Psychopathy and Impairments in Emotion Regulation: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Considering the sparse but rapidly growing literature concerning the relationship between psychopathy and emotion regulation, taking stock of accumulating knowledge in a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing results is needed. We performed a systematic search (up to May 30, 2024) following PRISMA guidelines of five scientific databases (PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science). Also, gray literature was searched. After removing the duplicates, a total of 8.786 records were screened, and 73 articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria used for systematic review. The meta-analytic procedure was performed on 55 identified studies consistent with the criteria adopted, which overall comprised 29.856 individuals. The current systematic and meta-analysis review has clarified the association between impairments of emotional regulation abilities and facets of psychopathy. More specifically, analyses indicated that emotional dysregulation is associated with overall levels of psychopathic traits, as well as with both the lifestyle and affective components of psychopathy, which suggests the utility of assessing these features when designing interventions focused on modulating negative emotional states and enhancing regulation of impulsive behaviors.

Clarifying Relations Between Core Features of Psychopathy and Substance (Mis)use: A Replication and Extension in Two Large Independent Samples.

Two studies examined the consistency of associations between specific components of psychopathy and two indices of drug use: (a) abstinence and (b) severity (i.e., counts) of lifetime substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. Participants were 418 male county jail inmates in Illinois (Study One) and 354 male state prison inmates in New Mexico (Study Two). Across samples, lifestyle and antisocial trait ratings were associated with a reduced likelihood of abstinence from most substances. Lifestyle traits were also uniquely associated with severity of substance dependence ratings. Consistent with prior research, interpersonal traits were uniquely related to cocaine indices in both samples. Furthermore, analyses revealed negative associations between the affective features of psychopathy and alcohol dependence in one sample (Study Two), and illicit substance use across samples. These findings demonstrate the robustness of the associations between the interpersonal and affective features of psychopathy and specific aspects of substance (mis)use.

Impaired salience network switching in psychopathy.

Growing evidence suggests that psychopathy is related to altered connectivity within and between three large-scale brain networks that support core cognitive functions, including allocation of attention. In healthy individuals, default mode network (DMN) is involved in internally-focused attention and cognition such as self-reference. Frontoparietal network (FPN) is anticorrelated with DMN and is involved in externally-focused attention to cognitively demanding tasks. A third network, salience network (SN), is involved in detecting salient cues and, crucially, appears to play a role in switching between the two anticorrelated networks, DMN and FPN, to efficiently allocate attentional resources. Psychopathy has been related to reduced anticorrelation between DMN and FPN, suggesting SN's role in switching between these two networks may be diminished in the disorder. To test this hypothesis, we used independent component analysis to derive DMN, FPN, and SN activity in resting-state fMRI data in a sample of incarcerated men (N = 148). We entered the activity of the three networks into dynamic causal modeling to test SN's switching role. The previously established switching effect of SN among young, healthy adults was replicated in a group of low psychopathy participants (posterior model probability = 0.38). As predicted, SN's switching role was significantly diminished in high psychopathy participants (t(145) = 26.39, p < .001). These findings corroborate a novel theory of brain function in psychopathy. Future studies may use this model to test whether disrupted SN switching is related to high psychopathy individuals' abnormal allocation of attention.

Comparing land cover and interior forests on contaminated land and the surrounding region: Oak Ridge Reservation as a case study.

Pressure from expanding populations has resulted in a need for protection, reclamation, and restoration of damaged land to productive, beneficial health uses. The objective of this investigation was to 1) compare land cover on the Department of Energy (DOE) Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) with the surrounding region, 2) select an indicator to evaluate ORR's protection of ecological resources, and 3) develop and implement a method to compare the amount of the indicator on ORR with the regions using National Land Cover Database (NLCD). Data demonstrated that ORR has a higher % of forests (deciduous, coniferous, mixed) than the 10 km and 30 km areas surrounding ORR, suggesting that obligations are being met to protect the ecology and environment. The findings also indicate that the interior forest at ORR is fragmented more than is the interior forest in the 30 km buffer zone, suggesting a need for DOE and managers of other lands to take into consideration the importance of intact interior forest when developing land or planning roads. The study describes the basis for specific ecological parameters such as interior forest that are important to consider when planning and executing remediation, restoration, and other management actions.

Evaluating the impact of drying on leaching from a solidified/stabilized waste using a monolithic diffusion model.

The release rates of constituents of potential concern from solidified/stabilized cementitious waste forms are potentially impacted by drying, which, however, is not well understood. This study aimed to identify the impacts of drying on subsequent leaching from Cast Stone as an example of a solidified cementitious waste form. The release fluxes of constituents from monoliths after aging under 100, 68, 40, and 15 % relative humidity for 16, 32, and 48 weeks, respectively, were derived from mass transfer tank leaching tests following EPA Method 1315. A monolithic diffusion model was calibrated based on the leaching test results to simulate the leaching of major and redox-sensitive constituents from monoliths after drying. The reduction in physical retention of constituents (tortuosity-factor) in the unsaturated zone was identified as the primary impact from drying on subsequent leaching. Fluxes of both major (i.e., OH-, Na, K, Ca, Si, and Al) and redox-sensitive constituents (i.e., Tc, Cr, Fe, and S) from monoliths during leaching were well described by the model. The drying-induced reduction of tortuosity-factor and concomitant changes in porewater pH and redox conditions can significantly change the subsequent release fluxes of pH- and redox- sensitive constituents.

Impact of oxidation and carbonation on the release rates of iodine, selenium, technetium, and nitrogen from a cementitious waste form.

Evaluation of the long-term retention mechanisms and potential release rates for the primary constituents of potential concern (COPCs) (i.e., Tc, I, Se, and nitrate) is necessary to determine if Cast Stone, a radioactive waste form, can meet performance objectives under near-surface disposal scenarios. Herein, a mineral and parameter set accounting for the solubility of I and Se in Cast Stone was developed based on pH-dependent and monolithic diffusion leaching test results, to extend a geochemical speciation model previously developed. The impact of oxidation and carbonation as environmental aging processes on the retention properties of Cast Stone for primary COPCs was systematically estimated. Physically, the effective diffusion coefficients of 4 COPCs in Cast Stone were increased after carbonation and/or oxidation, reflecting an increase in permeability to diffusion. Chemically, i) pH & pe conditions in the original Cast Stone were favorable for the stabilization of Tc, but not for I, Se, and N; ii) oxidation (with/without carbonation) of Cast Stone changed the pe & pH conditions to be detrimental for Tc stabilization; and iii) carbonation (with/without oxidation) of Cast Stone modified the pH & pe conditions to be beneficial for the stabilization of I (in system with Ag added) and Se.

Examining the association between speed-accuracy trade-offs and psychopathy among male offenders in a facial affect recognition task.

Despite a large body of work examining the relationship between facial affect recognition and psychopathy, there is little consensus regarding the nature of emotion processing in such individuals. Although most previous studies have reported an association between psychopathy and some facial affect recognition deficits, results are mixed regarding which specific emotions are related to deficient recognition for these individuals. The current study aims to examine speed-accuracy trade-offs in psychopathy. Participants were 139 incarcerated adult male offenders assessed using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Analyses demonstrated a 3-way interaction between psychopathy, response time, and level of stimulus expression for happiness in which psychopathy mitigated the relationship between response time and level of expression on accuracy. However, the overall pattern of findings does not suggest that speed-accuracy trade-offs are a central component of facial affect recognition in psychopathy. The theoretical implications of current findings are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Application and uncertainty of a geochemical speciation model for predicting oxyanion leaching from coal fly ash under different controlling mechanisms.

Three primary mechanisms (adsorption to iron oxides or analogous surfaces, co-precipitation with Ca, and substitution in ettringite) controlling oxyanion retention in coal fly ashes (CFAs) were identified by differentiating the leaching behavior of As, B, Cr, Mo, Se, and V from 30 CFAs. Fidelity evaluation of geochemical speciation modeling focused on six reference CFAs representing a range of CFA compositions, whereby different leaching-controlling mechanisms of oxyanions were systematically considered. For three reference CFAs with low Ca and S content, calibration of adsorption reactions for the diffuse double-layer model for hydrous ferric oxides improved the simultaneous prediction of oxyanion leaching, which reduced uncertainties in Se and V predictions caused by nonideal adsorption surfaces and competitive adsorption effects. For two reference CFAs with intermediate Ca content, the solubility constants for Ca-arsenates from literature and postulated phases of B, Cr, Se, and V were used to describe co-precipitation of oxyanions with Ca-bearing minerals under alkaline conditions. For the reference CFA with high Ca and S content, an ettringite solid solution was used to capture the simultaneous retention of all oxyanions at pH> 9.5. Overall, the simultaneous leaching predictions of oxyanions from a wide range of CFAs were improved by calibration of adsorption reactions and controlling solid phases.

Impact of carbonation on leaching of constituents from a cementitious waste form for treatment of low activity waste at the DOE Hanford site.

Carbonation can be a major aging process during disposal of alkaline cementitious waste forms and can impact constituent leaching by changes in material alkalinity, pore structure, and controlling mineral phases. The effect of carbonation on the leaching of major and trace constituents from Cast Stone, a cementitious waste form developed to treat high salt content low activity waste, was studied through a combination of leaching experiments and reactive transport simulations. Diffusive transport of constituents in the waste form was evaluated using reactive transport modeling of diffusion-controlled leaching test results and a geochemical speciation model derived from pH-dependent leaching. Comparisons between Cast Stone materials aged under nitrogen, air, and 2% carbon dioxide in nitrogen showed that carbonation impacts solubility, physical retention and observed diffusivity of major and trace constituents. Carbonation under 2% CO2 decreased the diffusion-controlled leaching of chromium by two orders of magnitude. Modeling results suggest that carbonation may also decrease solubility of technetium while changes to microstructure by carbonation increases effective diffusivity of constituents in Cast Stone.

Combining ecological, eco-cultural, and environmental justice parameters to create Eco-EJ indicators to monitor cultural and environmental justices for diverse communities around contaminated sites.

Assessing environmental quality often requires selection of indicators that can be employed over large spatial scales and over long-time periods to assess the health and well-being of species, natural communities, and ecosystems, and to detect changes warranting intervention. Typically, the ecologic environment and the human environment are evaluated separately and selection of indicators and monitoring approaches are not integrated even though ecological indicators may also provide information on risk to human consumers from contaminants (e.g., eco-cultural indicators) or because of disease levels. This paper is a call for ecologists and managers to consider diverse cultural and environmental injustice disparities and health issues when selecting indicators for environmental assessment and monitoring. There is an opportunity for managers and community members to work together to preserve ecological and cultural resources and heritages. We propose a paradigm that selects indicators and monitoring approaches that lend themselves to the integration of human-diversity and uniqueness in the same manner that the selection of ecological indicators and monitoring approaches consider biological species diversity and uniqueness. The proposed paradigm builds on ecological risk assessment techniques, developing analogous endpoints for neighboring communities. For example, identification and protection of human communities, particularly culturally diverse and environmental justice communities, identification of contaminant corridors (e.g., through water or green corridors) into communities, and eco-monitoring of vulnerable communities are not routine at contaminated sites. Green corridors refers to a width of wild habitat (forest, grasslands) that connects other similar habitat paths (usually a corridor runs through an urban or suburban habitat). We coin the term Eco-EJ indicators for these endpoints, including examination of (1) unique cultural relationships to resources; (2) connectedness of on-site and off-site resources and habitats; (3) health of threatened, rare, and unique cultures and communities; and (4) linkages between ecological, eco-cultural, and public health for monitoring and assessment. We also propose that assessment and monitoring include these Eco-EJ indicators, especially for communities near facilities that have extensive chemical or radiological contamination.Developing these indicators to assess risk to culturally diverse and environmental justice communities would be an equivalent goal to reducing risk for significant ecological resources (e.g., endangered species, species of special concern). These Eco-EJ indicators are complementary to the usual human health-risk assessments, would include surveys of neighboring vulnerable communities, and require time and re-organization of current data and additional data collection at site boundaries and in adjacent communities, as well as rethinking the human component of indicators. This approach lends itself to addressing some diverse cultural and environmental justice issues with current indicator selection and biomonitoring, and helps identify specific hotspots of unique ecosystem risk and environmental justice community risk. We briefly discuss ecological and eco-cultural monitoring already on-going at three Department of Energy sites to illustrate how the addition of these indicators might work and add value to environmental management and to their relationships with surrounding communities. We recommend that managers of contaminated sites convene people from culturally diverse communities, environmental justice communities, local and federal government, Tribes, resource trustees, managers, and other stakeholders to develop appropriate site-specific indicators to address environmental inequities around contaminated facilities.

The influence of redox conditions on aqueous-solid partitioning of arsenic and selenium in a closed coal ash impoundment.

A closed coal ash impoundment case study characterized the effects of field redox conditions on arsenic and selenium partitioning through monitoring of porewater and subsurface gas in conjunction with geochemical speciation modeling. When disposed coal ash materials and porewater were recovered for testing, oxidation led to lower arsenic and higher selenium concentrations in leaching test extracts compared to porewater measurements. Multiple lines of evidence suggest multiple mechanisms of arsenic retention are plausible and the concurrent presence of several redox processes and conditions (e.g., methanogenesis, sulfate reduction, and Fe(III)-reduction) controlled by spatial gradients and dis-equilibrium. Geochemical speciation modeling indicated that, under reducing field conditions, selenium was immobilized through the formation of insoluble precipitates Se(0) or FeSe while arsenic partitioning was affected by a progression of reactions including changes in arsenic speciation, reduction in adsorption due to dissolution and recrystallization of hydrous ferric oxides, and precipitation of arsenic sulfide minerals.

Differentiating Perpetrators of Intimate Partner Violence From Other Violent Offenders Using a Statistical Learning Model: The Role of Cognition and Life History Variables.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a widespread crime that victimizes over 4-million women per year in the United States and results in significant monetary cost and unmeasured physical and psychological consequences for victims. Specialized IPV offender treatment programs demonstrate limited effectiveness, which may be due to an insufficient understanding of the factors that differentiate between IPV perpetrators and non-IPV violent offenders. In this study, we utilized classification and regression tree (CART) analysis to identify combinations of factors that best discriminate IPV perpetrators from non-IPV violent offenders. We also compared cognitive abilities between IPV perpetrators and non-IPV violent offenders using standardized neurocognitive tests. CART analysis presented two pathways for identifying offenders as IPV perpetrators: (a) extensive nonviolent criminal history and (b) moderate-to-severe expression of interpersonal traits of psychopathy without attentional deficits. In addition, a third pathway identified non-IPV violent offenders: (c) low levels of interpersonal psychopathic traits and no history of neurodevelopmental diagnosis. IPV perpetrators demonstrated intact cognition relative to test norms, and study groups did not significantly differ on cognitive performance. These findings suggest that individuals with multiple arrests for nonviolent crime or individuals with interpersonal traits of psychopathy without attentional difficulties may be at enhanced risk for IPV perpetration.

Phonological processing in psychopathic offenders.

Recent research has demonstrated that psychopathic offenders exhibit dynamic cognitive and behavioral deficits on a variety of lab tasks that differentially activate left hemisphere resources. The Left Hemisphere Activation (LHA) hypothesis is a cognitive perspective that aims to address these deficits by conceptualizing psychopathy as a disorder in which behavior and cognitive processing change dynamically as a function of the differential taxation of left hemisphere resources. This study aimed to investigate whether psychopathic traits are associated with electrophysiological anomalies under conditions that place differential demands on left hemisphere language processing systems. We examined in a sample of 43 incarcerated indivdiuals the evocation of the N320, an event-related potential (ERP) elicited by nontarget stimuli during a phonological/phonetic decision task that has been shown to elicit greater activation and cognitive processing within the left hemisphere than the right hemisphere. Findings for a subsample of 18 offenders low in psychopathic traits were generally consistent with previous findings in healthy individuals, suggesting similar electrophysiological activity during phonological processing. However, psychopathic traits impacted the amplitude of the N320. Higher levels of psychopathic traits were associated with reduced left-lateralization in phonological processing as well as enhanced ERP differentiation between pronounceable and nonpronounceable stimuli. These findings provide physiological evidence of a relationship between psychopathic traits and anomalous language processing at the phonological level of word processing.

Development of a Geochemical Speciation Model for Use in Evaluating Leaching from a Cementitious Radioactive Waste Form.

Cast Stone has been developed to immobilize a fraction of radioactive waste at the Hanford Site; however, constituents of potential concern (COPCs) can be released when in contact with water during disposal. Herein, a representative mineral and parameter set for geochemical speciation modeling was developed for Cast Stone aged in inert and oxic environments, to simulate leaching concentrations of major and trace constituents. The geochemical speciation model was verified using a monolithic diffusion model in conjunction with independent monolithic diffusion test results. Eskolaite (Cr2O3) was confirmed as the dominant mineral retaining Cr in Cast Stone doped with 0.1 or 0.2 wt % Cr. The immobilization of Tc as a primary COPC in Cast Stone was evaluated, and the redox states of porewater within monolithic Cast Stone indicated by Cr are insufficient for the reduction of Tc. However, redox states provided by blast furnace slag (BFS) within the interior of Cast Stone are capable of reducing Tc for immobilization, with the immobilization reaction rate postulated to be controlled by the diffusive migration of soluble Tc in porewater to the surface of reducing BFS particles. Aging in oxic conditions increased the flux of Cr and Tc from monolithic Cast Stone.

Parent Cultural Stress and Internalizing Problems in Latinx Preschoolers: Moderation by Maternal Involvement and Positive Verbalizations.

Parent cultural stress has a pervasive and significant impact on family functioning and increases risk for socioemotional problems among Latinx children. Identifying factors that can protect against the negative influence of cultural stressors and enhance the developmental trajectories of Latinx children early in life is key as these children experience disproportionate risk for psychosocial adversity and internalizing mental health problems. The present study evaluated the effect of maternal cultural stress on young children´s internalizing problems, and the moderating role of maternal parenting behaviors. Participants were 65 Latinx children (3 to 5 years old, 50% female) and their mothers (21 to 47 years old, 68% immigrants) recruited from three Head Start Centers in the Chicagoland Area. Mother-reported cultural stress predicted young children's internalizing problems. In addition, maternal self-reported involvement and observed maternal positive verbalizations during one-on-one interactions with the child moderated the effect of cultural stress on child internalizing symptoms. Findings are discussed in the context of efforts to promote family and child resilience and implications for culturally sensitive measurement and intervention.

Parental Rejecting Behaviors: Validating a Behaviorally Based Youth-Report Measure of Parental Emotional Abuse.

Positive and warm parental attitudes are associated with better social and emotional child functioning, whereas negative or rejecting parental attitudes are associated with poor outcomes, such as aggression, impaired self-esteem, and emotional instability. The current study investigated the reliability and validity of scores on an interview adaptation of a measure of parental rejecting behavior (PRB) in a sample of detained adolescents. Participants (N = 198) completed a measure assessing their memories of the frequency of specific parental behaviors associated with rejection and self-report measures of exposure to abuse/neglect and community violence, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. PRB scores were internally consistent and associated with several kinds of child maltreatment. PRB scores correlated uniquely with indices of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology, even after controlling for indices of overall child maltreatment or a specific index of emotional abuse. The pattern of correlations suggests that the measure provides a valid index of parental emotional abuse, which may help identify youth at risk for both internalizing and externalizing disorders.

Methodology for scenario-based assessments and demonstration of treatment effectiveness using the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF).

A methodology for developing scenario-based leaching assessments as part of the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) is illustrated using a hypothetical management/treatment scenario of contaminated soil from a copper and lead smelter. Scenario assessments refine the process beyond screening-level assessments by considering site- and scenario-specific information about the disposal or utilization environment. LEAF assessments assume (i) granular materials leach at local equilibrium with percolating water, while (ii) monolithic materials (e.g., low permeability solidified/stabilized soils) leach by diffusion-based mass transport toward surrounding contact water. Leaching concentrations, estimated using LEAF leaching test data and estimated or measured scenario information, are compared to threshold values. Demonstration results indicate that leaching from untreated soil is significantly (>10x) greater from solidified/stabilized soil than treated material, except for highly soluble constituents (Cl-, NO3-2) or when constituents have similar equilibrium concentrations in both materials (As, Pb). Comparison between wet and dry environments show that while dry environments lead to lower COPC mass-based rates of leaching, the leaching concentrations may be higher due to lower liquid-to-solid ratios. The presented assessment methodology can be used to evaluate treatment effectiveness when both physical and chemical retention characteristics of the material are altered.

Demonstration of the use of test results from the Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) to develop screening-level leaching assessments.

Environmental management often benefits from leaching assessment as a predictive tool for estimating constituent leaching from solid and waste materials. The Leaching Environmental Assessment Framework (LEAF) provides both validated tests methods for characterizing materials and a methodology for developing screening assessments based on material characterization results. The use of LEAF data in a screening-level environmental assessment approach is demonstrated through a hypothetical case study of copper/lead smelter soil remediation. The LEAF test methods characterize leaching behavior from a wide range of materials as either constituent liquid-solid partitioning as functions of pH and liquid-to-solid ratio (L/S) or as a rate of constituent mass transport. In this study, leaching characteristics of a contaminated smelter soil and the same soil treated by solidification/stabilization with Portland cement were compared to hypothetical environmental thresholds. Screening assessments were developed for total content, available content, and maximum concentrations over relevant pH domains and L/S ranges. Assessment ratios for barium, beryllium, and fluoride indicated that estimated leaching would be less than thresholds in both materials and these constituents were removed from further analysis. Similarly, chromium (in soil) and zinc (in solidified material) were screened from further analysis. For the remaining constituents, scenario-based assessment could refine estimated leaching concentrations by considering anticipated conditions of leaching scenario.

Psychopathy is associated with fear-specific reductions in neural activity during affective perspective-taking.

Psychopathic individuals are notorious for their callous disregard for others' emotions. Prior research has linked psychopathy to deficits in affective mechanisms underlying empathy (e.g., affective sharing), yet research relating psychopathy to cognitive mechanisms underlying empathy (e.g., affective perspective-taking and Theory of Mind) requires further clarification. To elucidate the neurobiology of cognitive mechanisms of empathy in psychopathy, we administered an fMRI task and tested for global as well as emotion-specific deficits in affective perspective-taking. Adult male incarcerated offenders (N = 94) viewed images of two people interacting, with one individual's face obscured by a shape. Participants were cued to either identify the emotion of the obscured individual or identify the shape from one of two emotion or shape choices presented on each trial. Target emotions included anger, fear, happiness, sadness, and neutral. Contrary to predictions, psychopathy was unrelated to neural activity in the Affective Perspective-taking > Shape contrast. In line with predictions, psychopathy was negatively related to task accuracy during affective perspective-taking for fear, happiness, and sadness. Psychopathy was related to reduced hemodynamic activity exclusively during fear perspective-taking in several areas: left anterior insula extending into posterior orbitofrontal cortex, right precuneus, left superior parietal lobule, and left superior occipital cortex. Although much prior research has emphasized psychopathy-related abnormalities in affective mechanisms mediating empathy, current results add to growing evidence of psychopathy-related abnormalities in a cognitive mechanism related to empathy. These findings highlight brain regions that are hypoactive in psychopathy when explicitly processing another's fear.

Psychopathy and emotion dysregulation: More than meets the eye.

Emotional dysfunctions have long been associated with psychopathy. Yet, the extent to which these dysfunctions include problems in emotion regulation (ER) has only recently become clearer. In this study, we first reviewed theoretical and empirical literature on psychopathy and ER, and then examined associations between ER and psychopathy in four diverse samples from two countries (MTurk, college, community, and offender samples from the United States and Italy; total N = 1940). We employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine latent associations between ER and measures of psychopathy and the dark triad, respectively. Results revealed a consistent pattern of moderate associations between psychopathy and poorer ER. These patterns were replicated across samples and psychopathy assessment, and held when including Machiavellianism and narcissism in the models. Replicating and extending recent studies, these findings provide incremental evidence that the emotional dysfunctions associated with psychopathy include problems in ER. Thus, we contend that prevention efforts in the general community, as well as clinical risk assessment and treatment planning in clinical (forensic) populations should include an emphasis on ER, as it may represent an important factor explaining some of the maladaptive correlates of psychopathic personality.