Being Praised for Prosocial Behaviors Longitudinally Reduces Depressive Symptoms in Early Adolescents: A Population-Based Cohort Study

BackgroundDepression is highly prevalent and causes a heavy burden in adolescent life. Being praised for prosocial behavior might be a preventive factor because both being praised and prosocial behavior are protective against depression. Here, we investigated the longitudinal relationship between being praised for prosocial behavior and depressive symptoms in adolescents.MethodsIn Tokyo Teen Cohort study (TTC), an ongoing prospective population-based cohort study, we collected 3,171 adolescents' data on self-reported experiences of being praised for prosocial behavior, depressive symptoms, and caregiver-evaluated prosocial behavior. Ten-year-old children were asked to freely describe answers to the question “What are you praised for?”. Only children who clearly answered that they were praised for their prosocial behavior were designated the “prosocial praise group.” The degree of depression at ages 10 and 12 was measured with the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ), a self-report questionnaire about depression. Objective prosocial behavior of the 10 year-old children was assessed by the Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the SMFQ score at age 12 as the objective variable and being praised for prosocial behavior as the main explanatory variable, and the SMFQ score at age 10 and the objective prosocial behavior at age 10 were included as confounders.ResultsDepressive symptoms (SMFQ scores) in the “prosocial praise group” were significantly lower than those in the other group both at age 10 (4.3 ± 4.4 vs. 4.9 ± 4.6, p < 0.001) and at age 12 (3.4 ± 4.2 vs. 4.0 ± 4.6, p < 0.01). In the single regression analysis, the children who reported being praised for prosocial behavior at age 10 had significantly lower depressive symptoms at age 12 (partial regression variable: −0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.96, −0.17]). This association remained significant after adjusting for confounders, including baseline depressive symptoms (partial regression variable: −0.44, 95% CI [−0.80, −0.08]). Prosocial behavior alone was not associated with depressive symptoms.ConclusionsBeing praised for prosocial behavior rather than objective prosocial behavior at 10 years of age predicted lower depressive symptoms 2 years later. Praise for adolescents' prosocial behavior can be encouraged to prevent depression

Finite-difference time-domain simulation of partial discharges in a gas insulated switchgear

It is important to estimate the current magnitude and charge amount of a partial discharge (PD) in a gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). In this study, electromagnetic fields generated by a PD in an 84 kV-class three-phase GIS for testing have been measured with a voltage probe installed on the outer surface of an insulation spacer of the GIS tank, and the corresponding simulations have been carried out using the three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. FDTD-computed time-domain voltages across spacers agree reasonably well with the corresponding measured ones, and the current magnitude of PD and its charge amount have been estimated

遠隔医療支援システムを活用した眼科医師教育システムの構築

著者最終原稿版旭川医科大学が中心となって実践している遠隔医療支援システムを活用して、北海道各地の医療機関に従事する研修医と勤務医を支援する教育システムを構築した。システムを活用して遠隔勉強会に参加登録した43名の医師に使用経験についてアンケート調査を行い、40名(93%)から回答を得た。回答者全員が勉強会は「研修に有効」と答え、勉強会への参加状況は22名(51%)が「必ず参加」17名(40%)が「だいたい参加」であった。また研修医15名、専門医取得前勤務医7名と専門医既取得勤務医16名が「継続参加を希望」した。本システムは医師育成の新しいシステムとして期待される