Effect of pomegranate juice consumption on biochemical parameters and complete blood count

Pomegranate has been used therapeutically for centuries. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of pomegranate juice (PJ) supplementation on complete blood count (CBC), glucose, blood lipids and C‑reactive protein (CRP) in healthy subjects. A total of 5 males and 5 females (aged 31.8±6.6 years, weighing 66.2±12.9 kg) were randomly assigned into one of two groups and either consumed 500 ml PJ/day or no PJ for 14 days. Blood samples were obtained from participants prior to and following the experimental period. PJ consumption resulted in a significant increase in red blood cell count (P<0.05), hemoglobin levels (P<0.001) and hematocrit levels (P<0.05). Other CBC parameters, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, high‑density lipoprotein, low‑density lipoprotein and CRP levels did not significantly change following PJ consumption. These results indicate that PJ intake for a short period of time may result in increased erythropoiesis or decreased degradation without any significant alterations in factors associated with metabolic health and inflammation in healthy individuals

The Role of Causal Stability in Children's Active Exploration

Previous research documented adults’ preference for stable causal relationships that do not vary in strength across backgrounds (Vasilyeva, Blanchard, &amp; Lombrozo, 2018). In this study, we investigate the role of causal stability in guiding children’s exploration behavior. We developed a computerized version of an active information-search paradigm to study how children dynamically explore different agents and backgrounds to learn more about their causal stability. Five- to seven-year-old children (n = 60) were presented with stable and unstable causes (i.e., causes with fixed or variable causal efficacy across backgrounds). We assessed children’s causal attributions of outcomes and their exploratory behavior as they tried out previously observed and novel causes across previously observed and novel backgrounds. We find that children in this age range acknowledge causal instability in their causal attributions, and they become increasingly adept at tracking causal efficacy across multiple factors simultaneously (causes and backgrounds), but this does not translate into a blanket preference for exploring stable or unstable causes. We suggest a possibility that causal (in)stability guides exploration in more subtle and indirect ways and discuss the implications of our findings for the development of active exploration

Developmental changes in children’s training strategies

Effective practice is key to learning. Yet, it is unclear whether young children have the ability to make effective and adaptive training choices. In this project, we investigated 4- to 7-year-old children’s (n=146) ability to tailor their training strategies to optimize performance outcomes. Children were presented with one easy and one difficult guessing game and were asked to choose which game they wanted to practice. Crucially, before they chose, they were told that they would eventually be tested either on the game of their choice (Choice condition) or on the game the computer would randomly pick (Random condition). Contrary to our hypotheses, we found that condition per se did not predict children’s training choices. However, we found that older children were more likely to make effective and adaptive training choices than younger children. Overall, our results indicate that children’s training choices improve from ages 4 to 7 and inform the development of interventions to support strategic learning

Promises on the go: A field study on keeping one's word

Promises are voluntary commitments to perform a future action and are often thought to be powerful levers for behavioral change. Here we studied the effectiveness of promises in two preregistered, incentivized field experiments with German students (N = 406) on the premises of a cafeteria. In Experiment 1, the majority of participants (63%) kept their promise to pay back at least half of a € 4-endowment, even though there was no foreseeable cost of breaking the promise, reputational or otherwise. Significantly fewer participants (22%) paid back money in a control group that faced a simple decision to return money or not. In Experiment 2, the majority of participants (54%) kept their promise to add a provided stamp to a postcard and mail it back (anonymously) within a week. We found similar return rates (52%) for a second group for which the word “promise” was omitted from the commitment. Our findings show that participants kept their word outside the laboratory while pursuing everyday activities even when there were no foreseeable negative consequences for breaking them, demonstrating that promises are effective levers for behavioral change

Медійна гігієна особистості як чинник громадянської ідентичності (Media hygiene of the individual as a factor of civic identity)

У статті проаналізовано особливості медійної гігієни особистості у контексті громадянської ідентичності. Розглянуто вплив медійний каналів на розуміння особистістю важливості медійної гігієни для формування громадянської ідентичності. За допомогою методу фокус-групи проведено опитування респондентів та визначено базові аспекти розуміння впливу медіа на інформаційну культуру та громадянську ідентичність особистості. Важливими питаннями для обговорення автор дослідження вважає такі: особистий медійний простір та тип масмедіа, які його формують; застереження до користування медіаресурсами; маркери визначення достовірної інформації на медійних ресурсах; конструктивний вплив медіа на особистість та роль лідерів думок. (The article analyzes the peculiarities of media hygiene in the context of public identity. The influence of media channels on the individual’s understanding of the importance of media hygiene for the formation of the public identity is considered. Using the focus group method, a survey of respondents was conducted and the basic aspects of understanding the impact of media on information culture and public identity were identified. The author of the study believes that important issues for discussion are the following: personal media space and the types of media that form it; warnings about the use of media resources; markers for determining reliable information on media resources; constructive influence of the media on the individual and the role of the opinions of influencing leaders

Проблемы функционирования промышленных предприятий в условиях развития цифровой экономики

В статье изложены некоторые особенности и проблемы функционирования промышленных предприятий в условиях развития цифровой экономики в Беларуси, также определены направления в управленческой деятельности данных предприятий