating effects of within-person AARC-losses or within-person AARC-gains on stress reactivity. A trend was evident in support of a three-way WP Stress severity × WP AARC-gains × WP AARC-losses interaction in the prediction of negative affect, indicating that on days when AARC-losses was higher, the association of stress severity with negative affect was weaker if AARC-gains was higher. Follow-up analyses modeling quadratic stress severity revealed a trend suggesting an interaction of within-person stress severity and within-person AARC-losses.DiscussionResults indicate that both individual differences and short-term fluctuations in AARC are associated with daily negative affect and vitality. The results provided qualified support for a possible protective role of AARC-gains in the context of stress reactivity.

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) include cleft palate (CP), cleft lip (CL), and cleft lip with cleft palate (CLP) and require multidisciplinary healthcare services. Alberta, Canada has a publicly funded, universal access healthcare system. This study determined publicly funded healthcare costs for children with an OFC and compared these costs to children without congenital anomalies. This retrospective population-based cohort analysis used the Alberta Congenital Anomalies Surveillance System to identify children born between 2002 and 2018 with an isolated OFC. They were matched 1:1 to a reference cohort based on sex and year of birth. The study population included 1614 children, from birth to 17 years of age linked to administrative databases to estimate annual inpatient and outpatient costs. Average annual all-cause costs were compared using two-sample independent t tests. The mean total cleft-related costs per patient were highest for children with CLP ($74,138 CAD, standard deviation (SD) $43,447 CAD), followed by CP ($53,062 CAD, SD $74,366 CAD), and CL ($35,288 CAD, SD $49,720 CAD). The mean total all-cause costs per child were statistically significantly higher (p < .001) in children with an OFC ($56,305 CAD, SD $57,744 CAD) compared to children without a congenital anomaly ($18,600 CAD, SD $61,300 CAD). Despite public health strategies to mitigate risk factors, the trend for OFCs has remained stable in Alberta, Canada for over 20 years. The costs reported are useful to other jurisdictions for comparison, and to families, healthcare professionals, service planners, and policy makers.

Needs for and Barriers to Correctional Mental Health Services: Inmate Perceptions

How people experience and respond to their distress predicts problem drinking more than does the amount of distress

Background: Children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI) are at greater risk of psychological and physical ill-health, increased behavioral and developmental difficulties, educational underachievement and lower competency than their peers compared to children of healthy parents. The aim of this study was to find resilience, Social Connectedness, mental health status and quality of life (QoL) in COPMI. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional Analytical study was used in the present study. Thirty COPMI with age group of 11–18 years of age, either of the biological parents was diagnosed with severe mental illness (Schizophrenia and Bipolar affective disorder according to international classification of diseases-10) were selected. Socio-demographic data sheet, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, KIDSCREEN-27 (QoL), Social Connectedness Scale, Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were administered. Results: The finding shows that 33.3% of COMPI had low level of resilience and a stronger sense of social connectedness (M = 78.63, standard deviation [SD] = 6.83). Psychological wellbeing (M = 20.77, SD = 2.68) was higher than other domains of QoL, followed by autonomy and parents (M = 18.46, SD = 3.43), school environment (M = 14.56, SD = 2.87), physical wellbeing (M = 14.43, SD = 1.88), and peer and social support (M = 10.87, SD = 2.08). The finding shows that in the total difficulty score (SDQ), 26.7% falls under normal category while 73.3% have abnormal scores. Total Difficulties score (SDQ) has a significant negative correlation with QoL [r=-0.520, P = 0.01] and Social Connectedness (r = ‒0.478, P = 0.01). Conclusion: The study highlighted the risk of developing emotional and behavioral problems among COPMI. Resilience based intervention is required at school and community level for mental health promotion among children.

Background: Lifespan psychological and life course sociological perspectives indicate that individual development is shaped by social and historical circumstances. Increases in fluid cognitive performance over the last century are well documented and researchers have begun examining historical trends in personality and subjective well-being in old age. Relatively less is known about secular changes in other key components of psychosocial function among older adults. Objective: In the present study, we examined cohort differences in key components of psychosocial function, including subjective age, control beliefs, and perceived social integration, as indicated by loneliness and availability of very close others. Methods: We compared data obtained 20 years apart in the Berlin Aging Study (in 1990-1993) and the Berlin Aging Study II (in 2013-2014) and identified case-matched cohort groups based on age, gender, cohort-normed education, and marital or partner status (n = 153 in each cohort, mean age = 75 years). In follow-up analyses, we controlled for having lived in former East versus West Germany, physical diseases, cohort-normed household income, cognitive performance, and the presence of a religious affiliation. Results: Consistently across analyses, we found that, relative to the earlier-born BASE cohort (year of birth: mean = 1916; SD = 3.38 years; range = 1901-1922), participants in the BASE-II sample (year of birth: mean = 1939; SD = 3.22 years; range = 1925-1949) reported lower levels of external control beliefs (d = -1.01) and loneliness (d = -0.63). Cohorts did not differ in subjective age, availability of very close others, and internal control beliefs. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that some aspects of psychosocial function of older adults have improved across the two recent decades. We discuss the possible role of sociocultural factors that might have led to the observed set of cohort differences.

Neuroticism is one of the major traits describing human personality, and a predictor of mental and physical disorders with profound public health significance. Individual differences in emotional variability are thought to reflect the core of neuroticism. However, the empirical relation between emotional variability and neuroticism may be partially the result of a measurement artifact reflecting neuroticism's relation with higher mean levels-rather than greater variability-of negative emotion. When emotional intensity is measured using bounded scales, there is a dependency between variability and mean levels: at low (or high) intensity, it is impossible to demonstrate high variability. As neuroticism is positively associated with mean levels of negative emotion, this may account for the relation between neuroticism and emotional variability. In a metaanalysis of 11 studies (N = 1,205 participants; 83,411 observations), we tested whether the association between neuroticism and negative emotional variability was clouded by a dependency between variability and the mean. We found a medium-sized positive association between neuroticism and negative emotional variability, but, when using a relative variability index to correct for mean negative emotion, this association disappeared. This indicated that neuroticism was associated with experiencing more intense, but not more variable, negative emotions. Our findings call into question theory, measurement scales, and data suggesting that emotional variability is central to neuroticism. In doing so, they provide a revisionary perspective for understanding how this individual difference may predispose to mental and physical disorders.