When not hitting your sales target is 'the end of the world': Examining the effects of rational emotive behaviour therapy on the irrational beliefs and emotional reactivity of UK-based sales professionals.

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplace wellbeing is a key priority for employers. Severe market and health conditions continue to bring inevitable problems that could be reduced with the application of psychological interventions to prevent mental and physical health issues, making this study a highly pertinent and valuable contribution to the field. This paper reports the effects of a rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) programme on the irrational beliefs and emotional reactivity of 56 office-based sales professionals located in the northwest region of the UK. A pre-test, post-test experimental design was utilised, and a mixed model ANOVA (repeated measures) was adopted to assess changes in mean differences concerning irrational beliefs and emotional reactivity at pre and post-test stages for the intervention group, in comparison to a control group. Results indicate that those in the REBT group reported significant reductions in irrational beliefs and emotional reactivity, whilst those in the control group reported no such changes. It is recommended that future research studies consider utilizing a mixed methods design and focus on a strategic collaboration of organisational and individual level interventions for improving the psychological wellbeing and performance of sales personnel.

Neurodevelopmental outcomes in children and adults with Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder: A contribution from the ConcePTION project.

AIM: To describe the neurodevelopmental phenotype of older children and adults with a diagnosis of Fetal Valproate Spectrum Disorder (FVSD). METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 90 caregivers were recruited and completed a series of questionnaires regarding the neurodevelopmental outcomes of 146 individuals aged 7-37 years (M = 18.1), including individuals with a formal diagnosis of FVSD (n = 99), individuals exposed to Valproate but without an FVSD diagnosis (n = 24), and individuals not exposed to Valproate (N = 23). The mean dose of valproate exposure for individuals with an FVSD diagnosis was 1470 mg/day. RESULTS: Individuals with a diagnosis of FVSD showed significantly higher levels of moderate (43.4%) and severe (14.4%) cognitive impairment than other groups (p = 0.003), high levels of required formal educational support (77.6%), and poorer academic competence than individuals not exposed to Valproate (p = 0.001). Overall psychosocial problems (p = 0.02), internalising problems (p = 0.05) and attention problems (p = 0.001), but not externalising problems, were elevated in individuals with a diagnosis of FVSD. Rates of neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly autistic spectrum disorders (62.9%) and sensory problems (80.6%) are particularly central to the FVSD phenotype. There was no evidence of a statistical dose-dependent effect, possibly due to the high mean dose of exposure having a uniformly negative impact across the sample. Individuals with FVSD had required a significant number of health and child development services. INTERPRETATION: Children and young adults with a diagnosis of FVSD are at an increased risk of a range of altered neurodevelopmental outcomes, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach to clinical management across the lifespan.

Child, parent, and family mental health and functioning in Australia during COVID-19: comparison to pre-pandemic data.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant risks to population mental health. Despite evidence of detrimental effects for adults, there has been limited examination of the impact of COVID-19 on parents and children specifically. We aim to examine patterns of parent and child (0-18 years) mental health, parent substance use, couple conflict, parenting practices, and family functioning during COVID-19, compared to pre-pandemic data, and to identify families most at risk of poor outcomes according to pre-existing demographic and individual factors, and COVID-19 stressors. Participants were Australian mothers (81%) and fathers aged 18 years and over who were parents of a child 0-18 years (N = 2365). Parents completed an online self-report survey during 'stage three' COVID-19 restrictions in April 2020. Data were compared to pre-pandemic data from four Australian population-based cohorts. Compared to pre-pandemic estimates, during the pandemic period parents reported higher rates of parent depression, anxiety, and stress (Cohen's d = 0.26-0.81, all p < 0.001), higher parenting irritability (d = 0.17-0.46, all p < 0.001), lower family positive expressiveness (d = - 0.18, p < 0.001), and higher alcohol consumption (22% vs 12% drinking four or more days per week, p < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, we consistently found that younger parent age, increased financial deprivation, pre-existing parent and child physical and mental health conditions, COVID-19 psychological and environmental stressors, and housing dissatisfaction were associated with worse parent and child functioning and more strained family relationships. Our data suggest wide-ranging, detrimental family impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic; and support policy actions to assist families with financial supports, leave entitlements, and social housing.

A systematic review of cross-sectional differences and longitudinal changes to the morphometry of the brain following paediatric traumatic brain injury.

Paediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) is a leading cause of disability for children and young adults. Children are a uniquely vulnerable group with the disease process that occurs following a pTBI interacting with the trajectory of normal brain development. Quantitative MRI post-injury has suggested a long-term, neurodegenerative effect of TBI on the morphometry of the brain, in both adult and childhood TBI. Changes to the brain beyond that of anticipated, age-dependant differences may allow us to estimate the state of the brain post-injury and produce clinically relevant predictions for long-term outcome. The current review synthesises the existing literature to assess whether, following pTBI, the morphology of the brain exhibits either i) longitudinal change and/or ii) differences compared to healthy controls and outcomes. The current literature suggests that morphometric differences from controls are apparent cross-sectionally at both acute and late-chronic timepoints post-injury, thus suggesting a non-transient effect of injury. Developmental trajectories of morphometry are altered in TBI groups compared to patients, and it is unlikely that typical maturation overcomes damage post-injury, or even 'catches up' with that of typically-developing peers. However, there is limited evidence for diverted developmental trajectories being associated with cognitive impairment post-injury. The current review also highlights the apparent challenges to the existing literature and potential methods by which these can be addressed.

Examining the effects of rational emotive behavior therapy on performance outcomes in elite paralympic athletes.

Traditionally a psychotherapeutic intervention, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is receiving increasing attention within the extant literature as an intervention to enhance the athletic performance and psychological well-being of competitive athletes. Whilst the benefits of REBT on psychological health are established, less is understood about the effects on athletic performance. This study aimed to examine the immediate and maintained effects of REBT on physiological, psychological, and performance outcomes with elite Paralympic athletes. Using a single-case research design, eight athletes recruited from the same Paralympic sport (M=40.12, SD=12.99) received five, one-to-one REBT sessions. Measures of irrational beliefs were collected weekly, whereas the remaining psychological and physiological measures were collected at a pre-, post-, and at a 9-month follow-up time point. Visual and statistical analyzes of the data indicates reductions in irrational beliefs were coupled with reductions in systolic blood pressure indicative of an adaptive physiological response, improved athletic performance during competition simulations, and reductions in avoidance goals. Furthermore, social validation data indicated greater self-awareness, emotional control, and enhanced focus during competition as a result of the REBT intervention. This study contributes to growing literature supporting the efficacy of REBT as an intervention that not only facilitates psychological health but also enhances athletic performance. Results are discussed with reference to theory, limitations, and future recommendations.

Updating outdated predictive accident models.

Reliable predictive accident models (PAMs) (also referred to as safety performance functions (SPFs)) are essential to design and maintain safe road networks however, ongoing changes in road and vehicle design coupled with road safety initiatives, mean that these models can quickly become dated. Unfortunately, because the fitting of sophisticated PAMs including a wide range of explanatory variables is not a trivial task, available models tend to be based on data collected many years ago and seem unlikely to give reliable estimates of current accidents. Large, expensive studies to produce new models are likely to be, at best, only a temporary solution. This paper thus seeks to develop a practical and efficient methodology to allow currently available PAMs to be updated to give unbiased estimates of accident frequencies at any point in time. Two principal issues are examined: the extent to which the temporal transferability of predictive accident models varies with model complexity; and the practicality and efficiency of two alternative updating strategies. The models used to illustrate these issues are the suites of models developed for rural dual and single carriageway roads in the UK. These are widely used in several software packages in spite of being based on data collected during the 1980s and early 1990s. It was found that increased model complexity by no means ensures better temporal transferability and that calibration of the models using a scale factor can be a practical alternative to fitting new models.

Automatic intracranial space segmentation for computed tomography brain images.

Craniofacial disorders are routinely diagnosed using computed tomography imaging. Corrective surgery is often performed early in life to restore the skull to a more normal shape. In order to quantitatively assess the shape change due to surgery, we present an automated method for intracranial space segmentation. The method utilizes a two-stage approach which firstly initializes the segmentation with a cascade of mathematical morphology operations. This segmentation is then refined with a level-set-based approach that ensures that low-contrast boundaries, where bone is absent, are completed smoothly. We demonstrate this method on a dataset of 43 images and show that the method produces consistent and accurate results.

Language skills of school-aged children prenatally exposed to antiepileptic drugs.

OBJECTIVES: Fetal exposure to some antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) carries increased risk of major birth defects, and may be associated with reduced intellectual abilities. The impact on language remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of fetal AED exposure on language skills. METHODS: Women with epilepsy and their children were recruited to this observational study through the Australian Pregnancy Register for Women with Epilepsy and Allied Disorders. Language skills of 102 AED-exposed children were assessed using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, fourth edition (CELF-4). Assessments were conducted blind to drug. Maternal epilepsy, pregnancy, and medical histories were obtained from prospectively collected records. RESULTS: Mean CELF-4 Core Language scores of children exposed to sodium valproate in monotherapy (mean 91.5, SD 17.5) or polytherapy (mean 73.4, SD = 22.3) were significantly below the standardized test mean of 100 (p < 0.05). Mean language scores of children exposed to carbamazepine or lamotrigine monotherapy, or polytherapy without sodium valproate, were not significantly different from normal. First-trimester sodium valproate dose was negatively correlated with language scores, and significantly predicted language scores after controlling for other group differences. CONCLUSIONS: Fetal exposure to sodium valproate increases the risk of language impairment. This should be taken into account when making treatment decisions for women with epilepsy of childbearing age.

Asymmetry of language activation relates to regional callosal morphology following early cerebral injury.

The anatomical factors underlying reorganization of language representation are yet to be elucidated, although correlations between asymmetric structures and language lateralization have been identified. Previous research has implicated the corpus callosum in the development of language lateralization. This study examined the relationship between callosal morphology and language asymmetry, using letter fluency functional magnetic resonance imaging, in 13 patients with focal epilepsy and 8 healthy controls. Regional callosal thickness was determined without relying on a priori delineation of callosal segments. We predicted that language asymmetry measured by fMRI activation laterality scores would be correlated with regional callosal thickness in both groups. However, only the degree of language activation asymmetry was significantly correlated with callosal thickness in the isthmus and the midbody of patients, and there was a significant interaction between the groups with respect to callosal thickness and language activation asymmetry. These data suggest that callosal pathways may be important for language reorganization in the context of early cerebral injury.

Language cortex activation in normal children.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a protocol for use in young children and adolescents for determining language representation. METHODS: We performed 130 fMRI studies in 48 children and 17 adults. Verb generation (VG) and orthographic lexical retrieval (OLR) were used. The localization and lateralization of activation was rated visually. Regional voxel counts measured asymmetry and extent of activation. RESULTS: Activation was predominantly left-lateralized (children 85%, adults 94%), and there was no difference in the localization of activation for either paradigm. Children's typical sites of activation included mesial (96%), inferior (94%) and middle frontal (92%) gyri, the inferior (85%) and superior (65%) temporal cortex, and the cerebellum (67%). Less frequently activated sites were insular (50%) and posterior parietal (48%) cortices. Quantitative asymmetry index scores and visual inspection of laterality were concordant. Greater quantitative asymmetry for VG than OLR occurred in children. Laterality was not related to age, sex, task proficiency, or handedness. Frontal region voxel counts lower in children than adults and left sided counts correlated with task proficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Language fMRI can be performed in young children using resources available to clinical centers. The similarity in frequency of left language lateralization between children and adults suggests that language representation establishes early in development. The reduced amount of frontal region of interest activation in task-specific regions in children may reflect different levels of ability. However, the left-right distribution of activation does not appear to depend on task performance or age. These normative data provide a basis for decisions about language laterality in pediatric patients.

A neurocognitive account of frontal lobe involvement in orthographic lexical retrieval: an fMRI study.

The present study aimed to examine the relationship between activation induced by an orthographic lexical retrieval (OLR) task and performance across time on the standard clinical version of OLR, the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). The number of significantly activated pixels in a frontal lobe region of interest (encompassing middle and inferior frontal gyri) were measured for the left and right cerebral hemispheres in 20 volunteers. A relationship between the pixel count and the total number of words retrieved during the COWAT was found for the left but not the right hemisphere. Further examination of the left-sided relationship showed that the number of pixels in the left middle frontal region of interest correlated significantly with the second, but not the first, 30-s COWAT epoch. By contrast, the first epoch, but not the second, correlated significantly with the pixel count within the left inferior frontal region of interest. These relationships suggest differential involvement of dorsolateral and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in specific cognitive processes fundamental to the production of language. Interindividual variation in activation levels may reflect underlying differences in cognitive processing capacity. This study is the first attempt to examine the relationship between fMRI activation and standard verbal fluency performance.

Cerebral asymmetries in the level of attention required for word recognition.

Words presented to the right visual field (RVF) are recognised more readily than those presented to the left visual field (LVF). This RVF advantage could reflect: (a) the direct connection between the RVF and left hemisphere, (b) an attentional bias directed towards the RVF, or (c) an attentional advantage, where the left hemisphere is able to recognise words using less attention than the right hemisphere. The attentional bias and advantage models were tested in 20 dextral adults during a divided visual field word-naming task. Spatial attention was manipulated with valid, invalid, or neutral central cues. Error and reaction time measures revealed a RVF advantage for word recognition. If the attentional bias model is correct, the RVF advantage should have been attenuated for valid and invalid cues compared to neutral cues. Instead of this, an interaction emerged whereby the cueing effect was stronger for words in the LVF than the RVF. This interaction has been reported previously in studies using peripheral spatial cues. The interaction suggests that the RVF requires less attention to process words than the LVF. This left hemisphere attentional advantage may reflect asymmetries between the hemispheres in their word processing styles.

Components of verbal learning and hippocampal damage assessed by T2 relaxometry.

We studied a group of 31 temporal lobe epilepsy patients (25 left, 6 right) with unilateral hippocampal sclerosis evident on magnetic resonance imaging. Single slice T2 relaxation times were acquired for the left and right hippocampi. Principal components analysis of preoperative memory data resulted in two factors that reflect a distinction between arbitrary and semantic forms of verbal recall. The former component correlated with left hippocampal T2 relaxation time, while the latter component did not. This study suggests that variation in left hippocampal integrity is more related to the acquisition of arbitrary associates than semantically structured material, and reinforces the possibility that the left temporal lobe is functionally heterogeneous with respect to memory.

Laterality of expression in portraiture: putting your best cheek forward.

Portraits, both photographic and painted, are often produced with more of one side of the face showing than the other. Typically, the left side of the face is overrepresented, with the head turned slightly to the sitter's right. This leftward bias is weaker for painted male portraits and non-existent for portraits of scientists from the Royal Society. What mechanism might account for this bias? Examination of portraits painted by left- and right-handers and of self-portraits suggests that the bias is not determined by a mechanical preference of the artist or by the viewer's aesthetics. The leftward bias seems to be determined by the sitters and their desire to display the left side of their face, which is controlled by the emotive, right cerebral hemisphere. When we asked people to portray as much emotion as possible when posing for a family portrait, they tended to present the left side of their face. When asked to pose as scientists and avoid portraying emotion, participants tended to present their right side. The motivation to portray emotion, or conceal it, might explain why portraits of males show a reduced leftward bias, and also why portraits of scientists from the Royal Society show no leftward bias.

Reorganization of verbal memory and language: a case of dissociation.

Left-to-right reorganization of verbal memory following early left hemisphere damage has been reported in patients whose expressive language is governed by the right hemisphere. We present a case in which verbal memory performance was intact, despite severe left mesial temporal damage, and despite aphasia on left internal carotid sodium amytal ablation. The distribution and degree of left mesial temporal damage was assessed visually and quantitatively on MRI. These findings raise the possibility that verbal memory may shift to the language-nondominant hemisphere as a result of early left mesial temporal damage.

The contribution of attention to the right visual field advantage for word recognition.

Perceptual asymmetries have been explained by structural, attentional bias and attentional advantage models. Structural models focus on asymmetries in the physical access information has to the hemispheres, whereas attentional models focus on asymmetries in the operation of attentional processes. A series of experiments was conducted to assess the contribution of attentional mechanisms to the right visual field (RVF) advantage found for word recognition. Valid, invalid and neutral peripheral cues were presented at a variety of stimulus onset asynchronies to manipulate spatial attention. Results indicated a significant RVF advantage and cueing effect. The effect of the cue was stronger for the left visual field than the RVF. This interaction supports the attentional advantage model which suggests that the left hemisphere requires less attention to process words. The attentional asymmetry is interpreted in terms of the different word processing styles used by the left and right hemispheres. These results have ramifications for the methodology used in divided visual field research and the interpretation of this research.

Isolation and characterization of an archaebacterial viruslike particle from Methanococcus voltae A3.

Small amounts of a 23-kilobase covalently closed circular DNA molecule were isolated from unwashed cells of Methanococcus voltae A3. Further investigation indicated the presence of greater quantities of the circular DNA in the culture supernatant, complexed with protein in a manner rendering the DNA resistant to DNase. Electron-microscopic examination of supernatant material revealed the presence of particles which morphologically resemble virus. Phenol extraction of viruslike particle preparations resulted in the recovery of DNase-sensitive open-circular DNA molecules. As many as 30 viruslike particles per cell were recovered from some cultures. Hybridization data clearly indicated the presence of a chromosomally integrated copy of the viruslike particle DNA. Although M. voltae PS was not observed to produce viruslike particles, DNA homologous to the viruslike particle DNA was detected in its chromosome. A mutant of M. voltae A3 was isolated which produced no particles; its DNA was deleted for 80% of the integrated viruslike particle DNA. Despite any similarities to lysogenic bacteriophages of eubacteria, neither infectivity nor inducibility of the viruslike particles could be demonstrated.

A newly-isolated marine methanogen harbors a small cryptic plasmid.

Of 21 recently isolated strains of methanococci, one was found to harbor a small, cryptic, low copy number plasmid. Reproducible recovery was achieved by alkaline lysis of cells pretreated with proteinase K in an osmotically stabilizing buffer. The plasmid was found to contain a single AvaI site. No homology was detected between the plasmid and DNA from any of the other new strains or from five known species of methanococci.