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Objective: Studies using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveal substantial inconsistencies in the levels of brain glutamate, glutamine and glutamate + glutamine across schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This systematic review employs qualitative and quantitative methods to analyse the patterns and relationships between glutamatergic metabolites, schizophrenia spectrum disorders and brain regions. Methods: A literature search was conducted using various databases with keywords including glutamate, glutamine, schizophrenia, psychosis and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Inclusion criteria were limited to case-control studies that reported glutamatergic metabolite levels in adult patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder diagnosis – i.e. first-episode psychosis, schizophrenia, treatment-resistant schizophrenia and/or ultra-treatment-resistant schizophrenia – using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T or above. Pooled study data were synthesized and analysed. Results: A total of 92 studies met the inclusion criteria, including 2721 healthy controls and 2822 schizophrenia spectrum disorder participants. Glu levels were higher in the basal ganglia, frontal cortex and medial prefrontal of first-episode psychosis participants, contrasting overall lower levels in schizophrenia participants. For Gln, strong differences in metabolite levels were evident in the basal ganglia, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontal cortex, with first-episode psychosis showing significantly higher levels in the basal ganglia. In glutamate + glutamine, higher metabolite levels were found across schizophrenia spectrum disorder groups, particularly in the basal ganglia and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of treatment-resistant schizophrenia participants. Significant relationships were found between metabolite levels and medication status, clinical measures and methodological variables. Conclusion: The review highlights abnormal glutamatergic metabolite levels throughout schizophrenia spectrum disorders and in specific brain regions. The review underscores the importance of standardized future research assessing glutamatergic metabolites using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy due to considerable literature heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the efficacy of a novel group-based aggressive script rehearsal treatment program with an emotion regulation program. Participants were 48 incarcerated adult males (28 in the script rehearsal program and 20 in the emotion regulation program). Outcomes, including the frequency of aggressive script rehearsal, aggressive behavior, and emotion regulation difficulties, were measured pre-and post-treatment and at 46 days (on average) after treatment completion, and 104 days (on average) following treatment completion. Linear Mixed Model analyses revealed no significant difference in the frequency of script rehearsal overtime for either program. There was a significant reduction in aggressive behavior associated with the script rehearsal program and a reduction in emotion regulation difficulties for both programs. Future iterations of this aggressive script rehearsal treatment program may benefit from greater intensity and incorporation of strategies that address the many cognitive, affective, and situational factors that trigger and maintain aggressive scripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1960s, many electronic travel aids have been developed for people with low vision or blindness to improve their independent travel skills, but uptake of these specialist devices has been limited. This study investigated what technologies orientation and mobility (O&M) clients in Australia and Malaysia have, use, like, and want to support their travel, to inform technology research and development. This two-phase mixed-methods study surveyed O&M clients face-to-face in Malaysia (n = 9), and online in Australia (n = 50). Participants managed safe walking using a human guide, long cane, or guide dog when their vision was insufficient to see hazards, but a smartphone is now a standard travel aid in both Australia and Malaysia. Participants relied on smartphone accessibility features and identified 108 apps they used for travel: for planning (e.g., public transport timetables), sourcing information in transit (e.g., GPS location and directions, finding a taxi), sensory conversion (e.g., camera-to-voice, voice-to-text, video-to-live description), social connections (e.g., phone, email, Facebook), food (e.g., finding eateries, ordering online), and entertainment (e.g., music, games). They wanted to 'carry less junk', and sought better accessibility features, consistency across platforms, and fast, reliable, real-time information that supports confident, non-visual travel, especially into unfamiliar places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objective: Recent research has suggested that a type of atypical eye movement, called square wave jerks, together with anxiety, may distinguish individuals with anorexia nervosa from those without anorexia nervosa and may represent a biomarker and endophenotype for the illness. The aim of this study was to identify the presence of this proposed marker in individuals currently with anorexia nervosa relative to healthy controls, and to identify the state independence and heritability of this putative marker by exploring whether it also exists in individuals who are weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and first-degree relatives (i.e. sisters of people with anorexia nervosa). Methods: Data from 80 female participants (20/group: current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa, sisters of people with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls) were analysed. Square wave jerk rate was acquired during a fixation task, and anxiety was measured with the State Trait Anxiety Inventory. Results: Current anorexia nervosa, weight-restored from anorexia nervosa and sisters of people with anorexia nervosa groups made significantly more square wave jerks than healthy controls, but did not differ from one another. Square wave jerk rate and anxiety were found to discriminate groups with exceptionally high accuracy (current anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 92.5%; weight-restored from anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; sisters of people with anorexia nervosa vs healthy control = 77.5%; p <.001). Conclusion: The combination of square wave jerk rate and anxiety was found to be a promising two-element marker for anorexia nervosa, and has the potential to be used as a biomarker or endophenotype to identify people at risk of anorexia nervosa and inform future treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between host environment and international students plays a critical role in the students' cross-cultural adjustment. However, limited research has captured this interaction in investigating international student acculturation. Building on acculturation and person–environment fit theories, this article investigated student–university alignment of different dimensions as predictors of psychological adjustment of international students at universities in Victoria, Australia. The results of structural equation modeling suggested student–university goal alignment was positively associated with student psychological adjustment. A revealing finding of this article is the mediating role of complementary fit in the relationship between supplementary fit and student psychological adjustment, where the complementary fit was represented by the alignment between student needs and university academic and facilities support, and supplementary fit was represented by student–university goal alignment. The findings have implications for universities and practitioners in developing the necessary resources to support international students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the associations between schema modes and aggression in 59 male forensic psychiatric inpatients. Two instruments were used to assess schema modes: One measured modes through self-report, the Schema Mode Inventory (SMI), and one measured modes via observer (nurse) judgments, the Mode Observation Scale (MOS). Aggression was measured in two ways: Self-reported aggression during participants' lifetimes was assessed using the Life History of Aggression-Self-Report-Aggression Scale (LHA-S-A), and incidents of aggression during hospitalization in the month following schema mode assessment, were identified through review of medical records. Self-reported (SMI) and observer-reported (MOS) measures of schema modes were poorly related and produced disparate associations with aggression. As hypothesized, the observer-reported MOS Angry-Child and MOS Impulsive-Undisciplined-Child modes were significantly associated with aggression during the follow-up. A number of other schema modes (MOS-Healthy-Adult, SMI-Angry-Child, MOS-Complaining-Protector, SMI-Undisciplined-Child, and MOS-Angry-Protector) were unexpectedly associated with aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During this unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there is an urgent need for empirical data to characterise its impact on the mental health and well-being of Australians. In this viewpoint, we outline a number of considerations for research on this topic, highlighting areas necessitating special attention, consideration of particular vulnerable groups and the need for longitudinal studies to track mental health fluctuations in the general population. We conclude by introducing the COLLATE (COvid-19 and you: mentaL heaLth in AusTralia now survEy) project, outlining its aims, addressing some considerations raised herein and detailing avenues for future research. Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020 (WHO, 2020), the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major upheaval both in Australia and globally. While the search for a vaccine continues, current efforts towards tackling the virus and limiting contagion in several nations have focused on social distancing and the shutdown of non-essential services. In Australia, the first case was reported on 13 January 2020 (COVID-19 National Incident Room Surveillance Team, 2020), the first death occurred on 24 February and a spate of progressive restrictions were enforced throughout the 2 weeks leading up to 31 March 2020 (COVID-19 National Incident Room Surveillance Team, 2020a). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community-based supervision is a key feature of contemporary correctional practice, and while it is often assumed that the supervising officer is the agent of change, few previous studies have considered the relative importance of the characteristics of either those under supervision or the supervising office. Hence, this study employed a three-level hierarchical linear model to determine how much of the variation in parole outcomes can be explained by the supervising officer, the organizational context in which supervision takes place, and the characteristics of those being supervised. The results showed that the context of supervision and the supervising officer is only associated with differences in parole outcomes for non-Indigenous people. Further research and consultation are required to understand the reasons the officer may be less influential in supervision outcomes for Indigenous people and to identify the ways in which service delivery may be adapted to improve the outcomes for this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the goals when add+impact® (a+i) was founded in 1991 was to develop a database that could be used to add to the general understanding of how people respond to advertising. Recent applications were the Integrative model and a comparison of response tendencies to advertising between men and women. However, a crucial aspect of the advertising process - how to account for the nature and contribution of creativity to the Svatch ability' of advertising - has not been satisfactorily explained. This paper presents a breakthrough in understanding how people respond to advertising, and shows that it is possible to predict, with a very great degree of confidence, how well a given ad will achieve the ultimate objective of all advertising: to increase the purchase intent' towards the advertised brand, immediately after exposure and before there has been time for other intervening events to dilute or otherwise alter that immediate effect. It also enables a clear understanding of how that response came to be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the variables impacting on whistle-blowing intentions in the public services of two developing countries, South Africa and Mauritius. In particular, this study considers the barriers to whistle-blowing and the effect of demographic and cultural values on the perceptions of these barriers. The study finds major differences between South Africa and Mauritius with minor differences in regard to gender and education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: While risk factors for depression are increasingly known, there is no widely utilised depression risk index. Our objective was to develop a method for a flexible, modular, Risk Index for Depression using structural equation models of key determinants identified from previous published research that blended machine-learning with traditional statistical techniques. Methods: Demographic, clinical and laboratory variables from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (2009–2010, N = 5546) were utilised. Data were split 50:50 into training:validation datasets. Generalised structural equation models, using logistic regression, were developed with a binary outcome depression measure (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score ⩾ 10) and previously identified determinants of depression: demographics, lifestyle-environs, diet, biomarkers and somatic symptoms. Indicative goodness-of-fit statistics and Areas Under the Receiver Operator Characteristic Curves were calculated and probit regression checked model consistency. Results: The generalised structural equation model was built from a systematic process. Relative importance of the depression determinants were diet (odds ratio: 4.09; 95% confidence interval: [2.01, 8.35]), lifestyle-environs (odds ratio: 2.15; 95% CI: [1.57, 2.94]), somatic symptoms (odds ratio: 2.10; 95% CI: [1.58, 2.80]), demographics (odds ratio:1.46; 95% CI: [0.72, 2.95]) and biomarkers (odds ratio:1.39; 95% CI: [1.00, 1.93]). The relationships between demographics and lifestyle-environs and depression indicated a potential indirect path via somatic symptoms and biomarkers. The path from diet was direct to depression. The Areas under the Receiver Operator Characteristic Curves were good (logistic:training = 0.850, validation = 0.813; probit:training = 0.849, validation = 0.809). Conclusion: The novel Risk Index for Depression modular methodology developed has the flexibility to add/remove direct/indirect risk determinants paths to depression using a structural equation model on datasets that take account of a wide range of known risks. Risk Index for Depression shows promise for future clinical use by providing indications of main determinant(s) associated with a patient’s predisposition to depression and has the ability to be translated for the development of risk indices for other affective disorders [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes data from a major household survey in Melbourne, Australia, to assess the relative importance of each of the five sets of predictors—individual (structural and attitudinal) and contextual (household, dwelling, and locational)—to an explanation of urban resource consumption that encompasses water, energy, housing, carbon-intensive travel, and domestic appliances. Using general linear modeling and multiple regression, we find that the determinants of consumption vary for the different domains of consumption and also that an individual’s attributes are less influential than contextual factors in accounting for a particular level of per capita resource consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: In the transition to parenthood, lack of social support significantly impacts on maternal mood. This paper compares the influence of single-mother status and level of partner support in a partnered relationship, on antenatal emotional health. Methods: Antenatal demographic, psychosocial and mental health data, as determined by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score, were collected from 1578 women. The association between these variables, and marital status, was investigated using logistic regression. Results: Sixty-two women (3.9%) were identified as single/unpartnered. Elevated EPDS scores (>12) were found in 15.2% (240/1578) of the total cohort and 25.8% (16/62) of the single/unpartnered women. EPDS scores were significantly lower for single/unpartnered women than for women with unsupportive partners (8.9±5.3 vs 11.9±6.5, p<0.001). Compared to the partnered cohort, single/unpartnered women were more likely to have experienced ≥2 weeks of depression before the current pregnancy (p<0.05), a previous psychopathology (p<0.001), emotional problems during the current pregnancy (p<0.01) and major life events in the last year (p<0.01). Binary logistic regression modelling to predict antenatal EPDS scores suggests that this is mediated by previous psychiatric history (p<0.001) and emotional problems during pregnancy (p=0.02). Conclusion: Women in a partnered-relationship with poor partner-derived support were at an increased risk of elevated antenatal EPDS scores compared to single/unpartnered women. A previous history of depression and current emotional problems, rather than single mother status, were significant risk factors for elevated EPDS scores. The present study reiterates the contribution of psychosocial risk factors as important mediators of antenatal emotional health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determines the visitor perceptions toward crime and safety during the 2000 America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand. Tourist perceptions of safety and fear of crime; Factor that influence the impact of concern or fear to crime on tourist behavior; Factor analysis of visitor perceptions of safety.