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Researchers in the field of sport pedagogy have highlighted questioning as a behaviour that facilitates athletes' high-order thinking and problem-solving. However, previous studies have suggested that coaches ask a reduced number of questions during training that are typically convergent and lead players to predetermined responses. Formal coach development programmes (CDPs), intended to encourage the use of questioning, have been scrutinised for their limited impact on coaches' practice. These criticisms have been made without consideration of the instances and situations during training that might present a better opportunity for asking different question types. The purpose of this study was to explore coaches' perceptions concerning potential 'teachable moments' to ask convergent and divergent questions during training at three data collection points, and to associate changes between knowledge and behaviour after a work-based CDP. Six Spanish youth football coaches working for an elite academy were recruited to a longitudinal study. The study involved a six-week CDP delivered by a coach developer, in collaboration with the club's Academy Management Team, and an experienced research team. Data collection occurred throughout 24-months interspersed by a workshop and two directed tasks organised in several stages: (1) Pre-systematic observations (Sep–Dec 2018) and (2) pre-interviews (Jan 2019), to identify coaches' baseline behaviours and knowledge; (3) a workshop & directed task 1 (Feb 2019), encouraging coaches to experiment and self-discover how to implement questioning within their training contexts; (4) a directed task 2 (Feb–Mar 2019), facilitating coaches' video-based and dialogic reflections about their questions; (5) post-systematic observations (Mar–May 2019) and (6) post-interviews (May 2019), capturing changes in knowledge and questioning after the intervention; and (7) consolidation interviews (May 2020), recording coaches' knowledge stabilisation and further developments. Four coaches completed the full CDP, whilst the remaining two coaches did not participate in the second directed task. Qualitative data suggest that all coaches developed their understanding of which moments might be most appropriate to ask convergent or divergent questions. However, only the first group of coaches presented congruent changes between the timing in which they asked questions and their perceptions. This involved higher use of convergent questions (during practice) and divergent questions (in-between practices and when the coach stops practice). Conversely, coaches in the incomplete CDP, decreased or maintained their questioning values within most instances and suggested organisational and contextual factors hindering their engagement in this work-based CDP. Therefore, real opportunities to implement questioning techniques combined with reflective practice assisted by a coach developer are proposed to translate knowledge gained during CDPs into observable behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous studies have shown links of body composition and fitness measures with brain structure, as well as with different aspects of emotional adjustment and well-being. However, the possible role of trait emotion-regulation success in the relationship between fitness/body composition and emotion-related subcortical structures has never been directly addressed. Methods: Twenty-three elite helicopter pilots were assessed in fat mass percentage, an endurance test to volitional exhaustion, bench-press power output, and negative urgency (trait affect regulation failure). Their brains were scanned using magnetic resonance imaging to estimate the size of the accumbens/amygdala, considered together, and the thalamus. Resulting correlations were used to test the relationship between body composition/fitness measures and brain structures' size, and the role of negative urgency therein, using structural equation modeling. Results: Fat mass percentage was associated with the size of the thalamus and the amygdala/accumbens. In the latter case, negative urgency and bench-press power output predicted structure size (and explained the effect of fat mass percentage away). In other words, bench-press power output and emotion regulation success (but not endurance performance) were associated with a larger amygdala/accumbens size. Conclusions: Bench-press power output and emotion regulation success are independently associated with a larger amygdala/accumbens size, although present evidence does not allow for determination of causal directionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design of a portable electrocardiograph designed to provide community health care. The AD8232 main sensor has multiple options for displaying cardiac activity. The first option uses the serial plotter in the Arduino IDE, while the second employs LabVIEW, allowing additional observation of the patient's blood pressure via block coding. In addition, the Arduino cloud is integrated to process the information captured by the ESP32, enabling visualization on any device with internet access. Through this platform, it is possible to download the studies performed in different periods (1 hour, 1 day, 7 days, and 15 days), with an efficiency percentage of 4.11%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot hand phenomenom (also known as hot hat effect or streaks) refers to a hypothetical performance increase after chaining several trials successfully. Three types of research are identified in sports contexts: (1) focused on the (in) existence of streaks, (2) on the psychological mechanisms of human belief in streaks and (3) on possible behavioral consequences caused by belief in streaks. This review covers the last two aspects: the psychology of the belief in streaks and the behavior caused by it. The systematic review process was carried out using a standardized protocol based on the guidelines suggested by Fernández-Ríos and Buela-Casal (2009). The studies related to belief in streaks confirm that people strongly believe in their existence in most sports, showing differences depending on expertise and framing modifications. However, it remains to be further investigated situational factors and psychological characteristics that affect the perception of streaks. From a behavioral point of view, the studies show that belief in the existence of streaks has a huge impact on decisions. The studies here reviewed seem to show that the influence of belief on streaks leads to worse and more risky decision making. However, it remains to be clarified the impact of this trend on objective performance indicators in real game contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web design in tourism organizations has become one of the key factors in maintaining a successful travel business. With questions of sustainability plaguing travel agencies, questions on how they should allocate their limited resources for website development to meet changing consumer needs while producing an effective and efficient website linger. This study provides a new technique and tool, decision trees and Weka, that identifies critical attributes that influence quality levels of a customer’s experience when visiting a travel agency’s website. The exploratory study derived eight evaluation attributes based on the attention, interest, desire, and action model. The study generated decision trees via Weka, a data-mining open-source software platform, to analyze the datasets from a web-based experiment. Results indicate that information quality is the most important attribute in designing the website of a travel agency. Then, attributes that enhance the simplicity of websites, such as ease of use, personalization, and flexible reservations, are considered by the customer when evaluating the website quality. Attractiveness can only contribute to evaluations of a website’s quality after usefulness and website simplicity have been determined. Keeping the website useful, simple, and attractive—in that order—will give managers of travel agencies the guidance to design their websites and improve company performance. This study confirms prior research and indicates that decision trees and Weka are viable techniques in evaluating travel agency websites and promotional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multi‐stack fuel cell (MFC) systems provide higher performances and reliability than single‐stack fuel cell systems through higher flexibility. The aim of this study is to investigate the degraded mode operation of MFC systems upon the loss of one of its stack. The different power allocation strategies impact the behaviour of the MFC system. Fuel consumption results obtained through simulation using a driving cycle acquired on a test vehicle are used to compare the chosen allocation strategies. The simulations have been conducted in a Matlab–Simulink environment. The results show that with a simple reconfiguration of the system the multi‐stack system can still complete the driving cycle. The fuel consumption results during normal and degraded mode operation are compared and show acceptable efficiency loss during degraded mode operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important characteristics, which defines playing style of elite basketball teams, is game speed. We aimed to analyse the use of fast breaks by the winning and losing teams and the relation of its effectiveness with the following variables: a) type of ball recovery; b) initial action, c) ball advancing mode; d) number of passes; e) fast break completion; f) completion type; g) effectiveness; h) points scored. The statistical analyses were conducted in IMB SPSS Statistics by means of Crosstabs command, Chi-square of Pearson and Phi coefficient. Significance differences were set at p<.05. Results showed great similarities on the use, efficacy, and points scored from fast breaks when comparing the winning and losing teams. Fast breaks mostly started after a rebound (46.7%), pass interception (27.8%) or steal (18.6%). Furthermore, elite teams usually made the maximum of two passes (96.4%) and ended the attack on the primary break (88.7%). More importantly, fast break successfulness increased when the initial action was a pass. These results might help coaches in designing the training process oriented to improve the offensive transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using intentional guidance to teach to discriminate between good and bad circumstances to shoot in basketball. A simulated shot-adequacy learning task was developed, in which participants were asked to decide, in each trial, whether the player in possession of the ball should shoot or not. After each decision, they received feedback on their response (determined by five cues: Opposition, Rebound, Balance, Alternative, and Distance). 65 naïve participants (M age = 18.6 yr., SD = 1.3) were divided into two groups. The Incidental group received no guiding instructions. The Intentional group was instructed to utilize four of the five cues. The Distance cue was kept incidental for both groups. Participants effectively incorporated the cues into their decisions. Guidance had a markedly different effect across cues. The Intentional group utilized Distance less efficiently than the Incidental group, i.e., intentional instructions on the other four cues nearly blocked the utilization of Distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the keys to achieving success in training is the correct alternation between exertion and rest. Accumulation of load causes fatigue, with a consequent deterioration of an athlete's motor skills. This impact on the organism depends on the capacity of the athlete to adapt to the stimuli that generated it. Repetitive loads, systematically above the adaptive capacity of the athlete, can produce performance and mode deterioration in the form of dysfunctional overtraining or stalement. (Goodger, Gorely, Lavallee AND Harwood, 2007; Gould, 1996; Gould AND Dieffenbach, 2002; Kellmann, 2002). Loading stimuli can be physical and/or mental. Although the impact of the former has been widely studied, this is not the case with the latter. Therefore, our aim was (1) to review the concept of mental workload, including cognitive and emotional elements, (2) to explore the implications of controlling mental workload for training, and (3) to propose practical applications for designing training tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following document presents the development of a humidity sensor for cocoa crops using IoT and Arduino. Its purpose is to showcase the various applications that new technologies can offer, particularly in the cocoa industry. It involves designing a humidity sensor node to measure changes in humidity and temperature using the electronic design tool Proteus. The measurement module is programmed in Arduino IDE and connected to the cloud via IoT, incorporating Node-RED as a means to remotely visualize real-time results. This is achieved through a presentation dashboard as the final output of the measurement process, collecting data on climate changes received by the transducer and comparing them with data obtained from the web over a specified period. This process verifies the sensor's efficiency and data accuracy, setting a precedent for future research in applied electronics, IoT, and telecommunications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceived exertion, as measured by psychometric scales, has been proven to be a valid tool to assess training load, and to highly correlate with physiological and mechanical dimensions of physical effort. However, little is known about the emotional correlates of exertion, and how perceived exertion is influenced by mental workload. In the two experiments reported here, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were found to be significantly influenced by mental workload (generated by means of a cognitive task, unrelated to, but temporally overlapping with the physical task) during active recovery after exhausting exercise, but not during incremental exercise. Importantly, perceived exertion was found to strongly correlate with reported emotional/hedonic valence, but not so tightly with reported arousal. These findings strengthen the motivational value of perceived exertion, and its linkage to other psychological constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discriminative decision rule learning is a core ingredient in many interactive sports. This study presents a laboratory simulation experiment (an adaptation of a Go/No-go task) that focuses on the quantitative analysis of three important environmental determinants of shot selection in basketball: physical opposition, availability of rebound and availability of defensive balance. Our results show that these three criteria are incorporated into decisions at different rates. Moreover, the use of such criteria is differentially sensitive to intentional (vs. incidental) instruction. in practical terms, these results illustrate some of the potential limitations of decision-making training by mere task design, i.e, without the coach's explicit guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the differences of competition between mini-basketball with the traditional rules (5-a-side) and minibasket with rule modifications (3-a-side) such as: reduced number of players on court, compulsory participation in 2 of the match's 4 periods, reduced court size, placing the free throw line at 3m from the basket, and including a three-point line. The sample that was selected included 47 mini-basketball players, and the study was carried Out using a quasi-experimental design without a control group. The aim was to determine the effect of rule modifications on the participation of the player with the ball. It was demonstrated that the degree of individual participation is greater in mini-basketball with modified rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyse whether a tactical training program based on a constructivist model can improve decision making related to keeping control of the ball for a men's senior basketball team composed of ten players. The dependent variables were: player distribution around the ball, and achieving support on both sides of the ball at an effective passing distance. Data collection was made through observational analysis utilizing a previously validated tool. A pretest-posttest design without a control group was used. Results demonstrated an improvement in decision making after the posttest for both the number of support players near the player with the ball, as it increased from 85% in the pretest to 100% in the posttest, and the number of collective or team actions around the player with the ball (from 5% to 76.5%) with highly significant differences. The primary conclusion is that a training program for teaching team tactics based on a constructivist model has a positive influence on players' capability to facilitate the pass to their teammates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work is to assess the personality traits of young basketball players aged 16-18 years (n=186) through the description of the dimensions and sub-dimension from the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) regarding personality. This was a non-experimental study in which a descriptive transversal design was used. The results that were obtained indicate the players in the selected sample are characterized as people who are: a) moderately dynamic, extraverted and dominant; b) moderately altruistic, understanding and tolerant; c) moderately responsible, orderly, and diligent; d) moderately balanced, calm, patient, and able to manage their emotions moderately well; and e) rather uncreative, unimaginative, and not well informed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cold expansion technology is an extended method used in aeronautics to increase fatigue life of holes and hence extending inspection intervals. During the cold expansion process, a mechanical mandrel is forced to pass along the hole generating compressive residual hoop stresses. The most widely accepted geometry for this mandrel is the tapered one and simpler options like balls have generally been rejected based on the non-conforming residual hoop stresses derived from their use. In this investigation a novelty process using multiple balls with incremental interference, instead of a single one, was simulated. Experimental tests were performed to validate the finite element method (FEM) models and residual hoop stresses from multiple balls simulation were compared with one ball and tapered mandrel simulations. Results showed that the use of three incremental balls significantly reduced the magnitude of non-conforming residual hoop stresses and the extension of these detrimental zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes two new concepts/indices—tourism demand energy and tourism attractiveness energy—to measure origin-side tourism demand and destination attractiveness. Tourism demand energy and tourism attractiveness energy are estimated based on tourist visitation, travel distance, and visitor flow network relationships. A reverse gravity model was developed, and a particle swarm optimization design was adopted and revised for estimation. This study has a theme park context and uses data collected from 47,360 TripAdvisor reviews for 170 US theme parks. We determined theme park demand energy for each of 52 tourist source regions, and theme park attractiveness energy for each of the 170 theme parks. These two new concepts extend and improve measures of origin-side tourism demand and destination attractiveness. They also underscore the importance of travel distance in measuring origin-side tourism demand and destination attractiveness, offering a new perspective on the driving forces of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The deterioration of the integrity of binocular vision has a detrimental effect on fine visuomotor skills, however, its impact on sports performance remains unknown. We tested the influence of four viewing conditions (binocular viewing, monocular viewing, binocular viewing with monocular blur, and binocular viewing with binocular blur) on basketball free-throws performance. Methods: Twenty-three male basketball players (19.2 ± 3.4 years) performed 30 free-throws in each viewing condition following a randomised order. Image degradation was induced by the use of Bangerter filters. Complementarily, perceived levels of task load and complexity, as well as visual function were assessed. Results: We found a worse basketball free-throws performance (percentage of successful shots) in the monocular viewing (∼8%) and binocular viewing with monocular blur (∼9%) in comparison to the condition of binocular viewing (corrected p-values = 0.003 and 0.006; and ds = 0.838 and 0.771). The analyses of subjective ratings and visual function allowed us to confirm a successful experimental manipulation. Conclusions: Basketball free-throws performance is subject to the integrity of binocular vision, showing a worse accuracy when the sensory dominant eye was occluded or blurred in comparison to natural (binocular) viewing conditions. However, free-throws performance remains stable when the visual acuity is binocularly degraded. Our findings reveal that an appropriate functioning of the binocular vision is needed for optimal sports performance, and highlight the importance of a comprehensive clinical assessment or management of binocular vision in sport contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilized an adaptation of the uni-dimensional involvement scale developed by Josiam, Smeaton, and Clements (1999) to test Havitz and Dimanche's Proposition XI, which states that "an individual's involvement profile with a recreational activity, tourist destination, or related equipment is positively related to frequency of participation, travel, or purchase" (1990, p. 189). Relationships between recreational runners' involvement in travel to road races and behavioral characteristics, including preparation for and participation in road races, travel behavior and running-related expenditures were examined. Proposition XI was partially supported. The research found statistically significant differences between the high involvement group and medium involvement group in terms of travel behavior and running-related expenditures. There were no significant differences between involvement groups and preparation for or participation in road races. It was concluded that involvement should be considered by sport and tourism agencies when planning, marketing, and managing events targeted at traveling recreational runners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental fatigue has a negative effect on endurance tasks, but little is known about its effect on sports skills precision. The aim of this study was to check if mental stress reduces the free throw effectiveness in basketball. 18 semi-professional players performed the experiment. The experimental group performed the 2-back memory task, while another control group performed the Oddball version of the same test, a version that does not generate fatigue of the central executive. Participants in the experimental group had a lower rate of success than the control group. These results demonstrate the negative influence of mental fatigue on precision skills such as free throw in basketball [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of deep cryogenic treatment have mainly focused on ferrous alloys, despite the advantages of this form of treatment when applied to other non-ferrous alloys. This study examines the microstructural behavior of a high pressure die-casting (HPDC) AZ91 magnesium alloy, submitted to T6 and T6 with deep cryogenic treatment (DCT) prior to aging. Differences between continuous and discontinuous β-Mg 17 Al 12 phase precipitation are analyzed by means of TEM, SEM and optical microscopy to explain the mechanical behavior following each type of heat treatment. The mechanical properties were improved by both treatments though yield strength was higher following T6 treatment and elongation was greater following T6 with deep cryogenic treatment. The conclusion is that continuous precipitation is promoted by cryogenic treatment, resulting in an improvement of elongation by 20%. This factor is important in view of the limitations of poor plasticity and its consequences for HPDC magnesium alloy applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated variations in heart rate variability (HRV) as a function of cognitive demands. Participants completed an execution condition including the psychomotor vigilance task, a working memory task and a duration discrimination task. The control condition consisted of oddball versions (participants had to detect the rare event) of the tasks from the execution condition, designed to control for the effect of the task parameters (stimulus duration and stimulus rate) on HRV. The NASA-TLX questionnaire was used as a subjective measure of cognitive workload across tasks and conditions. Three major findings emerged from this study. First, HRV varied as a function of task demands (with the lowest values in the working memory task). Second, and crucially, we found similar HRV values when comparing each of the tasks with its oddball control equivalent, and a significant decrement in HRV as a function of time-on-task. Finally, the NASA-TLX results showed larger cognitive workload in the execution condition than in the oddball control condition, and scores variations as a function of task. Taken together, our results suggest that HRV is highly sensitive to overall demands of sustained attention over and above the influence of other cognitive processes suggested by previous literature. In addition, our study highlights a potential dissociation between objective and subjective measures of mental workload, with important implications in applied settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We take the first steps towards a shot selection quality model in basketball that incorporates decisional cues that might be predictive, not only of proximal results (e.g., scoring), but also of distal results (e.g., winning/losing the match). 2976 jump-shots from 50 Euroleague matches were sampled, following systematic observation guidelines. The decisional cues under scrutiny were shooting opposition, distance and lateral angle, disposition to offensive rebound and disposition to defensive balance at the moment of shooting. A first set of regressions between decisional cues and proximal results showed higher opposition and distance to decrease the probability of scoring (OR = .81; p < .001 and OR = .89; p = .013); a better disposition towards rebound to increase the chances of catching rebound (OR = 1.57; p < .001); and better defensive balance disposition to decrease the probability of a fast break (OR = 1.27; p < .036). A second set of regressions between proximal and distal results showed shooting and offensive rebound effectiveness to predict total points scored (β = .62; p < .001 and β = .32; p < .001) and game result (winning/losing the game; OR = 1.12; p < .001 and OR = 1.05; p = .021). Finally, an analysis of the impact of decisional cues on distal results showed a positive relationship between likelihood of winning and average team's disposition to offensive rebound (OR = 1.18; p = .018). These results cast light on the actual weights (validities) of the different cues involved in predicting outcomes of shooting decisions. This evidence could help coaches provide objective feedback about players' shooting performance beyond hit percentages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, germ cell differentiation is initiated in the Primordial Germ Cells (PGCs) during fetal development. Prenatal exposure to environmental toxicants such as endocrine disruptors may alter PGC differentiation, development of the male germline and induce transgenerational epigenetic disorders. The anti-androgenic compound vinclozolin represents a paradigmatic example of molecule causing transgenerational effects on germ cells. We performed prenatal exposure to vinclozolin in mice and analyzed the phenotypic and molecular changes in three successive generations. A reduction in the number of embryonic PGCs and increased rate of apoptotic cells along with decrease of fertility rate in adult males were observed in F1 to F3 generations. Blimp1 is a crucial regulator of PGC differentiation. We show that prenatal exposure to vinclozolin deregulates specific microRNAs in PGCs, such as miR-23b and miR-21, inducing disequilibrium in the Lin28/let-7/Blimp1 pathway in three successive generations of males. As determined by global maps of cytosine methylation, we found no evidence for prominent changes in DNA methylation in PGCs or mature sperm. Our data suggest that embryonic exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors induces transgenerational epigenetic deregulation of expression of microRNAs affecting key regulatory pathways of germ cells differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In team sports like basketball, small-sided games have received much scientific attention because of their capacity to simulate competitive environments. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of different task constraints on mental load, and its consequences for individual and team performance in basketball small-sided games. Method: Twenty-four university students voluntarily took part in this study (Mage = 20.81 years [± 1.76]). Four different 3 × 3 basketball games were played: (A) free game, (B) seven seconds possession, (C) three passes maximum per attack phase, (D) conditions B and C combined. Results: Statistical analysis showed that constraints B, C and D produce more mental load, provoke differences in the affect response and the performance is worse. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the mental cost of restricting the time and number of passes, separately and combined to decide and act. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study aimed (1) to examine the impact of two high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols differing in exercise intensity (low intensity and high intensity) on the dynamic accommodative response (AR), and (2) to elucidate whether the ocular accommodation changes are associated with the function of the autonomic nervous system during stimulus processing, as measured by the heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: Twenty physically active university students (9 women; age = 23.9 ± 3.3 years) were tested on three separate sessions. The lag of accommodation and the root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (RMSSD) parameter of HRV were obtained at the beginning and at the end of each testing session, while one of the following protocols was applied in a randomized order between the measurements, low-intensity HIIT (8 sprints with 60 s of rest), high-intensity HIIT (8 sprints with 30 s of rest), and Control (walking for 8 min). Results: Our data demonstrated a higher lag of accommodation after the high-intensity HIIT compared to the low-intensity HIIT (p = 0.006, d = 0.798) and control (p = 0.007, d = 0.741), but no significant differences were observed between the low-intensity HIIT protocol and control condition (p = 0.598, d = 0.12). As expected, lower HRV values were observed with higher exercise intensity, but the changes of AR and HRV were not significantly correlated (p > 0.05 in all cases). Conclusions: The present findings indicate that the acute effects of exercise on ocular accommodation depend on exercise intensity, showing that highly demanding physical effort induces a greater lag of accommodation, which may be of relevance when performing near activities after physical efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed (1) to test the acute impact of two high-intensity interval-training (HIIT) protocols differing in the level of effort on intraocular pressure (IOP) responses, and (2) to elucidate whether the IOP responses differ between men and women. Twenty-four physically active collegiate (12 men and 12 women) performed three protocols: low-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 60-s of rest), high-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 30-s of rest), and control (walking). IOP was taken at baseline, after sprints and recovery by rebound tonometry. Our data revealed an acute IOP reduction during both HIIT protocols compared to the control condition (effect size [ES]:0.81-1.65). The differences between both HIIT protocols were generally negligible (ES<0.30), however, the reduction of IOP was moderately higher for the low-fatigue HIIT protocol after the 7th (ES: 0.67) and 8th (ES: 0.74) sprints. Women showed a more prominent lowering effect on IOP during the control condition (ES: 0.42-1.02), and during the two first sprints of both HIIT protocols (ES: 0.54-1.03). These findings highlight that a time-efficient HIIT protocol may acutely reduce IOP levels, while low-fatigue HIIT protocol could be recommended since it induced a higher reduction on IOP than the high-fatigue HIIT protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lymphangioma is a benign neoplasm, mostly connate, it occurs more often in children. It is more frequently located in the head–neck region, as well as in the armpit, and less frequently in the abdomen. The diagnosis, as well as their appearance is variant, they can be asymptomatic depending on the size. The signs on the physical exam are usually nonspecific and can look like an acute abdomen. Imaging tests used are the ultrasound and tomography, which determine the therapeutic behavior. The differential diagnosis should be made with other intra-abdominal injuries, such as cavernous hemangioma, mesotheliomas, pancreatic and ovarian tumors and even peritoneal hydatid cyst. The definitive treatment is surgical in most cases, with complete excision of the mass. The definitive diagnosis is obtained with the histopathological study of the surgical piece. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to test the effects of mental (i.e. executive) load during a dual physical-mental task on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), affective valence, and arousal. The protocol included two dual tasks with matched physical demands but different executive demands (2-back and oddball), carried out on different days. The procedure was run twice to assess the sensitivity and stability of RPE, valence and arousal across the two trials. Linear mixed-effects analyses showed less positive valence (−0.44 points on average in a 1-9 scale; Rβ2 = 0.074 [CI90%, 0.052-0.098]), and heightened arousal (+0.13 points on average in a 1-9 scale; Rβ2 = 0.006 [CI90%, 0.001-0.015]), for the high executive load condition, but showed no effect of mental load on RPE. Separated analyses for the two task trials yielded best-fitting models that were identical across trials for RPE and valence, but not for arousal. Model fitting was improved by assuming a 1-level autoregressive covariance structure for all analyses. In conclusion, executive load during a dual physical-mental task modulates the emotional response to effort, but not RPE. The autoregressive covariance suggests that people tend to anchor estimates on prior ones, which imposes certain limits on scales' usability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the competition, soccer players must make both physical and mental efforts simultaneously. This dual-task situation impairs performance in skills that require precision only in those athletes who do not have automated those skills. However, there has been little control over the nature and magnitude of the mental load that athletes experience during play actions, and to what extent such a load is detrimental to athletic performance. In order to advance this knowledge, a counter-balanced intrasubject study was designed with repeated post-condition measures on two conditions, a specific physical and coordinating task of soccer, and a dual-task in which the main task was maintained and in which the secondary had cognitive control requirements. Twenty-eight male semi-professional players participated [middle age = 20.07 years (± 0.23)]. The presence of physical charge simultaneous to the mental load had a negative effect on accuracy. In turn, the emotional states aroused in the double task predicted performance in the motor task. Forcing the player to have to use their attentional resources in the mental task seems not to allow an adequate use of the available information necessary for an efficient adjustment of the action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Futsal is a sport known and practiced by millions of people around the world. However, there are few scientific studies about distinct facets of personality associated with impulsive behavior, which can help coaches to optimize their sport performance. The aim of this study was to analyze the variables related to impulsivity in elite futsal players, based on their playing position. In this study participated 111 elite futsal players (age M = 25.44, DT = 4.62) of the National Futsal League in the 2014/2015 season. The UPPS-P impulsivity questionnaire adapted was used and an ANOVA test was performed taking into account the playing position (goalkeepers, defenders, wings and wing-defenders, pivots and wing-pivots and universal). The results showed a lower score in the impulsivity traits, specifically in the sensation seeking dimension, in those players with a defensive role, and particularly in the goalkeepers compared with the universals (p <.05). In addition, a profile of greater general impulsivity is observed in the pivots, wing-pivots and universals. In conclusion, this study has shown the existence of certain di!erentiated profiles of impulsivity among the futsal players according to their role. Although we must be cautious expecting the confirmation of future studies, these findings highlighted the convenience of considering personality traits as predictors of performance in talent detection and development programs in this sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/Aim: The execution of strength exercises has demonstrated to increase the intraocular pressure (IOP) levels, and it may have a negative impact on the ocular health. We aimed to explore the influence of fitness level on the acute IOP response to strength exercises performed under different loading conditions, as well as to test whether the IOP responses differ between the bench press and jump squat when performed against the same relative loads. Materials and Methods: Forty military personnel males were divided in two subgroups (20 high-fit and 20 low-fit) based on their relative to body mass one-repetition maximum (1-RM). Participants performed an incremental loading test in the bench press and jump squat exercises, and IOP was assessed before and after each repetition by rebound tonometry. Results: IOP increased immediately after executing both exercises (p < 0.01 in both cases), being the magnitude of the IOP increment positively and linearly associated with the increment of the load in both groups (i.e., high-fit and low-fit) and in both exercises (R2 range: 0.81-1.00). Higher fitness level attenuated the IOP rise produced by both exercises (p < 0.01 in both cases). The bench press induced higher IOP increments than the jump squat for both groups at relative loads of ~50%1-RM and ~60%1-RM (p < 0.01 in all cases). Conclusions: These data indicate that IOP increases as a consequence of performing strength exercises, being the increment accentuated with the increase of the load and in the bench press compared to the jump squat exercise. Of special importance would be that the IOP responses were significantly reduced in high-fit individuals. These findings should be addressed in glaucoma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to (a) investigate the effect of physical effort (cycling for 60 min at 60 ± 5% of individually computed reserve heart-rate capacity), combined with 2 different levels of cognitive demand (2-back, oddball), on intraocular pressure (IOP) and subjective judgments of perceived exertion (ratings of perceived exertion [RPE]), affect (Affective Valence subscale of the Self-Assessment Manikin [SAM]), and mental workload (National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index [NASA-TLX]); and (b) ascertain whether baseline IOP, measured before exercise, is associated with individual differences in subjective assessments of effort and affective response during exercise.Method: Seventeen participants (Mage = 23.28 ± 2.37 years) performed 2 physical/cognitive dual tasks, matched in physical demand but with different mental requirements (2-back, oddball). We assessed IOP before exercise, after 2 min of active recovery, and after 15 min of passive recovery, and we also collected RPE and SAM measures during the sessions (28 measurement points). We used NASA-TLX and cognitive performance as checks of the mental manipulation.Results: (a) Intraocular pressure increased after concomitant physical/mental effort, with the effect reaching statistical significance after the 2-back task (p = .002, d = 0.35) but not after the oddball condition (p = .092, d = 0.29). (b) Baseline IOP was associated with subjective sensitivity to effort and showed statistical significance for the oddball condition (p = .03, ƞp2 = .622) but not for the 2-back task (F < 1).Conclusions: Results suggest a relationship between IOP and physical/cognitive effort, which could have implications for the management of glaucoma. Additionally, a rapid measure of IOP could be used as a marker of individual effort sensitivity in applied settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to determine the effect of two basic strength exercises with progressive loads on intraocular pressure (IOP). Methods: Seventeen (out of 20 recruited) physically active male military officers (46 ± 4.77 years) performed the jump squat and the ballistic bench press exercises, in counterbalanced order, with four and five progressive loads, respectively. IOP was measured with a rebound tonometer before and after each of the corresponding loads. Results: IOP linearly increases with heavier loads for the jump squat ( r = 0.976) and the ballistic bench press ( r = 0.991) exercises. A significant IOP elevation was observed during the jump squat test ( p < 0.001), and Bonferroni-Holm correction revealed that ~75% of one repetition maximum (RM) was able to promote significant changes in IOP with respect to the other three loads (all corrected p values <0.05), whereas the load corresponding to ~65%RM and ~60%RM induced a significant IOP rise when compared with the load of ~50%RM (corrected p-values of 0.43 in both cases). For its part, IOP significantly increases with the bench press test ( p < 0.001), and performing the ~50%RM load was enough to induce significant IOP changes (corrected p-value <0.01). Conclusions: Acute performance of jump squat and ballistic bench press lead to a significant increase of IOP, and 5 min of rest are enough to recover baseline IOP values. There is a strong linear association between the increase in load and the IOP rise for both exercises, and bench press execution produces a significantly higher IOP increase when compared with the jump squat for the same relative loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used a repeated-measures design to assess the impact of mental-task complexity on intraocular pressure (IOP). Fourteen participants performed three continuous 11-min blocks of a mental-workload task (3-back) and an oddball version of this task. Also, heart-rate variability (HRV), cognitive-performance scores, and subjective measure of mental load (NASA-TLX) were determined. IOP was taken before each block and afterwards as well as after recovery from mental tasks. We found that IOP increased during heavy mental workloads (p < 0.01). Consistent with this finding, the autonomic control (HRV) and the cognitive performance were significantly lower (p < 0.045, and p < 0.01, respectively), and the NASA-TLX scores were higher during the 3-back task (p < 0.01). We conclude that IOP is sensitive to mental workload, and it could provide a novel neuroergonomic tool to assess mental workload. Our study highlights a potential association between IOP and the nervous system's state of activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction Sports are developed in extremely variable, unpredictable contexts, which means that the level of entropy is very high. In these environments, where decision making is decisive for sporting success, the participation of the central executive plays a key role. The aim of this study was to explore the potential importance of executive functions such as predictive value of the level of expertise of basketball players. A total of 34 men basketball players, of whom 12 belonged to a professional team of the ACB league (M = 25.2 years), 12 a semi-pro team of the EBA league (M = 20.7 years) and 10 of a regional amateur league team (M = 22.7 years) were evaluated. Design Fluency Test was used for cognitive flexibility and Stroop interference test for the inhibitory capacity. Differences between the means of the ACB players and those of the other two groups, but not between semiprofessional and amateurs were found. The results show a greater cognitive flexibility of professional basketball players over non professional players but instead does not distinguish between groups when referring to the inhibitory capacity. Considering that the first test also measures working memory and inhibitory capacity, the overall results point to the importance of executive functions in basketball and are consistent with those of previous studies indicating that elite athletes compared to sub-elite or novice have superior cognitive performance, although in this case highly specialized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In spite of the fact that shoot selection is a crucial ingredient of performance in basketball, the judgment and decision making processes involved in it have been largely neglected. In the present work, we explore individuals' strategies to assess the adequateness of shooting (in a sirnulation laboratory task) in situations varying in the degree of physical defensive pressure, rebound, defensive balance and shooting distance. Our results showed that the four target dimensions have an impact on participants' judgments. More importantly, training influences the degree to which one of the non-obvious dimensions (defensive balance) is taken into account by participants in order to make their judgments. These results stress the necessity to develop measures of shot selection decisional quality beyond scoring rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were: I) to analyse the influence of inside pass on the basketball offensive success and 2) to detect the influence of both passer and receiver location, and the receiver immediate action on successful inside pass. The sample was 1324 attack phases of nine games of the 2012 Euroleague Playoff. All recorded matches were analysed by four observers. Observational methodology was used through a follow-up, ideographic, and multidimensional design approach. An ad-hoc instrument was developed in order to obtain behaviour systematic registration. For the first aim, analysed criteria were: 1) offensive effectiveness, 2) shooting zone, 3) total points scored by attack phase, 4) possession duration and 5) number of passes. For the second one: 1) passer location, 2) receiver location, and 3) immediate receiver action were registered for each inside pass attack. Multirater k free index (Randolph, 2005) was used to measure inter-observers agreement, obtaining a value over .84 in each case. In addition, intra-observers reproducibility was evaluated at the end of the observation process by calculating Cohen's Kappa, obtaining a minimum value of .90. For statistical data analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, crosstabs, Chi-square and multinomial logistic regression were carried on. The finding results show that a) those attack phase in which inside pass is done are more effective and achieve a larger amount of points, and b) passer location and immediate receiver action determinate a successful inside pass, being the outside pass with an inside reception the most effective option. These results suggest to consider the inside pass as a performance indicator in basketball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stalk is an essential domain of the large ribosomal subunit formed by a complex of a set of very acidic proteins bound to a core rRNA binding component. While in prokaryotes there is only one type acidic protein, L7/12, two protein families are found in eukaryotes, phosphoproteins P1 and P2, which presumably have different roles. To search for differences zero-length cross-linking by S-S bridge formation was applied using Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutant P1 and P2 proteins carrying single cysteine residues at various positions. The results show a more exposed location of the N-terminal domain of the P2 proteins, which in contrast to P1, can be found as dimers when the Cys is introduced in this domain. Similarly, the Cys containing C-terminal domain of mutant P2 proteins shows a notable capacity to form cross-links with other proteins, which is considerably lower in the P1 type. On the other hand, mutation at the conserved C-domain of protein P0, the eukaryotic stalk rRNA binding component, results in removal of about 14 terminal amino acids. Protein P2, but not P1, protects mutant P0 from this truncation. These results support a eukaryotic stalk structure in which P1 proteins are internally located with their C-terminals having a restricted reactivity while P2 proteins are more external and accessible to interact with other cellular components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]