Affections and Emotions was identified, together with six subthemes: (1) Creating an affective environment; (2) Being available; (3) Acknowledging and expressing emotions; (4) Perceiving, interpreting and responding adequately to the child’s real self; (5) Taking the child’s perspective into account; and (6) Agreeing on roles and dividing the tasks. In order to showcase the particular configuration of gay parenting, the male-headed family narrative is reported in detail, because gay parents have been perceived as violating traditional gender roles as well as the hegemonic model of masculinity. The findings were consistent with the notion of quality of care as proposed by Ainsworth and her collaborators. The implications of the methodological device and research regarding same-sex planned families are discussed so as to understand the organization of the caregiving environment.The aim of this research was to explore the elements that configure the quality of care among three Mexican same-sex planned families: two female-parented families (through donor insemination) and a male-parented one (through adoption). The first family consisted of two mothers and a 3-year-old daughter; the second one had two mothers and a 1.5-year-old set of boy twins and the third family consisted of two fathers and a 2-year-old girl. It was assumed that Ainsworth’s notions of quality of care organization are useful in order to understand caregiver–child attachment relationships, regardless of the parents’ sexual orientation. A collective case study was selected due to the fact that these families shared their “unconventionality”  and the fact that they were planned, but each one constituted a particular case with a unique configuration. Four trained independent observers used the q-sort methodology  to describe parents’ and children’s behavior, respectively. The findings showed that parents were highly sensitive and all children used them as a secure base. To provide an in-depth examination of which elements configure the quality of care, a semi-structured interview with each parent was carried out. Through a thematic analysis, an over-arching theme named  In 2003, Mexico’s Federal Law to prevent and eliminate various kinds of discrimination was enacted, facilitating the approval of the Civil Union Act in Mexico City in 2006. These legislative acts paved the conditions for both the 2009’ legalization of same-sex marriage and the possibility of child adoption among same-sex couples, being enforced the following year. Mexico City was the second megalopolis in Latin America to do so after Buenos Aires, Argentina , 2013. ISecretaría de Desarrollo Social), the National Population Council , the National Institute of Statistics and Geography , the Institute for Social Research at the National Autonomous University  and The College of México (El Colegio de México), it was estimated that there were 250,000 same-sex “nuclear families” in Mexico, within which 172,000 (68.8%) had children  may display on all occasions, specific  sensitive behavior seems tailored to the particular situation and condition of the child” , p. 646.quality of care organization are a cornerstone for research on child–caregiver attachment relationships irrespective of parents’ sexual orientation. Research on same-sex planned families enable developmental psychologists to explore particular adaptations of the caregiving behavioral system to different types of family configurations; however, previous studies on same-sex parenting have focused on children’s developmental outcomes, leaving aside naturalistic observations of child–caregiver exchanges since early childhood.Summarizing, Ainsworth’s notions regarding In a meta-analysis of developmental outcomes for children of 564 same-sex and 641 heterosexual parents, the mean age of children represented in the studies was 10.4 years with a range of 5–24 years . In a moOf the studies located in the latter meta-analysis, Comparative studies were necessary to demonstrate that the psychosocial development of children raised by same-sex parents were not negatively affected by their parents’ sexual orientation, and that LG people were as capable at parenting and child caring as heterosexual couples . NeverthThis research utilized a collective case study  as same-1. The only inclusion criteria for study entry were same-sex couples living together with offspring younger than 6 years of age. The NGO representative extended the invitation to the 703 Facebook group members2. Eight same-sex planned families agreed to participate. They were divided into two groups according to the developmental stage of their children: 0- to 3- and 3- to 5-year-olds. Each group had four families. For the present study, only families from the first group were considered. It was not possible to interview one of them; consequently, only three same-sex planned families from an upper-middle socioeconomic status participated under informed consent. Children mean age was 27.3 months old (SD = 8.5); parents mean age was 36 years old (SD = 6.6), with at least a college degree. The first family consisted of two mothers and a 3-year-old daughter (through donor insemination). The second family had two mothers and a 1.5-year-old set of boy twins (through donor insemination). The third family consisted of two fathers and a 2-year-old adopted girl  non-governmental organization (NGO)After initial contact with the couples, each parent was individually observed and videotaped interacting at home with his or her child over a period of 2 h, as previous Ibero-American studies have endorsed e.g., , 2002. MEthical approval for this study was obtained by the first and second author’s university Ethics Committee. Parents were informed that their participation in this study was confidential and provided both verbal and written consent before their participation. Parents’ names presented in this study are pseudonymous, and their identities are anonymous. All performed procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.Since the AQS and the MBQS share the same methodology, it is crucial to understand this research method. The Q-sort methodology features a number of structural and procedural elements that distinguish it from more traditional approaches and make it more apt to produce a comprehensive and meaningful description of the observed interaction . Each inThe observers who collected the data were trained in the use of both Q-sorts (AQS and MBQS separately). Training for each Q-sort consisted of first reading and discussing the meaning of the 90 items. This was followed by three to five practice observations and q-descriptions of parental (MBQS) and child behavior (AQS) during videotaped child–mother interactions at home/park. Trainee observers’ descriptions were compared to those of an expert; an observer was considered trained when she or he obtained an inter-observer reliability with an expert  of at least 0.80 in three practice observations.The MBQS  compriseChildren behavior during interactions with their parents was described using the AQS . It alsoTo provide an in-depth examination of the elements that configure the quality of care, semi-structured interviews  were conr value describing the item-by-item correlation between the sort describing a particular dyad interaction and the aggregate sort of the prototypical secure children (AQS) and/or prototypical sensitive caregiver (MBQS) performed by a group of experts in attachment theory. The MBQS and the AQS were used to describe parents’ and children’s behavior, respectively.The most common measure associated with the q-sort methodology is the Pearson’s Qualitative data  regarding quality of care were analyzed using Thematic Analysis , throughIt was assumed that the analysis of similarities and differences between each family would enable a better understanding of the quality of care organization in same-sex planned families. The first part of the results focuses on the six subthemes that were identified for the three participant planned families. Afterward, the narrative  of the mM = 0.69; M = 0.78; M = 0.58) was also higher than M = 0.32 for Colombia, M = 0.30 for Peru and M = 0.45 for Portugal). This score reflects a smoothly functioning child–parent bond, and that children remarkably used both of their parents as a safety heaven, as well as a base from which to explore their surroundings.The mean score for the MBQS was 0.74  Creating an affective environment; (2) Being available; (3) Acknowledging and expressing emotions; (4) Perceiving, interpreting and responding adequately to the child’s real self; (5) Taking the child’s perspective into account; and (6) Agreeing on roles and dividing the tasks. These subthemes are defined on Table Transcripts were coded without trying to fit into a pre-existing coding frame or analytic preconceptions . On average, 438 inclusive and comprehensive codes were generated for each transcript . Eighteen internally coherent, consistent and distinctive themes were identified. Themes were named and defined by the first, second, third and fourth authors; all relevant extract for each theme were collated and themes were checked against each other and with the original data set. One theme, labeled as The first common element was the importance parents bestow upon making their children feel loved and protected, which was expressed through kissing, hugging, pampering, massaging and tickling, as well as by using tender words or explicit verbalizations: “Flor and I told her the story of how we wanted to have a baby, and how we always wanted her, and how when she was born we were so joyful, and we always are” (Lilia). The importance participants placed on enjoying the interactions and communicating what their son/daughter means to them was also noticed, even only with a gaze: “I kiss her a lot, I hug her whenever I find a chance…I feel she gets me more through eye-gazing so I try, when speaking to her, to look her in the eye, laugh with her” (Lilia).It is through playtime that adults “spoke the language” of the child, and in turn they used their imagination, played roles, and were able to interact more rough-and-tumble with them. Although in this study there is no deeper analysis of the practices and significance of playing, attention is drawn to the fact that playing was not only used as a strategy to divert attention during tantrums, or as something common among children at this age, but above all it was considered as an opportunity to interact, live together and foster the bond.The positive and affective climate was generated not only during play or learning situations, but also in routines such as the nap. For Gabriela, the nap was of upmost importance, as she said that, when skipped, the twins could get in a bad mood. She also tried to “always have milk that is nice and warm,” as well as to “cook for them what they enjoy.” These expressions indicate how she brought significance and care into daily activities that might otherwise seem routine. Gabriela also described how she “shares all kinds of activities with Paulo and Gabriel on a daily basis,” as she “loves to discover her sons’ behaviors.” These mothers clearly illustrated how the hard work that comes with keeping and having daily routines does not prevent them from enjoying the upbringing process. Summarizing, it seems that among participants the premise was as follows: ‘let’s take advantage of every opportunity to show our love and to turn routine into playtime.’Having flexible jobs and schedules was a characteristic of almost all participants whose aim was to be present: “be there” for their children both during play and when enforcing rules. Thanks to their support networks, they managed to share and divide tasks, giving priority to the attention they put on their children. Being available involved more than just a matter of organization; it had to do with undivided attention or the quality time allocated to the children:“If I am playing with her I don’t allow anything to distract me -not using the phone, not doing anything else- as an adult it is very difficult sometimes [but] I feel that being involved with her during playtime is something she values a lot” (Lilia).Creating an affective environment as well as the availability of the caregivers were neither an instinctive behavior nor a consequence of biological motherhood or fatherhood: participants’ stories revealed that it was a choice and a personal decision, and that once it was made it was taken with responsibility and dedication. Even in cases such as Noe or Lilia, who decided to take on the parental role when their partners had already decided to take it by themselves, it became evident how they “fell in love” with the girls . Accordingly, attachment bonds were developed and organized over concrete and ordinary situations, which can be described as patterns. The quality of the caregiving relies upon the continuity of the interactions.Parents were extremely thoughtful and conscious of their own strengths and difficulties about childrearing. They remained alert and vigilant toward their own mood, their couple functioning and any other aspect that they felt could interfere with their family life, as they were aware of how everything may affect the bonding. For instance, when Gabriela got upset and raised her voice, she immediately became conscious of how this impacted the twins (because they made “surprise faces”). So instead of preventing it just for the sake of what should or ought to be, she tried to avoid doing so because she could see Paulo and Gabriel’s reactions: “I don’t like to scare them…I’ve tried to avoid yelling.”In that sense, they were adults who “got in touch with their emotions”; therefore, they taught their children the importance of doing so. Maybe this is the reason why, in general, they were so physical in showing love and worked hard toward creating caring environments. Thus, they were able to accept to themselves and admit to others  the emotions related to family upbringing such as annoyance, anger, fatigue, blame, and frustration, which are often culturally and socially denied .Parents became emotionally tense when enforcing rules and limits. This was reflected in many situations such as dealing with the annoyance that the daughter provoked when throwing the dish on the floor, while at the same time trying to remain firm about the “time out”; not telling the little girl off about not wanting to go to the bathroom, in order not to make her feel bad, while dealing with the frustration this situation generated; wanting to explain the world to the child, but also feeling so tired or stressed that you want to skip the explanation; finding the balance between wanting to prolong the playtime to see the daughter enjoying herself, but remaining strict about the sleep routine so that she gets enough rest; maintaining the balance between “showing too much love and care, and overcoming challenges or setting boundaries.” These statements were taken from the analysis of individual families and are not fully described in this paper. However, it was decided to include some of them, word for word, so as to exemplify the issue being discussed. The first two statements were made by Gerardo and Noe, while the others were made by Flor and Lilia. Regarding the statement “having to explain” to the child, Lilia admitted that she sometimes felt she did not want to explain anything and just wanted to say “because”! The last statements were made by Eugenia and Gabriela.Rules and Norms (another over-arching theme). As Eugenia said: “when Paulo hits, we say no, you don’t do that, or we take him out of the crib,” as both mothers felt annoyed about brothers hitting each other. Therefore, love and care protected them from their own aggression and helped them develop self-regulation.Loving the children and being available for them was not a synonym of denying oneself as a person; on the contrary, it allowed parents to acknowledge their own limits and to show their own emotions in order to teach empathy. As Lilia said: “Julia gives me a kiss when I’m upset.” These examples may well explain why, overall, affective behaviors as an over-arching theme was closely related to Overall, it was important to remain attentive as well as to interpret and respond to the child’s emotions, especially to the negative ones, as they tended to throw the adults off balance. Furthermore, allowing children to express themselves (through crying or tantrums) reflected the parents’ ability to integrate positive and hostile aspects without idealizing their children. Despite this, no parent attributed such behaviors to a personal matter, such as the child’s character or “just because.” This mainly was ascribed to developmental aspects and to the needs that required immediate attention .In regard to how to respond to specific behaviors, the overall agreement seemed to be: ‘depends on what triggered them.’ If it concerned overstepping a limit, then the parents were firm about imposing a consequence. On the other hand, if there were causes that justified the child’s being upset, then the parents diverted the infant’s attention, or simply gave the child some space and respected that feeling. As Lilia stated: “we must understand that Julia feels things… and that it’s not personal,” that is why sometimes they let her cry “as long as she needs to, [trying] to cut her some slack.” The following quotation is a clear example of sensitive parenting:“I try to feel where her crying is coming from, and I sometimes feel that she needs to cry but she needs me to be there too, so I let her cry and try to approach her after some time until I feel she needs comfort and a hug; I try not to be hasty about her calming down, but to try and try physical contact until she welcomes the hug” (Lilia).The repertoire of sensitive responses from the adults related to the development of the concept of knowing their child or children which was differentiated in the family with twins. These mothers’ reports seemed consistent, as they stated that Gabriel was a dominant and gifted child, and that at the beginning they felt that Paulo was developing more slowly, thus it makes sense that during the observation, Eugenia and Gabriela were more attentive toward the latter. This refers to the overall score in the MBQS which for both mothers was higher for Paulo than it was for Gabriel .To take time to explain things to the children indicated that, for the adults, they were worthy of such explanations. For instance, Eugenia explained how she “chatted” with Paulo and Gabriel, stimulating language production, despite the fact that they were too young to speak yet (19 months old), thus treating them as persons capable of having intentions by sharing her day-to-day life with them. It is noteworthy that the limited speaking skills of the twins did not hinder communication and comprehension, and that the interaction patterns were not symmetrical, as it was the adult’s responsibility to stimulate their children. These parents slowly involved their children in simple household chores and tasks, consequently fostering autonomy and self-reliance. There was a clear knowledge of the children’s rights, consistent with their childrearing practices.Behind the quality of care, organized and coordinated couples that agreed, listened to each other, and respected the reached agreements about their children’s upbringing were found. Mothers and fathers took on differentiated duties and prevented a role from falling more onto only one parent, even when sometimes one of the parents was the primary provider of the family, and sometimes the other. Therefore, each one was in charge of taking care of different duties and routines. Both parents acknowledged the importance of their partner’s work and created together a solid ground for their children not only when establishing limits and setting rules, but also in maintaining the family’s main premises: love and care, protection and respect.For example, Eugenia and Gabriela were equally in charge of direct and indirect care, as well as of the teachings, discipline, play and outdoor leisure. It was Gabriela the one who usually fed and drove the children to school, and the one that dealt with their negative behaviors, as it was Eugenia the one who worked on a schedule, which prevented her from being at home more time: them both agreed on these facts. So, the task assignment depended more on the specific work-related situations (as it is within most couples nowadays) and not on the men or women’s roles established within society. Relying on support networks such as family, friends and domestic workers was essential for these couples in order to be able to focus their efforts on what was most important to them: their children.Gerardo had always wished to become a father, but it hadn’t been in Noe’s plans when they first started dating. It cannot be inferred whether the difference in their parenting aspiration echoed in distinctive behaviors toward Karina that reflected in her dissimilar security scores ; however, it suggests that further examination of this relationship in future larger studies would be convenient.Displays affection by touching) and 43 (Kisses baby on head as major mode of expressing affection). Further, they often hugged her, and called her sweet names such as “beautiful” and “princess.”A few months after having started dating, Gerardo and Noe had the opportunity to adopt Karina, and they did; since it was such an early stage in their relationship, it was particularly important that she felt “loved and cared for.” They saw themselves as very loving and eager to display physical contact; these findings were consistent with two characteristic items of their MBQS’s: 38 (Interactions appropriately vigorous and exciting as judged from baby’s responses), item 30  and item 32 (Provides age-appropriate toys) of the MBQS of both parents were also placed on pile 9 “most like,” so this was also evident during the naturalistic observation. Noe stated that when Karina hugged him, he “felt good”; both liked to stay in bed with her after waking up, and made the most out of the daily routines.Love was also displayed in the form of fun activities, such as singing and dancing with her, tickling her and rolling: “I invent songs for her every night and she asks me to sing them” (Noe). Item 6 : “Karina’s circle must be very loving and guarding” (Gerardo); additionally, Noe was interested in Karina “bonding with her cousins and having confidants.” This loving environment was related to certain attributions about her: “Karina is a very happy girl; her personality is a reflection of how loved she feels. She knows that her parents are here to support her in any situation” (Noe). The “being there” was a statement that Gerardo agreed with, as he tried not to miss any moment with his daughter and to “be present” at every developmental milestone: learning to walk, her first words, bladder control, etc.Notices when baby smiles and vocalizes), item 9 , item 12 (Interpret cues correctly as evidenced by baby’s response) and item 60 , which were all “extremely characteristic” in both parents during the observations.It was very important for both parents to figure out Karina’s signals. Gerardo looked for multiple possibilities to infer what was wrong with her when he perceived her different from her “normal”: it could be due to “lack of sleep, hunger or the need to go to the toilet,” so he related the girl’s unrest with physical discomforts. Once the previous hypotheses were disregarded, they showed great difficulty understanding her, or at least her negative behavior . Gerardo said: “there are times that she simply doesn’t want anything and there’s no explanation.” Noe stated: “it’s frustrating not knowing what is wrong; not knowing what triggers it [the tantrum].” He felt quite helpless when he did not understand her. They both put continuous effort into trying to understand what went on with Karina. These data triangulated with the MBQS’s item 5 .Depending on the situation, they respected Karina if she didn’t want to do certain things, because “it is important not to exercise more control than necessary and give her space” (Gerardo). Other times when facing “communication blockages” (in their own words), they resorted to dialog. Noe and Gerardo told Karina: “look, we are not understanding each other, so calm down and we can then talk and see if we can understand each other better.” The uneasiness was not only brought by being unable to understand her, but they also got upset when Karina “Taking into consideration that Karina was barely over 2 years old, it is likely that both parents overestimated the girl’s skills. Even though they remained up-to-date regarding child’s development and parenting aspects, there seemed to be a mismatch regarding the interpretations and expectations of Karina’s negative behaviors. Maybe the girl was showing specific needs through crying but the parents gave the impression of asking her to self-regulate at a very young age. All in all, Noe considered that “as any other child, she cries when she feels her parents’ absence,” and consciously understood that crying was a way of communicating and that separation causes anxiety.no [because] it is the only way for her to communicate right now; as any 2-year-old, it’s normal that she is impatient and demanding…it’s a difficult age.” Noe recognized that “she displays the characteristics of the ‘terrible twos.”’ Interpretations of specific situations such as these were related to wider judgments: Gerardo recognized that a child’s upbringing was an extremely demanding task and he assumed this without denying that “a child makes parents feel energy-depleted and also takes the energy out from the couple.”The tantrum controversy was an iterative issue with both parents, who thought that Karina did “more tantrums than normal,” so they did everything in their power to figure out the causes. Noe thought that she wanted to call their attention, whereas Gerardo considered that it could be due to a physical problem. However, they both referred to her age as being the main reason for “so many tantrums,” so it would seem that, in the end, it was “normal.” Gerardo said: “she draws attention by crying, hitting or just by saying For them, tantrums did not represent the only inadequate behavior to be addressed, as “there are rules that are non-negotiable: do not hit, throw food or cutlery on the floor, or display violence; do brush your teeth and get dressed” (Gerardo). Noe felt irritated by the same behaviors: “throwing the dishes or food onto the floor, and slapping.” They both agreed on the way the tantrums were handled, via a consistent use of “punishment” (Noe) or “time out” (Gerardo). It did not matter who carried out the disciplinary measure: if one did, the other one followed. Another strategy they resorted to was to divert her attention: “when Karina didn’t want to eat, Gerardo drew attention to the bubbles and the tantrum ended” (Noe).Negotiating with Karina was important for both of them, not only as a strategy against the tantrum so that “she feels that she is winning or agreeing” (Gerardo), but also as a way of showing that they took her point of view into consideration. It was very important for the parents to understand Karina: asking her what was wrong or what was bothering her. When faced with a “communication blockage” or when asking her what she wanted or needed, Noe could not identify if “she can’t make herself understood or they don’t understand her.” The fathers admitted that Karina had needs; that communication was a two-way process, and they did not blame her for the lack of understanding. Creating a positive environment for Karina involved recognizing negative emotions in both, the parent and the daughter, in order to treat those with respect. Gerardo was interested in making Karina understand that there were times when he also needed “space” because he was upset, and he expressed it in a very explicit way due to the fact that he considered that the girl needed to learn that “people need a space when they are upset.” This request from father to daughter was associated with what Gerardo gave in return. While Gerardo “feels hurt when Karina gets angry or ignores him” he knows that he is “the adult, and would be foolish not to lower the bar when Karina is angry.”Frequently repeats words carefully and slowly to the baby as if teaching meaning or labeling an activity or object. All of these announcements and narratives acted as important elements for the child to anticipate events , which was characteristic in both parents: e events : as GeraThe need to explain things to Karina was linked to the parents’ concern regarding the future, as “she is a baby girl who can be exposed to discrimination due to her characteristics” (Gerardo), and that might be the reason why he did not want to over protect her, and why he “assigned” her easy house chores in order to encourage independence and autonomy. He allowed her to try to solve certain things by herself even when he knew she wouldn’t be able to, because “Karina is learning to face frustration”; hence, fulfilling all of her wishes and preventing her from getting upset was not among his educational goals. Such autonomy bore fruit and was acknowledged, for example, when Noe described the child as an “independent girl who tries to do her best even though things are not that easy, and she does not act like a spoiled child.” Noe said that both of them “try to involve her in everything: let’s cook, help us, and pass me this or that,” thus the every-day life became playful, shared and full of learning experiences.It stands out how Noe detailed Karina more extensively, during the interview: “she is daring and fearless, but she exercises caution; she knows that when crossing certain streets, she must hold our hand; she is very feminine and active; she’s intelligent and very expressive; when we have guests over, she is somewhat shy, but then she gains trust and likes to draw attention.”The fact that both parents were consistent does not mean that they knew or interacted with Karina in the same way; this can also be observed in any family dynamic, where parental roles are usually differentiated. As Gerardo pointed out, Noe played more the role of the “stay-at-home” parent, whereas he played the role of the “provider.”Even though what being a gay parent means for them was not addressed in this analysis, it can be said that their difficulties and concerns showed the pressure they might feel to be perfect and to prove that they were good parents, mainly because they both were males.The aim of this research was to explore the elements that configure the quality of care among three Mexican same-sex planned families with 0- to 3-year-old children. A collective case study design that comprised two different techniques was chosen. The MBQS and the AQS quantitative scores served as a benchmark for parents’ and children’s behavior, respectively, whilst the qualitative thematic analysis allowed a deepening of meanings and beliefs underlying the quality of care organization in these families. As stated earlier, comparing same-sex planned families with heterosexual-parented families reinforce heteronormativity by using heterosexual families as the ideal. Hence, Ibero-American studies that used the MBQS/AQS were only taken as a point of reference. Each of the three same-sex planned families constituted a particular case with unique processes and challenges  but, at M = 0.58) reflect that children outstandingly used both of their parents as a base from which to explore their surroundings, as well as a haven of safety-seeking proximity with them at different times and across contexts-, in other words, a smoothly functioning child–parent bond. Secure base relationships are hypothesized to be observable in children who have been exposed to ordinary expectable caregiving environments . On the other hand, Colombian, Uruguayan and Portuguese heterosexual-parented families came from middle-class sectors  and placement adoption (Gerardo and Noe’s case). Pathways to parenthood in Mexican LG individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, motivations for donating, and the emotions experienced as a result of donating are important areas for future research .gays appeared in the second place (12.1%) only after indigenous people , a right-wing group that opposes same-sex marriage and child adoption. This conservative wave represents a setback in the respect of human rights, since the prohibition of such rights marginalizes LG people and their children and sends a message to the wider community that same-sex families are not legally or morally acceptable (Mexico City may be an icon of a progressive and cosmopolitan image of the nation, despite Mexico being a family-oriented and highly religious country, with over 83% of the population identifying with Catholicism . As a cos people . The 201ceptable . To the Play, Exploration and Experimentation, and Concepts Regarding Development and Learning, among other seventeen over-arching themes which were not discussed in this study.Given the aforementioned, case studies would be particularly welcomed and appreciated because they offer a means of investigating complex social situations of potential importance in understanding parenting styles and practices in unconventional contexts. This method enables a process of continuous discussion and the redefinition of research questions . BesidesThe diversification of both instruments and types of study, including naturalistic observations in multiple settings and occasions, as well as longitudinal designs, is now of utmost importance in order to explore the organization of quality of care in same-sex parented families.Attachment researchers hypothesize that the quality of caregiving remains a central factor in maintaining and shaping the organization of secure-base behaviors throughout childhood. Ainsworth’s legacy lies not only in her findings and the constructs she developed, but also in the way in which she conducted developmental science . InspireFindings highlight the heuristic power of Ainsworth’s notions of quality of care, which are relevant when researching on child–caregiver attachment relationships in same-sex parented families. To conclude, it can be stated that these same-sex couples were capable of meeting the child’s best interests, providing “ordinary expectable caregiving environments” , as theyFS-Q and FR-S: conception of the work. FS-Q, MR, PS, and VC: acquisition of data. FS-Q, PS, and VC: data analysis. FS-Q, FR-S, PC, and MR: interpretation of data. FS-Q, FR-S, and PC: drafting the manuscript. FS-Q, FR-S, PC, MR, PS, and VC: final approval of the version to be published; agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


From the past, we know how much “serendipity” has played a pivotal role in scientific discoveries. The definition of serendipity implies the finding of one thing while looking for something else. The most known example of this is the discovery of penicillin. Fleming was studying “Staphylococcus influenzae” when one of his culture plates became contaminated and developed a mold that created a bacteria-free circle. Then he found within the mold, a substance that proved to be very active against the vast majority of bacteria infecting human beings. Serendipity had a key role in the discovery of a wide panel of psychotropic drugs as well, including aniline purple, lysergic acid diethylamide, meprobamate, chlorpromazine, and imipramine. Actually, many recent studies support a step back in current strategies that could lead to new discoveries in science. This change should seriously consider the idea that to further focus research project milestones that are already too focused could be a mistake. How can you observe something that others did not realize before you? Probably, one pivotal requirement is that you pay a high level of attention on what is occurring all around you. But this is not entirely enough, since, specifically talking about scientific discoveries, you should have your mind sufficiently unbiased from mainstream infrastructures, which normally make you extremely focused on a particular endpoint without paying attention to potential “unexpected discoveries”. Research in medicine should probably come back to the age of innocence and avoid the age of mainstream reports that do not contribute to real advances in the curing of human diseases. Max Planck said “Science progresses not because scientists change their minds, but rather because scientists attached to erroneous views die, and are replaced”, and Otto Warburg used the same words when he realized the lack of acceptance of his ideas. This editorial proposes a series of examples showing, in a practical way, how unfocused research may contribute to very important discoveries in science. For a couple of decades, Stefano Fais has been involvement in cancer research. However, before arriving at cancer research he was involved in research on mucosal immunology of the gut ,6,7,8,9,First of all, we would like to recount some stories of Nobel Prize winners that arrived at their discoveries without a precise idea of what they were looking for.These famous names in Science include Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, Otto Heinrich Warburg, Alexander Fleming, and more recently, Barry Marshall and Robin Warren. In 1882 Mechnikov first demonstrated a novel process when he discovered in the larvae of starfish, mobile cells that, he hypothesized, could serve as part of the defenses of these organisms. To test this hypothesis, he introduced small thorns from a tangerine tree, which had been prepared as a Christmas tree for his children, into the larvae. Next morning, he found the thorns surrounded by the mobile cells. From this unexpected finding, he thought that when inflammation occurs in animals that have a blood vascular system, the white cells may be directed from the blood vessels to the site of inflammation to protect the body from the attack of foreign agents such as bacteria, using ingestion and digestion of the foreign bodies as a key mechanism for their protective action. He called the cell that surrounds and kills pathogens “phagocyte” . His theIn 1928, Alexander Fleming was studying “Staphylococcus influenzae” when one of his culture plates became contaminated and developed a mold that created a bacteria-free circle. Then he discovered, by chance, within the mold, a substance that proved to be very active against the vast majority of the bacteria infecting humans .2. Despite the unbelievable value of Otto Warbur’s discovery, most of his peers did not take his hypothesis seriously . Actually, so far, the Warburg Hypothesis has been almost completely ignored. A take home message we want to preserve from Warburg’s hypothesis is that, while cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes , there is probably only one common prime cause, “the replacement of the oxygen respiration (oxidation of sugar) in normal body cells with sugar fermentation”, with production and accumulation of lactic acid leading to a progressive acidification of the tumor microenvironment.In 1924, the biochemist and Nobel Laureate Otto Heinrich Warburg postulated that cancer cells differ from normal healthy cells in their metabolism . The majContinuing Warburg’s discovery, Stefano Fais’s group has published a series of articles showing that a class of drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were able to revert tumor drug resistance due to the acidic tumor microenvironment’s ability to neutralize the vast majority of drugs, being weak bases ,36, to kHelicobacter pylori and not by excessive acidity in the gastric environment [Nearly 35 years ago, two Australian physicians made a discovery that was initially ignored by the medical community. Barry Marshall and Robin Warren claimed that stomach ulcers were caused by a bacterium called ironment .Helicobacter pylori preparation, in turn provoking a documented formation of ulcers in his stomach. He then treated these provoked ulcers with a combination of antibiotics and anti-acidic drugs that led to the healing of the gastric lesions. After this experiment, an NIH Consensus Development Conference Statement concluded that there was indeed a strong association between ulcers and Helicobacter pylori and recommended using antibiotics as the preferred treatment of Peptic Ulcer Disease [H. pylori was published in the Medical Journal of Australia [To test his theory, Marshall ingested a  Disease . At thatustralia , Barry MWe often quote and discuss an article that did not appear in a scientific journal, but in the Financial Times, 2008 . Among tPsycho-Neuro-Endocrine-Immunology (PNEI) is a scientific field of study that investigates the real time permanent cross-links among three well-defined compartments of our body, such as the nervous, the endocrine and the immune systems, that together may influence our psychology. A paradigm of this integrated and continuous cross-talk within our body is that it highly influences our health. The PNEI innovative medical approach implies that our body works as an all in one system. Evidence that, from the beginning, supported the existence of PNEI showed that immune cells release hormones and also that endocrine cells release neurotransmitters that may influence the immune response; the so called “bidirectional cross-talk” between the psycho neuroendocrine and immune systems . One outThere is evidence that an aberrant tumor microenvironment facilitates cancer development, progression, and responses to treatment ,75. LaboAnother non-mainstream approach includes the somatic mutation theory, an approach that is often neglected. The so-called somatic mutation theory can be explained by the fact that “A somatic cell serially accumulates genetic damage, eventually reaching a point at which it decouples from the organism’s regulatory systems and embarks on its own agenda” .Furthermore, it underlines the fact that the majority of tumors are not of genetic origin (somatic mutation theory)  but can An additional example of non-mainstream treatment related to rheumatoid arthritis therapy is found in the use of bioelectric modulation of the body’s inflammatory responses through the neurovegetative system and the consequent neuro-immuno-modulation response .A similar approach that lends itself well to the description of “Non-mainstream approach in science discoveries” is the area of biophysical medicine, a less well known field that is gaining significant interest in different clinical settings. Biophysical treatment is a novel and integrative emerging tool in clinical practice, and a number of clinical studies have already documented potential beneficial effects from this approach in the management of pain ,84,85, aIn summary, it would appear that cancer may be regarded as a default state of cells that are stressed or affected in a particular way, such as by the aging process or exposure to carcinogens. Tumor development may represent the reversion to an ancestral phenotype . UnfortuLastly, a couple of other example of non-mainstream discoveries are: (i) The new idea of tumor cannibalism, which was described in tumor samples at the end of 1800 ,96 and h


It is increasingly recognized that vulnerability is a key construct allowing discipline-specific research questions on these topics to be meaningfully contextualized. However, there is little consensus regarding the meaning of the concept of vulnerability or how it can best be utilized in research studies. In this perspective article, we use the metaphor of a “cookbook” to review promising trends in vulnerability research and to make this body of research accessible to a multi-disciplinary audience. Specifically, we discuss a selection of “recipes” , “ingredients” (vulnerability domains), “cooking tools” , and approaches to “meal presentation” (communication of results) drawn from vulnerability studies published in the past 15 years. Our aim is for this short “cookbook” to serve as a jumping-off point for scholars unfamiliar with the vulnerability literature and an inspiration for scholars more familiar with this topic to develop new ways to navigate the tension between locally-specific assessments of vulnerability and attempts at standardization. Our ultimate take-home message is that the specifics theories and methods used in vulnerability research are less important than attention to what we see as the 3 ‘T’s of  Multiple disciplines, including public health, anthropology, economics, and ecology, concern themselves with the health, well-being, and livelihoods of marginalized communities –3. It istransparency, triangulation, and transferability. Extending the metaphor of the cookbook in the first section of this article we discuss four commonly used theoretical approaches in vulnerability research (different “recipes”). We do not present a one-size fits all solution but review these theories to encourage researchers to be transparent in the framing of their work and to aid in pinpointing a number of domains (“ingredients”) for vulnerability assessments, discussed in the second section. In the third section, we pinpoint methods (“cooking tools”), which can measure these domains and use a few short examples that highlight the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative methodologies to facilitate research that is attentive to local contexts and comparable. In the final section, we discuss “meal presentation” or ways to make our research results “appetizing” and transferable to a range of stakeholders.With these goals and limitations in mind we present the beginnings of a “cookbook” for interdisciplinary vulnerability research that highlights the 3 ‘T's of Thus, we aim for this short “cookbook” to serve a dual purpose. On the one hand, we envision it as a jumping-off point for scholars unfamiliar with the vulnerability literature. On the other, we hope our perspective will inspire scholars more familiar with this topic to develop new ways to navigate the tension between locally-specific assessments of vulnerability and attempts at standardization. Our review is not exhaustive. Rather, we focus on recent trends in the vulnerability literature with the intention of catalyzing continued thinking about balancing richness and replicability in future research.Before diving into the meat of this “cookbook” we note that despite decades of vulnerability research, there is little consensus regarding the meaning of this concept . This isAlthough reviews of vulnerability research exist , 6, 18, Any theoretical framework for the study of vulnerability should address the complex, non-linear interactions existing between social, cultural, political, ecological, and biophysical processes . HoweverBelow we discuss four theoretical perspectives employed in recent empirical and review papers addressing vulnerability, global change, and health. Each paragraph contains an accessible definition, key terms associated with each approach, commonly addressed topics, and applications.The risk-hazard approach examines the impacts of a hazard on an exposed entity  and defiIn contrast to the “geocentric,” risk-hazard approach the “anthropocentric,” political-ecology approach  argues tResilience is defined as the ability of a system to absorb shocks and regenerate after a disturbance. In this school of thought, vulnerability can be defined as “the attributes of persons or groups that enable them to cope with the impact of disturbances” predictive as it should aid in directing interventions or supporting livelihoods , by discussing ideas for creatively communicating research results to a multi-stakeholder audience to enhance the impacts of vulnerability investigations.While our “chefs” may have used tried and true recipes, with delicious ingredients, and state-of-the-art cooking tools, if the meal does not look appetizing, no one will want to eat it. What we mean is that if researchers do not think about presenting their results in an accessible format, the larger body of stakeholders who can benefit from this work will not consume the results.transferability, or successful uptake of the work, is to communicate results with—not to—stakeholders (logic of country to communicate their results to the Aboriginal Australian peoples with whom they worked. Indeed, jargon-free language and alternative formatting, such as storytelling, graphic displays, and mapping, can make research results accessible to a range of stakeholders. These stakeholders can then use the information for educational initiatives, mitigation programs, and even humanitarian relief distribution programs (With this in mind, a key challenge for successful eholders . This reeholders . For exaeholders  used cerprograms .Such efforts can be “low tech and low cost.” In their work in rural villages in the Philippines, Gaillard et al.  helped rIn summary, there are many creative ways to conduct vulnerability research that is theoretically-informed, “place-based,” and amenable to comparison. A final example that portrays how a scholar can use the “cookbook” approach presented here is Tallman's  Index oftransparent about the meanings and usage of theoretical frameworks, methods, and indicators in their work (Triangulation can be among theory and methods, data and investigators (transferable to multiple stakeholders by accommodating alternative research questions and methods of inquiry (In this perspective article, we aimed to mitigate the, at times, overwhelming complexity of vulnerability scholarship by increasing the accessibility of this work using the metaphor of a “cookbook.” Specifically, there is an abundance of confusing and overlapping terminology in vulnerability research, which necessitates that researchers are eir work , 69. Addeir work . Triangutigators  or amongtigators . This altigators , p. 843]tigators . Thus, w inquiry  and creaPT led the writing of this manuscript. AV-V, GS-M, GL, AR-P, LB-V, SH, and VP-S all contributed to the development of the ideas within the manuscript and substantially contributed to revising it throughout the writing process.The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


Citizen science, an approach that includes normal citizens in scientific research, holds great potential also for plant sciences and breeding and can be a powerful research tool to complement traditional approaches.Citizen science is an approach that includes normal citizens in scientific research, but has so far not been exploited by the various disciplines in plant sciences. Moreover, global threats challenge human well-being and science can provide solutions, but needs to leave the ivory tower in the mind of the broader public. In 2016, we performed the ‘1000 Gardens—the soybean experiment’ citizen science project, that aimed at finding citizens in Germany who would grow soybean lines in their own gardens and evaluate them for a range of traits related to adaptation and agronomic performance. Here, we describe details of this project, i.e. the recruitment, performance, and compliance of the citizen scientists. A total of 2492 citizen scientists volunteered for the project, but through the high media coverage a much broader audience than just the participants was reached. Our 1000 Gardens project was successful in collecting a scientifically unique data set with heritabilities ranging up to 0.60 for maturity date or 0.69 for plant height. Our results suggest that the citizen science approach holds great potential also for plant sciences and can be a powerful research tool to complement traditional approaches. Our project was also successful in raising public awareness about the importance of plant breeding and in communicating key messages on the manifold benefits of legumes for a sustainable agriculture to a broader public. Thus, citizen science appears as a promising avenue to demonstrate the value of breeding and science to the general public by including normal citizens in scientific research.The online version of this article (10.1007/s00122-018-3134-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Citizen science is an approach that at least in part involves citizens as highly respected partners in research . In contrast to cereals, grain legumes are capable of symbiotic atmospheric nitrogen fixation and generally have several desirable attributes, as they enhance biodiversity in our agro-ecosystems, contribute to soil fertility, and benefit both humans and livestock due to their advantageous nutritional characteristics , under the slogan ‘nutritious seeds for a sustainable future’  collect data for scientific analyses such as the genetics underlying the adaptation of soybean to more northern latitudes and (2) improve the public image of soybeans and highlighting the manifold advantages of soybeans and legumes in general for a sustainable  agriculture as well as the health-associated advantages of grain legume-rich diets. While normal plant breeding trials are performed at only a few locations, this approach has enabled data to be collected on the performance of soybean genotypes at an unprecedented number of locations throughout Germany. This allows the identification of genotypes that are adapted to more northern latitudes or regions where soybean is not yet widespread. Here, we describe how we planned and executed the 1000 Gardens project and make suggestions on how to improve future citizen science projects, as we believe that this approach has great potential also for various disciplines in plant sciences, for research, breeding, education, and beyond.www.1000gaerten.de; Fig. Prior to the start of the project, a website was designed to provide background information on soybean, the history of its cultivation, soybean for human consumption, as well as its positive effects for a sustainable agriculture and an optimal human diet , and in the conditions of participation it was specified that the intellectual property rights of the breeding lines remained with the organizers of the study. The remaining participants were sent ten varieties (Experiment 2): ‘Alexa’, ‘Abelina’, ‘Merlin’, ‘Regina’ and ‘Sunrise’ of MG 000, ‘Lenka’, ‘Primus’, ‘Korus’, ‘Shouna’ and ‘Solena’ of MG 00. In addition, each participant got the two check varieties ‘Taifun3’ and ‘Adsoy’, where ‘Adsoy’ is an extremely early maturing genotype of MG 000 that might even be classified as MG 0000 and ‘Taifun3’ is slightly later maturing and from MG 000.The soybean panel used in this study is comprised of 1710 breeding lines that can all be classified as early maturing material of maturity groups (MG) 000 and MG 00. The 1710 lines are derived from crosses among 20 parental lines of the same two maturity groups. The progeny from each cross were taken to the FThe participants were sent instructions for the experiment, twelve bags with 100 seeds each for rows of 2 m length and a bag with inoculum for Rhizobacteria inoculation , and εijk the residual error.Owing to the high number of participants, we performed two experiments. Experiment 1 included 1730 gardeners and was based on the 1710 breeding and their 20 parental lines, i.e. 1730 genotypes. It was laid out as an α-lattice design with ten replications, each replication with 173 incomplete blocks with a size of 10 plots. Here, each participant represented an incomplete block with 10 genotypes. Thus, the 1730 soybean lines were randomly assigned to one of 173 gardeners in ten zones, i.e. the ten replications, two of which were combined into five regions following latitude . The reason for this was to ensure an even distribution of each genotype in north–south direction, as photoperiod and thus latitude is an important determinant of soybean adaptation and maturity  were estimated with genotype as fixed effect. Heritabilities were estimated following the suggestion by Piepho and Möhring . All staIn total, 2492 citizen scientists volunteered to participate in the project  never entered any data  of the active gardeners recorded data until maturity, while 71% (n = 1273) even sent samples back for subsequent analysis of quality traits .A blog was established for the gardeners on the project website, which turned out to be frequently used by the participants Fig. . By the From start to finish, the project attracted a great deal of media attention with articles and reports in print media, social media, radio, and TV. In print media, 461 articles appeared in 344 different newspapers and journals with a total circulation of almost 19 million, while online 235 articles were published  in their region. Notably, the cooperation with either citizens or farmers in plant breeding can be regarded as a participatory breeding approach, which is a valuable tool in developing countries to establish local varieties that are accepted by the farmers , which will allow to address additional research questions, for example genotype-by-year effects.The March for Science that took place on 22 April 2017 in hundreds of cities around the world was an important step for science Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.