Self-regulatory Processes Research Articles

Adaptive immune response in women from the Russian Arctic region after COVID-19 infection

BACKGROUND: The Arctic region of Russia is characterized by disproportionately high rates of morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 during the pandemic. The harsh climatic and environmental conditions in this area impede the development of self-regulation processes resulting in activation and strain of both cellular and humoral immunity. This leads to a depletion of the body’s reserve capacities. At present, there is lack of research examining how individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 are affected by the extreme conditions of Arctic Russia. AIM: To study the ratio of immunocompetent cells involved in the adaptive immune response following COVID-19 infection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 29 women aged 20 – 40 years were examined in Arkhangelsk as part of a comprehensive immunological study. This study involved assessment of the number of leukocytes, lymphocytes, and their phenotypes (CD5+, CD8+, CD10+, CD95+), as well as determination of phagocytic activity and phagocytic number. RESULTS: The cellular adaptive immune response in observed individuals 6 months after experiencing moderate COVID-19 disease was characterized by a very low concentration of T cells (CD5+) in all cases, CD10+ lymphocytes (44.83%) alongside with a high concentration of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+) in 48.27% of individuals and lymphocytes with receptors for apoptosis (CD95+) in 51.72%, with relatively high phagocytic activity ranging from 90 to 100%. A correlation was found in 11.29% of women between the low content of CD10+ and CD95+ cells with the activity of phagocytosis. In 40% of women with high phagocytic activity, the concentrations of cytotoxic cells (CD8+) were found to be at a minimum level. CONCLUSIONS: Women with high phagocytic activity were found to have the lowest concentrations of cytotoxic cells, suggesting a potentially positive prognosis for reducing the risk of complications. This indicates that cellular immunity may play a role in determining the severity of COVID-19 infection in individuals with high phagocytic activity.

Preparation of surgical meshes using self-regulating technology based on reaction-diffusion processes

While reaction-diffusion processes are utilized in multiple scientific fields, these phenomena have seen limited practical application in the polymer industry. Although self-regulating processes driven by parallel reaction and diffusion can lead to patterned structures, most polymeric products with repeating subunits are still prepared by methods that require complex and expensive instrumentation. A notable, high-added-value example is surgical mesh, which is often manufactured by weaving or knitting. In our present work, we demonstrate how the polymer and the biomedical industry can benefit from the pattern-forming capabilities of reaction-diffusion. We would like to propose a self-regulating method that facilitates the creation of surgical meshes from biocompatible polymers. Since the control of the process assumes a thorough understanding of the underlying phenomena, the theoretical background, as well as a mathematical model that can accurately describe the empirical data, is also introduced and explained. Our method offers the benefits of conventional techniques while introducing additional advantages not attainable with them. Most importantly, the method proposed in this paper enables the rapid creation of meshes with an average pore size that can be adjusted easily and tailored to fit the intended area of application.Graphical abstract

Enhancing cognitive motivation: an evaluation model for emergency preparedness exercises

Purpose Evaluating emergency preparedness exercises is crucial for assessing enhanced knowledge, facilitating learning and implementing knowledge in organizations. The cognitive process of motivation for action is a precursor for action, coping behavior and individual learning. This study aims to focus on how guided evaluation of emergency preparedness exercises can enhance cognitive motivation and influence the mental readiness of exercise participants. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper with a model approach design. The main conceptual contribution is suggesting a model for guided evaluation in emergency preparedness exercises. We present a theoretical background for understanding the increase in motivation based on social cognitive learning theory. In particular, this study discusses how different evaluation steps contribute to enhanced motivation and learning for exercise participants. Findings Increased motivation and enhanced personal performance standards could be achieved through using processes that lead to self-efficacy in guided exercise evaluation. Specifically, sources of enhanced motivation, such as repeated coping experiences, self-regulation processes, mastery motivation and performance motivation, would proliferate the readiness of individual crisis managers and teams. Practical implications This article suggests an evaluation model for use in emergency preparedness exercises. This approach combines bottom-up and top-down processes for debriefing, reflection and feedback, both individually and in teams. This approach aims to enhance exercise participants’ motivation and utilize exercise evaluation for organizational learning. Originality/value The conceptual discussion leads to developing implications for evaluation practice, suggesting how to structure evaluation and why. This study is novel for its explanation of how to use evaluation in the learning process.

Perceptions of utilizing a symptom self-management app for breast cancer patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy

PurposeBreast cancer (BC) patients who are undergoing outpatient chemotherapy encounter difficulties in symptom self-management at home. We have developed a mobile app with the support of self-regulation activities and nurse-led social service to empower self-management of BC patients during outpatient chemotherapy. The study aimed to explore the perceptions of breast cancer patients and nurses in utilizing an app with the functions of proactive nursing support and empowerment. MethodsThis is a qualitative study including group interviews with nurses and patients with breast cancer receiving outpatient chemotherapy. A total of eleven patients and five nurses were enrolled from August 2022 to October 2022. Thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the interview transcripts. Main themes and related sub-themes were drawn from the transcripts. ResultsBarriers (the lack of a contractual spirit) and facilitators (social support and native high-adherence) to app usage were identified. Following the six-week program, patients underwent various transformations such as improved health awareness and a tendency to pay more attention to psychological symptoms. This program also led to various changes in the nurses, including a transformation from taking the reactive emergency calls to a proactive approach of incorporating a self-regulation process and social support. ConclusionsThe findings from the group interviews stressed the importance of integrating technology and nursing social support in facilitating patient symptom self-management.

Homeostasis and evolution in relation to regeneration and repair.

Homeostasis constitutes a key concept in physiology and refers to self-regulating processes that maintain internal stability when adjusting to changing external conditions. It diminishes internal entropy constituting a driving force behind evolution. Natural selection might act on homeostatic regulatory mechanisms and control mechanisms including homeodynamics, allostasis, hormesis and homeorhesis, where different stable stationary states are reached. Regeneration is under homeostatic control through hormesis. Damage to tissues initiates a response to restore the impaired equilibrium caused by mild stress using cell proliferation, cell differentiation and cell death to recover structure and function. Repair is a homeorhetic change leading to a new stable stationary state with decreased functionality and fibrotic scarring without reconstruction of the 3-D pattern. Mechanisms determining entrance of the tissue or organ to regeneration or repair include the balance between innate and adaptive immune cells in relation to cell plasticity and stromal stem cell responses, and redox balance. The regenerative and reparative capacities vary in different species, distinct tissues and organs, and at different stages of development including ageing. Many cell signals and pathways play crucial roles determining regeneration or repair by regulating protein synthesis, cellular growth, inflammation, proliferation, autophagy, lysosomal function, metabolism and metalloproteinase cell signalling. Attempts to favour the entrance of damaged tissues to regeneration in those with low proliferative rates have been made; however, there are evolutionary constraint mechanisms leading to poor proliferation of stem cells in unfavourable environments or tumour development. More research is required to better understand the regulatory processes of these mechanisms.

Nurses’ self-regulation after engaging in end-of-life conversations with advanced cancer patients: a qualitative study

BackgroundSelf-regulation is crucial for nurses who engage in in-depth end-of-life conversations with advanced cancer patients, especially in cultural contexts featuring death taboos. An improved understanding of the self-regulation process of nurses can help them address negative emotions and promote self-growth more effectively. Therefore, this study aimed to explore nurses’ self-regulation process after end-of-life conversations with advanced cancer patients.MethodsThis study employed a descriptive, qualitative approach. Seventeen nurses from four hospitals and a hospice unit in mainland China were interviewed between September 2022 and June 2023. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews. A thematic analysis method was used to analyse the data following the guidance of regulatory focus theory.ResultsThree main themes were developed: self-regulation antecedents include personality, experience, and support; promotion or prevention is a possible self-regulation process for nurses; both self-exhaustion and self-growth may be the outcomes of self-regulation, as did seven subthemes. Personality tendencies, life experience, and perceived support may affect nurses’ self-regulation, thereby affecting their self-regulation outcomes.ConclusionsNurses exhibit different self-regulatory tendencies and self-regulation outcomes. The provision of peer support and counselling support to nurses is highly important with regard to achieving good self-regulation outcomes.

Self-regulation and conflict goals management capabilities of ecosystem entrepreneurs: a case study of Haier ecosystem.

The inherent dual roles of "follower" and "leader" among ecosystem entrepreneurs inevitably introduce challenges in managing conflicting dependent and independent goals. Ecosystem entrepreneurs' capabilities in conflict goals management directly influence new venture survival and development. This single-case qualitative study explores how ecosystem entrepreneurs develop conflict goals management capabilities through self-regulation, which is not only a unique practical challenge in ecosystem entrepreneurship, but also a cutting-edge topic in current theoretical research. Through research of entrepreneurs in Haier Entrepreneurship Ecosystem, the paper finds: (1) strategic corresponding and mechanism adapting emerge as the two trigger factors enabling ecosystem entrepreneurs to recognize the equilibrium or disequilibrium between conflicting goals; (2) by leveraging self-control, grit, and metacognition, ecosystem entrepreneurs construct decoupling mechanisms for antagonistic goal recognition and coupling mechanisms for synergistic goal recognition; (3) ecosystem entrepreneurs enhance their conflict goals management capabilities by developing both segregative and synergistic management capabilities. Furthermore, this research explores the self-regulation process underlying ecosystem entrepreneurs' conflict goals management behaviors, including environmental interaction perception, conflict goals analysis, and delineation of goal relationships. Findings provide insights for ecosystem entrepreneurs on improving their conflict goals management capabilities through self-assessment and skill development.

Academic Performance of Excellence: The Impact of Self-Regulated Learning and Academic Time Management Planning

The Program for International Student Assessment highlights the persistent lack of commitment and motivation among students worldwide in their school activities, which are resulting in decreased proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, and science. The magnitude of this phenomenon, with its clear social implications, suggests that we are facing a concerning quest for immediate answers and results. This research focuses on the impact of the relationships between self-regulated learning processes and the planning of time management that is dedicated to school activities on student performance, specifically in the subjects of the Mother Tongue and Mathematics. The instruments used for analysis included the Inventory of Self-Regulated Learning Processes, the Inventory of Time Management Planning, a personal data sheet, and a school data sheet. The sample in this study consisted of 688 students from primary schools in northern Portugal. The results reveal that self-regulated learning has a positive influence on how students plan time management, both in the short and long term. Additionally, a positive and statistically significant relationship is observed between short-term and long-term time management planning and students’ academic performance. This study provides an in-depth perspective on the dynamics between these elements, shedding light on the crucial nuances that shape students’ academic journeys.

Emergence of integrated behaviors through direct optimization for homeostasis

Homeostasis is a self-regulatory process, wherein an organism maintains a specific internal physiological state. Homeostatic reinforcement learning (RL) is a framework recently proposed in computational neuroscience to explain animal behavior. Homeostatic RL organizes the behaviors of autonomous embodied agents according to the demands of the internal dynamics of their bodies, coupled with the external environment. Thus, it provides a basis for real-world autonomous agents, such as robots, to continually acquire and learn integrated behaviors for survival. However, prior studies have generally explored problems pertaining to limited size, as the agent must handle observations of such coupled dynamics. To overcome this restriction, we developed an advanced method to realize scaled-up homeostatic RL using deep RL. Furthermore, several rewards for homeostasis have been proposed in the literature. We identified that the reward definition that uses the difference in drive function yields the best results. We created two benchmark environments for homeostasis and performed a behavioral analysis. The analysis showed that the trained agents in each environment changed their behavior based on their internal physiological states. Finally, we extended our method to address vision using deep convolutional neural networks. The analysis of a trained agent revealed that it has visual saliency rooted in the survival environment and internal representations resulting from multimodal input.

Assessing self-regulated processes: what do primary school students do, say and think in the process of understanding a text?

Self-regulation has a positive impact on learning and academic achievement, but due to its nature, it is difficult to assess it in a valid and reliable manner. This study aims to explore the validity of three self-regulation assessment methods in text comprehension tasks (questionnaire, think-aloud and traces) as well as to identify the variables associated with reading performance. For this purpose, individual sessions were conducted with 96 sixth-grade primary education students, who were asked to read a text and complete two reading comprehension tasks working in a virtual environment. Task traces were recorded, think-aloud was recorded and coded, and participants answered a self-report questionnaire about the strategies used. A limited relationship was found between self-regulation measured by means of the questionnaire, think-aloud and traces, and the relationship between think-aloud and traces was moderate. Regarding the factors related to text comprehension task performance, think-aloud and task time measurements were found to be better predictors of performance than the questionnaire.

The contribution and interplay of implicit and explicit processes on physical activity behavior: empirical testing of the physical activity adoption and maintenance (PAAM) model

The adoption and maintenance of physical activity (PA) is an important health behavior. This paper presents the first comprehensive empirical test of the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance (PAAM) model, which proposes that a combination of explicit (e.g., intention) and implicit (e.g., habit,, affect) self-regulatory processes is involved in PA adoption and maintenance. Data were collected via online questionnaires in English, German, and Italian at two measurement points four weeks apart. The study included 422 participants (Mage= 25.3, SDage= 10.1; 74.2% women) from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and the U.S. The study results largely supported the assumptions of the PAAM model, indicating that intentions and habits significantly mediate the effects of past PA on future PA. In addition, the effect of past PA on future PA was shown to be significant through a mediation chain involving affect and habit. Although the hypothesis that trait self-regulation moderates the intention-behavior relationship was not supported, a significant moderating effect of affect on the same relationship was observed. The results suggest that interventions targeting both explicit and implicit processes may be effective in promoting PA adoption and maintenance.

Does the Jigsaw method improve motivation and self-regulation in vocational high schools?

Although much has been written about the beneficial effects of the Jigsaw method, little is known about how it affects students' motivation and self-regulation processes. In this study, we tested its effects on students' trajectories of autonomous mathematics motivation and academic self-regulation. We also examined whether these effects could be moderated by the students’ cooperative attitudes and initial mathematics achievement level. 4,698 students from French vocational high schools participated in the study over two years. They were divided into three groups: 1,641 were assigned to a cooperative learning condition with the Jigsaw method, 1,602 to a weakly structured cooperative learning condition, and 1,455 to a business-as-usual learning condition. Self-reported mathematics motivation, academic self-regulation, and cooperative attitudes were collected three times during the study. Overall, the multilevel growth model results indicate a general decline in students’ motivation and self-regulation, and student-reported cooperative attitudes did not moderate these effects. However, the trajectories of motivation and self-regulation differed by condition for low-achieving students. While these trajectories decreased over time amongst low-achieving students in the Jigsaw method condition and in the weakly structured cooperation condition, they were stable in the business-as-usual learning condition. These results provide a new perspective since they seem to question the implementation conditions of the Jigsaw method for low-achieving students.

Abstract 2144: Smooth Muscle Cell Specific Beclin-1 Deficiency Promotes Aging-accelerated Aortic Stiffness In Mice

Background and Objective: Aortic stiffness, a hallmark of aging, is a significant riskfactor for cardiovascular diseases like hypertension and atherosclerosis. Vascularsmooth muscle cells (SMCs) play a crucial role in maintaining aortic structural integrity,and increased SMC stiffness contributes to age-accelerated aortic stiffness.Autophagy, a self-regulatory cellular process, declines with aging, predisposingindividuals to age-related diseases. Reduced levels of Beclin-1, a key autophagyinduction gene, have been observed in aging-associated diseases. However, thecontribution of SMC-derived Beclin-1 in aortic stiffness progression remains unknown.This study examined the contribution of SMC-derived Beclin-1 to aortic stiffnessdevelopment in mice. Methods and Results: Ultrasound measurements revealed increased aortic stiffnessin 60-week-old aged mice, characterized by elevated pulse-wave velocity (PWV) andreduced aortic distensibility and radial strain compared to 8-week-old young mice.Western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses showed a decline of aortic Beclin-1in the SMC-rich aortic medial layer of aged mice. To investigate the role of SMC-Beclin-1 in aortic stiffness, mice with inducible SMC-Beclin-1 deletion were generated bybreeding Acta2-CreERT2 hemizygous mice with Beclin-1 floxed mice. Baselinemeasurements at 8 weeks showed no PWV difference between Beclin-1 x Acta2-CreERT2 (Cre+) and non-Cre littermates (Cre-). However, following tamoxifen-induced Cre recombination, SMC-Beclin-1 deficiency significantly accelerated PWVby 18 weeks (Cre-: 2.4 ± 0.1 vs Cre+: 4.1 ± 0.2 m/s; P<0.001), accompanied byreduced aortic distensibility (Cre-:115.4 ± 3.2 vs Cre+: 93.1 ± 3.4; P<0.001) and radialstrain(Cre-:20.3 ± 0.7 vs Cre+:15.8 ± 0.7; P<0.001). Histological analyses indicatedthat Beclin-1 deficiency increased collagen deposition in aortic media and adventitia.RNA Sequencing and Western blot analyses identified extracellular matrix regulatingGalectin-3 and S100A4 as novel targets of Beclin-1, selectively upregulated in SMC-Beclin-1 deficient aorta. Conclusion: These findings suggest that SMC-derived Beclin-1 plays a critical rolein suppressing aging-accelerated aortic stiffness in mice.

Students’ self-regulated learning of university mathematics in different learning environments

Self-regulated learning is important, due to the large share of self-study time for learning mathematics at university, but it is still underresearched.Theoretically and practically, it is of particular interest to understand patterns that lead to different self-regulated learning processes, in order to identify approaches to support students learning. In this study, we analyse students’ appraisals of different elements of three different learning environments in Germany (on-campus, online) and Finland (on-campus) for their congruence with students’ goals. According to Boekaerts’ dual processing model of self-regulated learning, such appraisals define students’ purposes of self-regulation. We analyse interview data of two students per learning environment, in each environment one with a focus on learning goals and one on just ‘surviving the course’. Our results provide a detailed description of the variety of the six students’ self-regulated learning processes as well as a synthesis of students’ appraisals of different elements of the learning environments, indicating the importance of students’ appraisals of the relevance of mathematical contents, implications of exercise assessments, and coping potential, especially in terms of peer learning. These results have practical implications for ‘supporting students’ self-regulated learning processes which are discussed.

Enforcing ethical standards to safeguard the credibility and legitimacy of public media corporations: The role of News Ombudspersons in Spain and France

This study introduces a cross-country comparative analysis of the role of News Ombudsperson in the public media corporations in Spain and France. It investigates the specific media self-regulatory processes established to reduce reputational risks and increase the trust and credibility of the media organisations. It aims to fill in the gaps in prior research by applying a qualitative framework developed using indicators derived from scholarly work on regulation and governance and media management. The variables selected for the analysis are extracted from prior interdisciplinary research and focus on media self-regulatory processes, complaints management mechanisms, election, reporting procedures, checks and balances, roles, visibility and transparency of News Ombudspersons in two countries which represent the Polarised Pluralist media system category. Research questions are raised in relation to the main variables identified for the comparative analysis. Data were collected from multiple publicly available international sources, including public media organizations databases, national media regulatory authorities, and academic studies. Results reveal cross-country variations. The systematic investigation of different forms of self-regulatory procedures might lead to concrete recommendations and best practice models for media organizations beyond the European Union. Further research could address the role of media audiences as relevant stakeholders in media governance processes.

Mapping Treatment Advances in the Neurobiology of Binge Eating Disorder: A Concept Paper.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a complex and heritable mental health disorder, with genetic, neurobiological, neuroendocrinological, environmental and developmental factors all demonstrated to contribute to the aetiology of this illness. Although psychotherapy is the gold standard for treating BED, a significant subgroup of those treated do not recover. Neurobiological research highlights aberrances in neural regions associated with reward processing, emotion processing, self-regulation and executive function processes, which are clear therapeutic targets for future treatment frameworks. Evidence is emerging of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, which may mediate energy balance, high-lighting a possible underlying pathogenesis factor of BED, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy.

The kids are bored: Trait boredom in early childhood and links to self-regulation, coping strategies, and parent–child interactions

Boredom is a negative emotion that most people experience on occasion. However, some people experience boredom more or are unable to tolerate it, which is called trait boredom. Trait boredom has been well-studied in adolescence and adulthood, but little is known about trait boredom in childhood. The main goal of this study was to measure trait boredom in 4- to 6-year-olds (N = 130) and to test whether it relates to self-regulatory processes in a similar fashion that has been observed in adults and identify strategies children use to cope with boredom. We found boredom in childhood was related to self-regulatory processes in a similar fashion as it does in adults, and most children used social stimulation strategies (e.g., asking to play with a parent) or behavioral strategies (e.g., playing with toys) to cope with boredom. The findings are discussed within the context of prevention and the emotion regulation and boredom literature.

A scoping review on self-regulation and reward processing measured with gambling tasks: Evidence from the general youth population.

Aberrant reward processing and poor self-regulation have a crucial role in the development of several adverse outcomes in youth, including mental health disorders and risky behaviours. This scoping review aims to map and summarise the evidence for links between aspects and measures of reward processing and self-regulation among children and adolescents in the general population. Specifically, it examined the direct associations between self-regulation (emotional or cognitive regulation) and reward processing. Studies were included if participants were <18 years and representative of the general population. Quantitative measures were used for self-regulation, and gambling tasks were used for reward processing. Of the eighteen studies included only two were longitudinal. Overall, the direction of the significant relationships identified depended on the gambling task used and the self-regulation aspect explored. Emotional regulation was measured with self-report questionnaires only, and was the aspect with the most significant associations. Conversely, cognitive regulation was mainly assessed with cognitive assessments, and most associations with reward processing were non-significant, particularly when the cognitive regulation aspects included planning and organisational skills. Nonetheless, there was some evidence of associations with attention, cognitive control, and overall executive functioning. More longitudinal research is needed to draw accurate conclusions on the direction of the association between self-regulation and reward processing.

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.

Contemporary Intensive Methods of Steel Hardening in Cold Fluids

In the paper, the new intensive quenching technologies are discussed which are based on controlling the self-regulated thermal process (SRTP) which exists for a long time if any film boiling is absent. It is rather intensive until convection starts. Despite the intense process (Kn &gt; 0.8), when the heat transfer coefficient and Biot number tend to infinity, there are several ways of controlling the surface temperature of steel components by varying the boiling temperature of the fluid. To eliminate any film boiling process and provide SRTP, the author of the paper explores the resonance effect, a thin surface insulating layer that covers the surface of machine components and electrical negative forces to control the double electrical layer that is responsible for destroying the film boiling mode. Based on SRTP control it is possible to delay the transformation austenite into martensite or even accelerate these transformations. The most important are possibilities to control surface temperature during the boiling process. All of this opens great opportunities for increasing significantly service life of machine components and tools. In the paper also the simplified method of cooling time calculation is proposed. It is based on the new principles concerning pure transient nucleate boiling taking place during the hardening steel in cold fluids. Since the paper simply explains everything, results of investigations will be widely used in the heat-treating industry.