37 research outputs found
Stress Reactivity and Cognitive Vulnerability for Depression in Adolescence
No full textMajor Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common mental illness, with estimated lifetime prevalence of 25% (Kessler, Avenevoli, & Merikangas, 2001). Importantly, research suggests that the one-year prevalence rates of depression are relatively low in childhood, but dramatically increase, as much as six-fold, from early to late adolescence (Hankin et al., 1998; Kessler et al., 2003). These trends have led researchers to examine the developmental antecedents of depression in hopes of identifying risk factors associated with the first onset of disorder. This study examined the relationship between two empirically supported risk factors for depression: stress reactivity and cognitive vulnerabilities (CV). To varying degrees, these factors have been examined throughout development; yet, these bodies of literature have been surprisingly separate, which may contribute to the disappointing performance of selective intervention strategies to identify and treat youth at risk (Kovacs & Lopez-Duran, 2010). The current study examined the developmental antecedents and combined effects of two risk factors for depression. A sample of 127 adolescents and their mothers from the greater Philadelphia area completed questionnaires and interviews. In addition, adolescents participated in a social stress task to elicit a stress response. Measures of biological stress reactivity were measured through the endocrine system (e.g., cortisol) and the autonomic nervous system (e.g., heart rate). Findings suggest that a number of proximal stressors predict higher levels of both CV and stress reactivity components. We did not find evidence for more distal antecedents (e.g., early life stress, maternal depression, parenting styles) in the prediction of these risk factors, however. Importantly, this study highlights the combined risk factors of CVs and biological stress reactivity. Specifically, adolescents with higher levels of CV and a poorer ability to regulate after a stressor are at increased risk for depressive symptoms. Findings did not support the hypothesis that the mechanism through which CVs lead to depression is biological reactivity. The current study presents an important methodological and theoretical advancement in the body of literature examining risk factors for depression and stress reactivity. From the evidence obtained, it appears that in many cases these aspects of reactivity may operate synergistically in the development of depression and that the lack of physiological recovery may amplify the negative effects of different cognitive styles. The joint effects of cognitive and biological reactivity can enhance our understanding of reactions to stressful events and lead to more personalized treatment. Approaches that incorporate mindfulness and relaxation strategies may be particularly relevant to the regulation of physiological reactivity to stress that may reduce the prolonged feelings associated with stressful events. Overall, the results from the current study provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between stress responses and move beyond prior research on risk factors for depression.Psycholog
Neutralizing antibodies induced by first-generation gp41-stabilized HIV-1 envelope trimers and nanoparticles
No full textThe immunogenicity of gp41-stabilized HIV-1 BG505 envelope (Env) trimers and nanoparticles (NPs) was recently assessed in mice and rabbits. Here, we combined Env-specific B-cell sorting and repertoire sequencing to identify neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) from immunized animals. A panel of mouse NAbs was isolated from mice immunized with a 60-meric I3-01 NP presenting 20 stabilized trimers. Three mouse NAbs potently neutralized BG505.T332N by recognizing a glycan epitope centered in the C3/V4 region on BG505 Env, as revealed by electron microscopy (EM), X-ray crystallography, and epitope mapping. A set of rabbit NAbs was isolated from rabbits immunized with a soluble trimer and a 24-meric ferritin NP presenting 8 trimers. Neutralization assays against BG505.T332N variants confirmed that potent rabbit NAbs targeted previously described glycan holes on BG505 Env and accounted for a significant portion of the autologous NAb response in both the trimer and ferritin NP groups. Last, we examined NAb responses that were induced by non-BG505 Env immunogens. We determined a 3.4-Å-resolution crystal structure for the clade C transmitted/founder (T/F) Du172.17 Env with a redesigned heptad repeat 1 (HR1) bend in gp41. This clade C Env, in a soluble trimer form and in a multivalent form with 8 trimers attached to ferritin NP, and the gp41-stabilized clade A Q482-d12 Env trimer elicited distinct NAb responses in rabbits, with notable differences in neutralization breadth. Although eliciting a broad NAb response remains a major challenge, our study provides valuable information on an HIV-1 vaccine design strategy that combines gp41 stabilization and NP display. IMPORTANCE Self-assembling protein nanoparticles (NPs) presenting BG505 envelope (Env) trimers can elicit tier 2 HIV-1-neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses more effectively than soluble trimers. In the present study, monoclonal NAbs were isolated from previously immunized mice and rabbits for structural and functional analyses, which revealed that potent mouse NAbs recognize the C3/V4 region and small NP-elicited rabbit NAbs primarily target known glycan holes on BG505 Env. This study validates the gp41 stabilization strategy for HIV-1 Env vaccine design and highlights the challenge in eliciting a broad NAb response.</p
A validation study of the newly developed Calce method for determining age-at-death using the acetabulum
No full textAge-at-death estimation is a key component of creating a biological profile in forensic and bioarchaeological contexts, and the development of methods that utilize different skeletal elements or observe traits in a new manner are an important part of progress in the study of forensic anthropology. Use of the acetabulum for identifying age-at-death is among new methods being developed, and the recently published method by Calce (2012) was the focus of the present study. The present author analyzed a sample of 489 modern American individuals drawn from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection housed at the University of Tennessee and assigned each individual to a phase described by Calce (2012).
The results of the present study show that use of this method correctly classified age-at-death 62.2% of the time. The performance of this method is low compared to the results of the initial study where Calce (2012) found the method to be 81% accurate. This suggests that the acetabulum is not as beneficial as an age-at-death indicator as previously considered, and that more research on the utility of the acetabulum as an age indicator is required
The language of suicide notes
No full textThis thesis reports a study of a corpus of 286 suicide notes collected from the Birmingham Coroner’s Office, with additional findings from 33 real and 33 fabricated notes from Los Angeles. Following some background regarding how suicide notes are treated by Coroners’ Courts and other courts in the U.K, the thesis compares topics used in real and fabricated suicide notes. Although there is considerable overlap between the two categories, they can be partially distinguished by some features that are more likely to occur in one category than the other. For example, dates, indications of author identity and trivia are more likely to occur in real notes than fabricated ones. The thesis then concentrates on fake notes and scrutinises instances of atypical language or phraseology and contextually inappropriate content. It is found that these oddities are far more frequent in the fake notes than in the genuine ones. Finally the thesis focuses on the corpus of genuine notes from the Birmingham Coroner’s Office, using an automatic semantic tagger. The findings are that suicide notes contain significant proportions of items indicating affection, the future and their authors’ kin. In addition, the notes include significant proportions of pronouns, names, negatives, intensifiers, maximum quantity terms, and discourse markers
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Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depressed individuals improves suppression of irrelevant mental-sets
No full textAn impaired ability to suppress currently irrelevant mental-sets is a key cognitive deficit in depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was specifically designed to help depressed individuals avoid getting caught in such irrelevant mental-sets. In the current study, a group assigned to MBCT plus treatment-as-usual (n = 22) exhibited significantly lower depression scores and greater improvements in irrelevant mental-set suppression compared to a wait-list plus treatment-as-usual (n = 18) group. Improvements in mental-set-suppression were associated with improvements in depression scores. Results provide the first evidence that MBCT can improve suppression of irrelevant mental-sets and that such improvements are associated with depressive alleviation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00406-016-0746-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.Version of Recor
Welsh and immigrant new firms and new firm founders : are they really different?
No full textSchool of Managemen
Attorney Advertising and Solicitation on the Internet: Complying with Ethics Regulations and Netiquette, 13 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 697 (1995)
No full textThis comment examines several methods of attorney advertising and soliciation available on the Internet to determine whether the communications violate ethics regulations or breach netiquette. It also traces the history of advertising and solicitation in the United States from Bates v. State Bar of Arizona to Shapero v. Kentucky Bar Association. While the issue of attorney advertising in the Internet has not been addressed by the courts, analogies to traditional forms of advertising suggest guidelines for attorneys to follow when advertising on the Internet. Attorneys can and should carefully engage in advertising and solicitation on the Internet if all ethics regulations and netiquette are followed. The author proposes a Model Code for Advertising and Soliciation in Cyberspace for attorneys to follow when advertising on the Internet, and for states to consider adopting when revising ethics regulations
