Anatomical and behavioral recovery from the effects of spinal cord transection: dependence on metamorphosis in anuran larvae

This study of spinal cord injury in bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles using the neuroanatomical tracer horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was undertaken to determine (1) whether the same anatomical regions that normally give rise to ascending or descending spinal tracts do so following complete spinal cord transection and (2) whether the course of behavioral recovery could be related to the anatomical results. The results of this study show that (1) spinal cord continuity is readily restored in tadpoles subjected to spinal cord transection, but nerve fibers crossing the site of injury end within 1 to 2 mm of the lesion site; (2) tadpoles with spinal cord transections held through metamorphosis show, as juvenile frogs, restoration of lumbar projections from all brainstem regions that normally project to the lumbar spinal cord; (3) neither long ascending projections from dorsal root ganglion cells nor those from spinal neurons caudal to the transection traverse the transection site, even after metamorphosis; and (4) consistent with the anatomical results, tadpoles show only minimal behavioral recovery, but these same animals as juvenile frogs show recovery of behaviors that are dependent upon connections to supraspinal regions. In other experiments, [3H]thymidine or [3H]apo-HRP was combined with HRP histochemistry to determine if new brainstem neurons projecting to the spinal cord are born in the metamorphic period and if, in normal animals, brainstem projections to the lumbar spinal cord persist through metamorphosis. We found no evidence that neurons with lumbar spinal cord projections are born during metamorphosis; however, evidence was found that most brainstem neurons that project to the lumbar spinal cord before metamorphosis retain this projection in the juvenile frog

Child Psychosocial Adjustment and Parenting in Families Affected by Maternal HIV/AIDS

Child adjustment and parenting were examined in 23 9-through 16-year-old youth from families affected by maternal HIV infection and 20 same-age peers whose mothers were not infected. Children whose mothers were seropositive reported significantly more externalizing problems. Infected mothers reported less age-appropriate supervision/monitoring relative to non-infected mothers. Better mother-child relationship quality and less impairment in parental supervision/monitoring of age-appropriate youth behaviors were associated with fewer externalizing difficulties among the HIV-positive group only. Similarly, only among HIV-infected mothers was refraining from engaging in inconsistent disciplinary tactics associated with lower reports of internalizing and externalizing problems. These data highlight the promise of programs targeting parenting skills to prevent or ameliorate child difficulties

Using the Mystery Motivator to Improve Child Bedtime Compliance

Child bedtime problems are commonly reported by parents. A number of behavioral techniques, including extinction of tantrum behaviors, reinforcement of compliant bedtime, and implementation of consistent bedtime routines have been successful in improving bedtime compliance. The present study examined the effects of the Mystery Motivator (MM), a behavioral contract designed to remediate bedtime problems by delivering random reinforcement. Emphasis was placed on the optimal use of clinical intervention by enlisting parents as primary change agents in the home setting. Three adults and their four children, aged 3-5 years, participated. Three of the four children showed substantial changes in both time out of bed and bedtime noncompliance between baseline and treatment phases. A fourth child showed less improvement. Parent participants demonstrated understanding of the materials and successfully implemented the home program. Both parent and child participants rated the Mystery Motivator reinforcement system as an acceptable intervention

Clinical Presentation and Treatment of Early-Onset Behavior Disorders: The Role of Parent Emotion Regulation, Emotion Socialization, and Family Income

Parent emotion regulation and socialization have been linked to various aspects of child functioning. In the case of early-onset behavior disorders in particular, parent emotion regulation may be an important correlate of the coercive cycle implicated in early-onset behavior disorders thus, symptom presentation at baseline. Further, emotion socialization may be complicated by a pattern of parent-child interactions in which both supportive or unsupportive parenting behaviors in response to behavioral dysregulation may increase vulnerability for problem behavior in the future. Some work suggests standard Behavioral Parent Training may impact parent emotion regulation and socialization. Still little is known, however, about how such processes may vary by family income, which is critical given the overrepresentation of low-income children in statistics on early-onset behavior disorders. This study explored parent emotion regulation, socialization, and family income in a sample of socioeconomically diverse treatment-seeking families of young (3–8 years old) children. Findings suggest relations between parental emotion regulation, socialization, and child behavior although the pattern of associations differed at baseline and post-treatment and varied by family income. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed

Examining how companies’ support of tourist attractions affects visiting intentions: The mediating role of perceived authenticity

As public funding for the restoration of tourist attractions decreases, assistance is often sought from the private sector in the form of corporate social responsibility (CSR). However, research has yet to understand how such CSR activities impact the beneficiary, namely tourist attractions. Thus, extending past CSR literature, we explore whether differing company CSR motivations can influence a tourists’ visiting intentions. The results of two experimental studies show low company altruism (e.g., demanding to acquire naming rights of the site), compared to high company altruism (e.g., demanding nothing in return), decreases visiting intentions. Furthermore, we show that perceived authenticity of the site mediates this effect. Finally, we find the negative effect of low altruistic CSR is mitigated in the case of no heritage. Based on the results, we show tourist attraction managers should be wary of companies displaying nonaltruistic intentions, as such activity may have harmful consequences

Parenting Intervention and the Prevention of Serious Mental Health Problems in Children

The reduction of coercive or inadequate parenting is essential if the mental health status of Australian children and adolescents is to be improved. Of the available approaches that address parenting practices, behavioural family interventions have the strongest empirical support and are effective in reducing parenting practices that contribute to the development of behavioural and emotional problems in children. However, only a small proportion of parents access such interventions. A comprehensive multilevel, evidence-based parenting and family support strategy needs to be implemented on a wide scale to reduce the prevalence of mental health problems in children and youth. The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is an example of a population-level strategy that can be used to improve the mental health status of children and their parents

Reversing the Outcome of Synapse Elimination at Developing Neuromuscular Junctions In Vivo: Evidence for Synaptic Competition and Its Mechanism

Competition between neurons for the same synaptic sites at the developing neuromuscular junction drives synaptic rearrangements

An Outcome Evaluation of the Implementation of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program in Hong Kong

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) with a sample of Chinese parents of children with early onset conduct related problems in Hong Kong. The participants consisted of 91 parents whose children attended maternal and child health centers and child assessment centers for service, and were between three to seven years old. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (TP) and a waitlist control group (WL. There was no significant difference in pre-intervention measures between the two groups. However, at post intervention, participants in the TP group reported significantly lower levels of child behavior problems, lower dysfunctional parenting styles, and higher parent sense of competence, compared to the WL group. Implications of these findings for the use of Triple P with families of Chinese descent are discussed

Associations among the parent–adolescent relationship, aggression and delinquency in different ethnic groups: a replication across two Dutch samples

Background: The aim of the present study is to examine whether the patterns of association between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship on the one hand, and aggression and delinquency on the other hand, are the same for boys and girls of Dutch and Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands. Since inconsistent results have been found previously, the present study tests the replicability of the model of associations in two different Dutch samples of adolescents. Method: Study 1 included 288 adolescents (M age = 14.9, range 12-17 years) all attending lower secondary education. Study 2 included 306 adolescents (M age = 13.2, range = 12-15 years) who were part of a larger community sample with oversampling of at risk adolescents. Results: Multigroup structural analyses showed that neither in Study 1 nor in Study 2 ethnic or gender differences were found in the patterns of associations between support, autonomy, disclosure, and negativity in the parent-adolescent relationship and aggression and delinquency. The patterns were largely similar for both studies. Mainly negative quality of the relationship in both studies was found to be strongly related to both aggression and delinquency. Discussion: Results show that family processes that affect adolescent development, show a large degree of universality across gender and ethnicity

Exploring mediating factors in the association between parental psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment in adolescence

Abstract: Parental psychopathology is associated with increased psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents. We examined, from a psychosocial perspective, the association between parental psychological distress and psychosocial maladjustment in adolescents and assessed the mediating role of psychosocial covariates. This is a cross-sectional survey and the setting include representative sample of Quebec adolescents in 1999. The participants of the study include 13- and 16-year-old children (N = 2,346) in the Social and Health Survey of Quebec Children and Adolescents. The main outcome measures are internalizing disorders, externalizing disorders, substance use, and alcohol consumption. For statistical analysis, we used structural equation modeling to test for mediation. Internalizing and externalizing disorders were significantly associated with parental psychological distress, but not substance use or alcohol consumption. The higher the parental distress, the higher the risk of adolescent mental health disorders. The association between parental psychological distress and internalizing disorders was mediated by adolescent self-esteem, parental emotional support and extrafamilial social support. As for externalizing disorders, these variables only had an independent effect. In conclusion, A family’s well being is a necessary condition for psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. Beyond the psychiatric approach, psychosocial considerations need to be taken into consideration to prevent negative mental health outcomes in children living in homes with distressed parents