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During ventricular fibrillation (VF), activation waves are fragmented and the heart cannot contract synchronously. It has been proposed that VF waves emanate from stable sources (“mother rotors”). Previously, we used new optical mapping technology to image VF wavefronts from nearly the entire epicardial surface of six isolated swine hearts. We found that VF was not driven by epicardial rotors, but could not exclude the presence of stable rotors hidden within the ventricular walls. Here, we use graph theoretic analysis to show that, in all 17 VF episodes we analyzed, it was always possible to trace sequences of wavefronts through series of fragmentation and collision events from the beginning to the end of the episode. The set of wavefronts that were so related (the dominant component) consisted of 92% ± 1% of epicardial wavefronts. Because each such wavefront sequence constitutes a continuous activation front, this finding shows that complete reentrant pathways were always present on the epicardial surface and therefore, that wavefront infusion from nonepicardial sources was not strictly necessary for VF maintenance. These data suggest that VF in this model is not driven by localized sources; thus, new anti-VF treatments designed to target such sources may be less effective than global interventions.

In a recent meta-analysis, only 53% of disorganized infants were predicted by parental Unresolved states of mind on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). The goal of this study was to identify additional predictors of infant disorganization on the AAI by developing and validating an interview-wide coding system for Hostile/Helpless (H/H) parental states of mind with respect to attachment. Maternal AAIs were collected from 45 low-income mothers with high rates of childhood trauma when their children were age 7; Strange Situation assessments had been collected at 18 months of age. AAIs were independently coded using both the Main and Goldwyn coding system and newly developed codes for H/H states of mind. Results indicated that the H/H coding system displayed discriminant validity in that it did not overlap substantially with the Unresolved, Cannot Classify, or Fearfully Preoccupied by Traumatic Events categories in the Main and Goldwyn coding system. Second, H/H states of mind accounted for variance in disorganized infant behavior not associated with the Unresolved classification. Third, H/H states of mind were significantly related to maternal disrupted affective communication as coded by the Atypical Maternal Behavior Instrument for Assessment and Classification coding system, and maternal disrupted communication mediated the relations between H/H states of mind and infant disorganization.

Children's emotion regulation strategies and parenting responses in a family task that elicited frustration are investigated by comparing core attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) symptomatology, emotional reactivity, and emotional regulation in the prediction of social behaviors and peer social preference. Participants were boys, ages 6-12 years, either with AD/HD (n = 45) or without problem behaviors (comparison; n = 34). A high-aggressive subgroup of AD/HD boys showed a significantly less constructive pattern of emotional coping than did both a low-aggressive AD/HD subgroup of boys and nondiagnosed comparison boys, who did not differ. With statistical control of core AD/HD symptomatology, noncompliance in a naturalistic summer camp was predicted by boys' overall emotion regulation and three specific strategies (emotional accommodation, problem solving, negative responses) during the parent-child interaction. Emotional accommodation and negative responses to the frustration task also marginally predicted social preference at the camp. These emotion regulation variables outperformed emotional reactivity in predicting such outcomes. Some emotion-related parenting behaviors were associated with child coping in the task. We discuss the relationship of emotion regulation to core AD/HD symptomatology and emotional reactivity, and the role of parents' behaviors in influencing children's emotional responses.

The present study assessed whether the often reported relation between childhood abuse and the extent of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) features would be mediated by Hostile-Helpless (HH) and/or Unresolved (U) states of mind on the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). One hundred and three young adults from low- to moderate-income families were assessed for HH and U states of mind on the AAI, psychopathology on the SCID I and II, and childhood abuse experiences on three validated measures of abuse. As expected, childhood abuse was related to extent of both BPD and ASPD features and to HH states of mind. In addition, BPD and ASPD features were significantly related to HH states of mind on the AAI, and those states of mind mediated the relations between severity of childhood abuse and later BPD and ASPD features. Contrary to predictions, scores for lack of resolution of loss or trauma on the AAI were not found to mediate the relations between childhood abuse and either BPD or ASPD. Findings indicate that pervasively contradictory and unintegrated states of mind regarding attachment experiences play an important role in linking past abuse to current personality pathology.

Because of the centrality of peer relationship difficulties for children with attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we investigated behavioral (overt and covert antisocial activity), internalizing (self‐reports and observed social isolation), and familial (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting beliefs) predictors of peer sociometric nominations among previously unfamiliar, ethnically diverse ADHD (N=73) and comparison (N=60) boys, aged 6–12 years. Authoritative maternal parenting beliefs and negatively weighted social isolation explained significant variance in positive peer regard; aggression, covert behavior, and authoritative parenting beliefs were the independent predictors of both negative peer status and peer social preference. We extended such predictions with statistical control of (1) child cognitive variables, (2) maternal psychopathology, and (3) ADHD boys, but authoritative parenting beliefs were stronger predictors in ADHD than in comparison youth. We discuss family‐peer linkages regarding peer competence.

Twenty-seven boys diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 18 comparison boys participated in a competitive tetradic interaction task. Boys were individually interviewed before the game about their goals for the interaction, and adult observers inferred boys' social goals from videotapes of the interaction. Social acceptance was determined by combining positive and negative sociometric nominations collected through individual interviews at the end of the summer research program in which the interaction was held. In their self-reports, ADHD-high aggressive boys prioritized trouble-seeking and fun at the expense of rules to a greater extent than did both ADHD-low aggressive and comparison boys. Observers judged ADHD-high aggressive boys to seek attention more strongly and seek fairness less strongly than of the other two groups. Self-reported goals of defiance and cooperation predicted boys' end-of-program social standing, even with interactional behaviors and subgroup status controlled statistically. Observer-inferred goals were differentially associated with social acceptance for ADHD and comparison boys, suggesting discontinuities in peer interaction processes. Differentiation of goals from behavior and the integral role of children's goals in peer acceptance are discussed.

Because of the centrality of peer relationship difficulties for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we investigated behavioral (overt and covert antisocial activity), internalizing (self-reports and observed social isolation), and familial (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting beliefs) predictors of peer sociometric nominations among previously unfamiliar, ethnically diverse ADHD (N = 73) and comparison (N = 60) boys, aged 6-12 years. Authoritative maternal parenting beliefs and negatively weighted social isolation explained significant variance in positive peer regard; aggression, covert behavior, and authoritative parenting beliefs were the independent predictors of both negative peer status and peer social preference. We extended such predictions with statistical control of (1) child cognitive variables, (2) maternal psychopathology, and (3) ADHD versus comparison status. It is important to note that aggression predicted peer rejection more strongly for comparison than for ADHD boys, but authoritative parenting beliefs were stronger predictors in ADHD than in comparison youth. We discuss family-peer linkages regarding peer competence.

Developmental research has illuminated the centrality of emotion and arousal for competent social functioning and suggests that a child's emotion regulation skills may serve as a mediator of the linkages between family functioning and peer behaviors. Utilizing 82 male participants aged 6-12, half of whom come from a clinical population, the current study investigated children's emotion regulation strategies in response to an emotionally stimulating family task. Aims were (a) to describe children's efforts to modulate emotional arousal in an emotionally-stimulating situation and to determine differences between boys with ADHD (subgrouped into boys who were low- and high-aggressive) and non-diagnosed boys; (b) examine links between children's regulatory skills, as assessed in a family interaction task and their independently-assessed social behaviors (aggression, noncompliance) and social acceptance; and (c) explore the effect of parent task-related interventions and parents' own self-regulation abilities in facilitating their child's coping in the interaction and in predicting child social outcomes. The highly aggressive subgroup of ADHD boys showed a significantly less constructive pattern of emotional coping than both the low aggressive ADHD boys and non-diagnosed boys (whose scores did not differ from each other). Several emotion regulation strategies predicted social behavior and peer outcomes even after controlling for the substantial amount of variance accounted for by group diagnostic status. Cognitively reinterpreting the situation and problem-solving were positively associated with peer success and low levels of noncompliance. Boys' tendencies towards focussing on negative aspects of the situation and venting emotionally were predictive of noncompliance and aggression. Several emotion-related parenting behaviors, such as advice-giving and parent self-regulation, were associated with child coping in the task. Two parenting behaviors were direct predictors of child externalizing outcomes: maternal negativity positively predicted children's noncompliance and paternal anxiety negatively predicted child aggression. Discussion emphasizes the hypothesis that it may not be children's emotional reactivity per se, but rather their active regulation efforts that are implicated in social outcomes and the expression of psychopathology. Additionally, the role of parenting behaviors and parents' own self-regulation are discussed in terms of the contexts they create for children's expression of emotion regulation strategies.