Acupuncture for pediatric chronic pain: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To survey, analyze and discuss the scientific evidence supporting the use of acupuncture and related techniques in the management of chronic pain in the pediatric population. SOURCES: A survey of databases (MEDLINE, Scopus and Scielo) was carried out with search strategies, following the PRISMA statement, without limits on publication dates and languages. Clinical studies (clinical trials, single-arm, and case series) were accepted for review if they included participants aged up to 22 years. Study quality was assessed by MMAT, and the randomized clinical trial was analyzed under the STRICTA criteria. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: 2369 articles were retrieved. After excluding repetitions, 1335 underwent the initial selection. Only 16 articles were selected for full reading, of which 5 were included in the review, being two case series, two single-arm studies, and one randomized clinical trial. The articles were considered of good quality by the adopted criteria. CONCLUSION: The analyzed studies showed important clinical results such as the reduction of pain intensity, and improvement in school attendance and social life. However, there are many limitations in study design and sample size. Therefore, there is weak evidence to support the use of acupuncture in the context of pediatric chronic pain, but the positive results reinforce the need for further investigation of the topic with the conduct of larger and well-designed studies, to obtain more data and greater scientific conviction of the findings.

Children grow upwards, and so does the number line: Evidence from a directional number line paradigm.

Technological advancements give researchers the opportunity to explore the internal metric that allows to mentally place numbers in a spatial and ordered way to establish relationships between quantities. In this study, we implement the cMNL, an embodied number line paradigm to investigate the configuration of children's number space mappings under multiple conditions. A sample of 185 primary school children aged 8-10years old completed digitally an embodied number line task encompassing directionality and modality as variables. Contrary to the premise of a fixed internal number line moving from left to right in many Western scripts, our results suggest that children's number-space mapping is more robust along a vertical axis. In addition, children's embodied number line estimation differed depending on input modality. The findings provide insight into the variability in children's number line estimation, and the usability of digital assessment in understanding the mechanisms of the developing number-space system.

Corrigendum: Advances on self-regulation models: A new research agenda through the SR vs ER behavior theory in different psychology contexts.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.861493.].

Farmers Views on the Implementation of On-Farm Emergency Slaughter for the Management of Acutely Injured Cattle in Ireland.

Four management options for acutely injured cattle in Ireland exist: treatment, unless cattle are severely injured; on-farm emergency slaughter (OFES); casualty slaughter (CS) if the animal is certified fit for transport; or euthanasia. OFES is designed to prevent transport of welfare-compromised cattle. An online survey of farmers in Ireland was carried out between April and July 2021 and focused on events during 2020. A theoretical framework of capacity, willingness, and opportunity was used to explore farmers' perceptions. Responses from 94 farmers (49 dairy and 45 beef) were analysed; not all respondents answered all questions. Respondents indicated that the incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland is low. A majority reported not having an acutely injured animal for greater than 36 months. Most respondents had a positive attitude towards OFES for animal welfare reasons and were aware of relevant regulations and guidelines. Barriers to OFES included a lack of availability of OFES, and dairy farmers indicated that it had a similar financial impact as euthanasia. A parallel study with veterinarians indicated a higher incidence of acutely injured cattle in Ireland; the current results may be due to the demographic or the sensitivity of the topic. Nationwide electronic data capture on the cause of mortality could support improvements in the management of acutely injured cattle and enable surveillance of the proportion of these cattle undergoing OFES, euthanasia, or CS.

Systematic review on post-stroke computerized cognitive training: Unveiling the impact of confounding factors.

Background: Stroke is a highly incapacitating disease that can lead to disabilities due to cognitive impairment, physical, emotional, and social sequelae, and a decrease in the quality of life of those affected. Moreover, it has been suggested that cognitive reserve (patients' higher levels of education or having a skilled occupation), for instance, can promote faster cognitive recovery after a stroke. For this reason, this review aims to identify the cognitive, functional, and behavioral effects of computerized rehabilitation in patients aged 50 years or older who had a stroke, considering cognitive reserve proxies. Methods: We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis-PRISMA, and performed the search for peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials without a date restriction on CINAHL, LILACS, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were chosen. Results: We screened 780 papers and found 19 intervention studies, but only 4 met the inclusion criteria and shared data. These studies included computerized tools for motor and cognitive rehabilitation in the experimental groups. In all studies, computerized training was combined with other interventions, such as standard therapy, occupational therapy, and aerobic exercises. There were 104 participants affected by ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke, predominantly male (57.69%), and all with cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Despite a limited number of studies, varied methods and insufficient information available, schooling as a CR proxy combined with high-intensity computerized cognitive training was key to mediating cognitive improvement. The systematic review also identified that the associated ischemic stroke and shorter time of onset for rehabilitation contribute to the cognitive evolution of patients. Findings do not support a greater benefit of computerized cognitive training compared to conventional cognitive therapies. Systematic review registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=296193], identifier [CRD42022296193].

Management of acutely injured cattle by on farm emergency slaughter: Survey of veterinarian views.

Background: Fitness to transport is a key provision in animal welfare regulations in the European Union, and for the management of acutely injured cattle. Whilst treatment may be appropriate for some injuries, three common production outcomes for acutely injured cattle are; on farm emergency slaughter (OFES), casualty slaughter (CS) or euthanasia. The aims of this study were to evaluate the perceptions of veterinarians, working in Ireland, on the use of OFES for the management of acutely injured cattle and to evaluate the influence of capacity, willingness and opportunity on their ability to operate OFES. Methodology: Two online surveys of veterinarians working in Ireland, Private Veterinary Practitioners (PVPs) and Official Veterinarians (OVs), were conducted through QualtricsXM over a 7-week period between April and June of 2021. Quantitative and qualitative questions were developed and analyzed using the tripartite framework of capacity, willingness, and opportunity to collect relevant data about the management of acutely injured cattle and the provision of OFES in Ireland by veterinarians. Results: 43 OVs and 85 PVPs participated in the survey. OVs regulated on average 4.2 abattoirs, of which 21.6% accepted OFES. Participants reported 343 and 377 OFES and CS, respectively, in 2020. 62.4% PVPs had not certified cattle for OFES, or CS. Limb fracture accounted for 79% OFES, 34.5% CS and 47.9% euthanized acutely injured cattle. 63.3% OVs and 44% PVPs were not aware of abattoirs providing OFES within 100 km of their workplace. Lack of availability of OFES negatively associated with PVP knowledge of the procedure. Regulations and guidelines were the most common source of information on OFES for PVPs. Conclusion: Increasing the availability of OFES may help to improve the management of acutely injured cattle, especially those with limb fractures that are unfit for transport.

Advances on Self-Regulation Models: A New Research Agenda Through the SR vs ER Behavior Theory in Different Psychology Contexts.

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (1986) influenced the development of several complementary models of the construct of Self-Regulation. Building on the foundation of Self-Determination Theory, SDT (2000), and Zimmerman's Self-Regulation Theory, SR (2001), with their assumptions, contributions, goddesses, and limitations, we come to the Self- vs. External Regulatory Theory, SR-ER (2021). Finally, we integrate recent evidence demonstrating the explanatory adequacy of the SR vs. ER model for different psychological constructions in different settings related to education, health, clinical practice and social work. Complementary, a new theoretical and empirical research agenda is presented, to continue testing the adequacy of SR vs. ER assumptions, and to better understand the behavioral variability of the different constructs studied.

Sex differences in the cognitive performance in adults: role of impaired sleep.

Objectives: Poor sleep quality negatively affects cognitive performance. However, there are limited data on sex differences in functional outcomes of impaired sleep on cognition. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between sleep quality and performance of men and women in cognitive tests. Material and Methods: After screening, 97 individuals with and without insomnia complaints participated of this study. Behavioral scales were evaluated using a number of instruments and the sleep pattern was recorded by actigraph. Subsequently, the participants were submitted to visuospatial/verbal working memory (WM), visual attention, and psychomotor vigilance tests (PVT). Results: The actigraphic recordings indicated that men sleep later (d=-0.56, p<0.05), fall asleep faster (d=0.42, p<0.05), showed shorter sleep duration (d=0.53, p<0.05), and more sleep fragmentation than women (d=-0.41, p<0.05). The performance in the cognitive tasks also showed sex differences: the men showed better performance in the visuospatial short-term memory (d=-0.78, p<0.05); verbal (d=-0.61, p<0.05), and visuospatial-WM tests (d=-0.84, p<0.05); they also responded faster in the PVT (d=0.69, p<0.05), although made more mistakes (d=-0.85, p<0.01). Longer sleep latency was associated with poor performance in visual attention (r=0.52, p<0.05) and verbal memory tasks (r=-0.30, p<0.05) in men. Conclusion: Our results suggest that difficulty in falling asleep was associated with cognitive impairment, especially in men. Sex differences in sleep quality and cognitive skills should be taken into account in future research in this field.

Discerning Developmental Dyscalculia and Neurodevelopmental Models of Numerical Cognition in a Disadvantaged Educational Context.

Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) signifies a failure in representing quantities, which impairs the performance of basic math operations and schooling achievement during childhood. The lack of specificity in assessment measures and respective cut-offs are the most challenging factors to identify children with DD, particularly in disadvantaged educational contexts. This research is focused on a numerical cognition battery for children, designed to diagnose DD through 12 subtests. The aims of the present study were twofold: to examine the prevalence of DD in a country with generally low educational attainment, by comparing z-scores and percentiles, and to test three neurodevelopmental models of numerical cognition based on performance in this battery. Participants were 304 Brazilian school children aged 7-12 years of both sexes (143 girls), assessed by the Zareki-R. Performances on subtests and the total score increase with age without gender differences. The prevalence of DD was 4.6% using the fifth percentile and increased to 7.4% via z-score (in total 22 out of 304 children were diagnosed with DD). We suggest that a minus 1.5 standard deviation in the total score of the Zareki-R is a useful criterion in the clinical or educational context. Nevertheless, a percentile ≤ 5 seems more suitable for research purposes, especially in developing countries because the socioeconomic environment or/and educational background are strong confounder factors to diagnosis. The four-factor structure, based on von Aster and Shalev's model of numerical cognition (Number Sense, Number Comprehension, Number Production and Calculation), was the best model, with significant correlations ranging from 0.89 to 0.97 at the 0.001 level.