The Benefits of Acute Exercise for Children's Cognition are Associated with Trait Anxiety.

INTRODUCTION: Children's anxiety is associated with decreased cognitive performance. One well-established behavioral intervention to transiently improve cognitive performance in children is acute aerobic exercise (AAE). Thus far, however, it is unclear whether the benefits of AAE on cognition vary based on individual differences in children's anxiety level. Therefore, we investigated whether trait anxiety levels mediate the effects of AAE on cognitive outcomes in preadolescent children. METHODS: Ninety-five preadolescent children (9-11 years, 41 females) underwent two experimental interventions in a random, crossover, and counterbalanced design: an exercise protocol (20 minutes of walking at 65-75% of HRpeak) and a non-exercise control (seated rest). Behavioral indices of cognitive performance (accuracy, reaction times, response time variability) were assessed before and after each intervention using a modified flanker task. The effects of each intervention on cognitive performance were calculated as pre- to post-intervention differences (effect scores). These scores were first correlated with children's personal characteristics: anxiety (STAIC), sex, age, BMI, IQ, and aerobic fitness. Significant correlations guided subsequent hierarchical regression models, which specifically tested for associations between the effects scores and anxiety levels while controlling for remaining relevant covariates. RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed that anxiety was a significant predictor of the effects that AAE and rest had on cognitive performance. Specifically, higher anxiety scores were associated with greater exercise-induced cognitive benefits (increased accuracy, decreased response time variability; p's < 0.05) and greater rest-induced cognitive impairments (decreased accuracy, increased response time variability; p's < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that children reporting higher trait anxiety might experience greater cognitive benefits from a single bout of AAE.

Sex differences in interacting genetic and functional connectivity biomarkers in Alzheimer's disease.

As of 2023, it is estimated that 6.7 million individuals in the United States live with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Prior research indicates that AD disproportionality affects females; females have a greater incidence rate, perform worse on a variety of neuropsychological tasks, and have greater total brain atrophy. Recent research shows that hippocampal functional connectivity differs by sex and may be related to the observed sex differences in AD, and apolipoprotein E (ApoE) ε4 carriers have reduced hippocampal functional connectivity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the ApoE genotype plays a role in the observed sex differences in hippocampal functional connectivity in Alzheimer's disease. The resting state fMRI and T2 MRI of individuals with AD (n = 30, female = 15) and cognitively normal individuals (n = 30, female = 15) from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) were analyzed using the functional connectivity toolbox (CONN). Our results demonstrated intrahippocampal functional connectivity differed between those without an ε4 allele and those with at least one ε4 allele in each group. Additionally, intrahippocampal functional connectivity differed only by sex when Alzheimer's participants had at least one ε4 allele. These results improve our current understanding of the role of the interacting relationship between sex, ApoE genotype, and hippocampal function in AD. Understanding these biomarkers may aid in the development of sex-specific interventions for improved AD treatment.

On decoding of rapid motor imagery in a diverse population using a high-density NIRS device.

Introduction: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) aims to infer cognitive states such as the type of movement imagined by a study participant in a given trial using an optical method that can differentiate between oxygenation states of blood in the brain and thereby indirectly between neuronal activity levels. We present findings from an fNIRS study that aimed to test the applicability of a high-density (>3000 channels) NIRS device for use in short-duration (2 s) left/right hand motor imagery decoding in a diverse, but not explicitly balanced, subject population. A side aim was to assess relationships between data quality, self-reported demographic characteristics, and brain-computer interface (BCI) performance, with no subjects rejected from recruitment or analysis. Methods: BCI performance was quantified using several published methods, including subject-specific and subject-independent approaches, along with a high-density fNIRS decoder previously validated in a separate study. Results: We found that decoding of motor imagery on this population proved extremely challenging across all tested methods. Overall accuracy of the best-performing method (the high-density decoder) was 59.1 +/- 6.7% after excluding subjects where almost no optode-scalp contact was made over motor cortex and 54.7 +/- 7.6% when all recorded sessions were included. Deeper investigation revealed that signal quality, hemodynamic responses, and BCI performance were all strongly impacted by the hair phenotypical and demographic factors under investigation, with over half of variance in signal quality explained by demographic factors alone. Discussion: Our results contribute to the literature reporting on challenges in using current-generation NIRS devices on subjects with long, dense, dark, and less pliable hair types along with the resulting potential for bias. Our findings confirm the need for increased focus on these populations, accurate reporting of data rejection choices across subject intake, curation, and final analysis in general, and signal a need for NIRS optode designs better optimized for the general population to facilitate more robust and inclusive research outcomes.

Meeting 24-h movement behavior guidelines is linked to academic engagement, psychological functioning, and cognitive difficulties in youth with internalizing problems.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate associations of meeting 24-h movement behavior (24-HMB: physical activity [PA], screen time [ST] in the school-aged youth, and sleep) guidelines with indicators of academic engagement, psychological functioning, and cognitive function in a national representative sample of U.S. youth. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 1794 participants aged 6 to 17 years old were included for multivariable logistic regression to determine the above-mentioned associations, while adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates. RESULTS: The proportion of participants who met 24-HMB guideline(s) varied greatly (PA+ ST+ sleep = 34 [weighted 1.17 %], PA + ST = 23 [weighted 1.72 %], PA + sleep = 52 [weighted 2.15 %], PA = 34 [weighted 2.88 %], ST = 142 [weighted 7.5 %], ST+ sleep = 209 [weighted 11.86 %], sleep = 725 [weighted 35.5 %], none = 575 [weighted 37.22 %]). Participants who met ST guideline alone and integrated (ST + Sleep and ST + sleep + PA) guidelines demonstrated the consistently beneficial associations with learning interest/curiosity, caring for school performance, completing required homework, resilience, cognitive difficulties, self-regulation (ps < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Meeting 24-HMB guidelines in an isolated or integrative manner was associated with improved academic engagement, psychological functioning, and reduced cognitive difficulties. These findings highlight the importance of the promotion of 24-HMB guidelines in youth with internalizing problems. Future longitudinal studies are needed to investigate whether changes or modifications of meeting specific 24-HMB guidelines (especially ST) is beneficial for youth with internalizing problems.

Path Analysis of Effects of First-Generation Status on Physical Activity and 4-Year College Degree Completion.

PURPOSE: First-generation college students (FGCS) face a myriad of sociocultural, financial, and emotional challenges that impact their educational journey. With less academic capital and lower odds of obtaining a bachelor's degree than their non-FGCS peers, understanding the factors affecting their academic success is pivotal for social work professionals aiming to provide tailored interventions and support systems. This study delved into the potential differences between these groups concerning physical activities, which are linked to learning, cognition, and overall well-being, and evaluated their influence on degree completion. METHOD: A path model was developed to analyze the relationship between degree completion, physical activities, FGCS status, and background variables, using a sample of 1,625 participants. RESULTS: The model showed a strong fit (CFI = 0.979, RMSEA = 0.055, SRMR = 0.010) and accounted for 29.5% of the variance in degree completion. Walking to school was positively associated with degree attainment. FGCS status was associated with decreased walking to school, reduced degree completion, and increased walking for exercise. An indirect effect suggested that FGCS were less likely to achieve their degree, potentially due to a greater reliance on transportation like buses or cars. DISCUSSION: The findings emphasize the critical role of campus resources for FGCS. Enhancing access to fitness centers and offering affordable housing options nearer to campus may aid FGCSs' academic success. These insights can guide social work practices, highlighting the importance of environmental factors in the academic experiences of FGCS.

The genetic basis of conspicuous coloration in the Guadeloupean anole: Evolution by sexual and ecological selection.

Understanding how natural selection acts on the genome and contributes to the process of speciation is a primary aim of the study of evolution. Here we used natural variation in two subspecies of the Guadeloupean anole (Anolis marmoratus ssp.), from the island of Guadeloupe in the Lesser Antilles, to explore the genomic basis of adaptation and speciation in Anolis lizards. These subspecies inhabit distinct ecological environments and display marked differences in adult male color and pattern. We sequenced the complete genomes of 20 anoles, 10 from each subspecies, at 1.4× coverage. We used genome-wide scans of population differentiation, allele frequency spectrum, and linkage disequilibrium to characterize the genomic architecture within and between the subspecies. While most of the genome was undifferentiated, we observed five large divergent regions. Within these regions we identified blocks, 5 kb pairs in length, enriched for fixed single nucleotide polymorphisms. These blocks encompass 97 genes, two of which are candidate pigmentation genes. One is melanophilin (mlph), which helps transport melanosomes within melanocytes. The other is a cluster of differentiation 36 (cd36), which regulates carotenoid pigment sequestration. We used high-pressure liquid chromatography to confirm that carotenoid pigments are significantly more abundant in the conspicuous orange-pigmented skin of male A. m. marmoratus suggesting that cd36 may be regulating pigment deposition in this tissue. We identified for the first time a carotenoid gene that is a potential target of divergent sexual selection and may be contributing to the early stages of speciation in Anolis lizards.

Macular Pigment Optical Density and Skin Carotenoids in a Childhood Sample.

BACKGROUND: Carotenoids are plant pigments with light filtering and antioxidant properties that deposit in human tissues, including retina and skin. Descriptive characteristics and covariates of carotenoid status in macula and skin have been examined in adults; however, similar studies in children are limited. Thus, this study aimed to delineate how factors of age, sex, race, weight status, and dietary carotenoid intake relate to macular and skin carotenoids in children. METHODS: Children (7-13 y, N = 375) completed heterochromatic flicker photometry to assess macular pigment optical density (MPOD). Participants underwent anthropometrics to measure weight status (BMI percentile [BMI%]), and parent/guardian provided demographic information. Subsample data were available for skin carotenoids (N = 181), assessed using reflection spectroscopy, and dietary carotenoids (N = 101) using the Block Food Frequency Questionnaire. Relationships between skin and macular carotenoids were assessed using partial Pearson's correlations controlling for age, sex, race, and BMI%. Relationships between dietary carotenoids and macular and skin carotenoids were assessed using stepwise linear regression including age, sex, race, and BMI% in the model. RESULTS: Mean MPOD was 0.56 ± 0.22 and skin carotenoid score was 282 ± 94.6. There was no significant correlation between MPOD and skin carotenoids (r = 0.02, P = 0.76). BMI% was negatively associated with skin (stdß = -0.42, P < 0.001), but not macular carotenoids (stdß = -0.04, P = 0.70). Neither MPOD nor skin carotenoids were associated with age, sex, or race (all P > 0.10). MPOD was positively associated with energy-adjusted reported lutein + zeaxanthin intake (stdß = 0.27, P = 0.01). Skin carotenoids were positively associated with energy-adjusted reported carotenoid intake (stdß = 0.26, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The mean MPOD values in children were higher than what has been reported in adult populations. Previous studies in adult samples report an average MPOD of 0.21. Although macular and skin carotenoids were not related, they were associated with dietary carotenoids relevant to the respective tissues; however, skin carotenoids may be more susceptible negative influence from higher weight status.

Transcriptomic analysis of mosaic brain differentiation underlying complex division of labor in a social insect.

Concerted developmental programming may constrain changes in component structures of the brain, thus limiting the ability of selection to form an adaptive mosaic of size-variable brain compartments independent of total brain size or body size. Measuring patterns of gene expression underpinning brain scaling in conjunction with anatomical brain atlases can aid in identifying influences of concerted and/or mosaic evolution. Species exhibiting exceptional size and behavioral polyphenisms provide excellent systems to test predictions of brain evolution models by quantifying brain gene expression. We examined patterns of brain gene expression in a remarkably polymorphic and behaviorally complex social insect, the leafcutter ant Atta cephalotes. The majority of significant differential gene expression observed among three morphologically, behaviorally, and neuroanatomically differentiated worker size groups was attributable to body size. However, we also found evidence of differential brain gene expression unexplained by worker morphological variation and transcriptomic analysis identified patterns not linearly correlated with worker size but sometimes mirroring neuropil scaling. Additionally, we identified enriched gene ontology terms associated with nucleic acid regulation, metabolism, neurotransmission, and sensory perception, further supporting a relationship between brain gene expression, brain mosaicism, and worker labor role. These findings demonstrate that differential brain gene expression among polymorphic workers underpins behavioral and neuroanatomical differentiation associated with complex agrarian division of labor in A. cephalotes.

Accuracy and processing time of kidney volume measurement methods in rodents polycystic kidney disease models: superiority of semiautomated kidney segmentation.

Measurement of total kidney volume (TKV) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a valuable approach for monitoring disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and is becoming more common in preclinical studies using animal models. Manual contouring of kidney MRI areas [i.e., manual method (MM)] is a conventional, but time-consuming, way to determine TKV. We developed a template-based semiautomatic image segmentation method (SAM) and validated it in three commonly used PKD models: Cys1cpk/cpk mice, Pkd1RC/RC mice, and Pkhd1pck/pck rats (n = 10 per model). We compared SAM-based TKV with that obtained by clinical alternatives including the ellipsoid formula-based method (EM) using three kidney dimensions, the longest kidney length method (LM), and MM, which is considered the gold standard. Both SAM and EM presented high accuracy in TKV assessment in Cys1cpk/cpk mice [interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ≥ 0.94]. SAM was superior to EM and LM in Pkd1RC/RC mice (ICC = 0.87, 0.74, and <0.10 for SAM, EM, and LM, respectively) and Pkhd1pck/pck rats (ICC = 0.59, <0.10, and <0.10, respectively). Also, SAM outperformed EM in processing time in Cys1cpk/cpk mice (3.6 ± 0.6 vs. 4.4 ± 0.7 min/kidney) and Pkd1RC/RC mice (3.1 ± 0.4 vs. 7.1 ± 2.6 min/kidney, both P < 0.001) but not in Pkhd1PCK/PCK rats (3.7 ± 0.8 vs. 3.2 ± 0.5 min/kidney). LM was the fastest (∼1 min) but correlated most poorly with MM-based TKV in all studied models. Processing times by MM were longer for Cys1cpk/cpk mice, Pkd1RC/RC mice, and Pkhd1pck.pck rats (66.1 ± 7.3, 38.3 ± 7.5, and 29.2 ± 3.5 min). In summary, SAM is a fast and accurate method to determine TKV in mouse and rat PKD models.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Total kidney volume (TKV) is a valuable readout in preclinical studies for autosomal dominant and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney diseases (ADPKD and ARPKD). Since conventional TKV assessment by manual contouring of kidney areas in all images is time-consuming, we developed a template-based semiautomatic image segmentation method (SAM) and validated it in three commonly used ADPKD and ARPKD models. SAM-based TKV measurements were fast, highly reproducible, and accurate across mouse and rat ARPKD and ADPKD models.

Feasibility and impact of a remote moderate-intensity yoga intervention on stress and executive functioning in working adults: a randomized controlled trial.

The feasibility of a moderate-intensity yoga intervention, delivered remotely via supervised and unsupervised sessions, and its psychosocial and cognitive effects have not been thoroughly investigated. This randomized controlled trial assessed feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an 8-week moderate-intensity yoga intervention (3×/week, 50 min) delivered remotely (vs. a waitlist control arm), on stress and cognitive functioning. Participants (n = 86) were low active, full-time working adults (81.40% female; Mage = 41 years) with symptoms of stress. Feasibility was assessed via adherence, enjoyment, and safety; stress and anxiety via self-report questionnaires; and executive functioning via neuropsychological tests. Overall attendance was 75.1%, 100% of participants enjoyed the intervention, and only one adverse event was reported. At follow-up, the yoga group had significantly lower stress and anxiety, and higher accuracy on working memory tasks. Remote moderate intensity yoga practice proved safe, enjoyable, and may reduce stress and improve cognitive functioning. This study was pre-registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04740229).

Enhancing children's cognitive function and achievement through carotenoid consumption: The Integrated Childhood Ocular Nutrition Study (iCONS) protocol.

Lutein and zeaxanthin (L + Z) are carotenoids that accumulate in neural tissue and potentially confer benefits to cognition. Whereas cross-sectional studies have revealed positive associations between macular carotenoids (MC) and cognition, no studies have investigated whether L + Z supplementation impacts MC and cognition in childhood. Accordingly, the Integrated Childhood Ocular Nutrition Study aims to investigate the impact of L + Z supplementation over 9-months on academic abilities, attentional control, memory, and MC among preadolescent children. Children 8-10 years (N = 288) will enroll in a 9-month double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. The study is registered and approved as a clinical trial on the U.S. National Library of Medicine http://ClinicalTrials.gov registry (NCT05177679). Participants will be randomized into an active (10 mg lutein+2 mg zeaxanthin) or waitlist placebo-controlled group. Primary outcomes include hippocampal-dependent memory, attentional inhibition, and academic achievement using a spatial reconstruction task, an Eriksen flanker task, and the Kaufman Test of Academic and Educational Achievement 3rd edition, respectively. Secondary outcomes include event-related brain potentials of attentional resource allocation and information processing speed (i.e., P3/P300 amplitude and latency) recorded during the flanker task. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) will be assessed using heterochromatic flicker photometry. Cognitive assessments will be completed prior to and after completion of the supplementation period. MPOD will be quantified prior to, at the mid-point of (4-5 months), and after (9 months) the supplementation period. It is hypothesized that L + Z supplementation will improve cognition and academic achievement. Further, benefits for cognition and achievement are anticipated to be mediated by increases in MC among treatment group participants.

Reproductive isolation is a heuristic, not a measure: a commentary on Westram et al., 2022.

Reproductive isolation is the heuristic basis of the biological species concept, but what is it? Westram et al. (this issue) propose that it is a measurable quantity, "barrier strength," that prevents gene flow among populations. However, their attempt to make the concept of reproductive isolation more scientific is unlikely to satisfy the diverse opinions of all evolutionary biologists. There are many different opinions about the nature of species, even under the biological species concept. Complete reproductive isolation, where gene flow is effectively zero, is regarded by some biologists as an important end point of speciation. Others, including Westram et al., argue for a more nuanced approach, and they also suggest that reproductive isolation may differ in different parts of the genome due to variation in genetic linkage to divergently selected loci. In contrast to both these approaches, we favour as a key criterion of speciation the stable coexistence of divergent populations in sympatry. Obviously, such populations must be reproductively isolated in some sense, but neither the fraction of the genome that is exchanged, nor measures of overall barrier strength acting on neutral variation will yield very precise predictions as to species status. Although an overall measure of reproductive isolation is virtually unattainable for these reasons, its early generation components, such as assortative mating, divergent selection, or hybrid inviability and sterility are readily measurable and remain informative. For example, we can make the prediction that to remain divergent in sympatry, almost all sexual species will require strong assortative mating, as well as some sort of ecological or intrinsic selection against hybrids and introgressed variants.

Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Two Technology-assisted Vocal Interventions for Older Adults Living in a Residential Facility.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: An increasing number of older adults are seeking behavioral voice therapy to manage their voice problems. Poor adherence to voice therapy is a known problem across all treatment-seeking populations. Given age-related physical and cognitive impairments and multiple chronic conditions, older adults are more susceptible to low adherence to behavioral therapies. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of an at-home, vocal training intervention for older adults without a known voice disorder living in a senior living community, as well as compare the effects of two modes of mobile health (mHealth) technology-assisted vocal training targeting vocal function and adherence in older adults. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort Study (Prospective Observational Study). METHODS: Twenty-three individuals were recruited from a single residential retirement community and randomly allocated into two experimental groups. Both groups were asked to practice the Vocal Function Exercises with increasing frequency over an 8-week period. Tablets with instructions for performing the exercises were provided to all participants. The feedback group's tablets also contained an application providing real-time feedback on pitch, loudness, and duration. Acoustic and aerodynamic measures of vocal function and cognitive measures were obtained before and after the intervention. Self-reported measures of practice frequency, perceived vocal progress and changes, and motivation were obtained weekly. RESULTS: The feedback control group adhered to the requested practice sessions more in the latter half of the intervention (weeks 5 and 8). Vocal function measures remained stable. Overall, a pattern reflecting self-reported vocal progress and a general improvement in working memory and global cognitive functioning was observed in the feedback group. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that an 8-week mHealth intervention is viable to facilitate vocal practice in older adults. Although vocal ability did not improve with training, results indicated that vocal performance remained stable and age-related vocal changes did not progress. Future research on implementation of mHealth applications in conjunction with behavioral voice therapy is warranted to assess adherence and improvements in vocal function in individuals with age-related voice problems.

Conserved ancestral tropical niche but different continental histories explain the latitudinal diversity gradient in brush-footed butterflies.

The global increase in species richness toward the tropics across continents and taxonomic groups, referred to as the latitudinal diversity gradient, stimulated the formulation of many hypotheses to explain the underlying mechanisms of this pattern. We evaluate several of these hypotheses to explain spatial diversity patterns in a butterfly family, the Nymphalidae, by assessing the contributions of speciation, extinction, and dispersal, and also the extent to which these processes differ among regions at the same latitude. We generate a time-calibrated phylogeny containing 2,866 nymphalid species (~45% of extant diversity). Neither speciation nor extinction rate variations consistently explain the latitudinal diversity gradient among regions because temporal diversification dynamics differ greatly across longitude. The Neotropical diversity results from low extinction rates, not high speciation rates, and biotic interchanges with other regions are rare. Southeast Asia is also characterized by a low speciation rate but, unlike the Neotropics, is the main source of dispersal events through time. Our results suggest that global climate change throughout the Cenozoic, combined with tropical niche conservatism, played a major role in generating the modern latitudinal diversity gradient of nymphalid butterflies.

Sympathetic Nervous System and Exercise Affects Cognition in Youth (SNEACY): study protocol for a randomized crossover trial.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing prevalence of physical inactivity during childhood, which is associated with a variety of health problems. However, the mechanisms by which acute exercise benefits cognition in childhood remains unknown. Here we describe the protocol for a randomized crossover trial called SNEACY (Sympathetic Nervous System & Exercise Affects Cognition in Youth), a study designed to better understand mechanisms linking acute exercise and cognition in 9-10-year-old healthy, cognitively normal children. METHODS: Children from the Greater Boston, MA region will be recruited to participate in this single center study. A randomized crossover design will be utilized, such that participants will act as their own controls, through initial randomization to condition assignment and condition counterbalancing across participants. One hundred three children will participate in three randomized acute interventions: moderate intensity treadmill exercise (20 min, 70-75% of their maximal heart rate), seated rest (20 min), and a Trier Social Stress Test for Children (14 min). These visits will occur on 3 three separate days, approximately 5-8 days apart. Before and after each intervention, children complete a variety of cognitive tasks measuring attentional inhibition while their neuroelectric activity is recorded. Variables of interest include EEG data, accuracy and reaction time, academic achievement, and salivary alpha amylase. Academic achievement is also assessed following interventions. In addition, children provide passive drool samples throughout the interventions to measure various biomarkers that may explain the acute exercise benefit on cognition. DISCUSSION: The results from this study could influence educational and public health recommendations to enhance cognition and learning in pre-adolescent children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03592238 . Registered on 19 July 2018.

Acute effects of aerobic exercise and relaxation training on fatigue in breast cancer survivors: A feasibility trial.

OBJECTIVE: This three-armed randomized controlled feasibility trial tested the acceptability and acute effects of aerobic exercise and technology-guided mindfulness training (relative to standalone interventions) on cancer-related fatigue among breast cancer survivors (BCS). METHODS: BCS recruited from Central Illinois completed pre- and post-testing using established measures and were randomized to one of three groups (combined aerobic exercise with guided-mindfulness relaxation, aerobic exercise only, and relaxation only), conducted in three 90 min sessions over the course of 7 days in a fitness room and research office on a university campus. RESULTS: We enrolled 40 BCS (Mage = 57.33 ± 8.75), MBMI = 27.38 ± 5.27, Mfatigue = 4.56 ± 1.81 as measured by the Piper Fatigue Scale. More favorable post-intervention evaluations were reported by the combined group, compared to aerobic exercise or relaxation only (p < 0.05). Reductions in fatigue favoring the combined group (p = 0.05) showed a modest effect size (Cohen's d = 0.91) compared to aerobic exercise only. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of combining evidence-based techniques to address fatigue among BCS. The combined approach, incorporating mobile health technology, presents an efficacious and well-received design. If replicated in longer trials, the approach could provide a promising opportunity to deliver broad-reaching interventions for improved outcomes in BCS. Preregistered-ClinicalTrials NCT03702712.

Disentangling Population History and Character Evolution among Hybridizing Lineages.

Understanding the origin and maintenance of adaptive phenotypic novelty is a central goal of evolutionary biology. However, both hybridization and incomplete lineage sorting can lead to genealogical discordance between the regions of the genome underlying adaptive traits and the remainder of the genome, decoupling inferences about character evolution from population history. Here, to disentangle these effects, we investigated the evolutionary origins and maintenance of Batesian mimicry between North American admiral butterflies (Limenitis arthemis) and their chemically defended model (Battus philenor) using a combination of de novo genome sequencing, whole-genome resequencing, and statistical introgression mapping. Our results suggest that balancing selection, arising from geographic variation in the presence or absence of the unpalatable model, has maintained two deeply divergent color patterning haplotypes that have been repeatedly sieved among distinct mimetic and nonmimetic lineages of Limenitis via introgressive hybridization.

Exploring Active Travel and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Relationships With Cognition Among Older Adults.

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is known to benefit cognition among older adults, but the impact of active travel is unclear. To explore this relationship, data from the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (N = 2,702; mean age = 70) were retrieved on the self-reported frequency and duration of active travel (walking/cycling for transport, >20 min), LTPA engagement (e.g., sport), and three cognitive outcomes. Four groups were created according to physical activity guidelines (600 metabolic equivalent of task/week): inactive (n = 1,790), active travelers (n = 210), engaging in LTPA (n = 579), and engaging in both (n = 123). Analysis of covariance (and follow-up comparisons) revealed a significant main effect for each cognition variable, after adjusting for the covariates, indicating that those engaging in LTPA performed the best. Although correlational, these findings suggest that LTPA engagement may be important for cognition among older adults, but active travel did not provide added benefit.

Active Commute in Relation to Cognition and Academic Achievement in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Future Recommendations.

Active commuting to school (ACS) is an important source of physical activity among children. Recent research has focused on ACS and its benefits on cognition and academic achievement (AA), factors important for success in school. This review aims to synthesize literature on the relationship between ACS and cognition or AA among children and adolescents. Peer-reviewed articles in PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library assessing ACS with cognition and/or AA among children, until February 2019, were selected. Twelve studies across nine countries (age range 4-18.5 years) were included. One study used accelerometers, whereas all others used self-report measures of ACS. A wide range of objective assessments of cognitive functioning and AA domains were used. Five among eight studies, and four among six found a positive relationship between ACS and cognitive or AA measure, respectively. Four studies found dose-response relationships, and some studies found sex differences. The quantitative analysis found that ACS was not significantly associated with mathematics score (odds ratio = 1.18; CI = 0.40, 3.48). Findings are discussed in terms of methodological issues, potential confounders, and the strength of the evidence. Future studies should conduct longitudinal studies and use objective measures of ACS to understand this relationship further.

Effects of Traditional vs. iPad-Enhanced Aerobic Exercise on Wayfinding Efficacy and Cognition: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of an iPad-enhanced aerobic exercise intervention designed to enhance wayfinding efficacy and performance and relevant cognitive functioning among middle-aged adults at risk for cognitive impairment. Twenty-seven low active adults (21 females) aged 45 to 62 years (51.22 ± 5.20) participated in a ten-week randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomized to an iPad-enhanced aerobic exercise group (experimental group) or an aerobic exercise-only group (control group) following baseline assessment. Both groups exercised at 50% to 75% of age-predicted heart rate maximum for 30 to 50 min/d, 2 d/wk for 10 weeks. During aerobic exercise, the experimental group engaged in virtual tours delivered via iPad. Baseline and post-intervention assessments of wayfinding self-efficacy, wayfinding task performance, cognitive functioning, electroencephalogram (EEG), and psychosocial questionnaires were administered. The results suggest that ten weeks of iPad-enhanced, moderately intense aerobic exercise had specific effects on wayfinding self-efficacy; however, no statistical differences were found between groups on the behavioral wayfinding task or spatial memory performance at follow-up. Performance scores on an inhibitory attentional-control cognitive assessment revealed significant differences between groups, favoring the experimental group (p < 0.05). Virtual reality-enhanced aerobic exercise may prove to be an effective method for improving cognitive function and increasing confidence to navigate real-world scenarios among individuals at risk of cognitive impairment.