Assessing Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Skills in Just a Few Minutes: 96-, 45-, and 20-Item Short Forms of the BESSI.

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills matter for individuals' well-being and success. The behavioral, emotional, and social skills inventory (BESSI) uses 192 items to assess 32 specific SEB skills across five broad skill domains. This research developed three short forms of the BESSI-192 and explored their measurement properties, predictive validity, and cross-cultural comparability. We found that BESSI-96, BESSI-45, and BESSI-20 largely captured the psychological content of the BESSI-192 measure, retained a robust multidimensional structure, and demonstrated adequate reliability. At the domain and facet level, the BESSI short forms showed patterns of associations with external criteria that were similar to the BESSI-192 and preserved most of the BESSI-192's predictive power. The BESSI short forms also demonstrated full or partial measurement invariance between the primarily U.S.-based and German adult samples. We conclude by discussing contexts in which the short forms may be useful for researchers and practitioners.

Perseverance, a measure of conscientiousness, is a valid predictor of achievement and truancy across the globe.

Is Conscientiousness a useful construct across cultures? Using the 2012 Program for International Student Assessment data, we examined whether perseverance, a measure of Conscientiousness, was related to achievement and truancy across 62 countries/regions (N > 470,000). We investigated whether these relationships were linear or curvilinear in nature and assessed the utility of item-level information. After establishing partial metric invariance of the perseverance measure across various countries/regions and cultural regions, our findings unveiled that perseverance consistently predicted both math achievement and truancy, with predominantly linear associations. Notably, among the five items of the Perseverance scale, the item reflecting one's tendency to give up easily in the face of challenges emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of math achievement. Further, country-level correlations between perseverance and both math achievement and truancy displayed contradictory patterns compared to individual-level correlations, suggesting the presence of biasing factors in how people respond to these measures. Nonetheless, it appears reasonable to conclude that measures of Conscientiousness are pan-cultural predictors of achievement and truancy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Comparative Neuroprotective Effects of Moringa oleifera Seed Oil and Aqueous Extract on Cognitive Functions on a High-Fat, High-Fructose Diet Mice: Focus on Senescence Markers.

Several studies have demonstrated that Moringa oleifera (MO) has different pharmacological properties, including neuroprotective effects. However, the role of MO in preventing brain impairment in high-fat, high-fructose diet (HFFD) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of MO leaves aqueous extract (MOE) and moringa seed oil (MOO) against brain impairment in mice with HFFD. Twenty-eight male mice were randomly divided into four groups: normal diet, HFFD, HFFD + MOE 500 mg/kgBW, and HFFD + MOO 2 mL/kgBW. Cognitive function was assessed using the Y-maze and novel object recognition (NOR) tests. The p16, p21, and BDNF expressions were analyzed using the RT-PCR method. Senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) staining in the brain was also performed. The results showed that administration of MOE or MOO could increase the percentage of alternation and recognition of new objects, prevent the increase of p16 and p21 expression, and ameliorate SA-ß-Gal activity in the brain. MOO, but not MOE, increased BDNF expression in senescence brains isolated from HFFD mice. The findings indicate that MOO and MOE possess neuroprotective properties, with MOO demonstrating a greater ability to inhibit the brain senescence process compared to MOE.

Meshed dermal regeneration template for traumatic periocular tissue loss in the young population.

The IntegraⓇ Dermal Regeneration Template (DRT) is a bioengineered dermal substitute that is becoming increasingly popular in the field of reconstruction. Its unique properties allow for immediate wound closure while providing a scaffold for tissue regeneration. Currently, it is commonly used to treat burns, ulcers, and complex wounds. In the setting of traumatic periocular tissue loss, only two prior reports have been published on its use for primary reconstruction. We present our institution's experience with a series of four young patients who received primary reconstruction with IntegraⓇ DRT as a full-thickness skin substitute for their large traumatic periorbital skin defects.

The social, emotional, and behavioral skill antecedents to college students' volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The disruptions to community functioning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic spurred individuals to action. This empirical study investigated the social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skill antecedents to college students' volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 248, Mage = 20.6). We assessed eight SEB skills at the onset of a volunteering program, and students' volunteer hours were assessed 10-weeks later. Approximately 41.5% of the sample did not complete any volunteer hours. Higher levels of perspective taking skill, abstract thinking skill, and stress regulation were associated with more time spent volunteering. These results suggest that strength in particular SEB skills can prospectively predict prosocial civic behaviors.

The Usefulness of Multi Voice Evaluation for Measuring Voice Recovery After Endolaryngeal Phonomicrosurgery in Patients with Vocal Fold Polyps.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to the usefulness of a five-variable model predicting perceived voice severity and incorporating acoustic analysis based on cepstral analysis and self-reported questionnaires, for measuring voice recovery after endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery in patients with vocal fold polyps. METHODS: In this study, 72 patients with vocal fold polyps were included. Two voice evaluations, including acoustic analysis, self-reported questionnaires, and auditory perceptual assessments for each patient, were implemented before and after endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery. Using these evaluations, we compared the mean values of the perceptual evaluation of voice, acoustic analysis parameters, self-reported questionnaires, and the five-variable model estimated severity pre- and post-endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery. RESULTS: Various parameters related to acoustic analysis, self-reported questionnaires, and auditory perceptual assessments were useful for measuring voice recovery after endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery. In particular, a five-variable model incorporating spectral/cepstral analyses and self-reported questionnaires was able to effectively track voice changes after endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery. CONCLUSION: We verified that most of the variables and the five-variable model were useful for measuring voice recovery in patients with vocal polyps after endolaryngeal phonomicrosurgery.

Apremilast and narrowband ultraviolet B combination therapy suppresses Th17 axis and promotes melanogenesis in vitiligo skin: a randomized, split-body, pilot study in skin types IV-VI.

Improved repigmentation of generalized vitiligo in skin types IV-VI has been reported in clinical response to combined therapy with apremilast and narrowband (NB)-UVB; however, tissue responses to combined therapy versus NB-UVB monotherapy have not been elucidated. We compared the change from baseline in cellular and molecular markers in vitiligo skin after combined therapy versus NB-UVB monotherapy. We assessed lesional and nonlesional skin samples from enrolled subjects and evaluated for immune infiltrates, inflammatory, and melanogenesis-related markers which were compared across different treatment groups. Combined therapy resulted in significant reduction of CD8+T cells and CD11c+ dendritic cells, downregulation of PDE4B and Th17-related markers, and upregulation of melanogenesis markers. This study was limited to small sample size, skin types IV-VI, and high dropout rate. Our molecular findings support the clinical analysis that apremilast may potentiate NB-UVB in repigmentation of generalized vitiligo in skin types IV-VI.

LRG1 is an adipokine that promotes insulin sensitivity and suppresses inflammation.

While dysregulation of adipocyte endocrine function plays a central role in obesity and its complications, the vast majority of adipokines remain uncharacterized. We employed bio-orthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT) and mass spectrometry to comprehensively characterize the secretome of murine visceral and subcutaneous white and interscapular brown adip ocytes. Over 600 proteins were identified, the majority of which showed cell type-specific enrichment. We here describe a metabolic role for leucine-rich α-2 glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) as an obesity-regulated adipokine secreted by mature adipocytes. LRG1 overexpression significantly improved glucose homeostasis in diet-induced and genetically obese mice. This was associated with markedly reduced white adipose tissue macrophage accumulation and systemic inflammation. Mechanistically, we found LRG1 binds cytochrome c in circulation to dampen its pro-inflammatory effect. These data support a new role for LRG1 as an insulin sensitizer with therapeutic potential given its immunomodulatory function at the nexus of obesity, inflammation, and associated pathology.

Pathological complete response, long-term outcomes, and recurrence patterns in HER2-low versus HER2-zero breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: The interest in HER2-low breast cancer (BC) has increased in recent years with the development of novel anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugates. Here, we investigated the clinical outcomes and relapse patterns of patients with HER2-low or -zero BCs in an Asian population. METHODS: We retrospectively identified HER2-low or -zero BC patients with stage I-III tumours who were treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent curative surgery, between 2014 and 2018 at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: A total of 818 and 754 HER2-zero and HER2-low BC patients, respectively, were consecutively included in this analysis. The HER2-low group had more hormone receptor [HR]-positive patients (81% versus 56%, P < 0.001). The HER2-zero group had a higher proportion of patients who achieved pathological complete response (pCR) (14.7% versus 9.8%, P = 0.003); however, no significant differences of pCR rate by HER2 status were identified in the HR-positive (P = 0.4) and HR-negative groups (P = 0.3) when analysed separately. The HER2-low BC cases had higher 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates (P < 0.001 for OS; P = 0.002 for DFS); however, no differences were observed in terms of OS and DFS by HER2 status in the HR-positive group (P = 0.21 for OS and P = 0.66 for DFS). CONCLUSIONS: Our current findings do not support that HER2-low BC had different biology and clinical features compared to HER2-zero BC in patients who treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, the prognostic impact of HER2-low status in BC remains controversial; thus warranting further research.

An integrative framework for conceptualizing and assessing social, emotional, and behavioral skills: The BESSI.

People differ in their social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills: their capacities to maintain social relationships, regulate emotions, and manage goal- and learning-directed behaviors. In five studies using data from seven independent samples (N = 6,309), we address three key questions about the nature, structure, assessment, and outcomes of SEB skills. First, how can SEB skills be defined and distinguished from other kinds of psychological constructs, such as personality traits? We propose that SEB skills represent how someone is capable of thinking, feeling, and behaving when the situation calls for it, whereas traits represent how someone tends to think, feel, and behave averaged across situations. Second, how can specific SEB skills be organized within broader domains? We find that many skill facets can be organized within five major domains representing Social Engagement, Cooperation, Self-Management, Emotional Resilience, and Innovation Skills. Third, how should SEB skills be measured? We develop and validate the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI) to measure individuals' capacity to enact specific behaviors representing 32 skill facets. We then use the BESSI to investigate the nomological network of SEB skills. We show that both skill domains and facets converge in conceptually meaningful ways with socioemotional competencies, character and developmental strengths, and personality traits, and predict consequential outcomes including academic achievement and engagement, occupational interests, social relationships, and well-being. We believe that this work provides the most comprehensive model currently available for conceptualizing SEB skills, as well as the most psychometrically robust tool available for assessing them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Survey data of social, emotional, and behavioral skills among seven independent samples.

The data presented in this article- originally reported by Soto and colleagues (Soto et al., in press)- assess social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills, indexed by the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI), across seven independent samples (N = 6,309). Four of the datasets (N = 5000) were collected using an online survey housed on PersonalityLab.org. In two of these internet datasets, participants provided their responses to sociodemographic items, subsets of BESSI items (45 - 102 items), and the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2, 60 items). In the other two internet datasets, participants answered the same sociodemographic items and the full BESSI questionnaire (192 - 200 items). The fifth dataset was collected via an online survey sponsored by the Character Lab Research Network and included responses from 499 high school students. The High School Student Sample completed sociodemographic items, the full BESSI (192 items), and measures of academic engagement, occupational interests, peer acceptance, friendship quality, romantic relationship satisfaction, family relationship satisfaction, volunteerism, physical exercise, and life satisfaction (96 total items). The sixth dataset was collected using the Qualtrics Online Sample service, and 488 adult respondents completed an extended, observer-report version of the BESSI (284 items), sociodemographic items, and information regarding their relationship with the person whom they were reporting on (7 items). The seventh data set consisted of college students (N = 322) from Colby College. The College Student Sample completed a survey on Qualtrics that included sociodemographic items, the full BESSI (192 items), the BFI-2 (60 items), and four other SEB skill inventories (116 items). All datasets, questionnaires, and scoring forms are hosted on OSF. The data can be used to (1) understand the structure and organization of SEB skills, (2) model the relationship between SEB skills and conceptually adjacent constructs such as personality traits and character strengths, and (3) explore the associations between SEB skills and consequential outcomes.

Personality Psychology.

Personality psychology, which seeks to study individual differences in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that persist over time and place, has experienced a renaissance in the last few decades. It has also not been reviewed as a field in the Annual Review of Psychology since 2001. In this article, we seek to provide an update as well as a meta-organizational structure to the field. In particular, personality psychology has a prescribed set of four responsibilities that it implicitly or explicitly tackles as a field: (a) describing what personality is-i.e., what the units of analysis in the field are; (b) documenting how it develops; (c) explaining the processes of personality and why they affect functioning; and (d) providing a framework for understanding individuals and explaining their actions, feelings, and motivations. We review progress made over the last 20 years to address these four agendas and conclude by highlighting future directions and ongoing challenges to the field.

Diversity and distribution of the tick-borne relapsing fever spirochete Borrelia turicatae.

Borrelia turicatae is a causative agent of tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF) in the subtropics and tropics of the United States and Latin America. Historically, B. turicatae was thought to be maintained in enzootic cycles in rural areas. However, there is growing evidence that suggests the pathogen has established endemic foci in densely populated regions of Texas. With the growth of homelessness in the state and human activity in city parks, it was important to implement field collection efforts to identify areas where B. turicatae and its vector circulate. Between 2017 and 2020 we collected Ornithodoros turicata ticks in suburban and urban areas including public and private parks and recreational spaces. Ticks were fed on naïve mice and spirochetes were isolated from the blood. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed on eight newly obtained isolates and included previously reported sequences. The four chromosomal loci targeted for MLST were 16S ribosomal RNA (rrs), flagellin B (flaB), DNA gyrase B (gyrB), and the intergenic spacer (IGS). Given the complexity of Borrelia genomes, plasmid diversity was also evaluated. These studies indicate that the IGS locus segregates B. turicatae into four genomic types and plasmid diversity is extensive between isolates. Furthermore, B. turicatae and its vector have established endemic foci in parks and recreational areas in densely populated settings of Texas.

Five-year changes in ovarian function restoration in premenopausal patients with breast cancer taking tamoxifen after chemotherapy: An ASTRRA study report.

BACKGROUND: Adding ovarian function suppression (OFS) after chemotherapy improves survival in young women with moderate- and high-risk breast cancer. Assessment of ovarian function restoration after chemotherapy becomes critical for subsequent endocrine treatment and addressing fertility issues. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the adding OFS after chemotherapy trial, patients who resumed ovarian function up to 2 years after chemotherapy were randomised to receive either 5 years of tamoxifen or adding 2 years of OFS with tamoxifen. Ovarian function was evaluated from enrolment to randomisation, and patients who did not randomise because of amenorrhoea for 2 years received tamoxifen and were followed up for 5 years. Prospectively collected consecutive hormone levels (proportion of patients with premenopausal follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH] levels <30 mIU/mL and oestradiol [E2] levels ≥40 pg/mL) and history of menstruation were available for 1067 patients with breast cancer. RESULTS: Over 5 years of tamoxifen treatment, 69% of patients resumed menstruation and 98% and 74% of patients satisfied predefined ovarian function restoration as per serum FSH and E2 levels, respectively. Menstruation was restored in 91% of patients younger than 35 years at baseline, but in only 33% of 45-year-old patients over 5 years. Among these patients, 41% experienced menstruation restoration within 2 years after chemotherapy and 28% slowly restored menstruation after 2-5 years. Younger age (<35 years) at baseline, anthracycline without taxanes and ≤90 days of chemotherapy were predictors of menstruation restoration. CONCLUSIONS: During 5 years of tamoxifen treatment after chemotherapy, two-thirds of the patients experienced menstruation restoration, especially patients younger than 35 years. Young age, Adriamycin without taxanes and short duration of chemotherapy appeared to have a positive effect on ovarian reserves in the long term. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00912548.

Clinical implications of placenta-derived angiogenic/anti-angiogenic biomarkers in pre-eclampsia.

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a devastating systemic disease which results in maternal hypertension with multi-organ failure due to angiogenic imbalance, characterized by lack of circulating pro-angiogenic factors and excess of anti-angiogenic factors. These factors are crucial for understanding the pathophysiology of PE since they serve as a critical link from placental dysfunction to the clinical syndrome of systemic endothelial dysfunction in the disease. Moreover, utilizing these angiogenic/anti-angiogenic biomarkers can be helpful in risk stratifying and the early detection of PE, which allows for timely intervention to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. In this review, we summarize updated perspectives of the angiogenic imbalance in PE with detailed characterization of key factors involved in the pathogenesis and how the developed biomarkers can be used in clinical settings as diagnostic tools and as possible therapeutic targets of PE.

Identification of Host Bloodmeal Source in Ornithodoros turicata Dugès (Ixodida: Argasidae) Using DNA-Based and Stable Isotope-Based Techniques.

The ecology and host feeding patterns of many soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) remain poorly understood. To address soft tick-host feeding associations, we fed Ornithodoros turicata Dugès on multiple host species and evaluated quantitative PCR (qPCR) and stable isotope analyses to identify the vertebrate species used for the bloodmeal. The results showed that a qPCR with host-specific probes for the cytochrome b gene successfully identified bloodmeals from chicken (Gallus gallus L.), goat (Capra aegagrus hircus L), and swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) beyond 330 days post-feeding and through multiple molting. Also, qPCR-based bloodmeal analyses could detect multiple host species within individual ticks that fed upon more than one species. The stable isotope bloodmeal analyses were based on variation in the natural abundance of carbon (13C/12C) and nitrogen (15N/14N) isotopes in ticks fed on different hosts. When compared to reference isotope signatures, this method discerned unique δ13C and δ15N signatures in the ticks fed on each host taxa yet could not discern multiple host species from O. turicata that fed on more than one host species. Given the significance of soft tick-borne zoonoses and animal diseases, elucidating host feeding patterns from field-collected ticks using these methods may provide insight for an ecological basis to disease management.

Dental implants as risk factors for patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ).

An increasing number of patients with medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaws (MRONJ) has recently been reported. It is still being debated whether the presence or placement of dental implants can lead to MRONJ, so the aim of this study was to find out whether dental implants are a risk factor for MRONJ. From January 2003-January 2019 180 patients with MRONJ were seen at the Leiden University Medical Center. Luxating moments for the onset of MRONJ were calculated retrospectively. We collected clinical data and details of antiresorptive medication and found 22 patients with both dental implants and MRONJ. In 18 patients the implants were in the region of the MRONJ and they were included in this study, 14 who had had implants before using antiresorptive drugs and four who had had antiresorptive drugs before or at the time that the implants were placed. The median times between the placement of implants and the diagnosis of MRONJ in these two groups were 24 months and 6 months, respectively. Among the 47 implants, 30 were located in the necrotic region, and all 30 were either lost spontaneously or had to be removed during treatment of MRONJ. Our results show an increased risk for developing MRONJ in patients with dental implants. Both peri-implantitis around previously placed implants, and insertion of dental implants, are risk factors. Prevention of peri-implantitis and caution when inserting dental implants in patients who take antiresorptive medication are therefore important.

Density of the mandibular ramus (cancellous:cortical bone volume ratio) as a predictor of the lingual fracture pattern in bilateral sagittal split osteotomy.

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the relative amount of cancellous bone in the mandibular ramus as a predictor of lingual fracture patterns after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO). The study including 78 consecutive patients (156 osteotomy sites). In preoperative cone-beam computed tomographic (CT) scans, the volumes of cancellous and cortical bone in the BSSO surgical field were estimated. Patients were divided into two groups based on the cancellous:cortical bone ratio. We studied postoperative cone-beam CT scans for lingual fracture lines and subcategorised them according to the lingual split scale (LSS). Generalised linear mixed models (GLMM) were estimated to evaluate the association between the cancellous:cortical bone ratio and the lingual fracture pattern. There was a significant association between the cancellous:cortical bone ratio of the mandibular angle and the lingual fracture pattern after BSSO. Mandibular angles with a relatively small amount of cancellous bone showed significantly more LSS3 fracture lines (OR=1.990, 95%CI 1.043 to 3.796, p=0.043). These mandibular angles also showed more unfavourable fractures (LSS4), although this was not significant (OR=2.352, 95%CI 0.748 to 7.392, p=0.143). The relative amount of cancellous bone in the mandibular angle is significantly associated with the lingual fracture line after BSSO.