Anxiety sensitivity, uncertainty and recursive thinking: A continuum on Cyberchondria conditions during the Covid Outbreak

Background. Cyberchondria is a term used to refer to excessive surfing the web looking for health care information, excessive checking behavior being related to health-related anxiety. This period of quarantine for the Covid-19 pandemic is increasing the pathological use of the internet, and the excessive surfing the web looking for health care information. Another dimension related to the Covid-19 outbreak refers to uncertainty intolerance, for this reason being necessary for the healthcare professionals to provide clear and linear information. Aim. The aim of this review is to identify the psychological correlations connected to cyberchondria in the quarantine period. Methods. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we carried out a systematic review of the literature on PubMed. The terms used for the search were “Cyberchondria” OR “Anxiety” AND “Quarantine”. Results. As resulting from the reviewed literature, there is a relationship between anxiety for one’s own state of health and cyberchondria, with negative psychological effects of quarantine, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, low mood, irritability, insomnia, uncertainty, emotional exhaustion, this condition being associated with hypervigilance, and catastrophic misinterpretation of bodily signs. Conclusion. In the light of this and according to the literature, it would be desirable that research can further explore the factors influencing the increase in cyberchondria in the future

AN OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL STUDIES ON THE ACQUISITION OF NAMING IN PROCEDURES WITH STIMULUS EQUIVALENCE AND COCHLEAR IMPLANT USERS

O presente artigo teve por objetivo descrever e analisar, criticamente, o conjunto de experimentos conduzidos por pesquisadores brasileiros a respeito de equivalência de estímulos, nomeação e implante coclear, publicados entre 2008 e 2013. Para tanto, realizou-se um levantamento bibliográfico, em periódicos da área da análise do comportamento e em bancos de teses e dissertações, selecionando-se trabalhos sobre equivalência de estímulos, implante coclear e nomeação. Foram analisados 11 estudos. Após a análise dos estudos, tornou-se possível sugerir que os procedimentos de ensino, comumente aplicados em participantes com implante coclear, foram mais eficientes para estabelecer comportamentos de seleção de figuras e de palavras impressas – ambos considerados repertório receptivo –, do que para estabelecer comportamentos de nomeação de figuras e de palavras impressas, que são comportamentos associados à leitura expressiva. Nesta perspectiva, percebe-se como são necessários avanços tecnológicos nos procedimentos de ensino que se propõem a instalar e manter comportamentos associados à leitura expressiva, a ponto de serem tão eficazes quanto os procedimentos de ensino que instalam e mantêm o repertório receptivo. Palavras chave: equivalência de estímulos, implante coclear, nomeação.This paper aims to describe and critically analyze the set of experiments conducted by Brazilian researchers on stimulus equivalence, naming (expressive repertoire) and cochlear implants, which were published between 2008 and 2013. To this end, a literature review in journals of Behavior Analysis, and banks of theses and dissertations, selecting work on stimulus equivalence, cochlear implants and naming, was conducted. 11 studies were analyzed. After analyzing the studies, it was possible to suggest that the teaching procedures, more often used with participants with cochlear implants, have been more efficient to establish picture and printed words selection behaviors - both considered receptive repertoire - than to establish naming pictures and printed words behaviors, which are behaviors associated with expressive reading. In this perspective, it became clear how necessary technological advances in teaching procedures that propose to install and maintain behaviors associated with expressive reading, as effective as teaching procedures that install and maintain behaviors associated with receptive reading. Keywords: stimulus equivalence, cochlear implant, naming.

The Role of Basic Symptoms and Aberrant Salience in Borderline Personality Disorder

Background: The prevalence of pre-psychotic symptoms and aberrant salience in BPD has not been systematically studied. The present study aims to investigate the intensity, frequency and correlation between basic symptoms, aberrant salience and borderline personality traits, in subjects that have not yet developed a frank psychotic episode.  Methods: Twenty-eight subjects, 8 males and 20 females, aged between 24 and 55 years (M = 41.36 ± 9.9) has been individually tested throughout the Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FBF), the Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) and the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5- Adult (PID-5).  Results: Findings showed that 85.7% of the sample (n = 24) reported significant scores of the aberrant salience traits, which in turn were correlated to basic symptoms. Furthermore, emerged several correlations between pre-psychotic symptoms and PID-5 personality dimensions not only with Negative Affectivity and Detachment but also with Psychoticism. Conclusions: This study highlights the phenomenological continuity between the borderline personality traits and the attenuated manifestation of the psychotic disease

Affective temperaments and personality traits in couple well-being

Background. The objective of this study is to establish the link between affective temperament traits and maladaptive personality traits, to verify whether the potential presence of elements related to emotional, affective and dysfunctional relational functioning can affect the couple satisfaction, modifying the well-being or discomfort condition. Materials and Methods. A data collection questionnaire was developed to investigate the factors associated with dysfunctional emotional, affective, and relational modes of functioning. The sample consisted of 473 subjects. Data were collected including the TEMPS-A questionnaire, The Dirty Dozen Italian Assessment and the Relationship Assessment Scale (RAS). Results. The findings of this study showed that the subscales of affective temperament were predictors of dark triad traits. The expressive, irritable and hyperthymic temperamental traits were found to be predictors of trait psychopathy; hyperthymic temperament is also a predictor of narcissistic traits and cyclothymic temperament is a predictor of lower couple satisfaction; men show higher scores than women in Dark triad. Conclusions. This study confirmed that temperamental traits can predict maladaptive personality traits belonging to the dark triad and confirms the importance of evaluating maladaptive personality traits to prevent forms of psychological violence in couple

Zagrożenia zdrowotne wśród dzieci i młodzieży. T. 1

Praca recenzowana / Peer-reviewed pape

Tree-Ring Analysis of Intermediate Hawthorn (Crataegus media Bechst.) in NW Poland

Intermediate hawthorn (Crataegus × media Bechst.) is broadly distributed in Europe but very rarely examined by dendrochronologists. In NW Poland, it is one of three naturally occurring hawthorn species, growing mainly at forest margins, along roads, in mid-field woodlots, and on uncultivated land. Biocenotically, it is a very valuable species. This study aimed to determine the age of trees, tree-ring dynamics, and growth–climate relationship for intermediate hawthorn. Signature years were also determined. Samples for analysis were collected from 22 trees growing in a typical agricultural landscape in a monospecific mid-field woodlot comprised of several hundred specimens of various ages and forms (shrubs and trees). Using classic methods of dendrochronological dating, a 40-year long chronology spanning 1981–2020 was constructed. The radial growth rate of intermediate hawthorn is comparable to other tree species forming stands in NW Poland and equals 2.41 mm/year. Considerable intersubject variability is noted, from 1.48 to 4.44 mm/year. The chronology was also used for dendroclimatological analyses, including correlation and response function and signature years. Of the meteorological parameters analyzed, annual incremental growth in hawthorn is the most strongly shaped by precipitation totals from May to August of the current vegetation year: high rainfall favors the formation of wide tree-rings. Statistically significant growth–climate relationships were also obtained for winter months (December of the preceding vegetation year, January and February), for which period negative correlation and regression values are noted for air temperature and insolation. Furthermore, high precipitation, low-temperature and low insolation late in the preceding vegetation year (especially in August) make a positive influence on the condition of trees in the upcoming growing season. Signature year analysis clearly pointed to precipitation as the dominant factor in shaping tree-rings in the studied hawthorn population. As there are no dendrochronological papers concerning indigenous hawthorn species, future studies should be expanded to include diverse geographic locations and habitat conditions and should include all three species of hawthorn occurring in Poland

Growth-climate relationships at yew and wild service trees on the eastern edge of their range in Europe

Aim of study: The aim of the study was the construction of regional chronologies for South-Western Poland for yew (Taxus baccata L.) and wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis L.), two of the rarest native tree species on the edge of their range in Europe. The relationships growth-climate and incremental dynamics at both these species were investigated as well.Area of study: The eastern borders of the ranges of yew and wild service trees run across Poland. The majority of the yew occurrence sites are situated in South Poland, within the area of uplands and mountains, whereas the wild service tree grows in the western part of the country. The study plots (5 for yew trees, 4 for wild service trees) were located in nature reserves in SW Poland.Material and Methods: The research materials were cores from 200 trees (115 yew trees and 85 wild service trees). The annual growth widths were measured, then, local chronologies were constructed using classic methods of dating. Regional chronologies were based on yew trees with the Student’test t > 6.0, and wild service trees with t > 5.9. The chronologies were subjected to the indexation and used for dendroclimatological analyses: pointer years, correlation and response function.Main results: The yew chronology, spanning 219 years (1790-2008), was established on the basis of 51 samples, the average width of annual growths amounted to 0.61 mm. The wild service tree chronology, representing the period 1841-2013 (173 years), was produced from 37 samples, the average width of annual growth amounted to 0.60 mm (from 0.27 up to 0.58 mm). Dendroclimatological analyses of the yew indicated thermal conditions of the winter months and beginning of spring (straight correlations) as the predominating factor affecting the annual growth widths. Summer drought was an additional factor limiting growth. For the wild service trees cool and humid summer months in the growing season favour the formation of wide growths.Research highlights: On account of strong dispersion and limited small populations of these two tree species, there are few dendrochronological studies available. Therefore, every piece of information on the ecology of the yew and wild service tree allows us to broaden our knowledge of these rare species enriching the biodiversity of the native tree flora.Keywords: tree-ring width; Taxus baccata L.; Sorbus torminalis L.; dendroclimatology; Poland

Influence of climatic conditions and air pollution on radial growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Szczecin’s city forests

The aim of the present work was to characterize the growth – climate relationship of pines growing in the Szczecin city forests in intensively used recreational areas and to identify the effect of air pollutants emitted by a nearby chemical factory on tree-ring width. Our research area was located in the Głębokie forest complex, which is one of the most frequently visited. The chemical factory Police that produces fertilizers is located at a distance 11 km away from the study plot. The largest emissions of pollutants from the factory in terms of volume occurred in the 1980s and early 1990s

Dendrochronological Analysis of One-Seeded and Intermediate Hawthorn Response to Climate in Poland

Although the hawthorn is not a forest-forming species, and it has no high economic significance, it is a very valuable component of forests, mid-field woodlots or roadside avenues. The literature, however, lacks information on the growth rate, growth phases, or growth–climate–habitat relationship for trees of this genus. This work aimed to establish the rate of growth of Craraegus monogyna and C. xmedia Bechst growing in various parts of Poland, in various habitats; analyze the growth–climate relationship; and distinguish dendrochronological regions for these species. Samples were taken using a Pressler borer from nine populations growing in different parts of Poland, from a total of 192 trees (359 samples). The tree-ring width was measured down to 0.01 mm. The average tree-ring width in the studied hawthorn populations ranged from 1.42 to 3.25 mm/year. Using well-established cross-dating methods, nine local chronologies were compiled with tree ages between 45 and 72 years. Dendroclimatic analyses (pointer year analysis, correlation and response function analysis) were performed for a 33-year period from 1988 to 2020, for which all local chronologies displayed EPS > 0.85. The tree-ring width in the hawthorn populations depended mostly on temperature and rainfall through the May–August period. High rainfall and the lack of heat waves through these months cause an increase in cambial activity and the formation of wide tree rings. Conversely, rainfall shortages through this period, in conjunction with high air temperatures, caused growth depressions. Cluster analysis enabled the identification of two dendrochronological regions among the hawthorn in Poland: a western and eastern region, and a single site (CI), whose separation was most likely caused by contrasting habitat and genetic conditions. The obtained results highlight the need for further study of these species in Poland and other countries