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Religious/spiritual communities in the United States hold significant differences in the relative valuing of social order and progress toward social justice, and religious/spiritual leaders play an influential role in fostering those values. This recognition has prompted calls for theological education to revise the process of student formation, equipping them to address an increasingly diverse social world and the social disparities within their larger communities. Right-wing authoritarianism tends to be associated with a preference for social order and various forms of prejudice, and negatively associated with prosocial attitudes and behaviors. However, there is a limited amount of research examining associations between right-wing authoritarianism and the prosocial constructs of social justice commitment and compassion. The present study explored the longitudinal associations between right-wing authoritarianism, social justice commitment, and compassion in a sample of graduate students from 18 Christian seminaries across North America over two and a half years of their education ( N = 580; Mage = 31.50; 47.3% female; 62.9% White). Longitudinal data analysis indicated that right-wing authoritarianism exerted a negative influence on social justice commitment and compassion, during the initial time interval which then faded over time. Results also indicated a reciprocal process among right-wing authoritarianism and social justice commitment. Practical implications centered on the potential for interventions targeting the reduction of right-wing authoritarianism to increase social justice commitment and compassion, and interventions targeting greater social justice commitment to lower right-wing authoritarianism.

Previous research has investigated the prevalence and impact of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among those working as helping professionals. However, limited studies have provided clear and coherent information about STS among clergy, pastors, and other religious leaders, despite their status as helping professionals who are implicated in times of crisis. STS is particularly salient to African American religious leaders due to cultural factors that position African American churches as trusted institutions linking local communities of color with various social services. Results from a sample of African American religious leaders confirmed the prevalence of STS along with other mental health challenges. Moreover, STS was associated with negative interactions within the church. Finally, negative religious coping and medical mistrust significantly moderated the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and PTSD. These findings bear significant implications, emphasizing the need for greater collaboration and trust-building between mental health professionals and clergy.

COVID-19 has impacted all areas of life, with lasting effects on physical, mental, and societal health. Specifically, COVID and related losses have exacerbated prolonged grief responses and mental disorders including depression and anxiety. These mental health concerns are associated with increased detrimental coping strategies including substance use. In this study, we analyzed secondary data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results showed a positive association between serious psychological distress and marijuana use, while frequent religious service attendance acted as a moderator in this relationship. Individuals involved in communal religious activity were less likely to use marijuana. This study highlights the impact of religion and faith in bringing hope and purpose during periods of loss, coping with stress, grief, mental health challenges, and substance use.

This chapter explores the intersections of positive psychology, religion, and spirituality in the context of religious communities (e.g., churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples). We first argue that positive psychology provides an optimal vehicle for cultivating and demonstrating the mutual benefits of collaboration between psychology and religious communities by supporting adherents’ religiousness/spirituality, virtue development, and holistic well-being within the context of their religious community. Second, we review empirical research on how positive psychology and religion/spirituality interact reciprocally in the context of religious communities. Finally, we discuss implications for ongoing research.

Hyperexcitability of brain circuits is a common feature of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Genetic deletion of a chromatin-binding protein, retinoic acid induced 1 ( RAI1 ), causes Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS). SMS is a syndromic ASD associated with intellectual disability, autistic features, maladaptive behaviors, overt seizures, and abnormal electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns. The molecular and neural mechanisms underlying abnormal brain activity in SMS remain unclear. Here we show that panneural Rai1 deletions in mice result in increased seizure susceptibility and prolonged hippocampal seizure duration in vivo and increased dentate gyrus population spikes ex vivo. Brain-wide mapping of neuronal activity pinpointed selective cell types within the limbic system, including the hippocampal dentate gyrus granule cells (dGCs) that are hyperactivated by chemoconvulsant administration or sensory experience in Rai1 -deficient brains. Deletion of Rai1 from glutamatergic neurons, but not from gamma-aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) neurons, was responsible for increased seizure susceptibility. Deleting Rai1 from the Emx1 Cre -lineage glutamatergic neurons resulted in abnormal dGC properties, including increased excitatory synaptic transmission and increased intrinsic excitability. Our work uncovers the mechanism of neuronal hyperexcitability in SMS by identifying Rai1 as a negative regulator of dGC intrinsic and synaptic excitability.

Common pharmacological treatments for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are central nervous system stimulants acting as norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors. The noradrenergic and dopaminergic systems have been shown to impact performance on tasks assessing creativity. Some previous studies suggest higher performance on creativity tasks in ADHD. Stimulant medication has been shown to differentially impact creativity in those without ADHD. However, the full range of effects of stimulant medication on creativity in those with ADHD is not known. This study examined the effects of stimulants on convergent and divergent tasks associated with creativity in adults with ADHD. Seventeen adults diagnosed with ADHD who were prescribed stimulant medication attended two counterbalanced sessions: one after taking their prescribed stimulant dose and one after the dose was withheld. Participants completed convergent problem-solving (anagrams, Compound Remote Associates) and divergent generative (letter/semantic fluency, Torrance Test for Creative Thinking (TTCT)-Verbal) tasks. There was a significant increase in words generated on the semantic fluency task for the stimulant session. Additionally, significant increases were found in the stimulant session for originality, flexibility, and fluency scores on the TTCT. Stimulant medication did not have an effect on any of the problem-solving tasks. Stimulant medication enhanced verbal fluency in adults with ADHD but had no effect on convergent abilities. Furthermore, stimulants enhanced fluency, flexibility, and originality scores on the TTCT. Therefore, stimulants appear to have positive effects on divergent task performance in adults with ADHD, but not convergent tasks. This finding warrants further studies into the specific roles of norepinephrine and dopamine in this effect.

The psychological impact of a traumatic event includes potentially both negative (e.g., PTSD, depression, and anxiety) as well as positive (e.g., post-traumatic growth) outcomes. The construct of self-compassion—the capacity to be compassionate towards oneself—has been associated with various psychological benefits following disasters, however, the association between self-compassion and PTG have not yet been examined in natural disaster settings. This study aimed to examine the relationship between these constructs, with self-compassion as a potential mediator in this relationship. Three hundred and nine undergraduate students affected by the impact of Hurricane Harvey were recruited. Statistical analyses revealed a significant mediation effect, with PTSD symptoms being both directly and indirectly (via self-compassion) associated with PTG. The capacity to grow from traumatic experiences is mediated by one’s disposition to be compassionate towards oneself, serving as a resilience factor to provide individuals with the cognitive and emotional resources to grow after trauma. These findings have significant implications in both clinical and research contexts, including the use of self-compassion interventions to protect against PTSD and other comorbid psychopathology and also act as a catalyst for growth following natural disaster events.

The experience of pursuing a graduate seminary education is rife with many stressors, including the heavy financial burden required to fund a seminary degree. Shame, understood as an experience of being unworthy and inadequate at one’s core, may be a natural reaction to financial hardship as many individuals may believe their inadequacy is the cause of their financial difficulties. The present study assessed 189 graduate seminary students from institutions accredited by the Association of Theological Schools to further understand the relationships between shame, financial distress, depression, anxiety, and spiritual well-being. Based on previous research, we hypothesized that financial well-being and shame would be negatively correlated. Furthermore, we hypothesized that shame would mediate the relationship between financial well-being and a number of negative outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and lack of spiritual well-being. Our findings demonstrated that the seminary population experienced shame in regard to perceived lack of financial well-being; shame was significantly and negatively related to financial well-being and significantly mediated the relationship between financial well-being and depression, anxiety, and spiritual well-being. These results indicate that financial hardship, including student debt, appears to have a far-reaching impact that causes distress on various levels for seminary students and that shame may be an important mechanism in understanding how this happens.

Organisational scientists are paying increasing attention to humility, following a larger trend in scholarship highlighting the relational and interdependent nature of leadership and business. A growing body of evidence identifies humility as vital to effective organisational leadership, facilitating positive organisational outcomes, such as lower voluntary turnover and greater follower job satisfaction. To date, research on the subject has focused on certain specific organisational contexts, including businesses, hospitals, and schools. This paper reviews the existing literature and explores why humility may be an especially important leader trait in international humanitarian aid organisations and relief work-a context that is not only uniquely challenging, but also one that would seemingly stand to benefit keenly from the quality. It argues that humility is essential for effective leadership because it is normative of good character, it is predictive of positive outcomes, and it corresponds to a genuine representation of the nature of humanitarian aid.

We advanced an integrative trend examining religiousness/spirituality (R/S) and flourishing using person-centered data analyses. Specifically, we tested a relational spirituality model (RSM) propos...

Sensitive detection of two biological events in vivo has long been a goal in bioluminescence imaging. Antares, a fusion of the luciferase NanoLuc to the orange fluorescent protein CyOFP, has emerged as a bright bioluminescent reporter with orthogonal substrate specificity to firefly luciferase (FLuc) and its derivatives such as AkaLuc. However, the brightness of Antares in mice is limited by the poor solubility and bioavailability of the NanoLuc substrate furimazine. Here, we report a new substrate, hydrofurimazine, whose enhanced aqueous solubility allows delivery of higher doses to mice. In the liver, Antares with hydrofurimazine exhibited similar brightness to AkaLuc with its substrate AkaLumine. Further chemical exploration generated a second substrate, fluorofurimazine, with even higher brightness in vivo. We used Antares with fluorofurimazine to track tumor size and AkaLuc with AkaLumine to visualize CAR-T cells within the same mice, demonstrating the ability to perform two-population imaging with these two luciferase systems. NanoLuc substrates with improved solubility and bioavailability, hydrofurimazine and fluorofurimazine, strongly enhance bioluminescence signals in vivo and enable bright dual-color bioluminescent imaging with AkaLuc and AkaLumine.

OBJECTIVE. CT or MRI is most commonly used for characterizing focal hepatic lesions. However, findings on CT and MRI are occasionally indeterminate. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), with its unique characteristics as a purely intravascular contrast agent and real-time evaluation of enhancement, is a useful next step. The purpose of this article is to review the evidence for performing CEUS in the assessment of indeterminate hepatic lesions seen on CT and MRI. CONCLUSION. CEUS is a useful problem-solving tool in the evaluation of liver lesions that are indeterminate on CT and MRI. Uses include detection of arterial phase hyperenhancement; differentiation between hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; determination of benign versus malignant tumor thrombus, benign versus neoplastic cystic hepatic lesions, and hepatocellular adenoma versus focal nodular hyperplasia; and monitoring for recurrence in postablative therapies. CEUS can help establish a confident diagnosis and determine the need for further invasive diagnosis or treatment.

Existing conceptualizations and operationalizations of intellectual humility (IH) have not taken into account the way IH is experienced and expressed by theists. Based on a conceptualization of Chr...

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the USA. A peptide derived from the active site of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), known as AFPep, has been shown to be efficacious in inhibiting breast cancer growth. The role of this derived peptide AFPep in the development of prostate cancer has yet to be studied. To investigate the role of AFPep on prostate cancer, we used the PC-3 and DU-145 cell lines. We found that through key anti-apoptosis and pro-proliferation molecules, AFPep enhances the proliferation of DU-145 prostate cancer cells. The anti-proliferative molecules p18, p21, and p27, along with the pro-apoptotic molecules Fas and Bax, were all down-regulated in DU-145 cell lines treated with AFPep. Conversely, AFPep was not found to have a proliferative effect on the PC-3 prostate cancer cell line. This finding suggests the effects of AFPep to be cell line-specific in prostate cancer. Further investigation into the effects of AFPep could lead to new areas of treating prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the USA. A peptide derived from the active site of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), known as AFPep, has been shown to be efficacious in inhibiting breast cancer growth. The role of this derived peptide AFPep in the development of prostate cancer has yet to be studied. To investigate the role of AFPep on prostate cancer, we used the PC-3 and DU-145 cell lines. We found that through key anti-apoptosis and pro-proliferation molecules, AFPep enhances the proliferation of DU-145 prostate cancer cells. The anti-proliferative molecules p18, p21, and p27, along with the pro-apoptotic molecules Fas and Bax, were all down-regulated in DU-145 cell lines treated with AFPep. Conversely, AFPep was not found to have a proliferative effect on the PC-3 prostate cancer cell line. This finding suggests the effects of AFPep to be cell line-specific in prostate cancer. Further investigation into the effects of AFPep could lead to new areas of treating prostate cancer.

Background Fibroids are present in at least 10% of pregnancies and are recognized to cause a variety of complications. A few case reports have described fibroids as an etiological factor in uterine rupture, sometimes with life-threatening hemorrhage. Case A 28-year-old G1, P0 woman at 20 weeks gestation developed systemic inflammatory response syndrome with acute renal failure and massive ascites secondary to a ruptured degenerated fibroid. This resulted in preterm delivery and neonatal death. At 6 weeks postpartum, she successfully underwent an abdominal myomectomy. Conclusion This is a rare case of uterine fibroid rupture causing preterm labour and systemic inflammatory response syndrome. This report discusses the diagnosis of uterine rupture related to the fibroid with imaging and subsequent management, which included fertility-preserving surgery.

This study explores how humility is contextualized in the culture of faith-based humanitarian aid leadership. Consensual Qualitative Research was used to synthesize the personal and observational experiences of 13 humanitarian aid leader exemplars. Characteristics and behaviors of humble leaders are discussed, along with the benefits of humble leadership on aid workers, local partners, and recipients of humanitarian aid services. A theistic dimension of humility is noted along with an outcome pathway for humble practice which considers barriers native to the humanitarian aid context.

Theological schools are well situated to create intentional cultures for the purpose of spiritual formation. Indeed, most schools of theology have this goal as an essential part of their mission as well as a requirement for continued accreditation. And yet, the measurement of spiritual formation over time is fraught with challenges. This article seeks to address some of these challenges by means of developing a meta-theory of positive change/growth which would eventually serve as a theoretical basis for the development of a generalizable and reliable measurement tool.

Urinary diversions are surgical procedures that reconstruct the lower urinary tract following cystectomy. The 2 common surgical approaches are based on the continence status of the urinary tract. Incontinent diversions have continuous urine drainage through a cutaneous stoma, whereas continent diversions offer the patient the ability to self-void either via stoma catheterization or with the patient's own urethra. Given the large number of diversion procedures available, postsurgical anatomy may be complex. Multiple imaging modalities can be used to assess the postprocedural anatomy, potential complications, and for on-going oncologic monitoring. The purpose of this review is to describe the common surgical techniques and associated complications.

The purpose of this article is to review MRI technique, relevant anatomy, and MRI classification systems for the assessment of perianal fistulising disease. We present a stepwise approach to the assessment of perianal fistulas on MRI utilizing a systematic reporting format. MRI is invaluable for the assessment of perianal fistulas. A systematic report can help communicate the anatomy of complex fistulising disease to assist with optimal management.

Background Vocal fold movement impairment (VFMI) secondary to neuronal injury is a known risk after aortic surgery. Total arch replacement is technically challenging, and the incidence of vocal fold movement impairment secondary to neuronal injury after this surgery is unknown. This study examined the incidence of VFMI after total arch replacement and medialization treatment outcomes. Study design Retrospective cohort study. Methods All patients who underwent total arch replacement at a tertiary care center over 11 years (2006-2017) were identified through an institutional database. End points included evidence of VFMI on flexible laryngoscopy, time to diagnosis, time to treatment, need for reintubation, and intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay. Results Of the 358 patients who underwent total arch replacement, 63 (20%) were diagnosed with VFMI during their initial inpatient stay. Fifty patients (79%) VFMIs were left-sided, nine (14%) were right-sided, and four (6%) were bilateral. Thirty-nine patients (62%) underwent inpatient vocal fold medialization: 28 (72%) by injection laryngoplasty and 11 (28%) by type 1 thyroplasty. Those with unilateral VFMI had longer ICU (8.9 days) and hospital (19.4 days) than those with no VFMI (5.7 and 16.1 days). Among patients with unilateral VFMI, those who underwent inpatient vocal fold medialization trended toward shorter ICU (6.2 vs. 14.4 days, P = .03) and hospital stays (20.1 vs. 23.3 days, P = .4) than patients who did not have a medialization procedure. Conclusion The overall incidence of VFMI after total arch replacement in our series was 20%. Both the right and left vocal folds are potentially at risk from a total arch replacement; consequently, the distribution of injury in our cohort was more heterogeneous than in other series. Level of evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 129:699-703, 2019.

Significance Losing one copy of the RAI1 gene causes Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS), a neurodevelopmental disorder. Using a newly generated SMS mouse model, this study demonstrates that restoring the Rai1 gene dose in an early postnatal window could repair gene expression and social interaction deficits in this SMS model. The SMS mouse model also showed a reduced density of dendritic spines, anatomical correlates of excitatory synapses, in the prefrontal cortex. Artificial activation of prefrontal cortex neurons partially alleviated the behavioral deficits. These findings suggest that, similar to Rett syndrome, SMS is caused by disruption of a chromatin-modifying gene with reversible developmental phenotypes, highlighting the potential treatment windows in childhood or adolescence., Haploinsufficiency of Retinoic Acid Induced 1 (RAI1) causes Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS), a syndromic autism spectrum disorder associated with craniofacial abnormalities, intellectual disability, and behavioral problems. There is currently no cure for SMS. Here, we generated a genetic mouse model to determine the reversibility of SMS-like neurobehavioral phenotypes in Rai1 heterozygous mice. We show that normalizing the Rai1 level 3–4 wk after birth corrected the expression of genes related to neural developmental pathways and fully reversed a social interaction deficit caused by Rai1 haploinsufficiency. In contrast, Rai1 reactivation 7–8 wk after birth was not beneficial. We also demonstrated that the correct Rai1 dose is required in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons for proper social interactions. Finally, we found that Rai1 heterozygous mice exhibited a reduction of dendritic spines in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and that optogenetic activation of mPFC neurons in adults improved the social interaction deficit of Rai1 heterozygous mice. Together, these results suggest the existence of a postnatal temporal window during which restoring Rai1 can improve the transcriptional and social behavioral deficits in a mouse model of SMS. It is possible that circuit-level interventions would be beneficial beyond this critical window.

Critically ill patients with the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are dying in isolation without the comfort of their family or other social support in unprecedented numbers. Recently, healthcare teams at COVID-19 epicenters have been inundated with critically ill patients. Patients isolated for COVID-19 have had no contact with their family or loved ones and may have likely experienced death without closure. This situation highlights concerns about the psychological and spiritual well-being of patients with COVID-19 and their families, as they permanently part ways. While palliative care has advanced to address these patients' needs adequately, the COVID-19 pandemic presents several barriers that force healthcare teams to deprioritize these essential aspects of patient care. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 gave us a glimpse of these challenges as these patients were also isolated in hospitals. Here, we discuss the importance of the biopsychosocial spiritual model in end-of-life care and its implications on patients dying with COVID-19. Furthermore, we outline an integrative approach to address the unique and holistic needs of critically ill patients dying with COVID-19. These include intentional and increased coordination with trained palliative care staff, early and frequent goals of care including discussion of end-of-life plans, broader use of technology to improve connectedness and shared decision making with patients’ families.