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Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and effortful control (EC) are two early dispositions that play a key role in developmental pathways of childhood-onset conduct problems (CP). Recently, a randomized controlled trial of an early parenting intervention (PI) with parents of preschoolers with CP, called Hitkashrut, indicated that these dispositions are interrelated, and can be improved following treatment. The objective of the current study was to use Hitkashrut's 2-wave dataset to test a temperamentally-driven mechanism in which EC is hypothesized to mediate PI's effect on CU traits. Parents of 209 preschoolers (163 boys; 46 girls), with subclinical-clinical range CP were assigned to 14-session co-parent training groups (n = 140 couples), or to minimal intervention control groups (n = 69 couples). All participants were Jewish ranging from ultra-orthodox to secular. We employed averaged indices of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires completed by both parents. An intent-to-treat analysis showed that EC partially mediated treatment effect on CU traits, while controlling for treatment effect on CP. A nonsignificant alternative model in which CU traits mediate effect on children's EC further supported the hypothesis that change in EC preceded change in CU traits. This is the first demonstration of EC mediated treatment effect on CU traits in a randomized controlled study conducted in everyday practice settings. Overall, the results suggested that CU traits are malleable following appropriate treatment and affected by improvement in temperamental self-regulatory capacity as indicated by EC. The results suggest that preschoolers' CU traits can be improved by incorporating intervention that enhance self-regulation capabilities. Highlights: Effortful control (EC) mediated parenting intervention's effect on callous-unemotional (CU) traits in real-world settings. Preschoolers' CU traits can be improved by enhancing self-regulation capabilities. EC partially mediated treatment effect on CU traits, while controlling for CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Can a machine-learning-based model trained in clinical and biological variables support the prediction of the presence or absence of sperm in testicular biopsy in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients?Summary Answer: Our machine-learning model was able to accurately predict (AUC of 0.8) the presence or absence of spermatozoa in patients with NOA.What Is Known Already: Patients with NOA can conceive with their own biological gametes using ICSI in combination with successful testicular sperm extraction (TESE). Testicular sperm retrieval is successful in up to 50% of men with NOA. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no existing model that can accurately predict the success of sperm retrieval in TESE. Moreover, machine-learning has never been used for this purpose.Study Design, Size, Duration: A retrospective cohort study of 119 patients who underwent TESE in a single IVF unit between 1995 and 2017 was conducted. All patients with NOA who underwent TESE during their fertility treatments were included. The development of gradient-boosted trees (GBTs) aimed to predict the presence or absence of spermatozoa in patients with NOA. The accuracy of these GBTs was then compared to a similar multivariate logistic regression model (MvLRM).Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: We employed univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression models to predict the probability of successful TESE using a dataset from a retrospective cohort. In addition, we examined various ensemble machine-learning models (GBT and random forest) and evaluated their predictive performance using the leave-one-out cross-validation procedure. A cutoff value for successful/unsuccessful TESE was calculated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: ROC analysis resulted in an AUC of 0.807 ± 0.032 (95% CI 0.743-0.871) for the proposed GBTs and 0.75 ± 0.052 (95% CI 0.65-0.85) for the MvLRM for the prediction of presence or absence of spermatozoa in patients with NOA. The GBT approach and the MvLRM yielded a sensitivity of 91% vs. 97%, respectively, but the GBT approach has a specificity of 51% compared with 25% for the MvLRM. A total of 78 (65.3%) men with NOA experienced successful TESE. FSH, LH, testosterone, semen volume, age, BMI, ethnicity and testicular size on clinical evaluation were included in these models.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: This study is a retrospective cohort study, with all the associated inherent biases of such studies. This model was used only for TESE, since micro-TESE is not performed at our center.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Machine-learning models may lay the foundation for a decision support system for clinicians together with their NOA patients concerning TESE. The findings of this study should be confirmed with further larger and prospective studies.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): The study was funded by the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, there are no potential conflicts of interest for all authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to explore intergroup relations between two Jewish religious groups in Israel, namely, ultra-Orthodox and national-religious communities, by using an integrated model that combines two psychosocial concepts: perceptions of collective narratives and identity strategies. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a representative sample of 402 ultra-Orthodox and 388 national-religious Jews living in Israel, of age 18 and over. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were conducted to examine group differences in perceiving in-group and out-group collective narratives and in patterns of identity strategies. Further, partial correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to test the relative contribution of perceptions of collective narratives and patterns of identity strategies. Findings: Willingness to compete with and to separate from the out-group was related to the tendency to reject its collective narrative while endorsing the in-group one. In the same vein, the opposite pattern was found in the relations between willingness to integrate and unite with the out-group and the perceptions of collective narratives. The results also indicate group differences: the ultra-Orthodox exhibited stronger tendencies to preserve their in-group collective narratives and to reject the out-group, as well as stronger endorsement of identity strategies of competition and separation compared to national-religious. Practical implications: The results suggest that it might be useful to encourage dialogue between both groups to clarify each side's narratives and rationale underlying the endorsement of specific identity strategies. Such an open dialogue could help each group understand the other group's needs and might also reduce their sense of threat as well as anxiety about losing their religious and social uniqueness. One possible opportunity for such dialogue is workplaces in which members of each group can gradually uncover stereotypes, enhancing reconciliation and willingness to accept the "other's" collective narrative and choose to adhere more to the similar than dissimilar characteristics. Originality/value: This is the first study, to the best of the authors' knowledge, to examine collective narratives and identity strategies as powerful indicators of intergroup relations between two minority groups of the same religion. Within such a unique context, the power struggle exists and the separation and competition strategies are apparent, but the main conflictual issue is related to similarities and discrepancies of religious ideologies, values, norms and worldviews that shape one's daily life and his/her encounter with the similar but different "other". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting intervention (PI) is an effective treatment for children's conduct problems (CP) that has been shown to be mediated by improved parenting practices and parenting self-efficacy. Recently, Hitkashrut's randomized controlled trial demonstrated that ineffective parenting (IP) mediated effects on callous-unemotional (CU) traits and effortful control (EC), while controlling for more general treatment effects on CP. These temperament and personality-based features predict the formation of early-onset antisocial trajectories with poor long-term prognosis. The objective of this study was to use Hitkashrut's 3-wave dataset to test posttreatment EC and CU mediation of treatment effect on 1-year follow-up CP, and to determine whether mediation by each child-level potential mediator remains significant when tested concurrently with the parenting mediator. Parents of 209 3-5 year-old preschoolers (163 boys; 46 girls), with subclinical-clinical range CP were assigned to 14-session co-parent training groups (n = 140 couples), or to minimal intervention control groups (n = 69 couples). Assessments were based on both parents' questionnaires. An intent-to-treat analysis showed that EC and CU traits simultaneously mediated treatment effects on CP in one EC/CU mediational model. The concurrent testing of child- and parent-level mediators showed mediation by IP and CU traits in the CU/IP model, and IP mediation in the EC/IP model. Similar results were obtained in mediational analyses that controlled for the shared variance between the mediators and CP at T2. Overall, the findings support an intervention model of coaching parents of high-CP children to promote moral self-regulatory competencies while concurrently applying behavioral methods that directly target CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and effortful control (EC) are personality and temperament traits implicated in early-onset antisocial trajectories. This secondary analysis of Hitkashrut's randomized controlled trial first tested parent training's effects on EC and CU traits while controlling for more general treatment effects on conduct problems (CP), and subsequently tested mediation by parenting. Prekindergarten teachers in three Israeli cities identified 209 3-5 year-old (163 boys; 46 girls) preschoolers with subclinical-clinical range conduct problems. All participants were Jewish ranging from ultra-orthodox to secular. They were assigned to 14-session co-parent training groups (n = 140 couples), or to minimal intervention control groups with referral to local services as necessary (n = 69 couples). We employed averaged indices of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires completed by both parents. The testing of all hypothesized models controlled for treatment effects on CP in order to strengthen the robustness of the analyses. We found significant concurrent treatment effects on CP and on either CU traits or EC. All effects were mediated by ineffective parenting (IP): a latent variable that was indicated by negative/inconsistent practices and perceived parenting inefficacy. This is the first demonstration of parenting mediated treatment effects on both EC and CU traits in a randomized controlled study conducted in everyday practice contexts. This finding supports a disruption model of change: the reduction of IP facilitates a caregiving environment that affects children's behavior and developing personality. The changing of personality and temperament characteristics implicated in early-onset pathways suggests an innovative prevention strategy for disruptive behavior disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research of psychological distress (PD) needs to differentiate between anxiety/depression and hostility/suspiciousness, which are associated with different motivational systems. In this study, structural equation modeling was used to test two hypothesized models for the prediction of each facet of PD. Hypotheses were proposed about the effects of callousness and attachment insecurity, and the mediating role of adherence to honor code (AHC), with respect to each PD facet. AHC was defined by the endorsement of honor culture attitudes. The sample included 136 adolescent boys from high- and low-level Israeli schools. The results supported the differentiation between two PD models. AHC mediated the prediction of hostility/suspiciousness by callousness and attachment insecurity. Age and attachment insecurity predicted anxiety/depression. However, AHC and callousness did not predict anxiety/depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]