Short-term Practice Research Articles

Psychometric assessment of a Chinese version of a mindfulness practice quality measurement tool

BackgroundMindfulness training is increasingly popular in China. The challenge of evaluating mindfulness practice objectively and accurately has attracted research attention. However, previous studies in China focused primarily on the quantity rather than the quality of mindfulness training. The Practice Quality - Mindfulness (PQ-M) can provide a solution. Consequently, the present study aimed to validate and assess the internal consistency and construct validity of the Chinese version of the Practice Quality - Mindfulness (Ch-PQ-M) in a non-clinical sample.MethodsOne hundred and sixty participants (female:81) were recruited to practice 20 min of mindfulness training daily for four consecutive days and to complete the Ch-PQ-M, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Peace of Mind Scale immediately after each mindfulness practice. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale were administered pre- and post- 4-day treatment. Construct validity (confirmatory factor analysis), internal consistency, test–retest reliability, predictive validity and construct validity were examined.ResultsCh-PQ-M demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the established two-factor model (perseverance and receptivity). The Ch-PQ-M attention score was significantly associated with changes of trait anxiety. It improved with short-term mindfulness practice. The perseverance score consistently correlates with scores on peace of mind, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and observe and nonreactivity. The receptivity score remains consistently correlated with the nonjudging. These findings suggest that Ch-PQ-M is a valid instrument for evaluating individual mindfulness quality for a single-session practice.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that Ch-PQ-M (especially for the Ch-PQ-M perseverance score) has acceptable psychometric properties and is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing mindfulness practice quality in the Chinese cultural context.

A slow limit: extensive motor training cannot overcome a limit on the production of slow and smooth motion.

Previous research from several paradigms indicated that people have difficulty in producing slow and smooth movements (SSM). It is not clear whether these difficulties are due to biomechanical constraints, planning constraints, or lack of experience with moving slowly. Here, we investigated the latter possibility: we empirically tested whether short-term practice and long-term expertise with moving slowly would result in an increased ability to perform SSM. In study 1, novice participants completed 10 training sessions in which they moved a stylus on a digitizing tablet as they traced an ellipse that moved at different frequency/peak velocity combinations, with frequencies ranging from 0.25 Hz to 0.875 Hz. In study 2, experts in slow movement (tai chi performers) and fast movement (karate performers) completed the same task in one session. The results indicated that all participants had difficulties in producing SSM, as evidenced by an increase in submovement rate with decreasing frequency. Participants in study 1 did show a marked improvement in their ability to produce fewer submovements while reducing mean squared jerk (MSJ). These short-term improvements were not evident in long-term slow motor expertise (i.e., tai chi). Taken together, our results suggest that SSM are likely difficult to produce due to a combination of several factors: lack of experience, planning, biomechanical, and neural constraints.NEW & NOTEWORTHY People can improve their ability to produce smooth slow movements in the short term (10 training sessions) in a sinusoidal tracking task by reducing the rate of submovements, but they are not able to eliminate them entirely. This lack of an ability to move slowly and smoothly was confirmed in a second experiment, where there was a lack of difference observed between long-term slow movement practitioners (i.e., tai chi experts) and novices.

Eficacia y seguridad del balón de dilatación uretral Optilume® en la práctica clínica real: análisis multicéntrico en España

IntroductionThe Optilume® paclitaxel-coated urethral dilatation balloon is an alternative to conventional endoscopic treatments that combines mechanical dilatation with local delivery of paclitaxel. ObjectiveTo describe the success rate and analyze the safety of the device in real clinical practice. To evaluate possible predictors of treatment failure. Material and methodsRetrospective multicenter study in patients diagnosed with urethral stricture and treated with an Optilume® balloon in routine clinical practice. Data were collected from flowmetry, questionnaires (PROM and IPSS) and cystoscopy before surgery, and 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure, according to standard practice. Surgical success was defined as the absence of subsequent urethral manipulation and a Qmax>10ml/s. Results238 patients treated with Optilume® in 12 Spanish hospitals between May 2021 and April 2024 were included in the study. Of these, 156 who had a minimum follow-up of 3 months, were analyzed. Median stricture length: 1.5cm (0.5 - 5.3), mainly in bulbar urethra (87.7%). Of the total, 12.8% of patients had a history of pelvic radiotherapy, and 81.4% had undergone prior urethral manipulation. Postoperative complications were reported in 14.2% of the total. The treatment success rate was 73.8%, with a median follow-up of 8 months (5-12). No predictors of stricture recurrence were identified. Recurrence rates were higher in strictures located in the posterior versus anterior urethra (42.9% vs. 24.6%, p=0.126). No significant differences were observed between patients with and without prior urethral manipulation. ConclusionTreatment with Optilume® has been shown to be safe and effective in short-term routine clinical practice.

Efficacy and safety of Optilume® paclitaxel-coated urethral dilatation balloon in real-life: experience in a Spanish multicenter study

IntroductionThe Optilume® Paclitaxel-coated urethral dilatation balloon is an alternative to conventional endoscopic treatments that combines mechanical dilatation with local delivery of paclitaxel. ObjectiveTo describe the success rate and analyze the safety of the device in real clinical practice. To evaluate possible predictors of treatment failure. Materials and methodsRetrospective multicenter study in patients diagnosed with urethral stricture and treated with an Optilume® balloon in routine clinical practice. Data were collected from flowmetry, questionnaires (PROM and IPSS) and cystoscopy before surgery, and 3, 6 and 12 months after the procedure, according to standard practice. Surgical success was defined as the absence of subsequent urethral manipulation and a Qmax >10 ml/s. Results238 patients treated with Optilume® in 12 Spanish hospitals between May 2021 and April 2024 were included in the study. Of these, 156 who had a minimum follow-up of 3 months, were analyzed. Median stricture length: 1.5 cm (0.5–5.3), mainly in bulbar urethra (87.7%). Of the total, 12.8% of patients had a history of pelvic radiotherapy, and 81.4% had undergone prior urethral manipulation. Postoperative complications were reported in 14.2% of the total. The treatment success rate was 73.8%, with a median follow-up of 8 months (5–12). No predictors of stricture recurrence were identified. Recurrence rates were higher in strictures located in the posterior versus anterior urethra (42.9% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.126). No significant differences were observed between patients with and without prior urethral manipulation. ConclusionTreatment with Optilume® has been shown to be safe and effective in short-term routine clinical practice.

Analyzing the Trade-Offs between Soil Health Enhancement, Carbon Sequestration, and Productivity in Central India’s Black Soil through Conservation Agriculture

The impact of conservation tillage (CST) practices on soil properties, carbon sequestration and yield sustainability over short, medium, and long durations remain insufficiently understood, especially in semiarid Central India. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the effects and optimal duration of CST adoption for enhancing soil properties, carbon sequestration, and sustainable yields. We conducted a study in farmers’ fields in the Akola district of Central India, where CST had been practised for 4 to 15 years, within a soybean + pigeon pea–chickpea cropping sequence. Our findings revealed significant (p < 0.05) improvements in soil physical properties with short-term CST practices (4 to 6 years), alongside increasing availability of nitrogen and phosphorus, with longer durations of CST implementation (10 to 15 years). The lowest soil organic carbon (SOC) was observed in conventional tillage (CT_y), while all CST practices increased SOC content over CT_y, ranging from 22.2 to 38.4%. Further, experimental soil dominated passive C pools (Cfrac3 + Cfrac4). Consequently, long-term CST practices facilitated positive C sequestration rates, contrasting with negative or minimal sequestration observed in CT_y and short-term CST treatments. However, compared to CST, CT_y demonstrated higher soybean equivalent yields and comparable chickpea equivalent yields mainly due to delayed germinations induced by lower soil temperatures in CST plots. We conclude that integrating site-specific characteristics, management practices, and regional climate conditions into conservation agriculture frameworks maximizes efficacy and ensures sustainable productivity. These findings help optimize agricultural practices considering potential yield losses or minimal changes despite implementing CST.

Systems thinking in sustainable agriculture development: a case study of garlic production in Indonesia

Sustainable agriculture involves complex interactions among social, economic, and ecological dimensions, each with distinct interests and goals. Achieving sustainable agricultural development is challenging and requires a comprehensive response. This study focuses on Indonesia’s garlic production, employing a systems thinking approach to provide a holistic understanding of the interconnected factors influencing sustainable agricultural systems. We utilized the first two steps of the five-step systems thinking methodology—problem articulation and the formulation of dynamic hypotheses. This process involved developing a causal loop diagram (CLD) to represent the dynamic hypotheses and identifying system archetypes to determine leverage and potential intervention points. Our analysis identified three system archetypes—Drifting Goals, Fixes that Fail, and Limit to Growth—as key patterns influencing the sustainability of garlic production. The Drifting Goals archetype reveals that efforts to boost local garlic stock in Indonesia are hindered by the allocation of garlic for seeds, due to the lack of a clear distinction between garlic for consumption and seed. The Fixes that Fail archetype illustrates the long-term detrimental effects of short-term agricultural practices, such as the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Limit to Growth archetype underscores the critical need for enhanced market access and a shift in consumer preferences to sustain garlic farming. To address these challenges, we recommend establishing clear distinctions between garlic for consumption and seed production, developing the seed industry, promoting integrated pest management, and reducing reliance on chemical inputs through environmentally friendly technology. Additionally, ensuring market and price stability is vital to maintain farmers’ interest in garlic cultivation. Therefore, the government should prioritize market penetration for local garlic and consistently enforce import restrictions to ensure the sustainability of garlic production in Indonesia.

Predictions of Aboveground Herbaceous Production from Satellite-Derived APAR Are More Sensitive to Ecosite than Grazing Management Strategy in Shortgrass Steppe

The accurate estimation of aboveground net herbaceous production (ANHP) is crucial in rangeland management and monitoring. Remote and rural rangelands typically lack direct observation infrastructure, making satellite-derived methods essential. When ground data are available, a simple and effective way to estimate ANHP from satellites is to derive the empirical relationship between ANHP and plant-absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR), which can be estimated from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). While there is some evidence that this relationship will differ across rangeland vegetation types, it is unclear whether this relationship will change across grazing management regimes. This study aimed to assess the impact of grazing management on the relationship between ground-observed ANHP and satellite-derived APAR, considering variations in plant communities across ecological sites in the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. Additionally, we compared satellite-predicted biomass production from the process-based Rangeland Analysis Platform (RAP) model to our empirical APAR-based model. We found that APAR could be used to predict ANHP in the shortgrass steppe, with the relationship being influenced by ecosite characteristics rather than grazing management practices. For each unit of added APAR (MJ m−2 day−1), ANHP increased by 9.39 kg ha−1, and ecosites with taller structured herbaceous vegetation produced, on average, 3.92–5.71 kg ha−1 more ANHP per unit APAR than an ecosite dominated by shorter vegetation. This was likely due to the increased allocation of plant resources aboveground for C3 mid-grasses in taller structured ecosites compared to the C4 short-grasses that dominate the shorter structured ecosites. Moreover, we found that our locally calibrated empirical model generally performed better than the continentally calibrated process-based RAP model, though RAP performed reasonably well for the dominant ecosite. For our empirical models, R2 values varied by ecosite ranging from 0.49 to 0.67, while RAP R2 values ranged from 0.07 to 0.4. Managers in the shortgrass steppe can use satellites to estimate herbaceous production even without detailed information on short-term grazing management practices. The results from our study underscore the importance of understanding plant community composition for enhancing the accuracy of remotely sensed predictions of ANHP.

Short-Term Practice of Pranayama Based Yoga Ensures Sympathovagal Balance and Facilitates Fetomaternal Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes in the 3rd Trimester of Pregnancy

Short-Term Practice of Pranayama Based Yoga Ensures Sympathovagal Balance and Facilitates Fetomaternal Outcomes in Gestational Diabetes in the 3rd Trimester of Pregnancy

Effects of Short-Term Tillage on Rhizosphere Soil Nitrogen Mineralization and Microbial Community Composition in Double-Cropping Rice Field.

Soil extracellular enzyme plays a vital role in changing soil nitrogen (N) mineralization of rice field. However, the effects of soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEA) and microbial community composition response to N mineralization of rice field under short-term tillage treatment needed to be further explored. In this study, we investigated the impact of short-term (8-year) tillage practices on rhizosphere soil N transformation rate, soil enzyme activities, soil microbial community structure, and the N mineralization function gene abundances in double-cropping rice field in southern China. The experiment consisted of four tillage treatments: rotary tillage with crop straw input (RT), conventional tillage with crop straw input (CT), no-tillage with crop straw retention (NT), and rotary tillage with all crop straw removed as a control (RTO). The results indicated that the rhizosphere soil N transformation rate in paddy field under the NT and RTO treatments was significantly decreased compared to RT and CT treatments. In comparison to the NT and RTO treatments, soil protease, urease, β-glucosaminidase, and arginase activities were significantly improved by the CT treatment, as were abundances of soil sub, npr, and chiA with CT and RT treatments. Moreover, the overall diversity of soil bacterial communities in NT and RTO treatments was significantly lower than that in RT and CT treatments. Soil chitinolytic and bacterial ureolytic communities were also obviously changed under a combination of tillage and crop straw input practices.

Effector-specific improvements in action prediction in left-handed individuals after short-term physical practice

Research has established the influence of short-term physical practice for enhancing action prediction in right-handed (RH) individuals. In addition to benefits of physical practice for these later assessed perceptual-cognitive skills, effector-specific interference has been shown through action-incongruent secondary tasks (motor interference tasks). Here we investigated this experience-driven facilitation of action predictions and effector-specific interference in left-handed (LH) novices, before and after practicing a dart throwing task. Participants watched either RH (n = 19) or LH (n = 24) videos of temporally occluded dart throws, across a control condition and three secondary-task conditions: tone-monitoring, RH or LH force monitoring. These conditions were completed before and after physical practice throwing with the LH. Significantly greater improvement in prediction accuracy was shown post-practice for the LH- versus RH-video group. Consistent with previous work, effector-specific interference was shown, exclusive to the LH-video group. Only when doing the LH force monitoring task did the LH-video group show secondary task interference in prediction accuracy. These data support the idea that short-term physical practice resulted in the development of an effector-specific motor representation. The results are also consistent with other work in RH individuals (showing RH motor interference) and hence rule out the interpretation that these effector specific effects are due to the disruption of more generalized motor processes, thought to be lateralized to the left-hemisphere of the brain.

Environmental Inequality in Peri-Urban Areas: A Case Study of Huangpu District, Guangzhou City

This research investigates environmental inequalities within Guangzhou’s Huangpu District against the backdrop of rapid urbanisation and industrial expansion in Asia. This study identifies environmental hotspots, particularly in socially vulnerable areas characterised by high industrial density, using a vulnerability framework and analysing census and pollution data. Utilising satellite imagery, urban planning documents, and field research, we delve into the internal environmental conflicts arising from industrial land use. Our findings reveal how diverse stakeholders, guided by their rationales and interests, collectively contribute to spatial inequalities within a market-driven context. Importantly, we emphasise that environmental inequality transcends mere conflicts of interest among stakeholders and is fundamentally shaped by the prevailing market-oriented spatial development model in peri-urban areas. This model results in urban segmentation, socio-economic stratification, and an uneven distribution of environmental risks and resources. Our study advocates for a paradigmatic shift in China’s peri-urban spatial development and the integration of environmental protection and social equity alongside economic growth. We recommend moving away from short-term speculative practices and promoting long-term, community-engaged urban renewal strategies that harmonise economic progress with improved living standards and environmental sustainability.

Short-Term Practice Effects on Cognitive Tests Across the Late Life Cognitive Spectrum and How They Compare to Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease.

Practice effects on cognitive testing in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) remain understudied, especially with how they compare to biomarkers of AD. The current study sought to add to this growing literature. Cognitively intact older adults (n = 68), those with amnestic MCI (n = 52), and those with mild AD (n = 45) completed a brief battery of cognitive tests at baseline and again after one week, and they also completed a baseline amyloid PET scan, a baseline MRI, and a baseline blood draw to obtain APOE ɛ4 status. The intact participants showed significantly larger baseline cognitive scores and practice effects than the other two groups on overall composite measures. Those with MCI showed significantly larger baseline scores and practice effects than AD participants on the composite. For amyloid deposition, the intact participants had significantly less tracer uptake, whereas MCI and AD participants were comparable. For total hippocampal volumes, all three groups were significantly different in the expected direction (intact > MCI > AD). For APOE ɛ4, the intact had significantly fewer copies of ɛ4 than MCI and AD. The effect sizes of the baseline cognitive scores and practice effects were comparable, and they were significantly larger than effect sizes of biomarkers in 7 of the 9 comparisons. Baseline cognition and short-term practice effects appear to be sensitive markers in late life cognitive disorders, as they separated groups better than commonly-used biomarkers in AD. Further development of baseline cognition and short-term practice effects as tools for clinical diagnosis, prognostic indication, and enrichment of clinical trials seems warranted.

Neural correlates of breath work, mental imagery of yoga postures, and meditation in yoga practitioners: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Previous research has shown numerous health benefits of yoga, a multicomponent physical and mental activity. The three important aspects of both traditional and modern yoga are breath work, postures, and meditation. However, the neural mechanisms associated with these three aspects of yoga remain largely unknown. The present study investigated the neural underpinnings associated with each of these three yoga components in long- and short-term yoga practitioners to clarify the neural advantages of yoga experience, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of yoga's health-promoting effects. Participants were 40 Chinese women, 20 with a long-term yoga practice and 20 with a short-term yoga practice. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was conducted while participants performed abdominal breathing, mental imagery of yoga postures, and mindfulness meditation. The oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations activated in the brain during these three tasks were used to assess the neural responses to the different aspects of yoga practice. The self-reported mastery of each yoga posture was used to assess the advantages of practicing yoga postures. Blood oxygen levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during breath work were significantly higher in long-term yoga practitioners than in short-term yoga practitioners. In the mental imagery of yoga postures task, self-reported data showed that long-term yoga practitioners had better mastery than short-term practitioners. Long-term yoga practitioners demonstrated lower activation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, with lower blood oxygen levels associated with performing this task, than short-term yoga practitioners. In the mindfulness meditation task, blood oxygen levels in the orbitofrontal cortex and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly higher in long-term yoga practitioners than in short-term yoga practitioners. The three core yoga components, namely, yogic breathing, postures, and meditation, showed differences and similarities in the activation levels of the prefrontal cortex. Long-term practice of each component led to the neural benefits of efficient activation in the prefrontal cortex, especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex.

Short-term restoration practices change the bacterial community in degraded soil from the Brazilian semiarid

Land degradation by deforestation adversely impacts soil properties, and long-term restoration practices have been reported to potentially reverse these effects, particularly on soil microorganisms. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the short-term effects of restoration on the soil bacterial community in semiarid areas. This study evaluates the bacterial community in soils experiencing degradation (due to slash-and-burn deforestation) and restoration (utilizing stone cordons and revegetation), in comparison to a native soil in the Brazilian semiarid region. Three areas were selected: (a) under degradation; (b) undergoing short-term restoration; and (c) a native area, and the bacterial community was assessed using 16S rRNA sequencing on soil samples collected during both dry and rainy seasons. The dry and rainy seasons exhibited distinct bacterial patterns, and native sites differed from degraded and restoration sites. Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria phyla exhibited higher prevalence in degraded and restoration sites, respectively, while Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria were more abundant in sites undergoing restoration compared to degraded sites. Microbial connections varied across sites and seasons, with an increase in nodes observed in the native site during the dry season, more edges and positive connections in the restoration site, and a higher occurrence of negative connections in the degradation site during the rainy season. Niche occupancy analysis revealed that degradation favored specialists over generalists, whereas restoration exhibited a higher prevalence of generalists compared to native sites. Specifically, degraded sites showed a higher abundance of specialists in contrast to restoration sites. This study reveals that land degradation impacts the soil bacterial community, leading to differences between native and degraded sites. Restoring the soil over a short period alters the status of the bacterial community in degraded soil, fostering an increase in generalist microbes that contribute to enhanced soil stability.

The political economy of populists in power, between policy and polity: Evidence from the Israeli case

This paper explores the connection between the current wave of populism, economic policies and governance practices. We first review the different ways in which populist political economy has been conceptualised, focusing on the relationship between populism and neoliberalism in terms of both policy and polity. We then briefly discuss right-wing populist governments’ recent economic policies and institutional changes. We argue that, while representing a continuation of neoliberalism in some areas, right-wing populism may, when in power, undermine neoliberal economic policies and institutional power by subverting governance norms and reintroducing the state as a major actor in the economy. To demonstrate and support our argument, we analyse the Israeli case, in which the right-wing populist leader Benjamin Netanyahu led three governmental coalitions between 2009 and 2019. We focus on the Israeli government’s response to the cost-of-living crisis and the housing crisis. We show that the populist Israeli government went beyond clientelism and welfare chauvinism and moved towards a more redistributive and expansionist economic agenda. To finance and legislate this agenda, it used unorthodox, short-term governance practices to bypass or overcome institutional limitations.

Study on the effects of short-term yoga practice on body composition, physical fitness, physiological variables, nutritional and mental health status of school children

Background and Aim: Physical inactivity may cause poor physical fitness, obesity, cardio-respiratory and mental illness. The present study was designed to find out the effects of short term yoga practice on body composition, physical fitness, physiological variables, nutrition and mental status of school children of 10 to 12 years. Materials and Methods: For the present study 120 volunteers (60 healthy female and 60 healthy male) within the age group of 10–12 years were screened randomly and were divided into: (a) Yoga Group (n = 60) and (b) Control Group (n = 60). Both these groups were sub-divided into (i) Male (n = 30) and (ii) Female (n = 30) volunteers. The volunteers of yoga group followed a yoga practice schedule of 1hr/day, 6 days/week for 6 weeks, with no yoga practice in control group. Body composition, physical fitness, physiological variables, nutrition and mental status were measured before (0 week) and after (6 weeks) training. Results: A significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in strength, flexibility, anaerobic power, VO2max, FVC, FEV1, PEFR; and decrease (p ≤ 0.05) in resting heart rate, blood pressure, depression, anxiety and stress scores were observed in both male and female volunteers after six weeks of yoga practice. Conclusion: Regular practice of yogic asana, pranayama, and meditation improves body composition, cardiovascular, respiratory, physical fitness, and reduces stress level.

PRACTICE EFFECTS ON BRAIN EFFICIENCY OF WALKING IN AGING AND NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE

Abstract Evidence provides support for using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to quantify brain activations, notably in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC), under different walking conditions. Dual-tasks that involve walking impose additional demands on attention resources relative to the single tasks, and Studies using fNIRS revealed increased HbO2 in the PFC in Dual-Task-Walk (DTW) compared to Single-Task-Walk (STW) conditions in several populations. Burst measurement within session, which involves repeated administration of the same task, affords evaluation of short-term practice effects on changes in walking performance and the efficiency of its underlying neural activation. Here, we examined the effects of task (STW vs. DTW) and burst measurement (three counter-balanced repeated trials of each task condition) on walking performance and fNIRS-derived HbO2 in the PFC in older adults with multiple sclerosis (n=80, %female=65%, mean age=64ys) and controls (n=79, %female=65, mean age=69ys). Participants were enrolled in an ongoing cohort study designed to determine cognitive and brain predictors of locomotion in older adults with MS. Results from linear mixed effects models (LMEMs) revealed: 1) higher fNIRS-derived HbO2 in DTW compared to STW (p<.01). 2) fNIRS-derived HbO2 levels declined over repeated trials, notably in DTW (p<.01). 3) gait velocity was slower in DTW compared to STW (p<.01). 4) gait velocity improved over repeated trials (p<.01). The combination of decline in fNIRS-derived HbO2 levels and faster walking over repeated trials under DTW suggests more efficient usage of brain resources to support attention-demanding locomotion in aging and neurological disease.

Planning Temporariness: Unpacking Time–Space Planning and Its Socially Just Applications in and Around Kolkata

The growing uncertainties affecting Indian cities, both prior to COVID-19 and in a post-pandemic context, are not only changing the everyday needs of its citizens but also challenging mainstream planning, in envisioning urban futures and demanding new planning interventions and processes that are affordable and flexible, and yield equitable, long-lasting outcomes. This demands adoption of an alternative time–space approach in planning that aligns with Henri Lefebvre’s idea of time being interconnected with space. Consequently, it prompts both formal and informal actors to perceive the city through the ‘prism of the temporary’, a fundamental concept employed by Peter Bishop and Lesley Williams in their analysis of cities in the global South. Here, planning does not discriminate between ‘formal’ and ‘informal’ interventions. Rather, the ‘hybrid’ initiatives are threaded deliberately into the temporal layers of the city and, therefore, allow both formal and informal actors to collaborate in ‘strange’ ways and curate socially just time-bound responses that cope with a range of socio-economical challenges. To elaborate this further, the article adopts a case-study approach and critically examines a few temporary-use practices through various actors and their roles, types of spatial and institutional experiments and their contributions towards just developments in and around Kolkata. The study does not intend to replace long-term macro-spatial interventions with short-term micro-spatial practices. Rather it highlights those situations where formal urban planning fails to address the urban quandaries, and, therefore, planning ‘temporariness’ allows people and planners to explore appropriate possibilities to ‘improvise’ urban lives in India.

2 Computerized Cognitive Practice Effects in Relation to Amyloid and Tau in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease: Results from a Multi-Site Cohort

AbstractObjective:There is a need to identify scalable cognitive paradigms that are sensitive enough to relate to Alzheimer's disease biomarkers (amyloid and tau) in the preclinical stage. Here, we determine whether initial performance and practice effects on the memory-focused Computerized Cognitive Composite (C3) relate to demographic variables, amyloid status [abnormal (A+), normal (A-)], and regional tau in clinically unimpaired (CU) older adults.Participants and Methods:We examined pre-randomization data from CU older adults screened for the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease (A4) study. We focused on participants who completed the C3 (n=3287), most of whom completed an alternate version of the C3 again approximately 51 days later (n=4141), as well as a subset of preclinical AD participants (i.e., A+ CU) who completed the C3 and tau PET imaging with [18]F-flortaucipir (initial C3: n=354; repeat C3: n=343). C3 initial performance and practice effects were examined in relation to amyloid status (A+, A-) and continuous regional tau burden.Results:Initial C3 performance was associated with amyloid status [B(SE) = -0.075 (0.021), p < 0.001] across all participants, as well as tau burden in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) [B (SE) = -0.728 (0.220), p = 0.001], inferior temporal (IT) cortex [B (SE) = -0.782 (0.264), p = 0.003], and inferior parietal (IP) cortex [B (SE) = -0.721 (0.281), p = 0.011] amongst preclinical AD individuals. Short-term practice effects were also associated with reduced tau burden in MTL [B (SE) = -0.471 (0.202), p = 0.020], IT [B (SE) = -0.640 (0.240), p = 0.008], and IP [B( SE) = - 0.584 (0.255), p = 0.023] amongst preclinical AD participants, but were not associated with amyloid status [B (SE) = -0.018 (0.020), p = 0.348]. Critically, these effects with tau were only detected when baseline performance was accounted for presumably due to opposing influence from both practice effects and regression to the mean effects.Conclusions:This is the first study to show that performance on a brief cognitive battery administered in a multisite context is associated with both amyloid and tau among CU older adults. These findings suggest that computerized assessments may be a cost-effective and scalable approach for early detection efforts. Further, diminished practice effects on memory-based measures are associated with elevated tau burden in preclinical AD, suggesting that high-frequency cognitive testing collected over a short follow-up period may provide additional insights regarding early disease processes than single assessments.

The effectiveness of trauma-informed youth justice: a discussion and review.

Youth justice services around the world are under increasing pressure to find new and more effective ways of working with young people. One way forward is to implement a more compassionate approach to service delivery that embraces the idea of 'trauma-informed practice'. And yet, substantial variation has been observed in how a trauma-informed approach has been defined and understood by practitioners, with idiosyncratic implementation evident across different systems and only limited evidence that this results in reductions in subsequent re-offending. In this paper we argue that the success of efforts to work in more trauma-informed ways cannot be judged using recidivism data alone and that there is a need to identify key indicators of the effectiveness of any trauma- informed approach. We present the case for implementing trauma-informed youth justice and outline key features of the approach. We then present a logic model that articulates key components and identifies short- and longer-term outcomes that can be measured to assess the overall performance of a service. The article concludes with a discussion of the current evidential status of trauma-informed youth justice, identifying areas of current strength and those where further work is needed to develop the evidence base, including the need to demonstrate the hypothesized association between short-term trauma-informed practice outcomes and the longer-term goal of preventing re-offending.