47 research outputs found
Swedish Universities Scales of Personality : relationship to other personality instruments, patient-control differences and longitudinal stability in schizophrenia and related disorders
Objective: Schizophrenia and related disorders are often severe and chronic. They could also cause a
lasting change in the life situation of the affected individual. Personality is an aspect that can
affect symptoms and social function in schizophrenia spectrum disorder. The first aim of the
thesis was to evaluate the use of the Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) with
regard to factor structure, internal consistency and case-control differences. The second aim
was to investigate stability over five- and 13-year periods among patients with schizophrenia
and related disorders and healthy individuals. The third aim was to investigate associations
between SSP and scales from four other personality instruments among healthy subjects. A
fourth aim was to investigate differences between patients with long-time treated psychotic
disorder and control related to personality traits.
Method: Patients and controls were recruited as part of the larger Human Brain Informatics (HUBIN)
study at Karolinska Hospital and Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden.
In order to investigate aspects of usability and differences between patients and controls using
SSP, factor structure and internal consistency in patients with psychotic disorder and healthy
controls were analysed by multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and Cronbach’s
alpha.
Stability of personality traits were investigated during a five-year follow up study and also
during a 13-year period in a second follow up study. Patients with schizophrenia and related
disorders and healthy controls completed SSP upon two or three occasions at baseline, after
five years and after 13 years. The three factors and 13 scales of SSP were analysed for effect
of time and case-control differences. MANCOVA, correlations, means and SD’s were
calculated.
To investigate SSP in relation to other personality constructs the healthy controls completed
SSP and at least one of the personality instruments NEO-PI-R, revised Chapman scales,
SCID-II screen or STQ. Correlations were calculated between SSP´s three factors as well as
between the 13 different SSP scales and scales/subscales in revised Chapman scales, NEOPI-
R, SCID-II screen and STQ. Factor analyses and ICC were calculated.
Results: When measuring differences and aspects of usability with SSP internal consistencies were
overall similar comparing patients and controls. The patients scored significant lower in three
(Adventure Seeking, Physical Trait Aggression, Verbal Trait Aggression) and higher in seven
(Detachment, Embitterment, Lack of Assertiveness, Mistrust, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Somatic
Trait Anxiety, Stress Susceptibility) in the SSP inventory scales. There was no significant
difference between controls and patients in the scales Impulsiveness, Social Desirability, and
Trait Irritability scales. SSP factor analyses among patients with schizophrenia spectrum
disorder showed a three-factor model, as anticipated. Factor Neuroticism was similar to the
Swedish normative study. Factor Aggressiveness also included high loadings from the scales
Adventure Seeking, Impulsiveness and Mistrust, both scales which in the Swedish normative
study loaded in third factor Extraversion (Adventure Seeking and Impulsiveness) and factor
Neuroticism (Mistrust). Factor Extraversion consisted of the scales Detachment and Social
Desirability scales. For Detachment that is as in the Swedish normative study. Social
Desirability loaded on the Aggressiveness factor in the Swedish normative study.
At five-year follow up MANCOVA within-subjects analysis did not show any effect of time.
Patients scored higher than controls in seven of the SSP scales, i.e. Detachment,
Embitterment, Mistrust, Lack of Assertiveness, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Somatic Trait Anxiety
and Stress Susceptibility. At 13-year follow up tests of within-subject correlations showed
differences in the two scales Lack of Assertiveness and Physical Trait Aggression. Lack of
Assertiveness were influenced by age and in Physical Trait Aggression the controls rated
themselves less aggressive at higher age whereas the patients’ ratings were stable. Betweensubjects
correlations showed differences in the factor Neuroticism and also in nine of the 13
scales of SSP.
When investigate SSP scales and factors in relation to scales in other personality instruments
weaker correlations were common and strong correlations were sparse. SSP Aggressiveness
factor correlated with NEO Agreeableness (r=0.62). SSP Extraversion factor correlated with
NEO Extraversion (r=0.63) and SSP Neuroticism factor correlated with Chapman Social
anhedonia (r=0.62), NEO Neuroticism (r=0.80) and SCID-II cluster C (r=0.71).
Conclusion: The personality inventory SSP can be used assessing personality traits in patients with
schizophrenia and related disorders in stable remission. SSP is particularly useful when
measuring personality traits related to temperament-like features. The different personality
inventories measure personality aspects in partly different ways and are therefore not
completely comparable to each other.
SSP personality traits showed relatively high stability among patients with schizophrenia and
related disorders. Healthy controls showed a higher stability than the patients
Autonomous Systems as Legal Agents: Directly by the Recognition of Personhood or Indirectly by the Alchemy of Algorithmic Entities
The clinical manifestations of platelet dense (δ) granule defects are easy bruising, as well as epistaxis and bleeding after delivery, tooth extractions and surgical procedures. The observed symptoms may be explained either by a decreased number of granules or by a defect in the uptake/release of granule contents. We have developed a method to study platelet dense granule storage and release. The uptake of the fluorescent marker, mepacrine, into the platelet dense granule was measured using flow cytometry. The platelet population was identified by the size and binding of a phycoerythrin-conjugated antibody against GPIb. Cells within the discrimination frame were analysed for green (mepacrine) fluorescence. Both resting platelets and platelets previously stimulated with collagen and the thrombin receptor agonist peptide SFLLRN was analysed for mepacrine uptake. By subtracting the value for mepacrine uptake after stimulation from the value for uptake without stimulation for each individual, the platelet dense granule release capacity could be estimated. Whole blood samples from 22 healthy individuals were analysed. Mepacrine incubation without previous stimulation gave mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) values of 83±6 (mean ± 1 SD, range 69–91). The difference in MFI between resting and stimulated platelets was 28±7 (range 17–40). Six members of a family, of whom one had a known δ-storage pool disease, were analysed. The two members (mother and son) who had prolonged bleeding times also had MFI values disparate from the normal population in this analysis. The values of one daughter with mild bleeding problems but a normal bleeding time were in the lower part of the reference interval
К вопросу совершенствования подготовки кадров с высшим медицинским образованием в области экологии
ВУЗЫВЫСШИЕ УЧЕБНЫЕ ЗАВЕДЕНИЯОБРАЗОВАНИЕ МЕДИЦИНСКОЕПОДГОТОВКА КАДРОВЭКОЛОГИЯ /ОБУ
Molecular Basis of Ligand Dissociation in β-Adrenergic Receptors
The important and diverse biological functions of β-adrenergic receptors (βARs) have promoted the search for compounds to stimulate or inhibit their activity. In this regard, unraveling the molecular basis of ligand binding/unbinding events is essential to understand the pharmacological properties of these G protein-coupled receptors. In this study, we use the steered molecular dynamics simulation method to describe, in atomic detail, the unbinding process of two inverse agonists, which have been recently co-crystallized with β1 and β2ARs subtypes, along four different channels. Our results indicate that this type of compounds likely accesses the orthosteric binding site of βARs from the extracellular water environment. Importantly, reconstruction of forces and energies from the simulations of the dissociation process suggests, for the first time, the presence of secondary binding sites located in the extracellular loops 2 and 3 and transmembrane helix 7, where ligands are transiently retained by electrostatic and Van der Waals interactions. Comparison of the residues that form these new transient allosteric binding sites in both βARs subtypes reveals the importance of non-conserved electrostatic interactions as well as conserved aromatic contacts in the early steps of the binding process
A flow cytometric assay for the study of dense granule storage and release in human platelets
The clinical manifestations of platelet dense (δ) granule defects are easy bruising, as well as epistaxis and bleeding after delivery, tooth extractions and surgical procedures. The observed symptoms may be explained either by a decreased number of granules or by a defect in the uptake/release of granule contents. We have developed a method to study platelet dense granule storage and release. The uptake of the fluorescent marker, mepacrine, into the platelet dense granule was measured using flow cytometry. The platelet population was identified by the size and binding of a phycoerythrin-conjugated antibody against GPIb. Cells within the discrimination frame were analysed for green (mepacrine) fluorescence. Both resting platelets and platelets previously stimulated with collagen and the thrombin receptor agonist peptide SFLLRN was analysed for mepacrine uptake. By subtracting the value for mepacrine uptake after stimulation from the value for uptake without stimulation for each individual, the platelet dense granule release capacity could be estimated. Whole blood samples from 22 healthy individuals were analysed. Mepacrine incubation without previous stimulation gave mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) values of 83±6 (mean ± 1 SD, range 69–91). The difference in MFI between resting and stimulated platelets was 28±7 (range 17–40). Six members of a family, of whom one had a known δ-storage pool disease, were analysed. The two members (mother and son) who had prolonged bleeding times also had MFI values disparate from the normal population in this analysis. The values of one daughter with mild bleeding problems but a normal bleeding time were in the lower part of the reference interval
Normal D-dimer concentration is a common finding in symptomatic outpatients with distal deep vein thrombosis.
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-25010 A FLOW CYTOMETRIC ASSAY FOR THE STUDY OF DENSE GRANULE STORAGE AND RELEASE IN HUMAN PLATELETS
flow cytometric assay for the study of dens
Local INR calibration of the Owren type prothrombin assay greatly improves the intra- and interlaboratory variation
Stability of personality traits over a five-year period in Swedish patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and non-psychotic individuals: a study using the Swedish universities scales of personality
Background
Personality is considered as an important aspect in persons with psychotic disorders. Several studies have investigated personality in schizophrenia. However, no study has investigated stability of personality traits exceeding three years in patients with schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate the stability of personality traits over a five-year period among patients with schizophrenia and non-psychotic individuals and to evaluate case-control differences.
Methods
Patients with psychotic disorders (n = 36) and non-psychotic individuals (n = 76) completed Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) at two occasions five years apart. SSP scores were analysed for effect of time and case-control differences by multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and within-subjects correlation.
Results
MANCOVA within-subjects analysis did not show any effect of time. Thus, SSP mean scale scores did not significantly vary during the five-year interval. Within subject correlations (Spearman) ranged 0.30–0.68 and 0.54–0.75 for the different SSP scales in patients and controls, respectively. Patients scored higher than controls in SSP scales Somatic Trait Anxiety, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Stress Susceptibility, Lack of Assertiveness, Detachment, Embitterment, and Mistrust.
Conclusion
The stability of the SSP personality trait was reasonably high among patients with psychotic disorder, although lower than among non-psychotic individuals, which is in accordance with previous research
Swedish universities scales of personality: Relation to other personality instruments
Objective To investigate associations between Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP) and scales of the following personality instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R axis II screening questionnaire (SCID-II screen), revised NEO personality inventory (NEO-PI-R), revised Chapman scales (Chapman) and the psychotic traits questionnaire (STQ).Methods Healthy individuals (n=406) completed self-report personality questionnaires including SSP and at least one more personality inventory. Correlations were calculated between the 13 different SSP subscales as well as SSP’s three factors and factors and scales/subscales in SCID-II screen, NEO-PI-R, Chapman and STQ. The main factors of the various instruments were factor analysed. ICC were calculated.Results SSP Neuroticism factor correlated with SCID-II cluster C (r=0.71), NEO Neuroticism (r=0.80) and Chapman Social anhedonia (r=0.62). SSP Extraversion factor correlated with NEO Extraversion (r=0.63) and SSP Aggressiveness factor with NEO Agreeableness (r=-0.62). Strong correlations between SSP factors and scales and scales of the other instruments were sparse, although weaker correlations were common.Conclusion SSP is a useful investigation tool when measuring personality traits related to temperament-like features. SSP partly correlates well to especially three of the NEO-PI-R factors. The different personality inventories are not completely comparable to each other. Instead, they measure personality aspects in partly different ways