Tween Research Articles

Exploring Primary School Staff Responses to Student Reports of Bullying in Australia: A Qualitative Study

AbstractBullying behaviour often increases in late childhood and peaks in early adolescence. While interventions to address bullying behaviour typically encourage students to report bullying incidents to school staff, students are often reluctant to report incidents for fear it will worsen their situation or because they lack confidence in a staff members’ ability to intervene effectively. This study explores school staff responses to student reports of bullying behaviour. School staff were recruited from Catholic and Independent schools in Perth, Western Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school staff (n = 19) working with students in grades four to six (approximately 8–12 years). A thematic analysis of the data was undertaken with the assistance of qualitative data analysis software NVivo. Staff reported a variety of responses to student reports of bullying incidents. Responses involved bullying targets, bullying perpetrators and the school community. School and individual factors found to influence staff responses included life experiences, adequate time to deal with bullying and the influence of colleagues. Suggested strategies to improve staff responses were clear school policies and procedures, scheduled times to deal with student reports, databases to record bullying incidents and professional development for school staff.

Lifelong effects of prenatal and early postnatal stress on the hippocampus, amygdala, and psychological states of Holocaust survivors

This study focuses on hippocampal and amygdala volume, seed-based connectivity, and psychological traits of Holocaust survivors who experienced stress during prenatal and early postnatal development. We investigated people who lived in Central Europe during the Holocaust and who, as Jews, were in imminent danger. The group who experienced stress during their prenatal development and early postnatal (PreP) period (n = 11) were compared with a group who experienced Holocaust-related stress later in their lives: in late childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood (ChA) (n = 21). The results of volumetry analysis showed significantly lower volumes of both hippocampi and the right amygdala in the PreP group. Seed-based connectivity analysis revealed increased connectivity from the seed in the right amygdala to the middle and posterior cingulate cortex, caudate, and inferior left frontal operculum in the PreP group. Psychological testing found higher levels of traumatic stress symptoms (TCS-40) and lower levels of well-being (SOS-10) in the PreP group than in the ChA group. The results of our study demonstrate that extreme stress experienced during prenatal and early postnatal life has a profound lifelong impact on the hippocampus and amygdala and on several psychological characteristics.

Beyond the RewP: The reward feedback-elicited LPP and its potential associations with perceived stress and internalizing symptoms in late childhood

Internalizing problems increase substantially during late childhood and early adolescence, which are known to be associated with elevated perceived stress as children transition into adolescence. One risk factor that may moderate the stress-symptom association is reward processing. While neurophysiological research in this field has focused on the reward positivity component (RewP) elicited during reward processing, little work has examined the reward feedback-elicited late positive potential (LPP) and its association with internalizing psychopathology. The present study examined the moderating roles of the RewP and feedback-elicited LPP in the relationship between perceived stress and internalizing symptoms in late childhood. A community sample of 115 nine-to-12-year-old children (66 girls, Mean age = 11.00 years, SD = 1.16) completed an EEG version of the reward feedback paradigm, the Doors task, and completed questionnaires on perceived stress and internalizing symptoms. A principal component analysis revealed three temporo-spatial factors that were temporally and spatially analogous to the RewP, anterior LPP, and posterior LPP, respectively. As expected, an enlarged RewP was found towards the win condition compared to the loss condition. We also observed a potentiated LPP towards loss relative to win feedback, which may reflect the evaluation and reappraisal processes following unsuccessful performance (i.e., loss). We did not, however, find significant moderating effects of any ERP components on the stress-symptom association. Our study was first to isolate the feedback-elicited LPP in a reward processing paradigm in children and provide initial evidence on the modulation of the ERP component by task conditions. Future research is warranted to further explore the functional significance of the reward feedback-elicited LPP in association with perceived stress and internalizing psychopathology in youths.

Cross-sectional evaluation of the association between greenness and cognitive performance in Mexican pre-pubertal boys

BackgroundEvidence shows that greenspace exposure benefits children's health and cognitive development. However, evidence assessing this association in young children in low- and middle-income economies is scarce. ObjectiveTo assess the association between exposure to greenness and cognitive performance in pre-pubertal boys living in Mexico City. MethodsCross-sectional study using data from 144 boys aged 6–11 years living in Mexico City in 2017 and enrolled in the “MetCog” study. Cognitive performance was evaluated through selected Wechsler Scale for Intelligence in Children Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Neuropsychological Assessment of Children (Evaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil, ENI) tests. Exposure to greenness was assessed through Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at 300, 500, 1500, 2000, and 3000 m buffer zones from children's residences. Multiple linear regression analysis was undertaken to assess associations between cognitive performance and greenness (aβ) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and adjusted for potential confounding variables. Significance was set at q < 0.05 after False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction. ResultsA positive association was found between the NDVI Interquartile Range (IQR) at 2000 m and the WISC-IV block design test score (aβ 2000 = 1.18, 95% CI = 0.31, 2.06; q < 0.05), which assesses perceptual reasoning. Positive associations were found with NDVI IQR at 1500 m and WISC-IV block design (aβ1500 = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.14, 1.86) and matrix reasoning (aβ1500 = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.06, 1.61) scores, but neither survived FDR correction. No significant associations were found between NDVI IQR at any buffer size with other WISC-IV and ENI task scores. ConclusionsGreater exposure to greenness was associated with higher perceptual reasoning skills in 144 pre-pubertal boys living in Mexico City. Thus, urban planning should consider increasing vegetation in megacities, especially in neighbourhoods with high percentages of young children.

Asynchronous development of memory integration and differentiation influences temporal memory organization.

Adults remember items with shared contexts as occurring closer in time to one another than those associated with different contexts, even when their objective temporal distance is fixed. Such temporal memory biases are thought to reflect within-event integration and between-event differentiation processes that organize events according to their contextual similarities and differences, respectively. Within-event integration and between-event differentiation are hypothesized to differentially rely on binding and control processes, which may develop at different ages. To test this hypothesis, 5- to 12-year-olds and adults (N=134) studied quartets of image pairs that contained either the same scene (same-context) or different scenes (different-context). Participants remembered same-context items as occurring closer in time by older childhood (7-9 years), whereas different-context items were remembered as occurring farther apart by early adolescence (10-12 years). The differential emergence of these temporal memory biases suggests within-event integration and between-event differentiation emerge at different ages. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children are less likely than adults to use contextual information (e.g., location) to organize their continuous experience in memory, as indicated by temporal memory biases. Biases reflecting within-event integration (i.e., remembering elements with a shared context as occurring closer together in time) emerged in late childhood. Biases reflecting between-event differentiation (i.e., remembering elements from different contexts as occurring farther apart in time) emerged in early adolescence. The differential emergence of biases reflecting within-event integration and between-event differentiation suggests they are distinct, yet complementary, processes that support developmental improvements in event memory organization.

Longitudinal Characterization of the Clinical Course of Intermediate-Severe Salla Disease

BackgroundBiallelic pathogenic variants in SLC17A5 cause three forms of free sialic acid storage disease categorized based on severity from least to most severe: Salla disease, intermediate-severe Salla disease, and infantile free sialic acid storage disease. Intermediate-severe Salla disease is the most recently described form. Here, we report a longitudinal characterization of intermediate-severe Salla disease progression in two sisters carrying the following biallelic variants in SLC17A5: c.406A>G (p.Lys136Glu) and c.819+1G>A. MethodsA retrospective review of medical records was performed. A developmental questionnaire was completed to obtain further clinical information. For functional characterization of the predicted splice site variant, RNA was extracted from patient blood samples and sequenced. ResultsDisease onset occurred within the first six months of life in both patients. Early childhood development was delayed with achievement of some milestones followed by a developmental plateau in late childhood. After this, both patients began a slow and progressive neurological regression in adolescence. Functional studies confirmed the pathogenicity of the c.819+1G>A variant, resulting in a frameshift and deletion of exon 6. ConclusionsWe present a detailed study describing the clinical course of intermediate-severe Salla disease with over 15 to 20 years of evolution and demonstrate the pathogenicity of the c.819+1G>A splice site variant.

Supplemental Material for Do Temperament Trajectories From Late Childhood Through Adolescence Predict Success in School? Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Mexican-Origin Youth

Supplemental Material for Do Temperament Trajectories From Late Childhood Through Adolescence Predict Success in School? Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Mexican-Origin Youth

Eight‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's emerging subjective social status identity and intergroup attitudes

AbstractDrawing on social identity development theory, this study investigated a socioeconomically diverse sample of 8‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's (N = 93) subjective social status (SSS), how they determined and identified with their SSS, and whether their own SSS related to their social preferences for individuals from other SSS groups. Children primarily referenced material resources, lifestyles, money, and relative comparisons when explaining how they determined their SSS. Although all children identified with their SSS ingroup and viewed it positively, higher‐SSS children reported stronger identification with their SSS ingroup than did middle‐SSS children. Finally, regardless of their own SSS, children liked higher‐SSS individuals less, on average, than middle‐ or lower‐SSS individuals. Overall, this study provides novel evidence for the emergence of SSS identity in late childhood and its early relations to SSS intergroup preferences.

Development of highly stable phytosterol oleogel particle-based emulsions with improved bioaccessibility of ꞵ-carotene

Oral administration is the most preferred route for drug and bioactive delivery, although it raises great challenges due to the involvement of the gastrointestinal (GI) system and limited bioavailability. In this research, gelled oil particle-based emulsion with long shelf life and high gastrointestinal stability was successfully formulated using ꞵ-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol (SO) mixtures, as structuring agents, and tween 80 (TN80) as a surfactant. The effect of TN80 concentration, emulsification speed, γ-oryzanol and ꞵ-sitosterol ratio, and SO concentration was examined. The results show that the particle size was significantly reduced with homogenization speed, surfactant concentration, and SO concentration. The effect of SO concentration was further analyzed under simulated GI conditions and changes in their particle size, zeta potential, morphology, and ꞵ-carotene release were assessed. GI digestion tests revealed that unstructured oil particle-based emulsions exhibit a higher probability for particle coalescence compared to oleogel particle-based emulsions. The extent of lipid digestion was correlated to the particle size, with higher digestion extent at smaller particle size, and to the oleogel-network mechanical strength, with lower digestion extent in denser particle network. During the lipolysis process, smaller mixed micelles were formed when the particles were prepared using higher SO concentrations. Interestingly, an appreciable increase in the ꞵ-carotene bioaccessibility was observed, reaching maximum value at 10 %wt. SO, implying the effect of oil structuring on the ꞵ-carotene release process. Overall, these results suggest that the combination of solid texture and liquid lipid core in the oleogel particles offers mechanical protection and molecular micellization ability during digestion. Such characteristics can be utilized for effective encapsulation systems able to improve the bioaccessibility of hydrophobic molecules.

Intuitive mapping between nonsymbolic quantity and observed action across development

Adults’ concurrent processing of numerical and action information yields bidirectional interference effects consistent with a cognitive link between these two systems of representation. This link is in place early in life: infants create expectations of congruency across numerical and action-related stimuli (i.e., a small [large] hand aperture associated with a smaller [larger] numerosity). Although these studies point to a developmental continuity of this mapping, little is known about the later development and thus how experience shapes such relationships. We explored how number–action intuitions develop across early and later childhood using the same methodology as in adults. We asked 3-, 6-, and 8-year-old children, as well as adults, to relate the magnitude of an observed action (a static hand shape, open vs. closed, in Experiment 1; a dynamic hand movement, opening vs. closing, in Experiment 2) to either a small or large nonsymbolic quantity (numerosity in Experiment 1 and numerosity and/or object size in Experiment 2). From 6 years of age, children started performing in a systematic congruent way in some conditions, but only 8-year-olds (added in Experiment 2) and adults performed reliably above chance in this task. We provide initial evidence that early intuitions guiding infants’ mapping between magnitude across nonsymbolic number and observed action are used in an explicit way only from late childhood, with a mapping between action and size possibly being the most intuitive. An initial coarse mapping between number and action is likely modulated with extensive experience with grasping and related actions directed to both arrays and individual objects.

Phenylalanine Tolerance over Time in Phenylketonuria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

In phenylketonuria (PKU), natural protein tolerance is defined as the maximum natural protein intake maintaining a blood phenylalanine (Phe) concentration within a target therapeutic range. Tolerance is affected by several factors, and it may differ throughout a person's lifespan. Data on lifelong Phe/natural protein tolerance are limited and mostly reported in studies with low subject numbers. This systematic review aimed to investigate how Phe/natural protein tolerance changes from birth to adulthood in well-controlled patients with PKU on a Phe-restricted diet. Five electronic databases were searched for articles published until July 2020. From a total of 1334 results, 37 articles met the eligibility criteria (n = 2464 patients), and 18 were included in the meta-analysis. The mean Phe (mg/day) and natural protein (g/day) intake gradually increased from birth until 6 y (at the age of 6 months, the mean Phe intake was 267 mg/day, and natural protein intake was 5.4 g/day; at the age of 5 y, the mean Phe intake was 377 mg/day, and the natural protein intake was 8.9 g/day). However, an increase in Phe/natural protein tolerance was more apparent at the beginning of late childhood and was >1.5-fold that of the Phe tolerance in early childhood. During the pubertal growth spurt, the mean natural protein/Phe tolerance was approximately three times higher than in the first year of life, reaching a mean Phe intake of 709 mg/day and a mean natural protein intake of 18 g/day. Post adolescence, a pooled analysis could only be performed for natural protein intake. The mean natural protein tolerance reached its highest (32.4 g/day) point at the age of 17 y and remained consistent (31.6 g/day) in adulthood, but limited data were available. The results of the meta-analysis showed that Phe/natural protein tolerance (expressed as mg or g per day) increases with age, particularly at the beginning of puberty, and reaches its highest level at the end of adolescence. This needs to be interpreted with caution as limited data were available in adult patients. There was also a high degree of heterogeneity between studies due to differences in sample size, the severity of PKU, and target therapeutic levels for blood Phe control.

Social and emotional adjustment, post-traumatic stress disorder, and representations of family relationships: The effects of intimate partner violence on very young children

IntroductionPregnancy and the birth of a child are times of great vulnerability that can disrupt the couple and sometimes trigger violence. ObjectiveThis study sets out to examine how a child's exposure to intimate partner violence at a very young age can impact their development and adjustment, and more specifically, to highlight the social, emotional, traumatic and family consequences for children exposed to intimate partner violence in early or late childhood. MethodOur sample comprised 46 children aged between 5 and 12. The following measurement tools were used: SAGA (Systemic Analysis of Group Affiliation) test (Compagnone, 2009) for family cohesion representations, CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) (Achenbach, 1991) for social and emotional adjustment, and TSCC (Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children) (Briere, 1989) for post-traumatic stress. ResultsResults indicate that children exposed to intimate partner violence at an early age are the most likely to present symptoms of anxiety and depression. ConclusionThe representation of the cohesiveness of the mother–child relationship plays a moderating role between the onset of intimate partner violence and the externalized adjustment displayed by the children. This leads us to posit that a poor cohesive mother–child relationship is a risk factor for the child's adjustment.

Does social origin modify the heritability of cognitive ability? A close look at the relevance of different parental resources

Cognitive ability plays a prominent role among individual characteristics favorable for success in life. The extent to which endowments for cognitive ability can be realized is an important aspect of unequal life chances in a society. Social origin is considered particularly relevant for realizing cognitive genetic potentials, but related empirical findings are mixed. This paper examines whether there are differences in the interactions between genetic variation and social origin across distinct parental resources and whether the patterns of interactions are (non)linear for three different cohorts of twins (late childhood, adolescents, young adults). Our results showed inconsistent interaction patterns across cohorts and parental resources. A pattern following the Scarr-Rowe Interaction (SRI) was observed only for the younger twins (late childhood) and only for parental occupational status. There were (for the most) no interaction patterns for the adolescent twins. For the young adult twins, patterns partly followed a “reverse” SRI. Taken together, the results suggested that, first of all, parental occupational status and household income moderate either genetic or environmental contributions to cognitive ability in Germany, however, not consistently as a Scarr-Rowe interaction. Using composite measures would have obscured these differential effects of social origin. The interaction patterns are mostly not in line with an SRI but can be approximated using a linear approach in many cases.

Polysorbate Analysis in Biopharmaceutical Applications—A Snapshot of the Analytical Toolbox

Polysorbates (PS) are added to biopharmaceutical formulations to stabilize proteins and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and to prevent aggregation, denaturation, and surface adsorption. Polysorbate analysis can be challenging because of their inherent complexity, polydispersity, and their presence in matrices containing high concentrations of proteins and other excipients such as sugars, amino acids, salts, and buffers. This instalment of “Biopharmaceutical Perspectives” provides an overview of different approaches for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of polysorbates, its impurities and degradants in raw material, intermediate dilutions, drug substance, and drug products. Various gas (GC) and liquid chromatography (LC) methods and accompanying detection techniques are briefly discussed and illustrated with results obtained at the authors’ laboratory.

Development of prosocial behavior and inhibitory control in late childhood: A longitudinal exploration of sex differences and reciprocal relations.

This study examined longitudinal development of prosocial behavior, assessed by the parent-reported Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire, and inhibitory control, measured by the Opposite Worlds Task, in a sample aged 9 and 12 years (n = 9468, 49.9% girls, 85.8% White) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The goal was to assess whether the level of prosocial behavior at age 9 relates to change in inhibitory control, and vice versa. Sex differences were also explored. Latent change score models showed that low inhibitory control in boys at age 9 was associated with more decreases in prosocial behavior from 9 to 12 years of age. This may suggest that interventions targeting inhibitory control in boys may also foster their social competence.

Screening techniques for monitoring the sub-visible particle formation of free fatty acids in biopharmaceuticals

Free fatty acid (FFA) particles that originate from the enzymatic hydrolysis of polysorbate (PS) via co-purified host cell proteins generally appear abruptly in drug products during real-time (long-term) storage. Efforts were taken to understand the kinetics of FFA particle formation, aiming for a mitigation strategy. However, it is rather challenging particularly in the sub-visible particle (SVP) range, due to either the insufficient sensitivity of the analytical techniques used or the interference of the formulation matrices of proteinaceous drug products. In this study, we examined the feasibility of Raman microscopy, backgrounded membrane imaging (BMI) and total holographic characterization (THC) on the detection of FFA sub-visible particles (SVPs). The results indicate that THC is the most sensitive technique to track their occurrence during the course of PS hydrolysis. Moreover, with this technique we are able to distinguish different stages of FFA particle formation in the medium. In addition, a real time stability study of a biopharmaceutical was analyzed, demonstrating the viability of THC to monitor SVPs in a real sample and correlate it to the visible particles (VPs) occurrence.

Dynamics of parenting and children’s coping: Bidirectional effects between parent motivational support and children’s academic coping during late childhood and early adolescence

The present study examined the interconnections between parental motivational support and children’s academic coping as a bidirectional system, with each social partner shaping changes in the other, using a two-wave sample of 1,020 students in grades three through six, aged 8–13, measured at the beginning and end of one school year in a school district in the northeastern United States. Using a motivational model of academic coping that specified both core ways of coping and a set of interpersonal motivational resources that parents can offer their children, cross-lagged panel path models examined whether initial levels of parent support (a combination of involvement, structure, and autonomy support) predicted changes in both children’s total coping profile and their individual adaptive and maladaptive ways of coping, while simultaneously investigating whether children’s coping profile and individual ways predicted changes in parenting. Results for children’s total coping profile and individual adaptive ways supported hypotheses about reciprocal effects, whereas findings for individual maladaptive ways of coping were more differentiated: Parenting predicted changes in coping for all maladaptive ways except rumination, but only concealment, self-pity, and projection predicted changes in parenting. Results did not differ by grade or gender. Potential avenues for future research, limitations, and implications for parenting practice were discussed.

Effects of food emulsifiers on high fat-diet-induced obesity, intestinal inflammation, changes in bile acid profile, and liver dysfunction

Obesity has become one of the most prevalent health concerns of our time. A long-term high-fat diet is closely related to obesity. Food emulsifiers are incorporated into high-fat foods to enhance the texture and stability. Whether food emulsifiers exacerbate obesity and metabolic disorders induced by a high-fat diet remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of polysorbate-80 (P80) and polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) on lipid metabolism, bile acid profile, and gut microbiota in normal and high-fat-diet-induced obesity in mice. The results of this study showed that P80 and PGPR had little effect on body weight but significantly increased epididymal-fat weight, total energy intake, and blood lipid levels. P80 and PGPR stimulated colon inflammation and improved the expression of inflammatory factors in the colon and liver significantly. P80 and PGPR changed the bile acid profile. However, P80 and PGPR did not aggravate inflammation, obesity and alter bile acid profile by altering the composition of the gut microbiota. The results of this study provide an experimental reference for the rational use of food additives and the adjustment of dietary structure, which are important and have application value.

Hormone receptor expression in hypospadias

Sex hormone imbalance in utero is hypothesized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypospadias. Due to its easy accessibility, foreskin samples have been used to describe hormone receptor expression in rodents, and both adult and pediatric patients. In this study we conducted a systematic approach to assess hormone receptor expression in pediatric patients with hypospadias compared to healthy controls with a focus on age-matching and differences in severity and degree of hypospadias. Foreskin samples were collected from 35 children during hypospadias operations (18 distal and 17 proximal hypospadias) and compared with ventral foreskin samples of a control group of 32 children during circumcision (15 age-matched and 17 older boys). The samples were stained with H/E, androgen (AR), estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR). The receptor stainings were blindly evaluated. An Allred score was used to evaluate receptor expression in both the epithelium as well as stroma. AR was detected in all cases. AR expression in the stroma was more evident than in the epithelium. AR expression in the hypospadias groups was significantly less than the age matched controls (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the two hypospadias groups nor between the two control groups. Older control group showed significantly elevated levels of AR expression compared to the hypospadias group (p<0.05). ER was also detected in all cases. The stroma showed more ER than in epithelium. PR was minimal or negative in all samples. Boys with hypospadias showed significantly weaker expression of androgen receptors than age matched controls. The severity of hypospadias did not influence hormone receptor distribution. AR expression is better observed in the stroma than in the epithelium. There was no difference in ER expression between the hypospadias group (distal or proximal) and age matched normal controls. ER was expressed in larger numbers in normal older preputial tissue. The foreskin of prepubertal boys shows little to no expression of PR.

Poverty in early childhood and future educational achievements

ABSTRACT This study examines whether family income in early childhood is related to achievements of Israeli students in standardized tests at primary school. We analyzed data from the Israeli censuses of 1995 and 2008, which include information on family income and socio-economic background of children along with data pertaining to their achievements in standardized tests taken in fifth-grade. The findings show that belonging to the lowest quintile of family disposable income in early childhood had a negative and significant effect on future educational achievements, controlling for family income in late childhood and other socio-demographic variables. Furthermore, the effect of family income was stronger when measured at birth – age two, than at ages 3–5. These findings are consistent with the claim that child development is most sensitive to environmental influences in the very first years of life.