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OBJECTIVES: Narcissism is a personality trait that can interfere with the application of evidence-based therapies for the eating disorders, influencing collaboration and the patient's willingness to take responsibility for participating in change. In order to understand and work with this personality characteristic, it is important to understand the cognitions that underpin the traits concerned. DESIGN: This study examined the associations between schema-level core beliefs and narcissism in eating disorders. Narcissism was conceptualized in terms of both its core element (entitlement and grandiosity) and the narcissistic defences (bad you and poor me attitudes). METHODS: Validated measures of the different elements of narcissism and of core beliefs were completed by 80 eating-disordered patients and 70 non-clinical comparison women. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the core beliefs associated with each aspect of narcissism. RESULTS: The pattern of association differed across the two groups. Among the eating-disordered women, different core beliefs were associated with core narcissism and with each of the two defences. CONCLUSIONS: Unconditional schema-level beliefs are associated with narcissistic personality traits in the eating disorders suggesting that these therapy-interfering personality characteristics might be addressed by modifying the relevant core beliefs, thus making it possible to work more directly with the eating disorder itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a state hospital total push program for regressed schizophrenics. A pool of 200 patients was selected from continued treatment wards. The personnel selecting these patients were head nurses, psychiatric aides, supervisors, and ward physicians. Thirty male and thirty female patients were selected from this group to be the experimental group. They were selected by taking every third patient until the desired N was achieved. Twenty of these were placed on the program first for a period of six months. The other forty were put on after the first six month period had been completed. It was found that "total push" is of benefit to a goodly number of regressed schizophrenics.

The article presents a study that compares the actuarial and clinical prediction methods in psychopathology. Several studies have been conducted in which actuarial and clinical predictions that have been made from objective and projective psychological test data and on the basis of a variety of clinically judged attributes and characteristics of patients. In 13 of the 14 studies, results revealed that the accuracy of the actuarial predictions was found to exceed or at least equal the accuracy of clinical predictions. The study justified the advice offered by Paul Meehl, the leading philosopher of science in the U.S.

The first inhabitants of Australia and the traditional owners of Australian lands are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are two to four times more likely to have systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) than the general Australian population. Phenotypically, SLE appears distinctive in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and its severity is substantially increased, with mortality rates up to six times higher than in the general Australian population with SLE. In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with SLE have increased prevalence of lupus nephritis and increased rates of progression to end-stage kidney disease. The reasons for the increased prevalence and severity of SLE in this population are unclear, but socioeconomic, environmental, and biological factors are all likely to be implicated, although there are no published studies investigating these factors in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with SLE specifically, indicating an important knowledge gap. In this Review, we summarise the data on the incidence, prevalence, and clinical and biological findings relating to SLE in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and explore potential factors contributing to its increased prevalence and severity in this population. Importantly, we identify health disparities and deficiencies in health-care provision that limit optimal care and outcomes for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with SLE and highlight potentially addressable goals to improve outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests FBV has received support from Janssen-Cilag and CSL for projects described in the scope of this Review and from Pfizer, Lupus Research Alliance, and SomaLogic for conference or meeting sponsorship. SK has received support from Pfizer for conference sponsorship. AYH has received support from Arthritis Australia, Perpetual IMPACT fund, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck Serono, GSK, Eli Lilly, Union Chimique Belge (UCB), and Janssen. AYH also received honoraria from Novartis, Janssen, and Recordati. EFM has received grant or research support from AbbVie, Amgen, Biogen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Genentech, GSK, and UCB. EFM received consultant fees from EMD Serono, AstraZeneca, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Genentech, GSK, Janssen, Novartis, AbbVie, Galapagos, and IgM; honoraria from AstraZeneca, Biogen, Bristol Myers Squibb, EMD Serono, and Gilead; and travel support from AstraZeneca. EFM is Board Director of Rare Voices Australia, a not-for-profit organisation. MR received research grants for SLE clinical trials from AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, GSK, Janssen, Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Servier, and UCB. MR received consulting fees from AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Janssen Global Services, Novartis, and Pfizer., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

The objective of this article is to summarise the current knowledge regarding the prevalence of six rheumatological conditions in indigenous Australians - rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), osteoporosis (OSP), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), gout and musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Online medical literature databases were searched for 'indigenous', 'Aboriginal' and 'Torres Strait Islander', as well as the names of the six conditions. Other included search terms were 'crystal', 'urate', 'arthritis' and 'arthropathy'. No limitations were placed on publication data or language. Forty-five articles examining the prevalence of the six conditions were identified. Based on the published literature, SLE appears to have a higher prevalence, while RA appears to have a lower prevalence in indigenous Australians compared to the non-indigenous community. MSK pain is prevalent, has a significant impact on indigenous people and is perceived as an important area of need. There is a paucity of data regarding these conditions in indigenous Australians. This may be impacted by the uncertainty of case ascertainment by self-report, differences in disease phenotypes and prevalence between the metropolitan compared to the rural or remote indigenous population, and difficulty with access to healthcare. Further studies in conjunction with local indigenous communities are needed to accurately determine the burden of rheumatological disease in the indigenous population. This will assist with resource and workforce planning to deliver culturally appropriate interventions. Strategies for future clinical work and research include the development and dissemination of culturally safe rheumatology resources, rheumatology training of Aboriginal Health Workers and wider integration of rheumatology clinics into community-controlled Aboriginal Health Services., (© 2024 The Author(s). Internal Medicine Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Physicians.)

Autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) is a collective term, which comprises a group of multisystem inflammatory autoimmune diseases, including connective tissue disease, chronic inflammatory arthritis, sarcoidosis and systemic vasculitis. Some AIRD are prevalent in the general population, and all can cause significant morbidity and reduced quality of life, with some increasing the risk of premature mortality, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a connective tissue disease that is more prevalent and severe in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples with high mortality rates. To ensure that management of AIRD can be optimised for all Australians, it is important that we understand the prevalence and potential phenotypic variations of AIRD across the Australian population. However, to date there have been few described cases of AIRD other than SLE in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. In this review, we summarise what is known about AIRD other than SLE in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, particularly with regards to prevalence, phenotype and disease outcomes, and highlight the current gaps in knowledge., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

This study explored relationships between perspective-taking, emotion understanding, and children's narrative abilities. Younger (23 5-/6-year-olds) and older (24 7-/8-year-olds) children generated fictional narratives, using a wordless picture book, about a frog experiencing jealousy. Children's emotion understanding was assessed through a standardized test of emotion comprehension and their ability to convey the jealousy theme of the story. Perspective-taking ability was assessed with respect to children's use of narrative evaluation (i.e., narrative coherence, mental state language, supplementary evaluative speech, use of subjective language, and placement of emotion expression). Older children scored higher than younger children on emotion comprehension and on understanding the story's complex emotional theme, including the ability to identify a rival. They were more advanced in perspective-taking abilities, and selectively used emotion expressions to highlight story episodes. Subjective perspective taking and narrative coherence were predictive of children's elaboration of the jealousy theme. Use of supplementary evaluative speech, in turn, was predictive of both subjective perspective taking and narrative coherence., (©2010 The British Psychological Society.)

Objective: Self-reported height and weight data are commonly reported within eating disorders research. The aims of this study are to demonstrate the accuracy of self-reported height and weight and to determine whether that accuracy is associated with levels of eating psychopathology among a group of young nonclinical women., Method: One hundred and four women were asked to report their own height and weight. They then completed the Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire. Finally, they were weighed and their height was measured in a standardized manner. Accuracy scores for height and weight were calculated by subtracting their actual weight and height from their self-reports., Results: Overall, the women overestimated their heights and underestimated their weights, leading to significant errors in body mass index where self-report is used. Those women with high eating concerns were likely to overestimate their weight, whereas those with high weight concerns were more likely to underestimate it., Discussion: These data show that self-reports of height and weight are inaccurate in a way that skews any research that depends on them. The errors are influenced by eating psychopathology. These findings highlight the importance of obtaining objective height and weight data, particularly when comparing those data with those of patients with eating disorders.

There is substantial evidence that body image is a clinically important element of eating pathology, and that patients' body checking cognitions and behaviours are key elements in the maintenance of that body image. However, there is little understanding of individual differences in body checking. This study considered the potential role of narcissism and narcissistic defences in driving body checking cognitions and behaviours. 68 eating-disordered and 70 non-clinical women completed well-validated measures of body checking and narcissism. There were specific patterns of association between different elements of narcissism and different aspects of body checking. These patterns are compatible with a model where body checking serves the defensive function of maintaining self-esteem, rather than promoting positive levels of narcissistic self-esteem.

Patients with eating disorders have been shown to experience the emotional components of alexithymia-difficulties in identifying and describing emotions. In keeping with cognitive theories, which stress the role of schema-level beliefs in understanding emotions, this study examined the core beliefs that are associated with this difficulty in women with eating disorders. Seventy eating-disordered women completed standardised measures of core beliefs and alexithymia. There were no differences in alexithymia between diagnostic groups, so the women were treated as a single, transdiagnostic group. Multiple regression analyses showed specific patterns of association between the core beliefs and the emotional elements of alexithymia. Difficulties in identifying emotions were associated with entitlement beliefs, while difficulties in describing emotions were associated with both abandonment and emotional inhibition beliefs. These findings suggest that it may be necessary to work with core beliefs in order to reduce levels of alexithymia, prior to addressing the emotions that drive and maintain pathological eating behaviours., ((c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association)

The narcissistic defences and a lack of emotional awareness (alexithymia) are both salient features of eating disorder pathology, as well as being linked to each other. As each of these characteristics impacts independently on treatment, it is important to understand how they interact within an eating-disordered population. The present study assessed the associations between the three core elements of alexithymia and the core and defensive elements of narcissism in this clinical group. Seventy eating-disordered patients completed standardised measures of alexithymia and narcissism, and multiple regression analyses were conducted in order to examine the relationship between these variables. Core narcissism (e.g. grandiosity, entitlement) was associated with difficulties in describing feelings to others, whereas the narcissistic defences were associated with difficulties in identifying feelings and distinguishing them from somatic experiences. These patterns of association suggest that different aspects of alexithymia are associated with different aspects of narcissism. Clinical suggestions are made for how these characteristics might require modifications of standard treatment approaches for the eating disorders.

The present study examined 60 (30 early-to-middle adolescents and 30 late adolescents) British adolescents' understanding of the rights of asylum-seeker children. Participants completed semi-structured interviews designed to assess judgments and evaluations of hypothetical asylum-seeker children's nurturance and self-determination rights in conflict with the practices of authority. Findings indicated that participants were more likely to endorse asylum-seeker children's nurturance rights over their self-determination rights. Reasoning about both types of rights was multifaceted and focused on moral, social-conventional and psychological considerations. In addition, significant differences were found between males and females with regard to both endorsement and reasoning. The limitations of the study are discussed and future research is considered.

Objective: This study examined the associations between eating pathology and narcissism in an eating-disordered group. Narcissism was conceptualized in terms of both its core element (entitlement, grandiosity) and the narcissistic defenses that are used to maintain self-esteem., Method: Seventy non-clinical and 84 eating-disordered patients completed a measure of the different elements of narcissism, and a standardized measure of eating pathology., Results: The eating-disordered group scored higher than the non-clinical women on the measures of core narcissism and of the narcissistically abused style ("poor me" defense). The pattern of dimensional associations between narcissism and eating pathology was highly similar across the clinical and nonclinical groups, with the narcissistic defenses playing the strongest role. The poisonous pedagogy style ("bad you" defense) was positively associated with restrictive attitudes toward eating, while the narcissistically abused style was positively associated with restraint, eating concern, body shape concern, and body weight concern., Conclusion: The narcissistic defenses are particularly relevant in understanding the eating disorders. Implications for future research are outlined, and suggestions are made about the need to assess and respond to these associations in treatment., (2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objectives: To differentiate surgical bleeding requiring re-exploration from postoperative coagulopathy and determine the differences in patient outcomes., Methods: This was a retrospective chart review of 2,263 adult patients undergoing elective and emergency open heart procedures encompassing coronary artery bypass, valvular, and a combined procedure to determine the impact of source of bleeding leading to re-exploration., Results: Eighty-two patients (3.6%) required re-exploration. Sixty-six percent had surgical bleeding; the remaining 34% were coagulopathic. Postoperative coagulopathy was associated with preoperative heparin use (37% vs. 19.9% for controls p<0.05). Re-operative procedures combined bypass/ valve (p<0.001) and prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp times (p<0.05) were more prevalent in the coagulopathy group. Postoperative inotrope use was increased in patients who were re-explored (p<0.001), as were cardiac, pulmonary, renal and abdominal complications (p<0.001), and in all cases those patients with medically related bleeding had worse acute outcomes than the group with surgical causes for re-exploration. The hospital stay was prolonged for both patients with surgical bleeding (23.5 days) and patients with coagulopathy (27.1 days) compared to patients not undergoing re-exploration for bleeding (12.0 days, p<0.001). Survival was 91.3% for patients with surgical bleeding, 87.5% for patients with coagulopathy, and 98.0% for all others (p<0.01)., Conclusions: Severe postoperative hemorrhage is associated with significant morbidity and increased mortality. Postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality were significantly worse in patients suffering from coagulopathy when compared to those patients with hemorrhage from surgical causes.

Objectives: This study evaluated acute results as a function of the number of arterial conduits used to compare procedural differences and the subsequent effects on acute outcomes in selected patient populations., Background: All arterial operations may provide better long-term results for younger patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery (CABG). However, concerns regarding additional morbidity when using multiple arterial conduits have inhibited their use., Methods: The study comprised a retrospective review of patients (2,586) undergoing CABG. Group 1 consists of single artery vein graft (1,755). Group 2: two arteries were used in addition to vein grafts (209). Group 3: three or more arterial conduits were used, with or without vein grafts (116). Group 4: only vein grafts were used (506)., Results: Patients undergoing primarily arterial procedures, Group 2 and 3, were younger, had a better exercise profile, less history of myocardial infarction (MI), had less left ventricular dysfunction. There were also fewer emergencies, co-morbidities and associated procedures in this group. The cardiopulmonary bypass and cross clamp times were longer in those procedures with three or more arteries; however, this difference was only thirteen and fourteen minutes, respectively. Post-operative complications were higher in patients in the vein only group. The hospital stay and mortality was equivalent among groups in which an arterial bypass was used and better than those in which only vein grafts were used., Conclusions: For younger patients, "all arterial operations," require only minimal increases in ischemic and operative times, which do not affect acute outcomes.

The electrostatic steering mechanism of bovine erythrocyte Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) was investigated through the use of Brownian dynamics. Simulations of enzyme/substrate encounter were carried out on 14 different SOD models defined by simple changes in the enzyme's point charge distribution. The magnitude and ionic strength dependence of reaction rates, rates for collision anywhere on the enzyme surface, and collision efficiency factors were analyzed to elucidate both the general and specific roles for point charges associated with amino acid residues. Collision rates for the general enzyme surface appear to be solely determined by the net charge on the enzyme. At physiological ionic strength this effect is negligible, with only 6% variation in collision rates observed as the net charge ranges from +2e to -10e. With the exception of a few charged residues in the active-site channel of SOD, point charge modifications had modest effects on reaction rates. For a large region within and surrounding the channel, reaction rates increased or decreased by only 10-15% with the addition or subtraction of a protonic unit of charge, respectively. This effect simply disappeared with increasing distance from the active site. More dramatic effects were seen at only three residues: arginine-141, glutamate-131, and lysine-134. Implications for rate enhancement through site-directed mutagenesis are discussed.

Demonstrates that the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) masculinity (M), femininity (F), and Androgyny scores reflect a bipolar dimension rather than two independent dimensions and their unique derivative. The mean endorsement of the BSRI M and F items was calculated for 50 males and 50 females separately and as a combined group. The BSRI M and F items then were scored in a bipolar fashion. A total Bipolar Androgyny score was calculated for each S by summing the S's Bipolar Androgyny scores on the M and F items. The data indicated that (1) Bem's M scores and the derived Bipolar Androgyny scores based on Bem's M items were highly correlated (congruent to .90); (2) Bem's F scores and the Bipolar Androgyny scores based on Bem's F items were highly correlated (congruent to .90); and (3) Bem's Androgyny scores and the total Bipolar Androgyny scores were highly correlated (congruent to .90). These results indicate that the BSRI Androgyny score reflects a bipolar dimension.

In this paper we report a study designed to improve the ability to predict postoperative weight loss employing methods dictated by the premise that substantial psychological homogeneity is necessary within subsets of patients before similar weight losses can be observed within those subsets. Subjects were 138 women who completed the MMPI prior to undergoing vertical banded gastroplasty. Cluster analysis of the MMPI profiles identified 10 predictive MMPI types. Fifty-six percent of the patients were classified into the 10 types, the remainder were grouped into a residual category. Analysis of covariance revealed that MMPI type accounted for 50 percent of the variance in 12-month weight loss after covarying for initial weight and pre-operative percentage of ideal weight. Variables that added significantly to the prediction of weight loss were age and MMPI scale Pd. In general, the prototypic profiles indicative of the greatest disturbance predicted poor weight loss. In contrast to the 10 MMPI types described in this study, an alternative clustering of patients into fewer groups with much less psychological homogeneity was not predictive of outcome.

The relation of Type A behavior to IQ, academic achievement, and several clinically relevant dimensions of behavior in children was assessed in 873 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders by means of the Matthews Youth Test for Health (MYTH), the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT), the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITED), and the teachers' form of the Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MCBC-T). The MYTH and its competitiveness and impatience-aggression subscales were found to be differentially related to academic achievement and to account for a small but significant portion of the variance in achievement not accounted for by IQ. The subscales of the MYTH were found to be highly correlated with several clinically familiar dimensions of children's behavior. The significance of these findings for the construct validity of the MYTH is discussed.

The synthesis of ATP from highly enriched [18O]Pi by submitochondrial particles driven by succinate oxidation produces distributions of 18O-labeled ATP species that deviate from the distributions predicted by a simple model for the exchange. Control experiments indicate no change in isotopic distribution when [18O]ATP is synthesized from [18O]ADP by adenylate kinase, which is bound to the submitochondrial particles. The observed deviations are in the opposite direction from that produced by heterogeneity due to multiple pathways for ATP synthesis. Two types of complex models can account for the observed deviations. One model has nonequivalence of the Pi oxygens during the exchange reaction, due to incomplete randomization of the Pi oxygens during the reversible cycles of hydrolysis and synthesis of bound ATP. The other model assumes that, during each turnover, a slow transition must occur between a high-exchange and a low-exchange pathway.

Scores on the MMPI MF scale and the WAIS M-F index were found not to be correlated highly with each other, but to be correlated significantly with self-rated sexual orientation in a mixed-sex group of Ss. Only when the implicit bipolarity of each of the test scales were taken into account were the scales significantly related to sexual orientation. The combination of the two M-F indices accounted for significantly more of the variance in sexual orientation than either scale alone. The results suggest that M-F may be considered accurately to be both a bipolar and a multidimensional construct.

Normative data are presented for the parent form of the revised Missouri Children's Behavior Checklist (MCBC-P) for a predominantly white sample of 9- to 14-year-old boys and girls. Boys and girls who have been referred to clinics because of behavior problems are found to have significantly deviant scores on six of the seven scales of the MCBC-P.

Conducted a study to identify a set of cognitive skills tests on which there are significant sex differences. The main study determined the comparability of several bipolar M-F scales and the relations between the full range of scores on each of those bipolar M-F scales and self-rated sexual orientation; 110 females and 113 males completed six cognitive tests, the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) and the Kinsey Sexual Orientation scale (KSO). Correlations in the combined-sex group were substantially higher than in either of the single-sex groups. Each of the several M-F measures was related significantly to sexual orientation in the combined-sex group, and the combination of the MMPI Mf scale and the Bem Androgyny Score accounted for a small but significantly greater portion of the variance in self-rated sexual orientation than did the MMPI Mf scale alone. The data support the view that M-F may be considered to be a bipolar and probably multidimensional variable.

This research examined the relationship of children's Type A behavior pattern, as measured by the Matthews Youth Test for Health, to parents' Type A behavior pattern, as measured by the Jenkins Activity Survey, Form C. A total of 115 families with boys and 106 families with girls enrolled in the fourth through sixth grades participated. There were no significant correlations between the Pattern A scores of fathers and those of their children, but there was evidence for a maternal influence on the development of children's Type A behavior. The results are compared with results from studies of familial aggregation previously reported in the literature.