Violence and Latin‐American preadolescents: A study of social brain function and cortisol levels

The present study investigated exposure to violence and its association with brain function and hair cortisol concentrations in Latin‐American preadolescents. Self‐reported victimization scores (JVQ‐R2), brain imaging (fMRI) indices for a social cognition task (the ‘eyes test’), and hair cortisol concentrations were investigated, for the first time, in this population. The eyes test is based on two conditions: attributing mental state or sex to pictures of pairs of eyes (Baron‐Cohen, Wheelwright, Hill, Raste, & Plumb, 2001). The results showed an association among higher victimization scores and (a) less activation of posterior temporoparietal right‐hemisphere areas, in the mental state condition only (including right temporal sulcus and fusiform gyrus); (b) higher functional connectivity indices for the Amygdala and Right Fusiform Gyrus (RFFG) pair of brain regions, also in the mental state condition only; (c) higher hair cortisol concentrations. The results suggest more exposure to violence is associated with significant differences in brain function and connectivity. A putative mechanism of less activation in posterior right‐hemisphere regions and of synchronized Amygdala: RFFG time series was identified in the mental state condition only. The results also suggest measurable effects of exposure to violence in hair cortisol concentrations, which contribute to the reliability of self‐reported scores by young adolescents. The findings are discussed in light of the effects of exposure to violence on brain function and on social‐cognitive development in the adolescent brain. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHcXq7Y9PBk     

Mother-child emotional availability in ecological perspective: three countries, two regions, two genders

This study used a cross-national framework to examine country, region, and gender differences in emotional availability (EA), a prominent index of mutual socioemotional adaptation in the parent-child dyad. Altogether 220 Argentine, Italian, and U.S. mothers and their daughters and sons from both rural and metropolitan areas took part in home observations when the children were 20 months old. In terms of country, Italian mothers were more sensitive and optimally structuring, and Italian children were more responsive and involving, than Argentine and U.S. dyads. In terms of region, rural mothers were more intrusive than metropolitan mothers, and boys from metropolitan areas were more responsive than boys from rural areas. In terms of gender, mothers of girls were more sensitive and optimally structuring than mothers of boys, and daughters were more responsive and involving than sons. Understanding how country, region, and gender influence EA exposes forces that shape child development, parent-infant interaction, and family systems.     

Automatic verification of multi-agent systems by model checking via ordered binary decision diagrams

We present a methodology for the verification of multi-agent systems, whose properties are specified by means of a modal logic that includes a temporal, an epistemic, and a modal operator to reason about correct behaviour of agents. The verification technique relies on model checking via ordered binary decision diagrams. We present an implementation and report on experimental results for two scenarios: the bit transmission problem with faults and the protocol of the dining cryptographers.     

Cultural Differences in Physical Contact Between Hispanic and Anglo Mother–Infant Dyads Living in the United States

This is a study of differences in physical contact and tactile interpersonal behaviours between Hispanic and Anglo mothers and infants living in the United States. Infants were 9 months old and 52 mother–infant dyads, 26 Hispanic and 26 Anglo, were videotaped during free play without toys in a university laboratory playroom. Coders judged the interpersonal distance, physical contact and affectionate touch from the videotapes and mothers responded to a questionnaire about the importance of physical contact and affectionate touch in their relationship with their infant. From questionnaire data we found that Hispanic and Anglo mothers both touch their infants on a daily basis, although Hispanic mothers report touching more frequently, being more affectionate with their infants and having more skin-to-skin contact. From videotaped observations we found that there were no overall differences in mother–infant touch between the two cultures; however, the Hispanic mothers showed more close touch and more close and affectionate touch compared to Anglo mothers, who showed more distal touch. The results are discussed in terms of the role of touch in infant development and cultural differences in the evaluation of close physical contact and touch.     

Ferenczi's Clinical and Theoretical Conception of Trauma: A Brief Introductory Map

In this paper, I am going to limit myself to tracing a map of the principal points in Ferenczi's thinking concerning trauma. Ferenczi's contribution to trauma theory is fundamental, even though up to today--in spite of the recent "Ferenczian Renaissance"--it still remains for many psychoanalysts simply not acknowledged and not considered and, when it is acknowledged and considered, it is frequently misunderstood or reported only in part. Perhaps this is because passages of his theory are extrapolated without knowing his entire clinical theoretical way or because he is quoted through others without the authors having personally read his work. These last ones are typical habits, as we know, to project one's own ideas, especially our prejudices.