Search Results (9)

Background: Intolerance of Uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic factor measured using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Revised (IUS-R). This study evaluated the stability and change in adolescents’ IU over a three-month period using a modified version of the scale. Methods: A two-wave study was conducted, with 290 adolescents responding to an online survey at baseline and 199 at follow-up. The original IUS-R was modified to probe the rating of the current perceived state of IU, rather than typical experience. The link between IU variability and the development of interpretation bias in ambiguous social situations at follow-up was explored. Structural Equation Modeling and Linear Mixed Model analyses were performed to assess the longitudinal measurement invariance and responsiveness of the Modified IUS-R scale. Results: The scale demonstrated good psychometric properties and full measurement invariance. Individual participants showed significant variability in baseline IU levels but not in the degree of change. A reliable change in scores was observed in 8% of adolescents. The Modified IUS-R predicted interpretation bias in social situations at follow-up. Conclusions: Significant inter-individual-level variation in IU suggests this tool may be useful for detecting changes in IU and predicting significant health outcomes. Future studies should further address the assessment of changing IU with longer timeframes. Full article

The physiotherapist inevitably experiences clinical uncertainty, as they treat a wide variety of pathologies and, in some situations, will be the first professional contact. However, clinical uncertainty has yet to be sufficiently studied in physiotherapy and is not explicitly contemplated in physiotherapist training. This research aims to evaluate recent physiotherapy graduates’ tolerance to clinical uncertainty to determine their educational needs. A cross-sectional quantitative observational study was conducted in which the sample consisted of 31 recent graduates. They were given a self-developed questionnaire to assess “Tolerance to Uncertainty in Physiotherapy” (TUP). The results showed that the mean score obtained was 57.7 (6.49) points, with a minimum of 43 and a maximum of 69 points. The dimension “sources of uncertainty” scored the highest. The results revealed a profile of novice physiotherapists with a medium intolerance to uncertainty, nervous about unknown diagnoses. It is necessary to consider tolerance to uncertainty in the curricular programmes of physiotherapy degrees that can cover the needs described here. Full article

Sugar substitutes have been recommended to be used for weight and glycemic control. However, numerous studies indicate that consumption of artificial sweeteners exerts adverse effects on glycemic homeostasis. Although sucralose is among the most extensively utilized sweeteners in food products, the effects and detailed mechanisms of sucralose on insulin sensitivity remain ambiguous. In this study, we found that bolus administration of sucralose by oral gavage enhanced insulin secretion to decrease plasma glucose levels in mice. In addition, mice were randomly allocated into three groups, chow diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with sucralose (HFSUC), to investigate the effects of long-term consumption of sucralose on glucose homeostasis. In contrast to the effects of sucralose with bolus administration, the supplement of sucralose augmented HFD-induced insulin resistance and glucose intolerance, determined by glucose and insulin tolerance tests. In addition, we found that administration of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-1/2 inhibitor reversed the effects of sucralose on glucose intolerance and insulin resistance in mice. Moreover, blockade of taste receptor type 1 member 3 (T1R3) by lactisole or pretreatment of endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitors diminished sucralose-induced insulin resistance in HepG2 cells. Taken together, sucralose augmented HFD-induced insulin resistance in mice, and interrupted insulin signals through a T1R3-ERK1/2-dependent pathway in the liver. Full article

Lipid droplet is a dynamic organelle that undergoes periods of biogenesis and degradation under environmental stimuli. The excessive accumulation of lipid droplets is the major characteristic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Moderate aerobic exercise is a powerful intervention protecting against the progress of NAFLD. However, its impact on lipid droplet dynamics remains ambiguous. Mice were fed with 15 weeks of high-fat diet in order to induce NAFLD. Meanwhile, the mice performed 15 weeks of treadmill exercise. Our results showed that 15 weeks of regular moderate treadmill exercise alleviated obesity, insulin intolerance, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia induced by HFD. Importantly, exercise improved histological phenotypes of NAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and locular ballooning, as well as prevented liver fat deposition and liver injury induced by HFD. Exercise reduced hepatic lipid droplet size, and moreover, it reduced PLIN2 protein level and increased PLIN3 protein level in the liver of HFD mice. Interestingly, our results showed that exercise did not significantly affect the gene expressions of DGAT1, DGAT2, or SEIPIN, which were involved in TG synthesis. However, it did reduce the expressions of FITM2, CIDEA, and FSP27, which were major involved in lipid droplet growth and budding, and lipid droplet expansion. In addition, exercise reduced ATGL protein level in HFD mice, and regulated lipophagy-related markers, including increasing ATG5, LAMP1, LAMP2, LAL, and CTSD, decreasing LC3II/I and p62, and promoting colocalization of LAMP1 with LDs. In summary, our data suggested that 15 weeks of moderate treadmill exercise was beneficial for regulating liver lipid droplet dynamics in HFD mice by inhibiting abnormal lipid droplets expansion and enhancing clearance of lipid droplets by lysosomes during the lipophagic process, which might provide highly flexible turnover for lipid mobilization and metabolism. Abbreviations: β-actin: actin beta; ATG5: autophagy related 5; LAMP2: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; ATGL: adipose triglyceride lipase; CSTD: cathepsin D; LAL: lysosomal acid lipase; DGAT1: diacylglycerol-o-acyltransferase 1; DGAT2: diacylglycerol-o-acyltransferase 2; CIDEA: cell death inducing dffa-like effector a; CIDEC/FSP27: cell death inducing dffa-like effector c; FITM2: fat storage-inducing transmembrane protein 2; PLIN2: adipose differentiation related protein; PLN3: tail-interacting protein 47; HSP90: heat shock protein 90; SREBP1c: sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c; chREBP: carbohydrate response element binding protein. Full article

This study’s purposes were to examine how selected demographic variables affect frequency of use of precautionary measures when shopping for clothing in retail stores; and how uncertainty avoidance/ambiguity intolerance and fashion innovativeness affect (a) precautionary measures used when shopping in retail stores during a pandemic and (b) compensatory consumption. Participants (122 US men; 209 US women aged 20 to 64) completed an online questionnaire containing demographic items plus measures of uncertainty avoidance/ambiguity intolerance, compensatory consumption, precautionary measures, and fashion innovativeness. Data analysis included reliability, factor analysis, M/ANOVA and SNK. Older adults, adults with higher education, and married adults more frequently used precautionary measures when shopping in retail stores. Men and women reported similar frequency of use. Fashion innovators and consumers with less tolerance for uncertainty/ambiguity more frequently used precautionary measures. Fashion innovators and consumers higher in uncertainty avoidance/ambiguity intolerance engaged in more compensatory consumption. Generalization of the results is limited because the data are context-specific: country (US), time period (during a pandemic), and sample. Guidelines for the general public regarding precautionary measures came from within organizations, between organizations and experts but the general public was not consulted (public open innovation) perhaps hindering compliance with precautionary measures. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated that intolerance of uncertainty (IU) can hinder problem-solving and lead to avoidance of ambiguous situations. Furthermore, people tend to lack confidence in decisions made in ambiguous contexts. We wanted to investigate the impact of IU on intentions to get vaccinated, to vaccinate one’s children, and to recommend the vaccine in situations with varying degrees of perceived uncertainty. We first conducted a pretest to select six scenarios with different levels of perceived uncertainty. In the core study, 485 participants answered for each of the six scenarios whether they would get vaccinated, vaccinate their children (or imagine doing so, for individuals without children), and whether they would recommend the vaccine. They also completed the IUS-12 (Intolerance of Uncertainty scale) and the VAX (Vaccination Attitudes Examination). Results showed that perceived uncertainty did not influence our measures, but the IUS-12 and VAX predicted the difference in score between the most and least uncertain scenarios. An indirect effect of the IUS-12 on decision confidence through the VAX was found, but with no direct effect. We conclude that, even if future studies should refine these results, Public Policies should be more focused on factors such as IU and attitudes toward vaccination. Full article

It has long been known that Easterners exhibit more conservative attitudes, cautiousness behaviors, and self-control ability than Westerners; people in Eastern countries show stronger defensive reactions to societal threats than Western people. Are East Asians really risk averters or do some richer underlying preferences drive their behaviors in their decision-making under uncertainty? To answer this question, we examined the risk and ambiguity attitudes of East Asian populations in both gain and loss domains using classical behavioral economic experimental methods. Based on our sample of university students, we found that Easterners are more risk intolerant but more willing to accept ambiguous conditions than their Westerner counterparts in the gain domain. Perhaps surprisingly, Eastern people and Western people have a similar attitude toward risk and ambiguity in the loss domain. The higher level of risk aversion observed among East Asians may be due to the cultural difference between Western countries and Eastern countries. Historically, such risk aversion may make sense, because it would minimize the influence of numerous ecological and historical threats and socio-political practices. Our findings suggest that models that were designed to analyze and predict aggregate behaviors and markets may be ineffective for Eastern populations, and, in the future, it is of significance to develop appropriate representative agent models from the eastern perspective. Full article

Medical decision-making is often related to risk and uncertainty, but existing research does not offer a comprehensive approach to this matter. We discuss the necessity to study cognitive representations of risks (CRRs), which we define as the subject’s images of risky situations, possible outcomes, and alternative decisions. The psychometric approach towards risk assessment often involves the evaluation of different risks, but we aim to create such a list from medical professionals’ expert knowledge. Via qualitative analysis, CRRs were obtained from interviews with practicing doctors from Russia (N = 24). The list includes 21 risks from real-life medical practice, with seven aspects for numerical evaluation each. Then, practicing doctors (N = 64) evaluated CRRs along with filling risk-related personality traits questionnaires: Personal Decision-Making Factors Questionnaire, Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire, Ten Item Personality Measure, and Budner’s Intolerance of Ambiguity Scale. A correlational analysis showed interconnections between most CRRs aspects, with predictability and negative outcome probability seemingly being the central aspects of the risk assessment. CRRs aspects were also found to be gender- and experience-specific, with female doctors and younger specialists being more sensitive to professional risks. Personality traits in relation to CRRs aspects, medical experience and gender are also discussed. Full article

Long time coherent integration is a vital method for improving the detection ability of global navigation satellite system (GNSS)-based passive radar, because the GNSS signal is not radar-designed and its power level is very low. For aircraft detection, the large range cell migration (RCM) and Doppler frequency migration (DFM) will seriously affect the coherent processing of azimuth signals, and the traditional range match filter will also be mismatched due to the Doppler-intolerant characteristic of GNSS signals. Accordingly, the energy loss of 2-dimensional (2-D) coherent processing is inevitable in traditional methods. In this paper, a novel 2-D coherent integration processing and algorithm for aircraft target detection is proposed. For azimuth processing, a modified Radon Fourier Transform (RFT) with range-walk removal and Doppler rate estimation is performed. In respect to range compression, a modified matched filter with a shifting Doppler is applied. As a result, the signal will be accurately focused in the range-Doppler domain, and a sufficiently high SNR can be obtained for aircraft detection with a moving target detector. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the range-Doppler parameters of an aircraft target can be obtained, and the position and velocity of the aircraft can be estimated accurately by multiple observation geometries due to abundant GNSS resources. The experimental results also illustrate that the blind Doppler sidelobe is suppressed effectively and the proposed algorithm has a good performance even in the presence of Doppler ambiguity. Full article