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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2025

Exploring the genetics of social behaviour in C. calcarata.

Studies investigating social evolution often focus on species that are obligately eusocial, where presumably all of the adaptive genetic changes associated with sociality have already been completed. To fully understand eusociality, we must study species with facultative social behaviour. The small carpenter bee Ceratina calcarata is an ideal model for studying the genetics and molecular biology of eusocial evolution as it can exhibit both subsocial behaviour with parental care and social behaviour facilitated by the altruistic dwarf eldest daughter. Here, we sequenced the genomes of subsocial and social C. calcarata to identify mutations and genes associated with social behaviour and used these data to test several hypotheses related to the evolution of eusociality. Many single nucleotide polymorphisms that had high levels of genetic differentiation (Fst) between social and subsocial C. calcarata were in or near genes or regions important for regulating gene expression. These results are consistent with the Genetic Toolkit Hypothesis of eusocial evolution. Our findings suggest that the low behavioural complexity observed in C. calcarata may involve modulation of existing regulatory genes and gene networks to generate phenotypes associated with social behaviour.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

Investigating the Contribution of the Imprinted Gene Asb4 to Parental Care.

Genomic imprinting is a form of epigenetic regulation that leads to expression from one parental allele only and, in animals, is unique to mammals. Imprinted gene expression is predominant in the brain and their roles in neural processes are becoming more appreciated. Recent analyses have indicated an enrichment of imprinted gene expression in the 'parental hub' circuitry. Specifically, imprinted genes were over-represented in the transcriptomic profile of galanin positive (Gal+) neurons in the medial preoptic area (MPOA) of the hypothalamus. One of those imprinted genes showing enriched expression in Gal+ neurons was the maternally expressed Asb4. Here, we propose that Asb4 supports normal activation of MPOA Gal+ neurons required for parental care. We aim to demonstrate abnormal parental behaviours-such as decreased pup retrieval and impaired nest building-and activity of MPOA Gal+ neurons in brain-specific maternal Asb4 knockout mice and hypothesis knockout animals will demonstrate a deficient behavioural phenotype in one or more parental behavioural characteristics.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Reported parental characteristics in relation to trait depression and anxiety levels in a non-clinical group.

Care and overprotection appear to reflect the principal dimensions underlying parental behaviours and attitudes. In previous studies of neurotically depressed patients and of a non-clinical group, subjects who scored their parents as lacking in care and/or overprotective had the greater depressive experience. The present study of another non-clinical group (289 psychology students) replicated those findings in regard to trait depression levels. In addition, associations between those parental dimensions and trait anxiety scores were demonstrated. Multiple regression analyses established that 9-10% of the variance in mood scores was accounted for by scores on those parental dimensions. Low maternal care scores predicted higher levels of both anxiety and depression, while high maternal overprotection scores predicted higher levels of anxiety but not levels of depression. Maternal influences were clearly of greater relevance than paternal influences.

Anxiety↗
PubMed2026

Trade-offs in avian parental care: a review of theory and meta-analysis of brood size manipulations.

The selective forces shaping parental care have been studied for over 50 years. While theoretical and experimental work has yielded qualitative progress, the large body of empirical work testing predictions about parental investment based on life-history trade-offs has yet to be synthesized. We first provide an overview of the core life-history theory exploring how selection might shape parental care. We then conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on studies that experimentally manipulated brood size in birds, a widely used experimental approach to manipulate parental investment. We extracted 313 estimates from 62 studies representing 31 species of birds from 19 different families and tested key predictions on trade-offs in parental care derived from theory. Our analysis provides strong support for some predictions about life-history trade-offs in parental care, but weak or equivocal support for others. Specifically, we found that overall, avian parents respond to brood size manipulations as predicted by life-history theory: they increased care in response to brood enlargement, and decreased care in response to brood reductions. Furthermore, for the same relative manipulation size, responses to brood reductions were greater than responses to brood enlargements. This finding is consistent with predictions derived from life-history theory based on some types of non-linear utility curves. However, many predictions derived from theory are not well supported by our comparative analysis. Species' life-history traits such as clutch size (a measure of current reproduction), adult survival, and broods per year (two measures of future reproduction), explained little, if any, among-species variation in response to brood size manipulations. Several factors may explain this. We highlight that brood size manipulations may affect more than just perception of the value of current reproduction, such as altering parents' perception of predation risk. Importantly, these unintended consequences could lead to asymmetric responses like those we observed. Other common experimental approaches - such as hormone manipulations, altering a partner's effort, and food supplementation - often affect multiple traits or fitness components simultaneously, or may involve cues that poorly match the evolved mechanisms guiding parental behaviour. Our review of both theory and experimental approaches suggests that there are multiple opportunities for more precise experiments. We offer several recommendations for effective designs. One is improved understanding of the biology underlying the functions relating to costs and benefits, with careful consideration of not only how the manipulation will affect only one of those, but also the mechanisms that might alter how parents perceive the manipulation. We also emphasize general principles, such as assessing alternative hypotheses and devising multiple independent tests. Armed with these recommendations, we believe there are new opportunities to increase the strength of inference achieved from studies aimed at understanding the trade-offs affecting the evolution of parental care.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

[The work of the school physician as a basis of preventive medicine. What we need are fulltime school medical officers (author's transl)].

Like antenatal and postnatal care, medical attendance at school is the most important basic element of all kind of preventive medicine. This applies in particular to the present situation, as both parents are employed very often, thus not having enough time for watching the beginning of illnesses, disturbances in the development, or behavioural anomalies of their children, and letting them have appropriate medical care. While elementary and intermediate school children are medically looked after in regular intervals by public welfare officers in the cities, the job of a school physician will be performed by the district medical officer in the market-towns and villages. Medical service at general secondary schools and technical colleges is usually rendered by a local general practitioner who again is only in a position to take that job as a sideline to his occupying general practice. Necessity is therefore pointed out of a thorough and regular medical care at school, particularly during the years of puberty and development of the youths during their period of growing up. Furthermore, it is shown that the school physician not only has to investigate and diagnose conscientiously, but also the numerous problems are being discussed he has to deal with in the attendance of youths from a physical and a psychical aspect. In this context it is tried to make clear why it is so important to establish personal contact with the young people, with their parents, and with the teaching staff. A series of serious illnesses is enumerated that were detected by the school physician and handed over to the general practitioner or the specialist for further exploration and treatment. The most frequent illnesses are high blood-pressure, heart- and eye troubles. With regard to his great and manyfold tasks the school physician will have to stick to his hours of duty in order to be ready for help and advice at any time. It is, therefore, not possible to perform this job on a side-line, as it would be a fulltime job to be a conscientious school physician. Finally, suggestions are made how to make the school medical officer a fulltime job and what has to be done in order to secure his financial existence.

Austria↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A behavioural programme for the modification of encopresis.

This paper describes a behaviour modification programme for the treatment of encopresis. The programme, which is carried out by the parents over a relatively short period of time in the home setting, aims to make the child aware of internal cues prior to elimination and to rearrange the contingencies for appropriate use of the toilet. To date, seven of eleven children, both continuous and discontinuous encopretics, have been treated successfully and have remained clean for up to 7 months regardless of other problems in the child and his family. From a relatively detailed analysis of those treated it can be concluded that a behavioural approach is effective with chronic encopretic children, many of whom had been previously treated unsuccessfully by both physical and psychotherapeutic procedures. The failures suggest, firstly that careful assessment of each child and the motivation of the parents is required, so that the standard programme can be modified to suit each individual case. Secondly a maintenance programme must follow the intensive treatment procedure to ensure that parents continue to handle the child consistently.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1975

Interactions of mothers and nurses with premature infants.

The initial attachment of three mothers to three premature infants weighing less than 1500 g was assessed by observation of the mother's behaviour during visits to her child in the hospital nursery. Interactions of mothers and infants were compared with those of nurses and infants. Premature infants, during a stay in hospital of approximately 7 weeks, have to adapt to up to 70 different nurses and receive generally little contact stimulation from them. Mothers change in their interactional behaviour over time but show persistent individual differences in amount of touching, smiling and talking to their infants. Follow-up investigation will determine if the maternal behaviour as demonstrated in the nursery is predictive of later parenting disorders.

Female↗
PubMed1976

[Psychology of Hygiene: Rsult of a Comparative Study 1968/1976 (author's transl)].

Object of the investigation is: (1) the analysis of the behaviour observed in adults between 18 and 23 years of age regarding cleanliness, body hygiene and changing of underwear,and a comparison of the results with those for 1968; (2) Differential "diagnosis" of the relationship between the degree of cleanliness and the various styles of the upbringing received at the hands of the parents, the different assessment of the personal body image and of cleanliness-related values ("cleanliness ideology"). Main results of the investigation (1) In 1976, too, women remain cleaner than men; the latter, however, have clearly improved their daily washing habits (lower part of the body, feet) and have taken to changing their underwear, night clothes and coloured shirts more frequently. With respect to the frequency with which women change their underwear there has been no change. (2) With respect to body hygiene and cosmetic care, women are found to be making increasing use of mouth-wash, foam bath agents, face lotions and face milk, nail polish, while men are making more use of mouth-wash, bubble bath agents as well as deodorants. In contrast, women are making less use of lip-sticks, eyebrow pencils, Eau de Cologne, (3) Women's behaviour with respect to the observed and evaluated parental upbringing and to their own body image is more differentiated: The 4-factor solution for women contrasts with the 3-factor solution for men. (4) Only a form of cleanliness training involving corporal punishment and associated with a tense or hostile relationship towards the mother or father cannot be correlated to a desirable observance of cleanliness. Other possible forms of cleanliness training including supervisory forms, do not prevent the learning and adoption of desirable practices for achieving cleanliness. (5) Less clean women show a generally less pronounced body-feeling as manifested in active physical exercise in some sports disciplines and in body care. There is also a tendency towards a less motivating criticism of the figure and a lower degree of positive bodily sensibility. As far as men are concerned, the intensity of body hygiene is positively linked with the degree of superficial good grooming and the simultaneous dissatisfaction with the figure. (6) Cleanliness-related concepts (cleanliness ideology) e.g. health, work, generosity rectitude, authority, attractiveness, integrity etc., are, in their evaluation, influenced both by sex and by the hygienic behavior practiced.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

[Mechanisms in group formation and cohesion in Tupaia glis Diard, 1820. Results of long-term studies of a family group].

In long-term studies of a family group, all the partner-orientated interactions are quantitatively registered and analysed in connection with the usuage of space by the animals. From this, the connections between the interactions and respectively status forms of the group members are recognizable. During the growing-up period of the juveniles in the group, beginning with the first leaving of the nest box at the age of about 33 days, three phases can be differentiated. A phase of "integration" of about 5 to 8 days, in which the behavior patterns between adults and juveniles are polarized on licking mouth with the adults and scent marking the juveniles, is obviously the presupposition for including the rising generation in the relational system (including the space system) of the adults. This phase is followed by a "neutral phase", lasting about 30 days, during which the juveniles stand in connection with the adults by means of a space bonding, in which relatively few interactions occur. Through the joint use of parental resting places and through the resting in close spatial neighbourhood, a true retention of experience for the juveniles must be thought of. At the age of about 60 days an 'ambivalent phase" begins, in which the contacts between parents and the offspring increases again, with an alteration and a superposition of sexual and agonistic interactions. Besides, the sex-specific differences become recognizable: the male interacts with his daughters increasingly sexually, with the sons he is more and more aggressive; the relations of the mother with the female offspring are ambivalent, during which she shows male behaviour patterns and with her sons the female scarcely has contact. Lying in bodily contact has, beyond the importance for a pair bonding, significance for a group bonding. Licking the mouth as an element of the care system (infantile behavior) can be used as an appeasement gesture. The age of 90--100 days, in which the parents frequently have aggressive gesture with their offspring of the same sex, is regarded as the time of reaching sexual maturity. A longer lasting integration of a female offspring (and a male) is described. The social organization of Tupaia glis is based on a permanent pair bonding. Through the addition of the young, a parental family with a maximum of two generations of brothers and sisters can arise. Limiting factors of the group size are incest barriers, a density stress, and the possibilities of communication of the species themselves.

Aggression↗
PubMed1975

Parents of babies of very low birth weight: long-term follow-up.

On hundred and sixty babies of birth weight less than or equal to 1500 g who survived after perinatal intensive care have been followed up and observations have been made on their parents. In spite of attempts to minimize maternal separation and the distressing aspects of the birth and management of a baby of very low birth weight, an emotional crisis was observed in the mothers which was not fully resolved until the parents had been looking after the baby at home. The duration and degree of the crisis varied but the mothers who received sympathy and support from the baby's father appeared to have least difficulty. A rigid maternal personality and circumstances surrounding the birth which predisposed to feelings of failure and guilt appeared to prolong the crisis. Nevertheless, most of these parents subsequently formed satisfactory relationships with their children, although they tended to be over-protective and anxious. Failure to establish an adequate relationship was rare and occurred only among mothers with personality or psychiatric disorders. Although serious behaviour disorders among the children were rare, more children than would be expected were mildly over-dependent, shy and anxious at follow-up.

Birth Weight↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A child's relationships after admission to residential care.

In a group of 92 children in longterm residential care it was found that those children visited infrequently by their mothers were less likely than those visited frequently or not at all to relate well to their houseparents. That the child's relationship with the houseparents was of considerable significance was suggested by the finding that prolonged contact with the same houseparent was associated with lower rates of psychiatric disorder and deviant behaviour in the child. The implications of these findings for child care practice are discussed.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A review of the medical, educational and social needs of 207 handicapped children.

The Mary Sheridan Centre serves the needs of two health districts with a population of over half a million. The assessment of the handicapped child is combined with a Day Nursery and Observation Unit which provides therapeutic, educational and supportive guidance. During the year May 1973-74, 207 children were referred for assessment of whom only 11 were found to have no handicap. One-third of these referrals were from the hospital follow-up baby clinic and two-thirds came from community and general practitioner sources. The average age of referral was two years for girls and two and a half years for boys. Of the 196 handicapped children, 33 had neurological disorders, 30 congenital anomalies and 50 an adverse perinatal history. Social factors were thought to contribute significantly in 72; 35 children came from single parent families. Behaviour problems were noticed in a high proportion (68). Forty-four children regularly attend the Centre's day nursery whose staff include preschool teacher, occupational therapists and trained nurses for play, speech stimulation and specific therapy; 48 attend for speech therapy and 19 for physiotherapy. The prime aim is to help the parents continue with the therapy and care of their child in their own home.

Child Day Care Centers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The Croydon Workshop for the parents of severely handicapped school age children.

A multidisciplinary team of professionals met the parents of 18 severely handicapped children for a series of 10 evening sessions. All children were between 5 and 11 years of age and included six Downs, six non-communicating and six children with rare syndromes or no known diagnosis. The professionals provided practical advice and couselling. They did not adopt one exclusive approach such as behaviour modification, but employed a variety of ideas drawn from several theories of learning and from personal experience. The workshop as well received by both parents and professionals, with an average attendance of 80%. The paper also discusses some of the organizational problems of parent workshops.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1979

Enuresis, firesetting, and cruelty to animals: the significance of two thirds of this triad.

The full childhood triad of enuresis, firesetting, and cruelty to animals is seldom reported by patients in acute care psychiatric facilities. Two of the three elements have been reported with greater frequency and constitute useful diagnostic information. Literature on the triad has been reviewed and data from three studies have been presented. The authors concluded that a history of two thirds of the triad is significantly associated with aggressive behaviours directed against people.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

[Importance of postoperative parenteral feeding--measured by low and high-molecular plasma proteins].

By continuous parenteral administration of carbohydrates, combined with essential amino acids and L-histidine, a significant improvement in urea nitrogen and plasma protein metabolism could be obtained in 24 patients during the first ten days after abdominal surgery. A comparable control group of 15 patients who received only water, electrolytes and vitamins in the postoperative phase showed significantly worse results. The observation that under the influence of parental nutrition the beginning azotemia and the deficit of immunoglobulins especially of the complement components improved more quickly after the stress of surgery seems to be an important clinical aspect. At the same time it became evident that adequate parenteral nutrition can have a significant effect on the postoperative behaviour of some plasma proteins (retinol-binding protein, albumin,transferrin, prealbumin).

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Comparisons of virulence of influenza virus recombinants in ferrets in relation to their behaviour in man and their genetic constitution.

Two parent viruses, A/Finland/4/74(H3N2) and A/Okuda/57(H2N2), virulent and attenuated respectively for man, showed similar differences of virulence in ferrets as judged by estimations of 50% minimal infectious doses (MID50), the level and persistence of nasal infection, the height and duration of pyrexia and the level of lung infection. In ferrets, two recombinant clones, WRL 94(H3N2) and WRL 105(H3N2), were almost as virulent as A/Finland and indistinguishable from one another, a result which agreed well with genetic analysis (Hay et al. 1977); the RNA pieces of these recombinants appeared identical and largely derived from the virulent parent (A/Finland). The results in ferrets did not agree with tests on clone WRL 94 in small numbers of human volunteers but they were not inconsistent with those on clone WRL 105 in larger numbers. It is possible therefore that careful tests in ferrets may yield more accurate information on the virulence of strains than limited tests in human volunteers. A rapid test for virulence in ferrets is described. It could be used to screen many additional recombinants thereby yielding information on the genetical basis of virulence and indicating possible vaccine strains for more thorough testing in ferrets and in man.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

[Psychohygienic problems of development in early childhood (author's transl)].

For a "social environmental protection" as one of the most urgent problems in infantile psychohygiene, the following conclusions should be taken into consideration: 1. In particular during the first years of life the development of the child is, within certain limits, sensitive to influences from the environment and therefore it can be fostered or disturbed from the outside. Congenital, prenatal, perinatal and postnatal injuries to the brain and sensory organs must be given great attention psychohygienically. 2. The social influences exercised on the child by persons of his environment, their availability, their emotional relationships and the development of a durable link predominate psychohygienically. In addition, the material security of young families and their type of accommodation (e.g. granting of loans to help set up a home) must be considered. 3. The possibilities of exercising a positive educational influence on a mentally and psychically sound development of the child as a person and member of society are greatest at the beginning of life and diminish during childhood. The effectiveness of negative educational and social interference factors is also subject to this rule from which again the necessity of adopting psychohygienic measures for the young child is derived. 4. The phenomenon of increasingly imbalanced behaviour of older children and juveniles which cause concern today, are as a rule symptoms of a chiefly environmentally determined disturbance upsetting the personality, which often originates in early childhood. Psychohygienic measures must be concentrated on this. 5. The inadequate care of young children accounting for one third of the population, a phenomenon which can be read in the statistical records and which has risen sharply during the last few years, makes it possible to forecast a further increase in developmental and behavioral disturbances of both an intellectual and psychological nature as well as in infantile and juvenile criminality in the coming years to an at present unimaginable extent. 6. In contrast to general opinion, the situation calls for an urgent fundamental revaluation of the importance of intrafamiliar social conditions of development and of the parental educational work on the small child, which to date, have been underestimated and neglected. At the same time many of the presently overrated extrafamiliar institutions of education and training for the older child need to be relativised. 7. The advances in developmental biology which allow us to realize the basic dependence of the future social fate of the individual - and thus the extent of disturbed social relationships in society - on the intrafamily conditions must become a political issue, if psychohygiene as ameans to prevent avoidable disturbances is to be taken seriously. Thus the securement of adequate intrafamily conditions with respect to development and upbringing, in particular of the young child, must head the list of social political priorities, also in times when money is in short supply. 8...

Child Behavior Disorders↗