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Serious games have proven to be a powerful tool in education to engage, motivate, and help students learn. However, the change in student knowledge after playing games is usually measured with traditional (paper) prequestionnaires–postquestionnaires. We propose a combination of game learning analytics and data mining techniques to predict knowledge change based on in‐game student interactions. We have tested this approach in a case study for which we have conducted preexperiments–postexperiments with 227 students playing a previously validated serious game on first aid techniques. We collected student interaction data while students played, using a game learning analytics infrastructure and the standard data format Experience API for Serious Games. After data collection, we developed and tested prediction models to determine whether knowledge, given as posttest results, can be accurately predicted. Additionally, we compared models both with and without pretest information to determine the importance of previous knowledge when predicting postgame knowledge. The high accuracy of the obtained prediction models suggests that serious games can be used not only to teach but also to measure knowledge acquisition after playing. This will simplify serious games application for educational settings and especially in the classroom easing teachers' evaluation tasks. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter Serious games are a powerful tool to engage, motivate, and help students learn.Pre‐post experiments are commonly used to measure knowledge acquisition.Game learning analytics can be applied to interaction data from games. What this paper adds We present a two‐step approach combining game learning analytics and data mining to predict players' performance in serious games based on their interactions.The approach is tested in a case study with pre‐post experiments collecting interaction data with 227 students playing a serious game to determine if performance can be accurately predicted.The comparison of prediction models has helped to determine if pretest information is essential.The highly accurate prediction models obtained suggest that games can be used to teach and measure knowledge acquisition after playing. Implications of study findings for practitioners The approach aims to simplify the measurement of players' learning with serious games.It may be generalized at least to similar scenarios (e.g., games for procedural learning or game‐likesimulations) where similar interaction data are feasible.Game mechanics and educational design should define the interaction data to capture.Using an accepted standard tracking profile is a clear recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is already known about this subject There is an association between adiposity levels and physical activity guidelines for adolescents., Achieving physical activity recommendations helps adolescents to prevent obesity status., What this study adds This paper presents an association between physical activity levels and obesity status., This paper supports physical activity recommendations to avoid children's obesity levels., This paper emphasizes vigorous physical activity for this matter., Background There is no information about physical activity (PA) recommendations to avoid children's obesity levels and how much of vigorous PA (VPA) is included into the '60 minutes of MVPA 5 days a week' recommendation for children. Objective The aim of this study was to examine the association between PA and adiposity in children and to examine whether the current PA guidelines are associated with a low risk of having excess of body fat in children, with special focus on sex differences, and PA intensity. Methods A sample of 439 Spanish children aged 8-10 years from the European Youth Heart Study participated in the study. The variables measured were anthropometric characteristics (height, weight, body mass index [ BMI], skin-folds and waist circumference) and PA was measured during 6 consecutive days using the GT1M accelerometer. Results Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed significant cut-off points associated with non-overweight: 45 min d−1 of VPA and 67 min d−1 of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA) (using BMI categories); and non-fat: 41 min d−1 of VPA and 67 min d−1 of MVPA (using percentage of body fat) and 38 min d−1 of VPA and 47 min d−1 of MVPA (using waist circumference categories) for boys. For girls, the optimal cut-offs of moderate-to-vigorous activity and MVPA associated with non-overweight were 24 and 57 min d−1, respectively ( BMI). Boys who did not meet 67 min in MVPA had an increased risk of being overweight + obese and overfat + obese (odds ratio [ OR] = 2.48, 95% confidence interval [ CI] = 1.36, 4.53, and OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 1.12, 5.82). Conclusions The findings support current PA recommendations (60 min d−1 of MVPA) to avoid excess of body fat in Spanish children. However, VPA appears to be an important component for the prevention of obesity, and our findings suggest that PA recommendations should specify the dose of VPA required for optimal health. Therefore, public health PA recommendations should incorporate specifically a greater dose of VPA into the total amount of MVPA in 8- to 10-year-old boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyze the technical-tactical performance profile of the serve for various age groups and categories of competition in men's volleyball. The sample comprised 13,262 serves performed by 986 players in 299 sets observed in various categories of competition (U-14, U-16, U-19, national senior, and international senior). An observational design was used. The variables studied were category of competition, type of execution, and serve performance. The results showed that for higher age groups (senior categories), there were significantly fewer jump serves and poorer serve performance, regardless of players' maturity and training development. The use of the jump serves increased the serve risk while attempting to hinder the organization of the opponent attack. This paper discusses the serve evolution and the implications on the training process at the different age groups in men's volleyball. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Muscle fatigue of the trunk extensor musculature plays a considerable role in chronic low back pain (LBP). The underlying physiology of fatigue is complex and not fully understood. The Kinesio® Taping (KT) supports damaged structures while allowing mobility and at the same time may influence some of the mechanisms associated with muscle fatigue such as blood flow and proprioception. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine the influence of KT on the resistance to fatigue of the lumbar extensor musculature in a sample of young healthy subjects. METHODS: A randomized, controlled, doubled-blinded clinical trial was conducted. Ninety nine healthy subjects were randomized in to the three arms of the study Kinesio® Tape (KT), placebo (P) and control (C). Directly after application of KT we measured lumbar extensor musculature endurance with the Biering-Sorensen test. Subjects and researchers were blinded to the intervention. Time achieved (seconds) was compared between groups with one-way ANOVA with confidence intervals of 95%. RESULTS: There were significant differences between the time achieved in the KT group versus the control group (p < 0.05). The placebo group performed better than the control group but worse than the KT group, these were not significant in either case. CONCLUSIONS: KT appears to improve the time to failure of the extensor muscle of the trunk obtained using the Biering-Sorensen test. These findings suggest that KT influences processes that lead to muscle fatigue and that KT could be effective in the management of LBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Lipoatrophy is a long-term adverse effect of some antiretrovirals that affects quality of life, compromises adherence and may limit the clinical impact of HIV treatments. This paper explores the effect of tenofovir/emtricitabine ( TDF/ FTC) on the amount of limb fat in patients with virological suppression. Methods A randomized, prospective clinical trial was performed to compare continuation on a zidovudine/lamivudine ( ZDV/3TC)-based regimen with switching to a TDF/ FTC-based regimen in terms of the effect on limb fat mass as assessed by DEXA over a 72-week period. Results Eighty patients were included (39 in the TDF/ FTC arm and 41 in the ZDV/3 TC arm) and 73 completed the study (37 and 36, respectively). In the switch arm, limb fat increased by a median of 540 g from baseline ( P = 0.022), while in the ZDV/3TC arm it decreased by a median of 379 g ( P = 0.112; p between groups = 0.007). Subjects with baseline limb fat ≤ 7200 g, previous time on ZDV > 5 years or a body mass index > 25 kg/m2 experienced higher limb fat gains than other subjects, and these differences were statistically significant. Haemoglobin increased by a median of 1.0 g/d L in the TDF/ FTC arm ( P < 0.001) and remained unchanged in the ZDV/3TC arm (p between groups = 0.0002). There were no significant differences between groups in other secondary endpoints (body weight, total body and trunk fat content, total body bone mineral density, laboratory parameters, CD4 cell count and viral load). Conclusions Switching from a ZDV/3TC-based to a TDF/ FTC-based regimen led to a statistically significant improvement in limb fat, in contrast to the progressive loss of limb fat in subjects continuing ZDV/3TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this paper is to explore the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in different immigrant groups in Spain. In keeping with prior studies carried out in Europe, it is expected that the immigrant population will have elevated levels of psychopathology, with some variation across immigrant groups. Method: Design: Multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study. Setting: Primary care settings of two Spanish regions. Sample: N=1.503 immigrants paired with the same number of Spanish controls, adjusted by gender and age. Variables: Demographic variables, MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview and Standardized Polyvalent Psychiatric Interview, somatic symptoms section. Student''s t tests, ORs and logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Results: No differences in psychiatric morbidity were found (native born 30.9%, population vs. immigrants 29.6%, OR=.942, CI=.806–1.100) when comparing immigrants to native born Spaniards. Relative to Spaniards (30.9%), Latin American immigrants had significantly higher levels of psychopathology (36.8%), Sub-Saharan Africans (24.4%) and Asians (16%) had significantly lower levels, and Eastern Europeans (31.4%) and North Africans (26.8%) showed no significant difference. Conclusions: The hypotheses were only partially supported. Although overall immigrants did not differ from the native born population, when analyzed by geographic origin, only Latin Americans had higher levels of psychopathology. It is concluded that multiple factors need to be taken into consideration when studying the mental health of immigrants given that different immigrant groups have different levels of psychopathology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper aims to identify the inter-relationships between the social factors that influence epidemiological patterns in the city neighbourhood of Casablanca, Zaragoza (Spain). Data for a cross-sectional survey were collected between January 2008 and April 2008 from a representative random sample of 1032 residents aged more than 15 years. The study interview contained information scales on healthcare behaviours, treatment evaluation, the number of medical consultations in the weeks pervious to the interview and the perceived health status of the respondents, using The Health Perception Questionnaire. The global index (continuous variable) allowed inferences to be made on the individual's perception of his/her own health. The assessment of social vulnerability was based on the occupational, educational and economic conditions of the interviewees. An individual was considered to belong to a vulnerable subeconomic group if he/she had a personal income of 6000 euros or less; or had no formal education or had been educated up to primary school level only; or was not in paid employment at the time of the interview. A descriptive and comparative analysis of the vulnerable and non-vulnerable population groups for perceived and diagnosed health variables was undertaken using parametric and non-parametric tests. A total of 550 interviewees (53.3%) were considered vulnerable people. Low level of instruction (primary or no education) was the main characteristic of this group (356 subjects, 64.7% of those identified as vulnerable). Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the association between belonging to the vulnerable group and a number of health variables adjusted for gender, age and area of residence. The vulnerable group had worse levels of perceived health even when controlled for gender and area of residence. In Casablanca, the place of residence is an important social stratification indicator reflected in the characteristics of the vulnerable population group and its perceived health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]