Partialing alters interpersonal correlates of negative affective symptoms and traits: A circumplex illustration.

INTRODUCTION: Negative affective symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, and anger) are correlated and have parallel associations with outcomes, as do related personality traits (i.e., facets of neuroticism), often prompting statistical control (i.e., partialing) to determine independent effects. However, such adjustments among predictor variables can alter their construct validity. In three studies, the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) and a related analytic approach (i.e., Structural Summary Method) were used to evaluate changes in interpersonal correlates of negative affective characteristics resulting from partialing. METHODS: Samples of undergraduates (Sample 1 n = 3283; Sample 2 = 688) and married couples (n = 300 couples) completed self-report (three samples) and partner rating (sample 3) measures of anxiety, depression and anger, and IPC measures of interpersonal style. RESULTS: Anxiety, depression, and anger had expected interpersonal correlates across samples. Partialing depression eliminated interpersonal correlates of anxiety. When anxiety was controlled, depression measures were more strongly associated with submissiveness and less closely associated with low warmth. Adjustments involving anger magnified differences in dominance versus submissiveness associated with the negative affects. DISCUSSION: Removal of overlap among negative affective measures via partialing alters their interpersonal correlates, potentially complicating interpretation of adjusted associations.

Hepatic Fibrosis and Steatosis in Metabolic Syndrome.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of factors associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common disorder that has been shown to cause hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. The relationship between NAFLD and MetS appears to be bidirectional, but very few studies have examined the role of MetS in hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. The present study investigated the relationships between MetS and its components and the severity of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis, and fibrosis independent of steatosis. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional population-based survey of 4,678 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants from 2017 to 2018 in the United States. Hepatic fibrosis and steatosis were measured using liver elastography. The MetS components were assessed using demographic, examination, laboratory, and self-reported data. Results: Using survey-weighted population estimates, 26% of the population had steatosis, 7.5% had fibrosis, and 3.3% had fibrosis without steatosis. The adjusted odds ratio for any level of steatosis was 4.12 times higher (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.16-5.37) and any level of fibrosis was 3.34 times higher (95% CI, 2.26-4.94) among participants with MetS than those without. The adjusted odds ratio for fibrosis without steatosis is 2.67 times higher (95% CI, 1.47-4.87) among participants with MetS than those without. Conclusion: The presence of MetS significantly increases the risk of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis, providing evidence for MetS to be considered an additional independent risk factor for hepatic fibrosis together with other known etiologies.

Moving Toward, Moving Against, and Moving Away: An Interpersonal Approach to Construct Validation of the Horney-Coolidge Type Inventory.

Karen Horney's interpersonal theory of adjustment defined three different neurotic trends involving characteristic social behavior and motives: compliant (moving toward people), aggressive (moving against people), and detached (moving away from people). The Horney-Coolidge Type Inventory (HCTI) was developed to assess these trends, but has not been validated using standard methods in the interpersonal perspective. The studies reported here refined the structure of the HCTI, and utilized the structural summary method (SSM) to identify relationships of the three shortened HCTI trend scales with the interpersonal circumplex (IPC) in single university (n = 514) and multisite university (n = 3,283) samples. Results across both studies confirmed predicted interpersonal characteristics of each trend: Compliance was associated with warm submissiveness, aggression was associated with hostile dominance, and detachment was associated with hostile or cold submissiveness. However, analyses of facets within the three HCTI trend domains revealed significant differences. Results are discussed as a potential guide to further refinement of assessments of the Horney maladaptive trends, and support inclusion of Horney's model in current interpersonal theory.

Reported history of childhood trauma and stress-related vulnerability: Associations with emotion regulation, executive functioning, daily hassles and pre-sleep arousal.

Childhood trauma is associated with poor health outcomes in adulthood. Mechanisms for these associations are not well understood because past studies have focused predominantly on populations that have already developed physical and mental health problems. The present study examined the association between childhood trauma and stress-related vulnerability factors in a healthy adult sample (n = 79; 68% female, mean age = 27.5, SD = 6.5). Emotion regulation difficulties were examined as a potential mediator. Participants completed baseline laboratory assessments of reported childhood trauma, emotion regulation difficulties, prior month sleep quality, baseline impedance cardiography and behavioural tests of executive functioning (EF) and a three-day experience sampling assessment protocol that included sleep diary, reported and objective pre-sleep arousal, daily hassles and reported EF difficulties. Reported history of childhood abuse was significantly associated with difficulties in emotion regulation, self-report and objective pre-sleep arousal, diary-assessed sleep quality, daily hassles and reported EF difficulties. Reported history of childhood neglect was associated with greater pre-sleep arousal and poorer EF-behavioural control. Emotion regulation difficulties mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and reported pre-sleep arousal, daily hassles and reported EF difficulties. In conclusion, history of childhood trauma is associated with a variety of stress-related vulnerability factors in healthy adults that may be viable early intervention targets.

Racial-ethnic differences in social networks and perceived support: Measurement considerations and implications for disparities research.

OBJECTIVES: Racial-ethnic differences in physical/mental health are well documented as being associated with disparities; however, emerging conceptual models increasingly suggest that group differences in social functioning and organization contribute to these relationships. There is little work examining whether racial-ethnic groups respond similarly to classic measures of social networks and perceived support and whether there are significant between-groups differences on these measures. METHOD: A multisite, cross-sectional study of 2,793 non-Hispanic White (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and Hispanic participants was conducted using common measures of social networks and perceived support. A confirmatory factor analytic model was used to test for the invariance of factor covariance and mean structures in a three latent constructs model including social network, social provisions, and interpersonal support. Between-group differences in structural and functional support were assessed. RESULTS: We established measurement invariance of the latent representations of these measures suggesting that racial-ethnic groups responded comparably. In direct comparisons, Hispanics and NHWs demonstrated similar levels of network structure and support. In contrast, NHWs reported support advantages on a majority of measures compared with NHBs. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the use of these measures across groups and provide initial support for potential differences in this hypothesized mediator of racial-ethnic health disparities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The association between individual differences in executive functioning and resting high-frequency heart rate variability.

Both resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and executive functioning (EF) are individual differences implicated in vulnerability to a wide range of adverse outcomes. The overlapping set of associations, along with theoretical models positing connections between the brain regions subserving the executive functions and the parasympathetic nervous system, suggest that the two factors should be correlated. Seeking to address limitations in prior research, the current study examined the association between EF, measured comprehensively with individually-administered neuropsychological tests and controlling for lower-order cognitive processes, and resting physiology, measured with impedence cardiography, in healthy, community participants (68% female; mean age = 27, SD = 6.5). Results confirmed a significant association between EF and resting HF-HRV, but no association with resting state sympathetic nervous system activation (pre-ejection period). These findings may inform future investigation of transdiagnostic mechanisms related to these two individual difference factors.

Intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation: Part II. Developmental origins of newborn neurobehavior.

We investigated whether neurobehavioral markers of risk for emotion dysregulation were evident among newborns, as well as whether the identified markers were associated with prenatal exposure to maternal emotion dysregulation. Pregnant women (N = 162) reported on their emotion dysregulation prior to a laboratory assessment. The women were then invited to the laboratory to assess baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and RSA in response to an infant cry. Newborns were assessed after birth via the NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale. We identified two newborn neurobehavioral factors-arousal and attention-via exploratory factor analysis. Low arousal was characterized by less irritability, excitability, and motor agitation, while low attention was related to a lower threshold for auditory and visual stimulation, less sustained attention, and poorer visual tracking abilities. Pregnant women who reported higher levels of emotion dysregulation had newborns with low arousal levels and less attention. Larger decreases in maternal RSA in response to cry were also related to lower newborn arousal. We provide the first evidence that a woman's emotion dysregulation while pregnant is associated with risks for dysregulation in her newborn. Implications for intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation are discussed.

Nonrestorative sleep in healthy, young adults without insomnia: associations with executive functioning, fatigue, and pre-sleep arousal.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research suggests that nonrestorative sleep (NRS), even in the absence of insomnia symptoms or other sleep disorders, may be associated with daytime dysfunction. This study examined the association between NRS and daytime dysfunction in healthy adults screened for insomnia and sleep apnea. DESIGN: Multi-day assessment approach. SETTING: Community-based adults and college students. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy young adults without insomnia and sleep apnea (n = 79; 68% female, mean age = 27.5, SD = 6.5). MEASUREMENTS: Laboratory protocol included a behavioral assessment of executive functioning (EF), self-report of prior month sleep-related daytime dysfunction, and depressive symptoms in the prior two weeks. Subsequently, participants completed an experience sampling assessment that included morning ratings of NRS, repeat affect ratings throughout the day via palm-pilot, nighttime ratings of pre-sleep arousal and EF disturbances, ambulatory cardiac impedence monitoring, and wrist actigraphy. RESULTS: NRS was significantly associated with poorer performance on behaviorally-assessed EF, perceived EF difficulties, daily ratings of fatigue, and past-month reported daytime dysfunction. These associations remained significant after controlling for age and sleep duration (measured by actigraphy). NRS was also associated with increased sympathetic nervous system activation prior to bedtime. Further, reported pre-sleep arousal was associated with NRS, and this association was mediated by perceived EF difficulties. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that, even among healthy, young adults without insomnia or sleep apnea, NRS is associated with poorer cognitive functioning and may be a precursor to insomnia.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the horned lizard Phrynosoma blainvillii (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from California, USA.

Analysis of Phrynosoma blainvillii Gray from Marina, Monterey County, California, using 150 bp paired-end Illumina sequences (Illumina, San Diego, CA) resulted in the assembly of its complete mitogenome. The mitogenome is 16,946 bp in length and contains a putative origin of light strand replication (OL), control region, 22 tRNA, 2 rRNA, and 13 protein-coding genes. Its content and organization are similar to other Squamata. Phylogenetic analysis of P. blainvillii resolves it in a clade with P. sherbrookei Nieto-Montes de Oca, Arenas-Moreno, Beltrán-Sánchez & Leaché, sister in position to Uma notata Baird. Mitochondrial marker analysis of P. blainvillii from Marina shows that it belongs to a coastal Santa Lucia Mountain Range haplogroup that is distinct from other populations of P. blainvillii in California.