Search

This is the first reported case of ocular trauma caused by a plastic bottle cap occurring accidentally without misuse. The mechanism involved an un-emptied plastic bottle containing orange juice being thrown away with other rubbish. The combination of this minor impact and the pressure built up within the bottle through fermentation caused expulsion of the cap at high velocity. This cap caused severe ocular trauma requiring urgent ophthalmic assessment and intervention. Our simple recommendation is that plastic bottles have their caps removed and are emptied before being thrown away. Keywords: Plastic, Bottle, Eye, Trauma

Purpose: To assess the feasibility of a second-generation (44-channel) suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis for provision of functional vision in recipients with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa (RP) over 2.7 years. Design: Prospective, single-arm, unmasked interventional clinical trial. Participants: Four participants, with advanced RP and bare-light perception vision. Methods: The 44-channel suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis was implanted in the worse-seeing eye. Device stability, functionality, and adverse events were investigated at approximately 12-week intervals up to 140 weeks (2.7 years) postdevice activation. Main Outcome Measures: Serious adverse event (SAE) reporting, visual response outcomes, functional vision outcomes, and quality-of-life outcomes. Results: All 4 participants (aged 39–66 years, 3 males) were successfully implanted in 2018, and there were no device-related SAEs over the duration of the study. A mild postoperative subretinal hemorrhage was detected in 2 recipients, which cleared spontaneously within 2 weeks. OCT confirmed device stability and position under the macula. Improvements in localization abilities were demonstrated for all 4 participants in screen-based, tabletop, and orientation and mobility tasks. In addition, 3 of 4 participants recorded improvements in motion discrimination and 2 of 4 participants recorded substantial improvements in spatial discrimination and identification of tabletop objects. Participants reported their unsupervised use of the device included exploring new environments, detecting people, and safely navigating around obstacles. A positive effect of the implant on participants’ daily lives in their local environments was confirmed by an orientation and mobility assessor and participant self-report. Emotional well-being was not impacted by device implantation or usage. Conclusions: The completed clinical study demonstrates that the suprachoroidal prosthesis raises no safety concerns and provides improvements in functional vision, activities of daily living, and observer-rated quality of life. Financial Disclosure(s): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

PurposeExtraocular electrical stimulation is known to provide neuroprotection for retinal cells in retinal and optic nerve diseases. Currently, the treatment approach requires patients to set up extraocular electrodes and stimulate potentially weekly due to the lack of an implantable stimulation device. Hence, a minimally-invasive implant was developed to provide chronic electrical stimulation to the retina, potentially improving patient compliance for long-term use. The aim of the present study was to determine the surgical and stimulation safety of this novel device designed for neuroprotective stimulation.MethodsEight normally sighted adult feline subjects were monocularly implanted in the suprachoroidal space in the peripheral retina for 9–39 weeks. Charge balanced, biphasic, current pulses (100 μA, 500 µs pulse width and 50 pulses/s) were delivered continuously to platinum electrodes for 3–34 weeks. Electrode impedances were measured hourly. Retinal structure and function were assessed at 1-, 2-, 4-, 6- and 8-month using electroretinography, optical coherence tomography and fundus photography. Retina and fibrotic thickness were measured from histological sections. Randomized, blinded histopathological assessments of stimulated and non-stimulated retina were performed.ResultsAll subjects tolerated the surgical and stimulation procedure with no evidence of discomfort or unexpected adverse outcomes. The device position was stable after a post-surgery settling period. Median electrode impedance remained within a consistent range (5–10 kΩ) over time. There was no change in retinal thickness or function relative to baseline and fellow eyes. Fibrotic capsule thickness was equivalent between stimulated and non-stimulated tissue and helps to hold the device in place. There was no scarring, insertion trauma, necrosis, retinal damage or fibroblastic response in any retinal samples from implanted eyes, whilst 19% had a minimal histiocytic response, 19% had minimal to mild acute inflammation and 28% had minimal to mild chronic inflammation.ConclusionChronic suprathreshold electrical stimulation of the retina using a minimally invasive device evoked a mild tissue response and no adverse clinical findings. Peripheral suprachoroidal electrical stimulation with an implanted device could potentially be an alternative approach to transcorneal electrical stimulation for delivering neuroprotective stimulation.

Abstract Background Although eating disorder (ED) models display some differences in theory and treatment approach, cognitive-behavioural, schema-focused, and disorder-specific models all highlight the fundamental nature of cognitions as key factors in ED development and maintenance processes. As such, it is vital that ED cognitions continue to be assessed and monitored as therapeutic targets and treatment outcomes as well as being examined as constructs in empirical research. This review aimed to systematically identify and evaluate the psychometric properties of existing self-report measures of ED cognitions. Methods A systematic review protocol was registered using the international prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO; CRD42023440840). Included studies described the development, validation and/or the psychometric evaluation of a measure (or subscale) that was specifically developed to solely assess ED cognitions (that is thoughts, expectations, assumptions, or beliefs), in English-speaking, adult populations. The search was conducted using three electronic databases: PsycINFO, MedLine, and Embase. Two independent reviewers conducted screening, selection and evaluation of the psychometric properties of relevant measures using a standardised, well-established quality appraisal tool. Results Of the initial search of 7581 potential studies, 59 met inclusion criteria and described the psychometric evaluation of 31 measures (or subscales) of ED cognitions. The findings from the current review indicate that of the included measures, none currently meet all nine criteria of adequate psychometric properties. The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ; and EBQ-18), and the Eating Disorder Inventory Body Dissatisfaction subscale (EDI [BD]) currently possess the most evidence supporting their validity, reliability, and clinical utility. Conclusions The findings of the current systematic review provide guidance for future researchers to focus efforts on improving evidence for the validity, reliability and utility of self-report measures of ED cognitions. Overall, the present study has provided a detailed and systematic evaluation to support researchers and clinicians in future selection of measures of ED cognitions dependent on the specific aims of their research and treatment.

Abstract Barrier bednets (BBnets), regular bednets with a vertical insecticidal panel to target mosquitoes above the bednet roof, where they are most active, have the potential to improve existing Insecticidal Treated Bednets (ITNs), by reducing the quantity of insecticide required per net, reducing the toxic risks to those using the net, potentially increasing insecticide choice. We evaluated the performance of PermaNet 3.0 (P3) and untreated (Ut) bed nets with and without pyrethroid and piperonyl butoxide roof barriers in killing pyrethroid-resistant and susceptible Anopheles gambiae, simultaneously video-recording mosquito flight tracks. Bioassay results showed that treated roof barriers, particularly the longitudinal P3 barrier (P3L) could be an effective addition to a bed net: P3 + P3L were consistently significantly more effective than the reference P3 bednet while performance of untreated nets could be raised to equal that of the reference P3 following the addition of a P3 barrier. The BBnet’s potential to augment existing bednets and enhance their performance is considered.

Drones are an ecological tool used increasingly in shark research over the past decade. Due to their high-resolution camera and GPS systems, they have been used to estimate the sizes of animals using drone-based photogrammetry. Previous studies have used drone altitude to measure the target size accuracy of objects at the surface; however, target depth and its interaction with altitude have not been studied. We used DJI Mavic 3 video (3960 × 2160 pixel) and images (5280 × 3960 pixel) to measure an autonomous underwater vehicle of known size traveling at six progressively deeper depths to assess how sizing accuracy from a drone at 10 m to 80 m altitude is affected. Drone altitudes below 40 m and target depths below 2 m led to an underestimation of size of 76%. We provide evidence that accounting for the drone’s altitude and the target depth can significantly increase accuracy to 5% underestimation or less. Methods described in this study can be used to measure free-swimming, submerged shark size with accuracy that rivals hand-measuring methods.

Abstract A variety of robot-assisted surgical systems have been proposed to improve the precision of eye surgery. Evaluation of these systems has typically relied on benchtop experiments with artificial or enucleated eyes. However, this does not properly account for the types of head motion that are common among patients undergoing eye surgery, which a clinical robotic system will encounter. In vivo experiments are clinically realistic, but they are risky and thus require the robotic system to be at a sufficiently mature state of development. In this paper, we describe a low-cost device that enables an artificial or enucleated eye to be mounted to standard swim goggles worn by a human volunteer to enable more realistic evaluation of eye-surgery robots after benchtop studies and prior to in vivo studies. The mounted eye can rotate about its center, with a rotational stiffness matching that of an anesthetized patient’s eye. We describe surgeon feedback and technical analyses to verify that various aspects of the design are sufficient for simulating a patient’s eye during surgery.

Abstract Yak has been subject to natural selection, human domestication and interspecific introgression during its evolution. However, genetic variants favored by each of these processes have not been distinguished previously. We constructed a graph-genome for 47 genomes of 7 cross-fertile bovine species. This allowed detection of 57,432 high-resolution structural variants (SVs) within and across the species, which were genotyped in 386 individuals. We distinguished the evolutionary origins of diverse SVs in domestic yaks by phylogenetic analyses. We further identified 334 genes overlapping with SVs in domestic yaks that bore potential signals of selection from wild yaks, plus an additional 686 genes introgressed from cattle. Nearly 90% of the domestic yaks were introgressed by cattle. Introgression of an SV spanning the KIT gene triggered the breeding of white domestic yaks. We validated a significant association of the selected stratified SVs with gene expression, which contributes to phenotypic variations. Our results highlight that SVs of different origins contribute to the phenotypic diversity of domestic yaks.

Shortening analgesic onset has been researched and it has been documented that prewarming epidural medications to body temperature (37°C) prior to administration increases medication efficacy. Our double-blind randomized controlled trial was designed to investigate if a lower degree of prewarming in providers' pockets could achieve similar results without the need of a bedside incubator. A total of 136 parturients were randomized into either the pocket-warmed group or the room temperature group to receive 10 mL of 0.125% bupivacaine with 2 μg/mL fentanyl epidural bolus at either the 27.8 ±1.7°C or 22.1 ±1.0°C temperatures, respectively. Primary outcome, time to analgesic onset (verbal rating scale pain score ≤ 3) was recorded in 0-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 30-, and 60-minutes intervals. It was observed that the pocket-warming group (n = 64) and room temperature group (n = 72) had no significant difference of analgesic onset time (median 8 vs. 6.2 minutes; p = 0.322). The incidence of adverse events such as hypotension, fever (≥ 38°C), nausea, vomiting, and number of top-off epidural boluses, as well as patient satisfaction rates and mode of delivery, were not significantly different between the groups as well. Further research is warranted to confirm these findings and explore the impact of different temperatures on analgesic onset time as well as the logistical issues associated with their clinical implementations.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is an opportunistic pathogen of increasing public health concern due to the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance. Here, the authors provide insight into the resistance profiles, bacterial genome features and virulence genes, in a year-long prospective study of K. pneumoniae clinical isolates.

Difficulties with emotion regulation have been found to be implicated in the development and maintenance of depression and symptoms of low mood, as well as various other significant psychological conditions including mood disorders, anxiety disorders and personality disorders. Thus, it is important to have valid and reliable measures of difficulties with emotional regulation that are easy to administer and interpret. There are presently four available measures for this construct: the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and the three short-form versions, the DERS-16, the DERS-18 and the DERS-SF. There remains inconsistency in the literature about which short-form version of the DERS is best. The present study aimed to extend the literature by examining and comparing the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the well-known self-report measure the DERS, and the three short-form versions, the DERS-16, the DERS-18 and the DERS-SF, in a large convenience sample. A sample of 1049 first-year university students completed an online test battery of self-report questionnaires and a series of questions regarding demographic information. The DERS and the three short-form versions demonstrated good construct validity, good internal consistency, and good discriminative ability. The mean scores and standard deviations of the DERS subscales and DERS short-forms organized by depressive symptom severity are presented. Overall, this paper provides new evidence of the validity and clinical utility of the four versions of the DERS.

Objective: Research suggests an association between the fear of death and social anxiety, but the mechanisms through which these constructs are related remain unclear. From a socio-evolutionary perspective, abandonment and rejection are associated with premature death, and appraisals of the importance of social relationships for maintaining survival are influenced by one’s upbringing, reflected in individual differences in attachment patterns. We thus explored whether different attachment dimensions mediated the relationship between death anxiety and social anxiety to differing degrees, according to the value afforded by these dimensions to the importance of relationships for survival. Method: Self-report data on death anxiety, social anxiety, and two dimensions of attachment (anxiety and avoidance) was collected from 93 participants with varying levels of social anxiety. Results: Supporting the hypotheses, there was an indirect effect of death anxiety on social anxiety via attachment anxiety, even when fear of own death and fear of other’s death were analysed separately. No indirect effect via attachment avoidance was observed. Conclusions: These results clarify the mechanisms underpinning the association between social anxiety and the fear of death, and suggest that a socio-evolutionary framework provides utility in better understanding these clinical constructs. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Research demonstrates a hitherto unclear association between the experience of social anxiety and underlying death fears. (2) A socio-evolutionary approach highlights the intimate relationship between abandonment/rejection and premature death during our evolutionary history. (3) Appraisals of the importance of social relationships for maintaining survival ought to be influenced by developmental experiences. What this topic adds: (1) We propose that variation in these appraisals are reflected in the different attachment dimensions (anxiety and avoidance). (2) In support of this, we found that attachment anxiety mediated the relationship between death anxiety and social anxiety, whereas attachment avoidance did not. (3) These results clarify the mechanisms underpinning the connection between social anxiety and underlying death fears and emphasise the utility of socio-evolutionary approaches to clinical syndromes.

Abstract Background Third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Gram-negatives (3GCR-GN) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are common causes of multi-drug resistant healthcare-associated infections, for which gut colonisation is considered a prerequisite. However, there remains a key knowledge gap about colonisation and infection dynamics in high-risk settings such as the intensive care unit (ICU), thus hampering infection prevention efforts. Methods We performed a three-month prospective genomic survey of infecting and gut-colonising 3GCR-GN and VRE among patients admitted to an Australian ICU. Bacteria were isolated from rectal swabs (n = 287 and n = 103 patients ≤2 and > 2 days from admission, respectively) and diagnostic clinical specimens between Dec 2013 and March 2014. Isolates were subjected to Illumina whole-genome sequencing (n = 127 3GCR-GN, n = 41 VRE). Multi-locus sequence types (STs) and antimicrobial resistance determinants were identified from de novo assemblies. Twenty-three isolates were selected for sequencing on the Oxford Nanopore MinION device to generate completed reference genomes (one for each ST isolated from ≥2 patients). Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were identified by read mapping and variant calling against these references. Results Among 287 patients screened on admission, 17.4 and 8.4% were colonised by 3GCR-GN and VRE, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most common species (n = 36 episodes, 58.1%) and the most common cause of 3GCR-GN infection. Only two VRE infections were identified. The rate of infection among patients colonised with E. coli was low, but higher than those who were not colonised on admission (n = 2/33, 6% vs n = 4/254, 2%, respectively, p = 0.3). While few patients were colonised with 3GCR- Klebsiella pneumoniae or Pseudomonas aeruginosa on admission (n = 4), all such patients developed infections with the colonising strain. Genomic analyses revealed 10 putative nosocomial transmission clusters (≤20 SNVs for 3GCR-GN, ≤3 SNVs for VRE): four VRE, six 3GCR-GN, with epidemiologically linked clusters accounting for 21 and 6% of episodes, respectively (OR 4.3, p = 0.02). Conclusions 3GCR-E. coli and VRE were the most common gut colonisers. E. coli was the most common cause of 3GCR-GN infection, but other 3GCR-GN species showed greater risk for infection in colonised patients. Larger studies are warranted to elucidate the relative risks of different colonisers and guide the use of screening in ICU infection control.

Parallel evolution of reproductive isolation (PERI) provides strong evidence for natural selection playing a fundamental role in the origin of species. However, PERI has been rarely demonstrated for well established species drawn from different genera. In particular, parallel molecular signatures for the same genes in response to similar habitat divergence in such different lineages is lacking. Here, based on whole-genome sequencing data, we first explore the speciation process in two sister species of Carpinus (Betulaceae) in response to divergence for temperature and soil-iron concentration in habitats they occupy in northern and southwestern China, respectively. We then determine whether parallel molecular mutations occur during speciation in this pair of species and also in another sister-species pair of the related genus, Ostryopsis, which occupy similarly divergent habitats in China. We show that gene flow occurred during the origin of both pairs of sister species since approximately 9.8 or approximately 2 million years ago, implying strong natural selection during divergence. Also, in both species pairs we detected concurrent positive selection in a gene (LHY) for flowering time and in two paralogous genes (FRO4 and FRO7) of a gene family known to be important for iron tolerance. These changes were in addition to changes in other major genes related to these two traits. The different alleles of these particular candidate genes possessed by the sister species of Carpinus were functionally tested and indicated likely to alter flowering time and iron tolerance as previously demonstrated in the pair of Ostryopsis sister species. Allelic changes in these genes may have effectively resulted in high levels of prezygotic reproductive isolation to evolve between sister species of each pair. Our results show that PERI can occur in different genera at different timescales and involve similar signatures of molecular evolution at genes or paralogues of the same gene family, causing reproductive isolation as a consequence of adaptation to similarly divergent habitats.

Delayed autonomous selfing (DAS) provides reproductive assurance under conditions of pollinator and/or pollen-limitation. Few plant species have been investigated to determine if DAS is terminated when a flower is sufficiently pollinated by a pollen vector, thereby saving plant resources for other purposes. We examined this possibility in bumblebee-pollinated Salvia umbratica. We first showed that DAS resulting in high fruit set (100%) and seed set (>80%) per flower occurred in the absence of insect pollinators by means of style recurvature and was completed in 94% of flowers 72 h after they opened. In contrast, in flowers pollinated immediately after opening, DAS was prevented by corollas dropping away before styles recurve toward the upper thecae. We next showed that hand-pollination of flowers immediately after they opened resulted in high fruit set (100%) and seed set (>80%) when 5–10 pollen grains or more were deposited on their stigmas, whereas fruit set and seed set were reduced to 45.00 and 22.50%, respectively, when pollen loads were reduced to 1–3 pollen grains. Finally, we showed that on average single pollinator visits deposited 26 pollen grains on stigmas of flowers that had just opened, which is more than enough to ensure high fruit and seed set. Our results indicate that flower longevity is highly correlated with the pollinator environment and female fitness of S. umbratica, with extended flower longevity allowing DAS to occur being advantageous when pollinators are absent, while reduced floral longevity and prevention of DAS being favored when flowers are pollinated by pollinators. Thus, flower longevity in S. umbratica varies so as to optimize reproductive output and resource efforts, and is dependent on the availability and effectiveness of pollinators to pollinate flowers.

Abstract Determining the factors promoting speciation is a major task in ecological and evolutionary research and can be aided by phylogeographic analysis. The Qinling–Daba Mountains (QDM) located in central China form an important geographic barrier between southern subtropical and northern temperate regions, and exhibit complex topography, climatic, and ecological diversity. Surprisingly, few phylogeographic analyses and studies of plant speciation in this region have been conducted. To address this issue, we investigated the genetic divergence and evolutionary histories of three closely related tree peony species (Paeonia qiui, P. jishanensis, and P. rockii) endemic to the QDM. Forty populations of the three tree peony species were genotyped using 22 nuclear simple sequence repeat markers (nSSRs) and three chloroplast DNA sequences to assess genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships, supplemented by morphological characterization and ecological niche modeling (ENM). Morphological and molecular genetic analyses showed the three species to be clearly differentiated from each other. In addition, coalescent analyses using DIYABC conducted on nSSR variation indicated that the species diverged from each other in the late Pleistocene, while ecological niche modeling (ENM) suggested they occupied a larger area during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) than at present. The combined genetic evidence from nuclear and chloroplast DNA and the results of ENM indicate that each species persisted through the late Pleistocene in multiple refugia in the Qinling, Daba, and Taihang Mountains with divergence favored by restricted gene flow caused by geographic isolation, ecological divergence, and limited pollen and seed dispersal. Our study contributes to a growing understanding of the origin and population structure of tree peonies and provides insights into the high level of plant endemism present in the Qinling–Daba Mountains of Central China.

A substantial obstacle to the success of adoptive T cell-based cancer immunotherapy is the sub-optimal affinity of T-cell receptors (TCRs) for most tumor antigens. Genetically engineered TCRs that have enhanced affinity for specific tumor peptide-MHC complexes may overcome this barrier. However, this enhancement risks increasing weak TCR cross-reactivity to other antigens expressed by normal tissues, potentially leading to clinical toxicities. To reduce the risk of such adverse clinical outcomes, we have developed an extensive preclinical testing strategy, involving potency testing using 2D and 3D human cell cultures and primary tumor material, and safety testing using human primary cell and cell-line cross-reactivity screening and molecular analysis to predict peptides recognized by the affinity-enhanced TCR. Here, we describe this strategy using a developmental T-cell therapy, ADP-A2M4, which recognizes the HLA-A2-restricted MAGE-A4 peptide GVYDGREHTV. ADP-A2M4 demonstrated potent anti-tumor activity in the absence of major off-target cross-reactivity against a range of human primary cells and cell lines. Identification and characterization of peptides recognized by the affinity-enhanced TCR also revealed no cross-reactivity. These studies demonstrated that this TCR is highly potent and without major safety concerns, and as a result, this TCR is now being investigated in two clinical trials (NCT03132922, NCT04044768).

Abstract Background The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ) is a 27-item self-report measure that assesses positive and negative beliefs about binge eating. It has been validated and its factor structure explored in a non-clinical sample. This study tested the psychometric properties of the EBQ in a clinical and a non-clinical sample. Method A sample of 769 participants (573 participants recruited from the university and general community, 76 seeking treatment for an eating disorder and 120 participating in obesity research) completed a battery of questionnaires. A subset of clinical participants with a diagnosis of Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder completed the test-battery before and after receiving a psychological treatment (n = 27) or after allocation to a wait-list period (n = 28), and a subset of 35 community participants completed the test battery again after an interval of two-weeks. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed. Results CFA found a two-factor structure that provided a good fit to the data, supporting the solution presented in the development paper. Items with poor psychometric properties were removed, resulting in a 16 item measure. EBQ scores were found to correlate with binge eating episode frequency, increases in body mass index (BMI), and measures of eating disorder behaviours and related psychopathology. The EBQ was found to have excellent internal consistency (α = .94), good test-retest reliability (r = .91) and sensitivity to treatment. Conclusion These findings indicate that the EBQ is a psychometrically sound and clinically useful measure.

The study investigated the affective and cognitive responses (including self-beliefs about personality attributes and the level of certainty associated with these beliefs) to the repeated delivery of performance feedback (failure vs. success) across adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of perfectionism. Participants completed questionnaires and a mental rotation computer task, to which they received feedback for. Performance feedback was delivered at Time point 1 (initial) and at Time point 2 (repeated). Results showed that maladaptive perfectionism predicted increased negative affect after initial failure and decreased confidence in self-descriptiveness ratings for negative-related personality attributes after initial success, with these confidence levels further decreasing following repeated success. Adaptive perfectionism predicted higher self-ratings on positive-related personality attributes but only after initial success. The findings suggest that changes in responses across adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism are influenced by experiences of success rather than failure. Adaptive perfectionism also seemed resilient to input from external sources while maladaptive perfectionism appeared more susceptible to such influence. However, given the preliminary nature of the present findings, further research in this area is needed to understand the impact of performance feedback on the self-concept across these two dimensions of perfectionism.

The impostor phenomenon is a pervasive psychological experience of perceived intellectual and professional fraudulence. It is not a diagnosable condition yet observed in clinical and normal populations. Increasingly, impostorism research has expanded beyond clinical and into applied settings. However, to date, a systematic review examining the methodological quality of impostorism measures used to conduct such research has yet to be carried out. This systematic review examines trait impostor phenomenon measures and evaluates their psychometric properties against a quality assessment framework. Systematic searches were carried out on six electronic databases, seeking original empirical studies examining the conceptualization, development, or validation of self-report impostor phenomenon scales. A subsequent review of reference lists also included two full-text dissertations. Predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria were specified to select the final 18 studies in the review sample. Of the studies included, four measures of the impostor phenomenon were identified and their psychometric properties assessed against the quality appraisal tool—Clance Impostor Phenomenon Scale, Harvey Impostor Scale, Perceived Fraudulence Scale, and Leary Impostor Scale. The findings often highlighted that studies did not necessarily report poor psychometric properties; rather an absence of data and stringent assessment criteria resulted in lower methodological ratings. Recommendations for future research are made to address the conceptual clarification of the construct's dimensionality, to improve future study quality and to enable better discrimination between measures.

The present study examined the content of self-related beliefs (i.e., the self-concept) and the level of certainty associated with these beliefs (i.e., self-concept certainty) across adaptive and maladaptive dimensions of perfectionism. A sample of 103 university students (26 adaptive perfectionists, 28 maladaptive perfectionists, and 49 non-perfectionists) completed a series of questionnaires and a reaction-timed computer task assessing their self-concept content and level of self-concept certainty. Results revealed significant differences in the content of self-beliefs about personality attributes between perfectionist groups, such that those classified as adaptive perfectionists held more positive beliefs and less negative-related beliefs about their personality attributes when compared to maladaptive perfectionists. Results regarding self-concept certainty were less clear, with adaptive perfectionists being most certain in general on self-report measures, but more certain for positive personality attributes only when compared to maladaptive perfectionists on a reaction-timed decision-making task. Findings from the present study are discussed in terms of the way that self-concept certainty may differ across adaptive and maladaptive subtypes of perfectionists.