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Informed by a general theory of deviant behavior, it was hypothesized that the positive effect of negative self-feelings on later deviant behavior would be observed only for youth who are not characterized by a deviant identity. Data from a panel of youths tested during early adolescence and retested 3 years later (N = 1,041) were used to estimate structural equations models. As hypothesized, for youths without a deviant identity, negative self-feelings had both direct and indirect (via contemporary deviant behavior) positive effects on later deviant behavior. For youths characterized by deviant identities, however, no overall effect of negative self-feelings on deviant behavior was observed due to the operation of countervailing effects. Countering the indirect positive effects of negative self-feelings (presumably reflecting alienation from the conventional order) were inverse direct effects of negative self-feelings on later deviant behavior (presumably reflecting alienation from the deviant identity stemming from its association with concomitant negative self-feelings). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Palliative chemotherapy is the preferred standard of care for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). It remains uncertain whether older patients with mGC would benefit from palliative chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the clinical impact of palliative chemotherapy in older patients with mGC. Methods: This single-institute, retrospective, and real-world study included 428 patients with mGC between January 2009 and December 2019. Among them, 306 who received palliative chemotherapy were further stratified into 2 groups according to age: ≤70 (n = 236) and >70 (n = 70) years. The clinical demographics, outcomes, and hematologic toxicities of chemotherapy were compared between the 2 groups. Prognostic factors were determined using the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Of the screened 428 patients, older patients had worse overall survival (OS) than younger patients. Among patients who received chemotherapy (n = 306), patients aged >70 and ⩽70 years had comparable progression-free survival (PFS) and OS. The incidence of severe hematologic toxicity was similar between the 2 groups. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or more metastatic sites, elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level, high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and undergoing palliative gastrectomy were independent prognostic factors for OS. Notably, age >70 years was not a significant factor for poor OS. Conclusions: Older age of >70 years might not be considered an obstacle to administering palliative chemotherapy to patients with mGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]