Examining the relationship between academic stress and motivation toward physical education within a semester : A two-wave study with Chinese secondary school students

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between academic stress and motivation toward physical education (PE) through a longitudinal design with cross-lagged panel analyses. A sample of 556 Chinese secondary school students participated in the research and completed Perceived Locus of Causality Scale and Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents at the beginning of the semester and 3 months later. The results demonstrated that academic stress factors were positively related to less self-determined motivations except that worry about grades was positively related to more self-determined motivations within each time point. In addition, we found that academic stress negatively predicted more self-determined motivations but positively predicted less self-determined motivations, whereas worry about grades negatively predicted amotivation 3 months later. Meanwhile, the influence of amotivation on despondency was also found. These results suggest that academic stress can obstruct students' participation in PE through an impact on self-determined motivation. Our findings also indicate that self-determined students in PE will seek academic achievement as well, which in turn improves students' academic status

Public attitudes towards intimate partner violence against women and influential factors in China and Spain

Intimate partner violence against women is a social problem affecting the rights of women in different countries. The present study aimed to compare the public attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women and their influencing factors in China and Spain. A sample of 506 participants completed questionnaires related to attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women. Chinese participants demonstrated less awareness of the existence and seriousness of the issue, but more proactive attitudes than Spanish participants did. We also found that culture, gender, and age affected these attitudes directly and indirectly through gender equality attitudes. Our findings suggest that promotion of legal reforms can improve social awareness and gender equality attitudes, which in turn changes public attitudes toward intimate partner violence against women, while traditional gender roles and patriarchal society lead to cultural legitimization of the violence, resulting in remained conservative attitudes

Measuring motivation in physical education among Chinese and Spanish adolescents : comparing the psychometric properties of perceived locus of causality scale

The present study aimed to measure motivation in physical education by the Perceived Locus of Causality Scale (PLOC) within a cross-cultural context. A sample of 2,293 adolescents from China (n = 1,287) and Spain (n = 1,006) completed the scales. The results largely supported the reliability and the validity of PLOC in both cultures as well as its cross-cultural equivalence except three problematic items found in the Chinese sample. Moreover, Chinese adolescents scored higher in intrinsic motivation and identified regulation, and lower in introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation than Spanish adolescents. These findings supported the universality of motivation structure across different cultures. However, problematic items encountered in Chinese adolescents and differences in motivation suggest that cultural values may cause adolescents to interpret certain motives differently, which highlighted the importance of cultural adaptation when measuring adolescents' motivation.El presente estudio intentó a medir la motivación en educación física por la Escala de locus de causalidad percibido (PLOC) dentro un contexto transcultural. En total 2,293 adolescentes de China (n = 1,287) y de España (n = 1,006) completaron las escalas. Se apoyan la fiabilidad y la validez de PLOC y su equivalencia transcultural excepto tres ítems problemáticos encontrado en la muestra china. Además, los adolescentes chinos obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas en motivación intrínseca, regulación identificada, y puntuaciones más bajas en regulación introyectada, regulación externa y amotivación que los españoles. Los resultados indican transculturalmente una estructura universal de motivación. Sin embargo, los ítems problemáticos en la muestra china y las diferencias de motivación sugieren que los valores culturales afectan la interpretación de unos motivos de los adolescentes, que destaca la importancia de adaptación cultural a medir la motivación de los adolescentes.O presente estudo teve como objetivo mensurar motivação na educação física pelo Escala do locus de causalidade percibido (PLOC) dentro de um contexto transcultural. No total, 2.293 adolescentes da China (n = 1.287) e da Espanha (n = 1.006) completaram as escalas. Os resultados apoiaram amplamente a confiabilidade e validade do PLOC em ambas as culturas, ebm como sua equivalência transcultural, exceto por três itens problemáticos encontrados na amostra chinesa. Além disso, os adolescentes chineses pontuaram mai em motivação intrínseca, regulação identificada, e menor em regulação introjetada, regulação externa e amotivação do que os adolescentes espanhóis. Essas descobertas apoiaram a universalidade da estrutura de motivação. No entanto, os itens problemáticos encontrados em adolescentes chineses e as diferenças na motivação sugerem que os valores culturais podem levar os adolescentes a interpretar certos motivos de maneira diferente, o que destacou a importância da adaptação cultural ao medir motivação dos adolescentes

Effects of Tai Chi on the Executive Function and Physical Fitness of Female Methamphetamine Dependents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: Exercise improves the health and mental status of drug dependents. The way by which Tai Chi (TC) as a special exercise treatment affects executive functions (EFs) of methamphetamine (MA) dependents is yet to be established. This study aimed to explore the effects of TC on the EFs and physical fitness of MA dependents.Methods: A total of 76 female MA dependents were randomly assigned to the exercise and control groups. The exercise group underwent three 60-min sessions of TC training per week for 12 weeks. The control group was trained with conventional exercises including the 9th Guang Bo Ti Cao and square dance. Physical fitness and EF assessments that evaluated inhibitory control (IC, go/no-go task), working memory (3-back task) and cognitive flexibility (switching task) were performed at baseline and at 12 weeks. A repeated-measures ANOVA was applied to analyze the differences of group and time.Results: The exercise group showed decreased response time (RT) with a significant main effect of time on the go/no-go task [F(1, 68) = 9.6, p < 0.05]. The interaction effect between time and group was significant on accuracy [F(1, 61) = 4.73, p < 0.05], and the main effect of time was significant on RT [F(1, 61) = 4.66, p < 0.05] in the 3-back task of the exercise group. Significant changes in BMI [F(1, 68) = 19.57, p < 0.05], vital capacity [F(1, 68) = 6.00, p < 0.05], and systolic blood pressure [F(1, 68) = 6.11, p < 0.05] were observed in the exercise group.Conclusion: These findings showed that 3 months of TC training can improve the IC and maintain the working memory and cognitive flexibility of MA dependents. Other data implied that TC may improve the physical fitness of MA dependents.Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn/, ChiCTR1900022091

Influence of including patients with pre-morbid disability in acute stroke trials : The HeadPoST experience

Background: Patients with premorbid functional impairment are generally excluded from acute stroke trials. We aimed to determine the impact of including such patients in the Head Positioning in acute Stroke Trial (HeadPoST) and early additional impairment on outcomes. Methods: Post hoc analyses of HeadPoST, an international, cluster-randomized crossover trial of lying-flat versus sitting-up head positioning in acute stroke. Associations of early additional impairment, defined as change in modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores from premorbid levels (estimated at baseline) to Day 7 (“early ΔmRS”), and poor outcome (mRS score 3–6) at Day 90 were determined with generalized linear mixed model. Heterogeneity of the trial treatment effect was tested according to premorbid mRS scores 0–1 versus 2–5. Results: Of 8,285 patients (38.9% female, mean age 68 ± 13 years) with complete data, there were 1,984 (23.9%) with premorbid functional impairment (mRS 2–5). A significant linear association was evident for early ∆mRS and poor outcome (per 1-point increase in ΔmRS, adjusted odds ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.14–1.27; p < 0.0001). Patients with greater premorbid functional impairment were less likely to develop additional impairment, but their risk of poor 90-day outcome significantly increased with increasing (worse) premorbid mRS scores (linear trend p < 0.0001). There was no heterogeneity of the trial treatment effect by level of premorbid function. Conclusions: Early poststroke functional impairment that exceeded premorbid levels was associated with worse 90-day outcome, and this association increased with greater premorbid functional impairment. Yet, including premorbid impaired patients in the HeadPoST did not materially affect the subsequent treatment effect. Clinical Trial Registration: HeadPoST is registered at http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02162017)

INTEnsive ambulance-delivered blood pressure Reduction in hyper-ACute stroke Trial (INTERACT4) : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Early pre-hospital initiation of blood pressure (BP) lowering could improve outcomes for patients with acute stroke, by reducing hematoma expansion in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and time to reperfusion treatment and risk of intracranial hemorrhage in ischemic stroke (IS). We present the design of the fourth INTEnsive ambulance-delivered blood pressure Reduction in hyper-ACute stroke Trial (INTERACT4). Methods: A multi-center, ambulance-delivered, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint (PROBE) assessed trial of pre-hospital BP lowering in 3116 hypertensive patients with suspected acute stroke at 50+ sites in China. Patients are randomized through a mobile phone digital system to intensive BP lowering to a target systolic BP of < 140 mmHg within 30 min, or guideline-recommended BP management according to local protocols. After the collection of in-hospital clinical and management data and 7-day outcomes, trained blinded assessors conduct telephone or face-to-face assessments of physical function and health-related quality of life in participants at 90 days. The primary outcome is the physical function on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days, analyzed as an ordinal outcome with 7 categories. The sample size was estimated to provide 90% power (α = 0.05) to detect a 22% reduction in the odds of a worse functional outcome using ordinal logistic regression. Discussion: INTERACT4 is a pragmatic clinical trial to provide reliable evidence on the effectiveness and safety of ambulance-delivered hyperacute BP lowering in patients with suspected acute stroke. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03790800. Registered on 2 January 2019; Chinese Trial Registry ChiCTR1900020534. Registered on 7 January 2019. All items can be found in this protocol paper

Influence of Including Patients with Premorbid Disability in Acute Stroke Trials: The HeadPoST Experience

Patients with premorbid functional impairment are generally excluded from acute stroke trials. We aimed to determine the impact of including such patients in the Head Positioning in acute Stroke Trial (HeadPoST) and early additional impairment on outcomes. Post hoc analyses of HeadPoST, an international, cluster-randomized crossover trial of lying-flat versus sitting-up head positioning in acute stroke. Associations of early additional impairment, defined as change in modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores from premorbid levels (estimated at baseline) to Day 7 ("early ΔmRS"), and poor outcome (mRS score 3-6) at Day 90 were determined with generalized linear mixed model. Heterogeneity of the trial treatment effect was tested according to premorbid mRS scores 0-1 versus 2-5. Of 8,285 patients (38.9% female, mean age 68 ± 13 years) with complete data, there were 1,984 (23.9%) with premorbid functional impairment (mRS 2-5). A significant linear association was evident for early ∆mRS and poor outcome (per 1-point increase in ΔmRS, adjusted odds ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.14-1.27; p < 0.0001). Patients with greater premorbid functional impairment were less likely to develop additional impairment, but their risk of poor 90-day outcome significantly increased with increasing (worse) premorbid mRS scores (linear trend p < 0.0001). There was no heterogeneity of the trial treatment effect by level of premorbid function. Early poststroke functional impairment that exceeded premorbid levels was associated with worse 90-day outcome, and this association increased with greater premorbid functional impairment. Yet, including premorbid impaired patients in the HeadPoST did not materially affect the subsequent treatment effect. HeadPoST is registered at http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02162017). [Abstract copyright: © 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Motivation toward physical education and its relation to academic stress among chinese adolescents: a cultural perspective on self-determination theory

El objetivo de esta tesis fue explorar la motivación en Educación Física y su relación con el estrés académico en adolescentes chinos en base de la Teoría de la Autodeterminación. En el estudio 1 se midió la motivación en Educación Física en adolescentes chinos (n = 1,287) y españoles (n = 1,006) con la Escala de Locus Percibido de Causalidad. Los resultados apoyaron la fiabilidad y la validez de la escala y su equivalencia transcultural con la excepción de tres ítems problemáticos encontrados en la muestra china. Además, los adolescentes chinos obtuvieron puntuaciones más altas en la motivación más autodeterminada (i.e., motivación intrínseca y regulación identificada) y puntuaciones más bajas en la motivación menos autodeterminada (i.e., regulación introyectada, regulación externa y amotivación) que los españoles. En el estudio 2 se midió la motivación en Educación Física con la Escala de Locus Percibido de Causalidad y el estrés académico con la Escala de Estrés Educacional para Adolescentes en los adolescentes chinos (n = 556) al principio del semestre y 3 meses después. La motivación menos autodeterminada se relacionó positivamente con los factores del estrés académico con la excepción de la relación negativa entre la amotivación y la preocupación por la nota durante la segunda recogida. Sin embargo, la motivación más autodeterminada se relacionó negativamente con la presión desde estudio, la carga de trabajo, y el desaliento, pero positivamente a la preocupación por la nota. La regulación identificada predijo positivamente la preocupación sobre la nota, asimismo la amotivación predijo positivamente el desaliento. Se encontró también un efecto predictivo negativo del desaliento sobre la regulación identificada. En conclusión, los resultados apoyaron la estructura de la motivación basada en la Teoría de la Autodeterminación en el contexto de Educación Física en China en línea con la universalidad de la estructura de la motivación. Los ítems problemáticos encontrados en la muestra china y las diferencias de media entre China y España sugieren que, a pesar de la estructura universal, el modelo de medición puede no ser el mismo en todas las culturas, lo que requiere un examen y una adaptación adicionales de la medición de la motivación basada en la Teoría de la Autodeterminación. Respecto al contexto académico específico en China, estos resultados apoyaron la generalización de la relación entre la motivación basada en la Teoría de la Autodeterminación y el estrés en los contextos de Educación Física y académico, lo que destaca la importancia de la motivación en educación física no solo para promover la actividad física de los estudiantes, sino también para mejorar su experiencia académica.This thesis aimed to explore motivation toward Physical Education and its relation to academic stress among Chinese adolescents through Self-Determination Theory. In study we measured motivation toward Physical Education Scale among Chinese (n = 1,287) and Spanish (n = 1,006) adolescents through the Perceived Locus of Causality. The results largely supported the reliability and the validity of the scale in both cultures as well as its cross-cultural equivalence except for three problematic items found in the Chinese sample. Moreover, Chinese adolescents scored higher in more self-determined motivation (i.e., intrinsic motivation and identified regulation) and lower in less self-determined motivation (i.e., introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation) than Spanish adolescents. In study 2 we measured motivation toward Physical Education through Perceived Locus of Causality Scale and academic stress through Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents among Chinese adolescents (n = 556) at the beginning of the semester and 3 months later. Less self-determined motivation was found to be positively related to all academic stress factors except for the negative relationship between amotivation and worry about grade during second data collection. However, more self-determined motivation was found to be negatively related to pressure from study, workload, and despondency, but positively related to worry about grades. In addition, identified regulation positively predicted worry about grades while amotivation positively predicted workload and despondency. Meanwhile, despondency negatively predicted identified regulation. Overall, the findings supported the motivation structure based on Self-Determination Theory in Chinese Physical Education context in line with the universality of the motivation structure. The problematic items and mean difference between China and Spain suggested that despite of the universal structure, the measurement model may not be the same across cultures which requires further examination and adaptation of the motivation measurement based on Self-Determination Theory. Related to the specific academic context in China, these results supported the generalization of relationship between motivation based on Self-Determination Theory and stress across Physical Education and academic contexts which highlight the importance of motivation in physical education not only in promoting students´ physical activity but also in improving academic experiences

Resolvin D2 and Resolvin D1 Differentially Activate Protein Kinases to Counter-Regulate Histamine-Induced [Ca2+]i Increase and Mucin Secretion in Conjunctival Goblet Cells

Resolvin (Rv) D2 and RvD1 are biosynthesized from docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and promote resolution of inflammation in multiple organs and tissues, including the conjunctiva. Histamine is a mediator produced by mast cells in the conjunctiva during the allergic response. We determined the interaction of RvD2 with histamine and its receptor subtypes in cultured conjunctival goblet cells and compared them with RvD1 by measuring intracellular [Ca2+] and mucous secretion. Treatment with RvD2 significantly blocked the histamine-induced [Ca2+]i increase as well as secretion. RvD2 and RvD1 counter-regulate different histamine receptor subtypes. RvD2 inhibited the increase in [Ca2+]i induced by the activation of H1, H3, or H4 receptors, whereas RvD1 inhibited H1 and H3 receptors. RvD2 and RvD1 also activate distinct receptor-specific protein kinases to counter-regulate the histamine receptors, probably by phosphorylation. Thus, our data suggest that the counter-regulation of H receptor subtypes by RvD2 and RvD1 to inhibit mucin secretion are separately regulated