Attentional Bias in Internet Users with Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites

Background and aims: Evidence from the field of addictive disorders suggests that attentional bias for stimuli related to a substance or activity of abuse (e.g., gambling) exacerbates the addictive behavior. However, evidence regarding attentional bias in PIU is sparse. This study aims to investigate whether individuals who express problematic tendencies toward social networking sites (SNS), a subtype of PIU, show attentional bias for stimuli associated with social media. Methods: Sixty-five participants performed Visual Dot-Probe and Pleasantness Rating Tasks containing SNS-related and matched control images during eye movements were recorded, providing a direct measure of attention. Participants were assessed on their levels of SNS Internet use (ranging from problematic to non-problematic) and their levels of urges to be online (high vs. low). Results: Problematic SNS users and, in particular, a subgroup expressing higher levels of urges to be online showed an attentional bias for SNS-related images compared to control images. Conclusion: These results suggest that attentional bias is a common mechanism associated with problematic Internet use as well as other addictive disorders

Physiological markers of biased decision-making in problematic Internet users

Background and aims Addiction has been reliably associated with biased emotional reactions to risky choices. Problematic Internet use (PIU) is a relatively new concept and its classification as an addiction is debated. Implicit emotional responses were measured in individuals expressing nonproblematic and problematic Internet behaviors while they made risky/ambiguous decisions to explore whether they showed similar responses to those found in agreed-upon addictions. Methods The design of the study was cross sectional. Participants were adult Internet users (N = 72). All testing took place in the Psychophysics Laboratory at the University of Bath, UK. Participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) which provides an index of an individual’s ability to process and learn probabilities of reward and loss. Integration of emotions into current decision-making frameworks is vital for optimal performance on the IGT and thus, skin conductance responses (SCRs) to reward, punishment, and in anticipation of both were measured to assess emotional function. Results Performance on the IGT did not differ between the groups of Internet users. However, problematic Internet users expressed increased sensitivity to punishment as revealed by stronger SCRs to trials with higher punishment magnitude. Discussion and conclusions PIU seems to differ on behavioral and physiological levels with other addictions. However, our data imply that problematic Internet users were more risk-sensitive, which is a suggestion that needs to be incorporated into in any measure and, potentially, any intervention for PIU

Postural Balance Ability and the Effect of Visual Restriction on Older Dancers and Non-Dancers

Dance has been suggested to be an advantageous exercise modality for improving postural balance performance and reducing the risk of falls in the older population. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether visual restriction impacts older dancers and non-dancers differently during a quiet stance balance performance test. We hypothesized higher balance performance and greater balance deterioration due to visual restriction in dancers compared with non-dancers, indicating the superior contribution of the visual channel in the expected higher balance performances of dancers. Sixty-nine (38 men, 31 women, 74 ± 6 years) healthy older adults participated and were grouped into a Greek traditional dance group (n = 31, two to three times/week for 1.5 h/session, minimum of 3 years) and a non-dancer control group (n = 38, no systematic exercise history). The participants completed an assessment of one-legged quiet stance trials using both left and right legs and with eyes open while standing barefoot on a force plate (Wii, A/D converter, 1,000 Hz; Biovision) and two-legged trials with both eyes open and closed. The possible differences in the anthropometric and one-legged balance parameters were examined by a univariate ANOVA with group and sex as fixed factors. This ANOVA was performed using the same fixed factors and vision as the repeated measures factor for the two-legged balance parameters. In the one-legged task, the dance group showed significantly lower values in anteroposterior and mediolateral sway amplitudes (p = 0.001 and p = 0.035) and path length measured in both directions (p = 0.001) compared with the non-dancers. In the two-legged stance, we found a significant vision effect on path length (p < 0.001) and anteroposterior amplitude (p < 0.001), whereas mediolateral amplitude did not differ significantly (p = 0.439) between closed and open eyes. The dance group had a significantly lower CoP path length (p = 0.006) and anteroposterior (p = 0.001) and mediolateral sway amplitudes (p = 0.003) both in the eyes-open and eyes-closed trials compared with the control group. The superior balance performance in the two postural tasks found in the dancers is possibly the result of the coordinated, aesthetically oriented intersegmental movements, including alternations between one- and two-legged stance phases, that comes with dance. Visual restriction resulted in a similar deterioration of balance performance in both groups, thus suggesting that the contribution of the visual channel alone cannot explain the superior balance performance of dancers.Peer Reviewe

OPERATING LENGTH AND VELOCITY OF HUMAN M. VASTUS LATERALIS FASCICLES DURING VERTICAL JUMPING

The purpose of this study was to investigate the operating length and velocity of the human vastus lateralis (VL) fascicles regarding force and power generation during vertical jumping in vivo. Compared to the SJ, the VL fascicles operated on a more favourable portion of the force-length curve and more disadvantageous portion of the force-velocity curve in the CMJ, indicating a reciprocal effect of force-length and forcevelocity potentials for force generation. The mean fascicle shortening velocity in the CMJ was closer to the plateau of the power-velocity curve, which resulted in a greater powervelocity potential. We provided for the first time evidence for a cumulative effect of three different mechanisms - i.e. greater force-length potential, greater power-velocity potential and greater muscle activity - for an advantaged power production in the CMJ

Information and communication technologies (ICT) for enhanced education of children with autism spectrum disorders

Recent developments in the area of information and communication technologies for people with special needs has led to significant changes in the way specialists and educators can address the daily impairments posed by people with abnormal behaviour, such as autism. Computer based educative methods are increasingly being considered as a key tool for educating people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs). Recent research has demonstrated that persons with autism, especially children, enjoy interacting with computers particularly as they are free from the expectations and judgments that make social interaction problematic. Virtual Environments (VEs), usually accompanied by three dimensional (3D) humanoid characters have been proven to play an essential role in special education and social interventions. Emotionally expressive avatars (a computer user’s representation of himself/ herself or alter ego), can advance the quality of tutor-learner interaction, with unobtrusive wireless sensors integrating an autistic person’s feedback and reaction. In this paper we review some developments in information and communication technology (ICT) for managing children with ASDs and also describe the approach we are taking to developing a platform to enhance and mediate the teacher-child educational process

Otkrivanje delecije kromosoma 1 pomoću tehnike FISH na otiscima ependimoma ukazuje na regiju izvan kromosoma 22 važnu za recidiv tumora

Ependymomas are glial tumors. They constitute approximately 5%-10% of intracranial tumors. Ependymomas are tumors which can recur. Predictive factors of outcome in ependymomas are not well established. Karyotypic studies are relatively scarce and loss of chromosome 22 has been described to correlate with recurrence. We are unaware of any reports involving chromosome 1 aberrations in the malignant progression of ependymomas. Cytogenetic analysis of 4 ependymomas was performed using double-target fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and focusing on chromosomes 1 and 22. One patient had recurrent tumor. FISH was performed on 500 nuclei/tumors. All four cases showed a loss of chromosome 22q, while only one showed an additional loss of chromosome 1p, and it was the one with tumor relapse. We support the presence of tumor suppressor gene on 1p associated with relapse in ependymomas and suggest that the chromosome 1p status by FISH may identify a high risk group of patients harboring this tumor. Additional studies in this direction are needed, as our results refer to a minimal number of individuals analyzed.Ependimomi su glialni tumori. Oni čine otprilike 5%-10% intrakranijskih tumora. Ependimomi su tumori koji se mogu ponavljati. Čimbenici koji bi ukazivali na ishod ependimoma nisu dobro utvrđeni. Kariotipska ispitivanja su relativno rijetka, a opisano je kako gubitak kromosoma 22 korelira s ponovnom pojavom tumora. Nisu nam poznata izvješća o upletenosti aberacija kromosoma 1 u malignoj progresiji ependimoma. U ovoj studiji je citogenetska analiza 4 ependimoma provedena pomoću dvociljne fluorescentne in situ hibridizacije (FISH) i fokusiranja na kromosomima 1 i 22. U jednog se bolesnika radilo o ponovnoj pojavi tumora. FISH je izvedena na 500 jezgara/tumora. Sva četiri slučaja pokazala su gubitak kromosoma 22q, dok je samo jedan, i to onaj s ponovnim razvojem tumora, pokazao dodatni gubitak kromosoma 1p. Priklanjamo se mišljenju kako je prisutnost gena tumorske supresije na 1p udru žena s recidivom kod ependimoma i ukazujemo na to da bi status kromosoma 1p utvrđen pomoću FISH mogao identificirati visoko rizičnu skupinu bolesnika koji nose ovaj tumor. Potrebne su daljnje studije u ovom smjeru, jer se naši rezultati odnose na mali broj analiziranih osoba

Machine learning methodologies versus cardiovascular risk scores, in predicting disease risk

BACKGROUND: The use of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk estimation scores in primary prevention has long been established. However, their performance still remains a matter of concern. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of using ML methodologies on CVD prediction, especially compared to established risk tool, the HellenicSCORE. METHODS: Data from the ATTICA prospective study (n = 2020 adults), enrolled during 2001-02 and followed-up in 2011-12 were used. Three different machine-learning classifiers (k-NN, random forest, and decision tree) were trained and evaluated against 10-year CVD incidence, in comparison with the HellenicSCORE tool (a calibration of the ESC SCORE). Training datasets, consisting from 16 variables to only 5 variables, were chosen, with or without bootstrapping, in an attempt to achieve the best overall performance for the machine learning classifiers. RESULTS: Depending on the classifier and the training dataset the outcome varied in efficiency but was comparable between the two methodological approaches. In particular, the HellenicSCORE showed accuracy 85%, specificity 20%, sensitivity 97%, positive predictive value 87%, and negative predictive value 58%, whereas for the machine learning methodologies, accuracy ranged from 65 to 84%, specificity from 46 to 56%, sensitivity from 67 to 89%, positive predictive value from 89 to 91%, and negative predictive value from 24 to 45%; random forest gave the best results, while the k-NN gave the poorest results. CONCLUSIONS: The alternative approach of machine learning classification produced results comparable to that of risk prediction scores and, thus, it can be used as a method of CVD prediction, taking into consideration the advantages that machine learning methodologies may offer