Intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation: A meta-analytic and systematic review

Intolerance of uncertainty, a transdiagnostic factor manifested across emotional disorders, has been associated with difficulties in regulating emotions. This meta-analysis addresses the lack of synthesis of this relationship. PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest were systematically searched for relevant articles published up to and during November 2022. We combined 161 effect sizes from 91 studies (N = 30,239), separating the analysis into maladaptive and adaptive emotion regulation strategies and their association with intolerance of uncertainty. We found a moderate positive relationship between maladaptive, and a moderate inverse relationship between adaptive emotion regulation and intolerance of uncertainty. Analysing the magnitude of relationships revealed that cognitive avoidance and mindfulness were the maladaptive and adaptive strategies respectively which had the largest effect sizes and thus strongest relationships with intolerance of uncertainty. Combining all strategies, cognitive avoidance remained the largest effect size, while expressive suppression had the smallest effect size and was non-significant in its relationship. Further analyses testing study sample, design, and age as moderators found no significant moderator for the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and emotion regulation strategies. These findings have implications for future intolerance of uncertainty interventions, with emotion regulation as a potential target of change.

Marine mammals used as bait for improvised fish aggregating devices in marine waters of Ecuador, eastern tropical Pacific

Fish aggregating devices (FADs) are floating objects typically used to attract and capture pelagic fish in industrial tuna fisheries. This study documents 9 cases, involving 31 marine mammals, of incidentally captured, killed or otherwise retrieved cetaceans and pinnipeds which were used, or presumably used, as bait for improvised fish aggregation devices (IFAD) by artisanal fishers in coastal Ecuador. At least 3 species of small cetaceans were affected, including pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, short-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata and an unidentified small delphinid, as well as South American sea lions Otaria byronia which were reportedly killed on purpose for this fishing practice. A sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus and a humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae were presumably found floating at sea and opportunistically exploited as FADs. The South American sea lion represented 80.6% of marine mammals used as bait associated with FADs (25 sea lions out of 31 marine mammals), while the remaining 5 (possibly 6) cetacean species represented 19.4%. This is the first report of baited FADs in Ecuador, the extent of which is still unknown. This fishing technique has not been documented in other nations along the west coast of South America, although baiting of gillnets with marine mammal parts is common in Peru. Without fisheries management and regulation, this illegal fishing practice could rapidly expand and lead to further direct kills and conservation problems for targeted marine mammal populations in the eastern tropical Pacific. A bottom-up fisheries policy in concert with community-based conservation to ban the use of marine mammals as FAD bait is recommended.

Epstein-Barr virus-specific CD8(+) T lymphocytes from diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients are functionally impaired

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a persistent virus with oncogenic capacity that has been implicated in the development of aggressive B cell lymphomas, primarily in immunosuppressed individuals, although it can be present in immunocompetent individuals. Changes in the function and clonal diversity of T lymphocytes might be implied by viral persistence and lymphoma development. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency, phenotype, function and clonotypical distribution of EBV-specific T cells after peripheral blood stimulation with a virus lysate in newly diagnosed patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) aged more than 50 years without prior histories of clinical immunosuppression compared with healthy controls. Our results showed impaired EBV-specific immune responses among DLBCL patients that were associated primarily with decreased numbers of central and effector memory CD8(+) T lymphocytes. In contrast to healthy controls, only a minority of the patients showed CD4(+)/tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α(+) T cells expressing T cell receptor (TCR)-Vβ17 and CD8(+)/TNF-α(+) T cells with TCR-Vβ5·2, Vβ9 and Vβ18 in response to EBV. Notably, the production of TNF-α was undetectable among TCR-Vβ5·3(+), Vβ11(+), Vβ12(+), Vβ16(+) and Vβ23(+) CD8(+) T cells. In addition, we observed decreased numbers of CD4(+)/TNF-α(+) and CD8(+)/TNF-α(+), CD8(+)/interleukin (IL)-2(+) and CD8(+)/TNF-α(+)/IL-2(+) T lymphocytes in the absence of T cells capable of producing TNF-α, IL-2 and IFN-γ after EBV stimulation simultaneously. Moreover, DLBCL patients displayed higher IL-10 levels both under baseline conditions and after EBV stimulation. These findings were also observed in patients with positive EBV viral loads. Prospective studies including a large number of patients are needed to confirm these findings.

["Nervous breakdown": a diagnostic characterization study]

An evaluation was made of the influence of different psychiatric co-morbidities on the symptoms of the disorder popularly known as "ataque de nervios" (nervous breakdown) among the US Hispanic population. Using a self-completed instrument designed specially for both traditional nervous breakdown and for panic symptoms, and structured or semi-structured psychiatric interviews for Axis I disorders, and evaluation was made of Hispanic subjects who sought treatment for anxiety in a clinic (n = 156). This study centered on 102 subjects who presented symptoms of "nervous breakdown" and comorbidity with panic disorder, other anxiety disorders, or affective disorder. Variations in co-morbidity with "nervous breakdown" enabled the identification of different patterns of "nervous breakdown" presenting symptoms. Individuals with "nervous breakdown" and panic disorder characteristically expressed a greater sense of asphyxiation, fear of dying, and growing fear (panic-like) during their breakdowns. Subjects with "nervous breakdown" and affective disorder had a greater sensation of anger and more tendency toward screaming and aggressive behavior such as breaking things during the breakdown (emotional anger). Finally, subjects with "nervous breakdown" and co-morbidity with another anxiety disorder had fewer "paniclike" or "emotional anger" symptoms. These findings suggest that: a) the widely used term "nervous breakdown" is a popular label for different patterns of loss of emotional control; b) the type of loss of emotional control is influenced by the associated psychiatric disorder; and c) the symptoms characteristics of the "nervous breakdown" can be useful clinical markers for associated psychiatric disorders. Future research is needed to determine whether the known Hispanic entity "ataque de nervios" is simply a popular description for different aspects of well-known psychiatric disorders, or if it reflects specific demographic, environmental, personality and/or clinical characteristics of the population.