The influence of infant irritability on maternal sensitivity in a sample of very premature infants

The relationship between maternal sensitivity and infant irritability was investigated in a short-term longitudinal study of 29 very preterm infants. Infant irritability was assessed at term with the Brazelton NBAS, the Mother and Baby Scales (MABS) and the Crying Pattern Questionnaire (CPQ). Maternal sensitivity was assessed by nurses' ratings in the neonatal care unit and at three months during motherinfant interaction observation. Cross-lagged panel analysis indicated that neonatal irritability did not influence sensitivity at 3 months nor did maternal sensitivity in the newborn period lead to reduced irritability at 3 months. Both irritability and maternal sensitivity showed moderate stability over time (r=.55 and r=.60, respectively). It is concluded that in early infancy maternal sensitivity shows little influence on infant irritability in very preterm infants

Are future psychologists willing to accept and use a humanoid robot in their practice? Italian and English students' perspective.

Despite general scepticism from care professionals, social robotics research is providing evidence of successful application in education and rehabilitation in clinical psychology practice. In this article, we investigate the cultural influences of English and Italian psychology students in the perception of usefulness and intention to use a robot as an instrument for future clinical practice and, secondly, the modality of presentation of the robot by comparing oral versus video presentation. To this end, we surveyed 158 Italian and British-English psychology students after an interactive demonstration using a humanoid robot to evaluate the social robot’s acceptance and use. The Italians were positive, while the English were negative towards the perceived usefulness and intention to use the robot in psychological practice in the near future. However, most English and Italian respondents felt they did not have the necessary abilities to make good use of the robot. We concluded that it is necessary to provide psychology students with further knowledge and practical skills regarding social robotics, which could facilitate the adoption and use of this technology in clinical settings

Non-Invasive Mouse Models of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis

SummaryAnimal models of osteoarthritis (OA) are essential tools for investigating the development of the disease on a more rapid timeline than human OA. Mice are particularly useful due to the plethora of genetically modified or inbred mouse strains available. The majority of available mouse models of OA use a joint injury or other acute insult to initiate joint degeneration, representing post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA). However, no consensus exists on which injury methods are most translatable to human OA. Currently, surgical injury methods are most commonly used for studies of OA in mice; however, these methods may have confounding effects due to the surgical/invasive injury procedure itself, rather than the targeted joint injury. Non-invasive injury methods avoid this complication by mechanically inducing a joint injury externally, without breaking the skin or disrupting the joint. In this regard, non-invasive injury models may be crucial for investigating early adaptive processes initiated at the time of injury, and may be more representative of human OA in which injury is induced mechanically. A small number of non-invasive mouse models of PTOA have been described within the last few years, including intra-articular fracture of tibial subchondral bone, cyclic tibial compression loading of articular cartilage, and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture via tibial compression overload. This review describes the methods used to induce joint injury in each of these non-invasive models, and presents the findings of studies utilizing these models. Altogether, these non-invasive mouse models represent a unique and important spectrum of animal models for studying different aspects of PTOA

Social robots: The influence of human and robot characteristics on acceptance

Research in social robotics is focused on the development of robots that can provide physical and cognitive support in a socially interactive way. Whilst some studies have previously investigated the importance of user characteristics (age, gender, education, robot familiarity, mood) in the acceptance of social robots as well as the influence a robot's displayed emotion (positive, negative, neutral) has on the interaction, these two aspects are rarely combined. Therefore, this study attempts to highlight the need to consider the influence that both human and robot attributes can have on social robot acceptance. Eighty-six participants completed implicit and explicit measures of mood before viewing one of three video clips containing a positive, negative or neutral social robot (Pepper) followed byquestionnaires on robot acceptance and perception. Gender and education were not associated with acceptance; however, several constructs of the acceptance questionnaire significantly correlated with age and mood. For example, those younger and those experiencing sadness or loneliness were more dependent on the opinions of others (as measured by the social influence construct of the acceptance questionnaire). This highlights the importance of mood in the introduction of social robots into vulnerable populations. Robot familiarity also correlated with robot acceptance with those more familiar finding the robot less useful and less enjoyable, this is important as robots become more prominent in society. Displayed robot emotion significantly influenced acceptance and perception with the positive robot appearing more childlike than the negative and neutral robot, and the neutral robot the least helpful. These findings emphasise the importance of both user and robot characteristics in the successful integration of social robots

Phenotypic variation within European carriers of the Y-chromosomal gr/gr deletion is independent of Y-chromosomal background.

BackgroundPrevious studies have compared sperm phenotypes between men with partial [1] deletions within the AZFc region of the Y chromosome with non-carriers, with variable results. Here, we have investigated a separate question, the basis of the variation in sperm phenotype within gr/gr deletion carriers, which ranges from normozoospermia to azoospermia. Differences in the genes removed by independent gr/gr deletions, the occurrence of subsequent duplications or the presence of linked modifying variants elsewhere on the chromosome have been suggested as possible causal factors. We set out to test these possibilities in a large sample of gr/gr deletion carriers with known phenotypes spanning the complete range.ResultsWe assembled a collection of 169 men diagnosed with gr/gr deletions from six centres in Europe and one in Australia, and characterized the DAZ and CDY1 copies retained, the presence or absence of duplications and the Y-chromosomal haplogroup. Although our study had good power to detect factors that accounted for 655.5% of the variation in sperm concentration, no such factor was detected. A negative effect of gr/gr deletions followed by b2/b4 duplication was observed within the normospermic group, which remains to be further explored in a larger study population. Finally, we observed significant geographical differences in the frequency of different subtypes of gr/gr deletions which may have relevance for the interpretation of case control studies dealing with admixed populations.ConclusionsWe conclude that the phenotypic variation of gr/gr carriers in men of European origin is largely independent of the Y-chromosomal background

The alarm distress baby scale in a longitudinal Portuguese study reanalyzed with attachment data

Article first published online: 13 NOV 2013The relationship established between the infant and the caregiver is central to both parents and infants, and provides one of the most important environments in wich children develop. This study aimed to assess the effect of infant's psychophysiological functioning early in life on the quality of mother–infant interaction and on later attachment, and to explore the mediation effects of the quality of mother–infant interaction on the association between the infant's psychophysiological functioning and attachment security. A longitudinal prospective design was conducted with 94 infants and their mothers. Eight-week-old infants were assessed with the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (T.B. Brazelton & J.K. Nugent, 1995) and the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (A. Guedeney & J. Fermanian, 2001). At 8 to 12 weeks of age, cortisol levels were measured both before and after routine inoculation. Mother–infant interaction was evaluated at 12 to 16 weeks, using the Global Rating Scales (L. Murray, A. Fiori-Cowley, R. Hooper, & P. Cooper, 1996). The Strange Situation procedure (M. Ainsworth, M. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978) was performed at 12 months. The overall quality of mother–infant interaction mediates the relation between infant's behavioral and physiological profile and infant attachment: The probability of been securely attached increased with good mother behavior and with good overall interaction. The co-construction of the mother–infant relationship depends on the infant characteristics and on patterns of interaction.La relación que se establece entre el infante y quien le presta cuidado es esencial tanto para los padres como los infantes y provee uno de los más importantes medios ambientales en el que los niños se desarrollan. Objetivo: evaluar el efecto del funcionamiento sicofisiológico del infante en la temprana etapa de la vida sobre la calidad de la interacción madre-infante y en la afectividad posterior. También, explorar los efectos de mediación de la calidad de la interacción madre-infante sobre la asociación entre el funcionamiento sicofisiológico del infante y la seguridad en la afectividad. Método: un diseño longitudinal de probabilidad se llevó a cabo con 94 infantes y sus madres. Se evaluaron infantes de ocho semanas de edad usando la Escala de Evaluación de la Conducta Neonatal y la Escala de Alarma de Angustia del Bebé. A la edad de 8 a 12 semanas, se midieron los niveles de cortisol tanto antes como después de una inoculación rutinaria. Las interacciones entre madre e infante fueron evaluadas entre las 12 y 16 semanas usando las Escalas de Puntajes Globales. El procedimiento de la situación extraña se llevó a cabo a los 12 meses. Resultados: La calidad general de la interacción madre-infante media la relación entre el perfil sicológico y de conducta del infante y la afectividad del infante: la probabilidad de sentirse seguro en la unión afectiva aumenta con la buena conducta de la madre y con la buena interacción en términos generales. Conclusión: la co-construcción de la relación entre madre e infante depende de las características del infante y de patrones de interacción.Le relation établie entre le bébé et la mère est centrale pour à la fois les parents et les bébés, et offre l’un des environnements les plus importants dans lesquels les enfants se développent. Objectif: évaluer l’effet du fonctionnement psychophysiologique précoc du bébé sur la qualité de l’interaction mère-bébé et sur l’attachement à venir. Explorer les effets de médiation de la qualité de l’interction mère-bébé sur le lien entre le fonctionnement psychophysiologique et la sécurité de l’attachement. Méthode: une étude longitudinale prospective a été faite avec 94 bébés et leurs mères. Des bébés de huit semaines ont été évalués à l’aide de l’Echelle d’Evaluation du Comportement Neonatal (Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale) et l’Echelle Alarme Détresse Bébé (Alarm Distress Baby Scale). A 8 à 12 semaines, les niveaux de cortisol ont été mesurés à la fois avant et après la vaccination de routine. L’interaction mère-bébé a été évaluée à 12–16 semaines, en utilisant les Echelles d’Evaluation Globale (Global Rating Scales). La procédure de situation étrange a été faite à 12 mois. Résultats: La qualité générale de l’interaction mère-bébé sert de d’intermédiaire à la relation entre le profil comportemental et physiologique du bébé et l’attachement du bébé: la probabilité d’être attaché de manière sécure augmentait avec le bon comportement de la mère et une bonne interaction générale. Conclusion: La co-construction de la relation mère-bébé dépend des caractéristiques du bébés et des patterns d’interaction.Die bestehende Beziehung zwischen dem Kind und der Bezugsperson ist sowohl für Eltern und Säuglinge zentral und stellt einen der wichtigsten Lebensumstände dar, in dem sich Kinder entwickeln. Ziel: Ein Ziel besteht darin, die Wirkung der frühen psychophysiologischen Funktionsfähigkeit des Säuglings auf die Qualität der Mutter-Kind-Interaktion und auf die spätere Bindung zu beurteilen. Ein weiteres Ziel ist es, die Mediationseffekte von der Qualität der Mutter-Kind-Interaktion hinsichtlich der Zusammenhänge zwischen der kindlichen psychophysiologischen Funktionsfähigkeit und Bindung zu erforschen. Methode: Es wurde ein longitudinales prospektives Design mit 94 Säuglingen und deren Müttern durchgeführt. Acht Wochen alte Säuglinge wurden mit der Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale und der Alarm Distress Baby Scale beurteilt. Bei 8 bis 12 Wochen alten Säuglingen, wurden die Cortisolspiegel sowohl vor als auch nach der routinemäßigen Impfung gemessen. Mutter-Kind-Interaktionen wurden zum Zeitpunkt von 12–16 Wochen mit den Global Rating Scales ausgewertet. Der Fremde-Situations-Test wurde mit 12 Monaten durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Die allgemeine Qualität der Mutter-Kind-Interaktion mediiert die Beziehung zwischen dem behavioralen und physiologischen Profil des Säuglings und dessen Bindung: Die Wahrscheinlichkeit sicher gebunden zu sein, stieg mit gutem mütterlichen Verhalten und mit einer insgesamt guten Interaktion an. Fazit: Die Ko-Konstruktion der Mutter-Kind-Beziehung hängt von den Charakteristika des Säuglings und von den Interaktionsmustern ab.抄録：背景：乳児と養育者の間に作り上げられた関係性は、親と乳児双方にとって中心的であり、子どもが発達する最も重要な環境の一つを提供する。目的：乳児の早期の心理生理学的機能が、母親と乳児の相互交流の質、および後の愛着に与える影響を、評価すること。母親と乳児の相互交流の質が、乳児の心理生理学的機能と愛着の安定性との間の関連に与える媒介効果を探ること。方法：94人の乳児とその母親による縦断的前向き研究デザインが実施された。生後8週の乳児が新生児行動評価尺度Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scaleと苦痛警告赤ちゃん尺度Alarm Distress Baby Scaleで評価された。8から12週で、定められた予防接種の前後両方でコルチゾールレベルが測定された。母親と乳児の相互交流は、12–16週に、全般的評価尺度Global Rating Scalesを用いて評価された。12か月時にストレンジシチュエーション法が行われた。結果：母親と乳児の相互交流の全般的な質が、乳児の行動と生理学的プロフィールと乳児の愛着の間の関係を媒介した。安定した愛着を持つ蓋然性は、母親の良い行動と良い全般的な相互交流に伴って増加した。結論：母親と乳児の関係性の共同構築co-constructionは、乳児の特性と相互交流のパターンに依存している

Transmission of mitochondrial DNA following assisted reproduction and nuclear transfer

Review of the articleMitochondria are the organelles responsible for producing the majority of a cell's ATP and also play an essential role in gamete maturation and embryo development. ATP production within the mitochondria is dependent on proteins encoded by both the nuclear and the mitochondrial genomes, therefore co-ordination between the two genomes is vital for cell survival. To assist with this co-ordination, cells normally contain only one type of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) termed homoplasmy. Occasionally, however, two or more types of mtDNA are present termed heteroplasmy. This can result from a combination of mutant and wild-type mtDNA molecules or from a combination of wild-type mtDNA variants. As heteroplasmy can result in mitochondrial disease, various mechanisms exist in the natural fertilization process to ensure the maternal-only transmission of mtDNA and the maintenance of homoplasmy in future generations. However, there is now an increasing use of invasive oocyte reconstruction protocols, which tend to bypass mechanisms for the maintenance of homoplasmy, potentially resulting in the transmission of either form of mtDNA heteroplasmy. Indeed, heteroplasmy caused by combinations of wild-type variants has been reported following cytoplasmic transfer (CT) in the human and following nuclear transfer (NT) in various animal species. Other techniques, such as germinal vesicle transfer and pronuclei transfer, have been proposed as methods of preventing transmission of mitochondrial diseases to future generations. However, resulting embryos and offspring may contain mtDNA heteroplasmy, which itself could result in mitochondrial disease. It is therefore essential that uniparental transmission of mtDNA is ensured before these techniques are used therapeutically