Combinatorial representations of token sequences

This paper presents new representations of token sequences, with and without associated quantities, in Euclidean space. The representations are free of assumptions about the nature of the sequences or the processes that generate them. Algorithms and applications from the domains of structured interviews and life histories are discussed. © Springer Science+Business Media Inc. 2005

Childhood trauma and dysregulation of multiple biological stress systems in adulthood: results from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA)

Background: Childhood trauma (CT) is a risk factor for depressive and anxiety disorders. Although dysregulated biological stress systems may underlie the enduring effect of CT, the relation between CT and separate and cumulative activity of the major stress systems, namely, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis, the immune-inflammatory system, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS), remains inconclusive.Methods: In the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA, n = 2778), we determined whether self-reported CT (as assessed by the Childhood Trauma Interview) was associated with separate and cumulative markers of the HPA-axis (cortisol awakening response, evening cortisol, dexamethasone suppression test cortisol), the immune-inflammatory system (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha), and the ANS (heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, pre-ejection period) in adulthood.Results: Almost all individuals with CT (n = 1330) had either current or remitted depressive and/or anxiety disorder (88.6%). Total-sample analyses showed little evidence for CT being significantly associated with the separate or cumulative stress systems' activity in adulthood. These findings were true for individuals with and without depressive and/or anxiety disorders. To maximize contrast, individuals with severe CT were compared to healthy controls without CT. This yielded slight, but significantly higher levels of cortisol awakening response (AUCg, beta =.088, p =.007; AUCi, beta =.084, p =.010), cumulative HPA-axis markers (beta =.115, p =.001), Creactive protein (beta =.055, p =.032), interleukin-6 (beta =.053, p =.038), cumulative inflammation (beta =.060, p =.020), and cumulative markers across all systems (beta =.125, p =.0003) for those with severe CT, partially explained by higher rates of smoking, body mass index, and chronic diseases.Conclusion: While our findings do not provide conclusive evidence on CT directly dysregulating stress systems, individuals with severe CT showed slight indications of dysregulations, partially explained by an unhealthy lifestyle and poorer health.Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

Childhood trauma in adult depressive and anxiety disorders: an integrated review on psychological and biological mechanisms in the NESDA cohort

Background: Childhood trauma (CT) has adverse consequences on mental health across the lifespan. The understanding of how CT increases vulnerability for psychiatric disorders is growing. However, lack of an integrative approach to psychological and biological mechanisms of CT hampers further advancement. This review integrates CT findings across explanatory levels from a longitudinal adult cohort ? the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA).Methods: We reviewed all studies (k = 37) from the NESDA cohort (n = 2981) published from 2009 to 2020 containing CT findings related to psychopathology and potential psychological and biological mechanisms of CT.Results: CT was associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depressive disorders with the strongest associations in the comorbid group. CT predicted the onset of these disorders, recurrence, and poorer outcomes (more co morbidity and chronicity). CT was associated with maladaptive personality characteristics and cognitions (e.g., higher neuroticism and negative self-associations), mild stress systems dysregulations (heightened levels of cortisol and inflammation), advanced biological aging (increased epigenetic aging and telomere attrition), poorer lifestyle (higher smoking rate and body mass index), somatic health decline (e.g., increased metabolic syndrome dysregulations), and brain alterations (e.g., reduced mPFC volume and increased amygdala reactivity). Limitations: Literature review of one cohort using mixed analytical approaches.Conclusion: : CT impacts the functioning of the brain, mind, and body, which together may contribute to a higher vulnerability for affective disorders. It is essential to employ an integrative approach combining different sources of data to understand the mechanisms of CT better.Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

On the measurement of color and brightness

Contains fulltext : mmubn000001_02844759x.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Promotor : E. Roskam159 p

Sequence similarity - a non-aligning technique

This article reviews objections to optimal-matching (OM) algorithms in sequence analysis and reformulates the concept of sequence similarity in terms of a binary precedence relation. This precedence relation is then used to develop a new quantification of sequence similarity. The new measure is used to reanalyze the life history data that were previously discussed by Dijkstra and Taris (1995). The reanalysis demonstrates the new measure to be superior to the OM algorithm and the alternatives proposed by Dijkstra and Taris. A new algorithm is presented to enumerate matching k-tuples from pairs of sequences in polynomial time