bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efe fathers: one among many? A comparison of forager children's involvement with fathers and other males
Authors: Morelli Gilda A. , Tronick Edward Z.
Published: April 2006

The study reported describes Efe (pygmy) forager one‐, two‐, and three‐year‐olds' involvement with males. The Efe of northeastern Zaïre were chosen because their social organization allows us to examine hypotheses based on studies in Western, technologically complex societies about the distinctive role fathers play in the lives of their young children. Behavioral observations of Efe children's day‐to‐day activities with fathers, men and boys were recorded using a focal subject sampling technique (Altmann, 1974). Two behavioral measures were created to capture the extent to which males were involved with children: Social engagement describes males' involvement with children and social attention describes eavesdropping by children on males' everyday activities. Eight one‐year‐olds, 7 two‐year‐olds and 8 three‐year‐olds were each observed for six, one‐hour observation sessions that were distributed evenly over the daylight hours. Data were analyzed using the traditional measure of involvement (e.g., adult males) and using a newly developed measure of the involvement of the average individual (e.g., average adult mate). Comparisons at each of the ages showed that fathers were consistently like other men in the extent to which children participated in social activities with them and watched their activities. Only fathers' level of social engagement declined significantly as children grew older. Boys' role relative to other males became increasingly distinctive as children aged. The findings suggest that Efe fathers may not be unique in the same sense assumed by Western study ideals, and raise questions about the special status given to fathers in Western theory and data. The patterning of mate involvement with children is discussed in terms of Efe community life, and in terms of Efe children's developing understanding of their relationship with fathers and other males.
The social bases of language acquisition
Authors: Tomasello Michael
Published: April 2006

A language is composed of conventional symbols shaped by their social‐communicative functions. Children acquire these symbols, both lexical and syntactic, in the context of culturally constituted event structures that make salient these functions. In the acquisition process children rely on cultural learning skills (i.e., imitative learning). These skills emanate from their ability to participate intersubjectively with adults in cultural activities (i.e., joint attention), which underlies their ability to understand the ways adults are using particular pieces of language. The development of communicative competence as a whole, including not only lexical and syntactic skills but also various pragmatic skills, depends largely on feedback about communicative efficacy that children receive from different interactants. This feedback is used by children to make further inferences about the conventional functional significance of particular linguistic expressions. This social‐pragmatic view of language acquisition obviates the need for a priori, specifically linguistic, format constraints on the language acquisition process.
Nature, nurture, and social development*
Authors: Plomin Robert
Published: April 2006

It is time to bring nature (genetics) together with nurture (environment) in the study of social development. Following a brief overview of behavioral genetic theory and methods, three examples are described of new genetic research especially relevant to social developmentalists. First, initial research findings on three key domains of social development (attachment, empathy, and social competence) suggest that genetic factors contribute to individual differences in social development. Second, research on widely used measures of social environment implicates a genetic contribution, which opens up new directions for research at the interface of nature and nurture in social development. Third, by the turn of the century, it is predicted that behavioral genetic research will be conducted using DNA markers that assess genetic variation among individuals directly rather than resorting to indirect estimates based on twin and adoption methods. This will revolutionize behavioral genetic research and make it more accessible and applicable to developmentalists. As a first step in the direction of behavioral genetics, social developmentalists are encouraged to include siblings in their research.
Linkages between parent—child interaction and conversations of friends
Authors: Kahen Vanessa , Katz Lynn Fainsilber , Gottman John M.
Published: April 2006

In this study we examined how mothers' and fathers' parenting behavior during parent—child interaction related to children's ability to successfully interact with peers. Children's ability to engage in coordinated interaction, and their negativity and positivity towards peers were examined. Observational data were collected on 56 families in both parent—child and peer interaction settings. Results suggested that father's emotional volatility was related to children's tendency to play at a low level of engagement with their best friends (e.g. engage in parallel play or monologue). Both mother's and father's affective communication were related to children's tendency to play at a higher level of engagement, such as through establishing common ground activities, exchanging information, and self‐disclosing personal information or feelings. Parental intrusiveness, low engagement and use of derisive humor was also related to children's negativity during peer interaction. Results support the hypothesis that both fathers and mothers provide a context for children's development of the ability to engage in and maintain interpersonal interaction, and mothers' parenting may influence the amount of positive affect children express during dyadic play.
The world of parents and peers: coercive exchanges and children's social adaptation
Authors: Dishion Thomas J. , Duncan Terry E. , Eddy J. Mark , Fagot Beverly I. , Fetrow Rebecca
Published: April 2006

The relation among child antisocial behavior, child coercive exchanges with parents and peers, and the social adaptation of middle‐childhood‐aged boys and girls was investigated. The 374 children were observed during laboratory tasks with their parents and during recess with peers. A covariance model was tested that hypothesized that coercive exchanges with parents and peers would contribute uniquely to a multiple‐agent assessment of child antisocial behavior, supporting an ecological view of social development. A single model described both boys and girls adequately, although minor gender‐specific variations in effect size did produce a better fit. Children's antisocial behavior was associated with school maladaption primarily among boys, as represented by academic engagement in the classroom and peer nominations of social preference. Children's antisocial behavior and coercive interactions, in contrast, were correlated with peer antisocial behavior in both girls and boys.
Illustrating the interface of family and peer relations through the study of child maltreatment
Authors: Rogosch Fred A. , Cicchetti Dante
Published: April 2006

The developmental study of social adaptation in maltreated children provided the context for examining the linkages between family and peer relations. Participants included 115 school‐age children; 59 were maltreated. Teachers and peers in the classrooms of the targeted children provided assessments of the social functioning of individual children. Mothers completed an assessment of their parenting practices. The results demonstrated that teachers perceived maltreated children, particularly physically abused children, as lower in social competence and social acceptance and higher in externalizing behavior problems. Peers were more likely to actively withdraw from or reject maltreated children. Patterns of peer‐perceived aggression and withdrawal were examined, and maltreated children who were both aggressive and withdrawn were particularly deficient in social effectiveness. Maltreatment and parenting practices were related to differences in social effectiveness. Continuities in relationship disturbance from families to peers were discussed.
Attachment, Intelligence, and Language: A Meta‐analysis†
Authors: van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Dijkstra Jarissa , Bus Adriana G.
Published: April 2006

In attachment theory, several hypotheses about the association between attachment and cognitive development have been generated. In a series of meta‐analyses on 32 studies, we tested whether the quality of attachment is related to intelligence (DQ or IQ) and to language competence. Attachment showed a weak association with DQ and IQ measures (combined r = .09; N = 1026). The combined effect size for the relation between attachment and language competence was r = .28 (N = 303). We conclude, first, that differences in intelligence do not play a major role in shaping attachment relationships. Differences in quality of attachment are not confounded in any significant way with differences in intelligence. Second, secure children appeared to be more competent in the language domain than insecure children. Language development appears to be stimulated in the context of a secure attachment relationship because secure parents may be better ‘teachers’ and secure children may be better motivated ‘students’.
Perception of Parental Reciprocity Scale (POPRS): Development and Validation with Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Wintre Maxine Gallander , Yaffe Marvin , Crowley Jeannine
Published: April 2006

The present paper describes the development of a new scale, the Perception of Parental Reciprocity Scale (POPRS), and research findings obtained with this instrument. Based on Youniss' (1980) theory, this scale assesses the extent of perceived mutual reciprocity in adolescents'/young adults' relations with their parents. An initial pool of 51 items was administered to 141 unmarried undergraduates along with measures of self‐esteem, locus of control, and consultant choice to indicate construct validity. Item analyses and reliability procedures produced a 43‐item scale. A second study of 1602 students between the ages of 13 and 25 examined further issues: cross‐replication, cross‐validation, reliability with young adolescents, reliability over time, criterion and construct validity, and age‐related differences in scores. In addition to POPRS and the scales used in Study 1, measures included three global statements, attachment to parents, attitude to private personal authority, and scores on an open‐ended interview. Results from both studies demonstrated high reliability, and construct and criterion validity. Furthermore, a significant age effect supports Youniss' theory of a developmental transformation in parent‐child relations beginning in late adolescence and continuing in early adulthood.
Mother and Child Reports of Preschool Children's Social Support Networks: Network Correlates of Peer Acceptance
Authors: Bost Kelly K.
Published: April 2006

This study examined the relations between characteristics of preschool children's social support networks and peer acceptance. Mothers and their children completed network interviews that assessed structural features of the child's network, the actual performance of supportive behaviors across four support domains (daily maintenance, occasional maintenance, emotional support, recreation), and the perceived closeness of the relationships between children and network members. Mothers tended to identify broader networks than did their children, and both maternal and child reports of the number of males included in the network were significant correlates of peer acceptance. A gender effect was also revealed suggesting that boys' networks included more male members than those of girls whereas girls mentioned more females as network members than did boys. Further analyses indicated that maternal reports of enacted emotional support, network size for emotional and recreational support and perceived closeness to network members were positively associated with peer acceptance measures. Child reports of the number of network members with whom he/she had a ‘special relationship’ and enjoyed spending time were correlated positively with peer acceptance. Multiple regression analyses revealed that network variables accounted for significant proportions of variance in peer acceptance measures.
Developmental differences in baserate estimates of social behaviors and attitudes
Authors: Jacobs Janis E. , Greenwald Jessica P. , Osgood D. Wayne
Published: April 2006

This study examined the development of baserate estimation skills for everyday social events and attitudes. Subjects in grades one, three, and six responded to questions concerning their own rates of behavior and attitudes, and their estimates of baserates of behaviors and attitudes for their classmates. The findings indicate a general increase in accuracy for the estimation of baserates throughout the elementary school years. In addition, younger subjects were less likely to make similar estimates for themselves and their classmates than were older respondents. Developmental changes in estimation accuracy are discussed in relation to task content, use of the response scale, correspondence between self‐reports and estimates, and sample variability.
The social worlds of 8‐ and 12‐month‐old infants: Early experiences in two subcultural contexts
Authors: Leyendecker Birgit , Lamb Michael E. , Schölmerich Axel , Fracasso Maria P.
Published: April 2006

In this study, we explored the everyday experiences of 40 infants from families who migrated recently from Central America to the US. Another 42 infants from middle class families of Euro‐American background were included to facilitate the evaluation of our methodology and findings. Detailed descriptions of the previous 24 hours were obtained by interviewing the mothers when their infants were 8 and 12 months of age. The infants' experiences and activities were very similar in both groups, and the effects of the mothers', fathers' or others' presence on ongoing activities were similar, too. The groups differed with regard to (1) the circadian distribution of activities, (2) opportunities for interactions with various people, and (3) the differences between weekdays and weekends. Overall, the social worlds of the Central American children were characterized by the simultaneous presence of several people and thus by multiple social partners. The social worlds of the Euro‐American children were characterized by more opportunities for dyadic interactions and by exposure to fewer partners.
Joint Attention and Imitative Learning in Children, Chimpanzees, and Enculturated Chimpanzees*
Authors: Carpenter Malinda , Tomasello Michael
Published: April 2006

In this study we compared the nature of the joint attentional interactions that occurred as chimpanzees and human children engaged with a human experimenter (E). Subjects were three chimpanzees raised mostly with conspecifics (mother‐reared), three chimpanzees raised in a human‐like cultural environment (encultur‐ated), and six 18‐month‐old human children. Of particular interest were possible differences between the two groups of chimpanzees that might have resulted from their different ontogenetic histories. Observations were made as subjects participated in an imitative learning task involving a number of novel objects. Variables coded were such things as subjects' looks to the object, looks to E, the coordination of such looks in periods of joint engagement with E, and gestural attempts to direct E's attention or behavior (declaratives and imperatives). Results showed that encultur‐ated chimpanzees were most similar to human children in social interactions involv‐ing objects, for example, in their attention to the object in compliance with E's request, their joint attentional interactions during less structured periods, and their use of declarative gestures to direct E's attention to objects. They were not similar to children, but rather resembled their mother‐reared conspecifics, in the duration of their looks to E's face. A positive relation between subjects' joint attentional skills and their imitative learning skills was found for both chimpanzee and human sub‐jects. It is concluded that a human‐like sociocultural environment is an essential component in the development of human‐like social‐cognitive and joint attentional skills for chimpanzees, and perhaps for human beings as well
Child Temperament as a Mediator of Mother‐Toddler Problem Solving*
Authors: Gauvain Mary
Published: April 2006

This paper is concerned with the role of child temperament in regulating adult‐child cognitive interaction. Two studies were conducted to investigate whether child temperament as rated by the mother at an earlier time relates to maternal guidance and partner involvement on a joint task at a later time. In Study 1, 26 2.5‐year‐old children and their mothers participated in joint problem solving followed by a child‐only posttest involving related tasks. Children rated as having more difficult temperaments received more cognitive assistance and disapproval from their mothers, as well as greater involvement from them in more challenging aspects of the tasks. Temperament was not related to child involvement during the joint task nor to task performance during the interaction or on the posttest. In Study 2, another group of 26 2.5‐year‐old children and their mothers participated in joint problem solving using different tasks than in Study 1. Results from Study 2 replicate those of Study 1. Also, children rated as having more difficult temperaments performed more poorly on the individual posttest. Results support the suggestion that child temperament may mediate the cognitive opportunities that arise during parent‐child collaboration and are discussed in relation to Vygotsky's notion of the zone of proximal development.
Attachment and Joint Problem‐Solving Experiences During the Preschool Period
Authors: Moss Ellen , Gosselin Catherine
Published: April 2006

This study examined how attachment quality, measured during the preschool period using the Waters & Deane Q‐Sor. (1985). affects preschoolers' collaborative problem‐solving interactions. We compared collaborative styles of 19 securely‐ and 18 insecurely‐attached three and four year olds during a grocery planning task with mother and then a strange female adult who was also the mother of a preschool child. Results indicated that securely‐attached preschoolers were more likely to show task‐relevant and metacognitive behavior in both contexts and performed better with the stranger than did their insecure peers. The collaborative style of mothers of secure children was more in synchrony with secure children's level of participation in the task than with that of insecure children who were less focused on goal‐directed task activities. Strangers were generally less structuring than mothers particularly with insecure children. Interestingly, the security status of the stranger's own child did not influence her collaborative style with an unfamiliar preschooler. Results are discussed with reference to concepts from both attachment and Vygotskian theories.
Young Children's Emotionality, Regulation and Social Functioning and Their Responses When They Are Targets of a Peer's Anger
Authors: Murphy Bridget C. , Eisenberg Nancy
Published: April 2006

We examined the relations of young children's (N = 70) anger‐related responses (i.e., behavioral scripts when they are targets of a peer's anger, perceptions of a peer's anger intensity, and involvement in real‐life anger conflict incidents) to children's emotionality, regulation, and social functioning. Children aged 4 to 6 used puppets to act out their responses to hypothetical situations in which they inadvertently provoked a peer who then became angry at them. Boys viewed by teachers as emotionally intense, unregulated, nonconstructive copers, aggressive, and socially inappropriate tended to enact unfriendly responses when they were targets of a peer's anger. In addition, boys and girls viewed as aggressive (by teachers and mothers, respectively) and girls whose teachers viewed them as unregulated enacted assertive puppet responses. Children's enacted responses did not vary as a function of sex or level of the peer's anger. Girls' perceptions of relatively high levels of peers' anger were related to mothers' reports of aggressiveness and low self‐regulation. Finally, peer reports of children's involvement in anger conflicts were associated with children's high emotional intensity, nonconstructive coping, low regulation, and socially inappropriate behavior, and boys' aggressiveness and low popularity.
Conflict Outcome as a Function of Parental Accuracy in Perceiving Child Cognitions and Affect.
Authors: Hastings Paul , Grusec Joan E.
Published: April 2006

It is usually maintained that positive family functioning and internalization of parental values are promoted by parents' consistent use of particular discipline strategies or styles of childrearing. In this paper a different position is presented, viz., that parents who can accurately perceive their children's thoughts and feelings during a disagreement will have the most successful outcomes because they can tailor their disciplinary interventions to the particular states of their children at the time. Adolescents and their parents were interviewed about recent disagreements and asked to rate themselves and their partner on measures of anger, blame, acceptability of their own and their partner's behavior, and satisfaction. In families where fathers were accurate in their perceptions of their adolescent's cognitions and affect there were fewer conflicts per week. Accurate perception on the mothers' parts was related to their satisfaction with the outcomes of the disagreements. There was no relation between adolescents' perceptual accuracy and number of conflicts or their satisfaction with the outcomes.
The Nature of Social Competence: A Theoretical Review
Authors: Rose‐Krasnor Linda
Published: April 2006

Consistent with much of the research literature, social competence is defined as effectiveness in social interaction. Effectiveness is broadly considered, and includes both self and other perspectives. Social competence is viewed as an organizing construct, with transactional, context‐dependent, and goal‐specific characteristics. Four general approaches to the operational definition of social competence are identified: social skills, sociometric status, relationships, and functional outcomes. A Prism Model of social competence is presented, based on theoretical, index and skills levels of analyses. The implications of the Prism Model for developmental, gender, cultural, assessment and intervention issues are also discussed.
When the Name Says it All: Preschoolers' Recognition and Use of the Gendered Nature of Common Proper Names
Authors: Bauer Patricia J. , Coyne Molly J.
Published: April 2006

By the time they enter preschool children have acquired extensive knowledge of gender stereotypes. There has been little work on their use of this knowledge to make inferences about behavior; there is virtually no information as to how the explicitness of gender‐category information influences the reliability of inferences. In two experiments we tested 3‐112‐year‐old children's recognition and use of less‐than‐explicit, yet highly reliable, cues to gender‐category membership: common proper names. In Experiment 1 children reliably associated feminine‐stereotyped names with pictures of girls and masculine‐stereotyped names with pictures of boys; they did not reliably associate gender‐neutral names with pictures of girls and boys. In Experiment 2 children used their knowledge of same‐gender‐category names to make predictions about the preferences of otherwise sex‐unspecified targets; they did not make reliable predictions when the targets were labeled with opposite‐gender‐category names. In contrast, when the targets were labeled with gendered common nouns (“girl” and “boy”) performance was reliable and was not affected by match or mismatch between the sex of the child and the gender category of the target. The findings indicate differential patterns of development and application of gender‐category consistent versus gender‐category inconsistent knowledge.
A Cross‐Cultural Exploration of the Stability of Children's Friendships and the Predictors of their Continuation
Authors: Schneider Barry H. , Fonzi Ada , Tani Franca , Tomada Giovanna
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this study was to explore cultural differences in children's perceptions of friendship quality and in the predictors of the subsequent continuation of their relationships. Participants were third and fourth‐grade children in Florence, Italy, and Toronto, Canada. A total of 184 dyads of children who indicated that they were friends near the beginning of the school year completed questionnaires regarding the quality of their relationships. Among the Italian children, especially the girls, a higher proportion of friendships remained intact at the end of the school year than among the Canadians. Positive aspects of relationship quality at the first data collection point were associated with future friendship status, but earlier conflict within the dyad was unrelated to the continuation of friendship. The levels of conflict reported by the children were lower in the Italian sample than in Canada.
War Toy Play and Aggression in Dutch Kindergarten Children
Authors: Hellendoorn Joop , Harinck Frits J. H.
Published: April 2006

The play behavior of 54 four to seven‐year‐old Dutch children in the presence of a standard set of war toys and neutral toys was related to five groups of variables, i.e., parental attitude, possession of war toys at home, the habitual aggressiveness of the child in daily life, the characteristics of the toys themselves, and the play situation. Real object‐ or person‐oriented aggression was rare and was not related to play with the war toys. Suppression of aggression by the experimental situation seemed unlikely. During play, the levels of involvement and fantasy were generally high. Regularly, playful fighting was observed, differentiated as Make‐Believe‐Aggression and Rough‐and‐Tumble. These two Play ‘Aggression’ factors, and Real Aggression, could be predicted from other variables, principally from gender, the influence of session partners, play involvement, type of war toy used and parental attitude.
Safety of long‐term combined immunosuppressive treatment in myasthenia gravis – analysis of adverse effects of 163 patients
Authors: Rozsa C. , Lovas G. , Fornadi L. , Szabo G. , Komoly S.
Published: April 2006

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long‐term adverse effect (AE) profile of azathioprine (AZA) plus methylprednisolone combined immunosuppressive treatment in myasthenia gravis (MG) in a larger patient cohort. A prospective, open, observational study was conducted on 163 MG patients treated with combined immunosuppressive medication for a mean duration of 35.5 months (range 9–79 months). During the treatment course, AEs occurred in 61.4% of patients; 18% of these patients developed both steroid‐ and AZA‐related AE, 15% had purely AZA‐related AE and 67% had steroid‐associated AEs. Severe AEs were encountered in only 6.7% of patients in whom treatment had to be discontinued. The clinical severity of MG at the start of the immunosuppressive treatment was positively correlated with the frequency and severity of AEs during the treatment, and patients with severe MG were found to be at higher risk of developing AEs during the combined immunosuppressive treatment. Combined immunosuppressive treatment of MG patients is well tolerated, and severe AEs requiring treatment cessation are rare. The incidence of steroid‐related AEs is high during long‐time therapy which underlines the importance of its combination with AZA. The probability of developing AEs seems to correlate with the severity of MG at the beginning of the treatment.
Major and minor depression in Parkinson's disease: a neuropsychological investigation
Authors: Costa A. , Peppe A. , Carlesimo G. A. , Pasqualetti P. , Caltagirone C.
Published: April 2006

Previous studies have failed to distinguish the differential contribution of major and minor depression to cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). This study was aimed at investigating the relationships among major depression (MD), minor depression (MiD) and neuropsychological deficits in PD. Eighty‐three patients suffering from PD participated in the study. MD and MiD were diagnosed by means of a structured interview (SCID‐I) based on the DSM‐IV criteria, and severity of depression was evaluated by the Beck Depression Inventory. For the neuropsychological assessment, we used standardized scales that measure verbal and visual episodic memory, working memory, executive functions, abstract reasoning and visual‐spatial and language abilities. MD patients performed worse than PD patients without depression on two long‐term verbal episodic memory tasks, on an abstract reasoning task and on three measures of executive functioning. The MiD patients’ performances on the same tests fell between those of the other two groups of PD patients but did not show significant differences. Our results indicate that MD in PD is associated with a qualitatively specific neuropsychological profile that may be related to an alteration of prefrontal and limbic cortical areas. Moreover, the same data suggest that in these patients MiD and MD may represent a gradual continuum associated with increasing cognitive deficits.
LIGHT AND TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE CARBON TO CHLOROPHYLL a RATIO IN MICROALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA: IMPLICATIONS FOR PHYSIOLOGY AND GROWTH OF PHYTOPLANKTON
Authors: GEIDER RICHARD J.
Published: April 2006

Summary

The carbon:chlorophyll a ratio (C:chl a or θ) is a sensitive indicator of physiological state in microalgae. The dependence of θ on photon flux density (PFD or I) and temperature in exponentially growing nutrient‐sufficient microalgae can be described by an empirical equation with four coefficients. C:chl a increases linearly with increased light level at constant temperature and decreases exponentially with increased temperature at constant light level. Both the slope (ɛ) and intercept (θ0) of linear regressions of θ on photon flux density increase at low temperature. The intercept, θ0, increases from 6 to 40 g of carbon per gram of chlorophyll a (g C g chl a−1) between 30 and 0 °C and ɛ increases by over an order of magnitude from 004 to 1·9 g C g chl a−l m2 s μol photon−1 over the same temperature range.

Low‐temperature chlorosis can be interpreted as an adaptive response in the allocation of cell resources between temperature‐independent biophysical reactions involved in light‐harvesting and temperature‐dependent biochemical reactions. This response also reduces the potential for photoinhibitory damage at high light levels which can be exacerbated by low temperatures.

The range of values for θ in nature has not been adequately determined because of difficulty in separating phytoplankton from detritus, bacteria and microzooplankton. Based on the laboratory observations summarized in this paper, it would appear that use of a single value of θ for phytoplankton is inappropriate for ecological studies. For example, at a PFD of 50 μmol m−2 s−1, θ increases from 10 to 130 g C g chl a−1 between 30 and 0 °C under nutrient‐sufficient conditions.

These conclusions are based on observations for eight diatoms, two green algae, one euglenoid and two cyanobacteria for which the appropriate data are available. In contrast to these groups, the dinofiagellates contain substantially less chlorophyll a The available data indicate that θ is about three times larger in dinoflagellates than in other algae under comparable PFDs at 20 °C. There are insufficient data available, however, to evaluate the light and temperature dependence of θ in dinoflagellates.
INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE AUKHORN PEAT MOUNDS, KEISS, CAITHNESS: POLLEN, PLANT MACROFOSSIL AND CHARCOAL ANALYSES
Authors: ROBINSON DAVID
Published: April 2006

Summary

Pollen, plant macrofossil and charcoal analyses are presented from two of the Aukhorn group of peat mounds which are located in an extensive area of blanket peat on the Caithness Plain north‐west of Wick. Radiocarbon dates have been obtained for selected horizons in one of the mounds.

The vegetational and fire history are outlined for this area of the Caithness Plain over the past 8000 years. Evidence for fire is present in the earliest deposits and there are signs of human interference with the sparse woodland cover from 5000 bp onwards.

Events associated with the initiation of the blanket peat are described and the possible processes involved are discussed. There is evidence that peat initiation was accompanied by widespread burning and in the earliest example by a change in vegetation from open grassland through Calluna heath to wet birch woodland. The possible involvement of Mesolithic populations in this transition is discussed.

Localized mounding of the peat began c. 5000 years bp. It apparently resulted from a coincidence of local mire stratigraphy or subpeat soil conditions such that water was retained and local peat accumulation rate maintained above that of the surrounding mire surface at a time of increased desiccation. Surface fires are considered to have acted to amplify the effect.
Characterization of microsatellite loci in the widely introduced estuarine anemone Nematostella vectensis
Authors: DARLING JOHN A. , REITZEL ADAM M. , FINNERTY JOHN R.
Published: April 2006

We characterized 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci from Nematostella vectensis, a burrowing anemone recently introduced to estuaries along the Pacific coast of North America and the southeast coast of England. Preliminary results indicate high variability and significant departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, the latter likely the result of population genetic structure and reproductive plasticity. Both results are consistent with earlier genetic analyses. These markers will be useful for resolving global patterns of introduction and for describing spatio‐temporal genetic structure at local and regional scales.
Spindle cell neoplasms coexpressing cytokeratin and vimentin (metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma)
Authors: Smith K.J. , Skelton H.G. , Morgan A.M. , Barrett T.L. , Lupton G. P.
Published: April 2006

Spindle cell squamous carcinoma (SCSC) and atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX) are both spindle cell neoplasms (SCN) that usually arise in areas of solar or ionizing radiation of elderly patients. Both lesions have a similar biologic behavior. In addition, the morphologic and ultrastructural similarities found in AFX and the spindle cell component of SCSC, have led some investigators to conclude that these tumors have a similar cell of origin. We studied 15 SCNs with no evidence of epithelial origin and no morphologic epithelial component, that showed immunohistochemical and ultrastructural evidence that would support metaplastic changes of a squamous cell carcinoma to a neoplasm with mesenchymal characteristics.
Cutaneous manifestations of measles in AIDS
Authors: McNutt N. Scott , Kindel Susan , Lugo Jorge
Published: April 2006

In immunocompetent patients, infection by the measles (rubeola) paramyxovirus produces fever, cough, coryza, Koplik's spots, and, on the skin, a macular erythema that can become confluent. The erythema has a striking cephalocaudal spread and clearing. The diagnosis of measles on a skin biopsy and the distinction from an erythema multiforme type of drug eruption can be difficult. We studied a skin biopsy from a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who presented with measles. In contrast to erythema multiforme, the measles biopsy has necrosis of clusters of keratinocytes in the high spinous layer and granular layer of the epidermis, Whereas erythema multiforme has necrosis of basal keratinocytes. Multinucleated keratinocytes may or may not be prominent in the measles biopsy, Cytoplasmic swelling of the keratinocytes in the granular layer may be present even when multinucleated cells are sparse. Immunoperoxidase reactivity for measles virus protein is present in intranuclear inclusions and in the cytoplasm of infected upper spinous keralinocytes. There were more cells with positive staining in the biopsy from the AIDS patient than in another biopsy from an immunocompetent patient with measles. The AIDS patient was seronegative for measles throughout the course of the illness. The examination of the skin biopsy can be very important in the diagnosis of measles in AIDS patients or immunocompromised patients who may not develop the usual diagnostic serology.
Angiotropic malignant melanoma
Authors: Moreno Abelardo , Español Isabel , Romagosa Vicens
Published: April 2006

Two cases of malignant melanoma are described that showed focal perineural invasion and exhibited striking tropism for small and medium‐sized vessels, primarily veins. The melanoma cells proliferated within the vessel walls, expanding and replacing the muscle layer but sparing the endothelia. Intravascular invasion was not seen. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the pattern of growth within vessel walls and the integrity of their endothelia. In one of the cases, similar vascular tropism was encountered in a capsular vein from a regional lymph node. We propose the term “angiotropic malignant melanoma” for this phenomenon and suggest that angiotropism may be a rare mechanism for melanoma spread and progression.
Pleomorphic lipoma
Authors: Griffin T. D. , Goldstein J. , Johnson W. C.
Published: April 2006

A case of pleomorphic lipoma is described. Pleomorphic lipoma is included in the “atypical” lipoma classification. Because of its atypical microscopic appearance, it must be differentiated from liposarcoma. We will discuss pleomorphic lipoma and its position in the classification of atypical fatty tumors.
Multiple sclerotic fibromas of the skin
Authors: Requena Luis , Gutiérrez Javier , Sánchez Yus Evaristo
Published: April 2006

Multiple hamartoma syndrome, or Cowden's disease, is a rare genodermatosis with multiple organ system involvement in which malignancy, particularly of breast and thyroid, may develop. Multiple trichilemmomas have been classically regarded as the cutaneous hallmark of this disease. We here emphasize multiple sclerotic fibromas of the skin as another specific cutaneous marker of this entity, which may also be helpful in an early diagnosis.
Nerve sheath myxoma (neurothekeoma) of the skin: light microscopic and immunohistochemical reappraisal of the cellular variant*
Authors: Argenyi Zsolt B. , LeBoit Philip E. , Santa Cruz Daniel , Swanson Paul E. , Kutzner Heinz
Published: April 2006

Nerve sheath myxoma (NSM) is a rare cutaneous neoplasm, the histogenesis of which is controversial. Fifteen cases of NSM were studied by routine light microscopy and with a broad panel of immunohistochemical stains. NSM were classified into three groups based on cellularity, mucin content and growth pattern. 1) The hypocellular (myxoid) type (5/15 cases) showed frequent encapsulation or sharp circumscription. Immunohistochemically this type was strongly positive for S‐100 protein and collagen type IV and variably positive for epithelial membrane antigen. 2) The cellular type (4/15 cases) had scant mucin and ill‐defined nodular or infiltrating growth. Immunostaining showed positive reaction for neuron specific enolase (2/4), Leu‐7 (1/4) and smooth muscle specific actin (2/4), and was negative with the oilier antibodies. 3) The “mixed type” (6/15 cases) had variable cellularity and mucin content with poor demarcation and variable immunolabeling. We conclude that: 1) there are major light microscopic and immunohistochemical differences between the classical hypocellular (myxoid) and the cellular forms of NSM (neurothekeoma); 2) while the immunohistochemical results support the presence of nerve sheath differentiation in the classical forms of NSM, and to some extent in the mixed forms, there is an absence of convincing evidence of neural differentiation in the cellular variant by either light microscopy or immunohistochemistry; 3) the variable immunophenotypes suggest that differentiation other than neural may take place in CNT.
Antibody deposits in Tzanck smears in pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Verma Kaushal K. , Khaitan Binod K. , Singh Manoj K.
Published: April 2006

Forty‐three patients, including 24 males and 19 females between 5 and 62 years of age, having pemphigus vulgaris (27), pemphigus foliaceus (1), bullous pemphigoid (3), chronic benign bullous dermatosis of childhood (2) and herpes zoster (10) were included in this study. Tzanck smears were prepared from the floor of the blisters in these patients by deroofing the bullae, and the slides were stored without fixation at room temperature for 1 to 10 days. Immunofluorescence staining was done with FITC‐conjugated anti‐human IgG. Twenty‐one cases having pemphigus vulgaris and 1 case having pemphigus foliaceus showed bright green fluorescence on the membrane of acantholytic cells. No epithelial cells were seen in smears from bullous pemphigoid and chronic benign bullous dermatosis of childhood, whereas epithelial cells were seen in 10 cases of herpes zoster. These stained negative with anti‐IgG. Storage of the prepared smears for 1–10 days did not seem to affect the results of immunofluorescence. Tzanck smears can be used as an easy substitute for skin/mucosal biopsy for the direct immunofluorescence test.
Infantile (juvenile) capillary hemangioma: A tumor of heterogeneous cellular elements
Authors: Smoller Bruce R. , Apfelberg David B.
Published: April 2006

Infantile (juvenile) capillary hemangiomas are vascular neoplasms which can appear quite infiltrative histologically and are characterized by cords of cells with areas of marked cellularity. While vessels can be distinguished in most cases, there are many cells which do not appear to be endothelial in origin. We labeled 5 such cases with antibodies directed against factor VII‐related antigen, CD34, α actin, factor XIIIa and PC‐10. Anti‐factor VIII‐related antigen labeled all endothelial cells and did not label cells away from vessels. Anti‐CD34 recognized similar cells and also stained a subset of interstitial cells. Anti‐α muscle defined pericytes and stained few interstitial cells and none of the endothelial cells. Many of the interstitial spindled and cuboidal cells stained strongly with anti‐factor XIIIa. The majority of the mitotic activity was concentrated in the interstitial cells. These observations lend support to the concept that infantile (juvenile) capillary hemangioma is a tumor of primitive cells with capabilities for differentiating toward endothelial cells and pericytes. It is not clear whether a similar stem cell population gives rise to dermal dendrocytes, or whether these represent an immune response to the neoplasm.
Localized hair follicle hamartoma
Authors: Alessi Elvio , Azzolini Alberto
Published: April 2006

A 4‐year‐old male presented with an indurated papular plaque on his right nasolabial fold. The lesion, present since the child was a few months of age, progressively extended in a band‐like fashion up to the upper lip. Microscopically, there was almost complete replacement of the hair follicles by trichoepithelioma‐like epithelial proliferations associated with hyperplastic sebaceous glands. We interpret this lesion as a localized form of the clinicopathological entity known as generalized hair follicle hamartoma.
Malignant melanoma arising in a nevus of Nanta
Authors: Culver William , Burgdorf Walter H. C.
Published: April 2006

Papillomatous fleshy facial nevi have a low risk of malignant transformation. In addition, they may undergo ossification in their depths; a nevus with bone is known as a nevus of Nanta. Such a nevus in a 60‐year‐old female gave rise to a malignant melanoma.
A unique case of apocrine carcinoma on the male pubic skin: Histopathologic and ultrastructural observations
Authors: Yamamoto O. , Haratake J. , Hisaoka M. , Asahi M. , Bhawan J.
Published: April 2006

We report a case of cutaneous adenocarcinoma on the pubic region of a 56‐year‐old male. The exophytic tumor showed solid, ductal, and glandular patterns with decapitation secretion and mucinous carcinoma‐like nests. Despite the exophytic nature of the lesion, an invasive growth pattern into the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat was seen. An additional characteristic of this tumor was the presence of Paget's phenomenon. From these findings, we conclude that this tumor is an apocrine adenocarcinoma having an unusual clinical appearance and unique histopathological features which have some similarities to apocrine carcinoma of the breast and some to syringocystadenoma papilliferum and nipple adenomatosis.
Aminopeptidase M and dipeptidyl peptidase IV activity in epithelial skin tumors: a histochemical study
Authors: Moehrle M.C. , Schlagenhauff B.E. , Klessen C. , Rassner G.
Published: April 2006

The activities of microsomal alanylaminopeptidase (APM EC 3.4.11.2) and of dipeptidyl dipeptidase IV (DPP IV EC 3.4.14.5) were histochemically studied in frozen sections of normal skin, seborrheic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, solar keratosis, Bowen's disease and squamous cell carcinoma using amino acid‐ or peptide‐4‐methoxy‐2‐naphthylamides as specific chromogenic substrates. Compared to biochemical and immunohistochemical methods, the histochemical technique used in this study allows distinct localization of protease activity within the tumor tissue and the tumor‐associated stroma. Strong APM activity was detectable only in the stroma of basal cell carcinoma, a result which reflects the particular tumor‐stroma interaction of this semimalignant tumor. APM activity was not detectable in either healthy epidermis or the tumor parenchyma. Altered activity of DPP IV was found in the tumor cells as well as in the surrounding connective tissue: precancerous dermatoses and basal cell carcinomas had higher levels of DPP IV‐activity than normal skin or benign seborrheic keratosis. Poorly differentiated malignant squamous cell carcinomas, however, showed no histochemically detectable DPP IV‐activity at all. This result is in line with reports of decreased activity of this enzyme in cases of malignancy.
Cell proliferation markers in predicting metastases in malignant melanoma
Authors: Reddy Vijaya B. , Gattuso Paolo , Aranha Gerard , Carson Henry J.
Published: April 2006

It is often difficult to predict the outcome of melanoma in patients with Clark level III‐IV disease. We sought to identify markers of cell proliferation which may be useful in predicting prognosis. Patients with Clark's level III‐IV malignant melanoma who had no local recurrences or metastases were matched with patients of comparable level and thickness who did experience recurrences or metastases. Cell proliferation markers p53, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and Ki‐67 were assessed by immunohistochemistry. DNA ploidy was determined by flow cytometry. There was no difference in the expression of p53, PCNA, and Ki‐67 between patients with metastases and patients without metastases. However, patients with metastases were more likely to have an aneuploid tumor cell population than were patients without metastases (p<0.03). Expression of cell proliferation markers do not appear to help predict prognosis in advanced level melanoma; however, aneuploidy may be associated with a greater probability of metastasis.