This study aimed to evaluate the impact of face masks used for COVID-19 prevention on emotion recognition in facial expressions. Seventy-two (72) adult participants (48 females, 24 males) attempted to correctly identify different emotions displayed by a female and a male actor’s facial expressions. Simulated emotions included neutrality, happiness, surprise, disgust, sadness, fear, and anger at two levels of intensity, with or without wearing a surgical mask. Accuracy rates of facial expression recognition and response times were collected. The GLM analysis for accuracy revealed a main effect of emotions (F(5,350)=57.47, P<.001) and face masks (without>with) (F(1,70)=338.95, P<.001), as well as a three-way interaction between emotions, masks, and actors (F(5,350)=9.69, P<.001). Disgust was the least recognized emotion, followed by sadness, while happiness, anger and surprise were the easiest to identify. The analysis of response times suggested that, when partially covered by a mask, facial expressions can be more ambiguous and difficult to read, and a larger amount of time was required to provide a response. In line with results on accuracy, sadness was generally the most difficult emotion to identify. Male and female participants had similar response times. Globally, these results show that wearing masks can significantly reduce the ability to detect emotions in facial expressions. However, when emotions are expressed at higher intensity levels, this effect may be mitigated.

Background: Covid-19 has become a global concern. Many risk factors have been identified. Down syndrome which is 21 trisomy affects the mental and physical health of the patient. The syndrome has many neurological complications, which include structural changes, mental retardation, young-onset Alzheimer's disease, strokes and basal ganglia damage. Very less data is available regarding the association of COVID with down syndrome. Objective: The objective of this systemic review is to focus on different evidence available related to the association of COVOD with down syndrome. Method: PubMed/Medline, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were used to find the research done related to the association of COVID with down syndrome up to 2022. Results: this systemic review includes 8 studies. All studies showed that Down syndrome is associated with severe COVID and can lead to hospitalization. Discussion: Down syndrome leads to severe immune dysregulation. Scientists are investigating the exact mechanism behind the dysregulation of the immune system caused by trisomy 21 or down syndrome but still, the research on it is going on. In DS, chromosome 21 activates multiple genes which cause hyperactivity of the immune system. Chromosome 21 encodes the following immune regulators: interferon (IFN) receptors, (IL)-10, IL-22, and IL-26. Immune and non-immune cells are sensitive to IFN and many studies report that in the absence of any infection there is still hyperactivity of T cells due to TFN in DS patients. IFN response which is involved in the antiviral response is vigorous in DS patient and lead to cytokine storm. Recent studies showed that COVID infections are driven by an exacerbated immune response to the virus, leading to cytokine storm, acute respiratory distress syndrome, thromboembolic processes, and multi-organ failure. Conclusion: Patients with COVID and down syndrome are more vulnerable and should be prioritized for vaccination.

Mental representations in various bodily formats (e.g., somatosensory, interoceptive, motoric) have been suggested to play a pivotal role in social cognition. However, data on children and adolescents are lacking.

This study aims to investigate whether individual differences in the sensing of the internal body state, in terms of interoceptive accuracy (IAcc) and sensibility (IS), and in the action-oriented (i.e., body schema) and nonaction-oriented (i.e., visuo-spatial body map) body representations (BR) influence a core component of the social cognition, namely empathy, during the early adolescence.

Thirty healthy teens (mean age 13.2 yrs) completed an empathy questionnaire, a heartbeat tracking task probing IAcc, an IS questionnaire, including a visceral and a somatosensorial factor, and a computerized battery consisting of action-oriented and nonaction-oriented BR tasks.

The correlational analysis showed that as IAcc increased, the empathy levels decreased, while as IS increased, the empathy levels increased, especially when the visceral factor was taken into account. No association was found between action/nonaction-oriented BR and empathy.

These preliminary results suggest that teens with a higher sensibility towards visceral body changes also show a higher tendency to feel and understand another's emotional state. In contrast, teens with higher IAcc for cardiac signals show a lower empathy level, possibly due to a more stable body self-representation that prevents the self-other overlap necessary in some form of empathy. As a corollary finding, the opposed relation between these interoceptive dimensions and empathy confirms that IS and IA are two distinct constructs that can impact cognitive and affective abilities differently.

Depression, stress, anxiety disorders, and PTSD are some of the mental health problems which are prevalent among immigrant populations despite being underdiagnosed. Stigma, difficulties in adapting, cultural barriers, and reduced access to mental health support can seriously hamper their ability to build resilience and recover. Other limitations include assuming that therapies can be universally applied, the lack of sufficient evidence on mental health issues of this population, and the use of therapeutic models developed on Caucasian populations. Here, professional guidance to find the meaning of life through interventions such as logotherapy could help them in this process. The present work systematically reviewed studies investigating the effectiveness of logotherapy in diverse populations and its relevance to a Muslim immigrant population in Europe. Following PRISMA guidelines and the keywords 'logotherapy, mental health problems, immigrant, and treatment', the search identified 16 relevant studies conducted since 2005. The studies revealed that logotherapy could be implemented through paradoxical intention, dereflection, Socratic dialogue, and attitude modification. All these techniques had the potential to help the client to realize long-term relief for underlying stressors associated with migration and settling in a new location. Though data on logotherapy is still scarce, it is evident that it deserves more research so that a structured, evidence-based, and effective therapy for Muslim immigrants in Europe can be developed and tested. In this regard, we propose that the four logotherapy techniques have huge potential in helping psychiatrists develop an effective therapy for mental health problems among these immigrant populations confronting adversity.

The crosstalk between obesity, diabetes, steatohepatitis, and dementia creates a controversial scenario also when studied using animal models. In the present work, this crosstalk was investigated in male and female 3xTg-AD mice for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) at different ages/stages and compared to sex- and age-matched counterparts with normal aging. The relevance of the genetic background and classical intrinsic factors (AD genotype and sex) were determined using a retrospective analysis of population data and an experimental design. Age/stage of disease was considered a source of stochastic and non-stochastic factors. Data from two different colonies of 3xTg-AD mice with distinct genetic backgrounds were analyzed to verify the functional interplay between the studied factors. Data from asymptomatic/prodromal to early/advanced stages of the disease were screened. Then, all factors' relationships were studied in an experimental design using the same set of animals. The population data unveiled that the genetic background and sex effects were confirmed with regards to the variable body weight, with changes during the disease development and progress. Besides, sexual dimorphism was found as an important factor in glucose metabolism. Statistically significant differences in glucose tolerance and behavioral assessment (exploration, anxiety, and cognition in a two-days open-field paradigm) were found when all the factors were analyzed. In summary, the present study shows that all the studied factors should always be considered when assessing the outcome of the research interventions in the field because they have a distinct functional interplay through the process of normal and AD-pathological aging and from a gender perspective.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as Butterfly skin, is a term for a heterogeneous group of rare genodermatosis disorders resulting in painful mucocutaneous blisters and extreme fragility with minor trauma or friction. The low prevalence and heterogeneity of EB, clinically classified into four major groups and over 30 subtypes, lead to significant psychological and social research constraints. An inverse correlation between disease severity and quality of life in patients and their families has been described. Psycho-social aspects in people with more severe subtypes of EB and body dysmorphia refer to loss of self-esteem and coping skills, low self-control, intense fear, anxiety, depression, and social isolation. On the other hand, acute, chronic and procedural pain, common comorbidities in EB, can negatively affect cognition and interfere with academic and professional achievements. Here, we present the first case report of a current international project that searches for reference models for children and young people with EB and the creation of a guidebook with different life stories of strategies and skills proven to help achieve academic/professional success despite EB's condition. We analyze the semistructured interview with Sonia Ortiz Romero, alias Mariposa de cristal, an expert patient with dystrophic EB and co-founder of ‘Son mis alas, I.A.P’ (‘They are my wings, NGO’), together with his brother Marcos Humberto. Her storytelling illustrates challenges, rewards, and limiting factors that make their Mexican association a successful case in helping other EB patients in Santiago Tianguistenco with their physical, psychological, and social well-being, as well as raising social awareness.

Background
The cognitive flexibility, working memory, inhibition and other advanced functions of the brain decline year by year after the age of 20. These declines are usually accompanied by the shrinkage of brain structural regions such as the lateral prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. The current research results show that physical activity proved to improve the cognitive function of the brain by affecting the expression level of neurotransmitters in the body and delaying the atrophy of some functional areas of the brain.

Objective
This paper discusses the relationship between different types of exercise and brain structure and function, analyzes the classification methods of aerobic, anaerobic and coordinated exercise, discusses the benefits of sports intervention from the perspective of functional MRI images, neuroendocrine and event-related potentials, and combs out the theoretical basis system of the relationship between sports activities and cognitive function.
Method
Through a large number of literature collection, the words "exercise, sport, cognitive function, brain plastics" and other words were searched in the web of science, PubMed, CNKI Chinese database, and the corresponding inclusion criteria were established according to the research needs to screen the final documents.
Result

① the volume of hippocampal gyrus, prefrontal lobe and basal ganglia was larger in the athletes with higher physical fitness level or regular physical activity; ② There is a positive relationship between physical activity and cognitive function related to brain structure. ③ Physical activity can promote the executive function of healthy people at different ages, children and elderly people with cognitive impairment. The above changes may be related to the increase of blood volume in brain functional areas and insulin-like growth factor endocrine substances promoted by physical activity.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the association between cigarette smoking and burnout syndrome among medical students.

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey. In total, 760 of the 836 medical students were included in the analysis (response rate was 90.9%). Burnout syndrome is defined as a triad of symptoms: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic inefficiency. Statistical evaluation was performed through Chi-square and t-test.

Results: The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking was 32.0%, among them 18.8% were current smokers and 13.2% were former smokers. Cigarette smoking was significantly associated with cynicism, with smokers more often showing high cynicism compared to non-smokers (40.7% vs. 32.3%; P = 0.023). Also, cigarette smoking was significantly associated with higher academic inefficiency, with smokers more often showing high academic inefficiency compared with non-smokers (43.6% vs. 35.0%; P = 0.022). Cigarette smoking was not significantly associated with emotional exhaustion (44.9% vs. 38.5%; P = 0.096).

Conclusion: The effects of cigarette smoking on the burnout syndrome need to be further elucidated in longitudinal research.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the global incidence of attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children.

Materials and methods: In this descriptive epidemiological study, age-specific rates (ASRs) incidence for ADHD in children (0-14 years) were presented (per 100000). The socio-development level was quantified by Socio-demographic Index (SDI), as a composite measure which includes income per capita, educational level for individuals aged 15 years and older, and total fertility rate for women younger than 25 years of age. Joinpoint regression analysis was applied to calculate the average annual percent change with 95% confidence interval (CI) to evaluate trends in 1990-2019.

Results: Global ASR of ADHD incidence in males was nearly three times higher than in females (307.9 per 100000 and 114.4 per 100000, respectively) in 2019. In both sexes together, the highest ADHD incidence was observed in high-SDI countries. Significantly decreasing trends for global ADHD incidence were observed both in males (by -0.4% per year, 95%CI=-0.4 to -0.3) and females (by -0.4% per year, 95%CI=-0.5 to -0.3). Trend of ADHD incidence in both sexes together decreased significantly (AAPC=-0.2; 95%CI=-0.3 to -0.1) in middle-SDI countries only.

Conclusion: The ADHD remains one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders in children, although a decreased global trend in incidence was observed.

Background and aims: Neural interfaces are one of the main tools for investigating potential treatments and designing neural prosthetics for many types of neurological diseases. Neural microarrays and probes consist of many electrodes for stimulating and recording purposes simultaneously. The multi-functional neural interface can suffer from many types of artefacts and noise like long-term use, environment, surrounding instruments and living subjects. This paper aims to design an adaptive filter to keep the most important information of brain signals in all channels.

Methods: The main approach consists of enhancing the band-pass selection in the Kaiser Window FIR filter based on the most influencing spectrum bands of brain signals. This approach can achieve a self-update of parameters using a fixed interval. The study contains the ECoG and LFP signals of nine epileptic rats using the 10-min of baseline.

Results: The accurate selection of frequencies in any filter, taking into account the common information among all channels, increase the reliability of analyzed signals and enhances the extracted features for evaluation stages. On other hand, the probabilistic distribution of the most influencing power bands in all channels helps in keeping the most desirable information in terms of neurological events.