Transition to motherhood
Chang Amy, Caroline Squire in The Social Context of Birth, 2017
Mimicry is the adoption of simple behaviours, from dressing the part to following a myriad of taboos on lifting, eating, buying, and so on. Thus one sees women who have only just become pregnant wearing a maternity dress or bending backwards to see what it feels like before they have to. Role play is less symbolic and more concerned with ‘acting out’ situations and new role relationships. The woman searches for a young child with whom to establish a friendship, to help, to play ‘hide and seek’, to babysit, or even to feed. In a given situation, fantasy is concerned with the question ‘how will it be for me?’ The woman asks other mothers what their labour pains were like; what they really want to know is whether they will be able to cope or whether they will humiliate themselves by shouting or swearing. Wishes, fears and dreams indicate a deeper involvement in the forthcoming role. Information is gathered in relation to the fantasies. There may be negative fantasies as well as positive ones, and silences, loneliness and darkness may exacerbate these fantasies.
Transition to motherhood
Caroline Squire in The Social Context of Birth, 2017
Mimicry is the adoption of simple behaviours, from dressing the part to following a myriad of taboos on lifting, eating, buying and so on. Thus, one sees women who have only just become pregnant wearing a maternity dress or bending backwards to see what it feels like before they have to. Role play is less symbolic and more concerned with ‘acting out’ situations and new role relationships. The woman searches for a young child with whom to establish a friendship, to help, to play ‘hide and seek’, to babysit or even to feed. In a given situation, fantasy is concerned with the question, how will it be for me? The woman asks other mothers what their labour pains were like; what they really want to know is whether they will be able to cope or whether they will humiliate themselves by shouting or swearing. Wishes, fears and dreams indicate a deeper involvement in the forthcoming role. Information is gathered in relation to the fantasies. There may be negative fantasies as well as positive ones, and silences, loneliness and darkness may exacerbate these fantasies.
The neurobiology of sleep
Philip N. Murphy in The Routledge International Handbook of Psychobiology, 2018
In newborns, two types of sleep (quiet and active) are observed. Quiet sleep is the precursor of NREM sleep reported in adults. During this sleep stage, the newborn does not make any major body movements – other than a few upheavals. The face is often pale and unexpressive. There is no mimicry other than a few sucking movements. The eyelids are closed, and the eyes do not move. The respiratory and heart rates are quite slow and steady. Conversely, active sleep is the equivalent of REM sleep in adults. Active sleep appears in utero but becomes less common (as a proportion of TST) during the first year of life. This sleep stage is characterized by small movements of the fingers and toes, extensive movements of the arms and legs, and overall stretching and bending movements. The face becomes very expressive. The eyes move rapidly, and the breathing becomes irregular. The heartbeat quickens slightly and becomes less regular. An episode of active sleep lasts from ten to forty-five minutes, with an average of twenty-five minutes.
Ophthalmoplegia associated with anti-GQ1b antibodies: case report and review
Published in Orbit, 2023
Camille Yvon, Dominic Nee, Dennis Chan, Raman Malhotra
It is thought that the conditions hold a common immune-mediated etiology, where macrophages, T cells and serum antibodies are activated against gangliosides following a viral or bacterial infection (e.g. Campylobacter jejuni, Cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, Haemophilus influenzae, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and possibly COVID-19).1,3–5 Animal model studies have demonstrated that molecular mimicry plays a key role.6 A lipooligosaccharide found in certain bacterial membranes (such as Campylobacter jejuni) is structurally close to gangliosides in the peripheral nerves.7 A natural immune response to the initial infection can hence induce a cross-reaction on host nerves, and result in anti-GQ1b antibody syndrome. Approximately two-thirds of patients describe preceding symptoms of upper respiratory tract or gastrointestinal infection.8 What predisposes patients to certain clinical phenotypes, however, remains unclear.
The use of biologics in the treatment of autoimmune liver disease
Published in Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, 2020
Christopher Chang, Atsushi Tanaka, Christopher Bowlus, M. Eric Gershwin
There are, however, four mechanisms that have been proposed that can play a role in disruption of tolerance. These include molecular mimicry [3], bystander activation [4], epitope spreading, and viral persistence. Molecular mimicry occurs when there are similarities between self and foreign proteins. This leads to autoreactive T and B cells erroneously recognizing the self-protein as dangerous and mounting an immunological response to it. Bystander activation is a process by which T cells can be activated in the absence of normal T cell receptor stimulation, thus bypassing the normal immunoregulatory checkpoints. Epitopes are sites on the surface of an antigen to which antibody binds. Epitope spreading involves the ability of the immune system to respond to epitopes that are distinct from and non-cross reactive with the dominant epitope. It is generally the secondary cryptic epitopes that lead to the development of autoimmunity. These phenomena are not mutually exclusive and any of them or combination of them can lead to autoimmunity. Biological modifiers are usually in the form of a monoclonal antibody or fusion protein which is designed to target some of the pathways involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity.
COVID Vaccine-Associated Uveitis
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2023
Zohar Habot-Wilner, Piergiorgio Neri, Annabelle A. Okada, Rupesh Agrawal, Ng Xin Le, Shai Cohen, Naomi Fischer, Fionn Kilmartin, Amy Coman, Dara Kilmartin
The exact cause of ocular inflammation associated with inactivated COVID-19 is not yet understood. It has been suggested that the potential mechanisms could involve molecular mimicry and antigen-specific hypersensitivity reactions mediated by cells and antibodies.20,88,89 Antigen-specific hypersensitivity reactions are a type of immune response where T cells and antibodies specifically target a specific antigen, such as the SARS-Cov-2 viral protein. In the context of COVID-19, it is possible that viral proteins used in SARS-Cov-2 vaccines may stimulate a hypersensitivity reaction in the eye, leading to inflammation and other ocular symptoms.90 Differently, molecular mimicry is a phenomenon where a foreign substance, such as a virus/virus protein, can resemble a self-antigen, mistakenly causing the body’s immune system to attack its own healthy cells. In the context of COVID-19, it is possible that the inactivated virus used in vaccines may share similarities with certain ocular tissues, leading to an autoimmune response and subsequent inflammation in the eye.90 Regarding vaccines and the eye, although no definite causal link may be proven, there have been several reports of mild ocular side-effects such as conjunctivitis or eye irritation following vaccination to more severe such as uveitis and scleritis. Also, as with any vaccine or medical intervention,90 it is important to be aware of potential side-effects and report any concerns to a healthcare provider as appropriate.
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