Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants

Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent

Nationaal Kiezersonderzoek, NKO 1971-1989 cumulatieve file~Dutch parliamentary election studies, 1971-1989, cumulative file - DPES'71'89

Item does not contain fulltextThis dataset is a compilation of common core variables included in the Dutch parliamentary election studies of 1971, 1972, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1989 National problems / political efficacy / perceived stand of main political parties (CDA, PVDA, VVD, D'66) on important political issues: abortion, nuclear energy, differences in income, nuclear armaments / view of religion in society / satisfaction with government / social participation / voting behaviour in recent elections / left-right self-rating / left-right rating of political parties / sense of civic competence / civic political participation / legitimacy of social protest and government reaction / political distrust and politic cynicism Background variables: basic characteristics/ residence/ housing situation/ household characteristics/ occupation/employment/ income/capital assets/ education/ social class/ politics/ religion/ organizational membership. The data- and documentation files of this dataset can be downloaded via the option Data Files

Exploring the hormonal and neural correlates of paternal protective behavior to their infants

Contains fulltext : 226394.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Infant protection is an important but largely neglected aspect of parental care. Available theory and research suggest that endocrine levels and neural responses might be biological correlates of protective behavior. However, no research to date examined associations between these neurobiological and behavioral aspects. This study, preregistered on https://osf.io/2acxd, explored the psychobiology of paternal protection in 77 new fathers by combining neural responses to infant-threatening situations, self-reported protective behavior, behavioral observations in a newly developed experimental set-up (Auditory Startling Task), and measurements of testosterone and vasopressin. fMRI analyses validated the role of several brain networks in the processing of infant-threatening situations and indicated replicable findings with the infant-threat paradigm. We found little overlap between observed and reported protective behavior. Robust associations between endocrine levels, neural responses, and paternal protective behavior were absent.12 p

Ethnicity in Dutch health research: situating scientific practice

Objective: A growing body of work is examining the role health research itself plays in the construction of ethnicity.' We discuss the results of our investigation as to how the political, social, and institutional dynamics of the context in which health research takes place affect the manner in which knowledge about ethnicity and health is produced.Design: Qualitative content analysis of academic publications, interviews with biomedical and health researchers, and participant observation at various conferences and scientific events.Results: We identified four aspects related to the context in which Dutch research takes place that we have found relevant to biomedical and health-research practices. Firstly, the diversity' and inclusion' policies of the major funding institution; secondly, the official Dutch national ethnic registration system; a third factor was the size of the Netherlands and the problem of small sample sizes; and lastly, the need for researchers to use meaningful ethnic categories when publishing in English-language journals.Conclusions: Our analysis facilitates the understanding of how specific ethnicities are constructed in this field and provides fruitful insight into the socio-scientific co-production of ethnicity, and specifically into the manner in which common-sense ethnic categories and hierarchies are granted scientific validity through academic publication and, are subsequently, used in clinical guidelines and policy

European policies for public health in border regions: no European mindset as yet

Abstract Background The sudden emergence of COVID-19 in 2020 demonstrated that Europe was not prepared for a public health crisis like this pandemic. In the European Union, matters of health have remained primarily under the jurisdiction of individual Member States. However, certain events, such as the Kohll-Decker ruling on free mobility of health services and the COVID-19 pandemic, compelled the EU to address health matters in border regions. This study examines how EU policies address public health in border regions. To that end, we have drawn from border studies, a field that provides insight into the fluidity and complexity of borders in everyday life. Besides that we used constructivist policy studies as a lens for the analysis of EU policy documents. Methods A policy discourse analysis was conducted to explore how European policy addresses the development of a transnational, European public health in border regions. Key European policy documents published between 2002 and 2027 were analysed to understand how policies are constructed and problems are framed. The analysis was guided by research questions and the theoretical approach. Results The analysis reveals that, while having limited competences in the field of health care, the EU is slowly developing a rationale and a knowledge base to increase its competences in health care. It also shows that in the field of public health, the EU argues for addressing health determinants and promoting healthy lifestyles, though it does not address health promotion in border regions. The EU’s authority in public health in border regions revolves primarily around addressing physical, biological and chemical threats rather than social health problems. Conclusion Though the EU has carefully developed a transnational perspective on health care, the EU has not developed any authority with respect to transnational public health. Though public health and health promotion in border regions have been confronted with specific challenges, neither specific Member States nor the EU have a transnational collaborative perspective that does justice to the characteristics of border regions. When it comes to public health in border regions, there is no European mindset as yet

Effects of protein supplementation on lean body mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in nonfrail community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Increasing protein intake has been suggested as an effective strategy to ameliorate age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Current reviews assessing the effect of protein supplementation are strongly influenced by the inclusion of studies with frail older adults. Objectives: We assessed the effect of protein supplementation on lean body mass, muscle strength, and physical performance in exclusively nonfrail community-dwelling older adults. Moreover, we assessed the superior effects of protein supplementation during concomitant resistance exercise training on muscle characteristics. Design: A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science up to 15 May 2018. We included randomized controlled trials that assessed the effect of protein supplementation on lean body mass, muscle thigh cross-sectional area, muscle strength, gait speed, and chair-rise ability and performed random-effects meta-analyses. Results: Data from 36 studies with 1682 participants showed no significant effects of protein supplementation on changes in lean body mass [standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.11; 95% CI: -0.06, 0.28], handgrip strength (SMD: 0.58; 95% CI: -0.08, 1.24), lower extremity muscle strength (SMD: 0.03; 95% CI: -0.20, 0.27), gait speed (SMD: 0.41; 95% CI: -0.04, 0.85), or chair-rise ability (SMD: 0.10; 95%: CI -0.08, 0.28) compared with a control condition in nonfrail community-dwelling older adults. Moreover, no superior effects of protein supplementation were found during concomitant resistance exercise training on muscle characteristics. Conclusions: Protein supplementation in nonfrail community-dwelling older adults does not lead to increases in lean body mass, muscle cross-sectional area, muscle strength, or physical performance compared with control conditions; nor does it exert superior effects when added to resistance exercise training. Habitual protein intakes of most study participants were already sufficient, and protein interventions differed in terms of type of protein, amount, and timing. Future research should clarify what specific protein supplementation protocol is beneficial for nonfrail community-dwelling older adults with low habitual protein intake

Fathers' involvement in early childcare is associated with amygdala resting-state connectivity

Becoming a parent requires new skills and frequent task switching during daily childcare. Little is known about the paternal brain during the transition to fatherhood. The present study examined intrinsic neuronal network connectivity in a group of first-time expectant and new fathers (total N = 131) using amygdala seed-based resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Furthermore, we examined the association between paternal involvement (i.e. hours spent in childcare and real-time push notifications on smartphone) and connectivity within the parental brain network in new fathers. There were no significant differences in functional connectivity between expectant and new fathers. However, results show that in new fathers, time spent in childcare was positively related to amygdala connectivity with the supramarginal gyrus, postcentral gyrus and the superior parietal lobule - all regions within the cognition/mentalizing network that have been associated with empathy and social cognition. Our results suggest that fathers' time investment in childcare is related to connectivity networks in the parental brain