Is playing exergames really exercising? A meta-analysis of energy expenditure in active video games

This article reports a meta-analysis of energy expenditure (EE) of playing active video games (AVGs). In particular, heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), and EE were assessed and three moderators for the effects of AVGs--types of AVG, player age, and player weight status--were analyzed. The results show that playing AVGs significantly increased HR, VO2, and EE from resting. The effect sizes of playing AVGs on HR, VO2, and EE were similar to traditional physical activities. AVG type and player age were significant moderators for the effects of AVGs. The finding suggests that AVGs are effective technologies that may facilitate light- to moderate-intensity physical activity promotion.     

Intention to continue using Facebook fan pages from the perspective of social capital theory

Social network sites enable users to express themselves, establish ties, and develop and maintain social relationships. Recently, many companies have begun using social media identity (e.g., Facebook fan pages) to enhance brand attractiveness, and social network sites have evolved into social utility networks, thereby creating a number of promising business opportunities. To this end, the operators of fan pages need to be aware of the factors motivating users to continue their patronization of such pages. This study set out to identify these motivating factors from the point of view of social capital. This study employed structural equation modeling to investigate a research model based on a survey of 327 fan pages users. This study discovered that ties related to social interaction (structural dimension), shared values (cognitive dimension), and trust (relational dimension) play important roles in users' continued intention to use Facebook fan pages. Finally, this study discusses the implications of these findings and offers directions for future research.     

Motivation and performance: Uncertainty regulation in Canada and Japan

In a field study involving university students from Canada and Japan, we tested hypotheses from the theory of uncertainty orientation (Sorrentino and Roney in The uncertain mind: Individual differences in facing the unknown. Psychology Press, Philadelphia 2000). Consistent with previous research, those possessing an uncertainty orientation that matched their culture’s predominant style of uncertainty regulation perceived a better student-classroom fit than those who did not match their culture’s predominant style of uncertainty regulation. More importantly, we predicted and found that actual course grades varied as a function of the culture’s style of uncertainty regulation in interaction with the participant’s uncertainty orientation and achievement-related motives. Implications of these findings and applied relevance are discussed.     

Image quality of a mobile display under different illuminations

This study constructed the image quality models for a small mobile display under different ambient illumination levels using Group Method and Data Handling (GMDH) and described the relationship between perceived image quality and physical measurements. 33 college students took part in this experiment and were asked to evaluate the image quality under 1500 lux (typical indoor office illumination) and 7000 lux (simulated outdoor environment) in Stage One and Stage Two, respectively. In each stage, the participants had to evaluate 21 images. 17 sets of the data as a training set were used to build the model and four sets of the data as a testing set were used to verify the model. The results indicated that the effects of luminance, contrast, correlated color temperature (CCT), and resolution were significant on perceived image quality under 1500 lux. However, color temperature was not a significant physical characteristic, and an interaction between luminance and contrast was found below 7000 lux. From the results of the experiment, it is considered that the outdoor environment (7000 lux) is not suitable for using mobile displays. Finally, once a valid image quality model is built, the subjective image quality can be established when the measurements of significant physical characteristics are provided. The results of subjective ratings can also be provided for mobile display manufacturers to improve the product quality so that their products can meet customers' requirements.     

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for generalized anxiety disorder in older adults: a preliminary report

Some evidence suggests that acceptance-based approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) may be well-suited to geriatric generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The primary goal of this project was to determine whether ACT was feasible for this population. Seven older primary-care patients with GAD received 12 individual sessions of ACT; another 9 were treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy. No patients dropped out of ACT, and worry and depression improved. Findings suggest that ACT may warrant a large-scale investigation with anxious older adults.     

When low-warmth targets are liked: the roles of competence, gender, and relative status

Previous research has shown that people use warmth and competence as basic dimensions to evaluate others and to interpret their behavior, but little research has examined the conditions under which low-warmth targets are liked. A series of 3 experiments involving 4 vignettes showed, in general, that low-warmth targets were better liked when they exhibited higher competence and that high-status persons displayed greater tolerance toward the low-warmth person of low status. Exceptions to these patterns were predicted and found as a function of the type of organizational context in which evaluations were made: groups that place priority on individual goals over common goals and groups that are performance oriented rather than relationship oriented. Target gender interacted with competence and relative status.     

Validating age-related functional imaging changes in verbal working memory with acute stroke

Functional imaging studies consistently find that older adults recruit bilateral brain regions in cognitive tasks that are strongly lateralized in younger adults, a characterization known as the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults model. While functional imaging displays what brain areas are active during tasks, it cannot demonstrate what brain regions are necessary for task performance. We used behavioral data from acute stroke patients to test the hypothesis that older adults need both hemispheres for a verbal working memory task that is predominantly left-lateralized in younger adults. Right-handed younger (age ? 50, n = 7) and older adults (age > 50, n =21) with acute unilateral stroke, as well as younger (n =6) and older (n =13) transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients, performed a self-paced verbal item-recognition task. Older patients with stroke to either hemisphere had a higher frequency of deficits in the verbal working memory task compared to older TIA patients. Additionally, the deficits in older stroke patients were mainly in retrieval time while the deficits in younger stroke patients were mainly in accuracy. These data suggest that bihemispheric activity is necessary for older adults to successfully perform a verbal working memory task.     

早期基督教习俗中的异教因素

随着基督教的成功崛起,许多异教习俗不是被完全抛弃,而是被逐渐地改造成为基督教习俗。基督徒的许多葬俗,都可以从异教世界的相关习俗中找到原型;基督徒的梦幻和异像,与异教梦兆密切相关;基督徒的许多重要节庆,也可以溯源到希腊罗马世界乃至遥远的东方。基督教习俗虽然与异教习俗有着千丝万缕的历史联系,但它绝不是后者的简单翻新,它在采用后者的某些形式的同时,必然也要赋予其全新的内容。早期基督教对异教习俗的广泛吸纳,说明了文化包容正是该教的一大显著特征。     

中外公务员医疗保障法律制度的比较研究

许多国家和地区对公务员提供比较专门的医疗保障待遇,如西班牙、韩国和日本.我国公务员在享受基本医疗保险以外,为了确保公务员医疗保障待遇不降低,我国建立了公务员医疗补助制度.通过对各国公务员医疗保障制度立法、保障经费来源及保障水平的比较,对我国完善公务员医疗保障制度提出了建议.     

对妊娠晚期畸形胎儿实施致死性引产的可行性分析

在妊娠晚期发现胎儿畸形,许多胎儿父母要求引产。一些患儿父母因为在医院引产出活体畸形婴儿而与医院产生纠纷。本文考虑采用医疗方法在引产前或引产中使胎儿心跳停止,确保引产出的胎儿为死婴（即致死性引产）以减少纠纷,利于社会。本文试图从医疗、伦理、法律的角度,探讨在胎儿父母要求下,对妊娠晚期畸形胎儿实施致死性引产的可行性。