Individual Child Cognitive Behavioral Treatment versus Child-Parent Cognitive Behavioral Treatments for Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Comparative Outcomes

Anxiety disorders; such as separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia and specific phobia, are widespread in children and adolescents. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be effective in reducing excessive fears and anxieties in children and adolescents. Research has produced equivocal findings that involving parents in treatment of child anxiety enhances effects over individual CBT (ICBT). The present dissertation study examined whether parental involvement can enhance individual treatment effect if the parent conditions are streamlined by targeting specific parental variables. The first parent condition, Parent Reinforcement Skills Training (RFST), involved increasing mothers’ use of positive reinforcement and decreasing use of negative reinforcement. The second parent condition, Parent Relationship Skill Training (RLST), involved increasing maternal child acceptance and decreasing maternal control (or increasing autonomy granting). Results of the present dissertation findings support the use of all three treatment conditions (ICBT, RLST, RFST) for child anxiety; that is, significant reductions in anxiety were found in each of the three treatment conditions. No significant differences were found between treatment conditions with respect to diagnostic recovery rate, clinician rating, and parent rating of child anxiety. Significant differences between conditions were found on child self rating of anxiety, with some evidence to support the superiority of RLST and RFST to ICBT. These findings support the efficacy of individual, as well as parent involved CBT, and provide mixed evidence with respect to the superiority of parent involved CBT over ICBT. The conceptual, empirical, and clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Organisational cognitive neuroscience drives theoretical progress, or: the curious case of the straw man murder

In this critical essay, we respond to Lindebaum’s (2016) argument that neuroscientific methodologies and data have been accepted prematurely in proposing novel management theory. We acknowledge that building new management theories requires firm foundations. We also find his distinction between demand and supply side forces helpful as an analytical framework identifying the momentum for the contemporary production of management theory. Nevertheless, some of the arguments Lindebaum (2016) puts forward, on closer inspection, can be contested, especially those related to the supply side of organizational cognitive neuroscience (OCN) research: fMRI data, motherhood statements and ethical concerns. We put forward a more positive case for OCN methodologies and data, as well as clarifying exactly what OCN really means, and its consequences for the development of strong management theory.

Youth-Physical Activity Towards Health: evidence and background to the development of the Y-PATH physical activity intervention for adolescents

Background: Despite known benefits of regular physical activity for health and well-being, many studies suggest that levels of physical activity in young people are low, and decline dramatically during adolescence. The purpose of the current research was to gather data on adolescent youth in order to inform the development of a targeted physical activity intervention. Methods: Cross-sectional data on physical activity levels (using self report and accelerometry), psychological correlates of physical activity, anthropometic characteristics, and the fundamental movement skill proficiency of 256 youth (53% male, 12.40 ± 0.51 years) were collected. A subsample (n = 59) participated in focus group interviews to explore their perceptions of health and identify barriers and motivators to participation in physical activity. Results: Findings indicate that the majority of youth (67%) were not accumulating the minimum 60 minutes of physical activity recommended daily for health, and that 99.5% did not achieve the fundamental movement skill proficiency expected for their age. Body mass index data showed that 25% of youth were classified as overweight or obese. Self-efficacy and physical activity attitude scores were significantly different (p < 0.05) between low, moderate and high active participants. Active and inactive youth reported differences in their perceived understanding of health and their barriers to physical activity participation, with active youth relating nutrition, exercise, energy and sports with the definition of ‘being healthy’, and inactive youth attributing primarily nutritional concepts to ‘being healthy’. Conclusions: Data show a need for targeting low levels of physical activity in youth through addressing poor health related activity knowledge and low fundamental movement skill proficiency. The Y-PATH intervention was developed in accordance with the present study findings; details of the intervention format are presented.

Lost in translation? The potential psychobiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) fails to modulate stress or cognitive performance in healthy male subjects

Background: Preclinical studies have identified certain probiotics as psychobiotics a live microorganisms with a potential mental health benefit. Lactobacillus rhamnosus (JB-1) has been shown to reduce stress-related behaviour, corticosterone release and alter central expression of GABA receptors in an anxious mouse strain. However, it is unclear if this single putative psychobiotic strain has psychotropic activity in humans. Consequently, we aimed to examine if these promising preclinical findings could be translated to healthy human volunteers. Objectives: To determine the impact of L. rhamnosus on stress-related behaviours, physiology, inflammatory response, cognitive performance and brain activity patterns in healthy male participants. An 8 week, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design was employed. Twenty-nine healthy male volunteers participated. Participants completed self-report stress measures, cognitive assessments and resting electroencephalography (EEG). Plasma IL10, IL1β, IL6, IL8 and TNFα levels and whole blood Toll-like 4 (TLR-4) agonist-induced cytokine release were determined by multiplex ELISA. Salivary cortisol was determined by ELISA and subjective stress measures were assessed before, during and after a socially evaluated cold pressor test (SECPT). Results: There was no overall effect of probiotic treatment on measures of mood, anxiety, stress or sleep quality and no significant effect of probiotic over placebo on subjective stress measures, or the HPA response to the SECPT. Visuospatial memory performance, attention switching, rapid visual information processing, emotion recognition and associated EEG measures did not show improvement over placebo. No significant anti-inflammatory effects were seen as assessed by basal and stimulated cytokine levels. Conclusions: L. rhamnosus was not superior to placebo in modifying stress-related measures, HPA response, inflammation or cognitive performance in healthy male participants. These findings highlight the challenges associated with moving promising preclinical studies, conducted in an anxious mouse strain, to healthy human participants. Future interventional studies investigating the effect of this psychobiotic in populations with stress-related disorders are required.

Percentiles de la prueba de carrera de ida y vuelta 4x10 m en escolares de 9 a 17 años de Bogotá, Colombia: Estudio FUPRECOL

Objetivo: Este estudio describe los percentiles de la prueba de carrera de ida y vuelta 4 x 10 m en escolares de 9 a 17 años, de Bogotá, Colombia, pertenecientes al estudio Asociación de la fuerza prensil con manifestaciones tempranas de riesgo cardiovascular en niños colombianos. “FUPRECOL” Métodos: Estudio descriptivo transversal, en 2502 varones (42.7%) y 3349 mujeres (57,2%), de edades entre 9 y 17 años, pertenecientes a 24 instituciones educativas del sector oficial, en Bogotá, Colombia. La velocidad/agilidad se evaluó con la prueba de carrera de ida y vuelta 4 x 10 m (componente motor de la batería Fuprecol). Se calcularon los percentiles (P3, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 y P97) y curvas centiles por el método LMS, según el sexo y la edad; y se realizó una comparación entre los valores de la velocidad-agilidad observados con estudios internacionales. Resultados: La edad promedio de los participantes fue 12,7 (DE 2,4) años. Al comparar por sexos, los varones presentan un mejor rendimiento en la prueba de carrera 4 x 10 m que las mujeres. En varones, el P50 osciló entre 11,9 segundos y 13,1 segundos, mientras que en mujeres el P50 osciló entre 14,3 segundos y 15,0 segundos. Al comparar los resultados de este estudio por grupos de edades y sexos, con trabajos internacionales, el P50 fue mayor al reportado en los trabajos de España, Portugal y el estudio HELENA realizado en 9 países europeos. Esta misma tendencia fue observada al comparar la media y la desviación estándar con escolares de Argentina, Francia y el mismo estudio HELENA. Conclusiones: Se registran percentiles de la prueba de carrera de ida y vuelta 4 x 10 m en función de las edades y el sexo. Estos valores pueden ser utilizados tanto para evaluar los niveles de aptitud de los estudiantes como para detectar a estudiantes cuyos niveles de condición física están por debajo de un mínimo saludable.

Construction of the Cognitive Dimension of the Scientific Literacy in the Students through the Costa Rican Biological Sciences Olympics

This research recognizes the cognitive contributions to the students participating in the Third Costa Rican Biological Sciences Olympics that will define the advancement and strengthening in the construction of its conceptual dimension in the scientific literacy.  This paper is based, mainly, on qualitative approach techniques (ethnographic design:  case study); however, some data are interpreted through quantitative methodologies (descriptive design with an explanatory and exploratory touch) for the analysis of a sample of 54 high school students, finalists in the category A of the Olympics, through the use of tools such as a documentary study and a survey, in July 2009.  The information generated was analyzed using elements of inferential and descriptive statistics, figures and histograms.  It was proved that there is a better cognitive management in the topics assessed, an increase in the students’ academic performance as the tests are applied, a commitment for the academic update supported by the development of several tasks for previous preparation, curriculum contributions unprecedented based on our sample, a consent to optimize student’s knowledge about Biology, which will allow the application of scientific notions to diversify and renew the knowledge, according to what is established in the principles of scientific literacy.

Mathematical skills: intergenerational features and relationships with cognitive and linguistic abilities

This thesis aimed to investigate the cognitive underpinnings of math skills, with particular reference to cognitive, and linguistic markers, core mechanisms of number processing and environmental variables. In particular, the issue of intergenerational transmission of math skills has been deepened, comparing parents’ and children’s basic and formal math abilities. This pattern of relationships amongst these has been considered in two different age ranges, preschool and primary school children. In the first chapter, a general introduction on mathematical skills is offered, with a description of some seminal works up to recent studies and latest findings. The first chapter concludes with a review of studies about the influence of environmental variables. In particular, a review of studies about home numeracy and intergenerational transmission is examined. The first study analyzed the relationship between mathematical skills of children attending primary school and those of their mothers. The objective of this study was to understand the influence of mothers' math abilities on those of their children. In the second study, the relationship between parents’ and children numerical processing has been examined in a sample of preschool children. The goal was to understand how mathematical skills of parents were relevant for the development of the numerical skills of children, taking into account children’s cognitive and linguistic skills as well as the role of home numeracy. The third study had the objective of investigating whether the verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills presumed to underlie arithmetic are also related to reading. Primary school children were administered measures of reading and arithmetic to understand the relationships between these two abilities and testing for possible shared cognitive markers. Finally, in the general discussion a summary of main findings across the study is presented, together with clinical and theoretical implications.

Affordances and Language: How the Level of Object Familiarity modulates the Manipulation and Categorization of Objects across Development

According to much evidence, observing objects activates two types of information: structural properties, i.e., the visual information about the structural features of objects, and function knowledge, i.e., the conceptual information about their skilful use. Many studies so far have focused on the role played by these two kinds of information during object recognition and on their neural underpinnings. However, to the best of our knowledge no study so far has focused on the different activation of this information (structural vs. function) during object manipulation and conceptualization, depending on the age of participants and on the level of object familiarity (familiar vs. non-familiar). Therefore, the main aim of this dissertation was to investigate how actions and concepts related to familiar and non-familiar objects may vary across development. To pursue this aim, four studies were carried out. A first study led to the creation of the Familiar and Non-Familiar Stimuli Database, a set of everyday objects classified by Italian pre-schoolers, schoolers, and adults, useful to verify how object knowledge is modulated by age and frequency of use. A parallel study demonstrated that factors such as sociocultural dynamics may affect the perception of objects. Specifically, data for familiarity, naming, function, using and frequency of use of the objects used to create the Familiar And Non-Familiar Stimuli Database were collected with Dutch and Croatian children and adults. The last two studies on object interaction and language provide further evidence in support of the literature on affordances and on the link between affordances and the cognitive process of language from a developmental point of view, supporting the perspective of a situated cognition and emphasizing the crucial role of human experience.

Development and characterization of deep learning techniques for neuroimaging data

Deep learning methods are extremely promising machine learning tools to analyze neuroimaging data. However, their potential use in clinical settings is limited because of the existing challenges of applying these methods to neuroimaging data. In this study, first a data leakage type caused by slice-level data split that is introduced during training and validation of a 2D CNN is surveyed and a quantitative assessment of the model’s performance overestimation is presented. Second, an interpretable, leakage-fee deep learning software written in a python language with a wide range of options has been developed to conduct both classification and regression analysis. The software was applied to the study of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in patients with small vessel disease (SVD) using multi-parametric MRI data where the cognitive performance of 58 patients measured by five neuropsychological tests is predicted using a multi-input CNN model taking brain image and demographic data. Each of the cognitive test scores was predicted using different MRI-derived features. As MCI due to SVD has been hypothesized to be the effect of white matter damage, DTI-derived features MD and FA produced the best prediction outcome of the TMT-A score which is consistent with the existing literature. In a second study, an interpretable deep learning system aimed at 1) classifying Alzheimer disease and healthy subjects 2) examining the neural correlates of the disease that causes a cognitive decline in AD patients using CNN visualization tools and 3) highlighting the potential of interpretability techniques to capture a biased deep learning model is developed. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of 200 subjects was used by the proposed CNN model which was trained using a transfer learning-based approach producing a balanced accuracy of 71.6%. Brain regions in the frontal and parietal lobe showing the cerebral cortex atrophy were highlighted by the visualization tools.

Mind the gaps: cognitive-inspired AI for high-level visual sensemaking. Towards abstract concept image classification

The abundance of visual data and the push for robust AI are driving the need for automated visual sensemaking. Computer Vision (CV) faces growing demand for models that can discern not only what images "represent," but also what they "evoke." This is a demand for tools mimicking human perception at a high semantic level, categorizing images based on concepts like freedom, danger, or safety. However, automating this process is challenging due to entropy, scarcity, subjectivity, and ethical considerations. These challenges not only impact performance but also underscore the critical need for interoperability. This dissertation focuses on abstract concept-based (AC) image classification, guided by three technical principles: situated grounding, performance enhancement, and interpretability. We introduce ART-stract, a novel dataset of cultural images annotated with ACs, serving as the foundation for a series of experiments across four key domains: assessing the effectiveness of the end-to-end DL paradigm, exploring cognitive-inspired semantic intermediaries, incorporating cultural and commonsense aspects, and neuro-symbolic integration of sensory-perceptual data with cognitive-based knowledge. Our results demonstrate that integrating CV approaches with semantic technologies yields methods that surpass the current state of the art in AC image classification, outperforming the end-to-end deep vision paradigm. The results emphasize the role semantic technologies can play in developing both effective and interpretable systems, through the capturing, situating, and reasoning over knowledge related to visual data. Furthermore, this dissertation explores the complex interplay between technical and socio-technical factors. By merging technical expertise with an understanding of human and societal aspects, we advocate for responsible labeling and training practices in visual media. These insights and techniques not only advance efforts in CV and explainable artificial intelligence but also propel us toward an era of AI development that harmonizes technical prowess with deep awareness of its human and societal implications.

Long-term Postoperative Atrophy Of Contralateral Hippocampus And Cognitive Function In Unilateral Refractory Mtle With Unilateral Hippocampal Sclerosis.

This study aimed to evaluate long-term atrophy in contralateral hippocampal volume after surgery for unilateral MTLE, as well as the cognitive outcome for patients submitted to either selective transsylvian amygdalohippocampectomy (SelAH) or anterior temporal lobe resection (ATL). We performed a longitudinal study of 47 patients with MRI signs of unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (23 patients with right-sided hippocampal sclerosis) who underwent surgical treatment for MTLE. They underwent preoperative/postoperative high-resolution MRI as well as neuropsychological assessment for memory and estimated IQ. To investigate possible changes in the contralateral hippocampus of patients, we included 28 controls who underwent two MRIs at long-term intervals. The volumetry using preoperative MRI showed significant hippocampal atrophy ipsilateral to the side of surgery when compared with controls (p<0.0001) but no differences in contralateral hippocampal volumes. The mean postoperative follow-up was 8.7 years (± 2.5 SD; median=8.0). Our patients were classified as Engel I (80%), Engel II (18.2%), and Engel III (1.8%). We observed a small but significant reduction in the contralateral hippocampus of patients but no volume changes in controls. Most of the patients presented small declines in both estimated IQ and memory, which were more pronounced in patients with left TLE and in those with persistent seizures. Different surgical approaches did not impose differences in seizure control or in cognitive outcome. We observed small declines in cognitive scores with most of these patients, which were worse in patients with left-sided resection and in those who continued to suffer from postoperative seizures. We also demonstrated that manual volumetry can reveal a reduction in volume in the contralateral hippocampus, although this change was mild and could not be detected by visual analysis. These new findings suggest that dynamic processes continue to act after the removal of the hippocampus, and further studies with larger groups may help in understanding the underlying mechanisms.

[the Use Of Fish On Buccal Smear To Investigate Mosaicism With A 45,x Cell Line: Study On Healthy Men And Patients With Disorders Of Sex Development].

To verify whether fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of cells from the buccal epithelium could be employed to detect cryptomosaicism with a 45,X lineage in 46,XY patients. Samples of nineteen 46,XY healthy young men and five patients with disorders of sex development (DSD), four 45,X/46,XY and one 46,XY were used. FISH analysis with X and Y specific probes on interphase nuclei from blood lymphocytes and buccal epithelium were analyzed to investigate the proportion of nuclei containing only the signal of the X chromosome. The frequency of nuclei containing only the X signal in the two tissues of healthy men did not differ (p = 0.69). In all patients with DSD this frequency was significantly higher, and there was no difference between the two tissues (p = 0.38), either. Investigation of mosaicism with a 45,X cell line in patients with 46,XY DSD or sterility can be done by FISH directly using cells from the buccal epithelium.

The Influence Of The Environment On The Development Of Thyroid Tumors: A New Appraisal.

Most epidemiological studies concerning differentiated thyroid cancers (DTC) indicate an increasing incidence over the last two decades. This increase might be partially explained by the better access to health services worldwide, but clinicopathological analyses do not fully support this hypothesis, indicating that there are carcinogenetic factors behind this noticeable increasing incidence. Although we have undoubtedly understood the biology and molecular pathways underlying thyroid carcinogenesis in a better way, we have made very little progresses in identifying a risk profile for DTC, and our knowledge of risk factors is very similar to what we knew 30-40 years ago. In addition to ionizing radiation exposure, the most documented and established risk factor for DTC, we also investigated the role of other factors, including eating habits, tobacco smoking, living in a volcanic area, xenobiotics, and viruses, which could be involved in thyroid carcinogenesis, thus, contributing to the increase in DTC incidence rates observed.

Development And Shelf-life Determination Of Pasteurized, Microfiltered, Lactose Hydrolyzed Skim Milk.

The segment of the world population showing permanent or temporary lactose intolerance is quite significant. Because milk is a widely consumed food with an high nutritional value, technological alternatives have been sought to overcome this dilemma. Microfiltration combined with pasteurization can not only extend the shelf life of milk but can also maintain the sensory, functional, and nutritional properties of the product. This studied developed a pasteurized, microfiltered, lactose hydrolyzed (delactosed) skim milk (PMLHSM). Hydrolysis was performed using β-galactosidase at a concentration of 0.4mL/L and incubation for approximately 21h at 10±1°C. During these procedures, the degree of hydrolysis obtained (>90%) was accompanied by evaluation of freezing point depression, and the remaining quantity of lactose was confirmed by HPLC. Milk was processed using a microfiltration pilot unit equipped with uniform transmembrane pressure (UTP) ceramic membranes with a mean pore size of 1.4 μm and UTP of 60 kPa. The product was submitted to physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory evaluations, and its shelf life was estimated. Microfiltration reduced the aerobic mesophilic count by more than 4 log cycles. We were able to produce high-quality PMLHSM with a shelf life of 21 to 27d when stored at 5±1°C in terms of sensory analysis and proteolysis index and a shelf life of 50d in regard to total aerobic mesophile count and titratable acidity.

De Novo Assembly And Transcriptome Analysis Of The Rubber Tree (hevea Brasiliensis) And Snp Markers Development For Rubber Biosynthesis Pathways.

Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. Ex Adr. Juss.) Muell.-Arg. is the primary source of natural rubber that is native to the Amazon rainforest. The singular properties of natural rubber make it superior to and competitive with synthetic rubber for use in several applications. Here, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of H. brasiliensis bark on the Illumina GAIIx platform, which generated 179,326,804 raw reads on the Illumina GAIIx platform. A total of 50,384 contigs that were over 400 bp in size were obtained and subjected to further analyses. A similarity search against the non-redundant (nr) protein database returned 32,018 (63%) positive BLASTx hits. The transcriptome analysis was annotated using the clusters of orthologous groups (COG), gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Pfam databases. A search for putative molecular marker was performed to identify simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). In total, 17,927 SSRs and 404,114 SNPs were detected. Finally, we selected sequences that were identified as belonging to the mevalonate (MVA) and 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathways, which are involved in rubber biosynthesis, to validate the SNP markers. A total of 78 SNPs were validated in 36 genotypes of H. brasiliensis. This new dataset represents a powerful information source for rubber tree bark genes and will be an important tool for the development of microsatellites and SNP markers for use in future genetic analyses such as genetic linkage mapping, quantitative trait loci identification, investigations of linkage disequilibrium and marker-assisted selection.