Measuring Attachment and Reflective Functioning in Early Adolescence:An Introduction to the Friends and Family Interview

Internal working models (IWMs; Bowlby, 1969/1982) develop before language and are, initially at least, pre-symbolic, nonverbal notions. With reflective functioning (RF; Fonagy, Steele, Steele, Moran, & Higgitt, 1991) we have the possibility to refashion IWMs based on language, but linguistic skills only develop between 18-24 months, and then steadily over time. Reliable instruments are available to assess these constructs in infancy and adulthood: The Strange Situation observational measure (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978) reveals the infant’s IWMs of his caregivers, while the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; Main, Hesse, & Goldwyn, 2008; George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985) exposes the adult speaker’s capacity for RF. This paper addresses the middle ground of early adolescent children who are not yet mature enough to respond to a full AAI, but are too old to expect that an observational attachment measure would reveal much about their inner thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about attachment. We outline an interview protocol designed for 9 to 16-year old children, asking about self, friends, teachers, and family, with the aim of elucidating both IWMs, regarding earlier experience, and the extent of RF concerning past and present experiences. The protocol is the Friends and Family Interview (FFI; Steele & Steele, 2005), which has a mul-tidimensional scoring system to be elaborated with verbatim examples of response from both low-risk community samples, and higher-risk samples of youth

Integrating donor conception into identity development: adolescents in fatherless families.

OBJECTIVE: To study the processes by which donor-conceived children incorporate donor conception into their subjective sense of identity. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Family homes. PATIENT(S): Nineteen donor-conceived adolescents. INTERVENTION(S): Administration of an interview and questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The mother-child relationship was assessed through the Friends and Family Interview, a semistructured interview designed to assess adolescents' security of attachment in terms of secure-autonomous, insecure-dismissive, insecure-preoccupied, and insecure-disorganized attachment patterns. The Donor Conception Identity Questionnaire assessed adolescents' thoughts and feelings about donor conception, yielding two factors: [1] curiosity about donor conception and [2] avoidance of donor conception. RESULT(S): Statistically significant associations were found between the Curiosity scale and the secure-autonomous and insecure-dismissing attachment ratings. Adolescents with secure-autonomous attachment patterns were more interested in exploring donor conception whereas those with insecure-dismissing patterns were less likely to express curiosity. Insecure-disorganized attachment ratings were statistically significantly correlated with the Avoidance scale, indicating higher levels of negative feelings about donor conception. CONCLUSION(S): The results of this study of the influence of parent-child relationships on thoughts and feelings about donor conception in adolescence suggest that the valence of the parent-child relationship influences adolescents' appraisal of their donor conception within the context of their growing sense of identity.This research was supported by a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award [097857/Z/11/Z].This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Elsevier via https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2016.02.03

Rock-a-bye Moon

Photograph of Ethel Shuttahttps://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/cht-sheet-music/12523/thumbnail.jp

Measles virus causes immunogenic cell death in human melanoma

Oncolytic viruses (OV) are promising treatments for cancer, with several currently undergoing testing in randomised clinical trials. Measles virus (MV) has not yet been tested in models of human melanoma. This study demonstrates the efficacy of MV against human melanoma. It is increasingly recognised that an essential component of therapy with OV is the recruitment of host anti-tumour immune responses, both innate and adaptive. MV-mediated melanoma cell death is an inflammatory process, causing the release of inflammatory cytokines including type-1 interferons and the potent danger signal HMGB1. Here, using human in vitro models, we demonstrate that MV enhances innate antitumour activity, and that MV-mediated melanoma cell death is capable of stimulating a melanoma-specific adaptive immune response

RECOGNITION OF EMOTION AND ADULT ATTACHMENT

Glavni cilj istraživanja bio je utvrditi odnos između afektivne privrženosti i točnosti u dekodiranju facijalnih ekspresija osnovnih emocija (ljutnja, prezir, gađenje, strah, sreća, tuga i iznenađenost). Pretpostavka je bila da će kod viših razina dimenzija (anksioznost i izbjegavanje) biti niža razina uspješnosti prepoznavanja facijalnih ekspresija. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 249 studenata različitih profesionalnih orijentacija s Filozofskog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Nišu, Srbija. U spolnoj strukturi muškarci su bili zastupljeni s 23,7 % (59 muškaraca), a žene sa 76,3 % (190 žena). Prosječna dob iznosila je 22,13 (SD = 1,596) godina. Instrumenti - Kao podražaj upotrijebili smo zbirku fotografija, Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion (JACFEE, 1988.). Primijenjen je i ECR-r upitnik za evaluaciju obrazaca afektivne privrženosti (Fraley, Waller i Brennan, 2000.). Potvrđena je hipoteza o vezi između dimenzija afektivne privrženosti (izbjegavanje i anksioznost) i uspješnosti u prepoznavanju osnovnih emocija (ljutnja, prezir, gađenje, strah, sreća, tuga i iznenađenost). Dimenzije afektivne privrženosti (izbjegavanje i anksioznost) negativno su povezane s uspješnosti ispitanika u prepoznavanju facijalnih ekspresija emocija.The main aim of this study was to examine the relationship between affective attachment and accuracy in decoding of facial expressions of basic emotions (anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise). It was expected that with the higher level of dimensions (anxiety and avoidance), the level of success in identifying facial expressions of emotions would get lower. The sample of respondents included 249 students of different professional orientations at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, Serbia. The gender structure consisted of 59 (23.7%) males and 190 (76.3%) females. The average age was 22.13 (SD = 1.596) years. Instruments. As a stimulus, we have used a collection of photos, »Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Facial Expressions of Emotion« (Matsumoto and Ekman, 1988). Also, we have used the ECR-r-Questionnaire for the evaluation of the pattern of affective attachment (Fraley, Waller and Brennan, 2000). The hypothesis on the connection of dimensions of affective attachment (avoidance and anxiety) and the success in identifying basic emotions (anger, contempt, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise) has been confirmed. The dimensions of affective attachment (avoidance and anxiety) are negatively connected with the subjects’ success in identifying facial expressions of emotions

Exploring Nonlinearity in the Association Between Birth Defect Rates and Agrichemicals in Groundwater in an Agricultural State

Background: Agricultural practices over the last 70 years have led to increased agrichemical contamination in some drinking water supplies. Studies report an elevated risk of birth defects associated with exposure to nitrate or atrazine, but little is known about effects of co-exposure. This ecological study evaluated the relationship between the concomitant presence of nitrate and atrazine in Nebraska drinking water supplies and risk for birth defects. Methods: County birth data were combined with water chemistry data retrieved from a state-sponsored agrichemical contaminant database. Segmented linear regression was used to examine associations between percentage of wells with nitrate and atrazine (separately and as a mixture), and the risk of birth defects. Results: When modeled for wells with nitrate-N concentrations \u3e 2 mg/L, the slope of the first regression segment was positive, increasing to 58% positive wells. After 58% positivity, the slope showed a negative association with birth defect rates. Adding atrazine to the model moved the changepoints to a lower percentage of wells positive for these agrichemicals in the association to birth defect rates. Models consistently showed this pattern of association with and without other nitrosatable compounds present. Conclusions: The results support an effect of nitrate and nitrosatable compounds on fetal development and suggest the relationship may be nonlinear. Exposure to nitrate and nitrosatable compounds as a mixture may have separate biological effects on reproductive outcomes when compared to the single compounds.https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/chri_forum/1059/thumbnail.jp

Modelling for Sustainable Development: New Decisions for a New Age

This book outlines how next-generation models need to integrate social and environmental components in government and corporate decision-making. Traditionally, these models have focused on profits and taxes, but to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, they need to take a more holistic view. The book builds on the expanding practices of modelling complex decision making requirements and indicators. It considers the challenges of decision making in the face of incomplete and sometimes inaccurate information, the role of multiple stakeholders, and the capacity of governments and others to use models effectively.https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/sustainable_investment_books/1007/thumbnail.jp