Physical activity (PA) has numerous benefits for cancer survivors, but limited research exists on PA interventions in young adult cancer survivors. Outdoor adventure therapy is a potential method of increasing PA in this demographic. The primary purpose of this non-randomized parallel group study was to determine whether the outdoor adventure camp experience (vs. wait list control) would increase participants’ PA levels immediately following the 7-day camp, as well as three months later. Secondary aims examined correlates of greater PA, including pre-post camp changes in sedentary behavior, exercise self-efficacy, environmental change self-efficacy, perceived barriers to exercise, physical activity enjoyment, and physical activity variety. Sixty-six control and 50 intervention participants were given validated quantitative questionnaires at baseline, 1 week (end of camp) and at the 3-month follow-up. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (RMANOVA) was used to compare group changes over time. Using intent to treat analysis, adjusting for age, gender, age at diagnosis, and baseline minutes of PA per week, there was a significant difference (p=.0001) in minutes of PA per week between groups at both 1 week and 3 months. Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc analysis indicated that, relative to baseline, the intervention group had significantly (p=.0001) greater increases in PA at both 1 week (577 minutes vs. 9 minute increases) and 3 month follow-ups (133 minute increases vs. 75 minute decreases; p=.001) respectively. Significant intervention-related improvements were also observed in TV viewing hours/week (p=.001), hours sitting/week (p=.001), “Excuses” score of the Perceived Barriers to PA questionnaire (p=.04), Enjoyment of Structured Activities (p=.04), and PA Variety (p=.0001) at 1 week but not at the 3 month follow-up. No significant effects were observed for changes in exercise self-efficacy, environmental change self-efficacy, or the other subscales scores. In conclusion, outdoor adventure therapy has the potential to increase PA levels in cancer survivors both immediately following camp, as well as long-term. However, effects tend to wane after camp termination. Future research should explore the relationship between correlates of PA and PA levels in outdoor adventure therapy camp participants and methods to promote sustained PA after camp termination.

Resilience is closely related to mental health and well-being. Identifying risk groups with lower resilience and the variables associated with resilience informs preventive approaches. Previous research on resilience patterns in the general population is heterogeneous, and comprehensive largescale studies are needed. The aim of our study is to examine sociodemographic and social correlates of resilience in a large population-based sample. We examined 4795 participants from the LIFE-Adult- Study. Assessments included resilience (RS-11), social support (ESSI), and social network (LSNS), as well as the sociodemographic variables age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation. The association of resilience with sociodemographic and social correlates was examined using linear regression analyses. Higher resilience was associated with female gender, married marital status, high education, and full-time occupation. Social support and social network were positively associated with resilience. Our results implicate that resilience is related to various sociodemographic variables. Social variables seem to be particularly important for resilience. We identified risk groups with lower resilience, which should be given special attention by public health policies, especially in times of crisis. Reducing loneliness and promoting social connectedness may be promising ways to build resilience in the general population.

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Sexual dimorphism, i.e., differences in morphology, physiology, and behavior between conspecific males and females, is ubiquitous, extensive, and often species-specific, indicative of its rapidly evolving nature. Ever since Darwin first described a general theory of sexual selection to explain the extraordinary differences between males and females of the same species, biologists have proposed a variety of mechanisms ranging from runaway selection to good genes to sexual conflict. While a popular approach is studying the effects of sexual selection on different components of fitness, the results of these studies are generally difficult to interpret and are typically not generalizable across populations, let alone taxa. Recent advances in the “omics” field are transforming the way that we study patterns and processes involved in sexual selection. At the molecular level, sexual dimorphism is present in gene expression differences between the sexes, providing a powerful framework to study sexual selection. By studying genes that are sex-biased in expression, we will better understand the underlying genetic basis of traits that are sexually dimorphic. Alreadly, studies of sex-biased genes in model organisms, particularly Drosophila, have revealed that male-biased genes are among the most rapidly evolving functional classes of genes. However, while a number of intrinsic factors appear to correlate with evolutionary rate (e.g., gene expression level, codon bias), it is unclear whether any of these factors drive the rapid divergence of male-biased genes. Another important discovery is the prevalence of sex-biased gene expression. However, even with widespread sexual dimorphism at the phenotypic level, it remains unknown the extent to which sex-biased gene expression exists in humans and their primate relatives. In fact, studies of sexual dimorphism on a molecular level in primates have been very few, even though understanding this phenomenon in humans could further our knowledge of the nature of sex-biased phenotypes and diseases. In this thesis, I advance our knowledge of the genetic bases and mechanisms that shape sexual dimorphism. First, I review a classic framework that biologists have traditionally applied to define and partition fitness measures between males and females in the model system, Drosophila. Second, I apply a molecular framework to compare the relative roles of intrinsic factors on the evolutionary rate of rapidly evolving male-biased genes in Drosophila. Third, I review the current state of our knowledge of sexual dimorphism and sex-biased gene expression in humans. Fourth, I present a bioinformatics framework to identify the extent of sex-biased expression in primate tissue and to examine the selective forces involved in their evolution. Overall, I demonstrate the effectiveness of using a functional comparative genomics approach in studying the nature of sexual dimorphism at the molecular level across multiple taxa. / Biology

Life satisfaction is a key aspect of subjective well-being (SWB) and is often referred to as an individual’s cognitive assessment of their overall life. Measured by tools such as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), life satisfaction is crucial for reliably assessing SWB. It serves as a stable measure, reflecting long-term judgements of SWB - unlike affect measures that capture more short-term judgements influenced by situational variability. While the SWLS demonstrates internal consistency, the neural correlates of life satisfaction remain largely unknown, limiting our comprehension of SWB’s cognitive dimension. This systematic review aims to bridge the gap by comprehensively examining relevant literature, emphasizing resting-state neuroimaging studies. Despite methodological differences, the authors discovered relationships between brain structures and life satisfaction, revealing a spectrum of associations ranging from positive to negative, alongside correlations with varying strengths. These structures include the left SFG, bilateral MFG, frontoinsular cortex, and other areas correlated with microstructural connections, including the SPL, IPL and TPJ. Considering the novelty and limited establishment of this subject, ongoing research is crucial for uncovering the precise neural correlates of life satisfaction.

Yes / In England, the onset of COVID-19 and a rapidly increasing infection rate resulted in a lockdown (March-June 2020) which placed strict restrictions on movement of the public, including children. Using data collected from children living in a multi-ethnic city with high levels of deprivation, this study aimed to: (1) report children's self-reported physical activity (PA) during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown and identify associated factors; (2) examine changes of children's self-reported PA prior to and during the first UK lockdown. This study is part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) COVID-19 Research Study. PA (amended Youth Activity Profile), sleep, sedentary behaviours, daily frequency/time/destination/activity when leaving the home, were self-reported by 949 children (9-13 years). A sub-sample (n = 634) also self-reported PA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children) pre-pandemic (2017-February 2020). Univariate analysis assessed differences in PA between sex and ethnicity groups; multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with children's PA. Differences in children's levels of being sufficiently active prior to and during the lockdown were examined using the McNemar test; and multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors explaining change. During the pandemic, White British (WB) children were more sufficiently active (34.1%) compared to Pakistani Heritage children (PH) (22.8%) or 'Other' ethnicity children (O) (22.8%). WB children reported leaving the home more frequently and for longer periods than PH and O children. Modifiable variables related to being sufficiently active were frequency, duration, type of activity, and destination away from the home environment. There was a large reduction in children being sufficiently active during the first COVID-19 lockdown (28.9%) compared to pre-pandemic (69.4%). Promoting safe extended periods of PA everyday outdoors is important for all children, in particular for children from ethnic minority groups. Children's PA during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown has drastically reduced from before. Policy and decision makers, and practitioners should consider the findings in order to begin to understand the impact and consequences that COVID-19 has had upon children's PA which is a key and vital behaviour for health and development. / The Health Foundation Covid‑19 Award (2301201). ESRC/ MRC and British Heart Foundation (BHF). Sport England’s Local Delivery Pilot – Bradford. Wellcome Trust. UK Medical Research Council (MRC) and UK Economic and Social Science Research Council a British Heart Foundation Clinical Study grant [CS/16/4/32482] the National Institute for Health Research under its Applied Research Collaboration Yorkshire and Humber [NIHR200166]; ActEarly UK Prevention Research Partnership Consortium [MR/S037527/1]; NIHR Clinical Research Network through research delivery support for this study; UKRI Covid19 Research & Innovation Call, Medical Research Council.

The nightmare prevalence literature to date has largely focused on nightmare episode severity (i.e. frequency), with 8%-87% of individuals reporting these events in the past week to year. While this has helped to determine the prevalence of these events, focus on the episode severity alone is problematic because it means little is known about the actual prevalence of nightmare disorder. Moreover, focus on episode severity likely overestimates the actual prevalence of clinically significant nightmares while also obscuring clinically significant consequences of the disorder. Understanding the prevalence of nightmare disorder can help guide treatment planning and interventions. The present study recruited UNT undergraduates (N = 372; 351 analyzed) and managed all participant data using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of nightmare disorder, as stated in the DSM-5, to facilitate accurate characterization of the disorder. Additionally, as part of the secondary aim the influence of gender on nightmare disorder status and psychological wellbeing as measured by psychological and sleep outcome variables was examined. Finally, comparisons of individuals with DSM-5-defined nightmare disorder to those without the disorder were conducted on previously examined correlates (e.g., trauma symptoms, depression).

Rapport has been acknowledged as an important variable in therapeutic contexts. The current evaluation defined and assessed rapport quality between children with autism and behavioral therapists based on behavioral correlates. In addition, the author evaluated the effects of an operant discrimination training procedure to enhance rapport levels for therapists with low levels of rapport. More specifically, the current study evaluated: (a) if the discrimination training procedure would establish therapists’ social interactions as a discriminative stimulus and (b) if social interaction would function as a conditioned reinforcer for novel responses. Results suggest that the discrimination training procedure was successful in conditioning social interaction as a reinforcer for all child participants, and as a result, rapport increased.