The effects of childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder on women and their relationships: a qualitative study

There is converging evidence that 1%-2% of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of childbirth. The current study aimed to explore the long-term effects of childbirth-related PTSD on women, their relationship with their partner and their relationship with their child. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six women who reported clinically significant PTSD after birth, ranging from 7 months to 18 years beforehand. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Childbirth-related PTSD was found to have wide-ranging effects on women and their relationships. Women reported changes in physical well-being, mood and behaviour, social interaction, and fear of childbirth. Women reported negative effects on their relationship with their partner, including sexual dysfunction, disagreements and blame for events of birth. The mother-baby bond was also seriously affected. Nearly all women reported initial feelings of rejection towards the baby but this changed over time. Long-term, women seemed to have either avoidant or anxious attachments with their child. It is concluded that childbirth-related PTSD can have severe and lasting effects on women and their relationships with their partner and children. Further research is needed to compare this to normal difficulties experienced by women after having children

Morphometric analysis of body and claw dimensions of building dwelling UK bat species: to aid knowledge of bat interactions with roosting surfaces

The increasing use of non-woven materials, such as breathable roofing membranes (BRMs) within buildings that either currently contain a bat roost or may do in the future, has led to concerns over bat safety by those involved in bat conservation in the UK. Whilst some information is currently available on the selection of roosts in roofs by bats, along with technical specifications of individual membranes, there is no research that has investigated the interactions between the two. Prior to determining the methods needed to test interactions between bats and BRMs, a series of preliminary investigations were conducted; including research and physical measurements on selected anatomical features of bats commonly found roosting in buildings in the UK. Data on body size and shape were gathered from a combination of experimental measurements of bat specimens (deceased) and information collated from literature. Data on bat claw morphology were collected by applying a method used to measure raptor talons, measurements obtained included; width, length and the curvature (hook ratio) of their claws. The results of this research provide additional information about bat body and claw morphometrics. It was found that bat species/group had a significant effect upon the length, width and curvature of the claws (to varying degrees). Pipistrelle species have the shortest and third narrowest claws, whereas serotines have the longest and widest claws on average. The curvature of the claws does not vary greatly between species; however, more variation was seen in the lower portion of the claws. The results from this research also demonstrate that the current standard industry tests do not represent the fine scale at which a bats claws interact with their roosting surfaces. Consequently, this information can be used to aid the development of industry tests for determining the suitability of BRMs for use in bat roosts

The relationship of certain word analysis abilities to the reading achievement of first, second, and third grade children,

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

Comparison of interactions between beta-hairpin decapeptides and SDS/DPC micelles from experimental and simulation data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We applied a combined experimental and computational approach to ascertain how peptides interact with host and microbial membrane surrogates, in order to validate simulation methodology we hope will enable the development of insights applicable to the design of novel antimicrobial peptides. We studied the interactions of two truncated versions of the potent, but cytotoxic, antimicrobial octadecapeptide protegrin-1, PC-72 [LCYCRRRFCVC] and PC-73 [CYCRRRFCVC].</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used a combination of FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations to examine the peptides' interactions with sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles. The relative amounts of secondary structure determined by FTIR agreed with those from the simulations. Fluorescence spectroscopy, deuterium exchange experiments and the simulations all indicate that neither peptide embeds itself deeply into the micelle core. Although molecular simulations placed both peptides at the micelle-water interface, further examination revealed differences in how certain residues interacted with the micelle core.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We demonstrate here the accuracy of molecular dynamics simulations methods through comparison with experiments, and have used the simulation results to enhance the understanding of how these two peptides interact with the two types of micelles. We find agreement between simulation and experimental results in the final structure of the peptides and in the peptides final conformation with respect to the micelle. Looking in depth at the peptide interactions, we find differences in the interactions between the two peptides from the simulation data; Leu-1 on PC-72 interacts strongly with the SDS micelle, though the interaction is not persistent – the residue withdraws and inserts into the micelle throughout the simulation.</p

Way Back When

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/7365/thumbnail.jp

Effects of Task on the Activation of Predictive Inferences

Research on the activation of predictive inferences has provided inconsistent results that may be explained within a contextual view of reading. The present study tested whether the type of test for explicit memory would affect the activation of knowledge-based predictive inferences. The information necessary for the activation of a predictive inference was provided to readers in four different conditions (no inference, local processing, global processing, coherence). Manipulation was accomplished by varying the type of question asked after reading the passage (verbatim, factual, or inference). Analysis suggests predictive inferences are automatically activated and nor affected by contextual factors such as the question. Consequently, the current data do nor provide clear support for a contextual view of comprehension. These conclusions are supported by a two-stage view of elaborative processing

Reflections of the Self: How Self-Esteem Determines Decision Framing and Increases Risk Taking

Historically, research examining the influence of individual personality factors on decision processing has been sparse. In this paper we investigate how one important individual aspect, self-esteem, influences imposition and subsequent processing of ambiguously, negatively or positively framed decision tasks. We hypothesized that low self-esteem individuals would impose a negative frame onto ambiguous decision problems and would be especially sensitive to negatively framed decision tasks. In Study 1 we utilized a self-framing procedure and demonstrated that HSE participants were evenly divided in the hedonic valence they self-imposed whereas LSE participants were more likely to self-impose a negative frame. When these differences were accounted for, HSE and LSE participants were equivalent in risk seeking/avoiding choices. Study 2 used a risky-choice framing task and found that LSE individuals were especially sensitive to the negative frame. Study 3, provided converging evidence and generalization of these findings to a reflection tasks involving money

The Relationship between Different Assays for Detection and Quantification of Amyloid Beta 42 in Human Cerebrospinal Fluid

Alzheimer's disease (AD), which is characterized by a degeneration of neurons and their synapses, is one of the most common forms of dementia. CSF levels of amyloid β42 (Aβ42) have been recognized as a strong candidate to serve as an AD biomarker. There are a number of commercial assays that are routinely employed for measuring Aβ42; however, these assays give diverse ranges for the absolute levels of CSF Aβ42. In order to employ CSF Aβ42 as a biomarker across multiple laboratories, studies need to be performed to understand the relationship between the different platforms. We have analyzed CSF samples from both diseased and nondiseased subjects with two different widely used assay platforms. The results showed that different values for the levels of CSF Aβ42 were reported, depending on the assay used. Nonetheless, both assays clearly demonstrated statistically significant differences in the levels of Aβ42 in CSF from AD relative to age-matched controls (AMC). This paper provides essential data for establishing the relationship between these assays and provides an important step towards the validation of Aβ42 as a biomarker for AD