Relationship between parenting stress and behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: A mediation effect analysis

BACKGROUND Emotional reactions,such as anxiety,irritability,and aggressive behavior,have attracted clinical attention as behavioral and emotional problems in preschool-age children.AIM To investigate the current status of family rearing,parental stress,and behavioral and emotional problems of preschool children and to analyze the mediating effect of the current status of family rearing on parental stress and behavioral/emo-tional problems.METHODS We use convenience sampling to select 258 preschool children in the physical examination center of our hospital from October 2021 to September 2023.The children and their parents were evaluated using a questionnaire survey.Pearson's correlation was used to analyze the correlation between child behavioral and emotional problems and parental stress and family rearing,and the structural equation model was constructed to test the mediating effect.RESULTS The score for behavioral/emotional problems of 258 preschool children was(27.54±3.63),the score for parental stress was(87.64±11.34),and the score for parental family rearing was(31.54±5.24).There was a positive correlation between the behavioral and emotional problems of the children and the“hostile/mandatory”parenting style;meanwhile,showed a negative correlation with the“support/participation”parenting style(all P<0.05).The intermediary effect value between the family upbringing of parents in parental stress and children's behavior problems was 29.89%.CONCLUSION Parental family upbringing has a mediating effect between parental stress and behavioral and emotional problems of children.Despite paying attention to the behavioral and emotional problems of preschool-age children,clinical medical staff should provide correct and reasonable parenting advice to their parents to promote the mental health of preschool-age children.

Association of preschool children behavior and emotional problems with the parenting behavior of both parents

BACKGROUND Parental behaviors are key in shaping children’s psychological and behavioral development,crucial for early identification and prevention of mental health issues,reducing psychological trauma in childhood.AIM To investigate the relationship between parenting behaviors and behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.METHODS From October 2017 to May 2018,7 kindergartens in Ma’anshan City were selected to conduct a parent self-filled questionnaire-Health Development Survey of Preschool Children.Children’s Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire(Parent Version)was applied to measures the children’s behavioral and emotional performance.Parenting behavior was evaluated using the Parental Behavior Inventory.Binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the detection rate of preschool children’s behavior and emotional problems and their parenting behaviors.RESULTS High level of parental support/participation was negatively correlated with conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal total difficulty scores and abnormal prosocial behavior problems.High level of maternal support/participation was negatively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms and abnormal peer interaction in children.High level of parental hostility/coercion was positively correlated with abnormal emotional symptoms,abnormal conduct problems,abnormal hyperactivity,abnormal peer interaction,and abnormal total difficulty scores in children(all P<0.05).Moreover,paternal parenting behaviors had similarly effects on behavior and emotional problems of preschool children compared with maternal parenting behaviors(all P>0.05),after calculating ratio of odds ratio values.CONCLUSION Our study found that parenting behaviors are associated with behavioral and emotional issues in preschool children.Overall,the more supportive or involved the parents are,the fewer behavioral and emotional problems the children experience;conversely,the more hostile or controlling the parents are,the more behavioral and emotional problems the children face.Moreover,the impact of fathers’parenting behaviors on preschool children’s behavior and emotions is no less significant than that of mothers’parenting behaviors.

Linking 24-h Movement Behavior Guidelines to Cognitive Difficulties,Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Preterm Youth

Background:Given the heightened risk of developmental challenges associated with preterm birth,it is crucial to explore interventions that may ameliorate potential adverse outcomes.This study aimed to examine whether meeting the 24-h movement behavior(24-HMB)guidelines,which include recommendations on physical activity(PA),screen time(ST),and sleep(SL),is related to indicators of cognitive difficulties,internalizing problems(e.g.,depression and anxiety),and externalizing problems(e.g.,difficulties in making friends and arguing)in a sample of preterm youth(children and adolescents born preterm).Methods:In this cross-sectional study,data from 3410 preterm youth(aged 6 to 17 years)were included for data analyses.Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate associations between meeting the 24-HMB guidelines and the above-mentioned health outcomes,while controlling for sociodemographic and health-related factors.Results:The prevalence of meeting 24-HMB guidelines varied across independent and integrated components of the 24-HMB guidelines.Meeting the ST guideline alone(p<0.05)and integrated guidelines(i.e.,ST+SL and ST+SL+PA)were associated with fewer cognitive difficulties and reduced internalizing and externalizing problems(p<0.05).Specifically,meeting the SL guideline alone and integrated guidelines(i.e.,SL+ST)were associated with lower odds of depression and anxiety(p<0.01).Additionally,meeting independent,and integrated(PA and/or ST)guidelines were associated with less pronounced difficulties in making friends and arguing(p<0.05).Meeting 24-HMB guidelines in an isolated and integrated manner are linked to better cognitive performance and fewer internalizing and externalizing problems in preterm youth.Conclusion:Results suggest that advocating for the implementation of the 24-HMB guidelines may reduce cognitive challenges and behavioral issues,which is of high relevance for improving public health.Future longitudinal studies in preterm youth should investigate how modifying specific 24-HMB behaviors,especially ST,influence cognitive difficulties,internalizing and externalizing problems in this vulnerable population.

Unveiling the brain’s symphony:exploring the necessity and sufficiency of neural networks in behavior control

Since the pioneering work by Broca and Wernicke in the 19th century,who examined individuals with brain lesions to associate them with specific behaviors,it was evident that behaviors are complex and cannot be fully attributable to specific brain areas alone.Instead,they involve connectivity among brain areas,whether close or distant.At that time,this approach was considered the optimal way to dissect brain circuitry and function.These pioneering efforts opened the field to explore the necessity or sufficiency of brain areas in controlling behavior and hence dissecting brain function.However,the connectivity of the brain and the mechanisms through which various brain regions regulate specific behaviors,either individually or collaboratively,remain largely elusive.Utilizing animal models,researchers have endeavored to unravel the necessity or sufficiency of specific brain areas in influencing behavior;however,no clear associations have been firmly established.

Effect of Nb-V microalloying on the hot deformation behavior of medium Mn steels

The influence of Nb-V microalloying on the hot deformation behavior and microstructures of medium Mn steel(MMS)was investigated by uniaxial hot compression tests.By establishing the constitutive equations for simulating the measured flow curves,we successfully constructed deformation activation energy(Q)maps and processing maps for identifying the region of flow instability.We concluded the following consequences of Nb-V alloying for MMS.(i)The critical strain increases and the increment diminishes with the increasing deformation temperature,suggesting that NbC precipitates more efficiently retard dynamic recrystallization(DRX)in MMS compared with solute Nb.(ii)The deformation activation energy of MMS is significantly increased and even higher than that of some reported high Mn steels,suggesting that its ability to retard DRX is greater than that of the high Mn content.(iii)The hot workability of MMS is improved by narrowing the hot processing window for the unstable flow stress,in which fine recrystallized and coarse unrecrystallized grains are present.

Understanding the local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys via machine learning potential

The local structure and thermophysical behavior of Mg-La liquid alloys were in-depth understood using deep potential molecular dynamic(DPMD) simulation driven via machine learning to promote the development of Mg-La alloys. The robustness of the trained deep potential(DP) model was thoroughly evaluated through several aspects, including root-mean-square errors(RMSEs), energy and force data, and structural information comparison results;the results indicate the carefully trained DP model is reliable. The component and temperature dependence of the local structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy was analyzed. The effect of Mg content in the system on the first coordination shell of the atomic pairs is the same as that of temperature. The pre-peak demonstrated in the structure factor indicates the presence of a medium-range ordered structure in the Mg-La liquid alloy, which is particularly pronounced in the 80at% Mg system and disappears at elevated temperatures. The density, self-diffusion coefficient, and shear viscosity for the Mg-La liquid alloy were predicted via DPMD simulation, the evolution patterns with Mg content and temperature were subsequently discussed, and a database was established accordingly. Finally, the mixing enthalpy and elemental activity of the Mg-La liquid alloy at 1200 K were reliably evaluated,which provides new guidance for related studies.

Machine Learning Techniques in Predicting Hot Deformation Behavior of Metallic Materials

In engineering practice,it is often necessary to determine functional relationships between dependent and independent variables.These relationships can be highly nonlinear,and classical regression approaches cannot always provide sufficiently reliable solutions.Nevertheless,Machine Learning(ML)techniques,which offer advanced regression tools to address complicated engineering issues,have been developed and widely explored.This study investigates the selected ML techniques to evaluate their suitability for application in the hot deformation behavior of metallic materials.The ML-based regression methods of Artificial Neural Networks(ANNs),Support Vector Machine(SVM),Decision Tree Regression(DTR),and Gaussian Process Regression(GPR)are applied to mathematically describe hot flow stress curve datasets acquired experimentally for a medium-carbon steel.Although the GPR method has not been used for such a regression task before,the results showed that its performance is the most favorable and practically unrivaled;neither the ANN method nor the other studied ML techniques provide such precise results of the solved regression analysis.

Increased excitatory amino acid transporter 2 levels in basolateral amygdala astrocytes mediate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behavior

The conventional perception of astrocytes as mere supportive cells within the brain has recently been called into question by empirical evidence, which has revealed their active involvement in regulating brain function and encoding behaviors associated with emotions.Specifically, astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala have been found to play a role in the modulation of anxiety-like behaviors triggered by chronic stress. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms by which basolateral amygdala astrocytes regulate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behaviors remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we found that in a mouse model of anxiety triggered by unpredictable chronic mild stress, the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 was upregulated in the basolateral amygdala. Interestingly, our findings indicate that the targeted knockdown of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically within the basolateral amygdala astrocytes was able to rescue the anxiety-like behavior in mice subjected to stress. Furthermore, we found that the overexpression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, whether achieved through intracranial administration of excitatory amino acid transporter 2agonists or through injection of excitatory amino acid transporter 2-overexpressing viruses with GfaABC1D promoters, evoked anxiety-like behavior in mice. Our single-nucleus RNA sequencing analysis further confirmed that chronic stress induced an upregulation of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically in astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala. Moreover, through in vivo calcium signal recordings, we found that the frequency of calcium activity in the basolateral amygdala of mice subjected to chronic stress was higher compared with normal mice.After knocking down the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, the frequency of calcium activity was not significantly increased, and anxiety-like behavior was obviously mitigated. Additionally, administration of an excitatory amino acid transporter 2 inhibitor in the basolateral amygdala yielded a notable reduction in anxiety level among mice subjected to stress. These results suggest that basolateral amygdala astrocytic excitatory amino acid transporter 2 plays a role in in the regulation of unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced anxiety-like behavior by impacting the activity of local glutamatergic neurons, and targeting excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala holds therapeutic promise for addressing anxiety disorders.

Psycho-cognitive behavioral problems in sleep disordered children

Sleep disturbances are common in childhood and adolescence. Sleep problems in early infants tend to be persistent and prominent in preschool and school-aged children. Chronic sleep disorders, especially in young children may lead to neurobehavioral problems and psycho-cognitive impairment. Sleep difficulties may be the result of underlying medical conditions, （breathing disorders） or psychological problems. Research studies have shown the association between sleep disorders and day time cognitive impairment, behavioral problems, poor school performance and inattention in children. Appropriate diagnosis and early management of sleep disorders in children lead to improvement of neurocognitive function and behavioral problems in these children.

NUMERICAL METHOD OF MIXED FINITE VOLUME-MODIFIED UPWIND FRACTIONAL STEP DIFFERENCE FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE TRANSIENT BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

Transient behavior of three-dimensional semiconductor device with heat conduc- tion is described by a coupled mathematical system of four quasi-linear partial differential equations with initial-boundary value conditions. The electric potential is defined by an ellip- tic equation and it appears in the following three equations via the electric field intensity. The electron concentration and the hole concentration are determined by convection-dominated diffusion equations and the temperature is interpreted by a heat conduction equation. A mixed finite volume element approximation, keeping physical conservation law, is used to get numerical values of the electric potential and the accuracy is improved one order. Two con- centrations and the heat conduction are computed by a fractional step method combined with second-order upwind differences. This method can overcome numerical oscillation, dispersion and decreases computational complexity. Then a three-dimensional problem is solved by computing three successive one-dimensional problems where the method of speedup is used and the computational work is greatly shortened. An optimal second-order error estimate in L2 norm is derived by using prior estimate theory and other special techniques of partial differential equations. This type of mass-conservative parallel method is important and is most valuable in numerical analysis and application of semiconductor device.

ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR FOR A CLASS OF ELLIPTICEQUIVALUED SURFACE BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEM WITH DISCONTINUOUS INTERFACE CONDITIONS

Spontaneous potential well-logging is one of the important techniques in petroleum exploitation. A spontaneous potential satisfies an elliptic equivalued surface boundary value problem with discontinuous interface conditions. In practice, the measuring electrode is so small that we can simplify the corresponding equivalued surface to a point. In this paper, we give a positive answer to this approximation process:when the equivalued surface shrinks to a point, the solution of the original equivalued surface boundary value problem converges to the solution of the corresponding limit boundary value problem.

THE ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTION FOR THE SINGULARLY PERTURBED INITIAL BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS OF THE REACTION DIFFUSION EQUATIONS IN A PART OF DOMAIN

A class of singularly perturbed initial boundary value problems for the reaction diffusion equations in a part of domain are considered. Using the operator theory the asymptotic behavior of solution for the problems is studied.

Emotional and Behavioral Problems of Left-Behind Children in Impoverished Rural China:A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study of First Grade Junior High School

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems and related factors of left-behind children in impoverished rural China(mainly in thefirst grade of junior high school).Methods:A cross-sectional survey of rural households in 27 poverty-stricken counties in 12 provinces across China was conducted using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire(SDQ).Results:The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in left-behind children was 11.7%,and that of non-left-behind children was 8.9%.There was statistical difference between the two groups(P<0.01).There are no differences between the two groups in terms of the various factors of SDQ.The incidence of insomnia in the left-behind group was 58.3%,which was higher than that in the non-left-behind group 50.9%(P<0.01);loneliness(62.1%vs.51.8%,P<0.01);running away from home(23.1%vs.18.8%,P<0.01),and self-injury behavior(16.8%vs.12.2%,P<0.01).Left-behind children are more likely to have negative psychological feelings including insomnia,loneliness,self-injury,and run away from home.They also experienced more bullying including maliciously teased by peers,intentionally excluded or isolated,physically threatened or intimidated.All of these factors are associated with their abnormal emotional and behavioural development.Conclusion:The incidence of emotional and behavioral problems of left-behind children in rural areas in poverty-stricken areas is significantly higher than that of non-left-behind children;Logistic regression analysis showed that bullying behavior and abnormal psychological characteristics are significantly associated with left-behind adolescents abnormal emotional and behavioral development.

Prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in Herat City,Afghanistan

Background:The prevalence of pediatric mental illnesses has been increasing in recent years,with a great potential to impact on individual's functionality and adaptation in adulthood.Objective:This study aims to assess emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in Herat City of Afghanistan.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted on schoolchildren(grade 5-10),between September and November 2021.Sociodemographic data was collected using a paper-based 14-item structured questionnaire.Data on emotional and behavioral problems was collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire(SDQ)based on teachers'and children's report.Statistical analyses were performed in IBM SPSS Statistics(version 27).Results:A total of 418 students,including 190(45.5%)males and 228(54.5%)females with a mean age of 14.1±1.7(11-<18)years were included in the study.The prevalence of students*self-reported total difficulties and prosocial problem were 5.7%and 1.2%,respectively.An insignificant difference was observed between mean total difficulties scores between students'self-reported and teachers'reported SDQ.Gender,grade,concern about shortage of food,and concern about losing house were significantly predicting students'self-reported total difficulties scores.Conclusion:This is the first study to report the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among schoolchildren in Herat City,Afghanistan.This,together with relevant global literature,highlight the need to address pediatric mental health,and provide services aimed at preventing,and treating children with these prob­lems around the world.

THE ASYMPTOTIC BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTION FOR THE SINGULARLY PERTURBED INITIAL BOUNDARY VALUE PROBLEMS OF THE REACTION DIFFUSION EQUATIONS IN A PART OF DOMAIN

A class of singularly perturbed initial boundary value problems for the reaction diffusion equations in a part of domain are considered. Using the operator theory the asymptotic behavior of solution for the problems is studied.

The Relationship between Problem Behavior and Neurotransmitter Deficiency in Adolescents

This study examined the association of problem behavior with neurotransmitter deficiency in adolescents,which would provide new insights into behavioral problems.A total of 1259 students of the seventh grade from 4 middle schools in Wuhan city located in the central China were recruited.With the approval of school and parents,they were invited to complete the Youth Self-Report (YSR) questionnaire and Symptom Scale of Neurotransmitter Deficiency (SSND) questionnaire.Pearson’s bivariate correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between each subscale of YSR and SSND ranged from 0.24 to 0.61 with all P【0.01.Canonical correlation analysis indicated that anxiety/depression was interrelated with insufficiency of GABA and 5-HT;aggressive behavior was associated with inadequate GABA;famine of DA influenced the attention problems.It was concluded that neurotransmitter deficiency may cause a series of behavioral and mental problems.

Global Existence and Large Time Asymptotic Behavior of Strong Solution to the Cauchy Problem of 2D Density-Dependent Boussinesq Equations with Vacuum

We dedicate to the 2D density-dependent nonhomogeneous incompressible Boussinesq equations with vacuum on . At infinity, if the attenuation of initial density and temperature is not very slow. And it is gained that there is a global strong solution and is unique for the 2D Cauchy problem with the initial density which can allow vacuum conditions and even have compact support. Besides, the large time decay rates of the gradients of velocity, temperature and pressure can also be obtained which are also the same as those of the homogeneous case.

Impact of parenting styles on preschoolers’behaviors

In this editorial,I comment on the article“Association of preschool children behavior and emotional problems with the parenting behavior of both parents”which was published in the latest issue of“World Journal of Clinical Cases”that demonstrates the prevalence of behavioral disorders in preschool children.Therefore I am focused on parenting which is the most effective factor shown to affect the development and continuity of these behaviors.The management of child behavior problems is crucial.Children in early ages,especially preschoolers who are in the first 5 years of life,are influenced by dramatic changes in various aspects of development,such as social,emotional,and physical.Also,children experience many changes linked to different developmental tasks,such as discovering themselves,getting new friendships,and adapting to a new environment.In this period,parents have a critical role in supporting child development.If parents do not manage and overcome their child’s misbehavior,it could be transformed into psychosocial problems in adulthood.Parenting is the most powerful predictor in the social development of preschool children.Several studies have shown that to reduce the child’s emotional and behavioral problems,a warm relationship between parents and children is needed.In addition,recent studies have demonstrated significant relationships between family regulation factors and parenting,as well as with child behaviors.

STUDY ON INTELLIGENT DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS OF IRON－DEFICIENT SCHOOL CHILDREN

we studied a sample or 433 school children aged 6～14 years with double-blind, placebocontrol.Children Behavior Checklist (CBCL),Conner's questionnaire in all sample and WISC-CR intelligent test in part of it were performed.The study aimed to explore the behavioral and intelligent effects or iron deficiency on school children. The results showed:in the children with poor intellgent quotien (IQ) tested by WISC-CR serum ferritin level was significantly lower than that in the children with normal to (P<0. 01);with analysis or stepwise multiple regression for behavioral problem of children, serum ferritin (SF),free erythroyte protoporphyrin (FEP) and hemoglobin (HB) were taken into the equation suggesting that iron-dericient biochemical index had significant effect on behavioral problem or school children. With factor analysis of Conner's questionnaire, different factor structure between the iron-deficient and normal group was revealed. Therefore,irondeficient group had higher learning problem than normal group.After treatment using iron dextran the differences in the learning problem between the two groups disappeared.

Relationship between Parent-Child Attachment and Problem Behaviors among Chinese Firstborn Children in Family Transitions: A Meta-Analysis

The implementation of China’s three-child fertility policy has led to a notable increase in multiple-child families.Notably,firstborn children experience a significant transition from being an only child to a non-only child.This transition is associated with problematic behaviors,affecting their social adjustment,sibling relationships,and family harmony.Although several studies have examined the relationship between parent-child attachment and problem behaviors exhibited byfirstborn children during family transitions,thefindings have been inconsistent.Hence,a meta-analytic study was undertaken to elucidate the inconsistencies in this relationship and explore the moderating factors that may contribute to these discrepancies.Using a systematic literature retrieval and screening method,12 effect sizes were derived from the 10 eligible articles,encompassing a sample size of 5319.The meta-analysis demonstrated a low negative association between parent-child secure attachment and problem behaviors exhibited byfirstborn children during family transitions.Furthermore,the present study investigates potential moderator factors,such as children’s age and geographic region,to gain a more nuanced understanding of the relationship.Consequently,the establishment of parent-child attachment relationships has the potential to mitigate problem behaviors observed infirst-born children during family transitions.The implications of thesefindings indicate that parents can nurture secure attachment bonds with their children by demonstrating sensitive responsiveness,employing positive parenting practices,and fostering emotional availability.These efforts contribute to the cultivation of secure internal working models and positive behavioral manifestations withinfirst-born children,which in turn affect their relationships with siblings.