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Introduction: East Pakistan War of Independence in 1971 that lasted for almost nine months gave birth to a new country Bangladesh. The history of that war continues to shape the mindset of Bangladeshi people till the present day. Although five decades have passed since the victory, yet, there still remains a generation for whom the liberation war topic evokes unspeakable pain and triggers intense emotion. The memories of the liberation war have become an important part of autobiographical memory for those who fought the war and the generation that was born in and soon after the war. Emotion can have a powerful effect on organisms. Studies have shown that the most intense autobiographical memories tend to be of emotional events, which are likely to be recalled more often and with more clarity and detail than neutral events. To the members of the post-liberation generation, the spirit of liberation signifies some nostalgic slogans of some of the members of older generation. Objectives: The objective of our present study is to investigate whether there is any age-difference in sensitivity to liberation war related words. Methods: Forty human participants were taken for the study. Sample was chosen in five age groups- 18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 55 and 55 to 64. Participants in each group were equal in number and gender. Convenient sampling technique was used. Cross-sectional research design was used in this study. The stimulus in our study was a wordlist containing 40 Bangla words including 20 liberation war-related words, 10 normal emotional words and 10 neutral words. All participants were tested individually at the laboratory to ensure the standardized condition. The order of appearance of words from each category was randomized. Their reaction time was recorded with a stopwatch. Results: Results revealed that mean reaction time for liberation war-related words was highest for group-5 (mean = 6.39 sec, SD = 0.32) and lowest for group-1 (mean = 3.37 sec, SD = 0.48). In one-way analysis of variance, there is significant difference among the groups in reaction time to liberation war-related words (p < 0.00). In Bonferroni test, it is indicated that group-1 and group-5 significantly differ from other groups in reaction time to liberation war-related words. Conclusion: Findings of the study show that the oldest age group (Group-5) have the highest reaction time to both emotional and liberation war-related words. In the case of liberation war-related words, there is a significant difference between the older and the young. It is thus assumed that there is a difference between the sensitivity of the older and the young to liberation war-related words. As indicated by the findings, the older group has a slower reaction time than the younger group. So, it might be inferred that the older are more sensitive to liberation war-related words than the younger. The reason for slowing reaction time with age is not just simple mechanical factors like the speed of nervous conduction. Rather, it may be the tendency of older people to be more careful and monitor their responses more thoroughly. Older people also tend to allocate exclusive attention to any single stimulus and ignore another stimulus, more completely than younger people. Highest reaction time for the older age group indicates their sensitivity related to their emotional state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many school-aged children and adolescents across Europe face coordination difficulties. Virtual reality, particularly through exergames, presents a promising solution by offering physical exercise and enhancing psychomotor skills while increasing overall physical activity levels. In this study, we assessed two key components of psychomotor skills: reaction time and eye--hand coordination in high school students. Materials and methods: The intervention program comprised tasks requiring motor and cognitive dual-task performance, focusing on motor coordination, attention, processing speed, focus, decision-making abilities, and memory within a virtual environment. The virtual reality exercises used Oculus Quest 2 developed by Meta (Facebook Technologies, LLC, 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA). Results: The results of the study showed statistically significant (p < .05) reductions in choice reaction time and improvements in eye--hand coordination between pre- and post-test in the experimental group. Additionally, there was a significant difference (p < .05) in post-test results of the AHWT and Deary-Liewald test between the experimental and control groups. Discussion: There are various mechanisms to explain the faster reaction time observed after the exergames intervention. This improvement may be attributed to enhanced concentration, increased alertness, and better muscle coordination in terms of speed and precision. Our results align with other literature demonstrating the potential of virtual reality (VR) to reduce reaction time and improve eye--hand coordination. Conclusions: Virtual reality training is more effective than real-world training for reducing choice reaction time and improving eye--hand coordination in high school students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In this research work, three maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control algorithms based on power feedback are applied to two types of converters, namely Zeta and buckboost, in the photovoltaic (PV) system. The PV system is intended to guarantee the power supply to a remote smart greenhouse. The control algorithms investigated are perturb and observe (P&O), incremental conductance (IncCond), and fuzzy logic (FLC) methods. Their performance are investigated and compared for each converter. It is found that the maximum power is always achieved, even during abrupt changes in irradiation or/and in temperature. The three methods have shown to have good performance; fast response time and very low steady-state error, with minor preference of the P&O method where the output voltage followed the input with high efficiency. The comparative study revealed that the power response time of the PV generator under stable conditions (constant irradiance and constant temperature) for P&O and IncCond was longer in the buck-boost converter than in the Zeta. On the other hand, the ripple level was better for the buckboost. For the FLC, the maximum power was reached in a shorter time (short response time) with the smallest ripple. As for operation under variable environmental conditions, the Zeta outperformed the buck-boost for each control techniqu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the neurocognitive performance while maintaining balance of patients experiencing CAI compared to healthy controls. In patients with CAI, the affected limb was also compared to the contralateral limb. A retrospective case-control study. Laboratory study. We included 27 patients with CAI and 21 healthy controls. The study consisted of two sessions, namely familiarisation and experimentation, which were scheduled with a gap of at least one week between them. During the experimental trial, both groups performed the Y-Balance Test and Reactive Balance Test once on each limb. The main outcome measures are accuracy and visuomotor response time (VMRT) calculated via video-analysis and with the Fitlight™-hardware and software respectively during the Reactive Balance Test (RBT). No data was excluded from the final analysis. Patients with CAI exhibited significantly lower accuracy than healthy controls, with a mean difference of 8.7% (±3.0)%. There were no differences for VMRT between groups. Additionally, no significant differences were observed between the affected and contralateral limb of the patient group for both accuracy and VMRT. Patients with CAI showed lower accuracy, but similar VMRT compared to healthy controls during a neurocognitive balance task, indicating impaired neurocognitive function. Patients exhibit comparable speed to healthy individuals when completing neurocognitive balance tasks, yet they display a higher frequency of accuracy errors in accurately perceiving their environment and making decisions under time constraints. Future research should gain more insights in which other cognitive domains are affected in patients with CAI for a better grasp of this condition's underlying mechanism. • Patients with CAI exhibit decreased accuracy compared to healthy controls. • Patients with CAI exhibit similar accuracy deficits when balancing on either limb. • No differences in VMRT between groups regardless of the tested limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with right hemisphere damage (RHD) may exhibit mild unilateral spatial neglect (USN), which is difficult to detect in general assessments performed during driving rehabilitation. We compared driving simulator performance, practical driving performance, and neuropsychological test results between patients with RHD who were able and unable to return to driving to predict driving fitness based on driving simulator performance. This unmatched case-control study included 29 patients with RHD who were able (return-to-driving group, n = 16) and unable (non-return-to-driving group, n = 13) to return to driving. Patient demographics, motor function, attention, driving simulator performance (participants' reaction time and rate to green lamps appearing in any of the three displays and average lane position), and practical driving performance were compared between the groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to examine the predictive performance of driving fitness in reaction rate and paper-and-pencil tests. The non-return-to-driving group had a significantly lower reaction rate than the return-to-driving group (p = 0.027; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0–7; r = 0.407). No significant difference in reaction time or lane position in either the left or right lane during driving simulation was observed. ROC analysis of the reaction rate in the driving simulator task showed sensitivity of 0.692, specificity of 0.812, and area under the curve of 0.738 [95% CI, 0.541–0.935]. Decreases in reaction rates during simulated driving assessments are associated with an inability to resume driving in patients with RHD. Such assessments may aid in predicting fitness for driving in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circumscribed interests (CIs) are regarded as one of the common symptoms for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although some studies have found attentional bias toward CI-related stimuli for individuals with ASD, few studies have directly explored the reasons for these findings. Children with ASD (n = 15) and age-matched typically developing (TD) children (n = 15) completed a Stroop-like task and a modified dot-probe task, and their reaction times were measured. The stimuli of these tasks included neutral objects and objects related to CI for individuals with ASD. Children with ASD had longer reaction times to name colors of CI-related stimuli than neutral stimuli in the Stroop-like task. Similarly, in the modified dot-probe task, if the CI-related stimulus was presented simultaneously with the neutral stimulus, children with ASD responded faster to the target that appeared in the previous location of the CI-related stimulus (i.e. congruent condition) than to the neutral stimulus (i.e. incongruent condition). Importantly, the reaction times of children with ASD in the incongruent condition were significantly slower than in the baseline condition, where both neutral stimuli were displayed simultaneously with stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) of 500 ms. In contrast, there was no significant difference in reaction times to CI-related stimuli and neutral stimuli in both tasks for TD children. These findings suggest children with ASD have attentional bias toward CI-related stimuli, because of difficulty disengaging attention from CI-related stimuli with SOA of 500 ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The objective of our study was to assess the impact of heat stress on hydration and cognition among outdoor workers in hot environment. Area heat stress assessments were measured using Quest Temp WBGT monitor. Sweat rate for dehydration and reaction time for acute cognitive processing were recorded using standard procedures. Heat stress measurements ranged from 23.8 °C – 42 °C. More than 50 % of the workers had high sweat rate (>1.2 L/h) when exposed to high environmental temperatures. Positive correlation was obtained between WBGT, sweat rate and reaction time which indicates that hyperthermia has an impact on neural network processing. Heart rate and reaction time also increased with rise in WBGT and heavy physical activity. There was impairment of cognitive functions (reaction time) under heat stress conditions. Hence, reaction time can be used to assess the short-term impact of heat stress on neural modulation and will help to plan effective intervention strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality among workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate and analyze short-term visual memory indicators among esports athletes at different levels of sportsmanship. The research involved 29 athletes with an average age of 19 ± 0.65 years, categorized based on sportsmanship levels. Group 1 comprised elite players from semiprofessional teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and DOTA 2 disciplines n = 10, age: 19.2 ± 0.50 years, while Group 2 included amateur players of CS:GO and DOTA 2 n = 19, age: 19.1 ± 0.43 years. Short-term visual memory was assessed using a specialized iOS program on tablet computers developed by the departments of martial arts, computer science, and biomechanics of KhSAPC. Elite esports athletes have better indicators than amateurs in all the studied criteria: by the number of accurate clicks by 5.61% (p<0.05), by the number of inaccurate clicks by 36.40% less (p<0.05), coefficient short-term visual memory is higher by 6.50% (p<0.05), the duration of the entire test is less by 15.61% (1<0.001). Results in the group of elite athletes are characterized by a greater degree of homogeneity than among amateurs. In both groups, there was a trend towards a decrease in reaction time from stages 1 to 4, with a slight increase in the last stage. Elite esports athletes made fewer mistakes at all stages of the test, compared to amateurs. Elite athletes showed faster reactions combined with fewer errors. The presence of a significant difference with the indicators of amateurs indicates a reservation of these indicators by a great playing experience. Therefore, indicators of short-term visual memory informatively characterize the level of preparedness of esports athletes and can be included in monitoring the physical condition of players in cybersport. The possibility of using the tested program TestSTMemory (Short-Term Memory) for tablet computers as a tool for monitoring the functional state of cyber-athletes of different skill levels is proved. The convenience and adequacy of the program allow you to receive the necessary operational information about the condition of athletes, determine the level of readiness for competitions and assess the need for correction of training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the short-term effects of foam rolling (FR), dynamic stretching (DS), and passive rest (PR) following simulated ice hockey exercise (IHE) on heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BL), leg choice reaction time (CRTleg), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and global rating of change (GRC) in elite ice hockey players. The study followed a randomized cross-over design. Fifteen national male ice hockey players were assigned to the FR, DS, or PR interventions for 10 mins following 35-min of simulated IHE. HR and BL were obtained at 0-, 5- and 10-min post-intervention. CRTleg and RPE were assessed pre-and post-intervention. GRC was evaluated post-intervention. The PR decreased HR faster than the DS at 5-min of post-treatment. Whereas the FR and DS reduced BL levels faster than the PR at 5- and 10-min post-treatment. There was no difference in CRTleg among the FR, DS, and PR. The FR had lower RPE scores compared to the DS and PR post-treatment. As perceptual aspects, the FR was the most preferred treatment by ice hockey athletes. The FR and DS exerted more beneficial effects on BL but not on HR by the passive rest. The FR showed the most effective treatment on the psychological demands by improving RPE and perceptual responses over the DS and PR. Thus, the FR could be used as a choice for post-game recovery treatment on improving physiological and perceptual responses following an intense match-play in ice hockey players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breakfast replenishes glucose homeostasis and provides other micro-nutrients for the normal functioning of the body after a long night at night. Habitually skipping breakfast leads not only to metabolic disturbances but also to neurocognitive impairment. Hence, the current study was carried out to study the effect of skipping breakfast on neurocognitive functions. A 9-item breakfast questionnaire was distributed online to students for identifying habitual breakfast skippers from non-skippers based on inclusion criteria. Random blood glucose was noted and visual and auditory reaction time, critical flicker fusion frequency, and Stroop test were assessed in both groups to assess cognition. Forty one habitual breakfast skippers who met the inclusion criteria showed increased visual reaction time, and auditory reaction time indicating cognitive impairment. A significant reduction in the Stroop test was observed among the non-skipper group when compared to the skipper group. This study suggests that skipping breakfast diminishes neurocognitive functions like problem-solving, planning, judgment, information retention, and reasoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate measurement of quadriceps muscle strength is important for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) to evaluate intervention outcomes. As the prevalence of OA increases, due to aging of the population, understanding the time-dependent effects of aging-related decreases in muscle strength becomes necessary. This study evaluated the errors in measurement of knee flexion and extension strength using hand-held dynamometer (HHD) in individuals with knee joint OA, and to determine the minimal detectable change (MDC) over a 3-month follow-up. Methods: This was a longitudinal, observational study of 52 individuals with knee OA treated on an outpatient basis, for whom the HHD measurements were obtained at baseline, and at the end of a 3-month follow-up. The time-dependent changes in muscle strength measurements were evaluated using a paired t-test for changes in strength between the two time points. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to identify systematic bias on strength measures. We calculated the intra-rater reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and the MDC95. Results: There were no differences in HHD measurements for knee extensors and flexors between the two time points. There was no evidence of fixed or proportional bias. The intra-rater reliability was high, with an ICC (1,1) 0.85. The MDC95 was 0.23 Nm/kg for knee extension and 0.17 Nm/kg for knee flexion. Conclusion: HHD measurements can have good reliability for standardized strength testing methods, used in clinical practice. The MDC95 values can be used to monitor change in knee strength over time and the efficacy of interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This UK Biobank study uses a mendelian randomization approach to mitigate the variability and confounding that has affected previous analyses of the relationship between measured blood pressure (BP) and cognition and thus delineate the true association between the two. METHODS: Systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were calculated using summary statistics from the International Consortium of Blood Pressure-Genome Wide Association Study (n=299 024). Adjusted nonlinear mixed-effects regression models were used, including a natural splines term for BP-PRS with outcomes of fluid intelligence, reaction time (RT), and composite attention score. Moderating effects of age, sex, and antihypertensive use were assessed in separate models. RESULTS: There were 448 575 participants (mean age, 56.3 years; age range, 37–72 years) included in the analysis after genetic and neurological disease exclusions. Genetic propensity for high SBP had an approximately linear association with worsened fluid intelligence (P =0.0018). This relationship was significantly moderated by age (P <0.0001). By contrast, genetic propensity for high and low SBP and diastolic BP predicted worse attention function (P =0.0099 and P =0.0019), with high PRSs predicting worse function than low PRSs. Genetic propensity for low SBP and diastolic BP was associated with considerably worse RTs, while for high SBP-PRSs, the RT plateaued (P <0.0001). The relationships between RT and the PRSs were significantly moderated by sex (P <0.0001) and antihypertensive use (P <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Genetic propensity for high and low BP impacts on midlife cognition in subtle ways and differentially affects cognitive domains. While a genetic propensity to low BP may preserve nontimed tests in midlife, it may come at a trade-off with worsened attention scores and RT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The macroscopic evaluation of road traffic characteristics is vital as they will alter significantly with the emergence of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs). The macroscopic second-order traffic flow models are emerging as essential tools to observe the evolutionary dynamics of traffic flow. These models are significantly improved to describe the dynamics of traffic flow in view of Human-Driven Vehicles (HDVs). However, proficient macroscopic second-order traffic flow models are indispensable in comprehending and elucidating the descriptions of traffic flow dynamics, particularly in the view of evolving CAVs. Therefore, we propose a macroscopic second-order traffic model that distinguishes CAVs from HDVs by meticulously considering their distinct driving characteristics. The proposed model incorporates lengthways between the vehicles, and the reaction time of the CAVs, and is evaluated on a 20 , 000 m ring road. The findings show that with smaller lengthways and reaction times of CAVs, traffic evolves quickly during transitions. An increase in average traffic velocity is observed as the reaction time is significantly small. It has been demonstrated that CAVs can significantly limit variations in velocity resulting in smoother flow operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kinesiologia Slovenica is the property of Faculty of Sport and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study focuses on the time response analysis of a nickel titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy-based soft robotic gripper with variable stiffness, with a particular emphasis on reducing the cooling time, which will ultimately lead to a faster response time. The manufacturing of the shape memory alloy is not covered in this work. The impact of a heat sink comprising a silicone casing and an ethylene glycol thermal compound on the response time was examined using Finite Element Analysis. The cylindrical cross-section of the gripper's finger was created as a three-dimensional model. Numerical analysis was done using Ansys Workbench, and experimental results validated the numerical results with a 1.12% percentage difference. A 36% overall improvement in response time was observed, indicating that the proposed heat sink is capable of acceleration the rate of heat dissipation from the shape memory alloy, and in turn improves the response time of the gripper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Premature infants are at increased risk for language delays. The auditory system hears sounds at 25 weeks' gestation; therefore, infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) may miss crucial language exposure during the period when neural pathways for language processing are developing. Supporting the synergistic relationship between fathers and newborns promotes connections through early language to strengthen engagement and promote infant neurodevelopment. Purpose: To determine what is known about preterm infants' response to the male voice. Data Sources: Three databases and forward searching of reference lists were used to locate articles addressing the clinical question: "What strategies can be used in the NICU to support purposeful language development?" Study Selection: Empiric, primary research studies were included if they were published in English without date restriction. Data Extraction: The authors evaluated each study's quality using a validated 16-item assessment tool (QATSDD) developed for studies with diverse designs; data were extracted and organized following Garrard's Matrix Method. Results: The aim of this evidence-based review is to report the way an infant responds to the paternal voice. Findings promote a better understanding of individual infant response to paternal voice, including conversational turns and engagement behaviors. Although informative, this review highlights a clear gap in the evidence, supporting standardized methodology. Implications for Practice and Research: Fathers should be encouraged to communicate vocally early and often to facilitate bonding in the NICU. Encouraged future study of father–infant communication to support bonding, relationship building, and neurodevelopmental outcomes is paramount. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Kronos is the property of Revista Kronos and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper analyzes selected psychomotor abilities of female players practicing handball in club SPR Handball Rzeszów. Handball is a discipline characterized by fast play and high intensity. This sport requires from the player a high level of coordination and conditioning skills, which often determine the effectiveness of the athlete during the match. The speed of reaction is one of the key factors, because it makes it easier to predict the opponent's movement, pass, grip or throw the ball. The study included a group of 24 female handball players from the Polish 1st Handball League. The group was divided into two age categories (junior and senior). The research method was psychomotor computer tests in the Test2Drive system. To measure the indicators of psychomotor ability, 6 tests were used, during which the parameters of reaction time, movement time, parameters determining eye-hand coordination and anticipation were evaluated. A significant statistical difference was observed between the groups for movement time in the PUT n test. The analysis of correlations in individual groups of athletes showed that the level of selected motor skills might be affected by some parameters of body composition. In particular, it concerned the relationship between the reaction time in the SPANT test and total body water (TBW), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), body mass and height, and the CHORT test and BMI. The movement time of the subjects was affected by such parameters as higher body fat mass (FAT) and BMI (in the SIRT test), a higher basal metabolic rate index (BMR), greater skeletal muscle mass and a higher TBW (in the PUT test). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assess the impact of concussion by comparing reaction time, peak force recruitment, and rate of force development of adolescent athletes returning from concussion against age- and sex-matched controls in visual-elicited neck movement. Athletes sat secured in a custom-built isometric device with their heads secured in a helmet and attached to a 6-axis load cell. They performed neck flexion, extension, and lateral flexion in response to a visual cue. Three trials in each direction were used for statistical analyses; peak force and rate of force development were normalized against athlete mass. Laboratory. 26 adolescent/young adult athletes (8F/18M), either recently concussed (and cleared for return to sport) or an age- and sex-matched healthy control. Reaction time, angle, standard deviation of angle, deviation from target angle, peak force, and RFD over 50, 100, 150,and 200 ms of movement were measured for each trial. Concussed athletes had decreased normalized peak force (P = 0.008) and rate of force development (P < 0.001–0.007). In neck extension, concussed athletes also had decreased movement precision (P = 0.012). Concussion is associated with alterations of neck biomechanics that decrease overall neck strength. • Concussion history associates with decreased neck strength parameters. • Concussion associates with decreased accuracy and precision in neck extension. • Neck force in extension remains higher than flexion or lateral bending. • No reaction time differences between groups in multi-directional task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental and physical health components are critical in child’s development. However, adolescents are especially vulnerable group presenting multiple health risks of chronic disease, sleeping and eating problems. Moreover, the long time spent at screens increases possibility to develop addictions. There is a lack of comprehensive interdisciplinary assessment tools for adolescents, to assess their mental health components, and provide preventive activities. It is very important to develop a methodology that can accurately assess the minor cognitive and health deviations that can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and excessive time spent on screens. This research explores the possibilities to record and compare parameters of cognitive abilities, reaction time, and working memory using Vienna test systems for different groups of adolescents by their physical activity and health levels. The results of this study demonstrated that the reaction time in adolescents was shorter using the leading hand in comparison with using the non-leading hand, 272.842 ± 44.001ms vs 306.631 ± 57.081ms on Vienna test for low physical activity (LPA) adolescents group. In the STROOP test color evaluation results were faster than word reading test results. The median of reaction time of LPA adolescents for color evaluation was 0.897 ± 0.221ms and 0.968 ± 0.15ms for reading. Vienna test system has specific tests that can be used to determine memory parameters, providing different assessment approaches to compare the obtained results. Group of adolescents with mild chronic health conditions performs statistically significantly lower parameter in particular tests in comparison with adolescents with low and high physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of light stimulation exercises on attention focus (visualauditory), lactic acid, and skilled hand speed of wheelchair basketball players. Methods: We used the experimental method on 24 wheelchair players who were divided into two groups, the first experimental (N = 12; age, 20.58 ± 0.90 years; training, 4.71 ± 0.62 years). The other was a control (N = 12; age, 20.67 ± 0.62 years; training, 4.77 ± 0.58 years). Lactic acid was measured by Lactate Pro 2 Blood Lactate Meter, attention focus (visual-auditory) was measured using the Li Lafayette Instrument 63035, and skilled hand speed was assessed with the Modified Y-Test for Measuring Skill Hand Speed (Three-Zone Shooting). The proposed program was applied over 10 weeks at a rate of four weekly training units. Results: Results showed improvement in the level of attention focus (R.H; LH) at a rate of (p = 0.001) and a decrease in the level of lactic acid BE, AE (1,3,5 Min) with a value of P = 0.001 (P<0.05). The modified three-zone shooting T-test showed an improvement (p = 0.001) in favor of post-measurements of the variables under study for the experimental group of wheelchair basketball players. The experimental group was superior to the control group, as it showed an improvement in the level of attention focus (R.H; LH) at a rate of (p = 0.000) and a decrease in the level of lactic acid BE with a value of p = 0.002, AE (1,3,5 Min)P=0.000. The modified three-zone correction T-test showed improvement (p = 0.000) for wheelchair basketball players. Conclusions: We suggested that the light stimulus can be used in a more appropriate and effective way in training of wheelchair basketball players. This primarily applies to decision-making which is often more challenging during specific sports performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Avances is the property of Instituto de Informacion Cientifica y Tecnologica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examined the training effects of a novel mind-body exercise called Khon Kaen University Qigong (KKQ) on physical fitness and psychological responses in older adults in a randomized controlled trial design. The participants (66.2 ± 4.36 years of age) were randomly divided into two groups (n=28 each): KKQ Group (KQG) and Control Group (CG). For 12 weeks, the participants in the KQG performed a 60-minute session of the KKQ·d-1, 3 d·wk-1 while the CG continued to live a sedentary lifestyle. All responses were measured before and after a 12-week period. Physical fitness included balance, flexibility, reaction time, muscular strength, and endurance. Psychological responses were determined by sleep quality index, mental stress test, and heart rate variability. When compared to the CG, the findings indicate that KQG training improved balance (P<0.05), reaction time (P<0.05), left shoulder flexibility (P<0.01), and average mental stress (P<0.05) in healthy older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Medicina do Esporte is the property of Redprint Editora Ltda. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The incidence of knee injuries in sport, particularly involving the ACL, appears to be increasing yearly, especially in younger age athletes. Even more concerning is the frequency of ACL reinjury also appears to be increasing year after year. Improving the objective criteria and testing methods used to determine return to play (RTP) readiness following ACL surgery is one aspect of the rehabilitation process that can significantly help in reducing reinjury rates. Currently, the majority of clinicians are still using post operative time frames as their number one criterion for clearance to RTP. This flawed method demonstrates an inadequate reflection of the true unpredictable, dynamic environment athletes are returning to participate in. In our clinical experience, objective testing to allow for clearance to sport participation following an ACL injury should incorporate neurocognitive and reactive testing due to the nature of the injury typically occurs because of failed control of unanticipated reactive movements. The purpose of this manuscript is to share a neurocognitive testing sequence we currently employ consisting of 8 tests in 3 categories: Blazepod tests, reactive shuttle run tests, and reactive hop tests. The use of a more dynamic reactive testing battery may decrease the reinjury rates when an athlete is cleared for participation by measuring readiness in chaotic circumstances that are more truly reflective of the sporting environment the athlete is working to return to and in the process give them a greater sense of confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was undertaken to observe the effectiveness of electrical vestibular stimulation in improving cognitive functions in patients with Parkinson's disease. Randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04450550). 30 cases of PD, including both males and females were recruited in the study by convenient sampling after obtaining written informed consent. After recruiting, the participants were randomly assigned into two groups. The control group (n=15) received placebo stimulation whereas the intervention group (n=15) received electrical vestibular stimulation administered for 12 weeks. Auditory, visual reaction time and spatial and verbal memory were recorded before and after 6 weeks and after 12 weeks of intervention and compared. There was a significant improvement in both auditory and visual reaction time of right and left-hand responses. Also, significant improvement was observed in both the spatial and verbal memory of the patients. There was a significant improvement in the auditory and visual reaction time and spatial and verbal memory in the participants after the electrical vestibular nerve stimulation administration. No side effects were reported by the study participants and they have expressed willingness to continue the intervention after the study period also. The study recommends further detailed studies with a higher sample size to adopt electrical vestibular nerve stimulation as adjunctive therapy in the management of Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of quercetin glycoside-containing beverages on cognitive function and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adult men and women aged between 60 and 75 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty healthy men and women with no cognitive impairment and aware of ageing-related forgetfulness underwent a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind, and parallel-group trial. They regularly consumed 500 mL of beverage containing 110 mg of quercetin glycoside as isoquercitrin for 40 weeks. Cognitive function assessment by Cognitrax was the endpoint of the study. The participants were assessed for CBF, health-related quality of life, as well as physical, biological, and hematological parameters, and lateral index. RESULTS: Cognitrax demonstrated that the reaction time significantly improved in the quercetin glycoside intake group. The CBF measurement suggested that quercetin glycoside intake could likely suppress the decrease in cerebral blood volume, CBF, and cerebral activity owing to stress alleviation and inhibition of the accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ), a waste product in the brain, although there were no significant differences between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin glycoside intake as a beverage could improve reaction time and may potentially inhibit the decrease in CBF and suppress Aβ accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In humans, the nature of sensory input influences body-related mental processing. For instance, behavioral differences (e.g., response time) can be found between mental spatial transformations (e.g., mental rotation) of viewed and touched body parts. It can thus be hypothesized that distinct brain activation patterns are associated with such sensory-dependent body-related mental processing. However, direct evidence that the neural correlates of body-related mental processing can be modulated by the nature of the sensory stimuli is still missing. We thus analyzed event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from thirty-one healthy participants performing mental rotation of visually- (images) and haptically-presented (plastic) hands. We also dissociated the neural activity related to rotation or task-related performance using models that either regressed out or included the variance associated with response time. Haptically-mediated mental rotation recruited mostly the sensorimotor brain network. Visually-mediated mental rotation led to parieto-occipital activations. In addition, faster mental rotation was associated with sensorimotor activity, while slower mental rotation was associated with parieto-occipital activations. The fMRI results indicated that changing the type of sensory inputs modulates the neural correlates of body-related mental processing. These findings suggest that distinct sensorimotor brain dynamics can be exploited to execute similar tasks depending on the available sensory input. The present study can contribute to a better evaluation of body-related mental processing in experimental and clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spatial ability has been reported to indicate sex-based differences in humans, mainly assessed by Shepard and Metzler mental rotation task (SM-MRT). Most performances in earlier studies have been evaluated by the mean value of reaction time and/or accuracy. The performance indexes might not be sensitive measures of mental rotation. Sex-based differences in the performance might also be involved in the spatial experience of the subject at the time. This study observed variations in components of the SM-MRT over repetition. Methods: Male (n = 17) and female (n = 17) subjects completed 20 days of repeating the SM-MRT. The slope and intercept of the function performance (reaction time) to the angular disparity are calculated; the slope of this function indexes the mental rotation (main-process), and the intercept indexes the other sub-processes. Results: A significant main effect of sex was obtained on the slope. The intercept also showed a tendency toward statistical difference. The interactions between the sexes and the day were not significant for the indices. Statistical testing for coefficient of variations (CV) indicated no sex-based difference in the effect of the intercept throughout the experiment day. The CV of the slope, however, showed tendencies toward sex-based difference from days 7 to 12. Conclusions: The difference between the sexes in performance on the slope was sustained throughout the experimental period. A few female subjects who demonstrated larger slope values than male subjects caused the sex difference. The learning rate of mental rotation may be an inherent spatial ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cervical (neck) strengthening has been proposed as an important factor in concussion prevention. The purpose of the study was to determine if a six-week cervical strengthening program affected neurocognition and purposeful soccer heading biomechanics. The hypothesis was that the neck strengthening program would improve strength, maintain neurocognition, and alter purposeful soccer heading biomechanics. Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Methods Twenty collegiate soccer athletes (8 males, 12 females, age=20.15±1.35 years, height=171.67±9.01 cm, mass=70.56±11.03 kg) volunteered to participate. Time (pre, post) and group (experimental, control) served as the independent variables. Four composite scores from the CNS Vital Signs computer based neurocognitive test (CNSVS; verbal memory, visual memory, executive function, reaction time) and aspects of heading biomechanics from inertial measurement units (xPatch; peak linear acceleration, peak rotational acceleration, duration, Gadd Severity Index [GSI]) served as the dependent variables. Each athlete completed a baseline measure of neck strength (anterior neck flexors, bilateral anterolateral neck flexors, bilateral cervical rotators) and CNSVS after heading 10 soccer balls at two speeds (11.18 and 17.88 m/s) while wearing the xPatch. The experimental group completed specific cervical neck strengthening exercises twice a week for six weeks using a Shingo Imara™ cervical neck resistance apparatus while the control group did not. After six weeks, the participants completed the same heading protocol followed by measurement of the same outcome variables. The alpha value was set to p<0.05 a priori. Results The interaction between time and group was significant for visual memory (F1,17=5.16, p=0.04, η²=0.23). Interestingly, post hoc results revealed visual memory decreased for the control group from pretest (46.90±4.46) compared to posttest (43.00±4.03; mean difference=3.90, 95% CI=0.77-7.03, p=0.02). Interactions for all other dependent variables were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusions The cervical neck strengthening protocol allowed maintenance of visual memory scores but did not alter other neurocognitive measures or heading biomechanics. The link between cervical neck strengthening and concussion predisposition should continue to be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The literature suggests that there is a relationship between motor function and cognitive development however, few studies have explored the specific role of Functional Movement Skills on cognitive function. This research aimed to determine if Functional Movement Skills predict cognitive function, when accounting for confounding factors, in a sample of primary school children in Ireland.Design: Cross-sectional.Methods: Sixty primary school children (51.7 % girls, age range 7-12 years, mean age 9.9 ± 1.28) were assessed in their Functional Movement Skill proficiency using the Test of Gross Motor Development-3rd Edition and a subtest of the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2 Short Form (to assess balance). Participants also completed a series of cognitive tests which formed part of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery.Results: A series of hierarchical regression analyses were conducted whilst controlling for covariates (Age; Gender; Socio Economic Status). Attention Switching, Reaction Time, and Emotional Recognition were found to be associated with Overall Functional Movement Skills (Locomotor, Object Control, Stability). Overall Functional Movement Skills significantly accounted for 4.7 % of the variance in Simple Reaction Time (ΔR2 = 0.032; p = 0.13) whilst Stability significantly accounted for 5.5 % (ΔR2 = 0.055; p = 0.04) and 12.9 % (ΔR2 = 0.129; p = 0.00) of the variance in Simple Reaction Time and Emotional Recognition, respectively, after controlling for covariates.Conclusions: Overall Functional Movement Skills may be more related to reaction time than attention and spatial working memory, whilst stability may be more associated with emotional recognition. Further research is warranted. Greater comprehension of the impact of Functional Movement Skills on cognitive function in children can contribute to the development of more effective and efficient physical activity programmes, which can in turn contribute to and promote holistic child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of reaction times and temperatures on the electrochemical capacitance characteristics of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) are investigated. The hydrothermal reaction temperatures and times play critical parts in the creation of unique hierarchical NCO based on morphological evolution in this work. The calcination temperature 400 °C was fixed using TG-DTA study. The crystal structure and phase identification is investigated from XRD analysis. FTIR peaks in the region of 700-500 cm−1 confirmed the presence of the Ni-O and Co-O bond. The spherical-like nanostructure NiCo2O4 particles are visualized from SEM, HR-SEM and HR-TEM analyses. From the EDS spectra, the atomic percentage composition of the elements namely, Ni, Co and O were observed. The optimized sample was subjected to a VSM and CV analyses, which revealed that it is superparamagnetic nature (Ms = 4.8298 emu/g) and Pseudocapacitive behaviour with highest capacitance value of 534 Fg−1 with the lower scan rate of 10 mVs−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A key question in apraxia research is which specific cognitive processes in pantomiming the parietal cortex supports. The manipulation-based hypothesis and the technical-reasoning hypothesis ascribe different roles to the inferior parietal lobule (IPL).Objective: We elucidated the role of the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG, i.e., part of IPL) during the processing of different aspects of object-use pantomime.Methods: Thirty-one healthy participants matched pantomimes with the corresponding object (PO) or the corresponding situation (PS) during online transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) interference applied to left SMG, compared to a control stimulation (vertex). Notably, the object corresponding to a given pantomime was explicitly not shown in the PS task, excluding the possibility to analyse a physical object. Matching an object to the corresponding situation (OS) served as a control task.Results: TMS interference with left SMG significantly affected response times for both investigated pantomime tasks (PO and PS); the effect in the PO task significantly correlated with that in the PS task. As expected, no TMS effect was observed in the control task (OS).Conclusion: Left SMG does not only establish a link between pantomime and a manipulable object but is also involved in pantomime recognition and comprehension. That TMS interfered with both pantomime tasks supports the manipulation-based hypothesis, assuming that the IPL recruits stored gesture engrams whenever pantomimes are processed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fog computing can improve the IoT quality of service/experience by bringing cloud resources closer to the terminal devices (TD.) With this paradigm, some tasks are offloaded to nearby fogs for fast processing, with the remaining tasks retained for processing locally. The challenge, however, is which tasks to offload and which to retain. We propose a novel scheme that bases the offloading decision on the task computational needs. Specifically, the TD offloads only time consuming tasks, which saves TD energy and guarantees fast responses. We develop a queueing theoretic model for the scheme, where tasks are generated at the TD as a Poisson process, with each task requiring an exponential processing time. If this time exceeds a user defined threshold, the task is offloaded; otherwise, it is retained. This leads to two queueing systems with general service times: M/G/ 1 at the TD and M/G/ c at the fog. The model incorporates six operational parameters, two of them making it unique: the offloading threshold and a fog virtual machine (VM) speedup factor. The model culminates in three equations for the task response times, revealing insights that can be used to enhance the offloading performance. The equations have been validated by extensive simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity is known to confer numerous health benefits. However, few studies have assessed the prolonged impact of participation in different sports on health and fitness. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to compare the impact of long-term participation (i.e., =9 years) in four different sports, including two traditional Chinese (Tai Chi; diabolo) and two modern sports (aerobics; track and field [TF]) on health and fitness measures among middle-aged and older adults. Participants (n=252, 56.6±8.5y, 66% female) completed the following measures: height, weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio (WHR), body fat%, resting blood pressure (BP) and heart rate, vital capacity, grip strength, reaction time, flexibility, balance. Compared to Tai Chi, aerobics was associated with lower systolic BP and fat%, and greater vital capacity, while TF was associated with lower systolic BP, shorter reaction time, greater vital capacity and better balance (p-values<0.05). Diabolo was associated with lower WHR compared to aerobics and Tai Chi, and greater vital capacity than Tai Chi (p-values<0.05). No significant differences were observed across sports in other measures. Long-term participation in four sports might have different effects on BP, vital capacity, balance, reaction time, body fat, and central adiposity. Individuals who prefer to choose traditional sports (Tai Chi, diabolo) may anticipate similar long-term effects on resting heart rate, BMI, muscle mass, and grip strength compared to those who perform modern sports (aerobics, TF). Information presented in this study may be valuable when designing population, group and individually-tailored PA recommendations in culturally diverse individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This article discusses the current knowledge on the effects of heat stress on cognitive abilities. Whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) has a negative effect on mental performance. In this study, we investigated whether short-term whole-body immersion in water at 45°C (HWI-45°C), which induces a strong neurotransmitter and temperature flux without inducing whole-body hyperthermia, would impair mental performance in humans. Methods: Fourteen men (aged 25±6 years) were enrolled in this study and participated in three experiments: (i) a brief (5-min) immersion of the whole body in 37°C water (WI-37°C); (ii) a brief (5-min) immersion of the whole body in 45°C water (HWI-45°C); and (iii) a control trial in a thermoneutral condition at an ambient temperature of 24°C and 60% relative humidity. Before and after immersion, cognitive performance was tested. All tests were performed in a quiet and semi-darkened laboratory. Results: Baseline simple, 2-choice and procedural reaction time and percentage of correct answers did not differ significantly across all trials. 2-choice reaction time was reduced (i.e. faster reaction) only after immersion to 37°C water. Interestingly, only whole-body immersion to 45°C was a sufficient trigger to reduce procedural reaction time. Conclusion: young healthy men do not deteriorate in response to whole-body hot water immersion for a short duration. By contrast, we here show faster reaction time in procedural reaction task, which was the most difficult of the three to perform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing a face as familiar is essential in our everyday life. However, 'familiarity' covers a wide range - from people we see every day to those we barely know. Although face recognition is studied extensively, little is known about how the degree of familiarity affects neural face processing, despite the critical social importance of this dimension. Here we report the results of a multivariate cross-classification EEG experiment, where we study the temporal representational dynamics of the degree of familiarity. Participants viewed highly variable face images of 20 identities. Importantly, we measured face familiarity using subjective familiarity ratings in addition to testing explicit knowledge and reaction times in a face matching task. A machine learning algorithm, trained to discriminate familiar and unfamiliar faces from a separate study, was used to predict the degree of face familiarity from the pattern of the EEG data. We found that the neural representations of the degree of familiarity emerge between 400 - 600 msec post-stimulus onset for famous persons. The correlation between decoding performance and behavioral familiarity was more reliable, occurred earlier and lasted longer when personally familiar and viewers' own faces were included in the analysis. Our findings provide new insights into how the brain represents faces with various degrees of familiarity and show that the degree of familiarity can be decoded reliably from the EEG at a relatively late time window. These results support the idea that representations of familiar faces form part of a general neural signature of the familiarity component of recognition memory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]