Neglectful maternal caregiving involves altered brain volume in empathy-related areas.

The maternal brain undergoes adaptations to sensitive caregiving that are critical for infant well-being. We investigated structural alterations associated with neglectful caregiving and their effects on mother-child interactive behavior. High-resolution 3D volumetric images were obtained on 25 neglectful (NM) and 23 non-neglectful control (CM) mothers. Using voxel-based morphometry, we compared differences in gray and white matter (GM and WM, respectively) volume. Mothers completed an empathy scale and participated with their children in a play task (Emotional Availability Scale, EA). Neglectful mothers showed smaller GM volume in the right insula, anterior/middle cingulate (ACC/MCC), and right inferior frontal gyrus and less WM volume in bilateral frontal regions than did CM. A greater GM volume was observed in the right fusiform and cerebellum in NM than in CM. Regression analyses showed a negative effect of greater fusiform GM volume and a positive effect of greater right frontal WM volume on EA. Mediation analyses showed the role of emotional empathy in the positive effect of the insula and right inferior frontal gyrus and in the negative effect of the cerebellum on EA. Neglectful mothering involves alterations in emotional empathy-related areas and in frontal areas associated with poor mother-child interactive bonding, indicating how critical these areas are for sensitive caregiving.

Neural Substrates of Counterfactual Emotions After Risky Decisions in Late Adolescents and Young Adults.

Adolescents' neural substrates of emotional reactions to the consequences of risky decisions are poorly understood. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, 30 late adolescents and 30 young adults made risky and neutral decisions in social scenarios and received valenced outcomes. Negative outcomes in risky decisions eliciting regret, as compared with negative outcomes in neutral decisions eliciting disappointment, activated executive control (orbitofrontal cortex) and self-relevance regions (middle temporal gyrus [MTG], posterior cingulate cortex, and precuneus) for both age groups. Young adults showed more activation than adolescents in regret and disappointment as compared with relief and elation conditions in the avoidance (insula), action monitoring (inferior frontal gyrus, pre-SMA, and caudate), and social-cognition regions (superior temporal sulcus and MTG). These late socio-emotional developments may pave the way for more adaptive decision-making behavior in social contexts.

All-semiconductor plasmonic gratings for biosensing applications in the mid-infrared spectral range.

We propose 1D periodic, highly doped InAsSb gratings on GaSb substrates as biosensing platforms applicable for surface plasmon resonance and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopies. Based on finite-difference time-domain simulations, the electric field enhancement and the sensitivity on refractive index variations are investigated for different grating geometries. The proposed, optimized system achieves sensitivities of 900 nm RIU-1. A clear red shift of the plasmon resonance as well as the enhancement of an absorption line are presented for 2 nm thin adlayers in simulations. We experimentally confirm the high sensitivity of the InAsSb grating by measurements of the wavelength shift induced by a 200 nm thin polymethylmethacrylate layer and demonstrate an enhancement of vibrational signals. A comparison to a gold grating with equivalent optical properties in the mid-infrared is performed. Our simulations and experimental results underline the interest in the alternative plasmonic material InAsSb for highly sensitive biosensors for the mid-infrared spectral range.

Fano-like resonances sustained by Si doped InAsSb plasmonic resonators integrated in GaSb matrix.

By using metal-free plasmonics, we report on the excitation of Fano-like resonances in the mid-infrared where the Fano asymmetric parameter, q, varies when the dielectric environment of the plasmonic resonator changes. We use silicon doped InAsSb alloy deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on GaSb substrate to realize the plasmonic resonators exclusively based on semiconductors. We first demonstrate the possibility to realize high quality samples of embedded InAsSb plasmonic resonators into GaSb host using regrowth technique. The high crystalline quality of the deposited structure is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) observation. Second, we report Fano-like resonances associated to localized surface plasmons in both cases: uncovered and covered plasmonic resonators, demonstrating a strong line shape modification. The optical properties of the embedded structures correspond to those modeled by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and by a model based on Fano-like line shape. Our results show that all-semiconductor plasmonics gives the opportunity to build new plasmonic structures with embedded resonators of highly doped semiconductor in a matrix of un-doped semiconductor for mid-IR applications.

Implementation of Parenting Programs in Real-World Community Settings: A Scoping Review.

Implementing parenting programs in real-world community settings is fundamental to making effective programs widely available and consequently improving the lives of children and their families. Despite the literature acknowledging that the high-quality implementation of parenting programs is particularly challenging in real-world community settings, little is known about how the programs are implemented in these settings. This scoping review followed the methodological framework described by the Joanna Briggs Institute to map evidence on how evidence-based parenting programs have been implemented under real-world conditions. A systematic search of 12 scientific databases, gray literature, and the reference lists of the included studies identified 1918 records, of which 145 were included in the review. Fifty-three parenting programs were identified in studies documenting implementation in real-world community settings worldwide. Most studies included families in psychosocial risk engaged with family-support agencies. The qualitative synthesis identified several implementation outcomes, adaptations, barriers, and facilitators. Most studies reported a maximum of two implementation outcomes, mainly fidelity and acceptability. Providers frequently made adaptations, mainly to bring down barriers and to tailor the program to improve its fit. Findings highlight the need for a more detailed description of the implementation of programs, with greater consistency in terminology, operationalization, and measurement of implementation outcomes across studies. This will promote a more transparent, consistent, and accurate evaluation and reporting of implementation and increase the public health impact of parenting programs. Future studies should also assess the impact of adaptations and the cost-effectiveness and sustainability of programs in real-world community settings.

Mother adversity and co-residence time impact mother-child similarity in genome-wide and gene-specific methylation profiles.

BACKGROUND: The effects of adverse life events on physical and psychological health, with DNA methylation (DNAm) as a critical underlying mechanism, have been extensively studied. However, the epigenetic resemblance between mother and child in the context of neglectful caregiving, and whether it may be shaped by the emotional impact of maternal stressful events and the duration of co-residence (indexed by child age), remains unknown. The present study examined mother-child similarity in methylation profiles, considering the potential effect of mother adversity, mother empathy, neglect-control group, child age (an index of years of mother-child co-residence), and mother age. Using Illumina Epic arrays, we quantified DNAm in 115 mother-child saliva samples. We obtained a methylation similarity index by computing correlation coefficients between methylation profiles within dyads, for the entire epigenome, and five specific genes related to stress and empathy: NR3C1, FKPB5, OXTR, SCL6A4, and BDNF. RESULTS: The methylation profiles of the mother-child familial pairs significantly correlated as compared to mother-child random pairs for the entire epigenome and NR3C1, FKBP5, OXTR and BDNF genes. Next, multiple linear regression models observed associations of mother adversity, child age, and neglect-control group on mother-child methylation similarity, only significant in mother-child familial pairs, after correcting for multiple comparisons. Higher mother adversity was associated with lower mother-child methylation similarity for the epigenome-wide analysis, for the BDNF gene, and in the neglect-control group for the OXTR gene. In turn, being an older child (longer co-residence) was associated with higher mother-child methylation similarity. CONCLUSIONS: Mother adversity and co-residence time are modulating factors in the intergenerational methylation process that offer a window into development-dependent adaptations that can be affected by both hereditary and environmental factors, significantly observed only in biological dyads. A twofold implication for child well-being emerges, one is positive in that children of mothers exposed to life adversity or neglect did not necessarily inherit their methylation patterns. The other is concerning due to the influence of time spent living together, which affects similarity with the mother and potentially increases the risk of inheriting an epigenetic profile associated with future dysfunctional parenting patterns. This underscores the importance of the 'the earlier, the better' recommendation by the Child Protection System, which is not always followed.

Professionals' digital competences and user profiles in social agencies and their impact on professional practice, family autonomy and wellbeing.

Introduction: The health crisis of the last 3 years has revealed the weaknesses of the child and family support system based on the professional use of digital resources in social agencies. This study addresses three aims: to examine the level of professional digital competence; to analyze the user profiles in a variety of digital resources; and to test the impact of level of competences and user profiles on four aspects: professional practice, family satisfaction with the services, child and family wellbeing, and family autonomy in the exercise of the parenting role. Methods: Participants were 148 practitioners from social agencies who voluntarily responded to an online survey with 47 questions. Results and discussion: Results showed that professionals perceive themselves as more competent in areas of information / data management and communication / collaboration than in the creation of digital content, security measures, and technical problem solving. Websites, email, and instant messaging were the sources more frequently used and with higher satisfaction, than structured programs, social networks and multimedia content. Variability in the user profiles showed three clusters: Cluster 1 Social network user (n = 13), Cluster 2 Diversified user (n = 75) and Cluster 3 Communicative instant user (n = 60). Participants in Cluster 2 compared to those in the other clusters were the most proficient on their digital competences and acknowledge the positive impact of digital resources on their professional practice and the psychological and social wellbeing of families. This study points the need for improvement in professionals' digital competences in some of the measured areas and the user profile of digital resources since both provide benefits on professional practice and family autonomy and wellbeing.

Contribution of parents' adult attachment and separation attitudes to parent-adolescent conflict resolution.

This study examined the contribution to parent-adolescent conflict resolution of parental adult attachment styles and attitudes toward adolescent separation. Questionnaires were completed by 295 couples with early to late adolescent children. Structural equation models were used to test self and partner influences on conflict resolution for three attachment orientations: confidence (model A), anxiety (model B) and avoidance (model C). Model A showed self influences between parents' confidence orientation and negotiation and also via positive attitudes towards separation. Also, the fathers' use of negotiation was facilitated by the mothers' confidence orientation and vice versa, indicating partner influences as well. Model B showed self influences between parents' anxiety orientation and the use of dominance and withdrawal and also via negative attitudes towards separation. Model C showed self influences between parents' avoidance orientation and dominance and withdrawal, and a partner influence between fathers' avoidance and mothers' use of dominance. The results indicated that the parents' adult attachment system and the parenting system were related in the area of conflict resolution, and that self influences were stronger than partner influences.

Unilateral divorce laws affect women's welfare.

This paper studies whether unilateral divorce affects women's welfare. Unilateral divorce refers to a divorce regime where each of the spouses can dissolve the marriage unilaterally (i.e. without mutual consent). First, it builds a simple theoretical model that finds that women are better off under unilateral divorce than under mutual consent. Second, it makes use of data from the U.S. between 2003 and 2014 to explore empirically whether unilateral divorce affects the amount of time women devote to three different activities that might be seen as proxies of their level of welfare, such as, housework, leisure and relaxing activities, and personal care. We find causal evidence suggesting that unilateral divorce improves women's welfare. Namely, it reduces housework carried out by women, while it increases their amount of time devoted to leisure and relaxing activities, and personal care. Further results suggest these changes are not due to improvements in gender equality per se. Moreover, we find that the decrease in housework and the surges in leisure and relaxing activities are permanent, whereas the increase in personal care is temporary. These findings are important from a policy perspective to motivate the introduction of unilateral divorce laws.

Correction: Implementation of evidence-based parenting programs under real-world conditions: Protocol for a scoping review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256392.].

Editorial: Neural and Epigenetic Factors in Parenting, Individual Differences and Dyadic Processes.

Human parenting is a fundamental educational context including complex caregiving tasks finalized to nurture and protect young children [...].

Introducing Parenting Support in Primary Care: Professionals' Perspectives on the Implementation of a Positive Parenting Program.

While positive parenting programs are an initiative aligned with the Family-Centered Care model and the Council of Europe's Recommendation on Positive Parenting, implementation in healthcare centers remains a challenge. The aims of this study were to (1) investigate how the hybrid version (online course plus face-to-face activities) of the program "Gain Health & Wellbeing From 0 to 3" was implemented in Spain from professionals' perspective, and (2) explore the perceived impact of this hybrid version of the program on the implementers' professional development. We used a qualitative mixed-methods design that included focus groups and surveys. Fifty professionals from 17 centers completed the survey on professional development. Thirty-one of these also participated in the focus groups to address the first aim. The key themes identified from the focus group were professional training, parent recruitment, program features, organizational issues, parental responses, and program sustainability. Survey results related to positive professional impact fit nicely with subthemes concerning collaboration with parents, parental needs, center coordination, and future expectations. The perceived relevance of the parenting program and its positive impact on the implementers' professional development were potential predictors for the adoption and sustainability of the program in the public health system.

[Ethical limits to the promotion of health in the workplace within the framework of the ″healthy organization″ concept]. / Límites éticos a la promoción de la salud en el lugar de trabajo en el marco del concepto de empresa saludable.

In the context of general changes in our societies in relation to health, the healthy organization is proclaimed and accepted as something necessary and legitimate. This phenomenon is expanding globally without being really questioned and promoted by international organizations and large companies. With a global and growing presence in organizational and professional policies and practices, it appears to be gaining even more strength in the aftermath of the pandemic. Faced with the expansion of the phenomenon and because it directly affects people's health, an analysis of it beyond its general positive image is unavoidable. This article identifies some relevant dangers of promoting a culture of health at work, from an ethical perspective, and among them, not only the non-beneficial nature of some practices not scientifically proven, but also their own malignant condition. In this paper, therefore, the ethical limits for this expansive phenomenon are proposed and the fundamental principle to operate in this area of asymmetric relations between employee and employer is not autonomy but non-maleficence.

The shared mother-child epigenetic signature of neglect is related to maternal adverse events.

Studies of DNA methylation have revealed the biological mechanisms by which life adversity confers risk for later physical and mental health problems. What remains unknown is the "biologically embedding" of maternal adverse experiences resulting in maladaptive parenting and whether these epigenetic effects are transmitted to the next generation. This study focuses on neglectful mothering indexed by a severe disregard for the basic and psychological needs of the child. Using the Illumina Human Methylation EPIC BeadChip in saliva samples, we identified genes with differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in those mothers with (n = 51), versus those without (n = 87), neglectful behavior that present similar DMRs patterns in their children being neglected versus non-neglected (n = 40 vs. 75). Mothers reported the emotional intensity of adverse life events. After covariate adjustment and multiple testing corrections, we identified 69 DMRs in the mother epigenome and 42 DMRs in the child epigenome that were simultaneously above the α = 0.01 threshold. The common set of nine DMRs contained genes related to childhood adversity, neonatal and infant diabetes, child neurobehavioral development and other health problems such as obesity, hypertension, cancer, posttraumatic stress, and the Alzheimer's disease; four of the genes were associated with maternal life adversity. Identifying a shared epigenetic signature of neglect linked to maternal life adversity is an essential step in breaking the intergenerational transmission of one of the most common forms of childhood maltreatment.

Brain and personality bases of insensitivity to infant cues in neglectful mothers: an event-related potential study.

This investigation examined the neural and personality correlates of processing infant facial expressions in mothers with substantiated neglect of a child under 5 years old. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 14 neglectful and 14 control mothers as they viewed and categorized pictures of infant cries, laughs, and neutral faces. Maternal self-reports of anhedonia and empathy were also completed. Early (negative occipitotemporal component peaking at around 170 ms on the scalp [N170] and positive electrical potential peaking at about 200 ms [P200]) and late positive potential (LPP) components were selected. Both groups of mothers showed behavioral discrimination between the different facial expressions via reaction time and accuracy measures. Neglectful mothers did not exhibit increased N170 amplitude at temporal leads in response to viewing crying versus laughing and neutral expressions compared to control mothers. Both groups had greater P200 and LPP amplitudes at centroparietal leads in response to viewing crying versus neutral facial expressions. However, neglectful mothers displayed an overall attenuated brain response in LPP that was related to their higher scores in social anhedonia but not to their empathy scores. The ERP data suggest that the brain's failures in the early differentiation of cry stimuli and in the sustained processing of infant expressions related to social anhedonia may underlie the insensitive responding in neglectful mothers. The implications of these results for the design and evaluation of preventive interventions are discussed.

Quality of maternal thinking and mother-child interaction in at-risk contexts.

This study investigates how the maternal level of perspectivistic reasoning and the level of socialization goals in the representation of their actions are related to the quality of mother-child behaviors as well as to the expert ratings on maternal practices in at-risk contexts. It also investigated whether there is any direct link between mother and child behaviors and expert ratings. A sample of 75 mothers of children between 8 and 12 years old reported on their level of perspectivistic reasoning and were characterized by the social workers of municipal services as being coercive, neglectful or meeting their child's needs. Interactions during a collaborative task were observed to obtain information on level of socialization goals and mother-child behaviors. Structural equation models showed that mothers' higher levels of perspectivism and higher levels of socialization goals positively predicted the mother's and child's sensitivity and active involvement in the task and negatively predicted avoidance and passivity. Higher levels of perspectivism consistently predicted experts' views on maternal practices. However, only mother's avoidance predicted negatively expert ratings on coercion practice, indicating that expert views were mostly derived from the mothers' perspective on their child. The implications of these results for parental assessment and intervention programs are discussed.

Competitive Debate as Innovation in Gamification and Training for Adult Learners: A Conceptual Analysis.

Adult learners demand teaching innovations that are ever more rapid and attractive. As a response to these demands and the challenges of skills training, this article presents a conceptual analysis that introduces competitive debate as an impact training model. The aim is to learn whether debate can be considered to fall within the frame of gamification, so that the full potential of debate as gamification can be exploited. There is a significant research gap regarding competitive debate as a game, with the training mechanics for adult learners remaining practically unexplored. Through a conceptual analysis of game, game experience, and gamification, and their respective characteristics, we conclude that competitive debate is an ideal instrument for gamification.

Competitive Debate: A Successful Inter-team Gamification Experience in the Human Resources Subject.

Students demand more active and participating teaching innovation methods, and activities such as presentations are not enough to satisfy those demands. In this research, competitive debate is used as inter-team gamification with third year students from a Business School studying the Human Resources Management subject. Out of this experience, qualitative and quantitative data are obtained. Results reinforce the continuation of classroom competitive debate due to the evidence of its motivational, learning, and communication skills improvement, and knowledge acquisition effects. The possibility of application with actual professionals is seriously considered.

Implementation of evidence-based parenting programs under real-world conditions: Protocol for a scoping review.

Protecting children is recognized as a public health priority and supporting parents through the implementation of evidence-based programs is a well-known strategy to achieve this. However, researchers highlight that these programs remain insufficiently implemented in real-world contexts. A knowledge gap exists between the intended implementation of evidence-based parenting programs and their actual implementation on real-world dynamics. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how evidence-based parenting programs have been implemented under real-world conditions by providing a map of available evidence and identifying knowledge gaps. The overall research question is: "How have evidence-based parenting programs been implemented under real-world conditions?". The proposed scoping review follows the framework originally described by Arksey and O'Malley, Levac and colleagues, and the Joanna Briggs Institute: (1) identifying the research questions; (2) identifying the relevant studies; (3) study selection; (4) charting the data; (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results; (6) consultation. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) will inform the search strategy. The results will be described in relation to the research questions and in the context of the purpose of the review. This scoping review will help to bridge the implementation gap between research evidence and its translation into practice.

Improving Early Diagnosis of Child Neglect for a Better Response in Healthcare Settings.

Early diagnosis of child neglect is an ongoing challenge with consequences of the child's safety, health, and effective referral for intervention. This study aims to obtain a selected set of family, maternal, and dyadic variables of the immediate caregiving environment for diagnosis, preventive, and intervention responses in healthcare settings. Mothers and their children under five years old: 51 in the neglected group (NG) and 89 in the non-neglected control group (CG), were recruited through pediatric primary care services and social services in Spain. Family demographics, adverse events, childhood maltreatment, maternal psychopathologies, personality variables, and observed mother-child interactions were assessed. Gradient boosting analyses were applied for the contributor's relative importance (RI), followed by logistic regression and discriminant analyses for those with higher RI. Parametric analyses showed high diagnostic accuracy (80-82% of NG and 92% of CG) for risky factors of child neglect: having a physically neglected and depressed mother, living in families in need of financial assistance, and large families; and for protective factors: having an older mother and showing higher mother-child emotional availability. Identifying a select group of features makes early diagnosis and preventive intervention more effective for mitigating the impact of child neglect and building mother-child resilience.