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Context: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) are diffuse parenchymal lung diseases characterized by a mixture of inflammation and fibrosis, leading to lung destruction and finally death. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare different pathophysiological mechanisms, such as angiogenesis, coagulation, fibrosis, tissue repair, inflammation, epithelial damage, oxidative stress, and matrix remodeling, in both disorders using bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Methods: At diagnosis, patients underwent bronchoscopy with BAL and were divided into three groups: Control ( n = 10), HP ( n = 11), and IPF ( n = 11), based on multidisciplinary approach (clinical examination, radiology, and histology): Multiplex searchlight technology was used to analyze 25 proteins representative for different pathophysiological processes: Eotaxin, basic fibroblast growth factor (FGFb), fibronectin, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukine (IL)-8, IL-12p40, IL-17, IL-23, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), myeloperoxidase (MPO), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9, active plasminogen activating inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), pulmonary activation regulated chemokine (PARC), placental growth factor (PlGF), protein-C, receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), regulated on activation normal T cells expressed and secreted (RANTES), surfactant protein-C (SP-C), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1), tissue factor, thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Results: All patients suffered from decreased pulmonary function and abnormal BAL cell differential compared with control. Protein levels were increased in both IPF and HP for MMP-8 ( P = 0.022), MMP-9 ( P = 0.0020), MCP-1 ( P = 0.0006), MDC ( P = 0.0048), IL-8 ( P = 0.013), MPO ( P = 0.019), and protein-C ( P = 0.0087), whereas VEGF was decreased ( P = 0.0003) compared with control. HGF was upregulated in HP ( P = 0.0089) and active PAI-1 was upregulated ( P = 0.019) in IPF compared with control. Differences in expression between IPF and HP were observed for IL-12p40 ( P = 0.0093) and TGF-β1 ( P = 0.0045). Conclusions: Using BAL, we demonstrated not only expected similarities but also important differences in both disorders, many related to the innate immunity. These findings provide new clues for further research in both disorders.

Although maternal stress during pregnancy and even before conception shapes offspring risk for mental health problems, relatively little is known about the mechanisms through which these associations operate. In theory, preconception and prenatal stress may affect offspring mental health by influencing child responses to postnatal caregiving. To address this knowledge gap, this study had two aims. First, we examined associations between preconception and prenatal stress with child temperament profiles at age four using multilevel assessment of maternal perceived stress and stress physiology. Second, we tested child temperament profiles as moderators of associations between observed parenting behaviors during a parent-child free-play interaction when children were 4 years old and child behavior problems 1 year later. Latent profile analyses yielded four distinct child temperament profiles: inhibited, exuberant, regulated low reactive, and regulated high reactive. Consistent with hypotheses, preconception, and prenatal stress each independently predicted the likelihood of children having temperament profiles characterized by higher negative emotionality and lower regulation. Specifically, preconception perceived stress and prenatal cortisol predicted likelihood of children having an exuberant temperament, whereas prenatal perceived stress predicted likelihood of children having an inhibited temperament. Contrary to hypotheses, temperament profiles did not moderate predictions of child behavior problems from observed parenting behaviors; however, responsive parenting behaviors inversely predicted child behavior problems independently of child temperament. These findings add to growing evidence regarding effects of preconception factors on child outcomes and underscore a central role for responsive parenting behaviors in predicting more favorable child mental health independent of child temperament. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Although the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDoC) framework proposes biological and environmental mechanisms intersect in the etiology of psychopathology, there is no guidance on how to define or measure experiences in the environment within the RDoC matrix. Interpersonal dynamics during caregiver-child interactions involve temporal coordination of interacting partners' biobehavioral functioning; repeated experiences of signaling to caregivers and responding to caregivers' signals shape children's subsequent socioemotional and brain development. We begin with a review of the extant literature on caregiver-child dynamics, which reveals that RDoC's units of analysis (brain circuits, physiology, behavior, and self-report) are inextricably linked with moment-to-moment changes in the caregiving environment. We then offer a proof-of-concept for integrating biobehavioral RDoC units and environmental components via caregiver-child dynamics. Our approach uses dynamic structural equation models to estimate within-dyad dynamics involving arousal, social, cognitive, and negative or positive affective processes based on second-by-second changes in parasympathetic activity (RSA) during a conflict discussion and a positive event-planning task. Our results illustrate variation in parent-child RSA synchrony, suggesting differences depending on the driver (i.e., child- or parent-led) and on the unique and intersecting domains involved (e.g., positive or negative affect valence systems). We conclude with recommendations for conducting robust, methodologically rigorous studies of interpersonal dynamics that advance the RDoC framework and provide a summary of the clinical implications of this research. Examining caregiver-child dynamics during and across multiple dyadic interaction paradigms that differentially elicit key domains of functioning can deepen understanding of how caregiver- and child-led interpersonal dynamics contribute to child psychopathology risk., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Intensive longitudinal designs are increasingly popular, as are dynamic structural equation models (DSEM) to accommodate unique features of these designs. Many helpful resources on DSEM exist, though they focus on continuous outcomes while categorical outcomes are omitted, briefly mentioned, or considered as a straightforward extension. This viewpoint regarding categorical outcomes is not unwarranted for technical audiences, but there are non-trivial nuances in model building and interpretation with categorical outcomes that are not necessarily straightforward for empirical researchers. Furthermore, categorical outcomes are common given that binary behavioral indicators or Likert responses are frequently solicited as low-burden variables to discourage participant non-response. This tutorial paper is therefore dedicated to providing an accessible treatment of DSEM in Mplus exclusively for categorical outcomes. We cover the general probit model whereby the raw categorical responses are assumed to come from an underlying normal process. We cover probit DSEM and expound why existing treatments have considered categorical outcomes as a straightforward extension of the continuous case. Data from a motivating ecological momentary assessment study with a binary outcome are used to demonstrate an unconditional model, a model with disaggregated covariates, and a model for data with a time trend. We provide annotated Mplus code for these models and discuss interpretation of the results. We then discuss model specification and interpretation in the case of an ordinal outcome and provide an example to highlight differences between ordinal and binary outcomes. We conclude with a discussion of caveats and extensions., (© 2023. The Psychonomic Society, Inc.)

Resilience resources refer to factors that protect against the physical and mental health effects of stress exposure. This study used a cross-sectional design to test whether three individual-level resilience resources-mastery, self-esteem, and perceived social support-moderated associations between prenatal major life stressors and postpartum depressive symptoms at approximately 8 weeks postpartum. Participants were 2510 low- and middle-income women enrolled after the birth of a baby in a multi-site study of five communities in the United States. At approximately 8 weeks postpartum, participants were interviewed in their homes to assess the three resilience resources, symptoms of depression, and major life stressors that had occurred during the pregnancy. The results of path analyses revealed that mastery and self-esteem moderated the positive association between prenatal life stressors and postpartum depressive symptoms adjusting for race/ethnicity, partner status, years of education, and household income. Perceived social support was associated with fewer postpartum depressive symptoms but did not moderate the association between life stressors and depressive symptoms. Higher levels of two personal resilience resources, mastery and self-esteem, attenuated the association between prenatal life stressors and early postpartum depressive symptoms in a large, predominantly low-income multi-site community sample. These findings highlight the protective nature of individual-level resilience resources in the early postpartum period when maternal adjustment shapes parent and child health outcomes., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Given that noncompliance is the most common externalizing problem during middle childhood and reliably predicts significant conduct problems, innovations in elucidating its etiology are sorely needed. Evaluation of in-the-moment antecedents and consequences of child noncompliance improves traction on this goal, given that multiple theories contend that child noncompliance and parent behavior mutually influence each other through negative reciprocation as well as contingent praise processes. Among a sample of 140 families (child age: 6-10 years; 32.1% female), the present study capitalized on intensive repeated measures of observed child noncompliance and parent negative talk and praise objectively coded during three unique tasks. We employed dynamic structural equation modeling to evaluate within-dyad parent-child behavioral dynamics and between-dyad differences therein. Results provided mixed support for hypotheses and suggested that antecedents and consequences of child noncompliance differed according to task demands and child ADHD symptoms. Contrary to models of coercive cycles, during child-led play, parent negative talk was more likely following prior child noncompliance, but child noncompliance was less likely following prior parent negative talk. As expected, during parent-led play, parent praise was less likely following prior child noncompliance, which was also less likely following prior parent praise. Relative to youth with fewer symptoms, for children with elevated ADHD symptoms, during a challenging clean-up task, child noncompliance was less stable and less contingent on prior parent negative talk. Results are discussed in terms of their implications of real-time parent-child interactions for typical and atypical development of externalizing problems., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Early life adversity is a potent risk factor for poor mental health outcomes across the lifespan, including offspring vulnerability to psychopathology. Developmentally, the prenatal period is a sensitive window in which maternal early life experiences may influence offspring outcomes and demarcates a time when expectant mothers and offspring are more susceptible to stressful and salutary influences. This prenatal plasticity constituted the focus of the current study where we tested the association of maternal early life adversity with infant stress regulation through maternal prenatal internalizing symptoms and moderation by prenatal social support. Mother-infant dyads (n = 162) were followed prospectively and mothers completed assessments of social support and depressive and anxiety symptoms across pregnancy. Infants completed standardized stress paradigms at one month and six months. There were several key findings. First, maternal prenatal depressive symptoms significantly mediated predictions of infant cortisol reactivity to the heel stick at one month from maternal early life adversity: specifically, maternal early life adversity positively predicted depressive symptoms in pregnancy, which in turn predicted dampened infant cortisol reactivity. Second, prenatal social support did not significantly moderate predictions of depressive or anxiety symptoms in pregnancy from maternal early life adversity nor did it alter the associations of maternal depressive or anxiety symptoms with infant stress regulation. These results suggest that maternal prenatal mental health is a key mechanism by which maternal early life adverse experiences affect offspring risk for psychopathology. We discuss potential clinical and health implications of dysregulated infant cortisol reactivity with respect to lifespan development., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The current study used novel methodology to characterize intraindividual variability in the experience of dynamic, within-person changes in postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms across the first year postpartum and evaluated maternal and infant characteristics as predictors of between-person differences in intraindividual variability in PPD symptoms over time. With a sample of 322 low-income Mexican-origin mothers (Mage = 27.79; SD = 6.48), PPD symptoms were assessed at 11 time points from 3 weeks to 1 year postpartum (Edinburgh Perinatal Depression Scale; Cox & Holden, 2003). A prenatal cumulative risk index was calculated from individual psychosocial risk factors. Infant temperamental negativity was assessed via a maternal report at the infant age of 6 weeks (Infant Behavior Questionnaire; Putnam et al., 2014). Multilevel location scale analyses in a dynamic structural equation modeling (Asparouhov et al., 2018) framework were conducted. Covariates included prenatal depressive symptoms. On average, within-mother change in depressive symptoms at one time point was found to carry over to the next time point. Nonnull within-mother volatility in PPD symptoms reflected substantial ebbs and flows in PPD symptoms over the first year postpartum. Results of the between-level model demonstrated that mothers differed in their equilibriums, carryover, and volatility of their PPD symptoms. Mothers with more negative infants and those with higher prenatal cumulative risk exhibited higher equilibriums of PPD symptoms and more volatility in symptoms but did not differ in their carryover of PPD symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Background: Maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy may affect offspring health through prenatal programming of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The biological mechanisms that explain the associations between maternal prenatal depressive symptoms and offspring HPA axis regulation are not yet clear. This pre-registered investigation examines whether patterns of maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy are associated with infant cortisol reactivity and whether this association is mediated by changes in placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH)., Method: A sample of 174 pregnant women completed assessments in early, mid, and late pregnancy that included standardized measures of depressive symptoms and blood samples for pCRH. Infant cortisol reactivity was assessed at 1 and 6 months of age., Results: Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with higher cortisol infant cortisol reactivity at 1 and 6 months. Greater increases in maternal depressive symptoms in pregnancy were associated with greater increases in pCRH from early to late pregnancy which in turn were associated with higher infant cortisol reactivity., Conclusions: Increases in maternal depressive symptoms and pCRH over pregnancy may contribute to higher infant cortisol reactivity. These findings help to elucidate the prenatal biopsychosocial processes contributing to offspring HPA axis regulation early in development.

Background and Objectives: Parents' natural language when describing health-related threats reflects parents' cognitions that may shape their transmission of anxiety and fear. Parents' greater communal focus (i.e., higher we -talk) and less self-focus (i.e., lower I -talk) may buffer against intergenerational fear/anxiety transmission. The current study investigated whether the relation between parents' and children's anxiety and pandemic-related fear differed by parent we - and I -talk., Design and Methods: Parents of 114 children (2-19 years; M = 9.75, SD = 3.73) completed online measures assessing children's and parents' anxiety and COVID-19-related fears, and engaged in a written reflection on their early pandemic experiences. The proportion of parents' we -talk and I -talk during the reflection was obtained using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count software., Results: Results of multilevel structural equation models were partially consistent with expectations: The protective effect of we -talk was only observed for parents with lower fear/anxiety. For parents with higher fear/anxiety, higher I -talk was associated with lower child fear/anxiety. At higher levels of parent we -talk and at lower levels of I -talk, there was an unexpectedly positive association between parents' and children's fear/anxiety., Conclusions: The concordance between parents' and their children's fear/anxiety differs depending on parents' natural language when reflecting on the pandemic.

Although dyadic theory focuses on the impact of a mother's mental health on her own child and the impact of a child's mental health on their own mother, commonly used statistical approaches are incapable of distinguishing the desired within-dyad processes from between-dyad effects. Using autoregressive latent trajectory modeling with structured residuals, the current study evaluated within-dyad, bidirectional associations between maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems from child age 1-4.5 years among a sample of low-income, Mexican American women (N = 322, M age = 27.8) and their children. Women reported on maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems during laboratory visits at child age 1, 1.5, 2, 3, and 4.5 years. Results provide novel evidence of child-driven bidirectional association between maternal depressive symptoms and child behavior problems at the within-dyad level as early as child age 1 year and within-person stability in child behavior problems emerging early in life.

Fetal adaptations to prenatal maternal stress may confer high risk for childhood behavior problems, potentially operating via dynamic fluctuations in infants' emotions during mother-infant interactions. These fluctuations over time may give rise to behavior problems. Among a sample of 210 low-income mothers of Mexican origin and their 24-week-old infants, dynamic structural equation modeling was used to examine whether within-infant second-by-second emotion processes were predicted by maternal prenatal stress and predicted behavior problems at 36 and 54 months. The mean level around which infant negative affect fluctuated was related to prenatal stress, but not to childhood behavior problems. The volatility in infant negative affect, reflecting greater ebb and flow in infant negative affect during playful interaction, was predicted by prenatal stress and predicted enduring behavior problems in childhood. Results highlight a potential child-driven pathway linking prenatal exposure with childhood behavior problems via infant negative emotional volatility.

Objective: Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) may influence fathers' engagement in childrearing; however, empirical studies have been equivocal as to whether these effects emerge in a compensatory (i.e., higher paternal engagement) or spillover (i.e., lower paternal engagement) manner. This study evaluated fathers' gender role attitudes as a moderator that shapes the association between maternal PPD and fathers' engagement during infancy, and also examined relations between father engagement and children's subsequent behavior problems., Method: In a prospective study of low-income, Mexican-origin families ( N = 181 mothers and a subset of their partners, N = 92 fathers), maternal PPD symptoms and fathers' gender role attitudes were measured at 15-weeks postpartum, father engagement was measured at 21-weeks, and children's behavior problems were measured at 12 and 18 months., Results: Higher maternal PPD symptoms were associated with lower father engagement and more child behavior problems when fathers endorsed more segregated gender role attitudes; however, this relation was not significant when fathers endorsed less segregated, more contemporary gender role attitudes. A mediational chain was evident, wherein the interaction of maternal PPD and fathers' gender role attitudes predicted paternal engagement, and lower paternal engagement subsequently predicted more child behavior problems at 12 months, which predicted more child behavior problems at 18 months., Conclusions: Results suggest the effects of maternal PPD on children's behavior problems may operate via paternal engagement, which is affected by fathers' traditional gender role attitudes. The study highlights the importance of examining fathering and children's behavior using a cultural-contextual lens among underrepresented ethnic minority families.

Objective: High pregnancy anxiety is a consistent predictor of earlier labor and delivery. Placental corticotropin-releasing hormone (pCRH) predicts earlier delivery consistently and it has been identified as a biological mediator of the association between pregnancy anxiety and gestational length. However, studies have not examined whether changes in pregnancy anxiety are associated with earlier birth as mediated by changes in pCRH during pregnancy. Accordingly, this study tests whether linear changes in pregnancy anxiety are associated with length of gestation indirectly through nonlinear increases in pCRH over pregnancy., Methods: A sample of pregnant women (n=233) completed prenatal assessments in early pregnancy, second trimester, and third trimester that included a 4-item assessment of pregnancy anxiety and collection of blood samples assayed for pCRH using radioimmunoassay. Length of gestation was abstracted from medical records after birth., Results: Increases in pregnancy anxiety from early pregnancy to third trimester predicted shorted length of gestation, as did nonlinear increases in pCRH over pregnancy. However, there was no evidence of an indirect effect of changes in pregnancy anxiety on length of gestation via changes in pCRH., Conclusions: These results indicate that linear changes in pregnancy anxiety and nonlinear changes in pCRH during pregnancy are independent risk factors for shortened gestational length. This study adds to a small but growing body of work on biopsychological processes in pregnancy and length of gestation. Modeling changes in psychological and biological processes during pregnancy could provide more insight into understanding risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Few longitudinal studies have examined associations of child weight trajectories, maternal demandingness and responsiveness during feeding, and child self-regulation., Objective: We examined if child weight-for-length trajectories from 6 weeks to 2 years of age were associated with maternal demandingness and responsiveness at child age 3 years old, and if maternal feeding dimensions predicted child BMI trajectories from 4.5 to 7.5 years among Mexican American children from low-income families. Child self-regulation was evaluated as a potential mechanism linking maternal feeding with child BMI., Method: Child (N = 322) weight and length/height were assessed at 10 timepoints from 6 weeks through 7.5 years. Mothers completed the Caregiver Feeding Style Questionnaire when the child was 3 years of age., Results: A steeper slope of weight-for-length z scores from 6 weeks to 2 years (indicating more rapid weight gain) was associated with less maternal demands during feeding at 3 years. More maternal demandingness at child age 3 years predicted lower child BMI at 4.5 years, but not trajectories from 4.5 to 7 years. Child self-regulation was not associated with child BMI from 4.5 to 7.5 years., Conclusion: The findings highlight how the relationship between mothers and children during feeding can be bidirectional and potentially influenced by the developmental stage., (© 2021 World Obesity Federation.)

During dyadic interactions, well-regulated autonomic responses may support and be supported by socioemotional regulation, whereas autonomic responses that are inappropriate for the social context may be linked with socioemotional dysregulation. We evaluated women's parasympathetic and socioemotional responses during playful interaction with their 24-week-old infants, hypothesizing that insufficient or excessive variability in second-by-second vagal functioning would be associated with concurrent socioemotional dysregulation. Among a sample of 322 low-income, Mexican origin mothers (M age  = 27.8; SD = 6.5 years), variability in second-by-second vagal functioning was indexed by within-mother standard deviation (SD) in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during a 5-min unstructured play task. A latent construct of socioemotional dysregulation was identified using factor analyses. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate linear and quadratic relations between within-mother SD of RSA and concurrent socioemotional dysregulation. Analyses revealed a positively accelerated relationship between within-mother SD of RSA and concurrent maternal socioemotional dysregulation during play with her infant. Within-mother SD of RSA during a non-interactive baseline task was not related to maternal dysregulation. The results illustrate mothers' dynamic autonomic and socioemotional responses are intertwined during real-time interactions with her infant and lend support for the discriminant validity of within-mother SD of RSA during free play., (© 2021 Society for Psychophysiological Research.)

Context-appropriate infant physiological functioning may support emotion regulation and mother-infant emotion coregulation. Among a sample of 210 low-income Mexican-origin mothers and their 24-week-old infants, dynamic structural equation modeling (DSEM) was used to examine whether within-infant vagal functioning accounted for between-dyad differences in within-dyad second-by-second emotion regulation and coregulation during free play. Vagal functioning was captured by within-infant mean and variability (standard deviation) of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during free play. Infant emotion regulation was quantified as emotional equilibria (within-person mean), volatility (within-person deviation from equilibrium), carryover (how quickly equilibrium is restored following a disturbance), and feedback loops (the extent to which prior affect dampens or amplifies subsequent affect) in positive and negative affect during free play; coregulation was quantified as the influence of one partner's affect on the other's subsequent affect. Among infants with lower RSA variability, positive affect fluctuated around a higher equilibrium, and negative affect fluctuated around a lower equilibrium; these infants exhibited feedback loops where their positive affect dampened their subsequent negative affect. As expected, infants with higher mean RSA exhibited more volatility in positive affect, feedback loops between their positive and negative affect, and stronger mother-driven emotion coregulation. The results highlight differences in simultaneously occurring biological and emotion regulation.

According to polyvagal theory, rapid modulation of the vagal brake develops early in infancy and supports social interactions. Despite being viewed as a dynamic system, researchers typically assess vagal regulation using global measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; an index of vagal tone). This study sought to capture the dynamic property of RSA and evaluate individual differences in within-infant RSA responsivity during mother-infant interaction. RSA was evaluated in a sample of 135 6-month-old Mexican-American infants during a 5-min free play task. Mothers reported on their children's behavioral problems and competence at 18 months using the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Time-varying estimates of infant RSA during the interaction were obtained using a multiple window technique and spectrogram analysis. Using structural equation modeling, we evaluated whether within-infant SD of RSA predicted infants' behavioral problems and competence at 18 months, after adjusting for infants' mean RSA and covariates. Greater within-infant SD of RSA predicted more behavior problems at 18 months. This study demonstrates that assessing intra-individual variability in RSA, or the extent to which infants fluctuate around their average level of RSA during a task, enhances our ability to test polyvagal theory's central tenet: vagal regulation supports well-regulated social interaction., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Decades of research indicate that individuals exposed to childhood adversity are at risk for poor physical and mental health across their life span. More recently, intergenerational transmission of trauma and prenatal programming frameworks suggest an even longer reach for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), with consequences that extend to subsequent generations. Beyond the individual-level consequences typically observed by empirical studies of ACEs, mothers' experiences of early adversity may also compromise the maternal-child dyadic relationship. We propose a conceptual model whereby mothers' ACEs impact maternal-infant dyadic functioning and later biobehavioral health outcomes through heightened perinatal psychosocial risk. We provide support for the proposed paths and mechanistic processes in our model with data drawn from Las Madres Nuevas, a longitudinal study of low-income Mexican-origin families who participated in a series of home and laboratory visits from the prenatal period through early childhood. Higher ACEs exposure among Las Madres Nuevas participants was associated with numerous perinatal psychosocial risk factors, which predicted poorer mother-infant dyadic functioning. Compromised dyadic functioning during infancy was associated with later maternal mental health and child behavior problems. We conclude with discussion of prevention and treatment strategies that can buffer against proposed risk pathways, including perinatal assessment of maternal ACEs and psychosocial risk, perinatal treatment of maternal distress, and mother-infant therapy in the postpartum period. It is our hope that the proposed conceptual model will serve as a guide for future research to examine the lasting consequences of childhood adversities within and across generations among high-risk populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Children vary in their susceptibility to environmental exposures such as maternal depression, but little is known about how children shape those same environments. When raising an infant with low arousal, mothers at risk of depression may experience decreased parenting self-efficacy and increased depressive symptoms. We evaluated a longitudinal mediated moderation model that hypothesized interactive effects of infant vagal tone (indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and maternal postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms on maternal depressive symptoms in early childhood via parenting self-efficacy. Among a sample of 322 very low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (46% male infants), infant RSA was assessed at 6 weeks of age; mothers ( M age  = 27.8, SD  = 6.5) reported PPD symptoms every 3 weeks from 6 weeks to 6 months, parenting self-efficacy at 18 and 24 months, and depressive symptoms at 18 and 36 months. Higher PPD symptoms predicted higher maternal depressive symptoms at 36 months, especially among mothers whose infants had lower resting RSA. The interactive effect of PPD symptoms and infant RSA on 36-month depressive symptoms was partially mediated by lower parenting self-efficacy. Lower infant RSA may exacerbate the detrimental effects of PPD symptoms on subsequent maternal well-being via damage to mothers' beliefs in their ability to parent effectively.

Objective: Children differ in the extent to which they reap the benefits of maternal sensitive care or suffer the adverse consequences of insensitive care, and these differences can be accounted for by biological characteristics. However, how susceptible children adapt to maternal sensitivity in ways that either maximize positive development or lead to maladjustment has yet to be determined. Here, we propose a novel model of socioemotional mechanisms by which the joint influences of maternal sensitivity and child biological characteristics influence child adjustment., Design: We propose a theoretical model, in which children's vagal functioning and polymorphisms in serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) genes confer susceptibility to the effects of maternal sensitivity on internalizing, externalizing, prosocial and moral behavior via changes in interpersonal strategies for emotion regulation, the threat response system, and empathy., Results: Theoretical and empirical support for the proposed mechanisms are provided., Conclusions: The proposed mechanistic model of susceptibility to maternal sensitivity offers a novel framework of for whom and how children are affected by early maternal care, highlighting multiple reciprocal, interacting influences across genes, physiology, behavior, and the environment., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest Disclosure No authors reported any financial or other conflicts of interest in relation to the work described.

Given inconsistent findings emerging in the literature between motherhood and emotional well-being, it is important to employ cutting-edge methods to evaluate mothers' dynamic emotional experiences. As anticipated by theory, attachment anxiety and avoidance may uniquely predict fluctuations in mothers' positive emotion, which may be yoked in particular to 2 aspects of their experiences: their emotional closeness with their children and their perceptions of their children's positive emotion. In the current study, 144 mothers (41% Hispanic) of young children (mean [ M ] = 20.9 months) reported on their positive emotion, closeness/distance with their children, and perceptions of their children's positive emotion, up to 5 times per day for 10 days. We fit a dynamic structural equation model (DSEM) in order to evaluate attachment-based differences in mothers' emotional equilibrium (i.e., mean levels of positive emotion), intraindividual volatility in positive emotion, within-person emotional inertia, and cross-lagged emotion processes over time. Attachment anxiety was related to lower average maternal positive emotion ratings and to greater volatility in mothers' positive emotion and emotional closeness/distance. Attachment avoidance was related to higher average ratings of emotional distance, stronger inertia in mothers' positive emotion, and weaker inertia in mothers' emotional distance. Among mothers who were higher on attachment avoidance, emotional distance was related to greater subsequent feelings of positive emotion and perceived child positive emotion. The results are aligned with theory and have specific implications for attachment-informed parenting interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

The emotion context-insensitivity hypothesis (ECI; Rottenberg et al., 2005) posits that depressive symptoms are associated with blunted emotional reactivity and is supported by the results of a meta-analysis (Bylsma et al., 2008). Yet it remains unclear how strongly ECI holds across emotional response domains, whether ECI operates similarly in male and female individuals, and whether this pattern of underreactivity is observed in youth. In contrast, rumination, a cognitive style strongly associated with depressive symptoms, may be associated with heightened reactivity. We assessed the effects of youth's depressive symptoms and rumination on subjective and physiological emotion reactivity ( N  = 160; M age  = 12.67, SD age  = 1.12; 48% female; 94% non-Hispanic). State sadness and respiratory sinus arrhythmia were assessed during a baseline activity (nature video) and a sad mood induction. As hypothesized, depressive symptoms predicted less subjective emotional reactivity, whereas rumination predicted more subjective reactivity. Exploratory analyses revealed that associations for physiological reactivity differed by child gender. ECI may be stronger in terms of subjective rather than physiological emotional reactivity.

Resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may confer infant susceptibility to the postpartum environment. Among infants with higher RSA, there may be a positive relation between depressive symptoms across the first 6 months postpartum (PPD) and later behavior problems, and toddlers' dysregulation during mother-child interactions may partially explain the effects. Among a sample of low-income Mexican-American families, infant RSA (N = 322; 46% male) was assessed at 6 weeks of age; mothers (M age  = 27.8, SD = 6.5) reported PPD symptoms every 3 weeks from 6 to 24 weeks and infant behavior problems at 36 months. Dysregulation was observed at 24 months. PPD was positively associated with behavior problems only among infants with lower RSA; however, this relation was not mediated by dysregulation., (© 2018 Society for Research in Child Development.)

The current study evaluated a mechanistic pathway by which prenatal stress increases the risk of postpartum depressive (PPD) symptoms via observed dyadic emotional, behavioral, and attentional dysregulation and associated cortisol responses during mother-infant interactions., Methods: Participants included 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads. Depressive symptoms, economic hardship, and negative life events were assessed at a prenatal visit. Dysregulation in dyadic (mother-infant) interactions and cortisol responses to mother-infant interaction were evaluated at 12 weeks after the birth. Twenty-four weeks after the birth, PPD symptoms were predicted from prenatal stress (negative life events and economic hardship) and prenatal depressive symptoms, mediated through dyadic dysregulation and maternal and infant cortisol responses., Results: More negative life events in the prenatal period predicted more dyadic dysregulation at 12 weeks postpartum. Dyadic dysregulation and economic hardship predicted elevated 12-week infant cortisol total response and reactivity, and higher total infant cortisol response predicted higher maternal PPD symptoms at 24 weeks. Maternal cortisol response was not associated with dyadic dysregulation, either form of prenatal stress, or PPD symptoms., Conclusion: The results indicate the salience of early psychosocial processes and mother-infant relationship challenges for subsequent maternal affective well-being., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The identification of infants who are most susceptible to both negative and positive social environments is critical for understanding early behavioral development. This study longitudinally assessed the interactive effects of infant vagal tone (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and maternal social support on behavioral problems and competence among 322 low-income Mexican American mother-infant dyads (infants: 54.1% female) and explored sex differences. Infant RSA was calculated from resting HR data at 6 weeks of age. Mothers reported on general social support, partner support, and family support at 6 months, and infant behavioral problems and competence at 1 year. Two-way interactions (RSA × support source) were evaluated to predict behavioral problems and competence, adjusting for covariates. Results indicated higher competence among infants with lower RSA whose mothers reported higher general support or higher partner support. Interactive effects on behavior problems of RSA with maternal partner or family support were only found for female infants: Girls with higher RSA showed more behavior problems when mothers reported low support, but fewer problem levels in the context of high support. Our results suggest that infant RSA is an important moderator of the effects of the early social environment on early development., (© International Congress of Infant Studies (ICIS).)

The theory of biological sensitivity to context may inform our understanding of why some children exposed to family adversity develop mental health problems in emerging adulthood whereas others demonstrate resilience. This study investigated the interactive effects of heart rate (HR) reactivity and childhood family adversity (maltreatment and changes in family structure) on depressive symptoms and positive affect among 150 undergraduate students (18-28 years old; 77% White, non-Hispanic; 61% female). Participants reported on childhood parental divorce or death, and child maltreatment, and current depressive symptoms and positive affect. HR reactivity was assessed in response to a laboratory interpersonal stressor. HR reactivity moderated the effects of child maltreatment on depressive symptoms and positive affect; higher maltreatment was associated with more depressive symptoms and less positive affect, but only among those with average and higher levels of HR reactivity. Results suggest that higher physiological reactivity may confer greater susceptibility to environmental contexts.

Parent-child relationships can critically affect youth physiological development. Most studies have focused on the influence of maternal behaviors, with little attention to paternal influences. The current study investigated father engagement with their adolescents in household (shopping, cooking) and discretionary leisure activities as a predictor of youth cortisol response to a challenging interpersonal task in young adulthood. The sample (N = 213) was roughly divided between Mexican American (MA; n = 101) and European American (EA; n = 112) families, and included resident biological-father (n = 131) and resident stepfather families (n = 82). Salivary cortisol was collected before, immediately after, and at 20 and 40 min after an interpersonal challenge task; area under the curve (AUCg) was calculated to capture total cortisol output. Results suggested that more frequent father engagement in shared activities with adolescents (ages 11-16), but not mother engagement, predicted lower AUCg cortisol response in young adulthood (ages 19-22). The relation remained significant after adjusting for current mother and father engagement and current mental health. Further, the relation did not differ given family ethnicity, father type (step or biological), or adolescent sex. Future research should consider unique influences of fathers when investigating the effects of parent-child relationships on youth physiological development and health. (PsycINFO Database Record, ((c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).)

Between 2001 and 2012, the number of unrelated donors registered worldwide increased from 7 to 21 million, and the number of public cord blood units increased to over 500,000. We addressed the question of whether this expansion resulted in higher percentages of patients reaching transplantation. Unrelated donor searches were evaluated for 3,124 eligible patients in the Netherlands in two cohorts (2001-2006, n=995; 2007-2012, n=2129), comparing results for patients of Northwestern European and non-Northwestern European origin. Endpoints were 'donor found' and 'transplantation reached'. The substantial growth of the donor inventory over the period studied did not increase the median number of potential unrelated donors (n=7) for non-Northwestern European patients, but almost doubled the number for Northwestern European patients from 42 to 71. Before and after 2007, an unrelated donor or cord blood was identified for 91% and 95%, respectively, of Northwestern European patients and for 65% and 82% of non-Northwestern European patients (P<0.0001). Non-Northwestern European patients more often needed a cord blood transplant. The degree of HLA matching was significantly lower for non-Northwestern European patients (P<0.0006). The time needed to identify a donor decreased for both populations. The percentage of Northwestern European patients reaching transplantation increased from 77% to 83% and for non-Northwestern European patients from 57% to 72% (P=0.0003). The increase of the global inventory resulted in more transplants for patients lacking a family donor, although the quality and quantity of (potential) haematopoietic cell grafts for patients of a non-Northwestern European descent remained inferior, indicating the need for adaptation of recruitment., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Although double umbilical cord blood transplantation (dUCBT) in adult patients may be associated with less graft failure compared with single UCBT, hematopoietic recovery generally originates from a single cord blood unit (CBU). CBU predominance is still incompletely understood. We recently showed that blood CD4 + T-cell numbers rapidly increase after dUCBT, and early CD4 + T-cell chimerism predicts for graft predominance. Given the frequent HLA class II allele mismatches between CBUs in dUCBT, we hypothesized that alloreactive HLA class II-specific CD4 + T cells from the "winning" CBU may contribute to rejection of the "loser" CBU. We evaluated whether CD4 + T cells originating from the predominant (PD)-CBU would recognize HLA class II allele mismatches, expressed by the nonengrafting (NE)-CBU. Alloreactive effector CD4 + T cells toward 1 or more mismatched HLA class II alleles of the NE-CBU were detected in 11 of 11 patients, with reactivity toward 29 of 33 (88%) tested mismatches, and the strongest reactivity toward DR and DQ alleles early after dUCBT. Mismatched HLA class II allele-specific CD4 + T cells recognized primary leukemic cells when the mismatched HLA class II allele was shared between NE-CBU and patient. Our results suggest that cytotoxicity exerted by CD4 + T cells from the PD-CBU drives the rapid rejection of the NE-CBU, whose alloreactive effect might also contribute to graft-versus-leukemia., (© 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.)

A prominent research tradition within the field of attachment involves analyzing relationship narratives for qualities thought to reveal important information regarding the organization of attachment, and the different ways in which attachment insecurity presents. Researchers increasingly use this method to assess attachment in middle childhood, but further work needs to be conducted with respect to the divergent validity of attachment narratives in this age range. Thus, the current study examined differential associations between children's discursive style and linguistic behavior when completing an attachment interview (Child Attachment Interview [CAI]) and Non-Relational Interview (NRI). In addition, the discriminant validity of attachment narratives was assessed in predicting children's physiological reactivity to a relational challenge. Children (N = 125) completed the NRI and the CAI at Time 1. A subset of the original sample (n = 64) completed another assessment 1.5 years later involving simulated non-relational and relational challenges. While narrative coherence was moderately associated across the two interviews, CAI narrative coherence uniquely predicted reactivity to a relational probe. We discuss implications for understanding children's narrative styles across discourse topics as well as the significance of the results for using attachment interviews in this age range.

Double umbilical cord blood transplantation is increasingly applied in the treatment of adult patients with high-risk hematological malignancies and has been associated with improved engraftment as compared to that provided by single unit cord blood transplantation. The mechanism of improved engraftment is, however, still incompletely understood as only one unit survives. In this multicenter phase II study we evaluated engraftment, early chimerism, recovery of different cell lineages and transplant outcome in 53 patients who underwent double cord blood transplantation preceded by a reduced intensity conditioning regimen. Primary graft failure occurred in one patient. Engraftment was observed in 92% of patients with a median time to neutrophil recovery of 36 days (range, 15-102). Ultimate single donor chimerism was established in 94% of patients. Unit predominance occurred by day 11 after transplantation and early CD4(+) T-cell chimerism predicted for unit survival. Total nucleated cell viability was also associated with unit survival. With a median follow up of 35 months (range, 10-51), the cumulative incidence of relapse and non-relapse mortality rate at 2 years were 39% and 19%, respectively. Progressionfree survival and overall survival rates at 2 years were 42% (95% confidence interval, 28-56) and 57% (95% confidence interval, 43-70), respectively. Double umbilical cord blood transplantation preceded by a reduced intensity conditioning regimen using cyclophosphamide/fludarabine/4 Gy total body irradiation results in a high engraftment rate with low non-relapse mortality. Moreover, prediction of unit survival by early CD4(+) lymphocyte chimerism might suggest a role for CD4(+) lymphocyte mediated unit-versus-unit alloreactivity. www.trialregister.nl NTR1573., (Copyright© Ferrata Storti Foundation.)

Single cord blood unit (CBU) predominance is usually established within the first month after double umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT). However, the kinetics of engraftment of the different leukocyte subsets and the mechanism of graft predominance is largely unknown. To investigate whether a differential engraftment might reveal a specific subset that could play a key role in the mechanism of graft predominance, we studied early engraftment kinetics of different leukocyte subpopulations by flow cytometry using human monoclonal antigen-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies, directed against mismatched human leukocyte antigen-A or -B antigens between recipient and CBUs. Twenty-two patients, who had received a double UCBT preceded by a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen, were evaluated at days +11, +18, +25, and +32 posttransplantation. Single CBU predominance in the various leukocyte subsets was established within 18 days posttransplantation. CD4+ T cells of the dominant CBU showed early peripheral blood expansion. Moreover, chimerism in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell and natural killer cell subsets at day +11 was predictive of ultimate graft predominance. These findings show that engraftment kinetics of the various leukocyte subsets vary considerably after double UCBT and may suggest an important role for CD4+ T cells in a presumed alloreactive graft-versus-graft rejection., (Copyright © 2013 American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Three patients suffering from chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), a 36-year-old woman in blast crisis, and a 64-year-old woman and a 60-year-old man in the chronic phase, participated in a clinical trial with STI571, a recently developed tyrosine kinase inhibitor with relative specificity for the BCR-ABL kinase. In all three patients, complete haematologic remission occurred within 2 months of the treatment being initiated. Subsequently the patient in blast crisis underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. For the second patient, who had experienced many side effects with the standard treatment, STI571 led to a better quality of life. The third patient reached complete cytogenetic remission after 3 months of treatment. The development of STI571 is a major breakthrough in the treatment of CML. There are few side effects and the short-term results are excellent in specific patient categories. Further research is needed to establish the eventual role of STI571 in the treatment of CML.

In conscious pigs, arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs) are in a constricted state so that < 5% of intra-atrially injected radioactive (15-microns-diam) microspheres are shunted to the lungs. Many of the anesthetic regimens frequently used in cardiovascular research dilate AVAs, thereby greatly increasing the percentage of microspheres reaching the lungs. This may seriously limit extrapolation of results obtained under anesthesia to the conscious state. We now describe that anesthesia with a combination of fentanyl and thiopental preserves the tone of AVAs, maintaining shunting under 4% of cardiac output. Furthermore, we studied in the carotid circulation of this model whether norepinephrine or 5-hydroxy-tryptamine (5-HT), both contained in perivascular nerves, is responsible for this tone. Consecutive antagonism of alpha 1-, alpha 2-, 5-HT1, and 5-HT2 receptors was obtained by sequential injection of prazosin, phentolamine, ketanserin, and methiothepin. Prazosin increased AVA blood flow, partly at the expense of extracerebral tissue blood flow, but preserved cerebral blood flow. None of the other antagonists had any additional significant effect. Therefore, in this model the tone in AVAs seems to be maintained by sympathetic norepinephrine-containing nerves via alpha 1-adrenoceptors.

1. In anaesthetized animals, the antimigraine drugs, sumatriptan, ergotamine and dihydroergotamine, reduce carotid arteriovenous anastomotic shunting. Within the carotid vascular bed arteriovenous anastomoses are located, amongst other places in the dura mater, which is a putative site of the pain during a migraine attack. 2. In this investigation, we have localized and measured the arteriovenous shunting within the carotid vascular bed of the pig by using simultaneous intracarotid injections of radiolabelled microspheres of three different sizes (10, 15 and 50 microns), which provides an index of blood flow via arteriovenous anastomoses larger than approximately 14, 27 and 90 microns diameter, respectively. The effects of sumatriptan (0.3 mg kg-1), ergotamine (0.02 mg kg-1), dihydroergotamine (0.1 mg kg-1) and saline were studied by repeating the injections of 15 and 50 microns spheres after the treatments. 3. There was no difference in shunting or entrapment between the 10 and 15 microns microsphere, indicating the absence of arteriovenous anastomoses with a diameter between 14 and 27 microns. 4. Arteriovenous anastomoses with a diameter between 27 and 90 microns, as indicated by the difference in blood flow measured by 15 and 50 microns spheres, were located in the dura mater, ears, skin, fat and, to a lesser extent, in the skeletal muscles and eyes. 5. Sumatriptan, ergotamine and dihydroergotamine reduced the overall flow in the smaller arteriovenous anastomoses (diameter between 27 and 90 microns), and even more in larger shunts (wider than 90 microns). 6. Locally, blood flow in the smaller arteriovenous shunts was reduced in the skin and fat, but not in the dura mater, ears, eyes and muscles.It is not possible to determine in which tissues blood flow in the larger arteriovenous anastomoses was reduced.7. Tissue blood flow measured with 15 gm microspheres remained unchanged after the three antimigraine drugs, implying a lack of effect on capillary flow.8. It is concluded that in the anaesthetized pigs the only evident effect of these antimigraine drugs on carotid haemodynamics is a decrease in blood flow in both smaller and larger arteriovenous anastomoses;the smaller arteriovenous anastomoses were affected in the skin and fat, but not in other tissues.

The haemodynamic effects of sumatriptan, a 5-HT1-like receptor agonist, and ergotamine, an agonist at alpha-adrenergic, dopamine as well as 5-HT receptors, were compared using intracardiac injection of radioactive microspheres of different sizes in anaesthetized pigs. Ergotamine (0.02 mg.kg-1) and sumatriptan (0.3 mg.kg-1) decreased systemic vascular conductance and cardiac output. Only ergotamine raised arterial blood pressure. Both sumatriptan and ergotamine decreased arteriovenous anastomotic, but not capillary, blood flow in the head and body skin. Arteriovenous and capillary blood flow in the dura mater and nasal mucosa and capillary blood flow in the brain, kidneys, adrenals, intestine, heart, spleen and muscle remained unchanged. However, kidney conductance was decreased by both drugs, spleen conductance by sumatriptan and heart, liver and adrenal conductances were decreased by ergotamine. Thus, both sumatriptan and ergotamine constricted arteriovenous anastomoses in the skin, but not in the dura mater or nasal mucosa. Ergotamine constricted the vasculature more than sumatriptan, although both drugs may differentially decrease vascular conductances in some organs.

Stress may play a role in the etiology of cardiovascular disease. Research showing that mental stress administered in laboratory settings causes great change in cardiovascular and hemodynamic functioning supports this hypothesis. In a small sample of physicians and dentists, those who showed greater cardiovascular reactivity (hot reactors) to stress were more likely to be hyperlipidemic or to have had a myocardial infarction or coronary bypass surgery. In addition, some of the nonreactive group were hypertensives taking medication, which may have blunted their response to stress. Persons with higher cholesterol, higher triglyceride levels, and lower HDL levels all showed greater increases in blood pressure (BP) in response to stress. Also, the reactive group reported less emotional support and experienced greater numbers of family-related stressful events in the previous year. The degree of aerobic fitness influenced resting hemodynamics and percentage of body fat but not reactivity to stress. Likewise, smoking did not affect reactivity, but former smokers did have a significantly elevated total systemic resistance at rest. While it is impossible to say whether reactivity causes disease, is the result of the presence of risk factors and disease, or is caused by some other factor which also contributes to disease, these results suggest that the presence of cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress is a sign of potential illness and indicates the need for further medical and risk factor study of the patient.

Laboratory studies were conducted on the mating behavior of Rhabditis pellio males and females, which were maintained on a culture of Flavobacterium sp. bacteria isolated from earthworms. The mean time that elapsed between first contact of the sexes and their ultimate separation was 23.2 min. However, only 5.0 min were required for copulation (the interval during which male spicules were inserted into the female vagina). Three-day-old females that were permitted to mate once on their first day of adult life produced only one-third as many larvae as did females that were permitted unlimited mating. However, the longevity of females was found to decrease with an increase in the number of matings. Both males and females that were permitted to mate daily produced the greatest number of offspring when they were 4 days old. When the initiation of mating was delayed beyond their third day of life, the number of larvae produced by females decreased. In approximately one-half of the copulations, males failed to inseminate their female partners.