Early warm-rewarding parenting moderates the genetic contributions to callous-unemotional traits in childhood.

PubMed

Henry, Jeffrey; Dionne, Ginette; Viding, Essi; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara; Tremblay, Richard E; Boivin, Michel

2018-04-23

Previous gene-environment interaction studies of CU traits have relied on the candidate gene approach, which does not account for the entire genetic load of complex phenotypes. Moreover, these studies have not examined the role of positive environmental factors such as warm/rewarding parenting. The aim of the present study was to determine whether early warm/rewarding parenting moderates the genetic contributions (i.e., heritability) to callous-unemotional (CU) traits at school age. Data were collected in a population sample of 662 twin pairs (Quebec Newborn Twin Study - QNTS). Mothers reported on their warm/rewarding parenting. Teachers assessed children's CU traits. These reports were subjected to twin modeling. Callous-unemotional traits were highly heritable, with the remaining variance accounted for by nonshared environmental factors. Warm/rewarding parenting significantly moderated the role of genes in CU traits; heritability was lower when children received high warm/rewarding parenting than when they were exposed to low warm/rewarding parenting. High warm/rewarding parenting may partly impede the genetic expression of CU traits. Developmental models of CU traits need to account for such gene-environment processes. © 2018 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Callous-Unemotional Traits Predict Self-Reported Offending in Adolescent Boys: The Mediating Role of Delinquent Peers and the Moderating Role of Parenting Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, James V.; Frick, Paul J.; Thornton, Laura C.; Wall Myers, Tina D.; Steinberg, Laurence; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Research has only recently begun to examine how callous-unemotional (CU) traits interact with contextual factors to predict delinquent behavior. The current study attempts to explain the well-established link between CU traits and offending by testing the potential mediating and moderating roles of 2 critical contextual factors: peer delinquency…

Perceptions of Social Conflicts among Incarcerated Adolescents with Callous-Unemotional Traits: "You're Going to Pay. It's Going to Hurt, but I Don't Care."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardini, Dustin

2011-01-01

Background: Delinquent youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits may have a unique social-cognitive processing pattern that perpetuates their violent behavior. The current study examined the association between CU traits and the endorsement of deviant social goals during peer conflicts as well as expectancies and values regarding victim suffering…

Unemotional on all counts: Evidence of reduced affective responses in individuals with high callous-unemotional traits across emotion systems and valences.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Panayiotou, Georgia; Lombardo, Michael V; Kyranides, Melina Nicole

2016-01-01

The current study aimed to identify atypical neurophysiological activity associated with deficient affective processing in individuals with high callous-unemotional traits (CU). Fifty-six participants (M age = 20.52; 46% male) divided in two groups, differentiated on levels of CU traits, were invited to participate in the experimental phase of the study. Medial prefrontal cortex activity, measured with functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, and facial electro-myography activity were recorded during videos depicting violent, comedy and neutral scenes. Individuals high on CU traits showed similar medial prefrontal cortex oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO(2)) activity to positive and negative films, while the pre-frontal cortical responses of low CU individuals were more pronounced to positive than negative materials. High CU participants also showed reduced facial electromyography at the corrugator muscle in response to violent films, which was not differentiated from their responses to comedy films. These findings suggest that individuals high on CU traits show reduced but not absent (i.e., flat) affect to emotional material. Deficits in processing positive and negative valent material, measured with different neuro-physiological modalities, might be essential to understand CU traits.

The development of callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior in children: are there shared and/or unique predictors?

PubMed

Pardini, Dustin A; Lochman, John E; Powell, Nicole

2007-01-01

Callous and unemotional (CU) traits have been linked to severe antisocial behavior in youth, but studies examining the etiology of CU traits are lacking. Based on prior research, it was hypothesized that childhood anxiety and parenting practices would interact to predict changes in CU traits over time. Hypotheses were tested using a sample of 120 moderate to highly aggressive fifth graders followed over a 1-year period. Although CU traits displayed moderate temporal stability and predicted increases in antisocial behavior, evidence suggested that these features were not immutable. Children exposed to lower levels of physical punishment showed decreases in CU traits over time, whereas higher levels of child-reported parental warmth and involvement predicted decreases in both CU traits and antisocial behavior over time. Lower levels of anxiety were uniquely related to increased CU traits for children who described their primary caregiver as exhibiting low warmth and involvement.

Predictive value of callous-unemotional traits in a large community sample.

PubMed

Moran, Paul; Rowe, Richard; Flach, Clare; Briskman, Jacqueline; Ford, Tamsin; Maughan, Barbara; Scott, Stephen; Goodman, Robert

2009-11-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children and adolescents are increasingly recognized as a distinctive dimension of prognostic importance in clinical samples. Nevertheless, comparatively little is known about the longitudinal effects of these personality traits on the mental health of young people from the general population. Using a large representative sample of children and adolescents living in Great Britain, we set out to examine the effects of CU traits on a range of mental health outcomes measured 3 years after the initial assessment. Parents were interviewed to determine the presence of CU traits in a representative sample of 7,636 children and adolescents. The parents also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, a broad measure of childhood psychopathology. Three years later, parents repeated the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. At 3-year follow-up, CU traits were associated with conduct, hyperactivity, emotional, and total symptom scores. After adjusting for the effects of all covariates, including baseline symptom score, CU traits remained robustly associated with the overall levels of conduct problems and emotional problems and with total psychiatric difficulties at 3-year follow-up. Callous-unemotional traits are independently associated with future psychiatric difficulties in children and adolescents. An assessment of CU traits adds small but significant improvements to the prediction of future psychopathology.

Perceptions of Aggressive Conflicts and Others' Distress in Children with Callous-Unemotional Traits: "I'll Show You Who's Boss, Even If You Suffer and I Get in Trouble"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardini, Dustin A.; Byrd, Amy L.

2012-01-01

Background: Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits may have a particularly malevolent view of social conflicts and a pervasive insensitivity to others' distress. The current study examined whether children with CU traits have unique expectations and values regarding the consequences of aggressive conflicts and a ubiquitous lack of concern…

Callous-Unemotional Traits, Behavior Disorders, and the Student-Teacher Relationship in Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crum, Kathleen I.; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Willoughby, Michael T.

2016-01-01

Mental health research demonstrates that children with conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits differ in important ways from children with CP alone, including differences in primary caregiver attachment quality. This research suggests CU may also influence the quality of attachment between children with CP and their teachers.…

Research review: the importance of callous-unemotional traits for developmental models of aggressive and antisocial behavior.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J; White, Stuart F

2008-04-01

The current paper reviews research suggesting that the presence of a callous and unemotional interpersonal style designates an important subgroup of antisocial and aggressive youth. Specifically, callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of guilt, absence of empathy, callous use of others) seem to be relatively stable across childhood and adolescence and they designate a group of youth with a particularly severe, aggressive, and stable pattern of antisocial behavior. Further, antisocial youth with CU traits show a number of distinct emotional, cognitive, and personality characteristics compared to other antisocial youth. These characteristics of youth with CU traits have important implications for causal models of antisocial and aggressive behavior, for methods used to study antisocial youth, and for assessing and treating antisocial and aggressive behavior in children and adolescents.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Autonomic Functioning in Toddlerhood Interact to Predict Externalizing Behaviors in Preschool.

PubMed

Wagner, Nicholas J; Hastings, Paul D; Rubin, Kenneth H

2017-11-29

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are one meaningful risk factor which helps to explain heterogeneity in the emergence of externalizing behavior problems. While the extant literature demonstrates links between early CU traits and later externalizing problems, there is a dearth of research examining for whom early CU traits confer risk. Data from a longitudinal study (n = 108) were used to examine the extent to which parasympathetic functioning moderated links between CU traits in toddlerhood (m age  = 24.99 months) and externalizing behavior problems at preschool-age (m age  = 51 months). Neither CU traits nor parasympathetic functioning at age 2 directly predicted later externalizing behaviors. However, results show that high levels of CU traits predict elevated externalizing behavior problems, but only for toddlers exhibiting either high baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) or little to no RSA suppression in response to a fear stimulus.

Callous-unemotional traits and empathy deficits: Mediating effects of affective perspective-taking and facial emotion recognition.

PubMed

Lui, Joyce H L; Barry, Christopher T; Sacco, Donald F

2016-09-01

Although empathy deficits are thought to be associated with callous-unemotional (CU) traits, findings remain equivocal and little is known about what specific abilities may underlie these purported deficits. Affective perspective-taking (APT) and facial emotion recognition may be implicated, given their independent associations with both empathy and CU traits. The current study examined how CU traits relate to cognitive and affective empathy and whether APT and facial emotion recognition mediate these relations. Participants were 103 adolescents (70 males) aged 16-18 attending a residential programme. CU traits were negatively associated with cognitive and affective empathy to a similar degree. The association between CU traits and affective empathy was partially mediated by APT. Results suggest that assessing mechanisms that may underlie empathic deficits, such as perspective-taking, may be important for youth with CU traits and may inform targets of intervention.

Knowing right from wrong, but just not always feeling it: relations among callous-unemotional traits, psychopathological symptoms, and cognitive and affective morality judgments in 8- to 12-year-old boys.

PubMed

Feilhauer, Johanna; Cima, Maaike; Benjamins, Caroline; Muris, Peter

2013-12-01

The present research expands our understanding of cognitive and affective morality by exploring associations with callous-unemotional (CU) traits and externalizing symptoms. Participants were 46 8- to 12-year-old boys from the community who completed the Affective Morality Index, the Youth Self-Report, and the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits. A pattern of results was found indicating that in particular the combination of high CU traits and high externalizing symptoms was associated with lack of affective morality, and an increased perceived likelihood of recommitting antisocial acts (recidivism). The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Child Maltreatment, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Defensive Responding In High-Risk Children: An Investigation of Emotion-Modulated Startle Response

PubMed Central

Dackis, Melissa N.; Rogosch, Fred A.; Cicchetti, Dante

2015-01-01

Child maltreatment is associated with disruptions in physiological arousal, emotion regulation, and defensive responses to cues of threat and distress, as well as increased risk for callous unemotional (CU) traits and externalizing behavior. Developmental models of callous unemotional (CU) traits have focused on biological and genetic risk factors that contribute to hypoarousal and antisocial behavior, but have focused less on environmental influences (Blair, 2004; Daversa, 2010; Hare, Frazell, & Cox, 1978; Krueger, 2000; Shirtcliff et al., 2009; Viding, Fontaine, & McCrory, 2012). The aim of the present investigation was to measure the independent and combined effects of child maltreatment and high CU trait on emotion-modulated startle (EMS) response in children. Participants consisted of 132 low-income maltreated (n = 60) and nonmaltreated (n = 72) children between 8–12 years old who attended a summer camp program. Acoustic startle response (ASR) was elicited in response to a 110-dB 50-ms probe while children viewed a slideshow of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant IAPS images. Maltreatment status was assessed through examination of Department of Human Services records. CU traits were measured using counselor reports from the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits (ICU; Frick, 2004), and conduct problems were measured using counselor and child self-report. We found no significant differences in emotion-modulated startle in the overall sample. However, significant differences in ASR by maltreatment status, maltreatment subtype, and level of CU traits were apparent. Results indicated differential physiological responses for maltreated and nonmaltreated children based on CU traits, including a pathway of hypoarousal for nonmaltreated/high CU children that differed markedly from a more normative physiological trajectory for maltreated/high CU children. Further, we found heightened ASR for emotionally and physically neglected children with high CU and elevated antisocial behavior in these children. Results provide further support for differential trajectories by which experience and biology may influence the development of antisocial behavior in youth and highlight potential avenues for intervention. PMID:26535942

Predictive Value of Callous-Unemotional Traits in a Large Community Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moran, Paul; Rowe, Richard; Flach, Clare; Briskman, Jacqueline; Ford, Tamsin; Maughan, Barbara; Scott, Stephen; Goodman, Robert

2009-01-01

Objective: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children and adolescents are increasingly recognized as a distinctive dimension of prognostic importance in clinical samples. Nevertheless, comparatively little is known about the longitudinal effects of these personality traits on the mental health of young people from the general population. Using a…

Callous-Unemotional Traits Among Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Associations with Parenting

PubMed Central

Fabiano, Gregory; Willoughby, Michael T.; Waschbusch, Daniel; Morris, Karen; Schatz, Nicole; Vujnovic, Rebecca

2016-01-01

This study examined the extent to which positive and negative parenting relates to conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits among 172 adolescents (72 % males; Mage = 16.91 years, SD = .67) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and whether CU traits moderate the link between parenting and CP. Mothers reported on their adolescents’ CP, CU traits, and their own parenting practices. Maternal behaviors were observed during a problem-solving communication task. Parents who engaged in more positive parenting (self-reported and observed) reported their adolescents as having lower levels of CU traits. No effect was found for negative parenting. Moderation analyses indicated that lower levels of positive maternal behavior was only associated with higher CP in the presence of higher levels of CU traits. Negative parenting was positively related to CP regardless of CU traits. Positive parenting, irrespective of measurement approach, uniquely relates to adolescents’ CU traits while both positive and negative parenting relate to CP. PMID:27165312

An examination of the parent report version of the inventory of callous-unemotional traits in a community sample of first-grade children.

PubMed

Willoughby, Michael T; Mills-Koonce, W Roger; Waschbusch, Daniel A; Gottfredson, Nisha C

2015-02-01

The Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits is a self- and other report questionnaire of callous-unemotional behaviors that is increasingly widely used in research and clinical settings. Nonetheless, questions about the factor structure and validity of scales remain. This study provided the first large-scale (N = 1,078) investigation of the parent report version of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in a community sample of school-age (first-grade) children. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor model that distinguished empathic-prosocial (EP) from callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors provided the best fit to the data. EP and CU were moderately to strongly correlated with each other (ϕ = -.67, p < .001) and with oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder (ODD/CD) behaviors (ϕODD/CD, EP = -.55; ϕODD/CD, CU = .71, ps < .001). Individual differences in EP and CU behaviors explained unique variation, beyond that attributable to ODD/CD behaviors, in peer-, teacher-, and parent relationship quality. Moreover, whereas EP moderated the effects of ODD/CD in the prediction of student-teacher relationship quality, CU moderated the effects of ODD/CD in the prediction of peer and parent relationship quality. Results are discussed with respect to the use of the ICU with school-age children. © The Author(s) 2014.

What are the associations between parenting, callous-unemotional traits, and antisocial behavior in youth? A systematic review of evidence.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Hyde, Luke W

2013-06-01

A growing body of research has examined callous-unemotional (CU) traits among samples of antisocial youth. Debate surrounds the malleability of CU traits and their responsiveness to parenting and parent-focused interventions. This review examines evidence from studies that have investigated various relationships between parenting, CU traits, and antisocial behavior (AB). Studies were categorized according to five distinct research questions each addressing associations among parenting, CU traits, and AB in a different way. The results suggest that dimensions of parenting are prospectively related to changes in CU traits. Subgroups of youth with both high levels of CU traits and AB also appear to have experienced negative parenting practices. However, negative parenting is not consistently related to AB in cross-sectional studies for youth with high levels of CU traits. At the same time, parenting-focused interventions appear effective in reducing the level of AB and CU traits in youth. The findings and implications for future studies are critically discussed as they pose challenges for current etiological theories of AB. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moral disengagement and callous unemotional traits configurations in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder: A person-oriented approach.

PubMed

Paciello, Marinella; Masi, Gabriele; Clemente, Maria Grazia; Milone, Annarita; Muratori, Pietro

2017-12-01

The interplay between Callous Unemotional Traits (CU) and Moral Disengagement (MD) was examined in a sample of 90 adolescents with Disruptive Behavior Disorders. Using a person-centered approach, three CU and MD configurations were identified, attesting the strong relationship between these two moral dimensions. However, for some adolescents, CU and MD do not 'move together'. Practical implications are discussed in terms of assessment and intervention. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal Care, Maltreatment and Callous-Unemotional Traits among Urban Male Juvenile Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimonis, Eva R.; Cross, Brittany; Howard, Aisha; Donoghue, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (i.e., lack of empathy/guilt, uncaring attitudes) are believed to be a developmental antecedent to adult psychopathy and identify antisocial youth at risk for severe and persistent aggression. The psychosocial histories of antisocial and aggressive individuals with psychopathic traits are characterized by abusive or…

The link between callous-unemotional traits and neural mechanisms of reward processing: An fMRI study.

PubMed

Veroude, Kim; von Rhein, Daniel; Chauvin, Roselyne J M; van Dongen, Eelco V; Mennes, Maarten J J; Franke, Barbara; Heslenfeld, Dirk J; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Hartman, Catharina A; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Glennon, Jeffrey C; Buitelaar, Jan K

2016-09-30

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, i.e., unconcernedness and lack of prosocial feelings, may manifest in Conduct Disorder (CD), but also in Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These disorders have been associated with aberrant reward processing, while the influence of CU traits is unclear. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we examined whether CU traits affect the neural circuit for reward. A Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task was administered to 328 adolescents and young adults with varying levels of CU traits: 40 participants with ODD/CD plus ADHD, 101 participants with ADHD only, 84 siblings of probands with ADHD and 103 typically developing (TD) individuals. During reward anticipation, CU traits related negatively to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity, independent of ADHD symptoms and ODD/CD diagnosis. Our results indicate that CU traits are a valuable dimension for assessing the neural basis of reward processing. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Violent media exposure, aggression and CU traits in adolescence: Testing the selection and socialization hypotheses.

PubMed

Rydell, Ann-Margret

2016-10-01

We investigated the role of exposure to violent action for later aggression and for later callous-unemotional traits in a sample of Swedish adolescents (N = 77-85), testing the selection and socialization hypotheses. Adolescents reported on violent delinquency and on callous-unemotional (CU) traits at age 15, on their media habits at age 16 and on reactive and proactive aggression and CU traits at age 18. The socialization hypothesis was supported with regard to aggression, that is, violent delinquency did not affect consumption of violent action, but controlling for violent delinquency, consumption of violent action added to proactive aggression and, marginally, to reactive aggression. The selection hypothesis was supported with regard to CU traits, that is, high levels of CU traits predicted frequent consumption of violent action, but consumption of violent action did not affect later levels of CU traits. Frequent violent media use was associated with later aggression. The associations between CU traits and violent media need further study. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Commentary: Integrating callous and unemotional traits into the definition of antisocial behaviour--a commentary on Frick et al. (2014).

PubMed

Rowe, Richard

2014-06-01

Heterogeneity in the presentation, antecedents, prognosis and treatment response of antisocial behaviour has long provided a challenge to developmental psychopathology researchers. As illustrated in the incisive Frick and colleagues' Annual Research Review, there is growing evidence that the presence of high callous-unemotional (CU) traits identifies a subgroup of antisocial young people with a particularly aggressive and pervasive form of disorder. Frick and colleagues extend their developmental psychopathology approach to CU traits by linking in theories of conscience development and considering evidence on the stability of CU traits. This commentary addresses these themes and the area more generally, considering (1) comparison of a CU specifier to alternative approaches to antisocial heterogeneity (2) high CU traits in the absence of antisocial behaviour and (3) aspects of the measurement of CU traits. © 2014 The Author. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Heritability of antisocial behaviour at 9: do callous-unemotional traits matter?

PubMed

Viding, Essi; Jones, Alice P; Frick, Paul J; Moffitt, Terrie E; Plomin, Robert

2008-01-01

A previous finding from our group indicated that teacher-rated antisocial behaviour (AB) among 7-year-olds is particularly heritable in the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Using a sample of 1865 same-sex twin pairs, we employed DeFries-Fulker extremes analysis to investigate whether teacher-rated AB with/without CU traits also shows aetiological differences among 9-year-olds. Furthermore, we assessed whether the differences in the magnitude of heritability would be evident even when hyperactive symptoms were controlled for in the statistical analysis. AB among 9-year-olds was more heritable with than without concomitant CU. The heritability difference was even more pronounced in magnitude when hyperactive symptoms were controlled. CU traits thus appear to index one valid way of sub-typing children with early-onset AB.

Emotional communication in families of conduct problem children with high versus low callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Pasalich, Dave S; Dadds, Mark R; Vincent, Lucy C; Cooper, Francesca A; Hawes, David J; Brennan, John

2012-01-01

This study examined relationships between parent-child emotional communication and callous-unemotional (CU) traits and conduct problems. References to negative and positive emotions made by clinic-referred boys (3-9 years) and their parents were coded from direct observations of family interactions involving the discussion of shared emotional experiences. Although frequencies of parents' emotion expression did not generally relate to levels of CU traits, boys higher on CU traits were observed to be more expressive of negative emotions in conversation with their caregivers-specifically for sadness and fear. Independent coders did not judge these children to be less genuine in their emotion expression compared to their low-CU counterparts. We also examined whether CU traits moderated the relationship between parents' focus on emotions and conduct problem severity. Higher levels of maternal focus on negative emotions were found to be associated with lower conduct problems in high-CU boys but related to higher conduct problems in low-CU boys. Frequencies of fathers' emotional communication were unrelated to either child CU traits or conduct problems. We discuss the implications of these findings for the conceptualization of CU traits in preadolescent children, and interventions for conduct problems in children elevated on these traits.

Childhood callous-unemotional traits moderate the relation between parenting distress and conduct problems over time.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Centifanti, Luna C Munoz

2014-01-01

The present short-term longitudinal study examines the bidirectional effects among paternal-reported and maternal-reported involvement, distress and conduct-problems (CP) in children ages 7–12 years with callous-unemotional (CU) traits as a potential moderator. Latent profile analysis revealed four groups: high, moderate, decreasing, and low on CU traits. Findings suggested that children high on CU traits were at higher risk to exhibit CP and were more likely to experience low parental-involvement and high parental-distress compared to children with low, decreasing, and moderate CU traits. Findings from the cross-lagged structural equation model suggested that high levels of CP predicted increases in parenting distress, and this was shown for youth with high levels of CU traits. In turn, parental-reported distress predicted increases in CP for children in the low and decreasing CU groups. A negative bidirectional association between maternal-involvement and CP was also identified. Findings extend cross-sectional research showing parents become distressed by CP behaviors, particularly when accompanied by high CU traits.

Verbal, facial and autonomic responses to empathy-eliciting film clips by disruptive male adolescents with high versus low callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

de Wied, Minet; van Boxtel, Anton; Matthys, Walter; Meeus, Wim

2012-02-01

This study examined empathy-related responding in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), high or low on callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Facial electromyographic (EMG) and heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during exposure to empathy-inducing film clips portraying sadness, anger or happiness. Self-reports were assessed afterward. In agreement with expectations, DBD adolescents with high CU traits showed significantly lower levels of empathic sadness than healthy controls across all response systems. Between DBD subgroups significant differences emerged at the level of autonomic (not verbal or facial) reactions to sadness, with high CU respondents showing less HR change from baseline than low CU respondents. The study also examined basal patterns of autonomic function. Resting HR was not different between groups, but resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was significantly lower in DBD adolescents with high CU traits compared to controls. Results support the notion that CU traits designate a distinct subgroup of DBD individuals.

Reciprocal influences between negative life events and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Kimonis, Eva R; Centifanti, Luna C M; Allen, Jennifer L; Frick, Paul J

2014-11-01

Children with conduct problems and co-occurring callous-unemotional (CU) traits show more severe, stable, and aggressive antisocial behaviors than those without CU traits. Exposure to negative life events has been identified as an important contributing factor to the expression of CU traits across time, although the directionality of this effect has remained unknown due to a lack of longitudinal study. The present longitudinal study examined potential bidirectional effects of CU traits leading to experiencing more negative life events and negative life events leading to increases in CU traits across 3 years among a sample of community-based school-aged (M = 10.9, SD = 1.71 years) boys and girls (N = 98). Repeated rating measures of CU traits, negative life events and conduct problems completed by children and parents during annual assessments were moderately to highly stable across time. Cross-lagged models supported a reciprocal relationship of moderate magnitude between child-reported CU traits and "controllable" negative life events. Parent-reported CU traits predicted "uncontrollable" life events at the earlier time point and controllable life events at the later time point, but no reciprocal effect was evident. These findings have important implications for understanding developmental processes that contribute to the stability of CU traits in youth.

Callous-unemotional traits modulate the neural response associated with punishing another individual during social exchange: a preliminary investigation.

PubMed

White, Stuart F; Brislin, Sarah J; Meffert, Harma; Sinclair, Stephen; Blair, R James R

2013-02-01

The current study examined whether Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits, a core component of psychopathy, modulate neural responses of participants engaged in a social exchange game. In this task, participants were offered an allocation of money and then given the chance to punish the offerer. Twenty youth participated and responses to both offers and the participant's punishment (or not) of these offers were examined. Increasingly unfair offers were associated with increased dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activity but this responsiveness was not modulated by CU traits. Increasing punishment of unfair offers was associated with increased dACC and anterior insula activity and this activity was modulated by CU traits. Higher CU trait participants showed a weaker association between activity and punishment level. These data suggest that CU traits are associated with appropriate expectations of other individual's normative behavior but weaker representations of such information when guiding behavior of the self.

Emotional Intelligence and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Incarcerated Adolescents

PubMed Central

Kahn, Rachel E.; Ermer, Elsa; Salovey, Peter; Kiehl, Kent A.

2016-01-01

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, manage, and reason about emotions and to use this information to guide thinking and behavior adaptively. Youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits demonstrate a variety of affective deficits, including impairment in recognition of emotion and reduced emotional responsiveness to distress or pain in others. We examined the association between ability EI and CU traits in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (n = 141) using an expert-rater device (Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL-YV; 1) and self-report assessments of CU traits. EI was assessed using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-Youth Version, Research Version (MSCEIT-YV-R; 2). Similar to findings in adult forensic populations, high levels of CU traits in high risk youth were associated with lower EI, particularly higher order EI skills. Identifying impairment on EI abilities may have important implications for emerging treatment and intervention developments for youth with high levels of CU traits. PMID:26779640

Social Problem Solving, Conduct Problems, and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Walsh, Trudi M.; Andrade, Brendan F.; King, Sara; Carrey, Normand J.

2007-01-01

This study examined the association between social problem solving, conduct problems (CP), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in elementary age children. Participants were 53 children (40 boys and 13 girls) aged 7-12 years. Social problem solving was evaluated using the Social Problem Solving Test-Revised, which requires children to produce…

Emotional Communication in Families of Conduct Problem Children with High versus Low Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasalich, Dave S.; Dadds, Mark R.; Vincent, Lucy C.; Cooper, Francesca A.; Hawes, David J.; Brennan, John

2012-01-01

This study examined relationships between parent-child emotional communication and callous-unemotional (CU) traits and conduct problems. References to negative and positive emotions made by clinic-referred boys (3-9 years) and their parents were coded from direct observations of family interactions involving the discussion of shared emotional…

Evidence for deficits in reward responsivity in antisocial youth with callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Marini, Victoria A; Stickle, Timothy R

2010-10-01

This study investigated reward responsivity in youth with high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits using a cross-sectional design. Whereas deficits in responding to punishment cues are well established in youth with CU traits, it is unclear whether responsivity to rewarding stimuli is impaired as well. Participants were 148 predominantly Caucasian, adjudicated adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 (M = 15.1, SD = 1.4) who completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task as part of a larger battery investigating aggression and social information processing. A Reward Responsivity variable was created to capture changes in participants' responding after receiving a reward. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that higher levels of CU traits significantly predicted less reward responsivity, above and beyond gender, sensation seeking, and impulsivity. Results support Blair's (2004) Integrated Emotion Systems model that proposes individuals with CU traits are impaired in their responsivity to both appetitive and aversive stimuli.

Evaluating Callous-Unemotional Traits as a Personality Construct.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J; Ray, James V

2015-12-01

We evaluate the importance of callous-unemotional (CU) traits as a personality construct in isolation from other facets of psychopathy. Specifically, we review research suggesting that these traits are useful for designating a subgroup of youth with serious conduct problems who differ from other antisocial youth on important biological, emotional, cognitive, and social characteristics. In addition, the temperamental features related to CU traits are risk factors for impairments in conscience development in young children. Thus, these traits could advance theoretical models explaining the development of severe antisocial behavior and psychopathy. CU traits also have important clinical utility because they designate a particularly severe and impaired subgroup of antisocial youth, leading to their inclusion in the DSM-5. As a result of this inclusion in diagnostic classification, there has been an increased focus on how to best assess CU traits, and we discuss several key issues in their assessment, highlighting several limitations in existing measures. Finally, the increased use of CU traits, separately from other facets of psychopathy, makes it important to determine how these traits relate to other personality constructs. Thus, we examine how measures of CU traits relate to the broader construct of psychopathy and to other basic personality dimensions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Disorganized Amygdala Networks in Conduct-Disordered Juvenile Offenders With Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

Aghajani, Moji; Klapwijk, Eduard T; van der Wee, Nic J; Veer, Ilya M; Rombouts, Serge A R B; Boon, Albert E; van Beelen, Peter; Popma, Arne; Vermeiren, Robert R J M; Colins, Olivier F

2017-08-15

The developmental trajectory of psychopathy seemingly begins early in life and includes the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., deficient emotional reactivity, callousness) in conduct-disordered (CD) youth. Though subregion-specific anomalies in amygdala function have been suggested in CU pathophysiology among antisocial populations, system-level studies of CU traits have typically examined the amygdala as a unitary structure. Hence, nothing is yet known of how amygdala subregional network function may contribute to callous-unemotionality in severely antisocial people. We addressed this important issue by uniquely examining the intrinsic functional connectivity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centromedial amygdala (CMA) networks across three matched groups of juveniles: CD offenders with CU traits (CD/CU+; n = 25), CD offenders without CU traits (CD/CU-; n = 25), and healthy control subjects (n = 24). We additionally examined whether perturbed amygdala subregional connectivity coincides with altered volume and shape of the amygdaloid complex. Relative to CD/CU- and healthy control youths, CD/CU+ youths showed abnormally increased BLA connectivity with a cluster that included both dorsal and ventral portions of the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices, along with posterior cingulate, sensory associative, and striatal regions. In contrast, compared with CD/CU- and healthy control youths, CD/CU+ youths showed diminished CMA connectivity with ventromedial/orbitofrontal regions. Critically, these connectivity changes coincided with local hypotrophy of BLA and CMA subregions (without being statistically correlated) and were associated to more severe CU symptoms. These findings provide unique insights into a putative mechanism for perturbed attention-emotion interactions, which could bias salience processing and associative learning in youth with CD/CU+. Copyright © 2016 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Salivary oxytocin in adolescents with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Levy, Tomer; Bloch, Yuval; Bar-Maisels, Meytal; Gat-Yablonski, Galia; Djalovski, Amir; Borodkin, Katy; Apter, Alan

2015-12-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits correlate with the severity and prognosis of conduct disorder in youth. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been linked to prosocial behaviors, including empathy and collaboration with others. This study discusses a possible role for OT in the biology of delinquent behavior. We hypothesized that in delinquent youth OT secretion will correlate with the severity of conduct problems and specifically with the level of CU traits. The study group included 67 male adolescents (mean age 16.2 years) undergoing residential treatment, previously assessed by an open clinical interview and history for the psychiatric diagnosis. Staff based Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits for psychopathy and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were administered, and patients' medical and social personal files were systematically coded for previous history of antisocial acts using the Brown-Goodwin Questionnaire. Salivary OT was assayed by ELISA. Salivary OT levels were inversely correlated with conduct problems severity on Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (r = -0.27; p ≤ 0.01). Recorded history of antisocial acts did not correlate with current OT levels. Odds ratio (OR) for significant CU traits among subjects with conduct problems was increased in low-OT (OR = 14, p ≤ 0.05) but not in high-OT subjects (OR = 6, p ≥ 0.05). Children with conduct problems and low levels of salivary OT are at risk for significant CU traits. These results suggest a possible role for salivary OT as a biomarker for CU traits and conduct problems severity.

Callous unemotional traits in children with disruptive behavior disorder: Predictors of developmental trajectories and adolescent outcomes.

PubMed

Muratori, Pietro; Lochman, John E; Manfredi, Azzurra; Milone, Annarita; Nocentini, Annalaura; Pisano, Simone; Masi, Gabriele

2016-02-28

The present study investigated trajectories of Callous Unemotional (CU) traits in youth with Disruptive Behavior Disorder diagnosis followed-up from childhood to adolescence, to explore possible predictors of these trajectories, and to individuate adolescent clinical outcomes. A sample of 59 Italian referred children with Disruptive Behavior Disorder (53 boys and 6 girls, 21 with Conduct Disorder) was followed up from childhood to adolescence. CU traits were assessed with CU-scale of the Antisocial Process Screening Device-parent report. Latent growth curve models showed that CU traits are likely to decrease linearly from 9 to 15 years old, with a deceleration in adolescence (from 12 to 15). There was substantial individual variability in the rate of change of CU traits over time: patients with a minor decrease of CU symptoms during childhood were at increased risk for severe behavioral problems and substance use into adolescence. Although lower level of socio-economic status and lower level of parenting involvement were associated to elevated levels of CU traits at baseline evaluation, none of the considered clinical and environmental factors predicted the levels of CU traits. The current longitudinal research suggests that adolescent outcomes of Disruptive Behavior Disorder be influenced by CU traits trajectories during childhood. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The incremental utility of callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems in predicting aggression and bullying in a community sample of boys and girls.

PubMed

Thornton, Laura C; Frick, Paul J; Crapanzano, Ann Marie; Terranova, Andrew M

2013-06-01

The current study tested whether callous-unemotional (CU) traits explained unique variance in measures of aggression and bullying, and in measures assessing cognitive and affective correlates to aggression, when controlling for conduct problem severity. In a sample of 284 ethnically diverse students (ages 9 to 14 years), a self-report measure of CU traits did not explain unique variance in self-report measures of reactive aggression but did interact with conduct problems in predicting proactive aggression, with conduct problems being more strongly related to proactive aggression in students high on CU traits. Conduct problems were also more strongly related to peer-reports of bullying in girls high on CU traits. Further, CU traits were negatively related to behaviors that defend victims of bullying, independent of conduct problem severity. Finally, conduct problems were more strongly related to anger dysregulation in students low on CU traits, and conduct problems were more strongly related to positive expectations for aggressive behavior in girls high on CU traits. These findings provide support for the proposal to include CU traits as a specifier for the diagnosis of conduct disorder. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

The Impact of Prenatal Maternal Risk, Fearless Temperament and Early Parenting on Adolescent Callous-Unemotional Traits: A 14-Year Longitudinal Investigation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Edward D.; Oliver, Bonamy R.; Viding, Essi; Salekin, Randall T.; Maughan, Barbara

2011-01-01

Objective: Proposals have been submitted to the DSM-V for the addition of a callous-unemotional (CU) specifier for conduct problem (CP) youth (CP/CU). While the addition of such a diagnostic category may aid in the identification of homogeneous CP subtypes, evidence on risks for the development of CP/CU remains limited. The present study sought to…

Empathy and Bullying: Exploring the Influence of Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Luna C.; Qualter, Pamela; Padgett, Gemma

2011-01-01

Although knowing and feeling the emotions of other people might result in less bullying, we argue that not caring about these feelings will also be important. That is, what good is empathy, if one does not care about the feelings or values of others? We examined self-reports of callous-unemotional traits (CU: Inventory of Callous-Unemotional…

Treatment Response in CP/ADHD Children with Callous/Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Sarah M.; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Pelham, William E.; King, Sara; Andrade, Brendan F.; Carrey, Normand J.

2011-01-01

The current study examines the role of callous/unemotional (CU) traits in response to treatment among children with conduct problems (CP) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Fifty-four children with CP/ADHD and 16 controls (age = 9.48, SD = 1.58) took part in a summer treatment and research program. Simple correlations showed that…

Are Youth Psychopathic Traits Related to Bullying? Meta-analyses on Callous-Unemotional Traits, Narcissism, and Impulsivity.

PubMed

van Geel, Mitch; Toprak, Fatih; Goemans, Anouk; Zwaanswijk, Wendy; Vedder, Paul

2017-10-01

In the current manuscript meta-analyses are performed to analyze the relations between three aspects of psychopathy in youth, Callous-Unemotional (CU) traits, Narcissism, and Impulsivity, and bullying behaviors. The databases PsycINFO, MEDLINE, ERIC, Web of Science and Proquest were searched for relevant articles on bullying and CU traits, Narcissism, or Impulsivity in youth under 20 years of age. Two authors each independently screened 842 studies that were found in the literature search. Two authors independently coded ten studies on bullying and CU (N = 4115) traits, six studies on bullying and Narcissism (N = 3376) and 14 studies on bullying and Impulsivity (N = 33,574) that met the inclusion criteria. Significant correlations were found between bullying and CU traits, Narcissism, and Impulsivity. These results were not affected by publication bias. Anti-bullying interventions could potentially benefit from including elements that have been found effective in the treatment of youth psychopathy.

Child maltreatment, callous-unemotional traits, and defensive responding in high-risk children: An investigation of emotion-modulated startle response.

PubMed

Dackis, Melissa N; Rogosch, Fred A; Cicchetti, Dante

2015-11-01

Child maltreatment is associated with disruptions in physiological arousal, emotion regulation, and defensive responses to cues of threat and distress, as well as increased risk for callous unemotional (CU) traits and externalizing behavior. Developmental models of CU traits have focused on biological and genetic risk factors that contribute to hypoarousal and antisocial behavior, but have focused less on environmental influences (Blair, 2004; Daversa, 2010; Hare, Frazell, & Cox, 1978; Krueger, 2000; Shirtcliff et al., 2009; Viding, Fontaine, & McCrory, 2012). The aim of the present investigation was to measure the independent and combined effects of child maltreatment and high CU traits on emotion-modulated startle response in children. Participants consisted of 132 low-income maltreated (n = 60) and nonmaltreated (n = 72) children between 8 and 12 years old who attended a summer camp program. Acoustic startle response (ASR) was elicited in response to a 110-dB 50-ms probe while children viewed a slideshow of pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant IAPS images. Maltreatment status was assessed through examination of Department of Human Services records. CU traits were measured using counselor reports from the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits (Frick, 2004), and conduct problems were measured using counselor and child self-report. We found no significant differences in emotion-modulated startle in the overall sample. However, significant differences in ASR by maltreatment status, maltreatment subtype, and level of CU traits were apparent. Results indicated differential physiological responses for maltreated and nonmaltreated children based on CU traits, including a pathway of hypoarousal for nonmaltreated/high CU children that differed markedly from a more normative physiological trajectory for maltreated/high CU children. Further, we found heightened ASR for emotionally and physically neglected children with high CU and elevated antisocial behavior in these children. Results provide further support for differential trajectories by which experience and biology may influence the development of antisocial behavior in youth and highlight potential avenues for intervention.

Which dimension of parenting predicts the change of callous unemotional traits in children with disruptive behavior disorder?

PubMed

Muratori, Pietro; Lochman, John E; Lai, Elisa; Milone, Annarita; Nocentini, Annalaura; Pisano, Simone; Righini, Elisabetta; Masi, Gabriele

2016-08-01

Several studies suggested that in addition to child-driven factors (i.e., temperamental style), parenting behavior can, at least in part, influence the maintenance of Callous Unemotional (CU) traits in children; however, more information is needed to distinguish which styles (negative parenting or lack of positive parenting) predict increased levels of CU traits. The aim of the present treatment study was to examine which components of parenting are longitudinally associated with levels of CU traits in children with a disruptive behavior disorder diagnosis. The current study examined cross-lagged reciprocal effects models between positive and negative parenting practices, and the levels of child CU traits over three time points, including both positive and negative dimensions of parenting in the same model. Participants were 126 Italian children with diagnosis of disruptive behavior disorder (oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder), 113 boys and 13 girls, 110 Caucasian, 48 with conduct disorder, and 78 with oppositional defiant disorder, treated with a multi-component intervention, based on cognitive behavioral principles and practices. Participants were all 9-10 years of age at the beginning of the study, and were followed-up until the age of 11-12 years (24 months in total, the first 12 under treatment) using parent report (Alabama Parenting Questionnaire and Child Behavior Check List) and child report (Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits) measures. No significant cross-lagged path was found between negative parenting and CU traits; these two variables were also unrelated when positive parenting was considered in the same model. In contrast, reciprocal effects between positive parenting and CU were found: higher levels of positive parenting predicted lower levels of CU traits. The current findings suggest that the positive dimension of parenting may need to be targeted in the treatment of DBD children with higher CU traits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Callous-unemotional traits and the treatment of conduct problems in childhood and adolescence: a comprehensive review.

PubMed

Hawes, David J; Price, Matthew J; Dadds, Mark R

2014-09-01

The treatment of conduct problems among children and adolescents with callous-unemotional (CU) traits has been subject to much speculation; however, treatment outcome research has been surprisingly limited and findings have been mixed. This review examines the research to date in this field as it pertains to two key questions. First, are CU traits associated with clinical outcomes and processes in the family based treatment of child and adolescent conduct problems? Second, can family based intervention produce change in CU traits? Using a systematic search strategy, we identified 16 treatment outcomes studies that can be brought to bear on these questions. These studies provide strong evidence of unique associations between CU traits and risk for poor treatment outcomes, while at the same time indicating that social-learning-based parent training is capable of producing lasting improvement in CU traits, particularly when delivered early in childhood. We discuss the potential for this emerging evidence base to inform the planning and delivery of treatments for clinic-referred children with CU traits, and detail an ongoing program of translational research into the development of novel interventions for this high-risk subgroup.

Emotional Intelligence and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Incarcerated Adolescents.

PubMed

Kahn, Rachel E; Ermer, Elsa; Salovey, Peter; Kiehl, Kent A

2016-12-01

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to perceive, manage, and reason about emotions and to use this information to guide thinking and behavior adaptively. Youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits demonstrate a variety of affective deficits, including impairment in recognition of emotion and reduced emotional responsiveness to distress or pain in others. We examined the association between ability EI and CU traits in a sample of incarcerated adolescents (n = 141) using an expert-rater device (Psychopathy Checklist Youth Version (PCL-YV; Manual for the Hare psychopathy checklist: Youth version. Multi-Health Systems, Toronto, 2003) and self-report assessments of CU traits. EI was assessed using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test-Youth Version, Research Version (MSCEIT-YV-R; MSCEIT YV: Mayer-Salovey-Caruso emotional intelligence test: Youth version, research version 1.0. Multi-Health Systems, Toronto, Ontario, 2005). Similar to findings in adult forensic populations, high levels of CU traits in incarcerated adolescents were associated with lower EI, particularly higher order EI skills. Identifying impairment on EI abilities may have important implications for emerging treatment and intervention developments for youth with high levels of CU traits.

Treating Children with Early-Onset Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits: An Empirical Evaluation of KooLKIDS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Houghton, Stephen; Carroll, Annemaree; Zadow, Corinne; O'connor, Emma Sanders; Hattie, John; Lynn, Sasha

2017-01-01

Children with early-onset conduct problems (EOCP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits are highly resistant to treatment and cost society significantly more than their healthy counterparts. Employing a multiple baseline design, 13 males (9.0-10.2 years of age) with a history of school suspensions were sequentially introduced to KooLKIDS, a…

Verbal, Facial and Autonomic Responses to Empathy-Eliciting Film Clips by Disruptive Male Adolescents with High versus Low Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Wied, Minet; van Boxtel, Anton; Matthys, Walter; Meeus, Wim

2012-01-01

This study examined empathy-related responding in male adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), high or low on callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Facial electromyographic (EMG) and heart rate (HR) responses were monitored during exposure to empathy-inducing film clips portraying sadness, anger or happiness. Self-reports were assessed…

Callous-Unemotional Traits in Predicting the Severity and Stability of Conduct Problems and Delinquency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frick, Paul J.; Stickle, Timothy R.; Dandreaux, Danielle M.; Farrell, Jamie M.; Kimonis, Eva R.

2005-01-01

The current study tests whether the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits designates a group of children with conduct problems who show an especially severe and chronic pattern of conduct problems and delinquency. Ninety-eight children who were selected from a large community screening of school children in grades 3, 4, 6 and 7 were followed…

Neural Bases of Theory of Mind in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Children with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Nions, Elizabeth; Sebastian, Catherine L.; McCrory, Eamon; Chantiluke, Kaylita; Happé, Francesca; Viding, Essi

2014-01-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty understanding other minds (Theory of Mind; ToM), with atypical processing evident at both behavioural and neural levels. Individuals with conduct problems and high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (CP/HCU) exhibit reduced responsiveness to others' emotions and difficulties…

Assessing Callous-Unemotional Traits in Preschool Children with Disruptive Behavior Problems Using Peer Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graziano, Paulo A.; Ros, Rosmary; Haas, Sarah; Hart, Katie; Slavec, Janine; Waschbusch, Daniel; Garcia, Alexis

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which preschoolers with externalizing behavior problems (EBP) can identify behaviors indicative of callous-unemotional (CU) traits among their peers. Participants for this study included 86 preschool children (69% boys; M[subscript age] = 5.07 years) with at-risk or clinically elevated levels of…

Impairment in Children with and without ADHD: Contributions from Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brammer, Whitney A.; Lee, Steve S.

2012-01-01

Objective: To ascertain the association of childhood ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) on functional impairment and to test the moderating influence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Method: Ethnically diverse 6- to 9-year-old children with (n = 59) and without (n = 47) ADHD were ascertained using multiple methods (i.e., rating scales…

Emotion socialization style in parents of children with callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Pasalich, Dave S; Waschbusch, Daniel A; Dadds, Mark R; Hawes, David J

2014-01-01

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits manifest a range of deficits in their emotional functioning, and parents play a key role in socializing children's understanding, experience, expression, and regulation of emotions. However, research examining emotion-related parenting in families of children with CU traits is scarce. In two independent studies we examined emotion socialization styles in parents of children high on CU traits. In Study 1, we assessed parents' self-reported beliefs and feelings regarding their own and their child's emotions, in a sample of 111 clinic-referred and community children aged 7-12 years. In Study 2, we directly observed parents' responding to child emotion during an emotional reminiscing task, in a clinic sample of 59 conduct-problem children aged 3-9 years. Taken together, the results were consistent in suggesting that the mothers of children with higher levels of CU traits are more likely to have affective attitudes that are less accepting of emotion (Study 1), and emotion socialization practices that are more dismissing of child emotion (Study 2). Fathers' emotion socialization beliefs and practices were unrelated to levels of CU traits. Our findings provide initial evidence for a relationship between CU traits and parents' emotion socialization style, and have significant implications for the design of novel family-based interventions targeting CU traits and co-occurring conduct problems.

Bidirectional associations between parenting behavior and child callous-unemotional traits: does parental depression moderate this link?

PubMed

Childs, Amber Wimsatt; Fite, Paula J; Moore, Todd M; Lochman, John E; Pardini, Dustin A

2014-10-01

The current study longitudinally examined bidirectional associations between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and parenting dimensions. This study extended the literature by examining whether parental depression moderated these relations in a pre-adolescent sample. Proposed relations were examined using a longitudinal sample of 120 aggressive children (59.6 % male) who were in the 4th grade (M = 10.56 years, SD = 0.56) at baseline and were followed annually over 4 years. A series of generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to examine proposed relations. At the first order level, corporal punishment (p < . 001) and poor supervision/monitoring predicted increases in CU traits (p = 0.03) however, the inverse relations were not found. Importantly, parental depression moderated the link between corporal punishment and CU traits. Specifically, at high levels of depression, corporal punishment was predictive of increases in CU traits, but was unrelated to CU traits at low levels of depression. These findings aid in our understanding of the link between corporal punishment and CU traits by highlighting conditions under which certain parenting behaviors have an impact on CU traits, which in turn, may have important intervention implications. Further clinical implications, limitations and future directions are discussed.

Expression and Regulation of Attachment-Related Emotions in Children with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

Dadds, Mark R; Gale, Nyree; Godbee, Megan; Moul, Caroline; Pasalich, Dave S; Fink, Elian; Hawes, David J

2016-08-01

Callous-unemotional traits (CU) are defined by low responsiveness to, and unfeeling disregard for the emotions of others. There is controversial evidence, however, that children with high CU traits can demonstrate affective responsiveness under certain conditions, namely those associated with attachment threat. We tested this using 'fear + amusing' and 'attachment rich' stimuli from the Lion King film. Of N = 76, 4-14 years old children, 56 were clinic-referred children divided into high and low CU traits groups, and 20 children were drawn from the community. Participants watched film sequences of fearful, attachment-related and neutral stimuli and their affective responses and emotion-regulation strategies were coded by independent observers. Children in the high CU traits group were able to disengage from the fear stimuli by showing more 'happiness' to a brief slapstick interlude. In the attachment scenario, high CU children expressed similar or trends toward higher emotional responses and emotion regulation strategies, compared to low-CU children and control children. The results support the idea that high CU children may have the potential for emotional responsiveness to complex emotional stimuli in attachment contexts. Implications of these results for the development of interventions are discussed.

Callous-unemotional traits drive reduced white-matter integrity in youths with conduct problems.

PubMed

Breeden, A L; Cardinale, E M; Lozier, L M; VanMeter, J W; Marsh, A A

2015-10-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits represent a significant risk factor for severe and persistent conduct problems in children and adolescents. Extensive neuroimaging research links CU traits to structural and functional abnormalities in the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In addition, adults with psychopathy (a disorder for which CU traits are a developmental precursor) exhibit reduced integrity in uncinate fasciculus, a white-matter (WM) tract that connects prefrontal and temporal regions. However, research in adolescents has not yet yielded similarly consistent findings. We simultaneously modeled CU traits and externalizing behaviors as continuous traits, while controlling for age and IQ, in order to identify the unique relationship of each variable with WM microstructural integrity, assessed using diffusion tensor imaging. We used tract-based spatial statistics to evaluate fractional anisotropy, an index of WM integrity, in uncinate fasciculus and stria terminalis in 47 youths aged 10-17 years, of whom 26 exhibited conduct problems and varying levels of CU traits. Whereas both CU traits and externalizing behaviors were negatively correlated with WM integrity in bilateral uncinate fasciculus and stria terminalis/fornix, simultaneously modeling both variables revealed that these effects were driven by CU traits; the severity of externalizing behavior was not related to WM integrity after controlling for CU traits. These results indicate that WM abnormalities similar to those observed in adult populations with psychopathy may emerge in late childhood or early adolescence, and may be critical to understanding the social and affective deficits observed in this population.

Callous unemotional traits and the relationship between aggressive parenting practices and conduct problems in Singaporean families.

PubMed

Sng, Khai Imm; Hawes, David J; Raine, Adrian; Ang, Rebecca P; Ooi, Yoon Phaik; Fung, Daniel S S

2018-05-11

Research into parenting influences on child conduct problems in Asian countries has been limited compared to that conducted in Western countries, especially with regard to interplay between parenting and callous unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of guilt and empathy). This study examined associations between dimensions of aggressive parenting practices (psychological aggression, mild and severe physical aggression), dimensions of child aggression (proactive, reactive), and child CU traits, in Singapore. Participants were children and adolescents with clinic-referred externalizing problems (N = 282; 87.6% boys), aged 7-16 years. Mild and severe parental physical aggression was found to be uniquely associated with children's proactive aggression, whereas parental psychological aggression was uniquely associated with both proactive and reactive aggression. Consistent with previous evidence regarding CU traits as moderators of the relationship between negative parenting and child conduct problems, physically aggressive parenting was found to be more strongly associated with children's proactive aggression among children with low levels of CU traits, than those with high CU traits. These findings support the need for ongoing research into CU traits in Asian cultures, focused on heterogeneous risk pathways to antisocial behavior and individual differences in response to family-based interventions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional grey matter volume and concentration in at-risk adolescents: Untangling associations with callous-unemotional traits and conduct disorder symptoms.

PubMed

Cohn, Moran D; Viding, Essi; McCrory, Eamon; Pape, Louise; van den Brink, Wim; Doreleijers, Theo A H; Veltman, Dick J; Popma, Arne

2016-08-30

Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies have reported volume reductions in several brain regions implicated in social cognition and emotion recognition in juvenile antisocial populations. However, it is unclear whether these structural abnormalities are specifically related to antisocial features, or to co-occurring callous-unemotional (CU) traits. The present study employed voxel-based morphometry to assess both grey matter volume (GMV) and grey matter concentration (GMC) in a large representative at-risk sample of adolescents (n=134; mean age 17.7yr), characterized by a broad range of CU trait and conduct disorder (CD) symptom scores. There was a significant interaction between CD symptom and CU trait scores in the prediction of GMV in the anterior insula, with a significant positive association between CU traits and GMV in youth low on CD symptoms only. In addition, we found a significant unique positive association between CD symptoms and GMC in the amygdala, and unique negative associations between CU traits and GMC in the amygdala and insula. These findings are in line with accumulating evidence of distinct associations of CD symptoms and CU traits with amygdala and insula GMC in juvenile antisocial populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Symptoms of Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Callous-Unemotional Traits as Unique Predictors of Psychosocial Maladjustment in Boys: Advancing an Evidence Base for DSM-V

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardini, Dustin A.; Fite, Paula J.

2010-01-01

Objective: The incremental utility of symptoms of conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits for predicting psychosocial outcomes across multiple domains was examined in a community sample of 1,517 boys. Method: Several outcomes were assessed…

Relation of Callous-Unemotional Traits to Length of Stay among Youth Hospitalized at a State Psychiatric Inpatient Facility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stellwagen, Kurt K.; Kerig, Patricia K.

2010-01-01

We examined the association of callous-unemotional (C/U) traits with length of psychiatric hospitalization among two samples each with 50 participants: a group of 7-11 year-olds (39 males and 11 females) receiving services on a children's unit, and a group of 12-17 year-olds (27 males and 23 females) receiving services on an adolescent unit. Our…

Effects of Methylphenidate and Behavior Modification on the Social and Academic Behavior of Children with Disruptive Behavior Disorders: The Moderating Role of Callous/Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Carrey, Normand J.; Willoughby, Michael T.; King, Sara; Andrade, Brendan F.

2007-01-01

This study examined whether response to behavior modification with and without methylphenidate differed for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct problems (CP) depending on the presence of callous/unemotional (CU) traits. Participants were 37 children ages 7 to 12, including 19 with ADHD/CP-only and 18 with…

Moderation of prior exposure to trauma on the inverse relationship between callous-unemotional traits and amygdala responses to fearful expressions: an exploratory study.

PubMed

Meffert, Harma; Thornton, Laura C; Tyler, Patrick M; Botkin, Mary L; Erway, Anna K; Kolli, Venkata; Pope, Kayla; White, Stuart F; Blair, R James R

2018-02-12

Previous work has shown that amygdala responsiveness to fearful expressions is inversely related to level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (i.e. reduced guilt and empathy) in youth with conduct problems. However, some research has suggested that the relationship between pathophysiology and CU traits may be different in those youth with significant prior trauma exposure. In experiment 1, 72 youth with varying levels of disruptive behavior and trauma exposure performed a gender discrimination task while viewing morphed fear expressions (0, 50, 100, 150 fear) and Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent responses were recorded. In experiment 2, 66 of these youth performed the Social Goals Task, which measures self-reports of the importance of specific social goals to the participant in provoking social situations. In experiment 1, a significant CU traits-by-trauma exposure interaction was observed within right amygdala; fear intensity-modulated amygdala responses negatively predicted CU traits for those youth with low levels of trauma but positively predicted CU traits for those with high levels of trauma. In experiment 2, a bootstrapped model revealed that the indirect effect of fear intensity amygdala response on social goal importance through CU traits is moderated by prior trauma exposure. This study, while exploratory, indicates that the pathophysiology associated with CU traits differs in youth as a function of prior trauma exposure. These data suggest that prior trauma exposure should be considered when evaluating potential interventions for youth with high CU traits.

Trajectories of Callous-Unemotional Traits in Childhood Predict Different Forms of Peer Victimization in Adolescence.

PubMed

Fontaine, Nathalie M G; Hanscombe, Ken B; Berg, Mark T; McCrory, Eamon J; Viding, Essi

2018-01-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy and guilt) differentiate a group of children at particularly high risk for engaging in aggressive behavior, notably bullying. However, little is known about whether youths with CU traits are at risk for being victimized by their peers. We examined the associations between trajectories of CU traits in childhood (between 7 and 12 years old) and peer victimization in adolescence (14 years old). The participants were drawn from the Twins Early Development Study, a longitudinal population-based study of twins born in England and in Wales. The trajectories of CU traits (i.e., stable high, increasing, decreasing and stable low) were identified through general growth mixture modeling. Four forms of peer victimization were considered: physical victimization, verbal victimization, social manipulation, and attacks on property. We found that youths with stable high levels, increasing levels, and decreasing levels of CU traits in childhood had higher levels of physical victimization in adolescence, not explained by other predictors at age 7 (e.g., conduct problems). Youths with increasing levels of CU traits, compared with the ones with stable low levels, also had higher levels of verbal victimization, social manipulation, and attacks on property. Our findings highlight the importance of distinct trajectories of CU traits in accounting for the experience of different forms of peer victimization. Youths with CU traits may benefit from bullying prevention programs, as they are likely to be the targets of peer victimization.

Therapeutic Alliance and Treatment Outcome in the Outpatient Treatment of Urban Adolescents: The Role of Callous-Unemotional Traits

PubMed Central

Mattos, Laurel A.; Schmidt, Adam T.; Henderson, Craig E.; Hogue, Aaron

2016-01-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits designate a unique subset of youth with externalizing psychopathology who have a severe pattern of aggressive behavior and tend to have worse outcomes in treatment. However, little research has addressed how CU traits relate to different components of psychotherapy, such as the therapeutic alliance. The current study examined the role of CU traits in predicting therapeutic alliance in 59 adolescents (M age = 15.3, 51% female, 64% Hispanic American, 15% African American) who were part of a larger randomized naturalistic trial of outpatient behavioral psychotherapy. Multilevel regression analysis further investigated the role of therapeutic alliance in predicting treatment outcome (as measured by self-reported delinquency) and the moderating role of CU traits. Results suggested that regardless of the severity of their externalizing problems, youth with higher levels of CU traits reported more positive ratings of therapeutic alliance. In addition, a positive therapeutic alliance predicted reductions in delinquent behavior, and this association was even stronger for youth higher in CU traits. Our results suggest that CU traits are related to improvement in the formation of the therapeutic alliance among youth with externalizing psychopathology, perhaps because these youth lack many of the social and emotional deficits that other youth with conduct problems possess. Adolescents high in CU traits should not be viewed as untreatable. Indeed, the therapeutic alliance may be an important mechanism for affecting meaningful change in these adolescents’ lives. PMID:27831697

High-Quality Foster Care Mitigates Callous-Unemotional Traits Following Early Deprivation in Boys: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Humphreys, Kathryn L; McGoron, Lucy; Sheridan, Margaret A; McLaughlin, Katie A; Fox, Nathan A; Nelson, Charles A; Zeanah, Charles H

2015-12-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in childhood are a developmental precursor to psychopathy, yet the origins and etiology of CU traits are not known. We examined CU traits among 12-year-old children exposed to severe early deprivation and evaluated whether a high-quality foster care intervention mitigated the development of high levels of CU traits. Participants were from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care for children in institutions. Children were recruited from institutions in Bucharest, Romania, along with age- and sex-matched children who were never institutionalized. Children raised in institutional settings were randomized (mean age = 22 months) to either a foster care group (n = 68) or a care-as-usual group (n = 68). CU traits were assessed at age 12.75 years in available participants from the randomized trial (n = 95) and children who were never institutionalized (n = 50). Children who experienced institutional rearing as young children had significantly higher levels of CU traits in early adolescence compared to children who were never institutionalized. Intent-to-treat analysis indicated that, among boys, CU traits were significantly lower among those who received the foster care intervention compared to those randomized to care as usual. Caregiver responsiveness to distress, but not caregiver warmth, mediated the intervention effect on CU traits in boys. These findings provide the first evidence to date that psychosocial intervention can prevent the onset of CU traits. Although severe early deprivation predicted higher levels of CU traits, high-quality foster care that emphasized responsive caregiving reduced the impact of deprivation on CU trait development for boys. The Bucharest Early Intervention Project; http://clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00747396. Copyright © 2015 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Callous-Unemotional Traits Trajectories Interact with Earlier Conduct Problems and Executive Control to Predict Violence and Substance Use Among High Risk Male Adolescents.

PubMed

Baskin-Sommers, Arielle R; Waller, Rebecca; Fish, Ari M; Hyde, Luke W

2015-11-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, conduct problems (CP), and deficits in executive control are all linked to the development of more severe antisocial behavior, including violence and substance use. Though previous research has examined the impact of these factors on antisocial outcomes, little work has examined trajectories of CU traits across adolescence and how these trajectories predict greater antisocial behavior in adulthood. Moreover, no study has assessed how severity of early CP and executive control may exacerbate these pathways and increase risk for later violence and substance use. The current study (a) identified trajectories of CU traits among a large, high-risk sample of adolescent males, (b) examined the relationship between CU traits trajectories and future violence and substance use, and (c) examined whether early CP and executive control moderated the effects of a high CU traits trajectory membership and high CP on violence and substance use. Results indicated that: (a) CU traits could be grouped into three stable trajectories across adolescence, (b) the 'high' CU traits trajectory, particularly in the presence of 'elevated' CP, was related to higher violence and substance use, over and above a variety of environmental risk factors, and (c) the effects the 'high' CU traits trajectory on both violence and substance and in the presence of 'elevated' CP was stronger among youth with high executive control. These findings highlight the utility of identifying subgroups of youth who differ on trajectories of CU traits for understanding the development and maintenance of severe antisocial behavior.

A longitudinal twin study of callous-unemotional traits during childhood.

PubMed

Henry, Jeffrey; Dionne, Ginette; Viding, Essi; Petitclerc, Amélie; Feng, Bei; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara; Tremblay, Richard E; Boivin, Michel

2018-05-01

Previous research indicates that genetic factors largely account for the stability of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in adolescence. However, the genetic-environmental etiology of the development of CU traits has not been extensively investigated in childhood, despite work showing the reliable measurement and stability of CU traits from a young age. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal pattern of genetic and environmental etiology of CU traits across primary school, from school entry (7 years) to middle (9 and 10 years) and late childhood (12 years). Data were collected in a population sample of twins composed of 662 twin pairs (Quebec Newborn Twin Study). CU traits were reported by teachers and analyzed using a biometric latent growth curve model and a Cholesky decomposition model. Latent growth curve analyses revealed that genetic factors explain most of the variance in the intercept of CU traits. Individual differences in change over time were not significant. The Cholesky model revealed that genetic factors at 7 years had enduring contributions to CU traits at 9, 10, and 12 years. New, modest genetic contributions appeared at 9 and 10 years. Nonshared environmental contributions were generally age-specific. No shared environmental contributions were detected. In sum, both modeling approaches showed that genetic factors underlie CU traits during childhood. Initial and new genetic contributions arise during this period. Environments have substantial contributions, over and above genetic factors. Future research should investigate the source of genetic risk associated with CU traits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Violence Exposure Subtypes Differentially Mediate the Relation between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Adolescent Delinquency.

PubMed

Oberth, Carla; Zheng, Yao; McMahon, Robert J

2017-11-01

Research with children and adolescents has established a link between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and delinquency, as well as a link between violence exposure (witnessing and direct victimization) and diverse negative and antisocial outcomes. Little attention has been paid to investigating the association among CU traits, violence exposure, and various forms of delinquency. Using a sample of 753 adolescents (male =58%; African American =46%), the current study aimed to elucidate the mediating role of violence exposure (measured in grades 7, 8, 10, 11) on the relationship between CU traits measured in grade 7 and later delinquency (i.e., property, violent, drug, and sexual) assessed in grade 12. Total violence exposure (witnessing and direct victimization) mediated the association between CU traits and all forms of delinquency. When looking at witnessing and direct victimization separately, however, only witnessing violence mediated the relationship between CU traits and all forms of delinquency. These results highlight the importance of violence exposure in the CU-delinquency link, and showed the differential roles of indirect and direct forms of violence exposure on the association. Witnessing and direct victimization may involve different underlying mechanisms influencing developmental outcomes in youth. These findings have important implications for understanding developmental models of violence exposure, CU traits, and delinquency, as well as interventions for youth who have experienced both indirect and direct forms of violence.

Revisiting the treatment of conduct problems in children with callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Hawes, David J; Dadds, Mark R; Brennan, John; Rhodes, Tracy; Cauchi, Avril

2013-07-01

This study examined whether the diminished treatment response previously reported for children with conduct problems and high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits is evident when these traits are indexed using multi-informant data collected from mothers, fathers, and teachers. It also tested whether treatment outcomes associated with CU traits are independent of overlap between CU traits and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. Diagnostic data on oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) severity were collected pre-treatment (time 1) and at 6-month follow-up (time 2) in a sample of children (N = 95; 67 boys, 28 girls) aged 3-9 years with clinic-referred conduct problems and comorbid symptoms in a range of diagnostic domains. Time 1 measures of CU traits and ASD symptoms were tested as predictors of time 2 ODD severity using structural equation modeling, with multi-informant ratings of CU traits modeled as a single latent variable. Compared to children with low levels of CU traits, those with high levels exhibited more severe ODD symptoms at follow-up (β = 0.33, SE = 0.08, p < 0.05), after controlling for pre-treatment severity, socio-economic status, other demographics (age, gender), and parameters of treatment (number of treatment sessions, medication status). Although CU traits and ASD symptoms were positively correlated, ASD symptoms showed no association with change in ODD severity from pre-treatment to follow-up. Likewise, the association between CU traits and ODD outcomes held when controlling for covariation between CU traits and ASD symptoms. Our findings replicate previous evidence that CU traits are uniquely associated with poor clinical outcomes among children treated for conduct problems, and show for the first time that this association is not accounted for by symptoms of ASD.

Assessing Callous-Unemotional Traits in Preschool Children With Disruptive Behavior Problems Using Peer Reports.

PubMed

Graziano, Paulo A; Ros, Rosmary; Haas, Sarah; Hart, Katie; Slavec, Janine; Waschbusch, Daniel; Garcia, Alexis

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which preschoolers with externalizing behavior problems (EBP) can identify behaviors indicative of callous-unemotional (CU) traits among their peers. Participants for this study included 86 preschool children (69% boys; Mage = 5.07 years) with at-risk or clinically elevated levels of EBP who were attending a summer treatment camp. Data collected from the children, their peers, and the counselors who worked at the summer camp examined preschoolers' social preference, likability, and behaviors indicative of CU. Parents and preschool teachers also reported on children's CU traits and severity of behavioral impairment, as well as school readiness. Peer nominations of CU traits showed (a) excellent factor structure as evidenced by clear CU items (e.g., "don't feel bad when they do something wrong") versus more prosocial items ("share," "cooperate"); (b) moderate construct validity when compared to counselor reports of the CU factor as well as preschool teacher reported ratings of CU traits and severity of behavioral impairment; and (c) good utility as evidenced by associations with peer and counselor rated social preference, likability, and school readiness measures as rated by both parents and preschool teachers. These findings indicate that as early as preschool, children with EBP can identify peers who engage in behaviors indicative of CU traits, which have significant implications for children's social status and overall school readiness.

The Associations between Callous-unemotional Traits and Symptoms of Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity and Emotional Problems: A Study of Adolescent Twins Screened for Neurodevelopmental Problems.

PubMed

Saunders, Marie Claire; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Lundström, Sebastian; Hellner, Clara; Lichtenstein, Paul; Fontaine, Nathalie M G

2018-05-05

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits (e.g., lack of empathy, lack of guilt, shallow affect) are associated with severe and persistent conduct problems in youth. There is evidence showing a substantial genetic correlation between CU traits and conduct problems. The etiological associations between CU traits and other psychopathological symptoms, including symptoms of hyperactivity and emotional problems (such as anxiety and depression symptoms), have been less explored. To examine the etiological associations between CU traits and symptoms of conduct problems, hyperactivity and emotional problems separately through the use of a twin design. Participants were same-sex twin pairs (n = 426 twins; 42% female; 43% MZ; age = 15) drawn from the Child and Adolescents Twin Study in Sweden, a longitudinal study of twins born in Sweden. The sample was mainly composed of children who screenpositive on neurodevelopmental problems/mental health problems or at-risk children (i.e., screen-negative children considered to be genetically at-risk siblings). We used self-report measures of CU traits, conduct problems, hyperactivity and emotional problems. Model-fitting analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling. We found a strong positive genetic correlation between CU traits and conduct problems and a moderate genetic correlation between CU traits and hyperactivity. We also found a relatively modest, but significant negative genetic correlation between CU traits and emotional problems. Using a sample of adolescent twins screened for neurodevelopmental problems, we replicated previous findings that showed a strong genetic correlation between CU traits and conduct problems and we extended research by examining further the etiological associations between CU traits and symptoms of hyperactivity and emotional problems.

Cognitive and affective empathy in children with conduct problems: additive and interactive effects of callous-unemotional traits and autism spectrum disorders symptoms.

PubMed

Pasalich, Dave S; Dadds, Mark R; Hawes, David J

2014-11-30

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) symptoms are characterized by problems in empathy; however, these behavioral features are rarely examined together in children with conduct problems. This study investigated additive and interactive effects of CU traits and ASD symptoms in relation to cognitive and affective empathy in a non-ASD clinic-referred sample. Participants were 134 children aged 3 to 9 years (M=5.60; 79% boys) with oppositional defiant/conduct disorder, and their parents. Clinicians, teachers, and parents reported on dimensions of child behavior, and parental reports of family dysfunction and direct observations of parental warmth/responsiveness assessed quality of family relationships. Results from multiple regression analysis showed that, over and above the effects of child conduct problem severity and quality of family relationships, both ASD symptoms and CU traits were uniquely associated with deficits in cognitive empathy. Moreover, CU traits demonstrated an independent association with affective empathy, and this relationship was moderated by ASD symptoms. That is, there was a stronger negative association between CU traits and affective empathy at higher versus lower levels of ASD symptoms. These findings suggest including both CU traits and ASD-related social impairments in models delineating the atypical development of empathy in children with conduct problems. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The roles of trauma exposure, rejection sensitivity, and callous-unemotional traits in the aggressive behavior of justice-involved youth: A moderated mediation model.

PubMed

Mozley, Michaela M; Modrowski, Crosby A; Kerig, Patricia K

2018-05-01

Research has demonstrated an association between childhood trauma exposure and adolescent aggression. This association may be explained by rejection sensitivity, defined as anger, or anxiety in the anticipation of rejection, which can be a consequence of trauma exposure. Callous-unemotional (CU) traits also are associated with trauma exposure and aggressive behavior; however, research has not yet investigated the interactive roles that rejection sensitivity and CU traits play in the relation between trauma exposure and aggression. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the role of rejection sensitivity in the association between trauma exposure and aggression, and whether this indirect effect was moderated by CU traits. Participants included 380 detained youth (98 girls, 282 boys) who completed self-report measures of trauma exposure, angry, and anxious rejection sensitivity, CU traits, and aggression. Results of moderated mediation demonstrated that the relation between trauma exposure and aggression exhibited an indirect effect through angry rejection sensitivity, but only at moderate or high levels of CU traits. This pattern was not found for anxious rejection sensitivity. Results suggest that interventions aimed to decrease aggressive behavior in traumatized adolescents may benefit from considering how youth respond to rejection, as well as whether youth endorse CU traits, as this may help to limit further involvement in the juvenile justice system after release. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Narcissism and Callous-Unemotional Traits Prospectively Predict Child Conduct Problems.

PubMed

Jezior, Kristen L; McKenzie, Meghan E; Lee, Steve S

2016-01-01

Although narcissism and callous-unemotional (CU) traits are separable facets of psychopathy, their independent prediction of conduct problems (CP) among young children is not well known. In addition, above-average IQ was central to the original conceptualization of psychopathy, yet IQ is typically inversely associated with youth CP. We examined narcissism and CU traits as independent and prospective predictors of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and youth self-reported antisocial behavior, as well as their moderation by IQ. At baseline, parents and teachers separately rated narcissism and CU traits in 188 6-to-10-year-old children (47.9% non-White; 69.1% male; M = 7.34 years, SD = 1.09) with (n = 99) and without (n = 89) attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Approximately 2 years later, parents and teachers separately rated youth ODD and CD symptoms, and youth self-reported antisocial behavior. With control of baseline ADHD and ODD/CD symptoms, narcissism and CU traits independently and positively predicted ODD and CD symptoms at follow-up. IQ did not moderate any CP predictions from baseline narcissism or CU traits. These preliminary findings suggest that individual differences in narcissism and CU traits, even relatively early in development, are uniquely associated with emergent CP. Findings are considered within a developmental framework and the multiple pathways underlying the heterogeneity of CP are discussed.

Effects of Callous-Unemotional Traits on the Association Between Parenting and Child Conduct Problems.

PubMed

Crum, Kathleen I; Waschbusch, Daniel A; Bagner, Daniel M; Coxe, Stefany

2015-12-01

The current study investigated whether and how callous-unemotional traits (CU) moderated the association between specific parenting practices and child conduct problems (CP) with a special consideration of informant patterns. Associations between CU, ODD and CD symptom severity, and the parenting practices of deficient monitoring, positive involvement, and negative/ineffective discipline were examined across parent and teacher reports on 851 elementary-school students. Relative to children with low CU, in children with high CU: (1) positive parenting was associated with lower CD, but increased ODD; (2) negative/ineffective discipline was associated with increased ODD; (3) deficient monitoring was associated with increased CD. Results were not robust across informants. These findings suggest that in the context of CU, the associations between parenting and CP differ based on parenting characteristics, CP dimensions, and informant, and that families may benefit from treatment targeting specific parenting practices based on CP symptom profiles.

Facial reactions to violent and comedy films: Association with callous-unemotional traits and impulsive aggression.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Kyranides, Melina Nicole; Panayiotou, Georgia

2017-02-01

The current study adds to prior research by investigating specific (happiness, sadness, surprise, disgust, anger and fear) and general (corrugator and zygomatic muscle activity) facial reactions to violent and comedy films among individuals with varying levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits and impulsive aggression (IA). Participants at differential risk of CU traits and IA were selected from a sample of 1225 young adults. In Experiment 1, participants (N = 82) facial expressions were recorded while they watched violent and comedy films. Video footage of participants' facial expressions was analysed using FaceReader, a facial coding software that classifies facial reactions. Findings suggested that individuals with elevated CU traits showed reduced facial reactions of sadness and disgust to violent films, indicating low empathic concern in response to victims' distress. In contrast, impulsive aggressors produced specifically more angry facial expressions when viewing violent and comedy films. In Experiment 2 (N = 86), facial reactions were measured by monitoring facial electromyography activity. FaceReader findings were verified by the reduced facial electromyography at the corrugator, but not the zygomatic, muscle in response to violent films shown by individuals high in CU traits. Additional analysis suggested that sympathy to victims explained the association between CU traits and reduced facial reactions to violent films.

Clinical Profiles of Children with Disruptive Behaviors Based on the Severity of Their Conduct Problems, Callous-Unemotional Traits and Emotional Difficulties.

PubMed

Andrade, Brendan F; Sorge, Geoff B; Na, Jennifer Jiwon; Wharton-Shukster, Erika

2015-08-01

This study identified clinical profiles of referred children based on the severity of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, emotional difficulties, and conduct problems. Parents of 166 children (132 males) aged 6-12 years referred to a hospital clinic because of disruptive behavior completed measures to assess these key indicators, and person-centered analysis was used to identify profiles. Four distinct profiles were identified that include: (1) Children low in severity on the three domains, (2) Children high in severity on the three domains, (3) Children high in severity in conduct problems and CU traits with minimal emotional difficulties, and (4) Children high in severity in conduct problems and emotional difficulties with minimal CU traits. Profiles differed in degree of aggression and behavioral impairment. Findings show that clinic-referred children with disruptive behaviors can be grouped based on these important indicators into profiles that have important implications for assessment and treatment selection.

Callous-Unemotional Traits, Proactive Aggression, and Treatment Outcomes of Aggressive Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

PubMed Central

Blader, Joseph C.; Pliszka, Steven R.; Kafantaris, Vivian; Foley, Carmel A.; Crowell, Judith A.; Carlson, Gabrielle A.; Sauder, Colin; Margulies, David M.; Sinha, Christa; Sverd, Jeffrey; Matthews, Thomas L.; Bailey, Brigitte Y.; Daviss, W. Burleson

2013-01-01

Objective Stimulant treatment improves impulse control among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Decreased aggression often accompanies stimulant pharmacotherapy, suggesting that impulsiveness is integral to their aggressive behavior. However, children with high callous-unemotional (CU) traits and proactive aggression may benefit less from ADHD pharmacotherapy because their aggressive behavior seems more purposeful and deliberate. This study’s objective was to determine if pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression affect treatment outcomes among aggressive children with ADHD receiving stimulant monotherapy. Method We implemented a stimulant optimization protocol with 160 6- to 13-year-olds (mean [SD] age of 9.31 [2.02] years; 78.75% males) with ADHD, oppositional defiant or conduct disorder, and significant aggressive behavior. Family-focused behavioral intervention was provided concurrently. Primary outcome was the Retrospective Modified Overt Aggression Scale. The Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Aggression Scale, also completed by parents, measured CU traits and proactive aggression, respectively. Analyses examined moderating effects of CU traits and proactive aggression on outcomes. Results 82 children (51%) experienced remission of aggressive behavior. Neither CU traits nor proactive aggression predicted remission (CU traits: odds ratio=0.94, 95% CI=0.80–1.11; proactive aggression, odds ratio=1.05, 95% CI=0.86–1.29). Children whose overall aggression remitted showed decreases in CU traits (effect size=−0.379, 95% CI=−0.60 to −0.16) and proactive aggression (effect size=−0.463, 95% CI=−0.69 to −0.23). Conclusions Findings suggest that pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression do not forecast worse outcomes for aggressive children with ADHD receiving optimized stimulant pharmacotherapy. With such treatment, CU traits and proactive aggression may decline alongside other behavioral improvements. PMID:24290461

Perceptions of social conflicts among incarcerated adolescents with callous-unemotional traits: 'you're going to pay. It's going to hurt, but I don't care.'.

PubMed

Pardini, Dustin

2011-03-01

Delinquent youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits may have a unique social-cognitive processing pattern that perpetuates their violent behavior. The current study examined the association between CU traits and the endorsement of deviant social goals during peer conflicts as well as expectancies and values regarding victim suffering following aggression. Participants included 156 (84 males, 72 females) adjudicated juveniles residing at two gender-specific residential facilities in an urban city within the southeastern United States. The association between CU traits and participants' ratings of their social goals in hypothetic conflict situations and outcome expectancies/values regarding victim suffering were examined after controlling for prior violence, intelligence, and demographic covariates.  CU traits were associated with an increased endorsement of social goals associated with revenge, dominance, and forced respect in social conflict situations. Adjudicated youth with CU traits were also less likely to endorse conflict avoidance and friendship building as important social goals when provoked by peers. There was no association between CU traits and expectations for victim suffering following aggression, but CU traits were significantly associated with lower levels of concern about victim suffering. These findings were significant after controlling for participants' prior history of violence, intelligence, and demographic covariates. Adjudicated youth with CU traits tend to emphasize power-oriented goals when provoked by peers and have little interest in rectifying social conflicts to build potential friendships with others. Juveniles with CU traits seem to be aware that their aggressive behavior will cause others to suffer, but they do not care when it does. © 2010 The Author. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2010 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and callous-unemotional traits as moderators of conduct problems when examining impairment in emerging adults.

PubMed

Babinski, Dara E; Neely, Kristina A; Kunselman, Allen; Waschbusch, Daniel A

2017-12-01

This study examines attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits as moderators of the association between conduct problems (CP) and young adult functioning. Young adults (n = 283; M age = 20.82 years; 53.4% female), oversampled for attention and behavior problems, provided self-ratings of ADHD, CP, and CU, and adaptive functioning and psychopathology. ADHD and CU simultaneously moderated relationships between CP and family functioning, tobacco use, and internalizing symptoms. In addition, ADHD moderated the relation between CP and job functioning, and main effects of ADHD in the expected direction were found for educational performance and drug use. CU was associated with poorer educational outcomes. Interestingly, no ADHD, CU, or CP effects were observed for reported alcohol use. Our results highlight the importance of considering ADHD and CU in understanding the impact of CP on young adult functioning and psychopathology, and point to the importance of continued work on this topic. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The DSM-5 Limited Prosocial Emotions subtype of Conduct Disorder in incarcerated male and female juvenile delinquents.

PubMed

Pechorro, Pedro; Jiménez, Lucía; Hidalgo, Victoria; Nunes, Cristina

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to analyze the relevance of the DSM-5's Conduct Disorder new Limited Prosocial Emotions (CD LPE) specifier in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. A sample of 201 males and 98 females from the Juvenile Detention Centers managed by the Portuguese Ministry of Justice diagnosed with Conduct Disorder (CD) was used. Results showed that male juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU), general psychopathic traits, psychopathy taxon membership, self-reported delinquency, and crime seriousness, and lower on prosocial behavior and social desirability, while female juvenile delinquents with the CD LPE specifier scored higher on callous-unemotional traits (CU) and general psychopathic traits, and lower on prosocial behavior. Significant associations for both genders were found between the CD LPE specifier and age of crime onset and first problems with the law. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting Risky Sexual Behavior: the Unique and Interactive Roles of Childhood Conduct Disorder Symptoms and Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

Anderson, Sarah L; Zheng, Yao; McMahon, Robert J

2017-08-01

Conduct disorder (CD) symptoms and callous-unemotional (CU) traits have been shown to be uniquely associated with risky sexual behavior (RSB) in adolescence and early adulthood, yet their interactive role in predicting RSB remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of CD symptoms and CU traits, as well as their interaction, on several RSB outcomes in adolescence and early adulthood. A total of 683 participants (41.7 % female, 47.4 % African American) were followed annually and self-reported age of first sexual intercourse, frequency of condom use, pregnancy, contraction of sexually transmitted infections, and engagement in sexual solicitation from grade 7 to 2-years post-high school. CD symptoms predicted age of first sexual intercourse, condom use, and sexual solicitation. CU traits predicted age of first sexual intercourse and pregnancy. Their interaction predicted a composite score of these RSBs such that CD symptoms positively predicted the composite score among those with high levels of CU traits but not among those with low levels of CU traits. The current findings provide information regarding the importance of both CD symptoms and CU traits in understanding adolescent and early adulthood RSB, as well as the benefits of examining multiple RSB outcomes during this developmental period. These findings have implications for the development and implementation of preventive efforts to target these risky behaviors among adolescents and young adults.

Greater fear reactivity and psychophysiological hyperactivity among infants with later conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits

PubMed Central

Mills-Koonce, W. Roger; Wagner, Nicholas J.; Willoughby, Michael T.; Stifter, Cynthia; Blair, Clancy; Granger, Douglas A.

2014-01-01

Background Approximately one-third of children who meet criteria for conduct problems (CP) are also characterized by elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. This subgroup is at elevated risk for more pervasive and extreme levels of later antisocial behavior and has been characterized by a fearlessness temperament and blunted stress psychophysiology at older ages. The objective of this study is to examine group differences in fear reactivity and stress psychophysiology in infancy among children classified as having CP with CU (CP+CU), CP without CU (CP-only), or no CP in later childhood. Methods A birth cohort study (n = 1,292) was followed longitudinally from birth through 1st grade. Behavioral fear, baseline heart period (HP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and pre-task, 20-min post-task and 40-min post-task salivary cortisol were assessed at 6 and 15 months of age around a fear challenge task. CP and CU were assessed by maternal report at 1st grade and children were classified into CP and CU groups if they scored in the upper 10th percentile of these ratings. Results No group differences were observed in children at 6 months of age. However, at 15 months of age children with later CP+CU displayed greater high-intensity fear behavior, higher pre-task and overall cortisol levels, and lower levels of HP and RSA compared to children with CP-only and children with no CP. Conclusions The discrepancy between the biobehavioral correlates of conduct problems with callous-unemotional traits in infancy and those reported from studies of older children and adults suggests that the etiology of this behavioral phenotype may be more complex than a simple genetic maturation model. PMID:24992385

Impulse Control and Callous-Unemotional Traits Distinguish Patterns of Delinquency and Substance Use in Justice Involved Adolescents: Examining the Moderating Role of Neighborhood Context.

PubMed

Ray, James V; Thornton, Laura C; Frick, Paul J; Steinberg, Laurence; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

Both callous-unemotional (CU) traits and impulse control are known risk factors associated with delinquency and substance use. However, research is limited in how contextual factors such as neighborhood conditions influence the associations between these two dispositional factors and these two externalizing behaviors. The current study utilized latent class analysis (LCA) to identify unique classes of delinquency and substance use within an ethnically diverse sample (n = 1216) of justice-involved adolescents (ages 13 to 17) from three different sites. Neighborhood disorder, CU traits, and impulse control were all independently associated with membership in classes with more extensive histories of delinquency and substance use. The effects of CU traits and impulse control in distinguishing delinquent classes was invariant across levels of neighborhood disorder, whereas neighborhood disorder moderated the association between impulse control and substance use. Specifically, the probability of being in more severe substance using classes for those low in impulse control was stronger in neighborhoods with fewer indicators of social and physical disorder.

Factors differentiating callous-unemotional children with and without conduct problems.

PubMed

Wall, Tina D; Frick, Paul J; Fanti, Kostas A; Kimonis, Eva R; Lordos, Alexandros

2016-08-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are a risk factor for a severe, aggressive, and persistent pattern of conduct problems (CP). This study investigated characteristics that might differentiate children with elevated CU traits with and without CP in an effort to identify factors that may reduce the risk for CP in children with limited prosocial emotions. Utilizing a sample of 1,366 children from Cyprus, five groups were identified for further study based on latent profile analysis: low-risk (67.2%), high-CP/low-CU (7.9%), high-CU (9.4%), moderate-CP/CU (8.4%), and high-CP/CU (7.2%). The identified groups were compared on behavioral and social measures. There were significant main effects of group for: impulsivity and executive functioning; parenting; and connectedness to school. The high-CU group had significantly lower hyperactivity-impulsivity and executive functioning deficits, significantly higher self-regulation, and their mothers reported more maternal involvement and positive parenting than those in the high-CP/CU group. Also, the high-CU group showed more school connectedness than those in the high-CP/CU group. These findings highlight several factors in the child and in his or her social environment that are associated with CU traits in the absence of serious CP and that may suggest targets for intervention for youth who may lack prosocial emotions. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

The cognitive and neural correlates of psychopathy and especially callous-unemotional traits in youths: a systematic review of the evidence.

PubMed

Herpers, Pierre C M; Scheepers, Floor E; Bons, Daniëlle M A; Buitelaar, Jan K; Rommelse, Nanda N J

2014-02-01

It is unclear whether the concepts and findings of the underlying neurobiology of adult psychopathy apply to youths as well. If so, a life span approach to treatment should be taken. Because youths' brains are still developing, interventions at an early age may be far more effective in the long run. The aim of this systematic review is to examine whether the neurocognitive and neurobiological factors that underlie juvenile psychopathy, and specifically callous-unemotional (CU) traits, are similar to those underlying adult psychopathy. The results show that youths with CU traits show lower levels of prosocial reasoning, lower emotional responsivity, and decreased harm avoidance. Brain imaging studies in youths with CU traits are still rare. Available studies suggest specific neural correlates, such as a reduced response of the amygdala and a weaker functional connectivity between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These findings are largely in line with existing theories of adult psychopathy, such as the dual-hormone serotonergic hypothesis and the integrated emotions systems theory. We recommend that future studies investigate the role of oxytocin, invest in the study of neural mechanisms, and study the precursors, risk factors, and correlates of CU traits in early infancy and in longitudinal designs.

Perceptions of aggressive conflicts and others' distress in children with callous-unemotional traits: ‘I'll show you who's boss, even if you suffer and I get in trouble'

PubMed Central

Pardini, Dustin A.; Byrd, Amy L.

2013-01-01

Background Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits may have a particularly malevolent view of social conflicts and a pervasive insensitivity to others' distress. The current study examined whether children with CU traits have unique expectations and values regarding the consequences of aggressive conflicts and a ubiquitous lack of concern for others' feelings independent of co-occurring aggression. Methods Participants were 96 (46 males, 50 females) children recruited from elementary schools within an urban city. Associations between CU traits and child reports of outcome expectancies/values following aggressive conflicts and facets of empathy were examined after controlling for aggression, academic abilities, and demographic covariates. Results Children with higher CU traits were less likely to expect that aggression would result in victim suffering and feelings of remorse. After controlling for co-occurring aggression, children with higher CU traits were more likely to expect that aggression would result in peer dominance, while children with higher levels of aggression were more likely to expect that attacking others would reduce their aversive behavior. Children with higher CU traits were less concerned that aggressive behavior would result in punishment, victim suffering, and feelings of remorse. Moreover, children with higher CU traits reported lower levels of empathetic concern and sadness in response to others' distress outside of aggressive conflicts. Conclusions Children with CU traits tend to minimize the extent to which aggression causes victim suffering and openly acknowledge caring less about distress and suffering in others. They are less intimidated by the possibility of being punished for aggressive behavior and tend to view aggression as an effective means for dominating others. In sum, children with CU traits have a particularly malicious social schema that may be difficult to change using conventional treatment methods. PMID:22066467

Perceptions of aggressive conflicts and others' distress in children with callous-unemotional traits: 'I'll show you who's boss, even if you suffer and I get in trouble'.

PubMed

Pardini, Dustin A; Byrd, Amy L

2012-03-01

Children with callous-unemotional (CU) traits may have a particularly malevolent view of social conflicts and a pervasive insensitivity to others' distress. The current study examined whether children with CU traits have unique expectations and values regarding the consequences of aggressive conflicts and a ubiquitous lack of concern for others' feelings independent of co-occurring aggression. Participants were 96 (46 males, 50 females) children recruited from elementary schools within an urban city. Associations between CU traits and child reports of outcome expectancies/values following aggressive conflicts and facets of empathy were examined after controlling for aggression, academic abilities, and demographic covariates. Children with higher CU traits were less likely to expect that aggression would result in victim suffering and feelings of remorse. After controlling for co-occurring aggression, children with higher CU traits were more likely to expect that aggression would result in peer dominance, while children with higher levels of aggression were more likely to expect that attacking others would reduce their aversive behavior. Children with higher CU traits were less concerned that aggressive behavior would result in punishment, victim suffering, and feelings of remorse. Moreover, children with higher CU traits reported lower levels of empathetic concern and sadness in response to others' distress outside of aggressive conflicts. Children with CU traits tend to minimize the extent to which aggression causes victim suffering and openly acknowledge caring less about distress and suffering in others. They are less intimidated by the possibility of being punished for aggressive behavior and tend to view aggression as an effective means for dominating others. In sum, children with CU traits have a particularly malicious social schema that may be difficult to change using conventional treatment methods. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Anatomy of the dorsal default-mode network in conduct disorder: Association with callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Sethi, Arjun; Sarkar, Sagari; Dell'Acqua, Flavio; Viding, Essi; Catani, Marco; Murphy, Declan G M; Craig, Michael C

2018-04-01

We recently reported that emotional detachment in adult psychopathy was associated with structural abnormalities in the dorsal 'default-mode' network (DMN). However, it is unclear whether these differences are present in young people at risk of psychopathy. The most widely recognised group at risk for psychopathy are children/adolescents with conduct disorder (CD) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. We therefore examined the microstructure of the dorsal DMN in 27 CD youths (14-with/13-without CU traits) compared to 16 typically developing controls using DTI tractography. Both CD groups had significantly (p < 0.025) reduced dorsal DMN radial diffusivity compared to controls. In those with diagnostically significant CU traits, exploratory analyses (uncorrected for multiple comparisons) suggested that radial diffusivity was negatively correlated with CU severity (Left: rho = -0.68, p = 0.015). These results suggest that CD youths have microstructural abnormalities in the same network as adults with psychopathy. Further, the association with childhood/adolescent measures of emotional detachment (CU traits) resembles the relationship between emotional detachment and network microstructure in adult psychopaths. However, these changes appear to occur in opposite directions - with increased myelination in adolescent CD but reduced integrity in adult psychopathy. Collectively, these findings suggest that developmental abnormalities in dorsal DMN may play a role in the emergence of psychopathy. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Early starting, aggressive, and/or callous-unemotional? Examining the overlap and predictive utility of antisocial behavior subtypes

PubMed Central

Hyde, Luke W.; Burt, S. Alexandra; Shaw, Daniel S.; Donnellan, M. Brent; Forbes, Erika E.

2015-01-01

Antisocial behavior (AB) in adolescence predicts problematic outcomes in adulthood. However, researchers have noted marked heterogeneity within the broad group of youth engaging in these destructive behaviors and have attempted to identify those with distinct etiologies and different trajectories of symptoms. In the present study, we evaluate three prominent AB subtyping approaches: age of onset, presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and aggressive versus rule breaking symptoms. We examined the overlap of these subtypes and their predictive validity in a diverse sample of 268 low-income young men followed prospectively from adolescence into emerging adulthood. We found that those with early starting AB were uniquely high on aggressive symptoms but not on CU traits. Early starting AB and both aggression and rule breaking measured during adolescence predicted most subsequent psychiatric and AB outcomes in early adulthood in univariate models, whereas CU traits were only predictive of adolescent arrests, later substance dependence diagnosis, and later CU traits. Finally, after accounting for shared variance among predictor variables, we found that aggressive symptoms explained the most unique variance in predicting several later outcomes (e.g., antisocial personality disorder) over and above other subtyping approaches. Results are discussed in relation to of the utility of existing subtyping approaches to AB, noting that aggression and age of onset, but not CU traits, appear to be the best at predicting later negative outcome. PMID:25603360

The moderating role of child callous-unemotional traits in an Internet-based parent-management training program.

PubMed

Högström, Jens; Enebrink, Pia; Ghaderi, Ata

2013-04-01

Although parent management training (PMT) is generally considered the treatment of choice for children with conduct problems, some specific adaptations might be essential for various subgroups of parents or children to benefit well from PMT. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of child callous-unemotional (CU) traits on the outcome of an Internet-based PMT program for parents of children with conduct problems (n = 57; mean age 6.65). Within a randomized controlled trial of PMT, children assigned to the intervention group were categorized and compared as either "high-CU" (n = 8) or "low-CU" (n = 49) based on a cut-off score on the CU subscale of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001). CU traits in children were associated with more severe conduct problems at baseline, as well as more hyperactivity and peer-related problems. Treatment outcome, in terms of conduct-problem reduction, was poor in the high-CU group compared with the low-CU group, despite the fact that parents in both groups improved equally in parenting skills. The same pattern of results emerged after controlling for initial difficulties of conduct problems and other pretreatment differences between the groups. Elevated levels of CU traits in children seem to contribute to an inferior treatment response in PMT. These findings call for more attention on empathy and emotional patterns in the assessment of children with conduct problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring Narcissism, Psychopathy, and Machiavellianism in Youth: Examination of Associations with Antisocial Behavior and Aggression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Katherine S. L.; Marsee, Monica A.

2013-01-01

We sought to explore the differential associations of callous-unemotional (CU) traits, narcissistic traits, and Machiavellian traits with overt aggression, relational aggression, delinquency, behavioral dysregulation, and emotional dysregulation in a community sample of boys and girls (ages 11-17). Results indicated that the three personality…

Mediation of the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and proactive aggression by amygdala response to fear among children with conduct problems.

PubMed

Lozier, Leah M; Cardinale, Elise M; VanMeter, John W; Marsh, Abigail A

2014-06-01

Among youths with conduct problems, callous-unemotional (CU) traits are known to be an important determinant of symptom severity, prognosis, and treatment responsiveness. But positive correlations between conduct problems and CU traits result in suppressor effects that may mask important neurobiological distinctions among subgroups of children with conduct problems. To assess the unique neurobiological covariates of CU traits and externalizing behaviors in youths with conduct problems and determine whether neural dysfunction linked to CU traits mediates the link between callousness and proactive aggression. This cross-sectional case-control study involved behavioral testing and neuroimaging that were conducted at a university research institution. Neuroimaging was conducted using a 3-T Siemens magnetic resonance imaging scanner. It included 46 community-recruited male and female juveniles aged 10 to 17 years, including 16 healthy control participants and 30 youths with conduct problems with both low and high levels of CU traits. Blood oxygenation level-dependent signal as measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging during an implicit face-emotion processing task and analyzed using whole-brain and region of interest-based analysis of variance and multiple-regression analyses. Analysis of variance revealed no group differences in the amygdala. By contrast, consistent with the existence of suppressor effects, multiple-regression analysis found amygdala responses to fearful expressions to be negatively associated with CU traits (x = 26, y = 0, z = -12; k = 1) and positively associated with externalizing behavior (x = 24, y = 0, z = -14; k = 8) when both variables were modeled simultaneously. Reduced amygdala responses mediated the relationship between CU traits and proactive aggression. The results linked proactive aggression in youths with CU traits to hypoactive amygdala responses to emotional distress cues, consistent with theories that externalizing behaviors, particularly proactive aggression, in youths with these traits stem from deficient empathic responses to distress. Amygdala hypoactivity may represent an intermediate phenotype, offering new insights into effective treatment strategies for conduct problems.

Examination of the importance of age of onset, callous-unemotional traits and anger dysregulation in youths with antisocial behaviors.

PubMed

Urben, Sébastien; Stéphan, Philippe; Habersaat, Stéphanie; Francescotti, Eric; Fegert, Jörg M; Schmeck, Klaus; Perler, Christian; Gasser, Jacques; Schmid, Marc

2017-01-01

Age of onset, callous-unemotional (CU) traits and anger dysregulation have separately been proposed as relevant factors in explaining the heterogeneity of antisocial behaviour (ASB). Taking a dimensional perspective, this study examined the specific contributions and the mutual influences (i.e., interactions) of these three characteristics on specific dimensions of ASB (i.e., criminal behaviours and externalizing symptoms). Assessments were conducted on 536 youths from institutions with the youth psychopathic traits inventory (CU traits), the Massachusetts youth screening instrument-second version (anger dysregulation), the criminology questionnaire (criminal behaviours) and the child behavior checklist (externalizing symptoms), rated by both the youths and their carers. Using Bayes as estimators, the results revealed that the number and frequency of crimes (and, more specifically, damage to property, property offenses and media crimes) were explained by a specific contribution of each factor (age of onset, CU traits and anger dysregulation). Additionally, the interactions between age of onset and CU traits or anger dysregulation were relevant predictors of some types of crimes (i.e., damage to property, property offences and media crimes). Furthermore, when rated by youths, externalizing symptoms were explained by CU traits and anger dysregulation. However, when rated by the carer, anger dysregulation was more important in explaining externalizing symptoms. This study highlights the importance of considering these factors altogether and the value of using a dimensional perspective when examining the structure of ASB in youths. Consequently, future classifications should take into account the mutual account of these characteristics, which were previously studied separately.

Can probation officers identify remorse among male adolescent offenders?

PubMed

Fine, Adam; Cavanagh, Caitlin; Frick, Paul J; Steinberg, Laurence; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2017-06-01

Judgments about a youth's level of remorse are frequently used to make important decisions in the juvenile justice system that can have serious consequences to the person. Unfortunately, little is known about these ratings and what factors may influence them. In a sample of 325 1st-time youth offenders who were arrested for offenses of moderate severity, we tested whether probation officers' ratings of an adolescent's remorse soon after arrest were associated with the youth's self-report of showing a callous and unemotional interpersonal style, being arrested for a violent offense, and several demographic and background characteristics (e.g., age, race, socioeconomic status [SES], and intelligence). Our analyses indicated that both arrest for a violent offense and the adolescent's self-reported level of callous-unemotional (CU) traits were associated with probation officers' ratings of remorse. Further, youth age, SES, and intelligence neither were associated with these judgments nor moderated the association between CU traits and probation officers' ratings of remorse. However, youth race or ethnicity did moderate the association between CU traits and judgments of remorse, such that Latino youth who were high on CU traits showed a very low probability of being rated as remorseful. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Serotonin 1B Receptor Gene (HTR1B) Methylation as a Risk Factor for Callous-Unemotional Traits in Antisocial Boys.

PubMed

Moul, Caroline; Dobson-Stone, Carol; Brennan, John; Hawes, David J; Dadds, Mark R

2015-01-01

The serotonin system is thought to play a role in the aetiology of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in children. Previous research identified a functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene as being associated with CU traits in boys with antisocial behaviour problems. This research tested the hypothesis that CU traits are associated with reduced methylation of the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene due to the influence of methylation on gene expression. Participants (N = 117) were boys with antisocial behaviour problems aged 3-16 years referred to University of New South Wales Child Behaviour Research Clinics. Participants volunteered a saliva sample from which the genotype of a SNP from the promoter region of the serotonin 1B receptor gene and the methylation levels of 30 CpG sites from 3 CpG regions surrounding the location of this polymorphism were assayed. Lower levels of serotonin 1B receptor gene methylation were associated with higher levels of CU traits. This relationship, however, was found to be moderated by genotype and carried exclusively by two CpG sites for which levels of methylation were negatively associated with overall methylation levels in this region of the gene. Results provide support to the emerging literature that argues for a genetically-driven system-wide alteration in serotonin function in the aetiology of CU traits. Furthermore, the results suggest that there may be two pathways to CU traits that involve methylation of the serotonin 1B receptor gene; one that is driven by a genotypic risk and another that is associated with risk for generally increased levels of methylation. Future research that aims to replicate and further investigate these results is required.

Callous-unemotional traits and early life stress predict treatment effects on stress and sex hormone functioning in incarcerated male adolescents.

PubMed

Johnson, Megan; Vitacco, Michael J; Shirtcliff, Elizabeth A

2018-03-01

The stress response system is highly plastic, and hormone rhythms may "adaptively calibrate" in response to treatment. This investigation assessed whether stress and sex hormone diurnal rhythms changed over the course of behavioral treatment, and whether callous-unemotional (CU) traits and history of early adversity affected treatment results on diurnal hormone functioning in a sample of 28 incarcerated adolescent males. It was hypothesized that the treatment would have beneficial effects, such that healthier diurnal rhythms would emerge post-treatment. Diurnal cortisol, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were sampled two weeks after admission to the correctional/treatment facility, and again approximately four months later. Positive treatment effects were detected for the whole sample, such that testosterone dampened across treatment. CU traits predicted a non-optimal hormone response to treatment, potentially indicating biological preparedness to respond to acts of social dominance and aggression. The interaction between CU traits and adversity predicted a promising and sensitized response to treatment including increased cortisol and a steeper testosterone drop across treatment. Results suggest that stress and sex hormones are highly receptive to treatment during this window of development.

Amygdala reactivity predicts adolescent antisocial behavior but not callous-unemotional traits

PubMed Central

Dotterer, Hailey L.; Hyde, Luke W.; Swartz, Johnna R.; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Williamson, Douglas E.

2017-01-01

Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested divergent relationships between antisocial behavior (AB) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits and amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry facial expressions in adolescents. However, little work has examined if these findings extend to dimensional measures of behavior in ethnically diverse, non-clinical samples, or if participant sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, and age moderate associations. We examined links between amygdala reactivity and dimensions of AB and CU traits in 220 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents (age 11–15; 49.5% female; 38.2% Hispanic), half of whom had a family history for depression and thus were at relatively elevated risk for late starting, emotionally dysregulated AB. We found that AB was significantly related to increased right amygdala reactivity to angry facial expressions independent of sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression. CU traits were not related to fear- or anger-related amygdala reactivity. The present study further demonstrates that AB is related to increased amygdala reactivity to interpersonal threat cues in adolescents, and that this relationship generalizes across sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression. PMID:28279916

Amygdala reactivity predicts adolescent antisocial behavior but not callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Dotterer, Hailey L; Hyde, Luke W; Swartz, Johnna R; Hariri, Ahmad R; Williamson, Douglas E

2017-04-01

Recent neuroimaging studies have suggested divergent relationships between antisocial behavior (AB) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits and amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry facial expressions in adolescents. However, little work has examined if these findings extend to dimensional measures of behavior in ethnically diverse, non-clinical samples, or if participant sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, and age moderate associations. We examined links between amygdala reactivity and dimensions of AB and CU traits in 220 Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian adolescents (age 11-15; 49.5% female; 38.2% Hispanic), half of whom had a family history for depression and thus were at relatively elevated risk for late starting, emotionally dysregulated AB. We found that AB was significantly related to increased right amygdala reactivity to angry facial expressions independent of sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression. CU traits were not related to fear- or anger-related amygdala reactivity. The present study further demonstrates that AB is related to increased amygdala reactivity to interpersonal threat cues in adolescents, and that this relationship generalizes across sex, ethnicity, pubertal stage, age, and familial risk status for depression. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The better of two evils? Evidence that children exhibiting continuous conduct problems high or low on callous-unemotional traits score on opposite directions on physiological and behavioral measures of fear.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Panayiotou, Georgia; Lazarou, Chrysostomos; Michael, Raphaelia; Georgiou, Giorgos

2016-02-01

The present study examines whether heterogeneous groups of children identified based on their longitudinal scores on conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits differ on physiological and behavioral measures of fear. Specifically, it aims to test the hypothesis that children with high/stable CP differentiated on CU traits score on opposite directions on a fear-fearless continuum. Seventy-three participants (M age = 11.21; 45.2% female) were selected from a sample of 1,200 children. Children and their parents completed a battery of questionnaires assessing fearfulness, sensitivity to punishment, and behavioral inhibition. Children also participated in an experiment assessing their startle reactivity to fearful mental imagery, a well-established index of defensive motivation. The pattern of results verifies the hypothesis that fearlessness, assessed with physiological and behavioral measures, is a core characteristic of children high on both CP and CU traits (i.e., receiving the DSM-5 specifier of limited prosocial emotions). To the contrary, children with high/stable CP and low CU traits demonstrated high responsiveness to fear, high behavioral inhibition, and high sensitivity to punishment. The study is in accord with the principle of equifinality, in that different developmental mechanisms (i.e., extremes of high and low fear) may have the same behavioral outcome manifested as phenotypic antisocial behavior.

Greater fear reactivity and psychophysiological hyperactivity among infants with later conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Mills-Koonce, William R; Wagner, Nicholas J; Willoughby, Michael T; Stifter, Cynthia; Blair, Clancy; Granger, Douglas A

2015-02-01

Approximately one third of children who meet criteria for conduct problems (CP) are also characterized by elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. This subgroup is at elevated risk for more pervasive and extreme levels of later antisocial behavior and has been characterized by a fearlessness temperament and blunted stress psychophysiology at older ages. The objective of this study was to examine group differences in fear reactivity and stress psychophysiology in infancy among children classified as having CP with CU (CP + CU), CP without CU (CP only), or no CP in later childhood. A birth cohort study (n = 1,292) was followed longitudinally from birth through first grade. Behavioral fear, baseline heart period (HP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and pretask, 20-min posttask, and 40-min posttask salivary cortisol were assessed at 6 and 15 months of age around a fear challenge task. CP and CU were assessed by maternal report at first grade and children were classified into CP and CU groups if they scored in the upper 10(th) percentile of these ratings. No group differences were observed in children at 6 months of age. However, at 15 months of age children with later CP + CU displayed greater high-intensity fear behavior, higher pretask and overall cortisol levels, and lower levels of HP and RSA compared to children with CP only and children with no CP. The discrepancy between the biobehavioral correlates of conduct problems with callous-unemotional traits in infancy and those reported from studies of older children and adults suggests that the etiology of this behavioral phenotype may be more complex than a simple genetic maturation model. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Predictive validity of callous-unemotional traits measured in early adolescence with respect to multiple antisocial outcomes.

PubMed

McMahon, Robert J; Witkiewitz, Katie; Kotler, Julie S

2010-11-01

This study investigated the predictive validity of youth callous-unemotional (CU) traits, as measured in early adolescence (Grade 7) by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001), in a longitudinal sample (N = 754). Antisocial outcomes, assessed in adolescence and early adulthood, included self-reported general delinquency from 7th grade through 2 years post-high school, self-reported serious crimes through 2 years post-high school, juvenile and adult arrest records through 1 year post-high school, and antisocial personality disorder symptoms and diagnosis at 2 years post-high school. CU traits measured in 7th grade were highly predictive of 5 of the 6 antisocial outcomes-general delinquency, juvenile and adult arrests, and early adult antisocial personality disorder criterion count and diagnosis-over and above prior and concurrent conduct problem behavior (i.e., criterion counts of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (criterion count). Incorporating a CU traits specifier for those with a diagnosis of conduct disorder improved the positive prediction of antisocial outcomes, with a very low false-positive rate. There was minimal evidence of moderation by sex, race, or urban/rural status. Urban/rural status moderated one finding, with being from an urban area associated with stronger relations between CU traits and adult arrests. Findings clearly support the inclusion of CU traits as a specifier for the diagnosis of conduct disorder, at least with respect to predictive validity. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Callous-unemotional traits, proactive aggression, and treatment outcomes of aggressive children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Blader, Joseph C; Pliszka, Steven R; Kafantaris, Vivian; Foley, Carmel A; Crowell, Judith A; Carlson, Gabrielle A; Sauder, Colin L; Margulies, David M; Sinha, Christa; Sverd, Jeffrey; Matthews, Thomas L; Bailey, Brigitte Y; Daviss, W Burleson

2013-12-01

Stimulant treatment improves impulse control among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Decreased aggression often accompanies stimulant pharmacotherapy, suggesting that impulsiveness is integral to aggressive behavior in these children. However, children with high callous-unemotional (CU) traits and proactive aggression may benefit less from ADHD pharmacotherapy, because their aggressive behavior seems more purposeful and deliberate. This study's objective was to determine whether pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression affect treatment outcomes among aggressive children with ADHD receiving stimulant monotherapy. We implemented a stimulant optimization protocol with 160 children 6 to 13 years of age (mean [SD] age of 9.31 [2.02] years; 78.75% male) with ADHD, oppositional defiant or conduct disorder, and significant aggressive behavior. Family-focused behavioral intervention was provided concurrently. The primary outcome was the Retrospective Modified Overt Aggression Scale. The Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Aggression Scale, also completed by parents, measured CU traits and proactive aggression, respectively. Analyses examined moderating effects of CU traits and proactive aggression on outcomes. In all, 82 children (51%) experienced remission of aggressive behavior. Neither CU traits nor proactive aggression predicted remission (CU traits: odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.80-1.11; proactive aggression, OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.86-1.29). Children whose overall aggression remitted showed decreases in CU traits (effect size = -0.379, 95% CI = -0.60 to -0.16) and proactive aggression (effect size = -0.463, 95% CI = -0.69 to -0.23). Findings suggest that pretreatment CU traits and proactive aggression do not forecast worse outcomes for aggressive children with ADHD receiving optimized stimulant pharmacotherapy. With such treatment, CU traits and proactive aggression may decline alongside other behavioral improvements. Clinical trial registration information--Medication Strategies for Treating Aggressive Behavior in Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00228046; and Effectiveness of Combined Medication Treatment for Aggression in Children With Attention Deficit With Hyperactivity Disorder (The SPICY Study); http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT00794625. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can the Fear Recognition Deficits Associated with Callous-Unemotional Traits be Identified in Early Childhood?

PubMed Central

Briggs-Gowan, Margaret J.; Voss, Joel L.; Petitclerc, Amelie; McCarthy, Kimberly; Blair, R. James R.; Wakschlag, Lauren S.

2016-01-01

Introduction Callous-unemotional (CU) traits in the presence of conduct problems are associated with increased risk of severe antisocial behavior. Developmentally sensitive methods of assessing CU traits have recently been generated, but their construct validity in relation to neurocognitive underpinnings of CU has not been demonstrated. The current study sought to investigate whether the fear-specific emotion recognition deficits associated with CU traits in older individuals are developmentally expressed in young children as low concern for others and punishment insensitivity. Methods A sub-sample of 337 preschoolers (mean age 4.8 years [SD=.8]) who completed neurocognitive tasks was taken from a larger project of preschool psychopathology. Children completed an emotional recognition task in which they were asked to identify the emotional face from the neutral faces in an array. CU traits were assessed using the Low Concern (LC) and Punishment Insensitivity (PI) subscales of the Multidimensional Assessment Profile of Disruptive Behavior (MAP-DB), which were specifically designed to differentiate the normative misbehavior of early childhood from atypical patterns. Results High LC, but not PI, scores were associated with a fear-specific deficit in emotion recognition. Girls were more accurate than boys in identifying emotional expressions but no significant interaction between LC or PI and sex was observed. Conclusions Fear recognition deficits associated with CU traits in older individuals were observed in preschoolers with developmentally-defined patterns of low concern for others. Confirming that the link between CU-related impairments in empathy and distinct neurocognitive deficits is present in very young children suggests that developmentally-specified measurement can detect the substrates of these severe behavioral patterns beginning much earlier than prior work. Exploring the development of CU traits and disruptive behavior disorders at very early ages may provide insights critical to early intervention and prevention of severe antisocial behavior. PMID:27167866

Aggression in Children with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Social Information Processing and Response to Peer Provocation.

PubMed

Helseth, Sarah A; Waschbusch, Daniel A; King, Sara; Willoughby, Michael T

2015-11-01

Callous/unemotional traits (CU) moderate children's conduct problems (CP) in numerous domains, including social functioning. The present study examined whether CU traits also moderate the aggressiveness of children's social information processing (SIP) and responses to varying intensities of peer provocation. Sixty elementary school-age children (46 males) were grouped into those without CP or CU (controls, n = 32), those with CP but not CU (CP-only; n = 14), and those with both CP and CU (CPCU, n = 14). Participants completed a task that measured two aspects of SIP (response generation and hostile attribution bias) and a computerized reaction time task (CRTT) that measured behavior, affect, and communication before and after provocation under instrumental and hostile aggressive conditions. Children with CPCU generated more aggressive responses than controls on measures of SIP. On the CRTT, all children exhibited reactive aggression following high provocation, but only children with CPCU exhibited proactive aggression, and reactive aggression following low provocation; no differences in affect were found. In a series of exploratory analyses, CPCU children communicated antisocially, while CP-only communicated prosocially. Finally, children with CPCU did not seem to hold a grudge following the final instance of provocation, instead gradually returning to baseline like their non-CU peers. These distinct social cognitive and behavioral profiles hint at different etiologies of CP and CPCU, underscoring the variability of aggression in these populations.

Emotional Abilities in Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): Impairments in Perspective-Taking and Understanding Mixed Emotions are Associated with High Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

O'Kearney, Richard; Salmon, Karen; Liwag, Maria; Fortune, Clare-Ann; Dawel, Amy

2017-04-01

Most studies of emotion abilities in disruptive children focus on emotion expression recognition. This study compared 74 children aged 4-8 years with ODD to 45 comparison children (33 healthy; 12 with an anxiety disorder) on behaviourally assessed measures of emotion perception, emotion perspective-taking, knowledge of emotions causes and understanding ambivalent emotions and on parent-reported cognitive and affective empathy. Adjusting for child's sex, age and expressive language ODD children showed a paucity in attributing causes to emotions but no other deficits relative to the comparison groups. ODD boys with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CU) (n = 22) showed deficits relative to low CU ODD boys (n = 25) in emotion perspective-taking and in understanding ambivalent emotions. Low CU ODD boys did not differ from the healthy typically developing boys (n = 12). Impairments in emotion perceptive-taking and understanding mixed emotions in ODD boys are associated with the presence of a high level of CU.

The Moderating Role of Anxiety in the Associations of Callous-Unemotional Traits with Self-Report and Laboratory Measures of Affective and Cognitive Empathy.

PubMed

Kahn, Rachel E; Frick, Paul J; Golmaryami, Farrah N; Marsee, Monica A

2017-04-01

In a sample of detained male adolescents (n = 107; Mean age = 15.50; SD = 1.30), we tested whether anxiety moderated the association of CU traits with self-report and computerized measures of affective (emotional reactivity) and cognitive (affective facial recognition and Theory of Mind [ToM]) empathy. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that CU traits were negatively associated with self-reports of affective empathy and this association was not moderated by level of anxiety. Significant interactions revealed that CU traits were negatively associated with cognitive empathy (self-report) only at high levels of anxiety, whereas CU traits were positively associated with cognitive empathy on the ToM task only at low levels of anxiety. CU traits were also associated with greater fear recognition accuracy at low levels of anxiety. Implications for understanding and treating different variants of CU traits (i.e., primary and secondary) are discussed.

Mediation of the Relationship Between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Proactive Aggression by Amygdala Response to Fear Among Children With Conduct Problems

PubMed Central

Lozier, Leah M.; Cardinale, Elise M.; VanMeter, John W.; Marsh, Abigail A.

2015-01-01

Importance Among youths with conduct problems, callous-unemotional (CU) traits are known to be an important determinant of symptom severity, prognosis, and treatment responsiveness. But positive correlations between conduct problems and CU traits result in suppressor effects that may mask important neurobiological distinctions among subgroups of children with conduct problems. Objective To assess the unique neurobiological covariates of CU traits and externalizing behaviors in youths with conduct problems and determine whether neural dysfunction linked to CU traits mediates the link between callousness and proactive aggression. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional case-control study involved behavioral testing and neuroimaging that were conducted at a university research institution. Neuroimaging was conducted using a 3-T Siemens magnetic resonance imaging scanner. It included 46 community-recruited male and female juveniles aged 10 to 17 years, including 16 healthy control participants and 30 youths with conduct problems with both low and high levels of CU traits. Main Outcomes and Measures Blood oxygenation level–dependent signal as measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging during an implicit face-emotion processing task and analyzed using whole-brain and region of interest–based analysis of variance and multiple-regression analyses. Results Analysis of variance revealed no group differences in the amygdala. By contrast, consistent with the existence of suppressor effects, multiple-regression analysis found amygdala responses to fearful expressions to be negatively associated with CU traits (x = 26, y = 0, z = −12; k = 1) and positively associated with externalizing behavior (x = 24, y = 0, z = −14; k = 8) when both variables were modeled simultaneously. Reduced amygdala responses mediated the relationship between CU traits and proactive aggression. Conclusions and Relevance The results linked proactive aggression in youths with CU traits to hypoactive amygdala responses to emotional distress cues, consistent with theories that externalizing behaviors, particularly proactive aggression, in youths with these traits stem from deficient empathic responses to distress. Amygdala hypoactivity may represent an intermediate phenotype, offering new insights into effective treatment strategies for conduct problems. PMID:24671141

Callous-unemotional traits moderate the association between children's early moral understanding and aggression: A short-term longitudinal study.

PubMed

Jambon, Marc; Smetana, Judith G

2018-05-01

Drawing on the framework of social domain theory, this multi-method, multi-informant longitudinal study examined whether callous-unemotional (CU) tendencies moderated the association between U.S. 4 to 7 year olds' (n = 135; Mage = 5.65, 50% male; 75% White) ability to differentiate hypothetical, prototypical moral and conventional transgressions along theoretical criteria and teacher (n = 49) and parent (n = 128, 91% mothers) ratings of physical aggression. Deficits in domain distinction ability were associated with greater teacher-reported aggression both concurrently and 9 months later, but only for children high in CU traits. No main effects or interactions were found for parent reports. These findings build on a growing body of research demonstrating that children who use aggression in a deliberate and callous manner show deficits in their basic understanding of moral norms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

How do different dimensions of adolescent narcissism impact the relation between callous-unemotional traits and self-reported aggression?

PubMed

Lee-Rowland, Lauren M; Barry, Christopher T; Gillen, Christopher T A; Hansen, Laura K

2017-01-01

The current study examined the moderating influence that different aspects of narcissism have on the relation between callous-unemotional (CU) traits and aggression in a sample of 720 adolescents (500 males), ages 16-19 enrolled in a 22-week residential program. Findings from the two studies revealed that psychopathy-linked narcissism as assessed by the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001; Antisocial process screening device. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.) and vulnerable narcissism as assessed using the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI; Pincus et al., 2009; Initial construction and validation of the Pathological Narcissism Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 21, 365-379) significantly moderated the relation between CU traits and aggression in adolescents. Conversely, non-pathological narcissism assessed by the Narcissistic Personality Inventory for Children (NPIC; Barry, Frick, & Killian, 2003; The relation of narcissism and self-esteem to conduct problems in children. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32, 139-152) and PNI grandiose narcissism did not significantly impact this relation. These results suggest that forms of narcissism most closely connected to internalizing problems combined with CU traits are associated with relatively heightened aggression in youth. The implications of these findings are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 43:14-25, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Do neurocognitive deficits in decision making differentiate conduct disorder subtypes?

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Kimonis, Eva R; Hadjicharalambous, Maria-Zoe; Steinberg, Laurence

2016-09-01

The present study aimed to test whether neurocognitive deficits involved in decision making underlie subtypes of conduct-disorder (CD) differentiated on the basis of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Eighty-five participants (M age = 10.94 years) were selected from a sample of 1200 children based on repeated assessment of CD and CU traits. Participants completed a multi-method battery of well-validated measures of risky decision making and associated constructs of selective attention and future orientation (Stroop, Stoplight, and Delay-Discounting Tasks). Findings indicated that impaired decision making, selective attention, and future orientation contribute to the antisocial presentations displayed by children with CD, irrespective of level of CU traits. Youth high on CU traits without CD showed less risky decision making, as indicated by their performance on the Stoplight laboratory task, than those high on both CD and CU traits, suggesting a potential protective factor against the development of antisocial behavior.

The Clinical Utility of the Proposed DSM-5 Callous-Unemotional Subtype of Conduct Disorder in Young Girls

PubMed Central

Pardini, Dustin; Stepp, Stephanie; Hipwell, Alison; Stouthamer-Loeber, Magda; Loeber, Rolf

2012-01-01

Objective A callous-unemotional (CU) subtype of conduct disorder (CD) has been proposed as an addition to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). This study tested the hypothesis that young girls with the CU subtype of CD will exhibit more severe antisocial behavior and less severe internalizing problems over time relative to girls with CD alone. Secondly, the developmental outcomes of girls with CU traits in the absence of CD was examined because these girls will be overlooked by the proposed CU subtyping scheme. Method Theses issues were examined in a community sample of 1862 girls aged 6-8 at study onset. Outcomes included internalizing and externalizing problems, academic achievement, and global impairment assessed concurrently and at a six year follow-up. Results Girls with the CU subtype of CD had higher levels of externalizing disorder symptoms, bullying, relational aggression, and global impairment than girls with CD alone. Girls with CD alone tended to have more anxiety problems than girls with the CU subtype of CD. Girls with high CU traits without CD exhibited higher ODD and ADHD symptoms and lower academic achievement at the six-year follow-up relative to girls without CU traits and CD. Group differences at the six year follow-up were primarily accounted for by baseline differences on the outcomes. Conclusions The proposed DSM-5 CU subtype of CD identifies young girls who exhibit lower anxiety problems and more severe aggression, CD symptoms, academic problems and global impairment across time than girls with CD alone. PMID:22176940

Callous-unemotional traits in children and mechanisms of impaired eye contact during expressions of love: a treatment target?

PubMed

Dadds, Mark R; Allen, Jennifer L; McGregor, Kimberley; Woolgar, Matthew; Viding, Essi; Scott, Stephen

2014-07-01

We previously hypothesised that the early development of psychopathy is associated with a failure to attend to the eyes of attachment figures, and we have presented preliminary data from a parent-child 'love' scenario in support of this. Here, we confirm the association in a larger sample and test mechanisms of impaired eye contact during expressions of love in control and behaviourally disturbed children. Oppositional defiant disorder children, assessed for callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and controls, were observed in a brief interaction task where the mother was asked to show love to her child. Eye contact and affection were measured for each dyad. As predicted, there were no group differences in affection and eye contact expressed by mothers; levels of CU traits predicted low levels of eye contact towards their mothers across all groups of children. As expected, low eye contact was correlated with psychopathic fearlessness in their fathers, and maternal reports of negative feelings towards the child. Independent observations showed that child's behaviour largely drives the low eye contact associated with CU traits, and low eye contact was not associated with independent observations of the quality of attachment-related behaviours in mothers. Impaired eye contact is a unique characteristic of children with CU traits; these impairments are largely independent of maternal behaviour, but associated with psychopathic traits in the fathers. These impairments should be tested for functional significance and amenability to change in longitudinal and treatment studies. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Effects of Parent Training on Callous-Unemotional Traits, Effortful Control, and Conduct Problems: Mediation by Parenting.

PubMed

Elizur, Yoel; Somech, Lior Y; Vinokur, Amiram D

2017-01-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits and effortful control (EC) are personality and temperament traits implicated in early-onset antisocial trajectories. This secondary analysis of Hitkashrut's randomized controlled trial first tested parent training's effects on EC and CU traits while controlling for more general treatment effects on conduct problems (CP), and subsequently tested mediation by parenting. Prekindergarten teachers in three Israeli cities identified 209 3-5 year-old (163 boys; 46 girls) preschoolers with subclinical-clinical range conduct problems. All participants were Jewish ranging from ultra-orthodox to secular. They were assigned to 14-session co-parent training groups (n = 140 couples), or to minimal intervention control groups with referral to local services as necessary (n = 69 couples). We employed averaged indices of pre- and post-intervention questionnaires completed by both parents. The testing of all hypothesized models controlled for treatment effects on CP in order to strengthen the robustness of the analyses. We found significant concurrent treatment effects on CP and on either CU traits or EC. All effects were mediated by ineffective parenting (IP): a latent variable that was indicated by negative/inconsistent practices and perceived parenting inefficacy. This is the first demonstration of parenting mediated treatment effects on both EC and CU traits in a randomized controlled study conducted in everyday practice contexts. This finding supports a disruption model of change: the reduction of IP facilitates a caregiving environment that affects children's behavior and developing personality. The changing of personality and temperament characteristics implicated in early-onset pathways suggests an innovative prevention strategy for disruptive behavior disorders.

Intergenerational Similarity in Callous-Unemotional Traits: Contributions of Hostile Parenting and Household Chaos during Adolescence

PubMed Central

Kahn, Rachel E.; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; King-Casas, Brooks; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2016-01-01

Extant research has examined both genetic and environmental risk involved in the transmission of callous-unemotional traits in youth populations, yet no study has examined the intergenerational similarity of these traits between parents and their offspring. The current study examined whether the association between parent callous-unemotional traits and child callous-unemotional traits was mediated by parenting behavior and whether this association was moderated by household environment. Participants included 115 dyads of adolescents (48% female; Mean age = 13.97) and their primary caregivers (87% female; Mean age = 42.54). Measures of callous-unemotional traits, hostile parenting, and household chaos were collected from both adolescents and parents. A two group structural equation modeling revealed that hostile parenting serves as a mediating process in the association between parent and adolescent callous-unemotional traits, but only in the context of high household chaos. Our findings suggest that hostile parenting practices are a mediating process that may explain intergenerational similarity in callous-unemotional traits. Additionally, household chaos may exacerbate the effects of hostile parenting on callous-unemotional traits within adolescents, resulting in heightened vulnerability to intergenerational transmission of callous-unemotional traits. PMID:28029442

Intergenerational similarity in callous-unemotional traits: Contributions of hostile parenting and household chaos during adolescence.

PubMed

Kahn, Rachel E; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; King-Casas, Brooks; Kim-Spoon, Jungmeen

2016-12-30

Extant research has examined both genetic and environmental risk involved in the transmission of callous-unemotional traits in youth populations, yet no study has examined the intergenerational similarity of these traits between parents and their offspring. The current study examined whether the association between parent callous-unemotional traits and child callous-unemotional traits was mediated by parenting behavior and whether this association was moderated by household environment. Participants included 115 dyads of adolescents (48% female; Mean age=13.97) and their primary caregivers (87% female; Mean age=42.54). Measures of callous-unemotional traits, hostile parenting, and household chaos were collected from both adolescents and parents. A two group structural equation modeling revealed that hostile parenting serves as a mediating process in the association between parent and adolescent callous-unemotional traits, but only in the context of high household chaos. Our findings suggest that hostile parenting practices are a mediating process that may explain intergenerational similarity in callous-unemotional traits. Additionally, household chaos may exacerbate the effects of hostile parenting on callous-unemotional traits within adolescents, resulting in heightened vulnerability to intergenerational transmission of callous-unemotional traits. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Search of Genes Associated with Risk for Psychopathic Tendencies in Children: A Two-Stage Genome-Wide Association Study of Pooled DNA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viding, Essi; Hanscombe, Ken B.; Curtis, Charles J. C.; Davis, Oliver S. P.; Meaburn, Emma L.; Plomin, Robert

2010-01-01

Background: Quantitative genetic data from our group indicates that antisocial behaviour (AB) is strongly heritable when coupled with psychopathic, callous-unemotional (CU) personality traits. We have also demonstrated that the genetic influences for AB and CU overlap considerably. We conducted a genome-wide association scan that capitalises on…

Omega-3 fatty acids are inversely related to callous and unemotional traits in adolescent boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Gow, Rachel V; Vallee-Tourangeau, Frederic; Crawford, Michael Angus; Taylor, Eric; Ghebremeskel, Kebreab; Bueno, Allain A; Hibbeln, Joseph R; Sumich, Alexander; Rubia, Katya

2013-06-01

A number of research studies have reported abnormal plasma fatty acid profiles in children with ADHD along with some benefit of n-3 to symptoms of ADHD. However, it is currently unclear whether (lower) long chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are related to ADHD pathology or to associated behaviours. The aim of this study was to test whether (1) ADHD children have abnormal plasma LC-PUFA levels and (2) ADHD symptoms and associated behaviours are correlated with LC-PUFA levels. Seventy-two, male children with (n=29) and without a clinical diagnosis of ADHD (n=43) were compared in their plasma levels of LC-PUFA. Plasma DHA was higher in the control group prior to statistical correction. Callous-unemotional (CU) traits were found to be significantly negatively related to both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and total omega-3 in the ADHD group. The findings unveil for the first time that CU and anti-social traits in ADHD are associated with lower omega-3 levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Symptoms of conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and callous-unemotional traits as unique predictors of psychosocial maladjustment in boys: advancing an evidence base for DSM-V.

PubMed

Pardini, Dustin A; Fite, Paula J

2010-11-01

The incremental utility of symptoms of conduct disorder (CD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits for predicting psychosocial outcomes across multiple domains was examined in a community sample of 1,517 boys. Several outcomes were assessed semiannually across a 2-year follow-up, including antisocial behavior, internalizing problems, peer conflict, and academic difficulties. Official criminal charges were also examined across adolescence. CD symptoms emerged as the most robust predictor of future antisocial outcomes. However, ODD symptoms predicted later criminal charges and conduct problems, and CU traits were robustly associated with serious and persistent criminal behavior in boys. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms predicted increases in oppositional defiant behavior and conduct problems over time and were uniquely related to future academic difficulties. Both ADHD and ODD symptoms predicted social and internalizing problems in boys, whereas CU traits were associated with decreased internalizing problems over time. The current findings have implications for revisions being considered as part of the DSM-V. Specifically, incorporating CU traits into the diagnostic criteria for Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) may help to further delineate boys at risk for severe and persistent delinquency. Although currently prohibited, allowing a diagnosis of ODD when CD is present may provide unique prognostic information about boys who are at risk for future criminal behavior, social problems, and internalizing problems. Copyright © 2010 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Indirect Effects of the Fast Track Intervention on Conduct Disorder Symptoms and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Distinct Pathways Involving Discipline and Warmth

PubMed Central

Pasalich, Dave S.; Witkiewitz, Katie; McMahon, Robert J.; Pinderhughes, Ellen E.

2016-01-01

Little is known about intervening processes that explain how prevention programs improve particular youth antisocial outcomes. We examined whether parental harsh discipline and warmth in childhood differentially account for Fast Track intervention effects on conduct disorder (CD) symptoms and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in early adolescence. Participants included 891 high-risk kindergarteners (69% male; 51% African American) from urban and rural United States communities who were randomized into either the Fast Track intervention (n = 445) or non-intervention control (n = 446) groups. The 10-year intervention included parent management training and other services (e.g., social skills training, universal classroom curriculum) targeting various risk factors for the development of conduct problems. Harsh discipline (Grades 1 through 3) and warmth (Grades 1 and 2) were measured using parent responses to vignettes and direct observations of parent-child interaction, respectively. Parents reported on children’s CD symptoms in Grade 6 and CU traits in Grade 7. Results demonstrated indirect effects of the Fast Track intervention on reducing risk for youth antisocial outcomes. That is, Fast Track was associated with lower scores on harsh discipline, which in turn predicted decreased levels of CD symptoms. In addition, Fast Track was associated with higher scores on warmth, which in turn predicted reduced levels of CU traits. Our findings inform developmental and intervention models of youth antisocial behavior by providing evidence for the differential role of harsh discipline and warmth in accounting for indirect effects of Fast Track on CD symptoms versus CU traits, respectively. PMID:26242993

Can callous-unemotional traits enhance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of serious conduct problems in children and adolescents? A comprehensive review.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J; Ray, James V; Thornton, Laura C; Kahn, Rachel E

2014-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of the research on the use of callous and unemotional (CU) traits for designating an important subgroup of children and adolescents with severe conduct problems. It focuses on the etiological significance of recognizing this subgroup of youths with severe conduct problems, its implications for diagnostic classification, and the treatment implications of this research. The review highlights limitations in existing research and provides directions for future research. The available research suggests that children and adolescents with severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits show distinct genetic, cognitive, emotional, biological, environmental, and personality characteristics that seem to implicate different etiological factors underlying their behavior problems relative to other youths with severe conduct problems. Recognizing these subgroups could be critical for guiding future research on the causes of severe conduct problems in children and adolescents. Further, children and adolescents with both severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits appear to be at risk for more severe and persistent antisocial outcomes, even controlling for the severity of their conduct problems, the age of onset of their conduct problems, and common comorbid problems, which supports the clinical importance of designating this group in diagnostic classification systems. Finally, although children and adolescents with both severe conduct problems and elevated CU traits tend to respond less positively to typical interventions provided in mental health and juvenile justice settings, they show positive responses to certain intensive interventions tailored to their unique emotional and cognitive characteristics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Indirect Effects of the Fast Track Intervention on Conduct Disorder Symptoms and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Distinct Pathways Involving Discipline and Warmth.

PubMed

Pasalich, Dave S; Witkiewitz, Katie; McMahon, Robert J; Pinderhughes, Ellen E

2016-04-01

Little is known about intervening processes that explain how prevention programs improve particular youth antisocial outcomes. We examined whether parental harsh discipline and warmth in childhood differentially account for Fast Track intervention effects on conduct disorder (CD) symptoms and callous-unemotional (CU) traits in early adolescence. Participants included 891 high-risk kindergarteners (69% male; 51% African American) from urban and rural United States communities who were randomized into either the Fast Track intervention (n = 445) or non-intervention control (n = 446) groups. The 10-year intervention included parent management training and other services (e.g., social skills training, universal classroom curriculum) targeting various risk factors for the development of conduct problems. Harsh discipline (Grades 1 to 3) and warmth (Grades 1 and 2) were measured using parent responses to vignettes and direct observations of parent-child interaction, respectively. Parents reported on children's CD symptoms in Grade 6 and CU traits in Grade 7. Results demonstrated indirect effects of the Fast Track intervention on reducing risk for youth antisocial outcomes. That is, Fast Track was associated with lower scores on harsh discipline, which in turn predicted decreased levels of CD symptoms. In addition, Fast Track was associated with higher scores on warmth, which in turn predicted reduced levels of CU traits. Our findings inform developmental and intervention models of youth antisocial behavior by providing evidence for the differential role of harsh discipline and warmth in accounting for indirect effects of Fast Track on CD symptoms versus CU traits, respectively.

Empathic Accuracy in Male Adolescents with Conduct Disorder and Higher versus Lower Levels of Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

Martin-Key, N; Brown, T; Fairchild, G

2017-10-01

Adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders are reported to show deficits in empathy and emotion recognition. However, prior studies have mainly used questionnaires to measure empathy or experimental paradigms that are lacking in ecological validity. We used an empathic accuracy (EA) task to study EA, emotion recognition, and affective empathy in 77 male adolescents aged 13-18 years: 37 with Conduct Disorder (CD) and 40 typically-developing controls. The CD sample was divided into higher callous-emotional traits (CD/CU+) and lower callous-unemotional traits (CD/CU-) subgroups using a median split. Participants watched films of actors recalling happy, sad, surprised, angry, disgusted or fearful autobiographical experiences and provided continuous ratings of emotional intensity (assessing EA), as well as naming the emotion (recognition) and reporting the emotion they experienced themselves (affective empathy). The CD and typically-developing groups did not significantly differ in EA and there were also no differences between the CD/CU+ and CD/CU- subgroups. Participants with CD were significantly less accurate than controls in recognizing sadness, fear, and disgust, all ps < 0.050, rs ≥ 0.30, whilst the CD/CU- and CD/CU+ subgroups did not differ in emotion recognition. Participants with CD also showed affective empathy deficits for sadness, fear, and disgust relative to controls, all ps < 0.010, rs ≥ 0.33, whereas the CD/CU+ and CD/CU- subgroups did not differ in affective empathy. These results extend prior research by demonstrating affective empathy and emotion recognition deficits in adolescents with CD using a more ecologically-valid task, and challenge the view that affective empathy deficits are specific to CD/CU+.

Exploring the clinical utility of the DSM-5 conduct disorder specifier of 'with limited prosocial emotions' in an adolescent inpatient sample.

PubMed

Vanwoerden, Salome; Reuter, Tyson; Sharp, Carla

2016-08-01

With the recent addition of a callous-unemotional (CU) specifier to the diagnosis of conduct disorder (CD) in the DSM-5, studies are needed to evaluate the clinical utility of this specifier and the best ways to identify youth meeting criteria for this specifier in clinical samples. To this end, the current study examined cross-sectional correlates and treatment response across four groups of inpatient adolescents (N=382, ages 12-17): those with CD without the specifier, with CD and the CU specifier, CU alone, and a group of psychiatric controls. We used two different measures to identify adolescents with high levels of CU traits: the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) [1] and the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) [2]. Questionnaires and structured interviews were used to evaluate a range of outcomes including presence of baseline levels and treatment outcomes of both externalizing and internalizing problems. Results indicated that the ICU, but not the APSD differentiated between conduct disordered youth with and without the specifier on externalizing behaviors in both cross-sectional relations and treatment response. The results of the current study caution the use of the most frequently used measure to identify the CU specifier, and make suggestions about alternatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Extending the construct of psychopathy to youth: implications for understanding, diagnosing, and treating antisocial children and adolescents.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J

2009-12-01

This paper reviews several attempts to extend the construct of psychopathy to children and adolescents. The research suggests that the presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits may be particularly important. Specifically, the presence of these traits designates a clinically important subgroup of youth with childhood-onset conduct problems who show a particularly severe, aggressive, and stable pattern of antisocial behaviour. Also, children with CU traits show numerous emotional, cognitive, and personality features that are distinct from other antisocial youth that are similar to features found in adults with psychopathy. The research on CU traits has important implications for understanding the different causal pathways through which children develop severe antisocial and aggressive behaviour, as well as implications for diagnosing and intervening with antisocial youth.

Social Reward Questionnaire—Adolescent Version and its association with callous–unemotional traits

PubMed Central

Neumann, Craig S.; Roberts, Ruth; McCrory, Eamon; Viding, Essi

2017-01-01

During adolescence, social interactions are a potent source of reward. However, no measure of social reward value exists for this age group. In this study, we adapted the adult Social Reward Questionnaire, which we had previously developed and validated, for use with adolescents. Participants aged 11–16 (n = 568; 50% male) completed the Social Reward Questionnaire—Adolescent Version (SRQ-A), alongside measures of personality traits—five-factor model (FFM) and callous–unemotional (CU) traits—for construct validity purposes. A confirmatory factor analysis of the SRQ-A supported a five-factor structure (Comparative Fit Index = 0.90; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.07), equating to five questionnaire subscales: enjoyment of Admiration, Negative Social Potency, Passivity, Prosocial Interactions and Sociability. Associations with FFM and CU traits were in line with what is seen for adult samples, providing support for the meaning of SRQ-A subscales in adolescents. In particular, adolescents with high levels of CU traits showed an ‘inverted’ pattern of social reward, in which being cruel is enjoyable and being kind is not. Gender invariance was also assessed and was partially supported. The SRQ-A is a valid, reliable measure of individual differences in social reward in adolescents. PMID:28484617

Callous and unemotional traits in children and adolescents living in Great Britain.

PubMed

Moran, Paul; Ford, Tamsin; Butler, Georgia; Goodman, Robert

2008-01-01

Few studies have assessed psychopathic traits in community samples of young people. We investigated the predictive utility of callous and unemotional traits in a representative sample of 5,770 young people from Great Britain. Teachers provided information on the presence of callous and unemotional traits and parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to determine the level and impact of psychiatric problems at baseline, 12 and 24 months later. Baseline callous and unemotional trait scores independently predicted the number and intensity of conduct, emotional and hyperactivity symptoms at follow-up. Callous and unemotional traits are longitudinally associated with the level and impact of childhood psychiatric problems.

Child maltreatment and risk behaviors: The roles of callous/unemotional traits and conscientiousness.

PubMed

Carlson, Matthew; Oshri, Assaf; Kwon, Josephine

2015-12-01

Child maltreatment poses significant risk to the development of callous/unemotional traits as well as risk behaviors such as engaging in violence, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking. In the current study, the indirect pathway from child maltreatment to risk behaviors was examined via callous/unemotional traits; whereas the conscientious personality trait was tested as a moderator of this indirect pathway. Young adults and parents (N=361; Mage=19.14, SD=1.44) completed questionnaires on child maltreatment histories, callousness/unemotional traits, personality characteristics, and risk behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects. Findings showed indirect links between the child maltreatment latent factor and physical fighting, having sex with strangers, and binge drinking via callous/unemotional traits. Furthermore, the conscientiousness personality type significantly buffered the connection between callous/unemotional traits and physical fighting, supporting a conditional indirect effects. Callous/unemotional traits are important factors in the underlying mechanism between child maltreatment and risk behaviors among young adults, and conscientiousness serves as a protective factor against violence. Preventive intervention programs and clinicians may benefit from focusing in addressing callous/unemotional traits among youth who report childhood maltreatment experiences as well as targeting conscientiousness as a protective factor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stability Subtypes of Callous-Unemotional Traits and Conduct Disorder Symptoms and Their Correlates.

PubMed

Eisenbarth, Hedwig; Demetriou, Chara A; Kyranides, Melina Nicole; Fanti, Kostas A

2016-09-01

Callous-unemotional traits and conduct disorder symptoms tend to co-occur across development, with existing evidence pointing to individual differences in the co-development of these problems. The current study identified groups of at risk adolescents showing stable (i.e., high on both conduct disorder and callous-unemotional symptoms, high only on either callous-unemotional or conduct disorder symptoms) or increasing conduct disorder and callous-unemotional symptoms. Data were collected from a sample of 2038 community adolescents between 15 and 18 years (1070 females, M age = 16) of age. A longitudinal design was followed in that adolescent reports were collected at two time points, 1 year apart. Increases in conduct disorder symptoms and callous-unemotional traits were accompanied by increases in anxiety, depressive symptoms, narcissism, proactive and reactive aggression and decreases in self-esteem. Furthermore, adolescents with high and stable conduct disorder symptoms and callous-unemotional traits were consistently at high risk for individual, behavioral and contextual problems. In contrast, youth high on callous-unemotional traits without conduct disorder symptoms remained at low-risk for anxiety, depressive symptoms, narcissism, and aggression, pointing to a potential protective function of pure callous-unemotional traits against the development of psychopathological problems.

[The presence of callous/unemotional traits among students in different roles of bullying].

PubMed

Nagy, Ildikó; Pataky, Nóra; Szklenárik, Péter; Körmendi, Attila

2012-01-01

The phenomenon of bullying in the schools is more frequent in our country and abroad too. The bullying behaviour is a persistent, intentional harm of others where the balance of power between the participants is uneven.Researches about school bullying has provided many useful information regarding prevention and treatment of bullying but only the few of them takes an interest in the personality traits in bullies which can increase the appearance of the aggressive, bullying behaviour.The callous/unemotional traits get a growing role in the explanation and understanding of aggressive behaviour. In case of the presence of callous/unemotional traits a special emotional (lack of guilt, shallow emotions) and interpersonal style (use of proactive aggression and absence of responsibility) can be observed in children. The purpose of our study was to measure the callous/unemotional traits between the different groups determined by the role they play in the bullying. We assume that the presence of callous/unemotional traits are significantly more typical within the group of Bullies than the other groups. Our sample consisted of 117 elementary school students (6th-8th grade). To examine the roles of bullying we used the Bullying Questionniare. The questionnaire consist 23 items, it was developed to determine the role of students and involvement in the process of bullying. To measure callous/ unemotional traits we used the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits (ICU) developed by Frick which measure the factors of callous unemotional traits along 24 items. According to our results the group of Bullies scored significantly higher in all three factors of the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits compared to other groups. Treatment of callous/unemotional features may reduce the occurrence of bullying.

An Exploration of the Serotonin System in Antisocial Boys with High Levels of Callous-Unemotional Traits

PubMed Central

Moul, Caroline; Dobson-Stone, Carol; Brennan, John; Hawes, David; Dadds, Mark

2013-01-01

Background The serotonin system is thought to play a role in the aetiology of antisocial and aggressive behaviour in both adults and children however previous findings have been inconsistent. Recently, research has suggested that the function of the serotonin system may be specifically altered in a sub-set of antisocial populations – those with psychopathic (callous-unemotional) personality traits. We explored the relationships between callous-unemotional traits and functional polymorphisms of selected serotonin-system genes, and tested the association between callous-unemotional traits and serum serotonin levels independently of antisocial and aggressive behaviour. Method Participants were boys with antisocial behaviour problems aged 3–16 years referred to University of New South Wales Child Behaviour Research Clinics. Participants volunteered either a blood or saliva sample from which levels of serum serotonin (N = 66) and/or serotonin-system single nucleotide polymorphisms (N = 157) were assayed. Results Functional single nucleotide polymorphisms from the serotonin 1b receptor gene (HTR1B) and 2a receptor gene (HTR2A) were found to be associated with callous-unemotional traits. Serum serotonin level was a significant predictor of callous-unemotional traits; levels were significantly lower in boys with high callous-unemotional traits than in boys with low callous-unemotional traits. Conclusion Results provide support to the emerging literature that argues for a genetically-driven system-wide alteration in serotonin function in the aetiology of callous-unemotional traits. The findings should be interpreted as preliminary and future research that aims to replicate and further investigate these results is required. PMID:23457595

An exploration of the serotonin system in antisocial boys with high levels of callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Moul, Caroline; Dobson-Stone, Carol; Brennan, John; Hawes, David; Dadds, Mark

2013-01-01

The serotonin system is thought to play a role in the aetiology of antisocial and aggressive behaviour in both adults and children however previous findings have been inconsistent. Recently, research has suggested that the function of the serotonin system may be specifically altered in a sub-set of antisocial populations - those with psychopathic (callous-unemotional) personality traits. We explored the relationships between callous-unemotional traits and functional polymorphisms of selected serotonin-system genes, and tested the association between callous-unemotional traits and serum serotonin levels independently of antisocial and aggressive behaviour. Participants were boys with antisocial behaviour problems aged 3-16 years referred to University of New South Wales Child Behaviour Research Clinics. Participants volunteered either a blood or saliva sample from which levels of serum serotonin (N = 66) and/or serotonin-system single nucleotide polymorphisms (N = 157) were assayed. Functional single nucleotide polymorphisms from the serotonin 1b receptor gene (HTR1B) and 2a receptor gene (HTR2A) were found to be associated with callous-unemotional traits. Serum serotonin level was a significant predictor of callous-unemotional traits; levels were significantly lower in boys with high callous-unemotional traits than in boys with low callous-unemotional traits. Results provide support to the emerging literature that argues for a genetically-driven system-wide alteration in serotonin function in the aetiology of callous-unemotional traits. The findings should be interpreted as preliminary and future research that aims to replicate and further investigate these results is required.

Amygdala hypoactivity to fearful faces in boys with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Jones, Alice P; Laurens, Kristin R; Herba, Catherine M; Barker, Gareth J; Viding, Essi

2009-01-01

Although early-onset conduct problems predict both psychiatric and health problems in adult life, little research has been done to index neural correlates of conduct problems. Emerging research suggests that a subgroup of children with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits may be genetically vulnerable to manifesting disturbances in neural reactivity to emotional stimuli indexing distress. Using functional MRI, the authors evaluated differences in neural response to emotional stimuli between boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits and comparison boys. Seventeen boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits and 13 comparison boys of equivalent age (mean=11 years) and IQ (mean=100) viewed blocked presentations of fearful and neutral faces. For each face, participants distinguished the sex of the face via manual response. Relative to the comparison group, boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits manifested lesser right amygdala activity to fearful faces. This finding is in line with data from studies of adults with antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits (i.e., psychopaths), as well as from a recent study of adolescents with callous-unemotional traits, and suggests that the neural substrates of emotional impairment associated with callous-unemotional antisocial behavior are already present in childhood.

Does Early Childhood Callous-Unemotional Behavior Uniquely Predict Behavior Problems or Callous-Unemotional Behavior in Late Childhood?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waller, Rebecca; Dishion, Thomas J.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin N.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) behavior has been linked to behavior problems in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether CU behavior in "early childhood" predicts behavior problems or CU behavior in "late childhood". This study examined whether indicators of CU behavior at ages 2-4 predicted aggression,…

A Behavioral Test of Accepting Benefits that Cost Others: Associations with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotionality

PubMed Central

Sakai, Joseph T.; Dalwani, Manish S.; Gelhorn, Heather L.; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan K.; Crowley, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Background Youth with conduct problems (CP) often make decisions which value self-interest over the interests of others. Self-benefiting behavior despite loss to others is especially common among youth with CP and callous-unemotional traits (CU). Such behavioral tendencies are generally measured using self- or observer-report. We are unaware of attempts to measure this tendency with a behavioral paradigm. Methods/Principal Findings In our AlAn's (altruism-antisocial) game a computer program presents subjects with a series of offers in which they will receive money but a planned actual charity donation will be reduced; subjects decide to accept or reject each offer. We tested (1) whether adolescent patients with CP (n = 20) compared with adolescent controls (n = 19) differed on AlAn's game outcomes, (2) whether youths with CP and CU differed significantly from controls without CP or CU, and (3) whether AlAn's game outcomes correlated significantly with CP and separately, CU severity. Patients with CP and CU compared with controls without these problems took significantly more money for themselves and left significantly less money in the charity donation; AlAn's game outcomes were significantly correlated with CU, but not CP. Conclusions/Significance In the AlAn's game adolescents with conduct problems and CU traits, compared with controls without CP/CU, are disposed to benefit themselves while costing others even in a novel situation, devoid of peer influences, where anonymity is assured, reciprocity or retribution are impossible, intoxication is absent and when the “other” to be harmed is considered beneficent. AlAn's game outcomes are associated with measures of CU. Results suggest that the AlAn's game provides an objective means of capturing information about CU traits. The AlAn's game, which was designed for future use in the MRI environment, may be used in studies attempting to identify the neural correlates of self-benefiting decision-making. PMID:22558367

Variants of callous-unemotional conduct problems in a community sample of adolescents.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Demetriou, Chara A; Kimonis, Eva R

2013-07-01

Callous-unemotional traits are believed to be a childhood precursor to psychopathy, and among youth with conduct problems they designate those showing a particularly severe, stable, and aggressive pattern of antisocial behavior. Youth with callous-unemotional traits are a heterogeneous population and, analogous to adults with psychopathy, research suggests that lower anxious primary and high-anxious secondary variants exist. Using a community sample of 2,306 Greek-Cypriot adolescents (M age = 16 years; 49.7 % female), the first aim of the study was to examine whether variants of callous-unemotional traits could be identified using latent profile analysis of scores on measures of callous-unemotional traits, conduct problems, and anxiety. Additional aims of the study were to compare the identified clusters on external measures theorized to distinguish them (i.e., self-esteem, narcissism, impulsivity, sensation seeking and proactive/reactive aggression) and social factors relevant to adolescent development. Results indicated that, in addition to low risk (i.e., low scores on callous-unemotional traits, conduct problems, and anxiety) and anxious (i.e., high scores on anxiety, low scores on callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems) subgroups, two groups of youth scoring high on callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems were identified. High-anxious secondary callous-unemotional variants were distinguished by lower self-esteem in combination with greater narcissism, aggression, and markedly higher conduct problems, whereas lower anxious primary variants showed higher self-esteem. Secondary callous-unemotional variants also reported greater susceptibility to peer pressure and popularity striving than primary variants. Both variants exhibited poorer outcomes relative to low risk and anxious youth, although anxious youth reported lower self-esteem and higher impulsivity and reactive aggression scores in comparison with low risk youth. Findings integrate two lines of inquiry focused on subtyping children and adults with psychopathic traits and antisocial behaviors. They also support the utility of subtyping callous-unemotional traits based on conduct problems and anxiety levels and provide information on common and distinct risk factors associated with primary and secondary callous-unemotional variants in a community sample of adolescent boys and girls.

Externalizing Behaviors and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Different Associations With Sleep Quality.

PubMed

Denis, Dan; Akhtar, Reece; Holding, Benjamin C; Murray, Christina; Panatti, Jennifer; Claridge, Gordon; Sadeh, Avi; Barclay, Nicola L; O'Leary, Rachael; Maughan, Barbara; McAdams, Tom A; Rowe, Richard; Eley, Thalia C; Viding, Essi; Gregory, Alice M

2017-08-01

Sleep quality is associated with different aspects of psychopathology, but relatively little research has examined links between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors or callous-unemotional traits. We examined: (1) whether an association exists between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors; (2) whether anxiety mediates this association; (3) whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with sleep quality. Data from two studies were used. Study 1 involved 1556 participants of the G1219 study aged 18-27 years (62% female). Questionnaire measures assessed sleep quality, anxiety, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. Study 2 involved 338 participants aged 18-66 years (65% female). Questionnaires measured sleep quality, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. In order to assess objective sleep quality, actigraphic data were also recorded for a week from a subsample of study 2 participants (n = 43). In study 1, poorer sleep quality was associated with greater externalizing behaviors. This association was partially mediated by anxiety and moderated by levels of callous-unemotional traits. There was no significant relationship between sleep quality and callous-unemotional traits. In study 2, poorer sleep quality, as assessed via self-reported but not objective measures, was associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, in study 2, better sleep quality (indicated in both questionnaires and actigraphy measures: lower mean activity, and greater sleep efficiency) was associated with higher levels of callous-unemotional traits. Self-reports of poorer sleep quality are associated with externalizing behaviors, and this association is partially mediated by anxiety. Callous-unemotional traits are not associated with poor sleep and may even be related to better sleep quality. This is an exceptional finding given that poor sleep quality appears to be a characteristic of most psychopathology. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press [on behalf of the Sleep Research Society].

Externalizing Behaviors and Callous-Unemotional Traits: Different Associations With Sleep Quality

PubMed Central

Akhtar, Reece; Holding, Benjamin C; Murray, Christina; Panatti, Jennifer; Claridge, Gordon; Sadeh, Avi; Barclay, Nicola L; O’Leary, Rachael; Maughan, Barbara; McAdams, Tom A; Rowe, Richard; Eley, Thalia C; Viding, Essi

2017-01-01

Abstract Study Objectives Sleep quality is associated with different aspects of psychopathology, but relatively little research has examined links between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors or callous-unemotional traits. We examined: (1) whether an association exists between sleep quality and externalizing behaviors; (2) whether anxiety mediates this association; (3) whether callous-unemotional traits are associated with sleep quality. Methods Data from two studies were used. Study 1 involved 1556 participants of the G1219 study aged 18–27 years (62% female). Questionnaire measures assessed sleep quality, anxiety, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. Study 2 involved 338 participants aged 18–66 years (65% female). Questionnaires measured sleep quality, externalizing behaviors, and callous-unemotional traits. In order to assess objective sleep quality, actigraphic data were also recorded for a week from a subsample of study 2 participants (n = 43). Results In study 1, poorer sleep quality was associated with greater externalizing behaviors. This association was partially mediated by anxiety and moderated by levels of callous-unemotional traits. There was no significant relationship between sleep quality and callous-unemotional traits. In study 2, poorer sleep quality, as assessed via self-reported but not objective measures, was associated with higher levels of externalizing behaviors. Furthermore, in study 2, better sleep quality (indicated in both questionnaires and actigraphy measures: lower mean activity, and greater sleep efficiency) was associated with higher levels of callous-unemotional traits. Conclusions Self-reports of poorer sleep quality are associated with externalizing behaviors, and this association is partially mediated by anxiety. Callous-unemotional traits are not associated with poor sleep and may even be related to better sleep quality. This is an exceptional finding given that poor sleep quality appears to be a characteristic of most psychopathology. PMID:28575510

Using self-reported callous-unemotional traits to cross-nationally assess the DSM-5 'With Limited Prosocial Emotions' specifier.

PubMed

Kimonis, Eva R; Fanti, Kostas A; Frick, Paul J; Moffitt, Terrie E; Essau, Cecilia; Bijttebier, Patricia; Marsee, Monica A

2015-11-01

The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) traits designates an important subgroup of antisocial youth at risk for severe, persistent, and impairing conduct problems. As a result, the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual includes a specifier for youth meeting diagnostic criteria for Conduct Disorder who show elevated CU traits. The current study evaluated the DSM-5 criteria using Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses and evaluated two methods for using a self-report measure of CU traits to make this diagnosis. The sample included 2257 adolescent (M age = 15.64, SD = 1.69 years) boys (53%) and girls (47%) from community and incarcerated settings in the United States and the European countries of Belgium, Germany, and Cyprus. IRT analyses suggested that four- or eight-item sets from the self-report measure (comparable to the symptoms used by the DSM-5 specifier) provided good model fit, suggesting that they assess a single underlying CU construct. Further, the most stringent method of scoring the self-report scale (i.e. taking only the most extreme responses) to approximate symptom presence provided the best discrimination in IRT analyses, showed reasonable prevalence rates of the specifier, and designated community adolescents who were highly antisocial, whereas the less stringent method best discriminated detained youth. Refined self-report scales developed on the basis of IRT findings provided good assessments of most of the symptoms used in the DSM-5 criteria. These scales may be used as one component of a multimethod assessment of the 'With Limited Prosocial Emotions' specifier for Conduct Disorder. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Polymorphisms in the oxytocin receptor gene are associated with the development of psychopathy.

PubMed

Dadds, Mark R; Moul, Caroline; Cauchi, Avril; Dobson-Stone, Carol; Hawes, David J; Brennan, John; Urwin, Ruth; Ebstein, Richard E

2014-02-01

The co-occurrence of child conduct problems (CPs) and callous-unemotional (CU) traits confers risk for psychopathy. The oxytocin (OXT) system is a likely candidate for involvement in the development of psychopathy. We tested variations in the OXT receptor gene (OXTR) in CP children and adolescents with varying levels of CU traits. Two samples of Caucasian children, aged 4-16 years, who met DSM criteria for disruptive behavior problems and had no features of autism spectrum disorder, were stratified into low versus high CU traits. Measures were the frequencies of nine candidate OXTR polymorphisms (single nucleotide polymorphisms). In Sample 1, high CU traits were associated with single nucleotide polymorphism rs1042778 in the 3' untranslated region of OXTR and the CGCT haplotype of rs2268490, rs2254298, rs237889, and rs13316193. The association of rs1042778 was replicated in the second rural sample and held across gender and child versus adolescent age groups. We conclude that polymorphic variation of the OXTR characterizes children with high levels of CU traits and CPs. The results are consistent with a hypothesized role of OXT in the developmental antecedents of psychopathy, particularly the differential amygdala activation model of psychopathic traits, and add genetic evidence that high CU traits specify a distinct subgroup within CP children.

The Reciprocal Influence of Callous-Unemotional Traits, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Parenting Practices in Preschoolers.

PubMed

Brown, Caitlin A; Granero, Roser; Ezpeleta, Lourdes

2017-04-01

The present study investigates reciprocal associations between positive parenting, parental monitoring, CU traits, and ODD in children assessed at age 3 and again at age 6. Data were collected from a sample of preschoolers (N = 419; 51.58 % female) through diagnostic interviews and questionnaires answered by parents and teachers. Structural equation modeling revealed a bidirectional relationship between poor monitoring and ODD, with poor monitoring at age 3 predicting ODD at age 6 (β = 0.11, p < 0.05), and ODD at age 3 predicting poor monitoring at age 6 (β = 0.10, p < 0.05). While poor monitoring at age 3 predicted CU traits at age 6 (β = 0.11, p < 0.05), CU traits at age 3 predicted positive parenting (β = 0.09, p < 0.05) and ODD (β = 0.13, p < 0.05) at age 6. Results have important implications for early targeted parenting interventions for CU traits and ODD.

Callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior among adolescents: the role of self-serving cognitions.

PubMed

van Leeuwen, Nikki; Rodgers, Rachel F; Gibbs, John C; Chabrol, Henri

2014-02-01

Self-serving cognitions and callous-unemotional traits play important roles in adolescent antisocial behavior. The objective of this study was to cross-sectionally explore the mediating role of self-serving cognitions in the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behavior. A sample of 972 high-school students completed self-report questionnaires assessing callous-unemotional traits, self-serving cognitive distortions and antisocial behavior. Two competing models exploring indirect effects accounting for the relationships between self-serving cognitive distortions, callous-unemotional traits and antisocial behaviors were tested. Both models revealed significant indirect effects, suggesting both pathways are possible. Gender was found to moderate these models. These findings suggest the importance of targeting self-serving cognitions in therapeutic interventions and increase our understanding of the role of self-serving cognitions in antisocial behavior.

Antisocial behaviour in children with and without callous-unemotional traits

PubMed Central

Viding, Essi; Fontaine, Nathalie MG; McCrory, Eamon J

2012-01-01

More than 15 years of research have documented behavioural differences between callous-unemotional and non-callous subtypes of children with antisocial behaviour. Recent studies also suggest that children with callous-unemotional traits may be genetically vulnerable to antisocial behaviour, while those without callous-unemotional traits appear to have primarily environmental aetiology to their antisocial behaviour. Furthermore neurocognitive profiles differ between antisocial children with and without callous-unemotional traits. While the former group appears emotionally under-reactive, particularly to others' distress, the latter group may be emotionally over-reactive, particularly to perceived threat. In this review we provide an overview of the current evidence base with regard to callous-unemotional and non-callous subgroups of children with antisocial behaviour and discuss the implications of the current evidence base for prevention and intervention. This overview selectively focuses on recent advances in this area of research, as well as earlier studies where these help set the research context. PMID:22637770

Antisocial behaviour in children with and without callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Viding, Essi; Fontaine, Nathalie M G; McCrory, Eamon J

2012-05-01

More than 15 years of research have documented behavioural differences between callous-unemotional and non-callous subtypes of children with antisocial behaviour. Recent studies also suggest that children with callous-unemotional traits may be genetically vulnerable to antisocial behaviour, while those without callous-unemotional traits appear to have primarily environmental aetiology to their antisocial behaviour. Furthermore neurocognitive profiles differ between antisocial children with and without callous-unemotional traits. While the former group appears emotionally under-reactive, particularly to others' distress, the latter group may be emotionally over-reactive, particularly to perceived threat. In this review we provide an overview of the current evidence base with regard to callous-unemotional and non-callous subgroups of children with antisocial behaviour and discuss the implications of the current evidence base for prevention and intervention. This overview selectively focuses on recent advances in this area of research, as well as earlier studies where these help set the research context.

Latent Profiles of Externalizing Psychopathology and Their Relation to Children's Aggression and Social Behavior.

PubMed

Andrade, Brendan F; Wade, Mark

2016-01-01

This study identified profiles of clinic-referred children with disruptive behavior and determined the association between identified profiles and children's aggression, peer problems, and prosocial skills. Parents and teachers of 208 children (163 boys) aged 6 to 12 years (Mage = 8.80, SD = 1.75) completed measures to assess children's callous-unemotional (CU) traits, inattentive-impulsive-overactive (IO) and oppositional-defiant (OD) behavior, aggression, and social behaviors. Latent class analysis was used to identify the profiles, and the pseudoclass draw method to test the equality of means for each of the aggression and social behavioral outcomes across the latent classes. Five profiles were identified: (1) Low (35.6% of children), with relatively low levels of CU traits and IO and OD behavior; (2) Low-Moderate (30.8%), with low-moderate levels of CU traits, low IO and moderate OD behavior; (3) Moderate (21.6%), with moderate levels of CU traits and IO and moderate-high OD behavior; (4) Moderate-High (7.2%), with moderate-high levels of CU traits, high IO and moderate-high OD behavior; and (5) High (4.8%), with high levels of CU traits, IO and OD behavior. Children categorized into profiles showed important differences in level of aggression and social behavior. The overlap between CU traits, IO, and OD behavior add to understanding of child psychopathology that influences behavior and clinical outcomes.

Evidence for Substantial Genetic Risk for Psychopathy in 7-Year-Olds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viding, Essi; Blair, R. James R.; Moffitt, Terrie E.; Plomin, Robert

2005-01-01

Background: Individuals with early warning signs of life-long psychopathy, callous-unemotional traits (CU) and high levels of antisocial behaviour (AB) can be identified in childhood. We report here the first twin study of high levels of psychopathic tendencies in young children. Methods: At the end of the first school year, teachers provided…

Examining the Genetic and Environmental Associations between Autistic Social and Communication Deficits and Psychopathic Callous-Unemotional Traits

PubMed Central

O’Nions, Elizabeth; Tick, Beata; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Happé, Francesca; Plomin, Robert; Ronald, Angelica; Viding, Essi

2015-01-01

Background Difficulties in appropriate social interaction are characteristic of both children with autism spectrum disorders and children with callous-unemotional traits (who are at risk of developing psychopathy). Extant experimental studies suggest that the nature of atypical social cognition that characterises these two profiles is not identical. However, ‘empathizing’ difficulties have been hypothesised for both groups, raising questions about the degree of aetiological separation between social impairments that characterize each disorder. This study explored the relative contribution of independent vs. shared aetiological influences to social and communication impairments associated with autistic traits and callous-unemotional traits, indexed by parent-report in a population-based cohort of twins. Methods Participants were over 5,000 twin pairs from a UK cohort (the Twins Early Development Study; TEDS), assessed for callous-unemotional traits at 7 years and autistic social and communication impairments at 8 years. Multivariate model-fitting was used to explore the relative contribution of independent vs. overlapping genetic/environmental influences on these traits. Results Both social and communication impairments and callous-unemotional traits were highly heritable, although the genetic and environmental influences accounting for individual differences on each domain were predominantly independent. Conclusions Extant evidence from experimental and neuro-imaging studies has suggested that, despite some superficially overlapping behaviours, the social difficulties seen in children with autism spectrum disorders and callous-unemotional traits are largely distinct. The current study is the first to demonstrate considerable aetiological independence of the social interaction difficulties seen in children with autism spectrum disorders and those with callous-unemotional traits. PMID:26325039

Examining the Genetic and Environmental Associations between Autistic Social and Communication Deficits and Psychopathic Callous-Unemotional Traits.

PubMed

O'Nions, Elizabeth; Tick, Beata; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; Happé, Francesca; Plomin, Robert; Ronald, Angelica; Viding, Essi

2015-01-01

Difficulties in appropriate social interaction are characteristic of both children with autism spectrum disorders and children with callous-unemotional traits (who are at risk of developing psychopathy). Extant experimental studies suggest that the nature of atypical social cognition that characterises these two profiles is not identical. However, 'empathizing' difficulties have been hypothesised for both groups, raising questions about the degree of aetiological separation between social impairments that characterize each disorder. This study explored the relative contribution of independent vs. shared aetiological influences to social and communication impairments associated with autistic traits and callous-unemotional traits, indexed by parent-report in a population-based cohort of twins. Participants were over 5,000 twin pairs from a UK cohort (the Twins Early Development Study; TEDS), assessed for callous-unemotional traits at 7 years and autistic social and communication impairments at 8 years. Multivariate model-fitting was used to explore the relative contribution of independent vs. overlapping genetic/environmental influences on these traits. Both social and communication impairments and callous-unemotional traits were highly heritable, although the genetic and environmental influences accounting for individual differences on each domain were predominantly independent. Extant evidence from experimental and neuro-imaging studies has suggested that, despite some superficially overlapping behaviours, the social difficulties seen in children with autism spectrum disorders and callous-unemotional traits are largely distinct. The current study is the first to demonstrate considerable aetiological independence of the social interaction difficulties seen in children with autism spectrum disorders and those with callous-unemotional traits.

Environmental risk, Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) methylation and youth callous-unemotional traits: a 13-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Cecil, C A M; Lysenko, L J; Jaffee, S R; Pingault, J-B; Smith, R G; Relton, C L; Woodward, G; McArdle, W; Mill, J; Barker, E D

2014-10-01

Youth with high callous-unemotional traits (CU) are at risk for early-onset and persistent conduct problems. Research suggests that there may be different developmental pathways to CU (genetic/constitutional vs environmental), and that the absence or presence of co-occurring internalizing problems is a key marker. However, it is unclear whether such a distinction is valid. Intermediate phenotypes such as DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification regulating gene expression, may help to clarify etiological pathways. This is the first study to examine prospective inter-relationships between environmental risk (prenatal/postnatal) and DNA methylation (birth, age 7 and 9) in the prediction of CU (age 13), for youth low vs high in internalizing problems. We focused on DNA methylation in the vicinity of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene as it has been previously implicated in CU. Participants were 84 youth with early-onset and persistent conduct problems drawn from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. For youth with low internalizing problems (46%), we found that (i) OXTR methylation at birth associated with higher CU (age 13) as well as decreased experience of victimization during childhood (evocative epigenetic-environment correlation; birth-age 7), (ii) higher prenatal parental risks (maternal psychopathology, criminal behaviors, substance use) associated with higher OXTR methylation at birth and (iii) OXTR methylation levels were more stable across time (birth-age 9). In contrast, for youth with high internalizing problems, CU were associated with prenatal risks of an interpersonal nature (that is, intimate partner violence, family conflict) but not OXTR methylation. Findings support the existence of distinct developmental pathways to CU.

Heritable and Nonheritable Pathways to Early Callous-Unemotional Behaviors.

PubMed

Hyde, Luke W; Waller, Rebecca; Trentacosta, Christopher J; Shaw, Daniel S; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Ganiban, Jody M; Reiss, David; Leve, Leslie D

2016-09-01

Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood signal higher risk for trajectories of antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits that culminate in later diagnoses of conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and psychopathy. Studies demonstrate high heritability of callous-unemotional traits, but little research has examined specific heritable pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviors. Studies also indicate that positive parenting protects against the development of callous-unemotional traits, but genetically informed designs have not been used to confirm that these relationships are not the product of gene-environment correlations. In a sample of adopted children and their biological and adoptive mothers, the authors tested novel heritable and nonheritable pathways to preschool callous-unemotional behaviors. In an adoption cohort of 561 families, history of severe antisocial behavior assessed in biological mothers and observations of adoptive mother positive reinforcement at 18 months were examined as predictors of callous-unemotional behaviors at 27 months. Despite limited or no contact with offspring, biological mother antisocial behavior predicted early callous-unemotional behaviors. Adoptive mother positive reinforcement protected against early callous-unemotional behaviors. High levels of adoptive mother positive reinforcement buffered the effects of heritable risk for callous-unemotional behaviors posed by biological mother antisocial behavior. The findings elucidate heritable and nonheritable pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviors. The results provide a specific heritable pathway to callous-unemotional behaviors and compelling evidence that parenting is an important nonheritable factor in the development of callous-unemotional behaviors. The finding that positive reinforcement buffered heritable risk for callous-unemotional behaviors has important translational implications for the prevention of trajectories to serious antisocial behavior.

Heartless and cunning? Intelligence in adolescents with antisocial behavior and psychopathic traits.

PubMed

Allen, Jennifer L; Briskman, Jacqueline; Humayun, Sajid; Dadds, Mark R; Scott, Stephen

2013-12-30

Clinical theory predicts that individuals high in psychopathic traits possess average or above average intelligence; however findings in adult and child samples have been mixed. The present study aimed to investigate (1) the relationship between verbal and nonverbal intelligence and the three dimensions of psychopathy (callous-unemotional (CU) traits, narcissism, impulsivity); and (2) whether these dimensions moderate the association between verbal and nonverbal intelligence and the severity of antisocial behavior. Participants were 361 adolescents aged 9-18 years (68% boys) and their parents, drawn from four samples with different levels of risk for antisocial behavior. Families were disadvantaged and 25% were from an ethnic minority. Verbal intelligence was unrelated to parent-reported CU traits, narcissism or impulsivity after controlling for gender, sociodemographic disadvantage, sample, antisocial behavior and hyperactivity. Narcissism, but not CU traits or impulsivity, was significantly related to lower nonverbal IQ. None of the three psychopathic trait dimensions moderated the relationship between verbal or nonverbal IQ and antisocial behavior. CU traits, narcissism, hyperactivity and inclusion in the very high or high risk samples were significantly related to more severe antisocial behavior. Results contradict the widely held view that psychopathic traits are associated with better than average verbal or nonverbal intelligence. Crown Copyright © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disentangling the Underlying Dimensions of Psychopathy and Conduct Problems in Childhood: A Community Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dadds, Mark R.; Fraser, Jenny; Frost, Aaron; Hawes, David J.

2005-01-01

The psychometric and predictive validity of callous-unemotional (CU) traits as an early precursor of conduct disorder and antisocial behavior were assessed. A community sample of children (4-9 years of age) were tested 12 months apart with the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; P. J. Frick & R. D. Hare, 2002), a measure of early signs of…

Heritable and non-heritable pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviors

PubMed Central

Hyde, Luke W.; Waller, Rebecca; Trentacosta, Christopher J.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Reiss, David; Leve, Leslie D.

2016-01-01

Objective Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood identify children at high risk for severe trajectories of antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits that culminate in later diagnoses of conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and psychopathy. Studies have demonstrated high heritability of callous-unemotional traits, but little research has examined specific heritable pathways to earlier callous-unemotional behaviors. Additionally, studies indicate that positive parenting protects against the development of callous-unemotional traits, but genetically informed designs have not been used to confirm that these relationships are not the product of gene-environment correlations. Method Using an adoption cohort of 561 families, biological mothers reported their history of severe antisocial behavior. Observations of adoptive mother positive reinforcement at 18 months were examined as predictors of callous-unemotional behaviors when children were 27 months old. Results Biological mother antisocial behavior predicted early callous-unemotional behaviors despite having no or limited contact with offspring. Adoptive mother positive reinforcement protected against early callous-unemotional behaviors in children not genetically related to the parent. High levels of adoptive mother positive reinforcement buffered the effects of heritable risk for callous-unemotional behaviors posed by biological mother antisocial behavior. Conclusions The findings elucidate heritable and non-heritable pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviors. The results provide a specific heritable pathway to callous-unemotional behaviors and compelling evidence that parenting is an important non-heritable factor in the development of callous-unemotional behaviors. As positive reinforcement buffered heritable risk for callous-unemotional behaviors, these findings have important translational implications for the prevention of trajectories to serious antisocial behavior. PMID:27056607

Associations among cruelty to animals, family conflict, and psychopathic traits in childhood.

PubMed

Dadds, Mark R; Whiting, Clare; Hawes, David J

2006-03-01

Previous research has produced mixed findings on the role of child and family factors in the genesis of childhood cruelty. The authors examined the relationships of cruelty to animals to a range of child and family factors. First, the authors test the idea that cruelty is a callous aggression that will be more strongly associated with psychopathic (callous or unemotional, CU) traits than general externalizing problems. Second, the authors operationalize family problems as open conflict rather than parenting problems as used earlier. Results indicated that for both genders, CU traits were associated strongly with cruelty. For boys, externalizing problems also added prediction in regression analyses. Family conflict was not associated with cruelty for either. These results suggest that cruelty to animals may be an early manifestation of the subgroup of children developing conduct problems associated with traits of low empathy and callous disregard rather than the more common pathway of externalizing problems and parenting problems.

Alterations of Brain Functional Architecture Associated with Psychopathic Traits in Male Adolescents with Conduct Disorder.

PubMed

Pu, Weidan; Luo, Qiang; Jiang, Yali; Gao, Yidian; Ming, Qingsen; Yao, Shuqiao

2017-09-12

Psychopathic traits of conduct disorder (CD) have a core callous-unemotional (CU) component and an impulsive-antisocial component. Previous task-driven fMRI studies have suggested that psychopathic traits are associated with dysfunction of several brain areas involved in different cognitive functions (e.g., empathy, reward, and response inhibition etc.), but the relationship between psychopathic traits and intrinsic brain functional architecture has not yet been explored in CD. Using a holistic brain-wide functional connectivity analysis, this study delineated the alterations in brain functional networks in patients with conduct disorder. Compared with matched healthy controls, we found decreased anti-synchronization between the fronto-parietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN), and increased intra-network synchronization within the frontothalamic-basal ganglia, right frontoparietal, and temporal/limbic/visual networks in CD patients. Correlation analysis showed that the weakened FPN-DMN interaction was associated with CU traits, while the heightened intra-network functional connectivity was related to impulsivity traits in CD patients. Our findings suggest that decoupling of cognitive control (FPN) with social understanding of others (DMN) is associated with the CU traits, and hyper-functions of the reward and motor inhibition systems elevate impulsiveness in CD.

Variants of Callous-Unemotional Conduct Problems in a Community Sample of Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fanti, Kostas A.; Demetriou, Chara A.; Kimonis, Eva R.

2013-01-01

Callous-unemotional traits are believed to be a childhood precursor to psychopathy, and among youth with conduct problems they designate those showing a particularly severe, stable, and aggressive pattern of antisocial behavior. Youth with callous-unemotional traits are a heterogeneous population and, analogous to adults with psychopathy, research…

Distilling Heterogeneity among Children with Disruptive Behavior: Associations between Symptom Patterns and Social Functioning.

PubMed

Aitken, Madison; Henry, Shanelle; Andrade, Brendan F

2017-10-16

Children with disruptive behavior (DB) are a heterogeneous group who exhibit several characteristics that may contribute to poor social functioning. The present study identified profiles of reactive aggression, proactive aggression, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and prosocial behavior in a sample of children with DB. Associations with social functioning (social interaction, social status) were then examined, along with sex differences in profile membership. Parent ratings of 304 clinic-referred children ages 6-12 years with DB were analyzed using latent profile analysis. Five profiles were identified: 1) Moderate prosocial behavior, reactive aggression, and CU, and low proactive aggression (labelled Moderate); 2) Relatively high prosocial behavior and low reactive and proactive aggression and CU traits (Prosocial); 3) High prosocial behavior and reactive aggression, moderate proactive aggression, and low-moderate CU (Reactive-Prosocial); 4) Low prosocial behavior, high CU, high-moderate reactive aggression, and low-moderate proactive aggression (Reactive-CU); and 5) Low prosocial behavior and high reactive and proactive aggression and CU (Aggressive-CU). Profiles characterized by CU traits, reactive aggression, and low prosocial behavior were associated with the most problematic parent-rated social interaction and social status. The results highlight the need to differentiate profiles of psychopathology in children with DB to better address factors most associated with social functioning.

Verbal ability and delinquency: testing the moderating role of psychopathic traits.

PubMed

Muñoz, Luna C; Frick, Paul J; Kimonis, Eva R; Aucoin, Katherine J

2008-04-01

Impaired verbal abilities are one of the most consistent risk factors for serious antisocial and delinquent behavior. However, individuals with psychopathic traits often show serious antisocial behavior, despite showing no impairment in their verbal abilities. Thus, the aim of the current study was to examine whether psychopathy moderates the relationship between verbal abilities and delinquent behavior in a sample of detained youth. The sample included 100 detained adolescent boys who were assessed on self-reported delinquent acts and psychopathic traits, as well as their age at first offense based on official records. Participants also completed a competitive computer task involving two levels of provocation, during which skin conductance was measured. A standard measure of receptive vocabulary was individually administered. As predicted, there was a significant interaction between callous-unemotional (CU) traits (a critical dimension of psychopathy) and verbal ability when predicting violent delinquency. Individuals who were high on CU traits with higher scores on the measure of verbal abilities reported the greatest violent delinquency. These individuals also showed the lowest level of skin conductance reactivity during the provocation task. The results suggest CU traits are an important moderator of the relation between verbal abilities and violent delinquency.

The Association Between Callous-Unemotional Traits, Externalizing Problems, and Gender in Predicting Cognitive and Affective Morality Judgments in Adolescence.

PubMed

Fragkaki, Iro; Cima, Maaike; Meesters, Cor

2016-09-01

Morality deficits have been linked to callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problems in response to moral dilemmas, but these associations are still obscure in response to antisocial acts in adolescence. Limited evidence on young boys suggested that callous-unemotional traits and externalizing problems were associated with affective but not cognitive morality judgments. The present study investigated these associations in a community sample of 277 adolescents (M age  = 15.35, 64 % females). Adolescents with high callous-unemotional traits showed deficits in affective but not cognitive morality, indicating that they can identify the appropriate moral emotions in others, but experience deviant moral emotions when imagining themselves committing antisocial acts. Externalizing problems and male gender were also strongly related to deficits in affective morality, but they had smaller associations with deficits in cognitive morality too. Implications for treatment and the justice system are discussed.

Psychopathic Traits Mediate the Association of Serotonin Transporter Genotype and Child Externalizing Behavior

PubMed Central

Brammer, Whitney A.; Jezior, Kristen L.; Lee, Steve S.

2016-01-01

Although the promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) gene is associated with externalizing behavior, its mediating pathways are unknown. Given their sensitivity to serotonin neurotransmission and unique association with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), we tested callous-unemotional (CU) traits and narcissism as separate mediators of the association of 5-HTTLPR with ADHD and ODD. We evaluated 209 5–9 year-old children with and without ADHD at baseline; approximately two years later (i.e., Wave 2), parents and teachers separately rated ADHD and ODD symptoms and youth self-reported antisocial behavior. Controlling for race-ethnicity and baseline ADHD/ODD, narcissism uniquely mediated predictions of multi-informant rated Wave 2 ADHD and ODD from variation in 5-HTTLPR; CU traits mediated predictions of Wave 2 ADHD from variations in 5-HTTLPR, but did not mediate the associations of 5-HTTLPR with ODD or youth self-reported antisocial behavior. Specifically, the number of 5-HTTLPR long alleles positively predicted CU traits and narcissism; narcissism was positively associated with Wave 2 ADHD and ODD symptoms, whereas CU traits were positively associated with Wave 2 ADHD. Child sex also moderated indirect effects of CU traits and narcissism, such that narcissism mediated predictions of ADHD/ODD in girls but not boys. Psychopathic traits may represent a relevant pathway underlying predictions of prospective change in ADHD and ODD from 5-HTTLPR, particularly in girls. We consider the role of psychopathic traits as a potential intermediate phenotype in genetically-sensitive studies of child psychopathology. PMID:26990675

[The relationship between reactive/proactive aggression, callous/unemotional traits and behavioural problems in Hungarian adolescents].

PubMed

Bozsik, Csilla; Körmendi, Attila; Inántsy-Pap, Judit; Pataky, Nóra; Gádoros, Júlia; Halász, József

2013-01-01

The relationship between the type of physical aggressive behavior, callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems was extensively studied in the literature, but no similar data exist in Hungarian adolescents. In the present study, the type of aggressive behavior was assessed in adolescents on a normative sample to study its relationship with callous/unemotional traits and behavioral problems. 223 students were participated in the study after informed consent (girls, n=106, age: 14.2±1.5 years; boys, n=117, age: 13.9±1.6 years) from primary and secondary schools in Miskolc and adjacent areas. The Reactive/Proactive Aggression Questionnaire was used to assess the level of aggressive behavior, the Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits was used to measure callous/unemotional traits, while behavioral problems were established by the means of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. In the present non-clinical sample, the level of reactive aggression was higher than the level of proactive aggressive behavior. In boys, proactive and total aggression measures were significantly higher compared to girls. In both genders, reactive aggression was specifically associated with emotional and peer-related problems. Proactive aggression was correlated positively with callous traits in both genders, while self-reported prosocial behavior had an inverse correlation with proactive aggressive behavior in boys. Self reported conduct- and hyperactivity problems were positively correlated with both types of aggressive behavior in both genders. The strongest positive correlation was observed between self-reported conduct symptoms and both types of aggressive behavior. Callous/unemotional traits were related with proactive forms of aggression, similar to literature data. Reactive aggressive behavior was related to peer-related and emotional problems, thus our data outlined the importance of the distinction between the two main types of aggression.

Psychopathic Traits and Moral Disengagement Interact to Predict Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Adolescents.

PubMed

Orue, Izaskun; Calvete, Esther

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to test a model in which psychopathic traits (callous-unemotional, grandiose-manipulative, and impulsive-irresponsible) and moral disengagement individually and interactively predict two types of bullying (traditional and cyberbullying) in a community sample of adolescents. A total of 765 adolescents (464 girls and 301 boys) completed measures of moral disengagement and psychopathic traits at Time 1, and measures of bullying and cyberbullying at Time 1 and 1 year later, at Time 2. The results showed that callous-unemotional traits predicted both traditional bullying and cyberbullying, grandiose-manipulative and impulsive-irresponsible traits only predicted traditional bullying, and moral disengagement only predicted cyberbullying. Callous-Unemotional Traits × Moral Disengagement and Grandiose-Manipulative × Moral Disengagement were significantly correlated with the residual change in cyberbullying. Callous-unemotional traits were positively related to cyberbullying at high levels of moral disengagement but not when moral disengagement was low. In contrast, grandiose-manipulative traits were positively related to cyberbullying at low levels of moral disengagement but not when moral disengagement was high. These findings have implications for both prevention and intervention. Integrative approaches that promote moral growth are needed, including a deeper understanding of why bullying is morally wrong and ways to stimulate personality traits that counteract psychopathic traits.

Looming Threats and Animacy: Reduced Responsiveness in Youth with Disrupted Behavior Disorders.

PubMed

White, Stuart F; Thornton, Laura C; Leshin, Joseph; Clanton, Roberta; Sinclair, Stephen; Coker-Appiah, Dionne; Meffert, Harma; Hwang, Soonjo; Blair, James R

2018-05-01

Theoretical models have implicated amygdala dysfunction in the development of Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBDs; Conduct Disorder/Oppositional Defiant Disorder). Amygdala dysfunction impacts valence evaluation/response selection and emotion attention in youth with DBDs, particularly in those with elevated callous-unemotional (CU) traits. However, amygdala responsiveness during social cognition and the responsiveness of the acute threat circuitry (amygdala/periaqueductal gray) in youth with DBDs have been less well-examined, particularly with reference to CU traits. 31 youth with DBDs and 27 typically developing youth (IQ, age and gender-matched) completed a threat paradigm during fMRI where animate and inanimate, threatening and neutral stimuli appeared to loom towards or recede from participants. Reduced responsiveness to threat variables, including visual threats and encroaching stimuli, was observed within acute threat circuitry and temporal, lateral frontal and parietal cortices in youth with DBDs. This reduced responsiveness, at least with respect to the looming variable, was modulated by CU traits. Reduced responsiveness to animacy information was also observed within temporal, lateral frontal and parietal cortices, but not within amygdala. Reduced responsiveness to animacy information as a function of CU traits was observed in PCC, though not within the amygdala. Reduced threat responsiveness may contribute to risk taking and impulsivity in youth with DBDs, particularly those with high levels of CU traits. Future work will need to examine the degree to which this reduced response to animacy is independent of amygdala dysfunction in youth with DBDs and what role PCC might play in the dysfunctional social cognition observed in youth with high levels of CU traits.

Moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits: A longitudinal study of Italian adolescents with a disruptive behaviour disorder.

PubMed

Muratori, Pietro; Paciello, Marinella; Buonanno, Carlo; Milone, Annarita; Ruglioni, Laura; Lochman, John E; Masi, Gabriele

2017-12-01

Callous-unemotional traits have been proposed as risk factors for a poorer prognosis in young people with disruptive behaviour disorders. Identification of factors that may cause or maintain elevated levels of such traits could help in developing targeted therapeutic interventions. Some previous studies have investigated the role of moral cognitive mechanisms, such as moral disengagement, but these previous studies focused primarily on normal or 'at-risk' samples. We aimed to evaluate associations and possible interactions between moral disengagement as a cognitive dimension and callous-unemotional traits as an affective dimension in adolescents with disruptive behaviour disorders. We recruited 55 adolescents with a disruptive behaviour disorder from a community care hospital in Pisa. They were evaluated at baseline and after one year with measures that included a moral disengagement scale, the Antisocial Process Screening Device, to assess callous traits, and the Youth Self-Report, to explore externalising behaviour problems. Structural equation modelling showed that higher initial moral disengagement scores were associated with later higher levels of callous-unemotional traits in adolescents and vice versa, even after, respectively, controlling for previous levels of callous traits and moral disengagement. As impairments in either cognitive or affective traits may predispose to problematic development of the other, our findings would suggest that screening at the earliest opportunity possible for both moral disengagement and callous-unemotional traits among children with disruptive behaviour disorders could help to map natural outcome pathways and thus tailor more accurate interventions for prevention of antisocial or criminal behaviour. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neural responses to fearful eyes in children with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Sebastian, C L; McCrory, E J; Dadds, M R; Cecil, C A M; Lockwood, P L; Hyde, Z H; De Brito, S A; Viding, E

2014-01-01

Children with conduct problems (CP) are a heterogeneous group. Those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) appear emotionally under-reactive at behavioural and neural levels whereas those with low levels of CU traits (CP/LCU) appear emotionally over-reactive, compared with typically developing (TD) controls. Investigating the degree to which these patterns of emotional reactivity are malleable may have important translational implications. Instructing participants with CP/HCU to focus on the eyes of fearful faces (i.e. the most salient feature) can ameliorate their fear-recognition deficits, but it is unknown whether this is mediated by amygdala response. It is also unknown whether focusing on fearful eyes is associated with increased amygdala reactivity in CP/LCU. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure neural responses to fearful and calm faces in children with CP/HCU, CP/LCU and TD controls (n = 17 per group). On half of trials participants looked for a blue dot anywhere within target faces; on the other half, participants were directed to focus on the eye region. Reaction time (RT) data showed that CP/LCU were selectively slowed in the fear/eyes condition. For the same condition, CP/LCU also showed increased amygdala and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC)/orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) responses compared with TD controls. RT and amygdala response to fear/eyes were correlated in CP/LCU only. No effects of focusing on the eye region were observed in CP/HCU. These data extend the evidence base suggesting that CU traits index meaningful heterogeneity in conduct problems. Focusing on regulating reactive emotional responses may be a fruitful strategy for children with CP/LCU.

Cortical and subcortical abnormalities in youths with conduct disorder and elevated callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Wallace, Gregory L; White, Stuart F; Robustelli, Briana; Sinclair, Stephen; Hwang, Soonjo; Martin, Alex; Blair, R James R

2014-04-01

Although there is growing evidence of brain abnormalities among individuals with conduct disorder (CD), the structural neuroimaging literature is mixed and frequently aggregates cortical volume rather than differentiating cortical thickness from surface area. The current study assesses CD-related differences in cortical thickness, surface area, and gyrification as well as volume differences in subcortical structures critical to neurodevelopmental models of CD (amygdala; striatum) in a carefully characterized sample. We also examined whether group structural differences were related to severity of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in the CD sample. Participants were 49 community adolescents aged 10 to 18 years, 22 with CD and 27 healthy comparison youth. Structural MRI was collected and the FreeSurfer image analysis suite was used to provide measures of cortical thickness, surface area, and local gyrification as well as subcortical (amygdala and striatum) volumes. Youths with CD showed reduced cortical thickness in the superior temporal cortex. There were also indications of reduced gyrification in the ventromedial frontal cortex, particularly for youths with CD without comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. There were no group differences in cortical surface area. However, youths with CD also showed reduced amygdala and striatum (putamen and pallidum) volumes. Right temporal cortical thickness was significantly inversely related to severity of CU traits. Youths with CD show reduced cortical thickness within superior temporal regions, some indication of reduced gyrification within ventromedial frontal cortex and reduced amygdala and striatum (putamen and pallidum) volumes. These results are discussed with reference to neurobiological models of CD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Relational Victimization, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Hostile Attribution Bias among Preadolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokkinos, Constantinos M.; Voulgaridou, Ioanna

2018-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the association of callous-unemotional traits, hostile attribution bias, and relational victimization experiences among 228 Greek preadolescent students attending the last two primary school grades. No significant gender differences were found. Correlations showed positive associations among relational…

Size Matters: Increased Grey Matter in Boys with Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Brito, Stephane A.; Mechelli, Andrea; Wilke, Marko; Laurens, Kristin R.; Jones, Alice P.; Barker, Gareth J.; Hodgins, Sheilagh; Viding, Essi

2009-01-01

Brain imaging studies of adults with psychopathy have identified structural and functional abnormalities in limbic and prefrontal regions that are involved in emotion recognition, decision-making, morality and empathy. Among children with conduct problems, a small subgroup presents callous-unemotional traits thought to be antecedents of…

Family Drawings before and after Treatment for Child Conduct Problems: Fluidity of Family Dysfunction.

PubMed

Kloft, Lilian; Hawes, David; Moul, Caroline; Sultan, Sonia; Dadds, Mark

2017-01-01

Children's drawings have previously been found to reflect their representations of family relationships. The present study examined whether evidence-based parent training for child conduct problems impacts on representations of family functioning using the Family Drawing Paradigm (FDP). N  = 53 clinic-referred children (aged 3-15) with conduct problems and their families were assessed pre-treatment and at 6-month follow-up on a modified version of the FDP. Analyses of changes in the FDP revealed improvements in family functioning but not tone of language (as indicated by written descriptors) following treatment. Higher family dysfunction scores were associated with increased levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits in the children pre-treatment. Children with high levels of CU, however, demonstrated greater change in FDP dysfunction than a low CU group, resulting in similar levels at follow-up. CU traits also moderated the association between change in family warmth and conduct problem severity, with increased FDP warmth more strongly related to improved conduct problems in the high vs. the low CU group. FDP drawings are sensitive to changes in family functioning arising from parent training, accounting for unique variance in child outcomes independent of verbal reports.

A Behavioral Measure of Costly Helping: Replicating and Extending the Association with Callous Unemotional Traits in Male Adolescents

PubMed Central

Sakai, Joseph T.; Dalwani, Manish S.; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan K.; McWilliams, Shannon K.; Raymond, Kristen M.; Crowley, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Background Some conduct-disordered youths have high levels of callous unemotional traits and meet the DSM-5’s “with limited prosocial emotions” (LPE) specifier. These youths often do aggressive, self-benefitting acts that cost others. We previously developed a task, the AlAn’s game, which asks participants to repeatedly decide whether to accept or reject offers in which they will receive money but a planned charity donation will be reduced. In our prior work, more "costly helping" (i.e., rejecting the offered money and protecting the donation) was associated with lower callous unemotional traits. Here we extend that prior work in a larger sample of adolescent male patients with serious conduct problems and controls, and test whether this association is mediated specifically by a Moral Elevation response (i.e., a positive emotional response to another’s act of virtue). Methods The adolescent male participants were: 45 patients (23 with LPE) and 26 controls, who underwent an extensive phenotypic assessment including a measure of Moral Elevation. About 1 week later participants played the AlAn’s game. Results All AlAn’s game outcomes demonstrated significant group effects: (1) money taken for self (p = 0.02); (2) money left in the charitable donation (p = 0.03); and, (3) costly helping (p = 0.047). Controls took the least money and did the most costly helping, while patients with LPE took the most money and did the least costly helping. Groups also significantly differed in post-stimulus Moral Elevation scores (p = 0.005). Exploratory analyses supported that the relationship between callous unemotional traits and costly helping on the AlAn’s game may be mediated in part by differences in Moral Elevation. Conclusions The AlAn's game provides a standardized behavioral measure associated with callous unemotional traits. Adolescents with high levels of callous unemotional traits engage in fewer costly helping behaviors, and those differences may be related to blunting of positive emotional responses. PMID:26977935

Psychopathy as predictor and moderator of multisystemic therapy outcomes among adolescents treated for antisocial behavior.

PubMed

Manders, Willeke A; Deković, Maja; Asscher, Jessica J; van der Laan, Peter H; Prins, Pier J M

2013-10-01

The aim of the present study was to determine whether psychopathic traits act as a predictor and/or moderator of the effectiveness of Multisystemic Therapy (MST). The sample included N = 256 adolescents (188 boys and 68 girls) referred for conduct problems, randomized to MST or Treatment As Usual (TAU). The mean age was 16 years (SD = 1.31). Assessments were carried out before and immediately after treatment (6 months later). Three psychopathic traits (callous/unemotional traits, narcissism, and impulsiveness) were assessed with parent reports. Adolescents and parents were informants on externalizing problems. MST was more effective than TAU in decreasing externalizing problems for the "lower callous/unemotional" and "lower narcissism" group, but not for the "high callous/unemotional" and "high narcissism" group (moderators). Impulsiveness was found to predict more post-treatment externalizing problems rated by adolescents (predictor), but not more post-treatment externalizing problems rated by parents. These findings point out the clinical relevance of adequately assessing psychopathic traits in adolescents referred for treatment of antisocial behaviour, and identifying those adolescents who show high levels of these traits. It is important to tailor MST specifically to meet the needs of juveniles with high levels of callous/unemotional traits and high levels of narcissism to obtain the same level of effectiveness as with juveniles scoring lower on these traits.

Behavior therapy and callous-unemotional traits: Effects of a pilot study examining modified behavioral contingencies on child behavior

PubMed Central

Miller, Natalie V.; Haas, Sarah M.; Waschbusch, Daniel A.; Willoughby, Michael T.; Helseth, Sarah A.; Crum, Kathleen I.; Coles, Erika K.; Pelham, William E.

2014-01-01

The conduct problems of children with callous-unemotional traits (i.e., lack of empathy, guilt/lack of caring behaviors) (CU) are particularly resistant to current behavioral interventions, and it is possible that differential sensitivities to punishment and reward may underlie this resistance. Children with conduct problems and CU (CPCU) are less responsive to behavioral punishment techniques (e.g., time-out), however reward techniques (e.g., earning points for prizes or activities) are effective for reducing conduct problems. This study examined the efficacy of modified behavioral interventions, which de-emphasized punishment (condition B) and emphasized reward techniques (condition C), compared to a standard behavioral intervention (condition A). Interventions were delivered through a Summer Treatment Program over seven weeks with an A-B-A-C-A-BC-A design to a group of eleven children (7–11 years; 91% male). All children were diagnosed with either oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder, in addition to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Results revealed the best treatment response occurred during the low punishment condition, with rates of negative behavior (e.g., aggression, teasing, stealing) increasing over the seven weeks. However, there was substantial individual variability in treatment response, and several children demonstrated improvement during the modified intervention conditions. Future research is necessary to disentangle treatment effects from order effects, and implications of group treatment of CPCU children (i.e., deviancy training) are discussed. PMID:25022772

The Psychometric Properties of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in an Undergraduate Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimonis, Eva R.; Branch, Jessica; Hagman, Brett; Graham, Nicole; Miller, Cailey

2013-01-01

In the present study, the psychometric properties and factor structure of the 24-item Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) were tested in a sample of 687 college students. Results support a similar 3-factor structure to that identified in samples of youths, in whom this measure was previously validated. Correlations with external…

Callous-unemotional, impulsive-irresponsible, and grandiose-manipulative traits: Distinct associations with heart rate, skin conductance, and startle responses to violent and erotic scenes.

PubMed

Fanti, Kostas A; Kyranides, Melina N; Georgiou, Giorgos; Petridou, Maria; Colins, Olivier F; Tuvblad, Catherine; Andershed, Henrik

2017-05-01

The present study aimed to examine whether callous-unemotional, grandiose-manipulative, and impulsive-irresponsible dimensions of psychopathy are differentially related to various affective and physiological measures, assessed at baseline and in response to violent and erotic movie scenes. Data were collected from young adults (N = 101) at differential risk for psychopathic traits. Findings from regression analyses revealed a unique predictive contribution of grandiose-manipulative traits in particular to higher ratings of positive valence for violent scenes. Callous-unemotional traits were uniquely associated with lower levels of sympathy toward victims and lower ratings of fear and sadness during violent scenes. All three psychopathy dimensions and the total psychopathy scale showed negative zero-order correlations with heart rate at baseline, but regression analyses revealed that only grandiose manipulation was uniquely predictive of lower baseline heart rate. Grandiose manipulation was also significantly associated with lower baseline skin conductance. Regarding autonomic activity, findings resulted in a unique negative association between grandiose manipulation and heart rate activity in response to violent scenes. In contrast, the impulsive-irresponsible dimension was positively related with heart rate activity to violent scenes. Finally, findings revealed that only callous-unemotional traits were negatively associated with startle potentiation in response to violent scenes. No associations during erotic scenes were identified. These findings point to unique associations between the three assessed dimensions of psychopathy with physiological measures, indicating that grandiose manipulation is associated with hypoarousal, impulsive irresponsibility with hyperarousal, and callous-unemotional traits with low emotional and fear responses to violent scenes. © 2017 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Triarchic dimensions of psychopathy in young adulthood: Associations with clinical and physiological measures after accounting for adolescent psychopathic traits.

PubMed

Kyranides, Melina Nicole; Fanti, Kostas A; Sikki, Maria; Patrick, Christopher J

2017-04-01

This study examined associations of psychopathy facets of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition with clinically relevant variables and physiological reactivity to affective stimuli. These associations were examined after accounting for developmental associations with adolescent psychopathic traits, namely callous-unemotional traits, narcissism, and impulsivity. Psychopathic traits were assessed during adolescence using the Antisocial Process Screening Device and the Inventory of Callous Unemotional traits and during young adulthood via the Triarchic Psychopathy Measure. Clinical variables (N = 99, Mage = 15.91, 53% female), as well as affective and physiological responses (heart rate, skin conductance, startle modulation) to violent and erotic videos (N = 88, Mage = 19.92, 50% female) were also assessed during adulthood. After accounting for adolescent psychopathic traits, boldness was associated with high cognitive reappraisal and low anxiety, fear, and hostility, and meanness was related to callous-unemotional traits, hostility, less sympathy to victims, and less use of cognitive reappraisal. Disinhibition, by contrast, was associated with impulsivity, increased anxiety, and hostile and aggressive tendencies, as well as conduct disorder, antisocial personality disorder symptoms, and cognitive suppression. In addition, evidence was found for different physiological measures operating as biological indicators of these distinctive dimensions, with reduced resting heart rate and cardiac reactivity to violent stimuli indicative of boldness, above and beyond adolescent psychopathic traits, and low startle potentiation for violent stimuli indicative of callous-unemotional traits and meanness. These findings provide evidence for the value of a multidomain approach for clarifying neurobiological mechanisms of psychopathic tendencies that can inform prevention and treatment efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Clinical Utility of the Proposed DSM-5 Callous-Unemotional Subtype of Conduct Disorder in Young Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardini, Dustin; Stepp, Stephanie; Hipwell, Alison; Stouthamer-Loeber, Magda; Loeber, Rolf

2012-01-01

Objective: A callous-unemotional (CU) subtype of conduct disorder (CD) has been proposed as an addition to the fifth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)." This study tested the hypothesis that young girls with the CU subtype of CD would exhibit more severe antisocial behavior and less severe internalizing…

Callous-Unemotional Traits, Relational and Social Aggression, and Interpersonal Maturity in a Sample of Behaviorally Disordered Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, G. Ronald; Crothers, Laura M.; Hughes, Tammy L.; Kanyongo, Gibbs Y.; Kolbert, Jered B.; Parys, Kristen

2018-01-01

The authors examined the degree to which callous-unemotional traits and narcissism predict relational aggression, social aggression, and prosocial skills in a sample of 79 adolescent offenders (13-18 years old; 26% girls; 74% boys) attending a school for youth with behavior disorders in the Mid-Atlantic United States. Narcissism made a significant…

Callous-Unemotional Traits Are Related to Combined Deficits in Recognizing Afraid Faces and Body Poses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Luna C.

2009-01-01

Results from a study that involves letting boys aged 8-16 years label emotional faces and static body poses show that callous-unemotional traits are related to poor accuracy in the tests. The results imply that a general "fear-blindness" is associated to a lack of empathy and to violence and antisocial behavior.

Moral Emotions, Emotion Self-Regulation, Callous-Unemotional Traits, and Problem Behavior in Children of Incarcerated Mothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotze, Geri M.; Ravindran, Neeraja; Myers, Barbara J.

2010-01-01

Children with incarcerated mothers are at high risk for developing problem behaviors. Fifty children (6-12 years; 62% girls) participated in summer camps, along with adult mentors. Regression analyses of child and adult measures of child's emotion self-regulation and callous-unemotional traits, and a child measure of moral emotions, showed that…

Cortisol, callous-unemotional traits, and pathways to antisocial behavior.

PubMed

Hawes, David J; Brennan, John; Dadds, Mark R

2009-07-01

Two decades of research has implicated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in the development of antisocial behavior in children. However, findings regarding the association between cortisol and antisocial behavior have been largely inconsistent, and the role of the HPA axis in relation to broader etiological processes remains unclear. We examine evidence that the role of the HPA axis in the development of antisocial behavior may differ across subgroups of children. A meta-analysis has supported the prediction that low levels of cortisol are associated with risk for childhood antisocial behavior, but the relationship is weaker than previously assumed. Recent studies suggest the association between cortisol levels and antisocial behavior may vary depending on type of antisocial behavior, patterns of internalizing comorbidity, and early environmental adversity. The findings are consistent with evidence that two early-onset pathways to antisocial behavior can be distinguished based on the presence or absence of callous-unemotional traits. We speculate that early adversity is important to the development of chronic antisocial behavior in children with low levels of callous-unemotional traits and HPA-axis hyperactivity, but that high levels of callous-unemotional traits and HPA-axis hypoactivity characterize a particularly severe subgroup, for whom antisocial behavior develops somewhat independently of adversity.

Does early childhood callous-unemotional behavior uniquely predict behavior problems or callous-unemotional behavior in late childhood?

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Dishion, Thomas J.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Gardner, Frances; Wilson, Melvin N.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Callous unemotional (CU) behavior has been linked to behavior problems in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether CU behavior in early childhood predicts behavior problems or CU behavior in late childhood. This study examined whether indicators of CU behavior at ages 2–4 predicted aggression, rule-breaking, and CU behavior across informants at age 9.5. To test the unique predictive and convergent validity of CU behavior in early childhood, we accounted for stability in behavior problems and method effects to rule out the possibility that rater biases inflated the magnitude of any associations found. Cross-informant data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample (N = 731; female = 49%) at ages 2–4 and again at age 9.5. From age 3, CU behavior uniquely predicted aggression and rule-breaking across informants. There were also unique associations between CU behavior assessed at ages 3 and 4 and CU behavior assessed at age 9.5. Findings demonstrate that early-childhood indicators of CU behavior account for unique variance in later childhood behavior problems and CU behavior, taking into account stability in behavior problems over time and method effects. Convergence with a traditional measure of CU behavior in late childhood provides support for the construct validity of a brief early childhood measure of CU behavior. PMID:27598253

The impact of prenatal maternal risk, fearless temperament and early parenting on adolescent callous-unemotional traits: a 14-year longitudinal investigation.

PubMed

Barker, Edward D; Oliver, Bonamy R; Viding, Essi; Salekin, Randall T; Maughan, Barbara

2011-08-01

Proposals have been submitted to the DSM-V for the addition of a callous-unemotional (CU) specifier for conduct problem (CP) youth (CP/CU). While the addition of such a diagnostic category may aid in the identification of homogeneous CP subtypes, evidence on risks for the development of CP/CU remains limited. The present study sought to examine the extent to which CP/CU in early adolescence could be differentiated by family- and child-based risks from pregnancy to age 4 years. Using data from approximately 7,000 mothers and their offspring (51% male) participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, the authors examined maternal prenatal risks (psychopathology, criminality, substance use), child's fearless temperament (age 2 years) and harsh and warm parenting (age 4 years) as predictors of CP and CU at age 13; then used follow-back analyses to explore pre- and early post-natal risks in more detail. Maternal prenatal risks increased fearless temperament and CP and CU. Fearless temperament was also prospectively associated with higher levels of early adolescent CP and CU, above and beyond parenting and prenatal maternal risks. Follow-back analyses showed fearless temperament in boys manifested as lower response to punishment cues, while for girls this temperament was indexed by boldness toward novel situations and strangers, particularly for CP/CU youth. The current findings suggest that (i) maternal prenatal risks and fearless temperament showed a dose-response relationship with CP and CU (i.e., higher clustering of risks tended to relate to both higher levels and the co-occurrence of CU with CP), and (ii) intervention programs that aim to improve behavioural outcomes may consider targeting specific temperamental features in both boys and girls. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Assessing the Affective Features of Psychopathy in Adolescence: A Further Validation of the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roose, Annelore; Bijttebier, Patricia; Decoene, Stefaan; Claes, Laurence; Frick, Paul J.

2010-01-01

To provide an extended assessment of the affective features of psychopathy, Frick developed the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits (ICU), which is a multi-informant questionnaire. Previous studies have provided initial support for the self-report version. The aim of the present study is to investigate the validity of self- as well as…

Parenting and children's representations of family predict disruptive and callous-unemotional behaviors

PubMed Central

Wagner, Nicholas J.; Mills-Koonce, W. Roger; Willoughby, Michael T.; Zvara, Bharathi; Cox, Martha J.

2015-01-01

Data from a large prospective longitudinal study (n = 1,239) was used to investigate the association between observed sensitive parenting in early childhood and children's representations of family relationships as measured by the Family Drawing Paradigm (FDP) in first grade as well as the extent to which these representations partially mediate the influences of early caregiving experiences on later conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors. A structural equation modeling approach revealed that less sensitive parenting at 24, 36, and 58 months predicts higher levels of conduct problems (CP) and callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors in first grade controlling for earlier measures of CP and CU behaviors. Results also indicated that greater dysfunctional family representations, as assessed with the FDP, are significantly associated with higher CU behaviors in the first grade, but not CP. Finally, a test of the indirect pathway suggests that children's dysfunctional family representations may, in part, account for the association between sensitive parenting and CU behaviors. PMID:26010385

Incentive Processing in Persistent Disruptive Behavior and Psychopathic Traits: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Adolescents.

PubMed

Cohn, Moran D; Veltman, Dick J; Pape, Louise E; van Lith, Koen; Vermeiren, Robert R J M; van den Brink, Wim; Doreleijers, Theo A H; Popma, Arne

2015-11-01

Children with early-onset disruptive behavior disorder (DBD), especially those with callous-unemotional traits, are at risk of developing persistent and severe adult antisocial behavior. One possible underlying mechanism for persistence is deficient reward and loss sensitivity, i.e., deficient incentive processing. However, little is known about the relation between deficient incentive processing and persistence of antisocial behavior into adulthood or its relation with callous-unemotional and other psychopathic traits. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the neural correlates of incentive processing and both DBD persistence and psychopathic traits. In a sample of 128 adolescents (mean age 17.7) with a history of criminal offending before age 12, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed during a monetary incentive delay task designed to assess neural responses during incentive processing. Neural activation during incentive processing was then associated with DBD persistence and psychopathic traits, measured with the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory. Compared with both healthy control subjects and youths who had desisted from DBD, persistent DBD subjects showed lower neural responses in the ventral striatum during reward outcomes and higher neural responses in the amygdala during loss outcomes. Callous-unemotional traits were related to lower neural responses in the amygdala during reward outcomes, while other psychopathic traits were not related to incentive processing. In the current study, aberrant incentive processing is related to persistence of childhood antisocial behavior into late adolescence and to callous-unemotional traits. This mechanism may underlie treatment resistance in a subgroup of antisocial youth and provide a target for intervention. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Parent-Report Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits in a Sample of Children Recruited from Intimate Partner Violence Services: A Multidimensional Rasch Analysis.

PubMed

McDonald, Shelby Elaine; Ma, Lin; Green, Kathy E; Hitti, Stephanie A; Cody, Anna M; Donovan, Courtney; Williams, James Herbert; Ascione, Frank R

2018-03-01

Our study applied multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) to compare structural models of the parent-report version of the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits (ICU; English and North American Spanish translations). A total of 291 maternal caregivers were recruited from community-based domestic violence services and reported on their children (77.9% ethnic minority; 47% female), who ranged in age from 7 to 12 years (mean = 9.07, standard deviation = 1.64). We compared 9 models that were based on prior psychometric evaluations of the ICU. MIRT analyses indicated that a revised 18-item version comprising 2 factors (callous-unemotional and empathic-prosocial) was more suitable for our sample. Differential item functioning was found for several items across ethnic and language groups, but not for child gender or age. Evidence of construct validity was found. We recommend continued research and revisions to the ICU to better assess the presence of callous-unemotional traits in community samples of school-age children. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Heritable temperament pathways to early callous-unemotional behaviour.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Trentacosta, Christopher J; Shaw, Daniel S; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Ganiban, Jody M; Reiss, David; Leve, Leslie D; Hyde, Luke W

2016-12-01

Early callous-unemotional behaviours identify children at risk for antisocial behaviour. Recent work suggests that the high heritability of callous-unemotional behaviours is qualified by interactions with positive parenting. To examine whether heritable temperament dimensions of fearlessness and low affiliative behaviour are associated with early callous-unemotional behaviours and whether parenting moderates these associations. Using an adoption sample (n = 561), we examined pathways from biological mother self-reported fearlessness and affiliative behaviour to child callous-unemotional behaviours via observed child fearlessness and affiliative behaviour, and whether adoptive parent observed positive parenting moderated pathways. Biological mother fearlessness predicted child callous-unemotional behaviours via earlier child fearlessness. Biological mother low affiliative behaviour predicted child callous-unemotional behaviours, although not via child affiliative behaviours. Adoptive mother positive parenting moderated the fearlessness to callous-unemotional behaviour pathway. Heritable fearlessness and low interpersonal affiliation traits contribute to the development of callous-unemotional behaviours. Positive parenting can buffer these risky pathways. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Heritable temperament pathways to early callous–unemotional behaviour

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Trentacosta, Christopher J.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Reiss, David; Leve, Leslie D.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Background Early callous–unemotional behaviours identify children at risk for antisocial behaviour. Recent work suggests that the high heritability of callous–unemotional behaviours is qualified by interactions with positive parenting. Aims To examine whether heritable temperament dimensions of fearlessness and low affiliative behaviour are associated with early callous–unemotional behaviours and whether parenting moderates these associations. Method Using an adoption sample (n = 561), we examined pathways from biological mother self-reported fearlessness and affiliative behaviour to child callous–unemotional behaviours via observed child fearlessness and affiliative behaviour, and whether adoptive parent observed positive parenting moderated pathways. Results Biological mother fearlessness predicted child callous–unemotional behaviours via earlier child fearlessness. Biological mother low affiliative behaviour predicted child callous–unemotional behaviours, although not via child affiliative behaviours. Adoptive mother positive parenting moderated the fearlessness to callous–unemotional behaviour pathway. Conclusions Heritable fearlessness and low interpersonal affiliation traits contribute to the development of callous–unemotional behaviours. Positive parenting can buffer these risky pathways. PMID:27765772

Pathological demand avoidance: exploring the behavioural profile.

PubMed

O'Nions, Elizabeth; Viding, Essi; Greven, Corina U; Ronald, Angelica; Happé, Francesca

2014-07-01

'Pathological Demand Avoidance' is a term increasingly used by practitioners in the United Kingdom. It was coined to describe a profile of obsessive resistance to everyday demands and requests, with a tendency to resort to 'socially manipulative' behaviour, including outrageous or embarrassing acts. Pathological demand avoidance is thought to share aspects of social impairment with autism spectrum disorders, but autism spectrum disorder-appropriate strategies, such as routine and repetition, are described as unhelpful. Outrageous acts and lack of concern for their effects draw parallels with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits. However, reward-based techniques, effective with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits, seem not to work in pathological demand avoidance. Despite increasing interest and controversy over the pathological demand avoidance label, there is only one published study to date. We present the first systematic comparison of the behavioural profile of children receiving the term pathological demand avoidance (N = 25) to children with autism spectrum disorders (N = 39) or conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits (N = 28), using parent-report indices of psychopathology. The pathological demand avoidance group displayed comparable levels of autistic traits and peer problems to the autism spectrum disorders group and anti-social traits approaching those seen in the conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits group. Emotional symptoms in pathological demand avoidance exceeded both comparison groups. Findings highlight the extreme behavioural impairment associated with pathological demand avoidance and the need to explore whether behavioural overlap reflects a similar neurocognitive basis to existing groups. © The Author(s) 2013.

Disorganized attachment and inhibitory capacity: predicting externalizing problem behaviors.

PubMed

Bohlin, Gunilla; Eninger, Lilianne; Brocki, Karin Cecilia; Thorell, Lisa B

2012-04-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether attachment insecurity, focusing on disorganized attachment, and the executive function (EF) component of inhibition, assessed at age 5, were longitudinally related to general externalizing problem behaviors as well as to specific symptoms of ADHD and Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. General externalizing problem behaviors were also measured at age 5 to allow for a developmental analysis. Outcome variables were rated by parents and teachers. The sample consisted of 65 children with an oversampling of children with high levels of externalizing behaviors. Attachment was evaluated using a story stem attachment doll play procedure. Inhibition was measured using four different tasks. The results showed that both disorganized attachment and poor inhibition were longitudinally related to all outcome variables. Controlling for initial level of externalizing problem behavior, poor inhibition predicted ADHD symptoms and externalizing problem behaviors, independent of disorganized attachment, whereas for ASD symptoms no predictive relations remained. Disorganized attachment independently predicted CU traits.

Dissecting the role of amygdala reactivity in antisocial behavior in a sample of young, low-income, urban men

PubMed Central

Hyde, Luke W.; Shaw, Daniel S.; Murray, Laura; Gard, Arianna; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Forbes, Erika E.

2015-01-01

Neuroimaging has suggested that amygdala reactivity to emotional facial expressions is associated with antisocial behavior (AB), particularly among those high on callous-unemotional (CU) traits. To investigate this association and potential moderators of this relationship, including task/stimuli effects, subregional anatomy of the amygdala, and participant race, we used fMRI in a sample of 167 racially diverse, 20 year-old men from low-income families. We found that AB, but not CU traits, was negatively related to amygdala reactivity to fearful faces. This result was specific to fearful faces and strongest in the centro-medial subregion of the amygdala. Arrest record was positively related to basolateral amygdala reactivity to fearful and angry faces. Results were strongest among those identified as African American and not present in those identified as European American. Our findings suggest substantial complexity in the relationship between amygdala function and AB reflecting moderating effects of task stimulus, subregional anatomy, and race. PMID:27429865

Callous-unemotional traits are associated with deficits in recognizing complex emotions in preadolescent children.

PubMed

Sharp, Carla; Vanwoerden, Salome; Van Baardewijk, Y; Tackett, J L; Stegge, H

2015-06-01

The aims of the current study were to show that the affective component of psychopathy (callous-unemotional traits) is related to deficits in recognizing emotions over and above other psychopathy dimensions and to show that this relationship is driven by a specific deficit in recognizing complex emotions more so than basic emotions. The authors administered the Child Eyes Test to assess emotion recognition in a community sample of preadolescent children between the ages of 10 and 12 (N = 417; 53.6% boys). The task required children to identify a broad array of emotions from photographic stimuli depicting the eye region of the face. Stimuli were then divided into complex or basic emotions. Results demonstrated a unique association between callous-unemotional traits and complex emotions, with weaker associations with basic emotion recognition, over and above other dimensions of psychopathy.

The role of callous/unemotional traits in mediating the association between animal abuse exposure and behavior problems among children exposed to intimate partner violence.

PubMed

McDonald, Shelby Elaine; Dmitrieva, Julia; Shin, Sunny; Hitti, Stephanie A; Graham-Bermann, Sandra A; Ascione, Frank R; Williams, James Herbert

2017-10-01

Children exposed to intimate partner violence are at increased risk for concomitant exposure to maltreatment of companion animals. There is emerging evidence that childhood exposure to maltreatment of companion animals is associated with psychopathology in childhood and adulthood. However, few studies have explored developmental factors that might help to explain pathways from animal maltreatment exposure to children's maladjustment. The present study addresses this gap in the literature by examining relations between children's exposure to animal maltreatment, callous/unemotional traits (i.e., callousness, uncaring traits, and unemotional traits), and externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. A sample of 291 ethnically diverse children (55% Latino or Hispanic) between the ages of 7 and 12 was recruited from community-based domestic violence services. A meditational path model indicated that child exposure to animal maltreatment was associated with callousness (β=0.14), which in turn was associated with greater internalizing (β=0.32) and externalizing problems (β=0.47). The effect of animal maltreatment exposure on externalizing problems was mediated through callousness. Results suggest that callous/unemotional traits are a potential mechanism through which childhood exposure to animal maltreatment influences subsequent behavior problems. Future research is needed to evaluate the extent to which exposure to animal maltreatment affects children's adjustment over time in the context of other co-occurring adverse childhood experiences. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neuroimaging findings in disruptive behavior disorders.

PubMed

Baker, Rosalind H; Clanton, Roberta L; Rogers, Jack C; De Brito, Stéphane A

2015-08-01

Decades of research have shown that youths with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) are a heterogeneous population. Over the past 20 years, researchers have distinguished youths with DBD as those displaying high (DBD/HCU) versus low (DBD/LCU) callous-unemotional (CU) traits. These traits include flat affect and reduced empathy and remorse, and are associated with more severe, varied, and persistent patterns of antisocial behavior and aggression. Conduct problems in youths with HCU and LCU are thought to reflect distinct causal vulnerabilities, with antisocial behavior in youths with DBD/HCU reflecting a predominantly genetic etiology, while antisocial behavior in youths with DBD/LCU is associated primarily with environmental influences. Here we selectively review recent functional (fMRI) and structural (sMRI) magnetic resonance imaging research on DBD, focusing particularly on the role of CU traits. First, fMRI studies examining the neural correlates of affective stimuli, emotional face processing, empathy, theory of mind, morality, and decision-making in DBD are discussed. This is followed by a review of the studies investigating brain structure and structural connectivity in DBD. Next, we highlight the need to further investigate females and the role of sex differences in this population. We conclude the review by identifying potential clinical implications of this research.

Dark personality traits and impulsivity among adolescents: Differential links to problem behaviors and family relations.

PubMed

Dubas, Judith Semon; Baams, Laura; Doornwaard, Suzan M; van Aken, Marcel A G

2017-10-01

Research on how dark personality traits develop and relate to risky behaviors and family relations during adolescence is scarce. This study used a person-oriented approach to examine (a) whether distinct groups of adolescents could be identified based on their developmental profiles of callous-unemotional (CU), grandiose manipulative (GM), and dysfunctional impulsivity (DI) traits and (b) whether these groups differ in their problem behaviors and parent-adolescent relationship quality. Latent class growth analyses on 4-wave data of 1,131 Dutch adolescents revealed 3 personality profiles: (1) a dark impulsive group (13.9%), with high scores on all 3 traits (CU, GM, and DI) that were stable over time; (2) an impulsive group (26.1%), with high and increasing levels of impulsivity and relatively low scores on CU and GM; and (3) and a low risk group (60.0%), with relatively low levels on all 3 personality characteristics, with impulsivity decreasing over time. Compared with adolescents in the low risk group, adolescents in the dark impulsive and impulsive groups reported higher initial levels of substance use, sexual risk behaviors, permissive sexual attitudes, parent-adolescent conflict, and lower parent-adolescent satisfaction, as well as greater increases in sexual risk behavior over time. Compared with adolescents in the impulsive group, those in the dark impulsive group showed the highest levels of risk behaviors. Hence, dark personality traits coupled with impulsivity may be indicative of an earlier and more severe trajectory of problem behaviors that may differ from the trajectory of youth who are only impulsive. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Love, eye contact and the developmental origins of empathy v. psychopathy.

PubMed

Dadds, Mark R; Allen, Jennifer L; Oliver, Bonamy R; Faulkner, Nathan; Legge, Katherine; Moul, Caroline; Woolgar, Matthew; Scott, Stephen

2012-03-01

A propensity to attend to other people's emotions is a necessary condition for human empathy. To test our hypothesis that psychopathic disorder begins as a failure to attend to the eyes of attachment figures, using a `love' scenario in young children. Children with oppositional defiant disorder, assessed for callous-unemotional traits, and a control group were observed in a love interaction with mothers. Eye contact and affection were measured for each dyad. There was no group difference in affection and eye contact expressed by the mothers. Compared with controls, children with oppositional defiant disorder expressed lower levels of affection back towards their mothers; those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits showed significantly lower levels of affection than the children lacking these traits. As predicted, the former group showed low levels of eye contact toward their mothers. Low eye contact was not correlated with maternal coercive parenting or feelings toward the child, but was correlated with psychopathic fearlessness in their fathers. Impairments in eye contact are characteristic of children with callous-unemotional traits, and these impairments are independent of maternal behaviour.

Dysfunctional representation of expected value is associated with reinforcement-based decision-making deficits in adolescents with conduct problems.

PubMed

White, Stuart F; Tyler, Patrick M; Erway, Anna K; Botkin, Mary L; Kolli, Venkata; Meffert, Harma; Pope, Kayla; Blair, James R

2016-08-01

Previous work has shown that patients with conduct problems (CP) show impairments in reinforcement-based decision-making. However, studies with patients have not previously demonstrated any relationships between impairment in any of the neurocomputations underpinning reinforcement-based decision-making and specific symptom sets [e.g. level of CP and/or callous-unemotional (CU) traits]. Seventy-two youths [20 female, mean age = 13.81 (SD = 2.14), mean IQ = 102.34 (SD = 10.99)] from a residential treatment program and the community completed a passive avoidance task while undergoing functional MRI. Greater levels of CP were associated with poorer task performance. Reduced representation of expected values (EV) when making avoidance responses within bilateral anterior insula cortex/inferior frontal gyrus (AIC/iFG) and striatum was associated with greater levels of CP but not CU traits. The current data indicate that difficulties in the use of value information to motivate decisions to avoid suboptimal choices are associated with increased levels of CP (though not severity of CU traits). Moreover, they account for the behavioral deficits observed during reinforcement-based decision-making in youth with CP. In short, an individual's relative failure to utilize value information within AIC/iFG to avoid bad choices is associated with elevated levels of CP. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia and Heart Period in Infancy as Correlates of Later Oppositional Defiant and Callous-Unemotional Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Nicholas; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Willoughby, Michael; Propper, Cathi; Rehder, Peter; Gueron-Sela, Noa

2017-01-01

Extant literature suggests that oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors in childhood and adolescence are associated with distinct patterns of psychophysiological functioning, and that individual differences in these patterns have implications for developmental pathways to disorder. Very little is known about the…

Emotion recognition in girls with conduct problems.

PubMed

Schwenck, Christina; Gensthaler, Angelika; Romanos, Marcel; Freitag, Christine M; Schneider, Wolfgang; Taurines, Regina

2014-01-01

A deficit in emotion recognition has been suggested to underlie conduct problems. Although several studies have been conducted on this topic so far, most concentrated on male participants. The aim of the current study was to compare recognition of morphed emotional faces in girls with conduct problems (CP) with elevated or low callous-unemotional (CU+ vs. CU-) traits and a matched healthy developing control group (CG). Sixteen girls with CP-CU+, 16 girls with CP-CU- and 32 controls (mean age: 13.23 years, SD=2.33 years) were included. Video clips with morphed faces were presented in two runs to assess emotion recognition. Multivariate analysis of variance with the factors group and run was performed. Girls with CP-CU- needed more time than the CG to encode sad, fearful, and happy faces and they correctly identified sadness less often. Girls with CP-CU+ outperformed the other groups in the identification of fear. Learning effects throughout runs were the same for all groups except that girls with CP-CU- correctly identified fear less often in the second run compared to the first run. Results need to be replicated with comparable tasks, which might result in subgroup-specific therapeutic recommendations.

Social cognition: empirical contribution. The developmental building blocks of psychopathic traits: revisiting the role of theory of mind.

PubMed

Sharp, Carla; Vanwoerden, Salome

2014-02-01

In the context of personality disorder development, theories of typical and atypical development both emphasize social cognition as an important building block for personality development. Prior claims of intact theory of mind (ToM) abilities in psychopathic individuals have relied upon a narrow conception of ToM as equivalent to "cognitive empathy." In this article, the authors make use of a broader conception of ToM comprising top-down and bottom-up processing, as well as the fractionation of ToM in terms of reduced or excessive ToM function, to examine relationships between ToM and psychopathic traits. A total of 342 adolescents (ages 12-17; Mage 15.39; SD = 1.45; 61.5% females) completed the Movie Assessment for Social Cognition (Dziobek, Fleck, Kalbe, et al., 2006) and the Child Eyes Test (Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Hill, Raste, & Plumb, 2001) in addition to three measures of psychopathic traits. Results demonstrated unique relations between the affective components of psychopathy (callous-unemotional traits [CU traits]) and impairment in both top-down and bottom-up ToM. In addition, excessive ToM related to affective components of psychopathy, while reduced or no ToM related to behavioral components of psychopathy. In mediational analyses, bottom-up ToM was shown to be necessary for top-town ToM in its relation with CU traits. Taken together, these results from the study lend support to revisiting the link between ToM and psychopathy.

Violent peer influence: The roles of self-esteem and psychopathic traits.

PubMed

Van Zalk, Maarten Herman Walter; Van Zalk, Nejra

2015-11-01

Evidence for the risks of psychopathic personality traits for adolescent antisocial behavior are well documented in the literature. Little is known, however, about who the peers of adolescents with these traits are and to what extent they influence one another. In the current study, three dimensions of psychopathic traits were distinguished: grandiose-manipulative traits, callous-unemotional traits, and impulsive-irresponsible traits. A dynamic social network approach was used with three waves of longitudinal data from 1,772 adolescents (51.1% girls, M age = 13.03 at first measurement). Results showed that adolescents with grandiose-manipulative and callous-unemotional traits formed peer relationships with adolescents who had low self-esteem. Furthermore, peers' violence predicted stronger increases in violence for adolescents with low self-esteem than for other adolescents, and peers' violence predicted stronger increases in adolescent violence for peers with high psychopathic traits than for other peers. Thus, findings indicate that adolescents with low self-esteem are vulnerable to deviant peer influence from peers with psychopathic traits.

Callous-Unemotional Behaviors in Young Girls: Shared and Unique Effects Relative to Conduct Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hipwell, Alison E.; Pardini, Dustin A.; Loeber, Rolf; Sembower, Mark; Keenan, Kate; Stouthamer-Loeber, Magda

2007-01-01

Among girls, little is known about the shared and unique associations that callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors and conduct problems have with aspects of emotional and behavioral dysregulation and with parenting practices. This study examined these associations using a large community-based sample of young girls (N = 990). The findings revealed that…

Callous-Unemotional Features, Behavioral Inhibition, and Parenting: Independent Predictors of Aggression in a High-Risk Preschool Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimonis, Eva R.; Frick, Paul J.; Boris, Neil W.; Smyke, Anna T.; Cornell, Amy H.; Farrell, Jamie M.; Zeanah, Charles H.

2006-01-01

A behaviorally-uninhibited temperament, callous-unemotional (CU) features, and harsh parenting have been associated with specific patterns of aggressive behavior in older children and adolescents. We tested the additive and interactive effects of these factors in predicting different types of aggressive behavior in a high-risk preschool sample.…

Dual neurocircuitry dysfunctions in disruptive behavior disorders: emotional responding and response inhibition.

PubMed

Hwang, S; Nolan, Z T; White, S F; Williams, W C; Sinclair, S; Blair, R J R

2016-05-01

To determine the functional integrity of the neural systems involved in emotional responding/regulation and response control/inhibition in youth (age 10-18 years) with disruptive behavioral disorders (DBDs: conduct disorder and/or oppositional defiant disorder) as a function of callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Twenty-eight healthy youths and 35 youths with DBD [high CU (HCU), n = 18; low CU (LCU), n = 17] performed the fMRI Affective Stroop task. Participants viewed positive, neutral, and negative images under varying levels of cognitive load. A 3-way ANOVA (group×emotion by task) was conducted on the BOLD response data. Youth with DBD-HCU showed significantly less activation of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala in response to negative stimuli, compared to healthy youth and youth with DBD-LCU. vmPFC responsiveness was inversely related to CU symptoms in DBD. Youth with DBD-LCU showed decreased functional connectivity between amygdala and regions including inferior frontal gyrus in response to emotional stimuli. Youth with DBD (LCU and HCU) additionally showed decreased insula responsiveness to high load (incongruent trials) compared to healthy youth. Insula responsiveness was inversely related to ADHD symptoms in DBD. These data reveal two forms of pathophysiology in DBD. One associated with reduced amygdala and vmPFC responses to negative stimuli and related to increased CU traits. Another associated with reduced insula responses during high load task trials and related to ADHD symptoms. Appropriate treatment will need to be individualized according to the patient's specific pathophysiology.

The Effects of Including a Callous-Unemotional Specifier for the Diagnosis of Conduct Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Rachel E.; Frick, Paul J.; Youngstrom, Eric; Findling, Robert L.; Youngstrom, Jennifer Kogos

2012-01-01

Background: "With Significant Callous-Unemotional Traits" has been proposed as a specifier for conduct disorder (CD) in the upcoming revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). The impact of this specifier on children diagnosed with CD should be considered. Methods: A multi-site cross-sectional design with…

Contextual Risk Factors as Predictors of Disruptive Behavior Disorder Trajectories in Girls: The Moderating Effect of Callous-Unemotional Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroneman, Leoniek M.; Hipwell, Alison E.; Loeber, Rolf; Koot, Hans M.; Pardini, Dustin A.

2011-01-01

Background: The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) features may delineate a severe and persistent form of conduct problems in children with unique developmental origins. Contextual risk factors such as poor parenting, delinquent peers, or neighborhood risk are believed to influence the development of conduct problems primarily in children with…

The Influence of Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits on Academic Development Among Youth.

PubMed

Horan, Jacqueline M; Brown, Joshua L; Jones, Stephanie M; Aber, J Lawrence

2016-06-01

The present study attempted to address developmental differences within the large group of youth with conduct problems through an examination of the relationship between callous-unemotional traits and academic outcomes in an effort to expand the field's understanding of heterogeneity in outcomes associated with behavior problems. Data were collected from a cohort of 3rd grade students (N = 942; 51 % female; 45.6 % Hispanic/Latino, 41.1 % Black/African American, 4.7 % Non-Hispanic White; mean age = 8.07 years) in eighteen public elementary schools, as well as their parents and teachers. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that callous-unemotional traits were associated with lower quality student-teacher relationships and worse performance on standardized math and reading exams over and above the effects of conduct problems. These findings suggest that school-based interventions may be particularly effective in ameliorating some of the deficits noted within this subset of youth exhibiting conduct problems. This finding has important policy implications as the field of developmental science attempts to design and enrich programs that focus on improving social-emotional learning.

Suicidality as a Function of Impulsivity, Callous/Unemotional Traits, and Depressive Symptoms in Youth

PubMed Central

Javdani, Shabnam; Sadeh, Naomi; Verona, Edelyn

2012-01-01

Suicidality represents one of the most important areas of risk for adolescents, with both internalizing (e.g., depression, anxiety) and externalizing/antisocial (e.g., substance use, conduct) disorders conferring risk for suicidal ideation and attempts (e.g., Bridge et al., 2006). However, no study has attended to gender differences in relationships between suicidality and different facets of psychopathic tendencies in youth. Further, very little research has focused on disentangling the multiple manifestations of suicide risk in the same study, including behaviors (suicide attempts with intent to die, self- injurious behavior) and general suicide risk marked by suicidal ideation/plans. To better understand these relationships, we recruited 184 adolescents from the community and those in treatment. As predicted, psychopathic traits and depressive symptoms in youth showed differential associations with components of suicidality. Specifically, impulsive traits uniquely contributed to suicide attempts and self- injurious behaviors, above the influence of depression. Indeed, once psychopathic tendencies were entered in the model, depressive symptoms only explained general suicide risk marked by ideation/plans but not behaviors. Further, callous/unemotional traits conferred protection from suicide attempts selectively in girls. These findings have important implications for developing integrative models that incorporate differential relationships between 1) depressed mood and 2) personality risk factors (i.e., impulsivity and callous-unemotional traits) for suicidality in youth. PMID:21280931

Neural bases of Theory of Mind in children with autism spectrum disorders and children with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

O'Nions, Elizabeth; Sebastian, Catherine L; McCrory, Eamon; Chantiluke, Kaylita; Happé, Francesca; Viding, Essi

2014-09-01

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty understanding other minds (Theory of Mind; ToM), with atypical processing evident at both behavioural and neural levels. Individuals with conduct problems and high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) traits (CP/HCU) exhibit reduced responsiveness to others' emotions and difficulties interacting with others, but nonetheless perform normally in experimental tests of ToM. The present study aimed to examine the neural underpinnings of ToM in children (aged 10-16) with ASD (N = 16), CP/HCU (N = 16) and typically developing (TD) controls (N = 16) using a non-verbal cartoon vignette task. Whilst individuals with ASD were predicted to show reduced fMRI responses across regions involved in ToM processing, CP/HCU individuals were predicted to show no differences compared with TD controls. The analyses indicated that neural responses did not differ between TD and CP/HCU groups during ToM. TD and CP/HCU children exhibited significantly greater medial prefrontal cortex responses during ToM than did the ASD group. Within the ASD group, responses in medial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) correlated with symptom severity as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). Findings suggest that although both ASD and CP/HCU are characterized by social difficulties, only children with ASD display atypical neural processing associated with ToM. © 2014 The Authors. Developmental Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Callous-unemotional behaviors in early childhood: Genetic and environmental contributions to stability and change.

PubMed

Flom, Megan; Saudino, Kimberly J

2017-10-01

Callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors demonstrate meaningful individual differences in early childhood, even in nonclinical samples with low mean levels of CU, but the factors underlying this variation have not been examined. This study investigated genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences and to sources of continuity and change in CU in toddler twins (145 monozygotic, 169 dizygotic) assessed at ages 2 and 3 years. CU, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000), was moderately stable across age (r = .45, p < .0001). Longitudinal biometric analyses revealed genetic and nonshared environmental influences on CU at both ages, with no significant contribution from shared environmental factors. Stability from age 2 to 3 was due to genetic factors, whereas change was due to both genetic and nonshared environmental influences. This genetic and nonshared environmental change was substantial, suggesting malleability of CU in early childhood. Over 50% of the genetic influences and 100% of the nonshared environmental influences on CU at age 3 were independent of those that operated at age 2. Implications of novel sources of variance across age are discussed.

Adolescents' ability to read different emotional faces relates to their history of maltreatment and type of psychopathology.

PubMed

Leist, Tatyana; Dadds, Mark R

2009-04-01

Emotional processing styles appear to characterize various forms of psychopathology and environmental adversity in children. For example, autistic, anxious, high- and low-emotion conduct problem children, and children who have been maltreated, all appear to show specific deficits and strengths in recognizing the facial expressions of emotions. Until now, the relationships between emotion recognition, antisocial behaviour, emotional problems, callous-unemotional (CU) traits and early maltreatment have never been assessed simultaneously in one study, and the specific associations of emotion recognition to maltreatment and child characteristics are therefore unknown. We examined facial-emotion processing in a sample of 23 adolescents selected for high-risk status on the variables of interest. As expected, maltreatment and child characteristics showed unique associations. CU traits were uniquely related to impairments in fear recognition. Antisocial behaviour was uniquely associated with better fear recognition, but impaired anger recognition. Emotional problems were associated with better recognition of anger and sadness, but lower recognition of neutral faces. Maltreatment was predictive of superior recognition of fear and sadness. The findings are considered in terms of social information-processing theories of psychopathology. Implications for clinical interventions are discussed.

The factor structure and construct validity of the inventory of callous-unemotional traits in Chinese undergraduate students.

PubMed

Wang, Meng-Cheng; Gao, Yu; Deng, Jiaxin; Lai, Hongyu; Deng, Qiaowen; Armour, Cherie

2017-01-01

The current study assesses the factor structure and construct validity of the self-reported Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU) in 637 Chinese community adults (mean age = 25.98, SD = 5.79). A series of theoretical models proposed in previous studies were tested through confirmatory factor analyses. Results indicated that a shortened form that consists of 11 items (ICU-11) to assess callousness and uncaring factors has excellent overall fit. Additionally, correlations with a wide range of external variables demonstrated that this shortened form has similar construct validity compared to the original ICU. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the ICU-11 may be a promising self-report tool that could be a good substitute for the original form to assess callous-uncaring traits in adults.

Observed parenting behaviors interact with a polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene to predict the emergence of oppositional defiant and callous-unemotional behaviors at age 3 years.

PubMed

Willoughby, Michael T; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Propper, Cathi B; Waschbusch, Daniel A

2013-11-01

Using the Durham Child Health and Development Study, this study (N = 171) tested whether observed parenting behaviors in infancy (6 and 12 months) and toddlerhood/preschool (24 and 36 months) interacted with a child polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene to predict oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors at age 3 years. Child genotype interacted with observed harsh and intrusive (but not sensitive) parenting to predict ODD and CU behaviors. Harsh-intrusive parenting was more strongly associated with ODD and CU for children with a methionine allele of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene. CU behaviors were uniquely predicted by harsh-intrusive parenting in infancy, whereas ODD behaviors were predicted by harsh-intrusive parenting in both infancy and toddlerhood/preschool. The results are discussed from the perspective of the contributions of caregiving behaviors as contributing to distinct aspects of early onset disruptive behavior.

The factor structure and construct validity of the inventory of callous-unemotional traits in Chinese undergraduate students

PubMed Central

Gao, Yu; Deng, Jiaxin; Lai, Hongyu; Deng, Qiaowen; Armour, Cherie

2017-01-01

The current study assesses the factor structure and construct validity of the self-reported Inventory of Callous–Unemotional Traits (ICU) in 637 Chinese community adults (mean age = 25.98, SD = 5.79). A series of theoretical models proposed in previous studies were tested through confirmatory factor analyses. Results indicated that a shortened form that consists of 11 items (ICU-11) to assess callousness and uncaring factors has excellent overall fit. Additionally, correlations with a wide range of external variables demonstrated that this shortened form has similar construct validity compared to the original ICU. In conclusion, our findings suggest that the ICU-11 may be a promising self-report tool that could be a good substitute for the original form to assess callous-uncaring traits in adults. PMID:29216240

Dimensions of Psychopathy and Their Relationships to Cognitive Functioning in Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fontaine, Nathalie; Barker, Edward D.; Salekin, Randall T.; Viding, Essi

2008-01-01

Individuals with psychopathic traits are hypothesized to be free of intellectual deficits and possibly even to exhibit good cognitive abilities. Previous studies, based on clinical and incarcerated youth, have shown inconsistent findings. We investigated the relationships between different dimensions of psychopathy (callous/unemotional traits,…

Differential associations of early callous-unemotional, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors: multiple domains within early-starting conduct problems?

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Hyde, Luke W; Grabell, Adam S; Alves, Martha L; Olson, Sheryl L

2015-06-01

Early-starting child conduct problems (CP) are linked to the development of persistent antisocial behavior. Researchers have theorized multiple pathways to CP and that CP comprise separable domains, marked by callous-unemotional (CU) behavior, oppositional behavior, or ADHD symptoms. However, a lack of empirical evidence exists from studies that have examined whether there are unique correlates of these domains. We examined differential correlates of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors during the preschool years to test their potentially distinct nomological networks. Multimethod data, including parent and teacher reports and observations of child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at age 3 and age 6 (N = 240; 48% female). Dimensions of CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors were separable within Confirmatory Factor Analyses across mother and father reports. There were differential associations between CU, oppositional, and ADHD behaviors and socioemotional, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes: CU behavior was uniquely related to lower moral regulation, guilt, and empathy. ADHD was uniquely related to lower attentional focusing and observed effortful control. Finally, CU behavior uniquely predicted increases in teacher-reported externalizing from ages 3-6 over and above covariates, and ADHD and oppositional behavior. Consistent with theory, dimensions of CU, ADHD, and oppositional behavior demonstrated separable nomological networks representing separable facets within early-starting CP. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Psychopathic personality traits in 5 year old twins: the importance of genetic and shared environmental influences.

PubMed

Tuvblad, Catherine; Fanti, Kostas A; Andershed, Henrik; Colins, Olivier F; Larsson, Henrik

2017-04-01

There is limited research on the genetic and environmental bases of psychopathic personality traits in children. In this study, psychopathic personality traits were assessed in a total of 1189 5-year-old boys and girls drawn from the Preschool Twin Study in Sweden. Psychopathic personality traits were assessed with the Child Problematic Traits Inventory, a teacher-report measure of psychopathic personality traits in children ranging from 3 to 12 years old. Univariate results showed that genetic influences accounted for 57, 25, and 74 % of the variance in the grandiose-deceitful, callous-unemotional, and impulsive-need for stimulation dimensions, while the shared environment accounted for 17, 48 and 9 % (n.s.) in grandiose-deceitful and callous-unemotional, impulsive-need for stimulation dimensions, respectively. No sex differences were found in the genetic and environmental variance components. The non-shared environment accounted for the remaining 26, 27 and 17 % of the variance, respectively. The three dimensions of psychopathic personality were moderately correlated (0.54-0.66) and these correlations were primarily mediated by genetic and shared environmental factors. In contrast to research conducted with adolescent and adult twins, we found that both genetic and shared environmental factors influenced psychopathic personality traits in early childhood. These findings indicate that etiological models of psychopathic personality traits would benefit by taking developmental stages and processes into consideration.

Predicting aggression in late adolescent romantic relationships: A short-term longitudinal study.

PubMed

Caiozzo, Christina N; Houston, Jessica; Grych, John

2016-12-01

This study sought to prospectively predict aggression in the romantic relationships of 1180 college students from the United States (807 females; 373 males) over the course of two months with a set of intrapersonal risk and protective factors, including personality characteristics that rarely have been examined in this population. After accounting for prior dating aggression, perpetration of verbal aggression was predicted uniquely by aggressive attitudes, emotion regulation, and for females, narcissism. Perpetration of physical aggression was predicted by aggressive attitudes, but only at low levels of emotion regulation, and the interaction of callous-unemotional traits, emotion regulation, and gender: males with low levels of callous-unemotional traits perpetrated less physical aggression when they reported greater emotion regulation. These findings are among the first to show that personality traits and emotion regulation prospectively predict partner aggression in late adolescence and suggest mechanisms for continuity in interpersonal aggression from early adolescence to adulthood. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The full translational spectrum of prevention science: facilitating the transfer of knowledge to practices and policies that prevent behavioral health problems.

PubMed

Fishbein, Diana H; Ridenour, Ty A; Stahl, Mindy; Sussman, Steve

2016-03-01

A broad-span, six-stage translational prevention model is presented, extending from the basic sciences-taking a multi-level systems approach, including the neurobiological sciences-through to globalization. The application of a very wide perspective of translation research from basic scientific discovery to international policy change promises to elicit sustainable, population-level reductions in behavioral health disorders. To illustrate the conceptualization and actualization of a program of translational prevention research, we walk through each stage of research to practice and policy using an exemplar, callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Basic science has identified neurobiological, psychophysiological, behavioral, contextual, and experiential differences in this subgroup, and yet, these findings have not been applied to the development of more targeted intervention. As a result, there are currently no programs considered especially effective for CU traits, likely because they do not specifically target underlying mechanisms. To prevent/reduce the prevalence of conduct disorder, it is critical that we transfer existing knowledge to subsequent translational stages, including intervention development, implementation, and scaling. And eventually, once resulting programs have been rigorously evaluated, replicated, and adapted across cultural, ethnic, and gender groups, there is potential to institutionalize them as well as call attention to the special needs of this population. In this paper, we begin to consider what resources and changes in research perspectives are needed to move along this translational spectrum.

Screening of egocentric and unemotional characteristics in incarcerated and community children.

PubMed

Scholte, E M; Stoutjesdijk, R; Van Oudheusden, M A G; Lodewijks, H; Van der Ploeg, J D

2010-01-01

A two-dimensional instrument to screen egocentric and unemotional traits in children was tested in this study, and the associations with the aggressive and the antisocial symptoms of conduct disorder were determined. To this end the narcissistic-egocentric and callous-unemotional characteristics associated with psychopathy were, along with the symptoms of conduct disorder, rated by teachers in a general community sample of 1179 four-to-eighteen-year-old Dutch children, and by professional care takers in a sample of 145 twelve-to eighteen-year-old incarcerated adolescents. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the ratings of the psychopathic characteristics indeed clustered into a dimension with egocentric characteristics and a dimension with unemotional characteristics. Both dimensions were reliable and stable across age and gender groups. In both samples aggressive behavior was primarily linked to the interaction of egocentric and unemotional characteristics, while antisocial behavior was primarily linked to egocentric characteristics only. The incarcerated adolescents showed substantially more characteristics on both psychopathic dimensions than a comparable age and gender matched group with adolescents from the general community sample. The discrimination between normal and incarcerated adolescent youngsters and the linkage with aggressive behavior suggests the existence of a subtype of conduct disordered children displaying narcissism, deficient affect and disruptive social problem behavior.

The Relationship between Large Cavum Septum Pellucidum and Antisocial Behavior, Callous-Unemotional Traits and Psychopathy in Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Stuart F.; Brislin, Sarah; Sinclair, Stephen; Fowler, Katherine A.; Pope, Kayla; Blair, R. James R.

2013-01-01

Background: The presence of a large cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) has been previously associated with antisocial behavior/psychopathic traits in an adult community sample. Aims: The current study investigated the relationship between a large CSP and symptom severity in disruptive behavior disorders (DBD; conduct disorder and oppositional defiant…

Callous-unemotional behavior and early-childhood onset of behavior problems: the role of parental harshness and warmth.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Shaw, Daniel S; Dishion, Thomas J; Wilson, Melvin N; Hyde, Luke W

2015-01-01

Youth with callous-unemotional (CU) behavior are at risk of developing more severe forms of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest that associations between parenting and conduct problems are less strong when children or adolescents have high levels of CU behavior, implying lower malleability of behavior compared to low-CU children. The current study extends previous findings by examining the moderating role of CU behavior on associations between parenting and behavior problems in a very young sample, both concurrently and longitudinally, and using a variety of measurement methods. Data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample at ages 2 to 4 (N = 364; 49% female). Parent-reported CU behavior was assessed at age 3 using a previously validated measure (Hyde et al., 2013 ). Parental harshness was coded from observations of parent-child interactions and parental warmth was coded from 5-min speech samples. In this large and young sample, CU behavior moderated cross-sectional correlations between parent-reported and observed warmth and child behavior problems. However, in cross-sectional and longitudinal models testing parental harshness, and longitudinal models testing warmth, there was no moderation by CU behavior. The findings are in line with recent literature suggesting parental warmth may be important to child behavior problems at high levels of CU behavior. In general, however, the results of this study contrast with much of the extant literature and suggest that in young children, affective aspects of parenting appear to be related to emerging behavior problems, regardless of the presence of early CU behavior.

Interactions between callous unemotional behaviors and executive function in early childhood predict later socioemotional functioning

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Hyde, Luke W.; Baskin-Sommers, Arielle; Olson, Sheryl L.

2018-01-01

Callous unemotional (CU) behaviors are linked to aggression, behavior problems, and difficulties in peer relationships in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether early childhood CU behaviors predict aggression or peer-rejection during late-childhood or potential moderation of this relationship by executive function. The current study examined whether the interaction of CU behaviors and executive function in early childhood predicted different forms of aggression in late-childhood, including proactive, reactive, and relational aggression, as well as how much children were liked by their peers. Data from cross-informant reports and multiple observational tasks were collected from a high-risk sample (N=240; female=118) at ages 3 and 10 years old. Parent reports of CU behaviors at age 3 predicted teacher reports of reactive, proactive, and relational aggression, as well as lower peer-liking at age 10. Moderation analysis showed that specifically at high levels of CU behaviors and low levels of observed executive function, children were reported by teachers as showing greater reactive and proactive aggression, and were less-liked by peers. Findings demonstrate that early childhood CU behaviors and executive function have unique main and interactive effects on both later aggression and lower peer-liking even when taking into account stability in behavior problems over time. By elucidating how CU behaviors and deficits in executive function potentiate each other during early childhood, we can better characterize the emergence of severe and persistent behavior and interpersonal difficulties across development. PMID:27418255

Children's Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate Links between Their Positive Relationships with Parents at Preschool Age and Externalizing Behavior Problems at Early School Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kochanska, Grazyna; Kim, Sanghag; Boldt, Lea J.; Yoon, Jeung Eun

2013-01-01

Background: Growing research on children's traits as moderators of links between parenting and developmental outcomes has shown that variations in positivity, warmth, or responsiveness in parent-child relationships are particularly consequential for temperamentally difficult or biologically vulnerable children. But very few studies have…

The interplay among socioeconomic status, household chaos, and parenting in the prediction of child conduct problems and callous-unemotional behaviors.

PubMed

Mills-Koonce, W Roger; Willoughby, Michael T; Garrett-Peters, Patricia; Wagner, Nicholas; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2016-08-01

Child conduct problems (CP) reflect a heterogeneous collection of oppositional, aggressive, norm-violating, and sometimes violent behaviors, whereas child callous-unemotional (CU) behaviors reflect interpersonal styles of interactions reflecting a lack of guilt and empathy as well as uncaring and shallow emotional responses to others. Taken together, high levels of child CP and CU behaviors are thought to identify a relatively homogenous group of children at elevated risk for persistent and more severe problem behaviors across childhood and into adulthood. Although a large body of research has examined the developmental etiology of CP behaviors, only recently has a developmental psychopathology approach been applied to early CU behaviors. The current study examines multiple levels of contextual influences during the first years of life, including family socioeconomic status, household chaos, and parenting behaviors, on CP and CU behaviors assessed during the first-grade year. Whereas previous studies found associations between parenting behaviors and child problem behaviors moderated by household chaos, the current study found no evidence of moderation. However, path analyses suggest that the associations between child CP and CU behaviors and the contextual variables of socioeconomic status (family income and parental education) and household chaos (disorganization and instability) were mediated by maternal sensitive and harsh-intrusive parenting behavior. Analyses are presented, interpreted, and discussed with respect to both bioecological and family stress models of development.

Callous-unemotional behavior and early-childhood onset of behavior problems: the role of parental harshness and warmth

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Gardner, Frances; Shaw, Daniel S.; Dishion, Thomas J.; Wilson, Melvin N.; Hyde, Luke W.

2014-01-01

Objective Youth with callous unemotional (CU) behavior are at risk of developing more severe forms of aggressive and antisocial behavior. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest that associations between parenting and conduct problems are less strong when children or adolescents have high levels of CU behavior, implying lower malleability of behavior compared to low-CU children. The current study extends previous findings by examining the moderating role of CU behavior on associations between parenting and behavior problems in a very young sample, both concurrently and longitudinally, and using a variety of measurement methods. Methods Data were collected from a multi-ethnic, high-risk sample at ages 2–4 (N = 364; 49% female). Parent-reported CU behavior was assessed at age 3 using a previously validated measure (Hyde et al., 2013). Parental harshness was coded from observations of parent-child interactions and parental warmth was coded from five-minute speech samples. Results In this large and young sample, CU behavior moderated cross-sectional correlations between parent-reported and observed warmth and child behavior problems. However, in cross-sectional and longitudinal models testing parental harshness, and longitudinal models testing warmth, there was no moderation by CU behavior. Conclusions The findings are in line with recent literature suggesting parental warmth may be important to child behavior problems at high levels of CU behavior. In general, however, the results of this study contrast with much of the extant literature and suggest that in young children, affective aspects of parenting appear to be related to emerging behavior problems, regardless of the presence of early CU behavior. PMID:24661288

Interactions between Callous Unemotional Behaviors and Executive Function in Early Childhood Predict later Aggression and Lower Peer-liking in Late-childhood.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Hyde, Luke W; Baskin-Sommers, Arielle R; Olson, Sheryl L

2017-04-01

Callous unemotional (CU) behaviors are linked to aggression, behavior problems, and difficulties in peer relationships in children and adolescents. However, few studies have examined whether early childhood CU behaviors predict aggression or peer-rejection during late-childhood or potential moderation of this relationship by executive function. The current study examined whether the interaction of CU behaviors and executive function in early childhood predicted different forms of aggression in late-childhood, including proactive, reactive, and relational aggression, as well as how much children were liked by their peers. Data from cross-informant reports and multiple observational tasks were collected from a high-risk sample (N = 240; female = 118) at ages 3 and 10 years old. Parent reports of CU behaviors at age 3 predicted teacher reports of reactive, proactive, and relational aggression, as well as lower peer-liking at age 10. Moderation analysis showed that specifically at high levels of CU behaviors and low levels of observed executive function, children were reported by teachers as showing greater reactive and proactive aggression, and were less-liked by peers. Findings demonstrate that early childhood CU behaviors and executive function have unique main and interactive effects on both later aggression and lower peer-liking even when taking into account stability in behavior problems over time. By elucidating how CU behaviors and deficits in executive function potentiate each other during early childhood, we can better characterize the emergence of severe and persistent behavior and interpersonal difficulties across development.

Early Callous-Unemotional Behavior, Theory-of-mind, and a Fearful/Inhibited Temperament Predict Externalizing Problems in Middle and Late Childhood

PubMed Central

Song, Ju-Hyun; Waller, Rebecca; Hyde, Luke W.; Olson, Sheryl L.

2016-01-01

Childhood externalizing problems are more likely to be severe and persistent when combined with high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) behavior. A handful of recent studies have shown that CU behavior can also be reliably measured in the early preschool years, which may help to identify young children who are less likely to desist from early externalizing behaviors. The current study extends previous literature by examining the role of CU behavior in very early childhood in the prediction of externalizing problems in both middle and late childhood, and tests whether other relevant child characteristics, including Theory-of-Mind (ToM) and fearful/inhibited temperament moderate these pathways. Multi-method data, including parent reports of child CU behavior and fearful/inhibited temperament, observations of ToM, and teacher-reported externalizing problems were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at ages 3, 6, and 10 (N=241; 48% female). Results demonstrated that high levels of CU behavior predicted externalizing problems at ages 6 and 10 over and above the effect of earlier externalizing problems at age 3, but that these main effects were qualified by two interactions. High CU behavior was related to higher levels of externalizing problems specifically for children with low ToM and a low fearful/inhibited temperament. The results show that a multitude of child characteristics likely interact across development to increase or buffer risk for child externalizing problems. These findings can inform the development of targeted early prevention and intervention for children with high CU behavior. PMID:26582182

Early Callous-Unemotional Behavior, Theory-of-Mind, and a Fearful/Inhibited Temperament Predict Externalizing Problems in Middle and Late Childhood.

PubMed

Song, Ju-Hyun; Waller, Rebecca; Hyde, Luke W; Olson, Sheryl L

2016-08-01

Childhood externalizing problems are more likely to be severe and persistent when combined with high levels of callous-unemotional (CU) behavior. A handful of recent studies have shown that CU behavior can also be reliably measured in the early preschool years, which may help to identify young children who are less likely to desist from early externalizing behaviors. The current study extends previous literature by examining the role of CU behavior in very early childhood in the prediction of externalizing problems in both middle and late childhood, and tests whether other relevant child characteristics, including Theory-of-Mind (ToM) and fearful/inhibited temperament moderate these pathways. Multi-method data, including parent reports of child CU behavior and fearful/inhibited temperament, observations of ToM, and teacher-reported externalizing problems were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children assessed at ages 3, 6, and 10 (N = 241; 48 % female). Results demonstrated that high levels of CU behavior predicted externalizing problems at ages 6 and 10 over and above the effect of earlier externalizing problems at age 3, but that these main effects were qualified by two interactions. High CU behavior was related to higher levels of externalizing problems specifically for children with low ToM and a low fearful/inhibited temperament. The results show that a multitude of child characteristics likely interact across development to increase or buffer risk for child externalizing problems. These findings can inform the development of targeted early prevention and intervention for children with high CU behavior.

Imaging decision about whether to benefit self by harming others: Adolescents with conduct and substance problems, with or without callous-unemotionality, or developing typically.

PubMed

Sakai, Joseph T; Dalwani, Manish S; Mikulich-Gilbertson, Susan K; Raymond, Kristen; McWilliams, Shannon; Tanabe, Jody; Rojas, Don; Regner, Michael; Banich, Marie T; Crowley, Thomas J

2017-05-30

We sought to identify brain activation differences in conduct-problem youth with limited prosocial emotions (LPE) compared to conduct-problem youth without LPE and community adolescents, and to test associations between brain activation and severity of callous-unemotional traits. We utilized a novel task, which asks subjects to repeatedly decide whether to accept offers where they will benefit but a beneficent other will be harmed. Behavior on this task has been previously associated with levels of prosocial emotions and severity of callous-unemotional traits, and is related to empathic concern. During fMRI acquisition, 66 male adolescents (21 conduct-problem patients with LPE, 21 without, and 24 typically-developing controls) played this novel game. Within typically-developing controls, we identified a network engaged during decision involving bilateral insula, and inferior parietal and medial frontal cortices, among other regions. Group comparisons using non-parametric (distribution-free) permutation tests demonstrated LPE patients had lower activation estimates than typically-developing adolescents in right anterior insula. Additional significant group differences emerged with our a priori parametric cluster-wise inference threshold. These results suggest measurable functional brain activation differences in conduct-problem adolescents with LPE compared to typically-developing adolescents. Such differences may underscore differential treatment needs for conduct-problem males with and without LPE. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Annotation: Understanding the Development of Psychopathy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viding, Essi

2004-01-01

Background: Psychopaths are not only antisocial, but also have a callous and unemotional personality profile. This article selectively reviews evidence that psychopathic personality traits are an important factor in understanding and predicting the development of persistent antisocial conduct. Cognitive neuroscience research and more tentative…

Suspicious young minds: paranoia and mistrust in 8- to 14-year-olds in the U.K. and Hong Kong.

PubMed

Wong, Keri K; Freeman, Daniel; Hughes, Claire

2014-09-01

Research on paranoia in adults suggests a spectrum of severity, but this dimensional approach has yet to be applied to children or to groups from different countries. To investigate the structure, prevalence and correlates of mistrust in children living in the U.K. and Hong Kong. Children aged 8-14 years from the U.K. (n = 1086) and Hong Kong (n = 1412) completed a newly developed mistrust questionnaire as well as standard questionnaire measures of anxiety, self-esteem, aggression and callous-unemotional traits. Confirmatory factor analysis of the U.K. data supported a three-factor mode--mistrust at home, mistrust at school and eneral mistrust - with a clear positive skew in the data: just 3.4%, 8.5% and 4.1% of the children endorsed at least half of the mistrust items for home, school and general subscales respectively. These findings were replicated in Hong Kong. Moreover, compared with their peers, 'mistrustful' children (in both countries) reported elevated rates of anxiety, low self-esteem, aggression and callous-unemotional traits. Mistrust may exist as a quantitative trait in children, which, as in adults, is associated with elevated risks of internalising and externalising problems. Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Psychopathic traits moderate peer influence on adolescent delinquency.

PubMed

Kerr, Margaret; Van Zalk, Maarten; Stattin, Håkan

2012-08-01

Peer influence on adolescent delinquency is well established, but little is known about moderators of peer influence. In this study, we examined adolescents' (targets) and their peers' psychopathic personality traits as moderators of peer influence on delinquency in peer networks. We used three separate dimensions of the psychopathic personality: grandiose-manipulative traits, callous-unemotional traits, and impulsive-irresponsible traits. We used a peer network approach with five waves of longitudinal data from 847 adolescents in one community. Peer nominations were not limited to the school context, thus allowing us to capture all potentially important peers. In addition, peers reported on their own delinquency, thus allowing us to avoid problems of false consensus or projection that arise when individuals report on their peers' delinquency. We used simulation investigation for empirical network analyses (SIENA), which is the only program currently available that can be used to study peer influence effects in peer networks of multiple relationships while controlling for selection effects. Targets' and peers' callous-unemotional and grandiose-manipulative traits uniquely moderated peer influence on delinquency. Relative to those with low levels, targets who were high on these traits were less influenced by peers' delinquency, and peers who were high on these traits were more influential on targets' delinquency. Selection effects were found for impulsive-irresponsible traits, but these traits did not moderate peer influence on delinquency. As the first study to look at moderating effects of psychopathic traits on peer influence, this study advances knowledge about peer influence on delinquency and about psychopathic traits in adolescents. In addition, the study contributes to the literature by looking at unique effects of the three dimensions of psychopathy and taking a peer network approach, in which network effects, self-selection, and other selection effects are controlled when examining influence and moderators of influence. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2011 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

A Multitrait-Multimethod Approach to Assessing Childhood Aggression and Related Constructs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barhight, Lydia R.; Hubbard, Julie A.; Swift, Lauren E.; Konold, Timothy R.

2017-01-01

Data were collected about 95 fourth-grade and fifth-grade children from three sources (teachers, parents, and children) on four constructs related to aggression (proactive aggression, reactive aggression, callous-unemotional traits, and anger dysregulation) by using a multitrait-multimethod design. Two goals were addressed through a…

Can Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Inform Intervention for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD)?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederickson, Norah; Jones, Alice P.; Warren, Laura; Deakes, Tara; Allen, Geoff

2013-01-01

An initial evaluation of the utility of designing an intervention to address neuroscience-based subtyping of children who have conduct problems was undertaken in this pilot study. Drawing on the literature on callous-unemotional traits, a novel intervention programme, "Let's Get Smart", was implemented in a school for children with…

Psychopathic Features Moderate the Relationship between Harsh and Inconsistent Parental Discipline and Adolescent Antisocial Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edens, John F.; Skopp, Nancy A.; Cahill, Melissa A.

2008-01-01

Although the quality of parenting predicts externalizing behavior problems generally, ineffective parenting may be less relevant to explaining the behavior problems of children high in callous-unemotional traits. This study tested the potential moderating role of psychopathic features among juvenile offenders (n = 76). Youths were administered the…

[Psychopathy in children and teenagers: models, theories and the latest research].

PubMed

Halty, Lucía; Martínez, Ana; Requena, Carmen; Santos, Juan M; Ortiz, Tomás

2011-03-01

Most research about psychopathy have been conducted on adults. It is important to focus on the study of psychopathy in children to better understand the evolution of this disorder. This article focuses on a brief review of the contributions from psychology, where trait callous unemotional is closely related to the presence of antisocial behavior and conduct disorders, therefore, is an important factor in development of psychopathy. Also, we reviewed from the perspective of neuroscience where we found a reduced response of the amygdala in young people with presence of characteristic high scores on callous unemotional and psychopathy. We have also found an abnormal response in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. It is important to note these results because children with these characteristics are very difficult to socialize.

An fMRI investigation of empathic processing in boys with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits.

PubMed

Sethi, Arjun; O'Nions, Elizabeth; McCrory, Eamon; Bird, Geoffrey; Viding, Essi

2018-01-01

The ability to empathise relies in part on using one's own affective experience to simulate the affective experience of others. This process is supported by a number of brain areas including the anterior insula (AI), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and the amygdala. Children with conduct problems (CP), and in particular those with high levels of callous-unemotional traits (CP/HCU) present with less empathy than their peers. They also show reduced neural response in areas supporting empathic processing when viewing other people in distress. The current study focused on identifying brain areas co-activated during affective introspection of: i) One's own emotions ('Own emotion'); ii) Others' emotions ('Other emotion'); and iii) One's feelings about others' emotions ('Feel for other') during fearful vs neutral scenarios in typically developing boys (TD; n  = 31), boys with CP/HCU ( n  = 31), and boys with CP and low levels of CU (CP/LCU; n  = 33). The conjunction analysis across conditions within the TD group revealed significant clusters of activation in the AI, ACC/mPFC, and occipital cortex. Conjunction analyses across conditions in the CP/HCU and CP/LCU groups did not identify these areas as significantly activated. However, follow-up analyses were not able to confirm statistically significant differences between groups across the whole network, and Bayes-factor analyses did not provide substantial support for either the null or alternate hypotheses. Post-hoc comparisons indicated that the lack of conjunction effects in the CP/HCU group may reflect reduced affective introspection in the 'Other emotion' and 'Feel for other' conditions, and by reduced affective introspection in the 'Own emotion' condition in the CP/LCU group. These findings provide limited and ultimately equivocal evidence for altered affective introspection regarding others in CP/HCU, and altered affective introspection for own emotions in CP/LCU, and highlight the need for further research to systematically investigate the precise nature of empathy deficits in children with CP.

Moral Disengagement among Serious Juvenile Offenders: A Longitudinal Study of the Relations between Morally Disengaged Attitudes and Offending

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shulman, Elizabeth P.; Cauffman, Elizabeth; Piquero, Alex R.; Fagan, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

The present study investigates the relation between moral disengagement--one's willingness to conditionally endorse transgressive behavior--and ongoing offending in a sample of adolescent male felony offenders (N = 1,169). In addition, the study attempts to rule out callous-unemotional traits as a third variable responsible for observed…

Observed callousness as a predictor of treatment outcomes in parent management training.

PubMed

Bjørnebekk, Gunnar; Kjøbli, John

2017-01-01

The goal of this study was to examine how observed Callous-Unemotional (CU) behavior influenced change in externalized and internalized problems, hyperactivity, social competence, and treatment satisfaction following parent management training. Three hundred twenty-three children and their families received Parent Management Training-the Oregon model (PMTO). They were compared at intake and after treatment in order to examine differences in 14 treatment outcomes using hierarchical regression analyses. Children with low levels of observed CU showed the greatest gains after PMTO treatment. This was evident in parent, therapist, self, and teacher reports. The results indicate that it is possible to observe CU behavior among children with conduct problems, and that children with elevated levels of observed CU behavior may be in need of additional treatment or components of treatment or more intense versions of parent management treatment.

Juvenile Psychopathic Personality Traits are Associated with Poor Reading Achievement

PubMed Central

DeLisi, Matt; Beaver, Kevin M.; Wexler, Jade; Barth, Amy; Fletcher, Jack

2011-01-01

The current study sought to further the understanding of the linkage between maladaptive behavior and cognitive problems by examining the relations between psychopathic personality traits and reading comprehension performance. Data were derived from a study of 432 predominately African-American and Hispanic middle-school students. Dependent variables consisted of three measures of reading comprehension. Psychopathy measures included the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits (ICU—teacher rated) and the self-reported Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI). Findings from regression models indicated that self-report and teacher ratings of psychopathy were statistically significant inverse predictors of reading performance. Specifically, affective facets of psychopathy were potent predictors of reading comprehension over and above ADHD, IQ, and an impulsivity component of psychopathy. Study results extend the utility of psychopathy construct generally and affective traits specifically to reading achievement, which has broad implications. Findings are discussed with respect to future research and prevention. PMID:20957434

Physiological Arousal and Juvenile Psychopathy: Is Low Resting Heart Rate Associated With Affective Dimensions?

PubMed Central

Kavish, Nicholas; Vaughn, Michael G.; Cho, Eunsoo; Barth, Amy; Boutwell, Brian; Vaughn, Sharon; Capin, Philip; Stillman, Stephanie; Martinez, Leticia

2016-01-01

A wealth of past research has examined the relationship between low physiological arousal and violence or antisocial behavior. Relatively little research; however, has examined the relationship between low physiological arousal and psychopathic traits, with even less having been conducted with juveniles. The current study attempts to fill this gap by evaluating juveniles’ physiological arousal using resting heart rate and their levels of psychopathic traits. Results suggest that there is indeed an inverse relationship between resting heart rate and the affective traits of psychopathy (Uncaring, Callousness, and Unemotionality) as well as Thrill or Sensation Seeking in males. No significant relationship was found in females. Implications of the findings as well as study limitations and future directions are discussed. PMID:27160003

Emotion Regulation in Adolescent Males with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Testing the Effects of Comorbid Conduct Disorder.

PubMed

Northover, Clare; Thapar, Anita; Langley, Kate; van Goozen, Stephanie

2015-09-07

Although attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to emotion dysregulation, few studies have experimentally investigated this whilst controlling for the effects of comorbid conduct disorder (CD). Economic decision-making games that assess how individuals respond to offers varying in fairness have been used to study emotion regulation. The present study compared adolescent boys with ADHD (n = 90), ADHD + CD (n = 94) and typical controls (n = 47) on the Ultimatum Game and examined the contribution of ADHD and CD symptom scores and callous and unemotional traits to acceptance levels of unfair offers. There were no significant differences in acceptance rates of fair and highly unfair offers between groups, and only boys with ADHD did not significantly differ from the controls. However, the subgroup of boys with ADHD and additional high levels of aggressive CD symptoms rejected significantly more ambiguous (i.e., moderately unfair) offers than any other subgroup, suggesting impaired emotion regulation in those with ADHD and aggressive CD. Correlations within the CD group showed that the rejection rate to moderately unfair offers was predicted by aggressive CD symptom severity, but not callous and unemotional traits. These findings highlight the fact that ADHD is a heterogeneous condition from an emotion regulation point of view.

Observed fearlessness and positive parenting interact to predict childhood callous-unemotional behaviors among low-income boys

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S.; Hyde, Luke W.

2016-01-01

Background Callous-unemotional behaviors identify children at risk for severe and chronic antisocial behavior. Research is needed to establish pathways from temperament and parenting factors that give rise to callous-unemotional behaviors, including interactions of positive versus harsh parenting with child fearlessness. Methods Multi-method data, including parent reports and observations of parent and child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal sample of low-income boys (N=310) with assessments at 18, 24, and 42 months, and at ages 10–12 years old. Results Parent-reported callous-unemotional, oppositional, and attention-deficit factors were separable at 42 months. Callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at ages 10–12, accounting for earlier oppositional and attention-deficit behaviors and self-reported child delinquency at ages 10–12. Observations of fearlessness at 24 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months, but only when parents exhibited low observed levels of positive parenting. The interaction of fearlessness and low positive parenting indirectly predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 10–12 via callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months. Conclusions Early fearlessness interacts with low positive parenting to predict early callous-unemotional behaviors, with lasting effects of this person-by-context interaction on callous-unemotional behaviors into late-childhood. PMID:27917472

The neurobiology of psychopathic traits in youths

PubMed Central

Blair, R. James J.

2015-01-01

Conduct disorder is a childhood behaviour disorder that is characterized by persistent aggressive or antisocial behaviour that disrupts the child’s environment and impairs his or her functioning. A proportion of children with conduct disorder have psychopathic traits. Psychopathic traits consist of a callous–unemotional component and an impulsive–antisocial component, which are associated with two core impairments. The first is a reduced empathic response to the distress of other individuals, which primarily reflects reduced amygdala responsiveness to distress cues; the second is deficits in decision making and in reinforcement learning, which reflects dysfunction in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and striatum. Genetic and prenatal factors contribute to the abnormal development of these neural systems, and social–environmental variables that affect motivation influence the probability that antisocial behaviour will be subsequently displayed. PMID:24105343

The neurobiology of psychopathic traits in youths.

PubMed

Blair, R James R

2013-11-01

Conduct disorder is a childhood behaviour disorder that is characterized by persistent aggressive or antisocial behaviour that disrupts the child's environment and impairs his or her functioning. A proportion of children with conduct disorder have psychopathic traits. Psychopathic traits consist of a callous-unemotional component and an impulsive-antisocial component, which are associated with two core impairments. The first is a reduced empathic response to the distress of other individuals, which primarily reflects reduced amygdala responsiveness to distress cues; the second is deficits in decision making and in reinforcement learning, which reflects dysfunction in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and striatum. Genetic and prenatal factors contribute to the abnormal development of these neural systems, and social-environmental variables that affect motivation influence the probability that antisocial behaviour will be subsequently displayed.

Neural correlates of affective empathy and reinforcement learning in boys with conduct problems: fMRI evidence from a gambling task.

PubMed

Schwenck, Christina; Ciaramidaro, Angela; Selivanova, Marina; Tournay, Jennifer; Freitag, Christine M; Siniatchkin, Michael

2017-03-01

Conduct problems (CP) comprise abnormal behaviors associated with aberrant aspects of affective empathy as well as learning. However, behavioral measures for affective empathy are challenging, and previous results concerning learning in patients with CP are inconsistent. Nineteen boys with CP and 24 typically developing (TD) boys aged 11-17 years (M=14.34, SD=1.93) participated in the study. An ultimatum-game was applied in order to elicit the feeling of like or dislike towards the opponent for a subsequent gambling task, which was played by the opponents (OTHER-condition) and by the participants themselves (SELF-condition). Functional MRI data were recorded throughout the experiment. In accordance with the model of insensitivity to punishment, hypo-activation of the left amygdala, left anterior insula, ventral medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and bilateral temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) was observed as a response to losing in participants with CP during the SELF-condition. Callous-unemotional (CU)-traits correlated negatively with activation of amygdala and right TPJ. During the OTHER-condition, TD participants showed activation in brain areas associated with theory of mind (right TPJ, left IFG), and affect regulation (right DLPFC) rather than areas associated with affective empathy. This pattern was not found in adolescents with CP. Moreover, and independently of individual characteristics of their opponents, adolescents with CP demonstrated reward-associated activation (ventral striatum) observing others win, which was positively correlated with CU-traits. This may be interpreted in line with the theory of reward dominance. The current study provides support for the theory of abnormal learning processing in adolescents with CP which yields implications for further research as well as clinical practice. The gambling task did not activate affective empathy networks, but was specific for cognitive empathy, inhibition, and affect regulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Observed fearlessness and positive parenting interact to predict childhood callous-unemotional behaviors among low-income boys.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S; Hyde, Luke W

2017-03-01

Callous-unemotional behaviors identify children at risk for severe and chronic antisocial behavior. Research is needed to establish pathways from temperament and parenting factors that give rise to callous-unemotional behaviors, including interactions of positive versus harsh parenting with child fearlessness. Multimethod data, including parent reports and observations of parent and child behavior, were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal sample of low-income boys (N = 310) with assessments at 18, 24, and 42 months, and at ages 10-12 years old. Parent-reported callous-unemotional, oppositional, and attention-deficit factors were separable at 42 months. Callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at ages 10-12, accounting for earlier oppositional and attention-deficit behaviors and self-reported child delinquency at ages 10-12. Observations of fearlessness at 24 months predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months, but only when parents exhibited low observed levels of positive parenting. The interaction of fearlessness and low positive parenting indirectly predicted callous-unemotional behaviors at 10-12 via callous-unemotional behaviors at 42 months. Early fearlessness interacts with low positive parenting to predict early callous-unemotional behaviors, with lasting effects of this person-by-context interaction on callous-unemotional behaviors into late childhood. © 2016 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Cortisol levels at baseline and under stress in adolescent males with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, with or without comorbid conduct disorder.

PubMed

Northover, Clare; Thapar, Anita; Langley, Kate; Fairchild, Graeme; van Goozen, Stephanie H M

2016-08-30

Reported findings on cortisol reactivity to stress in young people with ADHD are very variable. This inconsistency may be explained by high rates of comorbidity with Conduct Disorder (CD). The present study examined cortisol responses to a psychosocial stressor in a large sample of adolescent males with ADHD (n=202), with or without a comorbid diagnosis of Conduct Disorder (CD). Associations between stress reactivity and callous-unemotional traits and internalizing symptoms were also assessed. The ADHD only (n=95) and ADHD+CD (n=107) groups did not differ in baseline cortisol, but the ADHD+CD group showed significantly reduced cortisol stress reactivity relative to the ADHD only group. Regression analyses indicated that ADHD symptom severity predicted reduced baseline cortisol, whereas CD symptom severity predicted increased baseline cortisol (ADHD β=-0.24, CD β=0.16, R=0.26) and reduced cortisol stress reactivity (β=-0.17, R=0.17). Callous-unemotional traits and internalizing symptoms were not significantly related to baseline or stress-induced cortisol. Impaired cortisol reactivity is hypothesised to reflect fearlessness and is associated with deficient emotion regulation and inhibition of aggressive and antisocial behaviour. Consequently, it may partly explain the greater severity of problems seen in those with comorbid ADHD and CD. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Assessing invariance across sex and race/ethnicity in measures of youth psychopathic characteristics.

PubMed

Horan, Jacqueline M; Brown, Joshua L; Jones, Stephanie M; Aber, J Lawrence

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of 2 commonly used measures of youth psychopathic characteristics across sex and racial/ethnic groups. Among a community sample of Hispanic and Black adolescents (N = 355; 50.5% female; mean age = 15.09) and their parents, this study tested the configural and metric invariance of the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale (LSRP; Levenson, Fitzpatrick, & Kiehl, 1995) and the parent-report version of the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (Frick, 2004). Preliminary analyses indicated that the adolescents in the present study reported similar rates of psychopathic characteristics as those reported by other studies of adolescents and young adults. Results of the multigroup invariance analyses indicated that these measures are invariant across sex and between Hispanic and Black youth. In addition, further analyses assessing associations between these measures and a number of behavioral and emotional characteristics indicated that scores on the LSRP Scale and Callous-Unemotional Traits demonstrate good convergent and discriminant validity with few differences by sex or race/ethnicity. To date, research on psychopathy has focused predominantly on samples of White males. Therefore, it is important that research examines the equivalence of measures of psychopathic characteristics across different populations, so that accurate assessments can be made to inform intervention and treatment efforts. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Callousness and affective face processing in adults: Behavioral and brain-potential indicators.

PubMed

Brislin, Sarah J; Yancey, James R; Perkins, Emily R; Palumbo, Isabella M; Drislane, Laura E; Salekin, Randall T; Fanti, Kostas A; Kimonis, Eva R; Frick, Paul J; Blair, R James R; Patrick, Christopher J

2018-03-01

The investigation of callous-unemotional (CU) traits has been central to contemporary research on child behavior problems, and served as the impetus for inclusion of a specifier for conduct disorder in the latest edition of the official psychiatric diagnostic system. Here, we report results from 2 studies that evaluated the construct validity of callousness as assessed in adults, by testing for affiliated deficits in behavioral and neural processing of fearful faces, as have been shown in youthful samples. We hypothesized that scores on an established measure of callousness would predict reduced recognition accuracy and diminished electocortical reactivity for fearful faces in adult participants. In Study 1, 66 undergraduate participants performed an emotion recognition task in which they viewed affective faces of different types and indicated the emotion expressed by each. In Study 2, electrocortical data were collected from 254 adult twins during viewing of fearful and neutral face stimuli, and scored for event-related response components. Analyses of Study 1 data revealed that higher callousness was associated with decreased recognition accuracy for fearful faces specifically. In Study 2, callousness was associated with reduced amplitude of both N170 and P200 responses to fearful faces. Current findings demonstrate for the first time that callousness in adults is associated with both behavioral and physiological deficits in the processing of fearful faces. These findings support the validity of the CU construct with adults and highlight the possibility of a multidomain measurement framework for continued study of this important clinical construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Towards an understanding of the role of the environment in the development of early callous behavior

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S.; Neiderhiser, Jenae M.; Ganiban, Jody M.; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Reiss, David; Trentacosta, Christopher; Leve, Leslie D.; Hyde, Luke W.

2015-01-01

Key to understanding the long-term impact of social inequalities is identifying early behaviors that may signal higher risk for later poor psychosocial outcomes, such as psychopathology. A set of early-emerging characteristics that may signal risk for later externalizing psychopathology is Callous-Unemotional (CU) behavior. CU behavior predict severe and chronic trajectories of externalizing behaviors in youth. However, much research on CU behavior has focused on late childhood and adolescence, with little attention paid to early childhood when preventative interventions may be most effective. In this paper, we summarize our recent work showing that: (1) CU behavior can be identified in early childhood using items from common behavior checklists; (2) CU behavior predicts worse outcomes across early childhood; (3) CU behavior exhibits a distinct nomological network from other early externalizing behaviors; and (4) malleable environmental factors, particularly parenting, may play a role in the development of early CU behaviors. We discuss the challenges of studying contextual contributors to the development of CU behavior in terms of gene-environment correlations and present initial results from work examining CU behavior in an adoption study in which gene-environment correlations are examined in early childhood. We find that parenting is a predictor of early CU behavior even in a sample in which parents are not genetically related to the children. PMID:26291075

Learning-style bias and the development of psychopathy.

PubMed

Moul, Caroline; Dadds, Mark R

2013-02-01

In accordance with a recently proposed account of amygdala function in psychopathy, it is hypothesized that people with high levels of psychopathic personality traits have a bias in learning style to encode the general valence, and neglect the specific-features, of an outcome. We present a novel learning task designed to operationalize these biases in learning style. The results from pilot samples of healthy adults and children and from a clinical sample of children with conduct problems provide support for the validity of the learning task as a measure of learning style and demonstrate a significant relationship between general-valence style learning and psychopathic personality traits. It is suggested that this relationship may be important for the aetiology of the social-cognitive deficits exhibited by psychopaths. These preliminary results suggest that this measure of learning style has the potential to be utilized as a research tool and may assist with the early identification, and treatment, of children with conduct problems and high levels of callous-unemotional traits.

Early Identification and Treatment of Antisocial Behavior.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J

2016-10-01

Severe and persistent antisocial behavior is a prevalent, serious, and costly mental health problem. Individuals who are most likely to show persistent antisocial behavior through adolescence and into adulthood often show patterns of severe and varied conduct problems early in childhood. Treatments that intervene early in the development of these problems are most effective and least costly. Furthermore, there appear to be several common causal pathways that differ in their genetic, emotional, cognitive, and contextual characteristics. These pathways are differentiated by the level of callous-unemotional traits displayed by the individual. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Capturing Parenting as a Multidimensional and Dynamic Construct with a Person-Oriented Approach.

PubMed

Zheng, Yao; Pasalich, Dave S; Oberth, Carla; McMahon, Robert J; Pinderhughes, Ellen E

2017-04-01

Although parenting is one of the most commonly studied predictors of child problem behavior, few studies have examined parenting as a multidimensional and dynamic construct. This study investigated different patterns of developmental trajectories of two parenting dimensions (harsh discipline [HD] and parental warmth [PW]) with a person-oriented approach and examined the associations between different parenting patterns and child externalizing problems and callous-unemotional traits. Data were drawn from the combined high-risk control and normative sample (n = 753) of the Fast Track Project. Parent-reported HD and observer-reported PW from kindergarten to grade 2 were fit to growth mixture models. Two subgroups were identified for HD (low decreasing, 83.0 %; high stable, 17.0 %) and PW (high increasing, 78.7 %; low increasing, 21.3 %). The majority of parents (67.0 %) demonstrated the low decreasing HD and high increasing PW pattern, while the prevalence of the high stable HD and low increasing PW pattern was the lowest (6.8 %). Parenting satisfaction, parental depression, family socioeconomic status, and neighborhood safety predicted group memberships jointly defined by the two dimensions. Children from the high stable HD and low increasing PW pattern showed the highest levels of externalizing problems in grades 4 and 5. Children from the low decreasing HD and low increasing PW pattern showed the highest levels of callous-unemotional traits in grade 7. These findings demonstrate the utility and significance of a person-oriented approach to measuring parenting as a multidimensional and dynamic construct and reveal the interplay between HD and PW in terms of their influences on child developmental outcomes.

To tell or not to tell? Psychopathic traits and response integrity in youth delinquency surveys.

PubMed

Laajasalo, Taina; Aronen, Eeva T; Saukkonen, Suvi; Salmi, Venla; Aaltonen, Mikko; Kivivuori, Janne

2016-04-01

Individuals with high psychopathy scores are capable of providing valid self-reports on their own personality traits, but there have been no empirical studies of the effect of psychopathic features on responding to sensitive survey questions about specific behaviours. The aim of this study is to investigate any relationship between facets of psychopathy and participants' willingness to report antisocial acts in youth delinquency surveys, controlling for demographic variables known to be associated with response integrity. In a nationally representative sample of 4,855 Finnish mainstream adolescents aged 15-16, honesty of responding was assessed through direct response integrity questions related to violence, property crime and drug use. Psychopathy was measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device - Self Report (APSD-SR). Callous-unemotional traits and, to a lesser degree, narcissistic features were associated with a dishonest response style, although the effect size was modest. Although psychopathy does not seem to influence the capability and willingness to report personality traits accurately, it may be associated with endorsing dishonest responses to questions about specific behaviours that have possible repercussions. Our findings suggest that previously observed associations between adolescents' self-reported delinquent behaviour and psychopathic traits may be underestimations of the strength of the effects. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A systematic review of the heritability of specific psychopathic traits using Hare's two-factor model of psychopathy.

PubMed

Dhanani, Sapna; Kumari, Veena; Puri, Basant K; Treasaden, Ian; Young, Susan; Sen, Piyal

2018-02-01

There have been no systematic reviews that investigated the heritability of the two-factor model of psychopathy: interpersonal-affective and behavioral. Our review aimed, first, to examine the heritability of general psychopathic traits and, second, if genetic influences were suggested, to determine the heritability of various traits related to the interpersonal-affective and behavioral factors of psychopathy. A systematic literature search was conducted using articles from the PsycINFO, Embase, Global Health, Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases (January of 1980 to December of 2015) in order to identify eligible literature that reported on the heritability of psychopathy-related traits. Papers were also found via manual examination and reference tracking. Papers were subjected to exclusion criteria and quality appraisal. We identified a total of 24 studies. Our results were grouped into three categories: general, interpersonal-affective, and behavioral. All these areas demonstrated modest to high heritability. The highest heritability values were found in studies investigating callous-unemotional behaviors. Heritability was found for all the psychopathic traits. Future research should include endophenotypic approaches that explore gene-environment correlations, which could aid in identification of the behavioral phenotype that is most amenable to early intervention by way of moderation of genetic risk.

Machine learning of structural magnetic resonance imaging predicts psychopathic traits in adolescent offenders.

PubMed

Steele, Vaughn R; Rao, Vikram; Calhoun, Vince D; Kiehl, Kent A

2017-01-15

Classification models are becoming useful tools for finding patterns in neuroimaging data sets that are not observable to the naked eye. Many of these models are applied to discriminating clinical groups such as schizophrenic patients from healthy controls or from patients with bipolar disorder. A more nuanced model might be to discriminate between levels of personality traits. Here, as a proof of concept, we take an initial step toward developing prediction models to differentiate individuals based on a personality disorder: psychopathy. We included three groups of adolescent participants: incarcerated youth with elevated psychopathic traits (i.e., callous and unemotional traits and conduct disordered traits; n=71), incarcerated youth with low psychopathic traits (n=72), and non-incarcerated youth as healthy controls (n=21). Support vector machine (SVM) learning models were developed to separate these groups using an out-of-sample cross-validation method on voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data. Regions of interest from the paralimbic system, identified in an independent forensic sample, were successful in differentiating youth groups. Models seeking to classify incarcerated individuals to have high or low psychopathic traits achieved 69.23% overall accuracy. As expected, accuracy increased in models differentiating healthy controls from individuals with high psychopathic traits (82.61%) and low psychopathic traits (80.65%). Here we have laid the foundation for using neural correlates of personality traits to identify group membership within and beyond psychopathy. This is only the first step, of many, toward prediction models using neural measures as a proxy for personality traits. As these methods are improved, prediction models with neural measures of personality traits could have far-reaching impact on diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of future behavior. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Machine Learning of Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging Predicts Psychopathic Traits in Adolescent Offenders

PubMed Central

Steele, Vaughn R.; Rao, Vikram; Calhoun, Vince D.; Kiehl, Kent A.

2015-01-01

Classification models are becoming useful tools for finding patterns in neuroimaging data sets that are not observable to the naked eye. Many of these models are applied to discriminating clinical groups such as schizophrenic patients from healthy controls or from patients with bipolar disorder. A more nuanced model might be to discriminate between levels of personality traits. Here, as a proof-of-concept, we take an initial step toward developing prediction models to differentiate individuals based on a personality disorder: psychopathy. We included three groups of adolescent participants: incarcerated youth with elevated psychopathic traits (i.e., callous and unemotional traits and conduct disordered traits; n = 71), incarcerated youth with low psychopathic traits (n =72), and non-incarcerated youth as healthy controls (n = 21). Support vector machine (SVM) learning models were developed to separate these groups using an out-of-sample cross-validation method on voxel-based morphometry (VBM) data. Regions-of-interest from the paralimbic system, identified in an independent forensic sample, were successful in differentiating youth groups. Models seeking to classify incarcerated individuals to have high or low psychopathic traits achieved 69.23% overall accuracy. As expected, accuracy increased in models differentiating healthy controls from individuals with high psychopathic traits (82.61%) and low psychopathic traits (80.65%). Here we have laid the foundation for using neural correlates of personality traits to identify group membership within and beyond psychopathy. This is only the first step, of many, toward prediction models using neural measures as a proxy for personality traits. As these methods are improved, prediction models with neural measures of personality traits could have far-reaching impact on diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of future behavior. PMID:26690808

Fear conditioning, persistence of disruptive behavior and psychopathic traits: an fMRI study.

PubMed

Cohn, M D; Popma, A; van den Brink, W; Pape, L E; Kindt, M; van Domburgh, L; Doreleijers, T A H; Veltman, D J

2013-10-29

Children diagnosed with Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD), especially those with psychopathic traits, are at risk of developing persistent and severe antisocial behavior. Deficient fear conditioning may be a key mechanism underlying persistence, and has been associated with altered regional brain function in adult antisocial populations. In this study, we investigated the associations between the neural correlates of fear conditioning, persistence of childhood-onset DBD during adolescence and psychopathic traits. From a cohort of children arrested before the age of 12 years, participants who were diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder or Conduct Disorder in previous waves (mean age of onset 6.5 years, s.d. 3.2) were reassessed at mean age 17.6 years (s.d. 1.4) and categorized as persistent (n=25) or desistent (n=25) DBD. Using the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and functional magnetic resonance imaging during a fear conditioning task, these subgroups were compared with 26 matched healthy controls from the same cohort. Both persistent and desistent DBD subgroups were found to show higher activation in fear processing-related brain areas during fear conditioning compared with healthy controls. In addition, regression analyses revealed that impulsive-irresponsible and grandiose-manipulative psychopathic traits were associated with higher activation, whereas callous-unemotional psychopathic traits were related to lower activation in fear-related areas. Finally, the association between neural activation and DBD subgroup membership was mediated by impulsive-irresponsible psychopathic traits. These results provide evidence for heterogeneity in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychopathic traits and antisocial behavior and, as such, underscore the need to develop personalized interventions.

Neural processing of moral violations among incarcerated adolescents with psychopathic traits.

PubMed

Harenski, Carla L; Harenski, Keith A; Kiehl, Kent A

2014-10-01

Neuroimaging studies have found that adult male psychopaths show reduced engagement of limbic and paralimbic circuitry while making moral judgments. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these findings extend to adolescent males with psychopathic traits. Functional MRI was used to record hemodynamic activity in 111 incarcerated male adolescents while they viewed unpleasant pictures that did or did not depict moral transgressions and rated each on "moral violation severity". Adolescents were assessed for psychopathic traits using the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (KSADS-PL) Conduct Disorder supplement, and Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits-Youth Version (ICU-Y). While viewing pictures depicting moral transgressions, CD scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the anterior temporal cortex. Adolescents scoring low on the ICU-Y showed a positive correlation between right amygdala responses and severity of violation ratings; those with high ICU-Y scores showed a negative correlation. While viewing unpleasant pictures with and without moral transgressions, PCL-YV scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the left amygdala. Overall, the results are consistent with those previously found in adult male psychopaths, but vary depending on the type of psychopathy assessment. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

[Callous and unemotional--do children have psychopathic features?].

PubMed

Laajasalo, Taina; Saukkonen, Suvi; Aronen, Eeva

2014-01-01

The essence of psychopathic personality disorder is considered to consist of emotional deviations, the most central ones of which being the lack of feelings of guilt and empathy along with impoverishment of experiencing emotions. The interest in the occurrence of these callous-unemotional features in children and adolescents has increased over the past few years. According to the most recent studies, parental interventions promoting a positive, warm, and attentive parenting and interaction style are effective in the treatment of children having a conduct disorder accompanied by callous-unemotional features.

Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct-disordered juvenile offenders.

PubMed

Aghajani, Moji; Colins, Olivier F; Klapwijk, Eduard T; Veer, Ilya M; Andershed, Henrik; Popma, Arne; van der Wee, Nic J; Vermeiren, Robert R J M

2016-11-01

Psychopathy is a serious psychiatric phenomenon characterized by a pathological constellation of affective (e.g., callous, unemotional), interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, egocentric), and behavioral (e.g., impulsive, irresponsible) personality traits. Though amygdala subregional defects are suggested in psychopathy, the functionality and connectivity of different amygdala subnuclei is typically disregarded in neurocircuit-level analyses of psychopathic personality. Hence, little is known of how amygdala subregional networks may contribute to psychopathy and its underlying trait assemblies in severely antisocial people. We addressed this important issue by uniquely examining the intrinsic functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala networks in relation to affective, interpersonal, and behavioral traits of psychopathy, in conduct-disordered juveniles with a history of serious delinquency (N = 50, mean age = 16.83 ± 1.32). As predicted, amygdalar connectivity profiles exhibited dissociable relations with different traits of psychopathy. Interpersonal psychopathic traits not only related to increased connectivity of BLA and CMA with a corticostriatal network formation accommodating reward processing, but also predicted stronger CMA connectivity with a network of cortical midline structures supporting sociocognitive processes. In contrast, affective psychopathic traits related to diminished CMA connectivity with a frontolimbic network serving salience processing and affective responding. Finally, behavioral psychopathic traits related to heightened BLA connectivity with a frontoparietal cluster implicated in regulatory executive functioning. We suggest that these trait-specific shifts in amygdalar connectivity could be particularly relevant to the psychopathic phenotype, as they may fuel a self-centered, emotionally cold, and behaviorally disinhibited profile. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4017-4033, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents: Measurement Invariance and Psychometric Properties Among a School Sample of Portuguese Youths.

PubMed

Pechorro, Pedro; Ayala-Nunes, Lara; Nunes, Cristina; Marôco, João; Gonçalves, Rui Abrunhosa

2016-12-01

Over the last decades there has been an increased interest in assessing social anxiety in adolescents. This study aims to validate the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) to Portuguese youth, and to examine its invariance across gender as well as its psychometric properties. The participants were 782 Portuguese youths (371 males, 411 females), with an average age of 15.87 years (SD = 1.72). The results support the original three-factor structure of the SAS-A, with measurement invariance being found across gender, with females scoring higher than males on two subscales. High levels of internal consistency were found. Positive associations with empathy demonstrated that high socially anxious adolescents have elevated empathy tendencies. Mostly null or low negative associations were found with measures of psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional traits and aggression. Study findings provide evidence that the SAS-A is a psychometrically sound instrument that shows measurement invariance between genders, good reliability and positive correlations with empathy.

The Chinese version of the cognitive, affective, and somatic empathy scale for children: Validation, gender invariance and associated factors.

PubMed

Liu, Jianghong; Qiao, Xin; Dong, Fanghong; Raine, Adrian

2018-01-01

Empathy is hypothesized to have several components, including affective, cognitive, and somatic contributors. The only validated, self-report measure to date that assesses all three forms of empathy is the Cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale (CASES), but no current study has reported the psychometric properties of this scale outside of the initial U.S. sample. This study reports the first psychometric analysis of a non-English translation of the CASES. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure of CASES as well as its associations with callous-unemotional traits in 860 male and female children (mean age 11.54± .64 years) from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. Analyses supported a three-factor model of cognitive, affective, and somatic empathy, with satisfactory fit indices consistent with the psychometric properties of the English version of CASES. Construct validity was established by three findings. First, females scored significantly higher in empathy than males. Second, lower scores of empathy were associated with lower IQ. Third, children with lower empathy also showed more callous-unemotional attributes. We established for the first time cross-cultural validity for Cognitive, Affective, and Somatic Empathy Scale (CASES). Our Chinese data supports the use of this new instrument in non-Western samples, and affirms the utility of this instrument for a comprehensive assessment of empathy in children.

Measuring child personality when child personality was not measured: Application of a thin-slice approach.

PubMed

Tackett, Jennifer L; Smack, Avanté J; Herzhoff, Kathrin; Reardon, Kathleen W; Daoud, Stephanie; Granic, Isabela

2017-02-01

Recent efforts have demonstrated that thin-slice (TS) assessment-or assessment of individual characteristics after only brief exposure to that individual's behaviour-can produce reliable and valid measurements of child personality traits. The extent to which this approach can be generalized to archival data not designed to measure personality, and whether it can be used to measure personality pathology traits in youth, is not yet known. Archival video data of a parent-child interaction task was collected as part of a clinical intervention trial for aggressive children (N = 177). Unacquainted observers independently watched the clips and rated children on normal-range (neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience) and pathological (callous-unemotional) personality traits. TS ratings of child personality showed strong internal consistency, valid associations with measures of externalizing problems and temperament, and revealed differentiated subgroups of children based on severity. As such, these findings demonstrate an ecologically valid application of TS methodology and illustrate how researchers and clinicians can extend their existing data by measuring child personality using TS methodology, even in cases where child personality was not originally measured. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct‐disordered juvenile offenders

PubMed Central

Colins, Olivier F.; Klapwijk, Eduard T.; Veer, Ilya M.; Andershed, Henrik; Popma, Arne; van der Wee, Nic J.; Vermeiren, Robert R.J.M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Psychopathy is a serious psychiatric phenomenon characterized by a pathological constellation of affective (e.g., callous, unemotional), interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, egocentric), and behavioral (e.g., impulsive, irresponsible) personality traits. Though amygdala subregional defects are suggested in psychopathy, the functionality and connectivity of different amygdala subnuclei is typically disregarded in neurocircuit‐level analyses of psychopathic personality. Hence, little is known of how amygdala subregional networks may contribute to psychopathy and its underlying trait assemblies in severely antisocial people. We addressed this important issue by uniquely examining the intrinsic functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala networks in relation to affective, interpersonal, and behavioral traits of psychopathy, in conduct‐disordered juveniles with a history of serious delinquency (N = 50, mean age = 16.83 ± 1.32). As predicted, amygdalar connectivity profiles exhibited dissociable relations with different traits of psychopathy. Interpersonal psychopathic traits not only related to increased connectivity of BLA and CMA with a corticostriatal network formation accommodating reward processing, but also predicted stronger CMA connectivity with a network of cortical midline structures supporting sociocognitive processes. In contrast, affective psychopathic traits related to diminished CMA connectivity with a frontolimbic network serving salience processing and affective responding. Finally, behavioral psychopathic traits related to heightened BLA connectivity with a frontoparietal cluster implicated in regulatory executive functioning. We suggest that these trait‐specific shifts in amygdalar connectivity could be particularly relevant to the psychopathic phenotype, as they may fuel a self‐centered, emotionally cold, and behaviorally disinhibited profile. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4017–4033, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:27453465

Disrupted expected value signaling in youth with disruptive behavior disorders to environmental reinforcers.

PubMed

White, Stuart F; Fowler, Katherine A; Sinclair, Stephen; Schechter, Julia C; Majestic, Catherine M; Pine, Daniel S; Blair, R James

2014-05-01

Youth with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD), including conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), have difficulties in reinforcement-based decision making, the neural basis of which is poorly understood. Studies examining decision making in youth with DBD have revealed reduced reward responses within the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/orbitofrontal cortex (vmPFC/OFC), increased responses to unexpected punishment within the vmPFC and striatum, and reduced use of expected value information in the anterior insula cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex during the avoidance of suboptimal choices. Previous work has used only monetary reinforcement. The current study examined whether dysfunction in youth with DBD during decision making extended to environmental reinforcers. A total of 30 youth (15 healthy youth and 15 youth with DBD) completed a novel reinforcement-learning paradigm using environmental reinforcers (physical threat images, e.g., striking snake image; contamination threat images, e.g., rotting food; appetitive images, e.g., puppies) while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Behaviorally, healthy youth were significantly more likely to avoid physical threat, but not contamination threat, stimuli than youth with DBD. Imaging results revealed that youth with DBD showed significantly reduced use of expected value information in the bilateral caudate, thalamus, and posterior cingulate cortex during the avoidance of suboptimal responses. The current data suggest that youth with DBD show deficits to environmental reinforcers similar to the deficits seen to monetary reinforcers. Importantly, this deficit was unrelated to callous-unemotional (CU) traits, suggesting that caudate impairment may be a common deficit across youth with DBD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Development of Severe and Chronic Violence Among Youth: The Role of Psychopathic Traits and Reward Processing.

PubMed

Reidy, Dennis E; Krusemark, Elizabeth; Kosson, David S; Kearns, Megan C; Smith-Darden, Joanne; Kiehl, Kent A

2017-12-01

Psychopathic traits are a manifestation of a personality pathology that comprises a core affective-interpersonal dysfunction (callous-unemotional traits) and an impulsive-antisocial behavioral component. Of particular importance, psychopathic traits are associated with the perpetration of some of the most severe acts of violence, and they appear to indicate a subset of youth at risk for earlier onset, greater frequency, and persistence of violent offending. Although these youth represent a minority of the population, they commit a significant proportion of the violence in the general community. In our review, we highlight evidence of a unique neurobiological predisposition that underlies the core affective deficits and describe contemporary accounts for the developmental processes leading to the antisocial behavior associated with psychopathy. Current evidence suggests that, for this subset of youth, the structure and function of neural circuitry supporting emotion processing, reward learning, decision making, and the development of emotion related to empathy may be crucial to understanding why they are at risk for violence. In particular, a reward dominant pattern of neurobehavioral conditioning may explain how these youth progress to some of the most severe and persistent forms of violence. However, this pattern of conditioning may also be essential to the primary prevention of such deleterious behavior. We suspect that effective strategies to prevent such violence may ultimately be informed by understanding these affective and motivational mechanisms.

Reduced amygdala response in youths with disruptive behavior disorders and psychopathic traits: decreased emotional response versus increased top-down attention to nonemotional features.

PubMed

White, Stuart F; Marsh, Abigail A; Fowler, Katherine A; Schechter, Julia C; Adalio, Christopher; Pope, Kayla; Sinclair, Stephen; Pine, Daniel S; Blair, R James R

2012-07-01

Amygdala dysfunction has been reported to exist in youths and adults with psychopathic traits. However, there has been disagreement as to whether this dysfunction reflects a primary emotional deficit or is secondary to atypical attentional control. The authors examined the validity of the contrasting predictions. Participants were 15 children and adolescents (ages 10–17 years) with both disruptive behavior disorders and psychopathic traits and 17 healthy comparison youths. Functional MRI was used to assess the response of the amygdala and regions implicated in top-down attentional control (the dorsomedial and lateral frontal cortices) to emotional expression under conditions of high and low attentional load. Relative to youths with disruptive behavior disorders and psychopathic traits, healthy comparison subjects showed a significantly greater increase in the typical amygdala response to fearful expressions under low relative to high attentional load conditions. There was also a selective inverse relationship between the response to fearful expressions under low attentional load and the callous-unemotional component (but not the narcissism or impulsivity component) of psychopathic traits. In contrast, the two groups did not differ in the significant recruitment of the dorsomedial and lateral frontal cortices as a function of attentional load. Youths with disruptive behavior disorders and psychopathic traits showed reduced amygdala responses to fearful expressions under low attentional load but no indications of increased recruitment of regions implicated in top-down attentional control. These findings suggest that the emotional deficit observed in youths with disruptive behavior disorders and psychopathic traits is primary and not secondary to increased top-down attention to nonemotional stimulus features.

A New Measure to Assess Psychopathic Personality in Children: The Child Problematic Traits Inventory.

PubMed

Colins, Olivier F; Andershed, Henrik; Frogner, Louise; Lopez-Romero, Laura; Veen, Violaine; Andershed, Anna-Karin

2014-01-01

Understanding the development of psychopathic personality from childhood to adulthood is crucial for understanding the development and stability of severe and long-lasting conduct problems and criminal behavior. This paper describes the development of a new teacher rated instrument to assess psychopathic personality from age three to 12, the Child Problematic Traits Inventory (CPTI). The reliability and validity of the CPTI was tested in a Swedish general population sample of 2,056 3- to 5-year-olds (mean age = 3.86; SD = .86; 53 % boys). The CPTI items loaded distinctively on three theoretically proposed factors: a Grandiose-Deceitful Factor, a Callous-Unemotional factor, and an Impulsive-Need for Stimulation factor. The three CPTI factors showed reliability in internal consistency and external validity, in terms of expected correlations with theoretically relevant constructs (e.g., fearlessness). The interaction between the three CPTI factors was a stronger predictor of concurrent conduct problems than any of the three individual CPTI factors, showing that it is important to assess all three factors of the psychopathic personality construct in early childhood. In conclusion, the CPTI seems to reliably and validly assess a constellation of traits that is similar to psychopathic personality as manifested in adolescence and adulthood.

Neural processing of moral violations among incarcerated adolescents with psychopathic traits

PubMed Central

Harenski, Carla L.; Harenski, Keith A.; Kiehl, Kent A.

2014-01-01

Neuroimaging studies have found that adult male psychopaths show reduced engagement of limbic and paralimbic circuitry while making moral judgments. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these findings extend to adolescent males with psychopathic traits. Functional MRI was used to record hemodynamic activity in 111 incarcerated male adolescents while they viewed unpleasant pictures that did or did not depict moral transgressions and rated each on “moral violation severity”. Adolescents were assessed for psychopathic traits using the Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV), Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia–Present and Lifetime Version (KSADS-PL) Conduct Disorder supplement, and Inventory of Callous and Unemotional Traits–Youth version (ICU-Y). While viewing pictures depicting moral transgressions, CD scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the anterior temporal cortex. Adolescents scoring low on the ICU-Y showed a positive correlation between right amygdala responses and severity of violation ratings; those with high ICU-Y scores showed a negative correlation. While viewing unpleasant pictures with and without moral transgressions, PCL-YV scores were negatively correlated with hemodynamic responses in the left amygdala. Overall, the results are consistent with those previously found in adult male psychopaths, but vary depending on the type of psychopathy assessment. PMID:25279855

Emotional reactivity and the association between psychopathy-linked narcissism and aggression in detained adolescent boys.

PubMed

Muñoz Centifanti, Luna C; Kimonis, Eva R; Frick, Paul J; Aucoin, Katherine J

2013-05-01

Different patterns of emotional reactivity characterize proactive and reactive functions of aggressive behavior, and theory also suggests a link of both types with narcissism. How people with narcissistic traits respond emotionally to competitive scenarios could influence their aggressiveness. Participants were 85 adolescent boys from a detention center. Several indices of emotional functioning were assessed, including attentional bias to negative emotional stimuli and psychophysiological responding. In addition, we included self-report and laboratory measures of aggression and measures of psychopathy-linked narcissism, callous-unemotional traits, and impulsivity. Psychopathy-linked narcissism was uniquely related to unprovoked aggression (i.e., proactive aggression) and to heightened attention to pictures depicting others' distress. Compared with those scoring low on narcissism, those high on narcissism, who were the least physiologically reactive group, evinced greater proactive aggression, whereas those showing a pattern of coactivation (i.e., sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic reactivity) evinced greater reactive aggression. Results are consistent with descriptions of narcissistic individuals as being hypervigilant to negative cues and exhibiting poor emotion regulation. These characteristics may lead to aggressive and violent behavior aimed at maintaining dominance over others.

Probabilistic Perception, Empathy, and Dynamic Homeostasis: Insights in Autism Spectrum Disorders and Conduct Disorders

PubMed Central

Guilé, Jean Marc

2013-01-01

Homeostasis is not a permanent and stable state but instead results from conflicting forces. Therefore, infants have to engage in dynamic exchanges with their environment, in biological, cognitive, and affective domains. Empathy is an adaptive response to these environmental challenges, which contributes to reaching proper dynamic homeostasis and development. Empathy relies on implicit interactive processes, namely probabilistic perception and synchrony, which will be reviewed in the article. If typically-developed neonates are fully equipped to automatically and synchronously interact with their human environment, conduct disorders (CD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) present with impairments in empathetic communication, e.g., emotional arousal and facial emotion processing. In addition sensorimotor resonance is lacking in ASD, and emotional concern and semantic empathy are impaired in CD with Callous-Unemotional traits. PMID:24479115

[Appearance of psychopathic tendencies among children and adolescents].

PubMed

Pataky, Nóra; Körmendi, Attila

2010-01-01

There has been a growing body of researches about psychopathic tendencies appearing among children and adolescents. First generation studies differentiated psychopathic constellation from conduct problems in childhood and pointed out that the presence of these traits predict unpleasant therapeutic prognosis and is partly independent from quality of parenting. The factor structure of constellation is similar to the factor structure of adult psychopaths. Surveying the structure became clear that C/U traits are the core of the child and adolescent psychopathic constellation. This paper summarize results of empirical studies connected to C/U traits among children and adolescents. We introduce debatable questions about child and adolescent psychopathic traits and connected empirical studies.

Copper phytoextraction in tandem with oilseed production using commercial cultivars and mutant lines of sunflower.

PubMed

Kolbas, A; Mench, M; Herzig, R; Nehnevajova, E; Bes, C M

2011-01-01

Use of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) for Cu phytoextraction and oilseed production on Cu-contaminated topsoils was investigated in afield trial at a former wood preservation site. Six commercial cultivars and two mutant lines were cultivated in plots with and without the addition of compost (5% w/w) and dolomitic limestone (0.2% w/w). Total soil Cu ranged from 163 to 1170 mg kg(-1). In soil solutions, Cu concentration varied between 0.16-0.93 mg L(-1). The amendment increased soil pH, reduced Cu exposure and promoted sunflower growth. Stem length, shoot and capitulum biomasses, seed yield, and shoot and leaf Cu concentrations were measured. At low total soil Cu, shoot Cu mineralomass was higher in commercial cultivars, Le., Salut, Energic, and Countri, whereas competition and shading affected morphological traits of mutants. Based on shoot yield (7 Mg DW ha(-1)) and Cu concentration, the highest removal was 59 g Cu ha(-1). At high total soil Cu, shoot Cu mineralomass peaked for mutants (e.g., 52 g Cu ha(-1) for Mutant 1 line) and cultivars Energic and Countri. Energic seed yield (3.9 Mg air-DW ha(-1)) would be sufficient to produce oil Phenotype traits and shoot Cu removal depended on sunflower types and Cu exposure.

Understanding Early Contextual and Parental Risk Factors for the Development of Limited Prosocial Emotions.

PubMed

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S; Forbes, Erika E; Hyde, Luke W

2015-08-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that parenting influences the development of youth callous unemotional (CU) behavior. However, less is known about the effects of parenting or contextual risk factors on 'limited prosocial emotions' (LPE), a recent conceptualization of CU behavior added to the DSM-5. We focused on LPE at ages 10-12 and age 20 among low income, urban males (N = 310), and examined potential developmental precursors, including contextual risk factors assessed during infancy and observed maternal warmth during the toddler period. We found unique direct associations between maternal warmth, maternal aggression, and low empathetic awareness on LPE at ages 10-12, controlling for concurrent self-reported antisocial behavior. Further, there were indirect effects of maternal aggression, low empathetic awareness, and difficult infant temperament assessed in infancy on LPE at ages 10-12 via their influence on maternal warmth at age 2. Finally, there were lasting indirect effects of parental warmth on LPE at age 20, via LPE at ages 10-12. We discuss the implications of these findings for ecological models of antisocial behavior and LPE development, and preventative interventions that target the broader early parenting environment.

Understanding early contextual and parental risk factors for the development of limited prosocial emotions

PubMed Central

Waller, Rebecca; Shaw, Daniel S.; Forbes, Erika E.; Hyde, Luke W.

2014-01-01

A growing body of evidence suggests that parenting influences the development of youth callous unemotional (CU) behavior. However, less is known about the effects of parenting or contextual risk factors on ‘limited prosocial emotions’ (LPE), a recent conceptualization of CU behavior added to the DSM-5. We focused on LPE at ages 10–12 and age 20 among low income, urban males (N = 310), and examined potential developmental precursors, including contextual risk factors assessed during infancy and observed maternal warmth during the toddler period. We found unique direct associations between maternal warmth, maternal aggression, and low empathetic awareness on LPE at ages 10–12, controlling for concurrent self-reported antisocial behavior. Further, there were indirect effects of maternal aggression, low empathetic awareness, and difficult infant temperament assessed in infancy on LPE at ages 10–12 via their influence on maternal warmth at age 2. Finally, there were lasting indirect effects of parental warmth on LPE at age 20, via LPE at ages 10–12. We discuss the implications of these findings for ecological models of antisocial behavior and LPE development, and preventative interventions that target the broader early parenting environment. PMID:25510355

Towards an animal model of callousness.

PubMed

Hernandez-Lallement, Julen; van Wingerden, Marijn; Kalenscher, Tobias

2016-12-28

Callous-unemotional traits - the insensitivity to other's welfare and well-being - are characterized by a lack of empathy. They are characteristic of psychopathy and can be found in other anti-social disorders, such as conduct disorder. Because of the increasing prevalence of anti-social disorders and the rising societal costs of violence and aggression, it is of great importance to elucidate the psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying callousness in the search for pharmacological treatments. One promising avenue is to create a relevant animal model to explore the neural bases of callousness. Here, we review recent advances in rodent models of pro-social choice that could be applied to probe the absence of pro-sociality as a proxy of callous behavior, and provide future directions for the exploration of the neural substrates of callousness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antisocial behavior from a developmental psychopathology perspective.

PubMed

Frick, Paul J; Viding, Essi

2009-01-01

This paper reviews research on chronic patterns of antisocial behavior and places this research into a developmental psychopathology framework. Specifically, research suggests that there are at least three important pathways through which children and adolescents can develop severe antisocial behaviors. One group of youth shows antisocial behavior that begins in adolescence, and two groups show antisocial behavior that begins in childhood but differ on the presence or absence of callous-unemotional traits. In outlining these distinct pathways to antisocial behavior, we have tried to illustrate some key concepts from developmental psychopathology such as equifinality and multifinality, the importance of understanding the interface between normal and abnormal development, and the importance of using multiple levels of analyses to advance causal theories. Finally, we discuss how this development model can be used to enhance existing interventions for antisocial individuals.

The moderating effects of parenting styles in the association between behavioral inhibition and parent-reported guilt and empathy in preschool children.

PubMed

Cornell, Amy H; Frick, Paul J

2007-01-01

This study investigated interactions between children's temperament and parenting styles in their association with measures of guilt and empathy. Participants were 87 predominantly Caucasian, middle-class mothers and their children between the ages of 3 and 5 (M = 4.39, SD = .51). Children nominated by their preschool teachers as being behaviorally inhibited showed higher levels of parent-rated guilt and empathy than uninhibited children, irrespective of the type and quality of parenting they experienced. However, for uninhibited children, greater inconsistent discipline was associated with lower levels of guilt and lower levels of empathy, whereas higher levels of authoritarian parenting were associated with higher levels of guilt. These results support the presence of important interactions between temperament and parenting in explaining two critical dimensions of callous-unemotional traits.

Can developmental cognitive neuroscience inform intervention for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)?

PubMed Central

Frederickson, Norah; Jones, Alice P.; Warren, Laura; Deakes, Tara; Allen, Geoff

2013-01-01

An initial evaluation of the utility of designing an intervention to address neuroscience-based subtyping of children who have conduct problems was undertaken in this pilot study. Drawing on the literature on callous–unemotional traits, a novel intervention programme, ‘Let's Get Smart’, was implemented in a school for children with social emotional and behavioural difficulties. A mixed-methods design was used to investigate the perspectives of staff participant-observers in the change process, alongside standardised scores on measures of pupil performance and behaviour. Both qualitative and quantitative results showed reductions in externalising behaviour and improvements in measures of hypothesised underlying cognitive and affective processes. While externalising behaviour improved across subtypes, associated changes in underlying processes differed by subtype, supporting the potential value of neuroscience-informed contributions to intervention planning. PMID:26635493

Analyzing life-history traits and lipid storage using CARS microscopy for assessing effects of copper on the fitness of Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Fueser, Hendrik; Majdi, Nabil; Haegerbaeumer, Arne; Pilger, Christian; Hachmeister, Henning; Greife, Paul; Huser, Thomas; Traunspurger, Walter

2018-07-30

Lipid storage provides energy for cell survival, growth, and reproduction and is closely related to the organismal response to stress imposed by toxic chemicals. However, the effects of toxicants on energy storage as it impacts certain life-history traits have rarely been investigated. Here, we used the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a test species for a chronic exposure to copper (Cu) at EC20 (0.50 mg Cu/l). Effects on the fatty acid distribution in C. elegans body were determined using coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) to link population fitness responses with individual ecophysiological responses. Cu inhibited nematode reproductive capacity and offspring growth in addition to shortening the lifespan of exposed individuals. In adult nematodes, Cu exposure led to significant reduction of lipid storage compared to the Cu-free control: Under Cu, lipids filled only 0.5% of the nematode body volume vs. 7.5% in control nematodes, lipid droplets were on average 74% smaller and the number of tiny lipids (0-10 µm 2 ) was increased. These results suggest that (1) Cu has an important effect on the life-history traits of nematodes; (2) the quantification of lipid storage can provide important information on the response of organisms to toxic stress; and (3) CARS microscopy is a promising tool for non-invasive quantitative and qualitative analyses of lipids as a measure of nematode fitness. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of simulated climate warming on the morphological and physiological traits of Elsholtzia haichowensis in copper contaminated soil.

PubMed

Guan, Ming; Jin, Zexin; Li, Junmin; Pan, Xiaocui; Wang, Suizi; Li, Yuelin

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature and Cu on the morphological and physiological traits of Elsholtzia haichowensis grown in soils amended with four Cu concentrations (0, 50, 500, and 1000 mg kg(-1)) under ambient temperature and slight warming. At the same Cu concentration, the height, shoot dry weight, total plant dry weight, and root morphological parameters such as length, surface area and tip number of E. haichowensis increased due to the slight warming. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, light use efficiency were also higher under the slight warming than under ambient temperature. The increased Cu concentrations, total Cu uptake, bioaccumulation factors and tolerance indexes of shoots and roots were also observed at the slight warming. The shoot dry weight, root dry weight, total plant dry weight and the bioaccumulation factors of shoots and roots at 50 mg Cu kg(-1) were significantly higher than those at 500 and 1000 mg Cu kg(-1) under the slight warming. Therefore, the climate warming may improve the ability of E. haichowensis to phytoremediate Cu-contaminated soil, and the ability improvement greatly depended on the Cu concentrations in soils.

Hair and Salivary Testosterone, Hair Cortisol, and Externalizing Behaviors in Adolescents.

PubMed

Grotzinger, Andrew D; Mann, Frank D; Patterson, Megan W; Tackett, Jennifer L; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M; Harden, K Paige

2018-05-01

Although testosterone is associated with aggression in the popular imagination, previous research on the links between testosterone and human aggression has been inconsistent. This inconsistency might be because testosterone's effects on aggression depend on other moderators. In a large adolescent sample ( N = 984, of whom 460 provided hair samples), we examined associations between aggression and salivary testosterone, hair testosterone, and hair cortisol. Callous-unemotional traits, parental monitoring, and peer environment were examined as potential moderators of hormone-behavior associations. Salivary testosterone was not associated with aggression. Hair testosterone significantly predicted increased aggression, particularly at low levels of hair cortisol (i.e., Testosterone × Cortisol interaction). This study is the first to examine the relationship between hair hormones and externalizing behaviors and adds to the growing literature that indicates that androgenic effects on human behavior are contingent on aspects of the broader endocrine environment-in particular, levels of cortisol.

Effects of Cu Pollution on the Expansion of an Amphibious Clonal Herb in Aquatic-Terrestrial Ecotones.

PubMed

Xu, Liang; Zhou, Zhen-Feng

2016-01-01

Physiological integration can enhance the performance of clonal plants in aquatic and terrestrial heterogeneous habitats and associated ecotones. Similar to nutrients, pollutants may be transported among connected ramets via physiological integration. Few studies have examined the expansion of amphibious clonal plants from terrestrial to aquatic environments, particularly when the local water supply is polluted with heavy metals. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using the amphibious plant Alternanthera philoxeroides to determine whether Cu can spread among clonal plants and examine the corresponding effects of this pollution on the expansion of clonal plants in aquatic-terrestrial ecotones. Ramets from the same clonal fragments were rooted in unpolluted soil and polluted water at five different levels. The responses of the ramets in terrestrial and aquatic habitats were quantified via traits associated with growth, morphology and Cu accumulation. The results indicated that ramets in soil and water significantly differed in nearly all of these traits. The expansion of populations from terrestrial to polluted aquatic habitats was facilitated by stem elongation rather than new ramet production. The accumulated Cu in polluted ramets can be horizontally transported to other ramets in soil via connected stolons. In terms of clonal growth patterns, variations in Cu pollution intensity were negatively correlated with variations in the morphological and growth traits of ramets in polluted aquatic habitats and unpolluted soil. We concluded that Cu ions are distributed among the clones and accumulated in different ramet tissues in heterogeneous habitats. Therefore, we suggest that Cu pollution of aquatic-terrestrial ecotones, especially at high levels, can affect the growth and expansion of the whole clones because Cu ions are shared between integrated ramets.

Effects of Cu Pollution on the Expansion of an Amphibious Clonal Herb in Aquatic-Terrestrial Ecotones

PubMed Central

Zhou, Zhen-Feng

2016-01-01

Physiological integration can enhance the performance of clonal plants in aquatic and terrestrial heterogeneous habitats and associated ecotones. Similar to nutrients, pollutants may be transported among connected ramets via physiological integration. Few studies have examined the expansion of amphibious clonal plants from terrestrial to aquatic environments, particularly when the local water supply is polluted with heavy metals. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using the amphibious plant Alternanthera philoxeroides to determine whether Cu can spread among clonal plants and examine the corresponding effects of this pollution on the expansion of clonal plants in aquatic-terrestrial ecotones. Ramets from the same clonal fragments were rooted in unpolluted soil and polluted water at five different levels. The responses of the ramets in terrestrial and aquatic habitats were quantified via traits associated with growth, morphology and Cu accumulation. The results indicated that ramets in soil and water significantly differed in nearly all of these traits. The expansion of populations from terrestrial to polluted aquatic habitats was facilitated by stem elongation rather than new ramet production. The accumulated Cu in polluted ramets can be horizontally transported to other ramets in soil via connected stolons. In terms of clonal growth patterns, variations in Cu pollution intensity were negatively correlated with variations in the morphological and growth traits of ramets in polluted aquatic habitats and unpolluted soil. We concluded that Cu ions are distributed among the clones and accumulated in different ramet tissues in heterogeneous habitats. Therefore, we suggest that Cu pollution of aquatic-terrestrial ecotones, especially at high levels, can affect the growth and expansion of the whole clones because Cu ions are shared between integrated ramets. PMID:27736932

Early severe institutional deprivation is associated with a persistent variant of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: clinical presentation, developmental continuities and life circumstances in the English and Romanian Adoptees study.

PubMed

Kennedy, Mark; Kreppner, Jana; Knights, Nicky; Kumsta, Robert; Maughan, Barbara; Golm, Dennis; Rutter, Michael; Schlotz, Wolff; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J S

2016-10-01

Early-life institutional deprivation is associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) later in childhood and adolescence. In this article, we examine, for the first time, the persistence of deprivation-related ADHD into young adulthood in a sample of individuals adopted as young children by UK families after periods in extremely depriving Romanian orphanages. We estimated rates of ADHD at age 15 years and in young adulthood (ages 22-25 years) in individuals at low (LoDep; nondeprived UK adoptees and Romanian adoptees with less than 6-month institutional exposure) and high deprivation-related risk (HiDep; Romanian adoptees with more than 6-month exposure). Estimates were based on parent report using DSM-5 childhood symptom and impairment criteria. At age 15, data were available for 108 LoDep and 86 HiDep cases, while in young adulthood, the numbers were 83 and 60, respectively. Data on education and employment status, IQ, co-occurring symptoms of young adult disinhibited social engagement (DSE), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cognitive impairment, conduct disorder (CD), callous-unemotional (CU) traits, anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) were also collected. ADHD rates in the LoDep group were similar to the general population in adolescence (5.6%) and adulthood (3.8%). HiDep individuals were, respectively, nearly four (19%) and over seven (29.3%) times more likely to meet criteria, than LoDep. Nine 'onset' young adult cases emerged, but these had a prior childhood history of elevated ADHD behaviours at ages 6, 11 and 15 years. Young adult ADHD was equally common in males and females, was predominantly inattentive in presentation and co-occurred with high levels of ASD, DSE and CU features. ADHD was associated with high unemployment and low educational attainment. We provide the first evidence of a strong persistence into adulthood of a distinctively complex and impairing deprivation-related variant of ADHD. Our results confirm the powerful association of early experience with later development in a way that suggests a role for deep-seated alterations to brain structure and function. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Developmental interplay between children’s biobehavioral risk and the parenting environment from toddler to early school age: Prediction of socialization outcomes in preadolescence

PubMed Central

Kochanska, Grazyna; Boldt, Lea J.; Kim, Sanghag; Yoon, Jeung Eun; Philibert, Robert A.

2014-01-01

We followed 100 community families from toddler age to preadolescence. Each mother- and father-child dyad was observed at 25, 38, 52, 67, and 80 months (10 hours per child) to assess positive and power-assertive parenting. At age 10 (N=82), we obtained parent- and child-reported outcome measures of children’s acceptance of parental socialization: cooperation with parental monitoring, negative attitude toward substance use, internalization of adult values, and callous-unemotional (CU) tendencies. Children who carried a short 5-HTTLPR allele and were highly anger prone, based on anger observed in laboratory from 25 to 80 months, were classified as high in biobehavioral risk. The remaining children were classified as low in biobehavioral risk. Biobehavioral risk moderated links between parenting history and outcomes. For low-risk children, parenting measures were unrelated to outcomes. For children high in biobehavioral risk, variations in positive parenting predicted cooperation with monitoring and negative attitude toward substance use, and variations in power-assertive parenting predicted internalization of adult values and CU tendencies. Suboptimal parenting combined with high biobehavioral risk resulted in the poorest outcomes. The effect for attitude toward substance use supported differential susceptibility: Children high in biobehavioral risk who received optimal parenting had a more adaptive outcome than their low-risk peers. The remaining effects were consistent with diathesis-stress. PMID:25154427

Arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi facilitate rapid adaptation of Elsholtzia splendens to copper.

PubMed

Li, Junmin; Liang, Huijuan; Yan, Ming; Chen, Luxi; Zhang, Huating; Liu, Jie; Wang, Suizi; Jin, Zexin

2017-12-01

Closely associated microbes have been shown to drive local adaptation of plants. However, few studies provide direct evidence, disclosing the role of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) in their rapid adaptation of plants toward heavy metal tolerance. Elsholtzia splendens is a Cu-tolerant plant that was used as a model plant to study seed morphological traits as well as traits related to seed germination and seedling growth. This was achieved after acclimation for two generations with 1000mg/kg CuSO 4 in either absence or presence of AMF. In the absence of AMF, acclimation to Cu for two generations significantly decreased surface area, perimeter length, and perimeter width of E. splendens seeds, as well as seedling survival rate and fresh weight of the radicle of seedlings. However, in the presence of AMF, both the germination rate and the germination index of E. splendens seeds as well as the fresh weights of hypocotyl and radicle significantly increased. These results revealed that after Cu acclimation treatment, seeds and seedlings that had been inoculated with AMF outperformed those without AMF inoculation under Cu addition, indicating that AMF can facilitate rapid adaptation of E. splendens to Cu stress. In addition, two generations of Cu acclimation under AMF absence significantly increased radicle length, while amplitude increased under AMF presence, indicating that the direct adaptive plasticity response of radicle length to Cu stress helps with the Cu stress adaptation of E. splendens. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is There Really a Relationship Between Empathy and Aggression? Evidence From Physiological and Self-Report Measures.

PubMed

Gantiva, Carlos; Cendales, Rocio; Díaz, Maite; González, Yesenia

2018-05-01

A strong relationship between empathy and aggression has traditionally been argued, but a recent meta-analysis showed that this relationship is surprisingly weak. However, none of the studies that were analyzed in the meta-analysis used physiological measures of empathy to assess differences between aggressive and nonaggressive subjects. The present study evaluated the activity of the corrugator and zygomatic muscles, galvanic skin response, and heart rate response to pictures with different social content in 30 aggressive and 30 nonaggressive subjects. Self-report measures of emotion and empathy were also evaluated. The results did not show significant differences in any of the physiological measures of affective empathy or subjective measures of emotion. Significant differences were found only in cognitive empathy, in which nonaggressive subjects had higher scores than aggressive subjects. These results suggest that intervention programs should focus on increasing cognitive empathy and exploring other variables, such as emotional self-regulation and callous-unemotional traits. We also suggest exploring other ways of understanding affective empathy.

The Association Between ADHD and Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD): A Review.

PubMed

Storebø, Ole Jakob; Simonsen, Erik

2016-10-01

Children with ADHD have an increased risk of later developing personality disorders and criminal behavior. The object of the present review is to analyze the associations between ADHD and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). A review of literature was done using EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Medline databases. Eighteen prospective studies (n = 5,501) showed that ADHD with and without comorbid conduct disorder (CD) is a strong predictor for the risk of later development of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). Some of the 13 cross-sectional/retrospective studies (n = 2,451) suggested that ADHD and CD might be a separate subtype of ADHD, that especially impulsivity in ADHD is a predictor for later development of ASPD, or that callous-unemotional traits in the ADHD children are called for a risk factor for later ASPD. There is an increased risk for children with ADHD with or without comorbid CD to develop later onset of antisocial personality disorder. © The Author(s) 2013.

Effect of feeding complete feed block containing rumen protected protein, non-protein nitrogen and rumen protected fat on improving body condition and carcass traits of cull ewes.

PubMed

Bhatt, R S; Sahoo, A

2017-12-01

Nutrient utilization, body condition and carcass traits of cull ewes were studied in three dietary regimens based on complete feed block (CFB) feeding to control (C) with rumen protected protein (RPP), CU [RPP + urea (6 g/kg)] and CUF [RPP + urea + rumen protected fat (RPF; 40 g/kg)]. The RPP component (g/kg) in C had 1% formaldehyde-treated soy flakes 50, mustard cake 50 and sesame cake 30. The mustard and sesame cakes were replaced with urea on equivalent N basis in CU and CUF. The ewes were offered ad libitum CFB composed (g/kg) of concentrate 650, roughage 300 and molasses 50. The digestibility of OM and EE was higher (p < 0.05) in CUF than in CU and C, while that of NDF and ADF was lower (p < 0.05). The CP digestibility was higher in both CU and CUF. Utilization of N and Ca was higher (p < 0.05) in CUF compared with C and CU. Urinary purine derivatives analysis and microbial N synthesis were similar in all the groups. Blood glucose concentration improved at 90 day compared with 0 day. Ruminal attributes showed a higher (p < 0.05) pH, total N, TCA precipitable N, entodiniomorphs and total ciliate population in CU and CUF than in the control. The CUF had higher (p < 0.01) DM, digestible OM and ME intake, which resulted in higher (p < 0.05) weight gain and better feed efficiency. Ewes in all the groups showed an improvement in carcass traits at 90 day. The pre-slaughter weight was higher (p < 0.05) and dissected and KOH bone content was lower in CUF. Thus, feeding of CFB with urea as a cheaper N source and RPF to enrich with energy supported the improved performance as evidenced from higher nutrient input, 'utilization and efficiency with enhanced carcass traits' for better marketability and returns from cull ewes. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

The relationships between gender, psychopathic traits and self-reported delinquency: a comparison between a general population sample and a high-risk sample for juvenile delinquency.

PubMed

Leenarts, L E W; Dölitzsch, C; Pérez, T; Schmeck, K; Fegert, J M; Schmid, M

2017-01-01

Studies have shown that youths with high psychopathic traits have an earlier onset of delinquent behavior, have higher levels of delinquent behavior, and show higher rates of recidivism than youths with low psychopathic traits. Furthermore, psychopathic traits have received much attention as a robust indicator for delinquent and aggressive behavior in both boys and girls. However, there is a notable lack of research on gender differences in the relationship between psychopathic traits and delinquent behavior. In addition, most of the studies on psychopathic traits and delinquent behavior were conducted in high-risk samples. Therefore, the first objective of the current study was to investigate the relationship between psychopathic traits and specific forms of self-reported delinquency in a high-risk sample for juvenile delinquency as well as in a general population sample. The second objective was to examine the influence of gender on this relationship. Finally, we investigated whether the moderating effect of gender was comparable in the high-risk sample for juvenile delinquency and the general population sample. Participants were 1220 adolescents of the German-speaking part of Switzerland (N = 351 high-risk sample, N = 869 general population sample) who were between 13 and 21 years of age. The Youth Psychopathic traits Inventory (YPI) was used to assess psychopathic traits. To assess the lifetime prevalence of the adolescents' delinquent behavior, 15 items derived from a self-report delinquency instrument were used. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between gender, psychopathic traits and self-reported delinquency across both samples. Our results demonstrated that psychopathic traits are related to non-violent and violent offenses. We found no moderating effect of gender and therefore we could not detect differences in the moderating effect of gender between the samples. However, there was a moderating effect of sample for the relationship between the callous and unemotional YPI scale and non-violent offenses. In addition, the regression weights of gender and sample were, for non-violent offenses, reduced to non-significance when adding the interaction terms. Psychopathic traits were found to be present in a wide range of youths (i.e., high-risk as well as general population sample, young children as well as adolescents, boys as well as girls) and were related to delinquent behavior. The influence of age and YPI scales on self-reported delinquency was more robust than the influence of gender and sample. Therefore, screening for psychopathic traits among young children with psychosocial adjustment problems seems relevant for developing effective intervention strategies.

Fear-Conditioning Mechanisms Associated with Trait Vulnerability to Anxiety in Humans

PubMed Central

Indovina, Iole; Robbins, Trevor W.; Núñez-Elizalde, Anwar O.; Dunn, Barnaby D.; Bishop, Sonia J.

2011-01-01

Summary Investigations of fear conditioning in rodents and humans have illuminated the neural mechanisms underlying cued and contextual fear. A critical question is how personality dimensions such as trait anxiety act through these mechanisms to confer vulnerability to anxiety disorders, and whether humans' ability to overcome acquired fears depends on regulatory skills not characterized in animal models. In a neuroimaging study of fear conditioning in humans, we found evidence for two independent dimensions of neurocognitive function associated with trait vulnerability to anxiety. The first entailed increased amygdala responsivity to phasic fear cues. The second involved impoverished ventral prefrontal cortical (vPFC) recruitment to downregulate both cued and contextual fear prior to omission (extinction) of the aversive unconditioned stimulus. These two dimensions may contribute to symptomatology differences across anxiety disorders; the amygdala mechanism affecting the development of phobic fear and the frontal mechanism influencing the maintenance of both specific fears and generalized anxiety. PMID:21315265

The relationship between psychosocial status, acculturation and country of origin in mid-life Hispanic women: data from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

PubMed

Green, R; Santoro, N F; McGinn, A P; Wildman, R P; Derby, C A; Polotsky, A J; Weiss, G

2010-12-01

To test the hypothesis that psychosocial symptomatology differs by country of origin and acculturation among Hispanic women, we examined 419 women, aged 42-52 years at baseline, enrolled in the New Jersey site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Women were categorized into six groups: Central (CA, n = 29) or South American (SA, n = 106), Puerto Rican (PR, n = 56), Dominican (D, n = 42), Cuban (Cu, n = 44) and non-Hispanic Caucasian (NHC, n = 142). Acculturation, depressive symptoms, hostility/cynicism, mistreatment/discrimination, sleep quality, social support, and perceived stress were assessed at baseline. Physical functioning, trait anxiety and anger were assessed at the fourth annual follow-up. Comparisons between Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasians used χ², t test or non-parametric alternatives; ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis testing examined differences among the five Hispanic sub-groups. Multivariable regression models used PR women as the reference group. Hispanic women were overall less educated, less acculturated (p < 0.001 for both) and reported more depressive symptoms, cynicism, perceived stress, and less mistreatment/discrimination than NHCs. Along with D women, PR women reported worse sleep than Cu women (p < 0.01) and more trait anxiety than SA and Cu women (p < 0.01). Yet, PR women were most acculturated (21.4% highly acculturated vs. CA (0.0%), D (4.8%), SA (4.8%) and Cu (2.3%) women; p < 0.001). In regression models, PR women reported depressive symptoms more frequently than D, Cu, or SA women, and reported trait anxiety more frequently than Cu or SA women. Greater acculturation was associated with more favorable psychosocial status, but PR ethnicity was negatively related to psychosocial status. Psychosocial symptomatology among Hispanic women differs by country of origin and the relatively adverse profile of Puerto Rican women is not explained by acculturation.

Amphetamine increases errors during episodic memory retrieval.

PubMed

Ballard, Michael Edward; Gallo, David A; de Wit, Harriet

2014-02-01

Moderate doses of stimulant drugs are known to enhance memory encoding and consolidation, but their effects on memory retrieval have not been explored in depth. In laboratory animals, stimulants seem to improve retrieval of emotional memories, but comparable studies have not been carried out in humans. In the present study, we examined the effects of dextroamphetamine (AMP) on retrieval of emotional and unemotional stimuli in healthy young adults, using doses that enhanced memory formation when administered before encoding in our previous study. During 3 sessions, healthy volunteers (n = 31) received 2 doses of AMP (10 and 20 mg) and placebo in counterbalanced order under double-blind conditions. During each session, they first viewed emotional and unemotional pictures and words in a drug-free state, and then 2 days later their memory was tested, 1 hour after AMP or placebo administration. Dextroamphetamine did not affect the number of emotional or unemotional stimuli remembered, but both doses increased recall intrusions and false recognition. Dextroamphetamine (20 mg) also increased the number of positively rated picture descriptions and words generated during free recall. These data provide the first evidence that therapeutic range doses of stimulant drugs can increase memory retrieval errors. The ability of AMP to positively bias recollection of prior events could contribute to its potential for abuse.

Amphetamine Increases Errors During Episodic Memory Retrieval

PubMed Central

Ballard, Michael Edward; Gallo, David A.; de Wit, Harriet

2014-01-01

Moderate doses of stimulant drugs are known to enhance memory encoding and consolidation, but their effects on memory retrieval have not been explored in depth. In laboratory animals, stimulants seem to improve retrieval of emotional memories, but comparable studies have not been carried out in humans. In the present study, we examined the effects of dextroamphetamine (AMP) on retrieval of emotional and unemotional stimuli in healthy young adults, using doses that enhanced memory formation when administered before encoding in our previous study. During 3 sessions, healthy volunteers (n = 31) received 2 doses of AMP (10 and 20 mg) and placebo in counter-balanced order under double-blind conditions. During each session, they first viewed emotional and unemotional pictures and words in a drug-free state, and then 2 days later their memory was tested, 1 hour after AMP or placebo administration. Dextroamphetamine did not affect the number of emotional or unemotional stimuli remembered, but both doses increased recall intrusions and false recognition. Dextroamphetamine (20 mg) also increased the number of positively rated picture descriptions and words generated during free recall. These data provide the first evidence that therapeutic range doses of stimulant drugs can increase memory retrieval errors. The ability of AMP to positively bias recollection of prior events could contribute to its potential for abuse. PMID:24135845

Construction of a Genetic Linkage Map and Identification of QTLs for Resistance to TSWV in Cultivated Peanut (Arachis hypagea L.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A genetic linkage map is critical for identifying the QTL (quantitative trait loci) underling targeted traits. Over the last few years, progress has been made in marker development from multiple sources enabling the expansion of quality resources needed for genotyping applications in cultivated x cu...

The antisocial brain: psychopathy matters.

PubMed

Gregory, Sarah; ffytche, Dominic; Simmons, Andrew; Kumari, Veena; Howard, Matthew; Hodgins, Sheilagh; Blackwood, Nigel

2012-09-01

The population of men who display persistent antisocial and violent behavior is heterogeneous. Callous-unemotional traits in childhood and psychopathic traits in adulthood characterize a distinct subgroup. To identify structural gray matter (GM) differences between persistent violent offenders who meet criteria for antisocial personality disorder and the syndrome of psychopathy (ASPDP) and those meeting criteria only for ASPD (ASPD-P). Cross-sectional case-control structural magnetic resonance imaging study. Inner-city probation services and neuroimaging research unit in London, England. Sixty-six men, including 17 violent offenders with ASPDP, 27 violent offenders with ASPD-P, and 22 healthy nonoffenders participated in the study. Forensic clinicians assessed participants using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Gray matter volumes as assessed by structural magnetic resonance imaging and volumetric voxel-based morphometry analyses. Offenders with ASPDP displayed significantly reduced GM volumes bilaterally in the anterior rostral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 10) and temporal poles (Brodmann area 20/38) relative to offenders with ASPD-P and nonoffenders. These reductions were not attributable to substance use disorders. Offenders with ASPD-P exhibited GM volumes similar to the nonoffenders. Reduced GM volume within areas implicated in empathic processing, moral reasoning, and processing of prosocial emotions such as guilt and embarrassment may contribute to the profound abnormalities of social behavior observed in psychopathy. Evidence of robust structural brain differences between persistently violent men with and without psychopathy adds to the evidence that psychopathy represents a distinct phenotype. This knowledge may facilitate research into the etiology of persistent violent behavior.

Psychopathy Moderates the Relationship between Orbitofrontal and Striatal Alterations and Violence: The Investigation of Individuals Accused of Homicide

PubMed Central

Lam, Bess Y. H.; Yang, Yaling; Schug, Robert A.; Han, Chenbo; Liu, Jianghong; Lee, Tatia M. C.

2017-01-01

Brain structural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and striatum (caudate and putamen) have been observed in violent individuals. However, a uni-modal neuroimaging perspective has been used and prior findings have been mixed. The present study takes the multimodal structural brain imaging approaches to investigate the differential gray matter volumes (GMV) and cortical thickness (CTh) in the OFC and striatum between violent (accused of homicide) and non-violent (not accused of any violent crimes) individuals with different levels of psychopathic traits (interpersonal and unemotional qualities, factor 1 psychopathy and the expressions of antisocial disposition and impulsivity, factor 2 psychopathy). Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging data, psychopathy and demographic information were assessed in sixty seven non-violent or violent adults. The results showed that the relationship between violence and the GMV in the right lateral OFC varied across different levels of the factor 1 psychopathy. At the subcortical level, the psychopathy level (the factor 1 psychopathy) moderated the positive relationship of violence with both left and right putamen GMV as well as left caudate GMV. Although the CTh findings were not significant, overall findings suggested that psychopathic traits moderated the relationship between violence and the brain structural morphology in the OFC and striatum. In conclusion, psychopathy takes upon a significant role in moderating violent behavior which gives insight to design and implement prevention measures targeting violent acts, thereby possibly mitigating their occurrence within the society. PMID:29249948

Understanding the link between exposure to violence and aggression in justice-involved adolescents.

PubMed

Wall Myers, Tina D; Salcedo, Abigail; Frick, Paul J; Ray, James V; Thornton, Laura C; Steinberg, Laurence; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2018-05-01

The current study advanced research on the link between community violence exposure and aggression by comparing the effects of violence exposure on different functions of aggression and by testing four potential (i.e., callous-unemotional traits, consideration of others, impulse control, and anxiety) mediators of this relationship. Analyses were conducted in an ethnically/racially diverse sample of 1,216 male first-time juvenile offenders (M = 15.30 years, SD = 1.29). Our results indicated that violence exposure had direct effects on both proactive and reactive aggression 18 months later. The predictive link of violence exposure to proactive aggression was no longer significant after controlling for proactive aggression at baseline and the overlap with reactive aggression. In contrast, violence exposure predicted later reactive aggression even after controlling for baseline reactive aggression and the overlap with proactive aggression. Mediation analyses of the association between violence exposure and reactive aggression indicated indirect effects through all potential mediators, but the strongest indirect effect was through impulse control. The findings help to advance knowledge on the consequences of community violence exposure on justice-involved youth.

Current Issues in the Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Conduct Disorder

PubMed Central

Frick, Paul J.; Nigg, Joel T.

2015-01-01

This review evaluates the diagnostic criteria for three of the most common disorders for which children and adolescents are referred for mental health treatment: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). Although research supports the validity and clinical utility of these disorders, several issues are highlighted that could enhance the current diagnostic criteria. For ADHD, defining the core features of the disorder and its fit with other disorders, enhancing the validity of the criteria through the lifespan, considering alternative ways to form subtypes of the disorder, and modifying the age-of-onset criterion are discussed relative to the current diagnostic criteria. For ODD, eliminating the exclusionary criteria of CD, recognizing important symptom domains within the disorder, and using the cross-situational pervasiveness of the disorder as an index of severity are highlighted as important issues for improving classification. Finally, for CD, enhancing the current subtypes related to age of onset and integrating callous-unemotional traits into the diagnostic criteria are identified as key issues for improving classification. PMID:22035245

Arbuscular mycorrhiza alters metal uptake and the physiological response of Coffea arabica seedlings to increasing Zn and Cu concentrations in soil.

PubMed

Andrade, S A L; Silveira, A P D; Mazzafera, P

2010-10-15

Studies on mycorrhizal symbiosis effects on metal accumulation and plant tolerance are not common in perennial crops under metal stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of mycorrhization on coffee seedlings under Cu and Zn stress. Copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) uptake and some biochemical and physiological traits were studied in thirty-week old Coffea arabica seedlings, in response to the inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and to increasing concentrations of Cu or Zn in soil. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions in a 2×4 factorial design (inoculation or not with AMF and 0, 50, 150 and 450mgkg(-1) Cu or 0, 100, 300 and 900mgkg(-1) Zn). Non-mycorrhizal plants maintained a hampered and slow growth even in a soil with appropriate phosphorus (P) levels for this crop. As metal levels increased in soil, a greater proportion of the total absorbed metals were retained by roots. Foliar Cu concentrations increased only in non-mycorrhizal plants, reaching a maximum concentration of 30mgkg(-1) at the highest Cu in soil. Mycorrhization prevented the accumulation of Cu in leaves, and mycorrhizal plants showed higher Cu contents in stems, which indicated a differential Cu distribution in AMF-associated or non-associated plants. Zn distribution and concentrations in different plant organs followed a similar pattern independently of mycorrhization. In mycorrhizal plants, only the highest metal concentrations caused a reduction in biomass, leading to significant changes in some biochemical indicators, such as malondialdehyde, proline and amino acid contents in leaves and also in foliar free amino acid composition. Marked differences in these physiological traits were also found due to mycorrhization. In conclusion, AMF protected coffee seedlings against metal toxicity. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fear-conditioning mechanisms associated with trait vulnerability to anxiety in humans.

PubMed

Indovina, Iole; Robbins, Trevor W; Núñez-Elizalde, Anwar O; Dunn, Barnaby D; Bishop, Sonia J

2011-02-10

Investigations of fear conditioning in rodents and humans have illuminated the neural mechanisms underlying cued and contextual fear. A critical question is how personality dimensions such as trait anxiety act through these mechanisms to confer vulnerability to anxiety disorders, and whether humans' ability to overcome acquired fears depends on regulatory skills not characterized in animal models. In a neuroimaging study of fear conditioning in humans, we found evidence for two independent dimensions of neurocognitive function associated with trait vulnerability to anxiety. The first entailed increased amygdala responsivity to phasic fear cues. The second involved impoverished ventral prefrontal cortical (vPFC) recruitment to downregulate both cued and contextual fear prior to omission (extinction) of the aversive unconditioned stimulus. These two dimensions may contribute to symptomatology differences across anxiety disorders; the amygdala mechanism affecting the development of phobic fear and the frontal mechanism influencing the maintenance of both specific fears and generalized anxiety. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internet-Assisted Parent Training Intervention for Disruptive Behavior in 4-Year-Old Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

Sourander, Andre; McGrath, Patrick J; Ristkari, Terja; Cunningham, Charles; Huttunen, Jukka; Lingley-Pottie, Patricia; Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki, Susanna; Kinnunen, Malin; Vuorio, Jenni; Sinokki, Atte; Fossum, Sturla; Unruh, Anita

2016-04-01

There is a large gap worldwide in the provision of evidence-based early treatment of children with disruptive behavioral problems. To determine whether an Internet-assisted intervention using whole-population screening that targets the most symptomatic 4-year-old children is effective at 6 and 12 months after the start of treatment. This 2-parallel-group randomized clinical trial was performed from October 1, 2011, through November 30, 2013, at a primary health care clinic in Southwest Finland. Data analysis was performed from August 6, 2015, to December 11, 2015. Of a screened population of 4656 children, 730 met the screening criteria indicating a high level of disruptive behavioral problems. A total of 464 parents of 4-year-old children were randomized into the Strongest Families Smart Website (SFSW) intervention group (n = 232) or an education control (EC) group (n = 232). The SFSW intervention, an 11-session Internet-assisted parent training program that included weekly telephone coaching. Child Behavior Checklist version for preschool children (CBCL/1.5-5) externalizing scale (primary outcome), other CBCL/1.5-5 scales and subscores, Parenting Scale, Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits, and the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale. All data were analyzed by intention to treat and per protocol. The assessments were made before randomization and 6 and 12 months after randomization. Of the children randomized, 287 (61.9%) were male and 79 (17.1%) lived in other than a family with 2 biological parents. At 12-month follow-up, improvement in the SFSW intervention group was significantly greater compared with the control group on the following measures: CBCL/1.5-5 externalizing scale (effect size, 0.34; P < .001), internalizing scale (effect size, 0.35; P < .001), and total scores (effect size, 0.37; P < .001); 5 of 7 syndrome scales, including aggression (effect size, 0.36; P < .001), sleep (effect size, 0.24; P = .002), withdrawal (effect size, 0.25; P = .005), anxiety (effect size, 0.26; P = .003), and emotional problems (effect size, 0.31; P = .001); Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits callousness scores (effect size, 0.19; P = .03); and self-reported parenting skills (effect size, 0.53; P < .001). The study reveals the effectiveness and feasibility of an Internet-assisted parent training intervention offered for parents of preschool children with disruptive behavioral problems screened from the whole population. The strategy of population-based screening of children at an early age to offering parent training using digital technology and telephone coaching is a promising public health strategy for providing early intervention for a variety of child mental health problems. clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01750996.

Does a booster intervention augment the preventive effects of an abbreviated version of the coping power program for aggressive children?

PubMed

Lochman, John E; Baden, Rachel E; Boxmeyer, Caroline L; Powell, Nicole P; Qu, Lixin; Salekin, Karen L; Windle, Michel

2014-01-01

Booster interventions have been presumed to be important methods for maintaining the effects of evidence-based programs for children with behavioral problems, but there has been remarkably little empirical attention to this assumption. The present study examines the effect of a child-oriented booster preventive intervention with children who had previously received an abbreviated version (24 child sessions, 10 parent sessions) of the Coping Power targeted prevention program. Two hundred and forty-one children (152 boys, 89 girls) were screened as having moderate to high levels of aggressive behavior in 4th grade, then half were randomly assigned to receive the abbreviated Coping Power program in 5th grade, and half of the preventive intervention children were then randomly assigned to a Booster condition in 6th grade. The Booster sessions consisted of brief monthly individual contacts, and were primarily with the children. Five assessments across 4 years were collected from teachers, providing a three-year follow-up for all children who participated in the project. Results indicated that the abbreviated Coping Power program (one-third shorter than the full intervention) had long-term effects in reducing children's externalizing problem behaviors, proactive and reactive aggression, impulsivity traits and callous-unemotional traits. The Booster intervention did not augment these prevention effects. These findings indicate that a briefer and more readily disseminated form of an evidence-based targeted preventive intervention was effective. The findings have potential implications for policy and guidelines about possible intervention length and booster interventions.

An exploration of psychopathy in self-report measures among juvenile sex offenders.

PubMed

Morrell, Laura M; Burton, David L

2014-05-01

Researchers have indicated that adult psychopathy often originates in childhood or adolescence. It has also been established that psychopathic traits are linked to disruptive behavior, criminality, and violence. As knowledge about psychopathy and its manifestations in juvenile sex offender populations remains limited, several instruments have been developed in an effort to measure the construct. In this study, we assessed how the relationship of diverse scales of psychopathy related to characteristics of sexual aggression, and determined which scales were most correlated to sexual and nonsexual delinquency. We utilized four measures of juvenile psychopathy: the Modified Childhood Psychopathy Scale (mCPS; Lynam, 1997), the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD; Frick & Hare, 2001; Frick, O'Brien, Wootton, & McBurnett, 1994), the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI; Millon & Davis, 1993; using two derived psychopathy scales), and the Inventory of Callous and Unemotional (ICU) Traits (Frick, 2003), in a sample of 191 incarcerated adolescent sex offenders located in juvenile detention facilities across a Midwestern state. We found that of the four instruments and seven subscales, only the APSD Narcissism and Impulsivity Scale was significantly correlated to a characteristic of sexual crime (i.e., number of victims, level of crime severity). No subscales were found to predict sexual crime at a significant level. However, several scales were correlated to the total delinquency score as measured by the Self-Reported Delinquency Measure. In a series of multiple regressions, the MACI Factor 2 and ICU total score were determined as the best fit to total nonsexual delinquency. Implications are offered.

Does a Booster Intervention Augment the Preventive Effects of an Abbreviated Version of the Coping Power Program for Aggressive Children?

PubMed Central

Lochman, John E.; Baden, Rachel E.; Boxmeyer, Caroline L.; Powell, Nicole P.; Qu, Lixin; Salekin, Karen L.; Windle, Michel

2013-01-01

Booster interventions have been presumed to be important methods for maintaining the effects of evidence-based programs for children with behavioral problems, but there has been remarkably little empirical attention to this assumption. The present study examines the effect of a child-oriented booster preventive intervention with children who had previously received an abbreviated version (24 child sessions, 10 parent sessions) of the Coping Power targeted prevention program. Two hundred and forty-one children (152 boys, 89 girls) were screened as having moderate to high levels of aggressive behavior in 4th grade, then half were randomly assigned to receive the abbreviated Coping Power program in 5th grade, and half of the preventive intervention children were then randomly assigned to a Booster condition in 6th grade. The Booster sessions consisted of brief monthly individual contacts, and were primarily with the children. Five assessments across four years were collected from teachers, providing a three-year follow-up for all children who participated in the project. Results indicated that the abbreviated Coping Power program (one-third shorter than the full intervention) had long-term effects in reducing children’s externalizing problem behaviors, proactive and reactive aggression, impulsivity traits and callous-unemotional traits. The Booster intervention did not augment these prevention effects. These findings indicate that a briefer and more readily disseminated form of an evidence-based targeted preventive intervention was effective. The findings have potential implications for policy and guidelines about possible intervention length and booster interventions. PMID:23417235

Neuroendocrine aspects of pediatric aggression: Can hormone measures be clinically useful?

PubMed Central

Barzman, Drew H; Patel, Avni; Sonnier, Loretta; Strawn, Jeffrey R

2010-01-01

Pediatric aggression is common in human societies, mainly presenting as impulsive aggression or predatory aggression. Numerous psychiatric disorders can contain aggression as a symptom, leading to difficulties in diagnosis and treatment. This review focuses on the biological systems that affect pediatric aggression. We review the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis, and the mechanisms by which these axes influence the body and mind of aggressive children and adolescents. Although this review focuses on the HPA and HPG axes, it is important to note that other biological systems have relationships with these two axes. Based on the results of the studies reviewed, elevated cortisol concentrations were associated with impulsive aggression, whereas, low levels of cortisol were associated with callous-unemotional traits similar to predatory aggression. Higher levels of dehydroepiandrosterone were correlated with higher levels of aggression as were higher levels of testosterone. However, there have been discrepancies in the results between various studies, indicating the need for more research on hormonal levels and pediatric aggression. In the future, hormonal levels may be useful in determining what treatments will work best for certain pediatric patients. PMID:21127686

A Prospective, Longitudinal Examination of the Influence of Childhood Home and School Contexts on Psychopathic Characteristics in Adolescence.

PubMed

Fisher, Jacqueline Horan; Brown, Joshua L

2018-05-28

Much of the existing research examining etiological contributors to psychopathic characteristics considers only biological and physiological deficits, with little consideration given to contextual factors that may play a role in their development. This prospective, longitudinal study examined the influence of childhood home and school environments on adolescent psychopathic characteristics among 390 youth (50.5% female; 46.2% Black/African American, 44.9% Hispanic/Latino, 6.9% Asian or Native American/Alaska Native, and 2.1% Non-Hispanic White). Specifically, this study examined (1) the effect of home chaos and poor parental monitoring on adolescent primary and secondary psychopathy and callous-unemotional traits through the lens of multiple reporters, and (2) whether classroom climate quality across three years of childhood moderated these relationships. The results indicated that delinquency and home chaos in childhood were related to primary psychopathy in adolescence and that exposure to higher quality classroom climates across childhood acted as a buffer by mitigating the negative relationship between parental monitoring in childhood and secondary psychopathy in adolescence. These findings have implications for designing interventions to mitigate the manifestation of youth psychopathy.

Socioeconomic status and antisocial behaviour among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Piotrowska, Patrycja J; Stride, Christopher B; Croft, Simone E; Rowe, Richard

2015-02-01

Previous research on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and child and adolescent antisocial behaviour has produced mixed findings showing variation in the strength of association. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise evidence on the relationship between socioeconomic status and broadly conceptualised antisocial behaviour, investigating variation across a range of antisocial subtypes and other potential moderators, including age, sex and informant. We identified 133 studies containing data suitable for effect size calculation, and 139 independent effect sizes were analysed (total N=339868). The global meta-analysis showed that lower family socioeconomic status was associated with higher levels of antisocial behaviour. Moderation analyses revealed this relationship was stronger where callous-unemotional traits were the outcome, and where antisocial behaviour was reported by parents or teachers rather than self-reported. The relationship between family SES and antisocial behaviour, however, was independent of higher-level constructs such as national income inequality. These results indicate that SES can be considered a robust correlate of broadly conceptualised antisocial behaviour but the strength of this relationship may depend on the antisocial subtype under investigation and the design of the study. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Superthermostability of nanoscale TIC-reinforced copper alloys manufactured by a two-step ball-milling process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Fenglin; Li, Yunping; Xu, Xiandong; Koizumi, Yuichiro; Yamanaka, Kenta; Bian, Huakang; Chiba, Akihiko

2015-12-01

A Cu-TiC alloy, with nanoscale TiC particles highly dispersed in the submicron-grained Cu matrix, was manufactured by a self-developed two-step ball-milling process on Cu, Ti and C powders. The thermostability of the composite was evaluated by high-temperature isothermal annealing treatments, with temperatures ranging from 727 to 1273 K. The semicoherent nanoscale TiC particles with Cu matrix, mainly located along the grain boundaries, were found to exhibit the promising trait of blocking grain boundary migrations, which leads to a super-stabilized microstructures up to approximately the melting point of copper (1223 K). Furthermore, the Cu-TiC alloys after annealing at 1323 K showed a slight decrease in Vickers hardness as well as the duplex microstructure due to selective grain growth, which were discussed in terms of hardness contributions from various mechanisms.

Local plant responses to global problems: Dactylis glomerata responses to different traffic pollutants on roadsides.

PubMed

Jiménez, M D; de Torre, R; Mola, I; Casado, M A; Balaguer, L

2018-04-15

The growing number of road vehicles is a major source of regional and global atmospheric pollution increasing concentrations of CO 2 in the air, and levels of metals in air and soil. Nevertheless, the effects of these pollutants on plants growing at roadsides are poorly documented. We carried out an observational study of unmanipulated plants growing by the road, to identify the morpho-physiological responses in a perennial grass Dactylis glomerata. Firstly, we wanted to know the general effect of traffic intensity and ambient CO 2 and its interactions on different plant traits. Accordingly, we analyzed the photosynthetic response by field A/Ci Response Curves, SLA, pigment pools, foliar nitrogen, carbohydrates and morphological traits in plants at three distances to the road. Secondly, we wanted to know if Dactylis glomerata plants can accumulate metals present on the roadside (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Sr) in their tissues and rhizosphere, and the effect of these metals on morphological traits. The MANCOVA whole model results shown: 1) a significant effect of road ambient CO 2 concentration on morphological traits (not affected by traffic intensity, P interaction CO2 x traffic intensity >0.05), that was mainly driven by a significant negative relationship between the inflorescence number and ambient CO 2 ; 2) a positive and significant relationship between ambient CO 2 and the starch content in leaves (unaffected by traffic intensity); 3) a reduction in J max (electron transport rate) at high traffic intensity. These lines of evidences suggest a decreased photosynthetic capacity due to high traffic intensity and high levels of ambient CO 2 . In addition, Pb, Cu, Zn and Sr were detected in Dactylis glomerata tissues, and Cu accumulated in roots. Finally, we observed that Dactylis glomerata individuals growing at the roadside under high levels of CO 2 and in the presence of metal pollutants, reduced their production of inflorescences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Growth response, blood characteristics and copper accumulation in organs of broilers fed on diets supplemented with organic and inorganic dietary copper sources.

PubMed

Jegede, A V; Oduguwa, O O; Bamgbose, A M; Fanimo, A O; Nollet, L

2011-02-01

1. A 56-d experiment was conducted to study the comparative influence of organic and inorganic dietary copper (Cu) sources on growth, blood characteristics and copper accumulation in organs of broilers. 2. A total of 480 Arbor-Acre unsexed broilers were fed on diets containing copper sulphate (CuSO(4)) or copper proteinate (Cu Pro) at concentrations of 50, 100 or 150 mg/kg of Cu supplementation. The birds were given a broiler starter diet from 1-28 d and a broiler finisher diet from 29-56 d which contained 30·8 mg/kg and 41·1 mg/kg basal copper concentration respectively. Growth performance, blood characteristics and Cu accumulation in organs of the broilers were measured. 3. At 28 d, Cu Pro-fed birds had improved feed conversion ratio compared with CuSO(4). At 56 d, birds fed on Cu Pro diets had significantly greater body weight than CuSO(4)-fed birds. Birds fed on CuSO(4) supplemented diets had significantly better feed conversion efficiency. Feed consumptions for the two Cu sources were not significantly different. At no stage did the concentration of added Cu affect the productive traits measured. 4. Cu Pro supplementation increased haemoglobin concentration but reduced plasma triglyceride and plasma cholesterol. Plasma cholesterol decreased as Cu concentration increased. 5. There was a greater accumulation of Cu in the blood, heart, lung, liver and bone of broilers fed on Cu Pro than in those receiving CuSO(4). The liver Cu concentration increased as dietary Cu concentration increased. 6. Cu Pro was more effective in promoting growth and reducing blood cholesterol, and was more bio-available in the organs of broilers.

The Effects of Social Anxiety on Alcohol and Cigarette Use across Adolescence: Results from a Longitudinal Twin Study in Finland

PubMed Central

Savage, Jeanne E.; Kaprio, Jaakko; Korhonen, Tellervo; Pulkkinen, Lea; Rose, Richard J.; Verhulst, Brad; Dick, Danielle M.

2016-01-01

Conflicting reports exist on the direction of the relationship between social anxiety (SA) and alcohol/cigarette use (AU/CU) and alcohol/nicotine dependence (AD/ND), with both positive and negative associations reported. A prospective, longitudinal sample of Finnish twins (n=1906) was used to test potential explanations for these discrepancies. Specifically, this study used peer, parent, and teacher ratings of SA, and a clinical interview screening item for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD-Sc) to examine associations between SA and AU/CU and AD/ND from early adolescence into young adulthood. Peer-rated SA was negatively associated with AU, CU, and AD from age 14 through age 22, implying a protective effect (β=−0.01 to −.03). Teacher- and parent-rated SA associations were in the same directions but weaker or non-significant, indicating that aspects of SA that are recognizable by peers may be most relevant to AU/CU. Self-reported SAD-Sc was also negatively associated with AU, but positively associated with AD symptoms in young adulthood (β=0.38). Our findings partially support the existence of different associations between SA and AU versus AD, but only in the context of SAD-Sc rather than trait SA. Neither trait SA nor SAD-Sc significantly predicted ND symptoms, although SAD-Sc was associated with both cigarette abstinence and daily smoking. These findings suggest that adolescent SA is modestly associated with lower AU/CU, although there may be some individuals with more severe SA who develop alcohol problems later in life. There was little evidence of a common underlying liability contributing to both SA and alcohol/cigarette use. PMID:27322804

Men in Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Martin R.

Many of the difficulties experienced by men in group psychotherapy are inherent in their socialization process that brings about male gender role expectations. The need to be continually competitive, autonomous, unemotional, strong, in control of oneself and of others, dominant, and action-achievement-solution oriented can, unless reframed, work…

Analysis of copper tolerant rhizobacteria from the industrial belt of Gujarat, western India for plant growth promotion in metal polluted agriculture soils.

PubMed

Sharaff, Murali; Kamat, Shalmali; Archana, G

2017-04-01

Agricultural sites irrigated for long term with water polluted by industrial effluents containing heavy metals might adversely affect the soil microbial communities and crop yield. Hence it is important to study rhizobacterial communities and their metal tolerance in such affected agricultural fields to restore soil fertility and ecosystem. Present work deals with the study of rhizobacterial communities from plants grown in copper (Cu) contaminated agricultural fields along the industrial zone of Gujarat, India and are compared with communities from a Cu mine site. Microbial communities from rhizosphere soil samples varied in the magnitude of their Cu tolerance index indicating differences in long term pollution effects. Culture dependent denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (CD-DGGE) of bacterial communities revealed the diverse composition at the sampling sites and a reduced total diversity due to Cu toxicity. Analysis of 16S rRNA gene diversity of Cu tolerant rhizobacteria revealed the predominance of Enterobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. under Cu stress conditions. Cu tolerant bacterial isolates that were able to promote growth of mung bean plants in vitro under Cu stress were obtained from these samples. Cu tolerant rhizobacterium P36 identified as Enterobacter sp. exhibited multiple plant growth promoting traits and significantly alleviated Cu toxicity to mung bean plants by reducing the accumulation of Cu in plant roots and promoted the plant growth in CuSO 4 amended soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Conduct disorder in adolescent females: current state of research and study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium.

PubMed

Freitag, Christine M; Konrad, Kerstin; Stadler, Christina; De Brito, Stephane A; Popma, Arne; Herpertz, Sabine C; Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate; Neumann, Inga; Kieser, Meinhard; Chiocchetti, Andreas G; Schwenck, Christina; Fairchild, Graeme

2018-06-09

Conduct disorder (CD) is a common and highly impairing psychiatric disorder of childhood and adolescence that frequently leads to poor physical and mental health outcomes in adulthood. The prevalence of CD is substantially higher in males than females, and partly due to this, most research on this condition has used all-male or predominantly male samples. Although the number of females exhibiting CD has increased in recent decades, the majority of studies on neurobiological measures, neurocognitive phenotypes, and treatments for CD have focused on male subjects only, despite strong evidence for sex differences in the aetiology and neurobiology of CD. Here, we selectively review the existing literature on CD and related phenotypes in females, focusing in particular on sex differences in CD symptoms, patterns of psychiatric comorbidity, and callous-unemotional personality traits. We also consider studies investigating the neurobiology of CD in females, with a focus on studies using genetic, structural and functional neuroimaging, psychophysiological, and neuroendocrinological methods. We end the article by providing an overview of the study design of the FemNAT-CD consortium, an interdisciplinary, multi-level and multi-site study that explicitly focuses on CD in females, but which is also investigating sex differences in the causes, developmental course, and neurobiological correlates of CD.

Mother and Child Emotions during Mathematics Homework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Else-Quest, Nicole M.; Hyde, Janet S.; Hejmadi, Ahalya

2008-01-01

Mathematics is often thought of as a purely intellectual and unemotional activity. Recently, researchers have begun to question the validity of this approach, arguing that emotions and cognition are intertwined. The emotions expressed during mathematics work may be linked to mathematics achievement. We used behavioral measures to identify the…

A Microcomputer Exercise on Genetic Transcription and Translation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meisenheimer, John L.

1985-01-01

Describes a microcomputer program (written for the Apple II+) which can serve as a lecture demonstration aid in explaining genetic transcription and translation. The program provides unemotional information on student errors, thus serving as a review drill to supplement the classroom. Student participation and instructor options are discussed. (DH)

Internal Consistency Reliability of the Self-Report Antisocial Process Screening Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poythress, Norman G.; Douglas, Kevin S.; Falkenbach, Diana; Cruise, Keith; Lee, Zina; Murrie, Daniel C.; Vitacco, Michael

2006-01-01

The self-report version of the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) has become a popular measure for assessing psychopathic features in justice-involved adolescents. However, the internal consistency reliability of its component scales (Narcissism, Callous-Unemotional, and Impulsivity) has been questioned in several studies. This study…

Effects of oxytocin on background anxiety in rats with high or low baseline startle

PubMed Central

Ayers, Luke; Agostini, Andrew; Schulkin, Jay; Rosen, Jeffrey B.

2016-01-01

Rationale Oxytocin has antianxiety properties in humans and rodents. However, the antianxiety effects have been variable. Objectives To reduce variability and strengthen to the antianxiety effect of oxytocin in fear-potentiated startle, two experiments were performed. First, different amounts of light-shock pairings were given to determine the optimal levels of cue-specific fear conditioning and non-predictable startle (background anxiety). Second, the antianxiety effects of oxytocin were examined in rats with high and low pre-fear conditioning baseline startle to determine if oxytocin differentially affects high and low trait anxiety rats. Methods Baseline pre-fear conditioning startle responses were first measured. Rats then received 1, 5 or 10 light-shock pairings. Fear-potentiated startle was then tested with two trial types: light-cued startle and non-cued startle trials. In the second experiment, rats fear conditioned with 10 light-shock pairings were administered either saline or oxytocin before a fear-potentiated startle test. Rats were categorized as low or high startlers by their pre-fear conditioning startle amplitude. Results Ten shock-pairings produced the largest non-cued startle responses (background anxiety), without increasing cue-specific fear-potentiated startle compared to 1 and 5 light-shock pairings. Cue-specific fear-potentiated startle was unaffected by oxytocin. Oxytocin reduced background anxiety only in rats with low pre-fear startle responses. Conclusions Oxytocin has population selective antianxiety effects on non-cued unpredictable threat, but only in rats with low pre-fear baseline startle responses. The low startle responses are reminiscent of humans with low startle responses and high trait anxiety. PMID:27004789

The Importance of Developmental Science for Studies in Bullying and Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter K.; Jones, Alice P.

2012-01-01

Research on bullying and victimization, especially in school settings, has become an important area of developmental research, with strong practical implications. In this article we overview some considerations from neuropsychology, quantitative genetics, developmental neuroscience, we discuss CU traits and conduct problems, individual, group,…

Effect of Dietary Phytase Supplementation on Bone and Hyaline Cartilage Development of Broilers Fed with Organically Complexed Copper in a Cu-Deficient Diet.

PubMed

Muszyński, Siemowit; Tomaszewska, Ewa; Kwiecień, Małgorzata; Dobrowolski, Piotr; Tomczyk, Agnieszka

2018-04-01

Tibial mechanical, chemical, and histomorphometrical traits were investigated for growing male Ross 308 broiler chickens fed diets that had copper (Cu) from organic source at a lowered level of 25% of the daily requirement (4 mg kg -1 of a premix) with or without phytase. Dietary treatments were control non-copper, non-phytase group (0 Suppl); 4 mg kg -1 Cu non-phytase group (25%Cu); and 4 mg kg -1 Cu + 500 FTU kg -1 phytase group (25%Cu + phyt). The results show that birds fed with the addition of phytase exhibited improved weight gain and final body weight and had increased serum IGF-1 and osteocalcin concentrations. The serum concentration of Cu and P did not differ between groups; however, Ca concentration decreased in the 25%Cu + phyt group when compared to the 25%Cu group. Added Cu increased bone Ca, P, Cu, and ash content in Cu-supplemented groups, but bone weight and length increased only by the addition of phytase. Bone geometry, yield, and ultimate strengths were affected by Cu and phytase addition. A decrease of the elastic stress and ultimate stress of the tibia in Cu-supplemented groups was observed. The histomorphometric analysis showed a positive effect of Cu supplementation on real bone volume and trabecular thickness in the tibia metaphyseal trabeculae; additionally, phytase increased the trabeculea number. The supplementation with Cu significantly increased the total articular cartilage and growth plate cartilage thickness; however, the changes in thickness of particular zones were dependent upon phytase addition. In summary, dietary Cu supplements given to growing broilers with Cu in their diet restricted to 25% of the daily requirement had a positive effect on bone metabolism, and phytase supplementation additionally improved cartilage development.

Electrophysiological time course and brain areas of spontaneous and intentional trait inferences

PubMed Central

Van Duynslaeger, Marijke; Verstraeten, Edwin

2007-01-01

This study measured event-related potentials during spontaneous and intentional trait inferences. Participants read sentences describing the behavior of a target person from which a strong moral trait could be inferred. The last word of each sentence determined the consistency with the trait induced during an introductory paragraph. In comparison with behaviors that were consistent with the implied trait, a P300 waveform was obtained when the behaviors were evaluative inconsistent with that trait. This dependency on behavioral consistency indicates that trait inferences were made previously while reading the preceding behaviors, irrespective of the participants’ spontaneous or intentional goals. Overall, the P300 shows considerable parallels between spontaneous and intentional inferences, indicating that the type and timing of the inconsistency process is very similar. In contrast, source localization (LORETA) of the event-related potentials suggest that spontaneous inferences show greater activation in the temporo-parietal junction compared to intentional inferences following an inconsistency. Memory measures taken after the presentation of the stimulus material involved sentence completion and trait-cued recall, and supported the occurrence of trait inferences associated with the actor. They also showed significant correlations with the neural components (i.e. P300 and its current density at the temporo-parietal junction) predominantly following spontaneous instructions, indicating that these components are valid neural indices of spontaneous inferences. PMID:18985139

Parenting and Children's Representations of Family Predict Disruptive and Callous-Unemotional Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Nicholas J.; Mills-Koonce, W. Roger; Willoughby, Michael T.; Zvara, Bharathi; Cox, Martha J.

2015-01-01

Data from a large prospective longitudinal study (n = 1,239) was used to investigate the association between observed sensitive parenting in early childhood and children's representations of family relationships as measured by the Family Drawing Paradigm (FDP) in first grade as well as the extent to which these representations partially mediate…

Implicit social learning in relation to autistic-like traits.

PubMed

Hudson, Matthew; Nijboer, Tanja C W; Jellema, Tjeerd

2012-12-01

We investigated if variation in autistic traits in the typically-developed population (using the Autism-spectrum Quotient, AQ) influenced implicit learning of social information. In the learning phase, participants repeatedly observed two identities whose gaze and expression conveyed either a pro- or antisocial disposition. These identities were then employed in a gaze-cueing paradigm. Participants made speeded responses to a peripheral target that was spatially pre-cued by a non-predictive gaze direction. The low AQ group (n = 50) showed a smaller gaze-cueing effect for the antisocial than for the prosocial identity. The high AQ group (n = 48) showed equivalent gaze-cueing for both identities. Others' intentions/dispositions can be learned implicitly and affect subsequent responses to their behavior. This ability is impaired with increasing levels of autistic traits.

All in its proper time: monitoring the emergence of a memory bias for novel, arousing-negative words in individuals with high and low trait anxiety.

PubMed

Eden, Annuschka Salima; Zwitserlood, Pienie; Keuper, Katharina; Junghöfer, Markus; Laeger, Inga; Zwanzger, Peter; Dobel, Christian

2014-01-01

The well-established memory bias for arousing-negative stimuli seems to be enhanced in high trait-anxious persons and persons suffering from anxiety disorders. We monitored the emergence and development of such a bias during and after learning, in high and low trait anxious participants. A word-learning paradigm was applied, consisting of spoken pseudowords paired either with arousing-negative or neutral pictures. Learning performance during training evidenced a short-lived advantage for arousing-negative associated words, which was not present at the end of training. Cued recall and valence ratings revealed a memory bias for pseudowords that had been paired with arousing-negative pictures, immediately after learning and two weeks later. This held even for items that were not explicitly remembered. High anxious individuals evidenced a stronger memory bias in the cued-recall test, and their ratings were also more negative overall compared to low anxious persons. Both effects were evident, even when explicit recall was controlled for. Regarding the memory bias in anxiety prone persons, explicit memory seems to play a more crucial role than implicit memory. The study stresses the need for several time points of bias measurement during the course of learning and retrieval, as well as the employment of different measures for learning success.

Callous-Unemotional Interpersonal Style in DSM-V: What Does This Mean for the UK SEBD Population?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Laura; Jones, Alice; Frederickson, Norah

2015-01-01

The definition of conduct disorder in "The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (5th ed.; DSMV) includes a new "limited prosocial emotions" specifier, designed to assist in the identification of those with more severe and persistent difficulties and the better targeting of interventions. This study set out to…

Interpersonal and Affective Features of Psychopathy in Children and Adolescents: Advancing a Developmental Perspective--Introduction to Special Section

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardini, Dustin A.; Loeber, Rolf

2007-01-01

The interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, deceitful) and affective (e.g., callous, unemotional) features associated with adult psychopathy have been identified in children and adolescents. Although early research suggests that these features have clinical utility in identifying a particularly severe and recalcitrant form of antisocial behavior with…

The Utility of the Child and Adolescent Psychopathy Construct in Hong Kong, China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fung, Annis Lai-Chu; Gao, Yu; Raine, Adrian

2010-01-01

This cross-sectional study examined the nature of child and adolescent psychopathy using the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD) in 3,675 schoolchildren (ages 11-16) in Hong Kong, China. A confirmatory factor analysis observed a good fit for the three-factor model (callous-unemotional, impulsivity, narcissism) of APSD, with boys scoring…

Stress Strengthens Memory of First Impressions of Others' Positive Personality Traits

PubMed Central

Lass-Hennemann, Johanna; Kuehl, Linn K.; Schulz, André; Oitzl, Melly S.; Schachinger, Hartmut

2011-01-01

Encounters with strangers bear potential for social conflict and stress, but also allow the formation of alliances. First impressions of other people play a critical role in the formation of alliances, since they provide a learned base to infer the other's future social attitude. Stress can facilitate emotional memories but it is unknown whether stress strengthens our memory for newly acquired impressions of other people's personality traits. To answer this question, we subjected 60 students (37 females, 23 males) to an impression-formation task, viewing portraits together with brief positive vs. negative behavior descriptions, followed by a 3-min cold pressor stress test or a non-stressful control procedure. The next day, novel and old portraits were paired with single trait adjectives, the old portraits with a trait adjective matching the previous day's behavior description. After a filler task, portraits were presented again and subjects were asked to recall the trait adjective. Cued recall was higher for old (previously implied) than the novel portraits' trait adjectives, indicating validity of the applied test procedures. Overall, recall rate of implied trait adjectives did not differ between the stress and the control group. However, while the control group showed a better memory performance for others' implied negative personality traits, the stress group showed enhanced recall for others' implied positive personality traits. This result indicates that post-learning stress affects consolidation of first impressions in a valence-specific manner. We propose that the stress-induced strengthening of memory of others' positive traits forms an important cue for the formation of alliances in stressful conditions. PMID:21298099

Stress strengthens memory of first impressions of others' positive personality traits.

PubMed

Lass-Hennemann, Johanna; Kuehl, Linn K; Schulz, André; Oitzl, Melly S; Schachinger, Hartmut

2011-01-26

Encounters with strangers bear potential for social conflict and stress, but also allow the formation of alliances. First impressions of other people play a critical role in the formation of alliances, since they provide a learned base to infer the other's future social attitude. Stress can facilitate emotional memories but it is unknown whether stress strengthens our memory for newly acquired impressions of other people's personality traits. To answer this question, we subjected 60 students (37 females, 23 males) to an impression-formation task, viewing portraits together with brief positive vs. negative behavior descriptions, followed by a 3-min cold pressor stress test or a non-stressful control procedure. The next day, novel and old portraits were paired with single trait adjectives, the old portraits with a trait adjective matching the previous day's behavior description. After a filler task, portraits were presented again and subjects were asked to recall the trait adjective. Cued recall was higher for old (previously implied) than the novel portraits' trait adjectives, indicating validity of the applied test procedures. Overall, recall rate of implied trait adjectives did not differ between the stress and the control group. However, while the control group showed a better memory performance for others' implied negative personality traits, the stress group showed enhanced recall for others' implied positive personality traits. This result indicates that post-learning stress affects consolidation of first impressions in a valence-specific manner. We propose that the stress-induced strengthening of memory of others' positive traits forms an important cue for the formation of alliances in stressful conditions.

Psychopathy to Altruism: Neurobiology of the Selfish-Selfless Spectrum.

PubMed

Sonne, James W H; Gash, Don M

2018-01-01

The age-old philosophical, biological, and social debate over the basic nature of humans as being "universally selfish" or "universally good" continues today highlighting sharply divergent views of natural social order. Here we analyze advances in biology, genetics and neuroscience increasing our understanding of the evolution, features and neurocircuitry of the human brain underlying behavior in the selfish-selfless spectrum. First, we examine evolutionary pressures for selection of altruistic traits in species with protracted periods of dependence on parents and communities for subsistence and acquisition of learned behaviors. Evidence supporting the concept that altruistic potential is a common feature in human populations is developed. To go into greater depth in assessing critical features of the social brain, the two extremes of selfish-selfless behavior, callous unemotional psychopaths and zealous altruists who take extreme measures to help others, are compared on behavioral traits, structural/functional neural features, and the relative contributions of genetic inheritance versus acquired cognitive learning to their mindsets. Evidence from population groups ranging from newborns, adopted children, incarcerated juveniles, twins and mindfulness meditators point to the important role of neuroplasticity and the dopaminergic reward systems in forming and reforming neural circuitry in response to personal experience and cultural influences in determining behavior in the selfish-selfless spectrum. The underlying neural circuitry differs between psychopaths and altruists with emotional processing being profoundly muted in psychopaths and significantly enhanced in altruists. But both groups are characterized by the reward system of the brain shaping behavior. Instead of rigid assignment of human nature as being "universally selfish" or "universally good," both characterizations are partial truths based on the segments of the selfish-selfless spectrum being examined. In addition, individuals and populations can shift in the behavioral spectrum in response to cognitive therapy and social and cultural experience, and approaches such as mindfulness training for introspection and reward-activating compassion are entering the mainstream of clinical care for managing pain, depression, and stress.

Psychopathy to Altruism: Neurobiology of the Selfish–Selfless Spectrum

PubMed Central

Sonne, James W. H.; Gash, Don M.

2018-01-01

The age-old philosophical, biological, and social debate over the basic nature of humans as being “universally selfish” or “universally good” continues today highlighting sharply divergent views of natural social order. Here we analyze advances in biology, genetics and neuroscience increasing our understanding of the evolution, features and neurocircuitry of the human brain underlying behavior in the selfish–selfless spectrum. First, we examine evolutionary pressures for selection of altruistic traits in species with protracted periods of dependence on parents and communities for subsistence and acquisition of learned behaviors. Evidence supporting the concept that altruistic potential is a common feature in human populations is developed. To go into greater depth in assessing critical features of the social brain, the two extremes of selfish–selfless behavior, callous unemotional psychopaths and zealous altruists who take extreme measures to help others, are compared on behavioral traits, structural/functional neural features, and the relative contributions of genetic inheritance versus acquired cognitive learning to their mindsets. Evidence from population groups ranging from newborns, adopted children, incarcerated juveniles, twins and mindfulness meditators point to the important role of neuroplasticity and the dopaminergic reward systems in forming and reforming neural circuitry in response to personal experience and cultural influences in determining behavior in the selfish–selfless spectrum. The underlying neural circuitry differs between psychopaths and altruists with emotional processing being profoundly muted in psychopaths and significantly enhanced in altruists. But both groups are characterized by the reward system of the brain shaping behavior. Instead of rigid assignment of human nature as being “universally selfish” or “universally good,” both characterizations are partial truths based on the segments of the selfish–selfless spectrum being examined. In addition, individuals and populations can shift in the behavioral spectrum in response to cognitive therapy and social and cultural experience, and approaches such as mindfulness training for introspection and reward-activating compassion are entering the mainstream of clinical care for managing pain, depression, and stress. PMID:29725317

The Neuroscience of Callous-Unemotional Subtype of Conduct Problems: Implications for Intervention and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Alice P.; Viding, Essi

2010-01-01

This paper presents a novel school-based intervention programme for children with chronic and severe emotional and behavioural difficulties. The main aim of the programme is to reduce conduct problems and to increase prosocial behaviours. The ultimate aim of such a programme is to help pupils with severe and chronic conduct problems back on track…

Trait inferences in goal-directed behavior: ERP timing and localization under spontaneous and intentional processing

PubMed Central

Van den Eede, Sofie; Baetens, Kris; Vandekerckhove, Marie

2009-01-01

This study measured event-related potentials (ERPs) during multiple goal and trait inferences, under spontaneous or intentional instructions. Participants read sentences describing several goal-implying behaviors of a target person from which also a strong trait could be inferred or not. The last word of each sentence determined the consistency with the inference induced during preceding sentences. In comparison with behaviors that implied only a goal, stronger waveforms beginning at ∼150 ms were obtained when the behaviors additionally implied a trait. These ERPs showed considerable parallels between spontaneous and intentional inferences. This suggests that traits embedded in a stream of goal-directed behaviors were detected more rapidly and automatically than mere goals, irrespective of the participants’ spontaneous or intentional instructions. In line with this, source localization (LORETA) of the ERPs show predominantly activation in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during 150–200 ms, suggesting that goals were detected at that time interval. During 200–300 ms, activation was stronger at the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for multiple goals and traits as opposed to goals only, suggesting that traits were inferred during this time window. A cued recall measure taken after the presentation of the stimulus material support the occurrence of goal and trait inferences and shows significant correlations with the neural components, indicating that these components are valid neural indices of spontaneous and intentional social inferences. The early detection of multiple goal and trait inferences is explained in terms of their greater social relevance, leading to privileged attention allocation and processing in the brain. PMID:19270041

Parent and Adolescent Report of the Forms and Functions of Aggression: Associations with Delinquency, CU Traits, and Dysregulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsee, Monica A.; Lau, Katherine S. L.; Lapré, Genevieve E.

2014-01-01

Background: The purpose of this study is to provide an examination of the psychometric properties and correlates of a parent-report measure of the forms and functions of aggression. Objective: We sought to explore the potential independent association of parent-reported forms and functions of aggression to several important variables commonly…

Behavioral Interventions for Anger, Irritability, and Aggression in Children and Adolescents.

PubMed

Sukhodolsky, Denis G; Smith, Stephanie D; McCauley, Spencer A; Ibrahim, Karim; Piasecka, Justyna B

2016-02-01

Anger, irritability, and aggression are among the most common reasons for child mental health referrals. This review is focused on two forms of behavioral interventions for these behavioral problems: Parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). First, we provide an overview of anger/irritability and aggression as the treatment targets of behavioral interventions, followed by a discussion of the general principles and techniques of these treatment modalities. Then we discuss our current work concerning the transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger, irritability, and aggression. PMT is aimed at improving aversive patterns of family interactions that engender children's disruptive behavior. CBT targets deficits in emotion regulation and social problem-solving that are associated with aggressive behavior. Both forms of treatment have received extensive support in randomized controlled trials. Given that anger/irritability and aggressive behavior are common in children with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, a transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger and aggression is described in detail. PMT and CBT have been well studied in randomized controlled trials in children with disruptive behavior disorders, and studies of transdiagnostic approaches to CBT for anger and aggression are currently underway. More work is needed to develop treatments for other types of aggressive behavior (e.g., relational aggression) that have been relatively neglected in clinical research. The role of callous-unemotional traits in response to behavioral interventions and treatment of irritability in children with anxiety and mood disorders also warrants further investigation.

Behavioral Interventions for Anger, Irritability, and Aggression in Children and Adolescents

PubMed Central

Smith, Stephanie D.; McCauley, Spencer A.; Ibrahim, Karim; Piasecka, Justyna B.

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: Anger, irritability, and aggression are among the most common reasons for child mental health referrals. This review is focused on two forms of behavioral interventions for these behavioral problems: Parent management training (PMT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Methods: First, we provide an overview of anger/irritability and aggression as the treatment targets of behavioral interventions, followed by a discussion of the general principles and techniques of these treatment modalities. Then we discuss our current work concerning the transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger, irritability, and aggression. Results: PMT is aimed at improving aversive patterns of family interactions that engender children's disruptive behavior. CBT targets deficits in emotion regulation and social problem-solving that are associated with aggressive behavior. Both forms of treatment have received extensive support in randomized controlled trials. Given that anger/irritability and aggressive behavior are common in children with a variety of psychiatric diagnoses, a transdiagnostic approach to CBT for anger and aggression is described in detail. Conclusions: PMT and CBT have been well studied in randomized controlled trials in children with disruptive behavior disorders, and studies of transdiagnostic approaches to CBT for anger and aggression are currently underway. More work is needed to develop treatments for other types of aggressive behavior (e.g., relational aggression) that have been relatively neglected in clinical research. The role of callous-unemotional traits in response to behavioral interventions and treatment of irritability in children with anxiety and mood disorders also warrants further investigation. PMID:26745682

Antibacterial activity of trimetal (CuZnFe) oxide nanoparticles.

PubMed

Alzahrani, Khalid E; Niazy, Abdurahman A; Alswieleh, Abdullah M; Wahab, Rizwan; El-Toni, Ahmed M; Alghamdi, Hamdan S

2018-01-01

The increasing resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics is a challenging worldwide health problem that has led to the search for new and more efficient antibacterial agents. Nanotechnology has proven to be an effective tool for the fight against bacteria. In this paper, we present the synthesis and traits of trimetal (CuZnFe) oxide nanoparticles (NPs) using X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. We evaluated the antibacterial activity of these NPs against gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Enterococcus faecalis and then compared it to that of their pure single-metal oxide components CuO and ZnO. Our study showed that the antibacterial activity of the trimetal oxide NPs was greater against E . coli than against E . faecalis . Overall, the antimicrobial effect of trimetal NPs is between those of pure ZnO and CuO nanoparticles, which may mean that their cytotoxicity is also between that of pure ZnO and CuO NPs, making them potential antibiotics. However, the cytotoxicity of trimetal NPs to mammalian cells needs to be verified. The combination of three metal oxide NPs (ZnO, CuO, and Fe 2 O 3 ) in one multimetal (CuZnFe) oxide NPs will enhance the therapeutic strategy against a wide range of microbial infections. Bacteria are unlikely to develop resistance against this new NP because bacteria must go through a series of mutations to become resistant to the trimetal oxide NP. Therefore, this NP can combat existing and emerging bacterial infections.

Evolution of copper arsenate resistance for enhanced enargite bioleaching using the extreme thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula.

PubMed

Ai, Chenbing; McCarthy, Samuel; Liang, Yuting; Rudrappa, Deepak; Qiu, Guanzhou; Blum, Paul

2017-12-01

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was employed to isolate arsenate and copper cross-resistant strains, from the copper-resistant M. sedula CuR1. The evolved strains, M. sedula ARS50-1 and M. sedula ARS50-2, contained 12 and 13 additional mutations, respectively, relative to M. sedula CuR1. Bioleaching capacity of a defined consortium (consisting of a naturally occurring strain and a genetically engineered copper sensitive strain) was increased by introduction of M. sedula ARS50-2, with 5.31 and 26.29% more copper recovered from enargite at a pulp density (PD) of 1 and 3% (w/v), respectively. M. sedula ARS50-2 arose as the predominant species and modulated the proportions of the other two strains after it had been introduced. Collectively, the higher Cu 2+ resistance trait of M. sedula ARS50-2 resulted in a modulated microbial community structure, and consolidating enargite bioleaching especially at elevated PD.

Frontopolar activity and connectivity support dynamic conscious augmentation of creative state.

PubMed

Green, Adam E; Cohen, Michael S; Raab, Hillary A; Yedibalian, Christopher G; Gray, Jeremy R

2015-03-01

No ability is more valued in the modern innovation-fueled economy than thinking creatively on demand, and the "thinking cap" capacity to augment state creativity (i.e., to try and succeed at thinking more creatively) is of broad importance for education and a rich mental life. Although brain-based creativity research has focused on static individual differences in trait creativity, less is known about changes in creative state within an individual. How does the brain augment state creativity when creative thinking is required? Can augmented creative state be consciously engaged and disengaged dynamically across time? Using a novel "thin slice" creativity paradigm in 55 fMRI participants performing verb-generation, we successfully cued large, conscious, short-duration increases in state creativity, indexed quantitatively by a measure of semantic distance derived via latent semantic analysis. A region of left frontopolar cortex, previously associated with creative integration of semantic information, exhibited increased activity and functional connectivity to anterior cingulate gyrus and right frontopolar cortex during cued augmentation of state creativity. Individual differences in the extent of increased activity in this region predicted individual differences in the extent to which participants were able to successfully augment state creative performance after accounting for trait creativity and intelligence. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Analysing Amazonian forest productivity using a new individual and trait-based model (TFS v.1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fyllas, N. M.; Gloor, E.; Mercado, L. M.; Sitch, S.; Quesada, C. A.; Domingues, T. F.; Galbraith, D. R.; Torre-Lezama, A.; Vilanova, E.; Ramírez-Angulo, H.; Higuchi, N.; Neill, D. A.; Silveira, M.; Ferreira, L.; Aymard C., G. A.; Malhi, Y.; Phillips, O. L.; Lloyd, J.

2014-07-01

Repeated long-term censuses have revealed large-scale spatial patterns in Amazon basin forest structure and dynamism, with some forests in the west of the basin having up to a twice as high rate of aboveground biomass production and tree recruitment as forests in the east. Possible causes for this variation could be the climatic and edaphic gradients across the basin and/or the spatial distribution of tree species composition. To help understand causes of this variation a new individual-based model of tropical forest growth, designed to take full advantage of the forest census data available from the Amazonian Forest Inventory Network (RAINFOR), has been developed. The model allows for within-stand variations in tree size distribution and key functional traits and between-stand differences in climate and soil physical and chemical properties. It runs at the stand level with four functional traits - leaf dry mass per area (Ma), leaf nitrogen (NL) and phosphorus (PL) content and wood density (DW) varying from tree to tree - in a way that replicates the observed continua found within each stand. We first applied the model to validate canopy-level water fluxes at three eddy covariance flux measurement sites. For all three sites the canopy-level water fluxes were adequately simulated. We then applied the model at seven plots, where intensive measurements of carbon allocation are available. Tree-by-tree multi-annual growth rates generally agreed well with observations for small trees, but with deviations identified for larger trees. At the stand level, simulations at 40 plots were used to explore the influence of climate and soil nutrient availability on the gross (ΠG) and net (ΠN) primary production rates as well as the carbon use efficiency (CU). Simulated ΠG, ΠN and CU were not associated with temperature. On the other hand, all three measures of stand level productivity were positively related to both mean annual precipitation and soil nutrient status. Sensitivity studies showed a clear importance of an accurate parameterisation of within- and between-stand trait variability on the fidelity of model predictions. For example, when functional tree diversity was not included in the model (i.e. with just a single plant functional type with mean basin-wide trait values) the predictive ability of the model was reduced. This was also the case when basin-wide (as opposed to site-specific) trait distributions were applied within each stand. We conclude that models of tropical forest carbon, energy and water cycling should strive to accurately represent observed variations in functionally important traits across the range of relevant scales.

Research review: evaluating and reformulating the developmental taxonomic theory of antisocial behaviour.

PubMed

Fairchild, Graeme; van Goozen, Stephanie H M; Calder, Andrew J; Goodyer, Ian M

2013-09-01

The developmental taxonomic theory proposes that there are two subtypes of antisocial behaviour. The first is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in early childhood and follows a life-course persistent course, whereas the second emerges in adolescence, remits in early adulthood and reflects peer processes such as mimicry of antisocial peers. The aim of this review was to evaluate the developmental taxonomic theory in the light of recent empirical research. We conducted a comprehensive literature review comparing these subtypes of antisocial behaviour based on searches on PubMed and other scientific databases covering the period from 1993 to 2013. We focused on research encompassing psychiatric epidemiology, personality assessment, neuropsychology, neuroendocrinology, genetics, and structural and functional neuroimaging. Sixty one empirical studies were identified that investigated one of these forms of antisocial behaviour separately or explicitly compared childhood-onset and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour. Empirical research provides support for the hypothesis that life-course persistent antisocial behaviour is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in the transactions between individual vulnerabilities and environmental adversity. In contrast to the developmental taxonomic theory, however, empirical findings suggest that severe antisocial behaviour that emerges in adolescence frequently has a negative prognosis and is rarely limited to the adolescent period. In addition, both forms of antisocial behaviour are associated with emotion processing deficits, changes in brain structure and function, alterations in cortisol secretion, and atypical personality traits (such as increased callous-unemotional traits). We conclude that the developmental taxonomic theory is in need of revision, as differences between life-course persistent and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour appear to be quantitative, rather than qualitative, in nature. In addition, evidence is accumulating that adolescence-onset antisocial behaviour may also be a neurodevelopmental disorder. To account for the similarities between these groups, despite the differences in their age-of-onset, we propose that the quality of the child's early environment moderates the relationship between individual vulnerabilities and the age-of-onset of antisocial behaviour. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Research Review: Evaluating and reformulating the developmental taxonomic theory of antisocial behaviour

PubMed Central

Fairchild, Graeme; Goozen, Stephanie HM; Calder, Andrew J; Goodyer, Ian M

2013-01-01

BackgroundThe developmental taxonomic theory proposes that there are two subtypes of antisocial behaviour. The first is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in early childhood and follows a life-course persistent course, whereas the second emerges in adolescence, remits in early adulthood and reflects peer processes such as mimicry of antisocial peers. The aim of this review was to evaluate the developmental taxonomic theory in the light of recent empirical research. MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive literature review comparing these subtypes of antisocial behaviour based on searches on PubMed and other scientific databases covering the period from 1993 to 2013. We focused on research encompassing psychiatric epidemiology, personality assessment, neuropsychology, neuroendocrinology, genetics, and structural and functional neuroimaging. Sixty one empirical studies were identified that investigated one of these forms of antisocial behaviour separately or explicitly compared childhood-onset and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour. ResultsEmpirical research provides support for the hypothesis that life-course persistent antisocial behaviour is a neurodevelopmental disorder which emerges in the transactions between individual vulnerabilities and environmental adversity. In contrast to the developmental taxonomic theory, however, empirical findings suggest that severe antisocial behaviour that emerges in adolescence frequently has a negative prognosis and is rarely limited to the adolescent period. In addition, both forms of antisocial behaviour are associated with emotion processing deficits, changes in brain structure and function, alterations in cortisol secretion, and atypical personality traits (such as increased callous-unemotional traits). ConclusionsWe conclude that the developmental taxonomic theory is in need of revision, as differences between life-course persistent and adolescence-onset forms of antisocial behaviour appear to be quantitative, rather than qualitative, in nature. In addition, evidence is accumulating that adolescence-onset antisocial behaviour may also be a neurodevelopmental disorder. To account for the similarities between these groups, despite the differences in their age-of-onset, we propose that the quality of the child's early environment moderates the relationship between individual vulnerabilities and the age-of-onset of antisocial behaviour. PMID:23826820

Testing the direct, indirect, and moderated effects of childhood animal cruelty on future aggressive and non-aggressive offending.

PubMed

Walters, Glenn D

2014-01-01

The relationship between childhood cruelty toward animals and subsequent aggressive offending was explored in 1,336 (1,154 male, 182 female) participants from the 11-wave Pathways to Desistance study (Mulvey, 2013). Aggressive and income offending at Waves 1 through 10 were regressed onto a dichotomous measure of prior involvement in animal cruelty and four control variables (age, race, sex, early onset behavior problems) assessed at Wave 0 (baseline). Results indicated that childhood animal cruelty was equally predictive of aggressive and non-aggressive (income) offending, a finding inconsistent with the hypothesis that cruelty toward animals desensitizes a person to future interpersonal aggression or in some way prepares the individual for interpersonal violence toward humans. Whereas a significant sex by animal cruelty interaction was predicted, there was no evidence that sex or any of the other demographic variables included in this study (age, race) consistently moderated the animal cruelty-subsequent offending relationship. On the other hand, two cognitive-personality measures (interpersonal hostility, callousness/unemotionality) were found to successfully mediate the animal cruelty-subsequent offending relationship. Outcomes from this study imply that a causal nexus-partially or fully mediated by hostility, callousness/unemotionality, and other cognitive-personality variables-may exist between childhood animal cruelty and subsequent offending, although the effect is not specific to violence. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Copper Exposure on Photosynthesis and Growth of the Seagrass Cymodocea nodosa: An Experimental Assessment.

PubMed

Llagostera, Izaskun; Cervantes, Daniel; Sanmartí, Neus; Romero, Javier; Pérez, Marta

2016-09-01

Seagrasses form some of the most important coastal habitats. They may be negatively affected by trace metal contamination in certain coastal areas. In this study we experimentally assessed selected morphological and physiological traits of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, with increasing concentrations of copper (Cu) under controlled laboratory conditions. Short term (21 days) sub-lethal effects such as decreased maximum quantum yield, increased leaf necrosis and decreased shoot growth and shoot recruitment were clearly observed at the highest Cu exposure (5 mg L(-1)), while the effects were weaker at the intermediate concentration (2.5 mg L(-1)) and almost absent at the lowest concentration (1 mg L(-1)), indicating that this species is highly tolerant to copper exposure, at least in the short term. This fact could help to explain its distribution in relatively polluted coastal waters.

Deficient inhibitory processing in trait anxiety: Evidence from context-dependent fear learning, extinction recall and renewal.

PubMed

Haaker, J; Lonsdorf, T B; Schümann, D; Menz, M; Brassen, S; Bunzeck, N; Gamer, M; Kalisch, R

2015-10-01

Impaired fear inhibition has been described as a hallmark of pathological anxiety. We aimed at further characterizing the relation between fear inhibition and anxiety by extending previous work to contextual safety stimuli as well as to dimensional scores of trait anxiety in a large sample. We employed a validated paradigm for context-dependent fear acquisition/extinction (day 1) and retrieval/expression (day 2) in 377 healthy individuals. This large sample size allowed the employment of a dimensional rather than binary approach with respect to individual differences in trait anxiety. We observed a positive correlation on day 1 between trait anxiety with all CSs that possess an inherent inhibitory component, conveyed either by reliable non-reinforcement of a specific CS in a dangerous context (safe cue) or by the context itself (i.e., safe context). No correlation however was observed for a CS that possesses excitatory (threatening) properties only. These results were observed during fear learning (day 1) for US expectancy and fear ratings but not for SCRs. No such pattern was evident during fear and extinction retrieval/expression (day 2). We provide further evidence that high trait anxiety is associated with the inability to take immediate advantage of environmental safety cues (cued and contextual), which might represent a promising trans-diagnostic marker for different anxiety disorders. Consequently, the incorporation of methods to optimize inhibitory learning in current cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) treatments might open up a promising avenue for precision medicine in anxiety disorders. We did not include patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Diversity for chemical composition in a collection of different varietal types of tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cav.), an Andean exotic fruit.

PubMed

Acosta-Quezada, Pablo G; Raigón, María D; Riofrío-Cuenca, Tania; García-Martínez, María D; Plazas, Mariola; Burneo, Juan I; Figueroa, Jorge G; Vilanova, Santiago; Prohens, Jaime

2015-02-15

We evaluated 23 tree tomato (Solanum betaceum) accessions from five cultivar groups and one wild relative (Solanum cajanumense) for 26 composition traits. For all traits we found highly significant differences (P<0.001) among the materials studied. The high diversity found within S. betaceum for composition traits was matched by a high diversity within each of the cultivar groups. We found that sucrose and citric acid were the most important soluble sugar and organic acid, respectively, in tree tomato. Fruit in the anthocyanin pigmented (purple) group had a carotenoid content similar to that in the yellow-orange cultivar groups. Total phenolic content was significantly correlated (r=0.8607) with antioxidant activity. Analyses of mineral content showed that tree tomato is a good source of K, Mg, and Cu. Multivariate principal components analysis (PCA) confirmed that an important diversity exists within each cultivar group. The results we have obtained indicate that the high diversity found within the tree tomato could be exploited for selection and breeding for developing the tree tomato as a commercial crop. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comorbid symptomatology moderates response to risperidone, stimulant, and parent training in children with severe aggression, disruptive behavior disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Farmer, Cristan A; Brown, Nicole V; Gadow, Kenneth D; Arnold, L Eugene; Kolko, David G; Findling, Robert L; Molina, Brooke S G; Buchan-Page, Kristin A; Rice, Robert R; Bangalore, Srihari S; Bukstein, Oscar; Rundberg-Rivera, E Victoria; McNamara, Nora; Aman, Michael G

2015-04-01

In this study, we evaluated parent and child characteristics as predictors and moderators of response in the four-site Treatment of Severe Childhood Aggression (TOSCA) study. A total of 168 children with severe aggression, disruptive behavior disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were enrolled in a 9-week trial of basic treatment (n=84, stimulant+parent training+placebo) versus augmented treatment (n=84, stimulant+parent training+risperidone). In the initial report, augmented treatment surpassed basic treatment in reducing the primary outcome of disruptive behavior (D-Total) scores. In the current study, we evaluated parent (income, education, family functioning, employment) and child variables (intelligence quotient [IQ], aggression type, comorbid symptomatology) as predictors or moderators, using linear mixed models and the MacArthur guidelines. Higher scores on ADHD symptom severity and callous/unemotional traits predicted better outcome on D-Total regardless of treatment assignment. Two moderators of D-Total were found: Higher anger/irritability symptoms and lower mania scores were associated with faster response, although not better overall effect at endpoint, in the augmented but not the basic group. Several variables moderated response on secondary outcomes (ADHD severity and prosocial behavior), and were characterized by faster response, although not better outcome, in the augmented but not in the basic group. Maternal education moderated outcome on the measure of positive social behavior; children of mothers with less education benefited more from augmented treatment relative to basic than those with more education. Although these findings require validation, they tentatively suggest that augmented treatment works equally well across the entire sample. Nevertheless, certain child characteristics may be useful indicators for the speed of response to augmented treatment.

Parental brain-derived neurotrophic factor genotype, child prosociality, and their interaction as predictors of parents' warmth.

PubMed

Avinun, Reut; Knafo-Noam, Ariel

2017-05-01

Parental warmth has been associated with various child behaviors, from effortful control to callous-unemotional traits. Factors that have been shown to affect parental warmth include heritability and child behavior. However, there is limited knowledge about which specific genes are involved, how they interact with child behavior, how they affect differential parenting, and how they affect fathers. We examined what affects paternal and maternal warmth by focusing on the child's prosocial behavior and parents' genotype, specifically a Valine to Methionine substitution at codon 66 in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. Data was available from a sample of 6.5 year-old twins, consisting of 369 mothers and 663 children and 255 fathers and 458 children. Self-reports were used to assess mothers' and fathers' warmth. Child prosociality was assessed with the other-parent report and experimental assessments. Mothers' warmth was not affected by their BDNF genotype, neither as a main effect nor in an interaction with child prosociality. Fathers with the Met allele scored higher on warmth. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between fathers' BDNF genotype and child prosociality. For fathers with the Met allele there was a positive association between warmth and child prosociality. Conversely, for fathers with the Val/Val genotype there was no association between warmth and child prosociality. Results were repeated longitudinally in a subsample with data on age 8-9 years. A direct within family analysis showed that fathers with the Met allele were more likely than Val/Val carriers to exhibit differential parenting toward twins who differed in their prosocial behavior. The same pattern of findings was found with mother-rated and experimentally assessed prosociality. These results shed light on the genetic and environmental underpinnings of paternal behavior and differential parenting.

The role of anxiety in cortisol stress response and cortisol recovery in boys with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder.

PubMed

Schoorl, Jantiene; Rijn, Sophie van; Wied, Minet de; van Goozen, Stephanie; Swaab, Hanna

2016-11-01

Children with antisocial and aggressive behaviors have been found to show abnormal neurobiological responses to stress, specifically impaired cortisol stress reactivity. The role of individual characteristics, such as comorbid anxiety, in the stress response is far less studied. Furthermore, this study extended previous studies in that not only baseline and reactivity to a psychosocial stressor were examined, but also recovery from a stressor. These three phases of cortisol could be impacted differentially in boys with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) with (+ANX) and without anxiety (-ANX). The results revealed that cortisol patterns in response to psychosocial stress were different for boys with ODD/CD+ANX (n=32), ODD/CD-ANX (n=22) and non-clinical controls (NC) (n=34), with age range of 7.8-12.9 years. The ODD/CD-ANX group showed lower overall cortisol levels than the NC group. When considering the three phases of cortisol separately, the ODD/CD-ANX group had lower baseline cortisol levels relative to the other groups, whereas the ODD/CD+ANX showed an impaired cortisol recovery response. Within those with ODD/CD, callous-unemotional traits were predictive of high baseline cortisol levels. Also, anxiety predicted high baseline and recovery cortisol levels, whereas a high number of CD symptoms predicted reduced cortisol stress reactivity. These results clearly indicate that comorbid anxiety is an important factor in explaining differences in stress response profiles in boys with ODD/CD; although boys with CD/ODD are generally characterized by an impaired cortisol stress response, we found that those with comorbid anxiety showed impaired cortisol recovery, whereas those without anxiety showed reduced baseline cortisol levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Personality in wild bonobos (Pan paniscus).

PubMed

Garai, Cintia; Weiss, Alexander; Arnaud, Coline; Furuichi, Takeshi

2016-11-01

To understand the evolution of personality structure requires examining personality dimensions in multiple species using a common set of traits. Little research has been conducted on personality in wild populations of nonhuman primates. Using behavioral observations and questionnaire ratings, we examined factors influencing personality in 16 wild bonobos (Pan paniscus) at Wamba, Luo Scientific Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We extracted five factors from 31 of the items from the Hominoid Personality Questionnaire (HPQ) and three factors from observed behaviors. The HPQ factors were labeled Unemotionality Q , Friendliness Q , Aggressiveness Q , Irritability Q , and Activity Q . The behavioral factors were labeled Grooming B , Playfulness B , and Introversion B . We established the convergent and divergent validity of these factors by obtaining correlations between the HPQ and behavioral factors. We tested for sex differences and found that males were significantly higher on Introversion B and significantly lower in Irritability Q . We then tested for age differences and found that Friendliness Q was lower and Aggressiveness Q was higher in older individuals. Finally, we found that, among males, hierarchical rank was associated with higher Aggressiveness Q . These findings contrast with findings in chimpanzees in ways consistent with known species differences. For one, consistent with the more egalitarian structure of bonobo society, we did not identify a clear Dominance factor. Also, the results related to sex differences were consistent with previous findings that reveal closer bonds between female bonobos than female chimpanzees. These findings highlight the importance of studying personality in closely related species and the need to consider species' socioecology when studying personality. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1178-1189, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Emotion regulation and heterogeneity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Musser, Erica D; Galloway-Long, Hilary S; Frick, Paul J; Nigg, Joel T

2013-02-01

How best to capture heterogeneity in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using biomarkers has been elusive. This study evaluated whether emotion reactivity and regulation provide a means to achieve this. Participants were classified into three groups: children with ADHD plus low prosocial behavior (hypothesized to be high in callous/unemotional traits; n = 21); children with ADHD with age-appropriate prosocial behavior (n = 54); and typically developing children (n = 75). Children completed a task with four conditions: negative induction, negative suppression, positive induction, and positive suppression of affect. The task required children to view an emotion-laden film clip, while either facially mimicking (induction) or masking (suppression) the emotion of the main character. Parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity were assessed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP), respectively. Symptoms of anxiety, conduct, and oppositional defiant disorders were treated as covariates. The ADHD-typical-prosocial group displayed atypically elevated parasympathetic reactivity (emotion dysregulation) during positive induction, along with increased sympathetic activity (elevated arousal) across conditions. In contrast, the ADHD-low-prosocial group displayed reduced parasympathetic reactivity and reduced sympathetic activity (low emotional arousal) across baseline and task conditions. Thus, both ADHD groups had altered patterns of autonomic functioning, but in two distinct forms. Although ADHD is heterogeneous clinically, results suggest that ADHD is also heterogeneous with regard to physiological indices of emotion and regulation. Future studies of emotion, regulation, and ADHD should take this into account. Further study of physiological responding in ADHD may yield clinically and etiologically distinct domains or groups. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The clinical usefulness of the new LPE specifier for subtyping adolescents with conduct disorder in the DSM 5.

PubMed

Jambroes, Tijs; Jansen, Lucres M C; Vermeiren, Robert R J M; Doreleijers, Theo A H; Colins, Olivier F; Popma, Arne

2016-08-01

In DSM 5, conduct disorder (CD) has been expanded with a new specifier 'with Limited Prosocial Emotions' (LPE) in addition to the age-of-onset (AoO) subtyping, and is thought to identify a severe antisocial subgroup of CD. However, research in clinical practice has been scarce. Therefore, the current study will examine differences in clinical symptoms between subtypes of CD, based on both subtyping schemes. Subsequently, it will investigate whether the LPE specifier explains unique variance in aggression, added to the AoO subtyping. A sample of 145 adolescents with CD (51 % male, mean age 15.0) from a closed treatment institution participated in this study. CD diagnoses and AoO subtype were assessed using a structured diagnostic interview. The LPE specifier was assessed using the callous-unemotional dimension of the Youth Psychopathy Traits Inventory (YPI). Self-reported proactive and reactive aggression, rule-breaking behavior and internalizing problems within the subtypes were compared. Youth with childhood-onset CD and LPE showed significantly more aggression than adolescent-onset CD without LPE (proactive aggression: F = 3.1, p < 0.05, reactive aggression: F = 3.7, p < 0.05). Hierarchical regression revealed that the LPE specifier uniquely explained 7 % of the variance in reactive aggression, additionally to the AoO subtyping. For proactive aggression, the interaction between AoO and the LPE added 4.5 % to the explained variance. Although the LPE specifier may help to identify a more aggressive subtype of CD in adolescents, the incremental utility seems to be limited. Therefore, clinical relevance of the LPE specifier in high-risk adolescent samples still needs to be investigated thoroughly.

Functional Connectivity Bias in the Prefrontal Cortex of Psychopaths.

PubMed

Contreras-Rodríguez, Oren; Pujol, Jesus; Batalla, Iolanda; Harrison, Ben J; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Deus, Joan; López-Solà, Marina; Macià, Dídac; Pera, Vanessa; Hernández-Ribas, Rosa; Pifarré, Josep; Menchón, José M; Cardoner, Narcís

2015-11-01

Psychopathy is characterized by a distinctive interpersonal style that combines callous-unemotional traits with inflexible and antisocial behavior. Traditional emotion-based perspectives link emotional impairment mostly to alterations in amygdala-ventromedial frontal circuits. However, these models alone cannot explain why individuals with psychopathy can regularly benefit from emotional information when placed on their focus of attention and why they are more resistant to interference from nonaffective contextual cues. The present study aimed to identify abnormal or distinctive functional links between and within emotional and cognitive brain systems in the psychopathic brain to characterize further the neural bases of psychopathy. High-resolution anatomic magnetic resonance imaging with a functional sequence acquired in the resting state was used to assess 22 subjects with psychopathy and 22 control subjects. Anatomic and functional connectivity alterations were investigated first using a whole-brain analysis. Brain regions showing overlapping anatomic and functional changes were examined further using seed-based functional connectivity mapping. Subjects with psychopathy showed gray matter reduction involving prefrontal cortex, paralimbic, and limbic structures. Anatomic changes overlapped with areas showing increased degree of functional connectivity at the medial-dorsal frontal cortex. Subsequent functional seed-based connectivity mapping revealed a pattern of reduced functional connectivity of prefrontal areas with limbic-paralimbic structures and enhanced connectivity within the dorsal frontal lobe in subjects with psychopathy. Our results suggest that a weakened link between emotional and cognitive domains in the psychopathic brain may combine with enhanced functional connections within frontal executive areas. The identified functional alterations are discussed in the context of potential contributors to the inflexible behavior displayed by individuals with psychopathy. Copyright © 2015 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trichoderma virens PDR-28: a heavy metal-tolerant and plant growth-promoting fungus for remediation and bioenergy crop production on mine tailing soil.

PubMed

Babu, A Giridhar; Shim, Jaehong; Bang, Keuk-Soo; Shea, Patrick J; Oh, Byung-Taek

2014-01-01

A heavy metal-tolerant fungus, Trichoderma virens PDR-28, was isolated from rhizosphere soil and evaluated for use in remediating mine tailing soil and for plant biomass production. PDR-28 exhibited plant growth-promoting traits, including 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase, acid phosphatase and phytase activity, siderophore production, and P solubilization. HMs were more available in mine tailing soil inoculated soil with PDR-28 than in uninoculated soil; the order of HM bioleaching was Cd > As > Zn > Pb > Cu. PDR-28 effectively removed HMs in the order of Pb > Cd > As > Zn > Cu from liquid media containing 100 mg HM L(-1). Inoculating HM-contaminated mine tailing soil with the fungus significantly increased the dry biomass of maize roots (64%) and shoots (56%). Chlorophyll, total soluble sugars (reducible and nonreducible), starch, and protein contents increased by 46%, 28%, 30%, and 29%, respectively, compared to plants grown in uninoculated soil. Inoculation increased heavy metal concentrations in maize roots by 25% (Cu) to 62% (Cd) and in shoots by 35% (Cu) to 64% (Pb) compared to uninoculated plants. Results suggest that PDR-28 would be beneficial for phytostabilization and plant biomass production as a potential source of biofuel in the quest for renewable energy. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Association of candidate genes with drought tolerance traits in diverse perennial ryegrass accessions

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yiwei

2013-01-01

Drought is a major environmental stress limiting growth of perennial grasses in temperate regions. Plant drought tolerance is a complex trait that is controlled by multiple genes. Candidate gene association mapping provides a powerful tool for dissection of complex traits. Candidate gene association mapping of drought tolerance traits was conducted in 192 diverse perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) accessions from 43 countries. The panel showed significant variations in leaf wilting, leaf water content, canopy and air temperature difference, and chlorophyll fluorescence under well-watered and drought conditions across six environments. Analysis of 109 simple sequence repeat markers revealed five population structures in the mapping panel. A total of 2520 expression-based sequence readings were obtained for a set of candidate genes involved in antioxidant metabolism, dehydration, water movement across membranes, and signal transduction, from which 346 single nucleotide polymorphisms were identified. Significant associations were identified between a putative LpLEA3 encoding late embryogenesis abundant group 3 protein and a putative LpFeSOD encoding iron superoxide dismutase and leaf water content, as well as between a putative LpCyt Cu-ZnSOD encoding cytosolic copper-zinc superoxide dismutase and chlorophyll fluorescence under drought conditions. Four of these identified significantly associated single nucleotide polymorphisms from these three genes were also translated to amino acid substitutions in different genotypes. These results indicate that allelic variation in these genes may affect whole-plant response to drought stress in perennial ryegrass. PMID:23386684

The impact of cue learning, trait anxiety and genetic variation in the serotonin 1A receptor on contextual fear.

PubMed

Baas, Johanna M P; Heitland, Ivo

2015-12-01

In everyday life, aversive events are usually associated with certain predictive cues. Normally, the acquisition of these contingencies enables organisms to appropriately respond to threat. Presence of a threat cue clearly signals 'danger', whereas absence of such cues signals a period of 'safety'. Failure to identify threat cues may lead to chronic states of anxious apprehension in the context in which the threat has been imminent, which may be instrumental in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders. In this study, existing data from 150 healthy volunteers in a cue and context virtual reality fear conditioning paradigm were reanalyzed. The aim was to further characterize the impact of cue acquisition and trait anxiety, and of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the serotonin 1A receptor gene (5-HTR1A, rs6295), on cued fear and contextual anxiety before and after fear contingencies were explicitly introduced. Fear conditioned responding was quantified with fear potentiation of the eyeblink startle reflex and subjective fear ratings. First, we replicated previous findings that the inability to identify danger cues during acquisition leads to heightened anxious apprehension in the threat context. Second, in subjects who did not identify the danger cue initially, contextual fear was associated with trait anxiety after the contingencies were explicitly instructed. Third, genetic variability within 5-HTR1A (rs6295) was associated with contextual fear independent of awareness or trait anxiety. These findings confirm that failure to acquire cue contingencies impacts contextual fear responding, in association with trait anxiety. The observed 5-HTR1A effect is in line with models of anxiety, but needs further replication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

LSD enhances suggestibility in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Carhart-Harris, R L; Kaelen, M; Whalley, M G; Bolstridge, M; Feilding, A; Nutt, D J

2015-02-01

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has a history of use as a psychotherapeutic aid in the treatment of mood disorders and addiction, and it was also explored as an enhancer of mind control. The present study sought to test the effect of LSD on suggestibility in a modern research study. Ten healthy volunteers were administered with intravenous (i.v.) LSD (40-80 μg) in a within-subject placebo-controlled design. Suggestibility and cued mental imagery were assessed using the Creative Imagination Scale (CIS) and a mental imagery test (MIT). CIS and MIT items were split into two versions (A and B), balanced for 'efficacy' (i.e. A ≈ B) and counterbalanced across conditions (i.e. 50 % completed version 'A' under LSD). The MIT and CIS were issued 110 and 140 min, respectively, post-infusion, corresponding with the peak drug effects. Volunteers gave significantly higher ratings for the CIS (p = 0.018), but not the MIT (p = 0.11), after LSD than placebo. The magnitude of suggestibility enhancement under LSD was positively correlated with trait conscientiousness measured at baseline (p = 0.0005). These results imply that the influence of suggestion is enhanced by LSD. Enhanced suggestibility under LSD may have implications for its use as an adjunct to psychotherapy, where suggestibility plays a major role. That cued imagery was unaffected by LSD implies that suggestions must be of a sufficient duration and level of detail to be enhanced by the drug. The results also imply that individuals with high trait conscientiousness are especially sensitive to the suggestibility-enhancing effects of LSD.

Differences in seminal plasma and spermatozoa antioxidative systems and seminal plasma lipid and protein levels among boar breeds and hybrid genetic traits.

PubMed

Žura Žaja, Ivona; Samardžija, Marko; Vince, Silvijo; Vilić, Marinko; Majić-Balić, Ivanka; Đuričić, Dražen; Milinković-Tur, Suzana

2016-07-01

The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of breed and hybrid genetic traits of boars on lipid and protein concentrations and antioxidative system variables in seminal plasma (SP) and spermatozoa and their correlations with semen quality variables. Semen samples from 27 boars: Swedish Landraces (SL), German Landraces (GL), Large Whites (LW), Pietrains (P) and Pig Improvement Company hybrids (PIC-hybrid), aged from 1.5 to 3 years old, were collected. SP was spectrophotometrically analyzed to determine total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triacylglycerol (TAG), total protein (TP), albumin, and zinc concentrations. The antioxidative system in SP and spermatozoa was established spectrophotometrically by determining total antioxidative status (TAS), total superoxide dismutase (TSOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) parameters, as well as copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity in spermatozoa. The hybrid boars had higher (P<0.05) SP concentrations of: TC, LDL-C and TAG than P and GL; HDL-C than P, GL and SL; and TP than P and LW. PIC-hybrid had lower values (P<0.05) in spermatozoa of: TAS and CuZnSOD than SL; TSOD and GSH-Px than SL and P; and MnSOD than SL and LW. Differences in SP and spermatozoa antioxidative system variables and the significant differences in SP protein and lipid variables exist among boars of different breeds and hybrid. Novel data and observed differences in semen variables among boar breeds and hybrids and their correlations with semen quality parameters in this study could contribute to better assessment of boar semen quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of copper on the scope for growth of clams (Tapes philippinarum) from a farming area in the Northern Adriatic Sea.

PubMed

Munari, Cristina; Mistri, Michele

2007-09-01

Copper is currently the most common biocide in antifouling paints. Levels of this metal were measured in the water, particulate matter and sediments from a shellfish farming area in the Sacca di Goro (Northern Adriatic Sea) over one year. With respect to the 1980s, copper environmental level increased twofold. The release of copper from shellfish farmers' boats was also estimated to be > 250 kg Cu y(-1). Clams Tapes philippinarum were collected in the same area and seasonally exposed to a sublethal (10 microg Cu l(-1)) concentration of copper. Physiological traits were significantly affected by copper exposure (scope for growth declined as a result of reduced clearance rate, increased oxygen consumption and a generally lower absorption efficiency). The results of this study are cause for concern for shellfish farming activities at least in Northern Adriatic, where shellfish farming is a monoculture of T. philippinarum. A strict interpretation of the precautionary principle might suggest that more rigorous regulatory action to control copper inputs in the field would be justified.

Effect of urbanization on the structure and functional traits of remnant subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in South China.

PubMed

Huang, Liujing; Chen, Hongfeng; Ren, Hai; Wang, Jun; Guo, Qinfeng

2013-06-01

We investigated the effects of major environmental drivers associated with urbanization on species diversity and plant functional traits (PFTs) in the remnant subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests in Metropolitan Guangzhou (Guangdong, China). Twenty environmental factors including topography, light, and soil properties were used to quantify the effects of urbanization. Vegetation data and soil properties were collected from 30 400-m(2) plots at 6 study sites in urban and rural areas. The difference of plant species diversity and PFTs of remnant forests between urban and rural areas were analyzed. To discern the complex relationships, multivariate statistical analyses (e.g., canonical correspondence analysis and regression analysis) were employed. Pioneer species and stress-tolerant species can survive and vigorously establish their population dominance in the urban environment. The native herb diversity was lower in urban forests than in rural forests. Urban forests tend to prefer the species with Mesophanerophyte life form. In contrast, species in rural forests possessed Chamaephyte and Nanophanerophyte life forms and gravity/clonal growth dispersal mode. Soil pH and soil nutrients (K, Na, and TN) were positively related to herb diversity, while soil heavy metal concentrations (Cu) were negatively correlated with herb diversity. The herb plant species diversity declines and the species in the remnant forests usually have stress-tolerant functional traits in response to urbanization. The factors related to urbanization such as soil acidification, nutrient leaching, and heavy metal pollution were important in controlling the plant diversity in the forests along the urban-rural gradients. Urbanization affects the structure and functional traits of remnant subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests.

The role of oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) DNA methylation (DNAm) in human social and emotional functioning: a systematic narrative review.

PubMed

Maud, Catherine; Ryan, Joanne; McIntosh, Jennifer E; Olsson, Craig A

2018-05-29

The neuropeptide Oxytocin (OXT) plays a central role in birthing, mother-infant bonding and a broad range of related social behaviours in mammals. More recently, interest has extended to epigenetic programming of genes involved in oxytocinergic neurotransmission. This review brings together early findings in a rapidly developing field of research, examining relationships between DNA methylation (DNAm) of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) and social and emotional behaviour in human populations. A systematic search across Web of Knowledge/Science, Scopus, Medline and EMBASE captured all published studies prior to June 2017 examining the association between OXTR DNAm and human social and emotional outcomes. Search terms included 'oxytocin gene' or 'oxytocin receptor gene' and 'epigenetics' or 'DNA methylation'. Any article with a focus on social and emotional functioning was then identified from this set by manual review. Nineteen studies met eligibility criteria. There was considerable heterogeneity of study populations, tissue samples, instrumentation, measurement, and OXTR site foci. Only three studies examined functional consequences of OXTR DNAm on gene expression and protein synthesis. Increases in OXTR DNAm were associated with callous-unemotional traits in youth, social cognitive deficits in Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), rigid thinking in anorexia nervosa, affect regulation problems, and problems with facial and emotional recognition. In contrast, reductions in DNAm were associated with perinatal stress, postnatal depression, social anxiety and autism in children. Consistent with an emerging field of inquiry, there is not yet sufficient evidence to draw conclusions about the role of OXTR DNAm in human social and emotional behaviour. However, taken together, findings point to increased OXTR DNAm in general impairments in social, cognitive and emotional functioning, and decreased OXTR DNAm in specific patterns of impairment related to mood and anxiety disorders (but not in all). Future progress in this field would be enhanced by adequately powered designs, greater phenotypic precision, and methodological improvements including longitudinal studies with multiple time-points to facilitate causal inference.

Distinguishing Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) characteristics associated with violent and nonviolent juvenile delinquency.

PubMed

Veltri, Carlo O C; Sellbom, Martin; Graham, John R; Ben-Porath, Yossef S; Forbey, Johnathan D; White, Robert S

2014-01-01

This study examined the relationship between the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Adolescent (MMPI-A) Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) scales and violent and nonviolent juvenile delinquency. Participants were 260 adolescent boys and girls in a forensic setting. Results indicated that Disconstraint (DISC), a marker of behavioral disinhibition and impulsivity, was associated with nonviolent delinquency, whereas Aggressiveness (AGGR), which is characterized by the use of instrumental aggression and interpersonal dominance, was specifically associated with violent delinquency. These findings are consistent with expectations based on empirical findings in the broader personality literature linking the construct of disinhibition with externalizing psychopathology as well as the literature identifying callous-unemotional aggression as a risk factor for violence.

Metal Resistance and Lithoautotrophy in the Extreme Thermoacidophile Metallosphaera sedula

PubMed Central

Maezato, Yukari; Johnson, Tyler; McCarthy, Samuel; Dana, Karl

2012-01-01

Archaea such as Metallosphaera sedula are thermophilic lithoautotrophs that occupy unusually acidic and metal-rich environments. These traits are thought to underlie their industrial importance for bioleaching of base and precious metals. In this study, a genetic approach was taken to investigate the specific relationship between metal resistance and lithoautotrophy during biotransformation of the primary copper ore, chalcopyrite (CuFeS2). In this study, a genetic system was developed for M. sedula to investigate parameters that limit bioleaching of chalcopyrite. The functional role of the M. sedula copRTA operon was demonstrated by cross-species complementation of a copper-sensitive Sulfolobus solfataricus copR mutant. Inactivation of the gene encoding the M. sedula copper efflux protein, copA, using targeted recombination compromised metal resistance and eliminated chalcopyrite bioleaching. In contrast, a spontaneous M. sedula mutant (CuR1) with elevated metal resistance transformed chalcopyrite at an accelerated rate without affecting chemoheterotrophic growth. Proteomic analysis of CuR1 identified pleiotropic changes, including altered abundance of transport proteins having AAA-ATPase motifs. Addition of the insoluble carbonate mineral witherite (BaCO3) further stimulated chalcopyrite lithotrophy, indicating that carbon was a limiting factor. Since both mineral types were actively colonized, enhanced metal leaching may arise from the cooperative exchange of energy and carbon between surface-adhered populations. Genetic approaches provide a new means of improving the efficiency of metal bioleaching by enhancing the mechanistic understanding of thermophilic lithoautotrophy. PMID:23065978

Succulent species differ substantially in their tolerance and phytoextraction potential when grown in the presence of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn.

PubMed

Zhang, Chengjun; Sale, Peter W G; Clark, Gary J; Liu, Wuxing; Doronila, Augustine I; Kolev, Spas D; Tang, Caixian

2015-12-01

Plants for the phytoextraction of heavy metals should have the ability to accumulate high concentrations of such metals and exhibit multiple tolerance traits to cope with adverse conditions such as coexistence of multiple heavy metals, high salinity, and drought which are the characteristics of many contaminated soils. This study compared 14 succulent species for their phytoextraction potential of Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. There were species variations in metal tolerance and accumulation. Among the 14 succulent species, an Australian native halophyte Carpobrotus rossii exhibited the highest relative growth rate (20.6-26.6 mg plant(-1) day(-1)) and highest tolerance index (78-93%), whilst Sedum "Autumn Joy" had the lowest relative growth rate (8.3-13.6 mg plant(-1) day(-1)), and Crassula multicava showed the lowest tolerance indices (<50%). Carpobrotus rossii and Crassula helmsii showed higher potential for phytoextraction of these heavy metals than other species. These findings suggest that Carpobrotus rossii is a promising candidate for phytoextraction of multiple heavy metals, and the aquatic or semiterrestrial Crassula helmsii is suitable for phytoextraction of Cd and Zn from polluted waters or wetlands.

Effects of short- and long-term exposures to copper on lethal and reproductive endpoints of the harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus fulvus.

PubMed

Biandolino, Francesca; Parlapiano, Isabella; Faraponova, Olga; Prato, Ermelinda

2018-01-01

The long-term exposure provides a realistic measurement of the effects of toxicants on aquatic organisms. The harpacticoid copepod Tigriopus fulvus has a wide geographical distribution and is considered as an ideal model organism for ecotoxicological studies for its good sensitivity to different toxicants. In this study, acute, sub-chronic and chronic toxicity tests based on lethal and reproductive responses of Tigriopus fulvus to copper were performed. The number of moults during larval development was chosen as an endpoint for sub-chronic test. Sex ratio, inhibitory effect on larval development, hatching time, fecundity, brood number, nauplii/brood, total newborn production, etc, were calculated in the chronic test (28d). Lethal effect of copper to nauplii showed the LC50-48h of 310 ± 72µgCu/L (mean ± sd). It was observed a significant inhibition of larval development at sublethal copper concentrations, after 4 and 7 d. After 4d, the EC50 value obtained for the endpoint in "moult naupliar reduction" was of 55.8 ± 2.5µgCu/L (mean ± sd). The EC50 for the inhibition of naupliar development into copepodite stage, was of 21.7 ± 4.4µgCu/L (mean ± sd), after 7 days. Among the different traits tested, copper did not affect sex ratio and growth, while fecundity and total nauplii production were the most sensitive endpoints. The reproductive endpoints offer the advantage of being detectable at very low pollutant concentrations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Heat in evolution's kitchen: evolutionary perspectives on the functions and origin of the facial pit of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae).

PubMed

Krochmal, Aaron R; Bakken, George S; LaDuc, Travis J

2004-11-01

Pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae) possess thermal radiation receptors, the facial pits, which allow them to detect modest temperature fluctuations within their environments. It was previously thought that these organs were used solely to aid in prey acquisition, but recent findings demonstrated that western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox) use them to direct behavioral thermoregulation, suggesting that facial pits might be general purpose organs used to drive a suite of behaviors. To investigate this further, we conducted a phylogenetic survey of viperine thermoregulatory behavior cued by thermal radiation. We assessed this behavior in 12 pitviper species, representing key nodes in the evolution of pitvipers and a broad range of thermal environments, and a single species of true viper (Viperidae: Viperinae), a closely related subfamily of snakes that lack facial pits but possess a putative thermal radiation receptor. All pitviper species were able to rely on their facial pits to direct thermoregulatory movements, while the true viper was unable to do so. Our results suggest that thermoregulatory behavior cued by thermal radiation is a universal role of facial pits and probably represents an ancestral trait among pitvipers. Further, they establish behavioral thermoregulation as a plausible hypothesis explaining the evolutionary origin of the facial pit.

Diffuse Scattering in the Icosahedral AL-Li-Cu Quasicrystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Proult, A.; Donnadieu, P.; Wang, K.; Garoche, P.

1995-12-01

Electron diffraction patterns of icosahedral quasicrystals frequently exhibit diffuse scattering features. We report a detailed analysis of diffuse scattering in Al{6}Li{3}Cu (T2) quasicrystalline samples. The samples have been specifically heat-treated which allows to observe pronounced diffuse effects. Diffuse streaks are observed along the 5-fold and 2-fold symmetry axes and are elongated perpendicularly to these directions. These streaks are due to discs in the 3-dimensional reciprocal space. The diffuse disc positions are only indexable in the 6-dimensional hyperspace but the disc intensities do not agree with the ones predicted by the Cut-and-Project method. The diffuse discs we observed seem to be related to an original quasicrystalline phenomenon overlapping with the icosahedral phase. Les diagrammes de diffraction électronique des quasicristaux icosaédriques présentent fréquemment des diffusions diffuses. Nous les analysons ici en détails sur des échantillons de phase quasicristalline Al{6}Li{3}Cu (T2) traités thermiquement dans lesquels les diffusions diffuses sont trés prononcées. Les intensités diffuses forment des batônnets centrés sur des positions appartenant aux rangées réciproques d'ordre 5 et d'ordre 2 et allongés perpendiculairement à ces directions. On montre qu'il s'agit en fait de disques diffus. dans le réseau réciproque à 3 dimensions, dont les positions ne peuvent s'indexer que sur le réseau à 6 dimensions. Toutefois, les intensités ne correspondent pas à celle prédites par l'algorithme de Coupe-et-Projection. Les disques de diffusion diffuse semblent relever d'une organisation quasicristalline originale se superposant à la phase icosaédrique.

Functionality of Varroa-resistant honey bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) when used in migratory beekeeping for crop pollination.

PubMed

Danka, Robert G; De Guzman, Lilia I; Rinderer, Thomas E; Sylvester, H Allen; Wagener, Christine M; Bourgeois, A Lelania; Harris, Jeffrey W; Villa, José D

2012-04-01

Two types of honey bees, Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae), bred for resistance to Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman were evaluated for performance when used in migratory crop pollination. Colonies of Russian honey bees (RHB) and outcrossed bees with Varroa-sensitive hygiene (VSH) were managed without miticide treatments and compared with colonies of Italian honey bees that served as controls. Control colonies were managed as groups which either were treated twice each year against V. destructor (CT) or kept untreated (CU). Totals of 240 and 247 colonies were established initially for trials in 2008 and 2009, respectively. RHB and VSH colonies generally had adult and brood populations similar to those of the standard CT group regarding pollination requirements. For pollination of almonds [Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D.A.Webb] in February, percentages of colonies meeting the required six or more frames of adult bees were 57% (VSH), 56% (CT), 39% (RHB), and 34% (CU). RHB are known to have small colonies in early spring, but this can be overcome with appropriate feeding. For later pollination requirements in May to July, 94-100% of colonies in the four groups met pollination size requirements for apples (Malus domestica Borkh.), cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton), and lowbush blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton). Infestations with V. destructor usually were lowest in CT colonies and tended to be lower in VSH colonies than in RHB and CU colonies. This study demonstrates that bees with the VSH trait and pure RHB offer alternatives for beekeepers to use for commercial crop pollination while reducing reliance on miticides. The high frequency of queen loss (only approximately one fourth of original queens survived each year) suggests that frequent requeening is necessary to maintain desired genetics.

Crystal genes in a marginal glass-forming system of Ni 50Zr 50

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wen, T. Q.; Tang, L.; Sun, Y.

Glass-forming motifs with B2 traits are found. A perfect Ni-centered B33 motif deteriorates the glass-forming ability of Ni 50Zr 50. The marginal glass-forming ability (GFA) of binary Ni-Zr system is an issue to be explained considering the numerous bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) found in the Cu-Zr system. Using molecular dynamics, the structures and dynamics of Ni 50Zr 50 metallic liquid and glass are investigated at the atomistic level. To achieve a well-relaxed glassy sample, sub-T g annealing method is applied and the final sample is closer to the experiments than the models prepared by continuous cooling. With the state-of-the-art structuralmore » analysis tools such as cluster alignment and pair-wise alignment methods, two glass-forming motifs with some mixed traits of the metastable B2 crystalline phase and the crystalline Ni-centered B33 motif are found to be dominant in the undercooled liquid and glass samples. A new chemical order characterization on each short-range order (SRO) structure is accomplished based on the cluster alignment method. The significant amount of the crystalline motif and the few icosahedra in the glassy sample deteriorate the GFA.« less

Crystal genes in a marginal glass-forming system of Ni 50Zr 50

DOE PAGES

Wen, T. Q.; Tang, L.; Sun, Y.; ...

2017-10-17

Glass-forming motifs with B2 traits are found. A perfect Ni-centered B33 motif deteriorates the glass-forming ability of Ni 50Zr 50. The marginal glass-forming ability (GFA) of binary Ni-Zr system is an issue to be explained considering the numerous bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) found in the Cu-Zr system. Using molecular dynamics, the structures and dynamics of Ni 50Zr 50 metallic liquid and glass are investigated at the atomistic level. To achieve a well-relaxed glassy sample, sub-T g annealing method is applied and the final sample is closer to the experiments than the models prepared by continuous cooling. With the state-of-the-art structuralmore » analysis tools such as cluster alignment and pair-wise alignment methods, two glass-forming motifs with some mixed traits of the metastable B2 crystalline phase and the crystalline Ni-centered B33 motif are found to be dominant in the undercooled liquid and glass samples. A new chemical order characterization on each short-range order (SRO) structure is accomplished based on the cluster alignment method. The significant amount of the crystalline motif and the few icosahedra in the glassy sample deteriorate the GFA.« less

Externalizing proneness and brain response during pre-cuing and viewing of emotional pictures

PubMed Central

Foell, Jens; Brislin, Sarah J.; Strickland, Casey M.; Seo, Dongju; Sabatinelli, Dean

2016-01-01

Externalizing proneness, or trait disinhibition, is a concept relevant to multiple high-impact disorders involving impulsive-aggressive behavior. Its mechanisms remain disputed: major models posit hyperresponsive reward circuitry or heightened threat-system reactivity as sources of disinhibitory tendencies. This study evaluated alternative possibilities by examining relations between trait disinhibition and brain reactivity during preparation for and processing of visual affective stimuli. Forty females participated in a functional neuroimaging procedure with stimuli presented in blocks containing either pleasurable or aversive pictures interspersed with neutral, with each picture preceded by a preparation signal. Preparing to view elicited activation in regions including nucleus accumbens, whereas visual regions and bilateral amygdala were activated during viewing of emotional pictures. High disinhibition predicted reduced nucleus accumbens activation during preparation within pleasant/neutral picture blocks, along with enhanced amygdala reactivity during viewing of pleasant and aversive pictures. Follow-up analyses revealed that the augmented amygdala response was related to reduced preparatory activation. Findings indicate that participants high in disinhibition are less able to process implicit cues and mentally prepare for upcoming stimuli, leading to limbic hyperreactivity during processing of actual stimuli. This outcome is helpful for integrating findings from studies suggesting reward-system hyperreactivity and others suggesting threat-system hyperreactivity as mechanisms for externalizing proneness. PMID:26113614

Aluminum exclusion from root zone and maintenance of nutrient uptake are principal mechanisms of Al tolerance in Pisum sativum L.

PubMed

Kichigina, Natalia E; Puhalsky, Jan V; Shaposhnikov, Aleksander I; Azarova, Tatiana S; Makarova, Natalia M; Loskutov, Svyatoslav I; Safronova, Vera I; Tikhonovich, Igor A; Vishnyakova, Margarita A; Semenova, Elena V; Kosareva, Irina A; Belimov, Andrey A

2017-10-01

Our study aimed to evaluate intraspecific variability of pea ( Pisum sativum L.) in Al tolerance and to reveal mechanisms underlying genotypic differences in this trait. At the first stage, 106 pea genotypes were screened for Al tolerance using root re-elongation assay based on staining with eriochrome cyanine R. The root re-elongation zone varied from 0.5 mm to 14 mm and relationships between Al tolerance and provenance or phenotypic traits of genotypes were found. Tolerance index (TI), calculated as a biomass ratio of Al-treated and non-treated contrasting genotypes grown in hydroponics for 10 days, varied from 30% to 92% for roots and from 38% to 90% for shoots. TI did not correlate with root or shoot Al content, but correlated positively with increasing pH and negatively with residual Al concentration in nutrient solution in the end of experiments. Root exudation of organic acid anions (mostly acetate, citrate, lactate, pyroglutamate, pyruvate and succinate) significantly increased in several Al-treated genotypes, but did not correlate with TI. Al-treatment decreased Ca, Co, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, S and Zn contents in roots and/or shoots, whereas contents of several elements (P, B, Fe and Mo in roots and B and Fe in shoots) increased, suggesting that Al toxicity induced substantial disturbances in uptake and translocation of nutrients. Nutritional disturbances were more pronounced in Al sensitive genotypes. In conclusion, pea has a high intraspecific variability in Al tolerance and this trait is associated with provenance and phenotypic properties of plants. Transformation of Al to unavailable (insoluble) forms in the root zone and the ability to maintain nutrient uptake are considered to be important mechanisms of Al tolerance in this plant species.

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation of family therapy versus treatment as usual for young people seen after second or subsequent episodes of self-harm: the Self-Harm Intervention - Family Therapy (SHIFT) trial.

PubMed

Cottrell, David J; Wright-Hughes, Alex; Collinson, Michelle; Boston, Paula; Eisler, Ivan; Fortune, Sarah; Graham, Elizabeth H; Green, Jonathan; House, Allan O; Kerfoot, Michael; Owens, David W; Saloniki, Eirini-Christina; Simic, Mima; Tubeuf, Sandy; Farrin, Amanda J

2018-03-01

Self-harm in adolescents is common and repetition rates high. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce self-harm. To assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of family therapy (FT) compared with treatment as usual (TAU). A pragmatic, multicentre, individually randomised controlled trial of FT compared with TAU. Participants and therapists were aware of treatment allocation; researchers were blind to allocation. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) across three English regions. Young people aged 11-17 years who had self-harmed at least twice presenting to CAMHS following self-harm. Eight hundred and thirty-two participants were randomised to manualised FT delivered by trained and supervised family therapists ( n  = 415) or to usual care offered by local CAMHS following self-harm ( n  = 417). Rates of repetition of self-harm leading to hospital attendance 18 months after randomisation. Out of 832 young people, 212 (26.6%) experienced a primary outcome event: 118 out of 415 (28.4%) randomised to FT and 103 out of 417 (24.7%) randomised to TAU. There was no evidence of a statistically significant difference in repetition rates between groups (the hazard ratio for FT compared with TAU was 1.14, 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.49; p  = 0.3349). FT was not found to be cost-effective when compared with TAU in the base case and most sensitivity analyses. FT was dominated (less effective and more expensive) in the complete case. However, when young people's and caregivers' quality-adjusted life-year gains were combined, FT incurred higher costs and resulted in better health outcomes than TAU within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence cost-effectiveness range. Significant interactions with treatment, indicating moderation, were detected for the unemotional subscale on the young person-reported Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits ( p  = 0.0104) and the affective involvement subscale on the caregiver-reported McMaster Family Assessment Device ( p  = 0.0338). Caregivers and young people in the FT arm reported a range of significantly better outcomes on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Self-reported suicidal ideation was significantly lower in the FT arm at 12 months but the same in both groups at 18 months. No significant unexpected adverse events or side effects were reported, with similar rates of expected adverse events across trial arms. For adolescents referred to CAMHS after self-harm, who have self-harmed at least once before, FT confers no benefits over TAU in reducing self-harm repetition rates. There is some evidence to support the effectiveness of FT in reducing self-harm when caregivers reported poor family functioning. When the young person themselves reported difficulty expressing emotion, FT did not seem as effective as TAU. There was no evidence that FT is cost-effective when only the health benefits to participants were considered but there was a suggestion that FT may be cost-effective if health benefits to caregivers are taken into account. FT had a significant, positive impact on general emotional and behavioural problems at 12 and 18 months. There was significant loss to follow-up for secondary outcomes and health economic analyses; the primary outcome misses those who do not attend hospital following self-harm; and the numbers receiving formal FT in the TAU arm were higher than expected. Evaluation of interventions targeted at subgroups of those who self-harm, longer-term follow-up and methods for evaluating health benefits for family groups rather than for individuals. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN59793150. This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment ; Vol. 22, No. 12. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Empathy toward strangers triggers oxytocin release and subsequent generosity.

PubMed

Barraza, Jorge A; Zak, Paul J

2009-06-01

Empathy is related to a variety of prosocial behaviors, but the brain mechanisms producing the experience of empathy have not been fully characterized. This study investigated whether the experience of empathy raises oxytocin levels and affects subsequent generosity toward strangers. Short video clips of an emotional scene and an unemotional scene were used as stimuli. Participants rated the emotions they experienced and then played a $40 ultimatum game to gauge their generosity. We found that empathy was associated with a 47% increase in oxytocin from baseline. We also found the empathy-oxytocin response was stronger in women than in men. Higher levels of empathy were also associated with more generous monetary offers toward strangers in the ultimatum game. Our findings provide the first evidence that oxytocin is a physiologic signature for empathy and that empathy mediates generosity.

Transcriptome Response to Heavy Metals in Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 Reveals New Metal Resistance Determinants That Also Promote Bioremediation by Medicago lupulina in Metal-Contaminated Soil.

PubMed

Lu, Mingmei; Jiao, Shuo; Gao, Enting; Song, Xiuyong; Li, Zhefei; Hao, Xiuli; Rensing, Christopher; Wei, Gehong

2017-10-15

The symbiosis of the highly metal-resistant Sinorhizobium meliloti CCNWSX0020 and Medicago lupulina has been considered an efficient tool for bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted soils. However, the metal resistance mechanisms of S. meliloti CCNWSX00200 have not been elucidated in detail. Here we employed a comparative transcriptome approach to analyze the defense mechanisms of S. meliloti CCNWSX00200 against Cu or Zn exposure. Six highly upregulated transcripts involved in Cu and Zn resistance were identified through deletion mutagenesis, including genes encoding a multicopper oxidase (CueO), an outer membrane protein (Omp), sulfite oxidoreductases (YedYZ), and three hypothetical proteins (a CusA-like protein, a FixH-like protein, and an unknown protein), and the corresponding mutant strains showed various degrees of sensitivity to multiple metals. The Cu-sensitive mutant (Δ cueO ) and three mutants that were both Cu and Zn sensitive (Δ yedYZ , Δ cusA -like, and Δ fixH -like) were selected for further study of the effects of these metal resistance determinants on bioremediation. The results showed that inoculation with the Δ cueO mutant severely inhibited infection establishment and nodulation of M. lupulina under Cu stress, while inoculation with the Δ yedYZ and Δ fixH -like mutants decreased just the early infection frequency and nodulation under Cu and Zn stresses. In contrast, inoculation with the Δ cusA -like mutant almost led to loss of the symbiotic capacity of M. lupulina to even grow in uncontaminated soil. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme activity and metal accumulation in roots of M. lupulina inoculated with all mutants were lower than those with the wild-type strain. These results suggest that heavy metal resistance determinants may promote bioremediation by directly or indirectly influencing formation of the rhizobium-legume symbiosis. IMPORTANCE Rhizobium-legume symbiosis has been promoted as an appropriate tool for bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. Considering the plant-growth-promoting traits and survival advantage of metal-resistant rhizobia in contaminated environments, more heavy metal-resistant rhizobia and genetically manipulated strains were investigated. In view of the genetic diversity of metal resistance determinants in rhizobia, their effects on phytoremediation by the rhizobium-legume symbiosis must be different and depend on their specific assigned functions. Our work provides a better understanding of the mechanism of heavy metal resistance determinants involved in the rhizobium-legume symbiosis, and in further studies, genetically modified rhizobia harboring effective heavy metal resistance determinants may be engineered for the practical application of rhizobium-legume symbiosis for bioremediation in metal-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Externalizing proneness and brain response during pre-cuing and viewing of emotional pictures.

PubMed

Foell, Jens; Brislin, Sarah J; Strickland, Casey M; Seo, Dongju; Sabatinelli, Dean; Patrick, Christopher J

2016-07-01

Externalizing proneness, or trait disinhibition, is a concept relevant to multiple high-impact disorders involving impulsive-aggressive behavior. Its mechanisms remain disputed: major models posit hyperresponsive reward circuitry or heightened threat-system reactivity as sources of disinhibitory tendencies. This study evaluated alternative possibilities by examining relations between trait disinhibition and brain reactivity during preparation for and processing of visual affective stimuli. Forty females participated in a functional neuroimaging procedure with stimuli presented in blocks containing either pleasurable or aversive pictures interspersed with neutral, with each picture preceded by a preparation signal. Preparing to view elicited activation in regions including nucleus accumbens, whereas visual regions and bilateral amygdala were activated during viewing of emotional pictures. High disinhibition predicted reduced nucleus accumbens activation during preparation within pleasant/neutral picture blocks, along with enhanced amygdala reactivity during viewing of pleasant and aversive pictures. Follow-up analyses revealed that the augmented amygdala response was related to reduced preparatory activation. Findings indicate that participants high in disinhibition are less able to process implicit cues and mentally prepare for upcoming stimuli, leading to limbic hyperreactivity during processing of actual stimuli. This outcome is helpful for integrating findings from studies suggesting reward-system hyperreactivity and others suggesting threat-system hyperreactivity as mechanisms for externalizing proneness. © The Author (2015). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Validity of the Modified Child Psychopathy Scale for Juvenile Justice Center Residents.

PubMed

Verschuere, Bruno; Candel, Ingrid; Van Reenen, Lique; Korebrits, Andries

2012-06-01

Adult psychopathy has proven to be an important clinical and forensic construct, but much less is known about juvenile psychopathy. In the present study, we examined the construct validity of the self report modified Child Psychopathy Scale mCPS; Lynam (Psychological Bulletin 120:(2), 209-234, 1997) in a sample of 57 adolescents residing in a Dutch juvenile justice center, aged between 13 and 22 years. The mCPS total score was reliably related to high externalizing problems, low empathy, high anger and aggression, high impulsivity, high (violent) delinquency, and high alcohol/drug use. Unique relations were found for the antisocial-impulsive (mCPS Factor 2), but not the callous-unemotional facet of psychopathy (mCPS Factor 1). Our findings support the validity of the mCPS in that it encompasses the antisocial-impulsive facet of psychopathy, but it is less clear whether the mCPS sufficiently captures the affective-interpersonal facet of psychopathy.

Gender Differences in Emotion Explain Women's Lower Immoral Intentions and Harsher Moral Condemnation.

PubMed

Ward, Sarah J; King, Laura A

2018-05-01

Why do men view morally questionable behaviors as more permissible than women do? Five studies investigated emotional factors as explanations for gender differences in moral decision-making. In Study 1 ( N = 324), gender differences in perceptions of moral wrongness were explained by guilt and shame proneness. Studies 2a and 2b (combined N = 562) demonstrated that instructions to adopt an unemotional perspective (vs. standard instructions) led women to have higher immoral intentions, no longer lower than men's, as they were in the control group. Studies 3 and 4 ( N = 834) showed that men expected immoral actions to result in higher positive and lower self-conscious moral emotions than women do. Study 4 ( N = 424) showed that these emotional expectancies account for gender differences in immoral intentions. Study 5 ( N = 450) showed that women-but not men-experience heightened self-conscious moral emotions and regret when recalling past transgressions done for personal gain.

Traits and evolution of wing venation pattern in paraneopteran insects.

PubMed

Nel, André; Prokop, Jakub; Nel, Patricia; Grandcolas, Philippe; Huang, Di-Ying; Roques, Patrick; Guilbert, Eric; Dostál, Ondřej; Szwedo, Jacek

2012-05-01

Two different patterns of wing venation are currently supposed to be present in each of the three orders of Paraneoptera. This is unlikely compared with the situation in other insects where only one pattern exists per order. We propose for all Paraneoptera a new and unique interpretation of wing venation pattern, assuming that the convex cubitus anterior gets fused with the common stem of median and radial veins at or very near to wing base, after separation from concave cubitus posterior, and re-emerges more distally from R + M stem. Thereafter, the vein between concave cubitus posterior and CuA is a specialized crossvein called "cua-cup," proximally concave and distally convex. We show that despite some variations, that is, cua-cup can vary from absent to hypertrophic; CuA can re-emerge together with M or not, or even completely disappear, this new interpretation explains all situations among all fossil and recent paraneopteran lineages. We propose that the characters "CuA fused in a common stem with R and M"and "presence of specialized crossvein cua-cup" are venation apomorphies that support the monophyly of the Paraneoptera. In the light of these characters, we reinterpret several Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic fossils that were ascribed to Paraneoptera, and confirm the attribution of several to this superorder as well as possible attribution of Zygopsocidae (Zygopsocus permianus Tillyard, 1935) as oldest Psocodea. We discuss the situation in extinct Hypoperlida and Miomoptera, suggesting that both orders could well be polyphyletic, with taxa related to Archaeorthoptera, Paraneoptera, or even Holometabola. The Carboniferous Protoprosbolidae is resurrected and retransferred into the Paraneoptera. The genus Lithoscytina is restored. The miomopteran Eodelopterum priscum Schmidt, 1962 is newly revised and considered as a fern pinnule. In addition, the new paraneopteran Bruayaphis oudardi gen. nov. et sp. nov. is described fromthe Upper Carboniferous of France (see Supporting Information). Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Utilization of macrominerals and trace elements in pregnant heifers with distinct feed efficiencies.

PubMed

Dias, R S; Montanholi, Y R; Lopez, S; Smith, B; Miller, S P; France, J

2016-07-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate utilization of dietary minerals and trace elements in pregnant heifers with distinct residual feed intakes (RFI). Feed intake, body weight (BW), and body composition traits were recorded in 36 crossbred heifers over a period of 37 wk, starting shortly after weaning at 8.3 (0.10; standard deviation) mo of age with an average BW of 276 (7.8) kg. Both BW and body composition were monitored regularly throughout the study, whereas individual feed intake was assessed during the last 84 d of the trial. Data recorded were used to calculate RFI for each heifer. Heifers were ranked based on RFI and assigned to high (n=14) or low (n=10) RFI groups. After the RFI study, 24 selected heifers [age 18.2 (0.14) mo; 87.5 (4.74) d in gestation; 497 (8.5) kg of BW] were used in an indirect digestibility trial (lignin as internal marker). Heifers were fed a ration containing corn silage, haylage, and a mineral premix in which Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, S, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, Zn, and Co were provided in the diet according to National Research Council requirements of pregnant replacement heifers. The digestibility trial lasted 1 wk, during which samples of feces were gathered twice daily, and blood and liver biopsy samples were collected on the last day. We noted no significant differences between low- and high-RFI heifers in dry matter digestibility. Apparent absorption of Cu, Zn, and Mn was increased in heifers with low RFI, and apparent absorption of Co tended to be greater for these animals. Concentrations of macrominerals and trace elements in serum of pregnant heifers were similar for both groups except for Se, which was increased in the serum of low-RFI heifers. Liver concentrations of Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Se, and Zn did not differ between low- and high-RFI heifers. In conclusion, whereas improved absorption of some trace elements (Cu, Zn, Mn, and Co) and increased Se serum concentration appear to be associated with superior feed efficiency in pregnant heifers, further studies are needed to investigate the causality of such relationships. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of gas exchange, stomatal behaviour and micronutrients uncovers dynamic response and adaptation of tomato plants to monochromatic light treatments.

PubMed

O'Carrigan, Andrew; Babla, Mohammad; Wang, Feifei; Liu, Xiaohui; Mak, Michelle; Thomas, Richard; Bellotti, Bill; Chen, Zhong-Hua

2014-09-01

Light spectrum affects the yield and quality of greenhouse tomato, especially over a prolonged period of monochromatic light treatments. Physiological and chemical analysis was employed to investigate the influence of light spectral (blue, green and red) changes on growth, photosynthesis, stomatal behaviour, leaf pigment, and micronutrient levels. We found that plants are less affected under blue light treatment, which was evident by the maintenance of higher A, gs, Tr, and stomatal parameters and significantly lower VPD and Tleaf as compared to those plants grown in green and red light treatments. Green and red light treatments led to significantly larger increase in the accumulation of Fe, B, Zn, and Cu than blue light. Moreover, guard cell length, width, and volume all showed highly significant positive correlations to gs, Tr and negative links to VPD. There was negative impact of monochromatic lights-induced accumulation of Mn, Cu, and Zn on photosynthesis, leaf pigments and plant growth. Furthermore, most of the light-induced significant changes of the physiological traits were partially recovered at the end of experiment. A high degree of morphological and physiological plasticity to blue, green and red light treatments suggested that tomato plants may have developed mechanisms to adapt to the light treatments. Thus, understanding the optimization of light spectrum for photosynthesis and growth is one of the key components for greenhouse tomato production. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Nigella sativa L. seeds modulate mood, anxiety and cognition in healthy adolescent males.

PubMed

Bin Sayeed, Muhammad Shahdaat; Shams, Tahiatul; Fahim Hossain, Sarder; Rahman, Md Rezowanur; Mostofa, Agm; Fahim Kadir, Mohammad; Mahmood, Sharif; Asaduzzaman, Md

2014-02-27

Previous studies conducted on animals linked consumption of Nigella sativa L. seeds (NS) to decreased anxiety and improved memory. The present study, which was carried out at a boarding school in Bangladesh, was designed to examine probable effect of NS on mood, anxiety and cognition in adolescent human males. Forty-eight healthy adolescent human males aged between 14 to 17 years were randomly recruited as volunteers and were randomly split into two groups: A (n=24) and B (n=24). The treatment procedure for group A and B were one capsule of 500 mg placebo and 500 mg NS respectively once daily for four weeks. All the volunteers were assessed for cognition with modified California verbal learning test-II (CVLT-II), mood with Bond-Lader scale and anxiety with State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at the beginning and after four weeks of either NS or placebo ingestion. No parameter showed statistically significant variation between A and B in measurements in the beginning, but after 4 weeks of one capsule of NS 500 mg intake, there was statistically significant variation of mood within group B but there was not statistically significant variation between group A and B. No significant variation was found in state anxiety within groups and between group A and B but in case of trait anxiety, significant variation was found within group B but not between group A and B. In case of CVLT II, there was significant variation within B in immediate short-term recall at trial 4 and 5 whereas this difference was found only in case of trial 5 between group A and B. Within group B, short term-free recall, long-term free recall and long-term cued recall had statistical difference whereas between group A and B long-term free recall and long-term cued recall had statistical difference. No parameters had significant variation within group A after placebo intake for 4 weeks. Over the 4 weeks study period, the use of NS as a nutritional supplement been observed to- stabilize mood, decrease anxiety and modulate cognition positively. However, long term study is suggested before using NS extensively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress inducible overexpression of AtHDG11 leads to improved drought and salt stress tolerance in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banavath, Jayanna N.; Chakradhar, Thammineni; Pandit, Varakumar; Konduru, Sravani; Guduru, Krishna K.; Akila, Chandra S.; Podha, Sudhakar; Puli, Chandra O. R.

2018-03-01

Peanut is an important oilseed and food legume cultivated as a rain-fed crop in semi-arid tropics. Drought and high salinity are the major abiotic stresses limiting the peanut productivity in this region. Development of drought and salt tolerant peanut varieties with improved yield potential using biotechnological approach is highly desirable to improve the peanut productivity in marginal geographies. As abiotic stress tolerance and yield represent complex traits, engineering of regulatory genes to produce abiotic stress-resilient transgenic crops appears to be a viable approach. In the present study, we developed transgenic peanut plants expressing an Arabidopsis homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor (AtHDG11) under stress inducible rd29Apromoter. A stress-inducible expression of AtHDG11 in three independent homozygous transgenic peanut lines resulted in improved drought and salt tolerance through up-regulation of known stress responsive genes(LEA, HSP70, Cu/Zn SOD, APX, P5CS, NCED1, RRS5, ERF1, NAC4, MIPS, Aquaporin, TIP, ELIP ) in the stress gene network , antioxidative enzymes, free proline along with improved water use efficiency traits such as longer root system, reduced stomatal density, higher chlorophyll content, increased specific leaf area, improved photosynthetic rates and increased intrinsic instantaneous WUE. Transgenic peanut plants displayed high yield compared to non-transgenic plants under both drought and salt stress conditions. Holistically, our study demonstrates the potentiality of stress-induced expression of AtHDG11 to improve the drought, salt tolerance in peanut.

Thermochemical process for recovering Cu from CuO or CuO.sub.2

DOEpatents

Richardson, deceased, Donald M.; Bamberger, Carlos E.

1981-01-01

A process for producing hydrogen comprises the step of reacting metallic Cu with Ba(OH).sub.2 in the presence of steam to produce hydrogen and BaCu.sub.2 O.sub.2. The BaCu.sub.2 O.sub.2 is reacted with H.sub.2 O to form Cu.sub.2 O and a Ba(OH).sub.2 product for recycle to the initial reaction step. Cu can be obtained from the Cu.sub.2 O product by several methods. In one embodiment the Cu.sub.2 O is reacted with HF solution to provide CuF.sub.2 and Cu. The CuF.sub.2 is reacted with H.sub.2 O to provide CuO and HF. CuO is decomposed to Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2. The HF, Cu and Cu.sub.2 O are recycled. In another embodiment the Cu.sub.2 O is reacted with aqueous H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 solution to provide CuSO.sub.4 solution and Cu. The CuSO.sub.4 is decomposed to CuO and SO.sub.3. The CuO is decomposed to form Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2. The SO.sub.3 is dissolved to form H.sub.2 SO.sub.4. H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, Cu and Cu.sub.2 O are recycled. In another embodiment Cu.sub.2 O is decomposed electrolytically to Cu and O.sub.2. In another aspect of the invention, Cu is recovered from CuO by the steps of decomposing CuO to Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2, reacting the Cu.sub.2 O with aqueous HF solution to produce Cu and CuF.sub.2, reacting the CuF.sub.2 with H.sub.2 O to form CuO and HF, and recycling the CuO and HF to previous reaction steps.

[General features of the patient-physician relationship].

PubMed

Baeza, H; Bueno, G

1997-03-01

The communication between physicians and patients is often deficient. Little time is devoted to it and the patient receives scanty information with a low emotional content. Some features of our medicine can explain this situation. The rationalist and mechanistic biological model, allows to study only those things that can be undertaken with the scientific method. Psychological, social and spiritual aspects are surpassed. It only looks at material aspects of people, limiting the communication. Patients express their symptoms in an emotional way, with multiple beliefs and fears. The physician converts them to a precise, scientific, measurable and rational medical logical type. This language is not understood by patients, generating hesitancy in the communication. The paternalism is based in the power that physicians have over patients. We give knowledge and ask the patient to subordinate and accept our power. The patient loses his moral right to be informed, to ask, to have doubts or to disagree. Our personal communication is almost always formal, unemotional and with no explanations, further limiting communication.

Emotional engineers: toward morally responsible design.

PubMed

Roeser, Sabine

2012-03-01

Engineers are normally seen as the archetype of people who make decisions in a rational and quantitative way. However, technological design is not value neutral. The way a technology is designed determines its possibilities, which can, for better or for worse, have consequences for human wellbeing. This leads various scholars to the claim that engineers should explicitly take into account ethical considerations. They are at the cradle of new technological developments and can thereby influence the possible risks and benefits more directly than anybody else. I have argued elsewhere that emotions are an indispensable source of ethical insight into ethical aspects of risk. In this paper I will argue that this means that engineers should also include emotional reflection into their work. This requires a new understanding of the competencies of engineers: they should not be unemotional calculators; quite the opposite, they should work to cultivate their moral emotions and sensitivity, in order to be engaged in morally responsible engineering. © The Author(s) 2010. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com

Hydrogen production from water using copper and barium hydroxide

DOEpatents

Bamberger, Carlos E.; Richardson, deceased, Donald M.

1979-01-01

A process for producing hydrogen comprises the step of reacting metallic Cu with Ba(OH).sub.2 in the presence of steam to produce hydrogen and BaCu.sub.2 O.sub.2. The BaCu.sub.2 O.sub.2 is reacted with H.sub.2 O to form Cu.sub.2 O and a Ba(OH).sub.2 product for recycle to the initial reaction step. Cu can be obtained from the Cu.sub.2 O product by several methods. In one embodiment the Cu.sub.2 O is reacted with HF solution to provide CuF.sub.2 and Cu. The CuF.sub.2 is reacted with H.sub.2 O to provide CuO and HF. CuO is decomposed to Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2. The HF, Cu and Cu.sub.2 O are recycled. In another embodiment the Cu.sub.2 O is reacted with aqueous H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 solution to provide CuSO.sub.4 solution and Cu. The CuSO.sub.4 is decomposed to CuO and SO.sub.3. The CuO is decomposed to form Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2. The SO.sub.3 is dissolved to form H.sub.2 SO.sub.4. H.sub.2 SO.sub.4, Cu and Cu.sub.2 O are recycled. In another embodiment Cu.sub.2 O is decomposed electrolytically to Cu and O.sub.2. In another aspect of the invention, Cu is recovered from CuO by the steps of decomposing CuO to Cu.sub.2 O and O.sub.2, reacting the Cu.sub.2 O with aqueous HF solution to produce Cu and CuF.sub.2, reacting the CuF.sub.2 with H.sub.2 O to form CuO and HF, and recycling the CuO and HF to previous reaction steps.

Impact of commercial garden growth substratum and NPK-fertilizer on copper fractionation in a copper-mine tailing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charles, A.; Karam, A.; Jaouich, A.

2009-04-01

Organic amendment and NPK-fertilizer could affect the distribution of copper (Cu) among Cu-mine tailing compounds and hence the availability or phytotoxicity of Cu to plants. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the forms of Cu in a Cu-mine tailing (pH 7.70) amended with a commercial garden growth substratum (GGS) containing peat moss and natural mycorrhizae (Glomus intraradices) in combination with a commercial NPK-fertilizer (20-20-20), by a sequential extraction method. There were eight treatments after the combination of four rates of GGS (0, 12.4, 50 and 100 g/kg tailing) and two rates of fertilizer (0 and 20 g/kg tailing). At the end of a 52-week incubation period, tailing Cu was sequentially extracted to fractionate Cu into five operationally defined geochemical forms, namely ‘water-soluble' (Cu-sol), ‘exchangeable' (Cu-exc), ‘specifically adsorbed on carbonates or carbonate-bound' (Cu-car), ‘organic-bound' (Cu-org) and ‘residual' (Cu-res) fractions. After treatments, the most labile Cu pool (Cu-sol + Cu-exc) represented about 0.94 % of the total Cu, the Cu-car and Cu-org accounted for 22.7 and 5.0% of total Cu, and the residual Cu accounted for nearly 71.3% of total Cu. Compared with the control, the application of GGS decreased Cu-car and increased CuORG whereas the addition of fertilizer increased Cu-sol + Cu-exc and decreased Cu-carb. Fertilizer-treated tailings had the highest amount of Cu-sol + Cu-exc. High rates of GGS resulted in Cu-org levels in GGS-treated tailings which were more than 2.0-2.8 times those obtained in the untreated tailing (control). The partition of Cu in GGS-treated tailings followed the order: Cu-sol + Cu-exc < Cu-car < Cu-org < Cu-res. This study suggests that NPK-fertilizer promotes the formation of labile Cu forms in the calcite-containing Cu-mine tailing. GGS in the tailing matrix acts as effective sorbent for Cu.

Mindfulness and emotion regulation—an fMRI study

PubMed Central

Lutz, Jacqueline; Herwig, Uwe; Opialla, Sarah; Hittmeyer, Anna; Jäncke, Lutz; Rufer, Michael; Grosse Holtforth, Martin

2014-01-01

Mindfulness—an attentive non-judgmental focus on present experiences—is increasingly incorporated in psychotherapeutic treatments as a skill fostering emotion regulation. Neurobiological mechanisms of actively induced emotion regulation are associated with prefrontally mediated down-regulation of, for instance, the amygdala. We were interested in neurobiological correlates of a short mindfulness instruction during emotional arousal. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated effects of a short mindfulness intervention during the cued expectation and perception of negative and potentially negative pictures (50% probability) in 24 healthy individuals compared to 22 controls. The mindfulness intervention was associated with increased activations in prefrontal regions during the expectation of negative and potentially negative pictures compared to controls. During the perception of negative stimuli, reduced activation was identified in regions involved in emotion processing (amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus). Prefrontal and right insular activations when expecting negative pictures correlated negatively with trait mindfulness, suggesting that more mindful individuals required less regulatory resources to attenuate emotional arousal. Our findings suggest emotion regulatory effects of a short mindfulness intervention on a neurobiological level. PMID:23563850

Bombesin functionalized 64Cu-copper sulfide nanoparticles for targeted imaging of orthotopic prostate cancer.

PubMed

Cai, Huawei; Xie, Fang; Mulgaonkar, Aditi; Chen, Lihong; Sun, Xiankai; Hsieh, Jer-Tsong; Peng, Fangyu; Tian, Rong; Li, Lin; Wu, Changqiang; Ai, Hua

2018-05-22

To synthesize and evaluate the imaging potential of Bom-PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS nanoparticles (NPs) in orothotopic prostate tumor. [ 64 Cu]CuS NPs were synthesized in aqueous solution by 64 CuCl 2 and Na 2 S reaction. Then PEG linker with or without bombesin peptide were conjugated to the surface of [ 64 Cu]CuS NPs to produce Bom-PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS and PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS NPs. These two kinds of NPs were used for testing specific uptake in prostate cancer cells in vitro and imaging of orthotopic prostate tumor in vivo. Bom-PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS and PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS NPs were successfully synthesized with core diameter of approximately 5 nm. Radioactive cellular uptake revealed that Bom-PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS was able to specifically bind to prostate cancer cells, and the microPET-CT imaging indicated clear visualization of orthotopic prostate tumors. Radiolabeled Bom-PEG-[ 64 Cu]CuS NPs have potential as an ideal agent for orthotopic prostate tumor imaging by microPET-CT.

Kinetics of PAH degradation by a new acid-metal-tolerant Trabulsiella isolated from the MGP site soil and identification of its potential to fix nitrogen and solubilize phosphorous.

PubMed

Kuppusamy, Saranya; Thavamani, Palanisami; Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Lee, Yong Bok; Naidu, Ravi

2016-04-15

Development of an efficient bioinoculum is considered as an appropriate remedial approach to treat the PAHs-metal mixed contaminated sites. Therefore, we aimed to isolate a degrader able to exert an outstanding PAH catabolic potential with added traits of pH-metal-resistance, N-fix or P-solubilization from a manufactured gas plant site soil. The identified strain (MTS-6) was a first low and high molecular weight (LMW and HMW) PAHs degrading Trabulsiella sp. tolerant to pH 5. MTS-6 completely degraded the model 3 [150mgL(-1) phenanthrene (Phe)], 4 [150mgL(-1) pyrene (Pyr)] and 5 [50mgL(-1) benzo[a]pyrene (BaP)] ring PAHs in 6, 25 and 90 days, respectively. Presence of co-substrate (100mgL(-1) Phe) increased the biodegradation rate constant (k) and decreased the half-life time (t1/2) of HMW PAHs (100mgL(-1) Pyr or 50mgL(-1) BaP). The strain fixed 47μgmL(-1)N and solubilized 58μgmL(-1)P during PAH metabolism and exhibited an EC50 value of 3-4mgL(-1) for Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn. Over 6mgL(-1) metal levels was lethal for the microbe. The identified bacterium (MTS-6) with exceptional multi-functional traits opens the way for its exploitation in the bioremediation of manufactured gas plant sites in a sustainable way by employing bioaugmentation strategy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Brain responses to vestibular pain and its anticipation in women with Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder.

PubMed

Pazmany, Els; Ly, Huynh Giao; Aerts, Leen; Kano, Michiko; Bergeron, Sophie; Verhaeghe, Johan; Peeters, Ronald; Tack, Jan; Dupont, Patrick; Enzlin, Paul; Van Oudenhove, Lukas

2017-01-01

In DSM-5, pain-related fear during anticipation of vaginal penetration is a diagnostic criterion of Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorder (GPPPD). We aimed to investigate subjective and brain responses during anticipatory fear and subsequent induction of vestibular pain in women with GPPPD. Women with GPPPD (n = 18) and age-matched healthy controls (HC) (n = 15) underwent fMRI scanning during vestibular pain induction at individually titrated pain threshold after a cued anticipation period. (Pain-related) fear and anxiety traits were measured with questionnaires prior to scanning, and anticipatory fear and pain intensity were rated during scanning using visual analog scales. Women with GPPPD reported significantly higher levels of anticipatory fear and pain intensity. During anticipation and pain induction they had stronger and more extensive brain responses in regions involved in cognitive and affective aspects of pain perception, but the group difference did not reach significance for the anticipation condition. Pain-related fear and anxiety traits as well as anticipatory fear ratings were positively associated with pain ratings in GPPPD, but not in HC. Further, in HC, a negative association was found between anticipatory fear ratings and brain responses in regions involved in cognitive and affective aspects of pain perception, but not in women with GPPPD. Women with GPPPD are characterized by increased subjective and brain responses to vestibular pain and, to a lesser extent, its anticipation, with fear and anxiety associated with responses to pain, supporting the introduction of anticipatory fear as a criterion of GPPPD in DSM-5.

The effectiveness of test-enhanced learning depends on trait test anxiety and working-memory capacity.

PubMed

Tse, Chi-Shing; Pu, Xiaoping

2012-09-01

Despite being viewed as a better way to enhance learning than repeated study, it has not been clear whether repeated testing is equally effective for students with a wide range of cognitive abilities. The current study examined whether test-enhanced learning would be equally beneficial to participants with varied working-memory capacity (WMC) and trait test anxiety (TA). Chinese-English bilingual undergraduates in Hong Kong were recruited as participants. They acquired Swahili-English word pairs (half via repeated study and half via repeated testing) and performed a delayed cued-recall test for all pairs about one week after the acquisition phase. Their WMC and TA were estimated by Unsworth, Heitz, Schrock, and Engle's (2005) operation-span task and the Chinese version of Spielberger's (1980) Test Anxiety Inventory, respectively. We replicated the typical testing effect: Participants performed better for pairs in the repeated-testing condition than those in the repeated-study condition. Regression analyses showed that, (a) relative to other participants, those with lower WMC and higher TA made more intralist intrusion errors (i.e., recalling a wrong English translation to a Swahili word cue) during the acquisition phase, and (b) the testing effect was negatively correlated with TA for participants with lower WMC, but was not correlated with TA for participants with higher WMC. This demonstrates a boundary condition for the use of test-enhanced learning. Implications of these findings for theories of the testing effect (e.g., Pyc & Rawson's, 2010, mediator-effectiveness hypothesis) and their application in classroom settings are discussed.

A mouse model of high trait anxiety shows reduced heart rate variability that can be reversed by anxiolytic drug treatment.

PubMed

Gaburro, Stefano; Stiedl, Oliver; Giusti, Pietro; Sartori, Simone B; Landgraf, Rainer; Singewald, Nicolas

2011-11-01

Increasing evidence suggests that specific physiological measures may serve as biomarkers for successful treatment to alleviate symptoms of pathological anxiety. Studies of autonomic function investigating parameters such as heart rate (HR), HR variability and blood pressure (BP) indicated that HR variability is consistently reduced in anxious patients, whereas HR and BP data show inconsistent results. Therefore, HR and HR variability were measured under various emotionally challenging conditions in a mouse model of high innate anxiety (high anxiety behaviour; HAB) vs. control normal anxiety-like behaviour (NAB) mice. Baseline HR, HR variability and activity did not differ between mouse lines. However, after cued Pavlovian fear conditioning, both elevated tachycardia and increased fear responses were observed in HAB mice compared to NAB mice upon re-exposure to the conditioning stimulus serving as the emotional stressor. When retention of conditioned fear was tested in the home cage, HAB mice again displayed higher fear responses than NAB mice, while the HR responses were similar. Conversely, in both experimental settings HAB mice consistently exhibited reduced HR variability. Repeated administration of the anxiolytic NK1 receptor antagonist L-822429 lowered the conditioned fear response and shifted HR dynamics in HAB mice to a more regular pattern, similar to that in NAB mice. Additional receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated the high specificity and sensitivity of HR variability to distinguish between normal and high anxiety trait. These findings indicate that assessment of autonomic response in addition to freezing might be a useful indicator of the efficacy of novel anxiolytic treatments.

Impulsivity modulates performance under response uncertainty in a reaching task.

PubMed

Tzagarakis, C; Pellizzer, G; Rogers, R D

2013-03-01

We sought to explore the interaction of the impulsivity trait with response uncertainty. To this end, we used a reaching task (Pellizzer and Hedges in Exp Brain Res 150:276-289, 2003) where a motor response direction was cued at different levels of uncertainty (1 cue, i.e., no uncertainty, 2 cues or 3 cues). Data from 95 healthy adults (54 F, 41 M) were analysed. Impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11). Behavioral variables recorded were reaction time (RT), errors of commission (referred to as 'early errors') and errors of precision. Data analysis employed generalised linear mixed models and generalised additive mixed models. For the early errors, there was an interaction of impulsivity with uncertainty and gender, with increased errors for high impulsivity in the one-cue condition for women and the three-cue condition for men. There was no effect of impulsivity on precision errors or RT. However, the analysis of the effect of RT and impulsivity on precision errors showed a different pattern for high versus low impulsives in the high uncertainty (3 cue) condition. In addition, there was a significant early error speed-accuracy trade-off for women, primarily in low uncertainty and a 'reverse' speed-accuracy trade-off for men in high uncertainty. These results extend those of past studies of impulsivity which help define it as a behavioural trait that modulates speed versus accuracy response styles depending on environmental constraints and highlight once more the importance of gender in the interplay of personality and behaviour.

Conscious Augmentation of Creative State Enhances "Real" Creativity in Open-Ended Analogical Reasoning.

PubMed

Weinberger, Adam B; Iyer, Hari; Green, Adam E

2016-01-01

Humans have an impressive ability to augment their creative state (i.e., to consciously try and succeed at thinking more creatively). Though this "thinking cap" phenomenon is commonly experienced, the range of its potential has not been fully explored by creativity research, which has often focused instead on creativity as a trait. A key question concerns the extent to which conscious augmentation of state creativity can improve creative reasoning. Although artistic creativity is also of great interest, it is creative reasoning that frequently leads to innovative advances in science and industry. Here, we studied state creativity in analogical reasoning, a form of relational reasoning that spans the conceptual divide between intelligence and creativity and is a core mechanism for creative innovation. Participants performed a novel Analogy Finding Task paradigm in which they sought valid analogical connections in a matrix of word-pairs. An explicit creativity cue elicited formation of substantially more creative analogical connections (measured via latent semantic analysis). Critically, the increase in creative analogy formation was not due to a generally more liberal criterion for analogy formation (that is, it appeared to reflect "real" creativity rather than divergence at the expense of appropriateness). The use of an online sample provided evidence that state creativity augmentation can be successfully elicited by remote cuing in an online environment. Analysis of an intelligence measure provided preliminary indication that the influential "threshold hypothesis," which has been proposed to characterize the relationship between intelligence and trait creativity, may be extensible to the new domain of state creativity.

Conscious Augmentation of Creative State Enhances “Real” Creativity in Open-Ended Analogical Reasoning

PubMed Central

Weinberger, Adam B.; Iyer, Hari; Green, Adam E.

2016-01-01

Humans have an impressive ability to augment their creative state (i.e., to consciously try and succeed at thinking more creatively). Though this “thinking cap” phenomenon is commonly experienced, the range of its potential has not been fully explored by creativity research, which has often focused instead on creativity as a trait. A key question concerns the extent to which conscious augmentation of state creativity can improve creative reasoning. Although artistic creativity is also of great interest, it is creative reasoning that frequently leads to innovative advances in science and industry. Here, we studied state creativity in analogical reasoning, a form of relational reasoning that spans the conceptual divide between intelligence and creativity and is a core mechanism for creative innovation. Participants performed a novel Analogy Finding Task paradigm in which they sought valid analogical connections in a matrix of word-pairs. An explicit creativity cue elicited formation of substantially more creative analogical connections (measured via latent semantic analysis). Critically, the increase in creative analogy formation was not due to a generally more liberal criterion for analogy formation (that is, it appeared to reflect “real” creativity rather than divergence at the expense of appropriateness). The use of an online sample provided evidence that state creativity augmentation can be successfully elicited by remote cuing in an online environment. Analysis of an intelligence measure provided preliminary indication that the influential “threshold hypothesis,” which has been proposed to characterize the relationship between intelligence and trait creativity, may be extensible to the new domain of state creativity. PMID:26959821

In situ visualization of metallurgical reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn diffusion couples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Qiyue; Gao, Fan; Gu, Zhiyong; Stach, Eric A.; Zhou, Guangwen

2015-03-01

The Cu-Sn metallurgical soldering reaction in two-segmented Cu-Sn nanowires is studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy. By varying the relative lengths of Cu and Sn segments, we show that the metallurgical reaction results in a Cu-Sn solid solution for small Sn/Cu length ratio while Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) for larger Sn/Cu length ratios. Upon heating the nanowires to ~500 °C, two phase transformation pathways occur, η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> δ-Cu41Sn11 for nanowires with a long Cu segment and η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> γ-Cu3Sn with a short Cu segment. The evolution of Kirkendall voids in the nanowires demonstrates that Cu diffuses faster than Sn in IMCs. Void growth results in the nanowire breakage that shuts off the inter-diffusion of Cu and Sn and thus leads to changes in the phase transformation pathway in the IMCs.

Effect of dietary copper and breed on gene products involved in copper acquisition, distribution, and use in Angus and Simmental cows and fetuses.

PubMed

Fry, R S; Spears, J W; Lloyd, K E; O'Nan, A T; Ashwell, M S

2013-02-01

Copper (Cu) deficiency is a widespread problem in cattle across the United States and breed differences in Cu metabolism may contribute to this issue. Intracellular Cu is tightly regulated by transport and chaperone proteins, and to date, these mechanisms have not been elucidated to address breed differences in Cu metabolism, nor have these proteins been characterized in bovine fetal liver. Mature, pregnant Angus (n = 8) and Simmental (n = 8) cows (∼4 mo into gestation) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. All cows were bred to Angus sires resulting in an Angus vs. Simmental × Angus comparison for fetuses. Cows were randomly assigned to corn silage-based diets that were either adequate (+Cu) or deficient (-Cu; 6.6 mg Cu/kg DM) in Cu. Diets were individually fed for 112 d. At the end of the study, cows were harvested to collect duodenal mucosa scrapes, liver samples, and fetal liver samples for mineral analysis and also for mRNA and protein analysis of Cu transport and chaperone proteins. Placentomes were also obtained for mineral analysis. Plasma Cu and liver Cu were affected by Cu, breed, and Cu × breed. Both of these Cu indices were less (P ≤ 0.05) in-Cu Simmentals (-CuS) than in-Cu Angus (- uA), but were similar among +Cu Simmental (+CuS) and +Cu Angus cows (+CuA). Duodenal Cu was less (P = 0.01) in-Cu vs. +Cu cows. Placentome Cu was less (P = 0.003) in-Cu vs. +Cu cows, and was also less (P = 0.03) in Simmentals vs. Angus. Fetal liver Cu was less (P = 0.002) in-Cu vs. +Cu fetuses, and was also less (P = 0.05) in Simmental × Angus vs. Angus. Abundance of Cu transporter1 (CTR1) protein and transcripts for Cu transporters and chaperones were not affected by Cu or breed in liver and were not affected by Cu in the intestine. Duodenal Ctr1 was less (P = 0.04) and CTR1 tended (P = 0.10) to be less in Simmentals vs. Angus. Expression of Atp7a tended (P = 0.08) to be less in Simmentals than in Angus. In fetal liver, expression of antioxidant 1 (Atox1), cytochrome c oxidase assembly protein 17 (Cox17), and Cu metabolism MURR1 domain 1 (Commd1) were up-regulated (P ≤ 0.05) in-Cu vs. +Cu fetuses. In conclusion, less expression of duodenal Ctr1 and a tendency for less CTR1 (P = 0.10) and Atp7a (P = 0.08) suggest that Simmentals have a lesser ability to absorb and utilize dietary Cu, and may explain why Simmentals are more prone to Cu deficiency than Angus. Up-regulation of fetal liver Atox1, Cox17, and Commd1 in-Cu fetuses may reflect the great Cu demand by the fetus.

Dissociation mechanisms of HFO-1336mzz(Z) on Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces: A density functional theory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huo, Erguang; Liu, Chao; Xu, Xiaoxiao; Li, Qibin; Dang, Chaobin

2018-06-01

The catalytic effect of Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces on the decomposition of HFO-1336mzz(Z) have been investigated by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations. On the basis of adsorption energy analysis, the most stable adsorption energies of HFO-1336mzz(Z) and relevant products on Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces were studied, respectively, and the co-adsorption structures of relevant species were obtained. Finally, four initiation decomposition reactions of HFO-1336mzz(Z) on Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces were proposed and investigated, respectively. At the same time, the four similar homolytic reactions of free HFO-1336mzz(Z) molecular were calculated to compare with the dissociation reactions occurred on Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces and illuminate the catalytic effect of Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces on the HFO-1336mzz(Z) decomposition. The results indicated that Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces had a good catalytic effect on the decomposition of HFO-1336mzz(Z). The fracture reactions of Cdbnd C bonds on Cu(1 1 1), Cu(1 1 0) and Cu(1 0 0) surfaces were easier to occur than that of other reactions. Cu(1 0 0) surface had the highest catalytic activity and the lowest for Cu(1 1 1) surface.

In situ imaging of the soldering reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn/Cu and Sn/Cu/Sn diffusion couples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Qiyue; Gao, Fan; Gu, Zhiyong; Wang, Jirui; Stach, Eric A.; Zhou, Guangwen

2018-01-01

The soldering reactions of three-segmented Sn/Cu/Sn and Cu/Sn/Cu diffusion couples are monitored by in-situ transmission electron microscopy to reveal the metallurgical reaction mechanism and the associated phase transformation pathway. For Sn/Cu/Sn diffusion couples, there is no ɛ-Cu3Sn formation due to the relatively insufficient Cu as compared to Sn. Kirkendall voids form initially in the Cu segment and then disappear due to the volume expansion associated with the continued intermetallic compound (IMC) formation as the reaction progresses. The incoming Sn atoms react with Cu to form η-Cu6Sn5, and the continuous reaction then transforms the entire nanowire to η-Cu6Sn5 grains with remaining Sn. With continued heating slightly above the melting point of Sn, an Sn-rich liquid phase forms between η-Cu6Sn5 grains. By contrast, the reaction in the Cu/Sn/Cu diffusion couples results in the intermetallic phases of both Cu3Sn and Cu6Sn5 and the development of Cu6Sn5 bulges on Cu3Sn grains. Kirkendall voids form in the two Cu segments, which grow and eventually break the nanowire into multiple segments.

CH4 dehydrogenation on Cu(1 1 1), Cu@Cu(1 1 1), Rh@Cu(1 1 1) and RhCu(1 1 1) surfaces: A comparison studies of catalytic activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Riguang; Duan, Tian; Ling, Lixia; Wang, Baojun

2015-06-01

In the CVD growth of graphene, the reaction barriers of the dehydrogenation for hydrocarbon molecules directly decide the graphene CVD growth temperature. In this study, density functional theory method has been employed to comparatively probe into CH4 dehydrogenation on four types of Cu(1 1 1) surface, including the flat Cu(1 1 1) surface (labeled as Cu(1 1 1)) and the Cu(1 1 1) surface with one surface Cu atom substituted by one Rh atom (labeled as RhCu(1 1 1)), as well as the Cu(1 1 1) surface with one Cu or Rh adatom (labeled as Cu@Cu(1 1 1) and Rh@Cu(1 1 1), respectively). Our results show that the highest barrier of the whole CH4 dehydrogenation process is remarkably reduced from 448.7 and 418.4 kJ mol-1 on the flat Cu(1 1 1) and Cu@Cu(1 1 1) surfaces to 258.9 kJ mol-1 on RhCu(1 1 1) surface, and to 180.0 kJ mol-1 on Rh@Cu(1 1 1) surface, indicating that the adsorbed or substituted Rh atom on Cu catalyst can exhibit better catalytic activity for CH4 complete dehydrogenation; meanwhile, since the differences for the highest barrier between Cu@Cu(1 1 1) and Cu(1 1 1) surfaces are smaller, the catalytic behaviors of Cu@Cu(1 1 1) surface are very close to the flat Cu(1 1 1) surface, suggesting that the morphology of Cu substrate does not obviously affect the dehydrogenation of CH4, which accords with the reported experimental observations. As a result, the adsorbed or substituted Rh atom on Cu catalyst exhibit a better catalytic activity for CH4 dehydrogenation compared to the pure Cu catalyst, especially on Rh-adsorbed Cu catalyst, we can conclude that the potential of synthesizing high-quality graphene with the help of Rh on Cu foils may be carried out at relatively low temperatures. Meanwhile, the adsorbed Rh atom is the reaction active center, namely, the CVD growth can be controlled by manipulating the graphene nucleation position.

Effect of Embedding Cu-Graphene Hybrid Powder into 2-Phase In-Cu Solders on Its Suitability as Metallic Thermal Interface Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, Deepak; Jain, Aman; Somaiah, Nalla; Narayanan, P. Ramesh; Kumar, Praveen

2018-05-01

The effect of embedding Cu-graphene hybrid powder, namely "graphene nano-sheet Cu" (GNS-Cu) powder, into In-40 vol.% Cu solder alloy on the electrical and mechanical properties of In-Cu solder is investigated. GNS-Cu hybrid powders were prepared by mixing reduced graphene oxide powders and CuSO4·5H2O, followed by reduction of the mixture with hydrazine. Subsequently, In-Cu solders with GNS-Cu powders were prepared using a 2-step process, comprising liquid phase sintering (LPS) of In and Cu powders followed by accumulative roll bonding (ARB). During ARB, the GNS-Cu powders were embedded as distinct layers into In-Cu composite solders. Electrical conductivity of the GNS-Cu embedded solders increased by > 20% as compared to pure In-Cu solders processed through the same combination of LPS-ARB steps. The yield strength of In-Cu solder increased by only 10% with the addition of GNS-Cu powders and thus retained the moderate strength often associated with pure In-Cu composite solders. Moreover, the thermal conductivity of GNS-Cu-embedded solders was estimated theoretically to increase by > 60%. These promising findings suggest that GNS-Cu-embedded In-Cu solders can be suitable for next-generation metallic thermal interface material and package-level interconnect applications.

Decreased erythrocyte CCS content is a biomarker of copper overload in rats.

PubMed

Bertinato, Jesse; Sherrard, Lindsey; Plouffe, Louise J

2010-07-02

Copper (Cu) is an essential trace metal that is toxic in excess. It is therefore important to be able to accurately assess Cu deficiency or overload. Cu chaperone for Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (CCS) protein expression is elevated in tissues of Cu-deficient animals. Increased CCS content in erythrocytes is particularly sensitive to decreased Cu status. Given the lack of a non-invasive, sensitive and specific biomarker for the assessment of Cu excess, we investigated whether CCS expression in erythrocytes reflects Cu overload. Rats were fed diets containing normal or high levels of Cu for 13 weeks. Diets contained 6.3 +/- 0.6 (Cu-N), 985 +/- 14 (Cu-1000) or 1944 +/- 19 (Cu-2000) mg Cu/kg diet. Rats showed a variable response to the high Cu diets. Some rats showed severe Cu toxicity, while other rats showed no visible signs of toxicity and grew normally. Also, some rats had high levels of Cu in liver, whereas others had liver Cu concentrations within the normal range. Erythrocyte CCS protein expression was 30% lower in Cu-2000 rats compared to Cu-N rats (P < 0.05). Notably, only rats that accumulated high levels of Cu in liver had lower erythrocyte CCS (47% reduction, P < 0.05) compared to rats fed normal levels of Cu. Together, these data indicate that decreased erythrocyte CCS content is associated with Cu overload in rats and should be evaluated further as a potential biomarker for assessing Cu excess in humans.

Elucidation of the Human Serum Albumin (HSA) Binding Site for the Cu-PTSM and Cu-ATSM Radiopharmaceuticals

PubMed Central

Basken, Nathan E.; Mathias, Carla J.; Green, Mark A.

2008-01-01

The Cu-PTSM (pyruvaldehyde bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazonato)copper(II)) and Cu-ATSM (diacetyl bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazonato)copper(II)) radiopharmaceuticals exhibit strong, species-dependent binding to human serum albumin (HSA), while Cu-ETS (ethylglyoxal bis(thiosemicarbazonato)copper(II)) appears to only exhibit non-specific binding to human and animal serum albumins. This study examines the structural basis for HSA binding of Cu-PTSM and Cu-ATSM via competition with drugs having known albumin binding sites. Warfarin, furosemide, ibuprofen, phenylbutazone, benzylpenicillin, and cephmandole were added to HSA solutions at drug:HSA mole ratios from 0 to 8:1, followed by quantification of radiopharmaceutical binding to HSA by ultrafiltration. Warfarin, a site IIA drug, progressively displaced both [64Cu]Cu-PTSM and [64Cu]Cu-ATSM from HSA. At 8:1 warfarin:HSA mole ratios, free [64Cu]Cu-PTSM and [64Cu]Cu-ATSM levels increased 300–500%. This was in contrast to solutions containing ibuprofen, a site IIIA drug; no increase in free [64Cu]Cu-PTSM or [64Cu]Cu-ATSM was observed except at high ibuprofen:HSA ratios, where secondary ibuprofen binding to the IIA site may cause modest radiopharmaceutical displacement. By contrast, and consistent with earlier findings suggesting Cu-ETS exhibits only non-specific associations, [64Cu]Cu-ETS binding to HSA was unaffected by the addition of drugs that bind in either site. We conclude that the species-dependence of Cu-PTSM and Cu-ATSM albumin binding arises from interaction(s) with the IIA site of HSA. PMID:18937368

One-pot synthesis of hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hong, Tianjie; Tao, Feifei, E-mail: feifeitao@usx.edu.cn; Lin, Jiudong

2015-08-15

The hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres have been fabricated by the one-pot solvothermal redox method, which is one-step approach without any surfactant and template. By using the HRTEM, XRD, XPS and UV–vis spectroscopy, the as-prepared product is composed of Cu{sub 2}O and Cu with energy band gap of 1.72 eV. Based on the time-dependent experiments, the content of Cu{sub 2}O and Cu compositions can be effectively controlled by adjusting the reaction time and a possible mechanism is proposed. In addition, using various dye molecules to stimulate pollutants, the hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres reacted for 8 h exhibit excellent visible-lightmore » photocatalytic activities, which is much higher than those of the Cu{sub 2}O/Cu catalysts formed at the shorter reaction time, commercial Cu{sub 2}O powder and the mixture of alone Cu{sub 2}O and Cu. This enhanced photocatalytic performance makes these hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres a kind of efficient visible-light photocatalyst in removing some organic compounds in wastewater. - Graphical abstract: The hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres with adjustable components have been synthesized by one-step solvothermal redox approach. The special structures and composition lead to the excellent visible-light photocatalytic activity. - Highlights: • The hierarchical Cu{sub 2}O/Cu hollow microspheres are fabricated by one-step approach. • The content of Cu{sub 2}O and Cu can be controlled by adjusting the reaction time. • The material exhibits a better visible-light photocatalytic activity and stability. • Degradation kinetics of MO by Cu{sub 2}O/Cu fits the pseudo first-order model.« less

CeO2-CuO/Cu2O/Cu monolithic catalysts with three-kind morphologies Cu2O layers for preferential CO oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Guojuan; Zhang, Xuejiao; Zhang, Aiai; Li, Meng; Zeng, Shanghong; Xu, Changjin; Su, Haiquan

2018-03-01

The supports of copper slices with three-kind morphologies Cu2O layers were prepared by the hydrothermal method. The Cu2O layers are rod-like structure, three-dimensional reticular and porous morphology as well as flower-like morphology, respectively. The CeO2-CuO/Cu2O/Cu monolithic catalysts present porous and network structure or foam morphology after loading CeO2 and CuO. Cu and Ce elements are uniformly dispersed onto the support surface. It is found that the monolithic catalyst with flower-like Cu2O layer displays better low-temperature activity because of highly-dispersed CuO and high Olatt concentration. The monolithic catalysts with rod-like or reticular-morphology Cu2O layers present high-temperature activity due to larger CuO crystallite sizes and good synergistic effect at copper-ceria interfacial sites. The as-prepared CeO2-CuO/Cu2O/Cu monolithic catalysts show good performance in the CO-PROX reaction. The generation of Cu2O layers with three-kind morphologies is beneficial to the loading and dispersion of copper oxides and ceria.

Effects of copper-oxide nanoparticles, dissolved copper and ultraviolet radiation on copper bioaccumulation, photosynthesis and oxidative stress in the aquatic macrophyte Elodea nuttallii.

PubMed

Regier, Nicole; Cosio, Claudia; von Moos, Nadia; Slaveykova, Vera I

2015-06-01

In this study, the uptake and sub-toxic effects of CuO nanoparticles (CuO-NPs), dissolved Cu(II) alone or in combination with UV radiation on the aquatic macrophyte Elodea nuttallii were studied. Emphasis was on Cu accumulation, growth, photosynthesis and the oxidative stress related enzymes peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). The results showed stronger Cu accumulation in plants exposed to 10 mg L(-1) CuO-NPs, corresponding to 1.4-2 mg L(-1) dissolved Cu(II), than to 256 μg L(-1) Cu(II). However, the ratio between the accumulated Cu and dissolved Cu in CuO treatments was lower than in Cu(II) treatments. Additional UV exposure increased accumulation in both treatments, with the effect being stronger for Cu accumulation from CuO-NPs than for dissolved Cu(II). Photosynthetic capacity was strongly reduced by UV treatment, whereas remained unaffected by Cu(II) or CuO-NP treatments. Similarly, the increase of SOD activity was more pronounced in the UV treatments. On the other hand, POD activity enhancement was strongest in the plants exposed to CuO-NPs for 24 h. Expression of the copper transporter COPT1 as revealed by RT-qPCR was inhibited by Cu(II) and CuO-NP treatment, limiting the uptake of excess Cu into the cells. Overall, the combined exposure of E. nuttallii to UV radiation with CuO-NPs or Cu(II) has a higher impact than exposure to CuO-NPs or Cu(II) alone. The results imply that heavy pollution of natural water with CuO-NPs or dissolved Cu might have stronger effects in combination with natural UV irradiation on organisms in situ. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impaired functional connectivity within and between frontostriatal circuits and its association with compulsive drug use and trait impulsivity in cocaine addiction.

PubMed

Hu, Yuzheng; Salmeron, Betty Jo; Gu, Hong; Stein, Elliot A; Yang, Yihong

2015-06-01

Converging evidence has long identified both impulsivity and compulsivity as key psychological constructs in drug addiction. Although dysregulated striatal-cortical network interactions have been identified in cocaine addiction, the association between these brain networks and addiction is poorly understood. To test the hypothesis that cocaine addiction is associated with disturbances in striatal-cortical communication as captured by resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), measured from coherent spontaneous fluctuations in the blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging signal, and to explore the relationships between striatal rsFC, trait impulsivity, and uncontrolled drug use in cocaine addiction. A case-control, cross-sectional study was conducted at the National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program outpatient magnetic resonance imaging facility. Data used in the present study were collected between December 8, 2005, and September 30, 2011. Participants included 56 non-treatment-seeking cocaine users (CUs) (52 with cocaine dependence and 3 with cocaine abuse) and 56 healthy individuals serving as controls (HCs) matched on age, sex, years of education, race, estimated intelligence, and smoking status. Voxelwise statistical parametric analysis testing the rsFC strength differences between CUs and HCs in brain regions functionally connected to 6 striatal subregions defined a priori. Increased rsFC strength was observed predominantly in striatal-frontal circuits; decreased rsFC was found between the striatum and cingulate, striatal, temporal, hippocampal/amygdalar, and insular regions in the CU group compared with the HCs. Increased striatal-dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex connectivity strength was positively correlated with the amount of recent cocaine use (uncorrected P < .046) and elevated trait impulsivity in the CUs (uncorrected P < .012), and an index reflecting the balance between striatal-dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and striatal-anterior prefrontal/orbitofrontal cortex circuits was significantly associated with loss of control over cocaine use (corrected P < .012). Cocaine addiction is associated with disturbed rsFC in several specific striatal-cortical circuits. Specifically, compulsive cocaine use, a defining characteristic of dependence, was associated with a balance of increased striatal-anterior prefrontal/orbitofrontal and decreased striatal-dorsal anterior cingulate connectivity; trait impulsivity, both a risk factor for and a consequence of cocaine use, was associated with increased dorsal striatal-dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex connectivity uniquely in CUs. These findings provide new insights toward the neurobiological mechanisms of addiction and suggest potential novel therapeutic targets for treatment.

Porous HKUST-1 derived CuO/Cu2O shell wrapped Cu(OH)2 derived CuO/Cu2O core nanowire arrays for electrochemical nonenzymatic glucose sensors with ultrahigh sensitivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Cuiping; Cui, Jiewu; Wang, Yan; Zheng, Hongmei; Zhang, Jianfang; Shu, Xia; Liu, Jiaqin; Zhang, Yong; Wu, Yucheng

2018-05-01

Self-supported CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell nanowire arrays (NWAs) are successfully fabricated by a simple and efficient method in this paper. Anodized Cu(OH)2 NWAs could in-situ convert to HKUST-1 at room temperature easily. Cu(OH)2 NWAs cores and HKUST-1 shells transform into CuO/Cu2O simultaneously after calcinations and form CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell NWAs. This smart configuration of the core-shell structure not only avoids the agglomeration of the traditional MOF-derived materials in particle-shape, but also facilitates the ion diffusion and increases the active sites. This novel structure is employed as substrate to construct nonenzymatic glucose sensors. The results indicate that glucose sensor based on CuO/Cu2O@CuO/Cu2O core-shell NWAs presents ultrahigh sensitivity (10,090 μA mM-1 cm-2), low detection limit (0.48 μM) and wide linear range (0.99-1,330 μM). In addition, it also shows excellent anti-interference ability toward uric acid, ascorbic acid and L-Cysteine co-existing with glucose, good reproducibility and superior ability of real sample analysis.

Preliminary study on copper isotopes of the Zijinshan ore field, Fujian Province, SE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Hai-Xiang

2017-04-01

Zijinshan Cu-Au polymetallic ore field is located in Southeast China, tectonically belonging to the Interior Cathaysia Block. It is a complete porphyry-epithermal mineralization system, including Luoboling porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, Zijinshan high sulfidation Cu-Au deposit, Yueyang low sulfidation Ag-Au deposit, Wuziqilong and Longjiangting transitional style Cu deposits, etc. Main ore minerals from Zijinshan and Wuziqilong deposits are covellite and digenite. Copper isotopic compositions of these two minerals were analyzed. Copper isotope ratios are reported in the standard delta notation: δ65 Cu‰¯[ (65Cu/63Cu)Sample/(65Cu/63Cu) ERM-AE633-1] ×1000. The overall δ65Cu values for the analysed samples vary from -2.76 to 1.33‰Ṫhe Zijinshan Cu-Au deposit show large Cu isotopic variability (-2.76 to 1.33), among which covellite samples range from -2.76‰ to 0.38‰ with -0.79‰ in average and digenite samples range from -1.8‰ to 1.33‰ with -0.11‰ in average. During the leaching process of hypogene sulphides, 65Cu was leached more easily and then trapped in the supergene enrichment zone. Therefore, enrichment minerals should be enriched in 65Cu and the leached cap enriched in 63Cu. Thus the relationship of δ65Cu values for different Cu reservoirs should be leached cap minerals < hypogene sulphides < enrichment minerals. Nonexistence of enriched δ65Cu values indicate that the major copper minerals (mainly covellite and digenite) in the Zijinshan Cu-Au deposit and Wuziqilong Cu deposit are of hypogene origin rather than secondary origin. At the Wuziqilong Cu deposit, Cu isotopes has narrow range from 0.16‰ to 0.43‰ with 0.31‰ in average, which is typically of hypogene origin. Two coexisting covellite -digenite fractionations (δ65Cu =δ65Cucovellite - δ65Cudigenite) are 0.27‰ and 0.18‰ relatively. For minerals of the Cu-S system, from chalcocite (Cu2S) to covellite (CuS), proportions of Cu(II) become higher and higher. The classical definition of the crystallographic structure of covellite indicated that one third of the Cu is Cu(II) and digenite (Cu1.8S) has one ninth of Cu(II). Therefore, covellite is more oxidized species and has higher δ65Cu compared with coexisting digenite.

Biodynamics of copper oxide nanoparticles and copper ions in an oligochaete: Part I: relative importance of water and sediment as exposure routes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramskov, Tina; Thit, Amalie; Croteau, Marie-Noele; Selck, Henriette

2015-01-01

Copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used, and likely released into the aquatic environment. Both aqueous (i.e., dissolved Cu) and particulate Cu can be taken up by organisms. However, how exposure routes influence the bioavailability and subsequent toxicity of Cu remains largely unknown. Here, we assess the importance of exposure routes (water and sediment) and Cu forms (aqueous and nanoparticulate) on Cu bioavailability and toxicity to the freshwater oligochaete, Lumbriculus variegatus, a head-down deposit-feeder. We characterize the bioaccumulation dynamics of Cu in L. variegatus across a range of exposure concentrations, covering both realistic and worst-case levels of Cu contamination in the environment. Both aqueous Cu (Cu-Aq; administered as Cu(NO3)2) and nanoparticulate Cu (CuO NPs), whether dispersed in artificial moderately hard freshwater or mixed into sediment, were weakly accumulated by L. variegatus. Once incorporated into tissues, Cu elimination was negligible, i.e., elimination rate constants were in general not different from zero for either exposure route or either Cu form. Toxicity was only observed after waterborne exposure to Cu-Aq at very high concentration (305 µgL-1), where all worms died. There was no relationship between exposure route, Cu form or Cu exposure concentration on either worm survival or growth. Slow feeding rates and low Cu assimilation efficiency (approximately 30%) characterized the uptake of Cu from the sediment for both Cu forms. In nature, L. variegatus is potentially exposed to Cu via both water and sediment. However, sediment progressively becomes the predominant exposure route for Cu in L. variegatus as Cu partitioning to sediment increases.

Equilibrium isotopic fractionation of copper during oxidation/reduction, aqueous complexation and ore-forming processes: Predictions from hybrid density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherman, David M.

2013-10-01

Copper exists as two isotopes: 65Cu (∼30.85%) and 63Cu (∼69.15%). The isotopic composition of copper in secondary minerals, surface waters and oxic groundwaters is 1-12‰ heavier than that of copper in primary sulfides. Changes in oxidation state and complexation should yield substantial isotopic fractionation between copper species but it is unclear to what extent the observed Cu isotopic variations reflect equilibrium fractionation. Here, I calculate the reduced partition function ratios for chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), cuprite (Cu2O), tenorite (CuO) and aqueous Cu+, Cu+2 complexes using periodic and molecular hybrid density functional theory to predict the equilibrium isotopic fractionation of Cu resulting from oxidation of Cu+ to Cu+2 and by complexation of dissolved Cu. Among the various copper(II) complexes in aqueous environments, there is a significant (1.3‰) range in the reduced partition function ratios. Oxidation and congruent dissolution of chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) to dissolved Cu+2 (as Cu(H2O)5+2) yields 65-63δ(Cu+2-CuFeS2) = 3.1‰ at 25 °C; however, chalcopyrite oxidation/dissolution is incongruent so that the observed isotopic fractionation will be less. Secondary precipitation of cuprite (Cu2O) would yield further enrichment of dissolved 65Cu since 65-63δ(Cu+2-Cu2O) is 1.2‰ at 25 °C. However, precipitation of tenorite (CuO) will favor the heavy isotope by +1.0‰ making dissolved Cu isotopically lighter. These are upper-limit estimates for equilibrium fractionation. Therefore, the extremely large (9‰) fractionations between dissolved Cu+2 (or Cu+2 minerals) and primary Cu+ sulfides observed in supergene environments must reflect Rayleigh (open-system) or kinetic fractionation. Finally the previously proposed (Asael et al., 2009) use of δ65Cu in chalcopyrite to estimate the oxidation state of fluids that transported Cu in stratiform sediment-hosted copper deposits is refined.

Indium-free, highly transparent, flexible Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrodes for flexible touch screen panels

PubMed Central

Kim, Dong-Ju; Kim, Hyo-Joong; Seo, Ki-Won; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kim, Tae-Wong; Kim, Han-Ki

2015-01-01

We report on an indium-free and cost-effective Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrode grown by room temperature roll-to-roll sputtering as a viable alternative to ITO electrodes for the cost-effective production of large-area flexible touch screen panels (TSPs). By using a low resistivity metallic Cu interlayer and a patterned mesh structure, we obtained Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes with a low sheet resistance of 15.1 Ohm/square and high optical transmittance of 89% as well as good mechanical flexibility. Outer/inner bending test results showed that the Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode had a mechanical flexibility superior to that of conventional ITO films. Using the diamond-patterned Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes, we successfully demonstrated TSPS of the flexible film-film type and rigid glass-film-film type TSPs. The TSPs with Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode were used to perform zoom in/out functions and multi-touch writing, indicating that these electrodes are promising cost-efficient transparent electrodes to substitute for conventional ITO electrodes in large-area flexible TSPs. PMID:26582471

Indium-free, highly transparent, flexible Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrodes for flexible touch screen panels.

PubMed

Kim, Dong-Ju; Kim, Hyo-Joong; Seo, Ki-Won; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kim, Tae-Wong; Kim, Han-Ki

2015-11-19

We report on an indium-free and cost-effective Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrode grown by room temperature roll-to-roll sputtering as a viable alternative to ITO electrodes for the cost-effective production of large-area flexible touch screen panels (TSPs). By using a low resistivity metallic Cu interlayer and a patterned mesh structure, we obtained Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes with a low sheet resistance of 15.1 Ohm/square and high optical transmittance of 89% as well as good mechanical flexibility. Outer/inner bending test results showed that the Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode had a mechanical flexibility superior to that of conventional ITO films. Using the diamond-patterned Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes, we successfully demonstrated TSPS of the flexible film-film type and rigid glass-film-film type TSPs. The TSPs with Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode were used to perform zoom in/out functions and multi-touch writing, indicating that these electrodes are promising cost-efficient transparent electrodes to substitute for conventional ITO electrodes in large-area flexible TSPs.

Indium-free, highly transparent, flexible Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrodes for flexible touch screen panels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dong-Ju; Kim, Hyo-Joong; Seo, Ki-Won; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kim, Tae-Wong; Kim, Han-Ki

2015-11-01

We report on an indium-free and cost-effective Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrode grown by room temperature roll-to-roll sputtering as a viable alternative to ITO electrodes for the cost-effective production of large-area flexible touch screen panels (TSPs). By using a low resistivity metallic Cu interlayer and a patterned mesh structure, we obtained Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes with a low sheet resistance of 15.1 Ohm/square and high optical transmittance of 89% as well as good mechanical flexibility. Outer/inner bending test results showed that the Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode had a mechanical flexibility superior to that of conventional ITO films. Using the diamond-patterned Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O multilayer mesh electrodes, we successfully demonstrated TSPS of the flexible film-film type and rigid glass-film-film type TSPs. The TSPs with Cu2O/Cu/Cu2O mesh electrode were used to perform zoom in/out functions and multi-touch writing, indicating that these electrodes are promising cost-efficient transparent electrodes to substitute for conventional ITO electrodes in large-area flexible TSPs.

IR and TPD studies of the interaction of alkenes with Cu + sites in CuNaY and CuNaX zeolites of various Cu content. The heterogeneity of Cu + sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Datka, J.; Kukulska-Zajaç, E.; Kozyra, P.

2006-08-01

Cu + ions in zeolites activate organic molecules containing π electrons by π back donation, which results in a distinct weakening of multiple bonds. In this study, we followed the activation of alkenes (ethene and propene) by Cu + ions in CuY and CuX zeolites of various Cu content. We also studied the strength of bonding of alkenes to Cu + ions. IR studies have shown that there are two kinds of Cu + sites of various electron donor properties. We suppose that they could be attributed to the presence of Cu + ions of various number of oxygen atoms surrounding the cation. IR studies have shown that Cu ions introduced into Y and X zeolites in the first-order (at low Cu content) form Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties (i.e. activate alkenes to larger extend) than Cu ions introduced in the next order (at higher Cu content). IR and TPD studies of alkenes desorption evidenced that Cu + ions of stronger electron donor properties bond alkenes stronger than less electron donor ones. It suggests that π back donation has more important contribution to the strength of bonding alkenes to cation than π donation.

First-principles study of defect formation in a photovoltaic semiconductor Cu2ZnGeSe4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nishihara, Hironori; Maeda, Tsuyoshi; Wada, Takahiro

2018-02-01

The formation energies of neutral Cu, Zn, Ge, and Se vacancies in kesterite-type Cu2ZnGeSe4 were evaluated by first-principles pseudopotential calculations using plane-wave basis functions. The calculations were performed at typical points in Cu-(Zn1/2Ge1/2)-Se and Cu3Se2-ZnSe-GeSe2 pseudoternary phase diagrams for Cu2ZnGeSe4. The results were compared with those for Cu2ZnSnSe4, Cu2ZnGeS4, and Cu2ZnSnS4 calculated using the same version of the CASTEP program code. The results indicate that Cu vacancies are easily formed in Cu2ZnGeSe4 under the Cu-poor condition as in the above compounds and CuInSe2, suggesting that Cu2ZnGeSe4 is also a preferable p-type absorber material for thin-film solar cells. The formation energies of possible antisite defects, such as CuZn and CuGe, and of possible complex defects, such as CuZn+ZnCu, were also calculated and compared within the above materials. The antisite defect of CuZn, which has the smallest formation energy within the possible defects, is concluded to be the most hardly formed in Cu2ZnGeSe4 among the compounds.

Chemical synthesis of flower-like hybrid Cu(OH)2/CuO electrode: Application of polyvinyl alcohol and triton X-100 to enhance supercapacitor performance.

PubMed

Shinde, S K; Fulari, V J; Kim, D-Y; Maile, N C; Koli, R R; Dhaygude, H D; Ghodake, G S

2017-08-01

In this research article, we report hybrid nanomaterials of copper hydroxide/copper oxide (Cu(OH) 2 /CuO). A thin films were prepared by using a facile and cost-effective successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) method. As-synthesized and hybrid Cu(OH) 2 /CuO with two different surfactants polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and triton-X 100 (TRX-100) was prepared having distinct morphological, structural, and supercapacitor properties. The surface of the thin film samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A nanoflower-like morphology of the Cu(OH) 2 /CuO nanostructures arranged vertically was evidenced on the stainless steel substrate. The surface was well covered by nanoflake-like morphology and formed a uniform Cu(OH) 2 /CuO nanostructures after treating with surfactants. X-ray diffraction patterns were used to confirm the hybrid phase of Cu(OH) 2 /CuO materials. The electrochemical properties of the pristine Cu(OH) 2 /CuO, PVA:Cu(OH) 2 /CuO, TRX-100:Cu(OH) 2 /CuO films were observed by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. The electrochemical examination reveals that the Cu(OH) 2 /CuO electrode has excellent specific capacitance, 292, 533, and 443Fg -1 with pristine, PVA, and TRX-100, respectively in 1M Na 2 SO 4 electrolyte solution. The cyclic voltammograms (CV) of Cu(OH) 2 /CuO electrode shows positive role of the PVA and TRX-100 to enhance supercapacitor performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hetero-metal cation control of CuO nanostructures and their high catalytic performance for CO oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hongwen; Zhang, Liqiang; Wu, Kewei; Yu, Qing; Chen, Ru; Yang, Hangsheng; Peng, Xinsheng; Ye, Zhizhen

2012-11-01

A controllable synthesis of various morphologies of CuO nanostructures with tuning by hetero-metal cations has been developed in aqueous solution at room temperature. The morphologies of CuO can be engineered from nanosheets to nanoparticles with different length ratios of the long axis to the short axis. The formation of many metal-ion complexes plays an important role in slowing the release rate of OH- and affects the reaction kinetics further. We found that the effect of hetero-metal cations on the final morphology of the CuO nanostructures was the same as that of the cooling temperature. A series of temperature-controlled experiments demonstrated this. Furthermore, among all the synthesized CuO nanostructures, the fascinating colloidal mesoporous CuO quasi-monocrystalline nanosheets prepared at 25 °C with a thickness of ca. 10 nm and large specific surface area of 80.32 m2 g-1 is investigated intensively. These CuO nanosheets demonstrate a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation, with features of high CO conversion efficiency (47.77 mmolCO g-1CuO h-1 at 200 °C), which is close to that reported for previously investigated supported-CuO catalysts, and a low apparent activation energy Ea (53.3 kJ mol-1).A controllable synthesis of various morphologies of CuO nanostructures with tuning by hetero-metal cations has been developed in aqueous solution at room temperature. The morphologies of CuO can be engineered from nanosheets to nanoparticles with different length ratios of the long axis to the short axis. The formation of many metal-ion complexes plays an important role in slowing the release rate of OH- and affects the reaction kinetics further. We found that the effect of hetero-metal cations on the final morphology of the CuO nanostructures was the same as that of the cooling temperature. A series of temperature-controlled experiments demonstrated this. Furthermore, among all the synthesized CuO nanostructures, the fascinating colloidal mesoporous CuO quasi-monocrystalline nanosheets prepared at 25 °C with a thickness of ca. 10 nm and large specific surface area of 80.32 m2 g-1 is investigated intensively. These CuO nanosheets demonstrate a superior catalytic activity for CO oxidation, with features of high CO conversion efficiency (47.77 mmolCO g-1CuO h-1 at 200 °C), which is close to that reported for previously investigated supported-CuO catalysts, and a low apparent activation energy Ea (53.3 kJ mol-1). Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Raman spectrum of Zn2Cu2 prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S1); content ratios of Zn/Cu for Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C measured by ICP-MS (Table S1); representative TEM images of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S2); size distributions along two perpendicular directions for Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S3); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Table S2); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 samples prepared at 35 °C (Table S3); SEM images of Zn2Cu2 products prepared at 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C and 50 °C (Fig. S4); the characteristic parameters of Zn2Cu2 prepared at 20 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C and 50 °C (Table S4); pH values of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Zn4Cu2 and Zn6Cu2 solution without adding 1.6 mmol AE aqueous solution at 25 °C (Table S5); SEM images of Ag2Cu2, Mg2Cu2, Al2Cu2 prepared at 25 °C and EDS spectrum of Al2Cu2 (Fig. S5); the characteristic parameters of Cu2, Zn2Cu2, Ag2Cu2, Mg2Cu2 and Al2Cu2 samples prepared at 25 °C (Table S6); UV-Vis spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S6); photograph of the Tyndall effect for the Cu2 solution prepared at 25 °C and UV-Vis absorption changes of Evans blue solutions after filtering the 80 ml Cu2 solution products (Fig. S7); FTIR spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S8); Cu2p XPS spectrum of Cu2 nanosheets prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S9); detailed reaction rates of catalytic CO oxidation at different temperatures (Table S7); XRD pattern and SEM image of Cu2 sample after 6 hours of catalytic reaction (Fig. S10); nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms at 77 K of Zn4Cu2 prepared at 25 °C (Fig. S11). See DOI: 10.1039/c2nr32729e

Tribasic copper chloride and copper sulfate as copper sources for weanling pigs.

PubMed

Cromwell, G L; Lindemann, M D; Monegue, H J; Hall, D D; Orr, D E

1998-01-01

We conducted three 28-d experiments involving a total of 915 pigs to assess the relative efficacy of tribasic Cu chloride (Cu2[OH]3Cl) and Cu sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4.5H20) in diets for weanling pigs. Experiments 1 and 2 were conducted at an experiment station (University of Kentucky), and Exp. 3 was conducted at a commercial feed company's swine research facilities (United Feeds, Inc.). The basal diet was a fortified corn-soybean meal-dried whey diet (1.25% lysine) with no antimicrobials in Exp. 1 or with carbadox (55 mg/kg) in Exp. 2 and 3. In Exp. 1, 135 pigs were weaned at 27 to 31 d and fed the basal diet without or with 100 or 200 ppm Cu from Cu chloride, or 100 or 200 ppm Cu from Cu sulfate from 7.9 to 17.7 kg BW. The 200 ppm level of Cu from Cu sulfate improved ADG (P < .10), and both levels of Cu from Cu chloride tended to improve feed:gain. In Exp. 2, 150 pigs were weaned at 27 to 31 d and fed the basal diet without or with 100, 150, or 200 ppm Cu from Cu chloride, or 200 ppm Cu from Cu sulfate from 8.9 to 20.8 kg BW. Addition of 200 ppm Cu improved ADG (P < .08) and ADFI (P < .01), but not feed:gain. Source of Cu did not affect performance. In Exp. 3, 630 pigs were weaned at 16 to 20 d and fed a common diet for 10 to 12 d until the start of the experimental period. The same experimental diets as used in Exp. 2 were fed from 9.1 to 25.5 kg BW. Both Cu sources improved ADG (P < .01), and sources and levels of Cu did not differ. Liver Cu increased in pigs fed 200 ppm Cu, and Cu sulfate tended to increase liver Cu more than did Cu chloride in one experiment, but not in another experiment. The results indicate that tribasic Cu chloride is as effective as Cu sulfate in improving growth in weanling pigs.

The Effect of Composition of Different Ecotoxicological Test Media on Free and Bioavailable Copper from CuSO4 and CuO Nanoparticles: Comparative Evidence from a Cu-Selective Electrode and a Cu-Biosensor

PubMed Central

Käkinen, Aleksandr; Bondarenko, Olesja; Ivask, Angela; Kahru, Anne

2011-01-01

The analysis of (bio)available copper in complex environmental settings, including biological test media, is a challenging task. In this study, we demonstrated the potential of a recombinant Pseudomonas fluorescens-based biosensor for bioavailability analysis of CuSO4 and CuO nanoparticles (nano-CuO) in seventeen different ecotoxicological and microbiologial test media. In parallel, free Cu in these test media was analysed using Cu-ion selective electrode (Cu-ISE). In the case of CuSO4, both free and bioavailable Cu decreased greatly with increasing concentration of organics and phosphates in the tested media. A good correlation between free and bioavailable Cu was observed (r = 0.854, p < 0.01) indicating that the free Cu content in biological test media may be a reasonably good predictor for the toxicity of CuSO4. As a proof, it was demonstrated that when eleven EC50 values for CuSO4 from different organisms in different test media were normalized for the free Cu in these media, the difference in these EC50 values was decreased from 4 to 1.8 orders of magnitude. Thus, toxicity of CuSO4 to these organisms was attributed to the properties of the test media rather than to inherent differences in sensitivity between the test organisms. Differently from CuSO4, the amount of free and bioavailable Cu in nano-CuO spiked media was not significantly correlated with the concentration of organics in the test media. Thus, the speciation of nano-CuO in toxicological test systems was not only determined by the complexation of Cu ions but also by differential dissolution of nano-CuO in different test conditions leading to a new speciation equilibrium. In addition, a substantial fraction of nano-CuO that was not detectable by Cu-ISE (i.e., not present as free Cu-ions) was bioavailable to Cu-biosensor bacteria. Thus, in environmental hazard analysis of (nano) particulate materials, biosensor analysis may be more informative than other analytical techniques. Our results demonstrate that bacterial Cu-biosensors either in combination with other analytical/speciation techniques or on their own, may serve as a rapid (eco)toxicological screening method. PMID:22346655

Relationship between morphologies and orientations of Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder joints on different Cu pads

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tian, Yanhong, E-mail: tianyh@hit.edu.cn; Zhang, Rui; Hang, Chunjin

2014-02-15

The morphologies and orientations of Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds in the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder joints both on polycrystalline and single crystal Cu pads under different peak reflow temperatures and times above liquids were investigated. The relationship between Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grain orientations and morphologies was clarified. At the interface of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/polycrystalline Cu pad, scalloped Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds formed at 250 °C and roof shape Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} formed at 300 °C. Both scalloped Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and roof shape Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} had a preferred orientation of (0001) plane being parallel to polycrystalline Cu pad surface. Besides, themore » percentage of large angle grain boundaries increased as the peak reflow temperature rose. At the interface of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/(111) single crystal Cu pad, the Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds were mainly scallop-type at 250 °C and were prism type at 300 °C. The prismatic Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains grew along the three preferred directions with the inter-angles of 60° on (111) single crystal Cu pad while along two perpendicular directions on (100) single crystal Cu pad. The orientation relationship between Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains and the single crystal Cu pads was investigated by electron backscatter diffraction technology. In addition, two types of hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds were found inside the joints of polycrystalline Cu pads. The long hexagonal Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips were observed in the joints reflowing at 250 °C while the hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips with the ‘▪’ shape cross-sections appeared at 300 °C, which was attributed to the different grain growth rates of different Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} crystal faces. - Highlights: • The orientation of interfacial Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains was obtained by EBSD technology. • Two types of hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips were found at different temperatures. • The formation mechanism of hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} was elaborated based on Bravais law. • The relationship between Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grain orientations and morphologies was clarified.« less

Explanation of the photocurrent generation of Cu2O quantum dots (QDs) sensitized p-CuSCN stable photoelectrochemical cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karunarathna, P. G. D. C. K.; Samarakoon, S. P. A. U. K.; Fernando, C. A. N.

2018-01-01

Fabrication of Cu2O quantum dots (QDs) sensitized p-CuSCN photoelectrode provides a significant photocurrent enhancement in photoelectrochemical medium for the first time. The variation of photocurrent quantum efficiency (Ф%) with Cu2O amount formed on p-CuSCN was presented. Here, two maxima of photocurrent could be observed in Cu/p-CuSCN/Cu2O photoelectrodes. The first photocurrent peak was due to the Cu2O QDs sensitization on p-CuSCN layer, and the second photocurrent peak was due to the formation of p-n junction. Time development of the photocurrent for Cu/p-CuSCN/n-Cu2O photoelectrodes and material characterization from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were done in this study in detailed.

In situ imaging of microstructure formation in electronic interconnections

PubMed Central

Salleh, M. A. A. Mohd; Gourlay, C. M.; Xian, J. W.; Belyakov, S. A.; Yasuda, H.; McDonald, S. D.; Nogita, K.

2017-01-01

The development of microstructure during melting, reactive wetting and solidification of solder pastes on Cu-plated printed circuit boards has been studied by synchrotron radiography. Using Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Cu and Sn-0.7Cu/Cu as examples, we show that the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer is present within 0.05 s of wetting, and explore the kinetics of flux void formation at the interface between the liquid and the Cu6Sn5 layer. Quantification of the nucleation locations and anisotropic growth kinetics of primary Cu6Sn5 crystals reveals a competition between the nucleation of Cu6Sn5 in the liquid versus growth of Cu6Sn5 from the existing Cu6Sn5 layer. Direct imaging confirms that the β-Sn nucleates at/near the Cu6Sn5 layer in Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Cu joints. PMID:28079120

Subcellular metal imaging identifies dynamic sites of Cu accumulation in Chlamydomonas

DOE PAGES

Hong-Hermesdorf, Anne; Miethke, Marcus; Gallaher, Sean D.; ...

2014-10-26

Here we identified a Cu-accumulating structure with a dynamic role in intracellular Cu homeostasis. During Zn limitation, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii hyperaccumulates Cu, a process dependent on the nutritional Cu sensor CRR1, but it is functionally Cu deficient. Visualization of intracellular Cu revealed major Cu accumulation sites coincident with electron-dense structures that stained positive for low pH and polyphosphate, suggesting that they are lysosome-related organelles. Nano-secondary ion MS showed colocalization of Ca and Cu, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy was consistent with Cu + accumulation in an ordered structure. Zn resupply restored Cu homeostasis concomitant with reduced abundance of these structures. Cu isotopemore » labeling demonstrated that sequestered Cu + became bioavailable for the synthesis of plastocyanin, and transcriptome profiling indicated that mobilized Cu became visible to CRR1. Cu trafficking to intracellular accumulation sites may be a strategy for preventing protein mismetallation during Zn deficiency and enabling efficient cuproprotein metallation or remetallation upon Zn resupply.« less

Synthesis of high efficient Cu/TiO2 photocatalysts by grinding and their size-dependent photocatalytic hydrogen production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Dawei; Shen, Haiyan; Li, Huiqiao; Ma, Ying; Zhai, Tianyou

2017-07-01

Recently, copper species have been extensively investigated to replace Pt as efficient co-catalysts for the evolution of H2 due to their low cost and relatively high activity. Cu nanoparticles less than 5 nm are successfully decorated on TiO2 surface in this work by an easy and mild milling process. These Cu nanoparticles are highly dispersed on TiO2 when the loading amount of Cu is no more than 10 wt%. The sizes of Cu nanoparticles can be controlled by changing the milling environment and decrease in the order of Cu-ethanol > Cu-water > Cu nanoparticles obtained through drying milling. The highest and stable hydrogen generation can be realized on Cu/TiO2 with 2.0 wt% Cu and sizes of Cu nanoparticles ranging from 2 to 4 nm, in which high and stable photocurrent confirms promoted photogenerated charge separation. Smaller Cu clusters are demonstrated to be detrimental to hydrogen evolution at same Cu content. High loading of Cu nanoparticles of 2-4 nm will benefit photogenerated electron-hole recombination and thus decrease the activity of Cu/TiO2. The results here demonstrate the key roles of Cu cluster size in addition to Cu coverage on photocatalytic activity of Cu/TiO2 composite photocatalysts.

Cu/Cu2O nanocomposite films as a p-type modified layer for efficient perovskite solar cells.

PubMed

Chen, You-Jyun; Li, Ming-Hsien; Huang, Jung-Chun-Andrew; Chen, Peter

2018-05-16

Cu/Cu 2 O films grown by ion beam sputtering were used as p-type modified layers to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with an n-i-p heterojunction structure. The ratio of Cu to Cu 2 O in the films can be tuned by the oxygen flow ratio (O 2 /(O 2  + Ar)) during the sputtering of copper. Auger electron spectroscopy was performed to determine the elemental composition and chemical state of Cu in the films. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy revealed that the valence band maximum of the p-type Cu/Cu 2 O matches well with the perovskite. The Cu/Cu 2 O film not only acts as a p-type modified layer but also plays the role of an electron blocking buffer layer. By introducing the p-type Cu/Cu 2 O films between the low-mobility hole transport material, spiro-OMeTAD, and the Ag electrode in the PSCs, the device durability and power conversion efficiency (PCE) were effectively improved as compared to the reference devices without the Cu/Cu 2 O interlayer. The enhanced PCE is mainly attributed to the high hole mobility of the p-type Cu/Cu 2 O film. Additionally, the Cu/Cu 2 O film serves as a protective layer against the penetration of humidity and Ag into the perovskite active layer.

Photochemical redox reactions of copper(II)-alanine complexes in aqueous solutions.

PubMed

Lin, Chen-Jui; Hsu, Chao-Sheng; Wang, Po-Yen; Lin, Yi-Liang; Lo, Yu-Shiu; Wu, Chien-Hou

2014-05-19

The photochemical redox reactions of Cu(II)/alanine complexes have been studied in deaerated solutions over an extensive range of pH, Cu(II) concentration, and alanine concentration. Under irradiation, the ligand-to-metal charge transfer results in the reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) and the concomitant oxidation of alanine, which produces ammonia and acetaldehyde. Molar absorptivities and quantum yields of photoproducts for Cu(II)/alanine complexes at 313 nm are characterized mainly with the equilibrium Cu(II) speciation where the presence of simultaneously existing Cu(II) species is taken into account. By applying regression analysis, individual Cu(I) quantum yields are determined to be 0.094 ± 0.014 for the 1:1 complex (CuL) and 0.064 ± 0.012 for the 1:2 complex (CuL2). Individual quantum yields of ammonia are 0.055 ± 0.007 for CuL and 0.036 ± 0.005 for CuL2. Individual quantum yields of acetaldehyde are 0.030 ± 0.007 for CuL and 0.024 ± 0.007 for CuL2. CuL always has larger quantum yields than CuL2, which can be attributed to the Cu(II) stabilizing effect of the second ligand. For both CuL and CuL2, the individual quantum yields of Cu(I), ammonia, and acetaldehyde are in the ratio of 1.8:1:0.7. A reaction mechanism for the formation of the observed photoproducts is proposed.

Copper nanoparticles/compounds impact agronomic and physiological parameters in cilantro (Coriandrum sativum).

PubMed

Zuverza-Mena, Nubia; Medina-Velo, Illya A; Barrios, Ana C; Tan, Wenjuan; Peralta-Videa, Jose R; Gardea-Torresdey, Jorge L

2015-10-01

The environmental impacts of Cu-based nanoparticles (NPs) are not well understood. In this study, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) was germinated and grown in commercial potting mix soil amended with Cu(OH)2 (Kocide and CuPRO), nano-copper (nCu), micro-copper (μCu), nano-copper oxide (nCuO), micro-copper oxide (μCuO) and ionic Cu (CuCl2) at either 20 or 80 mg Cu per kg. In addition to seed germination and plant elongation, relative chlorophyll content and micro and macroelement concentrations were determined. At both concentrations, only nCuO, μCuO, and ionic Cu, showed statistically significant reductions in germination. Although compared with control, the relative germination was reduced by ∼50% with nCuO at both concentrations, and by ∼40% with μCuO, also at both concentrations, the difference among compounds was not statistically significant. Exposure to μCuO at both concentrations and nCu at 80 mg kg(-1) significantly reduced (p≤ 0.05) shoot elongation by 11% and 12.4%, respectively, compared with control. Only μCuO at 20 mg kg(-1) significantly reduced (26%) the relative chlorophyll content, compared with control. None of the treatments increased root Cu, but all of them, except μCuO at 20 mg kg(-1), significantly increased shoot Cu (p≤ 0.05). Micro and macro elements B, Zn, Mn, Ca, Mg, P, and S were significantly reduced in shoots (p≤ 0.05). Similar results were observed in roots. These results showed that Cu-based NPs/compounds depress nutrient element accumulation in cilantro, which could impact human nutrition.

Structural, chemical and optical evaluation of Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by an aqueous solution method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Iribarren, A., E-mail: augusto@imre.oc.uh.cu; Hernández-Rodríguez, E.; Maqueira, L.

Highlights: • Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles obtained by chemical synthesis. • Substitutional or interstitial Cu into ZnO lead specific structural, chemical, and optical changes. • Incorporation efficiency of Cu atoms in ZnO as a function of the Cu concentration in the precursor dissolution. - Abstract: In this work a study of ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles obtained by chemical synthesis in aqueous media was carried out. Structural analysis gave the dominant presence of wurtzite ZnO phase forming a solid solution Zn{sub 1−x}Cu{sub x}O. For high Cu doping CuO phase is also present. For low Cu concentration the lattice shrinks due tomore » Cu atoms substitute Zn atoms. For high Cu concentration the lattice enlarges due to predominance of interstitial Cu. From elemental analysis we determined and analyzed the incorporation efficiency of Cu atoms in Zn{sub 1−x}Cu{sub x}O as a function of the Cu concentration in the precursor dissolution. Combining structural and chemical results we described the Cu/Zn precursor concentrations r{sub w} in which the solid solution of Cu in ZnO is predominant. In the region located at r{sub w} ≈ 0.2–0.3 it is no longer valid. For Cu/Zn precursor concentration r{sub w} > 0.3 interstitial Cu dominates, and some amount of copper oxide appears. As the Cu concentration increases, the effective size of nanoparticles decreases. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements of the Cu-doped ZnO nanoparticles were carried out and analyzed.« less

Cu diffusivity in granitic melts with application to the formation of porphyry Cu deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Huaiwei; Shi, Huifeng; Zhang, Li; Li, Wan-Cai; Guo, Xuan; Liang, Ting

2018-06-01

We report new experimental data of Cu diffusivity in granite porphyry melts with 0.01 and 3.9 wt% H2O at 0.15-1.0 GPa and 973-1523 K. A diffusion couple method was used for the nominally anhydrous granitic melt, whereas a Cu diffusion-in method using Pt95Cu5 as the source of Cu was applied to the hydrous granitic melt. The diffusion couple experiments also generate Cu diffusion-out profiles due to Cu loss to Pt capsule walls. Cu diffusivities were extracted from error function fits of the Cu concentration profiles measured by LA-ICP-MS. At 1 GPa, we obtain {D_{{Cu, dry, 1 GPa}}}=\\exp [ {( - {13.89} ± {0.42}) - {{12878} ± {540}}/T} ], and {D_{{Cu, 3}{.9 wt% }{{H}2}{O},{ 1 GPa}}}=\\exp [ {( - 16.31 ± 1.30) - {{8148} ± {1670}}/T} ], where D is Cu diffusivity in m2/s and T is temperature in K. The above expressions are in good agreement with a recent study on Cu diffusion in rhyolitic melt using the approach of Cu2S dissolution. The observed pressure effect over 0.15-1.0 GPa can be described by an activation volume of 5.9 cm3/mol for Cu diffusion. Comparison of Cu diffusivity to alkali diffusivity and its variation with melt composition implies fourfold-coordinated Cu+ in silicate melts. Our experimental results indicate that in the formation of porphyry Cu deposits, the diffusive transport of magmatic Cu to sulfide liquids or fluid bubbles is highly efficient. The obtained Cu diffusivity data can also be used to assess whether equilibrium Cu partitioning can be reached within certain experimental durations.

Comparative evaluation of nano-CuO crossing Caco-2 cell monolayers and cellular uptake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Gao; Lianqin, Zhu; Fenghua, Zhu; Fang, Zheng; Mingming, Song; Kai, Huang

2015-04-01

Different concentrations of CuSO4, micro-CuO, and nano-CuO were added to Caco-2 cell monolayers to study the absorption and transport characteristics in this epithelial cell model. Nano-CuO nanoparticles had a diameter of 10-20 nm. Inhibitors of endocytosis were used to explore whether nano-CuO could enter the Caco-2 cell in the form of nanoparticles, and to ascertain the endocytotic pathway that is involved in the transport process. The apparent permeability coefficient ( P app) of CuSO4 and nano-CuO increased with the Cu concentration in the culture medium ( p < 0.05). The micro-CuO of different concentrations had no significant impact on the P app value of Caco-2 cells ( p > 0.05). When the Cu concentration in the culture medium was in the range 31.25-500 μM, the P app value of Caco-2 cells incubated with nano-CuO was significantly higher than that obtained with CuSO4. The latter was also significantly higher than that when cells were incubated with micro-CuO ( p < 0.05). The amount of Cu transport increased with the increase of CuSO4 concentration in the culture medium. After 90 min, the amount of transport began to saturate, and the transport rate of Cu declined with the increase of CuSO4 concentration. For the cells incubated with nano-CuO, the amount of Cu transport increased with the increase of nano-CuO concentration, but did not show an obvious saturation with the extension of transport time. Nano-CuO could enter the Caco-2 cell in the form of nanoparticles, and were found in the cytoplasm, vesicles, lysosomes, and cell nuclei. Several inhibitors of endocytosis effectively prevented the entry of nano-CuO into the Caco-2 cells. It was concluded that nano-CuO particles can enter the Caco-2 cells through several cellular endocytotic pathways.

How to stabilize highly active Cu + cations in a mixed-oxide catalyst

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mudiyanselage, Kumudu; Luo, Si; Kim, Hyun You

Mixed-metal oxides exhibit novel properties that are not present in their isolated constituent metal oxides and play a significant role in heterogeneous catalysis. In this study, a titanium-copper mixed-oxide (TiCuO x) film has been synthesized on Cu(111) and characterized by complementary experimental and theoretical methods. At sub-monolayer coverages of titanium, a Cu 2O-like phase coexists with TiCuO x and TiO x domains. When the mixed-oxide surface is exposed at elevated temperatures (600–650 K) to oxygen, the formation of a well-ordered TiCuO x film occurs. Stepwise oxidation of TiCuO x shows that the formation of the mixed-oxide is faster than thatmore » of pure Cu 2O. As the Ti coverage increases, Ti-rich islands (TiO x) form. The adsorption of CO has been used to probe the exposed surface sites on the TiO x–CuO x system, indicating the existence of a new Cu + adsorption site that is not present on Cu 2O/Cu(111). Adsorption of CO on Cu + sites of TiCuO x is thermally more stable than on Cu(111), Cu 2O/Cu(111) or TiO 2(110). The Cu + sites in TiCuO x domains are stable under both reducing and oxidizing conditions whereas the Cu 2O domains present on sub-monolayer loads of Ti can be reduced or oxidized under mild conditions. Furthermore, the results presented here demonstrate novel properties of TiCuO x films, which are not present on Cu(111), Cu 2O/Cu(111), or TiO 2(110), and highlight the importance of the preparation and characterization of well-defined mixed-metal oxides in order to understand fundamental processes that could guide the design of new materials.« less

How to stabilize highly active Cu + cations in a mixed-oxide catalyst

DOE PAGES

Mudiyanselage, Kumudu; Luo, Si; Kim, Hyun You; ...

2015-09-12

Mixed-metal oxides exhibit novel properties that are not present in their isolated constituent metal oxides and play a significant role in heterogeneous catalysis. In this study, a titanium-copper mixed-oxide (TiCuO x) film has been synthesized on Cu(111) and characterized by complementary experimental and theoretical methods. At sub-monolayer coverages of titanium, a Cu 2O-like phase coexists with TiCuO x and TiO x domains. When the mixed-oxide surface is exposed at elevated temperatures (600–650 K) to oxygen, the formation of a well-ordered TiCuO x film occurs. Stepwise oxidation of TiCuO x shows that the formation of the mixed-oxide is faster than thatmore » of pure Cu 2O. As the Ti coverage increases, Ti-rich islands (TiO x) form. The adsorption of CO has been used to probe the exposed surface sites on the TiO x–CuO x system, indicating the existence of a new Cu + adsorption site that is not present on Cu 2O/Cu(111). Adsorption of CO on Cu + sites of TiCuO x is thermally more stable than on Cu(111), Cu 2O/Cu(111) or TiO 2(110). The Cu + sites in TiCuO x domains are stable under both reducing and oxidizing conditions whereas the Cu 2O domains present on sub-monolayer loads of Ti can be reduced or oxidized under mild conditions. Furthermore, the results presented here demonstrate novel properties of TiCuO x films, which are not present on Cu(111), Cu 2O/Cu(111), or TiO 2(110), and highlight the importance of the preparation and characterization of well-defined mixed-metal oxides in order to understand fundamental processes that could guide the design of new materials.« less

Assessment of copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) and copper (II) oxide (CuO) induced hemato- and hepatotoxicity in Cyprinus carpio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noureen, Aasma; Jabeen, Farhat; Tabish, Tanveer A.; Yaqub, Sajid; Ali, Muhammad; Shakoor Chaudhry, Abdul

2018-04-01

Recently, Cu-based nanoparticles have drawn considerable attention for their various fascinating roles in multiple biological systems. It is recognized that their frequent use can create compatibility challenges for the recipient systems. Nevertheless, it is unclear how various biological interactions affect the compatibility of Cu oxide II (CuO) and Cu oxide nanoparticles (Cu-NPs) for different organisms. Consequently, it has been difficult to perform structured risk assessments for their use in biological systems. Therefore, this study compared the effects of different doses of waterborne Cu-NPs and CuO on the blood and liver of selected groups of Cyprinus (C) carpio. These fish while housed in suitable water tanks were exposed to one of the following treatments for 14 d: control (no added Cu) or 0.5 or 1 or 1.5 mg Cu as Cu-NPs or CuO l-1 of water. We found significant changes in all assessed blood parameters of fish in response to increasing doses from 0 to 1.5 mg of Cu-NPs or CuO. Similarly, increased levels of lipid peroxide and reduced glutathione (GSH) were also observed in the livers of C. carpio in Cu-NPs or CuO treated groups. Enhanced levels of lipid peroxidation and GSH were also recorded in the Cu-NP treated groups compared with the CuO treated groups in a dose dependent manner. The lowest catalase activity was observed in the liver of C. carpio treated with the higer dose of Cu-NPs. Cu-NP or CuO exposure induced significant histological alterations in the liver of C. carpio including focal necrosis, cloudy swelling of hepatocytes, degenerative hepatocytes, vacuolization, pyknotic nuclei, damaged central vein, nuclear hypertrophy, dilated sinusoid, vacuolated degeneration, congestion, and complete degeneration in a dose dependent manner. Substantial alterations in blood and liver specimens were observed in the Cu-NP treated fish when compared with the CuO treated fish. It appeared that the Cu-NPs were more toxic than the CuO as shown by the hemato- and hepatotoxicity in C. carpio of this study.

Effects of CuO nanoparticles on Lemna minor.

PubMed

Song, Guanling; Hou, Wenhua; Gao, Yuan; Wang, Yan; Lin, Lin; Zhang, Zhiwei; Niu, Qiang; Ma, Rulin; Mu, Lati; Wang, Haixia

2016-12-01

Copper dioxide nanoparticles (NPs), which is a kind of important and widely used metal oxide NP, eventually reaches a water body through wastewater and urban runoff. Ecotoxicological studies of this kind of NPs effects on hydrophyte are very limited at present. Lemna minor was exposed to media with different concentrations of CuO NPs, bulk CuO, and two times concentration of Cu 2+ released from CuO NPs in culture media. The changes in plant growth, chlorophyll content, antioxidant defense enzyme activities [i.e., peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities], and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured in the present study. The particle size of CuO NPs and the zeta potential of CuO NPs and bulk CuO in the culture media were also analyzed to complementally evaluate their toxicity on duckweed. Results showed that CuO NPs inhibited the plant growth at lower concentration than bulk CuO. L. minor roots were easily broken in CuO NPs media under the experimental condition, and the inhibition occurred only partly because CuO NPs released Cu 2+ in the culture media. The POD, SOD, and CAT activities of L. minor increased when the plants were exposed to CuO NPs, bulk CuO NPs and two times the concentration of Cu 2+ released from CuO NPs in culture media, but the increase of these enzymes were the highest in CuO NPs media among the three kinds of materials. The MDA content was significantly increased compared with that of the control from 50 mg L -1 CuO NP concentration in culture media. CuO NPs has more toxicity on L. minor compared with that of bulk CuO, and the inhibition occurred only partly because released Cu 2+ in the culture media. The plant accumulated more reactive oxygen species in the CuO NP media than in the same concentration of bulk CuO. The plant cell encountered serious damage when the CuO NP concentration reached 50 mg L -1 in culture media. The toxicology of CuO NP on hydrophytes must be considered because that hydrophytes are the basic of aquatic ecosystem.

Crystallographic and optical properties and band diagrams of CuGaS2 and CuGa5S8 phases in Cu-poor Cu2S-Ga2S3 pseudo-binary system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maeda, Tsuyoshi; Yu, Ying; Chen, Qing; Ueda, Kenta; Wada, Takahiro

2017-04-01

We synthesized Cu-poor Cu-Ga-S samples such, as CuGaS2 and CuGa5S8 with the composition of (1 - x)Cu2S-(x)Ga2S3 with 0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1.0, by a mechanochemical process and sequential heating. The crystal structure changes from tetragonal chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2 (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 0.55) to tetragonal stannite-type CuGa5S8 (x = 0.8). For samples with 0.60 ≤ x ≤ 0.75, the diffraction peaks were identified to be those of a mixed phase of the chalcopyrite- and stannite-type structures. The band-gap energies of Cu-poor Cu-Ga-S samples increase in a stepwise manner with increasing x. The band-gap energy of CuGa5S8 (x = 0.8) with the tetragonal stannite-type structure is approximately 2.66 eV, which is wider than that of chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2 (2.45 eV). The energy levels of valence band maxima (VBMs) were estimated from the ionization energies measured by photoemission yield spectroscopy (PYS). The energy levels of the VBM and conduction band minimum (CBM) of the Cu-poor Cu-Ga-S samples decrease significantly with increasing x (decreasing Cu/Ga ratio). The energy level of the VBM of CuGaS2 (-5.8 eV) is considerably deeper than those of CuInSe2 (-5.2 eV) and CuInS2 (-5.5 eV). The VBM of stannite-type CuGa5S8 with x = 0.8 (-6.4 eV) is much deeper than that of chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2 (-5.8 eV) and stannite-type CuIn3Se5 (-5.6 eV). In order to understand the band structures of chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2 and stannite-type CuGa5S8, we performed first-principles calculations using the Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof (HSE06), nonlocal screened hybrid density functional method. The theoretical band-gap energy of stannite-type CuGa5S8 (2.2 eV) is wider than that of chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2 (2.0 eV). Both the theoretical and experimental band gaps of stannite-type CuGa5S8 are about 0.2 eV wider than those of chalcopyrite-type CuGaS2.

The impact of highly concentrated Mo and Cu dietary supplements, fed as a bolus, on the efficacy of chelated versus inorganic Cu in cattle on a low-Cu diet.

PubMed

Grace, N D; West, D M; Smith, S L; Knowles, S O

2013-11-01

To compare the efficacy of chelated versus inorganic forms of dietary Cu supplements, fed as a bolus, when challenged by a daily bolus of dietary Mo in cattle on a low-Cu diet. Forty non-lactating, Friesian dairy cows of adequate Cu status were assigned to four groups and fed a basal diet of baled silage containing 5.3 mg Cu and 0.4 mg Mo/kg DM. The experimental design was a factorial of two chemical forms of supplemental Cu and two levels of Mo intake, provided as pelleted grain supplements made from crushed barley/molasses plus Cu and Mo. The supplements contained 140 mg Cu/kg as Cu sulphate pentahydrate (CS), 140 mg Cu/kg as Cu glycinate (CG), CS plus 38 mg Mo/kg as sodium molybdate (CS+Mo), or CG plus 38 mg Mo/kg (CG+Mo). Commencing on Day 0, supplements were fed once daily (offered 1-1.2 kg/cow) and were completely consumed within 5-10 minutes, which constitutes a bolus type of administration. Liver samples were collected by biopsy at Days -24, 13, 41 or 47, and 69 for Cu determinations. The diets fed to the Cu+Mo groups were roughly equivalent to 25 mg Cu and 5.7 mg Mo/kg DM. Mean initial concentration of Cu in liver for all groups was 516 (SE 54) μmol Cu/kg fresh tissue. In cows supplemented with CS and CG, the final (Day 69) concentrations increased (p<0.01) to 939 (SE 166) and 853 (SE 163) μmol Cu/kg, respectively. These values were not different (p=0.72). For groups CS+Mo and CG+Mo, the final concentrations of 535 (SE 122) and 453 (SE 102) μmol Cu/kg were not different from initial values or from each other (p>0.25). The rate of accumulation of Cu in liver following bolus Cu and Mo intake was highly variable but was not affected by initial concentration of Cu in liver (p>0.9) or by the form of Cu (p>0.6). Mean rates of accumulation of Cu in liver were 4.0 (SD 3.8) and 0.65 (SD 2.0) μmol Cu/kg fresh tissue/day for the Cu-only treatments and the Cu+Mo treatments, respectively. When fed together as a bolus, high Mo intake negated the effect of supplemental Cu but it did not reduce liver Cu stores. There was no difference in the reaction of dietary Mo with chelated Cu (as glycinate) versus inorganic Cu (as sulphate) dietary supplements.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Copper Homeostasis in Populus trichocarpa Reveals an Integrated Molecular Remodeling for a Preferential Allocation of Copper to Plastocyanin in the Chloroplasts of Developing Leaves1[C][W][OA

PubMed Central

Ravet, Karl; Danford, Forest L.; Dihle, Alysha; Pittarello, Marco; Pilon, Marinus

2011-01-01

Plastocyanin, which requires copper (Cu) as a cofactor, is an electron carrier in the thylakoid lumen and essential for photoautotrophic growth of plants. The Cu microRNAs, which are expressed during Cu deprivation, down-regulate several transcripts that encode for Cu proteins. Since plastocyanin is not targeted by the Cu microRNAs, a cofactor economy model has been proposed in which plants prioritize Cu for use in photosynthetic electron transport. However, defects in photosynthesis are classic symptoms of Cu deprivation, and priorities in Cu cofactor delivery have not been determined experimentally. Using hydroponically grown Populus trichocarpa (clone Nisqually-1), we have established a physiological and molecular baseline for the response to Cu deficiency. An integrated analysis showed that Cu depletion strongly reduces the activity of several Cu proteins including plastocyanin, and consequently, photosynthesis and growth are decreased. Whereas plastocyanin mRNA levels were only mildly affected by Cu depletion, this treatment strongly affected the expression of other Cu proteins via Cu microRNA-mediated transcript down-regulation. Polyphenol oxidase was newly identified as Cu regulated and targeted by a novel Cu microRNA, miR1444. Importantly, a spatiotemporal analysis after Cu resupply to previously depleted plants revealed that this micronutrient is preferentially allocated to developing photosynthetic tissues. Plastocyanin and photosynthetic electron transport efficiency were the first to recover after Cu addition, whereas recovery of the other Cu-dependent activities was delayed. Our findings lend new support to the hypothesis that the Cu microRNAs serve to mediate a prioritization of Cu cofactor use. These studies also highlight poplar as an alternative sequenced model for spatiotemporal analyses of nutritional homeostasis. PMID:21941002

Evaluation of a potential generator-produced PET tracer for cerebral perfusion imaging: Single-pass cerebral extraction measurements and imaging with radiolabeled Cu-PTSM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathias, C.J.; Welch, M.J.; Raichle, M.E.

1990-03-01

Copper(II) pyruvaldehyde bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-PTSM), copper(II) pyruvaldehyde bis(N4-dimethylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-PTSM2), and copper(II) ethylglyoxal bis(N4-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ETSM), have been proposed as PET tracers for cerebral blood flow (CBF) when labeled with generator-produced 62Cu (t1/2 = 9.7 min). To evaluate the potential of Cu-PTSM for CBF PET studies, baboon single-pass cerebral extraction measurements and PET imaging were carried out with the use of 67Cu (t1/2 = 2.6 days) and 64Cu (t1/2 = 12.7 hr), respectively. All three chelates were extracted into the brain with high efficiency. There was some clearance of all chelates in the 10-50-sec time frame and Cu-PTSM2 continued to clear. Cu-PTSM andmore » Cu-ETSM have high residual brain activity. PET imaging of baboon brain was carried out with the use of (64Cu)-Cu-PTSM. For comparison with the 64Cu brain image, a CBF (15O-labeled water) image (40 sec) was first obtained. Qualitatively, the H2(15)O and (64Cu)-Cu-PTSM images were very similar; for example, a comparison of gray to white matter uptake resulted in ratios of 2.42 for H2(15)O and 2.67 for Cu-PTSM. No redistribution of 64Cu was observed in 2 hr of imaging, as was predicted from the single-pass study results. Quantitative determination of blood flow using Cu-PTSM showed good agreement with blood flow determined with H2(15)O. This data suggests that (62Cu)-Cu-PTSM may be a useful generator-produced radiopharmaceutical for blood flow studies with PET.« less

The growth of intermetallic compounds at Sn-Ag-Cu solder/Cu and Sn-Ag-Cu solder/Ni interfaces and the associated evolution of the solder microstructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zribi, A.; Clark, A.; Zavalij, L.; Borgesen, P.; Cotts, E. J.

2001-09-01

The evolution of intermetallics at and near SnAgCu/Cu and SnAgCu/Ni interfaces was examined, and compared to the behavior, near PbSn/metal and Sn/metal interfaces. Two different solder compositions were considered, Sn93.6Ag4.7Cu1.7 and Sn95.5Ag3.5Cu1.0 (Sn91.8Ag5.1 Cu3.1 and Sn94.35Ag3.8Cu1.85 in atomic percent). In both cases, phase formation and growth at interfaces with Cu were very similar to those commonly observed for eutectic SnPb solder. However, the evolution of intermetallics at SnAgCu/Ni interfaces proved much more complex. The presence of the Cu in the solder dramatically altered the phase selectivity at the solder/Ni interface and affected the growth kinetics of intermetallics. As long as sufficient Cu was available, it would combine with Ni and Sn to form (Cu,Ni)6)Sn5 which grew instead of the Ni3Sn4 usually observed in PbSn/Ni and Sn/Ni diffusion couples. This growing phase would, however, eventually consume essentially all of the available Cu in the solder. Because the mechanical properties of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys, depend upon the Cu content, this consumption can be expected to alter the mechanical properties of these Pb-free solderjoints. After depletion of the Cu from the solder, further annealing then gradually transformed the (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 phase into a (Ni,Cu)3Sn4 phase.

Bimetallic AgCu/Cu2O hybrid for the synergetic adsorption of iodide from solution.

PubMed

Mao, Ping; Liu, Ying; Liu, Xiaodong; Wang, Yuechan; Liang, Jie; Zhou, Qihang; Dai, Yuexuan; Jiao, Yan; Chen, Shouwen; Yang, Yi

2017-08-01

To further improve the capacity of Cu 2 O to absorb I - anions from solution, and to understand the difference between the adsorption mechanisms of Ag/Cu 2 O and Cu/Cu 2 O adsorbents, bimetallic AgCu was doped into Cu 2 O through a facile solvothermal route. Samples were characterized and employed to adsorb I - anions under different experimental conditions. The results show that the Cu content can be tuned by adding different volumes of Ag sols. After doping bimetallic AgCu, the adsorption capacity of the samples can be increased from 0.02 mmol g -1 to 0.52 mmol g -1 . Moreover, the optimal adsorption is reached within only 240 min. Meanwhile, the difference between the adsorption mechanisms of Ag/Cu 2 O and Cu/Cu 2 O adsorbents was verified, and the cooperative adsorption mechanism of the AgCu/Cu 2 O hybrid was proposed and verified. In addition, the AgCu/Cu 2 O hybrid showed excellent selectivity, e.g., its adsorption efficiencies are 85.1%, 81.9%, 85.9% and 85.7% in the presence of the Cl - , CO 3 2- , SO 4 2- and NO 3 - competitive anions, respectively. Furthermore, the AgCu/Cu 2 O hybrid can worked well in other harsh environments (e.g., acidic, alkaline and seawater environments). Therefore, this study is expected to promote the development of Cu 2 O into a highly efficient adsorbent for the removal of iodide from solution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Low nitric oxide: a key factor underlying copper-deficiency teratogenicity.

PubMed

Yang, Soo Jin; Keen, Carl L; Lanoue, Louise; Rucker, Robert B; Uriu-Adams, Janet Y

2007-12-15

Copper (Cu)-deficiency-induced teratogenicity is characterized by major cardiac, brain, and vascular anomalies; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Cu deficiency decreases superoxide dismutase activity and increases superoxide anions, which can interact with nitric oxide (NO), reducing the NO pool size. Given the role of NO as a developmental signaling molecule, we tested the hypothesis that low NO levels, secondary to Cu deficiency, represent a developmental challenge. Gestation day 8.5 embryos from Cu-adequate (Cu+) or Cu-deficient (Cu-) dams were cultured for 48 h in Cu+ or Cu- medium, respectively. We report that NO levels were low in conditioned medium from Cu-/Cu- embryos and yolk sacs, compared to Cu+/Cu+ controls under basal conditions and with NO synthase (NOS) agonists. The low NO production was associated with low endothelial NOS phosphorylation at serine 1177 and cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cGMP) concentrations in the Cu-/Cu- group. The altered NO levels in Cu-deficient embryos are functionally significant, as the administration of the NO donor DETA/NONOate increased cGMP and ameliorated embryo and yolk sac abnormalities. These data support the concept that Cu deficiency limits NO availability and alters NO-dependent signaling, which contributes to abnormal embryo and yolk sac development.

Stability enhancement of Cu2S against Cu vacancy formation by Ag alloying

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barman, Sajib K.; Huda, Muhammad N.

2018-04-01

As a potential solar absorber material, Cu2S has proved its importance in the field of renewable energy. However, almost all the known minerals of Cu2S suffer from spontaneous Cu vacancy formation in the structure. The Cu vacancy formation causes the structure to possess very high p-type doping that leads the material to behave as a degenerate semiconductor. This vacancy formation tendency is a major obstacle for this material in this regard. A relatively new predicted phase of Cu2S which has an acanthite-like structure was found to be preferable than the well-known low chalcocite Cu2S. However, the Cu-vacancy formation tendency in this phase remained similar. We have found that alloying silver with this structure can help to reduce Cu vacancy formation tendency without altering its electronic property. The band gap of silver alloyed structure is higher than pristine acanthite Cu2S. In addition, Cu diffusion in the structure can be reduced with Ag doped in Cu sites. In this study, a systematic approach is presented within the density functional theory framework to study Cu vacancy formation tendency and diffusion in silver alloyed acanthite Cu2S, and proposed a possible route to stabilize Cu2S against Cu vacancy formations by alloying it with Ag.

Stability enhancement of Cu2S against Cu vacancy formation by Ag alloying.

PubMed

Barman, Sajib K; Huda, Muhammad N

2018-04-25

As a potential solar absorber material, Cu 2 S has proved its importance in the field of renewable energy. However, almost all the known minerals of Cu 2 S suffer from spontaneous Cu vacancy formation in the structure. The Cu vacancy formation causes the structure to possess very high p-type doping that leads the material to behave as a degenerate semiconductor. This vacancy formation tendency is a major obstacle for this material in this regard. A relatively new predicted phase of Cu 2 S which has an acanthite-like structure was found to be preferable than the well-known low chalcocite Cu 2 S. However, the Cu-vacancy formation tendency in this phase remained similar. We have found that alloying silver with this structure can help to reduce Cu vacancy formation tendency without altering its electronic property. The band gap of silver alloyed structure is higher than pristine acanthite Cu 2 S. In addition, Cu diffusion in the structure can be reduced with Ag doped in Cu sites. In this study, a systematic approach is presented within the density functional theory framework to study Cu vacancy formation tendency and diffusion in silver alloyed acanthite Cu 2 S, and proposed a possible route to stabilize Cu 2 S against Cu vacancy formations by alloying it with Ag.

Growth Behavior of Intermetallic Compounds at SnAgCu/Ni and Cu Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Lihua; Huang, Jihua; Zhang, Hua; Zhao, Xingke; Wang, Haitao; Cheng, Donghai

2010-02-01

The growth behavior of reaction-formed intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Ni and Cu interfaces under thermal-shear cycling conditions was investigated. The results show that the morphology of (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 and Cu6Sn5 IMCs formed both at Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Ni and Cu interfaces gradually changed from scallop-like to chunk-like, and different IMC thicknesses developed with increasing thermal-shear cycling time. Furthermore, Cu6Sn5 IMC growth rate at the Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Cu interface was higher than that of (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 IMC under thermal-shear cycling. Compared to isothermal aging, thermal-shear cycling led to only one Cu6Sn5 layer at the interface between SnAgCu solder and Cu substrate after 720 cycles. Moreover, Ag3Sn IMC was dispersed uniformly in the solder after reflow. The planar Ag3Sn formed near the interface changed remarkably and merged together to large platelets with increasing cycles. The mechanism of formation of Cu6Sn5, (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 and Ag3Sn IMCs during thermal-shear cycling process was investigated.

Assessment of sedimentary Cu availability: A comparison of biomimetic and AVS approaches

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Z.; Mayer, L.M.

1999-02-15

Sedimentary Cu bioavailability during deposit feeding is determined by both the digestive physiology of the organisms and the geochemistry of the sediments. The authors assessed the contribution of these two factors by using a biomimetic approach involving extraction of Cu with digestive fluids of two deposit feeders and one suspension feeder and a geochemical approach measuring Cu associated with acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) in sediments. Cu bioavailability determined by the biomimetic method varied among species with varying digestive physiology but all showed a marked increase when SEM{sub Cu}-AVS {ge} 0, corroborating the premise underlying the AVS method in determining sedimentary Cumore » bioavailability. The existence of a positive SEM{sub Cu}-AVS threshold suggests the existence of additional Cu-binding phases or mixed Cu(I)--Cu(II) sulfides in sediments. In addition, Cu bioavailable to digestive fluids was much less than that measured as SEM{sub Cu}-AVS, indicating that the AVS method overestimates Cu bioavailability to digestive fluid of deposit feeders. Incubation of digestive fluids with two Cu-bound model phases, goethite and sulfide, corroborated the relative unavailability of sulfide-bound Cu. Subsurface deposit feeders feeding on anoxic sediments may be exposed to less Cu than their surface-feeding counterparts in Cu-contaminated environments.« less

Mechanism and the origins of stereospecificity in copper-catalyzed ring expansion of vinyl oxiranes: a traceless dual transition-metal-mediated process.

PubMed

Mustard, Thomas J L; Mack, Daniel J; Njardarson, Jon T; Cheong, Paul Ha-Yeon

2013-01-30

Density functional theory computations of the Cu-catalyzed ring expansion of vinyloxiranes is mediated by a traceless dual Cu(I)-catalyst mechanism. Overall, the reaction involves a monomeric Cu(I)-catalyst, but a single key step, the Cu migration, requires two Cu(I)-catalysts for the transformation. This dual-Cu step is found to be a true double Cu(I) transition state rather than a single Cu(I) transition state in the presence of an adventitious, spectator Cu(I). Both Cu(I) catalysts are involved in the bond forming and breaking process. The single Cu(I) transition state is not a stationary point on the potential energy surface. Interestingly, the reductive elimination is rate-determining for the major diastereomeric product, while the Cu(I) migration step is rate-determining for the minor. Thus, while the reaction requires dual Cu(I) activation to proceed, kinetically, the presence of the dual-Cu(I) step is untraceable. The diastereospecificity of this reaction is controlled by the Cu migration step. Suprafacial migration is favored over antarafacial migration due to the distorted Cu π-allyl in the latter.

New Production Routes for Medical Isotopes 64Cu and 67Cu Using Accelerator Neutrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kin, Tadahiro; Nagai, Yasuki; Iwamoto, Nobuyuki; Minato, Futoshi; Iwamoto, Osamu; Hatsukawa, Yuichi; Segawa, Mariko; Harada, Hideo; Konno, Chikara; Ochiai, Kentaro; Takakura, Kosuke

2013-03-01

We have measured the activation cross sections producing 64Cu and 67Cu, promising medical radioisotopes for molecular imaging and radioimmunotherapy, by bombarding a natural zinc sample with 14 MeV neutrons. We estimated the production yields of 64Cu and 67Cu by fast neutrons from \\text{natC(d,n) with 40 MeV 5 mA deuterons. We used the present result together with the evaluated cross section of Zn isotopes. The calculated 64Cu yield is 1.8 TBq (175 g 64Zn) for 12 h of irradiation; the yields of 67Cu by 67Zn(n,p)67Cu and 68Zn(n,x)67Cu were 249 GBq (184 g 67Zn) and 287 GBq (186 g 68Zn) at the end of 2 days of irradiation, respectively. From the results, we proposed a new route to produce 67Cu with very little radionuclide impurity via the 68Zn(n,x)67Cu reaction, and showed the 64Zn(n,p)64Cu reaction to be a promising route to produce 64Cu. Both 67Cu and 64Cu are noted to be produced using fast neutrons.

Effect Of Impurity On Cu Electromigration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, C.-K.; Angyal, M.; Baker, B. C.; Bonilla, G.; Cabral, C.; Canaperi, D. F.; Choi, S.; Clevenger, L.; Edelstein, D.; Gignac, L.; Huang, E.; Kelly, J.; Kim, B. Y.; Kyei-Fordjour, V.; Manikonda, S. L.; Maniscalco, J.; Mittal, S.; Nogami, T.; Parks, C.; Rosenberg, R.; Simon, A.; Xu, Y.; Vo, T. A.; Witt, C.

2010-11-01

The impact of the existence of Cu grain boundaries on the degradation of Cu interconnect lifetime at the 45 nm technology node and beyond has suggested that improved electromigra-tion in Cu grain boundaries has become increasingly important. In this paper, solute effects of non-metallic (C, Cl, O and S) and metallic (Al, Co, In, Mg, Sn, and Ti) impurities on Cu elec-tromigration were investigated. The Cu alloy interconnects were fabricated by adjusting Cu electroplating solutions or by depositing a Cu alloy seed, a thin film layer of impurity, an alloy liner, or a metal cap. A large variation of Cu grain structure in the samples was achieved by adjusting the wafer fabrication process steps. The non-metallic impurities were found to be less than 0.1% in the electroplated Cu with no effect on Cu electromigration lifetimes. Most of the metallic impurities reduced Cu interface and grain boundary mass flows and enhanced Cu lifetime, but Al, Co, and Mg impurities did not mitigate Cu grain boundary diffusion.

Cu6Sn5 Whiskers Precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu Interconnection in Concentrator Silicon Solar Cells Solder Layer

PubMed Central

Zhang, Liang; Liu, Zhi-quan; Yang, Fan; Zhong, Su-juan

2017-01-01

Cu6Sn5 whiskers precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer were found and investigated after reflow soldering and during aging. Ag3Sn fibers can be observed around Cu6Sn5 whiskers in the matrix microstructure, which can play an active effect on the reliability of interconnection. Different morphologies of Cu6Sn5 whiskers can be observed, and hexagonal rod structure is the main morphology of Cu6Sn5 whiskers. A hollow structure can be observed in hexagonal Cu6Sn5 whiskers, and a screw dislocation mechanism was used to represent the Cu6Sn5 growth. Based on mechanical property testing and finite element simulation, Cu6Sn5 whiskers were regarded as having a negative effect on the durability of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer. PMID:28772686

Yield strength of Cu and an engineered material of Cu with 1% Pb

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttler, William; Gray, George, III; Fensin, Saryu; Grover, Mike; Stevens, Gerald; Stone, Joseph; Turley, William

2015-06-01

To study the effects of engineered elastic-plastic yield on the mass-ejection from shocked materials we fielded explosively driven Cu and CuPb experiments. The Cu and CuPb experiments fielded fully annealed disks in contact with PBX 9501; the CuPb was extruded with 1% Pb that aggregates at the Cu grain boundaries. The elastic-plastic yield strength is explored as a difference of ejecta production of CuPb versus Cu, where the ejecta production of solid materials ties directly to the surface perturbation geometries of wavelengths (fixed at 65 μm) and amplitudes (which were varied). We observed that the Cu performs as expected, with ejecta turning on at the previously observed yield threshold, but the CuPb ejects mass in much larger quantities, at much lower wavenumber (k = 2 π/ λ) amplitude (h) products (kh), implying a reduced elastic-plastic yield stress of the engineered material, CuPb.

Effects of temperature and operation parameters on the galvanic corrosion of Cu coupled to Au in organic solderability preservatives process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, SeKwon; Kim, YoungJun; Jung, KiMin; Kim, JongSoo; Shon, MinYoung; Kwon, HyukSang

2017-03-01

In this work, we quantitatively examined the effects of temperature and operation parameters such as anode (Cu) to cathode (Au) area ratio, stirring speed, and Cu ion concentration on the galvanic corrosion kinetics of Cu coupled to Au (icouple ( Cu-Au)) on print circuit board in organic solderability preservative (OSP) soft etching solution. With the increase of temperature, galvanic corrosion rate (icouple ( Cu-Au) was increased; however, the degree of galvanic corrosion rate (icouple ( Cu-Au) - icorr (Cu)) was decreased owing to the lower activation energy of Cu coupled to Au, than that of Cu alone. With the increase of area ratio (cathode/anode), stirring speed of the system, icouple ( Cu-Au) was increased by the increase of cathodic reaction kinetics. And icouple ( Cu-Au) was decreased by the increase of the Cu-ion concentration in the OSP soft etching solution.

Preparation of W/CuCrZr mono-block test mock-up using vacuum brazing technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Premjit Singh, K.; Khirwadkar, S.; Bhope, Kedar; Patel, Nikunj; Mokaria, Prakash

2017-04-01

Development of the joining for W/CuCrZr mono-block PFC test mock-up is an interesting area in Fusion R&D. W/Cu bimetallic material has been prepared using OFHC Copper casting approach on the radial surface of W mono-block tile surface. The W/Cu bimetallic material has been joined with CuCrZr tube (heat sink) material with the vacuum brazing route. Vacuum brazing of W/Cu-CuCrZr has been performed @ 970°C for 10 min using NiCuMn-37 filler material under deep vacuum environment (10-6 mbar). Graphite fixture was used for OFHC Copper casting and vacuum brazing experiments. The joint integrity of W/Cu-CuCrZr mono-block mock-up of W/Cu and Cu-CuCrZr interface has been checked using ultrasonic immersion technique. The result of the experimental work is presented in the paper.

Site-selective XAFS spectroscopy tuned to surface active sites of Cu/ZnO and Cr/SiO2 catalysts.

PubMed

Izumi, Y; Nagamori, H; Kiyotaki, F; Minato, T

2001-03-01

XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structure) spectra were measured by using the fluorescence spectrometer for the emitted X-ray from sample. The chemical shifts between Cu0 and Cu1 and between CrIII and CrVI were evaluated. Tuning the fluorescence spectrometer to each energy, the Cu0 and CuI site-selective XANES for Cu/ZnO catalyst were measured. The first one was similar to the XANES of Cu metal and the second one was the 5 : 5 average of XANES for CuI sites + Cu metal. The population ratio of copper site of the Cu/ZnO catalyst was found to be Cu metal: Cu2O : CuI atomically dispersed on surface = 70(+/-23) : 22(+/-14) : 8(+/-5). Site-selective XANES for CrIII site of Cr/SiO2 catalyst was also studied.

Loss of reserves of Cu in liver when Cu supplements are withdrawn from dairy herds in the Waikato region.

PubMed

Hittmann, A R; Grace, N D; Knowles, S O

2012-03-01

To monitor the consequences of withdrawing mineral Cu supplements from two dairy herds with initially high concentrations of Cu in liver. Two herds were selected from dairy farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand that participated in an earlier survey of Cu supplementation practices and Cu status of dairy cows. The herds were fed pasture, grass and maize silage, plus palm kernel expeller (PKE) containing 25-30 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM) fed at 2-4 kg/cow/day. No mineral Cu supplements were supplied from January 2009. Pasture samples were collected for mineral analysis in September 2008 and April 2009. Concentration of Cu in liver biopsies from the same 9-10 cows per herd was measured on three occasions between April 2009 and May 2010. Pastures on both farms contained 10 mg Cu/kg DM, 0.1-0.5 mg Mo/kg DM and 3.5-4.0 g S/kg DM. The initial herd mean concentrations of Cu in liver were 1,500 (SD 590) and 1,250 (SD 640) μmol Cu/kg fresh tissue. In the absence of mineral Cu supplements, those mean concentrations decreased over 12 months to 705 (SD 370) and 1,120 (SD 560) μmol Cu/kg fresh tissue, respectively. For cows in the first herd, the rate of depletion of liver Cu reserves was influenced by initial concentration of Cu, such that high concentration led to faster loss according to first-order kinetics. Mineral Cu supplementation was not necessary over 12 months for two dairy herds with mean concentrations of Cu in liver >1,250 μmol Cu/kg fresh tissue, grazing pastures containing 10 mg Cu/kg DM and concentrations of Mo <1 mg/kg DM. The quantity and particularly the duration of feeding PKE appeared to be a factor in whether or not the herd lost substantial reserves of Cu in liver during the year. However, the Cu status of both herds in this study was more than adequate to support late pregnancy and mating. CLINICAL REVELANCE: Copper status of the herd should be monitored and on-farm management of Cu nutrition should take into account all sources contributing to daily intake of Cu. Where Cu supplementation has been excessive and there is risk of chronic Cu toxicity, mineral Cu supplements may be withdrawn for a period commensurate with the expected rate of liver Cu depletion.

Corrosion and runoff rates of Cu and three Cu-alloys in marine environments with increasing chloride deposition rate.

PubMed

Odnevall Wallinder, Inger; Zhang, Xian; Goidanich, Sara; Le Bozec, Nathalie; Herting, Gunilla; Leygraf, Christofer

2014-02-15

Bare copper sheet and three commercial Cu-based alloys, Cu15Zn, Cu4Sn and Cu5Al5Zn, have been exposed to four test sites in Brest, France, with strongly varying chloride deposition rates. The corrosion rates of all four materials decrease continuously with distance from the coast, i.e. with decreasing chloride load, and in the following order: Cu4Sn>Cu sheet>Cu15Zn>Cu5Al5Zn. The patina on all materials was composed of two main layers, Cu2O as the inner layer and Cu2(OH)3Cl as the outer layer, and with a discontinuous presence of CuCl in between. Additional minor patina constituents are SnO2 (Cu4Sn), Zn5(OH)6(CO3)2 (Cu15Zn and Cu5Al5Zn) and Zn6Al2(OH)16CO3·4H2O/Zn2Al(OH)6Cl·2H2O/Zn5Cl2(OH)8·H2O and Al2O3 (Cu5Al5Zn). The observed Zn- and Zn/Al-containing corrosion products might be important factors for the lower sensitivity of Cu15Zn and Cu5Al5Zn against chloride-induced atmospheric corrosion compared with Cu sheet and Cu4Sn. Decreasing corrosion rates with exposure time were observed for all materials and chloride loads and attributed to an improved adherence with time of the outer patina to the underlying inner oxide. Flaking of the outer patina layer was mainly observed on Cu4Sn and Cu sheet and associated with the gradual transformation of CuCl to Cu2(OH)3Cl of larger volume. After three years only Cu5Al5Zn remains lustrous because of a patina compared with the other materials that appeared brownish-reddish. Significantly lower release rates of metals compared with corresponding corrosion rates were observed for all materials. Very similar release rates of copper from all four materials were observed during the fifth year of marine exposure due to an outer surface patina that with time revealed similar constituents and solubility properties. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The attracting power of the gaze of politicians is modulated by the personality and ideological attitude of their voters: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

PubMed

Cazzato, Valentina; Liuzza, Marco Tullio; Caprara, Gian Vittorio; Macaluso, Emiliano; Aglioti, Salvatore Maria

2015-10-01

Observing someone rapidly moving their eyes induces reflexive shifts of overt and covert attention in the onlooker. Previous studies have shown that this process can be modulated by the onlooker's personality, as well as by the social features of the person depicted in the cued face. Here, we investigated whether an individual's preference for social dominance orientation, in-group perceived similarity (PS), and political affiliation of the cued-face modulated neural activity within specific nodes of the social attention network. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants were requested to perform a gaze-following task to investigate whether the directional gaze of various Italian political personages might influence the oculomotor behaviour of in-group or out-group voters. After scanning, we acquired measures of PS in personality traits with each political personage and preference for social dominance orientation. Behavioural data showed that higher gaze interference for in-group than out-group political personages was predicted by a higher preference for social hierarchy. Higher blood oxygenation level-dependent activity in incongruent vs. congruent conditions was found in areas associated with orienting to socially salient events and monitoring response conflict, namely the left frontal eye field, right supramarginal gyrus, mid-cingulate cortex and left anterior insula. Interestingly, higher ratings of PS with the in-group and less preference for social hierarchy predicted increased activity in the left frontal eye field during distracting gaze movements of in-group as compared with out-group political personages. Our results suggest that neural activity in the social orienting circuit is modulated by higher-order social dimensions, such as in-group PS and individual differences in ideological attitudes. © 2015 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Acute and chronic sensitivity to copper of a promising ecotoxicological model species, the annual killifish Nothobranchius furzeri.

PubMed

Philippe, Charlotte; Grégoir, Arnout F; Janssens, Lizanne; Pinceel, Tom; De Boeck, Gudrun; Brendonck, Luc

2017-10-01

Nothobranchius furzeri is a promising model for ecotoxicological research due to the species' short life cycle and the production of drought-resistant eggs. Although the species is an emerging vertebrate fish model for several fundamental as well as applied research domains, its potential for ecotoxicological research has not yet been tested. The aim of this study was to characterise the acute and chronic sensitivity of this species to copper as compared to other model organisms. Effects of both acute and chronic copper exposure were tested on survival, life history and physiological traits. We report a 24h-LC 50 of 53.93µg Cu/L, which is situated within the sensitivity range of other model species such as Brook Trout, Fathead Minnow and Rainbow Trout. Moreover, in the full life cycle exposure, we show that an exposure concentration of 10.27µg/L did not cause acute adverse effects (96h), but did cause mortality after prolonged exposure (3-4 weeks). Also chronic, sublethal effects were observed, such as a reduction in growth rate, delayed maturation and postponed reproduction. Based on our results, we define the NOEC at 6.68µg Cu/L, making N. furzeri more sensitive to copper as compared to Brook Trout and Fathead Minnow. We found stimulatory effects on peak fecundity at subinhibitory levels of copper concentrations (hormesis). Finally, we found indications for detoxifying and copper-excreting mechanisms, demonstrating the ability of the fish to cope with this essential metal, even when exposed to stressful amounts. The successful application of current ecotoxicological protocols on N. furzeri and its sensitivity range comparable to that of other model organisms forms the basis to exploit this species in further ecotoxicological practices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of high dietary zinc on plasma ceruloplasmin and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activities in copper-depleted and repleted rats.

PubMed

Panemangalore, M; Bebe, F N

1996-01-01

The effect of moderately high dietary zinc (Zn) on the activities of plasma (PL) ceruloplasmin (CP), and PL and erythrocyte (RBC) copper (Cu), Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) was determined in weanling rats fed Cu-deficient (DEF; < 1 mg Cu/kg), marginal (MAR; 2 mg Cu/kg), or control (CON; 5 mg Cu/kg) copper diets containing normal or high Zn (HZn; 60 mg/kg) for 4 wk and supplemented with oral Cu (CuS; 5 mg/L) in drinking water for 0, 1, 3, or 7 d. PL Cu decreased (67% compared to CON; p < or = 0.05) in the DEF and increased to control level after 3 d of CuS; increased in the MAR group after 1 d of CuS. HZn reduced overall PL Cu by 27% in all groups, but did not alter the linear increase in PL Cu between 0 and 3 d of Cu S. PL CP activity altered concomitantly with PL Cu levels: The time course of increase in CP activity after 0-3 d of CuS was not influenced by HZn in the diet and CP declined in the DEF group by 92%. There was no correlation between dietary Cu level and PL CP. PL SOD activity decreased by 46% (p < or = .05) in the DEF group, increased to control activity after 1 d of CuS and declined slightly after 7 d; MAR diet did not alter PL SOD. HZn diet increased PL SOD activity in all groups by 150%, reduced activity in the DEF and MAR groups by 65 and 37% and delayed the recovery of PL SOD after CuS. RBC SOD declined in the DEF and MAR groups by 56 and 33% (p < or = 0.05) and did not respond to CuS; HZn diet did not influence RBC SOD activity. These data indicate that moderately high Zn in the diet reduces PL Cu, but not PL CP activity or the recovery of PL Cu or CP activity after oral CuS of Cu-deficient rats, modifies the response of PL SOD to dietary Cu, but does not influence RBC SOD activity.

Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic H2 Evolution in Cu2O/Cu2Se Multilayer Heterostructure Nanowires Having {111} Facets and Physical Mechanism.

PubMed

Liu, Bin; Ning, Lichao; Zhang, Congjie; Zheng, Hairong; Liu, Shengzhong Frank; Yang, Heqing

2018-06-21

It is rather challenging to develop photocatalysts based on narrow-band-gap semiconductors for water splitting under solar irradiation. Herein, we synthesized the Cu 2 O/Cu 2 Se multilayer heterostructure nanowires exposing {111} crystal facets by a hydrothermal reaction of Se with Cu and KBH 4 in ethanol amine aqueous solution and subsequent annealing in air. The photocatalytic H 2 production activity of Cu 2 O/Cu 2 Se multilayer heterostructure nanowires is dramatically improved, with an increase on the texture coefficient of Cu 2 O(111) and Cu 2 Se(111) planes, and thus the exposed {111} facets may be the active surfaces for photocatalytic H 2 production. On the basis of the polar structure of Cu 2 O {111} and Cu 2 Se {111} surfaces, we presented a model of charge separation between the Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) and O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) polar surfaces. An internal electric field is created between Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) and O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) polar surfaces, because of spontaneous polarization. As a result, this internal electric field drives the photocreated charge separation. The oxidation and reduction reactions selectively occur at the negative O-Cu 2 O(1̅ 1̅ 1̅) and the positive Cu-Cu 2 Se(111) surfaces. The polar surface-engineering may be a general strategy for enhancing the photocatalytic H 2 -production activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. The charge separation mechanism not only can deepen the understanding of photocatalytic H 2 production mechanism but also provides a novel insight into the design of advanced photocatalysts, other photoelectric devices, and solar cells.

Plankton copper requirements and uptake in the subarctic Northeast Pacific Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semeniuk, David M.; Cullen, Jay T.; Johnson, W. Keith; Gagnon, Katie; Ruth, Thomas J.; Maldonado, Maria T.

2009-07-01

We undertook the first measurements of metabolic Cu requirements (net Cu:C assimilation ratios) and steady-state Cu uptake rates (ρCu ss) of natural plankton assemblages in the northeast subarctic Pacific using the short-lived radioisotope 67Cu. Size-fractionated net Cu:C assimilation ratios varied ˜3 fold (1.35-4.21 μmol Cu mol C -1) among the stations along Line P, from high Fe coastal waters to the Fe-limited open ocean. The variability in Cu:C was comparable to biogenic Fe:C ratios in this region. As previously observed for Fe uptake, the bacterial size class accounted for half of the total particulate ρCu ss. Interestingly, carbon biomass-normalized rates of Fe uptake from the siderophore desferrioxamine B (DFB) (ρFe DFB; a physiological proxy for Fe-limitation) by the >20 μm size class were positively correlated with the intracellular net Cu:C assimilation ratios in this size class, suggesting that intracellular Cu requirements for large phytoplankton respond to increased Fe-limitation. At Fe-limited Ocean Station Papa (OSP), we performed short-term Cu uptake (ρCu L) assays to determine the relative bioavailability of Cu bound to natural and synthetic ligands. Like the volumetric ρCu ss measured along Line P, the bacterial size class was responsible for at least 50% of the total ρCu L. Uptake rates of Cu from the various organic complexes suggest that Cu uptake was controlled by the oxidation state of the metal and by the metal:ligand concentration ratio, rather than the concentration of inorganic species of Cu in solution. Collectively, these data suggest that Cu likely plays an important role in the physiology of natural plankton communities beyond the toxicological effects studied previously.

Thermal conversion of Cu4O3 into CuO and Cu2O and the electrical properties of magnetron sputtered Cu4O3 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murali, Dhanya S.; Aryasomayajula, Subrahmanyam

2018-03-01

Among the three oxides of copper (CuO, Cu2O, and Cu4O3), Cu4O3 phase (paramelaconite is a natural, and very scarce mineral) is very difficult to synthesize. It contains copper in both + 1 and + 2 valence states, with an average composition Cu2 1+Cu2 2+O3. We have successfully synthesized Cu4O3 phase at room temperature (300 K) by reactive DC magnetron sputtering by controlling the oxygen flow rate (Murali and Subrahmanyam in J Phys D Appl Phys 49:375102, 2016). In the present communication, Cu4O3 thin films are converted to CuO phases by annealing in the air at 680 K and to Cu2O phase when annealed in argon at 720 K; these phase changes are confirmed by temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy studies. Probably, this is the first report of the conversion of Cu4O3-CuO and Cu2O by thermal annealing. The temperature-dependent (300-200 K) electrical transport properties of Cu4O3 thin films show that the charge transport above 190 K follows Arrhenius-type behavior with activation energy of 0.14 eV. From photo-electron spectroscopy and electrical transport measurements of Cu4O3 thin films, a downward band bending is observed at the surface of the thin film, which shows its p-type semiconducting nature. The successful preparation of phase pure p-type semiconducting Cu4O3 could provide opportunities to further explore its potential applications.

Effect of dietary copper on the copper content of urine, parotid saliva, and sweat in humans

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Turnlund, J.R.

Eleven young men were confined to a metabolic research unit to study the effect of the level of dietary copper (Cu) on Cu metabolism. They were fed a constant diet containing the following three levels of dietary Cu: adequate Cu (1.68 mg/d) for 24 days (MP1), low Cu (0.785 mg/d) for 42 days (MP2), and high Cu (7.53 mg/d) for 24 days (MP3). Urine was collected throughout the study and Cu was determined in 6-day pools from the beginning of the study, the end of each MP, and the midpoint of MP2. Parotid saliva was collected near the end ofmore » each MP. Sweat was collected from the upper arm and ancillary area of three subjects for 2-day periods near the end of each MP. Urinary Cu averaged 0.34, 0.34 and 0.33 {mu}mol/d for MP 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Individual averages ranged from 0.16 to 0.39 {mu}mol/d. Parotid saliva Cu averaged 13.4, 13.0, and 12.0 nmol/L for MP 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Individual averages ranged from 6.9 to 17.8 nmol/L. Sweat Cu levels were very low and did not appear to be affected by dietary Cu. The limited data suggest that sweat losses would have little effect on Cu balance. Neither urinary nor salivary Cu was affected by dietary Cu or related to indices of Cu status (serum Cu, ceruloplasmin, or erythrocyte superoxide dismutase). Urinary and salivary Cu differed significantly among individuals. Results suggest that urinary, salivary, and sweat Cu do not play a role in regulating Cu retention or affect Cu status of humans.« less

Facile synthesis of Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with adjustable phase composition for effective NO{sub x} gas sensor at room temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Lixue; Li, Li; Yang, Ying

2013-10-15

Graphical abstract: The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with 30–70 nm hollow nanospheres reduced by 3 mmol NaBH{sub 4} exhibits excellent gas-sensing property to low-concentration NO{sub x} gas at room temperature. - Highlights: • The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with hollow nanospheres are successfully synthesized. • The method is used for preparing the with Cu/Cu{sub x}O adjustable phase composition. • The C3 sample exhibites excellent gas-sensing propertie to NO{sub x} at room temperation. • The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures have significant for application of gas sensor. - Abstract: The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures with 30–70 nm hollow nanospheres are successfully synthesized by a facile wetmore » chemical method. The synthesized products have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermo gravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC) analysis. The Cu/Cu{sub x}O sensors based on the nanoarchitectures are used to detect the NO{sub x} at room temperature. The results demonstrate that the obtained Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures reduced by 3 mmol NaBH{sub 4} exhibits excellent gas-sensing properties: low detection limit of 0.97 ppm, relatively high sensitivity, short response time, broad linear range and high selectivity. The reasons for gas-sensing activity enhancement on Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanoarchitectures are discussed. The Cu/Cu{sub x}O nanocrystalline with the hierarchical pores structure and tunable compositions have significant for application of gas sensor.« less

Effect of various copper supplements to feed of laying hens on cu content in eggs, liver, excreta, soil, and herbage.

PubMed

Skrivan, M; Skrivanová, V; Marounek, M

2006-02-01

Copper is often added to poultry diets as an antimicrobial agent at doses greatly exceeding the nutritional requirement. In this study, the basal diet of laying hens containing 9.2 mg Cu/kg was supplemented with CuSO(4) x 5H(2)O at 0, 25, 65, 115, and 240 mg Cu/kg dry matter (DM). At Cu dietary concentration just below the level permitted by the European Union (35 mg/kg), the Cu content in the egg yolk was significantly (p < 0.05) increased by 26%, and nonsignificantly by 4.1, 9.1, and 7.9% in the egg white, eggshell, and liver, respectively. When Cu concentration in the diet was doubled, the effect of Cu on Cu content in eggshell and liver was statistically significant as well. In no liver sample was the hygienic limit of Cu content (80 mg/kg) exceeded. Supplementation of diets with Cu increased Cu concentration in excreta linearly from 25.3 to 396.8 mg/kg DM. Dried excreta were used for fertilization of grassland at 21 g N/m(2). Three months later, soil and herbage were sampled and analyzed. The Cu concentration in soil increased from 25.3 to only 46.4 mg/kg DM when dietary Cu concentration rose from 9.2 to 243.7 mg Cu/kg DM. Corresponding Cu concentrations in herbage were 6.8 and 19.2 mg/kg DM. It can be concluded that the deposition of Cu in eggs and liver of hens fed Cu-supplemented diets does not represent a hygienic risk. The accumulation of Cu in soil fertilized with excreta of Cu-fed hens and in herbage was limited.

Dilute electrodeposition of TiO2 and ZnO thin film memristors on Cu substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fauzi, F. B.; Ani, M. H.; Herman, S. H.; Mohamed, M. A.

2018-03-01

Memristor has become one of the alternatives to replace the current memory technologies. Fabrication of titanium dioxide, TiO2 memristor has been extensively studied by using various deposition methods. However, recently more researches have been done to explore the compatibility of other transition metal oxide, TMO such as zinc oxide, ZnO to be used as the active layer of the memristor. This paper highlights the simple and easy-control electrodeposition to deposit titanium, Ti and zinc, Zn thin film at room temperature and subsequent thermal oxidation at 600 °C. Gold, Au was then sputtered as top electrode to create metal-insulator-metal, MIM sandwich of Au/TiO2-Cu2O-CuO/Cu and Au/ZnO-Cu2O-CuO/Cu memristors. The structural, morphological and memristive properties were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, FESEM, X-Ray Diffraction, XRD and current-voltage, I-V measurement. Both Au/TiO2-Cu2O-CuO/Cu and Au/ZnO-Cu2O-CuO/Cu memristivity were identified by the pinched hysteresis loop with resistive ratio of 1.2 and 1.08 respectively. Empirical study on diffusivity of Ti4+, Zn2+ and O2‑ ions in both metal oxides show that the metal vacancies were formed, thus giving rise to its memristivity. The electrodeposited Au/TiO2-Cu2O-CuO/Cu and Au/ZnO-Cu2O-CuO/Cu memristors demonstrate comparable performances to previous studies using other methods.

Synthesis of octahedral like Cu-BTC derivatives derived from MOF calcined under different atmosphere for application in CO oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yiqiong; Dong, Han; Wang, Yin; He, Chi; Wang, Yuxin; Zhang, Xiaodong

2018-02-01

A series of octahedral structure Cu-BTC derivatives were successfully achieved through direct calcination of copper based metal organic framework Cu-BTC under different atmosphere (CO reaction gas, oxidizing gas O2, reducing gas H2, inert gas Ar). The Cu-BTC derivatives were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm, element analysis, H2-temperature program reduction (H2-TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS). It is found that Cu-BTC derivative derived from MOF calcined under reaction gas/O2 (Cu-BTC-CO/Cu-BTC-O) only retain Cu2O and CuO species. In addition, a weak Cu-BTC structure and Cu particles were observed on Cu-BTC derivative derived from MOF calcined under H2 (Cu-BTC-H). Obviously differently, Cu-BTC derivative derived from MOF calcined under Ar (Cu-BTC-Ar) still retains good MOF structure. The catalytic performance for CO oxidation over Cu-BTC derivatives was studied. It was found that Cu-BTC-CO showed a smaller specific surface area (8.0 m2/g), but presented an excellent catalytic performance, long-term stability and cycling stability with a complete CO conversion temperature (T100) of 140 °C, which was ascribed to the higher Cu2O/CuO ratio, good low temperature reduction behavior and a high quantity of surface active oxygen species.

Microfluidic reactor synthesis and photocatalytic behavior of Cu@Cu2O nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Lei; Srinivasakannan, C.; Peng, Jinhui; Yan, Mi; Zhang, Di; Zhang, Libo

2015-03-01

The Cu@Cu2O nanocomposites were synthesized by solution-phase synthesis of Cu nanoparticles in microfluidic reactor at room temperature, followed by controlling the oxidation process. The size, morphology, elemental compositions, and the chemical composition on the surface of Cu@Cu2O nanocomposite were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Experimental results demonstrated that the surface of the Cu nanoparticles was oxidized to Cu2O which serves as the shell of nanoparticle. The amount of Cu2O can be controlled by varying the drying temperature. Additionally the binary Cu@Cu2O nanocomposite along with H2O2 exhibited its potential as an excellent photocatalyst for degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV irradiation.

Changing Bureaucratic Behavior Acquisition Reform in the United States Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

I . Title. UC263.S32 2000 355.6��—dc21 99-39065 CIP RAND is a nonprofit...1 CO cu u a cu ■ä cu u a 1 2 a a .—1 CN i — I tN m •* in CO r~ 00 CT> rH l-H i —t 8 a o W CO CO. 1 cu cu ŗ J3 cu cu UJ E E ■S CU...p cu > äj § S3 ■43 ■n J3 X. CO cO rrl ■§ cu cu cu i o CO a CO a co a T3 O ■a ft o o o M 1*1 ■g ■g CO ’g ft ft) X II a a a. X V a E

Protonation state of the Cu4S2 CuZ site in nitrous oxide reductase: redox dependence and insight into reactivity

PubMed Central

Johnston, Esther M.; Dell’Acqua, Simone; Pauleta, Sofia R.; Moura, Isabel; Solomon, Edward I.

2015-01-01

Spectroscopic and computational methods have been used to determine the protonation state of the edge sulfur ligand in the Cu4S2 CuZ form of the active site of nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) in its 3CuICuII (1-hole) and 2CuI2CuII (2-hole) redox states. The EPR, absorption, and MCD spectra of 1-hole CuZ indicate that the unpaired spin in this site is evenly delocalized over CuI, CuII, and CuIV. 1-hole CuZ is shown to have a μ2-thiolate edge ligand from the observation of S-H bending modes in the resonance Raman spectrum at 450 and 492 cm−1 that have significant deuterium isotope shifts (−137 cm−1) and are not perturbed up to pH 10. 2-hole CuZ is characterized with absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies as having two Cu-S stretching vibrations that profile differently. DFT models of the 1-hole and 2-hole CuZ sites are correlated to these spectroscopic features to determine that 2-hole CuZ has a μ2-sulfide edge ligand at neutral pH. The slow two electron (+1 proton) reduction of N2O by 1-hole CuZ is discussed and the possibility of a reaction between 2-hole CuZ and O2 is considered. PMID:26417423

Evidence for Cu2-xSe platelets at grain boundaries and within grains in Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simsek Sanli, E.; Ramasse, Q. M.; Mainz, R.; Weber, A.; Abou-Ras, D.; Sigle, W.; van Aken, P. A.

2017-07-01

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS)-based solar cells reach high power-conversion efficiencies of above 22%. In this work, a three-stage co-evaporation method was used for their fabrication. During the growth stages, the stoichiometry of the absorbers changes from Cu-poor ([Cu]/([In] + [Ga]) < 1) to Cu-rich ([Cu]/([In] + [Ga]) > 1) and finally becomes Cu-poor again when the growth process is completed. It is known that, according to the Cu-In-Ga-Se phase diagram, a Cu-rich growth leads to the presence of Cu2-xSe (x = 0-0.25), which is assumed to assist in recrystallization, grain growth, and defect annihilation in the CIGS layer. So far, Cu2-xSe precipitates with spatial extensions on the order of 10-100 nm have been detected only in Cu-rich CIGS layers. In the present work, we report Cu2-xSe platelets with widths of only a few atomic planes at grain boundaries and as inclusions within grains in a polycrystalline, Cu-poor CIGS layer, as evidenced by high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The chemistry of the Cu-Se secondary phase was analyzed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and STEM image simulation confirmed the identification of the detected phase. These results represent additional experimental evidence for the proposed topotactical growth model for Cu-Se-assisted CIGS thin-film formation under Cu-rich conditions.

Surface chemistry of copper metal and copper oxide atomic layer deposition from copper(ii) acetylacetonate: a combined first-principles and reactive molecular dynamics study.

PubMed

Hu, Xiao; Schuster, Jörg; Schulz, Stefan E; Gessner, Thomas

2015-10-28

Atomistic mechanisms for the atomic layer deposition using the Cu(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) precursor are studied using first-principles calculations and reactive molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that Cu(acac)2 chemisorbs on the hollow site of the Cu(110) surface and decomposes easily into a Cu atom and the acac-ligands. A sequential dissociation and reduction of the Cu precursor [Cu(acac)2 → Cu(acac) → Cu] are observed. Further decomposition of the acac-ligand is unfavorable on the Cu surface. Thus additional adsorption of the precursors may be blocked by adsorbed ligands. Molecular hydrogen is found to be nonreactive towards Cu(acac)2 on Cu(110), whereas individual H atoms easily lead to bond breaking in the Cu precursor upon impact, and thus release the surface ligands into the gas-phase. On the other hand, water reacts with Cu(acac)2 on a Cu2O substrate through a ligand-exchange reaction, which produces gaseous H(acac) and surface OH species. Combustion reactions with the main by-products CO2 and H2O are observed during the reaction between Cu(acac)2 and ozone on the CuO surface. The reactivity of different co-reactants toward Cu(acac)2 follows the order H > O3 > H2O.

One-Step Catalytic Synthesis of CuO/Cu2O in a Graphitized Porous C Matrix Derived from the Cu-Based Metal-Organic Framework for Li- and Na-Ion Batteries.

PubMed

Kim, A-Young; Kim, Min Kyu; Cho, Keumnam; Woo, Jae-Young; Lee, Yongho; Han, Sung-Hwan; Byun, Dongjin; Choi, Wonchang; Lee, Joong Kee

2016-08-03

The hybrid composite electrode comprising CuO and Cu2O micronanoparticles in a highly graphitized porous C matrix (CuO/Cu2O-GPC) has a rational design and is a favorable approach to increasing the rate capability and reversible capacity of metal oxide negative materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries. CuO/Cu2O-GPC is synthesized through a Cu-based metal-organic framework via a one-step thermal transformation process. The electrochemical performances of the CuO/Cu2O-GPC negative electrode in Li- and Na-ion batteries are systematically studied and exhibit excellent capacities of 887.3 mAh g(-1) at 60 mA g(-1) after 200 cycles in a Li-ion battery and 302.9 mAh g(-1) at 50 mA g(-1) after 200 cycles in a Na-ion battery. The high electrochemical stability was obtained via the rational strategy, mainly owing to the synergy effect of the CuO and Cu2O micronanoparticles and highly graphitized porous C formed by catalytic graphitization of Cu nanoparticles. Owing to the simple one-step thermal transformation process and resulting high electrochemical performance, CuO/Cu2O-GPC is one of the prospective negative active materials for rechargeable Li- and Na-ion batteries.

Impact of natural organic matter and increased water hardness on DGT prediction of copper bioaccumulation by yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).

PubMed

Philipps, Rebecca R; Xu, Xiaoyu; Mills, Gary L; Bringolf, Robert B

2018-06-01

We conducted an exposure experiment with Diffusive Gradients in Thin- Films (DGT), fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), and yellow lampmussel (Lampsilis cariosa) to estimate bioavailability and bioaccumulation of Cu. We hypothesized that Cu concentrations measured by DGT can be used to predict Cu accumulation in aquatic animals and alterations of water chemistry can affect DGT's predict ability. Three water chemistries (control soft water, hard water, and addition of natural organic matter (NOM)) and three Cu concentrations (0, 30, and 60 μg/L) were selected, so nine Cu-water chemistry combinations were used. NOM addition treatments resulted in decreased concentrations of DGT-measured Cu and free Cu ion predicted by Biotic Ligand Model (BLM). Both hard water and NOM addition treatments had reduced concentrations of Cu ion and Cu-dissolved organic matter complexes compared to other treatments. DGT-measured Cu concentrations were linearly correlated to fish accumulated Cu, but not to mussel accumulated Cu. Concentrations of bioavailable Cu predicted by BLM, the species complexed with biotic ligands of aquatic organisms and, was highly correlated to DGT-measured Cu. In general, DGT-measured Cu fit Cu accumulations in fish, and this passive sampling technique is acceptable at predicting Cu concentrations in fish in waters with low NOM concentrations. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.