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This study investigated whether the use of the color wheel system (CWS) during physical education (PE) classes is associated with a significant decrease in disruptive behaviors among middle school students. Using a multiple-baseline single-case design, we investigated the effects of the CWS on disruptive behavior in nine middle school students with identified disruptive tendencies, aged 13.33 ± 1.1 years on average. Disruptive behaviors were tracked through observation using a 15-s partial time sampling technique. The results, as indicated by time series graphs and Nonoverlap of All Pairs values ranging from 0.79 to 1.00, consistently demonstrated that the implementation of the CWS led to a reduction in disruptive behaviors across the three classrooms. The findings suggest that the CWS is an effective intervention for mitigating disruptive behaviors among school-aged children during PE classes. However, it should be noted that the training procedures for implementing the CWS were relatively brief. To address potential limitations in future CWS implementations, it is recommended to address these shortcomings and carefully consider the implementation of the CWS as a behavioral intervention in PE.

Background: Maintaining physical distancing is one of the most important steps to enforce in educational institutions to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19. However, close proximity and physical contact between students are often considered 'normal' during physical education (PE) classes, making it challenging for PE teachers to ensure physical distancing. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of the implementation of the Good Behaviour Game (GBG) in maintaining physical distancing in PE settings in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: In a quasi-experimental design, two groups were separately designated as an experimental group (20 classes involving 220 students) and a control group (20 classes involving 231 students). They were all enrolled in the eighth grade of the Tunisian education system. In the experimental group, the PE teacher managed physical distancing by administering the GBG. Physical distancing was evaluated by direct observation of videos of filmed PE sessions using a code grid. It was measured twice for the two groups using Kinovea software. Results: Quantitative data analyses showed that the level of maintaining physical distancing increased after the GBG intervention in the experimental group (p<0.001). Furthermore, greater percent changes between pre- and postintervention were identified in the experimental group compared to the control group (120% vs 1%, respectively). Conclusion: The GBG was effective in ensuring students' physical distancing when implemented in PE settings.

The purpose of this study was to assess the immediate effect of video feedback on the regulation and control of the standing back tuck somersault in the absence of vision. Two groups of male parkour athletes performed the standing back tuck somersault under both open and closed eyes conditions. The first group received video feedback, while the second group received verbal feedback. Concurrent analysis, including kinetic data from a force plate (Kistler Quattro-Jump) and kinematic data in two-dimensional by Kinovea freeware, was employed for motion and technical performance analysis. The results indicate that the loss of vision during the standing back tuck somersault affected only the take-off and ungrouping angle, as well as the vertical velocity and displacement. These effects were consistent regardless of the type of feedback provided (i.e., video feedback or verbal feedback). Furthermore, a significant Vision × Feedback interaction was observed at the level of technical performance. This suggests that the use of video feedback enabled the parkour athletes to maintain a high level of technical performance both with and without vision (i.e., 13.56 vs. 13.00 points, respectively, p >.05 and d = 2.233). However, the verbal feedback group technical performance declined significantly under the no-vision condition compared with the vision condition (13.14 vs. 10.25 points, respectively, with and without vision, p <.001 and d = 2.382). We concluded that when the movement is proprioceptively controlled (i.e., without vision), the video feedback enables the athletes to globally assess the technical deficiencies arising from the lack of vision and to correct them. These findings are discussed based on parkour athletes' ability to evaluate the kinematic parameters of the movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, individuals with different motor expertise levels interacted with both heavy and light objects to learn about their respective physical affordance before solving a mental rotation task involving images of the same objects. All participants reported that heavy objects were more difficult to physically rotate than light objects, yet only elite athletes mentally rotated heavy objects more slowly than light ones, suggesting that they used covert motor strategies to perform the latter task. To confirm this hypothesis, a different sample of participants solved the same mental rotation task in a second experiment, this time using an imposed motor strategy. Consistent with our prediction, all groups were equally affected by objects' physical affordance, regardless of individual levels of sensorimotor expertise. Together, these results indicate that sensorimotor expertise transfers to mental rotation tasks and provide a more detailed account of the individual differences associated with levels of expertise. KEYWORDS: mental rotation, motor strategies, expertise level, sensorimotor experience, Motor Processes in Mental Rotation Initially introduced by Shepard and Metzler's pioneer work (1971), the mental rotation framework has since interested researchers investigating the similarities between real and imagined movements. [...]

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of different levels of exercise intensity on mental rotation performance in gymnasts versus nongymnasts. A group of elite gymnasts and a group of nongymnasts performed a mental body rotation task at rest and then performed the same task preceded by short bouts of intense exercise at 60%, 80%, 100%, and 120% of their maximum aerobic speed. The analyses of response times showed that gymnasts performed the mental rotation task faster after bouts of intense exercise than in rest condition, but nongymnasts performed equally in rest and after exercise. This finding highlights the specific physical expertise as a variable that can affect the influence of exercise on cognitive processing. KEYWORDS: mental rotation, cognitive processing, exercise intensity, gymnastic expertise, To improve sport performance, researchers and practitioners are continuously aiming to improve movement execution and efficiency. In addition to physical training on a movement, understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying movement [...]

Purpose: The acute effects of static stretching (SS) on dynamic balance, a key fitness component that contributes to injury prevention, has been a subject of significant debate. This study aimed to investigate the acute effect of short-duration SS exercises on dynamic balance following different recovery durations in youth female volleyball players. Methods: Thirteen volunteers U-14 female players were included. Eight random assessments were carried-out on separate days. They consisted of 2D-kinematic analysis of frontal and/or sagittal balance of the center of mass (COM) displacement, velocity, and acceleration on wobble board conducted without SS, immediately after and following 2 and 10 minutes of SS. Results: Repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant difference between conditions in the velocity (p = 0.002 to 0.049; d = 0.844 to 2.200) and the acceleration (p = 0.014 to 0.021; d = 1.532 to 1.657) of the COM in both frontal and sagittal planes sway. Post-hoc analysis revealed decreased COM velocity (p = 0.001 to 0.030; d = 2.501 to 6.750) and acceleration (p = 0.001 to 0.030; d = 2.501 to 6.750) in the frontal plane, regardless of the recovery time. The most prominent decrease in both parameters was observed immediately after SS (p = 0.001 to 0.013; d = 2.907 to 6.750). However, in the sagittal balance, we observed an immediate increase in COM acceleration following SS (p < 0.001; d = 4.223). Conclusion: Short-duration SS leads to improved dynamic balance, particularly on the frontal plane, with the most favorable effect observed immediately after stretching. Practically speaking, short-duration SS appears to be an effective exercise modality for inducing acute enhancements in dynamic balance among youth female volleyball players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Changing from a static to a dynamic balance condition could affect the performance of a cognitive task such as mental rotation. Thus, the main goal of this study is to investigate aspects of visual-spatial cognition between two non-contact sports (i.e., badminton and volleyball) in different upright conditions (i.e., standing position, frontal balance, and sagittal balance). Methods: Thirty-five volunteer female sports and physical education students, fourteen specialists in badminton and twenty-one specialists in volleyball agreed to participate in this study. Each of the assessments was a 3D cube mental rotation task with and/or without balance exercises (i.e., frontal and/or sagittal balance) on a wobble board. Five stimuli were used in the mental rotation task (i.e., 45°, 135°, 180°, 225° and 315° for objected-based cube condition with egocentric transformation) which included pairs of standard and comparison images. Results: The findings indicate that there was a notable decrease (p < 0.001; d = 1.745) in response time in both dynamic balance conditions (i.e., frontal and sagittal balance) compared to standing position condition. In addition, results revealed significant interaction between balance conditions (i.e., frontal and/or sagittal balance) and groups (i.e., badminton and volleyball) in the response time at 225° angle and in the error percentage. Conclusions: In sum, dynamic balance is also an activity that involves mental manipulation of objects in 3D space, which can enhance badminton and volleyball female players' ability to rotate 3D cube stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aims to compare the mental rotation performance between two non-contact sports (i.e., badminton and volleyball) in different upright conditions (i.e., with and without dynamic balance). Methods: Thirty-five female sports and physical education students voluntarily participated in the experiment, including fourteen specialists in badminton and twenty-one specialists in volleyball. The experiment involved a mental body rotation task with or without balance exercises on a wobble board. Results: Badminton players outperformed volleyball players in the mental rotation tasks regardless of balance. More interestingly, the results revealed an overall decrease in reaction times when participants performed balance exercises simultaneously with mental rotation. Discussion: Our findings suggest that introducing dynamic balance on a wobble board has immediate beneficial effects on the mental rotation performance of female badminton and volleyball players. These findings are discussed in the context of sport specificities and cognitive processing framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of vision (i.e., open and closed eyes) on the kinetic and kinematic parameters of the standing back tuck somersault (SBTS) in artistic gymnasts and parkour athletes. Methods: Eleven male parkour athletes (age 22.53 ± 2.36 years; height 1.72 ± 0.08 m; weight 69.58 ± 3.72 kg) and seven male artistic gymnasts (age 21.96 ± 2.64 years; height 1.62 ± 0.02 m; weight 63.54 ± 1.35 kg) participated in this study. Each subject was asked to perform the SBTS in the same condition (i.e., first open-eyes then closed-eyes). 2D kinetic and kinematic analysis was conducted. Results: The results showed significant interaction (i.e., vision and sport) obtained at the take-off angle (p < 0.05 and d = 1.992), horizontal displacement (p < 0.05 and d = 1.906) and technical execution (p < 0.05 and d = 1.972). This interaction indicates that when vision is permitted, artistic gymnasts and parkour athletes were similar in all kinetic and kinematic parameters, and technical execution (p > 0.05). However, the elimination of vision during SBTS only affected parkour athletes (i.e., landing angle, ground reaction force, vertical velocity and technical execution, p < 0.05 and d >1.20) while artistic gymnasts remain unchanged. Conclusion: We conclude that the specificity of the practice in each of the two sports disciplines influences the kinetic and kinematic control of the SBTS and suggests that with closed-eyes, the integration of afferent information relating to the vestibular and proprioceptive systems is different and specific to each discipline's goal. Artistic gymnasts seem to be better skilled in the mechanical and technical control of the SBTS than parkour athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many COVID-19 infected people remain asymptomatic, and hence the diagnosis at first presentation remains a challenge. Assessment at a presentation in primary care settings is usually done by visual triaging and basic clinical examination. This retrospective study involved investigating the medical e-records of COVID-19 positive patients who presented to a COVID-19 centre in Qatar for July 2020. The presence (symptomatic group) or the absence (asymptomatic group) of symptoms along with objective vital examination (ie; heart-rate (HR), temperature, haemoglobin saturation (SpO2)) were analysed and linked to the viral load (ie; cycle threshold (Ct)) of COVID-19 positive patients. Four hundred eighty-one symptomatic (230 males) and 216 asymptomatic (101 males) patients were included. Compared to the asymptomatic male group, the symptomatic male group was older, had lower Ct value and SpO2, and higher temperature and HR. Compared to the females asymptomatic group, the symptomatic females group had lower Ct value, and higher temperature. Compared to the asymptomatic group, the symptomatic group had lower Ct value and SpO2, and higher temperature and HR. Compared to the asymptomatic group, the symptomatic group had lower Ct values (age groups [21–30], [31–40], [41–50] and [51–60]), higher temperature (age groups [21–30] and [31–40], Ct ranges [20.01–25.00] and [25.01–30.00]), higher HR (age groups [21–30] and [31–40], Ct range [15.01–20.00]); and lower SpO2 (age groups [41–50] and [51–60], Ct ranges [15.01–20.00] and [35.01–40.00]). Compared with asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients with COVID-19 are most likely to be febrile, tachycardic, hypoxic and having higher viral load. Higher viral load was associated with higher HR, higher temperature, lower SpO2, but there was no relation between viral load and age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to measure and compare physiological and time–motion variables during karate fighting and to assess eventual differences between winners and defeated elite karatekas in an ecologically valid environment. Methods: Fourteen elite male karatekas who regularly participated in national and international events took part in a national-level competition. Results: There were no significant differences between winners and defeated karatekas regarding all the studied variables. Karatekas used more upper-limb (76.19%) than lower-limb techniques (23.80%). The kisami-zuki represented the most frequent technique, with 29.1% of all used techniques. The duration of each fighting activity ranged from <1 s to 5 s, with 83.8% ± 12.0% of the actions lasting less than 2 s. Karatekas executed 17 ± 7 high-intensity actions per fight, which corresponded to ~6 high-intensity actions per min. Action-to-rest ratio was about 1:1.5, and high-intensityaction- to-rest ratio was ~1:10. The mean blood lactate response at 3 min postcombat (Lapost) elicited during karate fighting was 11.18 ± 2.21 mmol/L (difference between Lapre and Lapost = 10.01 ± 1.81 mmol/L). Mean heart rate (HR) was 177 ± 14 beats/min (91% ± 5% of HRpeak). Karatekas spent 65% of the time exercising at HR >90% of the individual HRpeak. Conclusion: Karatekas predominantly use upper-limb karate techniques. Karate’s nature is intermittent, with fighting activities representing ~6% of total combat’s duration and ~84% of actions lasting less than 2 s, with ~21-s mean time interval in between. Kumite combat sessions induced high La and near-maximal cardiovascular strain. Other key success factors should be investigated to properly discriminate winners and defeated athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at exploring the effect of speed change (i.e., 13.2 km/h moderate-speed and 15.12 km/h high- speed) on kinematic parameters of women's 20 km race walking. C.N, Tunisian elite women's champion (i.e., Arabic, African and U23 Mediterranean champion) qualified for the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (age 22.15 years; height 1.68 m; mass 50.2 kg; average training 140 km/week) who participated in this study. A 3D kinematic analysis of multi-speed race walking (i.e., over a distance of 20 m) was recorded using two mutually synchronized digital cameras (i.e., AEE PNJ Cam, 120 Hz). Body markers (i.e., Hanavan model) were digitized using SkillSpector® software. Delta percentage between moderate and high-speed parameters were calculated. The results showed that when changing speed (i.e., from moderate-speed to high-speed), stride length (i.e., 1.33 m and 1.45 m respectively) and stride frequency (i.e., 3.5 Hz and 4 Hz respectively) change as well as contact time (i.e., 0.23 s and 0.20 s respectively). However, center of mass vertical displacement (i.e., 0.064 m and 0.063 m respectively), knee angle in flexion (i.e., 84.09° and 85.01° respectively) and in extension (i.e., 180.02° and 180.01° respectively) remain almost constant, which shows that the athlete has an excellent technical stability. In conclusion, the athlete has retained the same technique, even during speed increase, there is no perceptible change in either vertical displacement or knee angle, but an increase in the frequency and length of the stride, thanks to the high technical requirements and to avoid disqualification risk due to the strict race rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the most appropriate aptitudes for top-level sporting results to identify physical profile of talent identified women‘s artistic gymnastics (WAG). Fortyeight women‘s artistic gymnasts in the provincial team (age 11.12 ± 1.22 years; height 1.35 ± 0.04 m; body mass 28.5 ± 4.04 kg) voluntarily participated in this study. Anthropometrics measures and the WAG battery physical tests were used to ensure a systematic approach for the WAG development worldwide. The present findings revealed that the strength (static strength, speed strength, and endurance strength), power and flexibility seem to be important and essential for good performance. Another characteristic that emerged from the results of the physical domain is coordination. This motor skill may seem relevant to gymnastics, they are applicable to the gymnasts‘ ability to perform all apparatus and more generally they relate to the ability to accurately perform whole-body skills supported by the leg on the floor, balance beam, and vault. Therefore, athletic performance can be boosted using combination of several characteristics that seems to be important for an elite gymnast. This reinforcing the view that systematic approach for the development and mufti-dimensional profile seems promising [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]