bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who Is Listening? Spokesperson Effect on Communicating Social and Physical Distancing Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Abu-Akel Ahmad , Spitz Andreas , West Robert
Published: January 2021

Effective communication during a pandemic, such as the current COVID-19 crisis, can save lives. At the present time, social and physical distancing measures are the lead strategy in combating the spread of COVID-19. In this study, a survey was administered to 705 adults from Switzerland about their support and practice of social distancing measures to examine if their responses depended on (1) whether these measures were supported by a government official or an internationally recognized celebrity as a spokesperson, (2) whether this spokesperson was liked, and (3) the respondent’s age. We also considered several attitudinal and demographic variables that may influence the degree to which people support and comply with social distancing measures. We found that the government official was more effective in eliciting responses supportive of social distancing, particularly as manifested in the stated current compliance with social distancing measures. The effect was substantially stronger among older respondents, although these respondents expressed a lower risk perception. Although there was a general trend for greater endorsement of the social distancing measures among participants who liked the spokesperson, this was non-significant. In addition, respondents’ greater support and compliance was positively associated with (1) higher concern for the current situation, (2) higher concern for the well-being of others, and (3) greater belief that others were practicing social distancing, and negatively with (4) greater self-reported mobility. Current compliance correlated negatively with (5) household size. Since different parts of the population appear to have different perceptions of risk and crisis, our preliminary results suggest that different spokespersons may be needed for different segments of the population, and particularly for younger and older populations. The development of evidence-based knowledge is required to further identify who would be the most effective spokesperson, and in particular to groups with low risk perception and low compliance.
Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 Improves the State Anxiety and Sports Performance of Young Divers Under Stress Situations: A Single-Arm, Prospective Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Dong Weizhong , Wang Ying , Liao Shuaixiong , Tang Wei , Peng Li , Song Gang
Published: January 2021

Background

Athletes will increase their state anxiety under stress situations, which will lead to the decline of sports performance. The improvement of anxiety by probiotics has been reported, but there is a lack of research in the athlete population. The purpose of the current study is to explore the effectiveness of probiotics in improving athletes’ state anxiety and sports performance under stress situations.

Methods

We conducted this single-arm study in Chongqing Institute of Sports Technology. In the 8-week study, 21 Chongqing young divers (mean age: 9.10 ± 1.80) were given probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (1 × 109 colony-forming units/100 g) daily. The state anxiety and sports performance of athletes were measured before, during, and after the intervention, and the gut microbiota of athletes was measured before and after the intervention.

Results

The intervention results showed that cognitive state anxiety, somatic state anxiety, and anxiety emotion were improved (cognitive: Z = −3.964, P < 0.001; somatic: Z = −3.079, P = 0.003; anxiety: Z = −2.973, P < 0.001). In terms of gut microbiota, the intervention did not change the gut microbial composition (such as α diversity and β diversity) but increased the abundance of Bifidobacteriaceae. At the 8th week, the performance of athletes under stress was significantly improved (χ2 = 7.88, P = 0.019).

Limitations

First of all, due to the restriction of the number of subjects in this study, there was no control group. Secondly, although the athletes’ diet was recorded in this study, the influence of this factor on gut microbiota was not eliminated. Finally, the anxiety level of the athletes in this study was obtained through a self-report, lacking physiological data in state anxiety.

Conclusion

The results show that probiotics intervention can improve the state anxiety of athletes under stress situation and improve the performance of athletes under stress situation.
Risk Perception and Protective Behaviors During the Rise of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Italy
Authors: Savadori Lucia , Lauriola Marco
Published: January 2021

Risk perception is important in determining health-protective behavior. During the rise of the COVID-19 epidemic, we tested a comprehensive structural equation model of risk perception to explain adherence to protective behaviors in a crisis context using a survey of 572 Italian citizens. We identified two categories of protective behaviors, labeled promoting hygiene and cleaning, and avoiding social closeness. Social norms and risk perceptions were the more proximal antecedents of both categories. Cultural worldviews, affect, and experience of COVID-19 were the more distal predictors. Promoting hygiene and cleaning was triggered by the negative affective attitude toward coronavirus and mediated by an affective appraisal of risk. The deliberate dimension of risk perception (perceived likelihood) predicted only avoiding social closeness. Social norms predicted both types of behaviors and mediated the relations of cultural worldviews. Individualism (vs. communitarianism), more than hierarchy (vs. egalitarianism), shaped the affective evaluation of coronavirus. The model was an acceptable fit to the data and accounted for 20% and 29% of the variance in promoting hygiene and cleaning, and avoiding social closeness, respectively. The findings were robust to the effect of sociodemographic factors (age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, and zone of the country). Taken together, our findings confirmed the empirical distinction between affective and deliberate processes in risk perception, supported the validity of the affect heuristic, and highlighted the role of social norms as an account for why individualistic people were less likely to follow the prescribed health-protective behaviors. Implications for risk communication are discussed.
Anger and Sadness Expressions Situated in Both Positive and Negative Contexts: An Investigation in South Korea and the United States
Authors: Song Sunny Youngok , Curtis Alexandria M. , Aragón Oriana R.
Published: January 2021

A formidable challenge to the research of non-verbal behavior can be in the assumptions that we sometimes make, and the subsequent questions that arise from those assumptions. In this article, we proceed with an investigation that would have been precluded by the assumption of a 1:1 correspondence between facial expressions and discrete emotional experiences. We investigated two expressions that in the normative sense are considered negative expressions. One expression, “anger” could be described as clenched fists, furrowed brows, tense jaws and lips, the showing of teeth, and flared nostrils, and the other “sadness” could be described as downward turned mouths, tears, drooping eyes, and wrinkled foreheads. Here, we investigated the prevalence, understanding, and use of these expressions in both positive and negative contexts in South Korea and the United States. We found evidence in both cultures, that anger and sadness displays are used to express positive emotions, a notion relevant to Dimorphous Theory. Moreover, we found that anger and sadness expressions communicated appetitive feelings of wanting to “go!” and consummatory feelings of wanting to “pause,” respectively. There were moderations of our effects consistent with past work in Affect Valuation Theory and Display Rule Theory. We discuss our findings, their theoretical relevance, and how the assumptions that are made can narrow the questions that we ask in the field on non-verbal behavior.
The Grammatical Incorporation of Demonstratives in an Emerging Tactile Language
Authors: Edwards Terra , Brentari Diane
Published: January 2021

In this article, we analyze the grammatical incorporation of demonstratives in a tactile language, emerging in communities of DeafBlind signers in the US who communicate via reciprocal, tactile channels—a practice known as “protactile.” In the first part of the paper, we report on a synchronic analysis of recent data, identifying four types of “taps,” which have taken on different functions in protacitle language and communication. In the second part of the paper, we report on a diachronic analysis of data collected over the past 8 years. This analysis reveals the emergence of a new kind of “propriotactic” tap, which has been co-opted by the emerging phonological system of protactile language. We link the emergence of this unit to both demonstrative taps, and backchanneling taps, both of which emerged earlier. We show how these forms are all undergirded by an attention-modulation function, more or less backgrounded, and operating across different semiotic systems. In doing so, we contribute not only to what is known about demonstratives in tactile languages, but also to what is known about the role of demonstratives in the emergence of new languages.
Subjective Importance of a Common Feature Decides Its Consideration in Multi-attribute Decision-making
Authors: Wang Ziyi , He Guibing
Published: January 2021

One of the interesting research questions in multi-attribute decision-making is what affects the consideration of shared information (i.e., common features) between two alternatives. Previous studies have suggested two approaches (bottom-up and top-down) in finding what characteristics of common features affect their consideration. Two bottom-up factors (salience and interdependence) were found, but no top-down factors were discovered. In the current study, we followed the top-down approach and investigated how subjective importance (SI) of a common feature affects its consideration. In two studies, we consistently found that, on both the general and individual level, the level of consideration increased with the SI of the common feature. This result provided a new explanation for the effect of common feature consideration and its individual difference; it also provided insights in explaining the underlying process of multi-attribute decision making.
Convergent and Distinct Effects of Multisensory Combination on Statistical Learning Using a Computer Glove
Authors: Madan Christopher R. , Singhal Anthony
Published: January 2021

Learning to play a musical instrument involves mapping visual + auditory cues to motor movements and anticipating transitions. Inspired by the serial reaction time task and artificial grammar learning, we investigated explicit and implicit knowledge of statistical learning in a sensorimotor task. Using a between-subjects design with four groups, one group of participants were provided with visual cues and followed along by tapping the corresponding fingertip to their thumb, while using a computer glove. Another group additionally received accompanying auditory tones; the final two groups received sensory (visual or visual + auditory) cues but did not provide a motor response—all together following a 2 × 2 design. Implicit knowledge was measured by response time, whereas explicit knowledge was assessed using probe tests. Findings indicate that explicit knowledge was best with only the single modality, but implicit knowledge was best when all three modalities were involved.
Investigating Indirect and Direct Reputation Formation in Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus)
Authors: Jim Hoi-Lam , Range Friederike , Marshall-Pescini Sarah , Dale Rachel , Plotnik Joshua M.
Published: January 2021

Reputation is a key component in social interactions of group-living animals and appears to play a role in the establishment of cooperation. Animals can form a reputation of an individual by directly interacting with them or by observing them interact with a third party, i.e., eavesdropping. Elephants are an interesting taxon in which to investigate eavesdropping as they are highly cooperative, large-brained, long-lived terrestrial mammals with a complex social organisation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) could form reputations of humans through indirect and/or direct experience in two different paradigms: (1) a cooperative string-pulling task and (2) a scenario requiring begging. Fourteen captive Asian elephants in Thailand participated in an experimental procedure that consisted of three parts: baseline, observation, and testing. In the observation phase, the subject saw a conspecific interact with two people—one cooperative/generous and one non-cooperative/selfish. The observer could then choose which person to approach in the test phase. The elephants were tested in a second session 2–5 days later. We found no support for the hypothesis that elephants can form reputations of humans through indirect or direct experience, but these results may be due to challenges with experimental design rather than a lack of capacity. We discuss how the results may be due to a potential lack of ecological validity in this study and the difficulty of assessing motivation and attentiveness in elephants. Furthermore, we highlight the importance of designing future experiments that account for the elephants' use of multimodal sensory information in their decision-making.
Are Recycling People Also Saving? Costliness Matters
Authors: Wei Sheng , Xu Jiaqi , She Shengxiang , Wang Yan , Zhang Ying
Published: January 2021

In view of the fact that vigorously promoting recycling has become a viable means to promote sustainable development, it is important to better understand the impact of recycling efforts on subsequent resource saving behavior. This research empirically examines the effects of recycling efforts on subsequent resource saving by analyzing the survey data of 356 college students in China. The recycling efforts, environmental self-identity and feeling of pride were measured using existing scales while saving behaviors and recycling cost were measured by developing new scales. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was performed to test the structural relationships among recycling efforts, environmental self-identity, feeling of pride, and saving behaviors. Further, the moderation role of recycling cost was tested. The results showed that (1) saving behaviors could be classified into two types based on their costliness; (2) recycling efforts have a positive effect on costless saving behaviors, while having a negative effect on costly saving behaviors; (3) both the positive and negative effect of recycling efforts on resource saving is mediated by pride feeling and environmental self-identity; and (4) recycling cost negatively moderates the effects of recycling efforts on pride feeling. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptom Dimensions Differentially Predict Adolescent Peer Problems: Findings From Two Longitudinal Studies
Authors: Ahmad Shaikh I. , Meza Jocelyn I. , Posserud Maj-Britt , Brevik Erlend J. , Hinshaw Stephen P. , Lundervold Astri J.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Previous findings that inattention (IA) and hyperactive/impulsive (HI) symptoms predict later peer problems have been mixed. Utilizing two culturally diverse samples with shared methodologies, we assessed the predictive power of dimensionally measured childhood IA and HI symptoms regarding adolescent peer relationships.

Methods: A US-based, clinical sample of 228 girls with and without childhood diagnosed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; M age = 9.5) was assessed and followed 5 years later. A Norwegian, population-based sample of 3,467 children (53% girls; M age = 8.3) was assessed and followed approximately 4 years later. Both investigations used parent and teacher reports of ADHD symptoms and peer relations. Multivariate regression analyses examined the independent contributions of IA and HI symptoms to later peer problems, adjusting for baseline childhood peer problems. We also examined childhood sex as a potential moderator within the Norwegian sample.

Results: Higher levels of childhood HI symptoms, but not IA symptoms, independently predicted adolescent peer problems in the all-female clinical sample. Conversely, higher levels of IA symptoms, but not HI symptoms, independently predicted preadolescent peer problems in the mixed-sex population sample. Results did not differ between informants (parent vs. teacher). Associations between ADHD symptom dimensions and peer problems within the Norwegian sample were not moderated by child sex.

Discussion: Differential associations between childhood hyperactive/impulsive and inattention symptoms and adolescent peer problems were found across two diverse samples using a shared methodology. Potential explanations for different findings in the clinical vs. population samples include symptom severity as well as age, sex, and cultural factors. We discuss implications for future research, including the importance of dimensional measures of ADHD-related symptoms and the need for shared methodologies across clinical and normative samples.
An ERP Study of the Temporal Course of Gender–Color Stroop Effect
Authors: Li Yingli , Du Juan , Song Qingfang , Wu Sina , Liu Lihong
Published: January 2021

Pink and blue colors have been found to associate with gender stereotypes in previous Western studies. The purpose of the present study was to explore the neuropsychological processing basis of this effect in contemporary Chinese society. We presented stereotypically masculine or feminine occupation words in either pink or blue colors to Chinese college students in a modified Stroop paradigm, in which participants were asked to classify each occupation word by gender as quickly and accurately as possible. Event-related potential (ERP) signals were concurrently recorded in order to identify the temporal dynamics of gender stereotypical interference effect. The behavioral results showed that pink–masculine stimuli elicited a longer response time and lower accuracy than blue–masculine stimuli in the participants, while no such differences were observed between pink–feminine and blue–feminine conditions. The ERP results further revealed distinctive neural processing stages for pink–masculine stimuli (i.e., in comparison to the other three types of stimuli) in P200, N300, N400, and P600. Overall, our results suggested that pink but not blue was a “gendered” color in Chinese culture. Moreover, our ERP findings contributed to the understanding of the neural mechanism underlying the processing of gender–color stereotypes.
Athletes’ Psychological Adaptation to Confinement Due to COVID-19: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Rubio Víctor J. , Sánchez-Iglesias Iván , Bueno Marta , Martin Gema
Published: January 2021

Studies of individuals under conditions of confinement or severe social and physical restrictions have consistently shown deleterious mental health effects but also high levels of adaptability when dealing with such conditions. Considering the role of physical activity and sport in psychological adaptation, this paper describes a longitudinal study to explore to what extent the imposed restrictions due to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 may have affected athletes’ mental health outcomes and how far the process of adaptation to confinement conditions is differentially affected depending on whether the sports activity was practiced individually or in a group, and outdoors, indoors, or both. Two hundred and seventy-four athletes were assessed over 7 weeks using the GHQ-28 and an ad hoc survey exploring the practice of physical activity. A mixed-model fixed effects ANCOVA was used to analyze the effects of time, place, and company in which the sport was practiced, with an index of the amount of physical activity expended as a covariate. Results show a significant effect of time in three out of four of the GHQ-28 subscales, in all cases showing a consistent adaptation to conditions over time. Results also show that playing sport indoors, outdoors, or both, and practicing alone vs. with others differentially affect the somatic symptoms exhibited during confinement: Athletes who practiced sport with others showed higher levels of somatic symptoms at the beginning of the set of data but a quicker rate of adaptation. Differences arising from practicing sport alone or with others were more pronounced in the case of indoor sports, which could be related to the fact that physical activity that can be practiced during confinement is more similar to that practiced indoors alone. Implications relating to what sport psychologists and other health professionals may offer to athletes in stressful situations are discussed.
Physical Fitness and Academic Performance in Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Schoolchild Handball Players in Qatar: A Pilot Study
Authors: Hermassi Souhail , Hayes Lawrence D. , Bragazzi Nicola Luigi , Schwesig René
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between physical fitness and academic performance in youth handball players of different BMI classifications. Thirty-three male handball players (age: 10.3 ± 0.61 years; body mass: 47.1 ± 12.1 kg; height: 1.43 ± 0.09 m; BMI: 23.1 ± 4.37 kg/m2; body fat: 20.6 ± 6.27%) were recruited from the Qatar handball first league and were assigned to their BMI age-adjusted groups (i.e., normal weight, overweight, and obese). Measurements included anthropometric data (height, mass, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (%BF), and physical performance tests: agility T-half test; squat jump (SJ), and countermovement jump (CMJ), 10 and 15 m sprint; medicine ball throw (MBT). Aerobic capacity was evaluated using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1). Academic achievement was assessed through school records of grades point average (GPA) of Mathematics, Science and Arabic. None academic performance parameter and four physical performance parameters (agility T-half: p = 0.035; CMJ: p = 0.001; SJ: p = 0.007; sprint 10 m: p = 0.028) were different between BMI related groups. In 43% (3/7) of performance parameters and all academic parameters, the normal weight group showed the highest performance level, whereas the overweight group had the best performance in both sprint tests. The obese group was only superior in the medicine ball throw, but not at the p < 0.05 level. A relevant relationship (r > 0.5) between academic and physical performance parameters was only found between Yo-Yo IR 1 and science (r = 0.548). A relevant correlation were found between CMJ and BMI (r = −0.569). The agility T-half test was correlated with CMJ (r = −0.614) and 10 m sprint (r = 0.523). These findings suggest being overweight or obese are related to science academic performance among schoolchildren athletes in Qatar. Possibly, a normal BMI could positively influence academic performance. Physical education teachers, staff, and administrators should be cognizant that health promotion interventions improving composition may have the additional potential to improve dimensions of academic performance.
Why Educational Neuroscience Needs Educational and School Psychology to Effectively Translate Neuroscience to Educational Practice
Authors: Wilcox Gabrielle , Morett Laura M. , Hawes Zachary , Dommett Eleanor J.
Published: January 2021

The emerging discipline of educational neuroscience stands at a crossroads between those who see great promise in integrating neuroscience and education and those who see the disciplinary divide as insurmountable. However, such tension is at least partly due to the hitherto predominance of philosophy and theory over the establishment of concrete mechanisms and agents of change. If educational neuroscience is to move forward and emerge as a distinct discipline in its own right, the traditional boundaries and methods must be bridged, and an infrastructure must be in place that allows for collaborative and productive exchange. In the present paper, we argue that school psychologists have the potential to fulfill this need and represent important agents of change in establishing better connections between research and practice. More specifically, we use theNational Association of School Psychologists (NASP) (2020)Domains of Practice to highlight several areas where school psychology can actively support forging connections between neuroscience and educational practice. School psychologists represent untapped potential in their knowledge, skillset, and placement to serve a vital role in building the bridge between neuroscience and education.
Dispositional Optimism and Context Sensitivity: Psychological Contributors to Frailty Status Among Elderly Outpatients
Authors: Sardella Alberto , Lenzo Vittorio , Bonanno George A. , Martino Gabriella , Basile Giorgio , Quattropani Maria C.
Published: January 2021

The association of resilience-related factors with frailty is a recent research topic. Dispositional optimism and context sensitivity are two psychological factors that differently contribute to individual resilience. This study aimed at investigating whether dispositional optimism and context sensitivity might contribute to a multifactorial model of frailty, together with established relevant factors such as cognitive and physical factors. This cross-sectional study involved 141 elderly outpatients (42 males and 99 females) aged ≥65 years, who were referred to the Geriatrics and Multidimensional Evaluation Clinic of the University Hospital of Messina. We used the following measures: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to screen for global cognitive functioning; 4-m gait speed and handgrip strength to measure physical performance; a 35-item Frailty Index (FI) to evaluate patients’ frailty status; the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) to gauge dispositional optimism; and the Context Sensitivity Index (CSI) to measure context sensitivity. We found that LOT-R (β = −0.190, p = 0.038), CSI (β = −0.191, p = 0.035), and MMSE (β = −0.466, p < 0.001) were all significantly associated with FI. Gait speed was only marginally associated with FI (β = −0.184, p = 0.053). The present study showed a novel association of dispositional optimism and context sensitivity with frailty among elderly outpatients. These preliminary findings support a multidimensional approach to frailty in which even peculiar psychological features might provide a significant contribution.
Is Burnout Primarily Linked to Work-Situated Factors? A Relative Weight Analytic Study
Authors: Bianchi Renzo , Manzano-García Guadalupe , Rolland Jean-Pierre
Published: January 2021

It has often been asserted that burnout is primarily linked to occupational-context factors, and only secondarily to individual-level (e.g., personality) and non-work (or general) factors. We evaluated the validity of this view by examining the links between burnout and an array of 22 work-situated (effort-reward imbalance, unreasonable work tasks, unnecessary work tasks, weekly working hours, job autonomy, skill development, performance feedback, and support in work life), work-unrelated (sentimental accomplishment, familial accomplishment, number of child[ren], leisure activities, residential satisfaction, environmental quality, security in daily life, and support in personal life), dispositional (neuroticism, sex, age, and physical condition), and intersecting (work–non-work conflict and non-work–work conflict) variables. The study involved schoolteachers from three different countries: France (N= 4,395), Spain (N= 611), and Switzerland (N= 514). Burnout was assessed with the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Educators. Most of our predictors were assessed based on widely used measures (e.g., neuroticism was assessed with the NEO-Five Factor Inventory). In order to assess sentimental accomplishment and familial accomplishment, we created two self-reported measures, namely, the Sentimental Accomplishment Inventory (SAI; 9 items) and the Familial Accomplishment Inventory (FAI; 9 items). The SAI and the FAI both showed strong reliability and high factorial validity. Exploratory structural equation modeling bifactor analysis and Mokken scaling suggested that both instruments could be considered essentially unidimensional. The study results showed that neuroticism, job strain, skill development, security in daily life, and work–non-work conflict were consistently associated with burnout across the three samples. Sample-specific predictors of burnout included sex, age, unreasonable work tasks, weekly working hours, job autonomy, support in work life, sentimental accomplishment, leisure activities, support in personal life, and non-work–work conflict. Relative weight analysis indicated that neuroticism was the best predictor of burnout in each sample. Our findings suggest that burnout’s nomological network may not be primarily job-related. We conclude that the tendency to de-emphasize individual-level and non-work factors in burnout research is unwise. This tendency may constitute a roadblock in the development of effective interventional strategies. The implications of our findings for burnout’s conceptual status are discussed. The neuroticism-burnout link should be further examined in longitudinal studies.
Instrumental Music Educators in a COVID Landscape: A Reassertion of Relationality and Connection in Teaching Practice
Authors: de Bruin Leon R.
Published: January 2021

For many countries instrumental music tuition in secondary schools is a ubiquitous event that provides situated and personalized instruction in the learning of an instrument. Opportunities and methods through which teachers operate during the COVID-19 outbreak challenged music educators as to how they taught, engaged, and interacted with students across online platforms, with alarm over aerosol dispersement a major factor in maintaining online instrumental music tuition even as students returned to “normal” face to face classes. This qualitative study investigated the practices employed by instrumental music educators in secondary schools in Melbourne, Australia, analyzing teacher perspectives to music tuition amidst the restriction of interaction with students remotely via online means. Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed music educational approaches that fostered connection, empathy and receptiveness to relationship-building, guiding students in slower and deeper learner-centered approaches, asserting pedagogical practices that reinforced and promoted interpersonal connectedness in and through musical experience and discovery. These findings provide a framework for how music educators can facilitate connection, motivation and student autonomy generating personal meaning and commitment to music making and the learning relationship, which can translate to significant student learning and value in the learning music. Exploring teachers’ pedagogical practices and behaviors within this dyadic teacher-student relationship is a significant addition to the literature, enabling the consideration of the type of connective behaviors required to stimulate and develop long-term interest in music.
Bullying Victimization and Trauma
Authors: Idsoe Thormod , Vaillancourt Tracy , Dyregrov Atle , Hagen Kristine Amlund , Ogden Terje , Nærde Ane
Published: January 2021

Bullying victimization and trauma research traditions operate quite separately. Hence, it is unclear from the literature whether bullying victimization should be considered as a form of interpersonal trauma. We review studies that connect bullying victimization with symptoms of PTSD, and in doing so, demonstrate that a conceptual understanding of the consequences of childhood bullying needs to be framed within a developmental perspective. We discuss two potential diagnoses that ought to be considered in the context of bullying victimization: (1) developmental trauma disorder, which was suggested but not accepted as a new diagnosis in the DSM-5 and (2) complex post-traumatic stress disorder, which has been included in the ICD-11. Our conclusion is that these frameworks capture the complexity of the symptoms associated with bullying victimization better than PTSD. We encourage practitioners to understand how exposure to bullying interacts with development at different ages when addressing the consequences for targets and when designing interventions that account for the duration, intensity, and sequelae of this type of interpersonal trauma.
Efforts and Challenges to Ensure Continuity of Mental Healthcare Service Delivery in a Low Resource Settings During COVID-19 Pandemic—A Case of a Kenyan Referral Hospital
Authors: Kwobah Edith , Jaguga Florence , Robert Kiptoo , Ndolo Elias , Kariuki Jane
Published: January 2021

The rising number of patients with Covid-19 as well as the infection control measures have affected healthcare service delivery, including mental healthcare. Mental healthcare delivery in low and middle income countries where resources were already limited are likely to be affected more during this pandemic. This paper describes the efforts of ensuring mental healthcare delivery is continued in a referral hospital in Kenya, Moi Teaching and Referral hospital, as well as the challenges faced. These efforts are guided by the interim guidelines developed by the Kenyan ministry of health. Some of the adjustments described includes reducing number of patients admitted, shortening the stay in the inpatient setting, using outdoors for therapy to promote physical distancing, utilization of electronic platforms for family therapy sessions, strengthening outpatient services, and supporting primary care workers to deliver mental health care services. Some of the challenges include limited ability to move about, declining ability for patients to pay out of pocket due to the economic challenges brought about by measures to control Covid-19, limited drug supplies in primary care facilities, inability to fully implement telehealth due to connectivity issues and stigma for mental health which results in poor social support for the mentally ill patients. It is clear that current pandemic has jeopardized the continuity of usual mental healthcare in many settings. This has brought to sharp focus the need to decentralize mental health care and promote community based services. Meanwhile, there is need to explore feasible alternatives to ensure continuity of care.
Self-Reported Screen Time on Social Networking Sites Associated With Problematic Smartphone Use in Chinese Adults: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Guo Ningyuan , Luk Tzu Tsun , Wang Man Ping , Ho Sai Yin , Fong Daniel Yee Tak , Wan Alice , Chan Sophia Siu-chee , Lam Tai Hing
Published: January 2021

Background: Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has been associated with screen time in general, but little is known about the effect of different screen-based activities. We examined the associations of self-reported time spent on overall and specific screen-based activities with PSU and its addictive symptoms in Hong Kong Chinese adults.

Methods: We analyzed data from 562 smartphone owners (56.5% female; 82.1% aged 25–64 years) in a population-based telephone survey in 2017. PSU was measured using Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (range 10–60) which includes symptoms of daily-life disturbance, withdrawal, cyberspace-oriented relationship, overuse, and tolerance. Screen time was self-reported as average hours per day spent on the internet, online book/newspaper/magazine, online video, and social networking sites (SNS). Multivariable linear regression analyzed the associations of self-reported screen time with PSU severity and symptoms. Interaction effects of sex, age group, educational attainment, and monthly household income were examined.

Results: Self-reported time spent on overall screen-based activities was associated with PSU severity (β = 1.35, 95% CI 0.15, 2.55) and withdrawal and overuse symptoms, after adjusting for sociodemographic and health-related variables. Independent association was observed for self-reported SNS time with PSU severity (β = 1.42, 95% CI 0.35, 2.49) and symptoms of withdrawal and cyberspace-oriented relationship, after mutually adjusting for time on other activities. The strongest association between self-reported SNS time and PSU severity was observed in younger than older adults (β = 4.36, 95% CI 2.58, 6.13; P for interaction = 0.004).

Conclusions: The independent association of self-reported SNS time with PSU and core addictive symptoms highlighted the addiction potential of SNS use, particularly in younger users.
COVID-19 Dynamics: A Heterogeneous Model
Authors: Gerasimov Andrey , Lebedev Georgy , Lebedev Mikhail , Semenycheva Irina
Published: January 2021

The mathematical model reported here describes the dynamics of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, which is different in many aspects from the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic. We developed this model when the COVID-19 epidemic was at its early phase. We reasoned that, with our model, the effects of different measures could be assessed for infection control. Unlike the homogeneous models, our model accounts for human population heterogeneity, where subpopulations (e.g., age groups) have different infection risks. The heterogeneous model estimates several characteristics of the epidemic more accurately compared to the homogeneous models. According to our analysis, the total number of infections and their peak number are lower compared to the assessment with the homogeneous models. Furthermore, the early-stage infection increase is little changed when population heterogeneity is considered, whereas the late-stage infection decrease slows. The model predicts that the anti-epidemic measures, like the ones undertaken in China and the rest of the world, decrease the basic reproductive number but do not result in the development of a sufficient collective immunity, which poses a risk of a second wave. More recent developments confirmed our conclusion that the epidemic has a high likelihood to restart after the quarantine measures are lifted.
The Influence of Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic and the Quarantine Practices on University Students' Beliefs About the Online Learning Experience in Jordan
Authors: Almomani Ensaf Y. , Qablan Ahmad M. , Atrooz Fatin Y. , Almomany Abbas M. , Hajjo Rima M. , Almomani Huda Y.
Published: January 2021

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease that affects the respiratory system. In addition to the severe effects of the disease on health, the pandemic caused a negative impact on basic needs and services, employment, education, and economy worldwide. In Jordan, the whole country locked down, and quarantine was enforced by the military forces, which successfully controlled the spread of the disease. This research aims to study the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated quarantine on university students' beliefs about online learning practice in Jordan. An online descriptive survey involved questions that covered students' demographic information, student's basic and advanced knowledge about COVID-19, students' online learning experience during the quarantine, and finally students' views on the enforced quarantine practice in Jordan. Results showed that students have a good knowledge (>50%) about the COVID-19 basic information and a moderate knowledge (<50%) regarding COVID-19 advanced information. In general, students were pessimistic about the future of COVID-19 both locally and worldwide. Although some students acknowledged that they learned new skills in the fields of electronics, informatics, and computer software during the pandemic, most of them were unsatisfied about the quality and quantity of the given material, online exams, and the evaluation processes. Unfortunately, most of the students faced internet technical problems or challenges to electronic accessibility. The majority of the participants (>90%) supported the military-enforced quarantine implemented in the country despite the hard time the students had during the quarantine. We conclude that university students were able to protect themselves from COVID-19 through their good knowledge about the infectious disease and their commitment to follow the rules imposed by the Government of Jordan. Nevertheless, the challenges caused by the pandemic and its associated quarantine, combined with the sudden unprecedented online experience, negatively impacted students' thoughts and beliefs about the online learning experience during the quarantine. Further studies need to be performed in this context. We hope our results will help decision-makers better understand the students' attitudes and motivation toward online learning and how this will affect their future plans and decisions.
O-aryl and Carbonyl Carbon Contents of Food Waste and Biosolid Predict P Availability in an Acidic Soil
Authors: Rahman Md. Shahinur , Schefe Cassandra , Rajput Sunnia , Keizer David , Weatherley Anthony
Published: January 2021

Organic waste streams, otherwise known as organic amendments (OA), contain potentially valuable nutrients which may additionally increase legacy nutrient availability in soil. This is particularly the case for phosphorus (P) where declining reserves of rock phosphate add an extra dimension to their utility. In acidic soils, OA have been reported to increase P availability through the action of O-aryl and carbonyl groups (represent organic acid compounds) by substituting previously fixed, legacy P and forming organometallic complexes to reduce P sorption. This study aimed to investigate if signature P (orthophosphate) and C (O-aryl and carbonyl) content of OA could be used to predict soil P availability, to replace traditional ways of testing OA and also for future prescriptive applications. Food waste and biosolid were the sources of OA in this study, with pyrolysis and composting processes used to create a range of functional groups. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was utilized to identify forms of C (solid-state 13C NMR) and P compounds (solution-state 31P NMR) in these OA. The O-aryl, carbonyl, and orthophosphate content were higher in pyrolysis and composted materials compared to their feedstock substrate. The effect of OA addition on soil P availability was monitored in a 110-day laboratory incubation study. Results showed an increase in soil P availability (Olsen P) and a decrease in soil P buffering capacity (PBC) after incubation. The increase in soil P availability was not predicted well by the NMR-derived orthophosphate content of OA, which may be due to the overestimation of plant-available orthophosphate content by the solution-state 31P NMR. Furthermore, an additional increase in soil ΔOlsen P (difference between observed and expected) was obtained above the Olsen P added from OA indicating substitution of previously fixed soil P. Both indices of P availability namely ΔOlsen P (r = 0.63–0.83) and ΔPBC (difference between treatment—control) (r = −0.50 to −0.80) showed strong (but opposite) correlations with the ratio of O-aryl to carbonyl C content of OA. It was concluded that the ratio of O-aryl and carbonyl C content of OA could be used to predict the P availability in acidic soil.
Drug-Coated Balloon for the Treatment of Femoropopliteal Tosaka Class III In-stent Restenosis Lesions
Authors: Zhang Bihui , Niu Guochen , Yan Ziguang , Zou Yinghua , Tong Xiaoqiang , Yang Min
Published: January 2021

Background: To date, there have been few studies examining the efficacy and safety of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in the treatment of Tosaka class III in-stent restenosis (ISR) lesions in the clinical setting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of DCBs in patients with Tosaka class III ISR femoropopliteal lesions.

Methods: This single-center study enrolled 28 femoropopliteal ISR Tosaka III patients who were treated by DCB angioplasty from September 2016 to September 2018. The patency, the freedom from target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate, clinical improvement, and safety endpoints were analyzed during a 14-month follow-up period.

Results: Out of the 28 patients, 32.1% presented with critical limb ischemia. The mean lesion length was 250.4 ± 93.9 mm. Technical success was achieved in all lesions (100%). Debulking devices were used in 50% of lesions, and bailout stents were performed in 3.6% of patients. Kaplan Meier estimates that the 14-month primary patency was 79.2% (95% CI 60.6–97.8%), whereas the freedom from TLR rate was 91.5% (95% CI 80.1–100%). Clinical symptoms improved by at least 1 Rutherford category in 82.1% of limbs. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) values improved from 0.51 ± 0.30 to 1.05 ± 0.22 at the final follow-up (P < 0.001). The rate of freedom from 30-day major adverse limb events (MALEs) was 100%. The mortality rate was 7.1%.

Conclusion: These results suggested that the use of DCBs is safe and effective in treating femoropopliteal Tosaka class III ISR lesions.
Comparison of Metabolic Alterations in Serum and Milk Whey Between Inactive Ovaries and Estrus Dairy Cows
Authors: Zhao Chang , Bai Yunlong , Fu Shixin , Wu Ling , Xia Cheng , Xu Chuang
Published: January 2021

Inactive ovaries (IOs) affect the estrus cycle and timed artificial insemination (TAI) efficiency in dairy cows during early lactation. The objective of the experiment was to determine metabolic changes in the serum and milk whey of dairy cows with IO and estrus. Twenty-eight healthy postpartum Holstein cows in similar age, milk production, and body condition were selected at 30 days postpartum for tracking to 70 days postpartum, and estrus performance was recorded through Afi Farm® software. The ovarian status and follicular diameter of dairy cows were examined by an experienced breeder through B-ultrasound and rectal examination. Fourteen normal estrus cows were allocated to control group A and 14 cows with IO to group B, all at 30–70 days postpartum. The serum and milk whey in the two groups of cows at 70 days postpartum were used for non-targeted nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) analysis to measure the different metabolites of cows with IO. In group B compared with group A at 70 days postpartum, there was an increase in the milk whey of six different metabolites including succinate, creatine phosphate, glycine, myo-inositol, glycolate, and orotate and a decrease in the milk whey of seven metabolites, including alanine, creatinine, o-phosphorylcholine, lactose, taurine, galactose, and glucose-1-phosphate. There was an increase in the serum of group B cows of four differential metabolites, including 3-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, glutamine, and glycine and a decrease in the serum of nine differential metabolites, including alanine, succinate, citrate, creatinine, o-phosphocholine, glucose, myo-inositol, tyrosine, and histidine compared with group A. Group B cows with IO had decreased glucose metabolism and impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle, increased lipid mobilization, and abnormal amino acid metabolism. The study provides a potential prevention strategy for IO in dairy cows in future.