A comparison between three and five factor models of Pakistani personality data

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), the Eysenck Personality Profiler Short Version (EPP-S), and the Big Five Inventory (BFI-V4a) were administered to 135 postgraduate students of business in Pakistan. Whilst Extraversion and Neuroticism scales from the three questionnaires were highly correlated, it was found that Agreeableness was most highly correlated with Psychoticism in the EPQ-R and Conscientiousness was most highly correlated with Psychoticism in the EPP-S. Principal component analyses with varimax rotation were carried out. The analyses generally suggested that the five factor model rather than the three-factor model was more robust and better for interpretation of all the higher order scales of the EPQ-R, EPP-S, and BFI-V4a in the Pakistani data. Results show that the superiority of the five factor solution results from the inclusion of a broader variety of personality scales in the input data, whereas Eysenck's three factor solution seems to be best when a less complete but possibly more important set of variables are input. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Correlates of the Eysenck personality profiler

In this two part study, 811 participants completed the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP) and the Honey and Mumford Learning Styles Questionnaire (LSQ) and 263 adults completed the EPP and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). As predicted there were many significant correlations which add to the concurrent validity of the EPP. When the overlap of the EPP with the MBTI and LSQ is compared with the overlap of the NEO-PI with the MBTI and LSQ (derived from Furnham, 1996a,b) it appears that the EPP has greater similarity with the LSQ, but the NEO-PI has greater similarity with the MBTI. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moderating effect of ear preference on personality in the prediction of sales performance

This study examined the relationship between ear preference, personality, and performance ratings on 203 telesales staff. Social desirability scores were a significant predictor of two relatively independent sets of supervisor ratings (actual performance and developmental potential) in interaction with ear preference. It was found that the social desirability scale was a significant positive predictor for staff preferring a right ear headset, but a negative predictor for staff preferring a left ear headset. These results were interpreted in terms of different strategies used to achieve successful sales.

The genetic and environmental relationship between the interpersonal sensitivity measure (IPSM) and the personality dimensions of Eysenck and Cloninger

A shortened version of the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM) developed to predict depression prone personalities was administered in a self-report questionnaire to a community-based sample of 3269 Australian twin pairs aged 18-28 years, along with Eysenck's EPQ and Cloninger's TPQ. The IPSM included four sub-scales: Separation Anxiety (SEP); Interpersonal Sensitivity (INT); Fragile Inner-Self (FIS); and Timidity (TIM). Univariate analysis revealed that individual differences in the IPSM sub-scale scores were best explained by additive genetic and specific environmental effects. Confirming previous research findings, familial aggregation for the EPQ and TPQ personality dimensions was entirely due to additive genetic effects. In the multivariate case, a model comprising additive genetic and specific environmental effects best explained the covariation between the latent factors for male and female twin pairs alike. The EPQ and TPQ dimensions accounted for moderate to large proportions of the genetic variance (40-76%) in the IPSM sub-scales, while most of the non-shared environment variance was unique to the IPSM sub-scales. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Novel colloidal materials for high-throughput screening applications in drug discovery and genomics

Tracking the reaction history is the means of choice to identify bioactive compounds in large combinatorial libraries. The authors describe two approaches to synthesis on silica beads: a) addition of a reporter dye tag during each synthesis step (see Figure), which attaches itself to the bead by colloidal forces, and b) encapsulating arrays of fluorescent dyes into the beads to encode them uniquely, for recognition with a flow cytometer after each reaction step.

Optical encoding of microbeads for gene screening: alternatives to microarrays

Rapid access to genetic information is central to the revolution presently occurring in the pharmaceutical industry, particularly In relation to novel drug target identification and drug development. Genetic variation, gene expression, gene function and gene structure are just some of the important research areas requiring efficient methods of DNA screening. Here, we highlight state-of-the-art techniques and devices for gene screening that promise cheaper and higher-throughput yields than currently achieved with DNA microarrays. We include an overview of existing and proposed bead-based strategies designed to dramatically increase the number of probes that can be interrogated in one assay. We focus, in particular, on the issue of encoding and/or decoding (bar-coding) large bead-based libraries for HTS.

Molecular cloning and characterization of hNP22: a gene up-regulated in human alcoholic brain

An improved differential display technique was used to search for changes in gene expression in the superior frontal cortex of alcoholics, A cDNA fragment was retrieved and cloned. Further sequence of the cDNA was determined from 5' RACE and screening of a human brain cDNA library. The gene was named hNP22 (human neuronal protein 22). The deduced protein sequence of hNP22 has an estimated molecular mass of 22.4 kDa with a putative calcium-binding site, and phosphorylation sites for casein kinase II and protein kinase C. The deduced amino acid sequence of hNP22 shares homology (from 67% to 42%) with four other proteins, SM22 alpha, calponin, myophilin and mp20. Sequence homology suggests a potential interaction of hNP22 with cytoskeletal elements. hNP22 mRNA was expressed in various brain regions but in alcoholics, greater mRNA expression occurred in the superior frontal cortex, but not in the primary motor cortex or cerebellum. The results suggest that hNP22 may have a role in alcohol-related adaptations and may mediate regulatory signal transduction pathways in neurones.

Postmenopausal Hormone Use, Screening, and Breast Cancer: Characterization and Control of a Bias

Previous investigators have suggested that screening-related biases may explain associations between postmenopausal hormone use and breast cancer. To investigate these biases, we studied postmenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study from 1988 to 1994. Hormone use is associated with increased subsequent screening. Among women not screened in the previous 2 years, the probability difference, comparing current hormone users with others, for having mammography in the following 2 years is 19.5%; among women previously screened, the difference is 4.9%. These differences persist after control for other factors. If the increase in screening is causal, screening by mammogram could be intermediate in the causal pathway to breast cancer diagnosis. To deal with this problem, we restrict attention to a subset of the cohort in which the effect of postmenopausal hormone use on screening is small (women previously screened). In this subset, the rate ratio comparing breast cancer rates among current postmenopausal hormone users with others is 1.28. In a sensitivity analysis, the bias could not by itself plausibly account for the associations in our data. Our data provide evidence of an association between postmenopausal hormone use and breast cancer that is not solely the product of a detection bias.

The effect of high-pass filtering on TEOAE in 2-month-old infants

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of high-pass filtering on TEOAE obtained from 2-month-old infants as a function of filter cut-off frequency, activity states and pass/fail status of infants. Two experiments were performed. In Experiment 1, 100 2-month-old infants (200 ears) in five activity states (asleep, awake but peaceful, sucking a pacifier, feeding, restless) were tested by use of TEOAE technology. Five different filter conditions were applied to the TEOAE responses post hoc. The filter conditions were set at 781 Hz (default setting), 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6 kHz. Results from this experiment showed that TEOAE parameters, such as whole-wave reproducibility (WR) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at 0.8 kHz and 1.6 kHz, changed as a function of the cut-off frequency. The findings suggest that the 1.6 kHz and 1.2 kHz filter conditions are optimal for WR and SNR pass/fail criteria, respectively. Although all infant recordings appeared to benefit from the filtering, infants in the noisy states seemed to benefit the most. In Experiment 2, the high-pass filtering technique was applied to 23 infants (35 ears) who apparently failed the TEOAE tests on initial screening but were subsequently awarded a pass status based on the results from a follow-up auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessment. The findings showed a significant decrease in noise contamination of the TEOAE with a corresponding significant increase in WR. With high-pass filtering at 1.6 kHz, 21/35 ears could be reclassified into the pass category.

Irradiation-induced oral candidiasis in an experimental murine model

The aim of this experiment was to establish a mouse model of irradiation-induced oral candidiasis and to explore the cellular populations and mechanisms by which the infection is cleared from the oral mucosa. BALB/c mice received irradiation to the head and neck equivalent to 800 Rad using a Cobalt 60 gamma source. Both irradiated and non-irradiated mice were infected orally with 1 X 10(8) Candida albicans yeasts. Compared with untreated controls, irradiated animals developed a more severe infection of longer duration, with hyphae penetrating the oral mucosa. Monoclonal antibody depletion of CD4(+) but not CD8(+) T cells from the systemic circulation prolonged the infection in irradiated mice, but not in controls. Supernatants of submandibular and superficial cervical lymph node cultures from irradiated animals demonstrated significantly higher titers of interleukin-12, but similar levels of interferon-gamma compared with controls. Screening for cytokine production by an RNase protection assay detected only macrophage migration inhibition factor in irradiated and non-irradiated oral tissues from day 8 onwards. The results of this study demonstrate a requirement for CD4(+) T cells in the recovery from oral candidiasis induced by head and neck irradiation in mice, and are consistent with a role for Th-1-type cytokines in host resistance.

The validity of an Australian modification of the AUDIT questionnaire

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) has been used widely and is reported to be superior to conventional questionnaires in detection of current hazardous and harmful alcohol use. We assessed the validity of an Australian modification of the AUDIT (the AusAUDIT), which has been employed widely in Australian and New Zealand early intervention programmes. We used a cross-sectional study of 370 subjects from the follow-up phase of a randomized controlled trial of early intervention to reduce hazardous alcohol consumption. Scores on the AusAUDIT were compared against 12-month ICD-10 diagnoses of harmful alcohol use and dependence, as determined by the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and against self-report of alcohol consumption exceeding Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) recommended limits. AusAUDIT had good internal consistency and discriminated significantly between persons meeting criteria for ICD-10 alcohol use disorders, and drinkers who did not. At currently recommended cut-off scores, AusAUDIT detected more than 85% of people meeting criteria for ICD-10 alcohol use disorders, or drinking over NH&MRC recommended limits, but its specificity was limited (29% in men, and 58% in women for drinking over NH&MRC limits). No subset of questions performed as well as the full AusAUDIT in detection of drinking problems, but the alcohol consumption items provided a reasonable screen for drinking over NH&MRC limits. We conclude that AusAUDIT is effective in detecting problematic drinking, but positive cases should be confirmed by clinical assessment. The findings illustrate the need for validation of questionnaire modifications, and the difficulty in increasing test sensitivity without reducing specificity.

Does 'imprinting' with low prenatal vitamin D contribute to the risk of various adult disorders?

Hypovitaminosis D is a candidate risk-modifying factor for a diverse range of disorders apart from rickets and osteoporosis. Based on epidemiology, and on in vitro and animal experiment, vitamin D has been linked to multiple sclerosis, certain cancers (prostate, breast and colorectal), insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and schizophrenia. I hypothesise that low pre- and perinatal vitamin D levels imprint on the functional characteristics of various tissues throughout the body, leaving the affected individual at increased risk of developing a range of adult-onset disorders. The hypothesis draws from recent advances in our understanding of the early origin of adult disease and proposes a 'critical window' during which vitamin D levels may have a persisting impact on adult health outcomes. Methods to test the hypothesis are outlined. If correct, the hypothesis has important implications for public health. Careful attention to maternal vitamin D status could translate into diverse improvements in health outcomes for the following generation. (C) 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

Young patients with colorectal cancer: How do they fare?

Background: Younger patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) have long been thought to have a poorer prognosis than older patients. Recent overseas reports, however, have disputed this. The aim of the present study was to conduct a review of data on patients with colorectal cancer collected over a 29-year period at Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) to ascertain the outcome of a younger subset of patients at this hospital. Methods: The PAH Colorectal Project records on 2495 patients with malignancies of the colon, rectum and anus who were treated and followed since 1971, were analysed to determine clinical presentation, treatment and outcome. A group of 61 patients with colo-rectal adenocarcinoma was identified who were aged less than 40 years at presentation. Their clinical data were then compared with the larger group of older patients. Results: There were 30 male and 31 female patients in the younger group. A positive family history was the most consistent risk factor, present in 34% of patients. Despite this, only one patient out of 61 had been diagnosed as a result of a screening programme. The Australian Clinico-Pathological Stage (ACPS), histology and distribution of tumours corresponded to that of the older patients. The overall 5-year survival among younger patients was 53%. The 5-year survival rates in younger patients were better than that for older patients for ACPS A and B, reaching statistical significance for both of these stages. Conclusions: Our results indicate that younger patients with colorectal cancer have the potential to do just as well as older ones. With the influence of a family history of colorectal cancer being very apparent in this group, greater emphasis should be placed on an adequate screening programme for them.

Advances in the diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency disorders in childhood

Primary immunodeficiency disorders in childhood usually present as unusual, recurrent or severe infections, symptomatic infections with organisms of low pathogenicity, or as recognizable syndromes which are known to have associated immunological abnormalities. In many of the primary immunodeficiency disorders, there are known patterns of inheritance, and other family members may be affected. Some primary immunodeficiency disorders are relatively common, such as selective IgA deficiency, and often do not lead to major morbidity. Others, such as the severe combined immune deficiency syndromes, are relatively rare, and are fatal in early life if not recognized and treated early. Diagnosis of a primary immunodeficiency disorder depends on appropriate use of laboratory investigations. Often there will be abnormalities detected on a complete blood film and measurement of immunoglobulin isotypes. More complex investigations should be undertaken in conjunction with a paediatric immunology service. In recent years, many of the clinically defined primary immunodeficiency disorders have been shown to have associated specific gene defects. For some, this has led to the identification and characterization of defective or absent gene products. The consequences of this new knowledge are more accurate diagnosis, early diagnosis including antenatal diagnosis, detection of undiagnosed disease in other family members, and the potential for new therapies including gene or gene product therapy.