The Unfabulous Four: Maladaptive Personality Functioning,Insecure Attachment,Dissociative Experiences,and Problematic Internet Use Among Young Adults

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - Even though positive associations among problematic Internet use (PIU), maladaptive personality traits, insecure attachment styles, and...     

The sense of touch: embodied simulation in a visuotactile mirroring mechanism for observed animate or inanimate touch

Previous studies have shown a shared neural circuitry in the somatosensory cortices for the experience of one's own body being touched and the sight of intentional touch. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the present study aimed to elucidate whether the activation of a visuotactile mirroring mechanism during touch observation applies to the sight of any touch, that is, whether it is independent of the intentionality of observed touching agent. During fMRI scanning, healthy participants viewed video clips depicting a touch that was intentional or accidental, and occurring between animate or inanimate objects. Analyses showed equal overlapping activation for all the touch observation conditions and the experience of one's own body being touched in the bilateral secondary somatosensory cortex (SII), left inferior parietal lobule (IPL)/supramarginal gyrus, bilateral temporal-occipital junction, and left precentral gyrus. A significant difference between the sight of an intentional touch, compared to an accidental touch, was found in the left primary somatosensory cortex (SI/Brodmann's area [BA] 2). Interestingly, activation in SI/BA 2 significantly correlated with the degree of intentionality of the observed touch stimuli as rated by participants. Our findings show that activation of a visuotactile mirroring mechanism for touch observation might underpin an abstract notion of touch, whereas activation in SI might reflect a human tendency to "resonate" more with a present or assumed intentional touching agent.     

Effect of cholecystokinin analogue caerulein and cholecystokinin antagonist lorglumide on pancreatic carcinogenesis in the rat

The effects of the cholecystokinin (CCK)-analogue, caerulein, and CCK-receptor antagonist lorglumide (CR-1409) on pancreatic carcinogenesis induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) were studied. One hundred thirty rats were divided into the following 10 treatment groups: group 1, DMBA (2–3 mg); group 2, DMBA + caerulein (5 μg/kg); group 3, DMBA + caerulein + CR-1409 (12 mg/kg); group 4, caerulein + DMBA; group 5, caerulein + CR-1409 + DMBA; group 6, DMBA + CR-1409; group 7, CR-1409 + DMBA; group 8, caerulein; group 9, CR-1409; and group 10, sham operation + saline. DMBA was surgically implanted into the pancreas. Caerulein and/or CR-1409 was administered twice daily for 15 days after (in groups 2, 3, and 6) or before (in groups 4, 5, and 7) DMBA implantation. Six months after carcinogen administration, all rats were sacrificed and autopsied. The incidence of pancreatic cancer appeared significantly (P < 0.001) increased when caerulein was administered following DMBA implantation. CR-1409 significantly inhibited (P < 0.02) caerulein effects and reduced tumor growth when injected after carcinogen exposure. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, inc.     

Testing the model of optic chiasm formation in human beings

Recent data from animal studies allow us to understand how the optic commissure formed. However, their validity in humans has not yet been demonstrated. Clues from human teratological cases provide useful information to test the validity of animal models and suggest other morphogenetic mechanisms. Janiceps are non-viable, rare cases of co-joined embryos fused along the frontal plane, with two composite faces, half formed by each of the embryos. Their development after fusion is of interest to study the optic chiasm. The analysis of the optic nerves and of the skull by magnetic resonance imaging or direct inspection of three different cases of Janiceps showed a shared hypophyseal fossa that laterally could contain a compound optic commissure between the eyes of the same composite face (heterologues), but not between the eyes from the same individual (homologue). The current model of the optic commissure formation correctly predicts these findings in humans because the optic commissure are driven toward the midline by local factors and not by target regions. However, our data suggest that the overall geometry of the region is important for a successful decussation of the axons, and additional mechanisms are involved in midline differentiation.     

Gold standard for sternectomies and plastic reconstructions after resections for primary or secondary sternal neoplasms

Background Between January 1980 and December 1999, 88 patients underwent thesurgical resection of sternal tumors: 30 primary malignant tumors, 28 local relapses or metastases from breast carcinomas, 16 other types of tumor, and 14 radionecroses. Methods The sternectomies were total in 8 cases, subtotal in 32, and partial in 48. Prosthetic materials covered by flaps of myocutaneous or muscle tissue were used in 55 patients, prosthetic material alone in 13, myocutaneous or muscle flaps alone in 5, and other techniques in the remaining 15. The resection was radical in 78 cases and palliative in the other 10 Results Forty-eight of the subjects who underwent radical surgery were alive and disease free at the end of the follow-up period. The expected 10-year survival of the patients treated for primary tumors is approximately 85% (Kaplan-Meier), and that of the patients with relapsing breast carcinomas is the same as after 5 years (41.8%). Conclusions In our experience, the treatment of neoplasms by means of a broad sternal resection followed by a reconstruction based on the use of prosthetic materials is an effective and safe solution that considerably improves the quality of life and makes it possible to perform curative broad radical resections in the case of primary sternal resections. Presented at the 54th Annual Cancer Symposium of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Washington, DC, March 15–18, 2001.     

Stability and antioxidant activity of polyphenols in extracts of Myrtus communis L. berries used for the preparation of myrtle liqueur

Flavonoids and anthocyanins in berry extracts from Myrtus communis, prepared by following a typical Sardinia myrtle liqueur recipe, were identified by HPLC coupled with Electrospray Mass Spectrometry and quantified by HPLC coupled with Ultraviolet/Visible Detection in order to evaluate the stability of the extracts during 1 year of storage. Antioxidant activity was measured by using TEAC assay, and the free-radical scavenging activity was monitored during time of the stability evaluation.Anthocyanins have found to be the most instable compounds, but a considerable instability was observed also for flavonoids, suggesting the use of extracts not over 3 months from their preparation. The myrtle extract showed interesting free-adical scavenging activity. Antioxidant activity was preserved in 3 months.     

Probiotics: Nonantigenic tissue fractions in cancer control

The effects of probiotics, nonantigenic fractions of normal and malignant cells on tumors, and of similar fractions of normal cells on bacteria and viruses are discussed. The effects are considered in relation to tumor growth and development. In a control group of mice given subcutaneous inoculations only of viable dbrB tumor cells in DBA/1 mice, 100% developed tumors. In a group receiving subcutaneous and intravenous injections of tumor cells and given the tumor fractions, 20% developed lung tumors and 53% developed subcutaneous tumors. In an experiment in which mice received only intravenous injections of viable tumor cells and the tumor fractions, 100% of the controls died with no deaths occurring in the treated group. It is concluded that nonantigenic cellular fractions (probiotics) effective in inducing resistance to some bacterial and viral diseases are effective in inducing resistance to tumors in an inbred strain of mice.