Longitudinal Effects of Distress and Its Management During COVID-19 Lockdown in Spain

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic that hit Spain during March 2020 forced the strict confinement of the population for 2 months. The objectives of this study were (a) to assess the magnitude and duration of the influence of confinement on people’s Distress, (b) to study the temporal sequence of stress, and (c) to show how different day-to-day activities and personal variables influence perceived Distress levels.Method: A daily registration was completed by 123 people, with ages ranging from 21 to 75 years old (X¯ = 43, SD = 10 years), of which there were 40 men (32%) and 83 females (68%). During 45 days of lockdown, from March 19th to May 3rd, participants were asked to respond to a socio-demographic survey and make daily records comprising the MASQ-D30 and some day-to-day behaviors. Pooled time series was applied to establish what effect time had on the dependent variable.Results: Distress has a 14-day autoregressive function and gender, physical activity, sexual activity, listening to music, and teleworking also influence Distress. It has been hypothesized that the intercept presents variability at level 2 (individual), but it has not been significant. Interactions between Gender—Telecommuting, and Gender—Physical Activity were observed. Approximately 66% of the variance of Distress was explained (R2 = 0.663).Discussion: At the beginning of the lockdown, the average levels of Distress were well above the levels of the end (z = 3.301). The individuals in the sample have followed a very similar process in the development of Distress. During the lockdown, the “memory” of Distress was 2 weeks. Our results indicate that levels of Distress depend on activities during lockdown. Interactions exist between gender and some behavioral variables that barely influence Distress in men but decrease Distress in women. The importance of routine maintenance and gender differences must be considered to propose future interventions during confinement.

Network-Based Discovery of Opioid Use Vulnerability in Rats Using the Bayesian Stochastic Block Model

Opioid use disorder is a psychological condition that affects over 200,000 people per year in the U.S., causing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to label the crisis as a rapidly spreading public health epidemic. The behavioral relationship between opioid exposure and development of opioid use disorder (OUD) varies greatly between individuals, implying existence of sup-populations with varying degrees of opioid vulnerability. However, effective pre-clinical identification of these sub-populations remains challenging due to the complex multivariate measurements employed in animal models of OUD. In this study, we propose a novel non-linear network-based data analysis workflow that employs seven behavioral traits to identify opioid use sub-populations and assesses contributions of behavioral variables to opioid vulnerability and resiliency. Through this analysis workflow we determined how behavioral variables across heroin taking, refraining and seeking interact with one another to identify potentially heroin resilient and vulnerable behavioral sub-populations. Data were collected from over 400 heterogeneous stock rats in two geographically distinct locations. Rats underwent heroin self-administration training, followed by a progressive ratio and heroin-primed reinstatement test. Next, rats underwent extinction training and a cue-induced reinstatement test. To enter the analysis workflow, we integrated data from different cohorts of rats and removed possible batch effects. We then constructed a rat-rat similarity network based on their behavioral patterns and implemented community detection on this similarity network using a Bayesian degree-corrected stochastic block model to uncover sub-populations of rats with differing levels of opioid vulnerability. We identified three statistically distinct clusters corresponding to distinct behavioral sub-populations, vulnerable, resilient and intermediate for heroin use, refraining and seeking. We implement this analysis workflow as an open source R package, named mlsbm.

Demand Response Requirements from the Cultural, Social, and Behavioral Perspectives

Demand-side response programs, commonly known as demand response (DR), are interesting ways to attract consumers’ participation to improve electric consumption patterns. Customers are encouraged to modify their usage patterns in reaction to price increases through DR programs. When wholesale market prices are high or network reliability is at risk, DR can help to establish a balance between electricity generation and consumption by providing incentives or considering penalties. The overall objective of adopting DR programs is to increase network reliability and decrease operational costs. Nevertheless, the successful deployment of DR programs requires a set of conditions without which no success can be guaranteed. Implementing DR programs and achieving customers’ optimal power consumption behavior could be obtained through technical methods, such as using smart home appliances and big data techniques. However, even if each of these approaches is correctly implemented, they are not able to address all aspects of the problem. The findings of several studies demonstrate that, in addition to technical and economic concerns, social, cultural, and behavioral variables play a significant role in DR implementation. Therefore, this paper investigated the social, cultural, and behavioral variables as critical requirements for implementing DR programs. Furthermore, a theoretical framework and an analytical model of the elements impacting the electricity consumption are introduced that should be considered by the planners.

Broiler Behaviour Differs From Males to Females When Under Different Light Wavelengths

It is well established that different light wavelengths affect broiler behavior. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of four light wavelengths on broiler behavior from 1 to 42-days of age. Birds were housed at a stocking density of 13 birds/m2, in 32 boxes of 1.56 m2. The experimental design was a completely randomized factorial of 4x2 (four colors x two sexes), with four replicates. Behavioral variables were accessed through cameras and observed in person thrice a week for 30 min per day in three different periods. Data was organized according to age groups and analyzed by data mining approach with the different light wavelengths as the classes. Natural behavior of male broilers reared in environments with green. Blue light was more relevant to the classification of male broilers behavior (96.9 and 96.9% accuracy and 0.8 and 1.0 of class precision of behavior classification, respectively). Blue and green lights affected the behavior of male broilers starting at 7-days of age, increasing the presence at the bird feeder, and reducing the idle period.

ADAPTAÇÃO ACADÊMICA E SAÚDE MENTAL DE ESTUDANTES DE MEDICINA NA COVID19: ESTUDO EXPLORATÓRIO NO BRASIL

Research shows that university students are more vulnerable to the occurrence of mental disorders than the general population. In this sense, the medical course is considered a great source of stress. This study aimed to characterize the variables of academic adaptation (personal, interpersonal, career, study and institutional) of students facing the pandemic period of COVID-19, as well as to present descriptive statistics regarding emotional, physical and behavioral variables associated with mental health (stress, depression and anxiety). 513 medical students participated in the research, with ages varying between 18 and 29 years (M = 22.41; SD = 2.49), coming from public (18.7%; n = 96) and private universities (81, 3%; n = 417). Three questionnaires were used for data collection: the Academic Experiences Questionnaire - short version (QVA-r); the Depression Scale, Anxiety and Stress DASS-21 and a sociodemographic questionnaire. It was observed that most of the sample reported losses in concentration levels (79.5%) and academic performance (59.8%) during the pandemic, and this contingent also did not feel supported by the university to deal with the issues of this period. Regarding professional performance, most students (53.6%) do not feel prepared to guide conduct, as well as the perception that pandemic interferes in the relationship with patients in primary care (93.8%). Regarding the levels of depression, anxiety and stress, the first and second year students had higher averages when compared to students in more advanced stages. This article contributed to identify the impact of remote education on the training of future doctors and, thus, encourage research and study of this new adaptation in the face of the current pandemic of COVID-19.

Responses of Outdoor Housed Dairy Cows to Shade Access during the Prepartum Period under Temperate Summer Conditions

Cows are affected by environmental factors associated with warm weather conditions; however, little is known about the effect of shade access especially during the prepartum period of dairy cows in temperate regions. This study assessed the effect of shade on the behavior (lying, rumination, feeding, and drinking), body fat mobilization, and health status of outdoor-housed dairy cows during the prepartum period under temperate summer conditions. During the 3 weeks prior to calving, 24 multiparous Holstein cows were grouped (4 cows/group) and assigned to either an open corral without shade or with access to shade until calving. We daily measured shade use, lying, rumination, feeding, and drinking behavior. Weekly, prepartum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and postpartum b-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations were measured. Clinical examination was periodically performed individually until 21 postpartum days. Shade use averaged 45.6, 46.0, and 19.8% during the hottest hours of the day (11–18 h) in weeks 3, 2, and 1 prior to calving, respectively. Shaded cows had higher values for rumination time and feeding time during the morning but spent less time drinking during the warmest hours than unshaded cows. NEFA and BHB concentrations and clinical diseases were similar between both treatments. These findings suggest that under temperate summer conditions the access to an artificial shade is an important resource, observing beneficial effects mainly on behavioral variables.

Factors Influencing Children’s Regular Attendance at Dental Clinics in Al Madinah, Saudi Arabia

<b><i>Objectives:</i></b> This study aimed to investigate sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics of 9- to 12-year-old schoolchildren who attend regular dental visits. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A stratified sample from 10 schools in Al Madinah, SA, was selected, and a total of 1,000 students aged 9–12 years were included in the study. The WHO criteria (2013) for assessing dental caries were used to collect clinical data, and information on dental visits and sociodemographic and behavioral variables was collected through the WHO questionnaire. The logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship between regular dental visits and sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Only 9.2% of the sample reported regular dental visits. The multiple logistic regression model showed that gender (female: OR = 1.715; <i>p</i> = 0.041), high family income (middle income: OR = 0.464; <i>p</i> = 0.024; and low income: OR = 0.517; <i>p</i> = 0.015), and the consumption of sugary food and drinks (almost daily: OR = 0.438; <i>p</i> = 0.017; and several times a week: OR = 0.511; <i>p</i> = 0.050) were associated with regular dental visits after accounting for other sociodemographic and clinical variables and other oral health behavior. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> In the population studied, &#x3c;10% of 9- to 12-year-olds made regular annual visits to dental clinics in Al Madinah, SA.

Analysis Of The Variables Of Intention Of The Adoption And Acceptance Of Artificial Intelligence And Big Data Tools Among Leaders Of Organizations In Morocco: Attempt Of A Theoretical Study

Artificial intelligence and big data are two emerging technologies that is now gaining ground among organizations. Their added value and their impact on business performance differ from one industry to another. Due to increased competitiveness, and in order to survive in the market, companies are led to adopt these new technologies that will enable them to be more performant and offer customers goods or services that meet their real needs since this approach is based on data collected from outside the company's environment. To do so, it is important to know and analyze beforehand the factors and variables that impact the adoption and acceptance process in order to manage them. This paper focuses on establishing a synthetic literature review to find out the current state of researches on the problems of AI and Big data adoption and acceptance, and it also argument the empirical sector’s choice. The findings of this study show that agricultural and chemical industry sectors are the two most promising sectors for AI in Morocco. As a result, a comparative analysis will be conducted after the development of the research model on these two fields in order to analyze the variables of adoption and acceptance of AI. Also, the most influential variables according to the literature were detected in this paper, which are grouped into four (4) types: technological, organizational, environmental, and behavioral variables.

Prebiotic, Probiotic, and Synbiotic Consumption Alter Behavioral Variables and Intestinal Permeability and Microbiota in BTBR Mice

Given that prebiotics have been shown to improve gut microbiota composition, gastrointestinal symptoms and select behaviors in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we hypothesized that prebiotic supplementation would improve sociability, communication, and repetitive behaviors in a murine model of ASD. We also examined the effect of a synbiotic (probiotic + prebiotic). Juvenile male BTBR mice were randomized to: (1) control; (2) probiotic (1 × 1010 CFU/d Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14®; now known as Limosilactobacillus reuteri); (3) prebiotic (10% oligofructose-enriched inulin); (4) prebiotic + probiotic (n = 12/group) administered through food for 3 weeks. Sociability, communication, repetitive behavior, intestinal permeability and gut microbiota were assessed. Probiotic and symbiotic treatments improved sociability (92 s and 70 s longer in stranger than empty chamber) and repetitive behaviors (50% lower frequency), whereas prebiotic intake worsened sociability (82 s less in stranger chamber) and increased the total time spent self-grooming (96 s vs. 80 s CTR), but improved communication variables (4.6 ms longer call duration and 4 s higher total syllable activity). Mice consuming probiotics or synbiotics had lower intestinal permeability (30% and 15% lower than CTR). Prebiotic, probiotic, and symbiotic treatments shifted gut microbiota to taxa associated with improved gut health. L.reuteri may help alleviate ASD behavioral symptom severity and improve gut health. The potential use of prebiotics in an ASD population warrants further research.

Impaired impulse inhibition of emotional stimuli in patients with borderline personality disorder

This study was aimed to investigate whether BPD patients showed impaired impulse inhibition of emotional and non-emotional stimuli and to explore relevant neuroelectrophysiological mechanisms. A total of 32 BPD patients and 32 matched healthy controls were recruited. Self-reported scales were used to measure psychiatric symptoms. The event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded when subjects were performing neutral and emotional Stop Signal Task (SST). Group differences in self-reported scores, behavioral variables and ERPs were compared. The BPD group scored significantly higher on impulsivity, severity of BPD symptoms, levels of depression and anxiety than the control group. In neutral SST, no significant group differences were detected in the amplitude and latency of ERPs components induced. In emotional SST, the P2 amplitude of negative emotion was significantly larger than that of neutral emotion in Go trials. In Stop trials, the P2 amplitude of BPD group was significantly smaller than that of control group, and the N2 amplitude of BPD group was significantly greater than that of control group. BPD patients showed impaired inhibition of emotional stimuli rather than non-emotional stimuli. The deficits of emotional impulse control mainly exhibit at the early attention, stimulus evaluation and conflict detection stages.