Network modeling of major depressive disorder symptoms in adult women.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the growing human mental health challenges facing the global health care system. In this study, the structural connectivity between symptoms of MDD is explored using two different network modeling approaches. METHODS: Data are from 'the Virginia Adult Twin Study of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders (VATSPSUD)'. A cohort of N = 2163 American Caucasian female-female twins was assessed as part of the VATSPSUD study. MDD symptoms were assessed using personal structured clinical interviews. Two network analyses were conducted. First, an undirected network model was estimated to explore the connectivity between the MDD symptoms. Then, using a Bayesian network, we computed a directed acyclic graph (DAG) to investigate possible directional relationships between symptoms. RESULTS: Based on the results of the undirected network, the depressed mood symptom had the highest centrality value, indicating its importance in the overall network of MDD symptoms. Bayesian network analysis indicated that depressed mood emerged as a plausible driving symptom for activating other symptoms. These results are consistent with DSM-5 guidelines for MDD. Also, somatic weight and appetite symptoms appeared as the strongest connections in both networks. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss how the findings of our study might help future research to detect clinically relevant symptoms and possible directional relationships between MDD symptoms defining major depression episodes, which would help identify potential tailored interventions. This is the first study to investigate the network structure of VATSPSUD data using both undirected and directed network models.

Rorschach comprehensive system data for a sample of 478 Iranian children at four ages.

This article contributes to the international reference data for the Rorschach Comprehensive System by reporting the responses of 478 nonpatient Iranian children at the 4 age levels of 5 to 7, 8 to 10, 11 to 13, and 14 to 16. Interrater reliability is reported, and descriptive statistics are presented for each age level. In common with previous cross-national samples of young people, the Iranian Rorschach findings mirror several expected developmental changes, which indicates their construct validity, and show a low frequency of elevated PTI and DEPI, which limits the likelihood of Rorschach assessment suggesting serious cognitive or affective disorder when neither is present.

Dielectric barrier discharge plasma pre-treatment to facilitate the acetylation process of corn starch under heating/cooling cycles.

The objective of the current work was to evaluate the impacts of dielectric barrier discharge plasma and repeated dry-heat treatments on the acetylation process of corn starch. The combined modification resulted in a higher substitution degree of acetate groups on starch chains compared to the acetylation treatment alone. This outcome was linked to the increase in surface area and structural organization level of granules achieved through the application of plasma and heating/cooling cycles, respectively. The successful esterification of starch structure was verified through FTIR (1710 cm-1) and 1H NMR (2 ppm). With the increase in plasma treatment duration up to 20 min, gelatinization enthalpy increased (10.81 J/g) due to the cross-linking reaction. Starch acetate produced through the combined treatment could find the application in the development of low-calorie food formulations due to its high resistant starch (70.5 g/100 g) and low viscosity (43 mPa s).

Solid state malic acid esterification on fungal α-amylase treated corn starch: Design of a green dual treatment.

For the first time, the current work applied fungal α-amylase treated corn starch in granular form to produce solid state malate-esterified starch (MES). The pores and channels created on the granules after the enzymatic modification could provide more possibilities for malic acid to esterify the starch, resulting in the increase of substitution degree (0.084) and reaction efficiency (86.6%) compared to NS. Based on the obtained results, the dual treatment significantly increased solubility, amylose content, and syneresis, but reduced transparency, viscosity, digestibility rate, and swelling power compared to those of NS. The occurrence of esterification onto starch chains was confirmed by FT-IR at 1720 cm-1. Other techniques including SEM, XRD, and DSC were employed to examine changes in the structure of starch granules after applying each treatment. Also, the greenness of the combined modification (score: 77) was proved by using a new methodology named Eco-Scale.

Solid state cationization reaction of microporous starch with betaine hydrochloride under repeated heating/cooling cycles: Design of a green approach for corn starch modification.

In this research, the cationization process of microporous starch with betaine hydrochloride (BHC) in the presence of H3PO4 (as a catalyst) under heating/cooling cycles was reported for the first time. Granular microporous starch was initially prepared from normal corn starch (NS) through amyloglucosidase treatment. Then, solid state cationization reaction of microporous starch (MS) with betaine hydrochloride (BHC) was performed under repeated dry-heat modification. The cationic microporous starch showed higher substitution degree (0.031) and reaction efficiency (89.1 %) in comparison with cationic starch based on NS (0.021, 60.3 %), which this can be attributed to the increased probability of effective collision between BHC molecules and starch granules after enzymatic treatment. The analysis of cationic starches by FTIR and 13C NMR confirmed the presence of cationic functional groups on starch chains. Further examinations on the modified starches by single and dual treatments were accomplished with respect to morphology, particle size distribution, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), colour parameters, zeta potential, amylose content, viscosity, solubility, and swelling power. The greenness of the suggested dual treatment (score: 82) in this work was evaluated and compared to a conventional method reported in literature (score: 67) on the preparation of cationic starches.

Laughter yoga versus group exercise program in elderly depressed women: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Laughter Yoga founded by M. Kataria is a combination of unconditioned laughter and yogic breathing. Its effect on mental and physical aspects of healthy individuals was shown to be beneficial. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of Kataria's Laughter Yoga and group exercise therapy in decreasing depression and increasing life satisfaction in older adult women of a cultural community of Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Seventy depressed old women who were members of a cultural community of Tehran were chosen by Geriatric depression scale (score>10). After completion of Life Satisfaction Scale pre-test and demographic questionnaire, subjects were randomized into three groups of laughter therapy, exercise therapy, and control. Subsequently, depression post-test and life satisfaction post-test were done for all three groups. The data were analyzed using analysis of covariance and Bonferroni's correction. RESULTS: Sixty subjects completed the study. The analysis revealed a significant difference in decrease in depression scores of both Laughter Yoga and exercise therapy group in comparison to control group (p<0.001 and p<0.01, respectively). There was no significant difference between Laughter Yoga and exercise therapy groups. The increase in life satisfaction of Laughter Yoga group showed a significant difference in comparison with control group (p<0.001). No significant difference was found between exercise therapy and either control or Laughter Yoga group. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that Laughter Yoga is at least as effective as group exercise program in improvement of depression and life satisfaction of elderly depressed women.

Quality of life and menopause: Developing a theoretical model based on meaning in life, self-efficacy beliefs, and body image.

GOAL: There are various views on variables that influence quality of life, such as meaning in life, self-efficacy, and body image (including body area satisfaction, health evaluation, and appearance evaluation), in menopausal women. This study looked at the relationships among these variables both in terms of their codetermination and intensity of relationship to quality of life. METHODS: The research study included menopausal women (45-55 years old) who lived in the city of Tehran and had at least a high school education. The sample consisted of 349 women selected at random from the attendees of cultural centers in the city of Tehran during June 2009-December 2009. Each participant completed four questionnaires, including a questionnaire on meaning in life [Salehi, M. (1994). Evaluating the issue of adolescents and the youth from the view of humanistic psychologists (Psychology PhD dissertation). Islamic Azad University, Research and Sciences Campus, Tehran.], general self-efficacy, multidimensional relation of self and body, and quality of life (sf-36). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationships among variables. Path analysis was used to study the direct and indirect effects of variables as cause. A primary hypothetical model was developed that included the expected relationships among the variables. Confirmation or rejection of the expected relationships in the model was determined after executing the questionnaires and scoring the data. RESULTS: The model fitness was analyzed using various methods. Results showed that there is a significant direct relationship between quality of life and meaning in life, self-efficacy, body area satisfaction, and health evaluation. In addition, the model predicted 33% of quality of life variance in menopausal women. The best predictors were body area satisfaction, health evaluation, and self-efficacy. Step-by-step regression analysis confirmed the results. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, there is a direct and meaningful relationship between the independent variables of this study and the quality of life. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of life in menopausal women, one or all of these variables needs to be improved.

A preliminary study: designing and validating projective images of Young's early maladaptive schema (EMS) domains.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to design and validate ten projective images of Young's Early Maladaptive Schema (EMS) domains. For this purpose, two questions are to be addressed. (1) How is the factorial structure of the projective images of EMS domains? (2) Do the images designed in the domains of disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and over-vigilance and inhibition have sufficient validity? METHODS: This is an applied mixed-methods exploratory study, in which the statistical population consisted of psychologists from Tehran Province in the qualitative section (n = 8) as well as other individuals aged between 18 and 65 years (mean age = 33) from Qazvin in the quantitative section (n = 102) in 2018. The research questions were analyzed through principal axis factoring with a varimax rotation, confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS: According to the results, ten images and five domains of Young's EMSs contribute to a simple structure. Accounting for 70.35% of the total variance of EMSs, the five dimensions include disconnection and rejection, impaired autonomy and performance, impaired limits, other-directedness, and over-vigilance and inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that the designed projective images yielded acceptable construct validity.

Providing a model for validation of the assessment system of internal medicine residents based on Kane's framework.

BACKGROUND: Kane's validity framework examines the validity of the interpretation of a test at the four levels of scoring, generalization, extrapolation, and implications. No model has been yet proposed to use this framework particularly for a system of assessment. This study provided a model for the validation of the internal medicine residents' assessment system, based on the Kane's framework. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through a five stages study, first, by reviewing the literature, the methods used, and the study challenges, in using Kane's framework, were extracted. Then, possible assumptions about the design and implementation of residents' tests and the proposed methods for their validation at each of their four inferences of Kane's validity were made in the form of two tables. Subsequently, in a focus group session, the assumptions and proposed validation methods were reviewed. In the fourth stage, the opinions of seven internal medicine professors were asked about the results of the focus group. Finally, the assumptions and the final validation model were prepared. RESULTS: The proposed tables were modified in the focus group. The validation table was developed consisting of tests, used at each Miller's pyramid level. The results were approved by five professors of the internal medicine. The final table has five rows, respectively, as the levels of Knows and Knows How, Shows How, Shows, Does, and the fifth one for the final scores of residents. The columns of the table demonstrate the necessary measures for validation at the four levels of inferences of Kane's framework. CONCLUSION: The proposed model ensures the validity of the internal medicine specialty residency assessment system based on Kane's framework, especially at the implication level.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-IV (MCMI-IV).

Objective: Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI) is one of the most widely used clinical tools in research studies and clinical settings. MCMI was revised 4 times and its last version was published in 2015. All previous versions of MCMI have been translated to Persian and validated and have been frequently used by Iranian clinicians or researchers. Thus, this study provides the Persian version of the last version of this popular inventory for clinical or research purposes. Method: The participants of this psychometric study were selected by combining purposeful and convenience sampling methods among inpatients and outpatients who referred to Roozbeh hospital from 2018 to 2019. After data screening by statistical methods and Validity Scales based on MCMI-IV profile, 400 participants' profiles were analyzed to estimate the psychometric properties of the Persian Version of MCMI-IV. MCMI-IV, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5), and the Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI) were used for clinical data gathering. Content Validity Ratio (CVR), Correlational Coefficients, Kappa Agreement, Spearman Brown Coefficient, and Cronbach Alpha were performed for data analysis. Results: According to the results of data analysis, the psychometric properties for MCMI-IV were estimated as follows: the content validity index (CVI, 0.29 to 0.99), criterion validity (0.13 to 0.40), convergent validity (-0.35 to 0.72), The Cronbach's alpha for the personality scales was 0.48 to 0.90, the Spearman-Brown coefficient was from 0.49 to 0.90, and test-retest reliability was from 0.51 to 0.86. Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of MCMI-IV, including validity and reliability indexes, are appropriate and in line with the findings of its original version.

Two transforming C-RAF germ-line mutations identified in patients with therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia.

Mutations leading to activation of the RAF-mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated (ERK) kinase (MEK)-ERK pathway are key events in the pathogenesis of human malignancies. In a screen of 82 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples, 45 (55%) showed activated ERK and thus were further analyzed for mutations in B-RAF and C-RAF. Two C-RAF germ-line mutations, S427G and I448V, were identified in patients with therapy-related AML in the absence of alterations in RAS and FLT3. Both exchanges were located within the kinase domain of C-RAF. In vitro and in vivo kinase assays revealed significantly increased activity for (S427G)C-RAF but not for (I448V)C-RAF. The involvement of the S427G C-RAF mutation in constitutive activation of ERK was further confirmed through demonstration of activating phosphorylations on C-RAF, MEK, and ERK in neoplastic cells, but not in nonneoplastic cells. Transformation and survival assays showed oncogenic and antiapoptotic properties for both mutations. Screening healthy individuals revealed a <1/400 frequency of these mutations and, in the case of I448V, inheritance was observed over three generations with another mutation carrier suffering from cancer. Taken together, these data are the first to relate C-RAF mutations to human malignancies. As both mutations are of germ-line origin, they might constitute a novel tumor-predisposing factor.

Quality of life among human immunodeficiency virus-1 infected and human immunodeficiency virus-1/hepatitis C virus co-infected individuals in Iranian patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of people infected with both hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The study design was a cross sectional descriptive survey, using self administered questionnaires. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A convenience sample of 242 patients (131 of them HIV/HCV), Iranian adults (aged 18-57) living with HIV/AIDS, was recruited from outpatient referring to Imam Khomeini Hospital behavioral counseling center in Tehran city, Iran. The instruments included the Multidimensional QOL HIV (MQoL HIV) and a demographic section. RESULTS: The majority of the samples were male and single. The mean age was 36.52 years (standard deviation = 8.5). HIV mono infected patients reported higher scores in social support and physical functioning, but lower scores in physical health compared with HIV/HCV co infected individuals. There was no significant difference in overall MQOL HIV score between HIV and HIV/HCV patients. CONCLUSION: Future studies will need to explore the impact of HCV on HIV infected individuals' QOL.

The Comparison of Iranian Normative Reference Data with Five Countries Across Variables in Eight Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) Clusters.

Objective: This study aimed to provide a normative study documenting how 114 five-seven year-old non- patient Iranian children respond to the Rorschach test. We compared this especial sample to international normative reference values for the Comprehensive System (CS). Method: One hundred fourteen 5- 7- year-old non-patient Iranian children were recruited from public schools. Using five child and adolescent samples from five countries, we compared Iranian Normative Reference Data- based on reference means and standard deviations for each sample. Results: Findings revealed that how the scores in each sample were distributed and how the samples were compared across variables in eight Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) clusters. We reported all descriptive statistics such as reference mean and standard deviation for all variables. Conclusion: Iranian clinicians could rely on country specific or "local norms" when assessing children. We discourage Iranian clinicians to use many CS scores to make nomothetic, score-based inferences about psychopathology in children and adolescents. .

Poor mental health status and aggression are associated with poor driving behavior among male traffic offenders.

BACKGROUND: In Iran, traffic accidents and deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in the world, and generally driver behavior rather than either technical failures or environmental conditions are responsible for traffic accidents. In the present study, we explored the extent to which aggressive traits, health status, and sociodemographic variables explain driving behavior among Iranian male traffic offenders. METHOD: A total of 443 male driving offenders (mean age: M =31.40 years, standard deviation =9.56) from Kermanshah (Iran) took part in the study. Participants completed a questionnaire booklet covering sociodemographic variables, traits of aggression, health status, and driving behavior. RESULTS: Poor health status, such as symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and social dysfunction, and also higher levels of trait aggression explained poor driving behavior. Multiple regressions indicated that poor health status, but not aggression, independently predicted poor driving behavior. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that health status concerns are associated with poor driving behavior. Prevention and intervention might therefore focus on drivers reporting poor mental health status.

Mental health status, aggression, and poor driving distinguish traffic offenders from non-offenders but health status predicts driving behavior in both groups.

BACKGROUND: In Iran, traffic accidents and deaths from traffic accidents are among the highest in the world, and generally, driver behavior rather than technical failures or environmental conditions are responsible for traffic accidents. In a previous study, we showed that among young Iranian male traffic offenders, poor mental health status, along with aggression, predicted poor driving behavior. The aims of the present study were twofold, to determine whether this pattern could be replicated among non-traffic offenders, and to compare the mental health status, aggression, and driving behavior of male traffic offenders and non-offenders. METHODS: A total of 850 male drivers (mean age =34.25 years, standard deviation =10.44) from Kermanshah (Iran) took part in the study. Of these, 443 were offenders (52.1%) and 407 (47.9%) were non-offenders with lowest driving penalty scores applying for attaining an international driving license. Participants completed a questionnaire booklet covering socio-demographic variables, traits of aggression, health status, and driving behavior. RESULTS: Compared to non-offenders, offenders reported higher aggression, poorer mental health status, and worse driving behavior. Among non-offenders, multiple regression indicated that poor health status, but not aggression, independently predicted poor driving behavior. CONCLUSION: Compared to non-offenders, offenders reported higher aggression, poorer health status and driving behavior. Further, the predictive power of poorer mental health status, but not aggression, for driving behavior was replicated for male non-offenders.