Academic cheating in early childhood: Role of age, gender, personality, and self-efficacy.

The current study investigated the association of children's age, gender, ethnicity, Big Five personality traits, and self-efficacy with their academic cheating behaviors. Academic cheating is a rampant problem that has been documented in adolescents and adults for nearly a century, but our understanding of the early development and factors influencing academic cheating is still weak. Using Zoom, the current study recruited children aged 4 to 12 years (N = 388), measured their cheating behaviors through six tasks simulating academic testing scenarios, and assessed their Big Five personality traits and self-efficacy through a modified Berkeley Puppet Interview paradigm, as well as age and gender. We found that children cheated significantly less with increased age and that boys cheated significantly more than girls. However, neither Big Five personality traits nor self-efficacy were significantly correlated with children's cheating. These findings suggest that academic cheating is a developing issue from early to middle childhood and that factors such as gender socialization may play a role in such development. Personal characteristics such as personality traits and self-efficacy may undergo additional development before their associations with cheating become robust, as reported in the adult literature.

Genetic Manipulation of the Ergot Alkaloid Pathway in Epichloë festucae var. lolii and Its Effect on Black Beetle Feeding Deterrence.

Epichloë endophytes are filamentous fungi (family Clavicipitaceae) that live in symbiotic associations with grasses in the sub family Poöideae. In New Zealand, E. festucae var. lolii confers significant resistance to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) against insect and animal herbivory and is an essential component of pastoral agriculture, where ryegrass is a major forage species. The fungus produces in planta a range of bioactive secondary metabolites, including ergovaline, which has demonstrated bioactivity against the important pasture pest black beetle, but can also cause mammalian toxicosis. We genetically modified E. festucae var. lolii strain AR5 to eliminate key enzymatic steps in the ergovaline pathway to determine if intermediate ergot alkaloid compounds can still provide insecticidal benefits in the absence of the toxic end product ergovaline. Four genes (dmaW, easG, cloA, and lpsB) spanning the pathway were deleted and each deletion mutant was inoculated into five different plant genotypes of perennial ryegrass, which were later harvested for a full chemical analysis of the ergot alkaloid compounds produced. These associations were also used in a black beetle feeding deterrence study. Deterrence was seen with just chanoclavine present, but was cumulative as more intermediate compounds in the pathway were made available. Ergovaline was not detected in any of the deletion associations, indicating that bioactivity towards black beetle can be obtained in the absence of this mammalian toxin.

The Frustration Social Stressor for Adolescents (FSS-A): A newly adapted psychosocial stressor.

The role of stress on adolescents and its impact on development and mental health is of significant psychological concern. Previous research has investigated physiological changes, stressor characteristics and individual differences in stress responding. Experimental procedures that closely simulate naturally occurring psychosocial stressors have primarily been achievement-related (e.g., test taking, competitive tasks and psychomotor performance) and anxiety-provoking tasks (e.g., public speaking, improvisation and invasive medical-procedures) but few seek to elicit frustration. To address this gap, a new experimental procedure was developed and validated against the Trier Social Stress Test for Teens, with a Low Stress condition as a control. Conflict-related stressors, such as parent- and peer-related debates, have been found to be effective in provoking frustration in adolescents. The Frustration Social Stressor for Adolescents (FSS-A), a moderate frustration-provoking stressor involves a peer debate on a 'hot' topic, followed by a serial subtraction task with still-faced judges. The FSS-A procedure effectively elicited reliable and valid physiological (cortisol, heart rate) stress responses and was an effective stressor for both sexes. This new, stress protocol mirrors frustrating- and anxiety-provoking stressful situations that adolescents commonly encounter and affords a more detailed study of differential stress response patterns, increased understanding of adolescent stress, and potential for psychoeducational programming, such as directions for education and therapeutic intervention.

Interactive Data-Gathering Posters as a Research Tool: A Case Study Assessing Public Opinion on Incorporation of Natural Behavior into Management Systems.

We developed a simple, interactive poster design. Via brief infographics and simple numbered stickers, participants were able to provide input about their top three areas of importance regarding a specific topic (i.e., promoting natural behavior in goats). The tool was utilized in three scenarios-an international conference, a regional veterinary conference, and a regional school leadership day. After a short discussion with the presenter, participants ranked their top three areas of importance. Response rates ranged from 22% to 100%. The data collection performed was intended to demonstrate a proof-of-concept of the poster design; therefore, comparisons across tested cohorts were not made. However, we showed that when applied in different settings, the poster gathered some consistent opinions on which behaviors are the best exemplars of naturalness in goats. Response bias, from opting for socially desirable responses, as well as sampling bias from using the tool at specific conferences or with specific demographics, could be an issue. Nonetheless, these are not unique concerns, and we suggest that corrections used in focus groups could alleviate these biases. The flexibility of this interactive tool, and its capability to shift the audience from viewing to participating in research presents a novel alternative to traditional poster presentations.

An Old Mechanism, Imitation, Geared for Socio-Material Knowing in a "Day in the Life" of First Graders.

This paper adopts sociomateriality as a theoretical lens to further our understanding of how imitation acts to support the use of objects, and in doing so, constitutes a sociomaterial practice. Within a sociomaterial perspective we aimed to perform the analysis of imitation as a powerful way to learn how to use objects embedded into the practices within which the objects are constituted. The contribution of this approach is illustrated using the findings of the application of the quasi-ecological Day in the Life (DITL) methodology to the everyday lives of two 6-year-old children. Within a case-study frame, we traced the children's imitation behaviors focused on the use of objects during an entire day of their life, the various people and practices with which they were associated, the multiple sociomaterial configurations that the objects assume, and the social and material consequences of their use. Imitation appears to be is a complex activity, involving multiple stakeholders who interact in order to facilitate the understanding of various artifacts across diverse knowledge domains, and enhance their interpretive flexibility across communities of practice.

Stress-Induced Immunomodulation in Low and High Reactive Sheep.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between stress and temperament on the humoral immune response of ewes. Eighty ewes were allocated to one of four treatment groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design (n = 20 ewes/treatment): low (LR) and high (HR) reactive ewes were either exposed to no stress (CON) or were visually isolated (STRESS). Ewes remained in treatment pens for 23 h: heart rate was measured continuously, and saliva samples were collected prior to testing and at 0.5 h and 23 h for measurement of cortisol, CarLA IgA and total IgA concentrations. After the first 0.5 h, heart rate was elevated, and cortisol concentrations tended to be higher, whereas CarLa IgA concentrations were lower in STRESS than CON ewes. Similarly, after 23 h, cortisol concentrations remained elevated and CarLA IgA concentrations remained lower in STRESS than CON ewes. Interestingly, total IgA concentrations were not influenced by a 0.5 h or 23 h stressor. Overall, CarLA IgA concentrations were lower in HR than LR ewes at 0.5 h, but there was no significant stress × temperament interaction. Therefore, stress appears to have an immunosuppressive effect on CarLA IgA but not total IgA concentrations in ewes.

Effect of Morphine Administration on Social andNon-Social Play Behaviour in Calves.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of morphine on social and non-socialplay behaviour in calves. Twelve calves experienced four treatments in a cross over 2 × 2 factorialdesign: Calves received an intravenous injection of morphine or saline 10 min prior to being testedindividually or in pairs in an arena for 20 min. Play behaviour was continuously recorded in thearena test. Lying times were recorded in the home pen. Cortisol concentrations were measuredbefore and after testing. In the arena test, calves given morphine tended to perform more social playevents than calves given saline, however, morphine administration had no effect on locomotor play.Calves given morphine spent less time lying than calves given saline during the first 4 h afterreturning to the home pen. Cortisol concentrations were suppressed in calves given morphine.Administration of morphine appeared to increase social play but had no effect on locomotor playin calves. This study highlights the importance of investigating different aspects of play behaviourin animals as some may be more indicative of a positive affective state than others. More studiesinvestigating the effects of morphine on play are needed to confirm the results found in this study.

Cortisol Stress Response Variability in Early Adolescence: Attachment, Affect and Sex.

Attachment, affect, and sex shape responsivity to psychosocial stress. Concurrent social contexts influence cortisol secretion, a stress hormone and biological marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity. Patterns of attachment, emotion status, and sex were hypothesized to relate to bifurcated, that is, accentuated and attenuated, cortisol reactivity. The theoretical framework for this study posits that multiple individual differences mediate a cortisol stress response. The effects of two psychosocial stress interventions, a modified Trier Social Stress Test for Teens and the Frustration Social Stressor for Adolescents were developed and investigated with early adolescents. Both of these protocols induced a significant stress reaction and evoked predicted bifurcation in cortisol responses; an increase or decrease from baseline to reactivity. In Study I, 120 predominantly middle-class, Euro-Canadian early adolescents with a mean age of 13.43 years were studied. The girls' attenuated cortisol reactivity to the public performance stressor related significantly to their self-reported lower maternal-attachment and higher trait-anger. In Study II, a community sample of 146 predominantly Euro-Canadian middle-class youth, with an average age of 14.5 years participated. Their self-reports of higher trait-anger and trait-anxiety, and lower parental attachment by both sexes related differentially to accentuated and attenuated cortisol reactivity to the frustration stressor. Thus, attachment, affect, sex, and the stressor contextual factors were associated with the adrenal-cortical responses of these adolescents through complex interactions. Further studies of individual differences in physiological responses to stress are called for in order to clarify the identities of concurrent protective and risk factors in the psychosocial stress and physiological stress responses of early adolescents.

Learning to Be Unsung Heroes: Development of Reputation Management in Two Cultures.

The effective management of one's reputation is an important social skill, but little is known about how it develops. This study seeks to bridge the gap by examining how children communicate about their own good deeds, among 7- to 11-year-olds in both China and Canada (total N = 378). Participants cleaned a teacher's messy office in her absence, and their responses were observed when the teacher returned. Only the Chinese children showed an age-related increase in modesty by choosing to falsely deny their own good deeds. This modest behavior was uniquely predicted by Chinese children's evaluations of modesty-related lies. The results suggest that culture-specific socialization processes influence the way children communicate with authority figures about prosocial deeds.

Detection of Invertebrate Suppressive Soils, and Identification of a Possible Biological Control Agent for Meloidogyne Nematodes Using High Resolution Rhizosphere Microbial Community Analysis.

White clover (Trifolium repens) is the key legume component of New Zealand pastoral agriculture due to the high quality feed and nitrogen inputs it provides. Invertebrate pests constrain white clover growth and this study investigated rhizosphere-associated fungal controls for two of these pests and attempts to disentangle the underpinning mechanisms. The degree of suppressiveness of 10 soils, in a latitudinal gradient down New Zealand, to added Meloidogyne hapla and Costelytra zealandica scarab larvae was measured in untreated soil. Most of the soils showed no suppressive activity against these pests but two showed activity against M. hapla and two against C. zealandica. Rhizosphere fungi responsible for pest suppressive responses were elucidated via next-generation sequencing. In the M. hapla-suppressive soils nematode-trapping Orbiliomycetes fungi were present in significantly greater abundance than non-suppressive soils and their abundance increased further with addition of M. hapla. A comparison of plant growth and the rhizosphere fungal community between untreated and irradiated soil was carried out on 5 of the 10 soils using Pyronota as the scarab larvae. Soil irradiation either: reduced (by 60-70%); increased (16×) or made no difference to white clover growth across the five soils tested, illustrating the range of microbial impacts on plant production. In one of the M. hapla suppressive soils irradiation resulted in a significant increase in nematode galling suggesting that Orbiliomycetes fungi were indeed responsible for the suppressive effect. Lack of consistent changes in soil macronutrients and pH post-irradiation suggest these were not responsible for plant or invertebrate responses. The use of next generation sequencing in controlled pot trials has allowed identification of a potential biological control organism and bioindicator for M. hapla suppression.

Optimizing the management of depression: primary care experience.

This article is intended to identify some of the most important challenges faced by family physicians when treating MDD and to provide practical solutions. Key issues, reviewed from a primary care view point will include: treating to remission (and not just response), identification of high-risk groups, diagnosis, acute treatment approaches (including pharmacotherapy and the management of related side effects), the use of psychotherapy and somatic therapies, assessment of the adequacy of treatment including the assessment of remission, response measurement, optimal follow-up care throughout the phase of treatment, the key components of patient education and strategies for partial/limited response to the first-line antidepressant (switching, augmentation and combination strategies), how to provide support for improved treatment adherence, and approaches to prevent the recurrence of depressive episodes.

Efficacy of acupuncture treatment of sexual dysfunction secondary to antidepressants.

BACKGROUND: Antidepressants including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are known to cause secondary sexual dysfunction with prevalence rates as high as 50%-90%. Emerging research is establishing that acupuncture may be an effective treatment modality for sexual dysfunction including impotence, loss of libido, and an inability to orgasm. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the potential benefits of acupuncture in the management of sexual dysfunction secondary to SSRIs and SNRIs. SUBJECTS: Practitioners at the START Clinic referred participants experiencing adverse sexual events from their antidepressant medication for acupuncture treatment at the Mood and Anxiety Disorders, a tertiary care mood and anxiety disorder clinic in Toronto. DESIGN: Participants received a Traditional Chinese Medicine assessment and followed an acupuncture protocol for 12 consecutive weeks. The acupuncture points used were Kidney 3, Governing Vessel 4, Urinary Bladder 23, with Heart 7 and Pericardium 6. Participants also completed a questionnaire package on a weekly basis. OUTCOMES MEASURED: The questionnaire package consisted of self-report measures assessing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and various aspects of sexual function. RESULTS: Significant improvement among male participants was noted in all areas of sexual functioning, as well as in both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Female participants reported a significant improvement in libido and lubrication and a nonsignificant trend toward improvement in several other areas of function. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a potential role for acupuncture in the treatment of the sexual side-effects of SSRIs and SNRIs as well for a potential benefit of integrating medical and complementary and alternative practitioners.

A multicomponent yoga-based, breath intervention program as an adjunctive treatment in patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder with or without comorbidities.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Sudarshan Kriya Yoga (SKY) course in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) outpatients, who after eight weeks of an appropriate dose of traditional therapy had not yet achieved remission. SUBJECTS: The adult participants (18-65 years) were outpatients with a primary diagnosis of GAD with or without comorbidities on the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Participants had a minimum of eight weeks standard treatment with an appropriate dose of a standard prescription anxiolytic, a clinician global impression-severity (CGI-S) score of 5-7, a Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A) total score ≥20 including a score of >2 on the anxious mood and tension items. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients were enrolled in an open-label trial of the SKY course as an adjunct to standard treatment of GAD at the START Clinic for Mood and Anxiety Disorders, a tertiary care mood and anxiety disorder clinic in Toronto. The SKY course was administered over five days (22 h total). Subjects were encouraged to practice the yoga breathing techniques at home for 20 min per day after the course and were offered group practice sessions for 2 h once a week led by certified yoga instructors. The primary outcome measure was the mean change from pre-treatment on the HAM-A scale. Psychological measures were obtained at baseline and four weeks after completing the intervention. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients completed the program (mean age 42.6 ± 13.3 years). Among completers, significant reductions occurred in the pre- and post-intervention mean HAM-A total score (t=4.59; P<0.01) and psychic subscale (t=5.00; P≤0.01). The response rate was 73% and the remission rate 41% as measured on the HAM-A. CONCLUSION: The results of this small pilot trial suggest that the SKY course represents a potentially valuable adjunct to standard pharmacotherapy in patients with GAD or treatment-resistant GAD, and warrants further investigation. In particular, changes in worry and body symptoms showed significant improvements that may further our understanding of the mechanism of change in the tolerance of anxiety and worry.

Development of children's moral evaluations of modesty and self-promotion in diverse cultural settings.

This cross-cultural study of the moral judgements of Mainland Han-Chinese, Chinese-Canadian, and Euro-Canadian children aged seven to 11 examined the evaluations of narrative protagonists' modest lies and self-promoting truthful statements in situations where they had done a good deed. The story characters had thus either lied or told the truth about a prosocial act that they had committed. Chinese children judged modest lies more positively and boastful truths less positively than Euro-Canadian children. Chinese and Chinese-Canadian children rated immodest statements more negatively than did Euro-Canadian children. The cultural differences were greatest with the oldest children. Chinese children rated modest lies significantly more positively than either Canadian group who did not differ from each other but an interaction between age and culture revealed the three groups to be significantly different at age 11 with Chinese children most positive, followed by Chinese-Canadian children, and with Euro- Canadian children evaluating modest lies least positively. Cultural strictures and acculturation factors respecting modesty and self-enhancement are reflected in these differences.

Chinese Children's Moral Evaluation of Lies and Truths-Roles of Context and Parental Individualism-Collectivism Tendencies.

The present study examined Chinese children's moral evaluations of truths and lies about one's own pro-social acts. Children ages 7, 9, and 11 were read vignettes in which a protagonist performs a good deed and is asked about it by a teacher, either in front of the class or in private. In response, the protagonist either tells a modest lie, which is highly valued by the Chinese culture, or tells an immodest truth, which violates the Chinese cultural norms about modesty. Children were asked to identify whether the protagonist's statement was the truth or a lie, and to evaluate how 'good' or 'bad' the statement was. Chinese children rated modest lies more positively than immodest truths, with this effect becoming more pronounced with age. Rural Chinese children and those with at least one nonprofessional parent rated immodest truths less positively when they were told in public rather than in private. Furthermore, Chinese children of parents with high collectivism scores valued modest lies more than did children of parents with low collectivism scores. These findings suggest that both macro- and micro-cultural factors contribute significantly to children's moral understanding of truth and lie telling.

Identification and classification of childhood developmental difficulties in the context of attachment relationships.

OBJECTIVE: This paper addresses challenges in identification and classification of childhood difficulties in the context of the current psychological literature on early attachment relations and normative development. METHOD: A review of the literature on childhood development and attachment relationships was conducted in relation to recent advances in developmental psychology. RESULTS: Findings include recommendations for studying the child in ecological context, focusing on positive assets and resiliency, and seeing children as active participants in the construction of their own environmental niches. Studying the active strong child in context involves taking an integrative view by investigating the interactions of all basic biopsychosocial facets of the child's world, recognizing the delicate balance between pathologizing and insisting that all behaviour and psychological states are equally valid expressions of a normative developmental course. Further, developmental science now has amassed the requisite data to establish the need for taking attachment relationships into careful account in assessing a child or youth's biopsychosocial wellbeing. CONCLUSIONS: It is thus argued here that identification of children in psychological distress requires an holistic, contextually inclusive, examination of their early and subsequent attachment experiences and positive relations if a diagnosis is to lead to appropriate, efficacious, intervention.