Biogeographical patterns and determinants of invasion by forest pathogens in Europe

A large database of invasive forest pathogens (IFPs) was developed to investigate the patterns and determinants of invasion in Europe. Detailed taxonomic and biological information on the invasive species was combined with country-specific data on land use, climate, and the time since invasion to identify the determinants of invasiveness, and to differentiate the class of environments which share territorial and climate features associated with a susceptibility to invasion. IFPs increased exponentially in the last four decades. Until 1919, IFPs already present moved across Europe. Then, new IFPs were introduced mainly from North America, and recently from Asia. Hybrid pathogens also appeared. Countries with a wider range of environments, higher human impact or international trade hosted more IFPs. Rainfall influenced the diffusion rates. Environmental conditions of the new and original ranges and systematic and ecological attributes affected invasiveness. Further spread of established IFPs is expected in countries that have experienced commercial isolation in the recent past. Densely populated countries with high environmental diversity may be the weakest links in attempts to prevent new arrivals. Tight coordination of actions against new arrivals is needed. Eradication seems impossible, and prevention seems the only reliable measure, although this will be difficult in the face of global mobility.

Endophthalmitis in cataract surgery: results of a German survey

OBJECTIVE

To document perioperative prophylactic treatment and to evaluate the risk factors for endophthalmitis after cataract surgery.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study via anonymous survey.

PARTICIPANTS

Four hundred sixty-nine centers in Germany were queried.

RESULTS

A total of 311 (67%) questionnaires were received, with each center reporting an average of 900 cataract surgeries per year (total, 340,633 surgeries in 1996). Respondents reported a total of 267 cases of endophthalmitis, which resulted in a mean responder-specific endophthalmitis rate of 0.148% versus a median rate of 0%. Statistical analysis via Poisson regression suggested that sclerocorneal incisions were associated with a reduced incidence of endophthalmitis (odds ratio, 0.35; 95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.51). Antibiotics used intraocularly (odds ratio, 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.43-0.98) and the preoperative application of diluted povidone-iodine on the conjunctiva (odds ratio, 0.59; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.99) were associated with a reduced risk of postoperative infection. Immune deficiencies (66%), diabetes mellitus (62%), occlusion of the lacrimal system (40%), and skin diseases (33%) were regarded as risk factors for endophthalmitis by the respondents. When cataract surgery is performed solely under inpatient conditions, the use of systemic antibiotics as well as the periocular injection of antibiotics at the end of the operation were associated (although not significantly) with a trend toward reducing the incidence of postoperative infection. Conversely, flushing the lacrimal drainage system, using eye shields, and cutting the eyelashes had no demonstrable effect in preventing endophthalmitis. The use of preoperative topical antibiotics (odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-4.68) and the performance of more than 20% of the surgeries in an outpatient center (odds ratio, 2.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-3.21) were associated with a detrimental effect on the development of endophthalmitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the appropriate antibiotic agent and dosage are not yet established, the administration of intracameral antibiotics and the application of povidone-iodine on the conjunctiva significantly reduced the relative risk of postoperative endophthalmitis in this survey. Because the study was not individual based but rather on aggregate questionnaire, the results have to be interpreted with care.

Short-term changes of mRNA expression of various inflammatory factors and milk proteins in mammary tissue during LPS-induced mastitis

During mammary gland infection, non-specific responses are the predominant ones. The goal of this study was to investigate the mRNA expression of various soluble immune components and of the major milk proteins during the acute phase of mammary inflammation. Five healthy lactating cows were intramammary infused in one quarter with 100 microg Escherichia coli-endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) and the contralateral quarter with saline (9 g/l) serving as control. Mammary biopsy samples of both quarters were taken immediately before and at 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after infusion and mRNA expression of various factors was quantified via real-time RT-PCR. Blood samples for determination of leukocyte number were taken simultaneously with the biopsy samples and rectal temperature was measured at 1-h intervals. Rectal temperature increased until 5h (P < 0.05) after LPS administration and remained elevated until 9 h after LPS inoculation. Blood leukocyte number decreased (P < 0.05) from 0 to 3 h from 7.7 +/- 1.1 x 10(9)l(-1) to 5.7 +/- 1.0 x 10(9)l(-1) and thereafter recovered to pre-treatment levels until 12 h after LPS challenge. In LPS-treated quarters, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and cyclooxygenase-2-mRNA expression increased (P < 0.05) to highest values at 3h after LPS challenge. Lactoferrin, lysozyme, inducible nitric oxide synthase increased (P < 0.05) and peaked at 6 h after challenge, and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase-mRNA expression tended to increase (P = 0.07). mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factor-I and of alphaS1-casein (CN), alphaS2-CN, beta-CN and beta-lactoglobulin did not change significantly, whereas mRNA expression of 5-lipoxygenase and alpha-lactalbumin decreased (P < 0.05) in both quarters and that of kappa-CN only in the LPS quarter. mRNA expression of some investigated factors (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, lysozyme, 5-lipoxygenase, alpha-lactalbumin) changed in control quarters, however in all respective factors less than in the LPS quarters (P < 0.05). In conclusion, mRNA expression of most inflammatory factors increased within hours, whereas that of most milk proteins remained unchanged.

Performance of the ATLAS trigger system in 2015

During 2015 the ATLAS experiment recorded [Formula: see text] of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text]. The ATLAS trigger system is a crucial component of the experiment, responsible for selecting events of interest at a recording rate of approximately 1 kHz from up to 40 MHz of collisions. This paper presents a short overview of the changes to the trigger and data acquisition systems during the first long shutdown of the LHC and shows the performance of the trigger system and its components based on the 2015 proton-proton collision data.

The addition of rituximab to front-line therapy with CHOP (R-CHOP) results in a higher response rate and longer time to treatment failure in patients with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma: results of a randomized trial of the German Low-Grade Lymphoma Study Group (GLSG)

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is an indolent lymphoma with moderate sensitivity to conventional chemotherapy. This study investigated whether the addition of rituximab to standard chemotherapy improves treatment outcome in LPL and the subgroup of LPL patients fulfilling the criteria of Waldenstroem's macroglobulinemia (WM). A total of 69 patients with previously untreated LPL were enrolled into the trial; 64 patients were evaluable for treatment outcome. In all, 48 of the 64 LPL patients fulfilled the criteria of WM. Patients were randomly assigned to R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone, n=34) or CHOP (n=30). R-CHOP resulted in significantly higher overall response (OR) rate (94 vs 67%, P=0.0085) in the LPL patients and in the WM subgroup (91 vs 60%, P=0.0188). With a median observation time of 42 months, R-CHOP induced a significantly longer time to treatment failure (TTF) with a median of 63 months for R-CHOP vs 22 months in the CHOP arm in the LPL patients (P=0.0033) and in the WM subgroup (P=0.0241). There was no major difference of treatment-associated toxicity between both treatment groups. These data indicate that the addition of rituximab to front-line chemotherapy improves treatment outcome in patients with LPL or WM.

Familial association between allergic disorders and depression in adult Finnish twins

Clinical studies have shown a relationship between allergic disorders and depression, panic disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and social anxiety for a significant subset of patients with these disorders. The nature of the relationship, whether due to shared environmental or biologic vulnerabilities or as a result of the stress of chronic illness, has been less clear. By examining the covariance of atopic disorders and depressive symptoms in a community sample of monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, the contribution of genetic and/or shared environmental etiological factors can be established. A Finnish sample of 1337 MZ and 2506 DZ twin pairs, ages 33-60 years, was sent questionnaires inquiring about history of asthma, eczema, and atopic rhinitis, as well as the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). The nature of the covariation between twins of these symptoms was investigated by fitting competing genetic and environmental models. Within-person correlation between atopic symptoms and BDI was 0.103 (P < 0.001) for the total sample. Using the Mx statistical modeling program to fit the data to competing quantitative genetic models, the best fitting model estimated that 64% of the association between atopy and BDI was due to shared familial vulnerability, primarily additive genetic influences. Although the measures for allergic disorders and depression are crude, this study supports the hypothesis that there is a small shared genetic risk for atopic and depressive symptoms, and if replicated, may open research for common mechanisms between allergic and depressive disorders. Am. J. Med. Genet. (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 96:146-153, 2000.

Hydrous mantle transition zone indicated by ringwoodite included within diamond

The ultimate origin of water in the Earth's hydrosphere is in the deep Earth--the mantle. Theory and experiments have shown that although the water storage capacity of olivine-dominated shallow mantle is limited, the Earth's transition zone, at depths between 410 and 660 kilometres, could be a major repository for water, owing to the ability of the higher-pressure polymorphs of olivine--wadsleyite and ringwoodite--to host enough water to comprise up to around 2.5 per cent of their weight. A hydrous transition zone may have a key role in terrestrial magmatism and plate tectonics, yet despite experimental demonstration of the water-bearing capacity of these phases, geophysical probes such as electrical conductivity have provided conflicting results, and the issue of whether the transition zone contains abundant water remains highly controversial. Here we report X-ray diffraction, Raman and infrared spectroscopic data that provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for the terrestrial occurrence of any higher-pressure polymorph of olivine: we find ringwoodite included in a diamond from Juína, Brazil. The water-rich nature of this inclusion, indicated by infrared absorption, along with the preservation of the ringwoodite, is direct evidence that, at least locally, the transition zone is hydrous, to about 1 weight per cent. The finding also indicates that some kimberlites must have their primary sources in this deep mantle region.

A new concept for melatonin deficit: on pineal calcification and melatonin excretion

Even though exogenous melatonin has proven to influence sleep and circadian parameters, low endogenous melatonin is not related to sleep disturbances, nor does it predict response to melatonin replacement therapy. In this manuscript, we present a new concept towards a definition of a melatonin deficit. The purpose of the study was to introduce a marker for an intra-individual decrease in melatonin production. Therefore, we developed a method to quantify the degree of pineal calcification (DOC) using cranial computed tomography. Combining pineal DOC with the organs's size, we estimated the uncalcified pineal gland volume. This estimation was positively and significantly associated with 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s), collected over 24 hours in urine, in 26 subjects. Data yielded evidence that the decline in aMT6s excretion with age can be sufficiently explained by an increased pineal calcification. These results suggest that DOC might be useful as an indicator of an intra-individual, decreased capability of the pineal gland to produce melatonin. DOC might prove to be a response-marker for melatonin replacement therapy and a vulnerability marker of the circadian timing system.

Problem behavior in early and middle childhood: an initial behavior genetic analysis

Twin samples were used to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences on problem behavior in children, assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). For the younger cohort, mothers completed the CBCL/2-3, while for the older cohort the CBCL/4-18 was used. Nearly half of the older sample had also been assessed with the questionnaire for younger children at a prior date, providing tentative answers regarding continuity and change in the etiology of problem behavior. Results suggested that shared environmental influences may be more important in early childhood than in middle childhood, while the reverse holds for genetic influences.

Increase in power through multivariate analyses

Power to detect genetic and environmental influences increases not only with sample size but also with the number of measurements through longitudinal and/or multivariate designs, if those measurements correlate with each other. Power simulations are presented for uni- through quadrivariate cases, with differing genetic and environmental parameters. Even though subject attrition is a problem for most longitudinal studies, the gain in power available may more than make up for this shortcoming in many situations. In terms of planning studies to examine genetic and environmental influences, power calculations should not only consider sample size but number of measurements on particular phenotypes and their intercorrelations.

Muon reconstruction performance of the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collision data at [Formula: see text]=13 TeV

This article documents the performance of the ATLAS muon identification and reconstruction using the LHC dataset recorded at [Formula: see text] TeV in 2015. Using a large sample of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] decays from 3.2 fb[Formula: see text] of pp collision data, measurements of the reconstruction efficiency, as well as of the momentum scale and resolution, are presented and compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The reconstruction efficiency is measured to be close to [Formula: see text] over most of the covered phase space ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV). The isolation efficiency varies between 93 and [Formula: see text] depending on the selection applied and on the momentum of the muon. Both efficiencies are well reproduced in simulation. In the central region of the detector, the momentum resolution is measured to be [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) for muons from [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) decays, and the momentum scale is known with an uncertainty of [Formula: see text]. In the region [Formula: see text], the [Formula: see text] resolution for muons from [Formula: see text] decays is [Formula: see text] while the precision of the momentum scale for low-[Formula: see text] muons from [Formula: see text] decays is about [Formula: see text].

Topological cell clustering in the ATLAS calorimeters and its performance in LHC Run 1

The reconstruction of the signal from hadrons and jets emerging from the proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and entering the ATLAS calorimeters is based on a three-dimensional topological clustering of individual calorimeter cell signals. The cluster formation follows cell signal-significance patterns generated by electromagnetic and hadronic showers. In this, the clustering algorithm implicitly performs a topological noise suppression by removing cells with insignificant signals which are not in close proximity to cells with significant signals. The resulting topological cell clusters have shape and location information, which is exploited to apply a local energy calibration and corrections depending on the nature of the cluster. Topological cell clustering is established as a well-performing calorimeter signal definition for jet and missing transverse momentum reconstruction in ATLAS.

Contrast sensitivity and glare disability by halogen light after monofocal and multifocal lens implantation

BACKGROUND

Standard examination of contrast sensitivity under conditions of glare disability is performed with incandescent light. A new halogen glare test that simulates glare as seen with oncoming vehicle headlights was used to measure glare disability in patients implanted with multifocal and monofocal intraocular lenses (IOLs).

METHODS

28 patients with an average age of 69 years (SD 12 years) were implanted with a monofocal IOL (SI-40NB, Allergan) and 28 patients with an average of 66 years (12 years) were implanted with a refractive multifocal IOL (Array-SA-40N, Allergan). All patients were followed for 5 months postoperatively. Contrast sensitivity at four spatial frequencies (3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree, cpd) with and without a glare source were measured using the halogen glare test (CSV-1000 HGT). Statistical analysis was performed using the two sample Wilcoxon test. The local significance level was set at 0.05.

RESULTS

When tested at the lowest spatial frequency (3 cpd) without halogen glare, contrast sensitivity was lower in the multifocal group than in the monofocal group (p=0.0292). With additional glare, there was no difference between both groups. At all other spatial frequencies (6, 12, and 18 cpd), when tested without halogen glare (6 cpd, p=0.5250; 12 cpd, p=0.8483; 18 cpd, p=0.9496) and with moderate (3 cpd, p=0.7993; 6 cpd, p=0.4639; 12 cpd, p=0.7456; 18 cpd, p=1.0) and high halogen glare (3 cpd, p=0. 1513; 6 cpd, p=0.2016; 12 cpd, p=0.3069; 18 cpd, p=0.9933), there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Patients in both groups of age 70 or older had reduced contrast sensitivity without halogen glare and with moderate and strong glare. When monofocal and multifocal patients older than 70 years of age were analysed separately, there was no statistically significant difference in contrast sensitivity with and without glare. Astigmatism >1 dioptre had no significant influence on contrast sensitivity and glare disability when monofocal and multifocal eyes were compared.

CONCLUSION

Reduced contrast sensitivity was found in the multifocal group only at the lowest spatial frequency without halogen glare. The monofocal and multifocal groups had no statistically significant differences in contrast sensitivity with moderate and strong glare. These results suggest no difference in glare disability induced by halogen light similar to oncoming vehicle headlights for patients implanted with monofocal and multifocal IOLs.

Dual role of melanins and melanin precursors as photoprotective and phototoxic agents: inhibition of ultraviolet radiation-induced lipid peroxidation

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is one of the risk factors for skin cancer and the main inducer of melanin pigmentation, the major protective mechanism of mammalian skin against radiation damage. The melanin pigments, eumelanin and pheomelanin, are likely to be important in protection against UVR, but their precursors are generally considered as phototoxic. The available data suggest DNA damage as the mechanism of phototoxicity. However, the effect of melanin precursors on membrane damage through lipid peroxidation, another important and probably more relevant (from the point-of-view of the melanosomal confinement of these molecules) mechanism of phototoxicity, not known. As a model system for UVR-melanin-membrane interactions, we irradiated liposomes in the presence of eumelanin, pheomelanin and two of their major precursors, 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) and 5-S-cysteinyldopa (SCD). The presence of the two melanin precursors substantially reduced the formation of lipid peroxidation products resulting from UVR exposure. The antioxidant activity of the melanin precursors was diminished under strong prooxidant conditions (presence of Fe3+). These results suggest that melanin precursors may have an important role in the protection of skin against the harmful effects of UVR including photocarcinogenesis.

Intracranial haemorrhage and use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

AIMS

In the past few years an increasing number of bleeding disorders have been reported in association with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including serious cases of intracranial haemorrhage, raising concerns about the safety of this class of drugs. The present study was performed to test the hypothesis of an increased risk of intracranial haemorrhage associated with the use of SSRIs.

METHODS

We carried out a case-control study nested in a cohort of antidepressants users with the UK-based General Practice Research Database (GPRD) as the primary source of information. The study cohort encompassed subjects aged between 18 and 79 years who received a first-time prescription for any antidepressant from January, 1990 to October, 1997. Patients with presenting conditions or treatments that could be associated with an increased risk of intracranial haemorrhage were excluded from the cohort. Patients were followed-up until the occurrence of an idiopathic intracranial haemorrhage. Up to four controls per case, matched on age, sex, calendar time and practice were randomly selected from the study cohort. We estimated adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of intracranial haemorrhage with current use of SSRIs and other antidepressants as compared with nonuse using conditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified 65 cases of idiopathic intracranial haemorrhage and 254 matched controls. Current exposure to SSRIs was ascertained in 7 cases (10. 8%) and 24 controls (9.7%) resulting in an adjusted OR (95%CI) of 0. 8 (0.3,2.3). The estimate for 'other antidepressants' was 0.7 (0.3,1. 6). The effect measures were not modified by gender or age. No effect related to dose or treatment duration was detected. The risk estimates did not change according to the location of bleeding (intracerebral or subarachnoid).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results are not compatible with a major increased risk of intracranial haemorrhage among users of SSRIs or other antidepressants at large. However, smaller but still relevant increased risks cannot be ruled out.

Luminosity determination in pp collisions at [Formula: see text] = 8 TeV using the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The luminosity determination for the ATLAS detector at the LHC during pp collisions at [Formula: see text] 8 TeV in 2012 is presented. The evaluation of the luminosity scale is performed using several luminometers, and comparisons between these luminosity detectors are made to assess the accuracy, consistency and long-term stability of the results. A luminosity uncertainty of [Formula: see text] is obtained for the [Formula: see text] of pp collision data delivered to ATLAS at [Formula: see text] 8 TeV in 2012.

Effects of a dietary application of a yeast cell wall extract on innate and acquired immunity, on oxidative status and growth performance in weanling piglets and on the ileal epithelium in fattened pigs

Potential immunomodulatory effects of a cell wall extract from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Y; Antaferm MG) were tested in pigs: in trial I, 0.03% Y and in trial II 0.3% Y was used. Based on earlier observations that Y may increase feed intake, two treatment groups, Y-a (fed ad libitum) and Y-r (fed restrictively) were studied in comparison with a control group (C) in both trials. Y-r received the amount of feed consumed by C. Immune status was surveyed by determining phagocytic activity and oxidative burst of neutrophils and blood concentrations of haptoglobin (Hp), and immunoglobulin (Ig) G and A. Oxidative stress was monitored by recording reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) and total antioxidant capacity. In a third trial, fattened pigs were used for morphological and immunohistochemical studies (IgM and IgA as well as CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells) in ileal epithelium. Pigs fed 0.03% Y for 2 weeks prior to slaughter were compared with the C group. Feed intake was identical in the Y-a and Y-b groups and data subsets were accordingly pooled. Treatment and time as well as treatment x time interactions were detectable for most of the parameters studied, but a distinct immunomodulatory effect of Y was not consistently identifiable and performance did not improve. In trial III, the intestinal parameters investigated were not different between Y and C.

Phase II study of figitumumab in patients with recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: clinical activity and molecular response (GORTEC 2008-02)

BACKGROUND

Preclinical studies suggest that insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) blockage could be a promising therapeutic target in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). Therefore, we investigated the efficacy and toxicity of figitumumab, an anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody, in palliative SCCHN.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with palliative SCCHN progressing after platinum-based therapy were treated with figitumumab i.v. 20 mg/kg, every 3 weeks. The primary end point was the disease control rate at 6-8 weeks after treatment initiation. Tumor biopsies and plasma samples were collected before and after figitumumab administration to monitor the molecular response.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients were included. Only two patients achieved stable disease at 6-8 weeks. Median overall survival and progression-free survival were 63 and 52 days, respectively. The main grade 3-4 adverse event was hyperglycemia (41%). Translational research showed that figitumumab downregulated IGF-1R at the surface of tumor cells with activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway, as shown by the upregulation of p-EGFR in tumor cells (P=0.016), and an increase in the plasma level of tumor growth factor-alpha (P=0.006).

CONCLUSION

Figitumumab monotherapy has no clinically significant activity in unselected palliative SCCHN.

Pharmacokinetics of the liver-specific contrast agent Gd-EOB-DTPA in relation to contrast-enhanced liver imaging in humans

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of dose on the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of the gadolinium-based contrast medium gadoxetic acid, disodium, [gadolinium (4S)-4-(4-ethoxybenzyl)-3,6,9-tris(carboxylatomethyl)-3,6, 9-triazaundecandioic acid-disodium salt] (Gd-EOB-DTPA) as a liver-specific hepatobiliary contrast medium for computed tomography. Pharmacokinetics in serum and the pattern of elimination were investigated in 18 healthy volunteers up to 6 days after a 10-minute infusion of 0.2 mmol, 0.35 mmol, and 0.5 mmol of gadolinium per kilogram of body weight. Pharmacokinetic behavior was compared with the compute tomographic attenuation data in the liver parenchyma after the same doses in patients. Urinary and fecal excretion accounted for approximately equal portions of the administered dose. The degree of renal elimination increased with increasing doses, whereas renal clearance and half-life from urine data were not affected by dose. Dose-normalized area under the concentration-time curve was significantly increased with increasing doses indicating saturation in liver uptake for the highest dose. This finding was in agreement with the measured net increase in liver attenuation by computed tomography. Hepatic disposition revealed slight saturation phenomena for the highest dose (0.5 mmol gadolinium/kg). Nevertheless, this dose resulted in sufficient uptake by human liver, allowing for computed tomographic imaging.

Gender-specific characteristics of 5-year-olds' play narratives and associations with behavior ratings

OBJECTIVES

To examine the content and structure of children's play narratives in a large sample of 5-year-olds in order to replicate previous findings, explore the role of gender differences, and identify a pattern that can provide useful information about children's behavior.

METHOD

The MacArthur Story Stem Battery and coding system was used to code content themes and coherence from play narratives of 652 twins in a nonclinical sample. To measure behavior problems, parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist when their children were aged 5 and 7 years; teachers completed the Teacher's Report Form when the children were aged 7 years.

RESULTS

Girls told more coherent narratives with less aggression than boys. Aggressive themes were found to correlate with behavior problems as in previous studies. Upon further examination, this correlation held for girls but not boys. Children who told repeated aggressive/incoherent narratives had more behavior problems than those who did not show this narrative pattern.

CONCLUSIONS

The Story Stem methodology is useful for gaining access into the young child's inner world. The gender of the child, content of the story, and coherence of the story all provide useful information in identifying narratives that may indicate more risk for behavior problems.