[Pricking-cupping combined with auricular thumbtack needle for postherpetic neuralgia of qi stagnation and blood stasis on chest and waist: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of pricking-cupping combined with auricular thumbtack needle for postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) of qi stagnation and blood stasis on chest and waist. METHODS: A total of 98 patients with PHN of qi stagnation and blood stasis on chest and waist were randomized into an observation group (49 cases, 1 case was eliminated, 1 case dropped out) and a control group (49 cases, 1 case dropped out). In the observation group, treatment of pricking-cupping combined with auricular thumbtack needle was delivered, pricking and cupping were applied at Jiaji points (EX-B 2) at the related spinal segments corresponding to the pain sites and regional ashi points, once every other day, auricular thumbtack needle was applied at Xin (CO15), Shenmen (TF4), Neifenmi (CO18), Pizhixia (AT4), etc., once every 3 days. In the control group, pregabalin capsule was taken orally, 75 mg a time, twice a day. The treatment of 4 weeks was required in the two groups. Before and after treatment, the scores of TCM symptom, visual analogue scale (VAS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) were observed, the serum levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected, and the clinical efficacy and safety were evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After treatment, the item scores and total scores of TCM symptom, as well as the scores of VAS, PSQI, SDS and SAS were decreased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05); the item scores of pruritus degree, tactile sensitivity, skin numbness and total score of TCM symptom, as well as the scores of VAS, PSQI, SDS and SAS in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). After treatment, the serum levels of IgG were increased (P<0.05), while the serum levels of IL-6 and CRP were decreased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment in the two groups; in the observation group, the serum level of IgG was higher (P<0.05), while the serum levels of IL-6 and CRP were lower (P<0.05) than those in the control group. The total effective rate was 95.7% (45/47) in the observation group, which was superior to 77.1% (37/48) in the control group (P<0.05). The incidence rate of adverse reaction was 6.4% (3/47) in the observation group, which was lower than 12.5% (6/48) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Pricking-cupping combined with auricular thumbtack needle can effectively relieve the clinical symptoms in patients with PHN of qi stagnation and blood stasis on chest and waist, reduce the pigmentation of herpes and improve itch or burning, numb sensations in the skin lesions, improve the sleep quality and relieve anxiety and depression.

Exploring positive welfare measures: preliminary findings from a prototype protocol in loose housing dairy cattle farms.

Introduction: Following the increasing interest about the development of indicators of positive welfare and affective state in farm animals, the aim of this research is to present some preliminary results on the application of a prototype protocol based exclusively on positive welfare measures and to suggest potential benefits that can promote positive welfare. Methods: The protocol was applied in 20 loose housing dairy cattle farms (6 on deep litter with straw, 14 in cubicles) and included only indicators of positive welfare and emotional states: feeding and resting synchronization, rumination during resting, comfortable lying postures, no visible eye white, relaxed ear postures, percentage of cow contacts with humans in the Avoidance Distance test. Potential benefits in terms of housing, feeding and management were then related to these variables (Mann-Whitney U test). Qualitative Behavior Assessment (QBA) was also carried out and analyzed by Principal Component Analysis to explore the effect of factors that were not evenly distributed in our sample (number of feed distributions, access to pasture, presence of paddock or environmental enrichments, automatic milking systems). Results: When hay was included in the diet, higher feeding synchronization (93.7 ± 1.6 vs. 52.2 ± 4.7%; p < 0.01), percentage of cows with relaxed ear postures (35.8 ± 5.4 vs. 15.5 ± 2.1%; p < 0.01) and percentage of cows with no visible eye white (55.9 ± 17.0 vs. 36.6 ± 4.1%; n.s.) were recorded. A higher level of feeding synchronization was observed also when the feeding places/cow ratio was > 1 (72.1 ± 9.9 vs. 53.8 ± 5.8%), although differences were not significant (p = 0.14). Deep litter had a more positive effect than cubicles on comfort at resting, with a significantly higher percentage of ruminating cows (65.8 ± 10.2 vs. 34.2 ± 3.7%; p < 0.01), a higher percentage of cows with no visible eye white (55.6 ± 9.9 vs. 33.1 ± 3.7%; p < 0.05) and a higher percentage of cows in a more comfortable posture, with stretched legs (14.3 ± 5.1 vs. 5.6 ± 1.6%; p = 0.09). QBA highlighted the most positive emotional state in the only farm that allowed access to pasture. Conclusions: This study represents a first attempt to apply a protocol for on-farm welfare evaluation based exclusively on the use of positive welfare indicators and provides suggestions on possible benefits (e.g., deep litter, feeding places/cow ratio > 1, hay in the diet and access to pasture) to enhance dairy cattle welfare.

Fluorescence Spectroscopy Based Characterization of Flaxseed Oil.

Fluorescence spectroscopy has been employed for the compositional analysis of flaxseed oil, detection of its adulteration and investigation of the thermal effects on its molecular composition. Excitation wavelengths from 320 to 420 nm have been used to explore the valued ingredients in flaxseed oil. The emission bands of flaxseed oil centred at 390, 414, 441, 475, 515 and 673/720 nm represent vitamin K, isomers of vitamin E, carotenoids and chlorophylls, which can be used as a marker for quality analysis. Due to its high quality, it is highly prone to adulteration and in this study, detection of its adulteration with canola oil is demonstrated by applying principal component analysis. Moreover, the effects of temperature on the molecular composition of cold pressed flaxseed oil has been explored by heating them at cooking temperatures of 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170 and 180 °C, each for 30 min. On heating, the deterioration of vitamin E, carotenoids and chlorophylls occurred with an increase in the oxidation products. However, it was found that up to 140 °C, flaxseed oil retains much of its natural composition whereas up to 180 oC, it loses much of its valuable ingredients along with increase of oxidized products.

The aesthetic and affective matrix of pre-reflective sensemaking at the origins of the relationship between subject and world: A dialogue between Kant's Third Critique and psychoanalysis.

The authors discuss the relevance of aesthetic and affective experience at the heart of the human being's capability to relate to the world and to found relations of sense. Faced with anguish that the world can be meaningless and with fear of uncertainty/chaos, trust and hope are needed for the world to be a hospitable place for existence. Such experience is aesthetic, sensitive and affective before being rational, reflective and deliberative. Through a dialogue between Kant, Winnicott and Bion, it is shown how foundation of trust is based on two essential aspects: (1) The illusion that reality was created to allow us to live in it (namely, the fictionality is a prerequisite for each possible development of psyche) and (2) this illusion is not generated by a solipsistic activity of the human mind; rather, it is made possible starting from the primordial relationship with the other, by containing anguish, nourishing trust and hope, and supporting psychic development and elaboration of progressive forms of symbolisation. The authors discuss how these points have a profound aesthetic implication through deepening the reflection on the ontogenetic development of the psyche, the complex intertwining between primary and secondary processes, and clinical implications.

Gratitude, freedom and refusal.

This paper is an exploration of gratitude as a fundamental concept in psychoanalysis. Melanie Klein's classic article "Envy and Gratitude" (1957) named gratitude at one pole on an axis of human suffering and flourishing, but with a few notable exceptions, the article stimulated research into envy. This paper explores the historical and philosophical traditions that have, to some extent unconsciously, influenced our contemporary understandings of gratitude. The paper also works to explore the social and ethical meanings of gratitude as well as gratitude's psychoanalytic significance. The aim is to uncover the overall psychic significance of gratitude and its place in human flourishing.

The reinforcement sensitivity theory affects questionnaire (RST-AQ). A validation study of a new scale targeting affects related to anxiety, approach motivation and fear.

This paper presents the RST-AQ, a 22-item scale to measure the affective states related to the three motivational systems postulated by Reinforcement Sensitivity theory (RST-AQ): the Behavioral approach system (BAS), Behavioral inhibition system (BIS), and the Fight-Flight-Freeze system (FFFS). The three subscales are internally consistent. Results show an overall support for construct validity of our RST-AQ measure. The correlations of the RST-AQ subscales with other measures demonstrate a good convergent and divergent validity with regard to the subscales of BAS and BIS. The RTS-AQ Scale provides researcher with the first instrument to measures the affective states of the RST theory.

Emotional wellbeing in teachers.

Wellbeing is determined by happiness and both positive and negative affects. These constructs are, in turn, related to emotional intelligence and play an important role in individual behaviour. This study examined the relationship between happiness, emotional intelligence, and positive and negative affects in a sample of 344 (121 men 35.17 % and 223 women 64.83 %) trainee teachers, with an average age of 22.36 years. Happiness and affects yielded lower values, which may be related to the age of the participants. All variables under study were found to be correlated, which suggests that they are measuring the same construct: subjective wellbeing. Network analysis indicated that the self-regulation of emotions was the axial factor in the relationship. Finally, it was found that only the factor of emotional intelligence that measures the self-regulation of emotion and affects (both positive and negative) can be used to predict happiness. The present investigation reveals that more research is needed that takes more variables into consideration to describe the effect of these variables on personal wellbeing. The study offers empirical support to models that argue for a relationship between happiness, emotional intelligence, and affects, and emphasises the need to work on future teachers during their training to address their psychological wellbeing.

Striking fear into students' hearts: Unforeseen consequences of prescribing education.

PURPOSE: Undergraduate medical education (UGME) has to prepare students to do safety-critical work (notably, to prescribe) immediately after qualifying. Despite hospitals depending on them, medical graduates consistently report feeling unprepared to prescribe and they sometimes harm patients. Research clarifying how to prepare students better could improve healthcare safety. Our aim was to explore how students experienced preparing for one of their commonest prescribing tasks: intravenous fluid therapy (IVFT). METHODS: Complexity assumptions guided the research, which used a qualitative methodology oriented towards hermeneutic phenomenology. The study design was an uncontrolled and unplanned complex intervention: judicial review of the iatrogenic death of five children due to hyponatraemia in our region had resulted in the recommendation that students' education in 'the implementation of important clinical guidelines' relevant to fluid and electrolyte balance should be intensified. An opportunity sample of 40 final-year medical students drew and gave audio-recorded commentaries on rich pictures. We completed two template analyses: one of participants' transcribed commentaries on the pictures and one using a novel heuristic to analyse the pictures themselves. We then reconciled the two analyses into a single template. RESULTS: There were four themes: affects, teaching and learning, contradictions, and the curriculum as a journey. To explore interconnections between themes, we chose the picture best exemplifying each of the four themes and interpreted the curriculum journey depicted in each of them. These interpretations were grounded in each participant's picture, verbal account of the picture, and the aggregate findings of the template analysis. Participants' experiences were influenced by the situated complexity of IVFT. Layered on top of that, contradictions, overlaps, and gaps within the curriculum introduced extraneous complexity. Confusion and apprehension resulted. CONCLUSIONS: After spending five years preparing to prescribe IVFT, participants felt unprepared to do so. We conclude that intensive teaching had not achieved its avowed goal of improving students' preparedness for safe practice. Merton's seminal work on the 'unanticipated consequences of purposive social action' suggests that intensive teaching may even have contributed to their unpreparedness.

Outlining a novel psychometric model of mental flexibility and affect dynamics.

Theoretically, affective states have always been conceived as complex phenomena enabling individuals to respond flexibly and dynamically to environmental demands. Methodologically, the novel field of Affect Dynamics has started to analyze affective states as inherently dynamic and interdependent phenomena by focusing on how and why they fluctuate over time. Fluctuations of affective states can also be conceived as a function of individuals' ability to flexibly modulate their responses according to environmental demands. However, this ability has been sparsely investigated in different disciplines and domains, thus, engendering a plethora of terms and models. In this conceptual analysis, we first aimed to disentangle the puzzle of flexibility by outlining the distinctive cross-domain features of this concept, thus providing a novel comprehensive operationalization. We termed this novel unitary concept "mental flexibility," the general ability to variably adapt to environmental demands. Then, we outlined the interplay between individuals' mental flexibility and affect dynamics by proposing a novel psychometric model of affect dynamics, using Markovian chain.

Bienestar Subjetivo y Salud Mental en universitarios del Ecuador: análisis de relaciones latentes con SEM / Subjective Well-being and Mental Health in College Students from Ecuador. Latent Relationship Analysis with SEM

Resumen Objetivos. Identificar el nivel de relación latente entre el Bienestar Subjetivo y la Salud Mental en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios de Ecuador. Método. Estudio descriptivo, correlacional y transversal por Modelamiento con Ecuaciones Estructurales (SEM). Participaron 476 personas (61.5% mujeres y 38.4% hombres), con edades comprendidas entre 17 y 47 años (M = 21.24; DT= 3.65). Eran estudiantes universitarios de 34 centros de educación superior de 10 provincias del Ecuador. Resultados. El Bienestar Subjetivo (Afecto Positivo, Negativo y Satisfacción con la Vida) se relaciona de forma latente con la Salud Mental a través de un modelo de ajuste adecuado. Además, el modelo SEM es invariante según el género. Por último, hay diferencias (p < .05) entre grupos para el afecto negativo y los síntomas de ansiedad/insomnio, depresión y salud mental general. Se concluye que el bienestar subjetivo es un atributo psicológico que juega un papel relevante en el curso y desarrollo de la salud mental.

Abstract Objectives. To identify the level of latent relationship between Subjective Well-being and Mental Health in a sample of university students from Ecuador. Method. A descriptive, correlational and transversal study by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted. The sample consisted of 476 people (61.5% women and 38.4% men), aged between 17 and 47 years (M = 21.24; SD =3.65). They were University students from 34 higher education centers in 10 provinces of Ecuador. Results. Subjective Well-being (Positive, Negative Affect and Satisfaction with Life) is latently related to Mental Health through an adequate adjustment model. Furthermore, the SEM model is gender invariant. Finally, there are differences (p <.05) between groups for negative affect and symptoms of anxiety/insomnia, depression, and general mental health. Subjective well-being is a psychological attribute that plays a relevant role in the course and development of mental health.

Workplace Bullying Seen from the Perspective of Bystanders: Effects on Engagement and Burnout, Mediating Role of Positive and Negative Affects.

The first and original aim of this study was to measure the impact of workplace bullying (WB) seen from the perspective of the witnesses (bystanders) on the work engagement and the burnout of these bystanders. The second aim was to test the mediating roles of affects between WB seen from the perspective of bystanders and two resulting variables, bystanders' work engagement and bystanders' burnout. This study was conducted using self-administered questionnaires with WB bystanders (n = 222) from the Cameroonian health sector. The results indicated that positive and negative affects played mediating roles between WB as seen by witnesses and the two resulting variables, burnout and work engagement. This study offers new avenues for intervention on the issue of WB bystanders. In addition to prevention for victims, witnesses experiencing bullying as bystanders in Cameroon must be supported and accompanied by occupational health services, occupational and psychosocial risk prevention workers, psychologists, as well as human resources.

Willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19: the role of risk perception, trust in institutions, and affects.

Introduction: Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to stop the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent severe disease. This study aims to ascertain the determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance in the French population before the vaccine was introduced (France's second lockdown) and during the roll-out of the vaccination campaign (France's third lockdown). We focus on the following as determinants of willingness to be vaccinated: risk perception, affects related to the risk, and trust in political and health institutions. Method: The study was conducted among two convenient samples including 591 and 474 participants. The results show that the timing of the crisis was important. While the intention to be vaccinated was relatively low before the vaccines were introduced, it became significantly higher when the vaccination campaign was deployed. Results: The results show that risk perception and trust in health institutions are the most relevant predictors of intention to be vaccinated. Discussion: Results are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of communication campaigns.

Cognitive emotion regulation difficulties increase affective reactivity to daily-life stress in autistic adolescents and young adults.

LAY ABSTRACT: Previous research has shown that autistic individuals report high levels of perceived stress and have an increased likelihood of developing mental health difficulties. Increase in individuals' negative emotions in relation to perceived stress (i.e. affective reactivity to stress) is a known risk factor for mental health difficulties. In this study, we investigated perceived daily stress and affective reactivity to stress in autistic (n = 39, age = 18.4) and non-autistic (n = 55, age = 18.1) adolescents and young adults. We used the ecological momentary assessment, a technique that allows to assess individuals repeatedly in their daily life using their smartphone. Moreover, participants filled a questionnaire to evaluate the strategies they use to regulate emotions when faced with difficulties. Finally, a clinical interview and a parent-report questionnaire were used to assess mental health symptoms. Autistic youth reported higher levels of perceived daily stress compared with non-autistic peers. Moreover, they showed increased affective reactivity to stress related to their daily activities. Autistic participants reported more emotion regulation difficulties (e.g. more repetitive thinking of difficulties) compared with non-autistic participants. Difficulties in emotion regulation increased negative emotions in relation to stress and might contribute to the severity of mental health symptoms. We conclude that adolescents and young adults with autism report high perceived stress in their daily lives. To minimize the negative impact of stress and the development of mental health symptoms, people supporting autistic young people could focus on stress management skills and the strategies that the youth use to manage emotions.

Resilience, Life Satisfaction and Flourishing: Mediation of Positive and Negative Affects in the Covid-19 Pandemic / Resiliencia, satisfacción con la vida y florecimiento: mediación de los afectos positivos y negativos en la pandemia de Covid-19 / Resiliência, satisfação com a vida e florescimento: mediação de afetos positivos e negativos na pandemia de Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic generated mental health problems, which motivated this research to test the effect of resilience, mediated by positive and negative affects, on life satisfaction and flourishing. A total of 261 Brazilian university students participated; they had an average age of 24.38 ± 7.44 years old, and 63.9 % were female. They answered an online survey at the beginning of social isolation containing scales on resilience, life satisfaction, positive and negative affects, and flourishing, in addition to sociodemographic questions. In the mediation model, the results indicated sufficiently adequate fits [B-Sχ² (328) = 698.28; p = 0.001; B-Sχ² / df = 2.13; cfi= 0.91; tli= 0.90; rmsea= 0.066 p (rmsea<0.05) = 0.001], showing a mediating effect for positive affect, which corroborates previous stu-dies, suggesting the importance of resilience and po-sitive emotions even during the Covid-19 pandemic to preserve the mental health of university students. These results can contribute to the implementation of an intervention project using positive psychology va-riables to promote mental health in university students.

El Covid-19 ha generado problemas de salud mental, lo que motivó esta investigación. El objetivo es pro-bar el efecto de la resiliencia en la satisfacción con la vida y el florecimiento, mediado por afectos positivos y negativos. Participaron 261 universitarios brasileros, el 63.9 % eran mujeres, con edad promedio de 24.38 ± 7.44 años. Al comienzo del aislamiento social, respondieron en línea cuestionarios que contenían escalas de resiliencia, satisfacción con la vida, afectos positivos y negativos, y florecimientos, además de cuestiones sociodemográficas. En el modelo de mediación, los resultados indicaron ajustes suficientemente adecuados [B-Sχ² (328) = 698.28; p = 0.001; B-Sχ² / gl = 2.13; cfi= 0.91; tli= 0.90; rmsea= 0.066; p (rmsea<0.05) = 0.001], mostrando un efecto mediador de afecto positivo, lo que corrobora estudios previos, sugiriendo la importancia de la resiliencia y de las emociones positivas durante la pandemia de Covid-19 para mantener la salud mental. Los resultados de este estudio pueden contribuir a la implementación de un proyecto de intervención utilizando variables de psicología positiva para promover la salud mental en estudiantes universitarios.

A Covid-19 gerou problemas de saúde mental, o que motivou esta pesquisa. O objetivo é testar o efeito da resiliência na satisfação com a vida e no florescimento, mediado por afetos positivos e negativos. Participaram 261 universitários brasileiros, 63.9 % eram mulhe-res, com idade média de 24.38 ± 7.44 anos. No início do isolamento social, eles responderam questionários on-line contendo escalas de resiliência, satisfação com a vida, afetos positivos e negativos e florescimento, além de questões sociodemográficas. No modelo de mediação, os resultados indicaram ajustes suficiente-mente adequados [B-Sχ² (328) = 698.28; p = 0.001; B-Sχ²/gl = 2,13; cfi= 0.91; tli= 0.90; rmsea= 0.066; p (rmsea<0.05) = 0.001], mostrando efeito mediador do afeto positivo, o que corrobora estudos anteriores, su-gerindo a importância da resiliência e das emoções posi-tivas durante a pandemia de Covid-19 para a manutenção da saúde mental. Os resultados deste estudo podem contribuir para a implementação de um projeto de inter-venção utilizando variáveis da psicologia positiva para promoção de saúde mental em estudantes universitários.

Afetos e emocionalidades em mulheres que sofreram violência por parceiro íntimo / Affects and emotionalities in women who have suffered intimate partner violence / Afectos y emocionalidades en mujeres que han sufrido violencia de pareja

From a critical perspective that considers the social involvement of emotions and ways of subjectivation, this article aims to explore the experiences of women who had endured physical violence in an intimate relationship. Specifically, the focus is on how the feelings, effects and emotions were configured and manifested in the process of entering, maintaining, and leaving a violent heterosexual relationship. A multiple case study was carried out through interviews with five women. The material was transcribed and initially analyzed by two researchers separately. Next, the cases were debated seeking their singularities and similarities, considering an analysis through gender dispositifs. In the discussion developed in this article, observations on the following topics were addressed: 1) Narcissistic satisfaction of being chosen and special; 2) Forms of violence; 3) Mobilized Effects; 4) "The love of my life": the idealization of romantic love; and 5) The decentering of romantic love and the entry of the "third party": possible ways out.

Sob uma perspectiva crítica que considera as emoções e os caminhos de subjetivação como socialmente implicados, o presente artigo teve por objetivo investigar os sentimentos, afetos e emoções vivenciados por mulheres que sofreram violência física em relacionamento íntimo, como eles se configuram e se ma-nifestam na inserção, manutenção e saída de um relacionamento violento heterossexual. Foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos por meio de entrevistas com cinco mulheres. O material foi transcrito e anali-sado por duas pesquisadoras, primeiramente de forma separada. Depois, em conjunto, os casos foram debatidos buscando suas singularidades e semelhanças, levando-se em conta uma análise por meio dos dispositivos de gênero. Na discussão desenvolvida neste artigo, foram abordadas observações sobre os seguintes temas: 1) Satisfação narcísica de ser escolhida e especial; 2) Formas de violência; 3) Afetos Mo-bilizados; 4) "O amor da minha vida": idealização do amor romântico; e 5) O descentramento do amor romântico e a entrada do "terceiro": possíveis vias de saída.

Partiendo de una perspectiva crítica que considera las emociones y formas de subjetivación como social-mente involucradas, el presente artículo tuvo como objetivo investigar los sentimientos, afectos y emo-ciones vividas por mujeres que han sufrido violencia física en una relación íntima, cómo se configuran y manifiestan en el ingreso, mantener y salir de una relación heterosexual violenta. Se realizó un estudio de caso múltiple a través de entrevistas a cinco mujeres. El material fue transcrito y analizado por dos inves-tigadores, primero por separado. Luego, en conjunto, se debatieron los casos buscando sus singularidades y similitudes, teniendo en cuenta un análisis a través de dispositivos de género. En la discusión desarrollada en este artículo, se abordaron observaciones sobre los siguientes temas: 1) La satisfacción narcisista de ser elegido y especial; 2) Formas de violencia; 3) Afecciones Movilizadas; 4) "El amor de mi vida": idealización del amor romántico; y 5) El descentramiento del amor romántico y la entrada del "tercero": salidas posibles.

Functional Ability, Psychological Factors, and Rehabilitation Outcomes After Elective Total Hip Replacement.

Background. The role of positive psychological factors in acute rehabilitation after total hip replacement (THR) is unclear. Purpose. (a) Examine the trajectory of functional ability among older adults after THR from presurgery to discharge from acute rehabilitation and (b) determine which physical and psychological factors at admission would predict functional ability at discharge and length of stay in rehabilitation. Methods. This prospective cohort study included 30 participants (age M = 76.20 years) from an inpatient geriatric rehabilitation center. They completed the Geriatric Depression Scale and Positive Affect questionnaire. The FIM® Motor domain of Functional Independent Measure (mFIM) was recorded presurgery, at admission, and upon discharge. Findings. Functional ability improved at discharge; however, the presurgery functional ability was not regained. Positive affect explained the length of stay in rehabilitation above and beyond the presurgery mFIM. Implications. Occupational therapists should improve ways to enhance self-care and positive affect in acute rehabilitation.

Analysis of Facial Occlusion Challenge in Thermal Images for Human Affective State Recognition.

Several studies have been conducted using both visual and thermal facial images to identify human affective states. Despite the advantages of thermal facial images in recognizing spontaneous human affects, few studies have focused on facial occlusion challenges in thermal images, particularly eyeglasses and facial hair occlusion. As a result, three classification models are proposed in this paper to address the problem of thermal occlusion in facial images, with six basic spontaneous emotions being classified. The first proposed model in this paper is based on six main facial regions, including the forehead, tip of the nose, cheeks, mouth, and chin. The second model deconstructs the six main facial regions into multiple subregions to investigate the efficacy of subregions in recognizing the human affective state. The third proposed model in this paper uses selected facial subregions, free of eyeglasses and facial hair (beard, mustaches). Nine statistical features on apex and onset thermal images are implemented. Furthermore, four feature selection techniques with two classification algorithms are proposed for a further investigation. According to the comparative analysis presented in this paper, the results obtained from the three proposed modalities were promising and comparable to those of other studies.

Changing positive and negative affects through music experiences: a study with university students.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are few empirical studies that demonstrate the effects of music on specific emotions, especially in the educational context. For this reason, this study was carried out to examine the impact of music to identify affective changes after exposure to three musical stimuli. METHODS: The participants were 71 university students engaged in a music education course and none of them were musicians. Changes in the affective state of non-musical student teachers were studied after listening to three pieces of music. An inter-subject repeated measures ANOVA test was carried out using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to measure their affective state. RESULTS: The results revealed that: (i) the three musical experiences were beneficial in increasing positive affects and reducing negative affects, with significant differences between the interaction of Music Experiences × Moment (pre-post); (ii) listening to Mahler's sad fifth symphony reduced more negative affects than the other experimental conditions; (iii) performing the blues had the highest positive effects. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide applied keys aspects for music education and research, as they show empirical evidence on how music can modify specific affects of personal experience.

Short-Term Head-Out Whole-Body Cold-Water Immersion Facilitates Positive Affect and Increases Interaction between Large-Scale Brain Networks.

An emerging body of evidence indicates that short-term immersion in cold water facilitates positive affect and reduces negative affect. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects remain largely unknown. For the first time, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify topological clusters of networks coupled with behavioural changes in positive and negative affect after a 5 min cold-water immersion. Perceived changes in positive affect were associated with feeling more active, alert, attentive, proud, and inspired, whilst changes in negative affect reflected reductions in distress and nervousness. The increase in positive affect was supported by a unique component of interacting networks, including the medial prefrontal node of the default mode network, a posterior parietal node of the frontoparietal network, and anterior cingulate and rostral prefrontal parts of the salience network and visual lateral network. This component emerged as a result of a focal effect confined to few connections. Changes in negative affect were associated with a distributed component of interacting networks at a reduced threshold. Affective changes after cold-water immersion occurred independently, supporting the bivalence model of affective processing. Interactions between large-scale networks linked to positive affect indicated the integrative effects of cold-water immersion on brain functioning.

Diagnosis and management of complications from the treatment of primary central nervous system tumors in adults.

Central nervous system (CNS) tumor patients commonly undergo multimodality treatment in the course of their disease. Adverse effects and complications from these interventions have not been systematically studied, but pose significant challenges in clinical practice and impact function and quality of life, especially in the management of long-term brain tumor survivors. Here, the European Association of Neuro-Oncology (EANO) has developed recommendations to prevent, diagnose, and manage adverse effects and complications in the adult primary brain CNS tumor (except lymphomas) patient population with a specific focus on surgery, radiotherapy, and pharmacotherapy. Specifically, we also provide recommendations for dose adaptations, interruptions, and reexposure for pharmacotherapy that may serve as a reference for the management of standard of care in clinical trials. We also summarize which interventions are unnecessary, inactive or contraindicated. This consensus paper should serve as a reference for the conduct of standard therapy within and outside of clinical trials.