Exact facial replications, where individuals match the same facial variant type (e.g., Duchenne smiles) of others, play a central role in everyday social interactions of humans. Such replications help to improve an understanding of others by allowing individuals to be emotionally more in tune with them and/or to predict their behaviours. In this study, we tested for exact facial replications in orangutans and chimpanzees - the great apes phylogenetically farthest from and closest to humans, respectively. We tested in 96 subjects (from altogether eight social groups) whether such facial replications occurred within three seconds for laugh faces, homologues of human smiles/laugh faces. We focused on two variant types (laugh faces with and without the upper teeth exposed), using a two-step method. Our study revealed that both the orangutans and chimpanzees showed exact facial replications for laugh faces where the upper teeth were not exposed, i.e., the variant type that was least associated with rough/risky play. Such variant preference for exact replications might help being emotionally more in tune with others and/or predict their behavioural actions - either one could lead to important advantages, such as prolonging play (a correlation found for the studied orangutans). These findings infer an evolutionary continuity of exact facial replications across great apes (and humans) and a complexity for pre-human laugh communication. Laugh faces of ancestral apes must have already been complex in form and function 10-16million years ago, and later within the hominin lineage become even more effective tools of everyday social communication.

ABSTRACT Schoolyards play a crucial role in children’s physical and cognitive development, as well as in fostering social interaction and overall well-being. This systematic review synthesises empirical studies, published between 2004 and 2024, examining the impact of schoolyard design on the physical activity and play preferences of children between the ages of 5 and 12 through a gender-sensitive lens. A systematic search in five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Dialnet, ERIC, and PubMed) was conducted in April 2024 and January 2025 following PRISMA guidelines. Of 984 records identified, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings highlight the importance of diverse schoolyard features to enhance physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour and foster gender equity. Key strategies for effective schoolyards interventions include increasing the availability of permanent play facilities, such as green spaces, loose equipment, swings, play structures, courts, coloured markings and climbing equipment, to create more engaging and inclusive outdoor environments.

Human social behaviors involve complex interactions between individuals, and understanding how interbrain neural activity reflects and predicts these interactions is critical for advancing social cognitive neuroscience. While electroencephalography (EEG) hyperscanning has been widely used to explore interpersonal neural dynamics, most studies focus on pairwise regional coupling, overlooking the brain's intrinsic network-level organization. Here, we propose a spatiotemporal network analysis framework that combines Bayesian non-negative matrix factorization with EEG source imaging to identify interpretable subnetworks with spatiotemporal information. Applying this framework to dyadic EEG datasets from interactive decision-making tasks identifies eight task-relevant subnetworks, including the default mode network (DMN), somatosensory-motor network (SMN), and visual network (VN). Effective interpersonal coordination was associated with enhanced network-level time-domain interbrain synchrony and spatial-domain inter-subject similarity, and the fusion of these metrics reliably predicted interactive behaviors. Notably, synchrony and similarity involving DMN, VN, and SMN emerge as robust predictors of interactive behaviors, with spatiotemporal coupling most prominent within these subnetworks. These findings reveal spatiotemporal network signatures underlying interpersonal neural synchronization and demonstrate the importance of distributed subnetworks and their temporal and spatial alignment in achieving effective social interactions. This framework provides a useful computational tool for probing the neurobiological basis of social behaviors.

Influencing factors and enhancement paths of college students' learning motivation: Evidence from Nanjing.

Enhanced relationship marketing anchored on digital live selling behaviors and Uses and Gratification Theory.

Adolescence is a sensitive period for the emergence of subclinical psychotic experiences, including paranoid ideation. Understanding their developmental course in relation to common mental health difficulties such as anxiety, is important for clarifying etiological processes and potential progression to clinical psychosis. This study longitudinally examined the possible bidirectional relationship between anxiety and paranoia assessed in a Virtual Reality setting in adolescents aged 12 to 18 and the role of childhood threat experiences, as part of the EMBRACE study. Data were collected in two waves, 18months apart at baseline. State paranoia was assessed using the State Social Paranoia Scale (SSPS) in two distinct Virtual Reality (VR) environments. Anxiety was measured with the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS25), while childhood threat exposure was evaluated using the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire (JVQ). Linear and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations and moderation effects. At baseline, 120 adolescents participated, of whom 97 completed both waves. State paranoia in a school canteen VR environment at baseline significantly predicted state paranoia in a VR bar environment 18months later (β = 0.45, SE = 0.10, p < 0.001). Similarly, anxiety at baseline strongly predicted anxiety at follow-up (β = 0.46, SE = 0.10, p < 0.001), but no associations were found between state paranoia and anxiety over time in either direction. Childhood threat exposure moderated the relationship between baseline state paranoia and anxiety at follow-up (β = -0.17, SE = 0.06, p = 0.009), with adolescents experiencing higher state paranoia and threat exposure at baseline showing lower anxiety at follow-up. In contrast, the interaction between Wave 1 anxiety and Wave 1 childhood threat exposure in predicting follow-up state paranoia was non-significant (β = -0.17, SE = 0.11, p = .117). VR can capture subtle paranoid ideation in ecologically valid, dynamic social interactions that are consistent over time and across different VR environments. The developmental trajectories of paranoia and anxiety may diverge depending on childhood threat exposure, highlighting the role of early adversity in shaping their interplay.

A previous randomized controlled trial comparing problem-focused computer-assisted skills training (ScouT) with supportive resource activation treatment (STARK) in children (6-12 years) with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) demonstrated significant pre-post changes in both treatment conditions, with ScouT being slightly superior on some outcomes. Based on the same sample (N = 99), the present study examined cross-sectional indirect associations between treatment condition and outcomes via intermediate variables, which conceptually correspond to mediation. We hypothesized that ScouT would lead to stronger reductions in the peer-related aggression-maintaining factor (PAM factor; including dysfunctional social information processing, emotional dysregulation, impulse control problems, deficits in social skills, and dysfunctional social interactions), whereas STARK would lead to greater improvements in self-concept, which in turn would be associated with lower concurrently assessed clinician-, parent- and teacher-rated DBD symptoms and overall externalizing behaviors. Our analysis yielded support for the hypothesized indirect association through the PAM factor, with consistency across all outcome measures. Unexpectedly, compared with STARK, ScouT also led to a more favorable self-concept, which was indirectly associated with less severe clinician-rated DBD symptoms, but not with the other outcomes. This latter indirect association was small and should additionally be interpreted with caution given the low reliability of the clinician-rated scale. These findings may indicate that the treatment of children with DBD may benefit from directly targeting aggression-maintaining factors. Limitations include the concurrent assessment of the intermediate variables (PAM factor, self-concept) and the outcomes, which does not permit causal conclusions. Future research should refine methodologies and explore additional treatment mechanisms.Trial Registration:The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov on 2014-05-18 (Identifier: NCT02143427).

Americans live in largely age-segregated worlds. The aims of this study are to (1) characterize the age composition of individuals' social networks and daily social interactions and (2) investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between age diversity metrics and participant outcomes: fluid cognitive ability, emotional well-being, and mortality. In Study 1, N = 309 participants aged 25-85 reported on the age of each member in their social network and completed an experience sampling protocol (6 times per day for 10 days), in which they reported on the age of their most recent social interaction partner. In Study 2, we examine longitudinal data (N = 184, Wave 1; N = 191, Wave 2; N = 178, Wave 3; five years between waves) from participants aged 18-94 who followed a similar protocol, with mortality outcomes assessed over a 13-year follow-up period. We found that participants reported the most social network partners and interactions with people close to them in age. Participants reported the most positive experiences with children and older adults. Positive associations between age diversity and fluid cognitive ability, but not emotional well-being, were consistently observed. Participants with more age-diverse networks and interactions were more likely to have survived the 13-year observation period. Findings highlight potential benefits associated with having a wide variety of ages represented in one's social world. Age-diverse social environments may support cognitive functioning across adulthood and longevity. Encouraging intergenerational connection may be a promising avenue for promoting healthy aging.

Neurobehavioral and reinforcing effects of pregabalin in mice.

The perception of eye gaze plays a pivotal role in human social interactions, which even occurs outside conscious awareness. However, whether such nonconscious gaze perception is susceptible to top-down cognitive processes, like working memory (WM), remains unclear. Using a delayed match-to-sample paradigm, we investigated the WM modulation on the perception of eye gaze rendered invisible through the continuous flash suppression (CFS) technique. Our results revealed that the suppressed eye gaze gained prioritized access to consciousness when its direction matched that of the face held in WM. This effect did not emerge when the sample faces were only passively viewed rather than actively memorized, ruling out simple perceptual priming. More importantly, head orientation representations in WM could also facilitate the breakthrough of directionally congruent gaze stimuli, while such facilitation was not observed for WM representations of nonsocial cues, such as arrows. The current study demonstrates that WM representations of social cues can act as a top-down mechanism to enhance nonconscious gaze perception, highlighting the existence of a specialized mechanism tuned to the processing of social signals.

The Parent's Observations of Social Interactions (POSI) is a brief, targeted screening measure for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is minimal data on its use in infants at high risk for developmental delays. The objective was to evaluate the use of the POSI as an ASD screener in a cohort of infants at high risk for neurodevelopmental impairments. Our hypothesis was that positive POSI scores would be associated with developmental delays and the later diagnosis of ASD. This retrospective cohort study included toddlers born between 2016 and 2019 assessed using the POSI and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSITD) at 18-33 months corrected age. Children with positive and negative POSI screens were compared for developmental delays, cerebral palsy, and later diagnoses of ASD by a developmental pediatrician as noted in the electronic health record. Positive POSI scores were noted in 106/291 (36.4%) children, with 25/291 (8.6%) subsequently diagnosed with ASD. Toddlers with a positive score were more likely to have developmental delays and cerebral palsy compared with those with negative scores. The sensitivity of a positive POSI score for a later diagnosis of autism was 76% with a specificity of 66.7%. The POSI was a feasible method of ASD screening for high-risk children, in conjunction with other developmental evaluations. Due to low specificity, future research is warranted to improve the accuracy of early ASD screening in high-risk infants and long-term follow up.

The increasing use of smartphones among older adults offers new opportunities for social connection but may also pose risks associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression. This study examined the relationship between smartphone use and depression among older adults in Guangzhou, China, to identify key predictors and complex configurations associated with depression. Using a hybrid analytic approach applied to survey data from 2585 older adults in Guangzhou, machine learning methods first identified the strongest predictors of depression. Subsequent fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis delineated distinct configurations associated with depression. The analysis identified high levels of smartphone addiction and a low preference for interactive use as central configurations associated with depression. These patterns appeared to operate through 2 distinct mechanisms: structural exclusion related to resource limitations and agentic maladaptation associated with relational deficiencies. This underlying vulnerability, in combination with specific sociodemographic factors, delineated distinct depression-related typologies. High-risk profiles included unmarried men with limited educational attainment and socially withdrawn individuals with greater socioeconomic resources. Problematic smartphone use, particularly when it displaces social interaction, is significantly associated with depression among older adults. Interventions should therefore promote healthier interactive digital behaviors and provide targeted support for high-risk groups.

Parental care shapes anxiety-like behavior, oxytocin, social interaction, and ethanol sensitivity in adolescent C57BL/6J mice.

In recent years, many sellers have marketed products through third-party live streamers and shared revenue with them. During live streaming, streamers provide both informative content (e.g. product attributes) and non-informative content (e.g. social interactions) to entertain consumers, with gift-giving serving as an additional revenue source. This paper examines consumers' limited attention to these two types of content within a game-theoretic framework. We show that when gift-giving efficiency and consumers' attention to social-interaction content are sufficiently low, or when gift-giving efficiency is relatively low, greater consumer attention to social content induces the streamer to increase social-interaction effort while product demand declines. This occurs because reduced attention to product quality lowers consumers' perceived value from product information, which outweighs the increased value from social interactions. Moreover, we find that consumers' gift-giving behaviour can harm the streamer. When the effort cost coefficient is sufficiently low, gift giving induces the seller to raise the price by anticipating and free-riding on the streamer's higher effort response. If the gift income and increased commissions cannot offset this higher effort cost, the streamer's profit decreases. Finally, we consider three extensions: (1) endogenous commission rate negotiation; (2) optimisation of consumers' attention allocation; and (3) alternative decision sequences for effort and pricing.

As the development of web applications continues to expand, impacting various aspects of users’ lives, from social interactions and healthcare to business and education, there is an increasing need to understand and implement web accessibility guidelines. These guidelines enable developers to create more effective, user-friendly applications that align with the standards set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and enhancing the experiences of millions of users with disabilities. Although several research papers provide tools for measuring web accessibility issues, there remains a significant gap in studies examining how these issues affect the quality of web applications. In this work, we experimentally investigate the diffuseness of web accessibility defects in real-world web applications and assess how these defects impact the specific domains of the web apps included in our study. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between structural elements, web app features, and the prevalence of accessibility issues within these applications.

This article analyzes the media as a territory of symbolic and political disputes, where identities and power relations are reconfigured. Using the concepts of mediatization (Braga, 2006) and bios mediatic (Sodré, 2006), it discusses how media logics transform social life, influencing perceptions and interactions. Rancière's philosophy (2000) is mobilized to understand the division and forms of contestation of the established order. In dialogue with decolonial thought, the text examines the resistance of Indigenous peoples through Indigenous media, exemplified by initiatives such as Indigenous documentaries and the Arandu Arakuaa band. These initiatives challenge stereotypes and claim narrative autonomy, even while facing obstacles such as the difficulty of reaching non-Indigenous audiences. It concludes that the appropriation of media by Indigenous peoples is a political act of decolonization, expanding spaces for representation and resistance.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising in prevalence, but effective treatments for its core symptoms remain limited. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has shown promise; however, conventional methods often require antibiotics and bowel cleansing, raising concerns regarding safety and sustainability. We developed a novel FMT method using hydrogen nanobubble water and investigated its efficacy and safety. Methods This prospective, single-arm, before-and-after comparative study enrolled 30 children aged 5–12 years with ASD, selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. SHIN-1, a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)-grade prepared fecal microbial solution from a healthy screened donor, was suspended in hydrogen nanobubble water and administered via enema. Primary outcome was the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), with objectivity confirmed using Gazefinder as an eye-tracking system. Secondary outcomes included sensory profile [Short Sensory Profile (SSP)], gastrointestinal symptoms [Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale [GSRS], Bristol Stool Form Scale [BSFS]] and Patient Health Questionnaire-4 items (PHQ-4). Statistical analyses employed paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests ( α = 0.05). Results At 30 weeks, fecal microbiota reconstitution was observed, with increases in short-chain fatty acid–producing and typically taxa abundant in developing children. SRS-2 scores decreased 29% ( p &amp;lt; 0.001), sustained at one year. The classification is as follows; 19 severe cases improved to mild and 6 to normal. Improvements were greater in children without gastrointestinal disorders (45% vs. 24%). Social Communication and Interaction (SCI), Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior (RRB), and subscales improved uniformly; sensory, gastrointestinal, and emotional symptoms improved by 30%–61%. No adverse events occurred. Conclusion This novel hydrogen nanobubble water–based FMT method was safe and effective, reducing both core and peripheral symptoms of ASD and suggesting broad benefits via the gut microbiota–brain axis. Clinical Trial Registration: https://jrct.mhlw.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs031230041 .

Peer attachment patterns in the school environment may be related to how adolescents perceive sexism, understood as the identification of gender beliefs that reinforce inequalities and stereotypes. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between peer attachment styles and the perception of sexism in adolescents. For data collection, validated Likert-type scales were used to measure the dimensions of trust, communication, and alienation (attachment), as well as the hostile and benevolent components of sexism. Due to the absence of a normal distribution in the data, non-parametric analyses were applied. The results revealed a negative, moderate, and significant correlation between both variables: a higher level of peer attachment is associated with a lower perception of sexism. Specifically, the communication and alienation dimensions showed the strongest links with sexist attitudes, while trust presented a weaker but equally significant relationship. In conclusion, strengthening affective and communicative bonds among peers is associated with more critical and less stereotyped gender perceptions, suggesting that attachment quality is a key factor in promoting more equitable social interactions during adolescence.

This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach to explore the lived experiences of Senior High School Alternative Learning System (ALS) learners as they navigated phonological and syntactical hurdles in communication. Guided by Hymes’ Communicative Competence Theory, Ellis’ Native Language Interference Theory, and Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, as described by Lazarus and Folkman this qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Senior High School ALS learners as they navigated phonological and syntactical hurdles in communication. Fourteen (14) ALS learners from selected public schools in New Corella, Davao del Norte were purposively selected as participants. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns in learners’ experiences. Findings revealed significant phonological challenges, including mispronunciation of unfamiliar sounds, improper stress and intonation, and first-language interference. Syntactical hurdles were evident in difficulties with sentence construction, subject–verb agreement, verb tense usage, and word order. These challenges negatively affected learners’ confidence, clarity of expression, and participation in academic and social interactions. Despite these difficulties, learners demonstrated resilience by employing coping strategies such as repeated practice, self-monitoring, and seeking support from teachers and peers. The study underscores the importance of context-sensitive and theory-informed instructional interventions that address both phonological and syntactical development to strengthen communicative competence among ALS learners. Keywords: Alternative Learning System Learners, Phonological Challenges, Syntactical Hurdles, Qualitative Study, Phenomenology, Thematic Analysis, New Corella, Davao Del Norte, Philippines

Purpose This study aims to critically examine the integration of big data analytics (BDA) into sustainability accounting, identifying thematic developments, methodological patterns and gaps that shape future research and practice. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted on 70 peer-reviewed articles published between 2017 and 2024. The study uses a structured analytical framework, text mining techniques and thematic coding to synthesize findings and identify research gaps. Findings The review reveals five key thematic clusters: supply chain and circular economy, artificial intelligence-enabled sustainability practices, climate change and sustainability accounting standards, stock returns and corporate transformation and environmental, social and governance (ESG) interactions. Significant research gaps are identified, with implications for academic inquiry, professional practice and regulatory policy. The study highlights the need to address fragmented reporting standards and technological barriers, emphasizing the urgency of aligned and data-driven ESG policies, robust assurance mechanisms and adaptive regulation. Originality/value This research seeks to provide methodological insights for interdisciplinary studies in sustainability accounting, integrating BDA. It explores the transformative potential of BDA to reshape sustainability reporting, assurance and policy development.