Developmental features of sleep electrophysiology in family dogs

Age-related differences in dog sleep and the age at which dogs reach adulthood as indexed by sleep electrophysiology are unknown. We assessed, in (1) a Juvenile sample (n = 60) of 2–14-month-old dogs (weight range: 4–68 kg), associations between age, sleep macrostructure, and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) EEG power spectrum, whether weight moderates associations, and (2) an extended sample (n = 91) of 2–30-months-old dogs, when sleep parameters stabilise. In Juvenile dogs, age was positively associated with time in drowsiness between 2 and 8 months, and negatively with time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep between 2 and 6 months. Age was negatively associated with delta and positively with theta and alpha power activity, between 8 and 14 months. Older dogs exhibited greater sigma and beta power activity. Larger, > 8-month-old dogs had less delta and more alpha and beta activity. In extended sample, descriptive data suggest age-related power spectrum differences do not stabilise by 14 months. Drowsiness, REM, and delta power findings are consistent with prior results. Sleep electrophysiology is a promising index of dog neurodevelopment; some parameters stabilise in adolescence and some later than one year. Determination of the effect of weight and timing of power spectrum stabilisation needs further inquiry. The dog central nervous system is not fully mature by 12 months of age.

Transcriptome dynamics in developing testes of domestic cats and impact of age on tissue resilience to cryopreservation

Background Fundamental knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms in developing testicular tissues is critical to better understand gonadal biology and responses to non-physiological conditions. The objective of our study was to (1) analyze transcriptome dynamics in developing testis of the domestic cat and (2) characterize age effects on the initial response of the tissue to vitrification. Tissues from adult and juvenile cats were processed for histology, DNA integrity, and RNA sequencing analyses before and after vitrification. Results Transcriptomic findings enabled to further characterize juvenile period, distinguishing between early and late juvenile tissues. Changes in gene expression and functional pathways were extensive from early to late juvenile to adult development stages. Additionally, tissues from juvenile animals were more resilient to vitrification compared to adult counterparts, with early juvenile sample responding the least to vitrification and late juvenile sample response being closest to adult tissues. Conclusions This is the first study reporting comprehensive datasets on transcriptomic dynamic coupled with structural analysis of the cat testis according to the age and exposure to cryopreservation. It provides a comprehensive network of functional terms and pathways that are affected by age in the domestic cat and are either enriched in adult or juvenile testicular tissues.

The Self Concept and its Relation with Psychological Adaptaion in the Delinquent Juvenile who are Registered in the Ministry of Social Development

This study is aimed to identify the self-concept and its relation with psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile, who are registered in the ministry of social development, and the impact of some demographical variants (age, and monthly income), on the self-conception and psychological adaption on them, from the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development point of view، in Ramallah and Tubas governorates. The study sample consists of all juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development in 2016, whose number is 2460 delinquent juvenile, among them a clustered and Random sample which has been chosen from Ramallah and Tubas and consist of 334 delinquent juvenile. The researchers has used the descriptive method, due to its suitable way to the study using the tools which has been developed by the researcher, they are; The self-concept and the psychological self-adaption, and after the collection of data it was analysed, and the result is as follow: The self-conception of the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development was moderate on the total level of self-concept. The study indicates that the level of psychological adaption of the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development was moderate. The results show a positive conected relation with statistical indication between the self-concept and the psychological adaption, which means the increase in self-concept results an increase in the psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile, although relation level between self-conception and psychological adaption equal 53.3%. The study results show statistical differences between the delinquent juvenile sample members who are registered in the ministry of social development, in relation to self-concept by age, the differences average were tended to favour age group between 15-18 years old. The study results show that there is a statistical differences among the study members who are registered in the ministry of social development in the fields of ( self-concept and psychological adaption) in relation to the family income, the study results show that the differences in relation to family income were in favour of the family with high income, which means that as much the income increases the self-concept increases in the delinquent juvenile, in addition to that the increase of income will increase the psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile in both fields (self-conception and the self-adaption) were in favour of the family with high income more than that of law income .

The Self Concept and its Relation with Psychological Adaptaion in the Delinquent Juvenile who are Registered in the Ministry of Social Development

This study is aimed to identify the self-concept and its relation with psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile, who are registered in the ministry of social development, and the impact of some demographical variants (age, and monthly income), on the self-conception and psychological adaption on them, from the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development point of view، in Ramallah and Tubas governorates. The study sample consists of all juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development in 2016, whose number is 2460 delinquent juvenile, among them a clustered and Random sample which has been chosen from Ramallah and Tubas and consist of 334 delinquent juvenile. The researchers has used the descriptive method, due to its suitable way to the study using the tools which has been developed by the researcher, they are; The self-concept and the psychological self-adaption, and after the collection of data it was analysed, and the result is as follow: The self-conception of the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development was moderate on the total level of self-concept. The study indicates that the level of psychological adaption of the delinquent juvenile who are registered in the ministry of social development was moderate. The results show a positive conected relation with statistical indication between the self-concept and the psychological adaption, which means the increase in self-concept results an increase in the psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile, although relation level between self-conception and psychological adaption equal 53.3%. The study results show statistical differences between the delinquent juvenile sample members who are registered in the ministry of social development, in relation to self-concept by age, the differences average were tended to favour age group between 15-18 years old. The study results show that there is a statistical differences among the study members who are registered in the ministry of social development in the fields of ( self-concept and psychological adaption) in relation to the family income, the study results show that the differences in relation to family income were in favour of the family with high income, which means that as much the income increases the self-concept increases in the delinquent juvenile, in addition to that the increase of income will increase the psychological adaption in the delinquent juvenile in both fields (self-conception and the self-adaption) were in favour of the family with high income more than that of law income .

Prediction of Youth and Adult Recidivism Among Spanish Juveniles Involved in Serious Offenses

This study analyzes the predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) for youth and adult recidivism in a Spanish juvenile sample. Participants’ age ranged between 14 and 18.09 years old ( N = 264) and 82% were boys and all had been sentenced to probation and custody centers. Data on juvenile and young adult recidivism were collected for the sample with mean follow-up periods of 13.74 and 20.19 months, respectively. The area under the curve, Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression survival analyses were each conducted to check for predictive validity. The findings demonstrated that the YLS/CMI is able to predict recidivism in both the juvenile period and the emerging adult period in a different cultural context. Prior Offenses and Education/Employment emerged as significant predictors for youth and young adult recidivism. The entire YLS/CMI is therefore an effective tool for risk classification in a different cultural sample.

History of abuse and neglect and their associations with mental health in rescued child labourers in Nepal

Objectives: Little is known about rates of childhood maltreatment in low-income countries, particularly among marginalised sectors of society. Economic hardships mean that in such countries, many children and young people are exploited in the labour force and/or are trafficked, placing them at greater risk for being exposed to other forms of maltreatment. Cultural norms endorsing the use of physical and emotional acts to discipline children further exacerbate this risk. Here, we assessed the rates of childhood victimisation experiences and associated mental health problems in Nepalese youth rescued from illegal child labour including trafficking. Methods: One hundred and three young people aged 12–18 years living in out-of-home care institutions and rescued from child labour/trafficking completed translated versions of selected modules from the Juvenile Victimisation Questionnaire, the Youth Inventory and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Care-home employees responsible for looking after the young people completed the Adolescent Symptom Inventory and the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Analysis described maltreatment frequencies and compared individuals who had and had not experienced any form of maltreatment on the presence/absence of psychiatric diagnoses. Results: Seventy-two percent of participants experienced some form of maltreatment in their lifetime. Rates for each maltreatment type were 46.6% for physical abuse, 40.77% for emotional abuse, 27.2% for sexual abuse and 33% for neglect. Symptoms indicative of anxiety disorders and trauma were commonly reported especially in victims of childhood maltreatment. Conclusions: Our estimates of physical abuse in this at-risk juvenile sample were commensurate to those reported in general-population youth samples in Nepal, but sexual and emotional abuse rates were somewhat lower. The potential presence of anxiety and trauma in this sample that may result from maltreatment requires replication, but underscores an urgent need for routine mental health screening in rescued child labourers during rehabilitation efforts.

HUMOR STYLES IN SOCIALLY MALADJUSTED GIRLS AND BOYS: A RESILIENCE PERSPECTIVE

Resilience-concept-driven research of humor in socially maladjusted youth has been prompted by an urgent need to redefine Poland’s crisis-ridden rehabilitation system, through embracing rehabilitative theories and practices inspired by new frameworks and related modern intervention models. The paper presents a research project aimed at encouraging rehabilitation researchers, theoreticians, and practitioners to engage with humor as a “site of resistance” that offers juveniles a springboard to achieve expected levels of social adjustment. The study aims to identify and compare humor styles in socially maladjusted girls (n1 = 56)and boys (n2 = 72). The research problem included the level (intensity) and gender-related differences in particular humor types (styles) across the juvenile sample. The research tool involved an adaption of the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ). The findings suggest a greater intensity of adaptive rather than non-adaptive humor styles in both studied subsets of the sample. Furthermore, a statistically significant gender-related difference was found for self-defeating humor, with significantly higher scores in girls than in boys (p < 0.05). Although the findings do not confirm the research hypotheses conclusively, they shed light on the viability of using humor in juvenile rehabilitation and thus, encourage further systematic research in this area.

The Index Manic Episode in Juvenile-Onset Bipolar Disorder: The Pattern of Recovery

Objective: Recent studies of patients with juvenile bipolar disorder report low rates of recovery and high rates of chronicity. However, we lack data on the short-term outcome. This study examines the pattern of recovery from the index episode in an aggressively treated juvenile sample. Method: We assessed 25 subjects (< 16 years) with a diagnosis of mania, using the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-Revised) (DICA-R), Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) at intake and at 3 and 6 months. We studied the time taken to recover from the index episode, the level of functioning, and the factors predicting them. Results: After 6 months, 24 (96%) subjects had recovered from the index manic episode. The median time to recovery was 27 days. Total episode length was significantly longer among those with previous affective episodes. Conclusions: The findings suggest that juvenile-onset mania has high rates of recovery and low rates of chronicity. These differences from the existing literature need further exploration.