Compassion at the mirror: Exposure to a mirror increases the efficacy of a self-compassion manipulation in enhancing soothing positive affect and heart rate variability

We tested whether a mirror could enhance the efficacy of a self-compassion manipulation in increasing soothing positive affect and heart rate variability (HRV). Eighty-six participants generated four phrases they would use to soothe and encourage their best friend. Second, they described an episode where they criticized themselves and were assigned to one of three conditions: (a) repeat the four phrases to themselves while looking at the mirror; (b) repeat the four phrases to themselves without the mirror; (c) look at themselves in the mirror without repeating the phrases. Participants in condition (a) reported higher levels of ‘soothing’ positive affect and HRV compared to participants in conditions (b) and (c). The effect of the ‘phrases at the mirror’ manipulation on soothing affect was mediated by increased common humanity. The mirror enhances the efficacy of this self-compassion manipulation in activating the soothing affect system connected with parasympathetic nervous system activity.     

Are You Alive? Sensor Data as a Resource for Social Interaction

This paper presents findings from the field test of a prototype device that collects heart rate sensor data and displays it for users. The prototype was tested on a football team, including teenage players, their parents and coaches. The findings include notes on user expectations related to the technology and detailed analyses of the social interactions that took place during the test. The paper concludes with design implications relating to this application, but also poses challenges for context-aware computing and machine intelligence in general.

恶性肿瘤高发态势与肿瘤学教学现状的思考

恶性肿瘤的发病率及病死率日渐增高,成为21世纪威胁人类健康、导致死亡的主要疾病。在我国,肿瘤已经成为常见病。本文从肿瘤高发的态势与肿瘤学飞速发展的现状出发,分析我国肿瘤诊治整体水平与医学院校肿瘤学课程设置及教学相对滞后的状况,阐述了新形势下加强医学院校在本科生基础医学教育中强化与改革肿瘤学课程的重要性和必要性。     

Slower eating rate reduces the food intake of men, but not women: implications for behavioral weight control

This study tested a central tenet of behavioral weight control: does slower eating rate reduce food intake and positively affect appetite ratings. This study used direct behavioral observation of participants' (n=48; 25BMI35) eating behavior using Universal Eating Monitors. Food intake and ratings of "desire to eat" (collected each minute during meals) were represented as a function of time. Based on an acclimation meal, participants' eating rate was modified by instructing them to eat a bite of food when prompted by a computer, which generated three types of meals: (1) baseline (eating rate was the same as the acclimation meal), (2) reduced-rate (eating rate was reduced by 50%), and (3) combined-rate (eating rate at the beginning of the meal was identical to that of the acclimation meal, subsequently eating rate was reduced by 50%). All meals were ad libitum. Slower eating rate during the reduced-rate and combined-rate meals resulted in less food intake compared to the baseline meal for men, but not women. Ratings of desire to eat, normalized for the amount of food consumed, were lower during the combined-rate meal for men and women. Thus, this basic premise of behavioral weight control was supported for men, but not for women.     

不同心理刺激诱发的交感和副交感神经活动的比较

让24名女大学生被试完成划消测验、镜画测验、心算和准备演讲四种应激任务,目的在于探讨在不同心理刺激下交感和副交感神经系统的活动是否存在差异。记录HRV（Heart Rate Variability,心率变异性）的频域成分TP（Total Power,总功率）、HF（High Frequency,高频）、LF（Low Frequency,低频）、LF/HF（低频高频比）、平均R-R间期和血压等指标在基线和不同应激任务期间的变化。通过单因素重复测量方差分析和多重比较发现,准备演讲期间的TP、LF值显著地高于基线和其它三项任务, HF的值显著地高于划消测验和心算;镜画测验、划消测验和心算期间的LF值与基线比较显著下降,TP、LF和HF三项指标在这三项任务之间无显著差异;不同任务期间在LF/HF上无显著主效应。平均R-R间期基线水平与所有任务间的比较及各任务之间有显著差异。收缩压基线水平与划消、镜画任务间的比较有显著差异。结果表明,准备演讲期间的交感神经和副交感神经张力显著地大于其它任务,不同任务表现出的不同的自主神经张力变化说明交感神经与副交感神经活动不是一方活动增强、另一方活动减弱的单纯的活动方式,这一结果为Berntson提出的自主神经活动可能存在九种活动搭配模式的理论提供了实验证据     

足月胎儿对声音刺激反应的探讨

通过观察声音刺激引起胎儿产生的胎动和胎心率反应,初步探讨声音刺激能否引起胎儿的感觉和相应的反射机制。选择正常足月孕妇94例,分别接受95、100、105、110、115分贝的声音刺激,观察胎儿的胎动和胎心率反应。95分贝声音能引起胎心率轻度下降且不引起胎动,而声强在100分贝以上的声音刺激能引起胎心率加速并伴有胎动,提示95分贝声音可以引起胎儿的定向反射,和胎儿的选择性的注意有关;而100~115分贝的声音能引起胎儿的防卫反应。婴儿与生俱来的无条件反射在胎儿期就已存在。     

How are base‐rates used,when they are used: a comparison of additive and Bayesian models of base‐rate use

Previous research has uncovered many conditions that encourage base‐rate use. The present research investigates how base‐rates are used when conditions are manipulated to encourage their use in the lawyer/engineer paradigm. To examine the functional form of the response to base‐rate, a factorial design was employed in which both base‐rate and the individuating information were varied within‐subject. We compared the performance of several models of base‐rate use, including a model that allows base‐rate and individuating information to be combined in a strictly additive fashion, and a model which presumes that respondents use Bayes' Rule in forming their judgments. Results from 1493 respondents showed that the additive model is a stronger predictor of base‐rate use than any other model considered, suggesting that the base‐rate and individuating information are processed independently in the lawyer/engineer paradigm. A possible mechanism for this finding is discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Childhood parental warmth and heart rate variability in midlife: Implications for health

The current study investigated high‐frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV) as a potential mediator between childhood parental warmth and later health and mortality outcomes. Participants were 1,255 adults (56.9% female). Childhood parental warmth was reported retrospectively at mean age 46; resting HF‐HRV was measured at mean age 57; cardiovascular health and self‐evaluated health were assessed at mean ages 57 and 63, and mortality records extracted at mean age 63. Results revealed a positive association between childhood parental warmth and resting HF‐HRV, as well as associations between higher HF‐HRV and reduced risk of having a later cardiovascular health problem and of mortality by age 63. Mediation analyses revealed a small significant indirect effect of parental warmth, through HF‐HRV, on cardiovascular health.     

Physiological responses to urban design during bicycling: A naturalistic investigation

The current research set out to measure the moderating effect that urban design may have on bicyclist physiology while in transition. Focusing on the hilly City of Wuppertal, Germany, we harnessed bicyclists with mobile sensors to measure their responses to urban design metrics obtained from space syntax, while also adjusting for known traffic, terrain, and contextual factors. The empirical strategy consisted of exploratory data analysis (EDA), ordinary least squares (OLS), and a local regression model to account for spatial autocorrelation. The latter model was robust (R² = 68%), and showed that two statistically significant (p < 0.05) urban design factors influenced bicyclist physiology. Controllability, a measure of how spatially dominated a space is, increased bicyclist responses (i.e., decreased comfortability); while integration, which is related to accessibility and connectivity, had the opposite effect. Other noteworthy covariates included one-way streets and density of parked automobiles: these exerted a negative influence on bicyclist physiology. The results of this research ultimately showed that nuanced urban designs have a moderate influence on bicycling comfort. These outcomes could be utilized by practitioners focused on implementing appropriate interventions to increase bicyclist comfort levels and this mode share.