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Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic 2021The authors compared the defense mechanisms used by a community sample of people with and without self-reported psychopathic traits. Defense mechanisms were assessed...
The authors compared the defense mechanisms used by a community sample of people with and without self-reported psychopathic traits. Defense mechanisms were assessed using the Defense Style Questionnaire-60 and psychopathy was assessed using the Levinson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale in a sample of 225 adults recruited on the Internet. Results found that people with self-reported psychopathy traits used significantly more immature and neurotic defense mechanisms than people without a psychopathic personality profile. All participants reported equal use of mature defenses.
Topics: Adult; Antisocial Personality Disorder; Defense Mechanisms; Humans; Internet; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 34468215
DOI: 10.1521/bumc.2021.85.3.271 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2020Defense mechanisms are mental functions which facilitate coping when real or imagined events challenge personal wishes, needs, and feelings. Whether defense mechanisms...
Defense mechanisms are mental functions which facilitate coping when real or imagined events challenge personal wishes, needs, and feelings. Whether defense mechanisms have a specific neural basis is unknown. The present research tested the hypothesis that interhemispheric integration plays a critical role in defense mechanism development, by studying a unique sample of patients born without the corpus callosum (agenesis of the corpus callosum; AgCC). Adults with AgCC ( = 27) and matched healthy volunteers ( = 30) were compared on defense mechanism use across increasing levels of developmental maturity (denial, least; projection, intermediate; identification, most). Narratives generated in response to Thematic Apperception Test images were scored according to the Defense Mechanism Manual. Greater use of denial and less identification was found in persons with AgCC, compared to healthy comparisons. This difference emerged after age 18 when full maturation of defenses among healthy individuals was expected. The findings provide clinically important characterization of social and emotional processing in persons with AgCC. More broadly, the results support the hypothesis that functional integration across the hemispheres is important for the development of defense mechanisms.
PubMed: 32733338
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01534 -
Journal of Agricultural and Food... Mar 2022Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), an RNA virus, is one of the most devastating pathogens in pepper crops and has a significant influence on global crop yields. PMMoV...
Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), an RNA virus, is one of the most devastating pathogens in pepper crops and has a significant influence on global crop yields. PMMoV poses a major threat to the global shortage of pepper plants and other Solanaceae crops due to the lack of an effective antiviral agent. In this study, we have developed a plant immune inducer (vanisulfane), as a "plant vaccine" that boosts plant immunity against PMMoV, and studied its resistance mechanism. The protective activity of vanisulfane against PMMoV was 59.4%. Vanisulfane can enhance the activity of defense enzymes and improve the content of chlorophyll, flavonoids, and total phenols for removing harmful free radicals from plants. Furthermore, vanisulfane was found to enhance defense genes. Label-free quantitative proteomics would tackle disease resistance pathways of vanisulfane. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) are mainly involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, photosynthesis, MAPK signaling pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation pathway. These results are crucial for the discovery of new pesticides, understanding the improvement of plant immunity and the antiviral activity of plant immune inducers.
Topics: Capsicum; Defense Mechanisms; Plant Diseases; Tobamovirus
PubMed: 35297641
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c00659 -
The Behavioral and Brain Sciences Apr 2020Cushman argues that "rationalization is rational." We show that there is reasonable empirical clinical and forensic psychological evidence to support viewing...
Cushman argues that "rationalization is rational." We show that there is reasonable empirical clinical and forensic psychological evidence to support viewing rationalization as a quite suboptimal defense mechanism. Rationalization has been found to be associated not only with poorer emotional development, but also with a broad range of antisocial behavior, including not only shoplifting, but also pedophilia and murder.
Topics: Defense Mechanisms; Rationalization
PubMed: 32292143
DOI: 10.1017/S0140525X19002073 -
The Journal of Nervous and Mental... Sep 2022The objective of this study was to assess changes in maternal defensive functioning from the third trimester of pregnancy to 2 years postpregnancy. A community sample of...
The objective of this study was to assess changes in maternal defensive functioning from the third trimester of pregnancy to 2 years postpregnancy. A community sample of at-risk mothers ( N = 84; non-White [61%], unmarried [67%], high school or less education [72%], and income less than $20,000 [50%]) were recruited for this longitudinal study. Mothers responded to a semistructured interview during pregnancy and at 2 years postpregnancy about the parent-infant relationship; interview transcripts were coded using the Defense Mechanism Rating Scale (DMRS). Results indicated a significant increase in both total defense mechanisms used and the relative percentage of immature defense mechanisms used over time. A significant decrease in the relative percentage of healthy/adaptive defenses was noted. When all seven levels of defenses of the DMRS were assessed, it was an increase in minor image-distorting defenses, mechanisms that supported vulnerable self-esteem, that accounted for most of the change in immature defenses. Stability coefficients of defense mechanisms were reported, with large effect sizes, for overall defensive functioning, and mature and immature defenses over a 2-year period. These findings lend support to the importance of assessing defense mechanisms to better understand stressful life transitions in mothers.
Topics: Defense Mechanisms; Female; Humans; Infant; Longitudinal Studies; Mothers; Pregnancy; Self Concept
PubMed: 35344978
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001519 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Jun 2023To evaluate the effect of psychotherapies on ego defense mechanisms and the reduction of depressive symptoms in a 12-month follow-up period. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of psychotherapies on ego defense mechanisms and the reduction of depressive symptoms in a 12-month follow-up period.
METHODS
This longitudinal and quasi-experimental study nested within a randomized clinical trial included a clinical sample of adults (18-60 years) diagnosed with major depressive disorder using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Two models of psychotherapy were used: Supportive Expressive Dynamic Psychotherapy (SEDP) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Defense Style Questionnaire 40 was used to analyze defense mechanisms and the Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure the depressive symptoms.
RESULTS
The total sample comprised 195 patients (113 SEDP and 82 CBT), with the mean age was 35.63 (11.44) years. After adjustments, increased mature defenses was significantly associated with reduced depressive symptoms at all follow-up times (p < 0.001) and the decrease in immature defenses was significantly associated with the reduction of depressive symptoms at all follow-up times (p < 0.001). While neurotic defenses were not associated with a reduction in depressive symptoms at any time of follow-up (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Both models of psychotherapy were effective in increasing mature defenses and decreasing immature ones, as well as decreasing depressive symptoms at all evaluation times. With this, it is understood that a greater understanding of these interactions will allow a more adequate diagnostic and prognostic evaluation and the design of useful strategies that adapt to the patient's reality.
Topics: Humans; Adult; Depressive Disorder, Major; Psychotherapy, Brief; Psychotherapy; Defense Mechanisms; Ego
PubMed: 36871912
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.141 -
The Journal of Analytical Psychology Nov 2014Fantasies as imaginative activities are seen by Jung as expressions of psychic energy. In the various descriptions of active imagination the observation of the inner... (Review)
Review
Fantasies as imaginative activities are seen by Jung as expressions of psychic energy. In the various descriptions of active imagination the observation of the inner image and the dialogue with inner figures, if possible, are important. The model of symbol formation, as Jung describes it, can be experienced in doing active imagination. There is a correspondence between Jung's understanding of complexes and our imaginations: complexes develop a fantasy life. Complex episodes are narratives of difficult dysfunctional relationship episodes that have occurred repeatedly and are internalized with episodic memory. This means that the whole complex episode (the image for the child and the image for the aggressor, connected with emotions) is internalized and can get constellated in everyday relationship. Therefore inner dialogues do not necessarily qualify as active imaginations, often they are the expression of complex-episodes, very similar to fruitless soliloquies. If imaginations of this kind are repeated, new symbols and new possibilities of behaviour are not found. On the contrary, old patterns of behaviour and fantasies are perpetuated and become cemented. Imaginations of this kind need an intervention by the analyst. In clinical examples different kinds of imaginations are discussed.
Topics: Adult; Defense Mechanisms; Emotions; Female; Humans; Imagination; Jungian Theory; Male; Middle Aged
PubMed: 25331506
DOI: 10.1111/1468-5922.12113 -
Applied and Environmental Microbiology Aug 2023Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) exhibit direct and indirect mechanisms to increase plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant responses to these stresses...
Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) exhibit direct and indirect mechanisms to increase plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. Plant responses to these stresses are interconnected by common regulators such as ethylene (ET), which is involved in both iron (Fe) deficiency and induced systemic resistance responses. In this work, the roots of cucurbit seedlings were primed with Metarhizium brunneum (EAMa 01/58-Su strain), and relative expression levels of 18 genes related to ethylene (ET), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) synthesis, as well as pathogen-related (PR) protein genes, were studied by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Effects of priming on Spodoptera littoralis were studied by feeding larvae for 15 days with primed and control plants. Genes showed upregulation in studied species; however, the highest relative expression was observed in roots and shoots of plants with Fe deficiency, demonstrating the complexity and the overlapping degree of the regulatory network. and should be highlighted; both are key genes of the ET transduction pathway that enhanced their expression levels up to eight and four times, respectively, in shoots of primed cucumber. Also, JA and SA synthesis and PR genes showed significant upregulation during the observation period (e.g., the JA gene increased 506 times). Survival and fitness of were affected with significant effects on mortality of larvae fed on primed plants versus controls, length of the larval stage, pupal weight, and the percentage of abnormal pupae. These results highlight the role of the EAMa 01/58-Su strain in the induction of resistance, which could be translated into direct benefits for plant development. Entomopathogenic fungi are multipurpose microorganisms with direct and indirect effects on insect pests. Also, EPF provide multiple benefits to plants by solubilizing minerals and facilitating nutrient acquisition. A very interesting and novel effect of these fungi is the enhancement of plant defense systems by inducing systematic and acquired resistance. However, little is known about this function. This study sheds light on the molecular mechanisms involved in cucurbits plants' defense activation after being primed by the EPF . Furthermore, the subsequent effects on the fitness of the lepidopteran pest are shown. In this regard, a significant upregulation was recorded for the genes that regulate JA, SA, and ET pathways. This increased expression of defense genes caused lethal and sublethal effects on . This could be considered an added value for the implementation of EPF in integrated pest management programs.
Topics: Animals; Spodoptera; Ethylenes; Plants; Larva; Fungi; Defense Mechanisms
PubMed: 37439674
DOI: 10.1128/aem.00940-23 -
Journal of Clinical Child and... 2019Self-esteem is a potent indicator of mental health in typically developing (TYP) individuals. It is surprising that there have been few comprehensive investigations of... (Review)
Review
Self-esteem is a potent indicator of mental health in typically developing (TYP) individuals. It is surprising that there have been few comprehensive investigations of self-esteem in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), given that they are at high risk for comorbid mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. The objectives of the current study were to assess how youth with ASD rate their self-esteem compared to age-matched TYP youth and to examine how self-esteem relates to internalizing psychopathology and theory of mind in the two groups. Seventy-three children and adolescents, ages 9 to 17, were administered a battery of questionnaires assessing self-esteem and internalizing symptoms, as well as tasks designed to measure theory of mind. Results indicated that youth with ASD rated their self-esteem significantly lower than did TYP youth. Self-esteem was strongly related to depression in both groups but was negatively related to theory of mind only for youth with ASD. These results may provide important insights into how individuals with ASD form evaluations of their own self-worth and illustrate how increasing self-awareness in individuals with ASD is not without risks.
Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child; Defense Mechanisms; Depression; Female; Humans; Male; Self Concept; Surveys and Questionnaires; Theory of Mind
PubMed: 29048245
DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2017.1381912 -
Scientific Reports Aug 2023Animal and human feces typically include intestinal sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Hydrogen sulfide and acetate are the end products of their dissimilatory sulfate...
Animal and human feces typically include intestinal sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Hydrogen sulfide and acetate are the end products of their dissimilatory sulfate reduction and may create a synergistic effect. Here, we report NADH and NADPH peroxidase activities from intestinal SRB Desulfomicrobium orale and Desulfovibrio piger. We sought to compare enzymatic activities under the influence of various temperature and pH regimes, as well as to carry out kinetic analyses of enzymatic reaction rates, maximum amounts of the reaction product, reaction times, maximum rates of the enzyme reactions, and Michaelis constants in cell-free extracts of intestinal SRB, D. piger Vib-7, and D. orale Rod-9, collected from exponential and stationary growth phases. The optimal temperature (35 °C) and pH (7.0) for both enzyme's activity were determined. The difference in trends of Michaelis constants (K) during exponential and stationary phases are noticeable between D. piger Vib-7 and D. orale Rod-9; D. orale Rod-9 showed much higher K (the exception is NADH peroxidase of D. piger Vib-7: 1.42 ± 0.11 mM) during the both monitored phases. Studies of the NADH and NADPH peroxidases-as putative antioxidant defense systems of intestinal SRB and detailed data on the kinetic properties of this enzyme, as expressed by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide-could be important for clarifying evolutionary mechanisms of antioxidant defense systems, their etiological role in the process of dissimilatory sulfate reduction, and their possible role in the development of bowel diseases.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Antioxidants; NAD; NADP; Cell Extracts; Desulfovibrio; Peroxidases; Defense Mechanisms; Sulfates
PubMed: 37626119
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41185-3