Psychometric properties of the 52-, 25-, and 10-item English and Spanish versions of the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised.

Objective: The Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) is a widely used instrument to assess problem-solving ability. This study examined the factor structure of the 52-, 25-, and 10-item versions of the SPSI-R and assessed factorial invariance across English- and Spanish-speaking participants. In addition, the internal consistency, test-retest reliability and sensitivity to detect change in problem-solving skills over time were assessed across the three different versions of the SPSI-R.

Occurrences of Threatened Species included in the Third Edition of the Red Data Book of the Komi Republic (Russia).

Background: The purpose of the data paper was to introduce into scientific literature the results of scientific work carried out for the third edition of the 'Red Data Book of the Komi Republic'. The article reflects methodological approaches to the formation of a list of rare and in need of protection species and describes the corresponding datasets published in GBIF.

New Information: Information about 7,187 occurrences of 438 rare species and infraspecies included in the third edition of the 'Red Data Book of the Komi Republic' have been published.

Responsivity to Problem-Solving Skills Training in Mothers of Children With Cancer.

Objective: Bright IDEAS (BI) is a problem-solving skills training (PSST) program that has been demonstrated in earlier randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to be an effective and specific intervention for improving problem-solving skills and reducing negative affect in caregivers of children with cancer. The objectives of this study were to (a) offer an approach to defining meaningful treatment response and to determine the rates of responsivity to PSST; and (b) identify characteristics of PSST responders and nonresponders.

Methods: Data from 154 mothers receiving the BI intervention were analyzed.

In-person vs. web-based administration of a problem-solving skills intervention for parents of children with cancer: Report of a randomized noninferiority trial.

Background: Bright IDEAS (BI) problem-solving skills training is an evidence-based intervention designed to help parents manage the demands of caring for a child with cancer. However, the resource intensiveness of this in-person intervention has limited its widespread delivery. We conducted a multicenter, randomized trial with a noninferiority design to evaluate whether a web-based version of BI requiring fewer resources is noninferior to in-person administration.

Internal and External Resources and the Adjustment of Parents of Premature Infants.

Studies have shown premature birth and infant hospitalization to be associated with increased levels of parental distress. Internal and external psychological resources have been found to mitigate distress among persons coping with stressful medical events. The current study evaluated psychological resources and distress in 87 parents (57 mothers and 30 fathers) to whom an infant was born prematurely and hospitalized in the NICU of a large tertiary medical center.

Incidence and Clinical Features of Panic Related Posttraumatic Stress.

The current study assessed the incidence and associated features of posttraumatic stress after the experience of panic. One hundred seventy-eight participants meeting diagnostic criteria for panic attacks (PAs) were assessed using standardized measures of posttraumatic symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in specific reference to their experience of panic. Sixty-three (35.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the Pediatric Parenting Stress Inventory (PPSI).

Objective: This work evaluated the psychometric properties of the Pediatric Parenting Stress Inventory (PPSI), a new measure of problems and distress experienced by parents of children with chronic illnesses.

Method: This secondary data analysis used baseline data from 1 sample of English-, Spanish-, and Hebrew-speaking mothers of children recently diagnosed with cancer (n = 449) and 1 sample of English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of children recently diagnosed with cancer (n = 399) who participated in 2 problem-solving skills training interventions. The PPSI was administered at baseline with other measures of maternal distress.

Specificity of problem-solving skills training in mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer: results of a multisite randomized clinical trial.

Purpose: Diagnosis of cancer in a child can be extremely stressful for parents. Bright IDEAS, a problem-solving skills training (PSST) intervention, has been shown to decrease negative affectivity (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms) in mothers of newly diagnosed patients. This study was designed to determine the specificity of PSST by examining its direct and indirect (eg, social support) effects compared with a nondirective support (NDS) intervention.

Stable reconstruction of piecewise continuous plane stratified biological tissues via electrical impedance tomography.

Image reconstruction in electrical impedance tomography is, generally, an ill-posed nonlinear inverse problem. Regularization methods are widely used to ensure a stable solution. Herein, we present a case study, which uses a novel electrical impedance tomography method for reconstruction of layered biological tissues with piecewise continuous plane-stratified profiles.

Chemokine receptor-derived peptides as multi-target drug leads for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

The rationale for multi-target drugs has been strengthened both on theoretical and empirical grounds. Serious diseases that are intractable to treatment were found to have multiple pathogenic factors and examples of successful drugs were shown to affect multiple disease targets. The salient features of multiple-target drugs, low target affinity and rapid binding kinetics, have been responsible for their late discovery and slow development.

Qualitative analysis of the role of culture in coping themes of Latina and European American mothers of children with cancer.

It has been well established that mothers of children diagnosed with cancer experience high levels of distress. Latina mothers may be at risk for higher levels of distress related to language barriers, cultural factors, and economic, immigration, and acculturation stressors. Despite the increasing US Latino population, few studies have examined the role of culture within pediatric oncology, including how mothers cope with their child's cancer.

Problem solving and maternal distress at the time of a child's diagnosis of cancer in two-parent versus lone-parent households.

Objective: To examine negative affectivity and problem-solving abilities for lone mothers and those who are married/partnered subsequent to a child's diagnosis with cancer.

Methods: Negative affectivity and problem-solving strategies were assessed for 464 mothers (87 lone and 377 married/partnered) within 2-16 weeks of their child's diagnosis with cancer.

Results: The two groups of mothers did not differ significantly on measures of perceived posttraumatic stress or problem-solving; lone mothers reported significantly more symptoms of depression.

Report from a multi-institutional randomized clinical trial examining computer-assisted problem-solving skills training for English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of children with newly diagnosed cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA)-based supplement for maternal Problem-Solving Skills Training (PSST) and to explore Spanish-speaking mothers' experiences with it.

Methods: Mothers (n = 197) of children with newly diagnosed cancer were randomized to traditional PSST or PSST + PDA 8-week programs. Participants completed the Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Profile of Mood States, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised pre-, post-treatment, and 3 months after completion of the intervention.

Electrical impedance tomography method for reconstruction of biological tissues with continuous plane-stratification.

A novel electrical impedance tomography method is introduced for reconstruction of layered biological tissues with continuous plane-stratification. The algorithm implements the recently proposed reconstruction scheme for piecewise constant conductivity profiles, based on an improved Prony method in conjunction with Legendre polynomial expansion (LPE). It is shown that the proposed algorithm is capable of successfully reconstructing continuous conductivity profiles with moderate (WKB) slop.

Trajectories of adjustment in mothers of children with newly diagnosed cancer: a natural history investigation.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were (a) to assess negative affectivity and posttraumatic symptomatology in mothers following the diagnosis of cancer in their children; (b) to examine sociodemographic and psychosocial variables associated with change in distress over time; and (c) to identify distinct subgroups of mothers whose patterns and trajectories of adjustment can be distinguished according to available predictor data.

Methods: Two hundred and twelve mothers at seven sites were assessed just following their child's diagnosis, and again 3 months and 6 months later. Primary outcomes included measures of mood disturbance, depressive symptoms, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress.

WKB quasistatic reconstruction of layered biological tissues.

A novel electrical impedance tomography method is introduced for reconstruction of layered biological tissues. The method utilizes a recently proposed image series expansion scheme in conjunction with the WKB approximation. This results in a locality feature, assigning analytically to each image term a local impedance associated with a unique layer, and thus leading to efficient and accurate reconstruction procedures.

Reconstruction of layered biological tissues via electrical impedance tomography.

The reconstruction of layered biological tissues, via electrical impedance tomography, is carried out by utilizing two alternative linear transformations, namely, Legendre polynomial expansion and Fourier Bessel transform. Both transformations are performed on a recently proposed image series expansion scheme in conjunction with the WKB approximation. The resultant spectrum posses a crucially important locality feature, assigning analytically to each spectral image term a local impedance associated with a unique layer, and thereby leading to efficient and accurate novel reconstruction procedures.

Using problem-solving skills training to reduce negative affectivity in mothers of children with newly diagnosed cancer: report of a multisite randomized trial.

Mothers of children with cancer experience significant distress associated with their children's diagnosis and treatment. The efficacy of problem-solving skills training (PSST), a cognitive-behavioral intervention based on problem-solving therapy, was assessed among 430 English- and Spanish-speaking mothers of recently diagnosed patients. Participants were randomized to usual psychosocial care (UPC; n=213) or UPC plus 8 sessions of PSST (PSST; n=217).

Image series expansion for electrical impedance tomography.

A novel electrical impedance tomography method is introduced for reconstruction of layered biological tissues. The method utilizes a recently proposed image series expansion scheme in conjunction with the WKB approximation. This results in a locality feature, assigning analytically to each image term a local impedance associated with a unique layer, and thus leading to linear, efficient, and accurate reconstruction procedures.

Problem-solving skills training for mothers of children with newly diagnosed cancer: a randomized trial.

Mothers of children with serious illnesses have lower levels of well-being than mothers in the general population. Problem-solving therapy (PST), a cognitive-behavioral intervention, has been shown to be effective in treating negative affectivity (depression, anxiety) and other manifestations of reduced well-being. This report describes a problem-solving skills training (PSST) intervention, based on problem-solving therapy, for mothers of newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients.

Quality of life in adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Sixty-four adult survivors of childhood cancer, recruited via Israel's largest pediatric cancer treatment center, participated in a multi-dimensional assessment of long-term adjustment and quality of life in the domains of educational achievement, employment status, military service, family status, health, and psychological well-being. Subjects had been diagnosed with cancer prior to age 18, were three years or more off therapy with no evidence of disease, and over 18 years old at the time of the study. Data from structured interviews were compared to responses on similar items from a control group with no history of serious illness during childhood, matched for age, sex, and parental education levels.

Sibling Adaptation to Childhood Cancer Collaborative Study: the association of sibling adaptation with maternal well-being, physical health, and resource use.

This multi-institutional study investigated the association of behavioral/emotional adaptation among siblings of children with cancer with maternal general well-being, physical health, and resource use. One hundred seventy siblings and mothers completed standardized interviews and self-report measures 6 to 42 months after the cancer was diagnosed. As a group, mothers of children with cancer reported significantly lower levels of well-being than matched controls.

Sibling adaptation to childhood cancer collaborative study: health outcomes of siblings of children with cancer.

Objective: This seven-site study examined the overall health status, healthcare utilization, somatization, and health-risk behaviors of siblings of children with cancer compared to these factors in matched controls or normative data. The study also examined whether informants (i.e.

Family functioning predictors of adjustment in children with newly diagnosed cancer: a prospective analysis.

Theoretically-driven investigations on the potentially modifiable predictors of individual differences among newly-diagnosed pediatric cancer patients may facilitate the identification of children at risk for adjustment problems. Within a risk and resistance conceptual model, family functioning was investigated concurrently and prospectively as a predictor of adjustment in newly-diagnosed pediatric cancer patients at Time 1 (within 1 month after diagnosis), Time 2 (6 months postdiagnosis), and Time 3 (9 months postdiagnosis). The family relationship dimensions of cohesion and expressiveness most consistently predicted the psychological and social adjustment of children with newly-diagnosed cancer over a 9-month period after initial diagnosis.