Attachment-related psychodynamics

Because there has been relatively little communication and cross-fertilization between the two major lines of research on adult attachment, one based on coded narrative assessments of defensive processes, the other on simple self-reports of ‘attachment style’ in close relationships, we here explain and review recent work based on a combination of self-report and other kinds of method, including behavioral observations and unconscious priming techniques. The review indicates that considerable progress has been made in testing central hypotheses derived from attachment theory and in exploring unconscious, psychodynamic processes related to affect-regulation and attachment-system activation. The combination of self-report assessment of attachment style and experimental manipulation of other theoretically pertinent variables allows researchers to test causal hypotheses. We present a model of normative and individual-difference processes related to attachment and identify areas in which further research is needed and likely to be successful. One long-range goal is to create a more complete theory of personality built on attachment theory and other object relations theories.     

Fetal testosterone and empathy: Evidence from the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Test

Abstract

Empathy involves an understanding of what others are thinking and feeling, and enables us to interact in the social world. According to the Empathizing–Systemizing (E–S) theory, females on average have a stronger drive to empathize than males. This sex difference may in part reflect developmental differences in brain structure and function, which are themselves under the influence of fetal testosterone (fT). Previous studies have found that fT is inversely correlated with social behaviors such as eye contact in infancy, peer relationships in preschoolers, and mentalistic interpretation of animate motion. Male fetuses are exposed to higher levels of testosterone than are female fetuses. The present study investigates empathizing in children, as a function of amniotic measures of fT. One hundred ninety-three mothers of children (100 males, 93 females) aged 6–8 years of age completed children's versions of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-C), and the children themselves were tested on “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” Task (Eyes-C). All mothers had had amniocentesis during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. There was a significant negative correlation between fT and scores on both measures. While empathy may be influenced by post-natal experience, these results suggest that pre-natal biology also plays an important role, mediated by androgen effects in the brain. These results also have implications for the causes of disabilities involving empathy, such as autism spectrum conditions, and may explain the increased rate of such conditions among males.     

Investigation of Solid Dosage Form Components Interaction Using Orthogonal Techniques- Discovery of New Forms of Sodium Stearyl Fumarate

Physical or chemical interactions between drug product (DP) components can occur during manufacturing and/or upon storage; and may alter DP shelf life and performance. In this work a new Powder X-ray Diffraction (PXRD) peak was observed in DP under accelerated storage conditions. Due to the complex drug product matrix (including API, polymer, fillers, super disintegrant and lubricant), it was challenging to pinpoint the component(s) responsible for the new peak. In addition to PXRD, other orthogonal techniques including Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic vapor sorption (DVS), Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SSNMR) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy were employed in this investigation to understand the root cause mechanistically. Specifically, multi nuclei SSNMR (¹H, ²³Na, ¹³C) was instrumental in delineating the components of the matrix. We identified the root cause to be an acid base reaction occurring in the DP, whereby sodium ion in sodium stearyl fumarate (SSF) is replaced by proton leading to SSF form conversion. We also identified commercially available SSF to be a hydrate that can dehydrate to an anhydrous form upon heating. In general, the same techniques can be used to investigate interactions of any multi component solid dosage forms.     

Social cognition and Reading comprehension in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders or typical development

BackgroundMany individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit social cognitive impairments in the development of theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others. ToM has been shown to relate to reading comprehension for children and adolescents with typical development (TD) and with ASD. This study examined the relation between reading comprehension, word recognition, oral language, and ToM for higher-functioning children and adolescents with ASD (HFASD) as compared to those with TD.Method70 children with HFASD and 40 children with TD, aged 9–17 years, participated in the study. In order to describe the HFASD as compared to the TD sample, a series of ANOVAs and ANCOVAs were conducted. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with reading comprehension as the outcome variable. Separate regression models (TD & HFASD) were run with IQ, word recognition, oral language, and two ToM measures (Happé’s Strange Stories and the Silent Films Task) as predictors.ResultsThe TD group performed better than the HFASD group on all standardized and experimental measures. Regression analyses revealed that after controlling for IQ, word recognition, and oral language, both ToM measures predicted unique variance in reading comprehension in the HFASD, but not the TD, sample. Furthermore, the TD and HFASD groups displayed different patterns of significant predictors of reading comprehension.ConclusionsThis study suggests that in addition to oral language and higher-order linguistic comprehension, social cognition is an important factor to consider when designing reading interventions for students with ASD.     

The development of theory of mind: predictors and moderators of improvement in kindergarten

ABSTRACT

Theory of mind describes the ability to engage in perspective-taking, infer mental states, and predict intentions, behavior, and actions in others. Theory of mind performance is associated with foundational cognitive and socioemotional skills, including verbal ability (receptive and expressive vocabulary), executive function (inhibitory control and working memory), and emotion knowledge. In a sample of 354 children from low-income households, theory of mind and foundational skills were directly assessed before and after kindergarten. Results indicate emotion knowledge, inhibitory control, and expressive language predicted improvement in theory of mind. Expressive language also served as a moderator such that children with low expressive language failed to improve in theory of mind regardless of initial theory of mind performance.     

Orthogonal Cultural Identification Theory: Theoretical Links Between Cultural Identification and Substance Use

This paper diagrams and discusses orthogonal cultural identification theory, proposing that cultural identification is developed and maintained through complex interactions and negotiations between the culture and the person. When the individual meets cultural requirements, the culture provides rewards that match cultural needs and reinforce cultural identification. Strong identification with one culture does not prevent identification with another. A breakdown in this interaction can lead to alienation and possibly to identification with a deviant subculture and/or to drug use.     

Hepatic Steatosis Assessment with Ultrasound Small-Window Entropy Imaging

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a type of hepatic steatosis that is not only associated with critical metabolic risk factors but can also result in advanced liver diseases. Ultrasound parametric imaging, which is based on statistical models, assesses fatty liver changes, using quantitative visualization of hepatic-steatosis–caused variations in the statistical properties of backscattered signals. One constraint with using statistical models in ultrasound imaging is that ultrasound data must conform to the distribution employed. Small-window entropy imaging was recently proposed as a non–model-based parametric imaging technique with physical meanings of backscattered statistics. In this study, we explored the feasibility of using small-window entropy imaging in the assessment of fatty liver disease and evaluated its performance through comparisons with parametric imaging based on the Nakagami distribution model (currently the most frequently used statistical model). Liver donors (n?=?53) and patients (n?=?142) were recruited to evaluate hepatic fat fractions (HFFs), using magnetic resonance spectroscopy and to evaluate the stages of fatty liver disease (normal, mild, moderate and severe), using liver biopsy with histopathology. Livers were scanned using a 3-MHz ultrasound to construct B-mode, small-window entropy and Nakagami images to correlate with HFF analyses and fatty liver stages. The diagnostic values of the imaging methods were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. The results demonstrated that the entropy value obtained using small-window entropy imaging correlated well with log₁₀(HFF), with a correlation coefficient r?=?0.74, which was higher than those obtained for the B-scan and Nakagami images. Moreover, small-window entropy imaging also resulted in the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.80 for stages equal to or more severe than mild; 0.90 for equal to or more severe than moderate; 0.89 for severe), which indicated that non–model-based entropy imaging—using the small-window technique—performs more favorably than other techniques in fatty liver assessment.     

不同机械通气方式治疗急性呼吸窘迫综合症疗效对比

目的：探讨肺外性急性呼吸窘迫综合症（ARDSexp）治疗中,应用呼气末正压递增(PI)和持续气道正压(CPAP)两种不同机械通气方式的临床治疗效果。方法将2013年1月—2013年12月期间该科收治的52例ARDSexp患者随机分为接受PI方式机械通气治疗（PI组）及受CPAP方式机械通气治疗（CPAP组）两组,每组26例。分析两组临床治疗效果。结果两组在接受机械通气前,血气分析（PaO2、PaCO2、PaO2/FiO2）、心率（HR）、收缩压（SBP）及舒张压（DBP）比较未见统计学差异（P>0.05）,经治疗后15 min后两组PaO2及PaO2/FiO2显著提高（P<0.05）,并可维持至3 h（P<0.05）。两组间比较未见统计学差异（P>0.05）。两组PaCO2治疗前后比较未见统计学差异。但两组治疗15 min及治疗3 h与治疗前HR、SBP及DBP比较未见统计学差异（P>0.05）,且两组治疗15 min及治疗3 h比较未见统计学差异（P>0.05）。结论 ARDSexp患者应用PI及CPAP两种机械通气方式均有着较好的临床治疗效果。     

Behavioral intention to prevent cervical cancer and related factors among female high school students in Japan

Aim

This study aimed to examine female high school students’ behavioral intention to prevent cervical cancer and related factors.

Methods

The participants were 2158 female high school students at 16 high schools in A prefecture in the Tohoku region in Japan. A self‐administered questionnaire was carried out that was developed based on a conceptual framework comprising the Health Belief Model and Theory of Reasoned Action.

Results

The responses were obtained from 2072 students (96.0%). Of these, the answers of 2028 respondents were analyzed after excluding those participants who did not complete the behavioral intention item (effective response rate: 97.0%). A factor analysis and covariance structure analysis yielded a model with strong goodness‐of‐fit that explained the behavioral intentions based on an “Awareness of the importance and effectiveness of cervical cancer screening,” “Obstacles to cervical cancer prevention behavior,” “Subjective norms for adopting cervical cancer prevention behavior,” and “The behavior of someone close that encourages cervical cancer prevention behavior.”

Conclusion

The statistical analysis yielded a model with strong goodness‐of‐fit that explained female high school students’ behavioral intentions, which were related to four factors, including “the awareness of the importance and effectiveness of cervical cancer screening.”