Hair cortisol reduction and social integration enhancement after a mindfulness-based intervention in children.

Background: Over recent decades, chronic stress at an early age has become a worrying health problem in children. We seek to evaluate an intervention involving mindfulness-based practices and prosocial activities in 7- to 8-year-old children.

Methods: Stress levels were determined using hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and social integration was measured by means of a sociogram.

Evidence of associative blocking during foraging in the social wasp Vespula germanica.

While foraging, Vespula germanica usually return to abundant food sites. During this relocation behavior, these wasps learn to identify contextual cues associated with food position. We analyzed associative blocking in this species, that is, how an association with a conditioned stimulus (CS1) blocks subsequent learning when a novel stimulus (CS2) is added on a second foraging visit.

Long-term spatial memory in Vespula germanica social wasps: the influence of past experience on foraging behavior.

Social insects exhibit complex learning and memory mechanisms while foraging. Vespula germanica (Fab.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is an invasive social wasp that frequently forages on undepleted food sources, making several flights between the resource and the nest.

Learning in an exotic social wasp while relocating a food source.

In this paper we review several studies on Vespulagermanica behavioral plasticity while relocating a food source in natural environments. This exotic social wasp, which has become established in many parts of the world, displays diverse cognitive abilities when foraging. Given its successful invasiveness worldwide, our initial hypothesis was that this species has great behavioral plasticity, which enables it to face environmental uncertainty.

Stress management in children: a pilot study in 7 to 9 year olds.

Objective: At present, school-age children suffer high levels of chronic stress that could produce potentially long-lasting effects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of mind-body integration practices and cooperative activities on stress levels and social interaction in 7- to 9-year-old children.

Methods: We performed an intervention program once a week during 2 months in which children performed mind-body integration practices and cooperative activities.

The influence of past experience on wasp choice related to foraging behavior.

Memory has been little studied in social wasps. Vespula germanica (Fab.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) frequently revisits nondepleted food sources, making several trips between the resource and the nest.

Cognitive plasticity in foraging Vespula germanica wasps.

Vespula germanica (F.) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) is a highly invasive social wasp that exhibits a rich behavioral repertoire in which learning and memory play a fundamental role in foraging. The learning abilities of these wasps were analyzed while relocating a food source and whether V.

Beneficial effects of human altruism.

In this work we review converging evidence from several lines of research which suggests that altruism in humans can be intrinsically rewarding. Various investigations illustrate how human altruism can have beneficial effects on health and wellbeing. In this contribution we propose a model that includes positive effects of altruism.