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Somatic symptoms – chronic physical complaints, such as headaches and joint pain – present a challenge for the healthcare system, partly because patients often resist psychological explanations and treatments. To inform conversations with patients around which factors (psychological or physiological) might represent a first-pass target for treatment, we used data from two waves of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health to longitudinally explore a comprehensive set of largely modifiable psychosocial and physiological predictors of somatic symptoms. Our sample was broadly representative and consisted of 8,261 women aged 22 to 27. In a linear regression with multiple imputation, eight physiological predictors and seven psychosocial predictors were explored. Psychosocial predictors accounted for more variance than physiological predictors: 29.7% vs. 11.5%, but the five strongest predictors (psychological distress, having at least one physiological condition, stress, being overweight, and having a sexual condition) included three physiological factors. The results highlight the benefits of multi-disciplinary treatment approaches that address physiological as well as psychological risk factors.

This is a preprint of a chapter published in "Human Uses of Outer Space" - edited by Melissa de Zwart, John Culton, Stacey Henderson, Amit Srivastava, and Deborah Turnbull.

This is a pre-registration of an analysis of 9 waves of data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. The aim is to track mean-level change in the population following divorce or relationship dissolution. We also explore individual differences in trajectories.

We aim to To investigate the nature of changes in mental health following repeated exposure to stressful life events (SLEs) in a sample of Australian women providing data over six waves (21 years) of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH). This study aims to plot the mental health trajectories of multiple groups of women, with groups defined by the number of experienced stressful life events (SLEs) in even increments. We will examine whether each increment in the number of experienced SLEs results in a disproportionately larger decrease in mental health (as indicated by a steeper downward slope). Effectively, we will explore whether the effects of additional experienced SLEs on mental health are non-additive.

This article explores the public diplomacy of the European Union at the current stage and its reflection in the Republic of Moldova. The methods and techniques of public diplomacy have been used in the foreign policy of states over the centuries, however, only in the second half of the twentieth century they began to turn into a conscious state policy, with a solid theoretical and legislative framework. Public diplomacy is the most efficient and frequently used method of implementing the “soft power” of the state, which includes cultural, educational, sports, journalism, scientific, etc. projects, focused on interaction with the elite and society in other countries and which aims to create an attractive image of their country. The EU started to develop intensively public diplomacy and strategic communication actions in the Republic of Moldova in order to inform effectively the citizens of Moldova about its assistance and support in the process of the European integration of the country. Therefore, this article analyses the specific tools and strategies of public diplomacy applied by the European Union in the Republic of Moldova.

This is a pre-registration of the project, at a point when data has been collected for 33 participants (32 with completed Day 1 and Day 7 data). Descriptive statistics have been obtained for those participants, but no inferential analyses have been conducted. We are pre-registering those analyses here. Hypotheses and analyses are described in the project Wiki. We will script the analyses following pre-registration, and then collect more data with the aim of recruiting 30 participants per group with non-missing Day 1 and Day 7 data (see 'Power analysis' in project wiki).

It has been argued that church attendance benefits mental health by buffering against stress. However, underlying mechanisms are debated and longitudinal evidence is scarce. We use eight years of l...

In a single comprehensive model, using a large nationally representative sample, we investigate longitudinal relationships between mental distress and “Big Six” personality using an analysis approach sensitive to dynamic effects (i.e., to effects of deviations from individual trajectories). We find that, consistent with a mechanism involving scarring by distress, upward deviations (flare-ups) in distress predict flare-ups in Neuroticism 12 months later. Among younger adults ( n = 4,775), distress flare-ups predict dips in Conscientiousness. Consistent with a dynamic precursor model, (a) flare-ups in Neuroticism and Extraversion predict subsequent flare-ups in distress among older adults ( n = 11,167), and (b) slopes of distress correlate with slopes of a number of traits (e.g., positively for Neuroticism, and, among older adults, negatively for Extraversion). While demonstrating these scarring and dynamic precursor effects, we draw attention to a nuanced direction of dynamic effect for Extraversion, a newly discovered dynamic effect of Conscientiousness, and previously undocumented dynamic effects of traits on each other.

An important issue in the field of combating terrorism is the formation of an appropriate regulatory framework and the existence of an effective system of counteraction at the national and international levels. Many states have adopted special laws regarding the fight against terrorism; most countries long ago came to the conclusion that the fight against terrorism must be the prerogative of special organizations. The article will highlight the activity, the political and legal framework of the Anti-terrorism Center of the Republic of Moldova in the field of combating and preventing terrorism.

Awe tends to be defined as an emotion characterised by a perception of vastness that challenges or negates existing concepts of the world, creating a "need for accommodation". Emerging research on linguistic labels for awe-like experiences suggests that, while there is no universal word for disorienting experiences of vastness, there is cross-cultural recognition of encountering forces superior to oneself. Under the theory of constructed emotion in social neuroscience, the experience of encountering a force greater than oneself results in behaviour that serves group interests when those interests are part of the perceiver's concept of the vast stimulus. I argue that this is true in most cases, since awe-inspiring charismatic leaders, historical artefacts, and elaborate ceremonies directly represent group interests. Meanwhile, vast natural scenes encourage individuals to conceive of themselves in more superordinate terms (e.g., as human) within the scene. If experiences of awe-inspiring ceremonies, leaders, historical artefacts and natural features have a prosocial component that encourages consideration of group-level interests, it is possible that the "need for accommodation" component of awe is, in many cases, a social process. Within the framework of self-categorisation theory, it might be a process of adopting the identity of a group that is broader than family-based and friendship-based groups that one typically identifies with.

Although the growing prevalence of social media usage raises concerns about its potentially negative impact on mental health and distress, research has found mixed results. This study resolves these inconsistencies by examining the association between hours of time spent on social media use and psychological distress in a sample of New Zealand adults (

Erroneous gambling-related beliefs (EGRBs) can be defined as beliefs that imply a failure to recognise how commercial gambling activities are designed to generate a guaranteed loss to players. In t...

Debate continues as to whether an attentional bias towards threat displayed by sufferers of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) is conscious and, thus, more amenable to change through psychological therapy. We compared the amplitudes of early (unconscious) and later (conscious) electroencephalographic (EEG) event-related potentials following silent reading of symptom-related, emotionally neutral, and emotionally negative nouns across two participant groups: 30 female FGID-sufferers who met diagnostic criteria for irritable bowel syndrome or functional dyspepsia, and 30 female healthy controls. Analogous indices based on alpha desynchronization were also examined, as were correlations between the EEG-based indices and a range of psychosocial variables. FGID-sufferers displayed marginally significantly higher occipital EPN amplitudes for all nouns, indicating marginally higher levels of unconscious attention in the task. FGID-sufferers also displayed, for negative as compared to neutral nouns, significantly lower central N400 amplitudes indicative of higher conscious attention. The result was only apparent in post-hoc pairwise comparisons, however. Uniquely among FGID-sufferers, central N400 was strongly negatively correlated with a range of negative psychosocial traits and states. The findings provide preliminary evidence of hypervigilance to general (as opposed to symptom-specific) threat among FGID-sufferers. Amidst concerns over Type I error, recommendations are made for fine-tuning the operationalisation of unconscious and conscious attentional bias in this population.

INTRODUCTION Rectal perception testing is a recommended component of anorectal physiology testing. Although recent consensus (London) guidelines suggested criteria for categorizing hyporectal and hyper-rectal sensitivity, these were based on scant evidence. Moreover, data regarding diagnostic capabilities and clinical utility of rectal perception testing are lacking. The aims of this study were to determine the association between rectal perception testing and both clinical and physiological variables to enhance the analysis and interpretation of real-life test results. METHODS Prospectively documented data from 1,618 (92% female) patients referred for anorectal physiology testing were analyzed for 3 rectal perception thresholds (first, urge, and maximal tolerated). Normal values derived from healthy female subjects were used to categorize each threshold into hyposensitive and hypersensitive to examine the clinical relevance of this categorization. RESULTS There was poor to moderate agreement between the 3 thresholds. Older age, male sex, and constipation were associated with higher perception thresholds, whereas irritable bowel syndrome, fecal incontinence, connective tissue disease, and pelvic radiation were associated with lower perception thresholds to some, but not all, thresholds (P < 0.01 on multivariate analysis for all). The clinical utility and limitations of categorizing thresholds into "hypersensitivity" and "hyposensitivity" were determined. DISCUSSION Commonly practiced rectal perception testing is correlated with several disease states and thus has clinical relevance. However, most disease states were correlated with 2 or even only 1 abnormal threshold, and agreement between thresholds was limited. This may suggest each threshold measures different pathophysiological pathways. We suggest all 3 thresholds be measured and reported separately in routine clinical testing.

This article explores the concept of soft power and its evolution in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the 21st century. The concept of soft power, has gained widespread popularity in recent decades among both researchers and politicians and civil servants. The emergence and rapid development of this concept is due to scientific research conducted by the representative of the neoliberal school of international relations Joseph Nye, an American foreign policy specialist and professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Thus, soft power can be defined as the political activity of state and public institutions and organizations, in the long run, both in traditional and modern diplomacy, designed to protect and achieve national interests, by creating a positive image of the state on the international arena and the formation in other countries of friendly and influential communities. The United Kingdom is the country that ranks first in most surveys and a paper conducted by renowned research institutes and has extensive experience in using soft power resources to promote the image of the state.

Supplemental material, Supplement_3_Correlations for The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness by Anastasia Ejova, Petar Milojev, Everett L. Worthington, Joseph Bulbulia and Chris G. Sibley in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Supplemental material, Ejova_Online_Appendix for The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness by Anastasia Ejova, Petar Milojev, Everett L. Worthington, Joseph Bulbulia and Chris G. Sibley in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Supplemental material, Supplement_4_RTM for The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness by Anastasia Ejova, Petar Milojev, Everett L. Worthington, Joseph Bulbulia and Chris G. Sibley in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Supplemental material, Supplement_1_Descriptives for The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness by Anastasia Ejova, Petar Milojev, Everett L. Worthington, Joseph Bulbulia and Chris G. Sibley in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Supplemental material, Supplement_2_Measurement for The Big Six Personality Traits and Mental Distress: Dynamic Modeling in a Population Panel Study Reveals Bidirectional Relationships Involving Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness by Anastasia Ejova, Petar Milojev, Everett L. Worthington, Joseph Bulbulia and Chris G. Sibley in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin

Supplemental material, PTNS_Supplementary_Table_1 for A novel combined anorectal biofeedback and percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation protocol for treating fecal incontinence by Yoav Mazor, Gillian M. Prott, Carol Sequeira, Michael Jones, Anastasia Ejova, John E. Kellow, Margaret Schnitzler and Allison Malcolm in Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology

Objective The aim of this study is to examine whether self-esteem and fear of negative appearance evaluation are significant mediators in the association between weight-related self-devaluation and disordered eating. Method A sample of obese Canadian women (N = 111, M age = 40.9, SD = 10.2) completed the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Fear of Negative Appearance Evaluation Scale (FNAES), and the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Results Self-esteem mediated the relationship between weight-related self-devaluation and restraint and weight concerns, whereas fear of negative appearance evaluation mediated the relationship with weight, shape and eating concerns. Conclusion Since, for obese women, self-esteem and fear of negative appearance evaluation are likely to maintain disordered eating, they should be more frequently taken into consideration by researchers, health professionals and public policy stakeholders.

Background & Aims Anorectal biofeedback (BF) is commonly used to treat patients with fecal incontinence (FI), but demand usually exceeds availability. It is therefore important to identify patients most likely to respond to BF treatment. We aimed to identify pre-treatment clinical or physiologic factors that might be used to predict completion and success of BF in women with FI. Methods We analyzed data from 400 women with FI (mean age, 61 ± 14 y) undergoing instrumental BF in a tertiary care setting from 2003 through 2016. All patients completed questionnaires before BF, including Rome and the hospital anxiety and depression scale questionnaires. Histories of medication use, surgery, medical conditions, and bowel pattern were recorded, urge was assessed, and patients kept stool diaries. Before and after treatment (6 weekly sessions with a gastroenterologist-supervised nurse specialist, 4 involving instrumented anorectal biofeedback), patients were examined by a physician and fecal incontinence severity index and visual analogue scale scores were recorded. The main outcome measure was response to therapy, defined as improvement of 50% or more in weekly FI episodes at the end of BF compared with before BF. Results The BF treatment was completed by 363 women (91%); of these, 62 had low baseline symptom frequency (no FI episodes in the 2 weeks before BF). Younger age was associated with failure to complete treatment. Of the 301 patients remaining, 202 patients (67%) had a response to therapy; among these women, urge FI was associated with response at end of BF, but not at follow up (6 months after therapy). Baseline severity of symptom scores and quality of life measures were associated with greater improvement in the same variable at the end of BF and after 6 months. Patients with low baseline symptom frequency improved in all secondary outcome measures, similar to patients with higher baseline symptom frequency. Conclusions In an analysis of 363 women with FI, approximately two-thirds had a response to BF treatment. Urge FI was the only baseline variable associated with response. Baseline severity of symptoms and quality of life measures were associated with greater improvement in the same variable, but not overall response. It is therefore a challenge to select treatment for patients with FI.

BackgroundImpulsivity is a core symptom of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Impulsivity is a heterogeneous concept, and a comprehensive evaluation of impulsivity dimensions is lacking in the literature. Moreover, it is unclear whether BPD patients manifest impaired cognitive functioning that might be associated with impulsivity in another patient group, such as ADHD, a frequent comorbidity of BPD.MethodsWe tested 39 patients with BPD without major psychiatric comorbidities and ADHD, 25 patients with ADHD, and 55 healthy controls (HC) using a test battery consisting of a self-report measure of impulsivity (UPPS-P questionnaire), behavioral measures of impulsivity – impulsive action (Go/NoGo task, stop signal task) and impulsive choice (delay discounting task, Iowa gambling task), and standardized measures of attention (d2 test), working memory (digit span), and executive functioning (Tower of London).ResultsPatients with BPD and ADHD, as compared with HC, manifested increased self-reported impulsivity except sensation seeking and increased impulsive choice; patients with ADHD but not BPD showed increased impulsive action and deficits in cognitive functioning. Negative urgency was increased in BPD as compared to both HC and ADHD groups and correlated with BPD severity.ConclusionsPatients with BPD without ADHD comorbidity had increased self-reported impulsivity and impulsive choice, but intact impulsive action and cognitive functioning. Controlling for ADHD comorbidity in BPD samples is necessary. Negative urgency is the most diagnostically specific impulsivity dimension in BPD.

The development of new medications increasing bio-availability and efficacy of existing pharmaceuticals is considered as an alternative to implementation of new medications that can significantly reduce time-frame and costs of bringing medication to the market, acquired in recent decades high practical and scientific importance. The new effective medications include trans-dermal therapeutic systems (TTS) that are capable of providing a controlled release of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) through the skin into the bloodstream at a therapeutically optimal rate for a long time. The application of TTS is painless and convenient. It eliminates losses associated with metabolism in the gastrointestinal tract and liver and allows wide variation of dosage and to discontinue treatment at any moment. The key problem of trans-dermal delivery is difficulty in penetrating API through the skin, which has complex multilayer structure. The understanding of all aspects affecting permeability of API through the skin is crucial for the development of new TTS and is a subject of special research interest in modern pharmacological science.

This chapter considers the proposed explanation’s implications for theory and research on human concepts of luck, as specified by the modal account of luck. It examines beliefs indicative of an illusion of control are constrained, not only by the same theories of mind and mechanics that humans apply in everyday functioning, but also by theories of randomness and supernatural forces. The set of hypotheses based on the problem-solving explanation of the illusion of control concern luck specifically in games of chance. The proposed explanation of the illusion of control posits that strategies in games of chance and concepts of luck even outside of games of chance are constrained by standard theories of the natural world and two additional general belief structures. The first is the gambler’s fallacy that random-outcome generators do not produce long streaks of neat patterns, and the second is a belief in justice-enforcing supernatural forces responsive to rituals.

Objective: Impulsivity, observed in patients with various psychiatric disorders, is a heterogeneous construct with different behavioral manifestations. Through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study tests hypotheses about relationships between dimensions of impulsivity measured using personality questionnaires and behavioral tests. Method: The study included 200 healthy people, 40 patients with borderline personality disorder, and 26 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who underwent a comprehensive impulsivity test battery including the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, a Go-NoGo task, a stop-signal task, and a delay discounting task. Results: A CFA model comprising three self-reported and three behavioral latent variables reached a good fit. Both patient groups scored higher in the self-reported dimensions and impulsive choice; only the ADHD patients displayed impaired waiting and stopping impulsivity. Conclusions: Using the developed CFA model, it is possible to describe relations between impulsivity dimensions and show different impulsivity patterns in patient populations.

Supplemental material, Supplementary_material_correlation_matrix for Dimensions of Impulsivity in Healthy People, Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, and Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder by Pavla Linhartová, Jan Širůček, Anastasia Ejova, Richard Barteček, Pavel Theiner and Tomáš Kašpárek in Journal of Attention Disorders

BACKGROUND Anorectal manometry (ARM) and balloon expulsion test (BET) are pivotal in investigation of anorectal disorders. There is controversy, however, about normal values and optimum methodology for performing these tests. Our aims were to compare BET using three different balloons and to establish normal values for ARM and BET in health. METHODS Forty-four female healthy subjects (mean age 56 ± 12 years) underwent ARM, followed by BET which was performed in a private toilet using three different catheters (party balloon, Foley catheter and a commercially available catheter) in a single-blinded randomized order. Outcome measures were time to balloon expulsion and comprehensive measures of anal sphincter function, the push maneuver and rectal sensation. KEY RESULTS The Foley catheter took longer to expel compared to both party and commercial balloons (both pairwise P

Different classification systems for erroneous beliefs about gambling have been proposed, consistently alluding to 'illusion of control' and 'gambler's fallacy' categories. None of these classification systems have, however, considered the how the illusion of control and the gambler's fallacy might be interrelated. In this paper, we report the findings of a confirmatory factor analysis that examines the proposal that most erroneous gambling-related beliefs can be defined in terms of Rothbaum et al.'s (J Pers Soc Psychol, doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.42.1.5 , 1982) distinction between 'primary' and 'secondary' illusory control, with the former being driven to a large extent by the well-known gambler's fallacy and the latter being driven by a complex of beliefs about supernatural forces such as God and luck. A survey consisting of 100 items derived from existing instruments was administered to 329 participants. The analysis confirmed the existence of two latent structures (beliefs in primary and secondary control), while also offering support to the idea that gambler's fallacy-style reasoning may underlie both perceived primary control and beliefs about the cyclical nature of luck, a form of perceived secondary control. The results suggest the need for a greater focus on the role of underlying processes or belief structures as factors that foster susceptibility to specific beliefs in gambling situations. Addressing and recognising the importance of these underlying factors may also have implications for cognitive therapy treatments for problem gambling.

The illusion of control refers to the inference of action-outcome contingency in situations where outcomes are in fact random. The strength of this illusion has been found to be affected by whether the frequency of successes increases or decreases over repeated trials, in what can be termed a “success-slope” effect. Previous studies have generated inconsistent findings regarding the nature of this effect. In this paper we present an experiment (N = 334) that overcomes several methodological limitations within this literature, employing a wider range of dependent measures (measures of two different types of illusory control, primary (by self) and secondary (by luck), as well as measures of remembered success-frequency). Results indicate that different dependent measures lead to different effects. On measures of (primary, but not secondary) control over the task, scores were highest when the rate of success increased over time. Meanwhile, estimates of success-frequency in the task did not vary across conditions and showed trends consistent with the broader literature on human memory.

A pilot study to identify the predictors of improvement in emotional and behavioural functioning of siblings of children with special needs following participation in SibworkS, a six-week manual-based, cognitive-behavioural group programme.Data from 36 participants from a recent evaluation of the SibworkS programme was used. Measures were administered pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention and three months post-intervention. Treatment effects were measured using change scores for siblings on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - Parent Version (SDQ). Seven predictors were analysed: symptom severity of the child with special needs, participant age and gender, sibling birth order, family socio-economic status, participant baseline SDQ score and participant use of additional support services.The overall model significantly predicted change in SDQ scores at post-intervention and follow-up (adjusted R(2) = 0.41 and 0.40). At both evaluation points, SDQ change scores were significantly predicted by baseline SDQ score. Furthermore, symptom severity of the child with special needs was a significant predictor at three months post-intervention.Poorer emotional and behavioural functioning among participants and symptom severity of the child with special needs were associated with greater intervention effects. These results indicate that SibworkS is likely to be beneficial for siblings who have difficulties adjusting, and siblings of children with more severe special needs. Implications for Rehabilitation Siblings of children with disability are at increased risk of emotional and behavioural difficulties. Sibworks is a manualised group-based intervention for the siblings of children with a disability. Poorer emotional and behavioural functioning among participants and symptom severity of the child with special needs were associated with greater intervention effects. SibworkS is likely to be beneficial for siblings who have difficulties adjusting and siblings of children with more severe disabilities.

Whereas Norenzayan et al. describe extravagant displays as a reliable means of belief transmission, this commentary reviews three emerging hypotheses about a direct connection between the awe elicited by extravagant displays and prosocial behaviour. If some of these hypotheses are correct, extravagant displays enhanced prosociality even among nonbelievers. Methodological suggestions are made for future experimental research on the awe–prosociality pathway.

There is a paucity of empirical research examining the possible association between gambling and video game play. In two studies, we examined the association between video game playing, erroneous gambling cognitions, and risky gambling behaviour. One hundred and fifteen participants, including 65 electronic gambling machine (EGM) players and 50 regular video game players, were administered a questionnaire that examined video game play, gambling involvement, problem gambling, and beliefs about gambling. We then assessed each groups' performance on a computerised gambling task that involved real money. A post-game survey examined perceptions of the skill and chance involved in the gambling task. The results showed that video game playing itself was not significantly associated with gambling involvement or problem gambling status. However, among those persons who both gambled and played video games, video game playing was uniquely and significantly positively associated with the perception of direct control over chance-based gambling events. Further research is needed to better understand the nature of this association, as it may assist in understanding the impact of emerging digital gambling technologies.

BACKGROUND Long-term outcome data for anorectal biofeedback (BF) for fecal incontinence (FI) is scarce. Our aims were to describe the long-term symptom profile, quality of life, and need for surgery in FI patients following BF. METHODS One hundred and eight consecutive female patients with FI who completed an instrumented BF course were identified for long-term follow-up. In 61 of 89 contactable patients, outcome measures were assessed at short-term (end of BF), mid-term (9 months median), and long-term (7 years median) follow-up after treatment. KEY RESULTS Long-term response rate (50% or more reduction in FI episodes/wk compared to before BF and not requiring surgical intervention) was seen in 33/61 (54%) patients. Thirteen of these had complete continence. Improvement was seen at short, mid, and long-term follow-up for patients' satisfaction and control of bowel function. In contrast, fecal incontinence severity index and quality of life measures, which improved in short and mid-term, were no different from baseline by long-term follow-up. Patients classified as short-term responders were far more likely to display a long-term response compared to short-term non-responders (68% vs 18%, P

Objective:The main reason of placenta accrete nowadays is the increase in the number of repeated cesarean sections. The aim of our study was to assess the possibilities of ultrasound in placenta accreta diagnostics, to verify the echographic signs of PA in placenta praevia and to compare and analyse our results with Medline findings. Material: 162 pregnant women with non-migrating placenta praevia and at high risk of placenta accreta were examined in the sonographic department from 2006 to 2011. Several echographic markers, allowed to suspect invasion of placental tissue into the myometrium, were noted. When PA was suspected, MRI was performed and than morphologic examination verified our diagnosis. Results:Several echographicmarkers were revealed: lacunae, intensive collateral vasularization, bulging of placenta praevia and thinning of hypoechogenic zone of the myometrium and others.MR imaging was conducted in 9 cases of suspected placenta increta and was verified in 8 cases. C-section and hysterectomy were performed in 13 of 18 cases. No internal injuries of pelvic organs were revealed. Conclusion:Echopraphy is a valuable non-invasive method in the group with placenta praevia, it allows to verify the placental invasion into the myometrium and to exclude this pathology. Obtaining the results of these examination will be helpful in reducing the maternal morbidity and mortality in high-risk group.

Siblings of children with a disability are an at risk group for emotional and behavioral problems. This study evaluated an intervention to promote the emotional and behavioral functioning of siblings of children with disabilities and chronic health conditions. SibworkS is a six-week manual-based, cognitive-behavioral group support program focussed on strengthening siblings' perceived social support, self-esteem, problem-solving skills, adaptive coping behaviors and positive sibling relationships. Fifty-six children aged 7-12 were allocated to either the SibworkS program (n=30) or waitlist control (n=26) in alternating sequence. The primary outcome was siblings' emotional and behavioral functioning. Additional outcomes were self-esteem, perceived social support, the sibling relationship and coping behaviors. Siblings were followed-up immediately after the intervention and at 3-months. Siblings participating in the SibworkS intervention were reported to have fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties than siblings in the control group immediately following the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. Participation in SibworkS was associated with fewer emotional and behavioral difficulties for siblings. Implications for practice and future research include recommendations for improving program participation.

We present a new experimental method for studying the illusion of control in a gambling context, along with a new multi-item measure of the degree of perceived control. Responses to the measure were found to reflect a distinction between primary and secondary control – a distinction not recognised by traditional single-item measures. Furthermore, responses to the new measure were, in contrast to ratings on a concurrently administered traditional measure, found to be completely independent of the experienced reinforcement frequency. This finding highlights the purity of the newlydeveloped measure and calls into question the status of reinforcement frequency as a fundamental determinant of the degree of illusorily perceived control.