What drives adult personality development? A comparison of theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence

Increasing numbers of empirical studies provide compelling evidence that personality traits change across the entire lifespan. What initiates this continuing personality development and how does this development proceed? In this paper, we compare six theoretical perspectives that offer testable predictions about why personality develops the way it does and identify limitations and potentials of these perspectives by reviewing how they hold up against the empirical evidence. While all of these perspectives have received some empirical support, there is only little direct evidence for propositions put forward by the five-factor theory of personality and the theory of genotype→environment effects. In contrast, the neo-socioanalytic theory appears to offer a comprehensive framework that fits the empirical findings and allows the integration of other, more specialized, perspectives that focus on specific aspects of personality development like the role of time, systematic differences between categories of social roles or the active partake of the person himself or herself. We draw conclusions on the likely driving factors for adult personality development and identify avenues for future research.

Polyclonal and specific antibodies mediate protective immunity against enteric helminth infection

Anti-helminth immunity involves CD4+ T cells, yet the precise effector mechanisms responsible for parasite killing or expulsion remain elusive. We now report an essential role for antibodies in mediating immunity against the enteric helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus (Hp), a natural murine parasite that establishes chronic infection. Polyclonal IgG antibodies, present in naive mice and produced following Hp infection, functioned to limit egg production by adult parasites. Comparatively, affinity-matured parasite-specific IgG and IgA antibodies that developed only after multiple infections were required to prevent adult worm development. These data reveal complementary roles for polyclonal and affinity-matured parasite-specific antibodies in preventing enteric helminth infection by limiting parasite fecundity and providing immune protection against reinfection, respectively. We propose that parasite-induced polyclonal antibodies play a dual role, whereby the parasite is allowed to establish chronicity, while parasite load and spread are limited, likely reflecting the long coevolution of helminth parasites with their hosts.

The structural architecture of adult mammalian articular cartilage evolves by a synchronized process of tissue resorption and neoformation during postnatal development

OBJECTIVE: During postnatal development, mammalian articular cartilage acts as a surface growth plate for the underlying epiphyseal bone. Concomitantly, it undergoes a fundamental process of structural reorganization from an immature isotropic to a mature (adult) anisotropic architecture. However, the mechanism underlying this structural transformation is unknown. It could involve either an internal remodelling process, or complete resorption followed by tissue neoformation. The aim of this study was to establish which of these two alternative tissue reorganization mechanisms is physiologically operative. We also wished to pinpoint the articular cartilage source of the stem cells for clonal expansion and the zonal location of the chondrocyte pool with high proliferative activity. METHODS: The New Zealand white rabbit served as our animal model. The analysis was confined to the high-weight-bearing (central) areas of the medial and lateral femoral condyles. After birth, the articular cartilage layer was evaluated morphologically at monthly intervals from the first to the eighth postnatal month, when this species attains skeletal maturity. The overall height of the articular cartilage layer at each juncture was measured. The growth performance of the articular cartilage layer was assessed by calcein labelling, which permitted an estimation of the daily growth rate of the epiphyseal bone and its monthly length-gain. The slowly proliferating stem-cell pool was identified immunohistochemically (after labelling with bromodeoxyuridine), and the rapidly proliferating chondrocyte population by autoradiography (after labelling with (3)H-thymidine). RESULTS: The growth activity of the articular cartilage layer was highest 1 month after birth. It declined precipitously between the first and third months, and ceased between the third and fourth months, when the animal enters puberty. The structural maturation of the articular cartilage layer followed a corresponding temporal trend. During the first 3 months, when the articular cartilage layer is undergoing structural reorganization, the net length-gain in the epiphyseal bone exceeded the height of the articular cartilage layer. This finding indicates that the postnatal reorganization of articular cartilage from an immature isotropic to a mature anisotropic structure is not achieved by a process of internal remodelling, but by the resorption and neoformation of all zones except the most superficial (stem-cell) one. The superficial zone was found to consist of slowly dividing stem cells with bidirectional mitotic activity. In the horizontal direction, this zone furnishes new stem cells that replenish the pool and effect a lateral expansion of the articular cartilage layer. In the vertical direction, the superficial zone supplies the rapidly dividing, transit-amplifying daughter-cell pool that feeds the transitional and upper radial zones during the postnatal growth phase of the articular cartilage layer. CONCLUSIONS: During postnatal development, mammalian articular cartilage fulfils a dual function, viz., it acts not only as an articulating layer but also as a surface growth plate. In the lapine model, this growth activity ceases at puberty (3-4 months of age), whereas that of the true (metaphyseal) growth plate continues until the time of skeletal maturity (8 months). Hence, the two structures are regulated independently. The structural maturation of the articular cartilage layer coincides temporally with the cessation of its growth activity - for the radial expansion and remodelling of the epiphyseal bone - and with sexual maturation. That articular cartilage is physiologically reorganized by a process of tissue resorption and neoformation, rather than by one of internal remodelling, has important implications for the functional engineering and repair of articular cartilage tissue.

A Spanish founder mutation in the chloride channel gene, CLCNKB, as a cause of atypical Bartter syndrome in adult age

BACKGROUND: Mutations in the chloride channel gene, CLCNKB, usually cause classic Bartter syndrome (cBS) or a mixed Bartter-Gitelman phenotype in the first years of life. METHODS: We report an adult woman with atypical BS caused by a homozygous missense mutation, A204T, in the CLCNKB gene, which has previously been described as the apparently unique cause of cBS in Spain. RESULTS: The evaluation of this patient revealed an overlap of phenotypic features ranging from severe biochemical and systemic disturbances typical of cBS to scarce symptoms and diagnosis in the adult age typical of Gitelman syndrome. The tubular disease caused a dramatic effect on mental, growth and puberal development leading to low IQ, final short stature and abnormal ovarian function. Furthermore, low serum PTH concentrations with concomitant nephrocalcinosis and normocalcaemia were observed. Both ovarian function and serum PTH levels were normalized after treatment with cyclooxygenase inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: The present report confirms a weak genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with CLCNKB mutations and supports the founder effect of the A204T mutation in Spain. In our country, the genetic diagnosis of adult patients with hereditary hypokalaemic tubulopathies should include a screening of A204T mutation in the CLCNKB gene.

Constitutive notch signaling in adult transgenic mice inhibits bFGF-induced angiogenesis and blocks ovarian follicle development

Notch signaling is important in angiogenesis during embryonic development. However, the embryonic lethal phenotypes of knock-out and transgenic mice have precluded studies of the role of Notch post-natally. To develop a mouse model that would bypass the embryonic lethal phenotype and investigate the possible role of Notch signaling in adult vessel growth, we developed transgenic mice with Cre-conditional expression of the constitutively active intracellular domain of Notch1 (IC-Notch1). Double transgenic IC-Notch1/Tie2-Cre embryos with endothelial specific IC-Notch1 expression died at embryonic day 9.5. They displayed collapsed and leaky blood vessels and defects in angiogenesis development. A tetracycline-inducible system was used to express Cre recombinase postnatally in endothelial cells. In adult mice, IC-Notch1 expression inhibited bFGF-induced neovascularization and female mice lacked mature ovarian follicles, which may reflect the block in bFGF-induced angiogenesis required for follicle growth. Our results demonstrate that Notch signaling is important for both embryonic and adult angiogenesis and indicate that the Notch signaling pathway may be a useful target for angiogenic therapies.

Development of synesthesia across the adult lifespan

In synesthesia, stimuli such as sounds, words or letters trigger experiences of colors, shapes or tastes. The consistency of these experiences is a hallmark of this condition. In a previous study we investigated for the first time whether there are age-related changes in the consistency of synesthetic experiences. Using a cross-sectional approach, we tested a sample of more than 400 grapheme-color synesthetes who have color experiences when they see letters and/or digits with a well-established test of consistency. Our results showed a decline in the number of consistent grapheme-color associations across the adult lifespan. We also assessed age-related changes in the breadth of the color spectrum. The results showed that the appearance of primary colors (i.e., red, blue, and green) was mainly age-invariant. However, there was a decline in the occurrence of lurid colors while brown and achromatic tones occurred more often as concurrents in older age. These shifts in the color spectrum suggest that synesthesia does not simply fade, but rather undergoes more comprehensive changes. These changes may be the result of a combination of both age-related perceptual and memory processing shifts. I will present the results of a second wave of data acquisition after a one-year interval to investigate the longitudinal age-related trajectory of the consistency of synesthetic experiences.

From nature versus nurture, via nature and nurture, to gene x environment interaction in mental disorders

It is now generally accepted that complex mental disorders are the results of interplay between genetic and environmental factors. This holds out the prospect that by studying G x E interplay we can explain individual variation in vulnerability and resilience to environmental hazards in the development of mental disorders. Furthermore studying G x E findings may give insights in neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorder and so improve individualized treatment and potentially prevention. In this paper, we provide an overview of the state of field with regard to G x E in mental disorders. Strategies for G x E research are introduced. G x E findings from selected mental disorders with onset in childhood or adolescence are reviewed [such as depressive disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, schizophrenia and substance use disorders]. Early seminal studies provided evidence for G x E in the pathogenesis of depression implicating 5-HTTLPR, and conduct problems implicating MAOA. Since then G x E effects have been seen across a wide range of mental disorders (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, schizophrenia, substance abuse disorder) implicating a wide range of measured genes and measured environments (e.g., pre-, peri- and postnatal influences of both a physical and a social nature). To date few of these G x E effects have been sufficiently replicated. Indeed meta-analyses have raised doubts about the robustness of even the most well studied findings. In future we need larger, sufficiently powered studies that include a detailed and sophisticated characterization of both phenotype and the environmental risk.

German validation of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales–self-report (CAARS-S) I: Factor structure and normative data

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often persists into adulthood. Instruments for diagnosing ADHD in childhood are well validated and reliable, but diagnosis of ADHD in adults remains problematic. Attempts have been made to develop criteria specific for adult ADHD, resulting in the development of self-report and observer-rated questionnaires. To date, the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) are the international standard for questionnaire assessment of ADHD. The current study evaluates a German version of the CAARS self-report (CAARS-S).

Alcohol consumption and binge drinking in young adult childhood cancer survivors

Background This study compared frequency of alcohol consumption and binge drinking between young adult childhood cancer survivors and the general population in Switzerland, and assessed its socio-demographic and clinical determinants. Procedure Childhood cancer survivors aged <16 years when diagnosed 1976–2003, who had survived >5 years and were currently aged 20–40 years received a postal questionnaire. Reported frequency of alcohol use and of binge drinking were compared to the Swiss Health Survey, a representative general population survey. Determinants of frequent alcohol consumption and binge drinking were assessed in a multivariable logistic regression. Results Of 1,697 eligible survivors, 1,447 could be contacted and 1,049 (73%) responded. Survivors reported more often than controls to consume alcohol frequently (OR = 1.7; 95%CI = 1.3–2.1) and to engage in binge drinking (OR = 2.9; 95%CI = 2.3–3.8). Peak frequency of binge drinking in males occurred at age 24–26 years in survivors, compared to age 18–20 in the general population. Socio-demographic factors (male gender, high educational attainment, French and Italian speaking, and migration background from Northern European countries) were most strongly associated with alcohol consumption patterns among both survivors and controls. Conclusions The high frequency of alcohol consumption found in this study is a matter of concern. Our data suggest that survivors should be better informed on the health effects of alcohol consumption during routine follow-up, and that such counseling should be included in clinical guidelines. Future research should study motives of alcohol consumption among survivors to allow development of targeted health interventions for this vulnerable group.

[Joint preserving surgery of the adult hip: pelvic osteotomies]

Deformity and malposition of the acetabulum can occur during the development of the hip. Developmental hip dysplasia and acetabular retroversion are possible causes of osteoarthritis in the young adult. Surgical management with reorientation of the acetabulum allows causal therapy of the deformity and preservation of the native hip joint. Established techniques are the Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and the Tönnis and Kalchschmidt triple osteotomy of the pelvis. Both techniques permit three-dimensional correction of the position of the acetabulum. Advantages and disadvantages of each technique must be considered and are summarized in the present paper. If performed early (osteoarthritis grade Tönnis 0 and 1) with correct indication and proper technique, good results can be expected.

Comparison of cartilage histopathology assessment systems on human knee joints at all stages of osteoarthritis development

To compare the MANKIN and OARSI cartilage histopathology assessment systems using human articular cartilage from a large number of donors across the adult age spectrum representing all levels of cartilage degradation.

[Integrating psychotherapeutic treatment of severe mental illness: between desirability and clinical practice]

Psychiatric care for severe and persistent mentally ill individuals has considerably changed over the last three decades. Striving for improvement in services provision for these patients has led to the emergence of various specialized community services, suited housing and supported work offers. Moreover, community-based treatment is also offered during acute episodes of mental illness. At the same time a range of evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches targeting treatment needs of people with severe mental illness were developed in a process independent of the rise of community psychiatry. At present, however, a sufficient level of coordination of psychiatric services and integration of evidence-based psychological treatment into psychiatric care has not been achieved. Thus, these issues represent important steps in the further development.This paper discusses recent developments in psychiatric care of people with severe mental illness and reviews the evidence-based psychotherapy approaches suited to fit the needs of patient-centered integrated care.

Maternal mental health in the first 3-week postpartum: the impact of caregiver support and the subjective experience of childbirth - a longitudinal path model

Acute stress reactions (ASR) and postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS) are frequent after childbirth. The present study addresses the change and overlap of ASR and PDS from the 1- to 3-week postpartum and examines the interplay of caregiver support and subjective birth experience with regard to the development of ASR/PDS within a longitudinal path model.

Differential expression of IGF-I mRNA and peptide in the male and female gonad during early development of a bony fish, the tilapia Oreochromis niloticus

Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) plays a key role in the complex system that regulates bony fish growth, differentiation, and reproduction. The major source of circulating IGF-I is liver, but IGF-I-producing cells also occur in other organs, including the gonads. Because no data are available on the potential production sites of IGF-I in gonad development, developmental stages of monosex breedings of male and female tilapia from 0 day postfertilization (DPF) to 90 DPF were investigated for the production sites of IGF-I at the peptide (immunohistochemistry) and mRNA (in situ hybridization) level. IGF-I mRNA first appeared in somatic cells of the male and female gonad anlage at 7 DPF followed by IGF-I peptide around 9-10 DPF. Gonad anlagen were detected from 7 DPF. Starting at 7 DPF, IGF-I peptide but no IGF-I mRNA was observed in male and female primordial germ cells (PGCs) provided that IGF-I mRNA was not under the detection level, this observation may suggest that IGF-I originates from the somatic cells and is transferred to the PGCs or is of maternal origin. While in female germ cells IGF-I mRNA and peptide appeared at 29 DPF, in male germ cells both were detected as late as at 51-53 DPF. It is assumed that the production of IGF-I in the germ cells is linked to the onset of meiosis that in tilapia ovary starts at around 28 DPF and in testes at around 52-53 DPF. In adult testis, IGF-I mRNA and peptide occurred in the majority of spermatogonia and spermatocytes as well as in Leydig cells, the latter indicating a role of IGF-I in the synthesis of male sex steroids. In adult ovary, IGF-I mRNA and IGF-I peptide were always present in small and previtellogenic oocytes but only IGF-I peptide infrequently occurred in oocytes at the later stages. IGF-I expression appeared in numerous granulosa and some theca cells of follicles at the lipid stage and persisted in follicles with mature oocytes. The results suggest a crucial role of local IGF-I in the formation, differentiation and function of tilapia gonads.