Social isolation stress augments angiogenesis induced by colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells in mice

We have previously shown that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), which is an important angiogenesis-related factor, was over-secreted in male BALB/c mice under social isolation stress as compared with the control, and closely associated with a remarkable elevation of tumor invasion and metastasis of colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells. In the present study, we explored the effect of isolation stress on the angiogenesis caused by colon 26-L5 carcinoma cells in vivo and in vitro. Social isolation lead to the enhancement of tumor growth after intrahepatic implantation with a fragment of colon 26-L5 tumor. Angiogenic response (number of vessels oriented towards tumor mass) and tumor growth (size) were significantly increased in the socially isolated mouse relative to that in the group-housed mice. Furthermore, higher protein level of hepatic TNF-α was found in the stressed mice than that in the control. Expression of mRNA for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) were also elevated in the tumor regions and liver tissues of the stressed mice in comparison with that in group-housed mice. On the other hand, hepatic sinusoidal endothelial (HSE) cells treated with TNF-α exhibited a marked promotion of the migration, invasion, expression of mRNA for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9, and tube-like formation, but no cytotoxicity against the cells in vitro. The above data suggest that the social isolation stress augmented the tumor-induced angiogenesis probably by up-regulating the angiogenesis-related factors, including TNF-α, VEGF and HGF, and consequently mediating the functions of endothelial cells such as migration, invasion, and tube-like formation.     

大学生个体印象管理对其社会网络质量的影响

目的:研究个体印象管理对其社会网络质量的影响。方法:选用社会网络调查法、大学生印象管理量表,对46名大学生进行调查。结果:印象管理建构的提高不利于朋友网和沟通网的强联系人数量的增加(β分别为-1.04和-1.33,P分别小于0.05和0.01;F值分别为4.19和6.45,P分别小于0.05和0.01),而印象管理动机对强联系人的数量并没有影响,并且印象管理动机和印象管理结构都不影响个体为中心网络的紧密性。结论:只有个体印象管理的建构部分不利于其社会网络中的强联系人数量的增加。其他部分对社会网络无明显影响。     

Health-related quality of life in relation to gender and age in couples planning IVF treatment

BACKGROUND: Specific subgroups of people planning IVF might be at risk of having more psychological or health-related problems. Identification of subgroups at risk may better enable allocation of appropriate counselling. METHODS: A group of 425 men and 447 women planning to undergo IVF treatment filled out a questionnaire. Four domains of health-related quality of life were measured, namely perceived emotional, physical, cognitive and social functioning. RESULTS: Young men and women (aged 21-30 years) planning IVF had more short-term social and emotional problems than people of the same age group in the general population. No substantial differences were found in cognitive and physical functioning for all age groups of men nor women planning IVF compared with the general population. A high level of irrational parenthood cognitions substantially accounted for a less optimal score on all the different domains of quality of life. These cognitions ('needing a child in order to live a happy life') were especially prevalent among younger women. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with high levels of irrational parenthood cognitions are at risk of a less optimal quality of life. A short cognitive counselling therapy is advised for patients with high levels of these cognitions.     

Relationship quality moderates the effect of social support given by close friends on cardiovascular reactivity in women

We examined the role of the type of support provided, gender of support provider, and relationship quality in predicting how social support might influence cardiovascular reactivity during acute stress in women. A group of 88 women received either emotional, instrumental, or no support from a close female or male friend while performing a series of speech tasks. Results suggest that the effectiveness of social support for women depended primarily on the quality of the friendship (i.e., purely positive, or ambivalent). More specifically, women who interacted with a female, ambivalent friend had the largest changes in diastolic blood pressure, total peripheral resistance (TPR), and pre-ejection period compared to the other conditions. Furthermore, receiving emotional support from a purely positive friend was related to lower increases in cardiac output (CO) compared to a no-support condition. In contrast, receiving emotional support from an ambivalent friend was related to larger increases in CO and only small changes in TPR when compared to individuals in the no-support condition. These data are discussed in light of the psychosocial processes underlying social support effects in women, and the importance of a more comprehensive view of how close relationships influence cardiovascular function. This research was generously supported by Grant1 R01 MH58690-01 from the National Institute of Mental Health awarded to Bert N. Uchino.     

"重返社区技能训练"对精神分裂症康复的作用

目的 :探讨重返社区技能训练对缓解社区精神分裂症患者的精神症状和改善其社会功能方面的作用。方法 :将 5 0例非急性期的社区精神分裂症患者随机分为技能训练组 (以下简称训练组 ;2 5例 )和对照组 (2 5例 ,其中脱落 2例 )。对技能训练组进行技能训练共 4周 ,然后随访 12周。采用阳性症状与阴性症状量表 (PANSS)、MorningSide康复状态量表 (MRSS)对患者进行评估。结果 :训练组患者的PANSS评分(3 9 96± 7 44 )、阴性量表总分 (11 92± 5 13 )、一般精神病理量表总分 (2 0 60± 2 95 )优于对照组 (分别为45 77± 8 95、 15 13± 4 79、 2 3 5 0± 5 3 7,P <0 0 5 ) ;训练组患者的MRSS总分 (3 1 60± 17 3 7)、依赖量表总分 (7 2 8± 5 41)、活动能力缺乏量表总分 (9 0 8± 5 5 2 )均优于对照组 (分别为 44 68± 13 61、 11 77± 5 17、15 0 0± 4 48) ;训练组的复发率 (4 % )低于对照组 (17% ) ,但差异无显著性。结论 :在药物治疗的基础上 ,重返社区技能训练能改善精神分裂症患者的症状及其社会功能     

Regulation of cognitive activity and early communication development in young autistic, mentally retarded, and young normal children

Based on the Piagetian framework, this study examined regulation of cognitive activity and developmental communication profiles and their interrelationship in groups of autistic, mentally retarded, and normal children of comparable overall, verbal, and oculo-manual developmental ages (from 6 to 24 months). Regulation of activity was assessed with both an object permanence test and an original behavior grid, and development of communication skills with the Guidetti-Tourrette scales (French adaptation of the Seibert-Hogan scales). The results showed evidence of certain types of dysregulation of cognitive activity and a general delay in communication ability in autistic children compared to the other two groups. Moreover, although the intensity of some of these disorders decreased in relation to the developmental levels of social interaction and joint attention in normal children, they were related to both high and low levels of development of social interaction only in autistic children. These findings raise the hypothesis of a relationship between a disorder of disengaging from an activity and developmental levels of social interaction noted at two transitory periods of early development (12 and 24 months) only in children with autism. Developmental and neuropsychological interpretations of this particular pattern are proposed.     

非言语型学习障碍儿童社会信息加工的特点

目的: 探讨非言语型学习障碍儿童社会信息加工特点.方法: 本研究为病例对照研究.根据确定学习障碍儿童的标准,先确定学习障碍儿童,然后对学习障碍儿童进行韦氏儿童智力测验,根据测验结果把学习障碍儿童进一步分为非言语型学习障碍组(23人)、言语型学习障碍组(28人),然后按1:1比例选取对照组(51人).设置儿童与同伴、成人相互作用的三类情景,每类情景又分为模糊和清晰两种情况,对三组儿童进行结构性访谈.结果: ①清晰权威情景下.非言语型学习障碍儿童的编码数显著低于对照组儿童[(2.35±1.15)vs.(3.25±1.27),P＜0.01];对人物意图的判断,非言语型学习障碍儿童选择"恶意"的比率(65%)高于言语型学习障碍儿童(29%)(P＜0.05);在工具效能感上,非言语型学习障碍儿童选择有效的比率(74%)高于言语型学习障碍儿童(36%)(P＜0.05).②非言语型学习障儿童在每个情景故事下的总反应数都显著低于对照组儿童[模糊同伴加入情景:(1.17±0.49)vs.(1.09±0.86).P＜0.01;清晰同伴加入情景:(1.09±0.28)vs.(1.69±0.96),P＜0.01;模糊同伴激惹情景:(1.09±0.41)V8.(1.49±0.78),P＜0.05;清晰同伴激惹情景:(1.17±0.49)vs.(1.65±0.95),P＜0.05:模糊权威情景:(0.96±0.36)vs.(1.37±0.72),P＜0.01;清晰权威情景:(1.00±0.30)vs.(1.37±0.59),P＜0.01].结论: ①清晰权威情景下,非言语型学习障碍儿童编码精确性不如对照组儿童;对他人意图的判断非言语型学习障碍儿童比言语型学习障碍儿童倾向于敌意归因;非言语型学习障碍儿童比言语型学习障碍儿童工具效能感高.②在每个情景下,非言语型学习障碍儿童比对照组儿童生成策略少,反应不灵活.     

湛江市城区7-12岁小学生社交恐惧症流行病学现状调查

目的:了解湛江市儿童社交恐惧症(Social anxiety disorder of childhood,SADC)的患病现况。方法:采取随机、分层、整群抽样的调查方法,使用中文修订版儿童社交焦虑量表(SASC)调查湛江市2409名小学生,对量表分大于2倍均数标准差的儿童进行面谈,依照中国精神障碍分类与诊断标准第三版(CCMD-3)的标准进行诊断。结果:湛江市儿童社交恐惧症患病率为2·74%。男、女生患病率分别为2·6%和2·9%,差异无显著性(χ2=0·11,P=0·744);各年级患病率在1·76%~4·32%之间,差异无显著性(χ2=5·47,P=0·361)。结论:湛江市儿童社交恐惧症患病率较高,应引起老师、家长及有关部门的重视。     

Psychosocial factors regulating natural-killer cell activity in recurrent spontaneous abortions

PROBLEM: The preconceptional natural-killer cell (NK) activity predicts subsequent miscarriage among women with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Psycho-neuro-immuno-endocrine network has recently been proposed as a mechanism for abortions. We therefore examined which psychosocial factors influenced the NK activity among women with RSA. METHOD OF STUDY: We measured the preconceptional NK activity of 61 women with a history two consecutive unexplained first-trimester miscarriages and no live births. We also administered semi-structured interviews and a battery of self-report questionnaires to assess their social support, personality, self-esteem and psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: The preconceptional NK activity was negatively correlated with the women's neuroticism personality trait (r= -0.32, P = 0.01) and current depressive symptoms (r = -0.26, P= 0.05), and positively correlated with their self-esteem (r = 0.34, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to several substances such as transforming-growth-factor beta and granulocyte-macrophase colony-stimulating factor, we found that low neuroticism, low depression scale score and high self-esteem contributed to high NK activity among women with RSA.