Tami Port's Blog
Posted by Tami Port
Although a series of intermediate fossils have been identified, documenting the evolutionary transition from land to sea, the specific identity of the whales land ancestor was unknown…until now.
Little Water Deer the Granddaddy of Whales
Recently J. G. M. “Hans” Thewissen, Ph.D. and colleagues at Northeastern Ohio University established that Indohyus, an approximately 48-million-year-old deer-like ancestor to be the closest known fossil relative of whales. In the November issue if Nature, Dr. Thewissen’s team elaborates on the telltale similarities between whales and Indohyus that are evident in the skull and ear that reveal the family relationship.
And Indohyus was not just your average little deer. Like hippos, Indohyus spent much of its time in water. This was extablished when the bones of Indohyus were found to have a thick outside layer, a characteristic often seen in mammals that have a semi-aquatic lifestyle.
Ancelstral Whales Entered the Water as Herbivores
Before Dr. Thewissen’s illuminating work, it has been widely assumed that whales descended from a carnivorous terrestrial ancestor, and whales became aquatic to feed on ocean-dwelling fish. However, Indohyus is a plant-eater, and already aquatic, suggesting that the dietary shift to carnivore came after the ancestral whale habitat shift to the water.
More Information
For more information on this discovery, see the original article in the November 2007 issue of Nature or the write-up in Science Daily. To learn more about evolution in general, see the website Science Prof Online or the Suite101 articles Evolution As Theory & Fact, Evolution & Natural Selection,or Natural & Artificial Selection.
Posted by Tami Port
If you are taking a biology course and looking for a resource with practice test questons and review worksheets, here are a few links that may help:
This webpage provides links to practice test questons on a variety of science topics.
SPO is a science reference covering a wide range of topics and including practice test questions, review questions, lecture PowerPoints and both a Virtual Cell Biology Classroom and a Virtual Microbiology Classroom.
Posted by Tami Port
New Suite101 Topic Area
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the new Suite101 topic Genetics and Evolution. My name is Tami Port and I am the Feature Writer for this new, exciting topic. In addition to being a writer for Suite101, I am a college professor having taught a variety of biology subjects including General Biology, Cell Biology and Microbiology.
Genetics & Evoultion Articles
I have already begun to build the collection of articles on our topic, and I invite you to take a looks at the new information presented in Pre-Darwinian Evolutionary Theory and What Is RNA? There will soon be more basic information, current event relating to Genetics and Evolution and also reviews of books relating to this topic area.
Subscribe to the Genetics & Evolution article feeds to effortlessly keep up on the latest published articles.
Posted by Tami Port
I have just published the first PD interview with Dr. Duane Dobbert. In this first article, Dr. Dobbert describes some of the similarities between Antisocial and Narcissistic PD. We are very fortunate to have him share his professional insight with us. He has a walth of information regarding Cluster B personality Disorders.
In addition to experience as a clinician, researcher and expert witness, Dr. Dobbert has authored the training program, School Bus Drivers: The 1st Line of Defense Against Sexual Predators, and has educated thousands of School Bus Drivers through nationwide presentations and DVD training videos. He has also authored two PD books and is currently working on a third.
See Dr. Dobbert's website for additional information.
Posted by Tami Port
Dr. Duane L. Dobbert is a 38 year veteran of forensic psychology, and currently a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and Capella University. But he’s not one to dwell in an ivory tower.
In addition to experience as a clinician, researcher and expert witness, Dr. Dobbert has authored the training program, School Bus Drivers: The 1st Line of Defense Against Sexual Predator, educating thousands of School Bus Drivers through nationwide presentations and DVD training videos. He has also authored two books and is currently working on a third.
In his first book, “Halting the Sexual Predators among Us: Preventing Attack, Rape, and Lust Homicide," Dr. Dobbert examines disorders ranging from exhibitionism to pedophilia, and presents scenarios that illustrate the behaviors shown by people preparing to act on such disordered thinking.
I have enjoyed and reviewed his second book, "Understanding Personality Disorders," a new release of 2007, published by Pager.
So keep your eyes open for this informative series of interviews with Dr. Dobbert, in which we'll explore…
- the similarities and differences between narcissism and psychopath
- how you can recognize and protect yourself from narcissist and psychopaths
- what predators are and how parents can protect their children
…and more.
See Dr. Dobbert's website for additional information.
Posted by Tami Port
Psychopathy has been one of my primary areas of interest for as long as I have been fascinated by abnormal psychology.
The more I think about the common characteristics of Narcissistic PD and Antisocial PD, I can’t help wondering if they just represent degrees of severity along the same dimension of personality. There are about as many opinions on this matter as there are experts in psychopathology.
Psychopaths of Everyday Life
I am currently reading, and will soon be reviewing, Dr. Martin Kantor’s most recent book “The Psychopathy of Everyday Life.” In the book, Kantor discusses the ‘everyday psychopath,’ similar to what Robert Hare calls the ‘subcriminal psychopath.’ Kantor asserts that there are milder forms of psychopathy which are much more common than the highly sensationalized extreme cases that we occasionally see spotlighted in the media. Other experts consider psychopathy to be part of the continuum of narcissism, and there are those who see narcissism and antisocial personality as clearly separate conditions.
New Article Series on Narcissism & Psychopthy
I have recently published an article series exploring the relationship of psychopathic and narcissistic behavior, all of which are summarized and can be accessed through the article Psychopathy & Narcissism.
New Survey
It is also time for a new survey. So far the surveys haven’t inspired much participation. The new one will run through the end of November, its topic: The Relationship between Narcissism and Psychopathy. I hope this survey might catch your attention and I urge you to vote.
Posted by Tami Port
One of the tasks I enjoy as Feature Writer for PDs is examining and summarizing the new studies that provide insight into PDs. As an adjunct professor I have convenient access to some of the best tools for searching academic publications and am always vigilant for new items that may be of interest to my readers.
New PD Research
October 16, 2007
and
Two new Suite101 articles summarize a study which was published in the May 2007 issue of Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience. The research is an academic literature review of what we currently know about brain anatomy and physiology of BPD patients.
October 11, 2007
The Antisocial Brain and Violence
A recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that frontal lobe abnormalities of those with APD may contribute to violent behavior.
This new Suite101 article contains summaries and quick links to some of the latest research on Antisocial PD and Psychopathy.
October 6, 2007
Medication, Self-Destruction and PDs
What do we know about the effectiveness of drug therapies used in the treatment PD suicidal behavior? This Suite101article summarizes a literature review recently published by Dr. Robert Cardish, supervisory faculty member at Mount Sinai Psychotherapy Institute.
Subscribe to Article Feeds and Be In the Know
If you are interested in keeping up on cutting-edge PD research, subscribe by clicking on the “How to Subscribe to Feeds” icon that appears on every PD article and on the PD Topic homepage and be alerted when new information is released. This will allow you to be one of the first to know many of the important advances that never make it into mainstream media coverage.
Posted by Tami Port
PD Discussions Now More Organized
I’ve gone through the extensive list of PD discussions on the site. I’ve renamed some with titles that are more descriptive of the discussion content and eliminated others; not censorship, but just trashing old one-entry topics that were either announcements of old Polls or old Articles. Take a look at the cleaned up list, and feel free to start or join newer discussion or even reignite any of the older discussion. When an old discussion gets a new entry, it is resurrected and goes toward the top of the list, with the potential to again become a hot topic.
See New Book Review!
I have also just completed a review of the new book by Dr. Duane Dobbert, Understanding Personality Disorders: An Introduction. Click on the link in the previous sentence and see if it sounds like a good read to you.
Posted by Tami Port
At this point, the PD Suite101 site offers basic information on the 10 psychological disorders of personality as well as some recent research on PDs.
I plan to continue monitoring the psych scientific journals to bring you updates on the latest research. Book reviews are the next new feature you will soon see among the Suite101 Personality Disorder offerings.
Keep your eye out for upcoming Suite101 review articles of the following new psychology-related books:
- Understanding Personality Disorders: An Introduction, by Duane Dobbert.
- Psychopathy of Everyday Life: How Antisocial Personality Disorder Affects All of Us, by Martin Kantor, M. D.
- The Bipolar Workbook: Tools for Controlling Your Mood Swings, by Monica Ramirez Basco, PhD.
- Talking Back to OCD: The Program That Helps Kids and Teens Say “No Way” – and Parents Say “Way to Go,” by John March, MD.
- The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia, by Kim Mueser, PhD and Susan Gingerich, MSW.
If there are specific books you are curious about, just let me know and I will try to complete a review in a reasonable amount of time.
Posted by Tami Port
Well, I’ve completed a series of Suite101 articles with basic information relating to each Personality Disorder as well as organizing links to various article series listed on the PD homepage. It should now be easier for you to quickly access PD pieces that are of particular interest to you.
In the latest PD article, Psychopathy, Sociopathy and APD, I’ve attempted to disentangle these terms so often used interchangeably to describe the Antisocial Personality. The PD thought leaders don’t even agree on the precise definitions, but I’ve presented their opinions in hopes of clarifying the murky semantics surrounding antisocial behavior.
The next issue that’s on my mind is the genetic roots of psychopathy. You can explore a summary of one recent study in the article Early Signs of Psychopathy, and before the end of the week I promise to post another synopsis of a not as recent, but equally interesting, twin study of psychopathic tendencies.
As someone educated in the sciences, I think that this type of research is invaluable in helping us understand the roots of antisocial behavior. They do, however, stir up many Orwellian questions and concerns. And although I am thinking in unlikely extremes, scientific research into childhood traits indicative of future psychopathy can’t help but bring to (my) mind a future with tests and subsequent labels for toddlers that “look suspicious.”
I joke, but perhaps you are wondering the same thing? Sounds like a future PD discussion topic that I’ll soon be posting, that is if you don’t beat me to it.
Posted by Tami Port
Hello! My name is Tami Port and I recently moved into the position of Featured Writer for Personality Disorders at Suite101.
My Vision for Suite101 PD
The task of laying a foundation of basic information on PDs is nearly completed. By the end of the week, there will be an article on each PD type, cluster, as well as a couple of PD overviews. I also plan to cover closely related topics, such as co-occurring disorders and stalking behavior.
I would like Suite101 PD to be a go-to source for basic information. Here are some quick links so you can see what is currently covered:
Cluster A PDs (Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal)
Cluster B PDs (Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic, Narcissistic)
Cluster C PDs (Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant, Dependent)
Latest Research on PDs
As a college prof, I have easy access to scientific journals and experience interpreting research results. I consider one of my most important tasks to be presenting you with new PD research findings.
New research articles include:
Borderline Personality Treatment
Personality Disorders and PPMD
PD Blog, Discussions and Polls
Every week I will post a new blog to let you know what's new in the world of personality disorders. I also plan to stay involved in the ongoing PD discussions as well as create new discussion topics.
I will post a monthly poll that, I hope, will help me learn more about your perspective on PDs. The current blog, discussions and poll are displayed on the PD home page.
What's on Your Mind?
I invite you to communicate with me through the discussions or my link on the PD homepage. Let me know which topics you would like to see covered. I am excited to be a part of this online community and look forward to our exploration of PDs.
Posted by Tami Port
I recently came across a new study published in the June 2007 issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry comparing the effectiveness of three different therapies that are commonly used to treat Borderline Patients: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP), and Dynamic Supportive Treatment.
All of these approaches were shown to have a significant effect in reducing symptoms commonly associated with BPD. However, there were differences in the specific borderline traits most improved by each therapeutic approach and, overall, it appeared that TFP was generally the most effective.
If you are not familiar with DBT or TFP, I have recently written articles summarizing each of these therapies as well as an overview of borderline treatment and a summary of the Jun research in the AJP.
Feel free to start a discussion on any of these articles. I’d welcome the opportunity to hear your perspectives on these therapies, particularly if you’ve had personal experience with them.