University of Rijeka

About: University of Rijeka is a education organization based out in Rijeka, Croatia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Tourism. The organization has 3471 authors who have published 7993 publications receiving 110386 citations. The organization is also known as: Rijeka University & Sveučilište u Rijeci.

A Super-Jupiter Orbiting A Late-Type Star: A Refined Analysis of Microlensing Event OGLE-2012-BLG-0406

Abstract: We present a detailed analysis of survey and follow-up observations of microlensing event OGLE-2012-BLG-0406 based on data obtained from 10 different observatories. Intensive coverage of the light curve, especially the perturbation part, allowed us to accurately measure the parallax effect and lens orbital motion. Combining our measurement of the lens parallax with the angular Einstein radius determined from finite-source effects, we estimate the physical parameters of the lens system. We find that the event was caused by a 2.73 ± 0.43 M J planet orbiting a 0.44 ± 0.07 M ☉ early M-type star. The distance to the lens is 4.97 ± 0.29 kpc and the projected separation between the host star and its planet at the time of the event is 3.45 ± 0.26 AU. We find that the additional coverage provided by follow-up observations, especially during the planetary perturbation, leads to a more accurate determination of the physical parameters of the lens.

Five-factor Personality Dimensions and 3 Health- related Personality Constructs as Predictors of Health

Abstract: Aim To examine how 5-factor personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness) and 3 higher-order health-related personality constructs (negative experience, optimistic control, and passivity) are related to self-reports of subjective health outcomes (positive and negative mood, physical symptoms, and general health concern) and objective health conditions (chronic illnesses, serious illnesses, and physical injuries). Methods The study was carried out on a sample of 822 healthy volunteers (438 women and 384 men, from 18 to 84 years). Data were analyzed by hierarchical regression analyses for measures of subjective health outcomes used as criterion variables and binary logistic regression analyses for objective health conditions used as criterion variables. Results Three health-related personality constructs significantly predicted all subjective health measures above and beyond 5-factor personality dimensions. Out of the 5-factor personality dimensions, neuroticism was most consistently related to worse subjective health outcomes, while out of 3 health-related personality constructs, negative experience was related to worse and optimistic control to better subjective health outcomes. When objective health conditions were taken into account as criterion variables, both sets of variables were relatively weak predictors. Only 5-factor personality traits as a group of variables significantly predicted chronic illnesses (χ25 = 15.06; P = 0.012; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.032). Only neuroticism significantly predicted the presence of chronic illnesses (odds ratio [OR], 1.091; 95.0% confidence interval [CI], 1.040-1.144), whereas only optimistic control was related to more frequent physical injuries caused by accidents (OR, 1.285; 95.0% CI, 1.002-1.648). Conclusion Five-factor personality traits and 3 health-related personality constructs may be useful factors in a multidisciplinary approach to understanding personality-health relationship. To explain why certain people are healthier than others, a wide variety of personality concepts and their relationships to health outcomes have been studied (1,2). However, the studies examining personality-health relationship are constrained by several problems. First, they frequently analyze only a single or a few narrow personality traits at a time (3). Also, most of them use apparently similar personality traits judging by their item contents (eg, hope and optimism, generalized self-efficacy, and generalized expectancy for success), although they are supposed to represent unique health-related personality concepts (2). However, the majority of studies often do not take into account possible relations between them, which puts the usefulness of these measures in question (4). Also, because many studies confirm that some health-related personality traits conceptually overlap (2), it is difficult to determine whether they independently or interactively exert effects on health outcomes (5,6). There are some suggestions that the 5-factor model of personality has the advantage over narrower personality traits in studying the relationships between individual differences and health (7). The 5-factor model includes broad personality traits of extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Extraversion encompasses more specific traits such as talkativeness, energy, and assertiveness; agreeableness includes sympathy, kindness, and affection; conscientiousness includes organization, thoroughness, and ability to make plans; neuroticism includes tension, moodiness, and anxiety; while openness consists of traits like having wide interests and being imaginative and insightful. Since each of the 5-factor personality traits are considered as an adaptive set of traits (8), they are supposed to be related to health outcomes. Also, one of the main arguments for this position is that the use of fewer but broader personality dimensions is both convenient and economical (9), and that 5-factor model could bring order to many constructs and scales, as well as to help in identifying smaller number of traits that influence health individually or in interactive combinations (10). Research confirms that each of the 5 personality traits has an impact on various health-related outcomes (1,11-15). The main mechanisms underlying their connections to health outcomes include their influence on health-related behaviors, symptoms reporting, exposure and reactivity to stressful situations, seeking social support, etc (1,13). However, because broad personality traits and health-related outcomes are typically weakly related, the excessive use of the hierarchically higher personality dimensions in the studies examining personality and health is sometimes questioned (16,17). Also, research focused upon personality-health relationship has a long tradition apart from the use of 5-factor personality traits. The 5-factor model of personality at a broad level of abstraction captures the commonalities among most of the existing systems of personality traits, thus providing an integrative descriptive model for research (18). As already mentioned, numerous more narrowly defined personality traits were examined as predictors of various health outcomes. However, the origin of these traits is different than of those found in the 5-factor model, ie, they are constructed specifically for studying personality under stress and its relations to various health outcomes. Having in mind some problems of the frequently used narrower health-related personality traits, several studies used a sample of various health-specific personality scales in order to derive broader dimensions that would not overlap with 5-factor personality dimensions (2,19). The study analyzing a representative set of health-related personality scales drawn from research reviews of personality constructs implicated in physical health and well-being shows that health-related personality scales are moderately related with the 5-factor personality traits and also that they form 3 higher-order factors named optimistic control (eg, hopelessness, self-esteem, and optimism), anger expression (eg, anger, anger out, anger control), and inhibition (eg, anger in and introspection) (2). Most health-relevant personality dimensions appear to be complex mixtures of broad personality dimensions, especially extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, while they are much less related to conscientiousness and openness. A study on a somewhat different sample of health-specific personality dimensions (20) found 3 similar higher-order factors named negative experience (comprising narrower traits of, eg, hostility, type A behavior, anxiety), optimistic control (eg, self-efficacy, hardiness-control, optimism), and passivity (eg, locus of control – powerful others and chance). To our knowledge, there is no research which compared broad 5-factor personality traits and higher-order health-related personality constructs derived from narrower personality traits relevant to health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of 5-factor personality traits and 3 health-related higher-order personality constructs – negative experience, optimistic control, and passivity to health outcomes. According to the multidimensional conceptualization of health, 2 components of health status were used as criterion variables: self-reports of mental and physical health (positive and negative mood, physical symptoms, and general health concerns) and the presence of objective health conditions (presence of chronic illness, serious illness, or injuries caused by accidents).

Character Strengths and Well-Being: Are There Gender Differences?

Abstract: This study investigated possible gender differences in the relationship between character strengths and life satisfaction. Two questionnaires were administered to 818 students (488 females and 330 males), Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) (Peterson & Seligman, Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification, 2004) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, Journal of Personality Assessment 49 (1):71–75, 1985). Zest, hope, and gratitude had the strongest link to life satisfaction. Women and men differed significantly in ten character strengths, but they did not differ in their life satisfaction. Five highest-weighted strengths for women were integrity, kindness, love, gratitude, and fairness, while men weighed highest the strengths of integrity, hope, humor, gratitude, and curiosity. Significant predictors of life satisfaction are also different. For women, life satisfaction was predicted by zest, gratitude, hope, appreciation of beauty, and love, whereas men’s life satisfaction was predicted by creativity, perspective, fairness, and humor. These findings seem to be partly congruent with gender stereotypes. Life satisfaction entails living in accordance with the strengths especially valued in the culture.

Insight in psychotherapy

Abstract: The same as with many other psychoanalytic constructs, it took a long time to theoretically conceptualize "insight". Throughout decades, psychoanalysts and psychotherapists of various techniques, observed and detail discussed transcripts of sessions so to get an insight into what leads to a change in structure of patients during psychotherapeutic treatment. In this article, authors attempted to integrate all developmental achievements on insight in psychoanalytic literature and further on. It is apparent that there are numerous models which contribute to a change in structure of a patient. Additionally, an outline of few situations was given, as a part of therapeutic process which contributes to insight. The aim of this article is to give readers insight into how there is more than one process which leads to insight; it is a complex work and various methods can be used, by using conscious and unconscious ways to help patient achieve liberation from difficulties for which they seek help.

Decidual Interleukin-22-Producing CD4+ T Cells (Th17/Th0/IL-22+ and Th17/Th2/IL-22+, Th2/IL-22+, Th0/IL-22+), Which Also Produce IL-4, Are Involved in the Success of Pregnancy.

Abstract: Trophoblast expressing paternal HLA-C resembles a semiallograft, and could be rejected by maternal T cells. IL-22 seems to be involved in allograft rejection and thus could be responsible for miscarriages. We examined the role of decidual IL-22-producing CD4+ T on human pregnancy. In those experiencing successful pregnancy and those experiencing unexplained recurrent abortion (URA), the levels of IL-22 produced by decidual CD4+ T cells are higher than those of peripheral blood T cells. We found a correlation of IL-22 and IL-4 produced by decidual CD4+ T cells in those experiencing successful pregnancy, not in those experiencing URA. The correlation of IL-22 and IL-4 was also found in the serum of successful pregnancy. A prevalence of CD4+ T cells producing IL-22 and IL-4 (Th17/Th2/IL-22+, Th17/Th0/IL-22+, Th17/Th2/IL-22+, and Th0/IL-22+ cells) was observed in decidua of those experiencing successful pregnancy, whereas Th17/Th1/IL-22+ cells, which do not produce IL-4, are prevalent in those experiencing URA. Th17/Th2/IL-22+ and Th17/Th0/IL-22+ cells are exclusively present at the embryo implantation site where IL-4, GATA-3, IL-17A, ROR-C, IL-22, and AHR mRNA are expressed. T-bet and IFN-γ mRNA are found away from the implantation site. There is no pathogenic role of IL-22 when IL-4 is also produced by decidual CD4+ cells. Th17/Th2/IL-22+ and Th17/Th0/IL-22+ cells seem to be crucial for embryo implantation.