Who Is the Tattletale? Linking Individual Differences in Socioemotional Competence and Anxiety to Tattling Behavior and Attitudes in Young Children

Although tattling is a common practice among young children, there is little systematic research about its socioemotional correlates. The current study focused on children’s tattling between the ages of 5 and 7, assessing both their explicit attitudes toward tattling and their actual reporting of a transgression and relating them to individual differences in socioemotional competence and trait anxiety. Research Findings: About half of the children reported an adult’s transgression freely or when generally prompted about the event, whereas the other half either reported only when confronted with a directly incriminatory question or completely concealed the adult’s transgression. There was a minor congruence between the actual tattling behavior and children’s explicit attitudes toward tattling (obligation to report a major transgression), measured via their reaction to a series of vignettes. A favorable attitude toward tattling was positively related to children’s ability to recognize basic emotions and their external causes, yet it was negatively associated with the understanding of more complex components, such as the possibility of hiding an emotion. Moreover, tattling behavior was negatively related to understanding internally (belief-based) generated emotions and positively related to individual levels of anxiety. Practice or Policy: Educational practices should take into account individual differences in children’s socioemotional development when relating to their tattling behaviors, preferably decreasing the amount of ambivalence a child experiences in this situation.     

Diabetes and beta cell function: from mechanisms to evaluation and clinical implications

Diabetes is a complex, heterogeneous condition that has beta cell dysfunction at its core. Many factors (e.g. hyperglycemia/glucotoxicity, lipotoxicity, autoimmunity, inflammation, adipokines, islet amyloid, incretins and insulin resistance) influence the function of pancreatic beta cells. Chronic hyperglycaemia may result in detrimental effects on insulin synthesis/secretion, cell survival and insulin sensitivity through multiple mechanisms: gradual loss of insulin gene expression and other beta-cell specific genes; chronic endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress; changes in mitochondrial number, morphology and function; disruption in calcium homeostasis. In the presence of hyperglycaemia, prolonged exposure to increased free fatty acids result in accumulation of toxic metabolites in the cells (“lipotoxicity”), finally causing decreased insulin gene expression and impairment of insulin secretion. The rest of the factors/mechanisms which impact on the course of the disease are also discusses in detail.The correct assessment of beta cell function requires a concomitant quantification of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity, because the two variables are closely interrelated. In order to better understand the fundamental pathogenetic mechanisms that contribute to disease development in a certain individual with diabetes, additional markers could be used, apart from those that evaluate beta cell function.The aim of the paper was to overview the relevant mechanisms/factors that influence beta cell function and to discuss the available methods of its assessment. In addition, clinical considerations are made regarding the therapeutical options that have potential protective effects on beta cell function/mass by targeting various underlying factors and mechanisms with a role in disease progression.     

Consistency in children's reports of sexual and physical abuse

OBJECTIVE: The goal of the present study was to investigate the consistency of children's reports of sexual and physical abuse. METHOD: A group of 222 children, ages 3-16 years, participated. As part of legal investigations, the children were interviewed twice about their alleged experiences of abuse. The consistency of children's reports of sexual and physical abuse was examined in the two interviews, in relation to age, type of abuse, gender, memory, suggestibility, and cognitive capabilities. RESULTS: Older children were more consistent than younger children in their reports of sexual and physical abuse. Children were more consistent when reporting sexual abuse than physical abuse. Girls were more consistent than boys in sexual abuse reports. Consistency in sexual abuse reports was predicted by measures of memory, whereas consistency in physical abuse reports was not. Cognitive abilities did not predict consistency in sexual abuse or physical abuse reports. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for understanding children's allegations of abuse are discussed.     

Childhood sexual assault victims: long-term outcomes after testifying in criminal court

We report a longitudinal study of long-term outcomes of participating in criminal cases following child sexual abuse (CSA). In the 1980s, 218 child victim/witnesses took part in a study of short-term sequelae of legal involvement. Approximately 12 years later, 174 of them, as well as a comparison group of 41 matched individuals with no CSA history, were interviewed about their mental health and legal attitudes. Being young when the legal case started was associated with poorer later adjustment. Additionally, even when controlling for psychological problems at the start of the legal case and other familial, CSA, and life stressors, testifying repeatedly in childhood predicted poorer current functioning. These associations were often moderated by the severity of both the CSA and the perpetrator's sentence: Testifying repeatedly in cases involving severe abuse, and not testifying when the perpetrator received a light sentence, predicted poorer current mental health. In partial contrast to the mental health results, being older when the case began and the perpetrator receiving a lenient sentence predicted more negative feelings about the legal system. In addition, not having testified when the perpetrator received a light sentence predicted more negative legal attitudes. Individuals' emotional reactions while waiting to testify and while actually testifying were also associated with their current mental health and attitudes toward the legal system: Greater distress predicted poorer adjustment, especially in individuals who were adolescents when they went to court. Greater distress also predicted more negative attitudes. Finally, when the former CSA victim/witnesses were compared with individuals with no CSA history, the former reported poorer adjustment and more negative feelings about the legal system. Results have implications for multilevel-transactional models of development, for understanding developmental sequelae of legal involvement following childhood trauma, and for social policy concerning the treatment of child victim/witnesses.     

Exploring the contribution of activity sports tourism to same-day visit expenditure and duration

ABSTRACT

Drawing upon a unique large-scale data source (n=5,004) and motivated by the time allocation model of consumer demand in economics, this paper critically analyses the relationship between the expenditure from, and duration of, same-day visits that comprise a large component of the domestic tourism market in England. It focusses on the contribution of activity sports tourism as a component of same-day visits. Three-stage least squares (3SLS) instrumental variable estimation is employed to account for the simultaneous determination of duration and expenditure as implied by economic theory. Controlling for socio-economic characteristics and general trip behaviours, the research identifies that although total expenditures and trip durations are positively related, there are trade-offs between these when focussing on the direct effects of the activities undertaken. However, accounting for the interrelationship between the duration of visits and the expenditures on them, it is found that walking reduces the expenditures on trips and their duration. Field sports increase them both. No effects are identified for running and cycling, as land-based activity sports tourism, or swimming and water sports, as water-based activity sports tourism. The key drivers of expenditure, which also increase the duration of trips, are visiting attractions and hospitality. The research provides a theoretically informed and empirically robust foundation for a more nuanced and targeted activity sports tourism strategy, which might have implications for how activity sports tourism may contribute to health and well-being and local economic development to better inform tourism planning and policy.     

Implementing an IT service information management framework: The case of COTEMAR

It is evident that organizations are demanding more efficient information management technologies in order to offer high quality services for both internal and external clients. Firms pursue the implementation of processes aligned to their strategic and operational objectives and, to achieve these goals, they usually introduce various frameworks and approaches to information technology service management, such as Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) or Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT). However, once incorporated, it is essential to have mechanisms that guarantee performance efficiency. One of such mechanism is the Service Management Office (SMO). The case analysis presented here describes the lessons learned from its implementation in COTEMAR. The results provide useful insights for firms interested in integrating SMO within IT service management practices.     

pH controlled staining of CD4+ and CD19+ cells within functionalized microfluidic channel

Herein proposed is a simple system to realize hands-free labeling and simultaneous detection of two human cell lines within a microfluidic device. This system was realized by novel covalent immobilization of pH-responsive poly(methacrylic acid) microgels onto the inner glass surface of an assembled polydimethylsiloxane/glass microfluidic channel. Afterwards, selected thiophene labeled monoclonal antibodies, specific for recognition of CD4 antigens on T helper/inducer cells and CD19 antigens on B lymphocytes cell lines, were encapsulated in their active state by the immobilized microgels. When the lymphocytes suspension, containing the two target subpopulations, was flowed through the microchannel, the physiological pH of the cellular suspension induced the release of the labeled antibodies from the microgels and thus the selective cellular staining. The selective pH-triggered staining of the CD4- and CD19-positive cells was investigated in this preliminary experimental study by laser scanning confocal microscopy. This approach represents an interesting and versatile tool to realize cellular staining in a defined module of lab-on-a-chip devices for subsequent detection and counting.