The mediating effects of parenting style on the relationship between parental stress and behavioral problems in girls with precocious puberty in Korea: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of parenting style on the relationship between parental stress and behavioral problems of girls with precocious puberty. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed a convenience sample of 200 mothers of girls with precocious puberty at a university hospital located in a metropolitan area. The Parental Stress measurement, Parents as Social Context Questionnaire, and Korean version Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL) 6-18 were measured via self-report questionnaires. Descriptive, t-test, Pearson correlation, and bootstrapping analyses were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Negative parenting styles had a full mediating effect on the relationship between parental stress and internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: Care plans for parents of girls with precocious puberty should be designed and applied in health care settings to reduce internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems by decreasing negative parenting styles.

Longitudinal relationship between depression and antisocial behaviors in Korean adolescents.

Background: It is well known that depression and delinquency in adolescents are highly correlated, but longitudinal studies on the causal relationship between them are not active in East Asia compared to in Western culture. In addition, even the results of research on causal models and sex differences are inconsistent. Objectives: This study examines the longitudinal reciprocal effects between depression and delinquent behavior in Korean adolescents based on sex differences. Methods: We conducted multiple-group analysis by using an autoregressive cross-lagged model (ACLM). Longitudinal data from 2,075 individuals (2011-2013) were used for analysis. The longitudinal data are from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS), and data were used beginning with students at 14 years old (in the second grade of middle school) and tracked them until they were 16 (in the first grade of high school). Results: Boys' delinquent behaviors at 15 years (the third grade of middle school) affected their depression at 16 years (the first grade of high school). In contrast, girls' depression at 15 years (the third grade of middle school) influenced their delinquent behaviors at 16 years (the first grade of high school). Discussion: The findings support the failure model (FM) among adolescent boys and the acting-out model (ACM) among girls. The results imply that strategies to effectively prevent and treat delinquency and depression in adolescents must consider sex effects.

Relationship between parental stress and post-traumatic stress disorder: The moderating effect of visitation restrictions in paediatric intensive care units during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Visitation restrictions due to COVID-19 kept parents from being with their children who were hospitalized in the PICU and from meeting with professional staff. AIM: This study examined the moderating effect of COVID-19-induced visitation restrictions on the relationship between stress and post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of children admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a descriptive, exploratory study involving 93 parents of children hospitalized in the paediatric intensive care unit using the Korean version of the Parental Stressor Scale: Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Revised Impact of Events Scale. Descriptive, Pearson's correlation, and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the data. Self-reported survey questionnaires were provided for parents to complete in a separate area of the outpatient clinic when they visited for follow-up care after their children were discharged from the paediatric intensive care unit. RESULTS: Mothers showed significantly higher post-traumatic stress disorder scores than fathers. The relationship between all the sub-domains of perceived stress and post-traumatic stress disorder was statistically significant. Visitation restrictions because of the COVID-19 pandemic had significant moderating effects on the relationship between perceived parental stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, the moderating effects of COVID-19 were exhibited when the two sub-domains-hyperarousal and intrusion-were investigated. CONCLUSIONS: Paediatric intensive care unit visitation may be an important intervention for parental post-traumatic stress disorder. Parental visitation should be enabled, and alternative interventions should be developed in situations where visitation is prohibited. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: It is necessary to develop and apply various and effective alternatives visitation that can prepare hospitals for visiting restrictions during pandemic situations which could emerge in the future.

Preliminary Report of Validity for the Infant Comprehensive Evaluation for Neurodevelopmental Delay, a Newly Developed Inventory for Children Aged 12 to 71 Months.

OBJECTIVES: Early detection of developmental issues in infants and necessary intervention are important. To identify the comorbid conditions, a comprehensive evaluation is required. The study's objectives were to 1) generate scale items by identifying and eliciting concepts relevant to young children (12-71 months) with developmental delays, 2) develop a comprehensive screening tool for developmental delay and comorbid conditions, and 3) assess the tool's validity and cut-off. METHODS: Multidisciplinary experts devised the "Infant Comprehensive Evaluation for Neurodevelopmental Delay (ICEND)," an assessment method that comes in two versions depending on the age of the child: 12-36 months and 37-71 months, through monthly seminars and focused group interviews. The ICEND is composed of three parts: risk factors, resilience factors, and clinical scales. In parts 1 and 2, there were 41 caretakers responded to the questionnaires. Part 3 involved clinicians evaluating ten subscales using 98 and 114 questionnaires for younger and older versions, respectively. The Child Behavior Checklist, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Infant- Toddler Social Emotional Assessment, and Korean Developmental Screening Test for Infants and Children were employed to analyze concurrent validity with the ICEND. The analyses were performed on both typical and high-risk infants to identify concurrent validity, reliability, and cut-off scores. RESULTS: A total of 296 people participated in the study, with 57 of them being high-risk (19.2%). The Cronbach's alpha was positive (0.533-0.928). In the majority of domains, the ICEND demonstrated a fair discriminatory ability, with a sensitivity of 0.5-0.7 and specificity 0.7-0.9. CONCLUSION: The ICEND is reliable and valid, indicating its potential as an auxiliary tool for assessing neurodevelopmental delay and comorbid conditions in children aged 12-36 months and 37-71 months.

The Yin-Yang personality from biopsychological perspective using revised Sasang Personality Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The biopsychological, pathological and physical characteristics of Yin-Yang (Eum-Yang in Korean) have been suggested using Sasang Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), however, the revision of SPQ is required for escalating its clinical use and multidimensional study on Yin-Yang. METHODS: 274 university students were recruited to complete the SPQ, candidate items of revised SPQ (rSPQ) along with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). After selecting rSPQ items using Item Analysis and Explorative Factor Analysis, its psychometric property was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Pearson's correlation and t-test. The biopsychological features of Yin and Yang personality groups based on rSPQ total score were illustrated with the TCI using ANOVA and Profile Analysis. RESULTS: The behavior, cognition and emotion subscales of 15-item rSPQ had robust psychometric construct and showed distinctive psychological characteristics of Yin-Yang. The rSPQ-total score was correlated positively with SPQ-total (r = 0.644, p < 0.01) and TCI Novelty-Seeking (r = 0.398, p < 0.01), and negatively with TCI Harm-Avoidance (r = -0.364, p < 0.01). And, the Yin personality group (34.45 ±â€¯10.36 and 46.82 ±â€¯12.27) has significantly different scores in Novelty-Seeking and Harm-Avoidance compared to Yang personality group (43.2 ±â€¯9.1 and 36.53 ±â€¯10.78). Yin and Yang personality groups showed distinctive TCI subscale profiles as shown in previous studies. CONCLUSION: The current study showed the organized subscale structure and clinical validity of rSPQ for Yin-Yang personality, and it would provide foundation for East-West cross-cultural psychology and integrative medicine.

Development of 454 New Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) Markers for Temperate japonica Rice Varieties.

Temperate japonica rice varieties exhibit wide variation in the phenotypes of several important agronomic traits, including disease resistance, pre-harvest sprouting resistance, plant architecture, and grain quality, indicating the presence of genes contributing to favorable agronomic traits. However, gene mapping and molecular breeding has been hampered as a result of the low genetic diversity among cultivars and scarcity of polymorphic DNA markers. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers allow high-throughput genotyping for marker-assisted selection and quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping within closely related populations. Previously, we identified 740,566 SNPs and developed 771 KASP markers for Korean temperate japonica rice varieties. However, additional markers were needed to provide sufficient genome coverage to support breeding programs. In this study, the 740,566 SNPs were categorized according to their predicted impacts on gene function. The high-impact, moderate-impact, modifier, and low-impact groups contained 703 (0.1%), 20,179 (2.7%), 699,866 (94.5%), and 19,818 (2.7%) SNPs, respectively. A subset of 357 SNPs from the high-impact group was selected for initial KASP marker development, resulting in 283 polymorphic KASP markers. After incorporation of the 283 markers with the 771 existing markers in a physical map, additional markers were developed to fill genomic regions with large gaps between markers, and 171 polymorphic KASP markers were successfully developed from 284 SNPs. Overall, a set of 1225 KASP markers was produced. The markers were evenly distributed across the rice genome, with average marker density of 3.3 KASP markers per Mbp. The 1225 KASP markers will facilitate QTL/gene mapping and marker-assisted selection in temperate japonica rice breeding programs.

Validity and Reliability of the Behavior Development Screening for Toddlers-Questionnaire/Parents(BeDevel-Q/P): A Korean Autism Screening Instrument for Infants aged 24-35 Months.

OBJECTIVE: This study tested the validity and reliability of the Behavior Development Screening for Toddlers-Questionnaire-Parents (BeDevel-Q/P), a new autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening instrument being developed in South Korea. The parents of 24-35-month-old infants were recruited to complete the questionnaire. METHODS: The participants were 791 infants aged 24-35 months. There were 623 typically developing infants, 88 infants with ASD, and 80 developmentally delayed infants. For test-retest, the participants were surveyed every 1-4 weeks. Participants were recruited nationwide. Subjects' parents completed the BeDevel-Q/P and concurrent validity questionnaires. The data were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: A total of 24 items consisting of 16 items from factor 1 (F1), 6 items from factor 2 (F2), and 2 items from factor 3 (F3), were selected for the final BeDevel-Q/P items. CONCLUSION: The factors of the screening instrument developed in this study were analyzed, and three factors were extracted, confirming the theoretical foundation of the BeDevel-Q for the parents of 24-35-month-old infants.

Reliability and Validity of the Korean Version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: This article examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (K-ITSEA). METHODS: Translation and back-translation of the K-ITSEA were conducted after obtaining a permission. Two thousand two hundred thirty six Korean community infants (1,199 boys and 1,037 girls) between the ages of 12 and 36 months (M=34.23, SD=3.80) and 90 clinical infant samples (60 boys and 30 girls) between the ages of 12 and 36 months (M=26.84, SD=6.24) participated in the present study. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the Internalizing, Externalizing, Dysregulation, and Competence domains as well as the 17 individual scales that comprise the K-ITSEA. Young children's sex and age differences emerged for some problem and most competence scales. All domains showed adequate intrascale reliability and test-retest reliability. Scale intracorrelation analyses and associations between the K-ITSEA and Korean version of PSI, Korean version of CBCL1.5-5 supported the validity of the assessment. Comparisons of the K-ITSEA scores for the Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychiatric Disorders and Matched control groups supported the discriminant validity of the K-ITSEA. CONCLUSION: This preliminary results indicate that the K-ITSEA would be a useful assessment for detecting the early childhood's behavior problems and competences in Korean population.

Measuring theory of mind in schizophrenia research: Cross-cultural validation.

Theory of mind (ToM) is the ability to understand mental states of others and it is crucial for building sensitivity to other persons or events. Measuring ToM is important for understanding and rehabilitating social cognitive impairments in persons with schizophrenia. The Social Attribution Task-Multiple Choice (SAT-MC) has been successfully employed to measure ToM between individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC) in North America. Given that the SAT-MC uses geometric shapes, is nonverbal and less culturally loaded than other social cognition measures, it may serve for measuring ToM in schizophrenia across cultures. A total of 120 participants (30 per group; Korean SZ; Korean HC; North American SZ; North American HC) were selected from existing databases to examine the reliability and validity of the SAT-MC. Internal consistency, factor structure, measurement invariance, discriminant validity, and convergent/divergent validity were examined. The SAT-MC had good internal consistency regardless of the clinical and cultural group as evidence by Cronbach's α ≥ 0.78 in all groups. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the one-factor model with a good model fit (χ2 = 188.122, TLI = 0.958, CFI = 0.963, RMSEA = 0.045). The SAT-MC was sensitive to detect individual differences in ToM of SZ and HC, regardless of culture (p < 0.001), and significantly correlated with other social cognition tasks (Hinting and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test) among Korean and North American patients. The SAT-MC is a reliable measure for evaluating ToM in both Koreans and North Americans with or without schizophrenia, supporting its potential utility in diverse language and cultures for schizophrenia research.

A Two-Factor Model Better Explains Heterogeneity in Negative Symptoms: Evidence from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale.

Acknowledging separable factors underlying negative symptoms may lead to better understanding and treatment of negative symptoms in individuals with schizophrenia. The current study aimed to test whether the negative symptoms factor (NSF) of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) would be better represented by expressive and experiential deficit factors, rather than by a single factor model, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Two hundred and twenty individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders completed the PANSS; subsamples additionally completed the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and the Motivation and Pleasure Scale-Self-Report (MAP-SR). CFA results indicated that the two-factor model fit the data better than the one-factor model; however, latent variables were closely correlated. The two-factor model's fit was significantly improved by accounting for correlated residuals between N2 (emotional withdrawal) and N6 (lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation), and between N4 (passive social withdrawal) and G16 (active social avoidance), possibly reflecting common method variance. The two NSF factors exhibited differential patterns of correlation with subdomains of the BNSS and MAP-SR. These results suggest that the PANSS NSF would be better represented by a two-factor model than by a single-factor one, and support the two-factor model's adequate criterion-related validity. Common method variance among several items may be a potential source of measurement error under a two-factor model of the PANSS NSF.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (Korean version).

Empirical support for the factor structure of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) has not been fully established. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the factor structure of the Korean version of the COHIP (COHIP-K) empirically using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on the theoretical framework and then to assess whether any of the factors in the structure could be grouped into a simpler single second-order factor. Data were collected through self-reported COHIP-K responses from a representative community sample of 2,236 Korean children, 8-15 yr of age. Because a large inter-factor correlation of 0.92 was estimated in the original five-factor structure, the two strongly correlated factors were combined into one factor, resulting in a four-factor structure. The revised four-factor model showed a reasonable fit with appropriate inter-factor correlations. Additionally, the second-order model with four sub-factors was reasonable with sufficient fit and showed equal fit to the revised four-factor model. A cross-validation procedure confirmed the appropriateness of the findings. Our analysis empirically supported a four-factor structure of COHIP-K, a summarized second-order model, and the use of an integrated summary COHIP score.

Comparative analysis of disease-linked single nucleotide polymorphic markers from Brassica rapa for their applicability to Brassica oleracea.

Numerous studies using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been conducted in humans, and other animals, and in major crops, including rice, soybean, and Chinese cabbage. However, the number of SNP studies in cabbage is limited. In this present study, we evaluated whether 7,645 SNPs previously identified as molecular markers linked to disease resistance in the Brassica rapa genome could be applied to B. oleracea. In a BLAST analysis using the SNP sequences of B. rapa and B. oleracea genomic sequence data registered in the NCBI database, 256 genes for which SNPs had been identified in B. rapa were found in B. oleracea. These genes were classified into three functional groups: molecular function (64 genes), biological process (96 genes), and cellular component (96 genes). A total of 693 SNP markers, including 145 SNP markers [BRH--developed from the B. rapa genome for high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis], 425 SNP markers (BRP--based on the B. rapa genome that could be applied to B. oleracea), and 123 new SNP markers (BRS--derived from BRP and designed for HRM analysis), were investigated for their ability to amplify sequences from cabbage genomic DNA. In total, 425 of the SNP markers (BRP-based on B. rapa genome), selected from 7,645 SNPs, were successfully applied to B. oleracea. Using PCR, 108 of 145 BRH (74.5%), 415 of 425 BRP (97.6%), and 118 of 123 BRS (95.9%) showed amplification, suggesting that it is possible to apply SNP markers developed based on the B. rapa genome to B. oleracea. These results provide valuable information that can be utilized in cabbage genetics and breeding programs using molecular markers derived from other Brassica species.

Analysis of periodontal data using mixed effects models.

A fundamental problem in analyzing complex multilevel-structured periodontal data is the violation of independency among the observations, which is an assumption in traditional statistical models (e.g., analysis of variance and ordinary least squares regression). In many cases, aggregation (i.e., mean or sum scores) has been employed to overcome this problem. However, the aggregation approach still exhibits certain limitations, such as a loss of power and detailed information, no cross-level relationship analysis, and the potential for creating an ecological fallacy. In order to handle multilevel-structured data appropriately, mixed effects models have been introduced and employed in dental research using periodontal data. The use of mixed effects models might account for the potential bias due to the violation of the independency assumption as well as provide accurate estimates.

Disparities in assessment, treatment, and recommendations for specialty mental health care: patient reports of medical provider behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To examine perceptions of medical doctor behavior in mental health (MH) utilization disparities. DATA SOURCES: Secondary data analyses of the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication and the National Latino and Asian American Study (2001-2003). STUDY DESIGN: Sample included non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), blacks, Asians, and Latinos. Dependent variables were patient reports of providers' assessment of and counseling on MH and substance abuse (SA) problems, and recommendation for medications or specialty MH care. The initial sample consisted of 9,100 adults; the final sample included the 3,447 individuals who had been asked about MH and SA problems. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Bivariate analyses indicated that Asians were the least likely to report being assessed, counseled, and recommended medications and specialty care. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, there were no racial/ethnic differences in assessment of MH or SA problems. Compared to NHWs, black patients were less likely to report receiving a medication recommendation. Latinos were more likely to report counseling and a recommendation to specialty care. U.S.-born patients were more likely to report a medication recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions of provider behavior might contribute to documented disparities in MH utilization. Further research is needed to determine other points in the treatment utilization process that might account for racial/ethnic disparities.

Transcriptome analysis of Capsicum annuum varieties Mandarin and Blackcluster: assembly, annotation and molecular marker discovery.

Next generation sequencing technologies have proven to be a rapid and cost-effective means to assemble and characterize gene content and identify molecular markers in various organisms. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae) is a major staple vegetable crop, which is economically important and has worldwide distribution. High-throughput transcriptome profiling of two pepper cultivars, Mandarin and Blackcluster, using 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing yielded 279,221 and 316,357 sequenced reads with a total 120.44 and 142.54Mb of sequence data (average read length of 431 and 450 nucleotides). These reads resulted from 17,525 and 16,341 'isogroups' and were assembled into 19,388 and 18,057 isotigs, and 22,217 and 13,153 singletons for both the cultivars, respectively. Assembled sequences were annotated functionally based on homology to genes in multiple public databases. Detailed sequence variant analysis identified a total of 9701 and 12,741 potential SNPs which eventually resulted in 1025 and 1059 genotype specific SNPs, for both the varieties, respectively, after examining SNP frequency distribution for each mapped unigenes. These markers for pepper will be highly valuable for marker-assisted breeding and other genetic studies.

De novo transcriptome assembly and novel microsatellite marker information in Capsicum annuum varieties Saengryeg 211 and Saengryeg 213.

BACKGROUND: Pepper, Capsicum annuum L., Solanaceae, is a major staple economically important vegetable crop worldwide. Limited functional genomics resources and whole genome association studies could be substantially improved through the application of molecular approach for the characterization of gene content and identification of molecular markers. The massive parallel pyrosequencing of two pepper varieties, the highly pungent, Saengryeg 211, and the non-pungent, Saengryeg 213, including de novo transcriptome assembly, functional annotation, and in silico discovery of potential molecular markers is described. We performed 454 GS-FLX Titanium sequencing of polyA-selected and normalized cDNA libraries generated from a single pool of transcripts obtained from mature fruits of two pepper varieties. RESULTS: A single 454 pyrosequencing run generated 361,671 and 274,269 reads totaling 164.49 and 124.60 Mb of sequence data (average read length of 454 nucleotides), which assembled into 23,821 and 17,813 isotigs and 18,147 and 15,129 singletons for both varieties, respectively. These reads were organized into 20,352 and 15,781 'isogroups' for both varieties. Assembled sequences were functionally annotated based on homology to genes in multiple public databases and assigned with Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Sequence variants analyses identified a total of 3,766 and 2,431 potential (Simple Sequence Repeat) SSR motifs for microsatellite analysis for both varieties, where trinucleotide was the most common repeat unit (84%), followed by di (9.9%), hexa (4.1%) and pentanucleotide repeats (2.1%). GAA repeat (8.6%) was the most frequent repeat motif, followed by TGG (7.2%), TTC (6.5%), and CAG (6.2%). CONCLUSIONS: High-throughput transcriptome assembly, annotation and large scale of SSR marker discovery has been achieved using next generation sequencing (NGS) of two pepper varieties. These valuable informations for functional genomics resource shall help to further improve the pepper breeding efforts with respect to genetic linkage maps, QTL mapping and marker-assisted trait selection.

Testing multiple levels of influence in the intergenerational transmission of alcohol disorders from a developmental perspective: the example of alcohol use promoting peers and µ-opioid receptor M1 variation.

This study examined the interplay between the influence of peers who promote alcohol use and µ-opioid receptor M1 (OPRM1) genetic variation in the intergenerational transmission of alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms while separating the "traitlike" components of AUD symptoms from their age-specific manifestations at three ages from emerging adulthood (17-23 years) to adulthood (29-40 years). The results for males were consistent with genetically influenced peer selection mechanisms as mediators of parent alcoholism effects. Male children of alcoholics were less likely to be carriers of the G allele in single nucleotide polymorphism A118G (rs1799971), and those who were homozygous for the A allele were more likely to affiliate with alcohol use promoting peers who increased the risk for AUD symptoms at all ages. There was evidence for women of an interaction between OPRM1 variation and peer affiliations but only at the earliest age band. Peer influences had stronger effects among women who were G-carriers. These results illustrate the complex ways in which the interplay between influences at multiple levels of analysis can underlie the intergenerational transmission of alcohol disorders as well as the importance of considering age and gender differences in these pathways.

Hemorheology and microvascular disorders.

The present review presents basic concepts of blood rheology related to vascular diseases. Blood flow in large arteries is dominated by inertial forces exhibited at high flow velocities, while viscous forces (i.e., blood rheology) play an almost negligible role. When high flow velocity is compromised by sudden deceleration as at a bifurcation, endothelial cell dysfunction can occur along the outer wall of the bifurcation, initiating inflammatory gene expression and, through mechanotransduction, the cascade of events associated with atherosclerosis. In sharp contrast, the flow of blood in microvessels is dominated by viscous shear forces since the inertial forces are negligible due to low flow velocities. Shear stress is a critical parameter in microvascular flow, and a force-balance approach is proposed for determining microvascular shear stress, accounting for the low Reynolds numbers and the dominance of viscous forces over inertial forces. Accordingly, when the attractive forces between erythrocytes (represented by the yield stress of blood) are greater than the shear force produced by microvascular flow, tissue perfusion itself cannot be sustained, leading to capillary loss. The yield stress parameter is presented as a diagnostic candidate for future clinical research, specifically, as a fluid dynamic biomarker for microvascular disorders. The relation between the yield stress and diastolic blood viscosity (DBV) is described using the Casson model for viscosity, from which one may be able determine thresholds of DBV where the risk of microvascular disorders is high.

Understanding the psychological processes of the racial match effect in Asian Americans.

Some studies on mental health outcomes research have found that when clients and therapists are ethnically or racially matched, this tends to be related to greater satisfaction and better outcomes. However, the precise underlying mechanism for the match effect has not been extensively examined. In this experimental study, we tested the effect of racial match on critical counseling processes (i.e., therapist credibility and the working alliance) using a sample of 171 Asian American respondents. We also examined Asian ethnic identification as a potential moderator of the racial match effect. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that racially matched individuals perceived greater experiential similarity with the therapist than nonmatched individuals, and experiential similarity was positively associated with therapist credibility. Although racial match did not predict attitudinal similarity, attitudinal similarity was strongly related to the working alliance and therapist credibility. Counseling implications are discussed.

Shotgun proteomic analysis for detecting differentially expressed proteins in the reduced culm number rice.

To survey protein expression patterns in the reduced culm number (RCN) rice, a comparative shotgun proteomic analysis was conducted. For large-scale protein identification, multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) coupled with pre-fractionation of plant shoot proteins led to the identification of 3004 non-redundant rice proteins. By statistically comparing relative amounts of 1353 reproducibly identified proteins between the RCN rice and the wild-type rice, 44 differentially expressed proteins were detected, where 42 proteins were increased and 2 proteins were decreased in the RCN rice. These proteins appear to have roles in glycolysis, trichloroacetic acid cycle, secondary metabolism, nutrient recycling, and nucleotide metabolism and repair. Consequently, we hypothesized that the RCN rice might fail to maintain sugar nutrient homeostasis. This was confirmed with the observation that the sucrose concentration was increased significantly in the RCN rice compared with the wild-type rice. Also, the RCN rice showed a hypersensitive response to exogenous sucrose treatment.