O efeito de um programa de treinamento de totalmente imersivo do Playstation VR no desenvolvimento das habilidades perceptivas das crianças no Voleibol

Este estudio examinó el efecto de dos intervenciones educativas, un programa basado en juegos de realidad virtual totalmente inmersivos (FIVE) y un programa de entrenamiento típico (TT), en Percepción de profundidad (DP) y Tiempo de reacción de anticipación (ART) de cuarenta y ocho jugadoras de voleibol de 8 a 10 años. El grupo FIVE asistió a un programa inmersivo completo en Playstation4VR y el grupo TT a un entrenamiento típico en la cancha, basado en mejorar DP y ART durante 6 semanas, dos veces por semana durante 24 min cada vez. El grupo de control no recibió ningún programa estructurado de formación en PD y ART. Antes, después y un mes después de las intervenciones, se calculó la DP utilizando el Probador de Percepción de Profundidad Eléctrica y el ART utilizando el Temporizador de Anticipación de Bassin. Se realizaron análisis de varianza bidireccionales con medidas repetidas, para determinar el efecto de los grupos de programas de entrenamiento y las mediciones en los dos movimientos en el rendimiento de DP y las dos velocidades (5 mph y 10 mph) en el rendimiento de ART. Las puntuaciones de las pruebas posteriores y de retención DP en ambos movimientos fueron notablemente mayores que las de las pruebas previas para ambos grupos experimentales, pero no para el grupo de control. Además, en las puntuaciones de ART, sólo en 10 mph, las puntuaciones de las pruebas posteriores y de retención fueron notablemente mayores que las puntuaciones previas a la prueba para ambos grupos experimentales y no para el grupo de control. En conclusión, los exergames VR y un entrenamiento típico son herramientas efectivas para mejorar el DP y ART en jugadores de voleibol de 8 a 10 años de edad.his study examined the impact of two different educational interventions, a program that were based on full immersive virtual reality games (FIVE) and a typical training program (TT), in Depth Perception (DP) and Anticipation Reaction Time (ART) of forty-eightfemale volleyball players aged 8-10 years old. The players were randomly separatedinto three individual groups of 16 children each, two experimental groups (FIVE, TT) and one control group. The FIVE group attended, for 6 weeks, twice a week and 24 min per session, a full immersive program in Playstation4VR and the TT group a typical training to the court, based to improve DP and ART. The control group did not receive any structured DP and ART training program. Before the interventions, after and one –month after, DP was estimated using Electric Depth Perception Tester and ART using Bassin Anticipation Timer. Were conducted Two-Way analyses of variance with repeated measures, to demonstrate the impact of educational interventions measurements across the two movements on DP efficacy and the two speeds (5mph and 10mph) on ART performance. The post and the retention tests DP in both movements scores were remarkably greater than pre-test for FIVE and TT groups but not for the control group. Additionally, on the ART scores, it was observed that only at a speed of 10 mph did the post and retention test scores show a significant increase compared to the pre-test scores for both experimental groups, while no such increase was observed in the control group. To conclude, exergames VR and a typical training are effective tools for improving DP and ART in volleyball players aged 8-10 years oldEste estudo examinou o efeito de duas intervenções educativa, um programa baseado num jogos de realidade virtual total imersivos (RVTI) e um programa de treinamento típico (TT), em Percepção de Profundidade (PP) e Tempo de Reação de Antecipação (TRA) de quarenta e oito voleibolistas com idades entre 8 e 10 anos. Divididos de forma randomizata em três grupos individuais de 16 crianças cada, um controle e dois grupos experimentais (RVTI, TT). O grupo RVTI participou de um programa total imersivo em Playstation4VR e o grupo TT um treinamento típico para quadra, com base de melhorar PP e TRA durante 6 semanas, duas vezes por semana durante 24 min cada vez. O grupo de controle não recebeu nenhum programa estruturado de treinamento em PP e TRA. Antes, após e um mês após da intervenção, o PP foi estimado usando o Electric Depth Perception Tester e o ΤΡΑ usando o Bassin Anticipation Timer. Foram conduzidas análises de variância de duas vias com medidas repetidas, a determinar οs efeitos da grupos de programas de treinamento e medições entre os dois movimentos em desempenho de PP e as duas velocidades (5 mph e 10 mph) em desempenho de TRA. O pós-teste e os testes de retenção DP em ambos os escores de movimentos foram notavelmente maiores do que o pré-teste para ambos os grupos experimentais, mas não para o grupo de controle. Além disso, nas pontuações de ART, apenas em 10 mph as pontuações do pós e do teste de retenção foram notavelmente maiores do que as pontuações do pré-teste para ambos os grupos experimentais e não para o grupo de controle. Em conclusão, os exergames VR e um treinamento típico são ferramentas eficazes para melhorar a DP e ART em jogadores de voleibol de 8 a 10 anos de idade

Expected and perceived service quality at basketball stadiums in Greece

Abstract The purpose of the current research was to examine the differences between expected quality of service and the perceived quality of service experienced by spectators at selected professional basketball stadiums in Northern Greece. Five hundred spectators filled in the evaluation instrument created for the purpose of the study. The Wilcoxon's matched-pairs signed-ranks test showed a statistically significant difference in all 23 items between expectations and perceptions of service quality and in all cases only organizational weaknesses were proved to exist and no strengths. The exploratory factor analysis revealed nine factors: "show time expectotions", "instollation's evaluation", "convenience ond employee evoluation", "show time evoluation", "employee expectations", "convenience expectotions", "instollotion's expectotions", "comfort evaluation" and "comfort expectations". The challenge of providing o high quality sport and recreation service becomes less difficult when sport managers know what their customers expect from a service and what they feel i s important to quality. From a managerial perspective, identifying the dimensions and knowing both a spectator's evaluations and expectations of a provided service indicates the direction that management should take in investing its efforts and resources to increase the probability of the customer experiencing a positive outcome from watching

CNF1 Improves Astrocytic Ability to Support Neuronal Growth and Differentiation In vitro

Modulation of cerebral Rho GTPases activity in mice brain by intracerebral administration of Cytotoxic Necrotizing Factor 1 (CNF1) leads to enhanced neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity and improves learning and memory. To gain more insight into the interactions between CNF1 and neuronal cells, we used primary neuronal and astrocytic cultures from rat embryonic brain to study CNF1 effects on neuronal differentiation, focusing on dendritic tree growth and synapse formation, which are strictly modulated by Rho GTPases. CNF1 profoundly remodeled the cytoskeleton of hippocampal and cortical neurons, which showed philopodia-like, actin-positive projections, thickened and poorly branched dendrites, and a decrease in synapse number. CNF1 removal, however, restored dendritic tree development and synapse formation, suggesting that the toxin can reversibly block neuronal differentiation. On differentiated neurons, CNF1 had a similar effacing effect on synapses. Therefore, a direct interaction with CNF1 is apparently deleterious for neurons. Since astrocytes play a pivotal role in neuronal differentiation and synaptic regulation, we wondered if the beneficial in vivo effect could be mediated by astrocytes. Primary astrocytes from embryonic cortex were treated with CNF1 for 48 hours and used as a substrate for growing hippocampal neurons. Such neurons showed an increased development of neurites, in respect to age-matched controls, with a wider dendritic tree and a richer content in synapses. In CNF1-exposed astrocytes, the production of interleukin 1β, known to reduce dendrite development and complexity in neuronal cultures, was decreased. These results demonstrate that astrocytes, under the influence of CNF1, increase their supporting activity on neuronal growth and differentiation, possibly related to the diminished levels of interleukin 1β. These observations suggest that the enhanced synaptic plasticity and improved learning and memory described in CNF1-injected mice are probably mediated by astrocytes

Blockade of Gap Junction Hemichannel Suppresses Disease Progression in Mouse Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease

Glutamate released by activated microglia induces excitotoxic neuronal death, which likely contributes to non-cell autonomous neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Although both blockade of glutamate receptors and inhibition of microglial activation are the therapeutic candidates for these neurodegenerative diseases, glutamate receptor blockers also perturbed physiological and essential glutamate signals, and inhibitors of microglial activation suppressed both neurotoxic/neuroprotective roles of microglia and hardly affected disease progression. We previously demonstrated that activated microglia release a large amount of glutamate specifically through gap junction hemichannel. Hence, blockade of gap junction hemichannel may be potentially beneficial in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.In this study, we generated a novel blood-brain barrier permeable gap junction hemichannel blocker based on glycyrrhetinic acid. We found that pharmacologic blockade of gap junction hemichannel inhibited excessive glutamate release from activated microglia in vitro and in vivo without producing notable toxicity. Blocking gap junction hemichannel significantly suppressed neuronal loss of the spinal cord and extended survival in transgenic mice carrying human superoxide dismutase 1 with G93A or G37R mutation as an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis mouse model. Moreover, blockade of gap junction hemichannel also significantly improved memory impairments without altering amyloid β deposition in double transgenic mice expressing human amyloid precursor protein with K595N and M596L mutations and presenilin 1 with A264E mutation as an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.Our results suggest that gap junction hemichannel blockers may represent a new therapeutic strategy to target neurotoxic microglia specifically and prevent microglia-mediated neuronal death in various neurodegenerative diseases

Dystropathology increases energy expenditure and protein turnover in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

The skeletal muscles in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and the mdx mouse model lack functional dystrophin and undergo repeated bouts of necrosis, regeneration, and growth. These processes have a high metabolic cost. However, the consequences for whole body energy and protein metabolism, and on the dietary requirements for these macronutrients at different stages of the disease, are not well-understood. This study used juvenile (4- to 5- wk-old) and adult (12- to 14-wk-old) male dystrophic C57BL/10ScSn-mdx/J and age-matched C57BL/10ScSn/J control male mice to measure total and resting energy expenditure, food intake, spontaneous activity, body composition, whole body protein turnover, and muscle protein synthesis rates. In juvenile mdx mice that have extensive muscle damage, energy expenditure, muscle protein synthesis, and whole body protein turnover rates were higher than in age-matched controls. Adaptations in food intake and decreased activity were insufficient to meet the increased energy and protein needs of juvenile mdx mice and resulted in stunted growth. In (non-growing) adult mdx mice with less severe dystropathology, energy expenditure, muscle protein synthesis, and whole body protein turnover rates were also higher than in age-matched controls. Food intake was sufficient to meet their protein and energy needs, but insufficient to result in fat deposition. These data show that dystropathology impacts the protein and energy needs of mdx mice and that tailored dietary interventions are necessary to redress this imbalance. If not met, the resultant imbalance blunts growth, and may limit the benefits of therapies designed to protect and repair dystrophic muscles