Spatial but not verbal cognitive deficits at age 3 years in persistently antisocial individuals

Previous studies have repeatedly shown verbal intelligence deficits in adolescent antisocial individuals, but it is not known whether these deficits are in place prior to kindergarten or, alternatively, whether they are acquired throughout childhood. This study assesses whether cognitive deficits occur as early as age 3 years and whether they are specific to persistently antisocial individuals. Verbal and spatial abilities were assessed at ages 3 and 11 years in 330 male and female children, while antisocial behavior was assessed at ages 8 and 17 years. Persistently antisocial individuals (N = 47) had spatial deficits in the absence of verbal deficits at age 3 years compared to comparisons (N = 133), and also spatial and verbal deficits at age 11 years. Age 3 spatial deficits were independent of social adversity, early hyperactivity, poor test motivation, poor test comprehension, and social discomfort during testing, and they were found in females as well as males. Findings suggest that early spatial deficits contribute to persistent antisocial behavior whereas verbal deficits are developmentally acquired. An early-starter model is proposed whereby early spatial impairments interfere with early bonding and attachment, reflect disrupted right hemisphere affect regulation and expression, and predispose to later persistent antisocial behavior

Sharing ecological wisdom through dialogue across worldview boundaries

This paper aims to build a bridge between worldviews, a bridge capable of connecting what are often incomensurable perceptions of environmental issues. A model for communication which goes beyond argumentation and dialectics is derived and outlined from the various works of Raimon Panikkar. Panikkar's diatopical model offers symbolic discourse as a means to link theological, philosophical, and ecological aspects of environmental issues. The example of Fijian rainforest conservation is used to show how ecological wisdom may be exchanged across worldview boundaries

The impact of rain water on soil pore networks following irrigation with saline-sodic water

The soil pore network is an important factor affecting soil hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). In this study we examine the effect on the soil pore network of a Red Ferrosol caused by irrigation with good quality irrigation water (GQW), as well as saline-sodic water with varying sodium absorption ratios (SAR; 10, 50 and 120) and constant electrical conductivity (EC; 2 dS m-1), followed by application of distilled water (simulating rain water). The Ksat was measured for the different waters before and after applying the rain water to the soil. Soil samples were taken from different depths (1, 4 and 8 cm) for exchangeable cations measurement and the changes in ESP of the soil. Soil horizontal cross-sections were taken from the first 2 cm of the soil cores after drying with acetone and impregnation with polyester resin mixed with green fluorescent dye catalyst and hardener. These sections were polished and visualized under a microscope to investigate the changes in the soil pore network. By increasing the SAR of the water applied from 0.11 (GQW) to SAR 50 and 120, a significant reduction in Ksat was found, alongside a significant increase in the ESP of the soil from 3 to 10 and 11, respectively; this was most evident near the soil surface. After applying rain water, the Ksat reduced significantly approaching 0 mm h-1 where soil was treated with water of SAR 120. Visualisation of the soil pore network of the treated soils following the application of deionised water clearly showed a reduction in soil macroporosity where water quality of SAR ≥10 was applied, even where soils were non-sodic. Where irrigation occurred with good quality, low SAR water, this reduction was not evident

Associations between psychopathic traits and brain activity during instructed false responding

Lying is one of the characteristic features of psychopathy, and has been recognized in clinical and diagnostic descriptions of the disorder, yet individuals with psychopathic traits have been found to have reduced neural activity in many of the brain regions that are important for lying. In this study, we examine brain activity in sixteen individuals with varying degrees of psychopathic traits during a task in which they are instructed to falsify information or tell the truth about autobiographical and non-autobiographical facts, some of which was related to criminal behavior. We found that psychopathic traits were primarily associated with increased activity in the anterior cingulate, various regions of the prefrontal cortex, insula, angular gyrus, and the inferior parietal lobe when participants falsified information of any type. Associations tended to be stronger when participants falsified information about criminal behaviors. Although this study was conducted in a small sample of individuals and the task used has limited ecological validity, these findings support a growing body of literature suggesting that in some contexts, individuals with higher levels of psychopathic traits may demonstrate heightened levels of brain activity

Radiation Induced Damage in GaAs Particle Detectors

The motivation for investigating the use of GaAs as a material for detecting particles in experiments for High Energy Physics (HEP) arose from its perceived resistance to radiation damage. This is a vital requirement for detector materials that are to be used in experiments at future accelerators where the radiation environments would exclude all but the most radiation resistant of detector types.Comment: 5 pages. PS file only - original in WORD Also available at http://ppewww.ph.gla.ac.uk/preprints/97/06

Peer Problems and Low Self-esteem Mediate the Suspicious and Non-suspicious Schizotypy-Reactive Aggression Relationship in Children and Adolescents

The relationship between schizophrenia and violence has been well-established. Yet very little prior research exists on the factors that might explain the nature of this relationship and even fewer studies seek to clarify the etiology of aggressive behavior in adolescents with specific features of schizotypal personality that might help improve the specificity of intervention. The current study tested whether one dimension of schizotypy alone (i.e., the ‘suspicious’ feature) or the other 8 dimensions (i.e., the ‘non-suspicious’ features) were particularly associated with aggressive behaviors (reactive and proactive aggression), and if peer problems and low self-esteem mediated these relationships. A serial multiple mediation model testing the hypothesized flow from suspicious and non-suspicious schizotypy to peer problems to low self-esteem and to increased aggression was tested in Hong Kong schoolchildren aged 8- to 14-years (N = 1412; Mage = 11.47, SD = 1.67 years, female = 47.6%). Increased suspicious and non-suspicious schizotypal features were found to be independently associated with increased reactive aggression, but not proactive aggression. Children with high levels of suspicious schizotypy and non-suspicious schizotypy were more likely to have poor peer problems and low self-esteem concurrently, which in turn was associated with reactive aggression only. This explanatory model suggests that future longitudinal intervention studies that enhance self-esteem in schizotypal adolescents may potentially reduce co-morbid reactive aggressive behaviors too

Effect of theory of mind and peer victimization on the schizotypy–aggression relationship

published_or_final_versio

The Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire for Children (SPQ-C): Factor Structure, Child Abuse, and Family History of Schizotypy

There is a relative dearth of research on features of schizotypal personality in children, in part due to lack of instrumentation. This study tests 5 competing models of the factor structure of the self-report Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire for Children (SPQ-C) and examines its relationship with a family history of schizotypal personality disorder (SPD), child abuse, and stability over time. Hypotheses were tested on 454 11- to 12-year-old schoolchildren and their caregivers. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a 3-factor structure of the SPQ-C (cognitive-perceptual, interpersonal, and disorganized). Test-retest stability was relatively robust over 3 months (r = .67), 6 months (r = .64), and 12 months (r = .55), with acceptable internal reliabilities (r = .84 to .91). Regarding construct validity, children with a biological family history of SPD had higher scores on all 3 factors (d =.51). Abused children had higher schizotypy scores (d = .55). A genetic × environment interaction was observed, with schizotypy highest in those with both a family history of schizotypy and also child abuse. Findings are the first in the child schizotypy field to document a gene × environment interaction and the independence of child abuse from confounding genetic influences. Results support the utility of the SPQ-C in future family and clinical studies of schizotypal personality and provide an avenue for much-needed and neglected research into the early antecedents of child schizotypal personality