Prenatal stress programs behavioral pattern separation in adult mice

Stress is an unavoidable condition in human life. Stressful events experienced during development, including in utero, have been suggested as one major pathophysiological mechanism for developing vulnerability towards neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in adulthood. One cardinal feature of such disorders is impaired cognitive ability, which may in part rely on abnormal structure and function of the hippocampus. In the hippocampus, the dentate gyrus is a site of continuous neurogenesis, a process that has been recently implicated in spatial pattern separation, a cognitive phenomenon that serves to reduce the degree of overlap in the incoming information to facilitate its storage with minimal interference. We previously reported that adult neurogenesis is altered by prenatal stress allowing us to hypothesize that prenatal stress may possibly lead to impairment in pattern separation. To test this hypothesis, both control (C) and prenatally stressed (PS) adult mice were tested for metric and contextual discrimination abilities. We report for the first time that prenatal stress impairs pattern separation process, a deficit that may underlie their cognitive alterations and that may result in defective behaviors reminiscent of psychiatric illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Intuitive global sourcing – a study of supplier selection decisions by apparel SMEs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to create knowledge on the intuitive global sourcing process applied by small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports on qualitative inquiries with experienced sourcing managers from 10 SMEs in the textile industry. The study follows a three-step semi-structured interviewing process, allowing us to gradually unveil the detailed nature of the intuitive supplier selection process.FindingsNine of the 10 SMEs rely on a highly intuitive supplier selections process, where one supplier at a time is gradually taken into the exchange while testing the supplier’s behavior. The process consists of an early heuristics sub-process, which gradually switches over to a more advanced intuiting behavioral pattern-matching process.Practical implicationsMost OM/SCM research has treated global sourcing and supplier selection as a highly rational, analytical and deliberate optimization problem. This study uncovers a completely different, and frequently successful, intuitive process, which could inspire managers in companies of all sizes, faced with high uncertainty about global supplier selection decisions.Originality/valueIntuition has recently been adopted in the global sourcing literature. However, this study is the first to offer detailed insights into a predominantly intuitive global sourcing process, specifically as it is managed by SMEs.

Internet Addiction as a Behavioral Addiction

Taking into consideration the gradually widespread use of the internet, children are thought to be an important group both in terms of the time they spend on the internet and the dangers they will be exposed to in the virtual world. Internet addiction is essentially a type of behavioral addiction, characterized by a certain behavioral pattern, which is confronted with both physical, psychological, and social consequences. The research aims to establish a correlation between children's addiction to computer games with the cyber violence that they may be exposed to base on this addiction. For this reason, this study is a systematic review that aims to examine the effects of computer addiction as a subtype of internet addiction, which is a type of behavioral addiction, on children and its relationship with cyber violence. The research significantly contributes to the literature by revealing the effects of COVID-19 on children's addiction to computer games and the correlation of children's addiction to computer games with cyber violence.

Experience in the use of cognitive psychocorrection of the emotional state of women with complicated pregnancy in the third trimester

In the article the data of experimentalpsychological investigation of pregnant women with complicated course of gestation are drawn to determine the peculiarities of their psychological status. One hundred pregnant women in the third trimesterwere examined, 64 of them demonstrated symptoms of late gestosis. The investigation revealed high level of both reactive and personal anxiety in women with complicated course of pregnancy. All the women of this group were subjected to supporting psychotherapy, which was directed to the decreasing psychological troubles. The basic aim of cognitive psychocorrection was to overcome different systemic presuppositions, to help the pregnant women to elaborate an alternative behavioral pattern and to change their attitude to themselves, to form the sense of self-confidence. The results received testify to the expediency of including psychotherapy (supporting and cognitive psychocorrection) into the complex of treatment.

Patterns of Self-Care Behaviors and Their Influence on Maintaining Independence: The National Health and Aging Trends Study

Importance: Few studies have addressed the combined effects of health-promoting and self-care behaviors among older adults. Thus, new research is needed to assess the potential for behavior change to prolong independence in later life.Objectives: To determine the relationships between self-care behaviors and risks of mobility and activities of daily living (ADLs) over time.Design: Longitudinal data was used from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) cohort. Eight baseline self-care behaviors were summarized using latent class analysis. Separately, longitudinal latent classes of mobility and ADLs were created.Setting: Annual in-person interviews conducted for a nationally representative sample.Participants: The baseline study sample included 7,609 Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 from NHATS who were living in community or residential care settings, with a 71% response rate. The average age was 75, with 57% female, 81% white and 78% high school graduates or higher. Approximately, 80% (n = 6,064) completed 5 years of follow-up.Exposures: Favorable vs. unfavorable self-care latent classes measured at baseline.Main outcomes and Measures: Associations were measured between baseline classes and longitudinal classes of mobility and ADLs difficulty. Among decedents, 5-year associations were measured between baseline classes and years of overall, healthy, able, and healthy/able life.Results: Two habitual baseline self-care behavioral patterns (46% favorable; 54% unfavorable) and three trajectories of change in mobility and ADLs disability (maintaining independence; shifting to accommodation/difficulty; shifting to assistance) emerged over time. Participants with a favorable baseline pattern had 92% (0.90–0.94) reduced risk in shifting to assistance class and 70% (0.64–0.76) reduced risk for shifting to accommodation/difficulty class for mobility disability. Participants with a favorable baseline pattern had 86% (0.83–0.89) reduced risk in shifting to assistance class and 24% (0.11–0.36) reduced risk in shifting to accommodation/difficulty class for ADLs disability. Those with an unfavorable pattern had 2.54 times greater risk of mortality by the end of the 5-year follow-up compared to those with a favorable pattern.Conclusion: Self-care behaviors in older age represent a habitual pattern. A favorable self-care behavioral pattern decreased the risk of moving towards a more disabled profile and added years of life. Interventions should encourage self-care behaviors constituting a favorable pattern.

How Statistically Significant is the DMCA Coefficient?

In this paper, we proposed a statistical test for the Detrending Moving-Average Cross-Correlation Coefficient ([Formula: see text]). With this methodology, it is possible to evaluate the statistical significance of [Formula: see text] for different confidence levels. The test was applied to financial market and climatological data. Findings on this research show that rejection or non-rejection of the null hypothesis of [Formula: see text] depends on the size [Formula: see text] of the series and the moving average window length [Formula: see text] evaluated. Our findings also show a behavioral pattern in the critical values of [Formula: see text]. Fixing the size of the series [Formula: see text], as the size of the moving average window length [Formula: see text] increases, the critical values tend to increase.

Marijuana use among adolescents: a cross-sectional study with Brazilian students from a remote area of the Amazon region

Marijuana is the most used illicit drug worldwide. The frequent use of marijuana in adolescence is very worrying, as it is associated with health problems. In Brazil, surveys on the use of psychotropic drugs with adolescent students were conducted in large cities. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with marijuana use among adolescent students in the Brazilian city of Soure, Pará, in the Amazon region. In this cross-sectional study, 736 high school adolescent students provided information through a structured form at the three schools in Soure in November 2019. Marijuana use, in life and frequent (last 30 days), was calculated. Logistic regression models identified factors associated with different marijuana use. The rates of marijuana use in life and frequent were 17.7% and 7.1%, respectively. The behavioral pattern of the adolescents' coexistence nucleus (parents, relatives, and friends) was fundamental for marijuana use in life. Also, the lack of interference or reduced participation of the family in the adolescent's life, the inadequate family structure, and the continuous example of friends were associated with the frequent use of marijuana. Measures to control and prevent marijuana use are necessary and should be available to adolescents, their families, and friends in this remote area of the Amazon region.

Behavioral Pattern of Rent Distribution of Subsidized Fertilizer)

The subsidized fertilizer policy is the government's effort to increase agricultural production and productivity in general. However, in the distribution process, there are still various distribution problems that lead to rent-seeking behavior. The purpose of this research is to describe the behavior of rent-seekers in the distribution of subsidized fertilizers. The research method used is focus group discussion (FGD) involving various stakeholders including (1) government, (2) academics, (3) associations, (4) farmer groups, (5) government-owned enterprises, and fertilizer distributors. The results showed that there had been a pattern of rent-seekers distributing subsidized fertilizers to farmers. The behavior of these rent-seekers includes fertilizer prices exceeding the Highest Economic Price (HET), transaction costs, fertilizer distribution that is not on target until there is a shortage of fertilizer. The government needs to develop a new strategy to optimize the distribution of subsidized fertilizers to farmers. The strategy is to change the subsidy policy to a direct subsidy to farmers. Furthermore, the government needs to optimize investment in the agricultural sector in the form of technology, human resources, electricity, and road infrastructure.