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PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in social dynamics associated to the menstrual cycle in the vervet monkey (Cercopithecus aethiops).

Behavioral changes associated to the menstrual cycle in a social group of vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) were studied. Three adult females were used as experimental subjects and in these, vaginal smears were taken every other day in order to detect their menstrual cycles. Only the dominant and the mid-ranking female showed regular cycles while the low-ranking female showed amenorrhea. The menstrual cycles were divided into five periods (menstrual, premenstrual, luteal, ovulatory and follicular) which were related to the behavioral data. Social behavior recordings were taken during one hour daily for five consecutive months; the data were adjusted twice in order to follow the cycles of the females with regular menstruations. By plotting in a matrix the relative frequencies of joins and displacements, the social position of each animal as well as the group's social organization and dynamics were evaluated. A clear tendency towards social rejection (emitting less joins and increasing the amount of displacements) was detected during the premenstrual periods of the dominant female which abruptly changed towards affiliation during menstruation. This observation was detected in all group members no matter their age-sex class or social position during the five months of observation. When the data were analyzed following the mid-ranking female's cycle, no consistent changes were apparent. The importance of social stimuli in the modulation and expression of hormone-related behavior is stressed, as well as the need of using social settings in the experimental analyses of premenstrual mood and behavior disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

HIV infection among intravenous drug users: epidemiology and risk reduction.

Research on the epidemiology of HIV infection among IV drug users is still at a relatively early stage. Multilocation studies that would permit better geographic comparisons are greatly needed. Multi-method studies within single geographic areas are also needed to assess possible biases with respect to sample recruitment and data collection procedures. The continuation of the epidemic provides a changing historical context that complicates any comparisons. Despite these problems, there are some consistencies that can be seen across studies. Studies of HIV seroprevalence among IV drug users show wide variation among cities in the United States and Europe. The time that the virus was introduced into the IV drug using group within the city is one factor in explaining these differences; other cross-city factors have yet to be identified. Once HIV has been introduced into the IV drug use group within a particular geographic area, there is the possibility of rapid spread up to seroprevalence levels of 50% or greater. Thus, a currently low seroprevalence rate should not be seen as a stable situation. Frequency of injection and sharing of equipment with multiple other drug users (particularly at shooting galleries) have been frequently associated with HIV exposure. Being female, ethnicity (in the USA) and engaging in prostitution also may be associated with increased risk for HIV exposure, suggesting that prevention programs should include special consideration of sex and ethnic differences. Studies of AIDS risk reduction show that substantial proportions of IV drug users are changing their behavior to avoid exposure to HIV. This risk reduction is probably more advanced in New York, with its high seroprevalence and incidence of cases, but is also occurring in cities with lower seroprevalence and limited numbers of cases. The primary forms of risk reduction are increasing the use of sterile equipment, reducing the number of needle sharing partners, and reducing the frequency of injection. These behavior changes are very similar to the frequently identified behavioral risk factors associated with HIV exposure, suggesting that they should be effective in at least slowing the spread of HIV among IV drug users. No linkage of risk reduction to decreases in seroconversion has yet been shown, however, and greater risk reduction is clearly required. A variety of prevention strategies will probably be needed to reduce the spread of HIV among IV drug users. Prevention of initiation into drug injection is an undeniable long-term goal for the control of HIV infection, but there is very little research being conducted in this area.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1988

[Mechanisms of the development, prevention and treatment of aggressive forms of behavior disorders in adolescents].

A comparative clinical and psychological study of 96 adolescents of either sex with preponderant aggressive forms of behavioral disorders and 47 with other behavioral changes was performed within the framework of either nonpathologic personality changes or borderline mental disorders. Aggression developed through different mechanisms which could be preferentially involved in shaping its nonpathologic or pathologic forms. Differential diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive methods are recommended taking into account the aggression genesis.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Religious affiliation and contraceptive usage: changing American patterns, 1955-82.

This paper presents national estimates of contraceptive usage patterns among white women from 1955-82 for the major religious populations in the United States. Drawing on several surveys, the data show that in 1955 differences in contraceptive use between white Protestants and Catholics were very large and corresponded to the higher fertility levels among Catholics. By 1982, all the major religious groups had experienced downward changes in expected family size and all used effective contraceptive methods, including sterilization, the pill, and the IUD. Despite some convergence in the patterns of contraceptive usage over time, significant differences in contraceptive use styles remain among Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and those of no religious affiliation after multivariate controls eliminated socioeconomic and sociodemographic differences among these subpopulations. The evidence points to the multiple contraceptive paths to similar levels of low fertility. A series of hypotheses are proposed to account for these different contraceptive use styles that relate to religious communities, peer pressure and social norms, differential sex roles, male-female communication patterns, and the differential use of physician-based versus other sources of contraceptives.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Serotonergic control of experimental aggression.

The role played by the inhibitory control of brain functions appears reportedly essential in the regulation of emotions and behavior, and is of great relevance in explaining the behavioral changes that follow induced or spontaneous impairment of the serotonergic system of the brain. As a matter of fact, numerous evidence indicate that genetic predisposition and induced or acquired defects of serotonergic inhibitory control greatly concur to precipitate anomalous strong aggression. The cluster of symptoms presented by laboratory rats in consequence of the serotonergic discontrol confers to laboratory experiments the value of a tool aimed at a better understanding of the biological mechanisms which underlie pathological aggression and violence.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Reproductive toxicity and teratology evaluations of naltrexone.

Reproductive toxicology and teratology studies of naltrexone are reviewed. Naltrexone produced behavioral changes in rats at doses below those which affected body weight. Excitatory signs and increased production of seminal plugs occurred in male rats. Prolonged administration to female rats resulted in excitatory signs and impaired maternal activity. Estrus cycling and fertility were decreased in female rats at doses that depressed body weight gain. Higher doses given to pregnant rats for shorter periods of time did not impair fertility or produce embryo or fetal toxicity. In rabbits, there was no evidence of behavioral changes. The highest dosage administered produced transient weight depression and possibly increased resorption. These data are consistent with a report of transient changes in some normal men given single doses of naltrexone. These effects may be mediated via hypothalamic and pituitary mechanisms involved in the control of luteinizing hormone levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Behavioral analysis of kanamycin administration to mice.

The present series of experiments investigated behavioral changes in HET mice following administration of kanamycin, one of the aminoglycoside antibiotics. After drug treatment, HET mice showed changes in complex behaviors, including male agonistic behavior, female postpartum aggression, and tactile discrimination performance. Specifically, the temporal distribution of agonistic behavior appears to be affected by kanamycin treatment in both males and females, and kanamycin administration seems to alter reversal performance on a tactile discrimination task. These findings suggest the need for more careful examination of behaviors which may prove to be sensitive indices of antibiotic toxicity.

Aggression↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Childhood injury control.

Control of the widespread, life-threatening 'disease', injury, requires prevention of (1) events which cause injury; (2) injury when such events occur, and (3) unnecessary severity when an injury occurs. Educating children and their parents about the danger has not been enough. Strategies developed in concordance with the epidemiological model successful in controlling many infectious diseases are available. Chosen strategies must work when used, and they must be used. Those which require frequent action on the part of individuals are not as desirable as more automatic or 'passive' protection. When automatic protection has not been achieved, incentives can be added to promote behavior change on the part of parents and children or on the part of decision makers who control the risk of injury for many. Childhood injury control requires the coordinated efforts of all interested in the welfare of children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Behavioral consequences of agonistic experience in rats: sex differences and the effects of testosterone.

The effects of winning or losing on subsequent aggressive behavior in male and female rats were studied. By using three strains of rats with different levels of aggression, a procedure was developed to create winners and losers. Subsequently, winners were tested against losers. Behavioral analysis of all tests enabled a thorough study of these processes and of their consequences. The results indicate that significant and relatively permanent behavioral changes are induced in intact and castrated, testosterone-treated males but not in females. The results suggest that behavioral inhibition is a specific characteristic of the male's agonistic behavioral repertoire.

Aggression↗
PubMed1995

Androgen-induced changes in electrocommunicatory behavior are correlated with changes in substance P-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus.

The hormonal regulation of sex differences in electrocommunicatory behavior and brain substance P-like immunoreactivity (SPI-ir) were examined in the weakly electric fish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus. This animal modulates its electric organ discharge (EOD) to produce discrete electric social signals (chirps), which function in aggressive and reproductive displays. Males readily chirp in response to electrosensory stimuli that mimic the presence of a conspecific; females also chirp in response to such stimuli, but do so at much lower rates than males. We have recently demonstrated that androgen treatment enhances chirping behavior in females and may also lead to a change in chirp quality or structure. In this study, we quantified androgen-induced changes in chirp structure and simultaneously examined whether androgens alter the sexually dimorphic pattern of SPI-ir in a brain region (prepacemaker nucleus, PPn) known to control chirping. Our results demonstrate that, in females, androgens cause both the induction of chirping and an alteration of chirp structure; chirps recorded from androgen-implanted females had longer durations and more dramatic frequency and amplitude modulations compared to controls, and appear similar to those reported to be produced during spawning. Moreover, androgen-induced changes in chirping are correlated with increased expression of SPI-ir within specific brain nuclei of females. These changes may underly behavioral changes in chirping, since treated females showed a male-like pattern of SPI-ir in the PPn. However, alterations in SPI-ir were not restricted to the PPn, but also occurred in diencephalic regions related to pituitary function and reproductive behavior. The results suggest that androgens modulate chirping activity and cause both specific and wide-spread changes in SPI-ir that may relate to a functional system that interrelates pituitary function, reproductive behavior, and chirping.

Androgens↗
PubMed1995

HIV-related knowledge and risk behaviors of street youth in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The Street Youth Study Group.

Individual interviews were conducted with 379 youth who work and/or live on the streets of a large Brazilian city to assess HIV-related knowledge, sources of information, risk behaviors, and prevention beliefs and strategies. Respondents demonstrated high levels of factual knowledge about HIV transmission (84% correct) coupled with high levels of misconceptions about casual transmission (53% correct) and intermediate levels of knowledge about prevention (64% correct). Only 54% of the respondents had heard about AIDS recently, and 37.5% said they talked to someone about AIDS. The most common sources of information about HIV/AIDS were the mass-media and friends. Over half the sample reported taking precautions to reduce their risk of HIV infection; however, the proportion of youth taking effective precautions was low. Among the 247 youth (65% of the sample) who had initiated sexual activity, lifetime condom use was reported by 18%, and condom use at last intercourse by 10%. Youth with higher levels of knowledge were more likely to report behavior changes to avoid HIV infection. These findings underscore the urgent need for prevention programs tailored to street youth in developing countries.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1994

Sexual behavior of individuals infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. The need for intervention.

BACKGROUND: Public health efforts to stop the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) emphasize behavior change among all persons at risk of infection. Yet efficient physician-based intervention might be targeted toward persons infected with HIV. To evaluate the need for intervention among HIV-infected persons attending a continuity clinic, we determined the prevalence of behaviors risky for new transmission of HIV and the characteristics of HIV-infected individuals participating in such behavior. METHODS: Cross-sectional structured survey of 227 HIV-infected patients attending an urban HIV continuity-of-care clinic. RESULTS: Nine percent of the subjects had vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom with an HIV-negative last sex partner (24% of whom were unaware that the subject was HIV infected) and an additional 13% with an HIV-status-unknown last sex partner (41% were unaware that the subject was HIV infected). Subjects used a condom for intercourse more often with a partner they knew to be HIV negative than HIV-status-unknown or HIV-positive (84% vs 59% vs 51%). Subjects with more lifetime male sexual partners were more likely to have had sex without a condom with an HIV-negative or HIV-status-unknown partner. CONCLUSION: The HIV-infected individuals in this clinic setting participate in a substantial amount of sexual behavior placing others at risk of new HIV infection. Physicians must address such behaviors, and programs specifically aimed at reducing such behavior should be a public health priority.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Social network, support and influence: relationships with drug use and protective AIDS behavior.

One reason for difficulty in long-term maintenance of behavior changes by injection drug users (IDUs) is the concomitant support or distraction from the IDUs social environment. This study explored the relationship of social factors--e.g., encouragement from friends, beliefs about social norms--with drug injection behaviors. Subjects were clients in a short-term residential detoxification program. Self-reports of drug and AIDS-protective behaviors were gathered at baseline and at least 6 months following a trial of enhanced vs. informational educational interventions. Results provide support both for the general hypothesis about the influence of peers and drug-use partners prior and subsequent to detoxification and for the greater effectiveness of the enhanced intervention on social factors. Particularly important to improved drug use behavior were decreased number of friends who inject drugs (social network), increased number of people to talk with when upset (social support), and increased argument skills about safe drug use (social influence).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1993

Premarital sexuality: a five-year follow-up study of attitudes and behavior by dating stage.

This paper presents the results of a survey on premarital sex conducted in 1988. The study focused on what respondents considered proper sexual behavior, what they reported they did, and what they thought others were doing at five stages of dating. Respondents were asked about cohabitation, the effect of AIDS on their premarital attitudes and behavior, and their views regarding the morality of premarital sex. When compared to the results of a similar study conducted in 1983, the data provided some evidence of change in premarital sexual attitudes and behavior. Female respondents in the 1988 sample showed lower levels of sexual intercourse at all five dating stages than did their counterparts in the 1983 study. However, males in the 1988 sample reported higher levels of sexual intercourse for the first four stages of dating than did males in the 1983 survey. In general, both males and females in the 1988 sample reported changing their attitudes and behavior regarding premarital sex in the direction of greater conservatism since hearing about AIDS. Attitudinal change was more widespread than actual behavioral change.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1995

Outcomes of a risk-reduction intervention with high-risk populations: the Harlem AIDS project.

Many studies of interventions with high-risk populations have reported reductions in risk behaviors. To assess effectiveness of interventions, data are also needed on the characteristics of subjects lost to follow-up, and on follow-up risk behaviors for subjects who were not participants in the intervention. This paper reports on a study conducted in Harlem, New York, recruiting 1,770 injection drug users (IDUs) and sex partners of IDUs, randomly assigned to two interventions. Repeated-measures analyses for the two intervention groups and those who participated in no intervention indicated that all groups reported significant reductions in risk behaviors, with no group effect. Comparisons of those followed-up and not followed-up indicate that those followed-up were less likely to: be homeless, be Latinos, and to use "shooting galleries." The discussion focuses on the need to assess outcomes for all types of participants, and to distinguish the impact of interventions from other explanations for behavior changes.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗