bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cannabidiol for the Treatment of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury
Authors: Martínez-Orgado José , Villa María , del Pozo Aarón
Published: January 2021

Each year, more than two million babies die or evolve to permanent invalidating sequelae worldwide because of Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury (HIBI). There is no current treatment for that condition except for therapeutic hypothermia, which benefits only a select group of newborns. Preclinical studies offer solid evidence of the neuroprotective effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) when administered after diffuse or focal HI insults to newborn pigs and rodents. Such effects are observable in the short and long term as demonstrated by functional, neuroimaging, histologic and biochemical studies, and are related to the modulation of excitotoxicity, inflammation and oxidative stress—the major components of HIBI pathophysiology. CBD protects neuronal and glial cells, with a remarkable effect on preserving normal myelinogenesis. From a translational point of view CBD is a valuable tool for HIBI management since it is safe and effective. It is administered by the parenteral route a posteriori with a broad therapeutic time window. Those findings consolidate CBD as a promising treatment for neonatal HIBI, which is to be demonstrated in clinical trials currently in progress.
The Anti-Inflammatory Effect of KS23, A Novel Peptide Derived From Globular Adiponectin, on Endotoxin-Induced Uveitis in Rats
Authors: Shi Xin , Zhu Shaopin , Jin Huiyi , Fang Junwei , Xing Xindan , Wang Yihan , Wang Hanying , Wang Chingyi , Niu Tian , Liu Kun
Published: January 2021

Purpose: Adiponectin has been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory activities in a range of systemic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of KS23, a globular adiponectin-derived peptide, on endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) in rats and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated mouse macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells.

Methods: EIU was induced in Lewis rats by subcutaneous injection of LPS into a single footpad. KS23 or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was administered immediately after LPS induction via intravitreal injection. Twenty-four hours later, clinical and histopathological scores were evaluated, and the aqueous humor (AqH) was collected to determine the infiltrating cells, protein concentration, and levels of inflammatory cytokines. In vitro, cultured RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with LPS in the presence or absence of KS23, inflammatory cytokine levels in the supernatant, nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) subunit p65, and the expression of NF-kB signaling pathway components were analyzed.

Results: KS23 treatment significantly ameliorated the clinical and histopathological scores of EIU rats and reduced the levels of infiltration cells, protein, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the aqueous humor. Consistently, KS23 decreased the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in the supernatant of LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and inhibited the LPS-induced nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 and the phosphorylation of IKKα/β/IκBα/NF-κB.

Conclusion: The in vivo and in vitro results demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effects of the peptide KS23 and suggested that KS23 is a compelling, novel therapeutic candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation.
A Mechanism of Action Study on Danggui Sini Decoction to Discover Its Therapeutic Effect on Gastric Cancer
Authors: Pan Boyu , Wang Yun , Wu Chunnuan , Jia Junrong , Huang Chen , Fang Senbiao , Liu Liren
Published: January 2021

Danggui Sini Decoction (DSD), a classic Chinese herb medicine (CHM) formula, has been used to treat various diseases in China for centuries. However, it remains challenging to reveal its mechanism of action through conventional pharmacological methods. Here, we first explored the mechanism of action of DSD with the assistance of network pharmacology and bioinformatic analysis tools, and found a potential therapeutic effect of DSD on cancer. Indeed, our in vivo experiment demonstrated that oral administration of DSD could significantly inhibit the growth of xenografted gastric cancer (GC) on mice. The subsequent enrichment analyses for 123 candidate core targets evacuated from the drug/disease-target protein-protein interaction network showed that DSD could affect the key biological processes involving the survival and growth of GC cells, such as apoptosis and cell cycle, and the disturbance of these biological processes is likely attributed to the simultaneous inhibition of multiple signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and p53 pathways. Notably, these in silico results were further validated by a series of cellular functional and molecular biological assays in vitro. Moreover, molecular docking analysis suggested an important role of MCM2 in delivering the pharmacological activity of DSD against GC. Together, these results indicate that our network pharmacology and bioinformatics-guided approach is feasible and useful in exploring not only the mechanism of action, but also the “new use” of the old CHM formula.
Maturation of the Autonomic Nervous System in Premature Infants: Estimating Development Based on Heart-Rate Variability Analysis
Authors: Lavanga Mario , Heremans Elisabeth , Moeyersons Jonathan , Bollen Bieke , Jansen Katrien , Ortibus Els , Naulaers Gunnar , Van Huffel Sabine , Caicedo Alexander
Published: January 2021

This study aims at investigating the development of premature infants' autonomic nervous system (ANS) based on a quantitative analysis of the heart-rate variability (HRV) with a variety of novel features. Additionally, the role of heart-rate drops, known as bradycardias, has been studied in relation to both clinical and novel sympathovagal indices. ECG data were measured for at least 3 h in 25 preterm infants (gestational age ≤32 weeks) for a total number of 74 recordings. The post-menstrual age (PMA) of each patient was estimated from the RR interval time-series by means of multivariate linear-mixed effects regression. The tachograms were segmented based on bradycardias in periods after, between and during bradycardias. For each of those epochs, a set of temporal, spectral and fractal indices were included in the regression model. The best performing model has R2 = 0.75 and mean absolute error MAE = 1.56 weeks. Three main novelties can be reported. First, the obtained maturation models based on HRV have comparable performance to other development models. Second, the selected features for age estimation show a predominance of power and fractal features in the very-low- and low-frequency bands in explaining the infants' sympathovagal development from 27 PMA weeks until 40 PMA weeks. Third, bradycardias might disrupt the relationship between common temporal indices of the tachogram and the age of the infant and the interpretation of sympathovagal indices. This approach might provide a novel overview of post-natal autonomic maturation and an alternative development index to other electrophysiological data analysis.
Human Adaptations to Multiday Saturation on NASA NEEMO
Authors: Koutnik Andrew P. , Favre Michelle E. , Noboa Karina , Sanchez-Gonzalez Marcos A. , Moss Sara E. , Goubran Bishoy , Ari Csilla , Poff Angela M. , Rogers Chris Q. , DeBlasi Janine M. , Samy Bishoy , Moussa Mark , Serrador Jorge M. , D’Agostino Dominic P.
Published: January 2021

Human adaptation to extreme environments has been explored for over a century to understand human psychology, integrated physiology, comparative pathologies, and exploratory potential. It has been demonstrated that these environments can provide multiple external stimuli and stressors, which are sufficient to disrupt internal homeostasis and induce adaptation processes. Multiday hyperbaric and/or saturated (HBS) environments represent the most understudied of environmental extremes due to inherent experimental, analytical, technical, temporal, and safety limitations. National Aeronautic Space Agency (NASA) Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEEMO) is a space-flight analog mission conducted within Florida International University’s Aquarius Undersea Research Laboratory (AURL), the only existing operational and habitable undersea saturated environment. To investigate human objective and subjective adaptations to multiday HBS, we evaluated aquanauts living at saturation for 9–10 days via NASA NEEMO 22 and 23, across psychologic, cardiac, respiratory, autonomic, thermic, hemodynamic, sleep, and body composition parameters. We found that aquanauts exposed to saturation over 9–10 days experienced intrapersonal physical and mental burden, sustained good mood and work satisfaction, decreased heart and respiratory rates, increased parasympathetic and reduced sympathetic modulation, lower cerebral blood flow velocity, intact cerebral autoregulation and maintenance of baroreflex functionality, as well as losses in systemic bodyweight and adipose tissue. Together, these findings illustrate novel insights into human adaptation across multiple body systems in response to multiday hyperbaric saturation.
Polyspermy Block in the Central Cell During Double Fertilization of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Nagahara Shiori , Takeuchi Hidenori , Higashiyama Tetsuya
Published: January 2021

During double fertilization in angiosperms, two male gametes (sperm cells), are released from a pollen tube into the receptive region between two female gametes; the egg cell and the central cell of the ovule. The sperm cells fertilize the egg cell and the central cell in a one-to-one manner to yield a zygote and an endosperm, respectively. The one-to-one distribution of the sperm cells to the two female gametes is strictly regulated, possibly via communication among the four gametes. Polyspermy block is the mechanism by which fertilized female gametes prevent fertilization by a secondary sperm cell, and has been suggested to operate in the egg cell rather than the central cell. However, whether the central cell also has the ability to avoid polyspermy during double fertilization remains unclear. Here, we assessed the one-to-one fertilization mechanism of the central cell by laser irradiation of the female gametes and live cell imaging of the fertilization process inArabidopsis thaliana. We successfully disrupted an egg cell within the ovules by irradiation using a femtosecond pulse laser. In the egg-disrupted ovules, the central cell predominantly showed single fertilization by one sperm cell, suggesting that neither the egg cell nor its fusion with one sperm cell is necessary for one-to-one fertilization (i.e., monospermy) of the central cell. In addition, usingtetrasporemutants possessing multiple sperm cell pairs in one pollen, we demonstrated that normal double fertilization was observed even when excess sperm cells were released into the receptive region between the female gametes. In ovules accepting four sperm cells, the egg cell never fused with more than one sperm cell, whereas half of the central cells fused with more than one sperm cell (i.e., polyspermy) even 1 h later. Our results suggest that the central cell can block polyspermy during double fertilization, although the central cell is more permissive to polyspermy than the egg cell. The potential contribution of polyspermy block by the central cell is discussed in terms of how it is involved in the one-to-one distribution of the sperm cells to two distinct female gametes.
A Modified Roger’s Distance Algorithm for Mixed Quantitative–Qualitative Phenotypes to Establish a Core Collection for Taiwanese Vegetable Soybeans
Authors: Kao Chung-Feng , He Shan-Syue , Wang Chang-Sheng , Lai Zheng-Yuan , Lin Da-Gin , Chen Shu
Published: January 2021

Vegetable soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] have characteristics of larger seeds, less beany flavor, tender texture, and green-colored pods and seeds. Rich in nutrients, vegetable soybeans are conducive to preventing neurological disease. Due to the change of dietary habits and increasing health awareness, the demand for vegetable soybeans has increased. To conserve vegetable soybean germplasms in Taiwan, we built a core collection of vegetable soybeans, with minimum accessions, minimum redundancy, and maximum representation. Initially, a total of 213 vegetable soybean germplasms and 29 morphological traits were used to construct the core collection. After redundant accessions were removed, 200 accessions were retained as the entire collection, which was grouped into nine clusters. Here, we developed a modified Roger’s distance for mixed quantitative–qualitative phenotypes to select 30 accessions (denoted as the core collection) that had a maximum pairwise genetic distance. No significant differences were observed in all phenotypic traits (p-values > 0.05) between the entire and the core collections, except plant height. Compared to the entire collection, we found that most traits retained diversities, but seven traits were slightly lost (ranged from 2 to 9%) in the core collection. The core collection demonstrated a small percentage of significant mean difference (3.45%) and a large coincidence rate (97.70%), indicating representativeness of the entire collection. Furthermore, large values in variable rate (149.80%) and coverage (92.5%) were in line with high diversity retained in the core collection. The results suggested that phenotype-based core collection can retain diversity and genetic variability of vegetable soybeans, providing a basis for further research and breeding programs.
Can a Commercial Video Game Prevent Depression? Null Results and Whole Sample Action Mechanisms in a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Poppelaars Marlou , Lichtwarck-Aschoff Anna , Otten Roy , Granic Isabela
Published: January 2021

Depressive symptoms and disorders are major public health concerns, affecting many adolescents and young adults. Despite extensive research, depression prevention programs for youth show limited effectiveness. Moreover, the maximal potential of youth psychotherapy — on which depression prevention programs are based — may have been reached. Commercial video games may offer an engaging alternative vehicle for youth to practice emotional and social skills vital to mental health. The current study investigated the potential for the commercial video game Journey to prevent the exacerbation of depressive symptoms. A pre-registered randomized controlled trial tested the effectiveness of Journey as an indicated depression prevention approach compared to a control game condition and a passive control condition (Dutch Trial Register: NL4873, https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/4873). Additionally, potential action mechanisms for depression prevention using video games were examined. Participants aged 15 to 20 years old with elevated depressive symptoms (n = 244, Mage = 17.11, SDage = 1.76, 66.4% female) were given 4 weeks to play Journey (Mduration = 3 h 20 min) or the control game, Flower (Mduration = 2 h 36 min). Results showed no beneficial effects of playing the commercial video game, Journey, on youth’s change in depressive symptoms above and beyond the active and passive control conditions up to 12-months after the intervention. Additionally, no action mechanisms were found specifically for Journey. Nevertheless, over the whole study, participants decreased in depressive symptoms, became less sensitive to rejection, and experienced more hope and optimism. Moreover, participants who during the study decreased in rejection sensitivity or rumination or who increased in hope and optimism or in distraction and problem solving showed the strongest decrease in depressive symptoms. Although results do not support the use of the studied commercial game as an effective indicated depression prevention strategy, our results do suggest that rejection sensitivity, hope, optimism, rumination, distraction, and problem solving are promising targets for future depression prevention efforts. We conclude with important lessons for future research on games to promote mental health. Particularly, encouraging careful consideration of research designs to explore for whom and how potential action mechanisms and associated game mechanics may be effective.
PsyCuraDat: Designing a User-Oriented Curation Standard for Behavioral Psychological Research Data
Authors: Blask Katarina , Gerhards Lea , Jalynskij Maria
Published: January 2021

Starting from the observation that data sharing in general and sharing of reusable behavioral data in particular is still scarce in psychology, we set out to develop a curation standard for behavioral psychological research data rendering data reuse more effective and efficient. Specifically, we propose a standard that is oriented toward the requirements of the psychological research process, thus considering the needs of researchers in their role as data providers and data users. To this end, we suggest that researchers should describe their data on three documentation levels reflecting researchers’ central decisions during the research process. In particular, these levels describe researchers’ decisions on the concrete research design that is most suitable to address the corresponding research question, its operationalization as well as a precise description of the subsequent data collection and analysis process. Accordingly, the first documentation level represents, for instance, researchers’ decision on the concrete hypotheses, inclusion/exclusion criteria and the number of measurement points as well as a conceptual presentation of all substantial variables included in the design. On the second level these substantial variables are presented within an extended codebook allowing for the linkage between the conceptual research design and the actually operationalized variables as presented within the data. Finally, the third level includes all materials, data preparation and analyses scripts as well as a detailed procedure graphic that allows the data user to link the information from all three documentation levels at a single glance. After a comprehensive presentation of the standard, we will offer some arguments for its integration into the psychological research process.
The Neuroscience of Organizational Trust and Business Performance: Findings From United States Working Adults and an Intervention at an Online Retailer
Authors: Johannsen Rebecca , Zak Paul J.
Published: January 2021

This paper reports findings from a nationally representative sample of working adults to quantify how a culture trust improves business performance. Analysis of the national sample showed that organizational trust and alignment with the company’s purpose are associated with higher employee incomes, longer job tenure, greater job satisfaction, less chronic stress, improved satisfaction with life, and higher productivity. Employees working the highest quartile of organizational trust had average incomes 10.3% higher those working in the middle quartile of trust (p = 0.000) indicating that trust increases productivity. In order to demonstrate the causal effect of trust on business performance, we created an intervention to increase organizational trust in a division facing high job turnover at a large online retailer. The intervention increased organizational trust by 6% and this improved job retention by 1%. These studies show that management practices that increase organizational trust have salubrious effects on business performance.
Effects of Scale on Multimodal Deixis: Evidence From Quiahije Chatino
Authors: Mesh Kate , Cruz Emiliana , van de Weijer Joost , Burenhult Niclas , Gullberg Marianne
Published: January 2021

As humans interact in the world, they often orient one another's attention to objects through the use of spoken demonstrative expressions and head and/or hand movements to point to the objects. Although indicating behaviors have frequently been studied in lab settings, we know surprisingly little about how demonstratives and pointing are used to coordinate attention in large-scale space and in natural contexts. This study investigates how speakers of Quiahije Chatino, an indigenous language of Mexico, use demonstratives and pointing to give directions to named places in large-scale space across multiple scales (local activity, district, state). The results show that the use and coordination of demonstratives and pointing change as the scale of search space for the target grows. At larger scales, demonstratives and pointing are more likely to occur together, and the two signals appear to manage different aspects of the search for the target: demonstratives orient attention primarily to the gesturing body, while pointing provides cues for narrowing the search space. These findings underscore the distinct contributions of speech and gesture to the linguistic composite, while illustrating the dynamic nature of their interplay.

Abstracts in Spanish and Quiahije Chatino are provided as appendices.

Se incluyen como apéndices resúmenes en español y en el chatino de San Juan Quiahije. SonGktyiCreCinH, ngyaqCskaEktyiCnoEndaHsonBnaFngaJnoIngyaqCloEktyiCreC, ngyaqCranFchaqExlyaKqoEchaqFjnyaJnoAndywiqArenqAKchinAKyqyaC.
Therapeutic Mask: An Intervention Tool for Psychodrama With Adolescents
Authors: Pires Nuno , Rojas José Gregório , Sales Célia M. D. , Vieira Filipa M.
Published: January 2021

Psychodrama is an effective psychotherapeutic model but interventions with adolescents require age-tailored techniques that maximize engagement and facilitate communication processes. This study describes a novel adaptation of a therapeutic mask technique to psychodrama with adolescents. Over the course of eight group sessions of psychodrama, five adolescents (16 to 18 years-old) created their own mask and explored its therapeutic use. Their experiences were captured at the end of each session with the Helpful Aspects of Therapy (HAT) form, and at the end of the study with the Clinical Change Interview (CCI). Awareness/insight/self-understanding, empowerment and relief were the most significant aspects experienced by the adolescents, along with perceived increase of calmness and world connection, satisfaction in interpersonal communication and better emotional expression and regulation. The mask technique was experienced as a playful and engaging task that facilitated insight and interpersonal communication. Findings provide preliminary evidence on the clinical utility of mask-based psychodrama with adolescents.
Compassion-Focused Group Therapy for Treatment-Resistant OCD: Initial Evaluation Using a Multiple Baseline Design
Authors: Petrocchi Nicola , Cosentino Teresa , Pellegrini Valerio , Femia Giuseppe , D’Innocenzo Antonella , Mancini Francesco
Published: January 2021

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a debilitating mental health disorder that can easily become a treatment-resistant condition. Although effective therapies exist, only about half of the patients seem to benefit from them when we consider treatment refusal, dropout rates, and residual symptoms. Thus, providing effective augmentation to standard therapies could improve existing treatments. Group compassion-focused interventions have shown promise for reducing depression, anxiety, and avoidance related to various clinical problems, but this approach has never been evaluated for OCD individuals. However, cultivating compassion for self and others seems crucial for OCD patients, given the accumulating research suggesting that fear of guilt, along with isolation and self-criticism, can strongly contribute to the development and maintenance of OCD. The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the acceptability, tolerability, and effectiveness of an 8-week group compassion-focused intervention for reducing OCD symptoms, depression, fear of guilt and self-criticism, and increasing common humanity and compassionate self-reassuring skills in treatment-resistant OCD patients. Using a multiple baseline experimental design, the intervention was evaluated in a sample of OCD patients (N = 8) who had completed at least 6 months of CBT treatment for OCD, but who continued to suffer from significant symptoms. Participants were randomized to different baseline assessment lengths; they then received 8 weekly, 120-min group sessions of compassion-focused therapy for OCD (CFT-OCD), and then were tested again at post-treatment and at 1 month follow up. Despite the adverse external circumstances (post-treatment and follow-up data collection were carried out, respectively, at the beginning and in the middle of the Italian lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic), by the end of treatment, all participants demonstrated reliable decreases in OCD symptoms, and these improvements were maintained at 4-week follow-up for seven of eight participants. The intervention was also associated with improvements in fear of guilt, self-criticism, and self-reassurance, but less consistent improvements in depression and common humanity. Participants reported high levels of acceptability of and satisfaction with the intervention. Results suggest that the intervention may be beneficial as either a stand-alone treatment or as an augmentation to other treatments.
The Moderating Role of Education on the Relationship Between Perceived Stereotype Threat and False Memory in Aging
Authors: Gilet Anne-Laure , Evrard Christelle , Galharret Jean-Michel , Colombel Fabienne
Published: January 2021

Studies regularly show that an age-based stereotype threat impairs older adults’ performance on memory tasks. Results regarding stereotype threat effects on false memories are less clear. Some studies suggest that education may moderate the relationship between an age-related stereotype threat and episodic memory performance in older adults. The present study aimed at examining the moderating role of education on the relationship between perceived stereotype threat (PST) and false memories in older adults. With this aim, 82 adults between 60 and 70 years of age performed a Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) task followed by a free recall test and completed questionnaires assessing both their perception of an age-based stereotype threat and their education level. Regression analyses showed no effect of PST on the production of critical lures. However, as was expected, our results showed that in higher educated older adults, as the perception of stereotype increases, the production of critical lures increases. These results confirm the moderating role of education and highlight its key role in the relationship between the age-based stereotype threat and older adults’ susceptibility to false memories.
Researching Multisystemic Resilience: A Sample Methodology
Authors: Ungar Michael , Theron Linda , Murphy Kathleen , Jefferies Philip
Published: January 2021

In contexts of exposure to atypical stress or adversity, individual and collective resilience refers to the process of sustaining wellbeing by leveraging biological, psychological, social and environmental protective and promotive factors and processes (PPFPs). This multisystemic understanding of resilience is generating significant interest but has been difficult to operationalize in psychological research where studies tend to address only one or two systems at a time, often with a primary focus on individual coping strategies. We show how multiple systems implicated in human resilience can be researched in the same study using a longitudinal, six-phase transformative sequential mixed methods study of 14- to 24-year-olds and their elders in two communities dependent on oil and gas industries (Drayton Valley, Canada, and Secunda/eMbalenhle, South Africa). Data collection occurred over a 5-year period, and included: (1) community engagement and the identification of youth health and well-being priorities; (2) participatory youth-centric qualitative research using one-on-one semi-structured interviews and arts-based methods; (3) survey of 500 youth at three time points to assess psychosocial health indicators and outcomes; (4) collection of hair samples to assess stress biomarkers (cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone-DHEA) over time; (5) youth-led ecological data collection and assessment of historical socio-economic development data; and (6) community resource mapping with community elders. Analyzing data from these multiple systems will allow us to understand the interrelationship and impact of PPFPs within and across systems. To date, we have undertaken thematic and narrative qualitative analyses, and descriptive analyses of the preliminary ecological and survey data. As we proceed, we will combine these and grounded theory approaches with innovative techniques such as latent transition analysis and network analysis, as well as modeling of economic conditions and spatial analysis of human geographies to understand patterns of PPFPs and their inter-relationships. By analyzing the complexity of data collected across systems (including cultural contexts) we are demonstrating the possibility of conducting multisystemic resilience research which expands the way psychological research accounts for positive development under stress in different contexts. This comprehensive examination of resilience may offer an example of how the study of resilience can inform socially and contextually relevant interventions and policies.
Impact of Weekly Physical Activity on Stress Response: An Experimental Study
Authors: de la Vega Ricardo , Jiménez-Castuera Ruth , Leyton-Román Marta
Published: January 2021

The aim of this research is focused on analyzing the alteration of the psychophysiological and cognitive response to an objective computerized stress test (Determination Test - DT-, Vienna test System®), when the behavioral response is controlled. The sample used was sports science students (N = 22), with a mean age of 22.82 (Mage = 22.82; SDyears = 3.67; MPhysicalActivity hours/Week = 7.77; SDhours/week = 3.32) A quasi-experimental design was used in which the response of each participant to the DT test was evaluated. The variable “number of hours of physical activity per week” and the variable “level of behavioral response to stress” were controlled. Before and after this test, the following parameters were measured: activation and central fatigue (Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold (CFF Critical flicker fusion ascending and Critical flicker fusion descending; DC potential), and perceived exertion (Central Rating of Perceived Exertion and Peripheral Rating of Perceived Exertion). Significant differences were found in all of the measures indicated. The usefulness of this protocol and the measures used to analyze the stress response capacity of the study subjects are discussed.
Young People’s Experiences of Attending a Theater-in-Education Program on Child Sexual Exploitation
Authors: May Hannah , Kloess Juliane A. , Davies Kari , Hamilton-Giachritsis Catherine E.
Published: January 2021

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) has grave implications for the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. It has been linked to a wide range of difficulties which may extend into adulthood. School-based prevention programs that aim to raise awareness (and thereby have the potential to prevent CSEA) are popular, however, have historically lacked robust and consistent evaluation. The purpose of the present study was therefore to explore young people’s experiences of attending a school-based theater-in-education program, and the impact this had on their awareness and understanding of CSEA. Four focus groups of between four to six participants each were conducted with young people from two co-educational State schools in the United Kingdom. The approach of Template Analysis was used to analyze the data, and revealed a number of themes related to the superordinate themes of “Information and Detail Delivered” and “Format and Timing.” The results suggest that participants gained new awareness and understanding of aspects related to CSEA, including other forms of (criminal) exploitation, as well as how to avoid harm and what to do “if bad things happen.” Participants further reported that the theater performance/live element of the program was particularly impactful, feeling that this was delivered to them at the right time, but suggesting that younger people would also benefit from the important messages. In addition, areas for improvement were identified in terms of the delivery of the program, and the issue of victim blaming. Findings are discussed with a view to practical implications and directions for future research.
Autobiographical Memory and Future Thinking Specificity and Content in Chronic Pain
Authors: Quenstedt Stella R. , Sucher Jillian N. , Pfeffer Kendall A. , Hart Roland , Brown Adam D.
Published: January 2021

Chronic pain is associated with high levels of mental health issues and alterations in cognitive processing. Cognitive-behavioral models illustrate the role of memory alterations (e.g., autobiographical memory and future thinking) in the development and maintenance of chronic pain as well as in mental health disorders which frequently co-occur with chronic pain (e.g., anxiety and mood disorders). This study aims to expand our understanding of specific cognitive mechanisms underlying chronic pain which may in turn shed light on cognitive processes underlying pain-related psychological distress. Individuals (N = 84) who reported a history of chronic pain and individuals who reported no history of chronic pain (N = 102) were recruited from MTurk to complete an online survey including standardized measures of anxiety and depression and two sentence completion tasks that assessed autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content. Chi square analyses revealed that participants who endorsed experiencing chronic pain were significantly more likely to recall at least one painful and negative event and to imagine at least one anticipated painful event in their future. Two ANCOVAs were performed to examine the degree to which chronic pain endorsement influenced specificity in memory and future imagining. Individuals with a history of chronic pain and higher levels of depression symptom severity generated autobiographical memories with significantly less specificity; whereas, individuals with a history of chronic pain also generated future autobiographical events with significantly less specificity. In addition, individuals with a history of chronic pain were more likely to generate episodes related to pain when asked to recall the past or imagine the future. Further research is needed to improve our understanding of the etiology of autobiographical memory and future thinking specificity and content in the pathogenesis of mental health conditions in the context of chronic pain.
Mental Health and Coping in the Shadow of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Israeli Case
Authors: Shechory Bitton Mally , Laufer Avital
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic caught the entire world off guard. Israel, similar to all other nations, was forced to cope with the unknown. “Flattening the curve” of infections has become a common term among specialists and decision makers, while explaining restricting measurements taken toward the population. Israelis, who had previously learned to deal with life under constant security threat, are now facing a new reality. The purpose of the study was to check how Israelis are psychologically affected by and coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 925 Israelis divided into three groups: ages 18–29, 30–59, and 60–88. The data were collected between March 31 and April 8, 2020, when it was already clear that this is a global plague, the country's borders were closed, and the government's directive for citizens was to remain at home while imposing limitations on the public and private sectors. The current study examined psychological distress among the three age groups as well as the associations between levels of distress, resilience, and coping strategies. Levels of distress were measured via the BSI-18 that measures anxiety, depression, and somatization. Resilience was measured using the Connor-Davidson CD-RISC scale. Coping was measured by the short version of the COPE. Psychological distress was associated with being in a younger age group, being a woman, having economic concerns, use of emotion and problem focused coping, and lower resilience. The study also found that concern for the health of family members was the strongest concern among all age groups but was highest among the younger age group. It was also found that those in the younger age group suffered from higher levels of depression, anxiety, and somatization compared to the older age group. The middle age group suffered from elevated levels of anxiety and somatization compared to the older age group. Although the older age group was the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, in this study age was found to be a protective factor from psychological distress. The results of the study suggest the need to consider the younger age group as a risk group, which hence needs to be addressed as the focus of intervention programs. It appears that the concern for their loved ones takes a heavy toll on the younger generation, and this should be considered a major source of stress.
Stigma and Discrimination During COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bhanot Divya , Singh Tushar , Verma Sunil K. , Sharad Shivantika
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has been instrumental in creating a dramatic shift from people's need to live in mutual association toward a desire to stigmatize distinctive others. Pandemic seems to be causing othering. Stated simply, stigmatization is a social process set to exclude those who are perceived to be a potential source of disease and may pose threat to the effective social living in the society. Based on the secondary evidence collected from news published online or in print, the present article delves into stigma associated with the COVID-19 pandemic among different social groups in the Indian society and the mounting cases of prejudice based on race, class, and religion. It also presents insights into the varied manifestations, and the deleterious consequences of COVID-19 inspired othering brought to its potential targets in India.
Home Hazards With Fear of Falling: Findings From the Baseline Study of the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR)
Authors: Romli Muhammad Hibatullah , Mackenzie Lynette , Lovarini Meryl , Clemson Lindy , Tan Maw Pin
Published: January 2021

Background: Fear of falling (FoF) is a common issue among older people, impacting on psychological health, functional performance and mortality. Many factors associated with fear of falling have been investigated but little is known about the role of home hazards. Home hazards can be due to unsafe environmental and functional features. This study is aims to evaluate the association between home hazards with fear of falling among community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and over.

Methods: Baseline data with 1,489 older individuals from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study were analyzed. Home visits for interview and observations in the home were conducted with the participants. FoF was established with a single-item question and home hazards with the Home Falls and Accidents Screening Tool (HOME FAST).

Results: The majority (76.4%) of older participants experienced FoF. The history of falls was not associated with FoF (p = 0.868), but FoF was associated with participants limiting their daily activities (p < 0.001). Home hazards were less likely (p = 0.023) and functional issues were more likely (p < 0.001) to be associated with a high degree of FoF. However, both home hazards domains were not associated with activity restriction due to FoF.

Conclusions: Education about home hazards from the perspective of person-environment interaction may encourage home hazards management and reduce FoF which should be evaluated in future studies.
Is Magnesium Supplementation an Effective Nutritional Method to Reduce Stress in Domestic Pigs? A Systematic Review
Authors: Bushby Emily V. , Dye Louise , Collins Lisa M.
Published: January 2021

In commercial pig production, stressful events are common and can have detrimental impacts on the pig's health and welfare, as well as on the performance of the farm. Supplementary magnesium may reduce stress, and subsequent harmful and aggressive behaviors, that occur during stressful events, such as regrouping. However, reports on the efficacy of this treatment are mixed. We aimed to systematically review the studies in which magnesium was given to pigs to examine the effects on measures of stress. Of the 16 studies included in the final corpus, 10 reported at least one statistically significant beneficial effect of supplementary magnesium on reducing stress. However, two studies found that magnesium significantly increased stress suggesting supplementary dietary magnesium may be harmful in some cases. Overall, there are a limited number of studies investigating the possible effect of magnesium on reducing stress in pigs, and although results were varied, the majority found beneficial effects of supplementary magnesium.
Providing an Outdoor Exercise Area Affects Tie-Stall Cow Reactivity and Human-Cow Relations
Authors: Aigueperse Nadège , Vasseur Elsa
Published: January 2021

Confinement and restriction of movement are a reality for most dairy cows. Providing outdoor access is one method to increase movement opportunities. However, leading cows to an outdoor exercise area increases their exposure to manipulations different from those of an indoor housing system. These situations have the potential to induce fear reactions, which can lead to injuries for the cow and danger or economic losses for the farmer. Our aim was to evaluate the development of the human-cow relationship and general reactivity of cows after a 12-week period of outdoor access provision in winter, summer and fall. A total of 16 cows in the winter, 16 in the summer, and 15 in the fall were enrolled in the study and either allocated to the treatment (Out) or stayed in the tiestall (NonOut). A human reactivity test and suddenness test were performed before and after the 12-week treatment period. In winter and to a lesser extent in fall, Out cows had a better human reaction score compared to NonOut cows, suggesting that cows with outdoor access during the winter associated human approaches with positive events. Conversely, no difference in the human reaction score was found between treatments during the summer. For summer and fall, Out cows did, however, show a decrease in their reaction score to the suddenness test compared to NonOut cows. The results of the human reactivity test in the summer suggested that cows with outdoor access did not associate the manipulation with a positive event. Interestingly, this result is not due to the cows being more frightened, since the suddenness test suggested that the Out cows were less fearful than NonOut cows. The way in which cows were led to the outdoor area could explain the differences in cow responses. Here, summer cows faced greater movement restrictions during trips to the outdoor area than in the winter, which may have been negatively perceived by the cows. We conclude that, besides the provision of outdoor access, the manner in which cows are handled during these events may have significant impacts on their reactions and could facilitate future handling.
Examining the Influence of Store Environment in Hedonic and Utilitarian Shopping
Authors: Calvo-Porral Cristina , Lévy-Mangin Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2021

Much of the literature on the attractiveness and pleasantness of retail stores has focused on the critical influence of store atmosphere or ambient attributes, which influence customer satisfaction and store choice. However, little is known about the environmental cues that influence customers’ satisfaction in different shopping contexts. In this context, the present research aims to answer the following questions: “Are the store atmospheric variables equally relevant in hedonic and utilitarian shopping?”; and further: “Does the influence of store environment on customer satisfaction vary depending on the type of shopping?”. For this purpose an empirical research is developed through PLS Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) based on data obtained from hedonic (n = 210) and utilitarian (n = 267) shopping contexts. Results indicate that customers perceive differently store atmospherics in utilitarian and in hedonic shopping. More precisely, findings report that customer satisfaction is driven by internal ambient and merchandise layout in hedonic shopping contexts; while the external ambient and the merchandise layout are major atmospheric cues in utilitarian shopping. Interestingly, store crowding does not influence customers’ satisfaction. This study provides a deeper understanding into the specific store attributes that influence customer satisfaction, which could be used by retailers to differentiate themselves from competitors.
Simulation and Evaluation of Heat Transfer Inside a Diseased Citrus Tree during Heat Treatment
Authors: Ghatrehsamani Shirin , Ampatzidis Yiannis , Schueller John K. , Ehsani Reza
Published: January 2021

Heat treatment has been applied in previous studies to treat diseased plants and trees affected by heat-sensitive pathogens. Huanglongbing (HLB) is a heat-sensitive pathogen and the optimal temperature–time for treating HLB-affected citrus trees was estimated to be 54 °C for 60 to 120 s from indoor experimental studies. However, utilizing this method in orchards is difficult due to technical difficulties to effectively apply heat. Recently, a mobile thermotherapy system (MTS) was developed to in-field treat HLB-affected trees. This mobile device includes a canopy cover that covers the diseased tree and a system to supply steam under the cover to treat the tree. It was proven that the temperature inside the canopy cover can reach the desired one (i.e., 54 °C) to kill bacteria. However, for HLB, the heat should penetrate the tree’s phloem where the bacteria live. Therefore, measuring the heat penetration inside the tree is very critical to evaluate the performance of the MTS. In this study, a heat transfer model was developed to simulate the heat penetration inside the tree and predict the temperature in the phloem of the diseased tree during the in-field heat treatment. The simulation results were compared with in-field experimental measurements. The heat transfer model was developed by a comparative analysis of the experimental data using the ANSYS software. Results showed that the temperature in the phloem was 10–40% lower than the temperature near the surface of the bark. Simulation results were consistent with experimental results, with an average relative error of less than 5%.
Haemogregarines and Criteria for Identification
Authors: Al-Quraishy Saleh , Abdel-Ghaffar Fathy , Dkhil Mohamed A. , Abdel-Gaber Rewaida
Published: January 2021

Apicomplexa is a phylum that includes all parasitic protozoa sharing unique ultrastructural features. Haemogregarines are sophisticated apicomplexan blood parasites with an obligatory heteroxenous life cycle and haplohomophasic alternation of generations. Haemogregarines are common blood parasites of fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, turtles, tortoises, crocodilians, birds, and mammals. Haemogregarine ultrastructure has been so far examined only for stages from the vertebrate host. PCR-based assays and the sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene are helpful methods to further characterize this parasite group. The proper classification for the haemogregarine complex is available with the criteria of generic and unique diagnosis of these parasites.