Reduction of Radiation-Induced Hair Loss by Topical Application of Radioprotectors

ABSTRACT

Our transdermal permeation studies of radioprotectors in permeation-enhancing vehicles led us to hypothesize that radiation-induced hair loss could be reduced by topical application of radioprotectors. In the present study we used a hair regrowth assay in “plucked” mice to measure the radioprotective effectiveness of WR-1065, cysteine and TEMPOL when they were dissolved in a variety of vehicles, i.e., saline, dimethyl formamide (DMF), propylene glycol (PG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethanol. Protector effectiveness varied with radiation dose and vehicles. At 600 R, WR-1065 or cysteine, in any vehicle, reduced radiation-induced baldness scores; at 800 R, only WR-1065 in DMF and cysteine in saline, produced some protection. TEMPOL in ethanol produced protection at both the 600 and 800 R. Results suggest that suitably chosen topical application of protector/vehicle combinations can reduce radiation-induced hair loss.     

Neighborhood disadvantage moderates associations of parenting and older sibling problem attitudes and behavior with conduct disorders in African American children.

Data from 296 sibling pairs (mean ages 10 and 13 years), their primary caregivers, and census records were used to test the hypothesis that African American children's likelihood of developing conduct problems associated with harsh parenting, a lack of nurturant-involved parenting, and exposure to an older sibling's deviance-prone attitudes and behavior would be amplified among families residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods. A latent construct representing harsh-inconsistent parenting and low levels of nurturant-involved parenting was positively associated with younger siblings' conduct disorder symptoms, as were older siblings' problematic attitudes and behavior. These associations were strongest among families residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Future research and prevention programs should focus on the specific neighborhood processes associated with increased vulnerability for behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of context on the correspondence between observational ratings and questionnaire reports of hostile behavior: A multitrait, multimethod approach.

Scholars who study close relationships often measure the same concept with both observational ratings and questionnaire items. In studies where this has been done, the correlations between the two measures have often been low, and one reason may be a "context by measurement" confound. Observational ratings are usually based on behaviors during a specific task, whereas most questionnaire responses are based on a broader context such as "during the past month." In 2001, a total of 292 young couples were videotaped during a discussion task and asked to report on their own behavior and that of their partner during the discussion task and during the past month. The data were configured as a multitrait, multimethod matrix, and the magnitudes of the correlations were estimated with confirmatory factor analysis. The resulting correlations between observer ratings and questionnaire reports of hostile behavior during the videotaped discussion were roughly twice the magnitude of the correlations between observer rating and questionnaire reports during the past month. This suggests that the correspondence between behavioral categories and the content of questionnaire items is greater than previous studies have indicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Freedom and commitment: Families, youth, and social change.

Examines the ways in which the nature of the family and its functions in a changing society have evolved between 1800 and the present. Particular attention is paid to the development of individualistic patterns of family behavior and the rise of the nuclear family in the face of increased urbanization and geographic mobility, greater age segregation, lessened economic interdependence of family members, and increasingly depersonalized relations between the family and other social institutions. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of systematic variation in retrospective conduct disorder reports on antisocial personality disorder diagnoses.

A diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) requires a conduct disorder (CD) diagnosis. A CD diagnosis is often obtained retrospectively. This study tested the influence of current behavior on CD recall and the association between recent behavior change and inconsistencies in contemporaneous and retrospective CD reports. Five hundred young adults reported ASPD; retrospective CD; current problem behavior; and, at ages 12 to 15 years, contemporaneous CD. True-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and false-negative CD and ASPD groups were identified. The results supported the hypotheses. Participants whose current behavior agreed with past behavior provided reliable retrospective CD reports. Inaccurate diagnoses occurred among participants whose current behavior was inconsistent with past behavior, either becoming more problematic (CD and ASPD false positives) or less problematic (CD and ASPD false negatives) over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consequences of socioeconomic disadvantage across three generations: Parenting behavior and child externalizing problems.

This study considers the intergenerational consequences of experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage within the family of origin. Specifically, the influence of socioeconomic disadvantage experienced during adolescence on the timing of parenthood and the association between early parenthood and risk for harsh parenting and emerging child problem behavior was evaluated. Participants included 154 3-generation families, followed prospectively over a 12-year period. Results indicated that exposure to poverty during adolescence, not parents' (first generation, or G1) education, predicted an earlier age of parenthood in G2. Younger G2 parents were observed to be harsher during interactions with their own 2-year-old child (G3), and harsh parenting predicted increases in G3 children's externalizing problems from age 2 to age 3. Finally, G3 children's externalizing behavior measured at age 3 predicted increases in harsh parenting from ages 3 to 4, suggesting that G3 children's behavior may exacerbate the longitudinal effects of socioeconomic disadvantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contextual amplification of pubertal transition effects on deviant peer affiliation and externalizing behavior among African American children.

The effects of the pubertal transition on behavior problems and its interaction with family and neighborhood circumstances were examined with a sample of 867 African American children 10-12 years of age. Pubertal development status, pubertal timing, and primary caregivers' parenting behaviors were significantly related to affiliation with deviant peers and externalizing behaviors. Externalizing behavior among early-maturing children was associated positively with primary caregivers' use of harsh-inconsistent discipline and negatively with nurturant-involved parenting practices. Disadvantaged neighborhood conditions were significantly associated with deviant peer affiliation. The effect of pubertal transition varied according to family and neighborhood conditions: Early-maturing children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to affiliate with deviant peers. Early-maturing children with harsh and inconsistent parents were significantly more likely to have externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting Behaviors and the Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Depressive Symptoms and Conduct Problems Among African American Children.

The occurrence and co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and conduct problems were examined in the context of parenting behaviors in a community-based sample of 897 African American children and their primary caregivers using a multi-informant, longitudinal design. Parenting behaviors and clinical symptoms were assessed in 2 waves, when the children averaged 10.5 and 12.3 years of age. Parenting behaviors differed significantly according to a child's symptomatology; (a) that is, when a child exhibited no depressive or conduct problems, (b) depressive problems only, (c) conduct problems only, or (d) co-occurring depressive and conduct problems. When parenting behaviors were examined according to changes in children's symptom levels, children whose symptoms increased over time reported increases in hostility and harsh-inconsistent parenting and decreases in warmth and nurturant-involved parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)