Dopamine transporter (DAT1) VNTR polymorphism and alcoholism in two culturally different populations of South India

It is well established that the central dopaminergic reward pathway is likely involved in alcohol intake and the progression of alcohol dependence. Dopamine transporter (DAT1) mediates the active re-uptake of DA from the synapse and is a principal regulator of dopaminergic neurotransmission. The gene for the human DAT1 displays several polymorphisms, including a 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) ranging from 3 to 16 copies in the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of the gene. To assess the role of this gene in alcoholism, we genotyped the VNTR of DAT1 gene in a sample of 206 subjects from the Kota population (111 alcohol dependence cases and 95 controls) and 142 subjects from Badaga population (81 alcohol dependence cases and 61 controls). Both populations inhabit a similar environmental zone, but have different ethnic histories. Phenotype was defined based on the DSM-IV criteria. Genotyping was performed using PCR and electrophoresis. The association of DAT1 with alcoholism was tested by using the Clump v1.9 program which uses the Monte Carlo method. In both Kota and Badaga populations, the allele A10 was the most frequent allele followed by allele A9. The genotypic distribution is in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium in both cases and control groups of Kota and Badaga populations. The DAT1 VNTR was significantly associated with alcoholism in Badaga population but not in Kota population. Our results suggest that the A9 allele of the DAT gene is involved in vulnerability to alcoholism, but that these associations are population specific.

Psychosocial risk factors for coronary heart disease: a consensus statement from the National Heart Foundation of Australia

In 2003, the National Heart Foundation of Australia published a position statement on psychosocial risk factors and coronary heart disease (CHD). This consensus statement provides an updated review of the literature on psychosocial stressors, including chronic stressors (in particular, work stress), acute individual stressors and acute population stressors, to guide health professionals based on current evidence. It complements a separate updated statement on depression and CHD.

Perceived chronic job strain and shift work are associated with a small absolute increased risk of developing CHD, but there is limited evidence regarding their effect on the prognosis of CHD. Evidence regarding a relationship between CHD and job (in)security, job satisfaction, working hours, effort-reward imbalance and job loss is inconclusive.

Expert consensus is that workplace programs aimed at weight loss, exercise and other standard cardiovascular risk factors may have positive outcomes for these risk factors, but no evidence is available regarding the effect of such programs on the development of CHD.

Social isolation after myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with an adverse prognosis. Expert consensus is that although measures to reduce social isolation are likely to produce positive psychosocial effects, it is unclear whether this would also improve CHD outcomes. Acute emotional stress may trigger MI or takotsubo ("stress") cardiomyopathy, but the absolute increase in transient risk from an individual stressor is low. Psychosocial stressors have an impact on CHD, but clinical significance and prevention require further study.

Awareness of the potential for increased cardiovascular risk among populations exposed to natural disasters and other conditions of extreme stress may be useful for emergency services response planning. Wider public access to defibrillators should be available where large populations gather, such as sporting venues and airports, and as part of the response to natural and other disasters.

A qualitative study of the factors that influence mothers when choosing drinks for their young children

ABSTRACT

Psychosocial and other working conditions in relation to body mass index in a representative sample of Australian workers

Background The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial and other working conditions and body-mass index (BMI) in a working population. This study contributes to the approximately dozen investigations of job stress, which have demonstrated mixed positive and negative results in relation to obesity, overweight and BMI. Methods A cross-sectional population-based survey was conducted among working Australians in the state of Victoria. Participants were contacted by telephone from a random sample of phone book listings. Information on body mass index was self-reported as were psychosocial work conditions assessed using the demand/control and effort/reward imbalance models. Other working conditions measured included working hours, shift work, and physical demand. Separate linear regression analyses were undertaken for males and females, with adjustment for potential confounders. Results A total of 1101 interviews (526 men and 575 women) were completed. Multivariate models (adjusted for socio-demographics) demonstrated no associations between job strain, as measured using the demand/control model, or ERI using the effort/reward imbalance model (after further adjustment for over commitment) and BMI among men and women. Multivariate models demonstrated a negative association between low reward and BMI among women. Among men, multivariate models demonstrated positive associations between high effort, high psychological demand, long working hours and BMI and a negative association between high physical demand and BMI. After controlling for the effort/reward imbalance or the demand/control model, the association between physical demand and working longer hours and BMI remained. Conclusion Among men and women the were differing patterns of both exposures to psychosocial working conditions and associations with BMI. Among men, working long hours was positively associated with higher BMI and this association was partly independent of job stress. Among men physical demand was negatively associated with BMI and this association was independent of job stress.

Cocaine use severity and cerebellar gray matter are associated with reversal learning deficits in cocaine-dependent individuals

Cocaine addiction involves persistent deficits to unlearn previously rewarded response options, potentially due to neuroadaptations in learning-sensitive regions. Cocaine-targeted prefrontal systems have been consistently associated with reinforcement learning and reversal deficits, but more recent interspecies research has raised awareness about the contribution of the cerebellum to cocaine addiction and reversal. We aimed at investigating the link between cocaine use, reversal learning and prefrontal, insula and cerebellar gray matter in cocaine-dependent individuals (CDIs) varying on levels of cocaine exposure in comparison with healthy controls (HCs). Twenty CDIs and 21 HCs performed a probabilistic reversal learning task (PRLT) and were subsequently scanned in a 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner. In the PRLT, subjects progressively learn to respond to one predominantly reinforced stimulus, and thenmust learn to respond according to the opposite, previously irrelevant, stimulus-reward pairing. Performance measureswere errors after reversal (reversal cost), and probability of maintaining response after errors. Voxel-based morphometry was conducted to investigate the association between gray matter volume in the regions of interest and cocaine use and PRLT performance. Severity of cocaine use correlated with gray matter volume reduction in the left cerebellum (lobule VIII), while greater reversal cost was correlated with gray matter volume reduction in a partially overlapping cluster (lobules VIIb and VIII). Right insula/inferior frontal gyrus correlated with probability of maintaining response after errors. Severity of cocaine use detrimentally impacted reversal learning and cerebellar gray matter.

Pathways to social anxiety: the role of reinforcement sensitivities and emotion regulation

Past research has demonstrated a strong relationship between threat sensitivity and social anxiety; however, the relationship between reward sensitivity and social anxiety is less clear. Further, the role that emotion regulation (ER) may play in the expression of social anxiety disorder (SAD) is rarely considered. The current study tested whether two emotion regulation strategies (emotional suppression and cognitive reappraisal) mediated associations between threat sensitivity and reward sensitivity and social anxiety in a community sample (402 adults, 78% female; Mage=32.49, S.D.age=11.53). Path analyses indicated that low reappraisal mediated the relationship between high threat sensitivity and high social anxiety; and both low reappraisal and high suppression mediated the relationship between low reward sensitivity and high social anxiety. These results highlight the potential role that emotion regulation plays in the relationship between trait motivation and social anxiety.

When social anxiety co-occurs with substance use: does an impulsive social anxiety subtype explain this unexpected relationship?

Although most conceptualizations of social anxiety emphasise that socially anxious individuals are overtly shy, and utilise avoidant behavioural strategies (e.g., risk-aversion, passivity, and submissiveness), there is tentative support for the existence of an approach-motivated subtype, characterised by risk taking and a greater propensity for substance misuse. It is likely that this subtype may help explain the reported co-occurrence of substance misuse and social anxiety. The current study sought to test via latent class analysis whether an approach-motivated social anxiety subtype could be identified within a community sample. A self-report questionnaire was completed by 351 participants (age: 18-74 years). Two distinct social anxiety subgroups were identified: one characterised by prototypical SAD symptomatology (i.e., behavioural inhibition and risk-avoidance), the second by elevated levels of rash impulsiveness, reward sensitivity, risk-taking and co-occurring substance use problems. The current findings provides support for the existence of a distinct approach-motivated social anxiety subtype and indicates that impulsivity may be critical to understanding the comorbid substance use symptomatology of these individuals.

N-acetylcysteine for therapy-resistant tobacco use disorder: a pilot study

Introduction N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) may have efficacy in treating tobacco use disorder (TUD) by reducing craving and smoking reward. This study examines whether treatment with NAC may have a clinical efficacy in the treatment of TUD. Methods A 12-week double blind randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the clinical efficacy of NAC 3 g/day versus placebo. We recruited 34 outpatients with therapy resistant TUD concurrently treated with smoking-focused group behavioral therapy. Participants had assessments of daily cigarette use (primary outcome), exhaled carbon monoxide (COEXH) (secondary outcome), and quit rates as defined by COEXH<6 ppm. Depression was measured with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Data were analyzed using conventional and modified intention-to-treat endpoint analyses. Results NAC treatment significantly reduced the daily number of cigarettes used (Δ mean±SD = -10.9 ± 7.9 in the NAC-treated versus -3.2 ± 6.1 in the placebo group) and COEXH (Δ mean± SD = -10.4 ± 8.6 ppm in the NAC-treated versus -1.5 ± 4.5 ppm in the placebo group); 47.1% of those treated with NAC versus 21.4% of placebo-treated patients were able to quit smoking as defined by COEXH<6 ppm. NAC treatment significantly reduced the HDRS score in patients with tobacco use disorder. Conclusions These data show that treatment with NAC may have a clinical efficacy in TUD. NAC combined with appropriate psychotherapy appears to be an efficient treatment option for TUD.

Risky driving in young adults : A review of the literature

Young drivers aged between 16 and 25 are consistently over-represented in fatal crash statistics and are more likely than older drivers to be involved in a range of intentional risky driving behaviours, such as drink driving, speeding, drag racing, and tailgating. This paper reports the fndings of a systematic search of published peer-reviewed literature, identifying the association between age and the characteristics of risky drivers, as well as interventions that have been developed to improve their safety. The results suggest that it is young males who are predominantly involved in unsafe driving and that these drivers are generally high in reward sensitivity, have antisocial peers, and believe that they are not dangerous drivers. Further to this, deterrence-based interventions have shown limited efectiveness for the specifc category of 'hoon' drivers, suggesting the need for targeted interventions across a multitude of domains. Efective intervention requires an understanding of the antecedents of dangerous driving behaviour, and it is concluded that interventions might be most efective when targeted towards these identifed criminogenic needs.

Free Trade Agreements and US Foreign Policy

The United States has completed numerous free trade agreements (FTAs), but the pattern of these agreements defies conventional explanations. Arguments that are based on domestic interests and economic gains cannot explain the comparative under-performance of US trade agreements. The pattern of US trade agreements is also inconsistent with explanations that focus on state power, which depict FTAs as a “reward” for loyal clients. This article finds a better explanation for the pattern of the United States’ FTAs by consideringthe systemic level of analysis, and in particular the dynamics of the international economic order. It illustrates that strong competition for bilateral trade agreements has resulted in patterns of agreements that the United States cannot easily dominate. This is not to say that the United States has no capacity to finalize trade agreements: the United States remains the world’s most influential nation-state, but the constraints of the international system necessarily limit the degree to which FTAs can serve the interests of US foreign economic policy. The recent evolution of international trade politics, however, indicates that smaller states are comparatively less vulnerable to pressure from great powers, such as the United States.

Fuzzy portfolio allocation models through a new risk measure and fuzzy sharpe ratio

A new portfolio risk measure that is the uncertainty of portfolio fuzzy return is introduced in this paper. Beyond the well-known Sharpe ratio (i.e., the reward-to-variability ratio) in modern portfolio theory, we initiate the so-called fuzzy Sharpe ratio in the fuzzy modeling context. In addition to the introduction of the new risk measure, we also put forward the reward-to-uncertainty ratio to assess the portfolio performance in fuzzy modeling. Corresponding to two approaches based on TM and TW fuzzy arithmetic, two portfolio optimization models are formulated in which the uncertainty of portfolio fuzzy returns is minimized, while the fuzzy Sharpe ratio is maximized. These models are solved by the fuzzy approach or by the genetic algorithm (GA). Solutions of the two proposed models are shown to be dominant in terms of portfolio return uncertainty compared with those of the conventional mean-variance optimization (MVO) model used prevalently in the financial literature. In terms of portfolio performance evaluated by the fuzzy Sharpe ratio and the reward-to-uncertainty ratio, the model using TW fuzzy arithmetic results in higher performance portfolios than those obtained by both the MVO and the fuzzy model, which employs TM fuzzy arithmetic. We also find that using the fuzzy approach for solving multiobjective problems appears to achieve more optimal solutions than using GA, although GA can offer a series of well-diversified portfolio solutions diagrammed in a Pareto frontier.

Associations between Australian early childhood educators’ mental health and working conditions: A cross-sectional study

© 2015, Early Childhood Australia Inc. All rights reserved. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION and care quality relies on educator capacity; however, working conditions may compromise educators’ mental health. This study examines associations between family day care (FDC) educators’ mental health and working conditions to inform workplace mental health promotion. Three hundred and sixty-six FDC educators completed an online or written survey. In addition to this, regression analyses were used to examine relationships between educator mental health and working conditions. Although many FDC educators had low psychological distress and moderate mental wellbeing, 41.7 per cent reported psychological distress. Most educators’ ‘efforts’ and ‘rewards’ were unbalanced (effort–reward imbalance [ERI] ratio) and showed high ‘overcommitment’ to work. Effort and overcommitment were significantly related to increased odds of psychological distress, whereas social support was associated with higher mental wellbeing. The ERI ratio had the strongest associations with educator psychological distress and mental wellbeing. As many working conditions associated with educator mental health are modifiable, this study highlights opportunities for workplace mental health promotion in FDC.

An improved consensus-based group decision making model with heterogeneous information

In group decision making (GDM) problems, it is natural for decision makers (DMs) to provide different preferences and evaluations owing to varying domain knowledge and cultural values. When the number of DMs is large, a higher degree of heterogeneity is expected, and it is difficult to translate heterogeneous information into one unified preference without loss of context. In this aspect, the current GDM models face two main challenges, i.e., handling the complexity pertaining to the unification of heterogeneous information from a large number of DMs, and providing optimal solutions based on unification methods. This paper presents a new consensus-based GDM model to manage heterogeneous information. In the new GDM model, an aggregation of individual priority (AIP)-based aggregation mechanism, which is able to employ flexible methods for deriving each DM's individual priority and to avoid information loss caused by unifying heterogeneous information, is utilized to aggregate the individual preferences. To reach a consensus more efficiently, different revision schemes are employed to reward/penalize the cooperative/non-cooperative DMs, respectively. The temporary collective opinion used to guide the revision process is derived by aggregating only those non-conflicting opinions at each round of revision. In order to measure the consensus in a robust manner, a position-based dissimilarity measure is developed. Compared with the existing GDM models, the proposed GDM model is more effective and flexible in processing heterogeneous information. It can be used to handle different types of information with different degrees of granularity. Six types of information are exemplified in this paper, i.e., ordinal, interval, fuzzy number, linguistic, intuitionistic fuzzy set, and real number. The results indicate that the position-based consensus measure is able to overcome possible distortions of the results in large-scale GDM problems.