The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly altered the lives and lifestyles of several older populations in the United Kingdom. It was important to note how it has affected their physical, mental, and social health and well-being during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. To study the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the imposed restrictions on the day-to-day lives of the elderly population in the United Kingdom. A review of the published literature on the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences on the older population in the United Kingdom is done. Search engines used for medical databases were Pubmed, Google Scholar, and Internet Explorer. It was found that physical as well as mental well-being was affected in the elderly citizens of the United Kingdom. Mental health studies noted an obvious increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms. Social isolation and reduced access to healthcare services had a deteriorating impact on their social health. Covid-19-related lockdown and pandemic-associated physical, mental, and social well-being effects have been evident in the elderly population in the United Kingdom. The reasons identified for such findings are lack of physical activity, poor social interactions, social isolation, the perceived threat of a pandemic, and poor access to healthcare facilities.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the social well-being of single older adults through the companionship of a social robot, LOVOT (Love+Robot; Groove X). It is designed as a companion for older adults, providing love and affection through verbal and physical interaction. We investigated older adults\' perceptions of the technology and how they benefitted from interacting with LOVOT, to guide the future development of social robots.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use a phenomenological research design to understand the participants\' experiences of companionship provided by the social robot. Our research focused on (1) examining the social well-being of single older adults through the companionship of social robots and (2) understanding the perceptions of single older adults when interacting with social robots. Given the prevalence of technology use to support aging, understanding single older adults\' social well-being and their perceptions of social robots is essential to guide future research on and design of social robots.
METHODS: A total of 5 single women, aged 60 to 75 years, participated in the study. The participants interacted independently with the robot for a week in their own homes and then participated in a poststudy interview to share their experiences.
RESULTS: In total, 4 main themes emerged from the participants\' interactions with LOVOT, such as caring for a social robot, comforting presence of the social robot, meaningful connections with the social robot, and preference for LOVOT over pets.
CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that single older adults can obtain psychosocial support by interacting with LOVOT. LOVOT is easily accepted as a companion and makes single older adults feel like they have a greater sense of purpose and someone to connect with. This study suggests that social robots can provide companionship to older adults who live alone. Social robots can help alleviate loneliness by allowing single older adults to form social connections with robots as companions. These findings are particularly important given the rapid aging of the population and the increasing number of single-person households in Singapore.

UNASSIGNED: People with schizophrenia (SCZ) or schizotypal traits (ST) have difficulties in anticipating future pleasure and displeasure in social situations. However, no self-report scale has been developed to specifically capture these abilities. This study aimed to develop and validate the Social Affective Forecasting Scale (SAFS), and to examine how anticipated pleasure and displeasure are associated with ST and clinical symptoms in SCZ.
UNASSIGNED: Study 1 recruited a main sample of 666 college students and a validation sample of 927 college students to complete the SAFS and other measurements for anhedonia. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), parallel analysis, and measurement invariance analysis were conducted. Study 2 recruited 2655 college students, 47 people with SCZ and 47 matched controls to complete the SAFS. Correlation analysis, regression analysis, and independent t-tests were performed.
UNASSIGNED: Both EFA and CFA indicated a 4-factor model which was supported by parallel analysis in the validation sample. The SAFS showed good internal consistency, convergent validity, and strong invariance across sex. Interpersonal features of ST and negative symptoms in SCZ were associated with reduced anticipated pleasure for positive social events.
UNASSIGNED: The SAFS appears to be a reliable scale for evaluating anticipated pleasure and displeasure for future social and nonsocial events, and can be applied to study social anhedonia in individuals with ST and individuals with SCZ.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study was to comprehensively examine the association between inadequate physical activity (PA), cognitive activity (CA), and social activity (SA) and the development of sarcopenia.
METHODS: We conducted a two-wave survey. In the first-wave survey, we asked participants five questions for each of the three categories-PA, CA, and SA. The low-activity group was defined as those who fell into the decline category for one or more of the five questions. In both Wave 1 and Wave 2, we assessed the sarcopenia status of our participants. The revised definition of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 was used to determine sarcopenia, and the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria were used for cut-off points for muscle mass, grip strength, and walking speed.
RESULTS: In the second wave, we were able to follow 2,530 participants (mean age 75.0 ± 4.7 years, 47.8% men). A multivariable logistic regression showed that low-PA participants face a higher risk of incident sarcopenia, both before and after multiple imputations (odds ratio [OR] 1.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.22-2.15 before imputation; OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.21-2.18 after imputation); the low-SA group also showed a higher risk of incident sarcopenia both before and after multiple imputations (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.05-1.64 before imputation; OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.07-1.65 after imputation).
CONCLUSIONS: Each low PA and SA independently led to incident sarcopenia late in life. Encouraging not only PA, but also SA, may be effective to prevent sarcopenia among older adults.

The mirror neurons are complex neuronal circuits in the brain, and they respond to the actions that we observe in others. The mirror neurons constitute a revolutionary discovery in the field of neuroscience that has not only reshaped our understanding of social cognition and empathetic behavior but also bridged gaps in our comprehension of the human brain\'s intricate workings. This article aims to distill the crux of these groundbreaking discoveries and their transformative ramifications regarding our perception of human interactions and the advancement of neurorehabilitation techniques. The integration of non-invasive and patient-centric therapies into clinical practice underscores the immense potential that research on mirror neurons holds in enhancing patient outcomes and quality care. Research in mirror neurons will contribute significantly to the field of neuroscience, specifically neurorehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: How abnormal brain signaling impacts cognition in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remained elusive. This study aimed to investigate the local and global brain signaling in ASD indicated by theta-band functional excitation-inhibition (fE/I) ratio and explored psychophysiological relationships between fE/I, cognitive deficits, and ASD symptomatology.
METHODS: A total of 83 ASD and typically developing (TD) individuals participated in this study. Participants\' interference control and set-shifting abilities were assessed. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was used for estimating theta-band fE/I ratio.
RESULTS: ASD individuals (n = 31 without visual EEG abnormality; n = 22 with visual EEG abnormality) generally performed slower in a cognitive task tapping interference control and set-maintenance abilities, but only ASD individuals with visually abnormal EEG performed significantly slower than their TD counterparts (Bonferroni-corrected ps < .001). Heightened theta-band fE/I ratios at the whole-head level, left and right hemispheres were observed in the ASD subgroup without visual EEG abnormality only (Bonferroni-corrected ps < .001), which remained highly significant when only data from medication-naïve participants were analyzed. In addition, higher left hemispheric fE/I ratios in ASD individuals without visual EEG abnormality were significantly correlated with faster interference control task performance, in turn faster reaction time was significantly associated with less severe restricted, repetitive behavior (Bonferroni-corrected ps ≤ .0017).
CONCLUSIONS: Differential theta-band fE/I within the ASD population. Heightened theta-band fE/I in ASD without visual EEG abnormality may be associated with more efficient filtering of distractors and a less severe ASD symptom manifestation.
CONCLUSIONS: Brain signaling, indicated by theta-band fE/I, was different in ASD subgroups. Only ASD with visually-normal EEG showed heightened theta-band fE/I, which was associated with faster processing of visual distractors during a cognitive task. More efficient distractor filtering was associated with less restricted, repetitive behaviors.

UNASSIGNED: Consumer behavior research and neurology are combined in the emerging discipline of neuromarketing. Neuromarketing is considered to be one of emerging field to study how consumer\'s brain reacts to advertisement and other brand\'s message by observing brainwave, eye, and skin response. The current study examined the emerging field of constructs of neuromarketing like social, attention, technology, and emotions to examine Indian consumer\'s buying behavior.
UNASSIGNED: To study the validity and reliability of constructs of neuromarketing that examines consumer\'s buying behavior among Indian consumers.
UNASSIGNED: A sample of 191 people of different age groups was considered in the study. A random sampling technique was used for data collection. The self-designed questionnaire used for the measurement of neuromarketing constructs and consumers\' buying behavior. The current study applied SPSS and AMOS software to validate the measurement model of neuromarketing.
UNASSIGNED: The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett\'s Test\'s value is 0.784 and this value confirmed that the sample is adequate for factor analysis. Apart from that, the five constructs of neuromarketing - Attention (A), Social (SC), Technological (T), Emotion (E), and Consumer Buying Behavior (BB) had shown the value of Cronbach\'s alpha to be more than 0.7. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) had shown value of average variance explained of each constructs 0.5 and composite reliability more than 0.7 which indicates excellent construct validity of constructs for model formation of neuromarketing. The study also validates measurement research model of neuromarketing on the basis of model fit index (chi-square/df = 3.397, RMSEA = 0.10, GFI = 0.92, and CFI = 0.87).
UNASSIGNED: The present study had shown good validity and reliability of constructs of neuromarketing and also proved that marketers can apply these constructs to examine behavior pattern of consumers.

BACKGROUND: Psychosis spectrum disorders are characterized by significant alterations in social functioning, which is a major factor for patient recovery. Despite its importance, objectively quantifying the complex day-to-day social behavior in real-life settings has rarely been attempted. Here, we conducted a pilot study with wearable sensors that passively and continuously register interactions with other participants. We hypothesized that the amount and pattern of social interaction was associated with the severity of psychotic symptoms.
METHODS: We recruited 7 patients with psychosis spectrum disorders and 18 team members from a Soteria-style ward. Each participant wore a radio frequency identification badge, sending and receiving signals from nearby badges, allowing passive quantification of social interactions. In addition, symptom severity was assessed weekly by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
RESULTS: During an 11-week period, we identified 17 970 interactions among patients and staff. On average, patients spent 2.6 h per day interacting, capturing relevant aspects of daily social life. Relative daily interaction time, average interaction duration, and clustering coefficient, a measure of local network integration, were significantly associated with lower PANSS scores. Self-reported interaction time did not correlate with measured interaction time or with PANSS, indicating the importance of objective markers.
CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of passively recording social interaction of patients and staff at high resolution and for a long observation period in a real-life setting in a psychiatric department. We show links between quantified social interaction and psychopathology that may facilitate development and personalization of targeted treatments.

BACKGROUND: Interventions for social difficulties have not been investigated in the neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) population despite observations of elevated rates of social difficulties. In this pilot study, the effectiveness of a 14-week telehealth PEERS® intervention with nineteen adolescents with NF1 (Mage=13.79 years, SD = 1.32) with social skills difficulties was examined. Measures of social outcomes were completed at three timepoints (before, immediately after, and at 14-week follow-up).
RESULTS: Caregiver-reported social-emotional skills, social impairment, caregiver-reported number of adolescent get-togethers, and teen social knowledge showed significant improvement following the intervention.
CONCLUSIONS: The PEERS® intervention is promising to support the social and friendship skills of adolescents with NF1 who have social difficulties.

Group-housed cattle may engage in agonistic interactions over resources such as feed, which can negatively affect aspects of welfare. Little is known about how contextual factors such as group size influence agonistic behaviour. We explored the frequency of agonistic interactions at the feeder when cattle were housed in different-sized groups. We also explored the consistency of the directionality of agonistic interactions in dyads and of the number of agonistic interactions initiated by individuals across the group sizes. Four replicates of 50 cows each were assessed in two group-size phases. In Phase 1, cows were kept in one group of 50. In Phase 2, these same cows were divided into five groups of 10, maintaining stocking density (i.e., ratio of animals to lying stalls and feed bunk spaces). We measured agonistic replacements (i.e., interactions that result in one cow leaving the feed bin and another taking her place) at an electronic feeder using a validated algorithm. We used these data from Phase 1 to calculate individual Elo-ratings (a type of dominance score). Cows were then categorised into five dominance categories based upon these ratings. To ensure a consistent Elo-rating distribution between phases, two cows from each dominance category were randomly assigned to each small group of 10 cows. The mean ± SE number of replacements per cow was similar regardless of whether the cows were housed in groups of 50 (34.1 ± 2.4) or 10 (31.1 ± 4.5), although the groups of 10 were more variable. Further, 81.6 ± 7.7% (mean ± SD) of dyads had the same directionality across group sizes (i.e., the same individual won the majority of interactions in the dyad) and individuals were moderately consistent in the number of replacements they initiated (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.62 ± 0.11; mean ± SD). These results indicate that the relationship between group size and agonistic behaviour is complex; we discuss these challenges and suggest new avenues for further research.