Search Results (1,286)

Background/Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is increasingly recognized as a multisystem disorder affecting perceptual, emotional, and reward-related processes. While arts-based interventions in PD have primarily focused on active creative arts engagement, it remains unclear whether receptive arts engagement with visual art—how artworks are perceived and evaluated—is altered. Our objective is to determine whether aesthetic evaluation of visual artworks differs in individuals with PD compared to age-matched healthy controls. We further examine whether emotional interpretation, color-emotion associations, and experiential responses to art viewing are altered. Methods: In a cross-sectional case–control study, individuals with PD (n = 87) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 49) completed two online assessments. Participants evaluated 36 artworks from the Vienna Art Picture System in terms of liking, beauty, and subjective art attributes. Objective image-derived features were computed for each artwork. Interpretable machine learning models were used to test whether evaluation patterns predicted diagnostic group and to identify determinants of aesthetic judgments. Participants further completed a color-emotion association task using ambiguous expressive portraits and reported perceived changes in cognitive, emotional, motivational, and physical states following art viewing. Results: Aesthetic evaluation patterns did not support reliable classification of PD status, indicating no systematic group differences in liking, beauty, or attribute-based judgments between PD and controls. Instead, aesthetic judgments were robustly predicted by individual differences and objective artwork properties, including art-historical style, symmetry, complexity, and color-related features, whereas diagnostic group, gender, and age did not contribute to predictions. Emotional interpretation and color-emotion associations were largely comparable between groups, with a single specific deviation in color-emotion mapping. Positive emotions were less frequently associated with pink in people with PD. Self-reported experiential responses to art viewing did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: Aesthetic evaluation of visual artworks appears largely preserved in people with PD. These findings suggest that, in digital viewing contexts, substantial adaptation of visual content to make it accessible for people with PD may not be necessary, although subtle perceptual and emotional differences may still be relevant. Efforts may instead be better directed toward addressing practical barriers to visual art engagement. Full article

This study aims to empirically analyze the patterns, intensity, and perceived barriers to physical activity among Polish university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research utilized a diagnostic survey method, employing a questionnaire. The online survey was conducted from December 2020 to May 2022 via the Webankieta.pl platform. The minimum sample size, calculated using the standard formula for estimating a proportion in a large population, was set at 1100 participants and was exceeded, with 1260 students providing valid responses. The results show that over half (55.8%, mainly women) of the respondents did not participate in regular physical activity during the pandemic. Participants cited lack of desire, fatigue, and low motivation—not pandemic restrictions—as primary reasons. Conversely, 44.2% of respondents, mostly men, reported engaging in regular physical activity. Most engaged in moderate-intensity activities two to five times a week, with vigorous activities performed slightly less often. Women were more likely to do both types, while men favored strength training. The most common activities included walking (61.6%), simple gymnastic exercises (43.1%), strength training with equipment (35.0%), cycling (34.5%), and calisthenics (30.2%). The majority (81.3%) exercised at home or nearby (33.4%). Reported barriers, especially among those who exercised regularly, were pandemic-related, such as limited or closed access to gyms, fitness centers, and pools (59.1%), along with time constraints (44.7%) and low motivation or determination (32.0%). The findings emphasize the importance of targeted interventions to boost physical activity among university students, particularly women and those with fewer financial resources. Universities should consider implementing programs that promote accessible, regular activity and initiatives to enhance motivation and foster long-term, health-promoting habits. Full article

Objectives/Background: Regular physical activity is a key health behavior associated with physical and mental well-being. However, sustaining physical activity remains challenging among adults, and the psychological mechanisms that support continued engagement require further clarification. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study examined the roles of autonomous motivation and controlled regulation in health behavior engagement, focusing on the mediating role of physical activity self-regulation strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 468 Korean adults. Autonomous motivation and controlled regulation were assessed using the Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3, and physical activity self-regulation strategies were measured using the Physical Activity Self-Regulation Scale. Health behavior engagement was assessed using a single-item measure based on the stages of change for exercise. Structural equation modeling with bootstrapping was used to examine direct and indirect relationships among the study variables. Results: Both autonomous motivation (β = 0.649, p < 0.001) and controlled regulation (β = 0.153, p < 0.001) were positively associated positive with self-regulation strategies. Self-regulation strategies were positively associated with health behavior engagement (β = 0.336, p < 0.001). Autonomous motivation showed both a significant direct effect (β = 0.131, p = 0.018) and a significant indirect effects through self-regulation strategies (bias-corrected 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.206, 0.420]) on health behavior engagement, indicating partial mediation. In contrast, controlled regulation showed no significant direct effect (β = −0.062, p = 0.144) but had a significant indirect effect through self-regulation strategies (bias-corrected 95% CI [0.043, 0.131]). Conclusions: Autonomous motivation appears to be a stronger predictor of health behavior engagement than controlled regulation, both directly and indirectly through self-regulation strategies. These findings highlight the importance of motivational quality and suggest that self-regulation strategies are a key mechanism through which motivation is translated into physical activity engagement among adults. Interventions should therefore combine autonomy-supportive approaches alongside the development of practical self-regulatory skills to promote sustained physical activity. Full article

During atmospheric reentry, a spacecraft is enveloped by a turbulent plasma sheath that induces severe signal degradation and communication blackout. Conventional mitigation strategies primarily focus on reducing average attenuation but fail to address the dynamic fluctuations in plasma density (typically 20–40%), which cause significant group velocity dispersion (GVD), pulse broadening, and intersymbol interference. To overcome this limitation, this paper proposes an active decoupling framework that dynamically tunes an external magnetic field to suppress turbulence-induced signal distortion in the reentry plasma sheath. By establishing a wave propagation model for right-hand circularly polarized (RCP) waves in magnetized collisional plasma and introducing a sensitivity analysis of propagation parameters with respect to plasma density fluctuations, we derive the condition under which the first-order sensitivity of GVD vanishes. Under this condition, a dynamic balance between collisional effects and frequency detuning renders the system immune to density perturbations, effectively decoupling signal transmission from plasma turbulence. Numerical simulations demonstrate that, under optimal parameter matching satisfying the dispersion immunity condition ($\mathsf{\Delta }{\omega }_0^2=3{\nu }_e^2$), pulse broadening can be suppressed by several orders of magnitude, and the broadening factor remains near unity over extended propagation distances. It is further shown that this optimal condition is highly sensitive to plasma parameter evolution, motivating the necessity of adaptive magnetic field control in dynamically evolving reentry environments. This work provides a novel physical-layer paradigm for mitigating reentry blackout by actively decoupling signals from turbulence via dynamically tuned magnetic fields. Full article

Background/aim: Physical inactivity remains widespread globally, with most adults not achieving recommended physical activity levels. Exercise motives and goals, central to Self-Determination Theory, strongly influence sustained participation. The Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory (BMZI) is a validated tool to assess exercise motivation; however, no Arabic version exists. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the BMZI for Arabic-speaking adults. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia between September and October 2025 among native Arabic-speaking adults via social media and community networks. The survey included sociodemographic data, the Arabic version of the Bernese Motive and Goal Inventory (Ar-BMZI), the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS), and the SF-12 Health Survey. Reliability was assessed through Cronbach’s α, McDonald’s ω, and ICC for test–retest consistency; construct validity via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis; and convergent validity by correlating Ar-BMZI with the Arabic-SMS and Arabic-SF-12 physical component. Results: A total of 680 participants were included, with a mean age of 30.4 ± 12.9 years. Most were female (61.6%) and held a bachelor’s degree (73.5%). Nearly half (50.9%) reported a low monthly income. The Ar-BMZI demonstrated strong overall psychometric performance. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach’s α = 0.883; ω = 0.868), and test–retest reliability indicated high stability over time (ICC = 0.870, 95% CI = 0.786–0.933). Convergent validity was supported by a moderate correlation with the Arabic Sport Motivation Scale (r = 0.613, p < 0.001) and a weak correlation with the SF-12 physical health domain (r = 0.098, p = 0.011), which supported discriminant validity. Exploratory principal component analysis with Varimax rotation identified a five-factor structure explaining 69.2% of the total variance, and confirmatory factor analysis further supported this structure, demonstrating an excellent model fit. Conclusions: The Ar-BMZI demonstrates high reliability and good validity, supporting its use among Arabic-speaking adults. Full article

University students often intend to exercise regularly but fail to translate intention into action. The present study tested which post-intentional processes distinguish successful from unsuccessful intenders in self-reported regular leisure-time moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) enactment. Chinese undergraduates from 10 universities completed a three-wave survey administered at roughly two-week intervals. Habit automaticity was assessed at Wave 1, intention together with action planning and coping planning at Wave 2, and self-reported regular-exercise status at Wave 3. Because the dependent variable was assessed using a single stage-based self-report item, the findings should be interpreted as explaining self-reported regular-exercise status rather than objectively measured MVPA volume, frequency, or intensity. Primary analyses focused on students classified as intenders under the prespecified threshold (n = 1119 of N = 1670) and used hierarchical logistic regression to predict Wave 3 active versus inactive status. Under the primary threshold, 43.23% of participants were successful intenders and 23.77% were unsuccessful intenders, yielding an intention-behavior gap of 35.48% among intenders. Confirmatory factor analyses supported treating action planning and coping planning as distinct constructs. Among intenders, stronger action planning, stronger habit automaticity, and stronger intention strength independently predicted greater odds of meeting the regular-exercise criterion at follow-up. Coping planning did not show unique predictive value once action planning, habit automaticity, and intention strength were considered simultaneously, and no planning × habit interaction was supported. The pattern was robust across three alternative intention thresholds. These findings suggest that, among already motivated university students, successful exercise enactment depends less on coping planning alone than on a combination of commitment, concrete scheduling, and emerging behavioral automaticity. Interventions for student physical activity may therefore benefit from emphasizing detailed action planning and repeated performance in stable contexts. Full article

Machine learning approaches to wildfire spread prediction are constrained by the lack of standardized, multi-source, spatiotemporal datasets that fuse terrain, weather, and fire-state information into a single ML-ready format. We present WildfireCube, a reproducible event-centric pipeline and methodology for constructing dense fourth-order spatiotemporal tensors of shape (T, C, H, W) at 30 m spatial and 3 h temporal resolution. Following the analysis-ready data convention established in the Earth Observation community, the pipeline fuses four open data sources: the Copernicus GLO-30 Digital Elevation Model for static terrain derivatives, ERA5-Land reanalysis for hourly weather forcing, Sentinel-2 Level-2A imagery for spectral vegetation and burn-severity indices, and NASA FIRMS active-fire hotspot detections for fire-state reconstruction via ordinary kriging. The resulting 13-channel normalized tensor separates causal drivers into three physically motivated groups: static landscape controls (elevation, slope, aspect, fuel load), dynamic atmospheric forcings (wind components, temperature, precipitation), and evolving fire state (fire-front mask, burn severity, fractional burn, observation confidence). A physics-informed normalization framework maps all channels to bounded ranges using fixed physical constants rather than sample statistics, ensuring cross-event comparability and exact invertibility. We demonstrate the pipeline on 13 wildfire events across the United States, Canada, and Greece (2017–2023), producing a processed catalog exceeding 300 GB compressed and spanning a 14-fold range in burned area, a 27 °C range in mean temperature, and different fire regimes. Event tensors are stored in chunked Zarr archives with Zstandard compression, achieving a 2.58× compression ratio. As future work, the pipeline will be applied to a 40-event target catalog projected to exceed 2 TB of raw data, providing the multi-regime diversity and scale required for training robust deep learning models for spatiotemporal wildfire prediction. Full article

Background/Objectives: Assisted verticalization and supported upright activity are relevant components of rehabilitation in adults with severe acquired brain injury (sABI), although patient selection and implementation remain challenging. This retrospective observational study aimed primarily to describe the implementation feasibility and documented safety of GRILLO-based training in routine inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and secondarily to report exploratory pre–post functional changes. Methods: We reviewed clinical records of 34 adults screened or considered for GRILLO-based training at Centro Cardinal Ferrari KOS, Italy, between June 2022 and December 2024. GRILLO training was delivered as part of standard care and not as an experimental intervention. Functional outcomes included the Barthel Index (BI), Trunk Control Test (TCT), Tinetti Balance Scale, and Tinetti Gait subscale, extracted from routine documentation. Non-parametric descriptive analyses were used. Results: Of 34 screened patients, 4 did not meet diagnostic criteria for ABI, 5 interrupted training because of pain or poor tolerance to prolonged upright positioning, and 3 were not included because of poor compliance/motivation or an incomplete clinical pathway. The paired functional-analysis cohort comprised 22 patients: 20 (91%) completed 15 sessions and 2 (9%) completed 10 sessions. No serious device-related adverse events were documented in available clinical records, although minor adverse events were not systematically monitored. Among patients with paired observations, median BI increased from 16 to 22.5 (median change, +3; p = 0.008; n = 20), median TCT from 72 to 74 (median change, +12; p < 0.001; n = 21), and median Tinetti Balance Scale from 1 to 2 (median change, +1; p = 0.006; n = 22). Individual responses were heterogeneous and floor effects were evident, especially for balance and gait-related measures. Conclusions: In this retrospective real-world cohort, GRILLO-based training could be implemented in selected severely impaired inpatients, but feasibility may be overestimated if interrupted and non-completing cases are not considered. The non-completion cases may suggest that feasibility depends not only on initial clinical indication, but also on the appropriate timing of introduction, tolerance to prolonged upright physical effort, pain/discomfort, motivation, and behavioral engagement. The retrospective design, survivorship bias, non-systematic adverse-event monitoring, concurrent multidisciplinary rehabilitation, and absence of a comparator group preclude conclusions regarding device-specific safety or efficacy. Nevertheless, these preliminary findings support further prospective controlled studies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a critical period for the adoption of health-risk behaviors and the development of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Schools represent a strategic setting for health promotion interventions; however, Italian studies simultaneously assessing NCD-prevention knowledge and lifestyle behaviors in the same adolescent population remain scarce. The study aimed to evaluate improvements in knowledge regarding nutrition and other lifestyle-related behaviors among Italian adolescents following a school-based educational intervention. Secondary objectives included describing lifestyle behaviors within the study population and exploring participants’ evaluation of the intervention. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted between March and May 2025 in five lower secondary schools. A total of 410 adolescents aged 11–16 years were enrolled through a two-stage cluster sampling procedure. The intervention, lasting approximately two hours, was delivered by a trained nurse-researcher and addressed four health domains: nutrition, physical activity, screen exposure, and substance use. Results: Following the intervention, a measurable increase in overall knowledge scores (mean increase: +3.9 points) was observed, with 88.9% of participants showing improvement. The largest improvements were observed in nutrition-related knowledge and awareness of passive smoking harms. Despite these gains, unhealthy behaviors remained prevalent, including low adherence to physical activity recommendations (36.1%), suboptimal dietary quality (39.9%), and high screen exposure. A linear regression model identified five independent determinants of higher knowledge improvement: older age, female gender, higher screen exposure, having at least one employed parent, and lower pre-intervention test scores. The intervention was positively evaluated, with high levels of satisfaction, clarity, and perceived usefulness. Conclusions: Nevertheless, the persistent gap between knowledge and behavior underscores the need to integrate motivational and environmental components, gender-sensitive approaches, and longitudinal evaluations to foster sustainable, healthy choices and contribute to NCD prevention. Full article

Sustained engagement in physical activity during adolescence is a critical determinant of long-term health and well-being. Performance feedback is widely used in youth sport settings, yet its motivational impact may depend on athletes’ developmental stage and training experience. This study examined adolescents’ motivational responses following individualized sprint performance feedback and investigated whether training experience and sprint performance moderated these responses. Fifty-three adolescent athletes (mean age = 14.86 ± 0.81 years) completed a brief five-item questionnaire assessing commitment, enjoyment, self-determination, intention to continue training, and self-efficacy immediately after receiving individualized sprint performance feedback. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to evaluate the scale’s factorial structure and reliability. A two-way analysis of variance examined the effects of training age (1–6 vs. 7–12 years) and sprint performance (faster vs. slower) on overall motivational response. Factor analyses provided preliminary support for a unidimensional motivational response construct (ω = 0.92; α = 0.92). Overall motivational responses following feedback were moderately positive. Sprint performance demonstrated a significant main effect on motivation. Importantly, a significant interaction between training age and performance emerged as the key finding, indicating that less experienced athletes were more sensitive to performance outcomes, whereas motivation among more experienced athletes remained relatively stable. Individualized sprint performance feedback appears to be associated with moderately positive motivational responses in adolescent athletes, particularly during early stages of sport participation. These findings highlight the importance of developmentally appropriate feedback strategies that emphasize progress and competence development to support engagement in youth sport, which may be relevant for sustained participation over time. Full article

Background: Physical activity in urban green environments contributes to both physical and psychological well-being. Although negotiation strategies help individuals overcome barriers to participation in recreational sport, their interaction with environmental factors such as urban green spaces remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between negotiation strategies and well-being among urban residents and introduces “Green Commitment” to capture engagement with green exercise environments. Methods: The sample consisted of 233 adults (28.8% men, 71.2% women) aged 19–77 years living in Athens. Data was collected using the Negotiation Strategies Scale (33 items across eleven dimensions) and an adapted PERMA Profiler, which assesses well-being across five dimensions: positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and achievement. Six additional items measured engagement with urban green environments. Exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, ANOVA, MANOVA, and Pearson correlations were conducted using SPSS v.29. Results: The analysis confirmed satisfactory reliability and a five-factor structure of well-being, including Green Commitment, explaining 64.97% of total variance. Self-motivation recorded the highest mean value (M = 6.2). Significant positive correlations were found between most negotiation strategy dimensions and well-being, particularly for physical health and engagement–achievement (e.g., r = 0.469). Demographic differences were also observed. Conclusions: Negotiation strategies facilitate participation in recreational sport and enhance well-being in urban populations. Engagement with urban green environments, reflected in Green Commitment, further supports these outcomes. The study offers an integrated framework linking behavioral strategies, environmental context, and well-being. Full article

This study aimed to describe the pre–post changes in intrinsic motivation observed following the implementation of a parkour-based Adventure Education (AE) program in primary school students, and to examine the role of enjoyment, self-confidence, and resilience as variables statistically associated with intrinsic motivation, considering differences according to time (pre-test–post-test) and gender. The sample consisted of 492 fifth- and sixth-grade primary education students (249 boys and 243 girls) with a mean age of 10.67 years, enrolled in 12 Spanish schools. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test and post-test measures was used following the implementation of a seven-session program based on the Pedagogical Model of Adventure Education. Data were collected using instruments validated in the Spanish population: the intrinsic motivation subscale of the Perceived Locus of Causality Scale, the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale to measure enjoyment, the self-confidence subscale of the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory, and the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale to assess resilience. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 28.0 software, conducting descriptive analyses, correlations, and hierarchical multiple linear regressions to examine the statistical associations among the variables at each measurement point, along with a 2 × 2 repeated-measures ANOVA (time × gender). Post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores for intrinsic motivation, enjoyment, self-confidence and resilience. Enjoyment was the variable most strongly statistically associated with intrinsic motivation, followed by self-confidence and resilience. The ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time, while no significant time × gender interaction was detected, meaning that the study found no evidence that the pre–post change differed between boys and girls. Given the single-arm pre–post design and the absence of a control group, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary descriptive evidence of pre–post change and associations, and not as a causal test of the program’s effectiveness. Full article

Background: Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are generally more sedentary and engage less in physical activity (PA) than their peers. Despite increasing evidence of benefits, practical guidance on implementing adapted PA programs in real-world settings remains limited. This study aimed to document iterative adaptations, implementation processes, and participant experiences in a structured PA intervention for children with ASD. Methods: Nineteen children aged 10–14 years with ASD participated in an adapted PA intervention delivered across three cohorts. The program was progressively modified based on observed barriers and participant feedback. Post-intervention conversations with participants and/or parents were used to assess feasibility and experiences. Results: Most participants trained on-site in small groups and were predominantly boys, many with comorbid ADHD/ADD. Baseline engagement in organized PA was low. Adaptations included adjustments to session structure, group size, instructor-to-participant ratio, and activity content to enhance predictability and autonomy. Individual tailoring and flexible delivery were essential to accommodate neurodevelopmental diversity and fluctuating motivation. Post-intervention feedback suggested generally positive acceptability, while findings should be interpreted descriptively. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary, practice-based insights into how structured PA programs may be iteratively adapted for children with ASD in a supportive clinical context. The findings highlight practical considerations for implementing adapted PA in clinical and community settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: While body dissatisfaction is frequently studied as an outcome of physical activity, less is known about how pre-existing body image perceptions shape the quality of behavioral regulation. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, this study aimed to investigate the associations of different perceived body image discrepancy profiles with autonomous and controlled motivation for both exercise and eating, and to explore the interaction effects between these profiles and sex. Methods: The sample comprised 939 regular gym exercisers (32.99 ± 11.90 years; 55.1% female). Using the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale, participants were categorized into four discrepancy profiles: desire to increase, satisfied, mild desire to reduce, and moderate/severe desire to reduce. Data were analyzed using Two-Way ANOVAs. Results: The Satisfied group reported the highest autonomous and lowest controlled motivation across both domains (main effects: p < 0.001, η²_p = 0.019–0.046). A significant body image × sex interaction emerged for controlled eating motivation (F(3, 931) = 6.22, p < 0.001, η²_p = 0.020). Females exhibited a “U-shaped” curve, demonstrating low controlled eating motivation when satisfied (M = 1.65) but elevated levels at extremes (desire to increase: M = 2.50; moderate/severe desire to reduce: M = 2.39). Males maintained stable controlled eating motivation across all discrepancy profiles (M = 2.06–2.30). Although these main and interaction effects were statistically significant, all observed multivariate effect sizes were small (η²_p = 0.012–0.046). Conclusions: Perceived body image discrepancy acts as a significant antecedent of motivational quality. The absence of a perceptual gap is linked to highly adaptive, autonomous behavioral regulation. Furthermore, the distinct sex-based patterns in controlled eating motivation underscore the necessity for health and exercise professionals to adopt tailored, sex-specific strategies when addressing body image concerns. Full article

Regular physical activity is essential for physical and mental health, yet participation among Norwegian university students remains below nationally recommended levels. This study explored facilitators and barriers for physical activity among first-year students, using the COM-B model as a conceptual framework. Fifteen physically active first-year students from two higher education campuses in Bodø were interviewed in spring 2025, and the data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Analysis showed that students’ activity behaviours were shaped by a dynamic interaction between physical and psychological capabilities, particularly in relation to technical competence, previous injuries, and self-regulation strategies. Opportunity-related factors—such as time constraints, financial limitations, commuting distance, and access to facilities—substantially influenced students’ ability to maintain regular activity, while social support from friends, family, and peers functioned as an important facilitator. Motivation emerged through a mixture of automatic processes—including stress reduction, enjoyment, and habits—and reflective processes such as goal-setting and health-oriented decision-making. For students in physically demanding study programmes, professional identity and body-related expectations also contributed to their engagement. Overall, this study highlights the need for institutional strategies that simultaneously address structural, social, and psychological factors to support sustainable physical activity habits during the transition to university life. Full article