Attachment Security and Cortical Activity Measured by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy During a Working Memory Task in Healthy Young Adults.

Introduction: Attachment style has been associated with socio-emotional outcomes, however little evidence suggests a possible association with executive functioning. Few studies have demonstrated that attachment style mediates working memory and learning relationships. We hypothesized that attachment style affects performance and cortical activity patterns of working memory. Methods: We compared working memory performance and cortical activity in securely and insecurely attached first-year college students (N=49) using three n-back task conditions. Cortical activity was recorded by functional near-infrared spectroscopy during these three conditions of the n-back task. Attachment style was assessed using the Relationship Scale Questionnaire, categorized into four groups. Results: Both study groups showed similar working memory performance. The cortical representation of working memory was different between the two groups. The securely attached group demonstrated higher activity in the right superior frontal and superior-medial frontal areas across all n-back conditions as well as in the right superior frontal cortex during the two-back and three-back conditions. The insecurely attached group displayed higher activity in the bilateral supplementary motor area and the left premotor area only during the three-back condition. Conclusion: These findings emphasize the potential influence of attachment style on the cortical representation of working memory. Different activity maps between the two groups may reflect varying cognitive strategies employed to achieve a comparable working memory performance. Moreover, these results suggest that each style may have a distinct strategy to achieve attachment-relevant and irrelevant neurocognitive tasks.

Attachment Style Predicts Cortical Activity in Temporoparietal Junction (TPJ): An fNIRS Study Using a Theory of Mind (ToM) Task in Healthy University Students.

Results of the behavioral studies suggest that attachment styles may have an enduring effect upon theory of mind (ToM). However biological underpinnings of this relationship are unclear. Here, we compared securely and insecurely attached first grade university students (N = 56) in terms of cortical activity measured by 52 channel Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the Reading the Mind from the Eyes Test (RMET). The control condition involved gender identification via the same stimuli. We found that the ToM condition evoked higher activity than the control condition particularly in the right hemisphere. We observed higher activity during the ToM condition relative to the control condition in the secure group (SG), whereas the overall cortical activity evoked by the two conditions was indistinguishable in the insecure group (ISG). Higher activity was observed in channels corresponding to right superior temporal and adjacent parietal cortices in the SG relative to the ISG during the ToM condition. Dismissive attachment scores were negatively correlated with activity in channels that correspond to right superior temporal cortex. These results suggest that attachment styles do have an effect on representation of ToM in terms of cortical activity in late adolescence. Particularly, dismissive attachment is represented by lower activity in the right superior temporal cortex during ToM, which might be related to weaker social need and habitual unwillingness for closeness among this group of adolescents.

Cyberbullying: relationship with developmental variables and cyber victimization.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cyberbullying is increasingly turning into a significant problem for children and adolescents due to its adverse psychological and academic outcomes. In the present study, the protective and risk factors for cyberbullying has been investigated. One of the aims of the study was to examine the relationship between peer relations, negative emotion regulation strategies, and cyberbullying. The successful identity development process is thought to influence both cyberbullying behaviors as well as adolescents' peer relations and emotion regulation. Also, cyber victimization is seen as a risk factor for cyberbullying. The second aim of the study is to investigate the causal relationship between cyber victimization and cyberbullying. METHOD: The study is a descriptive research in which both cross-sectional and longitudinal data were used. In the cross-sectional part of the study, 1,151 adolescents have participated, and the data of the second wave was obtained from 322 of them four months later. Data were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical regression analyses. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: According to the results of SEM, good peer relations predicted less cyberbullying. The expressive repression explained the cyberbullying through peer relationships. For identity development, contrary to expectations, commitment dimension of identity seemed to be positively related to more cyberbullying and so did higher reconsideration of commitment. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed that Time 1 cyber victimization predicted Time 2 cyberbullying. Given the pattern of cross-lagged relationships, it was tentatively inferred that cyber victimization was the temporal precursor to cyberbullying. The results of the study have implications for the prevention of cyberbullying.

Single Chain Polymeric Nanoparticles as Selective Hydrophobic Reaction Spaces in Water.

A Ru(II)-based catalyst trapped within an amphiphilic, folded polymer is employed for the oxidation of secondary alcohols to their corresponding ketones using tBuOOH as the oxidant. Under the applied catalytic conditions, the polymer catalyst forms a compartmentalized structure with a hydrophobic interior. We selected secondary alcohols that differ in hydrophobicity, reactivity, and steric hindrance as substrates, with the aim to elucidate how this affects the rate and the end conversion of the oxidation reaction. Our investigations show that the Ru(II)-based catalyst is very efficient for oxidation reactions in water. Moreover, high selectivity toward the more hydrophobic substrate is observed, which originates from the hydrophobic interior of the compartmentalized catalyst system. This hydrophobic selectivity is also observed in the reverse reaction, the transfer hydrogenation.

Traditional toys in Turkey: comparision in a rural and urban setting

A interação entre crianças e adultos em atividades lúdicas cria possibilidades para trocas espontâneas e necessárias de influências e para o desenvolvimento de sentimentos recíprocos. O objetivo principal deste estudo foi traçar um panorama da atual presença de brinquedos tradicionais, comparando cenários urbanos e rurais, - uma aldeia de montanha e o centro da cidade de Bursa (Anatólia de Noroeste), Turquia. Pesquisaram-se se brinquedos industrializados eram vendidos nas aldeias e como as crianças dela reagiram a esta mudança. Os dados foram coletados através de entrevistas nos domicílios dos participantes e as respostas registradas com a permissão dos pais. As entrevistas passaram por análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que os brinquedos feitos a mão estão em via de extinção, até nas aldeias, o que deve ser causado pela produção de imitações de brinquedos originais a preços baratos, mas também, pelo aspecto atraente dos brinquedos modernos, que têm um grande impacto.(AU)

Tradicional toys in Turkey: comparison in a rural and urban setting / Brinquedos tradicionais na Turquia: comparação entre cenários rurais e urbanos

A interação entre crianças e adultos em atividades lúdicas cria possibilidades para trocas espontâneas e necessárias de influências e para o desenvolvimento de sentimentos positivos recíprocos. O objetivo principal deste estudo foi traçar um panorama da atual presença de brinquedos tradicionais, comparando cenários urbanos e rurais, - uma aldeia de montanha e o centro da cidade de Bursa (Anatólia de Noroeste), Turquia. Pesquisaram-se se brinquedos industrializados eram vendidos nas aldeias e como as crianças dela reagiram a esta mudança. Os dados foram coletados através de entrevistas nos domicílios dos participantes e as respostas registradas com a permissão dos pais. As entrevistas passaram por análise de conteúdo. Os resultados mostram que os brinquedos feitos a mão estão em via de extinção, até nas aldeias, o que deve ser causado pela produção de imitações de brinquedos originais a preços baratos, mas também, pelo aspecto atraente dos brinquedos modernos, que têm um grande impacto.

The interaction between children and adults through playful activities creates possibilities for reciprocal spontaneous and demanded influences and for the development of reciprocal positive feelings. The main aim of this study was to find out the present situation of traditional toys by comparing the rural and urban settings - a mountain village and city center of Bursa (Northwest Anatolia), Turkey. It was questioned, if industrial toys were sold in villages, how village children effected this change. Data was collected by interviews in the houses of the participants, with the answers record permited by the parents. Interviews passed by content analysis. Results show that traditional hand made toys are going to disappear even in villages. This may happen because of the imitations of original toys and their cheap prices but at the same time because of the attractive nature of modern toys have the big impact as well.