Individual outcomes of employee resource group membership

Juvenile delinquency is a major problem. If it is possible to identify and work with adolescents at risk of becoming delinquent when they are in the at-risk stage, it may be possible to change their attitudes and behaviours. Some programs that have reported short-term and anecdotal success have been wilderness-enhanced programs. Results have generally supported short-term improvement in behaviour. However, conclusive evidence of sustained behaviour change has not been forthcoming. This study examined a program that contained a wilderness component and made use of cognitive-based therapy in the lengthy follow-up period. It employed a longitudinal tracking method, with a pre and post test and control and reference groups, with Jessor and Jessor's Problem Behaviour Proneness model as a guide to the self-report questionnaire. Thirty-one scales were developed that tested variables deemed to be good predictors of problem behaviour proneness. The subjects were tested five times over a two-year period. A MANOVA was conducted on the longitudinal subset of students who were present at every data collection point, then an ANOVA was conducted to compare the groups at different points in time using the cross-sectional data set that contained a much larger number of students' responses. The wilderness-enhanced program of two years duration did appear to cause changes in problem behaviour. Twenty two of the variables showed improvement in attitude and behaviour and seventeen of these were statistically significant. When these significant changes were overlaid with the seemingly positive effects on most of the other variables, the argument for the effectiveness of the wilderness-enhanced program was strengthened. The initial wilderness experience appeared to be important in the change process. Although early change was generally not significant, it was nonetheless present and this seemed to support the idea that the experience acted as a catalyst. The changes were of sufficient magnitude in 19 of the variables to bring the treatment group into the normal range of behaviour for adolescents as exemplified by the reference group. Seventeen of these were statistically significant. The treatment group moved from having 19 variables indicative of promoting problem behaviour proneness at the commencement of the study to only having six at the end. Thus the treatment group's propensity to problem behaviour proneness seemed to have reduced significantly. Many of the improvements in behaviour occurred late in the two-year follow-up period, so it appears vital that a lengthy follow-up period should be part of any multivariate program. The Setting For The Study Adolescence is a time of change. For some, the changes are not made successfully and this can lead to behaviour problems, extremes of which can lead to juvenile delinquency. There is a great need for intervention with these juvenile delinquents: to assist them get back on track, that is, to move them back into the normative range of adolescent behaviour (Wragg, 1995). It is now realised that juvenile delinquency is a complex issue and many factors are involved in its development (Jessor and Jessor, 1977). The peer group is important. The influence of the family is also very important, through conflict and aggression in the home, parenting style, family break-up and many other factors. The adolescent's personality is another important factor. Such traits as a negative attitude to school and authority, a low commitment to goals, refusal to accept responsibility, and the rights of others can all be indicators of a predisposition to delinquency. All these variables were addressed in the study. Because juvenile delinquency is such a complex problem, with many different variables being important in its development, a multivariate approach of the psychosocial models is a much better way of examining the phenomenon. Jessor and Jessor's Problem Behaviour Theory Model (1977) is one such model and it contains three sets of variables which together influence a state called "problem behaviour proneness". …

BackgroundAdequate treatment of severe childhood obesity is important given its serious social, psychological and physical consequences. Self-regulation may be a crucial determinant of treatment success. Yet, little is known about the role that self-regulation and other psychosocial factors play in the long-term outcome of obesity treatment in severely obese children and adolescents.In this paper, we describe the design of a study that aims to determine whether the ability to self-regulate predicts long-term weight loss in severely obese children and adolescents. An additional objective is to identify other psychosocial factors that may modify this relation.Methods/designThe study is designed as a prospective observational study of 120 severely obese children and adolescents (8–19 years) and their parents/caregivers undergoing an intensive combined lifestyle intervention during one year. The intervention uses behavior change techniques to improve the general ability to self-regulate.Measurements will be taken at three points in time: at baseline (start of treatment), at the end of treatment (1 year after baseline) and at follow-up (2 years after baseline). The primary outcome measurement is the gender and age-specific change in SDS-BMI.The children’s general self-regulation abilities are evaluated by two behavioral computer tasks assessing two distinct aspects of self-regulation that are particularly relevant to controlling food intake: inhibitory control (Stop Signal Task) and sensitivity to reward (Balloon Analogue Risk Task). In addition to the computer tasks, a self-report measure of eating-specific self-regulation ability is used. Psychosocial factors related to competence, motivation, relatedness and outcome expectations are examined as moderating factors using several questionnaires for the patients and their parents/caregivers.DiscussionThis study will provide knowledge about the relation between self-regulation and long-term weight loss after intensive lifestyle interventions over a two-year period in severely obese children and adolescents, a growing but often overlooked patient group. We aim to investigate to what extent (changes in) the general ability to self-regulate predicts weight loss and weight loss maintenance. This study will also contribute to the knowledge on how this association is modified by other psychosocial factors. The results may contribute to the development of more successful interventions.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register (NTR1678, registered 20-Feb-2009)

P03-483 - Predicting suicidal ideation in community-dwelling older adults with elevated levels of distress

Examining perceived stigma of children with newly-diagnosed epilepsy and their caregivers over a two-year period

BackgroundThe present study followed a group of patients over a two-year period after they had received a cognitive behavioral psychoeducational intervention targeting patients’ ability to cope with depression. The main aims were to examine whether a change in both depressive symptoms and in the perceived control of depression occurred and the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived control. MethodsUsing a prospective longitudinal design, a sample of 183 patients was assessed at four time points during a two-year period. ResultsThe patients showed a large reduction in depressive symptoms over the two-year period after the course ended. During the same time period, perceived controllability of depression increased. A parallel latent growth curve model showed that increased control beliefs were related to reduced depressive symptoms. The decrease in depressive symptoms over time was not dependent on the patients’ initial level of depression or initial control of depression, use of medication, duration of previous depressive episodes, alcohol use or sociodemographic variables. ConclusionGroup interventions aimed at increasing coping skills for preventing and mastering of depression may lead to a large and stable reduction in depressive symptoms. A key factor in prevention may be to strengthen patients’ perceived ability to cope with the different symptoms of depression.

Forest ecosystems are critical hubs of biogeochemical activity, playing a major role in global carbon cycling by storing and cycling substantial quantities of terrestrial carbon both above and below ground. The forest floor serves as a dynamic interface where organic inputs, such as litterfall and root turnover, drive soil processes that influence carbon fluxes. Understanding the interactions between photosynthetic activity, soil respiration, and decomposition is key to determining whether forests act as carbon sources or sinks. To gain deeper insights into these processes, it is essential to measure soil respiration and partition its autotrophic and heterotrophic components, linking aboveground organic inputs to belowground carbon and nutrient cycling.This study investigates soil carbon flux dynamics in three distinct Irish forest types: a commercial coniferous forest on mineral soil, a broadleaf-dominated native woodland on mineral soil, and a mixed-species forest on peat soil. These forests, characterized by differences in soil type, species composition, and management practices, offer unique insights into the interactions between litterfall, fine root dynamics, and soil respiration.Aboveground litter inputs were quantified through monthly litterfall collection using bucket traps over a two-year period, revealing distinct patterns both within and between sites. Litter decomposition was assessed with one-year litterbag experiments, while fine root production and turnover were evaluated using one-year in-growth core experiments. Soil respiration was measured twice monthly over a two-year period using two trenched collars installed to a depth of 25 cm and two untrenched collars, with the inclusion and removal of litter enabling a detailed analysis of autotrophic and heterotrophic contributions. Elemental analysis of mineral soils (0–50 cm) and organic soils (0–150 cm) provided key insights into carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen content, offering valuable data on soil organic matter composition and nutrient availability across the soil profile in the three forest types.Over the two-year study period, results show that the commercial coniferous forest exhibited the lowest average total soil respiration rates, averaging 52.10 tonnes CO₂/ha/yr. Conversely, the native woodland and the mixed-species peatland forest showed similar and higher soil respiration rates, averaging 54.31 tonnes CO₂/ha/yr. Across all sites and seasons, heterotrophic respiration contributed more to total ecosystem respiration than autotrophic respiration.By integrating data on litterfall, decomposition, fine root dynamics, and soil elemental composition, this study highlights the critical role of organic inputs and root processes in driving soil respiration and carbon cycling in forests. These findings will enhance carbon modeling efforts, improve predictions of ecosystem responses to environmental change, and inform sustainable forest management strategies for climate change mitigation.

Discussions about professional behaviors are growing increasingly prevalent across health professions, especially as a central component to education programs. A strong critical thinking disposition, paired with critical consciousness, may provide future health professionals with a foundation for solving challenging practice problems through the application of sound technical skill and scientific knowledge without sacrificing sensitive, empathic, client-centered practice. In this article, we describe an approach to monitoring student development of critical thinking dispositions and key professional behaviors as a way to inform faculty members' and clinical supervisors' support of students and ongoing curriculum development. We designed this exploratory study to describe the trajectory of change for a cohort of audiology students' critical thinking dispositions (measured by the California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory: [CCTDI]) and professional behaviors (using the Comprehensive Professional Behaviors Development Log-Audiology [CPBDL-A]) in an audiology program. Implications for the CCTDI and CPBDL-A in audiology entry-to-practice curricula and professional development will be discussed. This exploratory study involved a cohort of audiology students, studied over a two-year period, using a one-group repeated measures design. Eighteen audiology students (two male and 16 female), began the study. At the third and final data collection point, 15 students completed the CCTDI, and nine students completed the CPBDL-A. The CCTDI and CPBDL-A were each completed at three time points: at the beginning, at the middle, and near the end of the audiology education program. Data are presented descriptively in box plots to examine the trends of development for each critical thinking disposition dimension and each key professional behavior as well as for an overall critical thinking disposition score. For the CCTDI, there was a general downward trend from time point 1 to time point 2 and a general upward trend from time point 2 to time point 3. Students demonstrated upward trends from the initial to final time point for their self-assessed development of professional behaviors as indicated on the CPBDL-A. The CCTDI and CPBDL-A can be used by audiology education programs as mechanisms for inspiring, fostering, and monitoring the development of critical thinking dispositions and key professional behaviors in students. Feedback and mentoring about dispositions and behaviors in conjunction with completion of these measures is recommended for inspiring and fostering these key professional attributes.

WE HAVE HEARD two valuable and illuminating papers on the monetary policy followed in the United States since the end of World War II. The two papers agree on many points but there are substantial differences between them in emphasis and in general judgment as to the soundness of the policy followed. Professor Chandler, whose paper I am to discuss, is, on the whole, critical of this policy. He holds that with only a moderately restrictive tightening of credit during the postwar period, the inflationary movement would have been inhibited to a useful degree. He does not indicate precisely what he means by the phrase moderately restrictive, but one can infer that he is thinking of policy involving increases in interest rates of the order of perhaps i per cent, plus or minus. One gains the impression that he is surely not thinking of increases of several percentage points or of an adjustment of interest rates to the returns earned on business investments. I am inclined to agree that a somewhat tighter credit policy might have contributed in a minor way to the control of inflation during the past five years. At least, I think that such a policy would not have caused serious harm. But, like Professor Chandler, I express this view from the vantage point of the present and with the aid of hindsight. If, on the other hand, we view this monetary policy in the context of the legitimate expectations, and the conflicting considerations at the various points in time when it was formulated, I would be willing to argue that this policy was a reasonable one and perhaps the only realistic one. The postwar rise in prices, or at least the rise in the price indexes, took place almost entirely during the two-year period from the middle of 1946 when decontrol occurred to the middle of 1948 when prices turned downward. Our problem, then, is: could a different and feasible credit policy have appreciably influenced the course of prices during this two-year period? I am inclined to answer this question negatively.

Persistence of mental health problems and needs in a college student population

The problem of identifying cohesive subgroups in social hypertext is reviewed. A computationally efficient three-step framework for identifying cohesive subgroups is proposed, referred to as the Social Cohesion Analysis of Networks (SCAN) method. In the first step of this method (Select), people within a social network are screened using a level of network centrality to select possible subgroup members. In the second step (Collect), the people selected in the first step are collected into subgroups identified at each point in time using hierarchical cluster analysis. In the third step (Choose), similarity modeling is used to choose cohesive subgroups based on the similarity of subgroups when compared across different points in time. The application of this SCAN method is then demonstrated in a case study where a subgroup is automatically extracted from a social network formed based on the online interactions of a group of about 150 people that occurred over a two-year period. In addition, this paper also demonstrates that similarity-based cohesion can provide a different, and in this case more compelling, subgroup representation than a method based on splitting a hierarchical clustering dendrogram using an optimality criterion.

BackgroundAs cancer therapies increase in their complexity, effective communication among patients, physicians, and research staff is critical for optimal clinical trial management. Currently, we understand little about on-trial communication practices and patient trial experiences over time. This mixed-method study explored patient experiences of participating in a clinical drug trial at different time points, focussing on patient communication with trial staff.MethodsPatients enrolled in clinical drug trials conducted at the Parkville Cancer Clinical Trials Unit were invited to complete a tailored online survey and/or a qualitative interview. Patients were recruited to three cohorts based on time since the first trial treatment: new (≥ 1 to ≤ 13 weeks), mid- (≥ 14 to ≤ 26 weeks), and long-term (≥ 52 weeks) trial patients. Descriptive statistics were calculated for survey responses. Interview data were analysed thematically with a team-based approach. Survey and interview data were integrated at the intepretation stage.ResultsFrom May to June 2021, 210 patients completed a survey (response rate 64%, 60% male), 20 completed interviews (60% male), and 18 completed both. More long-term trial patients (46%) participated than new (29%) and mid-trial patients (26%). Survey data showed high (> 90%) patient satisfaction with the provision of trial information and communication with trial staff across trial stages, and many reported trial experiences as above and beyond standard care. Interview data indicated that written trial information could be overwhelming, and verbal communication with the staff and physicians was highly valued, especially for enrolment and side effect management among long-term patients. Patients described the key points along the clinical trial trajectory that merit close attention: clear and well-communicated randomisation practices, reliable pathways for side effect reporting and prompt response from the trial staff, and end-of-trial transition management to avoid a sense of abandonment.ConclusionPatients reported high overall satisfaction with trial management but outlined key pinch points requiring improved communication practices. Establishing a range of effective communication practices among trial staff and physicians with patients in cancer clinical trials may have a wide range of positive effects on patient accrual, retention, and satisfaction.

Plasma betaine concentrations and urinary betaine excretions have high test-retest reliability. Abnormal betaine excretion is common in diabetes. We aimed to confirm the individuality of plasma betaine and urinary betaine excretion in an overweight population with type 2 diabetes and compare this with the individuality of other osmolytes, one-carbon metabolites and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), thus assessing their potential usefulness as disease markers. Urine and plasma were collected from overweight subjects with type 2 diabetes at four time points over a two-year period. We measured the concentrations of the osmolytes: betaine, glycerophosphorylcholine (GPC) and taurine, as well as TMAO, and the one-carbon metabolites, N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG) and free choline. Samples were measured using tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Betaine showed a high degree of individuality (or test-retest reliability) in the plasma (index of individuality = 0.52) and urine (index of individuality = 0.45). Betaine in the plasma had positive and negative log-normal reference change values (RCVs) of 54% and -35%, respectively. The other osmolytes, taurine and GPC were more variable in the plasma of individuals compared to the urine. DMG and choline showed high individuality in the plasma and urine. TMAO was highly variable in the plasma and urine (log-normal RCVs ranging from 403% to -80% in plasma). Betaine is highly individual in overweight people with diabetes. Betaine, its metabolite DMG, and precursor choline showed more reliability than the osmolytes, GPC and taurine. The low reliability of TMAO suggests that a single TMAO measurement has low diagnostic value.

Perceived containment is the belief that one can be controlled by the limits set by authority figures, with low levels of perceived containment indicating that one does not believe they can be controlled by others. Low levels of perceived containment have been associated with a range of problem behaviors in youth, including proactive and reactive aggression. However, the stability of perceived containment across time and authority figures in middle childhood is not well understood. Additionally, more research is needed to understand how perceived containment is associated with the trajectories of related problem behavior, such as proactive and reactive functions of aggression. Thus, the current study evaluated univariate and bivariate growth trajectories of perceived containment and proactive and reactive aggression across 2years in middle childhood. Participants were 249 elementary school youth (41% female, 7-10years old). Children self-reported on perceived containment and proactive and reactive aggression at 4 time points across a two-year period. Results indicated that perceived containment and proactive aggression remained stable, while reactive aggression increased over a two-year period. Bivariate models indicated that perceived containment was negatively associated with the latent intercept of proactive and reactive aggression; however, perceived containment was not significantly associated with growth of reactive aggression. Findings and implications for treatment and prevention are discussed in turn.

Changes in Sugar Sweetened Beverage Intake Related to Changes in Body Composition in Mexican Adolescents

Social interactions among animals are general phenomena in domestic populations. However, at present, very little is known about the contribution of social effect to the selection efficiency of long-term response. In this study, the selection efficiency of a socially affected trait with different social effect was investigated in a closed nucleus population using stochastic simulation. Some key factors that affect selection efficiency of genetic social effect were also compared. The results showed social effect played an important role in a longer term breeding programme even though social effect had a small effect on the trait of interest. The percentage of expected total response contributed by social effect was up to 15.27 at the end generation under a very low level of social effect (0.3% direct phenotypic variance). The full model with direct and social genetic effect, improved the selection efficiency of social effect and resulted in 4.89, 5.21 and 2.70% more total cumulative selection response than the reduced model, without social effect, under the social effect size of 0.3, 1 and 10% direct phenotypic variance, respectively. The social effect size and group member number showed more effect on the selection efficiency of social effect than other factors.