Four studies examined whether pain offset reduces rumination in response to anger or sadness. Past research has demonstrated that, following the offset of pain, individuals show a distinct state of relief involving both reduction in negative affect and an increase in positive affect. This response may help to explain why people sometimes seek out pain and discomfort (e.g., vigorous exercise, self-harm) to regulate negative emotion and suggests that following pain people should recover better from negative emotional states. To test this, we examined ruminative responses to anger and sadness. These negative, approach-related emotions often produce rumination; a response that is generally considered maladaptive. In Study 1, pain was manipulated through a cold pressor task, and participants were induced to experience anger through autobiographical recall. In Study 2, pain was also manipulated pain via a cold pressor task, and anger and sadness were induced through social exclusion using the Cyberball paradigm. In Study 3, pain was manipulated by squeezing exercise handgrips, and sadness was induced with imagery from a sad video. Study 4 replicated the methods of Study 3 and added measures of relief and distraction to examine whether these moderated the effect. A minimeta-analysis showed that, across all studies, individuals engaged in less rumination in the pain conditions as measured by a thought-listing task and a self-reported rumination questionnaire. These results suggest that the regulation of anger and sadness are improved following pain offset.

Background: Drop-out is an important barrier in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with consequences that negatively impact clients, clinicians and mental health services as a whole. Anger is a common experience in people with PTSD and is more prevalent in military veterans. To date, no research has examined if anger may predict drop-out in military veterans or first responders. Aims: The present study aimed to determine the variables that predict drop-out among individuals receiving residential treatment for PTSD. Method: Ninety-five military veterans and first responders completed pre-treatment measures of PTSD symptom severity, depression, anxiety, anger, and demographic variables. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine if these variables predicted drop-out from treatment or patterns of attendance. Results: Female gender was predictive of drop-out. However, when analysed by occupation female gender was predictive of drop-out among first responders and younger age was predictive of drop-out in military participants. Anger, depression, anxiety and PTSD symptom severity were not predictive of drop-out in any of the analyses. No variables were found to predict attendance patterns (consistent or inconsistent) or early versus late drop-out from the programme. Conclusion: These results suggest that although anger is a relevant issue for treating PTSD, other factors may be more pertinent to drop-out, particularly in this sample. In contrast with other findings, female gender was predictive of drop-out in this study. This may indicate that in this sample, there are unique characteristics and possible interacting variables that warrant exploration in future research.

BackgroundProtracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is an endobronchial infection and a the most common cause of chronic wet cough in young children. It is treated with antibiotics, which can only be targeted if the causative organism is known. As most affected children do not expectorate sputum, lower airway samples can only be obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples taken during flexible bronchoscopy (FB-BAL). This is invasive and is therefore reserved for children with severe or relapsing cases. Most children with PBB are treated empirically with broad spectrum antibiotics. CLASSIC PBB will compare the pathogen yield from two less invasive strategies with that from FB-BAL to see if they are comparable.Methods131 children with PBB from four UK centres referred FB-BAL will be recruited. When attending for FB-BAL, they will have a cough swab and an induced sputum sample obtained. The primary outcome will be the discordance of the pathogen yield from the cough swab and the induced sputum when compared with FB-BAL. Secondary outcomes will be the sensitivity of each sampling strategy, the success rate of the induced sputum in producing a usable sample and the tolerability of each of the three sampling strategies.DiscussionIf either or both of the two less invasive airway sampling strategies are shown to be a useful alternative to FB-BAL, this will lead to more children with PBB having lower airway samples enabling targeted antibiotic prescribing. It would also reduce the need for FB, which is known to be burdensome for children and their families.Trial registration numberISRCTN79883982.

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The theme of this conference is the provision of necessary information for the industrialist, the technologist, and for the business man generally. Of the importance, the vital importance, of this subject there will be no question to‐day. In the halcyon conditions of the pre‐war world our supposedly characteristic British methods in industry and commerce were perhaps sufficient. Some conscious pride in the superior quality and finish of our products, and the comfortable wealth forthcoming from our overseas investments, permitted a relatively careless enjoyment by a creditor nation of a seller's market. In the very different circumstances in which, as a nation, we find ourselves to‐day, our erstwhile light‐hearted inattention to research, methods, and markets can only lead to disaster, to our complete financial, political, and social ruin. To say this is, of course, to state what is generally known and agreed; however much the unpalatable truth of it may be evaded by ostrich‐like and fact‐cushioning gratulations upon targets achieved or quotas exceeded. Government admonitions, the directives issued by production boards and working parties, the publications of manufacturing and trade associations—these all stress the importance of factual information and emphasize the absolute necessity of studying the possibilities of new methods, and their application in improving the quality and the design of our industrial products, reducing their costs, and generally increasing their attractiveness to potential customers.