Relationship between obsessive beliefs and symptoms in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder

Introduction: Misinterpretation of intrusive thoughts because of obsessive beliefs has been thought to be important in the development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. In current study, (I) the difference between OCD patients and healthy controls in regard of obsessive beliefs and (II) the relation of obsesive beliefs with the prevelance and severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms was investigated. Methods: The current study included 47 OCD patients and 44 healthy controls who have same properties with regard to age, sex and duration of education. All subjects were applied to Obsessive Beliefs Scale, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. OCD patients were applied to Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale as well as the other scales. Results: In analyses by controlling depression and anxiety scores, OCD patients had significantly higher scores than controls, with regard to all subscales of Obsessive Beliefs Scale. Also, prevalence of obsessive compulsive symptoms other than cleaning were correlated with obsessive beliefs about “responsibility and threat estimation” and “perfectionism and need for certainty”. Hovewer, there was no correlation in between severity of obsessive compulsive symptoms and subscale scores of Obsessive Beliefs Scale. Conclusion: Excluding the effects of depression and anxiety, generally the results suggests that obsessive beliefs have an important role for development of obsessive compulsive symptoms. Future studies of seperated OCD subgroup with regard to obsessive compulsive symptoms will be helpful in determinig the difference among these subgroups in regard of obsessive beliefs. © 2015 by Turkish Association of Neuropsychiatry

In defence of Churchland-style eliminative materialism: Objections and replies

The Churchlands are notorious for their theory of eliminative materialism (EM). This theory has become associated with scientism and a possible death of philosophy. In this article, I will closely examine the most common accusations made against EM and try to give an overall assessment of them. The conclusion is that EM survives most of the criticisms levelled against it. For sure, there are many things to do to improve on the current form of the theory, but none of them seems to be unsurpassable. The charges of blind enthusiasm, reductionism, neuroscience exceptionalism and scientism originate from widespread misconceptions about the nature of actual science. Furthermore, the objection that EM is self-defeating is answered

Türk Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Öznel İyi Oluşu Yordayan Sosyodemografik Değişkenler ve Mizah Tarzları

This study investigated the relationship among socio-demographic variables and humor styles on university students’ subjective well-being (SWB). Participants were 376 university students attending different faculties at Çukurova University. Positive and Negative Affect, Satisfaction with Life, Humor Styles Questionnaires, and Socio-Demographic Information Questionnaire were used to collect data. To analyze the data, t-test, correlation, and stepwise regression analyses were employed. Aggregate SWB, Aggressive and self-defeating humor of male students were found to be significantly higher than those of female students. However, negative affect female students were significantly higher than those of male students. No significant difference between male and female students with respect to life satisfaction, positive affect, affiliative and self-enhancing humor was detected. Results ofregression analyses indicated that self-enhancing humor, aggressive humor, romantic relationship, gender and economic status predict of aggregate SWB.Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin sosyodemografik özellikleri ile mizah tarzları ve öznel iyi oluşları arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. Araştırmaya Çukurova Üniversitesi’nin değişik fakültelerinden 376 öğrenci katılmıştır. Veriler, Olumlu ve Olumsuz Duygular, Yaşam Doyumu, Mizah Tarzları Ölçekleri ve Sosyodemografik Bilgi Formu ile elde edilmiştir. Analizlerde t-testi, korelasyon ve adımlı regresyon kullanılmıştır. Toplam öznel iyi oluş, saldırgan ve kendini yıkıcı mizah tarzlarında erkek öğrencilerin puanları, kızlardan anlamlı bir şekilde yüksek çıkmıştır. Olumsuz duygularda, kız öğrencilerin puanları erkek öğrencilerden anlamlı bir şekilde yüksek bulunmuştur. Olumlu duygular, yaşam doyumu, katılımcı mizah ve kendini geliştirici mizah değişkenleri açısından ise kız ve erkek öğrenciler arasında anlamlı bir fark bulunmamıştır. Regresyon analizi sonucunda, kendini geliştirici mizah, saldırgan mizah, romantik ilişki, cinsiyet ve sosyoekonomik statünün toplam öznel iyi oluşu yordamada önemli olduğu anlaşılmıştır

An unusual complication of otitis media: Luc's abscess

Luc’s abscess is an extremely rare complication of otitis media, caused by the spread of the middle ear infection to the subperiosteal area and its accumulation beneath the temporal muscle. Unlike other subperiosteal abscesses relating to otitis media, infection may not be associated with mastoid bone involvement. Therefore, it is defined as a benign complication of otitis media. However, its rare occurrence may lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Here we report a case of an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with Luc’s abscess with mastoid involvement. We discuss its clinical presentation and treatment with a review of the literature. © 2018 by The European Academy of Otology and Neurotology and The Politzer Society

Modafinil dependence: A case with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Modafinil is generally known as a drug with low addiction potential. There are few case reports in the literature demonstrating that Modafinil, stated being capable of diminishing symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), causes addiction. In the present article a Modafinil addicted ADHD case, consuming usurious doses (5,000 mg/per day) of Modafinil is presented. The case presented to our psychiatry outpatient clinic due to: requirement of in taking high dose Modafinil in order to achieve the initial effects, difficulty in obtaining the drug, irritability, anxiousness, sleep irregularities, fatigue and unpleasant vivid dreams when he did not use the drug. It was realized that the patient, himself increased doses of Modafinil incrementally, in order to keep its effects on attention symptoms at the same level. It has to be kept in mind that ADHD patients can develop Modafinil addiction. It is necessary to carry out systemic studies on this subject. © 2018 Korean Neuropsychiatric Association

Yapay bilinç tartışmasında biyolojik doğalcı yaklaşımın hataları

John Searle tarafından öne sürülen Biyolojik Doğalcı kuramın bir tarafı Church–Turing tezinden güç alan von Neumann mimarili dijital bilgisayarların neleri asla başaramayacağı üzerine iken diğer bir yanı zihin felsefesinde ikicilik olarak bilinen görüşlere karşı bilincin her yönüyle bilimsel, nesnel, üçüncü-şahıs bakış açısından araştırılabileceğini iddia etmektedir. Hem bilincin doğal dünyanın, öznel, asla indirgenemez, niteliksel ama biyolojik bir parçası olduğunu, hem de zihnin seri işlemcili, von Neumann mimarili dijital bilgisayarla taklit edilmesinin mümkün olduğunu kabul eden Searle, diğer yandan, güçlü yapay zekâ doktrininin temel hedefinin halen imkânsız olduğunu düşünmektedir. İçerik yüklü zihin, sentakstan ibaret programdan daha fazlasıdır. Bu kuramın tüm radikal sonuçlarının üstünde yükseldiği tek temel, sentakstan semantiğin çıkamayacağının, Searle tarafından, kavramsal bir doğru olarak kuvvetle benimsenmesidir. Tüm sorun, gelip kendisinin özdeşlik, indirgeme, eleyicilik, simülasyon, kavramsal doğruluk ve nedensellik terimlerini alışılmadık şekillerde kullanmasına dayanmaktadır.One side of the Biological Naturalist approach put forward by John Searle is about what the digital computer with von Neumann architecture, powered by the Church–Turing thesis, will never achieve, while the other side claims that consciousness can be investigated from a scientific, objective, third-person perspective, against the views known as dualism in the philosophy of mind. As consciousness is a subjective, irreducible, qualitative but biological part of the natural world, it is possible to simulate the mind with a von Neumann digital computer with a serial processor. On the other hand, he thinks that the primary goal of the strong artificial intelligence doctrine is still impossible. The concrete mind with intentional content is more than an abstract program with mere symbols. The only basis on which all his radical conclusions rise is Searle’s wholehearted adoption of the assumption that semantics cannot emerge from syntax as a conceptual truth. The whole problem comes down to his unconventional use of the term’s identity, reduction, elimination, simulation, conceptual truth, and causality

Immunoglobulin lambda light chain gene rearrangements in human B-cell malignancies

Lymphocytes form the specific immune system, capable of recognizing and responding to any foreign antigen, while remaining indifferent to self components. Throughout human life, lymphocytes are continuously generated from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. These hematopoietic stem cells are already detectable in the yolk sac and in the fetal liver from the second month of gestation onwards. After birth, the hematopoietic stem cells are mainly found in the bone marrow (BM). Two types of lymphocytes exist: B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes. Progenitor Bcells differentiate into mature B-lymphocytes in the BM, while progenitor T-cells differentiate into mature T-lymphocytes in the thymus. Mature B- and T-lymphocytes recognize foreign antigens via smface receptor molecules, the so-called antigen specific receptors. The antigen specific receptors of B-and T-lymphocytes are called B-cell receptor (BCR) or immunoglobulin (Ig) molecules and T-cell receptor (TCR) molecules, respectively. Differentiation of progenitor B-cells into mature B-lymphocytes is regulated via interaction with stromal cells in the BM. In the earliest stages, progenitor B-cells must be in direct contact with the stromal cells, and fmiher differentiation is dependent on growth factors, such as cytokines and hematopoietic growth factors, which are secreted by the stroma. These growth factors and cytokines induce proliferation, differentiation, and maturation in an organized way

A Novel Reading of Thomas Nagel’s “Challenge” to Physicalism

In passing remarks, some commentators have noted that for Nagel, physicalism is true. It has even been argued that Nagel seeks to find the best path to follow to achieve future physicalism. I advance these observations by adding that for Nagel, we should discuss the consciousness problem not in terms of physical and mental issues but in terms of our desire to include consciousness in an objective/scientific account, and we can achieve this only by revising our self-conception, i.e., folk psychology, to develop a more detached view of experience. Through the project of objective phenomenology, Nagel aims to achieve some sort of objective, detached, and scientific explanation of the subjective nature of experience. This project seeks to make the truth of physicalism intelligible and consciousness more amenable to scientific study, potentially raising an even broader concept than the one physicalism originally proposes