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Athlete burnout is a maladaptive outcome that is potentially detrimental for performance and wellbeing. Cross-sectional evidence suggests that mindfulness might be associated with athlete burnout via experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion. In the current study, we extend knowledge of these hypothesized mediational pathways using a longitudinal design. Data was collected at three occasions with a three-month interval. A final sample of 280 elite Chinese athletes aged 15–32 years (M age = 19.13; SD = 2.92; Female = 130) reported their mindfulness at Time 1, experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion at Time 2, and athlete burnout at Time 3. Structural equation modelling was adopted to examine the mediating roles of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion on the effects from mindfulness to athlete burnout. We found statistically meaningful directs effects from mindfulness (Time 1) to experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion (Time 2), which in turn influenced athlete burnout (Time 3). However, the direct effect from mindfulness at Time 1 to athlete burnout at Time 3 was non-significant. The indirect effects of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion on the effects from mindfulness to athlete burnout were significant, providing longitudinal evidence that these two variables contribute meaningfully to the mindfulness-burnout pathway. With initial evidence for the mediating effects of experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion, future studies could consider using experimental designs to examine the potential changing mechanisms of mindfulness on reducing athlete burnout. • Significant effects from mindfulness to experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion were found. • Significant effects from experiential avoidance and cognitive fusion to athlete burnout were revealed. • Experiential avoidance significantly mediated the effect from mindfulness to athlete burnout. • Cognitive fusion also significantly mediated the effect from mindfulness to athlete burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is a frequent form of focal intractable epilepsy in adults. We previously reported overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) and its receptors, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3, in epilepsy-associated tuberous sclerosis complex. To identify whether VEGF-C and its receptors are involved in epileptogenesis of MTLE, we investigated the levels and expression pattern of VEGF-C and its receptors in temporal neocortex and hippocampus (HPC) from 28 patients with MTLE and ten control (CTX) subjects. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting results revealed upregulated mRNA and immunoreactive protein levels of VEGF-C, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3 in the MTLE group compared to the control groups. Immunohistochemistry and double-labeled immunofluorescence showed that VEGF-C was highly expressed in neurons and astrocytes, including reactive astrocytes and vascular endothelial cells, VEGFR-2 was expressed at a high level in reactive astrocytes and vascular endothelial cells, but not in neurons, whereas VEGFR-3 was only overexpressed in reactive astrocytes. Taken together, these findings suggest that VEGF-C and its receptors, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3, may contribute to the epileptogenesis of MTLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decentering, the ability to observe one's thoughts and feelings from a detached view, has gained increased attention in recent years. With this renewed interest comes a need for a reliable and valid tool to measure decentering in sport contexts. Therefore, in this multi-study paper we report the development and initial validation of a sport-specific self-report measure of decentering, the Decentering Scale for Sport (DSS). Based on an initial pool of context-specific items with acceptable content validity, a unidimensional decentering construct was confirmed in four independent athletic samples ( n = 1255). Satisfactory internal consistency reliability and partial measurement invariance across gender and sport type was demonstrated. Convergent and concurrent validity of the DSS was established by showing positive and medium to large associations with mindfulness, well-being, flow, vitality, enjoyment and positive affect, and negative and medium to large associations with cognitive fusion, experiential avoidance, anxiety and negative affect. Discriminant validity of decentering with mindfulness and self-compassion was also established. Findings suggest that the DSS is a reliable and valid measure of decentering in sport contexts, and can be applied in future research and applied practice to measure decentering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCD IIb) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are well-recognized causes of chronic intractable epilepsy in children. Accumulating evidence suggests that activation of the microglia/macrophage and concomitant inflammatory response in FCD IIb and TSC may contribute to the initiation and recurrence of seizures. The membrane glycoproteins CD47 and CD200, which are highly expressed in neurons and other cells, mediate inhibitory signals through their receptors, signal regulatory protein α (SIRP-α) and CD200R, respectively, in microglia/macrophages. We investigate the levels and expression pattern of CD47/SIRP-α and CD200/CD200R in surgically resected brain tissues from patients with FCD IIb and TSC, and the potential effect of soluble human CD47 Fc and CD200 Fc on the inhibition of several proinflammatory cytokines associated with FCD IIb and TSC in living epileptogenic brain slices in vitro. The level of interleukin-4 (IL-4), a modulator of CD200, was also investigated.Methods: Twelve FCD IIb (range 1.8-9.5 years), 13 TSC (range 1.5-10 years) patients, and 6 control cases (range 1.5-11 years) were enrolled. The levels of CD47/SIRP-α and CD200/CD200R were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The expression pattern of CD47/SIRP-α and CD200/CD200R was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis, and the cytokine concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assays.Results: Both the messenger RNA and protein levels of CD47, SIRP-α, and CD200, as well as the mRNA level of IL-4, were downregulated in epileptogenic lesions of FCD IIb and TSC compared with the control specimens, whereas CD200R levels were not significantly changed. CD47, SIRP-α, and CD200 were decreasingly expressed in dysmorphic neuron, balloon cells, and giant cells. CD47 Fc and CD200 Fc could inhibit IL-6 release but did not suppress IL-1β or IL-17 production.Conclusions: Our results suggest that microglial activation may be partially caused by CD47/SIRP-α- and CD200/CD200R-mediated reductions in the immune inhibitory pathways within FCD IIb and TSC cortical lesions where chronic neuroinflammation has been established. Upregulation or activation of CD47/SIRP-α and CD200/CD200R may have therapeutic potential for controlling neuroinflammation in human FCD IIb and TSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuronal nuclei (NeuN) is a well-recognized 'marker' that is detected exclusively in post-mitotic neurons and was initially identified through an immunological screen to produce neuron-specific antibodies. Immunostaining evidence indicates that NeuN is distributed in the nuclei of mature neurons in nearly all parts of the vertebrate nervous system. NeuN is highly conserved among species and is stably expressed during specific stages of development. Therefore, NeuN has been considered to be a reliable marker of mature neurons for the past two decades. However, this role has been challenged by recent studies indicating that NeuN staining is variable and even absent during certain diseases and specific physiological states. More importantly, despite the widespread use of the anti-NeuN antibody, the natural identity of the NeuN protein remained elusive for 17 years. NeuN was recently eventually identified as an epitope of Rbfox3, which is a novel member of the Rbfox1 family of splicing factors. This identification might provide a novel perspective on NeuN expression during both physiological and pathological conditions. This review summarizes the current progress on the biochemical identity and biological significance of NeuN and recommends caution when applying NeuN immunoreactivity as a definitive marker of mature neurons in certain diseases and specific physiological states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The present study was into whether or not mindfulness training, based on the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach (MAC), can improve beginners' skill acquisition of dart throwing. Design Randomised controlled trial. Methods A total of 43 first-year college students who had not played darts professionally prior to the study were randomly assigned to either an attention control group ( n = 21) or a mindfulness training group ( n = 22) during an eight-week dart training program. Dart throwing and psychological variables were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two-week follow-up. Results Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the mindfulness group, but not the attention control group had significant improvements in mindfulness, experiential acceptance, and flow at post-intervention and follow-up. Although both groups improved dart throwing performance after the intervention, the improvement of the mindfulness group was statistically higher in comparison to that of the attention control group. Conclusions It was concluded that the MAC approach could improve the performance and adaptive sport experience of beginners in dart throwing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese-translated Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (C-BREQ-2) among Chinese university students from the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Methods University students from the Mainland ( n = 191) and Hong Kong ( n = 194) of China participated in this study. Factorial validity, discriminant validity, nomological validity, internal reliability, and measurement invariance across sample of the C-BREQ-2 were examined. Results Confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the factorial validity of the 18-item, 5-factor structure C-BREQ-2. Examination of the 95% confidence interval of the inter-factor correlations suggested that the C-BREQ-2 assesses related but distinct constructs, which provided support for its discriminant validity. The internal consistency reliability of the C-BREQ-2 was found acceptable. Examination of the pattern of inter-factor correlations between different regulations suggested that a simplex-like pattern was displayed, which provided evidence for the nomological validity of C-BREQ-2. The results from multi-group confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the factor loadings and variances/covariances of the C-BREQ-2 measurement model were invariant across the Chinese university students in the Mainland and Hong Kong of China. Conclusion The current study provided further psychometric evidence for the C-BREQ-2, which makes the further application and research of self-determination theory (SDT) based motivation in relation to exercise and physical activity in the Mainland of China context possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microgyria is associated with epilepsy and due to developmental disruption of neuronal migration. However, the role of endogenous subventricular zone-derived neural progenitors (SDNPs) in formation and hyperexcitability has not been fully elucidated. Here, we establish a neonatal cortex freeze-lesion (FL) model, which was considered as a model for focal microgyria, and simultaneously label SDNPs by CM-DiI. Morphological investigation showed that SDNPs migrated into FL and differentiated into neuronal and glia cell types, suggesting the involvement of endogenous SDNPs in the formation of FL-induced microgyria. Patch-clamp recordings in CM-DiI positive (CM-DiI) pyramidal neurons within FL indicated an increase in frequency of spontaneous action potentials, while the resting membrane potential did not differ from the controls. We also found that spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) increased in frequency but not in amplitude compared with controls. The evoked EPSCs showed a significant increase of 10-90 % in rise time and decay time in the CM-DiI neurons. Moreover, paired-pulse facilitation was dramatically larger in CM-DiI pyramidal neurons. Western blotting data showed that AMPA and NMDA receptors were increased to some extent in the FL cortex compared with controls, and the NMDA/AMPA ratio of eEPSCs at CM-DiI pyramidal neurons was significantly increased. Taken together, our findings provide novel evidence for the contribution of endogenous SDNPs in the formation and epileptogenicity of FL-induced focal microgyria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated a genetic pathway in root hair development in Arabidopsis thaliana, involving the receptor-like kinase FERONIA ( FER), two guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ROPs (Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10), and the small GTPase Rho of plants ( ROPs)., Loss- and gain-of-function analyses demonstrated distinct roles of Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10 such that Rop GEF4 is only important for root hair elongation, while Rop GEF10 mainly contributes to root hair initiation. Domain dissection by truncation and domain-swapping experiments indicated that their functional distinctions were mainly contributed by the noncatalytic domains., Using fluorescent ratio imaging, we showed that functional loss of Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10 additively reduced reactive oxygen species ( ROS) production. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation experiments demonstrated that Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10 had the same interaction specificity as ROPs, suggesting common downstream components., We further showed that the promoting effects of environmental cues such as exogenous auxin and phosphate limitation on root hair development depended on FER. However, although functional loss of Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10 largely abolished FER-induced ROS production, it did not compromise the responses to FER-mediated environmental cues on root hair development. Our results demonstrated that Rop GEF4 and Rop GEF10 are genetic components in FER-mediated, developmentally (but not environmentally) regulated, root hair growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constructing and renovating urban parks is an effective strategy for high-density cities to satisfy residents' needs for recreation in nature. Using Hong Kong as an example of a high-density city, the purpose of this study was to examine the associations of park and neighbourhood environments with park-based physical activity (PA) among children and examine the moderating effect of neighbourhood income in their relationships. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 32 urban parks in Hong Kong. Park-based PA and the park and neighbourhood environments were measured using systematic observation tools and the geographic information system. Neighbourhood income was extracted from the 2011 Hong Kong Population Census data on median household income. A total of 7,753 children were observed using urban parks for PA during the study. Children's park-based PA was positively associated with the quality of supporting amenities, park safety, neighbourhood walkability, and neighbourhood quality, while the associations of park-based PA with the diversity of active facilities and park size were not significant. In addition, neighbourhood income moderated the associations of park-based PA with the diversity of active facilities, the quality of supporting amenities, neighbourhood walkability, and neighbourhood quality. These findings provide empirical evidence on the moderating role of neighbourhood socioeconomic status on the associations between park and neighbourhood environments and children's park-based PA in a high-density city. With children's needs for using parks for PA, our findings are beneficial for urban planners to renovate existing urban parks to enhance their utility for children living in high-density cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal cortical dysplasia type IIb (FCD IIb) and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) are malformations of cortical development (MCDs) and are frequently associated with medically intractable epilepsy. Previous studies have indicated that developmental abnormalities during the early stages of cortical development contribute to the onset of these diseases. Bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) is a well-documented key regulator of cortical development. To understand the potential roles of BMP-4 in the cortical lesions associated with MCDs, we investigated the expression pattern of BMP-4 in surgical specimens from patients with FCD IIb ( n = 8) and TSC (cortical tubers; n = 12), and age-matched normal cortices (CTX) ( n = 8) from autopsy samples were used as controls. The immunohistochemical results demonstrated that the overall immunoreactivity of the BMP-4 staining was diminished in the dysplastic cortices of the FCD IIb and TSC samples compared to the CTX samples. Moderate to strong BMP-4 immunoreactivity, however, was observed in malformed neurons, including dysmorphic neurons, giant neurons, balloon cells, giant cells, and reactive astrocytes. The confocal analysis demonstrated that most malformed neurons expressing BMP-4 were co-labeled with neuronal rather than astrocytic markers, indicating a neuronal lineage. Moreover, the decreased BMP-4 expression within the dysplastic cortex was confirmed by western blot analysis. In conclusion, the downregulation and altered cellular distribution of BMP-4 protein observed in MCDs suggests that BMP-4 may be involved in the pathogenesis of abnormal cortical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poly (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) resins were synthesized via bulk polymerization method using nickel catalyzed high-cis polybutadiene rubber (Ni-9004), lithium catalyzed low-cis polybutadiene rubber (Li-700A) and their composite rubbers as modifiers. The influences of reaction time and content of composite rubber on the polymerization reaction, grafting parameters and microstructures of ABS were investigated. And the morphologies and mechanical properties of resins under different incorporation ratio of composite rubbers were also researched. It is shown that the grafting degree of Ni-9004 gradually increases and its grafting efficiency and volume fraction of rubber phase gradually decrease with the reaction time. Besides, an obvious phase inversion occurs in the polymerization process and the final ABS resin presents a typical "core-shell" structure. And its morphology can be distinctly improved when combined with Li-700A. Furthermore, the lower amount of composite rubber is beneficial to grafting and occlusion, which shows a positive reinforcement value; an augmented particle size and a negative value are obtained while composite rubber amount increases. Performance measurements show that the toughening effect of Li-700A can be significantly enhanced by incorporating Ni-9004. When its incorporation content reaches 75%, the notched Izod impact strength of ABS resin is improved by at least 150%, while there is no loss of the tensile strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the work of Terry and colleagues (Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., Lane, H. J., & Keohane, L. (1999). Development and validation of a mood measure for adolescents.Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 861–872; Terry, P. C., Lane, A. M., & Fogarty, G. J. (2003). Construct validity of the Profile of Mood States-Adolescents for use with adults.Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 4, 125–139.), the present study examined the validity and internal consistency reliability of the Chinese version of the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS-C) among 2,548 participants, comprising adolescent athletes (n= 520), adult athletes (n= 434), adolescent students (n= 673), and adult students (n= 921). Both adolescent and adult athletes completed the BRUMS-C before, during, or after regular training and both adolescent and adult students completed the BRUMS-C in a classroom setting. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) provided support for the factorial validity of a 23-item six-factor model, with one item removed from the hypothesised measurement model. Internal consistency reliabilities were satisfactory for all subscales across each of the four samples. Criterion validity was supported with strong relationships between the BRUMS-C, abbreviated POMS, and Chinese Affect Scale consistent with theoretical predictions. Multi-sample CFAs showed the BRUMS-C to be invariant at the configural, metric, strong, and structural levels for all samples. Furthermore, latent mean difference analyses showed that athletes reported significantly higher levels of fatigue than students while maintaining almost the same levels of vigour, and adolescent students reported significantly higher levels of depressed mood than the other three samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Park facilities varied by neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and ethnic minorities. • Park amenities varied by neighborhood socioeconomic deprivation and ethnic minorities. • Around one-third of the Tertiary Planning Units contained at least one urban park. • No socioeconomic or ethnic differences were revealed in park safety or aesthetics. A disparity in the distribution and quality of urban parks has been widely recognized as an important environmental justice issue. There is currently inconsistent evidence focusing on park distribution in high-density cities that can shed light on socioeconomic inequalities in park quality. To address this issue from an environmental justice perspective, the current study aimed to examine the associations between the quantity and quality of urban parks and neighborhood-level socioeconomic deprivation and ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, as an example of a high-density city. A total of 102 urban parks from 209 Tertiary Planning Units (TPUs) were included in this study. Quantity and quality of the 102 urban parks were objectively measured using Geographic Information Systems and the Community Park Audit Tool from April to June 2018. Findings of the current study demonstrated that the quantity of parks, quality of amenities, park safety, and park aesthetics were not associated with socioeconomic deprivation or ethnic minorities. However, compared to the TPUs with low deprivation values, a greater quantity and diversity of active facilities were observed in the moderate and high deprived TPUs. Moreover, the TPUs with a higher percentage of ethnic minorities were associated with parks with fewer active facilities, as well as less diversity of active facilities and supporting amenities. The current study provides key evidence of distributional injustice for urban parks in high-density cities and contributes to the development of urban planning strategies to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to standard anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL), subtemporal selective amygdalohippocampectomy (sSAH) is also a common technique for the treatment of medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the seizure and neuropsychological outcomes in patients with MTLE who underwent sSAH. We searched PubMed and Embase using Medical Subject Headings and keywords related to sSAH, seizure outcome, and neuropsychological outcome. Titles, abstracts, and full-texts were screened in light of inclusion and exclusion criteria that were established a priori. Potential papers were reviewed by 3 reviewers, who reached a consensus on the final papers to be included. Literature review identified 208 abstracts from which a total of 29 full-text articles were reviewed. Six studies containing data from 4 countries (3 continents) met our inclusion criteria. The seizure-free rates at 12 months after sSAH ranged from 59.1% to 61.5% in 4 studies. Four studies showed that seizure-free rates ranged from 56% to 82.6% at 24 months after surgery. Six studies evaluated the neuropsychological changes of patients with MTLE after sSAH, including intelligence, verbal memory, nonverbal memory, language function, and so on. In terms of neuropsychological outcomes, there are some differences among the 6 studies. Taken together, sSAH can provide a considerable rate of seizure freedom. In addition, the neuropsychological outcomes of patients who underwent sSAH were slightly different among 6 studies. Therefore, large-scale case series or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of the sSAH. • The seizure-free rates at 12 months after sSAH ranged from 59.1% to 61.5% in four studies. • Four studies showed that seizure-free rates ranged from 56% to 82.6% at 24 months after surgery. • In terms of neuropsychological outcomes, there are some differences among the six studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People 65 years or older are at greater risk of serious complications from the seasonal influenza compared with young. To promote elderly people's behavioral compliance toward influenza prevention, the aim of the current project is to develop, implement, and evaluate a theory-based low-administration-cost intervention building on a leading psychological theory, the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA).Methods: The target group is Hong Kong Chinese elderly people aged 65 or older who rarely or never adopt any preventive actions. This project will be conducted in three phases over 24 months. In phase 1, intervention program will be developed building on the HAPA theoretical framework which comprises both the initiation and maintenance of influenza prevention behaviors. In phase 2, intervention will be implemented and evaluated using a randomized controlled trial, including: (a) behavior initiation only, (b) behavior initiation + behavior maintenance, and (c) control group. Both the initiation and maintenance components will comprise weekly-delivered telephone-based individual intervention sessions in 3 months. In phase 3, outcome evaluation of behavioral and psychological variables and process evaluation will be conducted. The effectiveness of the intervention will be analyzed using a series of linear mixed models on each behavioral and psychological outcome variable. Structural equation modelling will be used to test the hypothesized theoretical sequence in the HAPA model.Discussion: The proposed project is expected to design theory-based intervention materials to promote the influenza prevention behaviors in Hong Kong elderly people and provide information on its effectiveness and the potential changing mechanism of behavior initiation and maintenance.Trial Registration: This randomized controlled trial was funded by the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), Food and Health Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Ref: 16151222) and was registered on 13/10/2017 at CCRB Clinical Trials Registry of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a Partner Registry of a WHO Primary Registry (Ref: CUHK_CCRB00567 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]