bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Dietary Cholesterol Intake With Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Miao Peng , Guan Lin
Published: August 2021

Background: Many case–control studies have investigated the association between dietary cholesterol and gastric cancer, yielding inconsistent findings. We carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies to assess the relationship between dietary cholesterol intake and gastric cancer among adults.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched to identify articles that evaluated the association of dietary cholesterol with gastric cancer up to May 2021. Pooled odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using random-effects models. Dose–response analysis was used to explore the shape and strength of the association.

Results: Fourteen case–control studies with 6,490 gastric cancer patients and 17,793 controls met our inclusion criteria. In the meta-analysis of the highest vs. the lowest dietary cholesterol categories, a significantly higher (~35%) risk of gastric cancer was observed in association with high cholesterol consumption (pooled OR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.29–1.62, I2 = 68%; 95%CI: 45–81%). Subgroup analysis also showed this positive relationship in population-based case–control studies, those conducted on non-US countries, those with a higher number of cases and high-quality studies, those that collected dietary data via interviews, studies not adjusted for Helicobacter pylori infection, and studies where the body mass index was controlled. Besides, a non-linear dose–response association was also identified (P = 0.03).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that dietary cholesterol intake could significantly augment the risk of gastric cancer in case–control studies. Prospective cohort studies with large sample sizes and long durations of follow-up are required to verify our results.
Etiologies of Hospitalized Acute Bronchiolitis in Children 2 Years of Age and Younger: A 3 Years' Study During a Pertussis Epidemic
Authors: Chen Sainan , Wang Yuqing , Li Anrong , Jiang Wujun , Xu Qiuyan , Wu Min , Chen Zhengrong , Hao Chuangli , Shao Xunjun , Xu Jun
Published: August 2021

Objective: In recent years, the incidence of Bordetella pertussis infection in infants and young children has been increasing. Multiple studies have suggested that B. pertussis may be one of the pathogens of bronchiolitis in infants and young children. However, the prevalence and clinic characteristic of B. pertussis in bronchiolitis is controversial. This prospective descriptive study evaluated the prevalence and clinical manifestations of infants and young children hospitalized for bronchiolitis with B. pertussis.

Methods: Children hospitalized with bronchiolitis were eligible for a prospective study for 36 months from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019. Besides B. pertussis, 10 common respiratory viruses and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) were confirmed by laboratory tests. Medical records of patients were reviewed for demographic, clinical characteristics, and laboratory examination.

Results: A total of 1,092 patients with bronchiolitis were admitted. B. pertussis was detected in 78/1,092 (7.1%) patients. Of the 78 patients with B. pertussis bronchiolitis, coinfections occurred in 45 (57.7%) patients, most frequently with human rhinovirus (28/78, 35.9%), followed by MP (9/78, 11.4%), and human bocavirus (6/78, 7.7%). The peak incidence of B. pertussis infection was in May. A high leukocyte count could help distinguish B. pertussis–associated acute bronchiolitis from other acute bronchiolitis etiologies. After excluding coinfections, children with B. pertussis–only bronchiolitis exhibited a milder clinical presentation than those with RSV-only infection; also, children with MP-only and other pathogen infections revealed similar severity. The morbidity of B. pertussis was common (31/78, 39.7%) in infants with bronchiolitis under 3 months.

Conclusion: In summary, B. pertussis is one of the pathogens in children with bronchiolitis, and coinfection of B. pertussis with other viruses is common in bronchiolitis. B. pertussis should be considered when patients hospitalized with bronchiolitis present a longer course and have an elevated leukocyte count. Patients with B. pertussis–associated bronchiolitis present a milder clinical presentation.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease: Impact of Apolipoprotein C-II and Apolipoprotein C-III
Authors: Chen Wei-Ling , Tain You-Lin , Chen Hung-En , Hsu Chien-Ning
Published: August 2021

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an evolving process that begins in the early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children. Several surrogate markers, such as ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), left ventricular (LV) mass, and arterial stiffness assessment, allow for the early detection of subclinical CVD in pediatric CKD. Four groups of plasma samples (n = 3/group) from congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), as well as non-CAKUT patients with or without BP abnormalities, were studied to screen differentially expressed proteins using isobaric tags for relative and absolute protein quantification (iTRAQ)-based proteomics. As a result, 20 differentially expressed proteins associated with hypertension in children with CKD were discovered. Among them, apolipoprotein C-II (apoC-II) was found to have the highest abundance among the CKD patients with hypertension. As such, we hypothesized that apoC-II and apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) levels were related to BP abnormalities and CVD in children suffering from mild-to-moderate CKD. We examined their associations with surrogate markers of CV risk in 88 pediatric patients with CKD stages G1–G4. Children with CKD stages G2–G4 had a higher plasma apoC-II level than G1 patients (6.35 vs. 5.05 mg/dl, p < 0.05). We observed that ABPM abnormalities, LV mass, and arterial stiffness parameters were greater in CKD children who had stages G2–G4 than in those who had stage G1 (all p < 0.05). Plasma levels of apoC-II and apoC-III were positively correlated with total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (all p < 0.001). In multivariate linear regression analyses, apoC-II was correlated with a high LV mass index and an abnormal ABPM profile, and apoC-III was correlated with 24-h hypertension (r = 0.303, p = 0.003) and asleep hypertension (r = 0.379, p < 0.001). Early evaluations of apoC-II and apoC-III, ABPM, and surrogate markers of CV risk will aid in early preventative interventions to reduce the risk of CV in youths suffering from CKD.
P2X7 Receptor Blockade Protects Against Acrolein-Induced Bladder Damage: A Potential New Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment of Bladder Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Taidi Zhinoos , Zhou Tommy , Moore Kate H. , Mansfield Kylie J. , Liu Lu
Published: August 2021

Inflammatory conditions of the urinary bladder have been shown to be associated with urothelial damage and loss of function. The purinergic P2X7 receptor has been implicated in several inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the P2X7 receptor in acrolein-induced inflammatory damage using the porcine urinary bladder. For this purpose, an ex-vivo model of porcine urothelial damage induced by direct instillation of acrolein into the whole bladder lumen was used. To determine the role of the P2X7 receptor, the bladders were pre-incubated with a selective P2X7 receptor antagonist, A804598 (10 μM), for 1 h. The effects of the acrolein-induced urothelial damage on the bladder’s function were assessed by examining the bladder wall contractile response, structure changes, apoptosis, and oxidative stress in the bladder tissues. The acrolein treatment led to significant damage to the urothelium histology, tight junction expression, and contractile responses. Acrolein also induced apoptosis in the mucosa layer. All these acrolein-induced responses were attenuated by pre-treatment with the P2X7 receptor antagonist A804598. Acrolein also significantly induced DNA oxidation in the submucosal layer; however, the P2X7 receptor antagonism did not show any protective effect towards the acrolein-induced oxidative stress. These findings suggested that the P2X7 receptor is involved in the acrolein-induced damage to the urothelium; therefore, the P2X7 receptor antagonists may be a new therapeutic option for the treatment of bladder inflammation.
Efficacy and Safety of Qingfei Paidu Decoction for Treating COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Qi , Zhu Hongfei , Li Mengting , Liu Yafei , Lai Honghao , Yang Qiuyu , Cao Xiao , Ge Long
Published: August 2021

Background: Qingfei Paidu decoction (QFPD) has been widely used in treating COVID-19 in China. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of QFPD. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QFPD in patients with COVID-19.

Methods: We searched seven databases up to 5 March 2021. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data of interest, and assessed risk of bias. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias of randomized controlled trials. The Newcastle–Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias of cohort and non-randomized trials. The “Quality Assessment Tool for Before-After (Pre-Post) Studies With No Control Group” was adopted for controlled pre–post studies. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) to assess the certainty of evidence. We carried out a random effect meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3. For outcomes that could not be meta-analyzed, we performed a descriptive analysis.

Results: We identified 16 studies with 11,237 patients, including one RCT, six non-randomized trials, two cohort studies, and seven pre–post studies. The certainty of evidence was low to very low because of the observational study design. QFPD combined with conventional treatment might decrease the time for nucleic acid conversion (MD = −4.78 days, 95% CI: −5.79 to −3.77), shorten the length of hospital stay (MD = −7.95 days, 95% CI: −14.66 to −1.24), shorten the duration of symptoms recovery of fever (MD = −1.51 days, 95% CI: −1.92 to −1.09), cough (MD = −1.64 days, 95% CI: −1.91 to −1.36) and chest CT (MD = −2.23 days, 95% CI: −2.46 to −2.00), improve the overall traditional Chinese medicine symptom scores (MD = 41.58 scores, 95% CI: 32.67 to 50.49), and change the laboratory indexes, such as WBC, AST, and CRP.

Conclusion: QFPD combined with conventional treatment might be effective for patients with COVID-19. No serious adverse reactions related to QFPD were observed. Further high-quality studies are still needed in the future.
Treatment of Kawasaki Disease: A Network Meta-Analysis of Four Dosage Regimens of Aspirin Combined With Recommended Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Authors: Huang Ying-Hua , Hsin Yi-Chen , Wang Liang-Jen , Feng Wei-Ling , Guo Mindy Ming-Huey , Chang Ling-Sai , Tu Yu-Kang , Kuo Ho-Chang
Published: August 2021

Aspirin was once believed to reduce the mortality of Kawasaki disease (KD) due to its effect on the thrombotic occlusion of coronary arteries. However, conflicting evidence has been found regarding aspirin treatment and its benefit in patients with acute KD. We compared the efficacy of different aspirin doses in acute KD. A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases was conducted to identify studies comparing different doses of aspirin for acute KD. The primary outcome of interest was coronary artery lesions (CAL). We used random-effects network meta-analysis. Six retrospective studies, including 1944 patients receiving aspirin in doses of 0, 3–5, 30–50, or 80–100 mg/kg/day, were selected. The risks of CAL were not significantly different for the various doses of aspirin compared to the placebo: odds ratio (OR) was 1.10 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70–1.71] for patients with aspirin 3–5 mg/kg/day; OR = 1.23 (95% CI: 0.67–2.26) for aspirin 30–50 mg/kg/day, and OR = 1.59 (95% CI: 0.74, 3.421) for 80–100 mg/kg/day. The P-score ranged from 0.76 for placebo to 0.19 for aspirin 80–100 mg/kg/day. The different doses of aspirin exhibited no significant difference with regard to the efficacy of CAL or with the secondary outcomes of intravenous immunoglobulin resistance or hospital stays for acute KD. Therefore, we found that treatment without any aspirin is not inferior to other doses of aspirin and can also slightly reduce the risk of CAL.
Analysis and Forecast of the Number of Deaths, Recovered Cases, and Confirmed Cases From COVID-19 for the Top Four Affected Countries Using Kalman Filter
Authors: Ahmadini Abdullah Ali H. , Naeem Muhammad , Aamir Muhammad , Dewan Raimi , Alshqaq Shokrya Saleh A. , Mashwani Wali Khan
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 is a virus that spread globally, causing severe health complications and substantial economic impact in various parts of the world. The COVID-19 forecast on infections is significant and crucial information that will help in executing policies and effectively reducing the daily cases. Filtering techniques are important ways to model dynamic structures because they provide good valuations over the recursive Bayesian updates. Kalman filters, one of the filtering techniques, are useful in the studying of contagious infections. Kalman filter algorithm performs an important role in the development of actual and comprehensive approaches to inhibit, learn, react, and reduce spreadable disorder outbreaks in people. The purpose of this paper is to forecast COVID-19 infections using the Kalman filter method. The Kalman filter (KF) was applied for the four most affected countries, namely the United States, India, Brazil, and Russia. Based on the results obtained, the KF method is capable of keeping track of the real COVID-19 data in nearly all scenarios. Kalman filters in the archetype background implement and produce decent COVID-19 predictions. The results of the KF method support the decision-making process for short-term strategies in handling the COVID-19 outbreak.
An Improved Sum of Squared Difference Algorithm for Automated Distance Measurement
Authors: Lin Yue , Gao Yixun , Wang Yao
Published: August 2021

In recent years, with improvement of photoelectric conversion efficiency and accuracy, photoelectric sensor was arranged to simulate binocular stereo vision for 3D measurement, and it has become an important distance measurement method. In this paper, an improved sum of squared difference (SSD) algorithm which can use binocular cameras to measure distance of vehicle ahead was proposed. Firstly, consistency matching calibration was performed when images were acquired. Then, Gaussian blur was used to smooth the image, and grayscale transformation was performed. Next, the Sobel operator was used to detect the edge of images. Finally, the improved SSD was used for stereo matching and disparity calculation, and the distance value could be obtained corresponding to each point. Experimental results showed that the improved SSD algorithm had an accuracy rate of 95.06% when stereo matching and disparity calculation were performed. This algorithm fully meets the requirements of distance measurement.
Impaired Hippocampal Neurovascular Coupling in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Li Lin , Tong Xin-Kang , Hosseini Kahnouei Mohammadamin , Vallerand Diane , Hamel Edith , Girouard Hélène
Published: August 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common form of dementia, is characterized by neuronal degeneration and cerebrovascular dysfunction. Increasing evidence indicates that cerebrovascular dysfunction may be a key or an aggravating pathogenic factor in AD. This emphasizes the importance to investigate the tight coupling between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow (CBF) termed neurovascular coupling (NVC). NVC depends on all cell types of the neurovascular unit within which astrocytes are important players in the progression of AD. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterize the hippocampal NVC in a mouse model of AD. Hippocampal NVC was studied in 6-month-old amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice and their corresponding wild-type littermates using in vivo laser Doppler flowmetry to measure CBF in area CA1 of the hippocampus in response to Schaffer collaterals stimulation. Ex vivo two-photon microscopy experiments were performed to determine astrocytic Ca2+ and vascular responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) or caged Ca2+ photolysis in hippocampal slices. Neuronal synaptic transmission, astrocytic endfeet Ca2+ in correlation with reactive oxygen species (ROS), and vascular reactivity in the presence or absence of Tempol, a mimetic of superoxide dismutase, were further investigated using electrophysiological, caged Ca2+ photolysis or pharmacological approaches. Whisker stimulation evoked-CBF increases and ex vivo vascular responses to EFS were impaired in APP mice compared with their age-matched controls. APP mice were also characterized by decreased basal synaptic transmission, a shorter astrocytic Ca2+ increase, and altered vascular response to elevated perivascular K+. However, long-term potentiation, astrocytic Ca2+ amplitude in response to EFS, together with vascular responses to nitric oxide remained unchanged. Importantly, we found a significantly increased Ca2+ uncaging-induced ROS production in APP mice. Tempol prevented the vascular response impairment while normalizing astrocytic Ca2+ in APP mice. These findings suggest that NVC is altered at many levels in APP mice, at least in part through oxidative stress. This points out that therapies against AD should include an antioxidative component to protect the neurovascular unit.
Mapping of a Pale Green Mutant Gene and Its Functional Verification by Allelic Mutations in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis)
Authors: Zhao Yonghui , Huang Shengnan , Zhang Meidi , Zhang Yun , Feng Hui
Published: August 2021

Leaves are the main organ for photosynthesis, and variations in leaf color affect photosynthesis and plant biomass formation. We created two similar whole-plant pale green mutants (pem1 and pem2) from the double haploid (DH) Chinese cabbage line “FT” through ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis of seeds. Photosynthetic pigment contents and net photosynthetic rates were significantly lower in the mutants than in the wild-type “FT,” and the chloroplast thylakoid endomembrane system was poor. Genetic analysis showed that the mutated phenotypes of pem1 and pem2 were caused by a single nuclear gene. Allelism tests showed that pem1 and pem2 were alleles. We mapped Brpem1 to a 64.25 kb region on chromosome A10, using BSR-Seq and map-based cloning of 979 F2 recessive individuals. Whole-genome re-sequencing revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) transition from guanine to adenosine on BraA10g021490.3C in pem1, causing an amino acid shift from glycine to glutamic acid (G to E); in addition, BraA10g021490.3C in pem2 was found to have a single nucleotide substitution from guanine to adenosine, causing an amino acid change from E to lysine (K). BraA10g021490.3C is a homolog of the Arabidopsisdivinyl chlorophyllide a 8-vinyl-reductase (DVR) gene that encodes 3,8-divinyl protochlorophyllide a 8-vinyl reductase, which is a key enzyme in chlorophyll biosynthesis. Enzyme activity assay and chlorophyll composition analysis demonstrated that impaired DVR had partial loss of function. These results provide a basis to understand chlorophyll metabolism and explore the mechanism of a pale green phenotype in Chinese cabbage.
Application of Plant Defense Elicitors Fails to Enhance Herbivore Resistance or Mitigate Phytoplasma Infection in Cranberries
Authors: Rodriguez-Saona Cesar , Polashock James J. , Kyryczenko-Roth Vera , Holdcraft Robert , Jimenez-Gonzalez Giovanna , De Moraes Consuelo M. , Mescher Mark C.
Published: August 2021

Synthetic elicitors of the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) plant defense pathways can be used to increase crop protection against herbivores and pathogens. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that elicitors of plant defenses interact with pathogen infection to influence crop resistance against vector and nonvector herbivores. To do so, we employed a trophic system comprising of cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), the phytoplasma that causes false blossom disease, and two herbivores—the blunt-nosed leafhopper (Limotettix vaccinii), the vector of false blossom disease, and the nonvector gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar). We tested four commercial elicitors, including three that activate mainly SA-related plant defenses (Actigard, LifeGard, and Regalia) and one activator of JA-related defenses (Blush). A greenhouse experiment in which phytoplasma-infected and uninfected plants received repeated exposure to elicitors revealed that both phytoplasma infection and elicitor treatment individually improved L. vaccinii and L. dispar mass compared to uninfected, untreated controls; however, SA-based elicitor treatments reduced L. vaccinii mass on infected plants. Regalia also improved L. vaccinii survival. Phytoplasma infection reduced plant size and mass, increased levels of nitrogen (N) and SA, and lowered carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios compared to uninfected plants, irrespective of elicitor treatment. Although none of our elicitor treatments influenced transcript levels of a phytoplasma-specific marker gene, all of them increased N and reduced C/N levels; the three SA activators also reduced JA levels. Taken together, our findings reveal positive effects of both phytoplasma infection and elicitor treatment on the performance of L. vaccinii and L. dispar in cranberries, likely via enhancement of plant nutrition and changes in phytohormone profiles, specifically increases in SA levels and corresponding decreases in levels of JA. Thus, we found no evidence that the tested elicitors of plant defenses increase resistance to insect herbivores or reduce disease incidence in cranberries.
The Evolutionary Dynamics of Repetitive DNA and Its Impact on the Genome Diversification in the Genus Sorghum
Authors: Kuo Yi-Tzu , Ishii Takayoshi , Fuchs Jörg , Hsieh Wei-Hsun , Houben Andreas , Lin Yann-Rong
Published: August 2021

Polyploidization is an evolutionary event leading to structural changes of the genome(s), particularly allopolyploidization, which combines different genomes of distinct species. The tetraploid species, Sorghum halepense, is assumed an allopolyploid species formed by hybridization between diploid S. bicolor and S. propinquum. The repeat profiles of S. bicolor, S. halepense, and their relatives were compared to elucidate the repeats’ role in shaping their genomes. The repeat frequencies and profiles of the three diploid accessions (S. bicolor, S. bicolor ssp. verticilliflorum, and S. bicolor var. technicum) and two tetraploid accessions (S. halepense) are similar. However, the polymorphic distribution of the subtelomeric satellites preferentially enriched in the tetraploid S. halepense indicates drastic genome rearrangements after the allopolyploidization event. Verified by CENH3 chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis the centromeres of S. bicolor are mainly composed of the abundant satellite SorSat137 (CEN38) and diverse CRMs, Athila of Ty3_gypsy and Ty1_copia-SIRE long terminal repeat (LTR) retroelements. A similar centromere composition was found in S. halepense. The potential contribution of S. bicolor in the formation of tetraploid S. halepense is discussed.
Retention and Transfer of Cognitive Bias Mitigation Interventions: A Systematic Literature Study
Authors: Korteling J.E. (Hans) , Gerritsma Jasmin Y. J. , Toet Alexander
Published: August 2021

Cognitive biases can adversely affect human judgment and decision making and should therefore preferably be mitigated, so that we can achieve our goals as effectively as possible. Hence, numerous bias mitigation interventions have been developed and evaluated. However, to be effective in practical situations beyond laboratory conditions, the bias mitigation effects of these interventions should be retained over time and should transfer across contexts. This systematic review provides an overview of the literature on retention and transfer of bias mitigation interventions. A systematic search yielded 52 studies that were eligible for screening. At the end of the selection process, only 12 peer-reviewed studies remained that adequately studied retention over a period of at least 14 days (all 12 studies) or transfer to different tasks and contexts (one study). Eleven of the relevant studies investigated the effects of bias mitigation training using game- or video-based interventions. These 11 studies showed considerable overlap regarding the biases studied, kinds of interventions, and decision-making domains. Most of them indicated that gaming interventions were effective after the retention interval and that games were more effective than video interventions. The study that investigated transfer of bias mitigation training (next to retention) found indications of transfer across contexts. To be effective in practical circumstances, achieved effects of cognitive training should lead to enduring changes in the decision maker's behavior and should generalize toward other task domains or training contexts. Given the small number of overlapping studies, our main conclusion is that there is currently insufficient evidence that bias mitigation interventions will substantially help people to make better decisions in real life conditions. This is in line with recent theoretical insights about the “hard-wired” neural and evolutionary origin of cognitive biases.
The Impact of Attachment on Depression in Married Seniors: Chain Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Rumination
Authors: Peng Jiaxi , Zhang Jiaxi , Zhao Kangwei , Wang Xin , Wu Yi , Fang Peng , Lv Jing
Published: August 2021

In this study, we discuss the effects of attachment on depression and the mediating roles of self-esteem and rumination in Chinese seniors. We assessed 431 using the Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Ruminative Responses Scale, and the Short Form of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance significantly predicted depression in seniors. Attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance positively predicted rumination but negatively predicted self-esteem. Structural equation models showed that rumination and self-esteem fully mediated the effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on depression. The attachment of seniors is related to depression, and self-esteem and rumination have chain mediating effects between attachment and depression.
Influence of Physical Self-Concept and Motivational Processes on Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity of Adolescents
Authors: Núñez Juan L. , Leon Jaime , Valero-Valenzuela Alfonso , Conte Luis , Moreno-Murcia Juan A. , Huéscar Elisa
Published: August 2021

There is a growing concern about the increasing decline in physical activity among adolescents. In the search for variables that may be related to physical activity, this study examined the influence of physical self-concept on objectively measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of adolescents through the mediation of the needs satisfaction and two types of autonomous motivation, for academics and for physical education. Data were collected from 618 students (301 boys and 317 girls) aged 10–14 years from 24 secondary schools in Spain. The path analysis results showed that physical self-concept positively predicted needs satisfaction and this, in turn, was positively and significantly related to the two types of autonomous motivation. Finally, only the autonomous motivation for physical education significantly and positively predicted the adolescents’ MVPA. Our findings showed that there was no evidence of an indirect effect of physical self-concept on MVPA. The results are discussed along the lines of the self-determination theory, through the analysis of the role of physical self-concept in increasing adolescents’ physical activity.
Assessing Awareness of College Student Startup Entrepreneurs Toward Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation From the Perspective of Educational Psychology
Authors: Liu Mingji , Yu Xingyang
Published: August 2021

Against the background of economic globalization, the awareness of college student startup entrepreneurs toward mass entrepreneurship and innovation is analyzed from the perspective of educational psychology, thus responding to national development strategies. First, the status quo of innovation and entrepreneurship education is understood by literature analysis. Second, the existing innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities is investigated with a questionnaire survey (QS) and interviews to discover the challenges that college students face during innovation and entrepreneurship. The QS results provide a data basis for subsequent strategies. The results demonstrate that 19.86% of the students have a complete understanding of innovation and entrepreneurship, while only 9.93% of the students are interested in innovation and entrepreneurship activities. The technical significance of innovation and entrepreneurship activities only accounts for 41.84%. Moreover, the vast majority of students (79.67%) believe that the curriculum of innovation and entrepreneurship education is single, simple, and irrelevant to their majors. Meanwhile, some problems have been found: for example, the teaching faculty is insufficient, and there is not a sound entrepreneurial atmosphere. As per the survey results, an innovation and entrepreneurship education strategy for core stakeholders, namely, universities, society, government, university teachers, and students, is formulated to promote the sound development of innovation and entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities. Besides, a training strategy in line with the awareness of college students toward mass entrepreneurship and innovation is formulated based on the current situation of innovation and entrepreneurship education, which can serve as a reference and has practical significance for enriching and perfecting the innovation and entrepreneurship education system for college students.
Which Trauma Treatment Suits me? Identification of Patients' Treatment Preferences for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Authors: Schwartzkopff Laura , Gutermann Jana , Steil Regina , Müller-Engelmann Meike
Published: August 2021

Several psychotherapy treatments exist for posttraumatic stress disorder. This study examines the treatment preferences of treatment-seeking traumatized adults in Germany and investigates the reasons for their treatment choices. Preferences for prolonged exposure, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), psychodynamic psychotherapy and stabilization were assessed via an online survey. Reasons for preferences were analyzed by means of thematic coding by two independent rates. 104 traumatized adults completed the survey. Prolonged exposure and CBT were each preferred by nearly 30%, and EMDR and psychodynamic psychotherapy were preferred by nearly 20%. Stabilization was significantly less preferred than all other options, by only 4%. Significantly higher proportions of patients were disinclined to choose EMDR and stabilization. Patients who preferred psychodynamic psychotherapy were significantly older than those who preferred CBT. Reasons underlying preferences included the perceived treatment mechanisms and treatment efficacy. Traumatized patients vary in their treatment preferences. Preference assessments may help clinicians comprehensively address patients' individual needs and thus improve therapy outcomes.
Shared Dynamics of Food Decision-Making in Mother-Child Dyads
Authors: Ha Oh-Ryeong , Bruce Amanda S. , Killian Haley J. , Davis Ann M. , Lim Seung-Lark
Published: August 2021

This study explored risk parameters of obesity in food decision-making in mother-child dyads. We tested 45 children between 8–12 years and their biological mothers to measure the decision weights of food health attributes, the decision weights of food taste attributes, self-regulated food decisions, and self-reported self-control scores. Maternal body mass index (BMI), and children's BMI-percentiles-for-age were also measured. We found a positive correlation between children's and their mothers' decision weights of taste attributes in food decision-making. We also found a positive correlation between children's BMI %iles and their mothers' BMIs. Children with overweight/obesity demonstrated lower correlations between health and taste ratings and a lower percentage of self-regulated food decisions (i.e., resisting to eat tasty but unhealthy foods or choosing to eat not-tasty but healthy foods) than children with healthy weight. Our findings suggested that the decision weights of taste attributes and weight status shared similar patterns in mother-child dyads. Also, the findings suggested that establishing dynamics of unhealthy food-decision making may increase the risk of childhood obesity. Helping children to develop the dynamics of healthy food-decision making by increasing the importance of health while decreasing the importance of taste may promote resilience to susceptibility to unhealthy eating and weight gain.
Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients With Mental or Physical Diseases
Authors: Oppenauer Claudia , Burghardt Juliane , Kaiser Elmar , Riffer Friedrich , Sprung Manuel
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) and the consequences of the pandemic on individuals’ social, economic, and public lives are assumed to have major implications for the mental health of the general population but also for patients already diagnosed with psychological disorders. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients with psychological disorders or physical health conditions in inpatient mental and physical treatment programs. A total 2710 patients completed COVID-19 related questions concerning their psychological distress and financial burden during the pandemic. Patients with psychological disorders reported the highest level of psychological distress and financial burden compared to patients with physical health conditions. Furthermore, most patients with psychological disorders attributed their individual psychological distress to the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison to patients with physical health conditions, patients with psychological disorders are more strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and have an additional need for psychological/psychotherapeutic treatment due to the COVID-19 crisis. The findings stress the importance of continuous psychosocial support and availability of psychosocial support services for patients with psychological disorders during the pandemic.
Aging and Inhibition of Return to Locations and Objects
Authors: Huether Asenath X. A. , Langley Linda K. , Thomas Laura E.
Published: August 2021

Inhibition of return (IOR) is thought to reflect a cognitive mechanism that biases attention from returning to previously engaged items. While models of cognitive aging have proposed deficits within select inhibitory domains, older adults have demonstrated preserved IOR functioning in previous studies. The present study investigated whether inhibition associated with objects shows the same age patterns as inhibition associated with locations. Young adults (18–22 years) and older adults (60–86 years) were tested in two experiments measuring location- and object-based IOR. Using a dynamic paradigm (Experiment 1), both age groups produced significant location-based IOR, but only young adults produced significant object-based IOR, consistent with previous findings. However, with a static paradigm (Experiment 2), young adults and older adults produced both location- and object-based IOR, indicating that object-based IOR is preserved in older adults under some conditions. The findings provide partial support for unique age-related inhibitory patterns associated with attention to objects and locations.
Mentalization-Based Treatment in Groups for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Krämer Katharina , Vetter Annekatrin , Schultz-Venrath Ulrich , Vogeley Kai , Reul Sophia
Published: August 2021

In order to successfully interact with others in social encounters, we have to be attentive to their mental states. This means, we have to implicitly and explicitly interpret our own actions as well as the actions of others as meaningful on the basis of the ascription of intentional mental states. However, this ability, often referred to as mentalizing, seems to be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ADS show specific deficits relating to the representation of mental states of others. Especially, the spontaneous, intuitive attribution of and reaction to others' mental states seem to be impaired. Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT) is a form of psychotherapy in individual and group settings that focuses on the education and enhancement of mentalizing. Although the scope of MBT is broad and MBT has been already proven to be useful in a variety of mental disorders, no attempt has been made to apply MBT in patients with ASD. In our study, we adapted MBT for adults with ASD in a therapeutic group setting to examine the feasibility as well as the effectiveness of the treatment in this patient group. During 15–20 weeks of weekly group therapy, we surveyed the patients' acceptability of the intervention. Additionally, changes in mentalizing difficulties were measured before and after treatment. Results show a high acceptance of the treatment and an improvement in the patients' mentalizing abilities, presenting MBT as a promising treatment option for ASD.
Active Inference and Cooperative Communication: An Ecological Alternative to the Alignment View
Authors: Tison Rémi , Poirier Pierre
Published: August 2021

We present and contrast two accounts of cooperative communication, both based on Active Inference, a framework that unifies biological and cognitive processes. The mental alignment account, defended in Vasil et al., takes the function of cooperative communication to be the alignment of the interlocutor's mental states, and cooperative communicative behavior to be driven by an evolutionarily selected adaptive prior belief favoring the selection of action policies that promote such an alignment. We argue that the mental alignment account should be rejected because it neglects the action-oriented nature of cooperative communication, which skews its view of the dynamics of communicative interaction. We introduce our own conception of cooperative communication, inspired by a more radical ecological interpretation of the active inference framework. Cooperative communication, on our ecological conception, serves to guide and constrain the dynamics of the cooperative interaction via the construction and restructuring of shared fields of affordances, in order to reach the local goals of the joint actions in which episodes of cooperative communication are embedded. We argue that our ecological conception provides a better theoretical standpoint to account for the action-oriented nature of cooperative communication in the active inference framework.
Training Emotion Recognition Accuracy: Results for Multimodal Expressions and Facial Micro Expressions
Authors: Döllinger Lillian , Laukka Petri , Högman Lennart Björn , Bänziger Tanja , Makower Irena , Fischer Håkan , Hau Stephan
Published: August 2021

Nonverbal emotion recognition accuracy (ERA) is a central feature of successful communication and interaction, and is of importance for many professions. We developed and evaluated two ERA training programs—one focusing on dynamic multimodal expressions (audio, video, audio-video) and one focusing on facial micro expressions. Sixty-seven subjects were randomized to one of two experimental groups (multimodal, micro expression) or an active control group (emotional working memory task). Participants trained once weekly with a brief computerized training program for three consecutive weeks. Pre-post outcome measures consisted of a multimodal ERA task, a micro expression recognition task, and a task about patients' emotional cues. Post measurement took place approximately a week after the last training session. Non-parametric mixed analyses of variance using the Aligned Rank Transform were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training programs. Results showed that multimodal training was significantly more effective in improving multimodal ERA compared to micro expression training or the control training; and the micro expression training was significantly more effective in improving micro expression ERA compared to the other two training conditions. Both pre-post effects can be interpreted as large. No group differences were found for the outcome measure about recognizing patients' emotion cues. There were no transfer effects of the training programs, meaning that participants only improved significantly for the specific facet of ERA that they had trained on. Further, low baseline ERA was associated with larger ERA improvements. Results are discussed with regard to methodological and conceptual aspects, and practical implications and future directions are explored.
The Use of Instagram in the Sports Biomechanics Classroom
Authors: Navandar Archit , Frías López Daniel , Alejo Lidia B.
Published: August 2021

Students in higher education habitually use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, specifically using social networks on them for staying updated on current affairs, communication between one another, and entertainment. However, its use as a potential medium for learning especially in times of distance learning has not been studied in depth. Instagram is the fastest growing social network in the world and its graphical interface makes it a useful learning tool for a theoretical-practical subject such as biomechanics, where movement is analyzed. The main objective was to evaluate the change in perception of students in the use of Instagram as a learning medium for qualitative biomechanical analysis as a part of their undergraduate sports science program. 171 students filled out a questionnaire on the use of smartphones, social networks, and specifically Instagram, before and after doing an assignment of qualitative analysis that was carried. The results indicated a positive change in the perspective of the students when asked if class assignments can be done on mobile devices (p = 0.002) and social media (p < 0.001). The students also indicated a greater interest in doing assignments via social networks (p < 0.001), especially in the subject of biomechanics (p < 0.001). They also cited that Instagram is a useful source for information on sports biomechanics (p = 0.015) and could be used to make observations of sporting movements (p = 0.043). The results indicated that an introduction of familiar devices in undergraduate teaching could produce a positive change in perception of using such methodologies and facilitate learning. The students, who use smartphones very frequently in their daily lives, and specifically, many use them for browsing social networks, find the platform to be very useful in finding and sharing information related to sports and specifically in sports biomechanics. The visual aspect of social networks like Instagram can help engage them with learning strategies in a subject like biomechanics.
Parental Self-Efficacy—A Predictor of Children's Health Behaviors? Its Impact on Children's Physical Activity and Screen Media Use and Potential Interaction Effect Within a Health Promotion Program
Authors: Kieslinger Katrin , Wartha Olivia , Pollatos Olga , Steinacker Jürgen M. , Kobel Susanne
Published: August 2021

Insufficient physical activity (PA) and increased screen media use (SMU) can have detrimental effects on children's health. Parental self-efficacy (PSE) can act as an important predictor for a healthy upbringing. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of PSE on children's PA and SMU. Additionally, a moderating effect of PSE on the intervention effect of the health promotion program “Join the Healthy Boat” was examined. Using a prospective randomized controlled trial, 558 kindergarten children (3.6 years [SD= 0.6]) were examined. Data was collected using parental self-report. A significant influence of PSE on children's PA (B= 0.33,p= 0.025) and children's SMU (B= 0.42,p= 0.006) was found. The moderating effect of PSE on the intervention effect was neither significantly related to children's PA (p= 0.360) nor to children's SMU (p= 0.531). This confirms the importance of PSE on children's health development. Despite the lack of a moderating effect, interventions should also promote healthy activity behaviors and self-efficacy for parents in order to engage children in a healthy lifestyle.
Optimal COVID-19 Vaccine Sharing Between Two Nations That Also Have Extensive Travel Exchanges
Authors: Huntingford Chris , Rawson Thomas , Bonsall Michael B.
Published: August 2021

Countries around the world have observed reduced infections from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes COVID-19 illness, primarily due to non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) such as lockdowns and social distancing measures designed to limit physical proximity between people. However, economies and societal interactions require restarting, and so lockdowns cannot continue indefinitely. Therefore, much hope is placed in using newly developed vaccines as a route back to normality, but this raises key questions about how they are shared. There are also emerging questions regarding travel. For instance, international business and trade necessitates at least some in-person exchanges, alongside restarting travel also for tourist purposes. By utilising a Susceptible-Infected-Recovered-Vaccinated (SIRV) mathematical model, we simulate the populations of two nations in parallel, where the first nation produces a vaccine and decides the extent to which it is shared with the second. Overlaying our mathematical structure is the virus-related effects of travel between the two nations. We find that even with extensive travel, nation one minimises its total number of deaths by simply retaining vaccines, aiming for full inoculation as fast as possible, suggesting that the risks posed by travel can be mitigated by rapidly vaccinating its own population. If instead we consider the total deaths i.e., sum of deaths of both nations, then such a policy of not sharing by nation one until full vaccination is highly sub-optimal. A policy of low initial sharing causes many more deaths in nation two than lives saved in nation one, raising important ethical issues. This imbalance in the health impact of vaccination provision must be considered as some countries begin to approach the point of extensive vaccination, while others lack the resources to do so.