Model characterizing sports game referees

The question concerning such a person who is forced to work in the conditions of increased stress and about work safety still is a psycho-physiological part of a broader problem. Referees of sports games can also be added to this group as this occupation has become their profession. Today, there is a situation that in order to enroll the most suitable individuals in this job position it is necessary to select the candidates for sports game referees according to strictly worked-out criteria. The aim of the study was to investigate the abilities characterizing high quality sports game referees. 18 international level referees of sports games in Latvia were selected as subjects of the research. To state the subjects' physical ability, functional state, psychological peculiarities the following were applied: a computerized testing device "Omega" was used to assess the functional state of the body; situation alertness, psycho-emotional stability, self-regulation ability and motivation were stated with the help of tests used in sport psychology; simple reactions and the quickness of alternative reaction were measured using the computer system Vienna Test System. 16 parameters of each subject were obtained, and they were processed using Factor analysis - closed variant of the main components with the following turning of the referent axis according to the Varimax criterion. With the Factor analysis nine main factors were obtained characterizing sports game referees. Their contribution in the common dispersion is 93.7%. Seven factors of higher value were interpreted, and they were as follows: choice reaction time, its contribution in the dispersion 30.31%; functional state of the body and readiness (17.92%); correctness of the answers in choice reaction time test (the quality of the decisions made) 15.40%; the simple reaction time (9.02%); IQ coefficient (7.20%); psychological preparedness (5.01%) and the ability to concentrate (4.80%). The quickness of the alternative reaction and the quality of the decision made in this situation were the most important abilities characterizing high quality referees. The second most significant parameter is the functional and physical abilities of referees. Psychological ability and preparedness are important for referees. It is supposed that developing the above mentioned components a more successful preparation of sport game referees will be possible.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Sleep disturbances in Wolfram syndrome

BACKGROUND: Wolfram syndrome is a rare disorder associated with diabetes mellitus, diabetes insipidus, optic nerve atrophy, hearing and vision loss, and neurodegeneration. Sleep complaints are common but have not been studied with objective measures. Our goal was to assess rates of sleep apnea and objective and self-reported measures of sleep quality, and to determine the relationship of sleep pathology to other clinical variables in Wolfram syndrome patients. METHODS: Genetically confirmed Wolfram syndrome patients were evaluated at the 2015 and 2016 Washington University Wolfram Syndrome Research Clinics. Patients wore an actigraphy device and a type III ambulatory sleep study device and completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and/or the Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ). PSQI and PSQ questionnaire data were compared to a previously collected group of controls. Patients were characterized clinically with the Wolfram Unified Rating Scale (WURS) and a subset underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for brain volume measurements. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were evaluated ranging from age 8.9-29.7 years. Five of 17 (29%) adult patients fit the criteria for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA; apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] ≥ 5) and all 4 of 4 (100%) children aged 12 years or younger fit the criteria for obstructive sleep apnea (AHI\u27s ≥ 1). Higher AHI was related to greater disease severity (higher WURS Physical scores). Higher mixed apnea scores were related to lower brainstem and cerebellar volumes. Patients\u27 scores on the PSQ were higher than those of controls, indicating greater severity of childhood obstructive sleep-related breathing disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Wolfram syndrome patients had a high rate of OSA. Further study would be needed to assess how these symptoms change over time. Addressing sleep disorders in Wolfram syndrome patients would likely improve their overall health and quality of life

A Discontinuous RNA Platform Mediates RNA Virus Replication: Building an Integrated Model for RNA–based Regulation of Viral Processes

Plus-strand RNA viruses contain RNA elements within their genomes that mediate a variety of fundamental viral processes. The traditional view of these elements is that of local RNA structures. This perspective, however, is changing due to increasing discoveries of functional viral RNA elements that are formed by long-range RNA–RNA interactions, often spanning thousands of nucleotides. The plus-strand RNA genomes of tombusviruses exemplify this concept by possessing different long-range RNA–RNA interactions that regulate both viral translation and transcription. Here we report that a third fundamental tombusvirus process, viral genome replication, requires a long-range RNA–based interaction spanning ∼3000 nts. In vivo and in vitro analyses suggest that the discontinuous RNA platform formed by the interaction facilitates efficient assembly of the viral RNA replicase. This finding has allowed us to build an integrated model for the role of global RNA structure in regulating the reproduction of a eukaryotic RNA virus, and the insights gained have extended our understanding of the multifunctional nature of viral RNA genomes