The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Attention, Self-Control, and Aggressiveness in Primary School Pupils.

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of Mindkeys Training, a mindfulness-based educational intervention, on attention, self-control, and aggressiveness in third-year primary school pupils. In order to achieve this aim, a switching replications design was used. Two groups of third year primary students (nGE1 = 40; nGE2 = 33), aged between 7 and 10 years old (M = 8.08; DT = 0.49), had the intervention at different time points, such that while one served as the experimental group, the other served as the control group. Longitudinal differences were examined in both groups, and cross-sectional differences were examined between the two groups at three time points; at the start of the study, and following the intervention with each group. To that end, measurements of problems of attention, deficits of self-control, and aggressiveness for students were obtained via a teacher rating scale. The intervention program demonstrated a positive effect on the reduction of pupils' attention problems, deficits of self-control, and aggressiveness. The effects were greater on the cognitive variables that the intervention worked on directly (attention and self-control). Attention was the variable on which the intervention exhibited the longest term effects.

Serious Games and Their Effect Improving Attention in Students with Learning Disabilities.

Previous studies have shown the positive effects of educational video games (serious games) in improving motivation, attention and other cognitive components in students with learning disabilities. This study analyzes the effects on attention of a serious game based on multiple intelligences in a sample of 44 students (age range = 6-16 years; experimental group = 24; control group = 20) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorder (SLD). Performance and observation measures of attention were used. The intervention consisted of 28 sessions (10 min each), in which the participants trained with 10 games based on multiple intelligences. A significant improvement in attention performance measures (visual attention) was found after the intervention, with the experimental and the control groups significantly differing in the posttest. These results invite consideration of the applicability of boosting different intelligences, talents or unique abilities through educational videogames as an important bridge to improving areas of deficit-in this case attention-in students with learning disabilities.

Differential expression of sialic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine residues on the cell surface of intestinal epithelial cells according to normal or metastatic potential.

In this study we investigated the levels of expression of sialic acid and N-acetylgalactosamine residues on the cell surface of a normal intestinal epithelium cell line, IEC-6, and in two colon adenocarcinoma cell lines with different metastatic potential, Caco-2 and HCT-116. Glycoprotein expression was estimated initially by cytochemistry with WGA and HPA lectins and biochemistry with isolated plasma membrane fractions of the cells. Fluorescence and electron microscopic analyses revealed differences in the expression profile of carbohydrates recognized by the lectins used on the cell surface of IEC-6, Caco-2, and HCT-116 cells. Lectin blotting identified a range of eight HPA-binding glycoprotein bands with molecular weights of 16-66 kD in Caco-2 cells, six glycoproteins of 16-36 kD, and three protein bands of 35, 24, and 21 kD in IEC-6 cells. A minor band of 66 kD and a major one of 50 kD for WGA-binding glycoproteins were observed in IEC-6 cells and seven glycoproteins of 18-97 kD in Caco-2 and HCT-116 cells but with a visible higher expression of these glycoproteins in the latter. Furthermore, significant quantitative difference in levels of expression of WGA- but not of HPA-binding glycoconjugates was noted, as analyzed by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy using backscattered electron images of cells incubated with gold-labeled lectins.