Transdiagnostic clustering of self-schema from self-referential judgements identifies subtypes of healthy personality and depression

Introduction

The heterogeneity of depressive and anxiety disorders complicates clinical management as it may account for differences in trajectory and treatment response. Self-schemas, which can be determined by Self-Referential Judgements (SRJs), are heterogeneous yet stable. SRJs have been used to characterize personality in the general population and shown to be prognostic in depressive and anxiety disorders.

Methods

In this study, we used SRJs from a Self-Referential Encoding Task (SRET) to identify clusters from a clinical sample of 119 patients recruited from the Institute of Mental Health presenting with depressive or anxiety symptoms and a non-clinical sample of 115 healthy adults. The generated clusters were examined in terms of most endorsed words, cross-sample correspondence, association with depressive symptoms and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire and diagnostic category.

Results

We identify a 5-cluster solution in each sample and a 7-cluster solution in the combined sample. When perturbed, metrics such as optimum cluster number, criterion value, likelihood, DBI and CHI remained stable and cluster centers appeared stable when using BIC or ICL as criteria. Top endorsed words in clusters were meaningful across theoretical frameworks from personality, psychodynamic concepts of relatedness and self-definition, and valence in self-referential processing. The clinical clusters were labeled "Neurotic" (C1), "Extraverted" (C2), "Anxious to please" (C3), "Self-critical" (C4), "Conscientious" (C5). The non-clinical clusters were labeled "Self-confident" (N1), "Low endorsement" (N2), "Non-neurotic" (N3), "Neurotic" (N4), "High endorsement" (N5). The combined clusters were labeled "Self-confident" (NC1), "Externalising" (NC2), "Neurotic" (NC3), "Secure" (NC4), "Low endorsement" (NC5), "High endorsement" (NC6), "Self-critical" (NC7). Cluster differences were observed in endorsement of positive and negative words, latency biases, recall biases, depressive symptoms, frequency of depressive disorders and self-criticism.

Discussion

Overall, clusters endorsing more negative words tended to endorse fewer positive words, showed more negative biases in reaction time and negative recall bias, reported more severe depressive symptoms and a higher frequency of depressive disorders and more self-criticism in the clinical population. SRJ-based clustering represents a novel transdiagnostic framework for subgrouping patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms that may support the future translation of the science of self-referential processing, personality and psychodynamic concepts of self-definition to clinical applications.

The influence of socioeconomic status and appearance-reality understanding on pre-schoolers' sharing and generosity

Prosocial behaviour can be defined as any voluntary action that is performed to benefit another individual. Despite accumulating evidence of the importance of environmental variables (e.g., socioeconomic status; SES), and individual characteristics (e.g., theory of mind - ToM - skills), in influencing prosocial behaviours in young children, it is unknown how these factors relate to the underlying motivations for prosocial behaviours. Accordingly, both extrinsically (sharing) and intrinsically (generosity)-guided prosocial behaviours are measured in this study. We explore the influences of SES and ToM skills on young children's sharing behaviour and generosity, while controlling their age, working memory and language skills. Sixty-six 4- to 6 year olds (Mage  = 5.24 years, SD = 0.73) from diverse SES (measured by parental education level) and ethnic backgrounds in Singapore completed tasks assessing the ToM measures of false belief and appearance-reality understanding, working memory, language skills, generosity, and sharing behaviour. The results of hierarchical regression analyses demonstrate that the father's education level and children's appearance-reality understanding were significant predictors of sharing, after controlling for age, working memory, language skills, and the mother's education level. Children's appearance-reality understanding was the sole predictor of children's generosity. Our findings highlight the impact of children's ability to hold different views of reality and their family's education levels on the development of sharing and generosity in early childhood.

Met and Unmet Needs of Cognitively Impaired Older Adults and Burden and Benefits of Their Caregivers

Previous studies typically assess caregiver needs when trying to interpret caregiver burden. We propose that both met and unmet needs of care recipients translate into different caregiving experiences with varying levels of benefits and burden combined. We use data on 263 caregivers of community-dwelling Singaporean older adults with cognitive impairment who participated in a community-based dementia care study conducted in 2018-2020. Our analysis produces three major findings. First, latent class analysis identifies three distinct types of caregiving experience based on caregiver-reported burden and benefits of caregiving: intensive (high burden and high benefits, 11% of caregivers), satisfied (low burden and high benefits; 54%), and dissatisfied (low burden and low benefits; 35%). Second, multinomial logistic regression shows that both met and unmet needs of care recipients are positively associated with the intensive caregiving experience, while only met needs are positively associated with the satisfied caregiving experience, in comparison to dissatisfied caregiving experience. Third, met needs in the areas of daytime activities, memory assistance, and mobility are positively related to the satisfied caregiving experience, compared to the dissatisfied caregiving experience. In other words, caregivers are more likely to be satisfied in their caregiving experiences (i.e., low burden and high benefits) if their care recipients’ problems with memory, mobility, and finding suitable and adequate daytime activities are properly managed. Our findings thus call for interventions to fulfill care recipients’ needs in a more tailored manner in order to increase satisfaction among caregivers.

Prediction of quality attributes and maturity classification of pear fruit using laser imaging and Artificial Neural Network

In this study, the application of laser imaging technique was utilized to predict the quality attributes (firmness and soluble solids content) of pear fruit and to classify the maturity stages of the fruit harvested at different days after full bloom (dafb). Laser imaging system emitting at visible and near infra-red region (532, 660, 785, 830 and 1060 nm) was deployed to capture the images of the fruit. Optical properties (absorption ma and reduced scattering ms ʹ coefficients) at individual and combined wavelengths of the laser images of the fruit were used in the prediction and classifications of the maturity stages. Artificial neural network (ANN) was employed in the building of both prediction and classification models. Root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of crossvalidation (RMSECV), correlation coefficient (r) and bias were used to test the performance of the prediction models while sensitivity and specificity were used to evaluate the classification models. The results showed that there was a very strong correlation between the ma and ms ʹ with pear development. This study had shown that optical properties of pears with ANN as prediction and classification models can be employed to both predict quality parameters of pear and classify pear into different (dafb) non-destructively.

Phytochemical content, antioxidant activity and mineral elements of honey produced by four different species of Malaysian stingless bees

This study investigated the phytochemical composition of honey from four species of Malaysian stingless bee i,e. Tetragonula laeviceps, Geniotrigona thoracica, Lepidotrigona terminata, as well as Heterotrigona itama. The measured phytochemical composition was total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, pH, colour intensity, and mineral element analysis i.e. Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), Zinc (Zn), Potassium (K), and Sodium (Na). The production of honey by the L. terminata had the highest TPC value (6.74±0.57 mg GAE/100 g FW) while the T. laeviceps possesses the highest TFC value (14.85±3.71 mg QE/100 g FW). In the antioxidant activity measurement, honey from the H. itama obtained the highest percentage of 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition (29.52±0.45%) and honey from T. laeviceps displayed the highest value in the Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) analysis (0.95±0.013 abs). The four distinct stingless bee species’ colour intensity demonstrated the variation of colour intensity in the range of 0.09-0.23 abs mAU. All honey obtained the pH values (4.75-5.03) within the acidic medium. Mg is the major mineral element in all honey samples which is followed by Na, Ca, K, and Zn.

Phenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents of local sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas)

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is an annual herb of the family Convolvulaceae and ranked as the world's seventh most important food crop with a major contribution to energy and phytochemical source of nutrition. Three different conditions of sweet potatoes are unpeeled tuber (UPSP), peeled tuber (PSP) and skin of tuber (SSP). The objective of this study is to evaluate the phytochemical availability (total phenolic contents (TPC), total flavonoid contents (TFC) and anthocyanin content) in the different parts of the sweet potato tuber. Folin-Ciocalteau (FC) assay showed that phenolic contents for UPSP (41.14±1.69 mg GAE/100 g dry basis) and PSP (42.24±2.19 mg GAE/100 g dry basis) were significantly (50%) higher than SSP (26.01±2.04 mg GAE/100 g dry basis). In terms of flavonoid content, the highest value was retained in PSP (9.55±0.82 mg quercetin/100 g dry basis) followed by UPSP (3.30±0.19 mg quercetin/100 g dry basis) and SSP (1.43 ± 0.03 mg quercetin/100 g dry basis). PSP (9.43±0.08 mg/100 dry basis) had a higher anthocyanin content compared to UPSP (5.21±0.02 b mg/100 g dry basis) and SSP (5.21±0.02 b mg/100 g dry basis). The phytochemical properties were available in all conditions of the sweet potato. However, PSP was suggested to be the most preferable condition for further processing in the sweet potato industry.

Immobilisation of Cu, Pb and Zn in Scrap Metal Yard Soil Using Selected Waste Materials

Immobilisation of heavy metals in a 30-year old active scrap metal yard soil using three waste materials, namely coconut tree sawdust (CTS), sugarcane bagasse (SB) and eggshell (ES) was investigated. The contaminated soil was amended with amendments at application rates of 0 %, 1 % and 3 % (w/w). The effects of amendments on metal accumulation in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and soil metal bioavailability were studied in a pot experiment. All amendments increased biomass yield and reduced metal accumulation in the plant shoots. The bioconcentration factor and translocation factor values of the metals were in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb. The addition of ES, an alternative source of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), has significantly increased soil pH and resulted in marked reduction in soil metal bioavailability. Therefore, CTS, SB and ES are promising low-cost immobilising agents to restore metal contaminated land.

In vitro differences of hydroxyapatite from different resources in simulated body fluid

Hydroxyapatite (HA; Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), is one of the significant implant materials used in Orthopaedics and Dental applications. However, synthetically produced HA may not be stable under ionic environment, which it will unavoidably encounter during its applications. In this paper, the in vitro effects of three HA materials derived from different resources, i.e. commercial HA (HAC), synthesised HA from pure chemicals (HAS) and synthesised HA from kapur sireh; derived traditionally from natural limestone (HAK), were studied. The HA disc samples were prepared and immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) for 31-day period. The evaluation conducted focuses on the changes of the pH and the Calcium ion (Ca-ion) and Phosphate ion (P-ion) concentrations in the SBF solution, as well as the XRD and SEM data representing the reactions on the HA materials. From the XRD, it was found that HAK has the smallest crystallite sizes, which in turn affect the pH of the SBF during immersion. The Ca and P-ion concentrations generally decrease over time at different rates for different HA. Upon 1-day immersion in SBF, apatite growth was observed onto all three surfaces, which became more pronounced after 3-day immersion. However, the appetites formed were observed to be different in shapes and sizes. The reasons for the difference in the apatite-crystals and their subsequent effects on cells are still being investigated.

Nutritional assessment of rural villages and estates in peninsular Malaysia: Total blood cholesterol values in children, adolescents and adults

The present study is unique in the Malaysian context on two counts; first, it employs for the first time a functional group approach (groups based on occupational or economic activity) in the assessment of community nutritional status. Second, the study provides on a nationwide-sampling basis, information on total blood cholesterol (TC) levels in rural children (7.0-12.9 years; n = 1921) and adolescents (13.0-17.9 years; n = 753) which were hitherto unavailable. Total blood cholesterol measurements were performed on 7184 subjects ranging from 7 to 75-years-old (males = 3151; females = 4033) from households in 69 rural villages and seven estates in peninsular Malaysia, which were based on selected multistage random sampling according to the household's involvement in the following economic activities: rice farming, rubber smallholding, coconut smallholding, fishing and employment in estates. In all functional groups, TC values increased with age and there was a distinct gender effect, namely females had higher TC values than males throughout the age spectrum analyzed. Mean TC levels for children and adolescents were in the range 3.85-4.37 mmol/L, rising markedly during adulthood to an overall mean of 4.91 ± 1.13 mmol/L for men and 5.17 ± 1.11 mmol/L for women. In adults (>= 18.0 years), there was marked disparity in mean TC values among the functional groups; males and females from rice households had the lowest mean TC values (4.58 and 4.99 mmol/L, respectively). Individuals at 'high risk' (TC > 6.20 mmol/L) averaged 16.0% in women and 11.6% in men, with women from the fishing, rubber and coconut households particularly affected (17.1-21.1%). When compared to earlier rural TC data reported for closely similar rural communities in the peninsula, the present findings suggest a 'hypercholesterolemic shift' approximating 0.39 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) in the adult population; however, this was not apparent in the children and adolescents from these rural communities.

Vitamin A Activity of Rice-based Weaning Foods Enriched with Germinated Cowpea Flour, Banana, Pumpkin and Milk Powder

The objective of this study was to identify the effect of different drying methods on vitamin A activity of formulated weaning food. Weaned foods on vitamin A activity of formulated using treated cowpea flour, locally available rice flour, banana-pumpkin, skim milk powder and sugar in the ratio 35:35:15:15:5. Treated cowpea flour consisted of original cowpea flour, 24 h germinated cowpea flour. Each treated flour was mixed separately with the other ingredients and cooked into a slurry. Each mixture was either oven-dried or freeze-dried to produce a dry flaky mixture. The carotenoid composition of the product was determined by HPLC. Vitamin A activity of oven-dried weaning food was significantly reduced (p<0.05) compared to freeze-dried weaning food. The freeze-dried weaning foods showed a higher retinol equivalent than oven-dried weaning foods for all treatments. The results of the study found that an intake of 100 g of freeze-dried weaning foods enriched with banana-pumpkin and cowpea flour provided an adequate amount of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A for infants.

Survey on health status of heavy vehicle drivers in Klang valley

A survey was carried out using a medical examination format that was prepared by the Malaysian Medical Association. The findings of the survey show that of the 266 cases surveyed, 64 drivers (24% of cases surveyed) are either totally unfit to drive or temporarily unfit to drive heavy goods and passenger vehicles. This is clear indication that the current format that is being used by the Road Transport Department is inadequate and needs to be reviewed. It must also be stressed that all the above 64 drivers have been certified fit using the existing Road Transport Department format and are currently driving in our highways and roads. Heavy vehicle goods and passenger vehicle drivers if not properly examined and medically certified are not only be endangering their own lives but also that of others. It is therefore recommended that based on the data available from this survey, the Road Transport Department should seriously consider adopting the medical examination format that was formalised by the Malaysian Medical Association and used in this survey.