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Objectives: This randomized clinical trial compared the effectiveness of music and informative videos as distraction tools to reduce the anxiety of patients during root canal treatment and retreatment. Method and materials: A total of 90 patients were enrolled in the study. The patients were randomly allocated to three groups: Group 1 listened to music during the treatment (n = 30), Group 2 watched an informative preoperative video (n = 30), and a control group underwent treatment without a distraction method (n = 30). Prior to treatment, the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and a visual analog scale for pain were used to assess anxiety and preoperative pain. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were recorded before the intervention (T1), after the local anesthetic (T2), following pulp extirpation or removal of root fillings (T3), and immediately following rubber dam removal (T4). One-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc Bonferroni tests for multiple comparisons, were used to compare mean values of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation among the groups. A P value of 5% was considered as significant. Results: Listening to music reduced systolic blood pressure, heart rate (P < .001), and diastolic blood pressure (P = .003) in patients undergoing root canal treatment and retreatment at T4 compared to the baseline (T1). Music (P < .001) and informative video (P = .003) groups had significantly lower postoperative visual analog scale pain scores. Conclusion: Listening to music during root canal treatment and retreatment reduced anxiety levels in patients compared to informative preoperative videos and no distraction technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the causal impact of limited attention to macroeconomic news is difficult to detect, this article proposes one solution: exploiting when foreign investors are "distracted" by risk factors in their home markets. I demonstrate that financial activity in the average foreign investor's home market decreases foreign attention paid to 21 emerging economies, measured using Google search volume for economy-specific financial terms that emanate from outside each economy's border. Exploiting this effect using an instrumental variables approach, I find that an exogenous increase in foreign attention preceding a scheduled monetary policy rate announcement raises preannouncement stock returns and announcement day turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of the road toll suggests that a new perspective may be of value – either to consider new insights to reduce it, or to allow a greater acceptance of the relatively limited number of deaths. The theories of Michel Foucault offer an avenue to both. Applying his version of ‘problematisation’ emphasises the fact that the key driver for the regulation of road behaviour is economic – allowing the efficient transit of individuals and goods from one place to another – rather than safety. This view suggests that his understanding of ‘thanatopolitics’ applies; in that a number of deaths are ‘allowed’ to happen in order for the rest of the ‘population’ to live (better). Conversely, Foucault’s deployment of internalised ‘norms’ as the dominant form of self-regulation raises the possibility that the internalised lives of road users, their thoughts, are similarly driven by their economic (and social) relationships. These offer distractions that impact on their engagement with the road and their risk assessment decisions. The inability of the State to discipline thoughts, as a result, limits its capacity to reduce the road toll. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Movie-watching is a central aspect of our lives and an important paradigm for understanding the brain mechanisms behind cognition as it occurs in daily life. Contemporary views of ongoing thought argue that the ability to make sense of events in the 'here and now' depend on the neural processing of incoming sensory information by auditory and visual cortex, which are kept in check by systems in association cortex. However, we currently lack an understanding of how patterns of ongoing thoughts map onto the different brain systems when we watch a film, partly because methods of sampling experience disrupt the dynamics of brain activity and the experience of movie-watching. Our study established a novel method for mapping thought patterns onto the brain activity that occurs at different moments of a film, which does not disrupt the time course of brain activity or the movie-watching experience. We found moments when experience sampling highlighted engagement with multi-sensory features of the film or highlighted thoughts with episodic features, regions of sensory cortex were more active and subsequent memory for events in the movie was better--on the other hand, periods of intrusive distraction emerged when activity in regions of association cortex within the frontoparietal system was reduced. These results highlight the critical role sensory systems play in the multi-modal experience of movie-watching and provide evidence for the role of association cortex in reducing distraction when we watch films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Examine patterns and predictors of skill learning during multisession Enhanced FO rward C oncentration and A ttention L earning (FOCAL+) training. Background: FOCAL+ teaches teens to reduce the duration of off-road glances using real-time error learning. In a randomized controlled trial, teens with ADHD received five sessions of FOCAL+ training and demonstrated significant reductions in extended glances (>2-s) away from the roadway (i.e., long-glances) and a 40% reduced risk of a crash/near-crash event. Teens' improvement in limiting long-glances as assessed after each FOCAL+ training session has not been examined. Method: Licensed teen (ages 16–19) drivers with ADHD (n = 152) were randomly assigned to five sessions of either FOCAL+ or modified standard driver training. Teens completed driving simulation assessments at baseline, after each training session, and 1 month and 6 months posttraining. Naturalistic driving was monitored for one year. Results: FOCAL+ training produced a 53% maximal reduction in long-glances during postsession simulated driving. The number of sessions needed to achieve maximum performance varied across participants. However, after five FOCAL+ training sessions, number of long-glances was comparable irrespective of when teens achieved their maximum performance. The magnitude of reduction in long-glances predicted levels of long-glances during simulated driving at 1 month and 6 months posttraining but not naturalistic driving outcomes. FOCAL+ training provided the most benefit during training to teens who were younger and had less driving experience. Conclusion: FOCAL+ training significantly reduces long-glances beginning at the 1st training session. Application: Providing five FOCAL+ training sessions early on during teen driving may maximize benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To perform a systematic review to investigate if the use of audio distraction reduces signs of stress and anxiety in paediatric patients undergoing dental treatment. Materials and methods: Search was made in electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Scielo, BVS, Springer Link, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and grey literature) until March 11th, 2024. The eligibility criteria were: paediatric patients under dental treatment; use of audio as a distraction method; comparison between groups with and without use of audio distraction; Clinical trials. The outcomes measured were alterations in the anxiety, fear and/or stress levels. Evaluation of the risk of bias and assessment of the certainty of the evidence (GRADE) were performed. Meta-analysis was conducted for four outcomes, considering 95% confidence interval (CI), random effects and heterogeneity from Tau². Results: From 5,495 results, 25 studies composed the narrative sample and 12 composed the meta-analysis. High risk of bias was generally observed. Three results from the meta-analysis showed high heterogeneity and some outcomes presented a statistical association: systolic blood pressure reduction (p = 0.52; CI= -6.05 [-7.50 to -4.60]), pulse rate (p < 0.00001; CI= -4.95 [-9.95 to -3.52]), Venham’s test scores (p < 0.00001; CI= -1.24 [-1.79 to -0.68]), and oxygen saturation (p < 0.00001; CI = 0.14 [-0.04 to 0.33]). The outcomes presented “very low” and “low” certainty of evidence. Conclusion: Although a low certainty of evidence was observed, our study suggests that audio may be an effective alternative for reducing stress and anxiety and pain perception during non-invasive treatments. Future well-designed studies are necessary. Clinical relevance: Audio distraction presents a potential role as an efficient method to reduce stress in children undergoing dental treatment. More RCTs are necessary to improve the evidence level, considering the main variables related to audio distraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effect of a twelve-session Mindfulness, Acceptance and Self-Compassion in Sport (MASCS) program on self-compassion and somatic anxiety, worry and concentration disruption sub-dimensions of sport anxiety in elite tennis players. A randomized control group pretest and post-test experimental design was used in this study. The study involved sixteen elite tennis players attending a tennis club. Their ages ranged between 12 and 18 years, with a mean age of 14.25. The Sport Anxiety Scale-2 and the Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form were used as data collection instruments before and after the program. Elite tennis players in the experimental group participated in the MASCS program once a week for twelve weeks. The results showed that after the MASCS program, there was an increase in self-compassion and a decrease in somatic anxiety, worry, and concentration disruption sub-dimensions of sport anxiety in the experimental group. There were also significant differences between self-compassion and the somatic anxiety and concentration disruption sub-dimensions of sport anxiety post-test scores of the experimental and control groups in favor of the experimental group. These findings suggest that elite athletes can improve their ability to cope with anxiety in sports by practicing mindfulness and self-compassion exercises. Lay Summary: A twelve-session Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Self-Compassion in Sport program decreased somatic anxiety and concentration disruption in elite tennis players. The Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Self-Compassion in Sports program increased self-compassion in elite tennis players. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The MASCS program has great potential in decreasing somatic anxiety and concentration disruption dimensions of sport anxiety and increasing self-compassion in elite athletes. More exercises focusing on cognitive processes can be included in the program to increase the program's effectiveness on the worry sub-dimension of sport anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Television viewing has been linked with increased weight and obesity, likely through decreased physical activity associated with sitting and viewing television, as well as increased intake of food, likely through reduced awareness of eating and intake behaviours. This review sought to determine the effects of television viewing on energy intake relative to the absence of television. Methods: We adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and pre-registered this review in PROSPERO (CRD42023493092). The PICOS strategy included children, adolescents and adults of all ages (P), exposed to television viewing only during meals (I) compared to no television and no other distractors (C), with the outcome as energy intake or consumption (O) for both within-subject and between-subject randomised controlled trial (RCT) designs (S). Results: Robust-variance meta-analyses of k = 57 effect sizes from 23 studies showed no overall effect, noting high heterogeneity. When analyses were limited to television alone with k = 29 effect sizes from 23 studies, we revealed a small significant effect of television viewing on intake (g = 0.13, 95% CI [0.03–0.24]) compared to no television. Moderation analysis showed that television viewing strongly increased intake at the next meal (g = 0.30, 95% CI [0.03–0.57]) but not immediate intake (g = 0.10, 95% CI [−0.01–0.21]). Conclusions: This review showed that television viewing increases food intake, especially at the next meal. This effect was evident across both children and adults. This review highlights how television viewing impacts intake and offers potential avenues for intervention based on our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: As different countries are witnessing a surge in online course enrollments, the purpose of this study is to examine the impact of different stressors and strains on the continuity of online classes for understanding learner behavior. While extroverts are more talkative, sociable and open than introverts, it is necessary to understand the impact of extraversion personality traits on leaners' distraction, depression and knowledge absorption capacity (KAC) in online learning scenarios. This will help to curate the content to cater to such students. Additionally, it will be interesting to examine how these effects change when the frequency and duration of classes are increased or decreased. Research on such aspects is scarce, highlighting a critical gap in the literature, which this study tries to address. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative-based survey was adopted for collecting data from Indian students. About 482 responses received in the survey were analyzed through the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. Findings: Findings suggest a significant positive effect of extraversion on both distraction and depression. Depression had a significant negative impact on KAC. The frequency of classes had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between extraversion and distraction. Additionally, the duration of classes had a significant moderating effect on the association between distraction and KAC. Originality/value: Limited studies have attempted to examine the impact of personality (extraversion) on depression, distraction and finally KAC in the online education context. This study aims to add value to existing literature by addressing this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the high-attention-demanding environment of underground coal mines, distraction is a major cause of unsafe behavior and decreased safety performance. Research on the cognitive neural mechanisms and monitoring of distraction in miners is limited. This study used an electroencephalogram (EEG) to examine the correlation between distraction and brain activity in coal miners, aiming to provide an objective method for monitoring distraction in coal miners. Thirty participants completed a simulated hazard recognition task, using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) and noise to induce distraction. Brain activity was recorded and labeled as focused or distracted based on the correctness of the hazard recognition task. EEG features were extracted and selected, and a Random Forest model for distraction identification was constructed based on the selected features. In the focused state, delta power in the temporal region and theta power in the frontal region increased significantly. In the distracted state, alpha power in the temporal and occipital regions and beta power in the occipital and parietal regions increased. The selected EEG features could be used to identify distraction with 84% accuracy. This method can objectively identify distraction in coal miners, highlighting the potential of using EEG for real-time distraction monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collection of think aloud data on critical thinking tasks requires participants, many of whom are postsecondary students, to engage with real-life and potentially controversial topics. Accuracy of verbal reports can be enhanced with clear instructions and by minimizing distracting events. For example, interviewers can minimize external distractions such as ambient noise by holding think aloud sessions in a quiet room. However, internal distractions such as participants' fears about freely expressing their thoughts about controversial topics may be more difficult for interviewers to address. Although the fear of freely expressing thoughts during think aloud interviews has not been empirically investigated, this needs to change. Large-scale surveys indicate that a sizable portion of postsecondary students report discomfort with expressing their thoughts on some topics. This paper offers a theoretical case for why participants' fears about voicing thoughts freely and without reprisal during think aloud sessions may not only potentially undermine the truthfulness of verbal reports and validity of inferences, but also the very study of critical thinking. Thus, an empirical case for the freedom to think aloud must be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kinesiophobia or fear of movement is a cause of decreased level of activity in patients with chronic neck pain. Traditional forms of treatment, such as physiotherapy alone, can tackle problems of neck pain, but not kinesiophobia. This study aims to study the effect of visual distractiontechnique in the treatment of kinesiophobia. Study design: Quasi experimental study. Methods: A total of 43 participants with chronic neck pain and kinesiophobia were selected for the study. These participants underwent assessments on the NRS, Tampa scale and evaluation of cervical ROM. Assessment was done pre and post intervention of two weeks. Results: A significant reduction in Tampa score and NRS scores was observed and improvement in cervical ROM were seen post intervention in all subjects. Conclusion: The new visual distraction tool is effective in reducing kinesiophobia levels and NRS scores and improving cervical ROM in patients with chronic neck pain with kinesiophobia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Background Aims Materials and Methods Results Conclusion Anecdotal experience suggests that WHO Safer Surgery Checklist has become a ‘tickbox’ exercise, resulting in variable team engagement and efficacy.To observe the quality and completeness of ‘Time Out’, together with the level of team engagement during obstetrics and gynaecology procedures.Observational study where the following data were collected during ‘Time Out’: % of the 19 items correctly responded to after ‘challenge’. Type and duration of distractions. Level of team engagement. Authority gradient and likelihood of speaking up (Visual Analogue Score). Data from 70 obstetrics and gynaecology cases were collected over 8 weeks. ‘Time Out’ was clearly announced in 91.4% and was performed in all cases but not all items were communicated in the correct ‘challenge and response’ manner. Mean percentage of questions appropriately ‘challenged’ and ‘responded’ to was 92% ± 6.86%. Mean duration of ‘Time Out’ was 92.01 ± 86.9 s and observed distractions were auditory (61%), visual (26%), irrelevant chatter (22.5%) and theatre traffic (13%). In 92.8%, at least two team members were not engaged and were performing non‐essential tasks. The likelihood of a team member being able to ‘speak up’ was 8.78/10 (±0.71) and this appeared independent of whether it was led by nurses, doctors, operating department practitioners or healthcare support workers.Although performed in all cases, ‘Time Out’ is often not clearly announced or completed in the correct ‘challenge and response’ manner. It is plagued by avoidable distractions and suboptimal team engagement. Greater awareness is crucial to ensure more complete team involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of road accidents, a major global issue, are linked to growing demands for faster vehicle speeds. Analytical research highlights the significance of self-visual distraction events for drivers in these occurrences. In this study, we present an IoT-Fog-based framework that is intended to automatically identify and notify drivers of self-visual distraction as it occurs. With a conditional evaluation dependent on the status of the driver, the proposed framework uses Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to extract characteristics and expressions indicative of a distracted state of the driver. The framework shows encouraging results, proving the effectiveness of the model with a high accuracy rate of 90% and precision value of 91%. Notably, in terms of detection accuracy, the suggested framework outperforms other state-of-the-art techniques. Real-time alerts that involve prompt recognition and persistent beeping until normality is restored can reduce traffic accidents and are an essential intervention for saving lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When performing cognitive tasks in noisy conditions, the brain needs to maintain task performance while additionally controlling the processing of task‐irrelevant and potentially distracting auditory stimuli. Previous research indicates that a fundamental mechanism by which this control is achieved is the attenuation of task‐irrelevant processing, especially in conditions with high task demands. However, it remains unclear whether the processing of complex naturalistic sounds can be modulated as easily as that of simpler ones. To address this issue, the present fMRI study examined whether activity related to task‐irrelevant meaningful speech is attenuated similarly as that related to meaningless control sounds (nonsense speech and noise‐vocoded, unintelligible sounds). The sounds were presented concurrently with three numerical tasks varying in difficulty: an easy control task requiring no calculation, a 'routine' arithmetic calculation task and a more demanding 'creative' arithmetic task, where solutions are generated to reach a given answer. Consistent with their differing difficulty, the tasks activated fronto‐parieto‐temporal regions parametrically (creative > routine > control). In bilateral auditory regions, activity related to the speech stimuli decreased as task demands increased. Importantly, however, the attenuation was more pronounced for meaningful than nonsense speech, demonstrating that distractor type can strongly modulate the extent of the attenuation. This also suggests that semantic processing may be especially susceptible to attenuation under conditions with increased task demands. Finally, as this is the first study to utilize the 'creative' arithmetic task, we conducted exploratory analyses to examine its potential in assessing neural processes involved in mathematical problem‐solving beyond routine arithmetic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract:Introduction: Mood and emotion variously affect our behaviors. The present study examined the relationship between positive and negative affect and driver behaviors as well as the mediating role of perceived stress and driving anger. Method: A total of 369 drivers (age: M = 35.52, SD = 10.61) participated in the study by completing the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Driver Anger Scale, the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire, and the Positive Driver Behaviour Scale. Results: Six serial mediation analyses revealed multiple mediations explaining violations the most and positive behaviors the least. Both positive and negative affects were associated with greater anger, leading to more violations. Moreover, positive affect was negative and negative affect was positively related to perceived stress, which in turn was related to increased violations. For positive behaviors, positive affect was associated with less perceived stress, which was associated with more positive behaviors. Conclusion: Moods and emotions reveal a tendency to behave in ways that can be dangerous to drivers and other road users. The study was particularly important because it was the first in the literature to examine positive and negative affect on driver behaviors, perceived stress, and driving anger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Stress is a common concern among healthcare students, due to the demands of their coursework and the elevated expectations they face. Especially among dentistry and nursing students, the phenomenon, although well-documented, covers psychosocial and physiological dimensions, with somatization symptoms being less explored. These manifestations are crucial to identify discipline-specific stressors and health impacts that can lead to targeted interventions for both disciplines. Aim: This study investigates stress perceptions, somatization, and coping strategies among 271 nursing and dentistry students at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Methodology: An e-questionnaire was open for submissions during February and March 2024. Results: Females reported higher stress somatization (M = 10.22, SD = 5.23) than males (M = 7.94, SD = 6.14; Cohen's d = 0.412, p < 0.05). The interpretation of stress as "restlessness and psychological pressure" was more prevalent in dentistry students compared to nursing students. Moreover, nursing students who perceived stress as the "inability to manage unexpected or difficult situations, insecurity, panic" were more likely to experience stress somatization symptoms, while for dentistry students, stress somatization was related to "pressure to meet daily obligations/long-term goals". Physical symptoms for all students included chest discomfort, digestive issues, and headaches/nausea. Also, dentistry students reported more teeth clenching or grinding than nursing students. Short-term coping strategies included emotional balance, managing stressors, situation analysis, and breathing techniques. Long-term strategies involved distraction and entertainment, physical exercise, and patience. A higher willingness to seek coaching support correlated with higher stress somatization among dental students. Nursing students favored psychological support, while dentistry students suggested curriculum revision and improved infrastructure. Discussion/Conclusions: Females exhibited higher stress somatization levels, with themes of insecurity and physical symptoms. Nursing students reported higher somatization linked to insecurity, while dental students associated stress with daily obligations and goals. The study highlights the need for improved support systems, flexible academic procedures, and better communication to address stress in healthcare academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused physical health concerns but has also resulted in widespread mental distress and disruptions to daily life. The implementation of large-scale lockdowns and quarantines has heightened uncertainty and stress levels among individuals worldwide. Guided by the O-S-O-R model, this study investigates whether gaming can relieve the quarantine-invoking stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in China and explores the underlying mechanisms. Through propensity score matching and t-tests, the results showed that players perceived lower levels of stress during the quarantine compared to nonplayers. Furthermore, the study used PLS-SEM to uncover the chain relationship of "uncertainty-gaming-distraction-stress relief", while gaming doesn't directly alleviate stress, but rather relies on the mediating of distraction. These findings contribute to the development of serious games designed for quarantine situations and highlight the importance of addressing the mental health of quarantined individuals during future epidemic control efforts. Understanding the stress-relieving effects of gaming in quarantine environments is crucial for safeguarding the well-being of individuals in similar situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis article examines the intersection of theology, social media technologies, and human responses to global crises and disaster. It highlights the way in which social media has become a primary platform for engaging with such events, while also considering its effects on mental health. Responding to the needs of others is theologically important, but this raises crucial questions about how tomanage practical engagement with social media amidst the poor mental health outcomes associated with it. This article offers a theological response which emphasises the centrality of the body anddraws on the work of philosopher Albert Borgmann to outline the importance of “focal things” in human experience. Borgmann’s concept is proposed as a potential antidote to the mental health issues and distractions fostered by social media, offering one possible pathway to more meaningful and embodied responses to crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different driving environments may lead to increased mental workload and fatigue among drivers, consequently diminishing driving safety. To investigate the impact of various factors on drivers' driving load, this study approaches the issue from three perspectives: external weather environment, road driving environment, and in-vehicle driving environment. Through the experimental modeling of the mountainous road section of Provincial Highway S208 in Chongyang County, Xianning City, and employing simulated driving experiments, various factor combinations were designed to investigate the visual characteristics of drivers. Through factor analysis, a comprehensive examination is conducted on four visual indicators: the rate of change in pupil area, fixation duration, saccade velocity, and saccade angle, to explore the patterns of influence exerted by these factors on the driving load of drivers. The evaluation results of driving workload indicate that the degree of driver distraction decreases when the plant spacing is set at 6 meters and the type of road traffic auxiliary facilities is configured to two. When the traffic flow on the road is zero and no driving sub-mission are present, the driver experiences the minimum level of workload. The findings of this study provide robust theoretical support for nighttime mountain driving safety, contributing to the in-depth exploration of traffic safety theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burns are injuries to the skin or the underlying tissue system caused by heat, radiation, electricity, friction or chemicals. Burns can cause pain and discomfort during dressing changes; a person's pain response varies depending on individual perception. The pain response can indicate tissue damage in the body, as pain causes a person to experience discomfort. Pain can be interpreted as a subjective sensory response and an unpleasant emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Pain is usually managed with pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy. An example of non-pharmacological therapy is the use of distraction techniques, such as virtual reality (VR). VR diverts pain by creating a 3D environment with a screen and VR glasses. It allows the patient to immerse themselves in a virtual world complete with sound and music. The volume can be adjusted as needed and the patient can interact with the virtual world. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics and effectiveness of VR pain management in burn patients. The method used in this study is a literature review using the Preferred Reporting Items For Systematic Review (PRISMA). The authors searched for journal articles using the Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, covering the period from 2015–2023. The keywords used were pain management, virtual reality and burn injury. Based on the predetermined inclusion criteria, 10 articles were selected for the review. The results of this study, based on the analysis of 10 articles, indicated that the distraction or transition method (non-pharmacological management using VR) was effective in reducing pain and discomfort during dressing changes in patients with mild to moderate burns, across various age groups from infants and children to adults. Clinicians can leverage VR technology to tailor interventions based on individual patient needs, across all age groups, enhancing patient comfort and engagement during procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to find out teachers' views on digital distraction. The sub-objectives of the study are to find out whether teachers experience digital distraction, in which environments they experience digital distraction, what they feel when they experience digital distraction and what precautions they take against digital distraction. The participants of the research, which was designated adopting with a phenomenological design, were a total of 81 teachers. As a result of content analysis, the reasons for encountering digital distraction were listed as advertising, latest news, alerts, the large amount of content on the Internet, being asked to look at a social media account, look at other studies when doing research, and other videos suggestions while watching a video interest/curiosity and boredom. The environments in which teachers experience digital distraction are social media, conducting research, social environment, shopping websites, work life and leisure time. The reasons for experiencing digital distraction in these environments include interest/curiosity, advertisements, notifications, boredom, news and the huge amount of content on the internet. Teachers experience negative emotions such as anger, sadness, and regret when they experience digital distraction. Teachers reported feeling happy because they were learning new information, they felt relaxed because they were moving away from the subject and resting, and happy because they were looking at things they were curious about. The precautions taken by teachers are self-control, turning off notifications, limiting the time spent digitally, taking the phone/computer away, not opening/closing too many tabs and installing ad/cookie blocker software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our mixed findings suggest that a 'one-size fits all' approach to support staff to work from home is not fit for purpose. Ensuring flexibility and consideration for individual differences and contextual factors is key for organizations, employers, and managers of those responding to enhanced incidents from home. Objective: This study investigates perceptions of homeworking in UK Government response-focused employees that contributed to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Method: A cross-sectional online survey with open-ended questions was conducted. Free-text responses detailing participants' perceptions of barriers, facilitators, advantages, and disadvantages were analyzed using content analysis. Results: A total of 1943 free-text responses (from 150 participants) were analyzed. There were many conflicting advantages and disadvantages provided by participants, but crudely more positive statements were provided than negative. Flexibility associated with working from home was the most common positive factor, and the isolation and impact on working relationships was the most reported negative factor of working from home. Conclusions: We suggest a 'one size fits all' approach to supporting staff working from home is not fit for purpose due to individual circumstances and contextual factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The use of virtual reality to support cancer patients has gained increasing interest in recent years, leading to a rise in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. However, no umbrella review has yet been carried out to synthesize the current state of evidence. The aim of this umbrella review is to fill this gap, providing a comprehensive overview of the various virtual reality-based interventions in oncology, and examining their effects and limitations. This synthesis provides a framework to guide future research and enable the scientific community to direct the development and optimization of virtual reality technologies to improve the cancer care pathway. Background/Objectives: Cancer patients often experience psychological and physical symptoms that can significantly impact their quality of life and treatment outcomes. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising complementary approach to standard cancer care. Due to the rapidly evolving nature of VR research in oncology, it seems essential to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge in this field. Therefore, this umbrella review aimed to synthesize evidence from all relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses on VR-based interventions for improving psychological and physical well-being among cancer patients. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in four databases (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo) from inception to August 2023. We included systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses that evaluated the effects of VR-based interventions on any health-related outcomes in cancer patients. The methodological quality of included reviews was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess systematic Reviews) tool. Results: Eighteen individual systematic reviews including ten performed meta-analyses were included, with sample sizes ranging from 225 to 842 participants. VR-based interventions were categorized into three main types: distraction, rehabilitation, and education. The interventions varied significantly in terms of content, equipment, setting, and duration. The most frequent use of VR is one-off exposure in hospital settings to distract patients from anticancer treatment and painful procedures, with natural or game-based content. The mechanism most commonly proposed to explain the effectiveness of VR involves attentional redirection. Conclusions: This umbrella review suggests that VR-based interventions may be effective in improving psychological outcomes in cancer patients, particularly anxiety, pain, and depression. However, high heterogeneity across studies and mixed results for some outcomes indicate a need for further high-quality research. Moreover, a more refined analysis of VR-based interventions is essential to explore the specific mechanisms of action associated with each type. This approach would enable us to establish the optimal characteristics of each intervention and their long-term effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research findings indicate that when a task-irrelevant stimulus feature deviates from an otherwise predictable pattern, participants performing a categorization task exhibit slower responses (deviance distraction). This deviance distraction effect reflects the violation of the sensory predictions generated by the cognitive system. In this study, we sought to examine for the first time whether these predictions can be incidentally modulated by the auditory environment. Participants categorized the duration (short vs long) of a colored shape (red square or blue circle) while instructed to disregard the stimulus' visual features and the sound played in the background (two distinct chords played by different instruments). While the two visual stimuli shapes were equiprobable across the task, one was highly likely (p=.882) and the other rare (p=.118) in one auditory context and vice versa in the other context. Our results showed that participants were significantly slower in the duration judgement task whenever the stimulus was unexpected within a given auditory context (context-dependent distraction), and that the reset of their sensory predictions was completed upon the trial following a change of context. We conclude that object features and environmental context are processed in relation to each other and that sensory predictions are produced in relation to the environmental context, evidencing the first demonstration of auditory context-dependent modulation of attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual stimuli are thought to be highly salient and have been shown to automatically attract attention at the cost of processing other stimuli. We examined whether this effect was greater for men and whether men would show a category-specific effect with greater effects due to female images than male images. In two studies, participants performed a simple perceptual task while trying to ignore a distractor stimulus that could have sexual or neutral content. As expected, sexual stimuli produced a slowing of decision times under all conditions. The effect of erotic stimuli was greater for men (Experiment 1) and was category-specific (Experiment 2) while the response of women was not category specific (Experiment 2). However, all indices of distraction showed poor levels of reliability. The results show that early automatic distraction from sexual images show both quantitative and qualitative gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory efforts are hypothesized to affect associations between emotions and physiology (i.e., concordance) to facilitate adaptive functioning. Assessing the role of coping on physiological–emotional concordance during ecologically relevant scenarios can elucidate whether concordance can serve as a biomarker of risk or resilience. The present study assessed self‐reported coping as a moderator of minute‐to‐minute associations between autonomic nervous system activity and emotions (i.e., physiological–emotional concordance) in caregivers (N = 97) and adolescents (N = 97; ages 10–15) during a dyadic conflict task. Models included physiological variables (sympathetic, skin conductance level [SCL]; and parasympathetic, respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and their interaction (SCL × RSA) as predictors of emotions, with coping variables as moderators. Caregivers' use of primary control coping (e.g., problem solving and emotional expression) and secondary control coping (e.g., cognitive reappraisal and acceptance) use in response to family stress predicted more positive emotional experiences during the laboratory conflict task. Adolescents' use of secondary control coping moderated the SCL–emotion association, such that increases in momentary SCL were associated with more positive emotion ratings for youth reporting higher secondary control coping. For youth who report more adaptive trait‐level coping skills, momentary changes in SCL may reflect active engagement and attentiveness to facilitate more positive emotional experiences. Findings advance our understanding of the interrelationships between physiological responses and psychological experiences during relevant, interactive scenarios. Autonomic responses are differentially related to affective states depending on the coping strategies that adolescents employ, suggesting that concordance may be associated with intervention targets (i.e., coping skills). Regulatory efforts are hypothesized to affect physiological–emotional associations to facilitate adaptive functioning. Results suggest that autonomic responses differentially relate to emotions based on coping. For adolescents utilizing more secondary control coping skills, momentary skin conductance level changes may reflect active engagement and attentiveness to facilitate more positive emotional experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of joint attention holds significant importance in human interaction and is pivotal in establishing rapport, understanding, and effective communication. Within social robotics, enhancing user perception of the robot and promoting a sense of natural interaction with robots becomes a central element. In this sense, emulating human-centric qualities in social robots, such as joint attention, defined as the ability of two or more individuals to focus on a common event simultaneously, can increase their acceptability. This study analyses the impact on user perception of a responsive joint attention system integrated into a social robot within an interactive scenario. The experimental setup involves playing against the robot in the "Odds and Evens" game under two conditions: whether the joint attention system is active or inactive. Additionally, auditory and visual distractors are employed to simulate real-world distractions, aiming to test the system's ability to capture and follow user attention effectively. To assess the influence of the joint attention system, participants completed the Robotic Social Attributes Scale (RoSAS) after each interaction. The results showed a significant improvement in user perception of the robot's competence and warmth when the joint attention system was active. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, we previously identified decreased rates of radiotherapy (RT) peer review (PR) discussion and plan changes in virtual versus in-person PR conferences. To expand on these findings, we continued to prospectively collect data on all PR conferences from 2021 to 2023 and performed a follow-up analysis before and after the transition back to in-person PR. A prospectively maintained database of weekly PR cases was queried for consecutive cases reviewed before and after the transition from virtual to in-person conferences. Rates of PR discussion and change recommendations were summarized and compared between the virtual and in-person groups. A survey was developed and administered to assess participants' perceived levels of engagement, opinions on optimal PR format, and preferences for future meetings before and 3 months after the transition back to in-person PR. In total, 2,103 RT plans were reviewed: 1,590 virtually and 513 after the transition back to in-person. There was no difference in faculty attendance between groups. The proportion of cases with PR discussion increased from virtual (9.8%) to in-person (25.5%) format (p < 0.001). In the virtual group, 8.1% of cases had 1 topic and 1.7% had 2+ topics discussed. This increased to 15.8% and 9.7% during in-person PR, respectively (p < 0.001). The rate of change recommendation also increased from 1.5% (virtual) to 3.3% (in-person, p = 0.016). Among cases with at least 1 topic discussed, there was no difference in changes. Survey-reported distraction significantly decreased from virtual to in-person PR (p < 0.001). Upon returning to in-person PR conferences, peer discussion and plan change recommendations significantly increased and returned to pre-pandemic levels, and participants' perceived levels of distraction were reduced. In an increasingly virtual world, additional efforts to develop best practices that maximize PR discussion and minimize distraction outside virtual conferences are warranted. • The case discussion increased with transition from virtual to in-person radiation oncology peer review. • The plan changes were more frequent with in-person versus virtual format. • For cases with any discussion, change rates were similar between virtual and in-person. • Self-reported distraction was decreased in-person and other survey measures of engagement did not change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate drivers' disengagement from nondriving related tasks (NDRT) during scheduled takeovers and to evaluate its impact on takeover performance. Background: During scheduled takeovers, drivers typically have sufficient time to prepare. However, inadequate disengagement from NDRTs can introduce safety risks. Method: Participants experienced scheduled takeovers using a driving simulator, undergoing two conditions, with and without an NDRT. We assessed their takeover performance and monitored their NDRT disengagement from visual, cognitive, and physical perspectives. Results: The study examined three NDRT disengagement timings (DTs): DT1 (disengaged before the takeover request), DT2 (disengaged after the request but before taking over), and DT3 (not disengaged). The impact of NDRT on takeover performance varied depending on DTs. Specifically, DT1 demonstrated no adverse effects; DT2 impaired takeover time, while DT3 impaired both takeover time and quality. Additionally, participants who displayed DT1 exhibited longer eye-off-NDRT duration and a higher eye-off-NDRT count during the prewarning stage compared to those with DT2 and DT3. Conclusion: Drivers can benefit from earlier disengagement from NDRTs, demonstrating resilience to the adverse effects of NDRTs on takeover performance. The disengagement of cognition is often delayed compared to that of eyes and hands, potentially leading to DT3. Moreover, visual disengagement from NDRTs during the prewarning stage could distinguish DT1 from the other two. Application: Our study emphasizes considering NDRT disengagement in designing systems for scheduled takeovers. Measures should be taken to promote early disengagement, facilitate cognitive disengagement, and employ visual disengagement during the prewarning period as predictive indicators of DTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment investigated rumination as a possible mechanism for the phenomenon of depression increasing negative autobiographical memories. Participants recalled a negative autobiographical memory involving school before rating the negative mood intensity of that memory, then half of the participants ruminated on that memory and half of the participants were distracted from it. Participants then rated the memory again, and either ruminated or were distracted for a second time before rating the memory for a third time and completing the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Rumination on Sadness Scale, and demographic questions. The negative mood intensity of the autobiographical memory decreased over time, but did so to a lesser extent when participants ruminated on it versus being distracted (interaction p < .001, d = 1.01). Furthermore, for the rumination condition, participants with greater depression scores reported negativity ratings that decreased at a slower rate over time; for the distraction condition, participants with greater depression scores reported negativity ratings that decreased at a faster rate over time (interaction p = .040, R2 = .047). Depression leads to rumination, and may also amplify the effect of rumination on the negativity of autobiographical memories. The effects of rumination may be due to memory effects such as retrieval practice and mood congruency. Individuals experiencing higher levels of depressive symptom severity may be more likely to experience increasingly negative memories due to rumination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the driver's gaze could be important information in preventing accidents while driving. In this study, machine learning models for estimating the driver's gaze distraction through head movement data were created and their performance was compared and evaluated. Participants wore glasses-type eye trackers and performed the task of selecting the touch screen buttons while driving. The input variable used in the model was data obtained from a 3-axis accelerometer sensor and a 3-axis gyroscope sensor, and the target variable was eye-gaze data. As a result, it was confirmed that the gaze area could be estimated with a precision, sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 72.1%, 72.5%, 66.0%, and 69.3%, respectively, only with the head movement sensing data. The model trained using time-series datasets had higher performance than using non-time series datasets. This study presented one alternative that could be used to determine the driver's status with an inexpensive sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive aging is typically associated with a higher susceptibility to distraction by concurrent, but task-irrelevant stimuli. Here, we studied the cognitive sub-processes involved in a sample of 484 healthy adults aged 20–70 years from the Dortmund Vital Study (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05155397). Participants judged the duration of tone stimuli of a random sequence of long and short tones, having either a regular (standard) pitch or rare (deviant) pitch. Deviance-related ERPs were explored, reflecting neuro-cognitive correlates of pre-attentive deviance detection (MMN), attention allocation toward (P3a) and processing of (P3b) the deviance, and re-orienting toward the task-relevant stimulus feature (RON). Accuracy was reduced for deviant long tones, possibly due to withdrawing attention from processing the time information, making long stimuli appear shorter. This effect increased with age, and cluster-based permutation tests on the correlation of ERPs and age as well as linear mixed modeling indicated a decrease in MMN, an increase in P3a with long tones, and decreases in P3b and RON. This suggests a greater attentional orienting to the deviant stimulus feature and a reduced re-orienting to the task-relevant feature with increasing age. • We explore ERP correlates of auditory distraction in 484 persons aged 20–70 years. • We employ a duration-discrimination paradigm with regular and deviant tone stimuli. • Accuracy decreases with increasing age, especially for long deviant tones. • Deviance-related P3a increases, MMN, P3b and RON decrease. • With age, orientation to distraction increases and reorientation decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]