Individual Reaction Patterns Research Articles

Experience, Behavior, and Action in Crisis Situations: A Literature Review

This paper presents an initial literature review of human experience, behavior, and action in crises, disasters, and threat scenarios. Crisis scenarios under the sign of partly strategic terrorism represent a dominant trend in the observation of global transformations. In the context of a generally necessary understanding concerning both physical and psychological processes during the confrontation with specific threat scenarios, both previous and future psychological and social science studies are of great importance. Regarding the acute and chronic psychological, physical, and even social consequences of specific threat scenarios, the databases PSYNDEX, PsycARTICELS, and PTSDpubs (formerly PILOTS) were accessed. Numerous publications were extracted and summarized in the following. Despite the widespread and frequently used term terrorism, this designation definition has not been uniformly generalized to date. The psychological consequences of such stressful situations are often only addressed concerning the groups of people directly affected and limited to post-traumatic stress syndromes' development. However, theories and approaches must be emphasized, dedicated to the human reaction pattern in threat scenarios, to uncover specific behavioral patterns in the confrontation with one's vulnerability. Thus, the defense of one's values and norms in the sense of the Terror Management Theory (TMT) is one of the fundamental reactions of directly and indirectly affected groups of people, which is accompanied by corresponding physiological processes and also affective states. The consideration of individual reaction patterns due to increased sensitivity concerning diverse threat scenarios also represents a thoroughly critical approach since these patterns of experience, behavior, and action can lead to an impairment of the overall social coexistence. Previous theories and approaches in the context of psychological and social science disaster research make it clear that the experience, behavior, and action both before, during, and after various threat events require more specific consideration. The distinction between persons directly and indirectly affected by particular circumstances also appears necessary and should be considered in future research approaches, focusing on critical infrastructures.

The relation between emotion regulation and migraine: A cross-cultural study on the moderating effect of culture.

Effects of emotion suppression on physical health might be contingent on culture. Existing research on emotion regulation has mainly included western participants. Herewith the question arises, whether this gained expertise is transferable to an Asian culture. This cross-sectional study evaluated to what extent the regulation of emotions is related to migraine and if the relation between emotion regulation and migraine complaints differs between a Western and an Asian population. Therefore, the main characteristics and symptoms of patients with migraine from both Germany and Japan are compared. 261 Japanese and 347 German headache patients participated in this online study and completed self-report measures of emotion regulation (suppression and reappraisal) and headache complaints. Cultural groups did not differ regarding their demographic data, intake of medication and number of days with headache. German participants showed significantly higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of emotion suppression compared to Japanese patients. Emotion regulation is not correlated with headache complaints either in the Japanese or in the German patient group. Although group differences were found with respect to anxiety and emotion suppression, subsequent regression analysis revealed these differences were unrelated to headache complaints. As our baseline analysis focused on group means, approaches that examine individual reaction patterns to stress and accompanying sensory stimulus processing may prove to be more fruitful and illuminating.

Motor self-regulation in goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) in a detour-reaching task.

Motor self-regulation is the ability to inhibit a prepotent response to a salient cue in favour of a more appropriate response. Motor self-regulation is an important component of the processes that interact to generate effective inhibitory control of behaviour, and is theorized to be a prerequisite of complex cognitive abilities in humans and other animals. In a large comparative study using the cylinder task, motor self-regulation was studied in 36 different species, mostly birds and primates. To broaden the range of species to comprehensively evaluate this phenomenon, motor self-regulation was studied in the domestic goat, which is a social ungulate species and moderate food specialist. Using the cylinder task, goats were first trained to perform a detour-reaching response to retrieve a reward from an opaque cylinder. Subsequently, an otherwise identical transparent cylinder was substituted for the opaque cylinder over 10 test trials. The goats’ ability to resist approaching the visible reward directly by touching the cylinder and to retain the trained detour-reaching response was measured. The results indicated that goats showed motor self-regulation at a level comparable to or better than that of many of the bird and mammal species tested to date. However, the individual reaction patterns revealed large intra- and inter-individual variability regarding motor self-regulation. An improvement across trials was observed only in latency to make contact with the reward; no improvement in the proportion of accurate trials was observed. A short, distinct pointing gesture by the experimenter during baiting did not have any impact on the side of the cylinder to which the goats detoured. In half of goats, individual side biases were observed when detouring to the side of the cylinder, but there was no bias at the population level for either the left or right side. The results underline the need for a detailed examination of individual performance and additional measures to achieve a complete understanding of animal performance in motor self-regulation tasks.

Self-Healing and Self-Care for Nurses

The potential effects of self-care techniques to increase nurses’ effectiveness and influence positive patient care outcomes have often been underestimated. Today, nurses experience increased stress as a result of more work hours and greater patient loads. Research studies demonstrate the value to an organization and to individuals of educating nurses about self-care. Studies also show that how being aware of individual reaction patterns is vital to learning more effective coping mechanisms. In this article, we discuss the aspects of body, mind, emotions, and spirit as they relate to self-care; present self-care change techniques; and offer some practical self-care exercises. Most self-care skills can be learned and implemented in a short period of time. Nurses are encouraged to experiment with the various techniques to determine the most effective ones for them.

Leadership and Moral Stress: Individual Reaction Patterns among First Responders in Acute Situations that Involve Moral Stressors

The aim was to gain a deeper understanding of individual reaction patterns among professional first responders (emergency treatment, military officers, and police officers) during and after acute situations that involve moral stressors in combination with cumulative stress. Swedish and Norwegian informants within these professional groups were interviewed (n=37). Data were analyzed according to a grounded theory approach. A model was developed according to which long-term effects following such stress exposure depends on the character of the continued everyday living. In particular, the frequency and intensity of perceived daily hassles and uplifts is important. Cognitivebehavioral aspects are discussed to prevent and/or reduce negative long-term reactions.

Terminology of allergic phenomena.

Over the last 2,000 years a variety of terms have been used for the description of phenomena possibly related to allergy. Many have been forgotten, while some of them have remained. In Greco-Roman literature the term 'idiosyncrasy' was used to describe an individual characterization of a health condition, possibly comparable to 'constitution'. The same term was also used to describe individual reaction patterns, and the term 'antipathy' was used in a similar sense. 'Hypersensitivity' originated from the German word 'Überempfindlichkeit' and was first used in a medical sense by Emil von Behring when he described untoward reactions to his antitoxin containing serum therapy. 'Anaphylaxis' was coined by Richet and Portier to describe the new phenomenon of a life-threatening general pathogenic reaction after repeated injection of antigen. In 1906, Clemens von Pirquet introduced the term 'allergy' in order to bring more clarity to the confusing debate regarding protective and harmful immunity. In order to characterize the familial occurrence of hypersensitivity reactions such as asthma, hay fever and others, the American allergists A.F. Coca and R.A. Cooke introduced the term 'atopy'. Contrary to anaphylaxis, which was experimentally induced, this type of 'hypersensitiveness' occurred spontaneously. The nature of the pathogenic factor was called the 'atopic reagin' and was found to be transferable with serum by Prausnitz and Küstner. After the detection of immunoglobulin (Ig) E as the carrier of this type of hypersensitivity, the term 'atopy' gained a new sense, since IgE is a characteristic - yet not exclusive - parameter of the so-called atopic diseases. Clinically similar diseases such as asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or eczema can be found in the absence of IgE, and are then called 'intrinsic' variants of the same disease.

Searching for differences in the behavioural response of piglet groups subjected to novel situations

The Backtest (BT), the Open Field (OF) and the Novel Object (NO) tests have been used to identify individual reaction patterns in piglets and to measure parameters that previous studies have shown to be correlated to the coping strategies of animals. The BT allows for the classification of piglets into two different "coping styles": high-resisting (HR) and low-resisting (LR), which respectively correspond to a (pro-)active and passive (or reactive) behavioural response. During previous research, the subjects were tested singularly, so the aim of this study was to investigate if differences between HR and LR animals could be detected when piglets are tested in a group using the OP and NO tests. A total of 132 piglets were subjected to the BT and then were housed in groups consisting of four individuals each so as to obtain HR pens, LR pens and mixed pens. We found differences in the pigs' behaviour during the OF and the NO tests and according to the type of group. Individual differences in the behavioural response of piglets to the Backtest were not predictive of the behavioural response of the animals subjected to the OF or to NO tests. Our results show that there are no relevant differences between HR and LR piglets when they are subjected in a group to novel situations.

Kutane Nebenwirkungen der Multikinaseinhibitoren Sorafenib und Sunitinib

Molecular targeted therapy with monoclonal antibodies and low molecular weight inhibitors is gaining increasing importance particularly in the treatment of malignant tumors. These drugs are specific and highly selective agents that intervene in the dysfunctional regulatory processes of malignant cells in order to influence cell proliferation, cell differentiation, or angiogenesis. The multikinase inhibitors sorafenib and sunitinib exhibit a favorable tolerability profile and spectrum of side effects, especially in comparison to conventional chemotherapeutic agents. However, they induce specific cutaneous side effects that can in turn be indicators of antitumor activity. This review article compares the cutaneous side effects of the two multikinase inhibitors sorafenib and sunitinib and discusses the therapeutic options for the individual cutaneous reaction patterns.

Serum IgE Autoantibodies Target Keratinocytes in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Previous studies have shown that sera of patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) contain IgE specific for self-proteins, supporting the hypothesis of autoreactivity as a pathogenic factor in AD. In this study, we screened a large panel of AD patients (n=192) by western blotting (WB) for IgE reactivity not only against the human epithelial cell line A431 but also against primary keratinocytes (KCs). To investigate autoantigenic cell structures in detail, normal human skin and primary KCs were incubated with sera from both WB-reactive patients and, for control purposes, healthy individuals, and analyzed by immunohistology, confocal laser microscopy, and flow cytometry. Our analysis revealed that 28% of AD patients, but not healthy individuals, display serum IgE autoreactivity by WB analysis. The individual IgE reaction patterns of the sera pointed to the existence of unique as well as common specificities against epidermal or A431-derived proteins. Immunostainings identified cytoplasmic and, occasionally, also cell membrane-associated moieties as targets for autoreactive IgE antibodies. Interestingly, in certain autoreactive patients, the surface-staining pattern was accentuated at cellular contact sites. We conclude that IgE autoreactivity is common, particularly among severe AD patients, and that non-transformed primary cells are needed for characterization of the entire spectrum of IgE-defined autoantigens.

De-individualized psychophysiological strain assessment during a flight simulation test—Validation of a space methodology

For the evaluation of an operator's skill reliability indicators of work quality as well as of psychophysiological states during the work have to be considered. The herein presented methodology and measurement equipment were developed and tested in numerous terrestrial and space experiments using a simulation of a spacecraft docking on a space station. However, in this study the method was applied to a comparable terrestrial task—the flight simulator test (FST) used in the DLR selection procedure for ab initio pilot applicants for passenger airlines. This provided a large amount of data for a statistical verification of the space methodology. For the evaluation of the strain level of applicants during the FST psychophysiological measurements were used to construct a “psychophysiological arousal vector” (PAV) which is sensitive to various individual reaction patterns of the autonomic nervous system to mental load. Its changes and increases will be interpreted as “strain”. In the first evaluation study, 614 subjects were analyzed. The subjects first underwent a calibration procedure for the assessment of their autonomic outlet type (AOT) and on the following day they performed the FST, which included three tasks and was evaluated by instructors applying well-established and standardized rating scales. This new method will possibly promote a wide range of other future applications in aviation and space psychology.

Patch testing with thin-layer chromatograms of chamomile tea in patients allergic to sesquiterpene lactones

Patients with contact allergy to sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) are usually hypersensitive to Asteraceae plant products such as herbal teas. The objective of this study was to show sensitizers in chamomile tea by patch testing with thin-layer chromatograms. Tea made from German chamomile was separated by thin-layer chromatography. Strips of the thin-layer chromatograms were used for patch testing SL-positive patients. 15 (43%) of 35 patients tested positively to 1 or more spots on the thin-layer chromatogram, with many individual reaction patterns. Patch testing with thin-layer chromatograms of German chamomile tea showed the presence of several allergens.

Monitoring Sheet Covering Long-term Chemotherapy to Predict Individual Adverse Reaction Patterns for Patients with Gynecologic Chemotherapy

Monitoring the adverse reaction patterns specific to individual patients is important to avoid subsequent reactions. Gynecologic cancer chemotherapy is often implemented repeatedly with an altered protocol during prolonged terms. The purpose of this study was to develop and assess the efficacy of a worksheet that pharmacists can use to analyze adverse reaction patterns in individual patients with gynecologic chemotherapy. The worksheet which we developed consisted of multiple sections. One section is for necessary drug information for the proper use of antineoplastic agents. Another section is for the following items recorded by the pharmacists: a) patients' basic information such as stage of disease and protocol, b) state of implementation and break of chemotherapy and supportive therapy on calendar, and c) laboratory data and symptoms. We arranged the last item below the calendar and enabled pharmacists to easily assess individual adverse reactions coupled with the treatment course. Reviews of the developed worksheet indicated that the worksheet led to the convenient detection of individual adverse reaction patterns and effective prevention of additional adverse reactions. This monitoring sheet covering long-term chemotherapy which was designed to predict individual adverse reaction patterns will improve the individualization and safety of gynecologic chemotherapy.

Antibodies against Vibrio salmonicida lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and whole bacteria in sera from Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) vaccinated during the smolting and early post-smolt period

The antibody response to Vibrio salmonicida LPS was studied by ELISA and immunoblot after vaccination of salmon with an aqueous vaccine containing the bacterium. The vaccination of the groups took place from February to July. Antibodies to LPS were present in all sera. Sera from unvaccinated fish and samples collected a short time after vaccination contained low antibody levels. The antibody levels in vaccinated groups increased with time after vaccination except for fish vaccinated during the smolting period. For these fish groups decreasing levels were found in the autumn. Vaccination provided high levels of antibodies to LPS at least 6 months later, even with low water temperatures at primary and secondary vaccination. Fish vaccinated during smolting at higher water temperatures reached high antibody levels a short time after vaccination, but for these groups a decrease took place resulting in the lowest antibody levels of the vaccinated groups in September. Immunoblots showed that antibody reacted with low molecular weight components corresponding to the O-side chain. Immunoblots using whole bacteria as antigen showed a few immunoreactive bands and individual reaction patterns with respect to location of the bands and immunodominance.

The Downside of Downsizing

With the help of data obtained from open-ended interviews conducted with the various stakeholders in downsizing operations and applied within a clinical framework, individual reaction patterns are explored in the victims, the survivors (those staying with a company after layoffs), and the "executioners" (those responsible for the implementation of downsizing). Special emphasis is given to the reactions of the executives implementing the downsizing operation. Among this group of people, a number of ways of coping can be discerned, described as compulsive/ritualistic, abrasive, dissociative, alexithymic/anhedonic, and depressive. The article ends with a number of practical recommendations about how to facilitate the downsizing process. From the interviews conducted, it appears that downsizing, in the more narrow sense of the word, can be a quite destructive process. Reframing the concept so that downsizing is viewed as a continuous process of corporate transformation and change, a way to plan for the continuity of the organization, seems to be a more constructive approach.

The human side of downsizing

In this article, individual reaction patterns to downsizing operations are explored in the victims, the survivors (those staying with a company after layoffs) and the ‘executioners’ (those responsible for the implementation of downsizing) involved in the process. Data are obtained from open-ended interviews conducted with the various stakeholders and applied within a clinical framework. Special emphasis is given to the reactions of the executives implementing the downsizing operation. The article ends with a number of practical recommendations about how to facilitate the downsizing process.

Hormone sensitivity of gynecological tumor cells in tissue culture.

Proliferating tumor cells obtained from ovarian, mammary, and endometrial tumors in tissue culture were tested for the influence of proteohormones and steroid hormones on cellular DNA synthesis and cell growth. The gonadotropic hormones stimulated DNA synthesis of ovarian tumor cells by single administration, or in combination with cortisol, up to the 11-fold of the comparable controls. The hormone sensitivity of the cell lines was variable, resulting in individual reaction patterns. There was no correlation to the histological diagnosis of the primary tumors with respect to the grade of differentiation. The results suggest that ovarian tumor cells in tissue culture can maintain sensitivity to organotropic hormones. Compared to the ovarian carcinoma lines, mammary or endometrial tumor cells did not respond to a similar extent. Progesterone decreased DNA synthesis of endometrial carcinoma cells.