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We aimed to investigate the effects of dual- and single-task training in older adults with age-related hearing loss. Intervention groups included single-, dual-task training, and control groups. The dual- and single-task trainings were held 2 days a week for 40 min for a total of 10 sessions for 5 weeks. We evaluated physical, cognitive, and auditory functions, quality-of-life, balance, concerns about falling, independence in activities of daily living, and dual-task performance. A total of 42 patients fully participated in this study. Statistically significant differences were observed in chair stand, chair sit-and-reach, global cognitive function, and delayed recall between the intervention groups and control group (p <.05). There was no statistically significant difference in quality-of-life, balance, falling concerns, independence in activities of daily living, and dual-task performance between all groups (p >.05). In conclusion, single- and dual-task training had a positive effect on physical and cognitive functioning in older adults with age-related hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Durability (ie, the ability to attenuate the decline in performance after accumulated work) has been identified as a performance determinant in elite cyclists. The aim of the present study was to compare durability in elite cyclists of various performance levels, particularly after high-intensity work, referred to as "high-intensity durability." Methods: Forty-nine (N = 49) male road cyclists were categorized as either under 23 years of age (U23) (N = 11), Pro Team (N = 13), or World Tour (N = 24). The participants' critical power (CP) was assessed during the preseason. Thereafter, the participants' maximum mean power (MMP) values were determined for efforts of different durations (from 5 s to 30 min) after different levels of accumulated work above CP (from 0 to 7.5 kJ·kg−1). Results: U23 cyclists showed a significant reduction of all relative MMP values for durations ≥1 minute after ≥5 kJ·kg−1 above CP compared with the "fresh" state (0 kJ·kg−1), whereas in Pro Team and World Tour cyclists, a significant reduction was not observed until 7.5 kJ·kg−1 above CP. In the "fresh" state, both Pro Team and particularly World Tour cyclists attained higher MMP values for efforts ≥10 minutes than U23 riders. However, more differences emerged with greater previous work levels, and indeed after 7.5 kJ·kg−1 above CP World Tour cyclists attained higher MMP values than both U23 and Pro Team cyclists for most efforts (≥30 s). Conclusion: Pro Team and particularly World Tour cyclists tolerate greater levels of accumulated work at high intensity, which might support the importance of high-intensity durability for performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disruptions in gait function are common after concussion in adolescents; however, the neuromotor control deficits driving these gait disruptions are not well known. Fifteen concussed (age mean [SD]): 17.4 [0.6], 13 females, days since injury: 26.3 [9.9]) and 17 uninjured (age: 18.0 [0.7], 10 females) adolescents completed 3 trials each of single-task gait and dual-task gait (DT). During DT, participants simultaneously walked while completing a serial subtraction task. Gait metrics and variability in instantaneous mean frequency in lower extremity muscles were captured by inertial sensors and surface electromyography, respectively. A 2-way analysis of covariance was used to compare gait metrics across groups and conditions. Functional principal components analysis was used to identify regions of variability in instantaneous mean frequency curves. Functional principal component scores were compared across groups using a Welch statistic. Both groups displayed worse performance on gait metrics during DT condition compared to single-task, with no differences between groups (P <.001). Concussed adolescents displayed significantly greater instantaneous mean frequency, indicated by functional principal component 1, in the tibialis anterior, biceps femoris, and semitendinosus (P <.05) during single-task and DT compared with uninjured adolescents. Our observations suggest that concussed adolescents display inefficient motor unit recruitment lasting longer than 2 weeks following injury, regardless of the addition of a secondary task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ski mountaineering sprint competitions are short individual races involving 3 uphill sections (U), 3 transitions (T), and a final descent. To date, relatively little is known about this novel Olympic discipline, and here we examined (1) the contribution of the time spent on U, T, and final descent to overall finishing time and (2) the potential relationships with final ranking. During the different rounds of 2 International Ski Mountaineering Federation World Cup sprint competitions, male and female ski mountaineers were video recorded. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were used to investigate the impact of U, T, and final descent on the best overall finishing time. Linear-mixed model analysis was applied to explore potential interactions between section times, rounds, and final ranking. Overall, U (r =.90–.97) and T (r =.57–.89) were closely correlated with the best overall finishing time (all P <.05). U explained approximately 80% to 90% of the variation in the best finishing time for both sexes, with U + T explaining approximately 95% to 98% of this variation. In each successive round, the ski mountaineers eliminated were all slower on U than the Top 3 (all P <.05). The fastest skiers increased their performance on U in the later rounds of the competitions, while those eliminated showed a tendency toward a decrease. Our findings reveal that world-class sprint ski mountaineers conduct transitions optimally and perform effectively uphill. Training for such competitions should aim to improve short supramaximal uphill performance (∼1.5–2.5 min), ensuring that this does not decline with multiple efforts. These insights into ski mountaineering sprint performance are of considerable value in connection with training for the 2026 Winter Olympics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work in the gig economy is championed by platform organizations as affording individuals the flexibility to decide when, where, and how much they wish to work. The reality is more complex. In app‐based gig work, we propose the concept of "algorithmic HRM control," which acts as an omnipresent and distinctive control system that differs from traditional forms of control in two significant ways: first, the reliance upon, and pervasiveness of, algorithmic technologies in its enactment; and second, the substantial direct and indirect influence of non‐organizational parties in controlling workers. Through a qualitative research design, this article delineates the scope of algorithmic HRM control in allocating and coordinating tasks, managing performance and rewards, and aligning the actions of workers with organizational objectives. Our analysis also unpacks the rigidity and complexities of the control system, as experienced by workers, and the influential role of non‐organizational parties in exerting unique, distinct forms of control. In so doing, we build upon emerging research on the duality of algorithmic HRM by revealing the inherent flaws or challenges from the perspective of the most central party—the gig worker. While output‐oriented control is pervasive, process and normative control elements are also found to exist in some scenarios, creating significant concerns for workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Athletes at risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have concurrent deficits in visuocognitive function and sensorimotor brain functional connectivity. Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether visual perturbation neuromuscular training (VPNT, using stroboscopic glasses and external visual focus feedback) increases physical and cognitive training demand, improves landing mechanics, and reduces neural activity for knee motor control. Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Eight right leg dominant healthy female athletes (20.4±1.1yrs; 1.6±0.1m; 64.4±7.0kg) participated in four VPNT sessions. Before and after VPNT, real-time landing mechanics were assessed with the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and neural activity was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a unilateral right knee flexion/extension task. Physical and cognitive demand after each VPNT session was assessed with Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for both physical and cognitive perceived exertion and the NASA Task Load Index. Descriptives and effect sizes were calculated. Results: Following VPNT, LESS scores decreased by 1.5 ± 1.69 errors with a large effect size (0.78), indicating improved mechanics, and reductions in BOLD signal were observed in two clusters: 1) left supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, secondary somatosensory cortex (p=.012, z=4.5); 2) right superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor cortex (p<.01, z=5.3). There was a moderate magnitude increase of cognitive RPE between the first and last VPNT sessions. Conclusion: VPNT provides a clinically feasible means to perturbate visual processing during training that improves athletes' real-time landing mechanics and promotes neural efficiency for lower extremity movement, providing the exploratory groundwork for future randomized controlled trials. Level of evidence: Level 3 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether behavioral speech-in-noise (SiN) benefits of hearing aid directivity based on multistream architecture (MSA) might result in reduced electroencephalographic activity in the alpha-band, as is often associated with task difficulty. Method: A single-blind within-subject design was used in this study. Thirteen older adults (Mage = 73.5 years, range: 62--82 years, six women) with sensori-neural hearing loss participated in the study. Participants wearing study hearing aids first performed an adaptive sentence-level SiN test in an MSA-enabled condition (i.e., MSA-ON) to determine the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) corresponding to speech reception thresholds for 50% correct performance (i.e., SRT-50s). Participants were then tested at their individualized SNRs with target sentences alternating on each trial between two loudspeakers positioned in the front at 0° and -30° azimuth, such as to simulate turn-taking between two talkers seated across from the listener. Electroencephalographic activity was recorded as participants performed this SiN test in two hearing aid conditions: MSA-OFF and MSA-ON. Results: Neural oscillations in the alpha-band were significantly reduced over centroparietal electrode sites when listeners performed SiN testing in MSA-ON versus MSA-OFF conditions. Alpha-band power was also observed to increase significantly over the course of 60 test trials, possibly indicative of listener fatigue. Reductions in alpha-band power were not significantly related to likewise improvements in SiN performance. Conclusions: Hearing aid directivity based on the MSA algorithm resulted in significantly lower neural activity associated with listening task difficulty in a simulated multitalker situation. Although these results align with the behavioral SiN improvements associated with MSA, magnitudes of change in alpha-band power did not correlate with the degree of behavioral benefit at the level of individual listeners. Measuring neural oscillations in the alpha-band might be useful for evaluating and gaining greater insight into the impact of hearing aid processing on listening effort in challenging acoustic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-stroke clinical changes not only affect extremities and trunk muscles but also the respiratory muscles. Purpose: To determine the effect of robot-assisted arm training with conventional rehabilitation (CombT) on respiratory muscle strength, activities of daily living (ADL), and quality of life in patients with stroke and to compare the results with conventional rehabilitation (CR). Methods: It was a two-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial in which 66 patients were randomly allocated to either CombT or CR to receive 30 sessions (5/week) over 6 weeks. The respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximal expiratory pressure (MEP)), activities of daily life (ABILHAND questionnaire), and quality of life (Stroke Impact Scale (SIS)) were measured before and 6 weeks after training. Results: The CombT group showed significantly better MIP, MEP, and performance in ADLs after 6 weeks of training compared to the CR group (p <.01). The effect size was large for MIP (d = 0.9) and MEP (d = 0.9), whereas medium for performance in ADLs (d = 0.62). Also, the SIS-arm strength (p <.01), hand function (p =.04), ADLs (p =.02), and recovery (p =.04) were significantly better in CombT group with a medium (d = 0.6, d = 0.5, d = 0.5, and d = 0.5, respectively) effect size compared with CR group. Conclusions: Both CombT and CR groups improved respiratory muscle strength, performance in ADLs, and quality of life in patients with stroke. However, CombT appears to offer more comprehensive benefits, highlighting its valuable role in respiratory and functional recovery after stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethical principles behind prioritization in healthcare are continuously relevant. However, applying ethical principles during times of increased need, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic, is challenging. Also, little is known about nursing home nurses' prioritizations in their work to achieve well-being and health for nursing home residents. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore nursing home nurses' priority-setting for older nursing home residents in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research design, participants, and research context: We conducted a qualitative interview study. Data were collected through in-depth interviews (retrospective self-reports) between February and May 2021 with 21 nursing home nurses. To help respondents to recall their memories, we used the critical incident technique (CIT). We analyzed data within the theoretical framework and the methodological orientation of content analysis. Ethical considerations: Written and verbal consent was obtained before the interviews, and information was given to participants informing them that participation was entirely voluntary. The Swedish Ethical Review Agency gave an advisory opinion stating that there were no ethical objections to the research project (Dnr. 2020-05649). Findings: We identified an overarching theme—nursing home nurses struggling on multiple fronts, "just do it"—and seven categories: striving for survival and caring about a dignified death; responding sensitively to relatives' expectations; ranking the urgency of needed care; responding to input from different actors; combating the spread of infection in unconventional ways; taking the lead and doing what is required; and following the ideals of person-centered nursing. Conclusions: Nurses' priority-setting for older nursing homes residents during the COVID-19 pandemic meant strain and struggle. In some cases, nurses had taken responsibility for priorities falling outside their statutory powers. Different demands and interests affected nurses' priorities. Nursing home nurses need organizational and managerial support to prioritize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-directed learners are described as "intuitive scientists," yet they often struggle in assessments of their scientific reasoning skills. We investigate a novel explanation for this apparent gap between formal and informal scientific inquiry behavior. Specifically, we consider whether learners' documented failure to correctly apply the control of variables strategy might stem from a mismatch between task presentation and their intuitions as causal learners. In Experiment 1, children (7- and 9-year-olds) and adults were tested on a version of a traditional multivariate reasoning task (Tschirgi, 1980) that was modified to clarify ambiguous elements of the causal logic in the original design. In all age groups, a significant majority of participants selected informative experiments on this modified task, avoiding confounded actions with positive tangible outcomes. In Experiment 2, we replicate these results with real-world stimuli, and in Experiments 3 and 4, we provide direct evidence that self-directed learners apply specific causal intuitions to experimentation tasks. Together, these findings support a novel alternative interpretation of the apparently paradoxical gap between learners' success in informal exploration and their error-prone experimentation—both behaviors are consistent with an intuitively causal approach to scientific inquiry. Public Significance Statement: From early life, we are precocious exploratory learners, and intrinsically motivated to seek informative evidence about the world. However, we also often struggle in contexts that require scientific experimentation. We provide evidence for a novel explanation for this disconnect: the standard control of variables tasks used to assess experimentation skills violates learners' intuitions about everyday causality. In a modified task, learners overwhelmingly select correct experiments, suggesting a novel continuity between exploration and scientific reasoning behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated sensorimotor synchronization abilities across swimmers of different artistic expertise levels. Elite, novice, and non-artistic female swimmer participants completed finger and foot tapping tasks involving single and polyrhythmic patterns that were intended to simulate the rhythmic coordination required in artistic swimming. Although no significant group differences were found in basic sensorimotor synchronization skills, elite athletes exhibited superior performance on polyrhythmic tasks. This observed superior performance could be partly attributable to a pre-existing predisposition for such motor skills and/or the effects of rigorous training. These findings highlight the critical impact of sport-specific demands on temporal control skills and suggest important implications for training methodologies in artistic swimmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flying accuracy is influenced by pilots' affective reactions to task demands. A better understanding of task‐related emotions and flying performance is needed to enhance pilot training. Objective: Understand pilot trainees' performance and emotional dynamics (intensity, frequency and variability) based on training phase and difficulty level in a flight simulator. Methods: Twenty‐three volunteers performed basic flight manoeuvres. Trials were divided into three phases: Introduction (trials 1–7), session A (trials 8–15) and session B (trials 16–22). Three task difficulty levels were implemented (low, medium and high). Flying performance was evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) and expert ratings. Emotional intensity was inferred from physiological (electrodermal activity) and behavioural (facial expressions) emotional responses. Emotional variability was calculated to understand fluctuations among multiple emotions. Emotional responses were mapped into task‐relevant emotions, like sadness with boredom, and fear with anxiety. Results and Conclusions: The most frequent facial expressions neutral, anger and surprise. Neutral and anger were interpreted as deep focus states. Surprise was likely a response to unexpected events. Flying performance and emotional dynamics varied across training phases and difficulty levels. During introduction, performance was less accurate, and emotions were less frequent. During session A, performance improved while participants experienced more physiological arousal and emotional variability. During session B, performance was the most accurate. In high‐difficulty tasks, performance was the least accurate, participants expressed emotions with more frequency, more variability and higher physiological arousal. Future studies can use simulated flying tasks for trainees to familiarize with their emotional reactions to task demands expecting to improve training outcomes. Lay Description: What is currently known about emotions in flight training?: Emotions influence pilots' decision‐making and flying accuracy.Flight simulations serve as a safe and authentic environment to develop flying skills.Emotions are dynamic processes that influence performance accuracy. What does this paper add to understanding emotions in flight training?: Flying performance improved with more practice, but it was less accurate during high difficulty manoeuvres.In simulated flight training, pilot trainees express more neutrality, anger, and surprise than happiness, fear and disgust.Pilot trainees experience more emotional fluctuations when there is no instructor feedback.Pilot trainees experience more emotional fluctuations during high difficulty flying manoeuvres. Implications for practice: Flight simulations help trainees familiarize themselves with the emotional reactions they have as training advances or encounter difficult tasks.Pilot trainees can learn emotion regulation techniques as part of their curriculum.Emotional awareness might help pilot trainees recognize key moments of disengagement or intense arousal and modify their behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although access to the seemingly infinite capacity of our visual long-term memory (VLTM) can be restricted by visual working memory (VWM) capacity at encoding and retrieval, access can be improved with repeated encoding. This leads to the multiple encoding benefit (MEB), the finding that VLTM performance improves as the number of opportunities to encode the same information increases over time. However, as the number of encoding opportunities increases, so do other factors such as the number of identical encoded VWM representations and chances to engage in successful retrieval during each opportunity. Thus, across two experiments, we disentangled the contributions of each of these factors to the MEB by having participants encode a varying number of identical objects across multiple encoding opportunities. Along with behavioural data, we also examined two established EEG correlates that track the number of maintained VWM representations, namely the posterior alpha suppression and the negative slow wave. Here, we identified that the primary mechanism behind the MEB was the number of encoding opportunities. That is, recognition memory performance was higher following an increase in the number of encoding opportunities, and this could not be attributed solely to an increase in the number of encoded VWM representations or successful retrieval. Our results thus contribute to the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms behind the influence of VWM on VLTM encoding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have found that real-world objects' identities are better remembered than simple features like colored circles, and this effect is particularly pronounced when these stimuli are encoded one by one in a serial, item-based way. Recent work has also demonstrated that memory for simple features like color is improved if these colors are part of real-world objects, suggesting that meaningful objects can serve as a robust memory scaffold for their associated low-level features. However, it is unclear whether the improved color memory that arises from the colors appearing on real-world objects is affected by encoding format, in particular whether items are encoded sequentially or simultaneously. We test this using randomly colored silhouettes of recognizable versus unrecognizable scrambled objects that offer a uniquely controlled set of stimuli to test color working memory of meaningful versus non-meaningful objects. Participants were presented with four stimuli (silhouettes of objects or scrambled shapes) simultaneously or sequentially. After a short delay, they reported either which colors or which shapes they saw in a two-alternative forced-choice task. We replicated previous findings that meaningful stimuli boost working memory performance for colors (Exp. 1). We found that when participants remembered the colors (Exp. 2) there was no difference in performance across the two encoding formats. However, when participants remembered the shapes and thus identity of the objects (Exp. 3), sequential presentation resulted in better performance than simultaneous presentation. Overall, these results show that different encoding formats can flexibly impact visual working memory depending on what the memory-relevant feature is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a multifaceted disorder. Recently, interest has grown in prosodic aspects of DLD, but most investigations of possible prosodic causes focus on speech perception tasks. Here, we focus on speech production from a speech amplitude envelope (AE) perspective. Perceptual studies have indicated a role for difficulties in AE processing in DLD related to sensory/neural processing of prosody. We explore possible matching AE difficulties in production. Method: Fifty-seven children with and without DLD completed a computerized imitation task, copying aloud 30 familiar targets such as "alligator." Children with DLD (n = 20) were compared with typically developing children (age-matched controls [AMC], n = 21) and younger language controls (YLC, n = 16). Similarity of the child's productions to the target in terms of the continuous AE and pitch contour was computed using two similarity metrics, correlation, and mutual information. Both the speech AE and the pitch contour contain important information about stress patterning and intonational information over time. Results: Children with DLD showed significantly reduced imitation for both the AE and pitch contour metrics compared to aMc children. The opportunity to repeat the targets had no impact on performance for any group. Word length effects were similar across groups. Conclusions: The spoken production of multisyllabic words by children with DLD is atypical regarding both the AE and the pitch contour. This is consistent with a theoretical explanation of DLD based on impaired sensory/neural processing of low-frequency (slow) amplitude and frequency modulations, as predicted by the temporal sampling theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the novel word learning skills between Cantonese–English bilingual children at risk for developmental language disorder (DLD) and their typically developing (TD) peers. Method: Participants were 24 Cantonese–English bilingual preschool children at risk for DLD and 38 TD children. Each participant was presented with eight novel words in Cantonese (first language [L1]) and eight in English (second language [L2]) over eight weekly sessions. Children’s existing lexical knowledge was measured using the moving-average number of different words in language samples in L1 and L2. Results: Bilingual children at risk for DLD were scored lower than their TD peers for both languages over time. The role of lexical knowledge in children’s word learning differed between the TD and DLD groups: Lexical knowledge in L1 was a predictor of L1 word learning in TD children, while lexical knowledge in L2 predicted L2 word learning in children at risk for DLD. In addition, significant cross-linguistic effects were found from L2 to L1 for both groups. Conclusions: This study underscores the complexity of novel word learning in bilingual children at risk for DLD. Clinically, these findings suggest the value of tracking learning trajectories in bilingual children across both languages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops and tests a model based on affective events theory. It specifies that engaging in unethical pro-organizational behaviors (UPB) decreases employee task performance through depression. Specifically, employees engaged in UPB are more likely to be depressed for those with a high rather than a low level of self-reflection, which in turn decreases task performance. Based on a sample of 205 sales employees in an insurance company located in mainland of China, we found that UPB had a significant indirect effect on task performance through depression; additionally, this effect was stronger for employees with high rather than low levels of self-reflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendous impact on public mental health and on psychological resources such as optimism. In this context, positive psychological interventions like the best possible self (BPS) intervention may be useful tools for resource activation. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial, conducted between January and December 2021, compared BPS (n = 87), C-BPS (n = 85), and daily activity writing groups (DA; n = 82) on psychological outcomes. Each group completed a writing task over four consecutive weeks. Data were analysed using repeated measures ANCOVA, controlling for age, gender, educational attainment, relationship status, current work status, dyslexia (perceived or diagnosed), and perceived social support. The BPS led to short-term increases in positive affect and mood, and decreases in negative affect. However, this effect was limited to the first week, but the trajectories suggest temporal trends that warrant further investigation. In addition, the approach holds promise for specific groups (e.g. people with depression). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated age and gender differences in the perception and use of soft (Apex) vs. rigid (Paexo Back) passive back-support exoskeletons (BSE) for repetitive lifting and lowering. A gender-balanced sample of 20 young (18–30 years) and 16 old (45–60 years) individuals were recruited. In the first session, participants' self-reported maximum acceptable load (MAL) was assessed using a psychophysical approach. Changes in muscle activity and kinematics due to BSE use in repetitive lifting/lowering tasks were also assessed. Overall, both BSEs increased MAL (by ∼7%), and reduced trunk extensor muscle activity across all groups (by ∼7–18%), compared to the control condition. Both BSEs promoted more squatting postures, increased quadriceps muscle activity (by ∼34%) and abdominal muscle activity during asymmetric tasks (by 5–20%). Some age and gender differences were significant, particularly for the trunk kinematics when using the Apex. Future work should include more diverse user groups in studying willingness to adopt BSEs and characterising their consequent effects on the body. Practitioner summary: Manual material handling is difficult to eliminate in several industries. There are now viable rigid and soft exosuit systems that can offer varying levels of support. We found both kinds of exoskeletons to be equally effective in reducing trunk extensor muscle activity, among young and old males and females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor skill development is crucial in human growth, evolving with the maturation of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Quantifying these skills, especially coordinative abilities, remains challenging. This study aimed to assess the performance of five motor tasks in children and adolescents using high-speed video analysis, providing data for movement and health professionals. Seventy-two volunteers were divided into three age groups: 27 first-grade primary school students (19 males and 8 females, aged 6.5 ± 0.5 years), 35 fourth-grade primary school students (16 males and 19 females, aged 9.2 ± 0.4 years), and 28 s-year middle school students (16 males and 12 females, aged 13.0 ± 0.3 years). Participants performed five motor tasks: standing long jump, running long jump, stationary ball throw, running ball throw, and sprint running. Each task was recorded at 120 frames per second and analyzed using specialized software to measure linear and angular kinematic parameters. Quantitative measurements were taken in the sagittal plane, while qualitative observations were made using a dichotomous approach. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests with Bonferroni correction. Significant differences were observed across age groups in various parameters. In the standing long jump, older participants exhibited a longer time between initial movement and maximum loading. The running long jump revealed differences in the take-off angle, with fourth-grade students performing the best. Ball-throwing tests indicated improvements in the release angle with age, particularly in females. Sprint running demonstrated the expected improvements in time and stride length with age. Gender differences were notable in fourth-grade students during the running long jump, with females showing greater knee flexion, while males achieved better take-off angles. Video analysis effectively identified age-related and gender-specific differences in motor skill performance. The main differences were measured between first-grade primary school and second-year middle school students while gender differences were limited to all age groups. This method provides valuable insights into motor development trajectories and can be used by professionals to objectively assess and monitor the technical aspects of motor skills across different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal features based on gait analysis and eye tracking for elderly people screening with subjective cognitive decline in the community. Methods: In the study, 412 cognitively normal older adults aged over 65 years were included. Among them, 230 individuals were diagnosed with nonsubjective cognitive decline and 182 with subjective cognitive decline. All participants underwent assessments using three screening tools: the traditional SCD9 scale, gait analysis, and eye tracking. The gait analysis involved three tasks: the single task, the counting backwards dual task, and the naming animals dual task. Eye tracking included six paradigms: smooth pursuit, median fixation, lateral fixation, overlap saccade, gap saccade, and anti-saccade tasks. Using the XGBoost machine learning algorithm, several models were developed based on gait analysis and eye tracking to classify subjective cognitive decline. Results: A total of 161 gait and eye-tracking features were measured. 22 parameters, including 9 gait and 13 eye-tracking features, showed significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05). The top three eye-tracking paradigms were anti-saccade, gap saccade, and median fixation, with AUCs of 0.911, 0.904, and 0.891, respectively. The gait analysis features had an AUC of 0.862, indicating better discriminatory efficacy compared to the SCD9 scale, which had an AUC of 0.762. The model based on single and dual task gait, antisaccade, gap saccade, and median fixation achieved the best efficacy in SCD screening (AUC = 0.969). Conclusion: The gait analysis, eye-tracking multimodal assessment tool is an objective and accurate screening method that showed better detection of subjective cognitive decline. This finding provides another option for early identification of subjective cognitive decline in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing interest in virtual reality (VR) training among competitive athletes and casual sports players alike as a tool to supplement real-life play within a highly controlled, intellectually stimulating environment. We examined data from a commercially available, recently released VR software for tennis for changes in and correlates of performance. Two most frequently used tasks were evaluated—Baseline Center and Quick Volley, which include Efficiency (both), Concentration (both), and Reaction Time (Quick Volley only) subtasks. In all, 1,124 (Baseline Center) and 745 (Quick Volley) users met inclusion criteria (completed more than four trials; active sometime between November 2022 and July 2023). We found that most users were male adults and were about evenly split between advanced/pro users and intermediate/beginner users. Two or three trajectories emerged across the subtasks. Performance gains were most pronounced on movement efficiency, especially early on. Adult users generally exhibited more improvement than junior users. Additionally, women and right-handed users improved more on Baseline Center subtasks, and advanced/pro users did better than intermediate/beginner users on Quick Volley subtasks. We discuss that, despite strong performance gains within VR environment, VR training may still reflect in better real-world performance, may increase confidence and accuracy of relevant movement, lower risk of injury, and present a welcome diversion from a potential monotony of performing sport-related tasks in purely real-world settings. Future research should explore the extent to which VR training transfers to real-world performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This research aimed at investigating the effectiveness of online digital audio software Logic Pro X and offline audio studios in creating an original folk‐style track. The goal was to define the more effective method for the perspective and quality of musical compositions that students create during learning. Objectives: This research enrolled 207 students from Hubei Polytechnic University, who were randomised to the control and experimental groups. Methods: Within one month, each participant created a folk song using software or an offline university studio, where sound editing and processing programmes were not employed. The author's questionnaire Scale of perspective and expert evaluation were used as metric methods. Results and Conclusions: The data obtained showed that both methods do not differ both in terms of perspective and in terms of the overall quality of the created tracks (p ≥ 0.05). As quality criteria, the experts considered such scales as pitch accuracy, rhythmic accuracy, tone quality and expression, articulation, dynamics, interpretation, phrasing, creativity, arrangement, and overall performance. This research showed that online digital audio software can be an effective tool in music education, just like offline studios, in terms of skill development and practice. Lay Description: Object: This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of online digital audio software Logic Pro X and a university offline audio studio in terms of the perspective and quality of the created tracks.Results: The empirical results indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups in either perspectives or expert assessments (p ≥ 0.05). These findings can help design appropriate music curricula and integrate digital technologies into music education.Practical implications: The findings have practical implications for music teachers and educational institutions in China and other countries; they also provide scientific evidence to support the use of digital technologies in music education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men and women are characterized by specific physiological, cerebral and emotional characteristics, as well as by the differing nature of their gestures and behaviors. Here, we examined the effects of an observer's sex on motor, cognitive and affective behaviors during dart-shooting. We compared men and women's kinematic and affective parameters when perfoming alone or when performing in the presence of an observer of a different sex. We found a sex effect on motor and cognitive performance in interaction with participants' emotional states. We observed improved accuracy and reaction time in men compared to women, which we attributed to (a) differences in emotional sensitivities between the two sexes and (b) men's superiority on precision tasks linked to men's higher proportion of cerebral white matter. Our findings also suggested a sex difference in the social effect of an observer's sex on motor and cognitive performance. Although there was no effect on affective aspects of performance, emotional state seemed to interact strongly with this social effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attentional boost effect (ABE) and action-induced memory enhancement (AIME) suggest that memory performance for target-paired items is superior to that for distractor-paired items when participants performed a target detection task and a memory encoding task simultaneously. Though the memory enhancement has been well established, the temporal dynamics of how the target detection task influenced memory encoding remains unclear. To investigate this, we manipulated the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between detection stimuli and the words to be memorized using a remember/know study-test paradigm, and we focused primarily on memory performance for the words that appeared after the detection response. The results showed that target-paired memory enhancement was robust from SOA = 0 s to SOA = 0.75 s, but was not significant when examined by itself in Experiment 1A or weakened in Experiment 2 and the conjoint analysis when SOA = 1 s, which were only observed in R responses. The post-response memory enhancement still existed when there was no temporal overlap between the word and target, similar to the magnitude of memory enhancement observed with temporal overlap. These results supported the view that target-paired memory enhancement (recollection rather than familiarity) occurred irrespective of whether the items appeared simultaneously with the targets or within a short period after the response, and the temporal overlap of the word and target was not necessary for post-response memory enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to predict collisions with moving objects deteriorates with aging. We followed the affordance-based model to identify optical variables that older adults had difficulty using for collision prediction. We reproduced a modified version of the interception task used in Steinmetz (Steinmetz, Layton, Powell, & Fajen, 2020, "Affordance-based versus current – future accounts of choosing whether to pursue or abandon the chase of a moving target," Journal of Vision, 20(3), 8) in a virtual reality (VR) environment and newly introduced perturbation for each of three optical variables (vertical and horizontal expansions of a moving object and the bearing angle produced between participants and a moving object). We expected that perturbation would negatively affect the performance only for those who rely on the optical variable to perform the interception task effectively. We tested 18 older and 15 younger adults and showed that older participants were not negatively affected by the perturbation for the vertical and horizontal expansion of a moving object, while they showed decreased performance when the perturbation was introduced with a bearing angle. These findings suggest that predicting collisions with moving objects deteriorates with aging because the perception of object expansion is impaired with aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Orofacial somatosensory inputs play an important role in speech motor control and speech learning. Since receiving specific auditory-somatosensory inputs during speech perceptual training alters speech perception, similar perceptual training could also alter speech production. We examined whether the production performance was changed by perceptual training with orofacial somatosensory inputs. Method: We focused on the French vowels /e/ and /ø/, contrasted in their articulation by horizontal gestures. Perceptual training consisted of a vowel identification task contrasting /e/ and /ø/. Along with training, for the first group of participants, somatosensory stimulation was applied as facial skin stretch in backward direction. We recorded the target vowels uttered by the participants before and after the perceptual training and compared their F1, F2, and F3 formants. We also tested a control group with no somatosensory stimulation and another somatosensory group with a different vowel continuum (/e/-/i/) for perceptual training. Results: Perceptual training with somatosensory stimulation induced changes in F2 and F3 in the produced vowel sounds. F2 decreased consistently in the two somatosensory groups. F3 increased following the /e/-/ø/ training and decreased following the /e/-/i/ training. F2 change was significantly correlated with the perceptual shift between the first and second half of the training phase in the somatosensory group with the /e/-/ø/ training, but not with the /e/-/i/ training. The control group displayed no effect on F2 and F3, and just a tendency of F1 increase. Conclusion: The results suggest that somatosensory inputs associated to speech sound inputs can play a role in speech training and learning in both production and perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, two experiments were conducted to examine whether thematic relation can produce recognition without cued-recall effect and whether the direction of the association has an influence on this effect. The participants provided higher familiarity ratings for studied items than for unstudied items during target retrieval failure. Additionally, the thematic relation-elicited recognition without cued-recall effect was larger in the forward association than in the backward association. Collectively, these results indicated that thematic relations can elicit the recognition without cued-recall effect, and this effect is asymmetrical. The current findings support the features overlap hypothesis described in the global match model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether alterations in the functional connectivity of networks underlying phoneme perception and semantic-categorical processing persist in adulthood following childhood acquired brain injury (cABI). Methods: EEG was recorded in seven adults with a cABI and seven matched controls during the administration of an inattentive and attentive phoneme-level oddball task and a categorical priming task. Functional connections underlying the mismatch negativity (MMN), P300 and N400 were compared between participant groups in five frequency bands by calculating the weighted phase lag index between 32 × 32 electrode pairs. Network modularity and path length were compared between the cABI and control group. Results: We observed a positive network for MMN deviant processing in the low gamma band and N400 related processing in the alpha band, but a negative network for P300 standard processing in the theta band in cABI compared to control adults. No differences in graph measures of functional networks were observed between participant groups. Conclusions: Alterations in the functional connectivity of speech perception and semantic-categorical processing networks persist in adulthood following cABI. Nevertheless, normal-like network properties in terms of local segregation and global integration are observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evidence suggests that indirect verbal exposure to traumatic events can be sufficient to cause intrusions and other posttraumatic stress symptoms. In this study, we used a verbal trauma report to experimentally induce intrusions and a tactile task to manipulate the putative processes underlying intrusion development. Our findings indicate that the verbal report indeed induced intrusive recall. Moreover, the verbal report induced negative mood, state anxiety, and state dissociation, with mood and state dissociation predicting intrusion development. Additionally, the tactile task interfered with intrusion formation as indicated by the primary diary measure, but not the retrospective self-report. However, these results await further replication as this and previous trials suffered from limited statistical power. The findings support the reports by trauma therapists who experience secondary traumatization. They also challenge the assumption that all intrusions develop bottom-up from low-level sensory input via sensory representations. Future studies should explore differential processes for intrusion development based on their modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature provides an incomplete picture of gender dynamics in later-life domestic work. This couple-level study examines the division of female-typed, gender-neutral, and male-typed housework among middle-aged and older Chinese couples, comparing working and non-working couples. It also explores the different relationships between education, income, and the division of housework in these two groups of couples. The findings derived from national time-use data reveal that, first, non-working couples exhibit a smaller gender gap in household labor compared to working couples, primarily because wives take on more gender-neutral tasks, while husbands assume more female-typed tasks. Second, female-typed housework exhibits the largest gender disparity, followed by gender-neutral housework. Third, educational and economic resources play distinct roles in shaping the division of household chores in the two groups. Furthermore, the time spent on paid work is a more significant factor in explaining gender differences in housework among working couples than education and income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physical-cognitive dual tasking is an emerging novel modality for reaping the largest cognitive health benefits. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare effects of cognitive dual-task and conventional single-task training on balance and quality of life in older adults. Methods: This Quasi-experimental study was conducted on 30 community-dwelling older adults after ethical approval from20th October 2021 to March 2022. Group A (Experimental) received physical, cognitive dual-task training. Group B received single-motor task training (Conventional Therapy). The outcome measurement tools were the Berg Balance Scale and Quality of Life Index. The data was analyzed using SPSS 21. Depending upon normal distribution, pretest and posttest comparisons were done with Parametric tests, and the p-value was set at 95% CI (p < 0.05). Results: The current study comprised 15 (50%) males and 15 (50%) females, with amean age in Group A of 59.27 ± 3.73 and Group B of 62.13 ± 5.40 years. While 24 subjectswere hypertensive and 17were diabetic participants. The mean score difference within the Group showed that the pretest-posttest regarding balance in Group A was 3.20 ± 2.96, and in Group B was 1.0 ± 1.77 with a p-value < 0.05. However, Group A was better in outcomes balance compared to interventions in Group B. Similarly, the quality of life mean score improved significantly in Group A compared to B after six weeks of dual-task training. Conclusion: Physical and cognitive dual-task training shows better results than single-task training in improving balance and quality of life among the elderly population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. According to the DSM-V, this condition has a variety of symptoms including impaired social relationships, and behavioral disorders. Various studies have shown that these children also have balance problems that are rarely investigated in this population. The purpose was to investigate the effect of single- and dual-task exercises on the functional balance of these children. Methods: The study design was a clinical trial research. The participants were 40 children with ASD (9 to 14 years) who were randomly divided into two groups. The single-task exercise group only performed balance exercises, while the dual-task exercises group performed both balance exercises and cognitive tasks at the same time. The sessions consisted of 45-min sessions (3 times a week for 4 weeks). The functional balance tests were performed before and after the intervention. Results: There were no significant differences between two groups in the Timed Up and Go test, 10-meter walk test and Mini-BESTest endpoint of the study, but there was a significant difference in Pediatric Berg Balance Scale (p=0.01, effect size=0.82). Dual-task exercises could not cause significant improvements in the functional balance of the participants compared to the single-task group. Conclusion: It seems that evidence that dual-task exercises cause significant improvements of functional balance of the participants compared to the single-task group is inconclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how equipment and sex affect the prediction accuracy of the maximum number of repetitions performed to failure (RTF) using the fastest mean velocity of the set (MVfastest). Sixteen men and twelve women completed four sessions (two using free-weight equipment and two sessions using the Smith machine). Each session involved three sets of repetitions to failure against the 65%, 75%, and 85% of the one-repetition maximum, interspersed by 10-min of rest. The goodness-of-fit of the individualized RTF-MVfastest relationships was comparable between both equipment types and sexes (P ≥0.510). Moreover, there were not significant differences in the MVfastest associated with RTF between equipment types (P ≥0.258). However, the MVfastest associated with RTF was higher for men than for women in repetitions 6 to 15 (P ≤0.043; ES≥0.69). In addition, the absolute errors when predicting RTF showed no significant differences between equipment types and loads (P <0.444). Specifically, these RTF estimates were within an acceptable range for men (<2 repetitions), but not for women (≥2 repetitions) (main effect of sex: P ≤0.018; ES≥0.58). These findings suggest that individualized RTF-MVfastest equations estimate the RTF with an acceptable precision in men during bench press exercises in both equipment types but exhibit lower precision for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a prevalent neurological disorder, but its diagnosis remains challenging. Dual-task (DT) walking performance is a reliable indicator of iNPH but less is known about the role of cognitive reserve (CR) in predicting DT walking performance. Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the contribution of CR on DT walking in healthy controls (HC) and in iNPH patients (iNPH-P). Methods: 68 iNPH-P (77.2 +/- 6.7 years old) and 28 HC (74.5 +/- 5.7 years old) were evaluated on their single-task walking (Vsimple) and on 4 DT walking (walking and counting or counting backwards, naming animals, naming words beginning with the letter P) (Vcount, VcountB, Vanimals and Vletter respectively). The contribution of CR on the different DT walking speeds was compared between HC and iNPH-P. In iNPH-P, the contribution of CR on the walking speeds was compared with regard to other cognitive, functional, and socio-demographic variables. Results: Simple linear regression demonstrated a moderate influence of CR on single and DT walking speed in iNPH-P (β > 0.3, p <.001) but not in HC where the relation was not significant. In iNPH-P, results showed that CR played a major role in explaining each of the single and DT walking speeds with NPH-scale. Conclusion: As CR could be improved through the life cycle, these results support the idea of developing and supporting physical activity programs that will enrich social, physical, and cognitive resources to protect against age-related functional decline, especially in iNPH-P patients where the age-related deficits are greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large language models (LLMs) hold great promise in summarizing medical evidence. Most recent studies focus on the application of proprietary LLMs. Using proprietary LLMs introduces multiple risk factors, including a lack of transparency and vendor dependency. While open-source LLMs allow better transparency and customization, their performance falls short compared to the proprietary ones. In this study, we investigated to what extent fine-tuning open-source LLMs can further improve their performance. Utilizing a benchmark dataset, MedReview, consisting of 8161 pairs of systematic reviews and summaries, we fine-tuned three broadly-used, open-sourced LLMs, namely PRIMERA, LongT5, and Llama-2. Overall, the performance of open-source models was all improved after fine-tuning. The performance of fine-tuned LongT5 is close to GPT-3.5 with zero-shot settings. Furthermore, smaller fine-tuned models sometimes even demonstrated superior performance compared to larger zero-shot models. The above trends of improvement were manifested in both a human evaluation and a larger-scale GPT4-simulated evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cognitive rigidity, or difficulty adapting to changing demands, is commonly observed in anorexia nervosa. Less is known, however, about cognitive flexibility (CF) in bulimia nervosa (BN) and, particularly, adolescence. Clarifying this relation and best assessment practices may guide informed clinical decision‐making. The current study compared how two measures of CF (i.e., Wisconsin Card Sort Task [WCST] and Trail Making Task [TMT]) relate to BN symptoms among adolescents. Methods: Data from a subsample (n = 78) of adolescents with BN were analyzed. Linear and hurdle regressions were used to compare the effects of WCST perseverative errors and TMT performance on Eating Disorder Examination Global Scores, objective binge episodes, and self‐induced vomiting episodes (SVEs) at baseline and end‐of‐treatment (EOT). Results: Neither CF measure associated with baseline BN symptoms. TMT performance positively associated with the likelihood of engaging in SVEs at EOT (훽 = 0.47, p = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.11–0.84]) and, among adolescents who endorsed ≥1 SVE at EOT, WCST perseverative errors (훽 = 0.05, p = 0.005, 95% CI = [0.01–0.08]) positively associated with SVE frequency at EOT. Discussion: The overall lack of associations between CF and outcomes suggests that cognitive rigidity may not be as relevant to the clinical profile of adolescent BN as for anorexia nervosa. In the few significant associations that emerged, the WCST and TMT uniquely predicted the severity of vomiting at EOT in this sample. Given the lack of CF deficits, future work should aim to test the role of other executive functions (e.g., impulsivity), in addition to CF, to determine which deficits are present in adolescent BN and may predict outcomes. Public Significance: Patients with eating disorders often have difficulties thinking flexibly, which may interfere with their recovery. We tested two ways of measuring flexible thinking in adolescents with BN. Overall, flexible thinking was not associated with symptom‐level outcomes. However, less flexible thinking at the start of treatment predicted self‐induced vomiting at EOT. If findings are replicable, then assessing and addressing flexible thinking could improve outcomes for adolescents with BN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are different ways to deliver external focus (EF) and internal focus (IF) instruction. Understanding each modality better will help to develop more effective interventions to reduce injury risk. To investigate the difference in landing biomechanics between participants who received EF and IF instruction and control participants. A secondary aim was to evaluate participant perceptions of focus of attention. Randomized controlled trial. Laboratory. Forty-one healthy women (EF: n = 14, 23.0 ± 2.9 years, 1.69 ± 0.07 m, 64.0 ± 6.8 kg; IF: n = 15, 22.9 ± 3.2 years, 1.66 ± 0.08 m, 66.2 ± 12.4 kg; control: n = 12, 21.1 ± 2.9 years, 1.67 ± 0.11 m, 74.3 ± 15.1 kg). Participants scoring greater than or equal to 5 on the Landing Error Scoring System were allocated into the EF, IF, or control group. Knee and hip flexion and abduction were collected pre- and postintervention during 5 drop vertical jumps. For the intervention, each group was provided separate instructions. In between the intervention jumps, participants answered, "What strategy were you focusing on when completing the previous jump-landing trials?" Postintervention minus preintervention change scores were calculated, and separate 1-way analysis of variance assessments were performed to determine differences in the dependent variables. Individuals in the EF group had a greater change in hip and knee flexion angles than individuals in the control group. There was no significant difference between the EF and IF groups for any variables. There were no significant differences in frontal plane variables. In the EF group, 71.4% aligned with the instructions given; in the IF group, 80% aligned; and in the control group, 50% aligned. External focus instruction may not produce immediate changes in movement compared with IF instruction. Hip and knee flexion were greater in the EF group than in the control group but was not better than that in the IF group. Clinicians should provide instructions to patients, but the mode of instruction may not be as critical to see positive biomechanical changes. Patients may not always focus on the instruction being given; therefore, the relationship between instruction and patient experience should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the chronic effect of high cognitive effort immediately before resistance exercise sessions on neuromuscular performance in untrained male adults. We used a mixed experimental design, with the group as between‐participants factor and time as within‐participants factor. Thirty‐four participants were randomly assigned to two parallel groups: high cognitive effort (n = 17) and control (n = 17). Subjects in the control group were seated for 30 min before the resistance exercise sessions, while the high cognitive effort group completed incongruent trials of the Stroop task until subjective mental fatigue was present immediately before resistance exercise sessions. Participants attended 45 sessions over 15 weeks, consisting of three familiarizations, three baseline evaluations, 36 velocity‐based training sessions, and three postexperiment evaluation sessions. Rate of force development (RFD) during the isometric mid‐thigh pull, half back‐squat 1‐RM, and countermovement jump (CMJ) were measured before and after the 12‐week intervention. A significant group × time interaction effect was found for the average RFD at 0–250 ms (p < 0.05), with greater improvements for the control group than for the high cognitive effort group. There was no group × time interaction for half back‐squat 1‐RM (p > 0.05). Also, there was no group × time interaction for CMJ (p > 0.05). In conclusion, repeated high cognitive effort immediately prior to resistance exercise sessions is a phenomenon that can induce greater early velocity loss and, consequently, impairs the improvements in RFD. However, this did not inhibit the increased performance for explosive strength and CMJ in male untrained adults. High cognitive effort before resistance exercise sessions should be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Milton's theory of double empathy posits that the difference in communication styles between people of different neurotypes contributes to mutual misunderstandings. The current quasi-experimental study seeks to expand on research indicating that matched neurotype pairs tend to communicate more effectively than mixed neurotype pairs by examining communication across and within neurotypes in an expository language context. Method: Thirty autistic adults and 28 nonautistic adults were paired in either a matched neurotype or mixed neurotype condition. The pairs' interactions involved giving and listening to directions to draw an image. Interactions were recorded, transcribed, and coded for communication accuracy, rate, and clarity. Participants also completed a survey about the rapport they experienced in the interaction. Results: Matched neurotype pairs were significantly more accurate in their communication than mixed neurotype pairs. Rate was fastest among mixed neurotype pairs, but clarity did not differ significantly across conditions. Matched autistic pairs reported significantly lower rapport than other pairs. Conclusions: This finding lends further support to the neurodiversity model by demonstrating that autistic communication is not inherently deficient. Further research is necessary to investigate a variety of influences on rate, clarity, and rapport development. Clinical implications include considerations for neurodiversity-affirming communication supports for expository contexts such as classroom directions or workplace instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basketball victory relies on an athlete's skill to make precise shots at different distances. While extensive research has explored the kinematics and dynamics of different shooting distances, the specific neuromuscular control strategies involved remain elusive. This study aimed to compare the differences in muscle synergies during basketball shooting at different distances, offering insights into neuromuscular control strategies and guiding athletes' training. Ten skilled shooting right-handed male basketball players participated as subjects in this experiment. Electromyographic (EMG) data for full-phase shooting were acquired at short (3.2 m), middle (5.0 m), and long (6.8 m) distances. Non-negative matrix decomposition extracted muscle synergies (motor modules and motor primitives) during shooting. The results of this study show that all three distance shooting can be broken down into three synergies and that there were differences in the synergies between short and long distances, with differences in motor primitive 1 and motor primitive 2 at the phase of 45% - 59% (p < 0.001, t* = 4.418), and 78% - 88% (p < 0.01, t* = 4.579), respectively, and differences in the motor module 3 found in the differences in muscle weights for rectus femoris (RF) (p = 0.001, d = -2.094), and gastrocnemius lateral (GL) (p = 0.001, d = -2.083). Shooting distance doesn't affect the number of muscle synergies in basketball shooting but alters synergy patterns. During long distance shooting training, basketball players should place more emphasis on the timing and synergistic activation of upper and lower limbs, as well as core muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Persons with aphasia (PWA) experience differences in attention after stroke, potentially impacting cognitive/language performance. This secondary analysis investigated physiologically measured vigilant attention during linguistic and nonlinguistic processing in PWA and control participants. Method: To evaluate performance and attention in a language task, seven PWA read sentences aloud (linguistic task) and were compared to a previous data set of 10 controls and 10 PWA. To evaluate performance and attention in a language-independent task, 11 controls and nine PWA completed the Bivalent Shape Task (nonlinguistic task). Continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected during each session. A previously validated EEG algorithm classified vigilant-attention state for each experiment trial into high, moderate, distracted, or no attention. Dependent measures were task accuracy and amount of time spent in each attention state (measured by the number of trials). Results: PWA produced significantly more errors than controls on the linguistic task, but groups performed similarly on the nonlinguistic task. During the linguistic task, controls spent significantly more time than PWA in a moderateattention state, but no statistically significant differences were found between groups for other attention states. For the nonlinguistic task, amount of time controls and PWA spent in each attention state was more evenly distributed. When directly comparing attention patterns between linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks, PWA showed significantly more time in a high-attention state during the linguistic task as compared to the nonlinguistic task; however, controls showed no significant differences between linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks. Conclusions: This study provides new evidence that PWA experience a heightened state of vigilant attention when language processing demands are higher (during a linguistic task) than when language demands are lower (during a nonlinguistic task). Collectively, results of this study suggest that when processing language, PWA may allocate more attentional resources than when completing other kinds of cognitive tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Our goal was to compare statistical learning abilities between preschoolers with developmental language disorder (DLD) and peers with typical development (TD) by assessing their learning of two artificial grammars. Method: Four- and 5-year-olds with and without DLD were compared on their statistical learning ability using two artificial grammars. After learning an aX grammar, participants learned a relatively more complex abX grammar with a nonadjacent relationship between a and X. Participants were tested on their generalization of the grammatical pattern to new sequences with novel X elements that conformed to (aX, abX) or violated (Xa, baX) the grammars. Results: Results revealed an interaction between age and language group. Four-year-olds with and without DLD performed equivalently on the aX and abX grammar tests, and neither of the 4-year-old groups' accuracy scores exceeded chance. In contrast, among 5-year-olds, TD participants scored significantly higher on aX tests compared to participants with DLD, but the groups' abX scores did not differ. Five-year-old participants with DLD did not exceed chance on any test, whereas 5-year-old TD participants' scores exceeded chance on all grammar learning outcomes. Regression analyses indicated that aX performance positively predicted learning outcomes on the subsequent abX grammar for TD participants. Conclusion: These results indicate that preschool-age participants with DLD show deficits relative to typical peers in statistical learning, but group differences vary with participant age and type of grammatical structure being tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies reported mixed findings on autistic individuals' pitch perception relative to neurotypical (NT) individuals. We investigated whether this may be partly due to individual differences in cognitive abilities by comparing their performance on various pitch perception tasks on a large sample (n = 164) of autistic and NT children and adults. Our findings revealed that: (i) autistic individuals either showed similar or worse performance than NT individuals on the pitch tasks; (ii) cognitive abilities were associated with some pitch task performance; and (iii) cognitive abilities modulated the relationship between autism diagnosis and pitch perception on some tasks. Our findings highlight the importance of taking an individual differences approach to understand the strengths and weaknesses of pitch processing in autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim was to test the use of eye-tracking methodology for the early detection of ASD in a task of association between unfamiliar objects and pseudowords. Significant differences were found between ASD (n = 57) and TD (n = 57) Spanish speaking toddlers in the number and time of fixation. The TD children showed more and longer fixations on eyes and mouth while the ASD children attended almost exclusively to objects, making it difficult to integrate lexical and phonological information. Moreover, the TD toddlers looked at the mouth when the pseudoword was produced while the ASD toddlers did not. Gaze fixation on eyes and mouth during word learning recorded by eye-tracking may be used as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Simulation is increasingly being explored as an assessment modality. This study sought to develop and collate validity evidence for a novel simulation-based assessment of operative competence. We describe the approach to assessment design, development, pilot testing, and validity investigation. Methods: Eight procedural stations were generated using both virtual reality and bio-hybrid models. Content was identified from a previously conducted Delphi consensus study of trainers. Trainee performance was scored using an equally weighted Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) tool and a modified Procedure-Based Assessment (PBA) tool. Validity evidence was analyzed in accordance with Messick's validity framework. Both 'junior' (ST2–ST4) and 'senior' trainees (ST 5–ST8) were included to allow for comparative analysis. Results: Thirteen trainees were assessed by ten assessors across eight stations. Inter-station reliability was high (α = 0.81), and inter-rater reliability was acceptable (inter-class correlation coefficient 0.77). A significant difference in mean station score was observed between junior and senior trainees (44.82 vs 58.18, p =.004), while overall mean scores were moderately correlated with increasing training year (rs =.74, p =.004, Kendall's tau-b.57, p = 0.009). A pass-fail score generated using borderline regression methodology resulted in all 'senior' trainees passing and 4/6 of junior trainees failing the assessment. Conclusion: This study reports validity evidence for a novel simulation-based assessment, designed to assess the operative competence of higher specialist trainees in general surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of dual-task training on balance and knee proprioception in both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions in older adults with significant imbalance and high risk of falling. This pre-posttest experimental design included 83 older adults (43 males, 40 females), selected based on age criteria (65–75 years) and specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Participants underwent dual-task training consisting of 30-minute sessions, three times per week, for four weeks (totaling 12-sessions). Measures included Berg Balance Scale and knee proprioception deficit before and after dual-task training. The study showed statistically significant effect of dual-task training on balance (p < 0.001) and knee proprioception in both weight-bearing (p < 0.001) and non-weight-bearing (p < 0.001) in older adults. Pre-and post-measurements of independent variables between male and female older adults showed no significant difference. Dual-task training improves balance and knee proprioception in both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing conditions in older individuals, thereby enhancing stability and reducing the risk of falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Explore occupational therapists' (OTs) and speech language pathologists' (SLPs) process of selecting and applying motor learning strategies (MLS) in their interventions for children with acquired brain injury (ABI), and identify similarities and differences between OTs and SLPs in MLS selection and application. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study involved individual semi-structured interviews with OTs and SLPs from the ABI program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital (Toronto, Canada). Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. A modified constant comparison method permitted comparison within and between professions. Results: Four OTs and three SLPs were interviewed. Four themes were developed: aligning MLS application with the child's cognitive ability, using MLS to promote success within a single session, adjusting MLS across treatment sessions, and promoting generalization and transfer of motor skills beyond the therapy session. MLS application was predominately based on child-specific factors with task-specific considerations. OTs and SLPs used similar clinical reasoning processes for selecting and applying MLS. Conclusions: This study provides a greater understanding of OTs' and SLPs' clinical reasoning process when applying MLS in pediatric ABI interventions. The similarities in MLS selection and application between disciplines suggest that an interprofessional approach to MLS is suitable for pediatric ABI rehabilitation. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Pediatric occupational therapists and speech language pathologists use a similar process for selecting and applying motor learning strategies (MLS) in their interventions Clinicians continually reflect upon and adapt their use of MLS based on each child's performance, progress, and goals Adopting an interprofessional approach to MLS selection and application, including the use of a common MLS language, has the potential to optimize motor outcomes in pediatric acquired brain injury rehabilitation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the trunk biomechanical characteristics between the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit performed at self-selected and fast speeds in stroke survivors and healthy-matched controls. Methods: Thirty individuals (15 stroke survivors and 15 healthy-matched controls) were included. The following biomechanical characteristics were determined: peak of trunk forward flexion and time until the peak of trunk forward flexion, total duration, phase I (sit-to-stand: time spent from the beginning to seat-off; stand-to-sit: time spent from the beginning to seat-on) and II durations (sit-to-stand: time spent from seat-off to the end of the task; stand-to-sit: time spent from the seat-on to the end of the task). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used (α = 5%). Results: The maximum angle of trunk forward flexion and time spent until the maximum angle of trunk forward flexion in both tasks were significantly higher in stroke survivors. For both groups and speeds, phase I duration and peak of trunk forward flexion of the stand-to-sit were significantly higher than that of the sit-to-stand (11.41≤F ≤ 33.60; 0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.002) and, phase II duration was significantly higher during the sit-to-stand than that of the stand-to-sit (21.27 ≤ F ≤ 65.10; p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: These results confirm specific trunk biomechanical characteristics between sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit in stroke survivors and healthy-matched controls. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Specific biomechanical characteristics between the sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit were confirmed in stroke survivors and healthy-matched controls at both speeds. Fast speeds showed differences that were not observed at self-selected speeds. Trunk biomechanical characteristics must be carefully evaluated and should be considered in rehabilitation programs that aim to improve sit-to-stand and stand-to-sit performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The self‐memory system depends on the prioritization and capture of self‐relevant information, so may be disrupted by difficulties in attending to, encoding and retrieving self‐relevant information. The current study compares memory for self‐referenced and other‐referenced items in children with ADHD and typically developing comparison groups matched for verbal and chronological age. Children aged 5–14 (N = 90) were presented with everyday objects alongside an own‐face image (self‐reference trials) or an unknown child's image (other‐referenced trials). They were asked whether the child shown would like the object, before completing a surprise source memory test. In a second task, children performed, and watched another person perform, a series of actions before their memory for the actions was tested. A significant self‐reference effect (SRE) was found in the typically developing children (i.e. both verbal and chronological age‐matched comparison groups) for the first task, with significantly better memory for self‐referenced than other‐referenced objects. However, children with ADHD showed no SRE, suggesting a compromised ability to bind information with the cognitive self‐concept. In the second task, all groups showed superior memory for actions carried out by the self, suggesting a preserved enactment effect in ADHD. Implications and applications for the self‐memory system in ADHD are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]