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Defense mechanisms and adjustment in normal adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared self-perception of defense patterns with objective and independent ratings of general adjustment in normal adolescents. METHOD: Self-perception of defense utilization by 140 high school students was measured by an adolescent version of Bond's Defense Style Questionnaire. The DSM-III-R Global Assessment of Functioning Scale was used by clinicians in determining general adjustment. RESULTS: Defense style and adjustment were significantly related; greater maturity of defense style was associated with better global adjustment, and conversely, greater immaturity of defense style was associated with a lower level of functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents' self-perceived defense patterns have conscious correlates associated with general adjustment. This study extends the validity of the defense mechanism paradigm to the adolescent age group.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Effectiveness of training programmes for prepubescent children.

Early investigators suggested that endurance training had little influence upon the aerobic function of the prepubescent child. It is shown that the twin explanations of this supposed phenomenon (a high intrinsic level of physical activity and an immaturity of biochemical systems) have little foundation. Moreover, critical examination of the original experiments shows a number of problems of experimental design, often including an inadequate sample size, a lack of control group, an inappropriate pattern of training relative to the initial fitness of the child, and too short a period of observation. Recent, well-designed studies all show a response in prepubescent children. Comparison with adults is hampered by difficulties in matching training intensity, but there is no immediate evidence that the training response of the prepubescent child is less than in an older person. The main basis for the increase of oxygen transport seems an increase of cardiac stroke volume. Plainly, the development of athletic performance and the attack upon cardiac risk factors can be begun before puberty, although in the average prepubescent it may be more important for the school programmes to develop positive, lifelong attitudes, than to maximise aerobic function.

Age Factors↗

The evolution of eusociality: Reproductive head starts of workers.

In eusocial species, many individuals forego their personal reproduction to aid the reproduction of their mother or other relatives. Kin selection can favor such behavior for any positive degree of relatedness to the individuals being helped, provided the helper gives them a sufficiently large fitness gain compared to the fitness cost of giving up its own reproduction. Yet, little attention has been given to the question of how helpers can aid relatives more than they can aid themselves, particularly in species lacking morphologically specialized castes. One answer to this question is explored here. When a potential helper is born into a colony that has immature young, its help may quickly bring those young to the age of independence. If it left to reproduce alone, it would have to bring its own offspring all the way to independence. The consequences of early mortality therefore differ: solitary reproducers that die early will fail to bring any young to independence, while helpers that die at the same age may have made substantial contributions. Published data from four polistine wasps show that high adult mortality rates and long periods of offspring dependence combine to provide a large selective advantage for worker behavior.

Journal Article↗

Elimination of dengue by community programs using Mesocyclops(Copepoda) against Aedes aegypti in central Vietnam.

From September 2000 to June 2003, a community-based program for dengue control using local predacious copepods of the genus Mesocyclops was conducted in three rural communes in the central Vietnam provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Khanh Hoa. Post-project, three subsequent entomologic surveys were conducted until March 2004. The number of households and residents in the communes were 5,913 and 27,167, respectively, and dengue notification rates for these communes from 1996 were as high as 2,418.5 per 100,000 persons. Following knowledge, attitude, and practice evaluations, surveys of water storage containers indicated that Mesocyclops spp. already occurred in 3-17% and that large tanks up to 2,000 liters, 130-300-liter jars, wells, and some 220-liter metal drums were the most productive habitats for Aedes aegypti. With technical support, the programs were driven by communal management committees, health collaborators, schoolteachers, and pupils. From quantitative estimates of the standing crop of third and fourth instars from 100 households, Ae. aegypti were reduced by approximately 90% by year 1, 92.3-98.6% by year 2, and Ae. aegypti immature forms had been eliminated from two of three communes by June 2003. Similarly, from resting adult collections from 100 households, densities were reduced to 0-1 per commune. By March 2004, two communes with no larvae had small numbers but the third was negative; one adult was collected in each of two communes while one became negative. Absolute estimates of third and fourth instars at the three intervention communes and one left untreated had significant correlations (P = 0.009-< 0.001) with numbers of adults aspirated from inside houses on each of 15 survey periods. By year 1, the incidence of dengue disease in the treated communes was reduced by 76.7% compared with non-intervention communes within the same districts, and no dengue was evident in 2002 and 2003, compared with 112.8 and 14.4 cases per 100,000 at district level. Since we had similar success in northern Vietnam from 1998 to 2000, this study demonstrates that this control model is broadly acceptable and achievable at community level but vigilance is required post-project to prevent reinfestation.

Aedes↗

[Sequence of vascular closing mechanisms beginning post partum].

Ductus arteriosus, ductus venosus and umbilical vessels were studied in a group of 120 children deceased in perinatal period and 30 persons deceased at the age of 1 month till 90 years. Time sequence of evident morphological closing of vessels was analyzed. A contraction of media and proliferation of intima finished at the end of the 1st month were found in all of them except in ductus arteriosus where it finished at the end of the 3rd month. Dystrophic changes of proliferating structures were found in following months. Closing of ductus arteriosus started in an antenatal phase by pillow-like proliferation of intima. A primary thrombosis closing the vessels was extremely rare. There was not any difference between immature and hypotrophic or mature and eutrophic neonates.

Adolescent↗

Psychometric testing as a basis for counseling patients choosing a method of contraception. A retrospective survey.

To investigate the merits of using psychometric testing as a predictive adjunct to counseling patients in the choice of a contraceptive method, 134 family-planning patients using an oral contraceptive for one year or longer completed the Neuroticism Scale Questionnaire. Clinic records of these patients were examined to determine consistency of contraceptive usage. Patients who were inconsistent in contraceptive usage scored significantly higher on the anxiety and emotional immaturity for inconsistent users. Results of this study provided support for the findings of two similar studies but failed to provide support for others. However, the over-all predictive ability of the questionnaire scores proved to be low. Further study is recommended.

Adolescent↗

Spine-Straight device for the treatment of kyphosis.

Kyphosis is an excessive rounding of the upper spine. Its treatment depends upon the severity, the age of the patient and the levels of the spine that are affected. Early diagnosis is a key to providing optimal treatment. In a skeletally immature patient, an exercise program or bracing is the most commonly used treatment. However, the compliance of bracing for adolescents is poor and exercise training is labor intensive. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a Spine-Straight device can help patients to correct their kyphosis themselves and there by reduce back pain without the biomechanical support of a brace. The Spine-Straight device consists of an accelerometer and a microcomputer unit. The accelerometer is used to measure the kyphotic angle and the microcomputer unit controls a pager vibrator to alert patients when their posture exceeds personalized thresholds. The system was tested in the laboratory before used by subjects. The results were compared to back data obtained from a laser scanner imaging system. The maximum angle deviation between the laser scanner and the Spine-Straight device was 1.5 degrees. Two volunteers tested the systems for 2 days. The accelerometer was placed at the T3 location and the microcomputer unit was carried during daily activities. The angle measurement was recorded at 1 minute intervals during daily activity over a period of 2 days. The preliminary trials demonstrate subjects can improve their posture when feedback signals were provided.

Adult↗

Psychological defense styles in women who report childhood sexual abuse: a controlled community study.

OBJECTIVE: The psychological defense styles of women who reported childhood sexual abuse were assessed and compared to those of women without childhood sexual abuse. METHOD: Subjects in a random community sample (N = 354) of New Zealand women were interviewed and completed two relevant questionnaires, the Defense Style Questionnaire and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. RESULTS: Women reporting childhood sexual abuse showed more immature defense styles, and those who experienced the most severe childhood sexual abuse showed the most immature styles. Dissociation, however, as measured on the Dissociative Experiences Scale, was not linked to childhood sexual abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting childhood sexual abuse was associated with more immature coping styles, although not dissociation, in this community sample of women. Coping styles are likely to be a major mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases rates of later psychological problems.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

A comparative study of young and adult deliberate self-harm patients.

Research has shown that the prevalence of deliberate self-harm (DSH) is higher in adolescents than in adults, but little is known about other differences. In this study we compare adolescent and adult DSH-patients regarding factors contributing to the suicidal act. In two regions in Norway, 98 persons under 20 years of age and 83 older persons were interviewed following an act of DSH. They were compared regarding intentions involved in the DSH, precipitating circumstances, level of suicidal intent, medical seriousness of the act, depression, hopelessness, and self-esteem. Few differences were found. The adults more often wanted to escape from unbearable thoughts or situations, or to receive care and attention. Adults also reported a slightly higher level of medical seriousness of the DSH act, more psychiatric problems, and substance abuse. The similarities between young and adult DSH-patients are striking. The differences found are most likely related to factors of age itself, such as cognitive immaturity, impulsivity, and lack of experience in enduring problems.

Adolescent↗

Children's understanding of the relation between delayed video representation and current reality: a test for self-awareness?

This study investigated whether children's ability to recognize themselves in delayed video feedback indicates changes in self-awareness (Povinelli, Landau, & Perilloux, 1996, Child Development, 67, 1540-1554). Children were presented with 3-min-old videos of themselves to test whether they would investigate the current state of affairs upon seeing a surprising element in the video. In one condition, a sticker had been covertly placed into the child's hair, and in another an object had been hidden in a box. Both conditions proved equally difficult and performance correlated. Four-year-olds performed better than 3-year-olds, and children who failed the tasks retrieved the "surprise" item when presented with a mirror. There was no evidence to suggest that children's difficulties were due to immature metarepresentational thinking, lack of experience, problems with the questions, or problems appreciating the correspondence between image and referent. Yet, the parallel results in both conditions and the likelihood of false positives and false negatives indicate that the video test in its present form may not be a valid measure of differences in self-awareness.

Age Factors↗

Can first-year medical students contribute to better care for patients with a chronic disease?

First-year medical students at the University of Western Australia are attached to a patient with a chronic illness in order to begin to understand the world of the chronically ill and their families. The patients are recruited by general practitioner preceptors who have been reticent in accepting first-year students because of their perceived immaturity and lack of medical knowledge. Not only have the preceptors' reservations proven groundless, but the teaching exercise has produced an unintended and positive side in that 35% of students discovered new information which was judged by the patients' general practitioners to be of significant help in the total management of patients' illness. Since these were only first-year medical students, the effect should be much greater with more mature students. Doctors often have incomplete records and act on incomplete information. Medical students are a means of correcting some of these deficits. In return they develop better psychosocial and communication skills and achieve considerable personal development by demonstrating to patients, their preceptors and themselves that they can be useful in contributing to more effective patient care.

Chronic Disease↗

Microplastics and nanoplastics-related genes signature predicts prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and functional validation of interleukin 1 alpha.

BACKGROUND: Microplastics and nanoplastics (MNPs), as emerging environmental pollutants, have garnered significant attention from the global scientific community due to their potential threats to human health, particularly their association with the occurrence and development of cancer. The goal of our study is to create a predictive marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PAAD) based on MNPs-related genes, with the purposes of predicting survival outcomes and assessing the tumor immune microenvironment. METHODS: Using multi-cohort data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), we assessed the association between MNPs and PAAD prognosis through the Xiantao Academic (https://www.xiantao.love/). The development of a prognostic signature was followed by an assessment of its significance through the Kaplan-Meier method, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and decision curve analysis (DCA). The validity of the risk model was confirmed through the ICGC and GSE71729 cohorts. The model was then assessed for levels of tumor immune infiltration. To explore MNPs-related genes expression characteristics within immune cells in PAAD, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics analysis through the Sparkle Platform (https://grswsci.top/). Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the biological function of interleukin 1 alpha (IL1A). RESULTS: A four-gene signature comprising XDH, IL1A, KIF20A, and ASPM, based on MNPs, was developed to stratify PAAD patients into two distinct risk groups. The high-risk group showed a significantly poorer prognosis. A similar trend was verified in the external cohorts ICGC and GSE71729. The signature risk score affected immune cell infiltration in the PAAD microenvironment. The infiltration of B cells, CD8+ T cells, cytotoxic cells, immature dendritic cells (iDCs), mast cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC), T cells, Tem cells, T follicular helper (TFH) cells, and T helper 17 (Th17) cells had a positive correlation with the low-risk group. In contrast, high-risk patients tended to have increased number of T helper (Th2) cells and higher expression of SIGLEC15, CD274, IGSF8. Knockdown of IL1A in PAAD cells inhibited their tumor proliferation ability in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Using MNPs-related genes, we built a prognostic model for PAAD, revealing that patients with high-risk scores are likely to have a worse prognosis. This model is designed to develop personalized treatment strategies tailored to the specific needs of each patient, thereby improving clinical outcomes for PAAD patients. Furthermore, IL1A could be a promising therapeutic candidate for PAAD.

Microplastics↗

An eclectic therapeutic community for the treatment of addiction.

The Eclectic Therapeutic Community described in this report is a modification of a Jonesian Therapeutic Community to fit the immature character defenses of many addicted patients. The program emphasizes structures; that is, rules, policies, staff roles, therapeutic forums, program phases, and clear expectations to create living and learning situations in which addicts can model after staff and senior residents in the program. This modeling results in a development of a new perceptual style so that the addict patient is better able to clearly perceive his own behavior and the behaviors of others when involved in an emotional situation. The structures also protect the staff and patients against externalization and narcissistic injury. The program has developed out of consideration of recent psychoanalytic work with borderline and narcissistic personalities. A Gestalt therapeutic approach is employed because of its focus on perception of here and now social learning situations, ease of communication of the basic concepts and techniques, and most importantly because it focuses on clear perception when emotional.

Gestalt Therapy↗

Self-rated defense style, life stress, and health status: an empirical assessment.

The authors compared the 14-defense and 20-defense versions of the self-report Bond Defense Style Questionnaire in a nonclinical sample of adults. Factor analyses of both versions yielded a stable factor representing immature defenses, while factors representing image-distorting, neurotic, and mature defenses were less stable. In correlational analyses, immature defenses were highly associated with higher reported levels of life stress, physical illness, and affective symptoms. Methodological issues and the possible implications of these findings are presented. The Bond questionnaire appears to be an additional helpful tool in consultation-liaison psychiatry for identifying poor copers at high risk for distress.

Adolescent↗

[Psychosomatic study of duodenal ulcers in young adults in the military].

The authors report the relationship between psychological disturbances and duodenal ulcer, and discuss the conclusions of three studies carried out in military personnel. The group of young adults during war time, permitted them to analyse the role of psychological trauma in the onset and relapse of this disease. In young soldiers during peace time, there was significant affective immaturity. Finally, a study of young adults before call up, permitted comparison with military personnel. Rather than a study of specific characteristics, it appears that one should consider their dynamic organisation in order to understand the onset of symptoms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Dependency, self-criticism, interpersonal behaviour and affect: evolutionary perspectives.

Evolutionary accounts of vulnerability to depression have focussed either on the attachment system (Bowlby, 1980) or the social rank system (Gilbert, 1992; Price, 1972). According to a two-factor evolutionary model, depression-prone dependent and self-critical individuals suffer from insecurities regarding both attachment and social rank, but they differ in their strategies for dealing with those insecurities. Event-contingent recording was used to assess agentic (dominant-submissive) and communal (agreeable-quarrelsome) interpersonal behaviour as well as affect in 119 employed adults over 20 days. Participants also completed questionnaire measures of agency and communion. Self-criticism predicted low levels of agency and low levels of communion. In the sample as a whole, agentic and communal behaviours were associated with pleasant affect, but highly self-critical participants experienced relatively less pleasant affect when they acted communally or agentically. Individuals with high levels of immature dependency (neediness) were low in agency, whereas those with high levels of mature dependency (connectedness) were high in communion. Implications for evolutionary theories of vulnerability to depression were discussed, and interpersonal processes that may contribute to vulnerability were identified.

Adult↗

Interrelations of empathy, cognition, and moral reasoning with dimensions of juvenile delinquency.

The interrelations of a variety of indices of sociocognitive development (empathy, role-taking, logical cognition, and moral reasoning) were studied in delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents. Delinquent males (grouped into psychopathic, neurotic, and subcultural subgroups) and a matched nondelinquent comparison group were administered individually two empathy scales (the Davis Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Mehrabian and Epstein Questionnaire Measure of Emotional Empathy), an adaptation of Byrne's and Flavell's role-taking tasks, two Piagetian cognitive tasks, and two of Kohlberg's structured moral dilemmas. Delinquents as a group displayed significantly more immature modes of role-taking, logical cognition, and moral reasoning than did nondelinquents. The delinquent subgroups, however, did not significantly differ from one another on these dimensions. Role-taking, logical cognition, and moral reasoning were significantly related to one another. Anticipated differences in level of empathy between the delinquent and nondelinquent adolescents failed to occur. A number of interpretations for this unexpected finding are offered.

Adolescent↗

Pertussis toxin-induced lymphocytosis is associated with alterations in thymocyte subpopulations.

Pertussis toxin (Ptx), an important adjuvant for inducing certain organ-specific autoimmune diseases in mice, exerts multiple effects upon the immune system. In addition to its adjuvant effects, which include enhancement of delayed-type hypersensitivity and increased antibody production. Ptx elicits a marked lymphocytosis with a concomitant decrease in thymic weight. In vitro studies indicate that Ptx acts directly on thymocytes and that both susceptible and resistant populations exist. It is believed that these susceptible cells are released into the circulation and account, in part, for the T cell component of the lymphocytosis. We have used flow cytometry to analyze the CD4, CD8, and Thy-1 phenotypes of thymic and peripheral T cells from Ptx-treated mice. In the thymus, there is a dramatic decrease in the number of CD4+CD8+ (double positive) cells at all doses tested (0.25, 0.50, and 1.0 microgram) by day 4 after Ptx treatment. The double negative and single positive populations remain relatively constant. Analysis of Thy-1 expression reveals a significant reduction in Thy-1hi thymocytes, with little change in the Thy-1lo population. Thus Ptx primarily affects and depletes, in a dose-dependent fashion, thymic T cells with an immature phenotype. These results mimic those of corticosteroids, although neither prior adrenalectomy nor treatment with the antiglucocorticoid RU486 are able to prevent the effects of Ptx. In the periphery of Ptx-treated animals, the relative increase in the number of CD4+ T cells is more than that of CD8+ T cells. Double positive and Thy-1hi cells cannot be detected in appreciable numbers. These results are consistent with the concept that Ptx may drive immature thymocytes through accelerated maturation for release into the periphery as single positive, predominantly CD4+, Thy-1lo cells. Increased numbers of such cells may in part account for the immunopotentiating effects of Ptx, particularly as they relate to the induction of organ-specific autoimmune disease. Treatment with purified Ptx beta-oligomer fails to elicit any of the responses described above, indicating that the holotoxin is required for such activities.

Animals↗