Longitudinal transactional relations among young children’s defiance and committed compliance and maternal assertive control

The main goal of this study was to more closely understand the direction of relations between maternal behavior and young children's defiance and committed compliance. We examined 256 mother–child dyads to explore developmental transactional relations between maternal assertive control, children's committed compliance, and children's defiance at 18 (T1), 30 (T2), and 42 (T3) months of age. After controlling for maternal gentle control, SES, and child sex, results showed parent effects for children's committed compliance, such that T1 maternal assertive control negatively predicted T3 committed compliance. Furthermore, toddlers’ behavior predicted T3 parenting; that is, toddlers’ T1 defiance positively predicted T3 maternal assertive control. Results of the present study indicate relatively long-term prediction (to 42 months) from both parent and child behaviors at 18 months of age, and the findings have implications for understanding the bidirectional and complex processes that account for young children's adaptive and maladaptive behaviors.     

Relations of School Children's Comforting Behavior to Empathy-Related Reactions and Shyness

The purpose of this study was to examine empathy-related and personal correlates of children's comforting reactions. Quantity and quality of third to sixth graders' comforting of a crying infant were assessed and their relations with situational and dispositional empathy-related responding, shyness, and vagal tone were examined. Quantity and quality of boys' comforting were related to reports of sympathetic/empathic responding to an empathy-inducing film, whereas quantity of girls' comforting was associated with low facial and heart rate markers of vicarious distress in another context. Quality of comforting was associated with markers of girls' vicarious distress. Comforting was negatively related to younger children's shyness and marginally, positive correlated with girls' vagal tone. Suppression of vagal tone was associated with quantity of comforting.     

Deceptive Practices in Managing a Family Member with Alzheimer's Disease

Deception in the Alzheimer family shares characteristics with deception in a variety of other settings, in that it becomes routinized and contextualized. However, deception in the Alzheimer family is utilized toward the end of informal social control rather than primarily for information control. A key differentiating feature of the Alzheimer context is the gradually diminishing mental capacity and awareness of the person with the disease. This four-year longitudinal study, involving participant observation of a caregivers' support group and in-depth interviews of its members, examines how deceptive practices are learned; the various forms such practices take, including two-party deception and collusion with others; and conflict posed for the caregiver between treating the family member with dignity and coping with the daily ordeal of managing in the home.     

Journal evaluation in a health sciences library

This evaluation method for journals meets the library's objective for a responsible, responsive collection management practice. It provides structure, but not without regard for the unique potential addition to the collection that each journal represents. Although subject to occasional fine-tuning, this method has worked satisfactorily for two hundred journal evaluations completed over the course of several years. It is a well-tested procedure and is adaptable to most library settings, in whole or in part, regardless of size or type of collection.     

Risk Assessment for Aflatoxin: I. Metabolism of Aflatoxin B1 by Different Species

A comparison of the generation and detoxification of reactive aflatoxin B1 metabolites in different species may elucidate why animal species vary widely in sensitivity to aflatoxin B1 carcinogenicity, in addition to offering some perspective on how sensitive man may be to the carcinogenic effects of this mycotoxin. Scientific literature comparing the ability of cellular fractions from different species to metabolize aflatoxin B1 is reviewed. However, in vitro studies exclude components for multiple metabolic pathways, eliminating the possibility of competition between metabolic activation and detoxification. Quantification of metabolic activation by different species from these studies is therefore limited. The species-specific carcinogenic potency of aflatoxin B1 may be reflected in levels of aflatoxin B1-DNA adducts generated in vivo. The current paucity of quantitative information on human DNA adduct levels does not permit comparisons between different species on this basis.     

The diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and adopted adolescents: A cautionary note

Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and adopted emotionally-disturbed adolescents share many personality and psychodynamic characteristics: problems with object loss, separation and abandonment, identity disorders. Emotionally-disturbed adopted adolescents are likely to receive a BPD diagnosis because of 1. unknown genetic or constitutional components, 2. defects in early mothering or chaotic parenting seen in late adoptions, 3. possible misdiagnosis, 4. psychodynamic similarities. Authors caution against the possibility of misdiagnosis because of this environmental reinforcement provided by an adopted status.