Subjective Scale Research Articles

The effect of transcranial electrical stimulation on the relief of mental fatigue.

The presence of mental fatigue seriously affects daily life and working conditions. Non-invasive transcranial electrical stimulation has become an increasingly popular tool for relieving mental fatigue. We investigated whether transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) could be used to alleviate the state of mental fatigue in a population of healthy young adults and compared their effects. We recruited 10 participants for a blank control, repeated measures study. Each participant received 15 min of anodal tDCS, α-tACS, and blank stimulation. Participants were required to fill in the scale, perform the test task and collect ECG signals in the baseline, fatigue and post-stimulus states. We then assessed participants' subjective fatigue scale scores, test task accuracy and HRV characteristics of ECG signals separately. We found that both anodal tDCS and α-tACS significantly (P < 0.05) reduced subjective fatigue and improved accuracy on the test task compared to the blank group, and the extent of change was greater with tACS. For the HRV features extracted from ECG signals. After tACS intervention, SDNN (t = -3.241, P = 0.002), LF (t = -3.511, P = 0.001), LFn (t = -3.122, P = 0.002), LFn/HFn (-2.928, P = 0.005), TP (t = -2.706, P = 0.008), VLF (t = -3.002, P = 0.004), SD2 (t = -3.594, P = 0.001) and VLI (t = -3.564, P = 0.001) showed a significant increasing trend, and HFn (t = 3.122, P = 0.002), SD1/SD2 (t = 3.158, P = 0.002) and CCM_1 (t = 3.106, P = 0.003) showed a significant decreasing trend. After tDCS intervention, only one feature, TINN, showed a significant upward trend (P < 0.05). The other features showed non-significant changes but roughly the same trend as the tACS group. Both tDCS and α-tACS can be effective in relieving mental fatigue, and α-tACS is more effective than tDCS. This study provides theoretical support for tDCS with α-tACS having a alleviating effect on mental fatigue and the use of ECG as a valid objective assessment tool.

Individual and additive-effect relationships of menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline among nurses during menopausal transition: a cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to examine the individual and additive-effect relationships between menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline among nurses during menopausal transition. Between February and September 2019, a convenience sampling strategy was used, involving 1,335 Chinese nurses undergoing menopausal transition. A general information survey that included the Subjective Cognitive Decline Scale and the Menopause Rating Scale was completed. Based on a cut-off point of the subjective cognitive decline score of 7.5, the overall sample was divided into mild and severe groups. Propensity score matching was performed to balance covariates of mild and severe subjective cognitive decline. The individual and cumulative effects of menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline were analyzed using binary logistic regression and the Cochran-Armitage trend test, respectively. After propensity score matching, none of the parameters showed significant differences between the groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that four menopausal symptoms were closely associated with severe subjective cognitive decline. The Cochran-Armitage trend test indicated odds ratios linking the presence of these symptoms with increased severe subjective cognitive impairment. In addition, nurses simultaneously experiencing two or more core menopausal symptoms were over six times more likely to have severe subjective cognitive decline than nurses experiencing none or one core menopausal symptom during menopausal transition. Individual and additive numbers of menopausal symptoms significantly influenced subjective cognitive decline in nurses during their menopausal transition. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing the cognitive performance of nurses experiencing menopause should consider menopausal symptoms.

Efficacy of coloured lenses for patients diagnosed with visual stress

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Colour overlays and lenses are used to relieve symptoms in some patients diagnosed with visual stress, but evidence to support this practice is lacking. In this small randomised crossover trial, a range of colours are beneficial and precise colour specification does not enhance this effect. Background This randomised, double-masked crossover trial aimed to test effectiveness of precisely selected lens tints for visual stress. Methods Twenty-nine participants aged 11 to 72 (mean 30) years diagnosed with visual stress were issued with their selected coloured overlay then with tinted lenses at two colour settings. An eye examination and coloured overlay test were followed by intuitive colorimetry to select a colour to minimise symptoms (optimal tint) and the closest setting at which the symptoms returned (sub-optimal, or placebo tint). The tints were worn for one month each in randomised order. Reading speed was measured using the Wilkins Rate of Reading Test, a subjective scale was used to gauge symptoms, and the patient was asked to indicate whether one of the tints alleviated their symptoms more than the other. Results Reading speed was significantly higher with colour than without (p < 0.001), but was similar with the overlay and both tints (p = 1.0). Discomfort/distortion rating (1–7) was lower with colour than without (p < 0.001), but no difference was found between the overlay and both tints (p > 0.1). About half (47%) of the patients preferred/strongly preferred their optimal tint, and 39% preferred/strongly preferred their sub-optimal tint, while 14% had no preference. Conclusions While our patients read more quickly and were more comfortable when using a tint, there was no difference in outcome between the optimal and sub-optimal tints. These results suggest that for patients diagnosed with visual stress, precision tints are no more helpful than sub-optimal, placebo tints.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-Being Scale in Brazilian Adults

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Multidimensional Subjective Financial Well-Being Scale in Brazilian Adults

Functional Level and Dynamic Posturography Results Two Years after Vestibular Neurectomy in Patients with Severe Meniere's Disease.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional outcomes and balance compensation in patients with severe Meniere's disease after vestibular neurectomy. Methods: Pre- and postoperative results were analyzed in twenty patients with unilateral Meniere's disease before and two years after vestibular neurectomy. Clinical evaluation was performed using a subjective grading scale proposed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory. Sensory organization test results were analyzed to assess the balance system before and after the surgery. Results: All patients reported a complete resolution of vertigo attacks after the vestibular neurectomy; 95% of patients reported functional level improvement according to a scale proposed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the average score decreased from 4.5 to 1.6. Clinical improvement, evaluated with the Dizziness Handicap Inventory, was present in all patients, with the average result decreasing from 81.7 to 16.4. Analyzing both grading systems, differences between pre- and postoperative results were statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found between the sensory organization test results before and after vestibular neurectomy. Significant correlations were found between a patient's age and postoperative results of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and posturography. Conclusions: Vestibular neurectomy is an effective vertigo treatment in patients with severe Meniere's disease with no clinical improvement despite conservative treatment. It results in subjective physical, functional, and emotional improvement, enabling patients to return to daily activities and work. An appropriate qualification of patients and comprehensive preoperative evaluation are essential to obtaining satisfactory clinical outcomes.

The Impact of Urban Migration on the Mental Well-Being of Young Women: Analyzing the Roles of Neighborhood Safety and Subjective Socioeconomic Status in Shaping Resilience against Life Stressors

This study evaluates the impact of urban migration on the mental health of young women, focusing specifically on how objective life stressors, perceived neighborhood safety, and subjective socioeconomic status influence depression. Depression is the main outcome measure in this research, serving as a critical indicator of mental health in the context of urban migration. Utilizing a stratified cluster sampling approach, we collect data from 2138 young female migrants in Bao’an District, Shenzhen, employing the Life Stress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items, Perceived Neighborhood Safety Scale, and Subjective Social Economic Status Scale to assess the corresponding constructs. Our findings highlight that life stressors directly contribute to increased depression levels among young female migrants, with perceived neighborhood safety significantly mediating this relationship. Furthermore, subjective socioeconomic status moderates the impact of life stressors on perceived neighborhood safety, underlining the intricate dynamics between objective life stressors and the social-environmental context in shaping mental health outcomes. This research underscores the importance of creating supportive and inclusive social environments to mitigate the adverse psychological effects of life stressors on young female migrants, thereby contributing to discussions on sustainability and social welfare.

Characterisation of negative social impact risks within pre-deployment carbon dioxide utilisation projects

As the youngest of the three sub-fields within sustainability assessment, development of social impact assessment lags behind life cycle and techno-economic assessments. This is manifested in comparatively lacking methodological maturity. The calculation of impact indicator results, achieved through the use of characterisation models, is a prime example of the field’s immaturity. This research initially identifies current methodologies observed within social impact assessment. This reveals that impact pathway characterisation models, analogous to those seen in life cycle assessment, have primarily been neglected; instead, research has been focused on less reproducible and more subjective reference scale approaches. Redressing this balance, a set of seven UNEP and SETAC indicators are evaluated, developing novel impact pathway-based characterisation models. Focussing on the effects of stimulating and de-stimulating factors on indicators, identifying hotspots where negative social impacts are likely to arise. The presented methodologies are tailored to applications involving the assessment of potential carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU) value chains. This focus results in open access characterisation models that are indiscriminate of technology readiness level, requiring no primary process data. Data from the World Bank and its partner organisations are utilised, generating complete results across all indicators for 129 countries. Development of these quantifiable characterisation models delivers significant value in the standardisation of assessment procedure and facilitates inter-assessment comparability, a benefit to stakeholders ranging from practitioners to commissioners.

Using subjective emotion, facial expression, and gaze direction to evaluate user affective experience and predict preference when playing single-player games

The affective experience generated when users play computer games can influence their attitude and preference towards the game. Existing evaluation means mainly depend on subjective scales and physiological signals. However, some limitations should not be ignored (e.g. subjective scales are not objective, and physiological signals are complicated). In this paper, we 1) propose a novel method to assess user affective experience when playing single-player games based on pleasure-arousal-dominance (PAD) emotions, facial expressions, and gaze directions, and 2) build an artificial intelligence model to identify user preference. Fifty-four subjects participated in a basketball experiment with three difficulty levels. Their expressions, gaze directions, and subjective PAD emotions were collected and analysed. Experimental results showed that the expression intensities of angry, sad, and neutral, yaw angle degrees of gaze direction, and PAD emotions varied significantly under different difficulties. Besides, the proposed model achieved better performance than other machine-learning algorithms on the collected dataset.

Influence of Material and Decoration on Design Style, Aesthetic Performance, and Visual Attention in Chinese-Style Chairs

Abstract Chinese-style chairs are appreciated by many consumers for their elegant design. The material and decoration have a significant impact on the design of Chinese-style chairs. Exploring the influence of these two factors on design styles and aesthetic expressions, as well as the related visual attention patterns, is of great importance for the design of Chinese-style chairs. This study aimed to investigate the impact of material (wood/metal) and decoration (pattern/no pattern) on the design style, aesthetic performance, and visual attention patterns of Chinese-style chairs. Fifty-six Chinese university students wore eye-tracking glasses to view four types of chair designs and completed subjective rating scales. The results show that material and decoration have both independent and interactive effects. Wood chairs exhibit a traditional design style and superior aesthetic performance compared to metal chairs. Traditional Chinese patterns enhance design style and aesthetic performance, particularly when applied to wooden chairs. Visual attention was not significantly different across chair designs, except for wooden chairs with traditional patterns on the backrest, which attracted more attention. These research findings provide reference for designers to design Chinese-style chairs.

Recovery of Full Hyperextension After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Is Associated With Better Functional Outcomes but Greater Anterior Cruciate Ligament–Related Laxity After a Minimum 24-Month Follow-Up

PurposeEvaluate patients submitted to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with preoperative hyperextension and compare physical examination (KT-1000 and pivot shift) and patient reported outcomes measures of patients who recovered the entire hyperextension with patients who did not. MethodsPatients aged 18 to 60 years with more than 5 degrees of knee hyperextension submitted to anatomical ACL reconstruction with any graft from June 2013 to June 2021 and at least 24 months of follow-up were evaluated retrospectively. Hamstrings and patellar tendon grafts were fixed around 20 to 30 degrees of flexion and in full extension, respectively. Patients who could recover hyperextension were compared with patients who did not. Pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative data, including physical examination and patient reported outcomes measures, was evaluated. ResultsA total of 225 patients were evaluated, 48 (21.3%) did not recover hyperextension, and 177 recovered full range of motion. Patients who did not recover hyperextension had a larger graft diameter (8.7 ± 0.7mm (confidence interval 8.502-8.898) vs. 8.3 ± 0.7mm (confidence interval 8.197-8.403); p = 0.018). Regarding the postoperative subjective variables, patients who recovered hyperextension showed improvement on all scales (IKDC, Lysholm, FJS, and GPE) evaluated compared to patients who did not recover the range of motion. Patients who recovered hyperextension also showed more laxity on physical examination, measured by the KT-1000 (1.8 ± 0.8 vs. 1.1 ± 1.0; p= 0.0006) and the pivot-shift (Grade 0 – 62.1%;Grade 1 – 37.9% vs. Grade 0 – 79.2%;Grade 1 – 20.8%; p=0.027). ConclusionPatients with knee hyperextension who regained range of motion after ACL reconstruction have worse knee laxity than patients who regained full extension but not hyperextension. However, patients who recover full range of motion showed higher scores on subjective function scales, including a greater number of patients who achieved PASS IKDC.

Innovative infusion center assessments of chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicities: A pilot study supporting early and routine screenings as part of survivorship programs.

e24102 Background: More than 50% of patients treated with taxane and platinum chemotherapy experience neurotoxic adverse events due to treatment, including neuropathy, hearing loss or cognitive impairment. However, because risk factors and clinical trajectory of these toxicities remain poorly understood, it is not yet clear how or when patients should be screened. Innovative technology, such as tablet-based screening tools, create unique opportunities to capture patient symptoms, better understand potentially long-lasting side effects, and determine when to start either preventive or treatment/rehabilitation options. Methods: We assembled a multidisciplinary team from oncology, nursing, and audiology. IRB permission was obtained to perform a longitudinal observational pilot to assess the feasibility of performing chair-side neurotoxicity screenings in the infusion center of an urban safety net health system. Five infusion center nurses were recruited to collect data using a tablet-based application on 55 patients who met the inclusion criteria including chemotherapy-naive patients and fluent in English. Neuropathy and cognitive impairment were measured by validated standardized subjective scales (the Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Assessment Tool, and the Attentional Function Index, respectively) and objective pure-tone audiometry (SHOEBOX Audiometry). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize outcome data. Results: Baseline assessments were completed on 48/55 patients with 37 completing at least one or up to 6 repeated assessments. All participants had baseline assessments before their first cycle by a chemo-certified RN in the infusion chair. Our sample included 55 adults aged 29 to 81 years, of whom 75% were females. 61% of participants were diagnosed with a gynecologic cancer, and 51% consented to receive Paclitaxel and Carboplatin chemotherapy regimen, 29% consented to receive Cisplatin chemotherapy, the remaining 20% consented to receive Oxaliplatin, Docetaxel, or Carboplatin alone. Significant changes occurred in all 3 symptoms by cycle 6 of chemotherapy with 45% of participants experiencing neuropathy, 13% experiencing a clinically significant change in hearing, and 30% experiencing self-reported cognitive concern by the 6th cycle. Ototoxicity and neurotoxicity scores followed the same trajectory of an increase or worsening in scores over time from cycle 1 to cycle 6. Conclusions: Use of innovative, portable tablet-based screening tool can be effectively used to capture symptoms of neuropathy chair-side as patients undergo chemotherapy. These observations support the need to better assess these approaches so that they can be used to optimize clinical outcomes and patient quality of life.

Children with homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated subjective well-being in Indonesia

The aims of this study are twofold. First, to explore the characteristics of children with homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated (as defined by Cummins 2003; Tomyn et al., 2015) subjective well-being (SWB) in Indonesia, including sociodemographic variables. Second, to investigate variables contributing to the subjective well-being (SWB) each of these two groups of Indonesian children. Homeostatically defeated children were identified based on their SWB scores are 50 or below 50 on a 0-100 scale, following Cummins’ theory of SWB homeostasis, while homeostatically maintained children were identified based on their SWB scores above 50. Participants of this study (N = 14,576; 50.64% girls and 49.36% boys; 96.15% were homeostatically maintained children and 3.85% were homeostatically defeated children) were children 10 and 12-year-olds. A representative sample of the Children’s Worlds survey in West Java Province, Indonesia, collected in October 2017 was used for the analysis here presented. The five items version of the Children’s Worlds Subjective Well-Being Scale (CW-SWBS5) was used as SWB indicator, together with several items to evaluate other SWB aspects (family, friends, school climate, living area, bullying, material deprivation, family economic status, and satisfaction with several other life domains). Cummins’ theory of SWB homeostasis was used to discuss the results. Results showed different contribution of some of the variables on the SWB of children depending if it appeared to be homeostatically maintained or homeostatically defeated. However, satisfaction with safety showed positive contribution to SWB of both homeostatically maintained and homeostatically defeated children. Implication for parents, teachers, government, and policy makers are discussed to assist these children to improve their SWB.

Video-Based Kinematic Analysis of Movement Quality in a Phase 3 Clinical Trial of Troriluzole in Adults with Spinocerebellar Ataxia: A Post Hoc Analysis.

Traditional methods for assessing movement quality rely on subjective standardized scales and clinical expertise. This limitation creates challenges for assessing patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), in whom changes in mobility can be subtle and varied. We hypothesized that a machine learning analytic system might complement traditional clinician-rated measures of gait. Our objective was to use a video-based assessment of gait dispersion to compare the effects of troriluzole with placebo on gait quality in adults with SCA. Participants with SCA underwent gait assessment in a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of troriluzole (NCT03701399). Videos were processed through a deep learning pose extraction algorithm, followed by the estimation of a novel gait stability measure, the Pose Dispersion Index, quantifying the frame-by-frame symmetry, balance, and stability during natural and tandem walk tasks. The effects of troriluzole treatment were assessed in mixed linear models, participant-level grouping, and treatment group-by-visit week interaction adjusted for age, sex, baseline modified Functional Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (f-SARA), and time since diagnosis. From 218 randomized participants, 67 and 56 participants had interpretable videos of a tandem and natural walk attempt, respectively. At Week 48, individuals assigned to troriluzole exhibited significant (p=0.010) improvement in tandem walk Pose Dispersion Index versus placebo {adjusted interaction coefficient: 0.584 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.137 to 1.031]}. A similar, nonsignificant trend was observed in the natural walk assessment [coefficient: 1.198 (95% CI-1.067 to 3.462)]. Further, lower baseline Pose Dispersion Index during the natural walk was significantly (p=0.041) associated with a higher risk of subsequent falls [adjusted Poisson coefficient:-0.356 [95% CI-0.697 to-0.014)]. Using this novel approach, troriluzole-treated subjects demonstrated improvement in gait as compared to placebo for the tandem walk. Machine learning applied to video-captured gait parameters can complement clinician-reported motor assessment in adults with SCA. The Pose Dispersion Index may enhance assessment in future research. TRIAL REGISTRATION-CLINICALTRIALS. NCT03701399.

Effects of hand catalepsy on subjective trance perception and relative parasympathetic tone in healthy volunteers during pleasant hypnotic session: a randomized controlled study.

This study was designed to evaluate the effects on hand catalepsy on parasympathetic tone assessed using Analgesia/Nociception Index (ANI) and on subjective rating of absorption, dissociation, and time perception among healthy volunteers. This was a randomized controlled trial including participants to a medical hypnosis congress in France. Ninety volunteers were randomized in two arms, all receiving a fifteen-minute positive hypnotic trance, with or without hand catalepsy. The relative parasympathetic tone assessed by ANI (Analgesia/Nociception Index), heart rate and respiratory rate were recorded at different times of the study protocol. The actual duration of the hypnotic session, calculated from eye closing to eye opening, was also recorded. At the end of the hypnotic trance, participants subjectively rated their level of absorption and dissociation on a 0-10 scale. They were also asked to estimate the duration of the hypnotic session from eye closing to eye opening. In total, ninety subjects were included in the study. One subject was excluded because of deviation in the protocol standard, leaving eighty-nine subjects for analysis. Subject characteristics were similar between groups. There was a statistically different increase in ANI and decrease in both heart rate and respiratory rate over time with no difference with or without hand catalepsy. There was no statistically significant difference in absorption and dissociation subjective scales between groups. The median [Q1-Q3] actual duration of hypnotic sessions was similar between the catalepsy and the control groups (9 [8-10] min vs. 8 [7-10] min, respectively). However, subjects in the catalepsy group estimated a longer duration of the hypnotic session (12 [10-15] min) than in the control group (10 [5-10] min) with a mean ± SD overestimation of 3 ± 4min (p < 0.001). Parasympathetic comfort increased during the hypnotic trance with no difference between groups. However, adding hand catalepsy to a pleasant hypnotic trance did not appear to increase feelings of absorption or dissociation but created time distortion on the longer side that could be useful in some clinical settings. Nevertheless, further study is still needed to determine more precisely the physiological and psychological effects on hand catalepsy during the hypnotic trance.

Effects of physical activity on subjective well-being: the mediating role of social support and self-efficacy.

Subjective well-being is an essential component of college students' mental health, and the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being among college students and to examine the mediating role of social support and self-efficacy between the physical activity and subjective well-being. This study utilized a cross-sectional design with a stratified whole group sample of 989 college students (Mage = 19.65 years, SD = 1.1) from three universities in Guangdong Province, China, and used the Physical Activity Scale, Subjective Well-Being Scale, Social Support Scale, and Self-Efficacy Scale for data collection. In this study, SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistical analysis and correlation analysis of the collected data. Harman's one-way method was used to test for common method bias. (1) Physical activity, subjective well-being, social support and self-efficacy were significantly correlated with each other. Among them, physical activity was significantly and positively correlated with subjective well-being (r = 0.36), physical activity directly predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.125, t = 3.992, p < 0.01). (2) Physical activity positively predicted social support (β = 0.386, t = 12.505, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (β = 0.358, t = 11.793, p < 0.01), social support significantly positively predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.332, t = 11.370, p < 0.01) and self-efficacy (β = 0.254, t = 8.744, p < 0.01), self-efficacy significantly and positively predicted subjective well-being (β = 0.255, t = 8.251, p < 0.01). (3) Not only did social support and self-efficacy play an independent mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being, but social support and self-efficacy played a chain mediating role between physical activity and subjective well-being. This study enriched the theoretical guidance for physical activity in promoting college students' subjective well-being. In the practical teaching of promoting college students' subjective well-being, in addition to paying attention to stimulating physical activity, special attention should be paid to the promotion of social support and self-efficacy.

Impact of childhood socioeconomic status on depression among postdoctoral researchers in universities: The chain mediating role of current subjective socioeconomic status and perceived stress.

Postdoctoral researchers in Chinese universities commonly face a high risk of mental health issues, such as depression, yet the underlying causes and mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the influence of childhood socioeconomic status (SES) on depression among postdoctoral researchers and the mediating roles of current subjective SES and perceived stress in this process. An online survey was conducted among postdoctoral researchers at a university. The survey included a general information questionnaire, the Childhood Socioeconomic Status Scale, the Subjective Socioeconomic Status Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire. A total of 505 valid responses were collected. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the data, and the PROCESS macro was employed for chain mediation analysis. Childhood SES was significantly positively correlated with current subjective SES (P<0.05) and significantly negatively correlated with postdoctoral tenure, perceived stress, and depression (all P<0.05). Current subjective SES was significantly negatively correlated with perceived stress and depression (both P<0.05), while perceived stress was significantly positively correlated with depression (P<0.05). The chain mediation effect of childhood SES → current subjective SES → perceived stress → depression was significant (P<0.05). Childhood socioeconomic status can influence depression among postdoctoral researchers through the mediating roles of current subjective socioeconomic status and perceived stress. These findings provide a target for the prevention and intervention of depression in postdoctoral populations and offer a reference for the development of mental health promotion strategies for young university faculty.

The Impact of Visual and Kinesthetic Motor Imagery on Mental Fatigue and Classification Performance in Untrained Participants

Motor imagery (MI) is a critical component of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, but the effective use of MI-BCI requires significant user training. In order to improve the training effect, it is necessary to choose a stable and easy to use paradigm. To explore the effects of different paradigms on training effectiveness, 18 untrained participants were recruited to perform kinesthetic motor imagery (KMI) and visual motor imagery (VMI) experiments. The participants’ subjective vividness and mental fatigue levels were measured using a subjective scale and (θ + α)/β value in the experiments, respectively. Additionally, the Common Spatial Pattern (CSP) algorithm and the Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm were used to extract EEG signal features and classify them. The results showed that the majority of participants demonstrated a greater aptitude for excelling in the VMI paradigm, where the average accuracy rate was 84.7%, compared to the KMI paradigm, where the average accuracy rate was 79.6%. In addition to this, participants with higher levels of sports proficiency showed better adaptability in the KMI paradigm. Compared to KMI, VMI can enable most inexperienced participants to achieve a better user experience with less fatigue and improve training performance.

Kratom addiction per DSM-5 SUD criteria, and kratom physical dependence: Insights from dosing amount versus frequency

BackgroundKratom products are widely used in the United States, with inadequate understanding of how dosing amounts/frequencies relate to outcomes. MethodsBetween July-November 2022, we enrolled 395 active US adult kratom consumers into a remote study with a baseline survey. We examined self-reported typical dose amounts and frequencies across people and product types, and their associations with outcomes: multiple regression was used to examine whether amounts and frequencies (doses/day) were associated with acute effects, withdrawal symptoms, scores on the Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (SOWS), and addiction (operationalized as DSM-5-based symptoms of kratom-use disorder, KUD). ResultsParticipants were 54.9% male, aged 38.1 on average, and 81.3% White. Mean length of kratom use was 5.7 years. Most (95.9%) reported regularly using whole-leaf kratom products; 16 (4.1%) reported regular extract use. SOWS scores were mild to moderate on average (13.5, SD 11.9). KUD symptom counts were mostly in the mild/moderate range (80.7%). Withdrawal and KUD symptoms were more closely associated with dose frequency than dose amount. Men reported more acute effects, withdrawal symptoms with cessation, and KUD symptoms than women. ConclusionsGreater dose amount and frequency were systematically related to the number of withdrawal symptoms upon cessation and to KUD symptoms; the relationship was stronger for dose frequency than amount. Men may have more acute effects and more withdrawal and KUD symptoms than women. Although kratom may be used nonproblematically by some consumers, physical dependence (tolerance, withdrawal, or use to avoid withdrawal) and KUD become more likely with increasing dose frequency.

Perceptions of social class through Chinese speech cues

Speech is a complex auditory signal that contains multiple layers of linguistic and non-linguistic structure, it contains both linguistic and social class information. Perceivers are exquisitely sensitive to this layered structure and extract not only linguistic properties, but also indexical characteristics that provide information about individual talkers and groups of talkers. Social class information involves inferring the speaker's social class or forming an impression of their social status based on their speech. Previous research on social class perception in speech has primarily focused on English, with relatively little research on Chinese. This study examines social class perception in Chinese speech. Study 1 employed class judgment and evaluation tasks with a subjective social class scale as the main measure to examine whether listeners could infer class information from Chinese speech and how their own class background influenced their perception. The results of Study 1 showed that subjects could accurately discriminate between speakers' social classes, but there may be a response bias that overestimates lower-class speakers as upper-class speakers. Study 2 focused on whether the speech of different classes of speakers actually differed on a number of indicators. It was found that the speech of higher class speakers was perceived to be more standardised, more pleasant to listen to and less accent-intensive. Overall, listeners can perceive class information from Chinese speech; different classes of Chinese speech do contain different levels of indexical information. In Chinese language societies, individuals can also judge their class information through the speech, which is consistent with the relevant research results in English.

TOLERANT AND INTOLERANT CONTENT OF ASSESSMENTS BY UKRAINIAN STUDENTS OF SUBJECTS SOCIAL AND POLITICAL LIFE

Relevance. The study focuses on the problem of the attitude of Ukrainians to "good Russians" under the influence of the Russia-Ukraine war. The opinion of student youth is of particular importance. Depending on the holding of a certain personal position, young respondents largely evaluate modern military and political phenomena and processes. Methodology. The task of the online survey of 2,202 students of 35 universities from different regions of Ukraine, conducted in the spring of 2022, was to assess the degree of guilt and effectiveness of the actions of agents of social, in particular, military and political processes. The questionnaire used 5-point scales of semantic differential and subjective scaling. According to the content of the evaluations of the crimes of the Russians and the Russian authorities before Ukrainians, four groups of respondents were distinguished. Their attitudes towards various social and ethno-political subjects are compared. Results. It was found that anti-Russian attitudes significantly prevail in students' evaluations of Russians and the Russian government. A relatively small part of the sample consisted of anti-Ukrainian, neutral and tolerant views towards Russians. The anti-Russian majority most clearly accuses subjects to whom it attributes signs of attraction to the "Russian world". The anti-Ukrainian minority evaluates them positively, but tends to blame Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian authorities. However, the positions of the anti-Russian majority and the anti-Ukrainian minority turned out to be close in their high assessment of the effectiveness of the Ukrainian government and the command of the Armed Forces. Respondents who try to choose neutral assessments partly avoid a clear choice, and partly hide their pro-Russian sentiments. "Tolerant" respondents, who condemn the Russian authorities, but do not condemn Russians, tend to blame all those in power and to excuse "ordinary people" regardless of their nationality or citizenship.