Search

Background: This study aimed to analyze the effect of caffeine ingestion on basketball performance in semi-professional female players. Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized experimental design was conducted, in two different periods separated by a week. Twelve female basketball players ingested 3 mg of caffeine/kg of body mass or a placebo. After 60 min, participants completed two repetitions of the specified sequence: Abalakov jump, countermovement jump (CMJ), 5-0-5 (505) test, and 20 m sprint. Later, external loads and game statistics were recorded during a 30-min simulated basketball game. Results: Significant improvements were observed in CMJ height and 505 test with caffeine ingestion compared to the placebo. Significant moderate differences were evident between conditions in external load variables, specifically, an increased number of high-intensity changes of direction during simulated games with caffeine ingestion. Two-point shot efficiency significantly improved after pre-caffeine ingestion compared with placebo. Conclusions: Three mg of caffeine per kg of body mass may serve as an effective ergogenic aid to increase physical performance and some variables of performance index in highly trained basketball players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) has been found to be beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic pain. The theoretical mechanisms of change proposed by ACT are based on the Hexaflex model. To comprehensively reflect this model, the Multidimensional Psychological Flexibility Inventory (MPFI) and Psy‐Flex have been developed. The study aimed to adapt the MPFI‐24 and the Psy‐Flex for Spanish‐speaking populations with chronic pain and to examine their dimensionality, internal consistency, convergent validity and incremental validity. Methods: This cross‐sectional study involved 309 Spanish‐speaking adults with chronic pain who completed an online survey. The majority of the participants were women (88.3%). The ages ranged from 18 to 79 years. Results: Factor analysis showed that the Spanish version of the MPFI‐24 has 12 factors, consisting of six flexibility and six inflexibility factors, similar to the original version, but lacking second‐order general factors. The Psy‐Flex demonstrated a single‐factor structure, maintaining the general factor of psychological flexibility seen in the original version. The MPFI‐24 showed good internal consistency and adequate convergent validity, with the exception of the Acceptance and Experiential Avoidance subscales. The Psy‐Flex showed good internal consistency and convergent validity. Notably, both the MPFI‐24 and Psy‐Flex scores significantly explained additional variance in psychological distress beyond other ACT‐related measures of Hexaflex processes; however, only the Psy‐Flex explained pain interference. Conclusions: The Spanish adaptations of the MPFI‐24 and Psy‐Flex are valid and reliable instruments for assessing the Hexaflex model processes in Spanish‐speaking adults with chronic pain. Significance Statement: Practitioners and researchers in chronic pain will find the Spanish versions of the MPFI‐24 and the Psy‐Flex here, along with recommendations for their use and scoring based on a robust psychometric rationale. It should be noted that these measures surpass the Chronic Pain Acceptance Questionnaire (CPAQ) and the Psychological Inflexibility in Pain Scale (PIPS), which are considered gold standards in chronic pain assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Human activities have been reshaping the natural world for tens of thousands of years, leading to the extinction of hundreds of bird species. Past research has provided evidence of extinction selectivity towards certain groups of species, but trait information is lacking for the majority of clades, especially for prehistoric extinctions identified only through subfossil remains. This incomplete knowledge potentially obscures the structure of natural communities, undermining our ability to infer changes in biodiversity across space and time, including trends in functional and phylogenetic diversity. Biases in currently available trait data also limit our ability to identify drivers and processes of extinction. Here we present AVOTREX, an open‐access database of species traits for all birds known to have gone extinct in the last 130,000 years. This database provides detailed morphological information for 610 extinct species, along with a pipeline to build phylogenetic trees that include these extinct species. Main Types of Variables Contained: For each extinct bird species, we provide information on the taxonomy, geographic location, and period of extinction. We also present data on island endemicity, flight ability, and body mass, as well as standard measurements of external (matching the AVONET database of extant birds) and skeletal morphology from museum specimens where available. To ensure comprehensive morphological data coverage, we estimate all missing morphological measurements using a data imputation technique based on machine learning. Finally, we provide an R package to graft all extinct species onto a global phylogeny of extant species (BirdTree). Spatial Location and Grain: Global. Time Period and Grain: All known globally extinct bird species from 130,000 years ago up until 2024. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: Birds (Class Aves), species level. Software Format: Spreadsheets (.csv) stored in Dryad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: the teaching means constitute one of the backbones of the actions at any level of education. Objective: to show the theoretical foundations of the book: "Hip fracture in the elderly", as a learning resource for the professional improvement of the family doctor. Methods: a research with a qualitative approach was carried out at "Dr. Zoilo Marinello Vidaurreta" University of Medical Sciences from Las Tunas in 2021. Theoretical methods were used for the theoretical foundation; and documentary analysis as an empirical one to verify the links and relationships that are offered in the theoretical references related to the characteristics that a textbook must have as a teaching medium in the educational process, its importance, advantages and foundations. Expert criteria were used to assess its relevance, feasibility and methodological structure. Results: a book designed as a learning resource for professional improvement is presented; it contains the particularities of the content to be taught and what family doctors need to learn about care for the elderly with hip fracture. It is structured in thirteen chapters with a predominance of questions which are answered with precision and clarity. Its theoretical foundations are highlighted. Conclusions: the main theoretical foundations of the book "Hip fracture in the elderly" were shown as a teaching tool for the professional improvement of the family doctor and its main advantages as a didactic component of the educational teaching process were highlighted.

University students constitute a population that is highly vulnerable to developing mental health problems, such as distress. The role of different variables associated with the development of states of stress has been studied in order to identify potential risk and protective factors. This study explored whether mindfulness, self-compassion, and experiential avoidance, while controlling for specific sociodemographic and academic variables, were potential significant protective or risk factors explaining perceived stress in a sample of 589 Spanish university students (81.2% female, age range 18–48 years). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed using an exploratory cross-sectional design. Higher experiential avoidance, lower self-compassion, lower mindfulness, not perceiving family support, higher total study hours per week, having a partner (vs. being single), being female (vs. being male), and being older were significantly associated with higher levels of perceived stress. In conclusion, perceived stress in our sample was positively associated with experiential avoidance, which could be regarded as a potential psychological risk variable. In contrast, perceived stress was negatively correlated with self-compassion and mindfulness, which, in turn, could be seen as protective factors. Accordingly, it is concluded that programmes aimed at reducing stress and at improving well-being among university students should include experiential avoidance, self-compassion, and mindfulness as therapeutic targets.

The main objective of this study was to analyze the way in which emotional competencies (EI) in students are linked to general intelligence (IQ), and how the crossing of the two measurements determines their academic performance. To conduct this research, two tests were applied. First, the TEIQue (Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire) assessment was administered and, secondly, the R scale of the PMA Test (Primary Mental Abilities). The sample consisted of 58 university students between 18 and 51 years old, of which 76% are women and 24% are men. The results show that there is no direct relationship between emotional intelligence and general intelligence. However, it is important to consider the size of the sample, since it presents limitations when interpreting the results. Nonetheless, an interesting finding is the interaction discovered between a performance indicator, such as the selectivity score, and the overall EI score. These results are in line with those found by Schutte et al. (1998). This result is even more significant, if possible, when realizing the selectivity score showed a negative correlation (inverse relationship) with the score on the PMA-R (Reasoning) test. [This paper was presented at the "Jornadas Internacionales de Innovación Universitaria" ("JIIU") (International Conference on Innovation in Higher Education) (10th, Villaviciosa de Odón Campus, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Spain, July 11-12, 2013).]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with both motor and non-motor symptoms, with anxiety and depression being prominent and potentially exacerbated by negative thoughts. Therefore, the experiential avoidance (EA) exhibited by patients post diagnosis is particularly relevant. This study aimed to measure the degree of EA in patients with MS and determine its relationship with emotional disturbances. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a sample of 64 patients diagnosed with MS. In October 2018, these patients underwent evaluations of functional and cognitive variables, such as anxiety, depression, and avoidant behaviors towards the disease, using the Expanded Disability Status Scale, Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II, Self-Compassion Scale Short Form, Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-15, prefrontal symptoms inventory, Beck Depression Inventory II, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to assess coping mechanisms in handling the disease. Higher levels of state anxiety (β = 0.79; p < 0.001), trait anxiety (β = 0.82; p < 0.001), and depression (β = 0.62; p < 0.001) were observed in patients with MS as their EA and psychological inflexibility increased. Participants with high self-compassion/self-acceptance tended to have fewer negative thoughts and exhibited better coping with the disease, which may, in turn, affect patterns of psychological rigidity or inflexibility. Dimensions such as kindness and humility could act as positive factors in coping with the disease, whereas self-judgment and isolation are negative elements often associated with avoidant behaviors that hinder effective coping with the illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load monitoring has been identified as a valuable tool for optimizing training planning and minimizing injury risk. This study's aim was divided into two main objectives: (1) to describe the physical demands during official competition through IMU (inertial movement unit) metrics and (2) to investigate the relationship between basketball statistics and these physical demands. Twelve female highly trained basketballers (26.5 ± 5.3 years, 180 ± 7.1 cm, and 73.6 ± 10.3 kg) were monitored during four official games. Our results indicate that games with more frequent possession changes, particularly those driven by steals and turnovers, exhibit higher physical demands. Additionally, longer game durations were associated with longer recovery time while maintaining similar active time and physical load. Players who assume prominent shooting roles face greater conditional demands, such as increased jumps and impacts, even with equal playing time. These findings suggest that IMUs provide valuable insights into high-intensity actions and patterns, indicating a direct association between physical load and player performance in professional female basketball. This study also highlights the potential for professionals to better manage workload and understand player demands using these insights, even in the absence of in-game sensor data. Our research underscores the importance of contextual analysis in sports performance studies, encouraging future investigations into game phases and their specific physical demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how equipment and sex affect the prediction accuracy of the maximum number of repetitions performed to failure (RTF) using the fastest mean velocity of the set (MVfastest). Sixteen men and twelve women completed four sessions (two using free-weight equipment and two sessions using the Smith machine). Each session involved three sets of repetitions to failure against the 65%, 75%, and 85% of the one-repetition maximum, interspersed by 10-min of rest. The goodness-of-fit of the individualized RTF-MVfastest relationships was comparable between both equipment types and sexes (P ≥0.510). Moreover, there were not significant differences in the MVfastest associated with RTF between equipment types (P ≥0.258). However, the MVfastest associated with RTF was higher for men than for women in repetitions 6 to 15 (P ≤0.043; ES≥0.69). In addition, the absolute errors when predicting RTF showed no significant differences between equipment types and loads (P <0.444). Specifically, these RTF estimates were within an acceptable range for men (<2 repetitions), but not for women (≥2 repetitions) (main effect of sex: P ≤0.018; ES≥0.58). These findings suggest that individualized RTF-MVfastest equations estimate the RTF with an acceptable precision in men during bench press exercises in both equipment types but exhibit lower precision for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by cerebral dopamine depletion that causes motor and cognitive deficits. The dopamine-related gene ANKK1 has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders with a dopaminergic deficiency in the striatum. This study aims to define the contribution of ANKK1 rare variants in PD. We found in 10 out of 535 PD patients 6 ANKK1 heterozygous rare alleles located at the 5′UTR, the first exon, intron 1, and the nearby enhancer located 2.6 kb upstream. All 6 ANKK1 single nucleotide variants were located in conserved regulatory regions and showed significant allele-dependent effects on gene regulation in vitro. ANKK1 variant carriers did not show other PD-causing Mendelian mutations. Nevertheless, four patients were heterozygous carriers of rare variants of ATP7B gene, which is related to catecholamines. We also found an association between the polymorphic rs7107223 of the ANKK1 enhancer and PD in two independent clinical series (P = 0.007 and 0.021). rs7107223 functional analysis showed significant allele-dependent effects on both gene regulation and dopaminergic response. In conclusion, we have identified in PD patients functional variants at the ANKK1 locus highlighting the possible relevance of rare variants and non-coding regulatory regions in both the genetics of PD and the dopaminergic vulnerability of this disease.

Our aim is to describe clinical and optical coherence tomographic features of acute paraneoplastic focal outer retinitis associated with optic neuropathy in a patient diagnosed with small cell lung carcinoma. Bilateral focal outer retinitis, bilateral optic disc oedema and vitritis were identified in a patient with progressive bilateral visual loss and ataxia. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) revealed various extents of granular hyperreflectivity and atrophy of the macular outer retinal layers. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid positivity for anti-CRMP5, anti-HU and anti-amphiphysin antibodies intensified the search for an underlying malignancy, and a small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) was finally diagnosed. Local and oral steroids along with systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy achieved cancer remission and partial recovery from the ophthalmic manifestations. Focal outer retinitis associated with optic disc oedema and antibody positivity facilitated the diagnosis of SCLC in a localized stage. SD-OCT allowed the characterization of this entity, expanding the spectrum of paraneoplastic ophthalmological syndromes.

En el presente artículo se aborda de forma crítica la construcción androcéntrica del conocimiento y la tecnología. Aquí se plantea la necesidad de introducir la perspectiva de género en ambos ámbitos, desde el marco de la epistemología feminista. Asimismo, se describe la implementación de esta perspectiva a lo largo del Proyecto EMPATÍA-CM como medio para construir nuevas relaciones entre identidades no hegemónicas y nuevas tecnologías. Este proyecto, liderado por el Equipo UC3MSafety de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, tiene por objetivo desarrollar un sistema capaz de detectar situaciones de riesgo para las mujeres víctimas de Violencia de Género, mediante la identificación de reacciones emocionales.

Attachment is an innate human relational mechanism that develops progressively from early childhood, influences individuals’ representations and behaviors, shapes relationships, and affects the social and cultural environment. Parental bonding refers to the ability of parents to be emotionally and behaviorally available to the child during infancy. Attachment style refers to the individual’s relational attitude in close relationships that influences adult love, bonding, handling relationships, and social exploration. The role of intergenerational, cultural and developmental factors influencing the relationship between the attachment style in adulthood and the parental bonding style recalled during childhood has been debated. This study explores the relationships between recalled parental bonding, adult attachment style, and cultural background in a sample of Spanish, Italian, and Japanese adults using a cross-sectional and cross-cultural design. For this purpose, the validated versions of the Experience in Close Relationship Scale and the Parental Bonding Instrument were administered to a non-clinical population of three hundred and five participants in the three countries. Results show that the most frequent adult attachment style is the secure style, followed by the dismissing-avoidant, the preoccupied, and the fearful-avoidant style. The dismissing-avoidant style was the most frequent insecure attachment style in the Japanese sample whereas the preoccupied style was the most frequent insecure attachment style in the Italians and Spaniards. Japanese are more anchored to the memory of maternal and paternal overprotection, which is related to more avoidance in actual close relationships. Spaniard’s current relationships are mildly independent of recalled parental bonding, showing an association between lower current avoidance to primary parental care. In the Italian sample, there is no significant relationship between current adult close relationships and recalled parental bonding. These results suggest that different cultural models influence adult attachment representations differently, in terms of the weight placed on attachment-related avoidance, attachment-related anxiety, care, and overprotection in infant and adult relationships.

Phytohormones are molecules responsible for growth, development, and metabolism regulation in plants. Gibberellic acid (GA3) and abscisic acid (ABA) are the main phytohormones involved in seed germination. Notably, it should be a highlight that GA3 induces germination, whereas ABA inhibits it. For this reason, it is important to calculate the concentration of these two phytohormones during seeds germination.Firstly, the maize seeds (MS) were germinated and samples of these were taken at different imbibition times, after that, methanol extracts were obtained using two methods of dynamic solvent extraction assisted by sonication (DSASE) and a traditional extraction method (maceration); finally, to estimate the concentration of GA3 and ABA a high performance liquid chromatographic method was used.The results of this study showed that the three extraction methods used, allowed quantifying GA3 and ABA during the maize germination time studied. However, of the two extraction methods employed, DSASE was the best technique because higher concentrations of GA3 and ABA were found. Therefore, it is important to continue using this green chemistry methodology for these and other analyses. • The extraction protocol developed was based on dynamic sonication-assisted solvent extraction. • The chromatographic method used allowed the simultaneous determination of two phytohormones with different physicochemical properties in maize seeds. • This methodology offers good sensitivity, linearity, precision, reproducibility and suitable detection and quantification limits.

Two different mindfulness-based interventions were deployed in a sample of white-collar workers to explore the differential effects on different facets of mindfulness, dimensions of psychological wellbeing, work engagement, performance, and stress of a participant. A total of 28 participants completed one of the different programs, and their results were compared between groups and against 27 participants randomly allocated to a waiting list control group. Results suggest both mindfulness intervention programs were successful at increasing the levels of psychological wellbeing, work engagement, and performance of the participants, as well as decreasing their levels of stress. Significant differences were found between the two programs in all outcome variables. Results suggest that brief and customized mindfulness interventions at work are as successful as lengthier programs.

El objetivo fue analizar la satisfacción de las necesidades psicológicas básicas en las clases de Educación Física y su relación con la satisfacción con la vida, así como, comprobar las diferencias en función del género y del hábito de práctica físico-deportiva extraescolar. Para ello se respondió a las escalas de las “Necesidades Psicológicas Básicas en el Ejercicio” y de “Satisfacción con la Vida”. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 464 alumnos de secundaria de 12 a 17 años. Los resultados indicaron que la mayoría sintieron satisfechas sus tres necesidades psicológicas básicas, especialmente la relación con los demás. Se demostró una relación positiva entre las necesidades y la satisfacción con la vida. Fueron los chicos los que se sintieron más competentes y con mayor satisfacción con la vida y aquellos que practicaron ejercicio en su tiempo libre afirmaron tener más satisfechas las necesidades psicológicas básicas y una mayor satisfacción con la vida.