An effective method for preparing histological sections of blow fly intra-puparial stages for minimum PMI estimations.

Blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are generally early colonisers of fresh cadavers, enabling the estimation of a minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) based on an accurate aging of the oldest immature stages associated with a cadaver. In blow flies, the pupal stage and the subsequent development of the adult take place inside a protective case, the puparium, formed from the hardened and darkened cuticle of the third instar larva. Because the puparium is an opaque structure that shows virtually no external changes, qualitative analyses of the internal tissues can be very informative for determining reliable age-specific morphological markers. Those analyses can be performed using either non-invasive but expensive and not widely accessible techniques, or traditional histological methods, which are invasive as they require the serial sectioning of the sample. Histological methods are often readily available for forensic researchers and practitioners; however, the histological study of blow fly intra-puparial stages has traditionally been hampered by the poor paraffin infiltration of tissues due to the abundance of fat bodies, resulting in usually fragmented sections and the subsequent loss of relevant information. We present here an effective method for the preparation of histological sections of blow fly intra-puparial stages, maximising the paraffin infiltration while enabling the production of clean and entire sections that allow for the use of reliable age-specific morphological markers, thus improving the accuracy of minPMI estimations when access to more costly techniques is not feasible.

Methods for the optimal preservation of blow fly intra-puparial forms for morphological analysis in forensic casework.

Accurate minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI) estimations often rely on a precise age determination of insect developmental stages, which is significantly influenced by environmental temperature. An optimal preservation of the entomological samples collected at crime scenes is pivotal for a reliable aging of immature insect samples. For blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), the most widely used insect indicators in forensic investigations, an appropriate preservation of tissues is particularly important in the case of puparial samples because aging methods for intra-puparial forms usually depend on morphological analyses; however, although informative soft tissues and structures could be discoloured and/or distorted if they are not properly fixed, there is a lack of studies to assess different methods for the optimal preservation of intra-puparial forms collected in forensic investigations. The present study compares three preservation methods for intra-puparial forms of the blow fly Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830: (i) direct immersion into 80% ethanol, (ii) puncturing of the puparium and hot water killing (HWK) prior to preservation in 80% ethanol, and (iii) HWK without puncturing before preservation in 80% ethanol. External and internal morphological analyses of intra-puparial forms of different ages were conducted to assess the quality of preservation. The results indicate that direct immersion in ethanol led to poor preservation, affecting both external and internal tissues. Both methods with HWK resulted in a better preservation, but puncturing resulted, in some cases, in physical damage of the specimens. HWK without puncturing emerged as the optimal preservation method, consistently yielding high preservation scores for both external and internal morphological analyses. These findings have practical implications for forensic practitioners and emphasise the need for updating some published guidelines and protocols in forensic entomology.

Identifying High-Risk Subgroups of College Students with Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Latent Profile Analysis and Two-Years Follow-up Study.

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) is associated with a heightened overall risk of future psychopathological problems. However, elucidating specific characteristics that determine an increased risk for certain individuals remains an area requiring further exploration. This study aimed to identify latent subgroups in a sample of college students with NSSI. Additionally, it sought to explore the differential associations of these subgroups with their psychopathological status (e.g., borderline symptoms and suicidal tendencies) both at baseline and after two years. The sample comprised 259 participants (89% females, Mage = 20.39, SD = 1.90) who reported engaging in NSSI in the last year. Three latent groups were found. The group exhibiting severe NSSI-features, high emotion dysregulation, and low perceived social support was the profile with high-risk of psychopathology both at baseline and follow-up. The findings enhance our understanding of the complex association between NSSI and future mental health issues, aiding in the early identification of at-risk individuals.

Criterion-Related Validity of Consumer-Wearable Activity Trackers for Estimating Steps in Primary Schoolchildren under Controlled Conditions: Fit-Person Study.

The purposes were to examine the criterion-related validity of the steps estimated by consumer-wearable activity trackers (wrist-worn activity trackers: Fitbit Ace 2, Garmin Vivofit Jr, and Xiomi Mi Band 5; smartphone applications: Pedometer, Pedometer Pacer Health, and Google Fit/Apple Health) and their comparability in primary schoolchildren under controlled conditions. An initial sample of 66 primary schoolchildren (final sample = 56; 46.4% females), aged 9-12 years old (mean = 10.4 ± 1.0 years), wore three wrist-worn activity trackers (Fitbit Ace 2, Garmin Vivofit Jr 2, and Xiaomi Mi Band 5) on their non-dominant wrist and had three applications in two smartphones (Pedometer, Pedometer Pacer Health, and Google Fit/Apple Health for Android/iOS installed in Samsung Galaxy S20+/iPhone 11 Pro Max) in simulated front trouser pockets. Primary schoolchildren's steps estimated by the consumer-wearable activity trackers and the video-based counting independently by two researchers (gold standard) were recorded while they performed a 200-meter course in slow, normal and brisk pace walking, and running conditions. Results showed that the criterion-related validity of the step scores estimated by the three Samsung applications and the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 were good-excellent in the four walking/running conditions (e.g., MAPE = 0.6-2.3%; lower 95% CI of the ICC = 0.81-0.99), as well as being comparable. However, the Apple applications, Fitbit Ace 2, and Xiaomi Mi Band 5 showed poor criterion-related validity and comparability on some walking/running conditions (e.g., lower 95% CI of the ICC < 0.70). Although, as in real life primary schoolchildren also place their smartphones in other parts (e.g., schoolbags, hands or even somewhere away from the body), the criterion-related validity of the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 potentially would be considerably higher than that of the Samsung applications. The findings of the present study highlight the potential of the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 for monitoring primary schoolchildren's steps under controlled conditions.

Neural predictors of cognitive-behavior therapy outcome in anxiety-related disorders: a meta-analysis of task-based fMRI studies.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is a well-established first-line intervention for anxiety-related disorders, including specific phobia, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder/agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Several neural predictors of CBT outcome for anxiety-related disorders have been proposed, but previous results are inconsistent. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies investigating whole-brain predictors of CBT outcome in anxiety-related disorders (17 studies, n = 442). RESULTS: Across different tasks, we observed that brain response in a network of regions involved in salience and interoception processing, encompassing fronto-insular (the right inferior frontal gyrus-anterior insular cortex) and fronto-limbic (the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex-dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) cortices was strongly associated with a positive CBT outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that there are robust neural predictors of CBT outcome in anxiety-related disorders that may eventually lead (probably in combination with other data) to develop personalized approaches for the treatment of these mental disorders.

Shock compression of semiflexible polymers.

We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the shock compression of linear semiflexible polymers. While the propagation velocity of a shock primarily depends on density, both chain rigidity and chain orientation significantly influence the shock width and the final temperature of the system. In general, the shock wave triggers molecular buckling in chains oriented perpendicular to the compression front. Following the passage of the front, the semiflexible chains buckle with a wavelength that decreases with the compression speed as λm ∼ up-0.2, and subsequent relaxation leads to a banana-like liquid crystal phase. In ordered systems with molecules oriented perpendicular to the compression front, the shock width increases by a factor of up to 10 compared to a similar isotropic system, resulting in enhanced shock energy absorption. These findings indicate that chain stiffness plays a critical role in the impact absorption properties of polymeric materials.

Polyphosphoric Acid Esters Promoted Synthesis of Quinazolin-4(3H)-imines from 2-Aminobenzonitrile.

A novel method for the synthesis of quinazolin-4(3H)-imines (QIs) by trimethylsilyl polyphosphate (PPSE) promoted reaction of 2-aminobenzonitrile with secondary amides is reported. The reaction is general and allows for the synthesis of N3-aryl and N3-alkyl QIs with variable 2-substituents affording high yields. The procedure was extended to derivatives bearing additional functional groups. The method is operationally simple, involves easily available starting materials and a mild dehydrating agent, with wide functional group tolerance. The reaction procedure proved to be suitable for scaling-up. A possible reaction path via an intermediate nitrilium ion is proposed on the basis of literature data and experimental observations.

Larval anatomy of the digestive and excretory systems of the pharyngeal bot fly, Pharyngomyia picta (Diptera: Oestridae).

Oestrid flies (Diptera: Oestridae) are obligate parasites of mammals during their larval stage and show anatomical adaptations for the infestation of host tissues. Unlike the species that parasitize domestic mammals, those oestrid species that infest wild mammal hosts remain poorly known. With the use of x-ray micro-computed tomography, we describe for the first time the anatomy of the digestive and excretory systems of the second and third larval instars of Pharyngomyia picta (Meigen), a parasite of cervids that, like other species within the subfamily Oestrinae, causes nasopharyngeal myiasis. Both larval instars of P. picta show a pair of remarkably large salivary glands arranged in a characteristic 'glandular band', a convoluted and thickly uniform midgut and a greatly enlarged distal region of the anterior pair of Malpighian tubules. These anatomical features also have been described in other species within the subfamily Oestrinae, whereas they differ from the observations in other oestrid subfamilies. We discuss the potential functional significance of the anatomy of the digestive and excretory systems of Oestrinae larvae as specific adaptations to parasitize the nasopharyngeal cavities of mammal hosts.

Morphological and molecular characterization of puparia of Piophilidae species of forensic relevance.

Piophilidae are a small family of Diptera with a worldwide distribution and which are historically associated with human activities. In addition to their economic importance, piophilid larvae can also be of medical and legal relevance. Within a medicolegal context, piophilids are frequently associated with cadavers in advanced stages of decomposition, thus being potentially useful forensic indicators and they have been reported also from archaeo-funerary contexts. An accurate species identification is therefore an essential prerequisite to ensure the reliable analysis of insect material in medical, forensic and archaeological investigations. Identification of the adult piophilid flies is possible because of the availability of identification keys, in contrast immature insects, especially puparia, have been poorly investigated and described. In this paper, puparia of 11 species of forensic interest (Piophila casei, Piophila megastigmata, Parapiophila atrifrons, Parapiophila flavipes, Parapiophila vulgaris, Protopiophila litigata, Liopiophila varipes, Prochyliza nigrimana, Prochyliza xanthosoma and Stearibia nigriceps in subtribe Piophilina and Centrophlebomyia furcata in subtribe Thyreophorina) are described and a molecular analysis, based on the COI sequencing, is presented to show the potential of the molecular approach in their identification.

Environmentally friendly starch/alginate aerogels for copper adsorption from aqueous media. A microstructural and kinetic study.

This work investigated the synthesis and characterization of alginate/starch porous materials and their application as copper ions adsorbents from aqueous media. Initially, pregel aqueous solutions with different biopolymer concentrations (1, 3, and 5% w/w) and alginate contents (25, 50, and 75% w/w) were prepared. Hydrogel formation was performed by internal and external gelation methods. Finally, the drying step was done via CO2sc leading to aerogels and via freeze-drying leading to cryogels. Process parameters influence on the final properties of materials was evaluated by BET isotherms, SEM, EDS, and TGA. Regardless the gelation method applied, interesting materials with meso- and macro-pore structure were prepared from pregel mixtures with 3% w/w biopolymer concentration and an alginate content of only 25% w/w. Low alginate content reduces the final cost of the materials. Concerning copper removal, the adsorption data were well fitted to the pseudo-second order kinetic model for aerogels and cryogels, showing aerogels the highest adsorption capacity (40 mg/g) and removal efficiency (∼ 92%). Materials demonstrated excellent reusability throughout five consecutive adsorption/desorption cycles. Hence, environmentally friendly materials with a high practical value as low-cost bioadsorbents were synthesized, having great performance in the removal of copper ions from aqueous solution.

Validity of the Xiaomi Mi Band 2, 3, 4 and 5 Wristbands for Assessing Physical Activity in 12-to-18-Year-Old Adolescents under Unstructured Free-Living Conditions. Fit-Person Study.

The purpose was to assess the validity of four generations of Xiaomi Mi Band wristbands for the assessment of step count and physical activity (PA) levels among adolescents aged 12-18 years under free-living conditions. One hundred adolescents were invited to participate in the present study. The final sample consisted of 62 high-school students (34 females), aged 12-18 years old (Mage = 14.1 ± 1.6 years), who wore an ActiGraph accelerometer on their hip (PA and step count reference measures) and four activity wristbands (Xiaomi Mi Band 2, 3, 4, and 5) on their non-dominant wrist during the waking time of one day. Results showed that the agreement between daily PA levels (i.e., slow, brisk, and slow-brisk pace walking, total PA and moderate-to-vigorous PA) measured by Xiaomi Mi Band wristbands and the accelerometer were poor (ICC, 95% CI = 0.06-0.78, 0.00-0.92; MAPE = 50.1-150.6%). However, agreement between daily step count measured by the accelerometer and the Xiaomi Mi Band wristbands were between acceptable (MAPE = 12.2-13.6%) to excellent (ICC, 95% CI = 0.94-0.95, 0.90-0.97). Furthermore, the Xiaomi Mi Band wristbands have a good to excellent validity for correctly classifying adolescents as meeting or not meeting the recommended 10,000 steps per day (P = 0.89-0.95, k = 0.71-0.87) and the recommended 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA per day (P = 0.89-0.94, k = 0.69-0.83). Furthermore, comparability between the four Xiaomi Mi Band generations were poor to excellent (ICC, 95% CI = 0.22-0.99, 0.00-1.00) for the daily PA levels outputs, although it was excellent (ICC, 95% CI = 0.99-1.00, 0.96-1.00; MAPE = 0.0-0.1%) for daily step count. Different models of Xiaomi Mi Band wristbands were comparable and presented good validity for measuring adolescents' step count, and they accurately classified adolescents as meeting or not meeting the PA recommendations under free-living conditions.

A Functional Connectivity Study to Investigate the Role of the Right Anterior Insula in Modulating Emotional Dysfunction in Borderline Personality Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Previous imaging studies in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) have detected functional brain dysfunctions. Mindfulness training may improve the symptoms of BPD, although the neural mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. This study had several key aims: a) to investigate the role of right anterior insula (rAI) functional connectivity in modulating baseline emotional status in BPD, b) to compare differences in connectivity changes after mindfulness training versus interpersonal effectiveness intervention, and c) to explore the correlation between longitudinal changes in imaging data and clinical indicators. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with BPD underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants completed self-report clinical scales and participated in a dialectical-behavioral therapy (mindfulness versus interpersonal effectiveness modules). Changes in clinical and imaging variables were evaluated longitudinally after completion of the first 10-week sessions of psychotherapeutic intervention. RESULTS: At baseline, the rAI was strongly connected with the other salience network nodes and anticorrelated with most core nodes of the default mode network (p < .05, corrected). The functional connectivity of the rAI correlated with emotional dysregulation and deficits in mindfulness capacities (p < .05, corrected). After completion of psychotherapeutic intervention, both groups (mindfulness and interpersonal effectiveness) showed divergent posttherapy functional connectivity changes, which were in turn associated with the clinical response. CONCLUSIONS: The functional connectivity of the rAI seems to play an important role in emotion dysregulation and deficits in mindfulness capacities in individuals with BPD. Psychotherapy seems to modulate this functional connectivity, leading to beneficial changes in clinical variables.

Shared Hydrogen Atom Location and Chemical Composition in Picolinic Acid and Pyridoxal Hydrochloride Derivatives Determined by X-ray Crystallography.

Three new single-crystal structures were isolated for picolinic acid (2), the trifluoroacetate salt of picolinic acid (1), and pyridoxal hydrochloride (3). These compounds displayed unconventional crystallographic features that must be considered when structural refinements are carried out. Thus, the generated Fourier differences map obtained with the diffraction data collected at 100 K was crucial to visualize electron densities, which were balanced by either one hydrogen atom or a hydrogen atom with an occupancy factor of 1/2 located between either two carboxylate moieties, two phenolic oxygen atoms, or two pyridinic nitrogen atoms. Moreover, NMR studies were conducted to analyze the bulk chemical composition of single crystals of 2-pyridinecarboxylic acid obtained from the gem-diol/hemiacetal forms and the polymerization products after the treatment of 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde with TFA:H2O (1) or a diluted Cu(NO3)2 solution (2). The quantitative yield of the pyridoxal hydrochloride crystalline material (3) obtained from a diluted CuCl2 solution was exhaustively characterized by solid-state NMR methods. These methods allowed the resolution of the signals corresponding to the protons of the hydroxyl moiety of the intramolecular hemiacetal group and the phenolic hydrogen. Theoretical calculations using DFT methods were done to complement the atomic location of the hydrogen atoms obtained from the X-ray analysis.

Thiosemicarbazone derivatives: Evaluation as cruzipain inhibitors and molecular modeling study of complexes with cruzain.

The development of cruzipain inhibitors represents one of the most attractive challenges in the search for drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. A recombinant form of this enzyme, cruzain, has been crystallized with numerous inhibitors, excluding thiosemicarbazones. These compounds have been established as potent inhibitors of cruzain, although there is very little data in the literature of thiosemicarbazones tested on cruzipain. In this work, we present the results of the evaluation of eleven thiosemicarbazones on cruzipain, isolated from T. cruzi epimastigotes, six of them previously evaluated on cruzain. For these latter, we studied through computational methods, the mode of interaction with the active site of cruzain and the contribution of geometric parameters to the possible mechanism of action involved in the observed inhibition. Finally, from some geometric parameters analyzed on modeled TSC-cruzain complexes, a semi-quantitative relationship was established that could explain the inhibitory activity of thiosemicarbazones on cruzipain, the enzyme actually present in the parasite.

A Machine Learning Approach for Predicting Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Young Adults.

Artificial intelligence techniques were explored to assess the ability to anticipate self-harming behaviour in the mental health context using a database collected by an app previously designed to record the emotional states and activities of a group of subjects exhibiting self-harm. Specifically, the Leave-One-Subject-Out technique was used to train classification trees with a maximum of five splits. The results show an accuracy of 84.78%, a sensitivity of 64.64% and a specificity of 85.53%. In addition, positive and negative predictive values were also obtained, with results of 14.48% and 98.47%, respectively. These results are in line with those reported in previous work using a multilevel mixed-effect regression analysis. The combination of apps and AI techniques is a powerful way to improve the tools to accompany and support the care and treatment of patients with this type of behaviour. These studies also guide the improvement of apps on the user side, simplifying and collecting more meaningful data, and on the therapist side, progressing in pathology treatments. Traditional therapy involves observing and reconstructing what had happened before episodes once they have occurred. This new generation of tools will make it possible to monitor the pathology more closely and to act preventively.

Are Wrist-Worn Activity Trackers and Mobile Applications Valid for Assessing Physical Activity in High School Students? Wearfit Study.

The purpose was to examine the validity of three wrist-worn commercial activity trackers (Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2, Apple Watch Series 5, and Xiaomi Mi Band 5) and six mobile apps (Pedometer and Pacer for android and iPhone mobiles, Google Fit for android, and Apple Health for iPhone mobiles) for estimating high school students' steps and physical activity (PA) under free-living conditions. A sample of 56 (27 females; mean age = 14.7 years) and 51 (25 females; mean age = 14.0 years) high school students participated in Study 1 and 2, respectively. Study 1: Students performed a 200-meter course in four different conditions while wearing the wearables. Step counting through a video record was used as the golden standard. Study 2: Students wore the three wrist-worn commercial activity trackers during the waking time of one day, considering ActiGraph model wGT3X-BT accelerometers as a standard of reference. Afterward, the agreement between the PA scores measured by the commercial activity trackers and the video (study 1) or accelerometers (study 2) were calculated as follows: Equivalence test, Limits of Agreement (LOA); Mean Absolute Error (MAE); Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE); and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Results showed that all the wearables presented excellent validity for assessing steps in structured free-living conditions (study 1; MAPE < 5%), although their validity was between poor-excellent based on ICC (95% confidence interval) values (ICC = 0.56-1.00). Regarding Study 2, the Xiaomi wristband and the Samsung Watch presented acceptable-excellent (MAPE = 9.4-11.4%; ICC = 0.91-0.97) validity for assessing steps under unstructured free-living conditions (study 2). However, the Apple Watch presented questionable-excellent validity (MAPE = 18.0%; ICC = 0.69-0.95). Regarding moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and total PA, only the Apple Watch showed low-acceptable validity for MAPE value and questionable-excellent validity for the ICC values for MVPA assessment (MAPE = 22.6; ICC = 0.67-0.93). All wearables checked in this study have shown adequate validity results in order to assess steps in both structured and unstructured free-living conditions for both continuous and dichotomous variables. Moreover, for assessing MVPA, only the Apple Watch reported valid results for compliance or non-compliance with the daily PA recommendations. However, the results showed low validity for total PA and MVPA as continuous variables. In conclusion, depending on the user's/researcher's aim and context, one or another wearable activity tracker could be more adequate, mainly because of its valid measurements and its costs.

Chitosan primes plant defence mechanisms against Botrytis cinerea, including expression of Avr9/Cf-9 rapidly elicited genes.

Current crop protection strategies against the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea rely on a combination of conventional fungicides and host genetic resistance. However, due to pathogen evolution and legislation in the use of fungicides, these strategies are not sufficient to protect plants against this pathogen. Defence elicitors can stimulate plant defence mechanisms through a phenomenon known as defence priming. Priming results in a faster and/or stronger expression of resistance upon pathogen recognition by the host. This work aims to study defence priming by a commercial formulation of the elicitor chitosan. Treatments with chitosan result in induced resistance (IR) in solanaceous and brassicaceous plants. In tomato plants, enhanced resistance has been linked with priming of callose deposition and accumulation of the plant hormone jasmonic acid (JA). Large-scale transcriptomic analysis revealed that chitosan primes gene expression at early time-points after infection. In addition, two novel tomato genes with a characteristic priming profile were identified, Avr9/Cf-9 rapidly elicited protein 75 (ACRE75) and 180 (ACRE180). Transient and stable over-expression of ACRE75, ACRE180 and their Nicotiana benthamiana homologs, revealed that they are positive regulators of plant resistance against B. cinerea. This provides valuable information in the search for strategies to protect Solanaceae plants against B. cinerea.

A comparison of the utility of different step-indices to translate the physical activity recommendation in adolescents.

Previous studies translating the daily moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) recommendation of total steps/day among adolescents are inconsistent, and those with cadence-based steps are scarce. The main purpose was to compare the accuracy of different daily steps index-based cut-points related to the daily 60 minutes of MVPA recommendation measured by a waist-worn accelerometer for adolescents. Following a cross-sectional design, 428 Spanish adolescents (final sample 351, 50.4% males), aged 13-16 years old, wore an ActiGraph GT3X/+ accelerometer (reference standard = MVPA; index tests = total steps/day, average steps/min and peak 1-min cadence) on the right hip for eight consecutive days. 32.5% of the adolescents met the daily MVPA recommendation. The multiple ROC curve comparisons showed that the accuracy of the daily total step-based recommendation (AUC = 0.97) was statistically higher than for those with the steps/min (AUC = 0.90) and peak 1-min cadence (AUC = 0.58) (p < 0.001). The 10,000-step-per-day cut-point (k= 0.59-0.83) showed highest accuracy values than the 12,000 steps/day (k= 0.20-0.32). Daily total step-based recommendations are more accurate than those with steps/min and peak 1-min cadence for classifying adolescents as being physically active or inactive. A 10,000-step-per-day target is simple and accurate for both male and female adolescents.

Acute and 24 h effect of kinesio taping on lower back muscle soreness during continued practice of cross-country skiing among collegiate students. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

To examine the effects of kinesio taping on lower back muscle soreness immediately after its application and after 24 h during a cross-country skiing camp in collegiate students. The present study followed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial design. Out of the 60 participants in a winter skiing camp, 54 volunteered to participate in the study (aged 21.3 years old, 20 females and 34 males). After 3 days of practical cross-country ski lessons (4 h per day), volunteers were, balanced by sex, randomly divided into three groups. One group had kinesio taping applied on the lower back, another had placebo tape applied and the third group nothing. The two-way ANOVA with the Bonferroni adjustment showed that the lower back muscle soreness levels in the kinesio taping group decreased statistically significantly from baseline to after 24 h of the kinesio taping application (p= 0.020). Kinesio taping reduced low back muscle soreness 24 h after its application produce by several days of cross-country skiing in physically active collegiate students. Kinesio taping method may be beneficial in reducing post-exercise delayed onset muscle soreness in healthy sport collegiate students.

Predicting Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Young Adults with and without Borderline Personality Disorder: a Multilevel Approach Combining Ecological Momentary Assessment and Self-Report Measures.

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is an increasingly prevalent phenomenon associated with many detrimental outcomes, ranging from poor academic performance to suicide attempts. Research on self-harming behaviors has identified emotion dysregulation, negative affect, and borderline pathology as strong risk factors of NSSI, whereas the potential protective effects of metacognitive skills such as decentering have not yet been explored. The current study combined ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and self-report measures to explore potential risk and protective factors of NSSI in a clinical group of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) patients with NSSI (N = 22), a subclinical group of college students with NSSI (N = 19), and a non-clinical healthy control group (N = 23). Participants completed self-report measures of borderline pathology, emotion dysregulation, decentering ability, and negative emotional symptoms, and they used the Sinjur App (EMA instrument) at least three times a day for 15 days to capture negative affect and NSSI in daily life. A multilevel mixed-effect regression analysis with both self-report and EMA measures was conducted to identify predictors of NSSI. The multilevel analysis showed that only momentary frustration directly predicted NSSI. Momentary guilt and anger only predicted NSSI when interacting with more stable traits of borderline pathology and negative emotional symptoms. Most importantly, greater decentering capacity protected against self-injury and attenuated the association between momentary sadness and NSSI. Findings contribute novel knowledge about NSSI, documenting the protective effects of decentering and highlighting the benefit of interventions that target metacognitive emotion regulation skills.