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Deficits in fear conditioning related to psychopathy have been widely studied in adults. However, evidence in children and adolescents is scarce and inconsistent. This research aimed to expand knowledge about fear conditioning in psychopathy and its dimensions in child and early adolescent clinical populations. Participants were 45 boys (outpatients) aged 6–14 years (M = 10.59, SD = 2.04). They were assessed with the parents' and teachers' versions of the Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI). A fear conditioning paradigm (Neumann et al., in Biological Psychology, 79(3), 337–342, 2008) for children and adolescents was used. Conditioned stimuli (CS+ and CS-) were geometric shapes and the unconditioned stimulus (US) was an unpleasant sound of metal scraping on slate (83 dB). Difference scores (CS+ minus CS-) in skin conductance responses (SCR) and self-reported cognitive and affective measures were considered as indices of fear conditioning. Results showed that: a) deficits in fear conditioning were related to some psychopathy dimensions but not to psychopathy as a unitary construct; b) the Impulsivity-Need for Stimulation dimension was a predictor of impaired fear conditioning at a cognitive level; c) the interaction of Callous-Unemotional and Impulsivity-Need for Stimulation dimensions was a significant predictor of impaired electrodermal fear conditioning; d) by contrast, the Grandiose-Deceitful dimension, was marginally associated with a greater electrodermal fear conditioning. In conclusion, psychopathy dimensions and their interactions, but not psychopathy as a whole, predicted deficits in fear conditioning as measured by SCR and cognitive indices. These findings confirm the notion that psychopathic traits are associated with deficits in fear conditioning in child and adolescent clinical populations and provide support for a multidimensional approach to youth psychopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the large body of research documenting parenting practices as risk factors for the development of child and adolescent disruptive behaviour, the association with psychopathy is notably less known. The goal was to examine, in 75 institutionalized juvenile male offenders, the association between self-reported memories of parenting practices during childhood (Alabama Parenting Questionnaire) and psychopathy (Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version). Results showed that ineffective parenting practices as inconsistent discipline and poor monitoring/supervision were significantly associated with increased levels of psychopathic traits. Interestingly, only two of the four facets of the construct, lifestyle and antisocial, were associated with these parenting behaviours. Findings highlight the importance of considering parenting practices in the study of the early development of psychopathy and suggest that the facets could be rooted in distinct underlying etiologic-dispositional factors with differentiated developmental pathways and different psychosocial correlates. The study lends support to the multidimensional approach of psychopathy as a syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Communication skills (CS) and the psychosocial dimensions of patient care are currently considered core competencies in medical schools. CS programs have focused on verbal communication rather than the nonverbal communication. Aim: To present a training program aimed to decode patients' nonverbal clues for second year medical students implemented at the School of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Method: A description of a theoretical framework, principles, general and specific goals, learning settings, strategies, skills, and assessment tools. Results: A model of training for preclinical medical students in decoding patients' nonverbal clues is shown. The students have shown satisfaction with the program. Conclusions: The detection of patients' nonverbal clues can be regarded as a humanistic skill that can be defined, trained, and evaluated. The program can be transferable to other institutions on health sciences and adapted to other academic levels or, even, clinical specialties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the concurrent relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and externalizing and internalizing problems and social school behavior in a Spanish community sample, separately for boys (n=439) and girls (n=428), enrolled in 2nd, 4th, or 6th grades. Weekly participation in extracurricular activities was related to better emotional and behavioral adjustment and social competence. Overall, the relations were low and different according to gender, type of activity, and informant. Better adjustment was more related to participation in sports activities in boys and to participation in nonsports activities in girls. Size effect was higher for girls and decreased for both boys and girls when parental education and parenting practices were considered. Findings supported previous results obtained in American adolescents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anammox process, under different organic loading rates (COD), was evaluated using a semi-continuous UASB reactor at 37°C. Three different substrates were used: initially, synthetic wastewater, and later, two different pig manure effluents (after UASB-post-digestion and after partial oxidation) diluted with synthetic wastewater. High ammonium removal was achieved, up to 92.1±4.9% for diluted UASB-post-digested effluent (95mg CODL−1) and up to 98.5±0.8% for diluted partially oxidized effluent (121mgCODL−1). Mass balance clearly showed that an increase in organic loading (from 95mg CODL−1 to 237mg CODL−1 and from 121mg CODL−1 to 290mg CODL−1 for the UASB-post-digested effluent and the partially oxidized effluent, respectively) negatively affected the anammox process and facilitated heterotrophic denitrification. Partial oxidation as a pre-treatment method improved ammonium removal at high organic matter concentration. Up to threshold organic load concentration of 142mg CODL−1 of UASB-post-digested effluent and 242mg CODL−1 of partially oxidized effluent, no effect of organic loading on ammonia removal was registered (ammonium removal was above 80%). However, COD concentrations above 237mgL−1 (loading rate of 112mg CODL−1 day−1) for post-digested effluent and above 290mgL−1 (loading rate of 136mg CODL−1 day−1) for partially oxidized effluent resulted in complete cease of ammonium removal. Results obtained showed that, denitrification and anammox process were simultaneously occurring in the reactor. Denitrification became the dominant ammonium removal process when the COD loading was increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To assess the impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on general quality-of-life (QOL) measures in an outpatient setting. Methods: A total of 1546 male patients aged 51 years or older and scoring more than 11 in the International Prostate Symptom Score completed the general version of the Functional Assessment Cancer Therapy, the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Impact Index, and additional questions. Previous prostatic surgery and neurourologic conditions were exclusion criteria, but the use of urologic medication was not. Results: LUTS and QOL were significantly related to age, with older patients presenting with more symptoms and worse QOL. In addition, the results showed negative correlations between LUTS and QOL. The division of the severity groups according to the International Prostate Symptom Score showed that patients from the severe group reported significantly worse QOL compared with the moderate group. The 32% variance in the FACT-G was explained by the International Prostate Symptom Score items, controlling for age. Nocturia combined with incomplete bladder emptying were the strongest predictors of QOL. Conclusions: LUTS have considerable impact on the general well-being of the patient. Combined with age, they can explain up to 30% of the variance in QOL. Nocturia and incomplete emptying are the most troublesome symptoms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The triarchic model of psychopathy emerged with the aim of reconciling and accommodating previous descriptive accounts of psychopathy. The dimensions of this model, operationalized through the triarchic psychopathy measure (TriPM; Patrick, 2010), have shown adequate correlations with respect to other psychopathy measures in adult incarcerated population, but more research is needed with justice-involved youth. The general goal of this research was to analyze the convergent validity of the TriPM, using self- and clinician-rated psychopathy measures, in seventy-two 14–22 years old males (M = 18.17; SD = 1.18) who were under the most restrictive custodial measure of the Catalonia’s justice system (Spain). The results showed that TriPM shows adequate convergent validity in reference to the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions (CAPE), the Youth Psychopathy Traits Inventory (YPI) and the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU), specially when using same informants and assessment approaches. The findings provided evidence that the TriPM is an adequate measure to study psychopathy in juvenile justice context and can contribute to elaborate prevention and treatment programs. Nonetheless, further research employing multimethod approaches is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CONTEXT: The relevance of healthcare student training in communication skills has led to the development of instruments for measuring attitudes towards learning communication skills. One such instrument is the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS), developed in English speaking students and adapted to different languages and cultures. No data is available on the performance of CSAS with South European students. The aims of the present study were to translate the CSAS into the Catalan language and study its psychometric properties in South European healthcare students. METHODS: A total of 569 students from the School of Medicine of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) participated. Students completed a Catalan version of the CSAS and provided demographic and education information. FINDINGS: Principal component analysis with oblimin rotation supported a two-factor original structure with some modifications. In general, internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the scales were satisfactory, especially for the factor measuring positive attitudes. Relationships of student responses on the two factors with demographic and education variables were consistent with previous work. Students with higher positive attitudes tended to be female, to be foreign students and to think that their communication skills needed improving. Students with higher negative attitudes tended to be male and to have parents that were doctors or nurses. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the internal validity of a Catalan version of the CSAS and support its use in future research and educational studies related to attitudes towards learning communication skills for South European students who speak Catalan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Panic Disorder (PD) is a common mental disorder with an important social and economic cost. Web-based screening tools for early detection of PD are useful for clinical and research purposes. However, there is a paucity of instruments that specifically measure PD online. The aim of this study is to analyze the validity of one item from the Web Screening Questionnaire designed to detect PD symptoms (WSQ-Panic). Methods A total of 171 participants completed the WSQ-Panic online and were assessed by telephone using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-I). The sensitivity, the specificity, predictive values (PPV, NPV), and area under the ROC curve (AUC) were calculated, and the optimal cut-off point was determined. Results The WSQ-Panic showed a sensitivity of 0.83 and a specificity of 0.74. The PPV was 0.46 and NPV was 0.94. The AUC was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.74–0.90), which indicates a moderate accuracy. The optimal cut-off point is ≥2. Limitations The representativeness of the sample is limited. All the interviews were conducted by phone. Six-month prevalence according to SCID-I criteria was considered, whereas the WSQ-Panic assesses current symptoms. Conclusion The WSQ-Panic accuracy is acceptable as an Internet screening tool, comparable to longer instruments for PD detection. This instrument is valid to quickly identify patients who suffer from panic symptoms, which can cause important distress and possibly lead to PD. It can also be very useful for screening participants in online self-help treatments and for research purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on Gray''s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory, the influence of behavioural disinhibition upon alcohol consumption was studied. A sample of undergraduates answered different questionnaires related to the Behavioural Inhibition System and Behavioural Activation System. In relation to alcohol use, three aspects of alcohol consumption were assessed: frequency, quantity of alcohol intake and the age at first drink. From a series of correlation and regression analyses, we found that both high scores on BAS-related scales and low scores on those scales related to the BIS were jointly associated with current alcohol-taking habits. Additionally, the Sensitivity to Reward (SR) scale (BAS) was negatively correlated with, and a predictor of, the onset age of alcohol use. We conclude by proposing that research on alcohol use can benefit from this well-grounded theory of the neuropsychology of the individual differences. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI) is a relatively new tool for measuring psychopathic traits in early development mainly applied in community samples. The main purpose of the present study was to provide further validation of the parents' version of the CPTI in the Spanish context. In a first phase, the study examined (a) the factor structure and the invariance across gender, (b) the internal consistency, and (c) the convergent and divergent validity of the CPTI in a community sample of 1,387 children (48.1% girls) aged 5–12 years (M = 8.27; SD = 2.17). In a second phase, the study tested the capacity of the CPTI to discriminate between normal and two clinical conditions (i.e., externalizing versus other psychopathological problems) in a subsample of 678 at-risk children (46.2% girls), aged 5–12 years (M = 8.38; SD = 2.25), preselected according to psychiatric measures and clinical judgment. The Spanish parent version of the CPTI confirmed a three-factor structure, being invariant across gender, with an adequate internal consistency, and a consistent relationship with delinquent and aggressive behavior. The associations with external variables differed according to each CPTI dimension. In addition, the CPTI discriminated children at risk for externalizing disorders from children with other psychopathology conditions (internalizing and learning disorders) and from healthy children. In sum, the CPTI holds up as a promising measure to assess psychopathic traits in childhood from a multidimensional perspective and, therefore, would open new ways to study diverse etiological pathways leading to the development of psychopathy in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children and adolescents are linked to severe and persistent antisocial behavior. Based on past empirical research, several theoretical models have suggested that CU traits may be partly explained by difficulties in correctly identifying others’ emotional states as well as their reduced attention to others’ eyes, which could be important for both causal theory and treatment. This study tested the relationships among CU traits, emotion recognition of facial expressions and visual behavior in a sample of 52 boys referred to a clinic for conduct problems (Mage = 10.29 years; SD = 2.06). We conducted a multi-method and multi-informant assessment of CU traits through the Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI), the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional (ICU), and the Clinical Assessment of Prosocial Emotions-Version 1.1 (CAPE). The primary goal of the study was to compare the utility of these methods for forming subgroups of youth that differ in their emotional processing abilities. An emotion recognition task assessed recognition accuracy (percentage of mistakes) and absolute dwell time on the eyes or mouth region for each emotion. Results from repeated measures ANOVAs revealed that low and high CU groups did not differ in emotion recognition accuracy, irrespective of the method of assessing CU traits. However, the high CU group showed reduced attention to the eyes of fearful and sad facial expressions (using the CPTI) or to all emotions (using the CAPE). The high CU group also showed a general increase in attention to the mouth area, but only when assessed by the CAPE. These findings provide evidence to support abnormalities in how those elevated on CU traits process emotional stimuli, especially when assessed by a clinical interview, which could guide appropriate assessment and more successful interventions for this group of youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panic disorder (PD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. Web-based self-help treatments for PD have had promising results. These online treatments seem to have larger effect sizes (ESs) when professional support is added. However, the amount of support or how it should be administered is not yet clear. The aim of this trial was to study two ways of administering psychological support provided by phone as a part of Internet-based self-help treatment for PD based on cognitive behavioral therapy. Seventy-seven participants diagnosed with PD were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: a waiting list control group; a treatment group with non-scheduled psychological support; or a treatment group with scheduled psychological support. PD symptoms of participants who received treatment improved significantly compared to the control group (mean ESd = 1.18,p < .05). In addition, there were statistically and clinically significant differences between treatment groups (Mean difference = −3.20,p = .005, 95% CI [−5.62, −.79]). The scheduled group showed a larger ES, a lower dropout rate, and better adherence to treatment than the non-scheduled group. Scheduled support seems to be indicated for patients who seek Web-based treatment for PD, and their symptoms of panic, anxiety, and depression improve at post-treatment and six-month follow-up. In contrast, when support depends on patient demand, they receive less support and so, the therapeutic effect is poorer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We studied the temporal stability of individual differences in the acquisition and generalization of fear. Seventy-one participants were tested in two almost identical fear-acquisition and fear-generalization sessions (separated by 8 months). Acquisition and generalization were measured by the fear-potentiated startle, the skin conductance response, and online expectancies of the unconditioned stimulus. To control for the effects of previous experience, different stimuli were used for half of the participants in Session 2. Acquisition and generalization did not differ across sessions or as a function of the stimuli used in Session 2, and a significant proportion of individual differences in these processes was stable over time (generalizability coefficients ranged from 0.17 to 0.38). When the same stimuli were used, acquisition measures showed compromised stability. The results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and applied implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of religious education in the family upon current spiritual and religious tendencies was assessed in a sample of 599 Spanish nurse and medicine students using a religiosity scale and answers to a series of belief/disbelief statements. Results showed that nursing and medicine students were equally low-religious, with no differences in religiosity total scores between participants coming from religious families; however, medical students coming from nonreligious families showed higher religiousness than the corresponding nursing trainees. This distinction appeared both across religiosity items and in a variety of responses to belief/disbelief of Christian/secular assertions. Regression analysis showed that religious family background was a consistent predictor of religious beliefs at young adulthood, and its influence was higher for medical students. In addition to establish religious upbringing as an important factor modulating enduring religiosity, these findings provide distinctions between nurse and medical trainees, and reproduce, in a Spanish mainly catholic sample, the structure of religiosity factors previously found on North American mainline protestants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]