The role of psychological flexibility in relation to health outcomes in people in remission from cancer

Objective: This study investigated whether psychological flexibility, the key construct in the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) model of psychological and behavioural change, significantly predicts wellbeing and functioning in people living with and beyond cancer. Design: This was an online, prospective, longitudinal, correlational study with two time points that were approximately three months apart. Methods: All participants were required to be at least 18 years of age, be in cancer remission and resident in the United Kingdom. Recruitment for Time‐point 1 (n = 331) took place from May to July 2023 and Time‐point 2 (n = 266; 80% retention rate) took place between Sept and Nov 2023 using Prolific (an online recruitment platform). The mean age was 51.65 (SD = 13.99). The mean length of remission in months was 89.45 (SD = 80.59) and mean years since diagnosis was 8.91 (SD = 6.99). Data were analysed cross‐sectionally and longitudinally. Covariates adjusted for included age, years since diagnosis, time in remission, ethnicity, cancer type and cancer stage. Results: Cross‐sectional hierarchical regression analyses showed Time‐point 1 psychological flexibility significantly (at p < .001) predicted anxiety, depression, stress, fatigue interference, fear of cancer recurrence, quality of life and pain interference. Psychological flexibility at Time‐point 1 significantly predicted all psychosocial variables at Time‐point 2, while adjusting for confounding variables. Conclusions: The findings show that psychological flexibility predicts key psychosocial outcomes relevant for people in remission from cancer. This study provides evidence for the relevance of psychological processes targeted in ACT‐based interventions in the context of people living with and beyond cancer

Neural indicators of sleep loss and sleep propensity in male military trainees: insights from dry-electrode EEG- an exploratory study

This study examined the impact of reduced sleep on electroencephalogram (EEG) activity during cognitive tasks in Military Clearance Diver trainees using a novel dry-electrode EEG system. Seven male participants underwent two 5-day periods: a baseline and a ‘live-in’ phase with increased workload and reduced sleep (5.4 ± 0.1 vs. 7.4 ± 0.7 hours). EEG was recorded daily in the early morning (AM) and late afternoon (PM) during a Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), two oculography tests (AM: n = 4; PM: n = 3), and two minutes of eyes-closed rest. Significant increases in theta (t(29) = 2.308, p = 0.028, d = 0.421) and alpha (t(29) = 2.124, p = 0.042, d = 0.388) power spectrum densities were observed in the ‘live-in’ phase during the PVT. These findings align with increased lower frequency activity over time awake, reflecting heightened sleep propensity. Sleep loss was further confirmed by declining Odds Ratio Product (ORP) values. This study demonstrates the feasibility of dry-electrode EEG in detecting fatigue-related neural changes and highlights the potential of ORP as a quantifiable fatigue marker. These insights may inform operational settings, such as military diver performance monitoring and fatigue management strategies

Listening to parents: lessons from the impact of lockdown on two-year-olds in England

Policy and funding for two-year-old children in England has focused upon widening access to early education and care (ECEC) but there is limited evidence that the approach has resulted in positive educational outcomes. This paper captures parental perceptions of the impact of a pause in ECEC for two-year-olds during a nationwide lockdown in England during the Spring of 2020. An online questionnaire collected both qualitative and quantitative data from 827 parents of two-year-old children who attended ECEC prior to the lockdown. 6% of parents identified themselves as being in receipt of government funding for disadvantaged[1] two-year-olds. Findings revealed that most parents (39%) believed the overall impact of lockdown upon their child was positive. A further 34% felt the impact was neither positive nor negative, with 27% reporting a negative impact. Quantitative data revealed the perceived impact on personal, social and emotional development (PSED) for two-year-old children was nuanced and this was reflected within the qualitative themes. Positive qualitative themes focused on the time gained for family relationships, time outdoors, toileting milestones and communication. Recommendations include recognising the value of time for unhurried adult-child interactions as a quality indicator of ECEC and facilitating parental choice for families wishing to invest in time with their two-year-old children. [1]Disadvantaged is the term adopted by the Department for Education in England to describe families of two-year-old children eligible for specific funded entitlement (FE) to childcare schemes. The criterion for this funding is outlined within the paper

Scalable container-based time synchronization for smart grid data center networks

The integration of edge-to-cloud infrastructures in smart grid (SG) data center networks requires scalable, efficient, and secure architecture. Traditional server-based SG data center architectures face high computational loads and delays. To address this problem, a lightweight data center network (DCN) with low-cost, and fast-converging optimization is required. This paper introduces a container-based time synchronization model (CTSM) within a spine–leaf virtual private cloud (SL-VPC), deployed via AWS CloudFormation stack as a practical use case. The CTSM optimizes resource utilization, security, and traffic management while reducing computational overhead. The model was benchmarked against five DCN topologies—DCell, Mesh, Skywalk, Dahu, and Ficonn—using Mininet simulations and a software-defined CloudFormation stack on an Amazon EC2 HPC testbed under realistic SG traffic patterns. The results show that CTSM achieved near-100% reliability, with the highest received energy data (29.87%), lowest packetization delay (13.11%), and highest traffic availability (70.85%). Stateless container engines improved resource allocation, reducing administrative overhead and enhancing grid stability. Software-defined Network (SDN)-driven adaptive routing and load balancing further optimized performance under dynamic demand conditions. These findings position CTSM-SL-VPC as a secure, scalable, and efficient solution for next-generation smart grid automation

Holistically assessing dismounted warfighter military performance: bridging science and operational relevancy

Dismounted warfighter physical and cognitive performance is complex, involving interdependent domains such as mobility, lethality, survivability and sustainability. This article provides an overview of topics presented during the ‘holistically assessing dismounted infantry performance: bridging science and operational relevancy’ session of the sixth International Congress on Soldiers’ Physical Performance, held in London, UK, 2023. These topics include the investigation of multivariate aspects of dismounted performance at both the individual warfighter and squad levels. Discussion includes a general approach to quantifying warfighter and squad-level dismounted performance, specific body-worn sensors used to investigate performance, including heart rate variability and movement mechanics, a specific investigation into the effect of hearing acuity on individual and group performance, and lastly moving towards predicting performance with body-worn sensors

Centring the ‘subjective’ when examining performance in the field of dance medicine and science

Whilst research studies in dance science have focused on gaining insight into what constitutes a performance from the perspective of the performer, their attention to primarily isolated aspects of performance has precluded understanding of how these elements form the experience of the performer in a holistic sense. This chapter explores the role of subjective approaches in dance research. It argues for the value of situating the self within experience, drawing on the academic writing of those in the fields of dance studies, performance studies and dance medicine and science. This chapter will offer the provocation that whilst dance science researchers increasingly adopt interdisciplinary approaches, the field largely aligns with a positivist research position, emphasising measurable outcomes and robustness of findings over subjective experiences and insights. It is hoped by bringing the viewpoint of the performer to the fore that it may in turn place greater value on other ways of knowing and contribute to a wider understanding of what constitutes the multi-faceted components of artistic performance, which other disciplines may duly benefit from

Sustaining student concentration: the effectiveness of micro-breaks in a classroom setting

This study investigates the impact of break frequency on students' attention and quiz performance during university classes, grounded in cognitive load theory and the concept of spaced learning. Involving 253 second-year undergraduates, it reveals significant effects of break conditions on performance, with micro-break participants outperforming others and sustaining better performance over time. The study employed a mixed-methods design, comparing traditional break periods with more frequent micro-breaks. Results showed that while performance declined across seminars for both conditions, aligning with vigilance literature, the micro-break condition exhibited more consistent performance. These findings contribute to our understanding of cognitive load management and the spacing effect in educational settings. The study highlights the importance of addressing attention spans in classrooms and suggests that incorporating micro-breaks may enhance students' engagement and academic achievement. Implications for instructional design in higher education are discussed, offering evidence-based strategies for educators to optimize the learning experience

A bilateral comparison of lower limb strength and pirouette performance in elite female dancers

Introduction: Traditional dance training is designed to develop a well-balanced dancer, yet laterality has the ability to impair bilateral strength and functional symmetry. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lateral preference on elite level dancers by conducting a bilateral comparison of lower limb strength and pirouette performance. A pirouette is an essential turning skill in dance technique, wherein multiple revolutions are completed on a single supporting leg along the longitudinal axis. Methods: Eight highly trained female dancers performed three maximal effort single leg countermovement jumps (SCMJ) on each lower limb, as well as ten single pirouette en dehors in both the preferred and non-preferred directions. Results: A lateral preference questionnaire indicated a rightward bias was prevalent amongst this group of dancers for both footedness and preferred turning direction. Significantly more successful pirouettes were performed in the preferred (73%) compared to the non-preferred condition (50%). The SCMJ data demonstrated no significant differences in jump height and vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) at take-off, suggesting no bilateral strength asymmetry between the lower limbs. There were also no significant differences in any of the discrete biomechanical pirouette performance variables: displacement of the center of mass over center of pressure (COM-COP), trunk angle, knee flexion and external hip rotation of the gesture leg in retiré position, as well as GRF production and peak pelvic rotational angular velocity at push-off. However, non-significant trends toward greater COM-COP displacement at retiré (0.08 m ± 0.03 vs 0.06 m ± 0.04) and peak pelvic angular velocity at push-off (1.04 revs/s ± 0.20 vs 0.99 revs/s ± 0.22) were observed in the non-preferred compared to the preferred direction, respectively. Conclusion: Therefore, the lower success rate of non-preferred pirouettes may be a result of postural instability or the use of a less efficient weight transfer strategy

Lifeguard training sharpens brain dynamics in novices during drowning detection

Drowning is a critical global health issue, responsible for over 236,000 deaths annually. Lifeguards play a key role in preventing drowning incidents by continually monitoring bathers and detecting hazards taking place in highly dynamic environments such as pools. Previous studies have observed that specialized drowning detection training is closely associated with enhanced detection of drowning events. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this greater drowning detection performance remain unclear. Here, we address this gap in the literature by comparing brain function between lifeguards and novices, and examining changes in brain dynamics associated with drowning detection training. Using a dynamic functional connectivity analysis method called Leading Eigenvector Dynamics Analysis (LEiDA), we analysed time-varying patterns of brain activity in 18 lifeguards and 16 novices during a drowning detection task and at rest. Our findings revealed significant differences within group and between groups in the probability of occurrence of attention-related brain networks, particularly the frontoparietal, ventral attention and Default Mode networks. These findings provide novel insights into the neural basis of lifeguard expertise and how specialized training shapes neural mechanisms and improves drowning detection performance in critical lifesaving scenarios