Attention Regulation Research Articles

Baseline brain volume predicts home-based transcranial direct current stimulation effects on inattention in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BackgroundHome-based transcranial direct current stimulation (Hb-tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that utilizes low-intensity electric currents delivered via scalp electrodes to modulate brain activity. It holds significant promise for addressing inattention in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, its effectiveness varies among individuals, and predicting outcomes remains uncertain, partially due to the influence of individual differences in ADHD-related brain anatomy. MethodsWe analyzed data from a subsample, composed by twenty-nine adult patients with ADHD, of the Treatment of Inattention Symptoms in Adult Patients with ADHD (TUNED) trial. Fourteen patients underwent active anodal right cathodal left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) Hb-tDCS for 4 weeks and fifteen received sham-related tDCS intervention. Inattention outcome was evaluated at both baseline and endpoint (4th week). Baseline structural measures of the DLPFC, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and subcortical structures, previously associated with ADHD, were quantified. Several linear mixed models, with a three-way interaction between the fixed predictors brain volume or thickness, time, and treatment were calculated. Multiple comparison corrections were applied using the Benjamini-Hochberg method. ResultsBaseline volume of the left DLPFC regions middle frontal gyrus (t (25) = 3.33, p-adjusted = 0.045, Cohen's d = 1.33, 95% CI = [0.45, 2.19]), inferior frontal gyrus (orbital part) (t (25) = 3.10, p-adjusted = 0.045, Cohen's d = 1.24, 95% CI = [0.37, 2.08]), and of the left ACC supragenual (t (25) = 3.15, p-adjusted = 0.045, Cohen's d = 1.26, 95% CI = [0.39, 2.11]) presented significant association with the inattentive score improvement only in the active tDCS group. More specifically, the smaller these regions were, the more the symptoms improved following anodal right cathodal left DLPFC Hb-tDCS. ConclusionHb-tDCS was associated with greater improvement in brain areas related to attention regulation. Brain MRI can be potentially used to predict clinical response to tDCS in ADHD adults.

Online Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Young Chinese Children: Effectiveness of the OKmind Program in Attention and Emotion Regulation

Online Mindfulness-Based Group Intervention for Young Chinese Children: Effectiveness of the OKmind Program in Attention and Emotion Regulation

Exploring the Evolution of Sleep Patterns From Infancy to Adolescence.

Sleep is a critical component of healthy development, particularly during the formative years from infancy through adolescence. Sleep undergoes continuous change throughout life characterized by frequent awakenings and a high proportion of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep during infancy, changes in sleep architecture, an increase in non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep during adolescence, and an eventual decrease in REM sleep in old age. Adequate sleep is therefore essential for cognitive development, especially between ages 10 and 16. Sleep deprivation may negatively affect academic performance, attention regulation, and emotional well-being. Biological factors, such as hormonal changes during puberty, significantly influence sleep patterns, leading to later bedtimes and a tendency for chronic sleep deprivation in adolescents. Environmental factors, including light exposure and screen time, also play a critical role in regulating sleep. This paper examines the evolution of sleep patterns across infancy and adolescence, describing changes in sleep architecture, timing, and regulation. The influence of biological, environmental, and socio-cultural factors on sleep is explored, highlighting how these factors collectively shape sleep behaviors and health outcomes. It also addresses the profound role sleep plays in cognitive development, brain maturation, and emotional well-being. The importance of understanding sleep patterns and their developmental trajectories to address sleep-related issues is emphasized. Promoting healthy sleep from an early age can enhance cognitive and emotional outcomes, contributing to better academic performance and overall well-being in children and adolescents. The findings advocate for further standardized sleep intervention programs globally to prioritize sleep health and support optimal development.

Field-configuring events and the failure to standardise accounting for carbon emissions

PurposeSince the withdrawal of IFRIC 3 in 2005, there has been a regulatory freeze in accounting for emission rights that contrasts with the international momentum of climate-related financial disclosures. This paper explores how different narratives and institutional dynamics explain the failure to produce guidance on accounting for emission rights.Design/methodology/approachThis paper mobilises the notion of field-configuring events to examine a sequence of six events between 2003 and 2016, including four public consultations and two dialogues between standard setters. The paper presents a qualitative analysis of documents produced in this space that investigates how different practices and narratives configured the field's positions, agenda, and meaning systems.FindingsAccounting for emission rights was gradually decoupled from climate change and carbon markets, relegated to the research pipeline, and forgotten. The obstacles that the IASB and EFRAG found in presenting themselves as central in the recurring events, the excess of representations, and the increasingly technical and abstract debates eroded the 2003 momentum for regulation, making the different initiatives to revitalise the project vulnerable and open to scrutiny. Lukes (2021) refers to nondecision-making to express that some issues are suffocated before they are expressed.Originality/valueThe regulation of accounting for emission rights, an area that has received scant attention in the literature, provides some insights into the different narrative mechanisms that, materialising in specific times and spaces, draw regulatory attention to particular accounting issues, which are problematised and, eventually, forgotten. This study also illustrates that identifying interests is problematic as actors shift from alternative positions over a long period. The case examined also raises some doubts about the previous effectiveness of international standard setters in dealing with matters of connectivity between the environment and finance, as is the case for accounting for emissions rights.

Implementing a Uniform Outcome Measurement Approach for Early Interventions of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder show evidence for effectiveness for specific social communication targets such as joint attention or engagement. However, combining evidence from different studies and comparing intervention effects across those studies have not been feasible due to lack of a standardized outcome measure of broader social communication skills that can be applied uniformly across trials. This investigation examined the usefulness of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC) as a common outcome measure of general social communication skills based on secondary analyses of data obtained from previously conducted randomized controlled trials of 3 intervention models, Early Social Intervention (ESI), Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation (JASPER). The subset of datasets from the 3 randomized controlled trials was created to examine differences in the BOSCC scores between intervention and control groups over the course of the interventions. Based on 582 videos from 207 caregiver-child dyads, the BOSCC noted significant differences between intervention vs control groups in broad social communication skills within 2 of the 3 intervention models, which were longer in duration and focused on a broad range of developmental skills. The BOSCC offers the potential to take a uniform measurement approach across different intervention models to capture the effect of intervention on general social communication skills but may not pick up the effects of some brief interventions targeting proximal outcomes. Comparing Parent-Implemented Interventions for Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorders; https://www. gov/; NCT00760812. Intensive Intervention for Toddlers With Autism (EARLY STEPS); https://www. gov/; NCT00698997. Social and Communication Outcomes for Young Children With Autism; https://www. gov/; NCT00953095.

Preventive effect of one-session brief focused attention meditation on state fatigue: Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

IntroductionThe extended practice of meditation may reduce the influence of state fatigue by changing neurocognitive processing. However, little is known about the preventive effects of one-session brief focused attention meditation (FAM) on state fatigue in healthy participants or its potential neural mechanisms. This study examined the preventive effects of one-session brief FAM on state fatigue and its neural correlates using resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) measurements. MethodsWe randomly divided 56 meditation-naïve participants into FAM and control groups. After the first rsfMRI scan, each group performed a 10-minute each condition while wearing a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device for assessing brain activity. Subsequently, following a second rsfMRI scan, the participants completed a fatigue-inducing task (a Go/NoGo task) for 60 min. We evaluated the temporal changes in the Go/NoGo task performance of participants as an indicator of state fatigue. We then calculated changes in the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the rsfMRI from before to after each condition and compared them between groups. We also evaluated neural correlates between the changes in rsFC and state fatigue. Results and discussionThe fNIRS measurements indicated differences in brain activity during each condition between the FAM and control groups, showing decreased medial prefrontal cortex activity and decreased functional connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and middle frontal gyrus. The control group exhibited a decrement in Go/NoGo task performance over time, whereas the FAM group did not. These results, thus, suggested that FAM could prevent state fatigue. Compared with the control group, the rsFC analysis revealed a significant increase in the connectivity between the left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and right superior parietal lobule in the FAM group, suggesting a modification of attention regulation by cognitive effort. In the control group, increased connectivity was observed between the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and left inferior occipital gyrus, which might be associated with poor attention regulation and reduced higher-order cognitive function. Additionally, the change in the rsFC of the control group was related to state fatigue. ConclusionOur findings suggested that one session of 10-minute FAM could prevent behavioral state fatigue by employing cognitive effort to modify attention regulation as well as suppressing poor attention regulation and reduced higher-order cognitive function.

Reshaping sustainability through climate attention, financial regulations, and energy policy

The United States is classified as “insufficient” by the climate action tracker (CAT), indicating a lack of progress in addressing crucial environmental concerns. This highlights the inadequacy of current policy measures, especially in achieving the sustainable development goal (SDG) 13. In view of this, the present study examines the impact of public climate attention, financial regulations, and energy policy uncertainty on the load capacity factor in the United States. The quarterly data spanning from 2004 to 2021 has been analyzed by employing a unique bootstrap rolling window Granger causality test. The findings confirm that an increase in public climate attention and financial regulations positively affects the load capacity factor, indicating an improvement in environmental quality. Further, it was found that an increase in energy policy uncertainty negatively affects the load capacity factor, indicating environmental degradation. The study highlights policy implications to support the United States in achieving SDG 13.

Neuroimaging evaluation of the long term impact of a novel paired meditation practice on brain function.

A growing number of advanced neuroimaging studies have compared brain structure and function in long term meditators to non-meditators. The goal is to determine if there may be long term effects on the brain from practicing meditation. In this paper, we present new data on the long term effects of a novel meditation practice in which the focus is on clitoral stimulation. The findings from such a study have implications for potential therapeutic uses with regard to various neurological or psychiatric conditions. We evaluated the cerebral glucose metabolism in 40 subjects with an extended history (>1 year of practice, 2-3 times per week) performing the meditation practice called Orgasmic Meditation (OM) and compared their brains to a group of non-meditating healthy controls (N = 19). Both meditation and non-meditation subjects underwent brain PET after injection with 148 to 296 MBq of FDG using a standard imaging protocol. Resting FDG PET scans of the OM group were compared to the resting scans of healthy, non-meditating, controls using statistical parametric mapping. The OM group showed significant differences in metabolic activity at rest compared to the controls. Specifically, there was significantly lower metabolism in select areas of the frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes, as well as the anterior cingulate, insula, and thalamus, in the OM group compared to the controls. In addition, there were notable distinctions between the males and females with the females demonstrating significantly lower metabolism in the thalamus and insula. Overall, these findings suggest that the long term meditation practitioners of OM have different patterns of resting brain metabolism. Since these areas of the brain in which OM practitioners differ from controls are involved in cognition, attention, and emotional regulation, such findings have implications for understanding how this meditation practice might affect practitioners over long periods of time.

Process evaluation of an art therapeutic treatment for children and adolescents with psychosocial problems

The Affect regulating Arts Therapies program is an approach designed to address psychosocial problems among children and adolescents. It focuses on improving affect-regulation skills through tension regulation, attention regulation, and affect-regulation phases. This study encompassed a process evaluation, in which treatment integrity, satisfaction, and perceived benefits and barriers were explored. Treatment integrity was investigated by observing therapeutic actions during recorded sessions applied in practice. Satisfaction was evaluated using a survey. Perceived benefits and barriers were examined using semi-structured interviews. Children, adolescents, parents/caregivers, teachers, and art therapists were all involved. All predefined therapeutic actions were observed during therapy sessions, and participants expressed their satisfaction with and understanding of therapists. The identified benefits of the program included acknowledgment of the child/adolescent, non-verbal work, and the creation of art products. Collaboration, favorable therapy conditions, parental involvement, psychoeducation, and the therapist's attitude also contributed to success. Barriers included goal misalignment, logistical/financial issues, emotional problems among parents/caregivers, parental commitment, and limited teacher involvement. The findings affirm ArAT as a promising strategy for addressing psychosocial problems among children and adolescents. Further research is required in order to evaluate the effectiveness of ArAT.

A brief mindfulness-based intervention for stress, pain, emotion and attention regulation in military service members with mild traumatic brain injury.

The primary aim of this study was to conduct an open pilot clinical trial of a brief mindfulness-based intervention for persistent postconcussion symptoms that occur after mild traumatic brain injury in military service members. For many service members, operational tempo and other time constraints may prevent them from completing a standard mindfulness-based stress reduction course. Thus, this study sought to examine the effectiveness of a five-session intervention called mindfulness-based stress, pain, emotion, and attention regulation (MSPEAR). Participants were active duty service members with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and persisting postconcussion symptoms, all of whom were recruited from an outpatient TBI rehabilitation program at a military treatment facility. Of the 38 service members that were initially enrolled, 25 completed the 5-session MSPEAR intervention, and 20 returned for a 5-week follow-up evaluation. Questionnaires assessing perceived stress, positive affect, pain interference and catastrophizing, sleep disturbances, perceived behavioral and attention regulation, self-efficacy and satisfaction with life were administered at preintervention, postintervention, and at 5-week follow-up intervals. Neuropsychological testing at preintervention and 5-week follow-up included performance validity measures, attention, working memory, and executive function measures. T-tests were run to compare for questionnaire measures at preintervention (Time 1) to postintervention (Time 2). Repeated analysis of variances were conducted to compare questionnaire and neuropsychological measures at Time 1, Time 2, and at Time 3 which is the 5-week follow-up. Improvements in perceived stress, positive affect, behavioral regulation, metacognition, sleep disturbance, self-efficacy, and satisfaction with life were found immediately after the MSPEAR intervention and were maintained at the 5-week follow-up. Magnification and helplessness aspects of pain catastrophizing improved when comparing preintervention to the 5-week follow-up. Pain interference was not significantly different across study assessment times. Neuropsychological testing revealed improvements in sustained attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control when comparing preintervention to the 5-week follow-up assessment. The MSPEAR intervention appears to show promise as a brief and effective therapy for specific postconcussion symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury in military service members. Each of the components of MSPEAR including stress, pain catastrophizing, emotion and attention regulation showed improvements in this study, and bears further investigation in a larger scale, preferably randomized controlled trial in those active duty military service members who experience persisting symptoms after a mild traumatic brain injury.

Testing Mindfulness Mechanisms of Action on the Stress and Burnout of Social Workers

ObjectivesGrowing evidence suggests that mindfulness-based programmes (MBPs) can reduce stress and burnout among social workers. How MBPs support changes in these outcomes is unclear. This study attempts to identify what some of these mechanisms might be, using the clinically modified Buddhist psychological model (CBPM) as a guiding framework.MethodThis study used data from two randomised controlled trials investigating the impact of MBP participation on social worker stress and burnout. The data from participants (n = 94) who completed a Mindfulness-based Social Work and Self-Care (MBSWSC) programme, or a mindfulness and self-compassion programme (MSC) were combined. Structural equation models were constructed, and conditional direct and indirect effect models of changes in the CBPM domains (mindfulness, self-compassion, attention regulation, acceptance, non-attachment, non-aversion), mediating variables (rumination and worry) and outcomes (stress and burnout) were tested.ResultsThe results suggest that CBPM models, through mediated effects on stress, depersonalisation, and personal accomplishment, as well as direct and mediated effects on stress, emotional exhaustion, and depersonalisation, can provide useful frameworks for explaining how MBPs reduce stress and burnout among social workers. This study also found several other significant conditional direct and indirect effects. The pattern of these relationships indicate that multiple outcomes could be improved through different CBPM domains.ConclusionThis study provides initial evidence on the potential mechanisms through which MBP participation acts to reduce stress and burnout in social workers.Preregistrationhttps://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT05519267 and NCT05538650.

Comparative efficacy of an early intervention “parent and me” program for infants showing signs of autism: The Baby JASPER model

Despite important advancements into the early detection of autism, there are still few empirically supported interventions for children under the age of two years who are showing early signs. Caregiver-mediated interventions have gained in popularity as a method for delivering support to the child and family. The current study builds on current work by enrolling a comparatively large cohort of infants (ages 12–22 months of age) displaying early signs of autism into a randomized controlled intervention program. Infants and parents received a group-based program using a standard early childhood curriculum. In addition, all families were randomly assigned to receive parent training in the form of either parent-mediated Joint Attention Symbolic Play Engagement and Regulation (JASPER) training or psychoeducation. Infants in both classrooms made substantial gains in social-communication, play, and cognition during a brief, 8-week period. All infants gained over an average of 10 points in DQ and increased in standardized measures of social-communication and play, with these gains maintaining at a 2-month follow-up visit. The classroom that also received JASPER increased in child initiated joint engagement and play level during dyadic interactions with their parents, while the classroom that received psychoeducation increased in joint attention during a standardized assessment delivered by an independent assessor. Infant familial risk for autism (older sibling with autism) also moderated the effect of treatment on child initiated joint engagement where infants in the JASPER classroom without familial risk made the most gains from baseline to exit of the program. This study highlights the promise of intervening at the earliest stages to promote positive outcomes for children and families.

Self-regulation training improves stress resilience in elite pre-pubescent female gymnasts.

In the context of young female athletes, namely elite gymnasts, effective stress management strategies not only enhance performance, but also reduce the risk of injuries and promote overall well-being. This study aims to investigate the effects of biofeedback-based training on stress management in prepubescent elite female gymnasts, recognizing its pivotal role in promoting healthy growth and proper training load management. Eight elite young female athletes from a top flight French national league club participated in an experimental condition involving four-week biofeedback training program to improve self-regulation skills, during both rest and stress phases. Additionally, each subject experienced a control condition, with entailed exposure to domain-specific motivational videos. Comprehensive evaluations of physiological parameters were conducted to assess the impact of biofeedback training, both before and after the training, as well as during the stress and recovery phases. Furthermore, an interoceptive body awareness test, using the MAIA questionnaire, was performed. The results highlight a significant enhancement of the self-regulatory skills of the gymnasts in managing the selected physiological parameters-peripheral temperature (p < 0.05) and blood volume pressure (p < 0.05)-after the biofeedback treatment. Moreover, psychological data from the MAIA questionnaire revealed a noteworthy increase in interoceptive awareness (p < 0.001), particularly in the subscales of Not Distracting (p < 0.001), Attention regulation (p < 0.05), Emotional awareness (p < 0.05), and Self-regulation (p < 0.05). Thus, we conclude that biofeedback training improves self-regulatory and psychological resilience under stressful conditions, while reducing sensitivity to gymnastics-specific stress.

Information technologies as a tool for identification of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Background: A multitude of chemicals possess the ability to disrupt nuclear receptors, leading to adverse effects on human health. Evidences indicated that various agricultural, industrial, and household chemicals can directly or indirectly impede the endocrine system of both wildlife species and humans. These substances, defined as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), pose a potential threat to male and female reproductive functions, prompting high scientific and regulatory attention towards their identification. Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to outline a logic for identification of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, applied with non-commercial software tool. Material and methods: The analysis was conducted using the non-commercial software platform QSAR Toolbox. This platform enables the utilization of a range of pre-existing models for diverse biological/toxic effects. Moreover, it facilitates the integration of new models for various effects.Results: The estrogenic effect of a target chemical is evaluated by making use of a non-commercial software tool. The predicted result is in agreement with literature published findings on the estrogenic effect of similar to the target chemicals.Conclusions: In the current study a sequence of steps is presented in order to assess the estrogenic effect of a target chemical. Each step is explained and discussed in the light of logic incorporated in non-commercial software tool. It is expected that the results could be of help for researchers in the field of receptor binding or other similar studies.

Neuropsychological functioning of pediatric patients with long COVID

Objective: To determine the neurocognitive profile for youth with long COVID presenting with cognitive concerns. Method: This study is a case series of 54 pediatric patients (65% female, M age = 13.48, SD age = 3.10, 5–19) with long COVID who were referred for neuropsychological testing from a post-COVID-19 multidisciplinary clinic. The outcomes of interest were neuropsychological test scores and parent ratings of mood, attention, and executive functioning. The percentage of patients with neuropsychological test scores below the 9th percentile (below average range) and those with at-risk or clinically significant scores (T-scores > 59) on parent-informant inventories were computed. Results: A portion of children with long COVID showed weaknesses in sustained attention (29%) and divided attention (35%). This portion of patients did not significantly differ when comparing patients with and without pre-existing attention and mood concerns. A high percentage of parents reported at-risk to clinically significant concerns for cognitive regulation (53%), depression (95%), anxiety (85%), and inattention (66%) on standardized questionnaires. Conclusions: The present case series showed that approximately a third of children with long COVID demonstrate objective weaknesses on sustained and divided attention tasks but were largely intact in other domains of neuropsychological functioning. Importantly, children with long COVID had similar difficulties in attention, regardless of pre-existing attention or mood concerns. Parents reported high rates of mood, anxiety, and executive functioning difficulties which likely impact daily functioning. Attention and emotional regulation should be closely monitored and treated as necessary in pediatric patients with long COVID to aid functional recovery.

Comparing Self-Report vs. Performance Measures of Attentional Control and Efficiency.

Background: The Attention Control Scale (ATTC) is a widely used self-report measure of attentional control capacities. However, research questions whether it accurately substitutes for objective attention control tasks. This study investigated ATTC's correlation with the Attention Network Test (ANT) across alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. We also used the Inverse Efficiency Score (IES) as an additional factor to check ATTC using ANT. Methods: We administered 143 participants who completed the ATTC questionnaire and ANT behavioral test assessing network efficiencies. Results: The results showed non-significant ATTC-ANT correlations across all networks. In an additional analysis, while the ATTC demonstrated factorial validity, subjective control was disconnected from actual attention regulation efficiency. A small male advantage emerged for executive control. Conclusions: Dissociations likely stem from attention complexity and method variances rather than overlap. The findings do not support the ATTC as a stand-alone proxy for performance-based measurement. Multifaceted assessments are essential for comprehensively capturing attentional control.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions alleviate premature ejaculation (PE) symptoms

BackgroundPhysical exercise may alleviate premature ejaculation symptoms, a prevalent male sexual dysfunction linked to a series of negative outcomes for men and their partners. ObjectiveWe investigated the effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and slow breathing interventions on premature ejaculation symptoms and their relation to autonomic activity and attention regulation. MethodChinese adult men (N = 76, M = 21.89, SD = 3.32) with premature ejaculation completed one of the two-week interventions in their homes or as participants in a normal breathing control group; they reported their age, height, weight, physical activity level, premature ejaculation symptoms, and attention regulation. In the HIIT group, 26 participants engaged in a 7-minute HIIT each day. In the slow breathing group, 25 participants performed 7-minute slow breathing exercises per day while the 25 participants in the normal breathing group similarly performed normal breathing exercises. All participants measured their heart rate once before and five times (with one-minute intervals) after the intervention. When participants had penile-vaginal sex with their partners, they measured their heart rate once after ejaculation. ResultsTime × Intervention interaction was significant with lower levels of premature ejaculation symptoms on Days 12, 13, and 14 in the HIIT group (M ± SD = 16.19 ± 3.45, 15.96 ± 3.43, and 15.15 ± 3.62) compared to the normal breathing group (M ± SD = 17.68 ± 3.06, 17.68 ± 3.15, and 17.44 ± 3.25). Higher levels of attention regulation were associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. We also found that a larger increase in heart rate from resting to after sex was associated with fewer premature ejaculation symptoms. ConclusionCompared to the control group, the efficacy of two weeks of HIIT exercise in mitigating PE symptoms suggests its potential as a novel treatment for PE.

Underestimated burden of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in global surface waters and groundwaters

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of fluorinated chemicals used widely in consumer and industrial products. Their human toxicity and ecosystem impacts have received extensive public, scientific and regulatory attention. Regulatory PFAS guidance is rapidly evolving, with the inclusion of a wider range of PFAS included in advisories and a continued decrease in what is deemed safe PFAS concentrations. In this study we collated PFAS concentration data for over 45,000 surface and groundwater samples from around the world to assess the global extent of PFAS contamination and their potential future environmental burden. Here we show that a substantial fraction of sampled waters exceeds PFAS drinking water guidance values, with the extent of exceedance depending on the jurisdiction and PFAS source. Additionally, current monitoring practices probably underestimate PFAS in the environment given the limited suite of PFAS that are typically quantified but deemed of regulatory concern. An improved understanding of the range of PFAS embodied in consumer and industrial products is required to assess the environmental burden and develop mitigation measures. While PFAS is the focus of this study, it also highlights society’s need to better understand the use, fate and impacts of anthropogenic chemicals.

Effects of Two Online Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Early Adolescents for Attentional, Emotional, and Behavioral Self-Regulation.

(1) Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have shown interesting preliminary effects on self-regulation processes in early adolescence. However, programs have typically combined different types of interventions with no understanding of the specific effect of each intervention type on attentional, emotional, and behavioral regulation. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of two MBIs-one focused on classic attentional practices and another focused on the recognition and expression of emotions-on attentional, emotional, and behavioral self-regulation in early adolescents. (2) Method: An experimental paradigm was used. A sample of 74 children aged between 8 and 12 years old were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: (1) an MBI with a focus on attentional practices, (2) an MBI with a focus on recognition and expression of emotions, and (3) a control group. The interventions lasted 8 weeks, with a weekly, 1 h online synchronous session plus home practices. Children were evaluated before starting the intervention and at the end of the 8-week period. The assessed outcomes were (1) mindfulness; (2) emotional regulation; (3) attentional regulation, and (4) behavioral regulation. (3) Results: Children who participated in both intervention programs increased their mindfulness and emotional and behavioral regulation scores. Only children who participated in the MBI with a focus on attention showed significant changes in their ability to self-regulate attention. (4) Conclusions: The use of online MBIs, with attention to external and internal stimuli practices, can be a good strategy to strengthen self-regulation skills for attention, emotions, and behavior in early adolescence.

Implications of early attentional and behavioral regulation for adolescent flourishing: Variations in pathways across family income status

The current study examined preschoolers’ attentional and behavioral regulation as unique predictors of adolescent flourishing. Additional interests included the role of social competence and academic competence as mediators and poverty-status as a moderator of these pathways. Data were drawn from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study and included an analytic sample of 2,266 ethnically and economically diverse families. Children’s attentional regulation and academic competence were directly assessed during in-home visits, behavioral regulation and social competence were parent-reported, and adolescent flourishing was self-reported. Overall, results from multiple linear regression indicated that behavioral self-regulation at age 5 was associated with adolescent flourishing at age 15. In addition, the findings from structural equation models that examined mediation and moderation simultaneously indicated specificity in the pathways; attentional regulation positively predicted social competence for the poor and the near-poor groups, while lack of behavioral regulation was found to be negatively correlated with social competence for all three income groups. Furthermore, both attentional regulation and behavioral regulation were associated with academic competence for the poor and near-poor groups, but not for the non-poor group. Lastly, mediation analyses indicated that higher behavioral regulation at age 5 was positively associated with social competence at age 9, which further were associated with adolescence flourishing at age 15, for the non-poor group only. Implications of these findings for interventions targeting early attentional and behavioral regulation among at-risk children are discussed.