Behavioral Manifestations Research Articles

Gender-based differences in the impact of Dark Triad traits on academic dishonesty: The mediating role of moral disengagement in college students

This study explores whether gender differences influence the components of the Dark Triad of personality and moral disengagement on the manifestations of dishonest academic behavior in Peruvian university students. Moreover, it evaluates how moral disengagement mediates the effect that the Dark Triad components have on academic dishonesty. The participants were 591 university students, aged between 18 and 40 years (women = 71.7 %; Mage = 21.5; SDage = 3.60), to whom the Dirty Dozen Dark Triad, the Propensity to Morally Disengage Scale, and the Scale of Academic Dishonesty, which has 3 dimensions (cheating on exams, plagiarism, and falsification) were applied. The results reveal that only Machiavellianism has a significant and consistent influence on all dimensions of academic dishonesty, in both men and women, while psychopathy influences the dimension of plagiarism in both men and women and falsification only in men. In addition, moral disengagement affects falsification in both groups, cheating on exams only in the men's group, and plagiarism in the women's group. Finally, the mediating role of moral disengagement between the effect of the Dark Triad and the manifestations of academic dishonesty was not demonstrated.

Features of the Imagination in Preschoolers Playing Various Digital Games

Due to the fact that in the life of modern preschoolers the traditional role-playing game with peers is increasingly being replaced by playing on digital devices, many researchers have expressed concern about how well their imagination develops. However, other scientists, on the contrary, see the potential for developing children’s imagination in digital games and applications. For this reason, the study is focused on differences in the productive imagination among preschoolers who prefer different types of games on digital devices. The authors propose a typology of digital games played by the preschoolers. A survey was conducted on the use of digital devices among 450 children aged 5-6 years who attended preparatory groups of kindergartens from four regions of Russia, and their imagination was assessed using the “Completing Figures” technique (by O.M. Dyachenko) and a questionnaire developed as part of the study for educators on behavioral manifestations of imagination in their pupils (42 educators were involved). Based on the results of a survey of the educators, it was found that they evaluated the results of creative productive activity lower in the children who liked games for reaction speed than in those who did not play such games. At the same time, the educators rated this parameter of imagination higher in children playing simulation games compared to those who did not play them. The results of the “Completing Figures” technique showed that the children playing logic games had significantly higher ratings for the elaboration of drawings than those who did not play games of this type, and the parameter of originality of the drawings was lower in the children playing strategic games compared to those who did not play them. The typology of digital games proposed by the authors of the study and the data obtained can be useful in conducting scientific research on the digitalization of modern childhood and in developing recommendations for parents of preschoolers.

Consequences of Pathogenic Tau Expression in Mouse Locus Coeruleus

AbstractBackgroundDuring the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), patients often suffer from prodromal symptoms such as anxiety, impulsivity, depression, agitation, and sleep disturbances prior to the onset of cognitive impairment. Incidentally, the brainstem noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) is the first structure to develop hyperphosphorylated ‘pretangle’ tau pathology in the human brain. Furthermore, norepinephrine (NE) influences several physiological processes such as sleep/wake cycle, arousal, stress, mood, and attention which have been implicated in the prodromal behavioral abnormalities. While clinical studies show significant correlations between LC dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms, a causal relationship between early tau accumulation in the LC and the manifestations of prodromal behaviors remains to be resolved. To explore this, we developed a translationally‐relevant tau mouse model that recapitulates the ‘LC first’ phenomena commonly observed in humans.MethodAdult male and female tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)‐Cre mice aged 4 months underwent intra‐LC infusions with a Cre‐dependent adeno‐associated virus (AAV) expressing mCherry, wild‐type (WT) human tau or P301S mutant human tau (n = 3/group). 3 months post‐infusion, mice underwent a panel of behavioral tests to assess sleep latency, locomotor activity, compulsivity, stress‐induced anxiety‐like behavior, association memory deficits, impulsivity, and attentional impairments. Following behavioral tests, brain sections comprising the LC, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were immunostained with TH to assess for LC integrity, AT8 to detect pretangle tau, NE transporter (NET) to evaluate NE fiber intensity in projection regions, and GFAP and IBA1 to identify neuroinflammatory markers. Immunoreactivity (IR) will be calculated as a measure of fluorescence via ImageJ.ResultIt has been proposed that tau accumulation in the LC may provoke mild to moderate damage in LC neurons, triggering compensatory mechanisms such as LC hyperactivity. It is hypothesized that at 3 months, LC‐specific tau pathology will result in hyperarousal, compulsivity, anxiety‐like behavior, and impulsivity. In tandem, human tau‐expressing mice are expected to display increased TH, reflecting LC hyperactivity, neuroinflammatory markers and reductions in NE fibers in LC‐projecting regions. These findings will be presented in July 2023.ConclusionThis research will elucidate the role of LC in governing prodromal symptoms. Further studies will be needed to assess molecular mechanisms underlying tau‐mediated LC dysfunction in early AD.

Paranoia and Social Anxiety: Predicting Aggressive Behavior

Aggression is a transdiagnostic behavior that is associated with poor clinical outcomes. As such, it is important to understand factors that contribute to various manifestations of aggressive behavior. Recent research has revealed a subtype of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) who tend to display relatively high amounts of aggression and experience more severe social anxiety and dysfunction compared to individuals in the prototypical SAD group. The current study used a status threat manipulation along with behavioral indices of aggression to examine the impact of paranoia and social anxiety symptom severity on aggression in a sample of undergraduates with social anxiety (N = 220). Analyses indicated that paranoia uniquely predicted indirect aggression whereas an interaction between social status threat, paranoia, and social anxiety severity uniquely predicted direct aggression. These findings suggest that paranoia may be a particularly important contributor to aggression among individuals with social anxiety.

Strategies for Prevention and Management of Student Violence in Kristen Calvin Middle School Central Jakarta

School violence not only affects the physical health and safety of young people, but also their mental health, social relationships and academic performance. In addition to this, student violence in middle school has different degrees of impact on the perpetrators and those affected by the violence. This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the characteristics and manifestations of violent behavior among middle school students, and studies the related factors that influence violent behavior among middle school students. It explores the causes of school violence among middle school students from four perspectives: school, family, society, and the students themselves, and discusses the prevention and management strategies through interviews and literature research with Kristen Calvin Middle School as the research subject.

Associations between self and study partner report on the CFI with regional tau in a multi‐cohort study

AbstractBackgroundSelf‐report of cognitive decline is an early behavioral manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease at the preclinical stage, often thought to precede study partner‐report. Prior work has shown associations between subjective cognitive decline and amyloid, but less is known about tau deposition, particularly once tau has spread to neocortex. Using a multi‐cohort study of cognitively unimpaired individuals, we examined associations between self‐ and study partner‐report, amyloid and regional tau. Specifically, we hypothesized that greater self‐ and study partner‐report of cognitive decline would be observed with tau in the medial temporal lobe (MTL), whereas study partner‐report would be more strongly associated with neocortical (NEO) tau compared to self‐report.Method698 cognitively unimpaired individuals (55% elevated‐amyloid, mean age = 72.5, 58% female) came from the A4, LEARN, HABS, and SCD/IADL Studies. All participants underwent Flortaucipir‐PET quantified by SUVr. A MTL tau composite and a NEO tau composite were derived. An internally derived amyloid cut‐off was used for each study. Participants and their study partners completed the Cognitive Function Index (CFI), a 15‐item questionnaire asking about cognitive functioning over the last year. A series of linear regression models using tau (MTL vs. NEO) to predict CFI (self vs. study partner) were conducted, adjusting for age, sex, education, amyloid status and cohort.ResultWe first examined amyloid status and CFI and found elevated‐amyloid was associated with higher self‐report (t = 2.8, p = 0.017), but not study partner‐report (t = 1.5, p = 0.12). Building on this model, greater MTL tau was associated with greater self‐report (t = 3.30, p<0.001) and study partner‐report (t = 3.4, p<0.001), but not amyloid status. Greater NEO tau was associated with greater self‐report (t = 3.2, p = 0.002) and study partner‐report (t = 4.1, p<0.00001), but not amyloid status.ConclusionIn this multi‐cohort study of cognitively unimpaired individuals, elevated‐amyloid was associated with greater self‐report CFI, but not study partner‐report. When accounting for amyloid status, both MTL and NEO tau were significantly associated with both self and study‐partner report, but effects were numerically stronger for study partner for NEO tau. These findings suggest that CFI report both from the participants and their study partners is valuable at the preclinical stage, but may evolve with increasing tau spread.

Clustering of neuropsychiatric symptoms across time in Alzheimer’s disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment

AbstractBackgroundNeuropsychiatric symptoms are behavioural manifestations highly prevalent along the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continuum, including at the stage of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Although various projects have investigated the factors that underpin these symptoms, the most stable clustering pattern is still matter for debate; furthermore, to our knowledge, no study has investigated, longitudinally, how clusters might change due to development of AD pathology. Therefore, our objective is to investigate neuropsychiatric clusters over time, in a large sample of MCI and AD dementia patients.MethodsSamples were obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database (adni.loni.usc.edu), using data from the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), from the baseline assessment visit, followed up yearly until data recorded at month 72. The samples included MCI and AD dementia patients (based on ADNI’s inclusion criteria), presenting with at least one neuropsychiatric symptom at the time‐point selected. Using SPSS (Version 28), we performed a series of exploratory principal components analyses (PCA), Varimax rotation, and principal axis factor analyses (FA), comparing Promax and Direct Oblimin rotations.ResultsThe best‐fitting structure was interpreted at each time‐point, based on: Eigenvalues>1, items’ loadings>0.4, scree plot patterns, minimum 40% of variance explained by the model, and independence of factors. Results from both PCA and FA indicated that a unique structure could not be identified, as factors were not stable over time; however, some symptoms tended to load on the same factors across most measurements (i.e. delusions with hallucinations; agitation with depression, anxiety and irritability; to a lesser extent elation with disinhibition; apathy with aberrant motor behaviour, sleep disturbances and appetite disorder).ConclusionsThe available evidence reveals that factors underlying the neuropsychiatric symptoms in a sample of AD and MCI patients are not consistent across the time‐points. However, some symptoms tend to co‐occur across time, with implications, for example, that an investigation into one of those symptoms should consider the presence of the other; furthermore, as clear theoretically driven factors are not distinctively identified at every time‐point, this illustrates the potential importance of sample selection (e.g., disease stage, and/or heterogeneity) on studies of neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Vers une conceptualisation de l’anxiété de performance au travail

Plusieurs situations courantes en contexte de travail sont propices à l’expérience d’anxiété de performance. Toutefois, les connaissances sur l’anxiété de performance en milieu de travail sont encore limitées. Notamment, dans la littérature, aucune des définitions ne semble bien représenter ce phénomène complexe. Cet article tente donc une première conceptualisation de l’anxiété de performance au travail en se basant sur la littérature actuelle. Plus précisément, une analyse de différentes définitions et échelles portant sur l’anxiété de performance dans divers domaines a été réalisée. La conceptualisation proposée est composée de quatre dimensions, soient les manifestations somatiques, cognitives, comportementales et affectives. Cette conceptualisation opérationalisable permettra de poursuivre les travaux des auteurs qui souhaitent développer une échelle de mesure.

Влияние стиля управления на уровень конфликтогенности в воинских коллективах

The aim of this article is to study the influence of management style on the level of conflictogenicity in the mili-tary collectives. To achieve this goal, as part of the research, the author has analyzed the existing management styles of military collectives and their impact on building relationships between officers and military personnel. One of the key objectives of this study was to determine the relationship between management style and the factors that have a direct impact on the conflictogenicity in the military collectives, namely: socio-psychological climate, compliance with internal informal rules and norms, and the presence of informal microgroups. Be-sides, the author has analyzed the phenomenon of conflictogenicity: its essence, components, peculiarities of monitoring and detection of conflictogenicity in in the military collectives. It is revealed that the level of conflic-togenicity in the military collectives is significantly influenced by the implemented management style, as the leader’s behavior affects not only the socio-psychological climate of the military collectives, but also the mani-festation of psycho-emotional reactions and social behavior of its members. Conclusions. According to the re-sults of the conducted research, the author revealed that the following is a characteristic feature of the military collectives: the management style should be sufficiently rigid so that in situations of increasing social tension the participants of the military collectives do not carry out rash actions that go beyond the established norms and rules.

Β-Lactam Antibiotic Ceftriaxone As a Potential Therapeutic Intervention for Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Disease

Sickle cell disease (SCD) features the presence of complex physiologic changes beyond a simple vasculopathy. Among its most debilitating neurological complications, chronic pain remains a challenging condition with limited effective treatments. Patients with SCD suffer tremendous pain every day. β-Lactam antibiotics have been shown to offer neuroprotection by promoting glutamate transporter GLT1 expression in the nervous system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ceftriaxone, a prototype beta-lactam antibiotic, on chronic pain in SCD. In a humanized mouse model of SCD, spontaneous ongoing pain as well as evoked hypersensitivity to mechanical and thermal stimuli were present in mice carrying human sickle hemoglobin, but not non-sickle control littermates. Notably, prominent activation of astrocytes was observed in the spinal cord dorsal horn region in the mice with SCD. As compared with non-sickle littermates, the spinal expression of GLT1 was dramatically decreased in sickle cell mice. Repeated intraperitoneal administration of ceftriaxone effectively attenuated spontaneous pain, mechanical allodynia, and heat hyperalgesia in mice with SCD. We found the pain reversal effect by ceftriaxone (200 mg/kg, i.p., for 7 days) lasted for at least 4 weeks. Correlating with the behavioral manifestations, ceftriaxone significantly deactivated astrocytes and elevated the level of GLT1 in the spinal cord in the mice with SCD. These findings suggest that ceftriaxone alleviates both non-evoke ongoing pain and evoked pain in SCD by up-regulating spinal GLT1 expression, which highlights the possibility of a new clinical strategy to treat chronic pain in SCD. This study sheds light on the role of astrocyte activation in SCD and lays the foundation for the development of a potential new intervention for chronic pain in sickle cell disease.

Estudio multicéntrico. Percepción de los profesionales de enfermería sobre las necesidades formativas de valoración del dolor en pacientes pediátricos con disfunción cognitiva

IntroductionPediatric patients with cognitive dysfunction are at greater risk of pain than typically developing children. Pain assessment in these patients is complex and could generate uncertainty in health professionals about what the key aspects are. AimTo determine the training needs perceived by nursing professionals regarding acute pain assessment in pediatric patients with cognitive dysfunction. MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional, and multicenter study was performed using a survey addressed to nursing professionals who work in pediatrics during the months of August and September 2022. Results163 responses were obtained. Most of the professionals who responded were female (92.6%, n=151), with a mean age of 38.98±10.40 years. The most frequent work unit was the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), in 36% (n=58). Most of the participants reported not having previously received training on pain assessment in pediatric patients with cognitive disabilities (85.9%, n=139). However, 70.4% (n=114) considered it “very necessary” for the development of their work to receive specific training on this topic. Knowing how to assess acute pain in this population (85.3%, n=139) and knowing the clinical and behavioral manifestations of pain in this type of patient (84.7%, n=138) were the aspects that obtained higher scores. ConclusionThis research notes more than 90% of participants consider “quite necessary” and “strong necessary” to be training in pediatric cognitive dysfunction patients pain assessment. Furthermore, work experience, academic education and to be pediatric specialist obtain statistical significance data.

Dorsal Striatal Functional Connectivity and Repetitive Behavior Dimensions in Children and Youths With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

BackgroundImpairing repetitive behaviors are one of the core diagnostic symptoms in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but they also manifest in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Although the dorsal striatal circuit has been implicated in repetitive behaviors, extensive heterogeneity in and cross-diagnostic manifestations of these behaviors have suggested phenotypic and likely neurobiological heterogeneity across neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). MethodsIntrinsic dorsal striatal functional connectivity was examined in 3 NDDs (autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and typically developing control participants in a large single-cohort sample (N = 412). To learn how diagnostic labels and overlapping behaviors manifest in dorsal striatal functional connectivity measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging, the main and interaction effects of diagnosis and behavior were examined in 8 models (2 seed functional connectivity [caudate and putamen] × 4 sub-behavioral domains [sameness/ritualistic, self-injury, stereotypy, and compulsions]). ResultsThe obsessive-compulsive disorder group demonstrated distinctive patterns in visual and visuomotor coordination regions compared with the other diagnostic groups. Lower-order repetitive behaviors (self-injury and stereotypy) manifesting across all participants were implicated in regions involved in motor and cognitive control, although the findings did not survive effects of multiple comparisons, suggesting heterogeneity in these behavioral domains. An interaction between self-injurious behavior and an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis were observed on caudate-cerebellum functional connectivity. ConclusionsThese findings confirmed high heterogeneity and overlapping behavioral manifestations in NDDs and their complex underlying neural mechanisms. A call for diagnosis-free symptom measures that can capture not only observable symptoms and severity across NDDs but also the underlying functions and motivations of such behaviors across diagnoses is needed.

Current advancement in the preclinical models used for the assessment of diabetic neuropathy.

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the prevalent and debilitating microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus, affecting a significant portion of the global population. Relational preclinical animal models are essential to understand its pathophysiology and develop effective treatments. This abstract provides an overview of current knowledge and advancements in such models. Various animal models have been developed to mimic the multifaceted aspects of human diabetic neuropathy, including both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These models involve rodents (rats and mice) and larger animals like rabbits and dogs. Induction of diabetic neuropathy in these models is achieved through chemical, genetic, or dietary interventions, such as diabetogenic agents, genetic modifications, or high-fat diets. Preclinical animal models have greatly contributed to studying the intricate molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying diabetic neuropathy. They have shed light on hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered neurotrophic factor signaling. Additionally, these models have allowed for the investigation of morphological changes, functional alterations, and behavioral manifestations associated with diabetic neuropathy. These models have also been crucial for evaluating the efficacy and safety of potential therapeutic interventions. Novel pharmacological agents, gene therapies, stem cell-based approaches, exercise, dietary modifications, and neurostimulation techniques have been tested using these models. However, limitations and challenges remain, including physiological differences between humans and animals, complex neuropathy phenotypes, and the need for translational validation. In conclusion, preclinical animal models have played a vital role in advancing our understanding and management of diabetic neuropathy. They have enhanced our knowledge of disease mechanisms, facilitated the development of novel treatments, and provided a platform for translational research. Ongoing efforts to refine and validate these models are crucial for future treatment developments for this debilitating condition.

Building blocks of imagination

In the human context, the ubiquitous faculty of imagination is taken for granted. Whether we are singularly equipped with this ability or whether it is an evolved faculty also present in other life forms is a question that has been an issue ever since Darwin. A variety of research projects have indicated the presence of mental processes in non-human taxa and the faculty of imagination developed with increasing complexity over time, to its present status in humans. As an evolved faculty, encompassing a variety of non-humans, it serves as a useful tool to ascertain and understand the origins and unique quality of human mental processes, even to the extent of informing certain medical issues and problems in education. Several pointers exist that argue for human imagination as an evolved faculty that is shared within broad spectrum of taxa. Paleoanthropological research has provided insights as to the role of imagination in the early manifestations of religious behaviour in humans, the construction of effective stone tools by anatomically modern humans employing pyro technology, as well as their ability to mentally link ostensibly non-related natural phenomena like tidal fluctuations and the phases of the moon.Contribution: This review article explores imagination as an evolved faculty in an intersectional and interdisciplinary manner. This evolutionary reflection fits well with the purpose and inclusive nature of this special collection on the building blocks of our past, present and future.

High-Dose Docosahexaenoic Acid in Newborns Born at Less Than 29 Weeks’ Gestation and Behavior at Age 5 Years

Children born at less than 29 weeks' gestation are at risk of behavioral difficulties. This may be due in part to the lack of transplacental supply of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a key fatty acid with structural and functional roles in the brain. To determine whether meeting the neonatal DHA requirement through supplementation is associated with improved behavioral functioning of children born at less than 29 weeks' gestation. This was a follow-up of children from 10 Australian participating centers in a multi-center, blinded, parallel group randomized clinical trial of infants born at less than 29 weeks' gestation conducted from June 2012 and September 2015, excluding those with additional fatty acid supplementation or major congenital or chromosomal abnormalities. Follow-up took place from August 2018 to May 2021. Parents of surviving children who had not withdrawn from the original trial were invited to complete questionnaires when the child turned 5 years' corrected age. Infants were randomized to receive daily enteral emulsions providing 60 mg/kg/d of DHA or a soy-oil emulsion (with no DHA) from within the first 3 days of enteral feeding until 36 weeks' postmenstrual age or discharge home, whichever occurred first. The primary outcome of this follow-up was parent-rated behavior and emotional functioning as indicated by the Total Difficulties score of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents also completed questionnaires about their child's behavioral manifestations of executive functioning, as well as a range of health outcomes to assess potential longer-term side effects of DHA intervention. Primary outcome data were available for 731 children (76% of 958 surviving eligible children; 361 in the intervention group and 370 in the control group). Of these 731, 452 (47%) were female, and the mean (SD) corrected age at follow-up was 5.4 (0.5) years. Following imputation for missing data, the mean Total Difficulties score was the same in both groups (intervention group, n = 465; mean [SD], 11.8 [6.3]; control group, n = 493; mean [SD], 11.8 [6.0]; mean difference adjusted for sex, gestational age stratum, and hospital, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.87 to 0.89; P = .98). There was no evidence for differences between the groups in any secondary outcomes of behavior, executive functioning, or health. In this follow-up of a randomized clinical trial, enteral DHA supplementation at the equivalent of the estimated in utero dose for infants born at less than 29 weeks' gestation did not improve behavioral functioning at age 5 years. There were no indications of adverse effects with DHA supplementation. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12612000503820.

A Machine Learning Approach Unveils the Relationships between Sickness Behavior and Interoception after Vaccination: Suggestions for Psychometric Indices of Higher Vulnerability.

Prior research has suggested a possible connection between vaccination and manifestations of Sickness Behavior; however, a need remains to first delve deeper into this association and second examine how Interoceptive Awareness and emotional factors may modulate individuals' perceptions of their health status post vaccination. An online retrospective cross-sectional survey of 647 individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccination was conducted. Together with vaccination side effects, socio-demographic characteristics, health status, level of concern about vaccination, and Interoceptive Awareness were collected at the baseline level. Mood, sleep, and Sickness Behavior were assessed at baseline and after vaccination. Data were analyzed using inferential statistics and machine learning techniques. After vaccination, there was a significant increase in Sickness Behavior levels (mean (±SD) SicknessQ T0 = 1.57 (±2.72), mean (±SD) SicknessQ T1 = 5.54 (±5.51); p-value = 0.001; ES = 0.77). A Machine Learning analysis revealed specific patterns of individual dispositions (sex and age), baseline emotional characteristics (levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and concern about adverse reactions), as well as some components of Interoceptive Awareness (Noticing, Body Listening, and Attention Regulation), as predictors of high levels of Sickness Behavior, both in terms of overall scores (JRIP: 72.65% accuracy, AUC = 0.692, d = 0.709; F1 = 0.726) and individual items (JRIP: 75.77% accuracy, AUC = 0.694; d = 0.717; F1 = 0.754). Our results provide new insight into post-immune reactions by highlighting the contribution of Interoceptive Awareness in modulating the severity of Sickness Behavior. This sheds light on the role of awareness of bodily sensations in modulating perceptions of health status, helping to identify the characteristics that make individuals more prone to feeling sick.

Preservation of Indigenous Women's Traditions and Behavior Within The Framework of Cultural Relativism in Indigenous Communities (A Study of Empirical Approaches in Legal Anthropology)

Customs and values within Indigenous communities form the basis of customary behavior in understanding human conduct, particularly in the context of Balinese indigenous women's behavior as guardians of tradition in an empirical approach to legal anthropology. This means that the legal norms used to observe the behaviors of Balinese indigenous women as custodians of indigenous traditions within the frame of cultural relativism represent legal realities apparent in legal situations or any legal events that genuinely occur within the indigenous community, as manifestations of the indigenous women's behaviors in preserving sacred traditions. This is based on an empirical approach to Legal Anthropology. Whether acknowledged or not by the indigenous community, the empirical approach to cultural relativism fundamentally holds a social and cultural value system that can serve as the social capital of the nation. The community's attitudes and behaviors rooted in tradition are guided by values believed to be true, exemplifying the traditional values and cultures passed down through generations and perceived as instruments for social control and religious values that guide human life, manifesting the preservation of local cultural relativism among the local indigenous community. Indigenous communities in these regions become the focal research site with the hope of safeguarding traditional values as a reinforcement of customary practices, the culture, and the traditions of the local indigenous community, which embody the manifestation of protected local wisdom governed by regional customary laws. The methodological approach utilized involves the Empirical Approach of Legal Anthropology linked with the theory of cultural relativism, leading to the conclusion that the approach involves field observations, interviews with research informants, and analyzing primary, secondary, and tertiary data sources through the lens of cultural relativism concerning the behaviors of indigenous women based on an empirical approach within the context of indigenous customary law.

Behavioral guidance for improving dental care in autistic spectrum disorders.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) impair many aspects of everyday life and may prevent access to dental care, often limiting it to emergencies. Impaired oral health has long-lasting negative consequences on health status and on the acquisition of oral habits (e.g., oral respiration and grinding) or competencies (e.g., proper speech production). Children with ASD may be scared in the dental setting, which is rich in sensory stimuli and requires physical contact. Due to their behavioral manifestations, they represent a challenge for dentists and hygienists. We created a dedicated pathway with behavioral support for children with ASD to allow dental care and possibly limit the use of general anesthesia. We evaluated the effects of behavioral support in a quasi-experimental design by comparing two groups of children with ASD. The first group (n = 84) was visited every 2 months for 3 years and received additional support (visual aids, caregiver training, and longer visit duration). A control group, matched for age and sex, was visited at least twice a year or more, if needed, according to standard healthcare guidelines. Compliance with the schedule was high throughout the 3 years. The degree of collaboration significantly improved after 1 year in the supported group, while the control group did not change. At the end of the study, collaboration remained significantly higher than at the beginning in the supported group. Half of dental treatments were possible without general anesthesia in supported children. No adverse effect was apparent on collaboration due to COVID-19 restrictions. Behavioral techniques improved the compliance of ASD children to regular dentistry visits and treatment. Furthermore, oral hygiene at home was similarly improved, addressing oral health from a lifelong perspective.

DDX3X Syndrome Behavioral Manifestations with Particular Emphasis on Psycho-Pathological Symptoms-A Review.

(1) Background: Identification of typical behavioral manifestations in patients with DEAD-Box Helicase 3 X-linked gene (DDX3X) variants plays a crucial role in accurately diagnosing and managing the syndrome. The objective of this paper was to carry out a review of medical and public databases and assess the behavioral features of the DDX3X syndrome (DDX3X), with a particular focus on psycho-pathological symptoms. (2) Methods: An extensive computerized search was conducted in various databases, including PubMed, Medline Complete, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science. Specific keywords and Medical Subject Headings were used to ensure the inclusion of relevant studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were applied to assess the methodological quality of the manuscripts. (3) Results: Only nine papers out of the 272 assessed met the inclusion criteria. These articles revealed various psycho-pathological manifestations in patients with the DDX3X syndrome. Intellectual disability (ID) or developmental disability (DD), speech delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), self-injurious behaviors (SIBs), sensory symptoms and sleep disturbance were demonstrated to be the most common psycho-pathological behavior manifestations. (4) Conclusions: Patients with the DDX3X syndrome manifest a wide spectrum of psycho-pathological symptoms. A comprehensive investigation of these symptoms in patients is essential for early diagnosis and effective therapy.

Mindfulness Skills Intervention for Alleviating Stress Manifestations Among Nursing Students in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria

The literature has indicated that nursing students are among the healthcare students that experience higher level of stress; which makes it imperative to provide them with relevant skills they can employ to overcome stressful life conditions. This study thus adopted mindfulness skills intervention to alleviate stress manifestations among nursing students in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to examine the effect of mindfulness skills training on physical, behavioural and psychological manifestations of stress among the participants. Using a quasi-experimental study of the pre-test, post-test design, three null hypotheses guided the conduct of this study. The population of the study consisted of 234 University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital nursing school students. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 15 participants in the treatment group. An adapted “Stress Questionnaire” (with a Reliability Index of .88) from Sinha et al. (2016) was used for data collection. The data collected were analysed using percentage and paired t-test was used to test the null hypotheses formulated at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that mindfulness skills intervention reduced the physical (t = 19.17, p < .05); behavioural (t = 11.25, p < .05); and psychological (t = 11.51, p < .05) manifestations of stress among the study participants. Based on these findings, it was concluded that mindfulness skills intervention is not only applicable in clinical setting but can also be applied in an educational environment; hence, a comprehensive knowledge of the process and steps involved in these training becomes imperative for school counsellors to avail themselves with for imparting positive change in clients who are going through stressful situations. Therefore, it was recommended, among others, that professional counsellors should equip nursing students with such skills in order to help them overcome the physical, behavioural and psychological manifestations of stress.