Mixed anaclitic-introjective psychopathology in treatment-resistant inpatients undergoing psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Utilizing data from the Riggs-Yale Project, 45 male and 45 female 18-29-year-old treatment-resistant inpatients undergoing intensive psychoanalytically oriented treatment were studied. Twenty-seven mixed-type anaclitic-introjective inpatients were compared with 29 "pure" anaclitic and 34 "pure" introjective inpatients. At intake, mixed-type inpatients were more clinically impaired (i.e., were more symptomatic, cognitively impaired, and thought disordered) and more vulnerable (i.e., less accurate object representations and more frequently used maladaptive defense mechanisms) in comparison with clearly defined anaclitic and introjective patients. Mixed-type patients, however, improved significantly more in the course of psychoanalytically oriented treatment, in terms of clinical functioning (i.e., symptoms, cognitive functioning) and psychological vulnerability (i.e., utilization of more adaptive defense mechanisms). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

From abandonment to symbiosis: A developmental reversal in suicidal adolescents.

This article presents the abandonment-symbiosis hypothesis. This hypothesis pertains to the dynamics of suicide in youngsters who experience difficulties in separation from their symbiotic families. It is suggested that such youngsters have experienced various types of rejection and abandonment in early childhood and have developed insecure attachment styles and insufficient ego functions in order to cope with difficulties. It is also suggested that these youngsters have become scapegoats by their dysfunctional families and that they are held in a symbiotic grip in order to continue to bear the negative projections of their families. As such, they are prevented from developing a proper sense of individuation and autonomy. The sequence that begins with abandonment and continues with symbiosis is a reversal of normal development is critical for the emergence of suicidal behavior. The various aspects of the abandonment-symbiosis hypothesis are demonstrated by case studies and empirical data. A combination of individual and family treatment is recommended as the best approach for the treatment of such youngsters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depressive symptoms erode self-esteem in severe mental illness: A three-wave, cross-lagged study.

Vulnerability, scar, and reciprocal-relations models of depressive symptoms and self-esteem were compared among people with severe mental illness (SMI; N=260) participating in a partnership-based intervention study. Assessments were conducted at baseline, midway through the intervention (after 4 months), and at termination (after 9 months). Cross-lagged, structural equation modeling analyses revealed that participants' baseline depressive symptoms predicted a decrease in self-esteem in the first 4 months but not in the subsequent 5 months of participation. Exploratory regression analyses indicated that improved social functioning buffered this deleterious effect of depressive symptoms. These findings, which are consistent with the scar model, highlight the fragile nature of the self and the importance of social functioning in recovery from SMI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Role of perfectionism and personality disorder features in response to brief treatment for depression.

Using data from the Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program (TDCRP), the authors compared the role of patients' perfectionism and features of personality disorder (PD) in the outcome of brief treatment for depression. Data were extracted as to patients' intake levels of symptoms; perfectionism; and PD features, measured as continuous variables, as well as their symptoms at termination; their contribution to the therapeutic alliance; and their satisfaction with social relations. Poorer therapeutic outcome was demonstrated for patients with elevated levels of perfectionism and odd-eccentric and depressive PD features. Patients' contribution to therapeutic alliance and satisfaction with social relations were predicted by perfectionism but not by PD features. Results highlight the central role played by patients' personality in the course of brief treatment for depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

EON: a component-based approach to automation of protocol-directed therapy

Provision of automated support for planning protocol-directed therapy requires a computer program to take as input clinical data stored in an electronic patient-record system and to generate as output recommendations for therapeutic interventions and laboratory testing that are defined by applicable protocols. This paper presents a synthesis of research carried out at Stanford University to model the therapy-planning task and to demonstrate a component-based architecture for building protocol-based decision-support systems. We have constructed general-purpose software components that (1) interpret abstract protocol specifications to construct appropriate patient-specific treatment plans; (2) infer from time-stamped patient data higher-level, interval-based, abstract concepts; (3) perform time-oriented queries on a time-oriented patient database; and (4) allow acquisition and maintenance of protocol knowledge in a manner that facilitates efficient processing both by humans and by computers. We have implemented these components in a computer system known as EON. Each of the components has been developed, evaluated, and reported independently. We have evaluated the integration of the components as a composite architecture by implementing T-HELPER, a computer-based patient-record system that uses EON to offer advice regarding the management of patients who are following clinical trial protocols for AIDS or HIV infection. A test of the reuse of the software components in a different clinical domain demonstrated rapid development of a prototype application to support protocol-based care of patients who have breast cancer.     

Self-representation of suicidal adolescents

This study focused on the self-representations of suicidal adolescent. Twenty-six Israeli suicidal inpatients, 24 nonsuicidal inpatients, and 24 control participants completed scales on suicidal tendencies, the hedonic value of self-representations, the complexity (differentiation, integration) of these self-representations, and the discrepancies among self domains (actual, ideal, ought). Suicidal adolescents showed more negative self-representations, a less differentiated and less integrated organization of self-attributes, and more discrepancies between the 3 assessed domains of the self than did control participants. In addition, compared with psychiatric nonsuicidal participants, suicidal adolescents showed a less complex organization of self-attributes and a higher discrepancy between ideal self and ought self. Results were discussed in terms of the vulnerable self of suicidal adolescents, characterized by uneven processing of positive and negative information, confusion, and simplicity.     

Microwave surface resistance of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 thin films at 18.7 GHz measured by a dielectric resonator technique

We used a dielectric resonator technique for highly sensitive measurements of the temperature dependence of the microwave surface resistanceR _s of 1×1 cm² superconducting films at 18.7 GHz. It consists of a sapphire disc positioned on the film under investigation within a copper cavity which is acting as a radiation shield. In the TE₀₁ oscillation mode the highly reproducible quality factor of about 10⁵ results in a sensitivity of ±50 forR _s measurements. The temperature dependence ofR _s can be measured up to values as high as 1 . We have investigated several YBa₂Cu₃O₇ thin films prepared by high oxygen pressure d.c. sputtering on LaAlO₃ and NdGaO₃. Our best films exhibit a pronounced nonlinear behavior of the d.c. resistivity(T) with(300K)/(100K) values of about 3.7. Those films show, besides the initial fall-off just belowT _c , a further strong decrease ofR _s at low temperatures. This was observed both at 18.7 GHz and 87 GHz, as measured by a conventional cavity end plate replacement technique. ForTT_c/2 these films exhibit an exp (–T _c/T) dependence ofR _s with-values around 0.4. These observations may be explained by a superconducting energy gap with 2/kT _c0.8 for charge carriers localized in the CuO chains for YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

Towards identifying the roll motion parameters of a motorcycle simulator

This study aimed at identifying the roll motion parameters of a motorcycle simulator prototype. Experienced motorcyclists tuned the angular physical movement of the mock-up and that of the visual scene to achieve an optimal riding experience during curves. The participants exceeded the rolling angles that would be required in real-world riding, while avoiding leaning the mock-up beyond 10°. In addition, they were more influenced by the speed of the virtual motorcycle than by road curvature, especially in a wide field of view. Heterogeneity was found in the roll applied to the visual scene. The overall patterns suggest that at least when washout is not applied to remove the side forces that in real-world riding are compensated by a centrifugal force, greater roll of the visual at the expense of the mock-up is mandatory to avoid performance biases that might be enhanced due to fear of falling off the simulator. Future roll motion models must take into consideration factors such as riding postures, which might not only influence the forces operating on the rider-motorcycle system, but also how motorcyclists perceive the visual world.     

Using aspects for testing of embedded software: experiences from two industrial case studies

Aspect-oriented software testing is emerging as an important alternative to conventional procedural and object-oriented testing techniques. This paper reports experiences from two case studies where aspects were used for the testing of embedded software in the context of an industrial application. In the first study, we used code-level aspects for testing non-functional properties. The methodology we used for deriving test aspect code was based on translating high-level requirements into test objectives, which were then implemented using test aspects in AspectC++. In the second study, we used high-level visual scenario-based models for the test specification, test generation, and aspect-based test execution. To specify scenario-based tests, we used a UML2-compliant variant of live sequence charts. To automatically generate test code from the models, a modified version of the S2A Compiler, outputting AspectC++ code, was used. Finally, to examine the results of the tests, we used the Tracer, a prototype tool for model-based trace visualization and exploration. The results of the two case studies show that aspects offer benefits over conventional techniques in the context of testing embedded software; these benefits are discussed in detail. Finally, towards the end of the paper, we also discuss the lessons learned, including the technological and other barriers to the future successful use of aspects in the testing of embedded software in industry.