The use of the colorimetric Jaffé method for the measurement of creatinine in mouse and rat plasma has been criticized as prior studies have shown a dramatic overestimation. We compared a colorimetric picric acid, an enzymatic, and a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to assess their appropriateness for routine measurements of creatinine in plasma of healthy and diseased mice (n=61) and rats (n=56). For the colorimetric Jaffé method a pronounced overestimation is confirmed. Additionally the method showed interference with hemoglobin already in a very low, non-visible concentration range in rat plasma. The enzymatic measurement demonstrated a hemoglobin interference in mice, only when hemolysis was visible. The comparison between HPLC and the enzymatic measurement gave a good agreement between both methods in both species. Therefore the enzymatic method fulfills the requirements for a routine screening test for plasma creatinine in healthy as well as diseased mice and rats Kiover a broad concentration range.

Impulsivity occupies a prominent place in psychopathology, yet the precise nature of its implication in mental disorders is still poorly understood. This is partly due to inconsistencies among existing conceptualizations and measurements of impulsivity. In an attempt to overcome these inconsistencies, S. P. Whiteside and D. R. Lynam (2001) developed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, which distinguishes four facets of impulsivity: urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. The present study examined the psychometric properties of a German adaptation of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale by administering it to a sample of psychology students. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the responses of 310 native German speaking participants suggested a four-factor solution similar to that found in the original study. Results indicated that these four subscales possess very good internal consistency

BackgroundRegret is an unavoidable corollary of clinical practice. Physicians and nurses perform countless clinical decisions and actions, in a context characterised by time pressure, information overload, complexity and uncertainty.ObjectiveTo explore feelings associated with regretted clinical decisions or interventions of hospital-based physicians and nurses and to examine how these regrets are coped with.MethodQualitative study of a volunteer sample of 12 physicians and 13 nurses from Swiss University Hospitals using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysisResultsAll interviewees reported at least one intense regret, which sometimes led to sleep problems, or taking sickness leave. Respondents also reported an accumulation effect of small and large regrets, which sometimes led to quitting one's unit or choosing another specialty. Respondents used diverse ways of coping with regrets, including changing their practices and seeking support from peers and family but also suppression of thoughts related to the situation and ruminations on the situation. Another coping strategy was acceptance of one's limits and of medicine's limits. Physicians reported that they avoided sharing with close colleagues because they felt they could lose their credibility.ConclusionsSince regret seems related to both positive and negative consequences, it is important to learn more about regret coping among healthcare providers and to determine whether training in coping strategies could help reduce negative consequences such as sleep problems, absenteeism, or turnover.

A consistent body of evidence suggests that excessive cognitive activity at bedtime is a key factor in insomnia. It is generally assumed that sleep-interfering cognitions are affect laden, but still little is known about the precise nature of the affective processes that are involved. The present study sought to explore the role of counterfactual thinking and counterfactual emotions (regret, shame, and guilt) in insomnia as a function of impulsivity. It was hypothesized that when retiring for the night, individuals scoring high on urgency review their rash daytime behavior and are therefore likely to engage in counterfactual thinking and to experience associated feelings of regret, shame, and guilt. A sample of 101 undergraduate students completed three questionnaires: the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Bedtime Counterfactual Processing Questionnaire, and the Insomnia Severity Index. Results indicated that both urgency and counterfactual processing were related to insomnia severity and that the effect of urgency on insomnia was mediated by counterfactual processing. These findings reveal for the first time that impulsivity relates to counterfactual cognitive-affective processing and that this type of processing contributes to sleep disturbances.

The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI; Wegner & Zanakos, 1994) was originally designed to assess people's inclination toward thought suppression. In this article, we provide a detailed review of previous findings on the structure of this instrument and present a study that took a new statistical approach. It involved an exploratory factor analysis of the French WBSI using the weighted least squares mean and variance estimator as well as parametric item response theory analyses. Results clearly supported a 2-factor structure with a "suppression" and an "intrusion" dimension. Follow-up regression analyses revealed that intrusion significantly predicted anxiety and depression scores, whereas suppression did not.