The significance of psychological preparation in martial arts

Overview of psychological research in the field of sport consistently shows the importance and effectiveness of psychological preparation in improving sports performance. The results of investigations of psychological factors and their success in martial arts indicate the most significant psychological skills that one needs to develop and that contribute to success: concentration and focused attention, self-confidence, relaxation, regulation of excitement and tension, control over anxiety, visualization and self-talk. Individual approach to the process of learning the psychological techniques and accommodation to personalized features of athletes have proven to be more effective than a group approach

Disturbed eating habits, body dissatisfaction and frequency of dieting behaviour in Croatian high school students

Dijeta, kao način kontrole tjelesne težine, vrlo je rasprostranjen i široko prihvaćen oblik ponašanja. Prema nekim je autorima to ponašanje toliko učestalo među adolescentima, posebno djevojkama, da se može smatrati normativnim. Percipiranje vlastitoga tijela kao preteškoga značajno je povezano sa stavovima prema vlastitom tijelu, brizi o tjelesnoj težini i navikama prehrane, odnosno s provođenjem dijete te s nezadovoljstvom vlastitim tijelom. Osnovni je cilj našega istraživanja ispitati učestalost tih potencijalno rizičnih ponašanja i stavova za razvoj poremećaja hranjenja na uzorku od 1035 učenika prvoga i četvrtoga razreda različitih srednjih škola iz nekoliko hrvatskih gradova. Povišen rezultat na Upitniku navika hranjenja, koji upućuje na odstupanja u navikama hranjenja, poput učestaloga provođenja dijete, prejedanja ili povraćanja, postiže čak 7.7% djevojaka; od kojih je najviše 17-godišnjakinja (12.8%) te 0.5% mladića. Čak 35.6% djevojaka nezadovoljno je ili jako nezadovoljno težinom, a 19.4% izgledom, dok je težinom nezadovoljno ili jako nezadovoljno 13%, a izgledom 6.8% mladića. Dijetu provodi oko 40% djevojaka i 14% mladića, a razlozi koje navode su uglavnom želja za poboljšanjem izgleda. Između djevojaka i mladića postoje značajne razlike u odstupajućim navikama hranjenja i nezadovoljstvu tijelom u smislu da djevojke iskazuju više odstupanja u navikama hranjenja (učestalo provođenje dijete, prejedanje, povraćanje) i značajno su nezadovoljnije vlastitim izgledom od mladića. Rasprostranjenost dijete i usmjerenost adolescenata na tjelesni izgled i težinu ne bi se trebala zanemarivati jer zaokupljenost hranom i dijeta mogu voditi prema razvoju poremećaja hranjenja.Dieting, as a way of controlling body weight, is a widespread and accepted behaviour. According to some authors, the behaviour is so prevalent that it can be thought of as normative behaviour, especially among adolescent girls. Perceiving one’s body as too heavy is correlated with one’s beliefs and attitudes towards the body, worries about body weight and dieting habits, as well as body dissatisfaction. The main goal of our research was to examine the prevalence of this potentially risk behaviour in the development of eating disorders on a sample of 1035 freshmen and senior high school students from different Croatian cities. Around 7.7% of girls (mainly 17 years old – 12.8%) and 0.5% of boys have a result on the “ Eating Attitude Test” which is above the cut-off point. More than 35% of girls are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their weight and 19.4% with their appearance, while 13% of boys are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their weight and 6.8% with their appearance. 40% of girls and 14% of boys are on a diet, mainly because of a desire to look better. We also found statistically significant gender differences in distorted eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction; girls with more eating disorders (dieting, binge eating, and vomiting) were more dissatisfied with their body. The pattern of dieting behaviour and adolescent focus on body appearance should not be overlooked because it can lead to the development of eating disorders

Kromatografsko profiliranje primarnih metabolita kao alat za kemotaksonomsku klasifikaciju uzoraka sjemenki bobičastog voća

Research background. Considering the importance of consumption of berry fruits with proven health-beneficial properties and difficulties in quality control of products of specific botanical and geographic origin, a fingerprint method was developed, based on advanced data analysis (pattern recognition, classification), in order to relate the variability of nutrients in the selected cultivars to primary metabolite profile. Experimental approach. Forty-five samples of genuine berry fruit cultivars (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black currant, blueberry, gooseberry, chokeberry, cape gooseberry and goji berry) were characterized according to chromatographic profiles of primary metabolites (sugars, lipids and fatty acids) obtained by three chromatographic techniques (high-performance thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, and high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection). Results and conclusions. Comprehensive analysis allowed monitoring and identification of metabolites belonging to polar lipids, mono-, di- and triacylglycerols, free fatty acids, free sterols, sterol esters, mono- to heptasaccharides and sugar alcohols. Chemical fingerprint of berry seeds showed the uniformity of primary metabolites within each fruit species, but revealed differences depending on the botanical origin. All three chromatographic methods provided a discriminative, informative and predictive metabolomics methodology, which proved to be useful for chemotaxonomic classification. Novelty and scientific contribution. A novel methodology for the identification of bioactive compounds from primary metabolites of natural products was described. The proposed untargeted metabolite profiling approach could be used in the future as a routine method for tracing of novel bioactive compounds. The knowledge of metabolite composition obtained in this study can provide a better assessment of genotypic and phenotypic differences between berry fruit species and varieties, and could contribute to the development of new breeding programs.Pozadina istraživanja. Imajući u vidu značaj konzumiranja bobičastog voća dokazanog blagotvornog učinka na organizam, ali i teškoće u kontroli kvalitete proizvoda specifičnog botaničkog i geografskog podrijetla, u radu je predložena metodologija zasnovana na kemijskom profiliranju i naprednoj analizi podataka (prepoznavanje obrazaca i klasifikacija), koja bi se mogla koristiti za procjenu autentičnosti određenih vrsta na osnovu njihovog profila primarnih metabolita. Eksperimentalni pristup. Ukupno je okarakterizirano 45 uzoraka različitih sorata bobičastog voća (jagoda, malina, kupina, crni ribiz, borovnica, ogrozd, aronija, peruanska jagoda i goji) na osnovu kemijskih profila primarnih metabolita (šećera, lipida i masnih kiselina) dobivenih pomoću triju kromatografskih tehnika (tankoslojnom kromatografijom velike učinkovitosti, plinskom kromatografijom spregnutom s masenom spektrometrijom i ionskom kromatografijom s pulsnom amperometrijskom detekcijom). Rezultati i zaključci. Sveobuhvatnom kemijskom analizom identificirane su različite klase metabolita: polarni lipidi, mono-, di- i triacilgliceroli, slobodne masne kiseline, slobodni steroli, sterolni esteri, mono- do heptasaharidi i šećerni alkoholi. Rezultati pokazuju da uzorci koji pripadaju istoj biljnoj vrsti imaju sličan kemijski profil, a različite vrste imaju različit sastav primarnih metabolita. Sve tri kromatografske metode pružaju diskriminativnu, informativnu i prediktivnu metabolomičku metodologiju primjenjivu u kemotaksonomskoj klasifikaciji. Novina i znanstveni doprinos. Opisana je nova metodologija identifikacije bioaktivnih spojeva iz primarnih metabolita prirodnih proizvoda. Predloženi pristup neciljanog profiliranja metabolita mogao bi se koristiti kao rutinska metoda pronalaska novih bioaktivnih spojeva. Poznavanje sastava metabolita omogućuje bolju procjenu genotipskih i fenotipskih razlika između sorata bobičastog voća, što može pridonijeti razvoju novih programa oplemenjivanja

EXPLOSIVE POWER IN GYMNASTS: IS THERE ANY SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR GENDER DIFFERENCES?

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to examine potential differences in vertical jump performance between male and female highly trained gymnasts, and to determine the relationship between parameters of the vertical jump performance and skill difficulty on the floor exercise. Forty-six highly trained gymnasts, comprising 15 female (Mean±SD; age: 21.08±1.83 y, height: 159.37±4.87 cm, mass: 50.88±5.41 kg) and 33 male (Mean±SD; age: 21.5±1.79 years, height: 170.67±4.66 cm, mass: 67.08±6.26 kg) consented to participate in study. Results showed statistically significant differences between male and female gymnasts (P 0.05) were shown between instantaneous powers. Correlation coefficients for CMJ variables were calculated for both groups. Statistically significant positive correlations were found only between D score values and jump height in male gymnasts (0.53) and relative jump power (0.39). Among female gymnasts, statistically significant, but negative correlations between E scores and jump height (-0.64) and with relative power (- 0.65), and between F scores and jump height (-0.52) were found.Key words: artistic gymnastics, vertical jump, floor exercise

Ethiological studies of root rot of parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) in Vojvodina

In the past few years, the symptoms of parsnip root rot (Pastinaca sativa L.) have been more intense in production. This had a significant impact on the decrease in the yield as well as the market value of the roots. Symptoms of rot are only noticed during harvest. Continued development of the pathogen has been reported in storage rooms, especially if the root is stored under uncontrolled conditions of temperature and humidity. The aim of the study was the etiological study of root rot in the open field and in storage rooms. Total of 56 root samples were collected in the period 2016 – 2019 years. Isolation was performed by standard of phytopathology procedure on PDA medium for fungi, MPA and CVP for bacteria. After growth, a collection of isolates was formed, which was included in the pathogenicity test. For the isolates that showed pathogenicity, the identification was performed, the fungi were identified on the basis of morphological characteristics, while the bacteria were studied for biochemical - physiological characteristics. Of the 42 fungus and bacterial isolates collected, 37 caused similar symptoms of rot, on artificially inoculated parsnip root, which was considered a pathogenic trait. Fusarium spp. was isolated from the symptoms of dry rot on the leaf rosette crossing, while Pectobacterium carotovorum subp. was isolated from the wet rot. The symptom of rot, followed by the white mycelium of the fungus, was preliminary indicated by the species Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, which was confirmed by isolation and identification. The dominant species in storage rooms which provide root rot were Botrytis cinerea and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. They were followed by Rhisopus spp. and Penicillium spp. species, but they have not been proven pathogenic and have been considered saprophytes. Root rot caused damage during harvest, as insects too, which allowed pathogens and saprophytes to penetrate

Phenolic Compounds as Phytochemical Tracers of Varietal Origin of Some Autochthonous Apple Cultivars Grown in Serbia

Domesticated international (standard) apple cultivars, together with resistant apple cultivars are the core of the Serbian apple production. Furthermore, autochthonous cultivars are characterized by a good adaptability to the local environmental conditions and represent a valuable source of genetic variability, as well as an important source of the gene pool for further breeding programs. Additionally, they show a higher phenolic content and a stronger antioxidant activity, in comparison to commercial cultivars. Therefore, they are more likely to be used as a functional food. The subjects of this study were seventeen samples of fruits and leaves from autochthonous apple cultivars, five international standard cultivars, and six resistant apple cultivars. The phenolic profile was determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), coupled with a diode array detector and a TSQ Quantum Access Max triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer. A total of twenty compounds were quantified in the samples. Most of the analyzed phenolics were detected in higher amounts in the peel, compared to the mesocarp. The results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) indicate that 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid is present in the highest amount in the mesocarp, while in the peel and leaves, quercetin-glycosides were detected in the highest amount. According to the MANOVA: phloretin, phlorizin, 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid, kaempferol, and p-coumaric acid are present in significantly higher levels in the autochthonous cultivars, compared to the standard and resistant ones (in both fruits and leaves). Therefore, these compounds can be used as chemical tracers of the apple varietal origin. © 2022 by the authors

Significance of family and peer support for metabolic control of type 1 diabetes in adolescents

The aim of the paper was to explore the significance of family and peer support for metabolic control of Type 1 diabetes in adolescents. Metabolic control refers to maintenance of acceptable blood glucose level thus diminishing risk for chronic complications. It involves regular insulin shots, measuring blood glucose and keeping diary, as the daily based self-control. Regular visits to endocrinologist and screening for chronic complications are compulsory. The sample comprised 79 adolescents age 10-17 years with diagnose of Type 1 diabetes and properly treated at the institute. The sample was divided in two groups - with good (N=40) and poor (N=39) metabolic control. A criterium for good metabolic control was glycosilated hemoglobin less than 7,6%. Social support was measured by Social Support Scale consisting of two parts - the first for estimation of registered family support (based upon modified Perceived Social Support Family Scale) and the second for estimation of registered friends' support (modified Perceived Social Support Friend Scale). Adolescents with good metabolic control referred statistically more significant social support in the family, unlike the group with poor metabolic control. Considering peer social support, there was no statistically significant difference. Positive family history for diabetes also appeared to be directly linked to good metabolic control

Disturbed eating habits, body dissatisfaction and frequency of dieting behaviour in Croatian high school students

Dijeta, kao način kontrole tjelesne težine, vrlo je rasprostranjen i široko prihvaćen oblik ponašanja. Prema nekim je autorima to ponašanje toliko učestalo među adolescentima, posebno djevojkama, da se može smatrati normativnim. Percipiranje vlastitoga tijela kao preteškoga značajno je povezano sa stavovima prema vlastitom tijelu, brizi o tjelesnoj težini i navikama prehrane, odnosno s provođenjem dijete te s nezadovoljstvom vlastitim tijelom. Osnovni je cilj našega istraživanja ispitati učestalost tih potencijalno rizičnih ponašanja i stavova za razvoj poremećaja hranjenja na uzorku od 1035 učenika prvoga i četvrtoga razreda različitih srednjih škola iz nekoliko hrvatskih gradova. Povišen rezultat na Upitniku navika hranjenja, koji upućuje na odstupanja u navikama hranjenja, poput učestaloga provođenja dijete, prejedanja ili povraćanja, postiže čak 7.7% djevojaka; od kojih je najviše 17-godišnjakinja (12.8%) te 0.5% mladića. Čak 35.6% djevojaka nezadovoljno je ili jako nezadovoljno težinom, a 19.4% izgledom, dok je težinom nezadovoljno ili jako nezadovoljno 13%, a izgledom 6.8% mladića. Dijetu provodi oko 40% djevojaka i 14% mladića, a razlozi koje navode su uglavnom želja za poboljšanjem izgleda. Između djevojaka i mladića postoje značajne razlike u odstupajućim navikama hranjenja i nezadovoljstvu tijelom u smislu da djevojke iskazuju više odstupanja u navikama hranjenja (učestalo provođenje dijete, prejedanje, povraćanje) i značajno su nezadovoljnije vlastitim izgledom od mladića. Rasprostranjenost dijete i usmjerenost adolescenata na tjelesni izgled i težinu ne bi se trebala zanemarivati jer zaokupljenost hranom i dijeta mogu voditi prema razvoju poremećaja hranjenja.Dieting, as a way of controlling body weight, is a widespread and accepted behaviour. According to some authors, the behaviour is so prevalent that it can be thought of as normative behaviour, especially among adolescent girls. Perceiving one’s body as too heavy is correlated with one’s beliefs and attitudes towards the body, worries about body weight and dieting habits, as well as body dissatisfaction. The main goal of our research was to examine the prevalence of this potentially risk behaviour in the development of eating disorders on a sample of 1035 freshmen and senior high school students from different Croatian cities. Around 7.7% of girls (mainly 17 years old – 12.8%) and 0.5% of boys have a result on the “ Eating Attitude Test” which is above the cut-off point. More than 35% of girls are either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their weight and 19.4% with their appearance, while 13% of boys are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their weight and 6.8% with their appearance. 40% of girls and 14% of boys are on a diet, mainly because of a desire to look better. We also found statistically significant gender differences in distorted eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction; girls with more eating disorders (dieting, binge eating, and vomiting) were more dissatisfied with their body. The pattern of dieting behaviour and adolescent focus on body appearance should not be overlooked because it can lead to the development of eating disorders

PSIHOLOŠKI ASPEKTI MOTIVACIJE U SPORTSKIM OSTVARENJIMA

The aim of this paper is to point out the importance of motivation in sport achievement and to describe the psychological aspect of motivation, as one of the most important psychological factors for success. Motivation theories give definitions of terms and previous knowledge of different authors, and the second part of this paper gives the most commonly used techniques: Goal settings, cognitive restructuring, and imagination, and how to apply them. When it comes to motivation in sports, some important concepts and some of the most important interventions for motivating athletes presented in this paper can be analyzed in the psychological training of athletes. Special attention given to the importance and the role of trainers in the process of motivating athletes emphasizes psychology as a key factor in sport achievement.Cilj ovog rada je da ukaže na važnost motivacije u sportskim ostvarenjima i da opiše psihološki aspekt motivacije, kao jednog od najvažnijih psiholoških faktora uspeha. Teorije motivacije daju definicije pojmova i prethodnih znanja različitih autora, a drugi deo ovog rada daje najčešće korišćene tehnike: postavljanje ciljeva, kognitivno restrukturiranje i maštu i kako ih primeniti. Kada je reč o motivaciji u sportu, neki važni koncepti i neke od najvažnijih intervencija za motivisanje sportista predstavljeni u ovom radu mogu da se uzmu u obzir u psihološkom treningu sportista. Posebna pažnja posvećena značaju i ulozi trenera u procesu motivisanja sportista ističe psihologiju kao ključni faktor u sportskim ostvarenjima

OBLIK TELA RITMIČKIH GIMNASTIČARKI U PUBERTETU: POVEZANOST SA BMI, RIZIKOM OD POREMEĆAJA ISHRANE I PERFEKCIONIZMOM

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between body shape, the body mass index (BMI), eating disorders risks, and perfectionism in pubertal rhythmic gymnasts, and to assess the impact of investigated variables on the body shape satisfaction of those athletes. The study group included 40 female rhythmic gymnasts at the national level of competition aged 12.761±0.930 years. They reported an average training experience of 5.925±2.306 years, a total of 9.114±4.428 hours of practice a week, and the start of their sports career at 5.766±1.968 years. To assess their degree of dissatisfaction with their body image, the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) was used. Additionally, the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) was used to assess disturbances in eating attitudes and behaviors, and the Sport Perfectionism Questionnaire was used to measure perfectionism in sports. The correlation between BSQ and EAT-26 is positive (.511), as well as Dieting .932. Interestingly, the correlation between the BSQ score and the result on the EAT-26 is higher than the correlation between BSQ and Perfectionism (.393). The stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that Perfectionism, BMI, Training hours per week, the Training experience, EAT-26, Age and Experience accounted for 64.2% of the variance of BSQ (adjusted R2=.642, p=.000). The results indicate that rhythmic gymnasts with higher BSQ scores are concerned about their appearance in sport, tend to use dieting or compensatory behavior, and score higher values on the subscale non-adaptive perfectionism. This puts them into at greater risk of developing eating disorders, and it is necessary to implement some form of prevention for these disorders as early as possible.Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je da se utvrdi veza između oblika tela, indeksa telesne mase (BMI), rizika od poremećaja u ishrani i perfekcionizma ritmičkih gimnastičarki u pubertetu, kao i  procena uticaja ispitivanih varijabli na zadovoljstvo oblikom tela ovih sportistkinja. U istraživanju je učestvovalo 40 ritmičkih gimnastičarki nacionarnog ranga takmičenja (uzrasta od 12.761±0.930 godina), sa trenažnim iskustvom od 5.925±2.306 godina, koje treniraju na nedeljnom nivou 9.114±4.428 sati, a sportsku karijeru su počele u uzrastu od 5.766±1.968 godina. Za procenu stepena nezadovoljstva slikom tela korišćen je Upitnik o obliku tela (Body Shape Questionnaire- BSQ). Dodatno, Test stavova o ishrani-26 (EAT-26) je korišćen za procenu poremećaja u stavovima i ponašanju u ishrani, a Upitnik o sportskom perfekcionizmu je korišćen za merenje perfekcionizma u sportu. Korelacija između rezultata BSQ i EAT-26 je pozitivna (.511), kao i kod Dijete (.932). Zanimljivo je da je korelacija između rezultata BSQ i rezultata u EAT-26 veća od korelacije između BSQ i perfekcionizma (.393). Analiza stepwise multiple regresije pokazala je da perfekcionizam, BMI, broj sati treninga nedeljno, iskustvo treninga, EAT-26, uzrast i iskustvo objašnjavaju 64.2% varijabilnosti rezultata BSQ (prilagođeni R2= .642, p= .000). Rezultati pokazuju da su ritmičke gimnastičarke sa višim BSK rezultatima zabrinute za svoj izgled u sportu, da imaju tendenciju da koriste dijetu ili kompenzatorno ponašanje i da imaju više vrednosti na subskali neprilagodljivog perfekcionizma. To ih dovodi u veći rizik od razvoja poremećaja u ishrani, te je neophodno što ranije sprovesti neki vid prevencije ovih poremećaja