Differential susceptibility to fathers’ care and involvement: The moderating effect of infant reactivity

The differential susceptibility hypothesis suggests that children differ in their susceptibility to the influence of both positive and negative environmental factors. Children with reactive temperaments are hypothesised to be particularly susceptible to environmental influences, both for better and for worse. The present study sought to investigate whether infant temperament moderates the influence of fathers on child prosocial and problem behaviours. In a large prospective population study (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children), 5064 children were followed between the ages of six and 81 months (6¾ years). Infant temperament, child behaviours, and fathers’ involvement and depression were assessed

Can the evolution of music be analyzed in a quantitative manner?

We propose a methodology to study music development by applying multivariate statistics on composers characteristics. Seven representative composers were considered in terms of eight main musical features. Grades were assigned to each characteristic and their correlations were analyzed. A bootstrap method was applied to simulate hundreds of artificial composers influenced by the seven representatives chosen. Afterwards we quantify non-numeric relations like dialectics, opposition and innovation. Composers differences on style and technique were represented as geometrical distances in the feature space, making it possible to quantify, for example, how much Bach and Stockhausen differ from other composers or how much Beethoven influenced Brahms. In addition, we compared the results with a prior investigation on philosophy. Opposition, strong on philosophy, was not remarkable on music. Supporting an observation already considered by music theorists, strong influences were identified between composers by the quantification of dialectics, implying inheritance and suggesting a stronger master-disciple evolution when compared to the philosophy analysis.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, added references for sections 1 and 4.C, better mathematical description on section 2. New values and interpretation, now considering a bootstrap metho

Islet cell cytoplasmic antibody reactivity in midgestational human fetal pancreas

The reactivity of islet cell cytoplasmic antibodies (ICA)-positive and ICA-negative sera of recent onset type 1 diabetic patients was studied in human fetal pancreata of 12-18 weeks' gestation and compared with the reactivity of these sera in adult human control pancreata. The aims of the study were: (1) to observe the presence of ICA staining in human fetal islet cells; (2) to compare endpoint titres (in Juvenile Diabetes Foundation units) of ICA-positive patient sera in fetal pancreata and adult human control pancreata. Ten ICA-positive sera and eight ICA-negative sera from newly diagnosed diabetic patients and four sera from healthy controls were tested on three human adult and eight human fetal pancreata. As in the adult control pancreata. ICA-positive sera reacted to insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-positive cells of fetal pancreata of all gestational ages. This was observed both in single cells and in cells in islet-like cell clusters. Dilution of a reference serum gave similar results in both adult and fetal pancreata. In contrast, the ICA-positive patient sera yielded a striking heterogeneity in fetal as well as in adult pancreata. However, end-point titres between adult and fetal pancreata did not differ significantly (P>0.05). In conclusion, ICA-positive sera from recent onset diabetic patients show that the expression of molecules to which ICA react is present in all islet cells and starts before week 12 of gestation

Determinants of Quality of Life and Treatment Satisfaction During Long-Term Involuntary In-patient Treatment of Dual-Diagnosis Patients

INTRODUCTION: Treatment resistance and disengagement from mental health services are major obstacles in the treatment of dual diagnosis patients with Severe Mental Illness. The patients in this study were admitted to a long-term involuntary treatment facility. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study which patient experiences and perceptions are related to the outcome measures Subjective Quality of Life (SQOL) and Treatment Satisfaction (TS) during the long-term involuntary treatment. METHODS: Patients were invited for an interview by an independent researcher, which included self-report questionnaires. The structured interviews included self-assessing Helping Alliance, Insight, Attitude toward involuntary admission, Perceived coercion and Perceived benefit were studied as determinants of SQOL and TS. The relationship between the determinants and the outcomes were analyzed by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Patient reported outcomes from dual diagnosis patients in a long-term treatment facility, showed that most of the patients, in spite of the involuntary character of the treatment, were satisfied with the treatment. With respect to the determinants of SQOL and TS the perceptions that “My opinion is taken into account” and “Perceived benefits of the treatment” are strong predictors of both the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The current study shows that the most important aspects for treatment satisfaction and quality of life of dual-diagnosis patients admitted involuntary to long-term treatment, are being listened to (being taken seriously) and experiencing improvements during treatment. These qualities reflect the goals of Shared Decision Making and Perceived Procedural Justice in treatment. The study also corroborates earlier findings that even when treated involuntarily, patients might not hold particular negative views regarding their treatment

A learning theory of attachment: Unraveling the black box of attachment development

Attachment is an inborn behavioral system that is biologically driven and essential for survival. During child development, individual differences in (in)secure attachment emerge. The development of different attachment behaviors has been traditionally explained as a process during which experiences with (lack of) responsive and supportive care are internalized into working models of attachment. However, this idea has been criticized for being vague and even untestable. With the aim of unraveling this black box, we propose to integrate evidence from conditioning research with attachment theory to formulate a Learning Theory of Attachment. In this review, we explain how the development of individual differences in attachment security at least partly follows the principles of classical and operant conditioning. We combine observed associations between attachment and neurocognitive and endocrinological (cortisol, oxytocin, and dopamine) processes with insights in conditioning dynamics to explain the development of attachment. This may contribute to the explanation of empirical observations in attachment research that are insufficiently accounted for by traditional attachment theory

Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebral Bone Mineral Density Changes in a Natural Occurring Dog Model of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Ankylosing spinal disorders can be associated with alterations in vertebral bone mineral density (BMD). There is however controversy about vertebral BMD in patients wuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH). DISH in Boxer dogs has been considered a natural occurring disease model for DISH in people. The purpose of this study was to compare vertebral BMD between Boxers with and without DISH. Fifty-nine Boxers with (n=30) or without (n=29) DISH that underwent computed tomography were included. Vertebral BMD was calculated for each thoracic and lumbar vertebra by using an earlier reported and validated protocol. For each vertebral body, a region of interest was drawn on the axial computed tomographic images at three separate locations: immediately inferior to the superior end plate, in the middle of the vertebral body, and superior to the inferior end plate. Values from the three axial slices were averaged to give a mean Hounsfield Unit value for each vertebral body. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to identify factors to be included in a multivariate model. The multivariate model including all dogs demonstrated that vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 24.63; 95% CI 16.07 to 33.19; p <0.001), lumbar vertebrae (Coefficient -17.25; 95% CI -23.42 to -11.09; p < 0.01), and to a lesser extent higher age (Coefficient -0.56; 95% CI -1.07 to -0.05; p = 0.03) were significant predictors for vertebral BMD. When the multivariate model was repeated using only dogs with DISH, vertebral DISH status (Coefficient 20.67; 95% CI, 10.98 to 30.37; p < 0.001) and lumbar anatomical region (Coefficient -38.24; 95% CI, -47.75 to -28.73; p < 0.001) were again predictors for vertebral BMD but age was not. The results of this study indicate that DISH can be associated with decreased vertebral BMD. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the clinical importance and pathophysiology of this finding