Theory of Mind in Pre-school Aged Children: Influence of Maternal Depression and Infants’ Self-Comforting Behavior

A milestone of child development is theory of mind (ToM): the ability to attribute mental states, especially beliefs and desires, to other persons and to understand that their behavior is guided by mental states. The learning process about the mental world also takes place in social communication and interaction, beginning in infancy. Infancy is assumed to be a sensitive period for the development of social skills through interaction. Due to limited self-regulatory skills, infants depend on sensitive behavior of their caregivers to regulate affective states and physiological arousal, and in turn, mutually regulated affects allow the infant to gradually acquire the capability to self-regulate negative affective states. Effective and adequate affect regulation is an important prerequisite for environmental interaction and thus for the development of socio-emotional skills. The present study investigated the relation of self-regulatory abilities in infancy and later ToM in pre-school aged children of clinically depressed mothers and healthy controls. The sample comprised of N = 55 mother–child dyads, n = 22 diagnosed with postpartum or lifetime depression according to DSM-IV and n = 33 healthy controls. Mother–infant-interaction was videotaped during the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm. At 3 and 42 months postpartum mothers were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) to evaluate maternal psychopathological status according to DSM-IV. At the age of M = 4.0 years, children’s ToM abilities were assessed using content-false-belief and location-false-belief tasks. The results of this study show that contrary to our hypotheses, maternal depression did not impair the development of children’s ToM-abilities per se. Rather, an interaction effect highlights the role of infant’s self-comforting behavior during mother–infant interaction in infancy (3 months postpartum) for ToM-development at pre-school age assessed with the Maxi-task; this association was distinct for female in comparison to male children. The results of this longitudinal study shed light on the discussion, how maternal depression influences child development and point in the direction that self-comforting behaviors in infancy can also be seen as a resource

What Dyadic Reparation Is Meant to Do: An Association with Infant Cortisol Reactivity

BACKGROUND The latency to reparation of interactive mismatches (interactive repair) is argued to regulate infant distress on a psychobiological level, and maternal anxiety disorders might impair infant regulation. SAMPLING AND METHODS A total of 46 dyads (19 mothers with an anxiety disorder, 27 controls) were analyzed for associations between interactive repair and infant cortisol reactivity during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm 3-4 months postpartum. Missing cortisol values (n = 16) were imputed. Analyses were conducted on both the original and the pooled imputed data. RESULTS Interactive repair during the reunion episode was associated with infant cortisol reactivity (original data: p 0.23). Additional stepwise regression analyses found that latency to repair during play (p < 0.01), an interaction between distress during the first trimester of pregnancy and latency to repair during reunion (p < 0.01) and infant self-comforting behaviors during the reunion episode (p = 0.04) made independent contributions to cortisol reactivity in the final regression model. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study demonstrating that interactive repair is related to infant psychobiological stress reactivity. The lack of a relation to maternal anxiety disorder may be due to the small sample size. However, this result emphasizes that infants respond to what they experience and not to the maternal diagnostic category

Effects of Maternal Anxiety Disorders on Infant Self-Comforting Behaviors: The Role of Maternal Bonding, Infant Gender and Age

Background/Aims: We investigated the links between maternal bonding, maternal anxiety disorders, and infant self comforting behaviors. Furthermore, we looked at the moderating roles of infant gender and age. Methods: Our sample (n = 69) comprised 28 mothers with an anxiety disorder (according to DSM-IV criteria) and 41 controls, each with their 2.5- to 8-month-old infant (41 females and 28 males). Infant behaviors were recorded during the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm. Maternal bonding was assessed by the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire. Results: Conditional process analyses revealed that lower maternal bonding partially mediated between maternal anxiety disorders and increased self-comforting behaviors but only in older female infants (over 5.5 months of age). However, considering maternal anxiety disorders without the influence of bonding, older female infants (over 5.5 months of age) showed decreased rates of self-comforting behaviors, while younger male infants (under 3 months of age) showed increased rates in the case of maternal anxiety disorder. Conclusions: The results suggest that older female infants (over 5.5 months of age) are more sensitive to lower maternal bonding in the context of maternal anxiety disorders. Furthermore, results suggest a different use of self-directed regulation strategies for male and female infants of mothers with anxiety disorders and low bonding, depending on infant age. The results are discussed in the light of gender-specific developmental trajectories. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel

Correlation of Thermoelectric Performance, Domain Morphology and Doping Level in PEDOT:PSS Thin Films Post-Treated with Ionic Liquids.

AbstractIonic liquid (IL) post‐treatment of poly(3,4‐ethylene dioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) thin films with ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide (EMIM DCA), allyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide (AMIM DCA), and 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetracyanoborate (EMIM TCB) is compared. Doping level modifications of PEDOT are characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy and directly correlate with the observed Seebeck coefficient enhancement. With conductive atomic force microscopy (c‐AFM) the authors investigate changes in the topographic‐current features of the PEDOT:PSS thin film surface due to IL treatment. Grazing incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS) demonstrates the morphological rearrangement towards an optimized PEDOT domain distribution upon IL post‐treatment, directly facilitating the interconductivity and causing an increased film conductivity. Based on these improvements in Seebeck coefficient and conductivity, the power factor is increased up to 236 µW m−1K−2. Subsequently, a model is developed indicating that ILs, which contain small, sterically unhindered ions with a strong localized charge, appear beneficial to boost the thermoelectric performance of post‐treated PEDOT:PSS films

From Early Micro-Temporal Interaction Patterns to Child Cortisol Levels: Toward the Role of Interactive Reparation and Infant Attachment in a Longitudinal Study

Parental mental disorders increase the risk for insecure attachment in children. However, the quality of caregiver–infant interaction plays a key role in the development of infant attachment. Dyadic interaction is frequently investigated via global scales which are too rough to uncover micro-temporal mechanisms. Prior research found that the latency to reparation of uncoordinated dyadic states is associated with infant behavioral and neuroendocrine regulation. We investigated the hypothesis that this interactive mechanism is critical in predicting secure vs. insecure attachment quality in infancy. We also assessed the predictive quality of infant attachment regarding neuroendocrine reactivity later in childhood. A subsample of N = 58 dyads (n = 22 mothers with anxiety disorders, n = 36 controls) from a larger study were analyzed. At 3–8 months postpartum, maternal anxiety disorders were diagnosed via a structured clinical interview as well as dyadic interaction during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face (FFSF) was observed and coded on a micro-temporal scale. Infant attachment quality was assessed with the strange situation paradigm at 12–24 months of age. In an overlapping subsample of N = 39 (n = 13 mothers with anxiety disorder; n = 26 controls), we assessed child cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age. Generalized linear modeling revealed that longer latencies to interactive reparation during the reunion episode of the FFSF as well as maternal diagnosis at 3–8 months of age predict insecure attachment in children aged 12–24 months. Cox regressions demonstrated that dyads with infants who developed insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age were 48% less likely to achieve an interactive reparation at 3–8 months of age. Mixed models revealed that compared to securely attached children, children who had developed an insecure attachment at 12–24 months of age had an increased cortisol reactivity at 5 to 6 years of age during free play. The results confirm the hypothesis that the development of attachment is affected by experienced micro-temporal interactive patterns besides diagnostic categories. They also showed that infants of mothers with postpartum anxiety disorders have a more than fivefold increased risk of developing an insecure attachment than the infants of the control group. Moreover, results imply that these patterns may influence neurohormonal regulation even in preschool aged children

Agro-ecological potential of the cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) from a biodiversity perspective

Die Durchwachsene Silphie (Silphium perfoliatum L.) ist eine alternative Bioenergiepflanze, die in wesentlichen Punkten zu einer umweltschonenden Nutzung von Erneuerbaren Energien beitragen könnte. Die Vorzüge der Durchwachsenen Silphie liegen insbesondere in ihren Blüheigenschaften und dem mehrjährigen Anbau ohne Bodenbearbeitung, wovon Organismengruppen profitieren können, die besondere Funktionen im Agrarökosystem wie z.B. Bestäubung oder Bodenfruchtbarkeit steuern.Aktuell stützt sich die Erzeugung von Biomasse in Deutschland auf Anbausysteme, die aus agrarökologischer Sicht eine Bedrohung für die Biodiversität und für Ökosystemfunktionen darstellen. Die Dringlichkeit, dieser Entwicklung entgegenzusteuern, wird insbesondere bei Betrachtung des Flächenbedarfs für eine substanzielle Energieerzeugung deutlich.Inwiefern der Anbau der Durchwachsenen Silphie die Erwartungen an eine nachhaltige Biomassenutzung erfüllt, wurde im Rahmen einer umfangreichen Erhebung von blütenbesuchenden Insekten (Bienen und Schwebfliegen) einschließlich einer Pollen- und Nektarquantifizierung sowie Bodentier-Gemeinschaften (Regenwürmer, Collem­bolen und Nematoden) einschließlich ihrer funktionellen Gruppen in Beständen praxisnaher Bewirtschaftung untersucht.Es zeigte sich, dass die Durchwachsene Silphie als Biomassepflanze über das nötige agrarökologische Potential verfügt, um die aktuelle negative Entwicklung der Bio­diversität insbesondere in Regionen mit hohem Mais­anteil in Monokultur abzufedern. Dieses agrarökologische Potential lässt sich jedoch nur ausschöpfen, wenn agronomische Voraussetzungen wie z.B. ein später Erntetermin und Standzeiten von mindestens fünf Jahren erfüllt sind. Unter diesen Voraussetzungen ist der Landschaftskontext zu berücksichtigen. So sind semi-natürliche Habitate als Nist- und Larvalhabitate in der Umgebung nötig, um den Lebenszyklen wildlebender Bestäubergruppen gerecht zu werden, während eine positive Entwicklung der biologischen Funktionalität des Bodens an eine ackerbauliche Vornutzung der Flächen gekoppelt ist.The cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is an alternative bioenergy plant that may contribute to a more environmentally friendly utilization of renewable resources. The potential benefits of the cup plant comprise its flowering-characteristics and the perennial cultivation without tillage. Hence organisms could be fostered that serve important ecosystem-functions, i.e. pollination and soil fertility.To date biomass production in Germany is based on cropping systems that bear a risk for biodiversity and ecosystem-services. The importance to counteract this development becomes more pronounced, considering the land requirements for significant generation of energy from biomass.To what extent cropping of the cup plant meets the expectations of a sustainable biomass production was investigated within a comprehensive assessment of pollinating insects (bees and hoverflies) including pollen- and nectar-quantification as well as of soil-fauna communities (earthworms, collembolans, nematodes) and according functional groups in cup-plant stands with a commercial orientation of management.From the results it became obvious that the cup plant as a bioenergy crop has got the necessary potential to mitigate the negative development of biodiversity and ecosystem services, especially in regions with a large share of maize monocultures. This agro-ecological potential can only be exploited if certain agronomic requirements are met, i.e. a late harvest and cultivation periods of at least five years. Under these conditions the landscape context has to be considered. Semi-natural habitats are required for nesting and larval development of wild pollinator-groups, whereas positive development of biological functions in soil is tied to the land-use history

A New Security Threat in MCUs -- SoC-wide timing side channels and how to find them

Microarchitectural timing side channels have been thoroughly investigated as a security threat in hardware designs featuring shared buffers (e.g., caches) and/or parallelism between attacker and victim task execution. Contradicting common intuitions, recent activities demonstrate, however, that this threat is real also in microcontroller SoCs without such features. In this paper, we describe SoC-wide timing side channels previously neglected by security analysis and present a new formal method to close this gap. In a case study with the RISC-V Pulpissimo SoC platform, our method found a vulnerability to a so far unknown attack variant that allows an attacker to obtain information about a victim's memory access behavior. After implementing a conservative fix, we were able to verify that the SoC is now secure w.r.t. timing side channels

Emotional stress during pregnancy - associations with maternal anxiety disorders, infant cortisol reactivity, and Mother-Child Interaction at pre-school age

There is growing evidence that even milder forms of maternal stress or anxiety during pregnancy affect the fetus causing possible long-term consequences for infant and child development. The mechanisms through which prenatal maternal stress may affect the unborn are not yet entirely clarified. Due to limited self-regulatory skills after birth, infants depend on sensitive behavior of their parents to regulate affective states and physiological arousal. Dyadic affect regulation has been linked to various developmental patterns up to adolescence and thereby represents a key element of early social relationships. Aim of the study was to evaluate possible long-term consequences of emotional stress during pregnancy and postpartum anxiety disorders, as well as infant postpartum cortisol reactivity on mother–child-interaction at pre-school age. The sample comprised of N = 63 mother–infant dyads at study entry, n = 28 diagnosed with postpartum anxiety disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV (DSM-IV), n = 35 were healthy controls. Mothers were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Disorders at an average infant age of M = 4.1 months and filled out a questionnaire regarding emotional stress during pregnancy. Further, they were videotaped during the Face-to-Face-Still-Face paradigm (FFSF), a widely used mild socio-emotional stressor for infants. To determine infant stress-reactivity, infant salivary cortisol was collected before, immediately after and 20 min after the FFSF. Missing values were estimated by multiple imputations. At the age of M = 5.3 years, mother-child-interaction was re-assessed in a follow-up sample of n = 30 dyads via a free-play situation. Moreover, dimensional measures for anxiety were assessed. Mothers in the clinical group reported significantly higher stress scores than the control group. Infant stress reactivity in the early postpartum period and maternal anxiety symptoms at the 5-year follow-up assessment were significantly associated with dyadic interaction quality at pre-school age. Even though maternal stress during pregnancy did not directly predict mother–child interaction quality at pre-school age, it was significantly correlated with infant cortisol reactivity during postpartum period. Nevertheless, caution should be taken when interpreting the results considering the small sample size

Coupled Mg/Ca and clumped isotope analyses of foraminifera provide consistent water temperatures

The reliable determination of past seawater temperature is fundamental to paleoclimate studies. We test the robustness of two paleotemperature proxies by combining Mg/Ca and clumped isotopes (Δ47) on the same specimens of core top planktonic foraminifera. The strength of this approach is that Mg/Ca and Δ47 are measured on the same specimens of foraminifera, thereby providing two independent estimates of temperature. This replication constitutes a rigorous test of individual methods with the advantage that the same approach can be applied to fossil specimens. Aliquots for Mg/Ca and clumped analyses are treated in the same manner following a modified cleaning procedure of foraminifera for trace element and isotopic analyses. We analysed eight species of planktonic foraminifera from coretop samples over a wide range of temperatures from 2 to 29°C. We provide a new clumped isotope temperature calibrations using subaqueous cave carbonates, which is consistent with recent studies. Tandem Mg/Ca–Δ47 results follow an exponential curve as predicted by temperature calibration equations. Observed deviations from the predicted Mg/Ca-Δ47 relationship are attributed to the effects of Fe-Mn oxide coatings, contamination, or dissolution of foraminiferal tests. This coupled approach provides a high degree of confidence in temperature estimates when Mg/Ca and Δ47 yield concordant results, and can be used to infer the past δ18O of seawater (δ18Osw) for paleoclimate studies