Association between aerobic fitness and attentional functions in Egyptian preadolescent children

Growing evidence indicates that culture and education can influence cognitive constructs. Studies targeting Western and Asian populations have shown a positive relationship between aerobic fitness and cognitive control in children; however, this association has yet to be explored in the Arab world. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness and attentional networks in Egyptian preadolescent children. In total, 103 preadolescent children (9.76 ± 0.11) completed an assessment of aerobic fitness using a 6-min running test and a computerized attention network test that allowed for assessing alerting, orienting, and executive networks. The results revealed that higher aerobic fitness was associated with shorter response time and higher response accuracy in a more cognitively demanding task condition (i.e., incongruent trials). Furthermore, higher aerobic fitness was associated with a more efficient executive network. No associations were observed for alerting and orienting networks. These findings corroborate growing evidence indicating the importance of aerobic fitness for cognitive development and extend the literature by suggesting that the positive association between aerobic fitness and cognitive control might be generalized to the Arab population and not significantly change across cultures

Motorik-Modul (MoMo) im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys (KiGGS)

Motorische Leistungsfähigkeit und körperlich-sportliche Aktivität sind wesentliche Bestandteile einer gesunden Entwicklung im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Die Diagnose von motorischer Leistungsfähigkeit und körperlich-sportlicher Aktivität unterliegt jedoch bisher keinen standardisierten Kriterien, darüber hinaus liefern die untersuchten Stichproben kein repräsentatives Abbild der Gesamtbevölkerung. Die vorhandenen Daten lassen somit nur bedingt Aussagen zum Status und zur Entwicklung motorischer Merkmale und des Aktivitätsverhaltens zu. Das im Rahmen des Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurveys (KiGGS) durchgeführte Motorik-Modul (MoMo) bietet erstmals bundesweit repräsentative Daten zur motorischen Leistungsfähigkeit und körperlich-sportlichen Aktivität von Kindern und Jugendlichen in Deutschland. Ziele des Motorik-Moduls sind die Feststellung des Ist-Zustandes von motorischer Leistungsfähigkeit und körperlich-sportlicher Aktivität sowie die Analyse der komplexen Wirkungszusammenhänge zwischen motorischer Leistungsfähigkeit, körperlich-sportlicher Aktivität und Gesundheit. Die motorische Leistungsfähigkeit wurde auf Grundlage der Systematisierung motorischer Fähigkeiten nach Bös über ein Testprofil erfasst. Hierbei wurden die Basisfähigkeiten Ausdauer, Kraft, Koordination und Beweglichkeit bzw. die ihnen untergeordneten motorischen Beschreibungskategorien über 11 (sport)motorische Tests abgebildet. Zur Erfassung der körperlichsportlichen Aktivität wurde ein 51 Items umfassender Fragebogen entwickelt. Hierbei wurden die Belastungsnormative Dauer, Intensität und Häufigkeit der Aktivität im Alltag, in der Schule, in der Freizeit und im Verein erfragt. Ergänzt wurden die genannten Teilbereiche um Fragen zur Wochenprävalenz mindestens 60-minütiger täglicher Aktivität, den materialen und örtlichen Gegebenheiten sowie zu Kognition und Motivation der Aktivität. Im Rahmen des Motorik-Moduls wurden in den Jahren 2003–2006 insgesamt 4529 Kinder und Jugendliche im Alter von 4–17 Jahren an 167 Orten im gesamten Bundesgebiet hinsichtlich ihrer motorischen Leistungsfähigkeit getestet und ihrer körperlich-sportlichen Aktivität befragt. Die Hälfte aller untersuchten Kinder und Jugendlichen entstammt Familien mit mittlerem sozioökonomischem Status, ca. 15% haben einen Migrationshintergrund. Die Mehrzahl der Untersuchungsteilnehmer kommt aus einer mittelstädtischen Region, etwa ein Viertel wohnt in der Großstadt, unter 20% sind in ländlichen Regionen angesiedelt.Motor fitness and physical activity are important aspects of a healthy development in childhood and adolescence. However, the assessment of motor fitness and physical activity is not subject to standardized criteria; furthermore, the samples investigated do not provide a representative image of the whole population. Therefore, the existing data only allow very limited statements on the state and development of motor fitness and physical activity. The “Motorik” module, as part of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), offers nationwide representative data on the motor fitness and physical activity of children and adolescents for the first time. Besides the baseline-analysis, another aim is to analyse the complex relationship between motor fitness, physical activity and health. Motor fitness, based on the systematisation of motor abilities, was assessed using a test profile. The test profile consists of 11 items measuring cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, coordination and mobility. Physical activity was assessed using a questionnaire containing 51 items on the duration, intensity and frequency of physical activity in everyday life, during leisure time, at school and in sports clubs. The above-mentioned questionnaire subtopics were supplemented by questions on the weekly prevalence of at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, on material and local conditions, as well as on cognition and motivation for physical activity. In the years 2004 to 2006, the motor fitness and physical activity of 4,529 children and young people between the ages of 4 and 17 years was investigated on 168 sample points in the context of the “Motorik” module. Half of the children and adolescents investigated belong to the middle class, approximately 15% have a background of migration. The majority of the subjects come from small towns, about a quarter live in the city, less than 20% are settled in rural areas

A two step algorithm for learning from unspecific reinforcement

We study a simple learning model based on the Hebb rule to cope with "delayed", unspecific reinforcement. In spite of the unspecific nature of the information-feedback, convergence to asymptotically perfect generalization is observed, with a rate depending, however, in a non- universal way on learning parameters. Asymptotic convergence can be as fast as that of Hebbian learning, but may be slower. Moreover, for a certain range of parameter settings, it depends on initial conditions whether the system can reach the regime of asymptotically perfect generalization, or rather approaches a stationary state of poor generalization.Comment: 13 pages LaTeX, 4 figures, note on biologically motivated stochastic variant of the algorithm adde

A canonical ensemble approach to graded-response perceptrons

Perceptrons with graded input-output relations and a limited output precision are studied within the Gardner-Derrida canonical ensemble approach. Soft non- negative error measures are introduced allowing for extended retrieval properties. In particular, the performance of these systems for a linear and quadratic error measure, corresponding to the perceptron respectively the adaline learning algorithm, is compared with the performance for a rigid error measure, simply counting the number of errors. Replica-symmetry-breaking effects are evaluated.Comment: 26 pages, 10 ps figure

The difference between saying and doing when it comes to training volume: Effect of motives of sport activity, age, gender and pain on training volume [Der Unterschied zwischen Sagen und Tun beim Trainingsfleiß: Effekte von Motiven sportlicher Aktivität, Alter, Geschlecht und Schmerzen auf den Trainingsumfang sportlicher Aktivitäten]

Background Health, joy/fun, body shape and society are motives for physical exercise. So far, the impact of the strength of these factors on the training scope is unclear. The study aims to analyse the association between these motives, age, gender, back pain and training volume. Materials and methods In this study, 792 participants (68% women and 32% men, mean age 53.5 years, standard deviation 11.9, range 24–85 years) were asked about their motives for physical activities, their back pain and their volume of training. Regression analyses were performed to assess the effects of the motives on training volume. Results In women, the motives joy (B$_{joy}$ = 0.23, t = 3.6, p < 0.001, r = 0.25), body shape (B$_{body shape}$ = 0.127, t = 2.0, p = 0.05, r = 0.16) and age (B$_{age}$ = 0.03, t = 2.5, p = 0.01, r = 0.17) had small (age, body shape) to medium effects (joy) on training volume. In men, only back pain had a significant positive effect (B$_{back pain}$ = 1.4, t = 4.2, p < 0.001, r = 0.35) on training volume (strong effect). Discussion and conclusion For active women, the pleasure felt during training (intrinsic motivation) and the desire for a better figure (introjected regulation = meeting external requirements) promote the amount of training. For active men, the solution to the health problem is possibly in the foreground: the greater the problem (back pain), the higher the training volume. Presumably, they have made the experience that physical training reduces back pain

Effects of Endurance Exercise Training and Crataegus Extract WS® 1442 in Patients with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction - A Randomized Controlled Trial

Impaired exercise capacity is the core symptom of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We assessed effects of exercise training and Crataegus extract WS 1442 in HFpEF and aimed to identify mechanisms of action in an exploratory trial (German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00000259). 140 sedentary HFpEF NYHA II patients on standard treatment received eight weeks of aerobic endurance training and half were randomized to WS 1442 900 mg/day. Symptoms, 2 km walking time (T2km), parameters of exercise tolerance, cardiac and vascular function, muscular efficiency and skeletal muscular haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) measured during a treadmill protocol were captured at baseline and after eight weeks. Adverse events were recorded during the trial. Mechanisms of action were explored by correlation and path analyses of changes. Symptoms and exercise capacity improved with training, but correlations between improvements were low and path models were rejected. SO2 increased, decreased or undulated with increasing exercise intensity in individual patients and was not altered by training. WS 1442 improved T2km (-12.7% vs. -8.4%, p = 0.019), tended to improve symptoms and to pronounce SO2-decrease with increasing exercise, an indicator of oxygen utilisation. Endurance training and WS 1442 were safe and well tolerated in combination with standard drug treatment

A school-based physical activity program to improve health and fitness in children aged 6–13 years ("Kinder-Sportstudie KISS"): study design of a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN15360785]

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is the result of a long lasting imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. A major contributing factor is physical inactivity which is closely linked to bone health, cardiovascular disease risk, fitness and psychological factors. The school seems to provide an excellent setting to enhance levels of physical activity (PA). However, there is insufficient data from previous school-based intervention trials on how to enhance overall PA. It is also unknown whether an intervention aimed at increasing PA is effective in improving the children's health. The purpose of this paper is to outline the design of a school-based randomized, controlled trial (RCT) aiming to increase overall PA and to improve fitness and health in 6- to 13-year-old children. METHODS/DESIGN: 15 schools were randomized to the intervention (n = 9) or the control (n = 6) group, stratified by geographic region (urban vs. rural) and by age (1(st )and 5(th )grade). Participation was given for all children in the intervention group since in this group the intervention was part of the normal school curriculum. The intervention during one academic year consisted of: 1. two additional physical education classes per week given by trained physical education teachers adding up to a total of five PA classes per week, 2. short PA breaks (2–5 min each) during academic lessons, 3. PA home work, and 4. adaptation of recreational areas around the school. All children underwent anthropometric measurements, blood pressure assessment, fitness testing, measurement of PA and they filled out questionnaires. At least 70% of all children agreed to blood sampling and measurements of body composition and bone mineral measurements by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. The primary endpoints of the study after one year were an increase in total PA by accelerometry, an increase in aerobic fitness measured by the 20 m shuttle run, a decrease in percent body fat derived from skinfold measurements and an increase in quality of life as assessed by the child health questionnaire in the intervention group compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes were overall fitness, differences in body composition including body fat distribution, cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial health, bone mineral content and density of femur, lumbar spine and total body and food intake. DISCUSSION: Our preliminary data suggest that the children were representative of Swiss children with respect to sex, socio-demographic status, and body mass index. Short-term results can be expected by the beginning of 2007. We hypothesized that our intervention will lead to an increase in PA, fitness and overall health. Based on our data, we aim to provide important information regarding the influence of such an intervention on these outcome measures in school-aged children and to provide nationwide guidelines to improve PA in children

Critical Discourse Analysis of Media Texts

El volumen presenta una panorámica del Análisis Crítico del Discurso de los textos mediáticos. El Análisis Crítico del Discurso es un modelo que parte de la Lingüística Crítica, basada a su vez en la Gramática Funcional de M. A. K. Halliday. En el volumen se resumen los principales enfoques de esta teoría. El volumen está compuesto de diversos artículos en los que se analizan diferentes casos concretos de los discursos de los medios de comunicación de masas (discurso informativo, discurso publicitario, discurso televisivo y discurso fílmico)The volume presents an overview of Critical Discourse Analysis of media texts. Critical Discourse Analysis is a framework departing from Critical Linguistics, which is based, in turn, on Functional Grammar as developed by M. A. K. Halliday. In this volume several approaches to Critical Discourse Analysis are summed up. In addition, the volume is composed by several papers where diverse concrete cases of media discourses are analysed (news discourse, advertisement discourse, television discourse and filmic discourse

Prevention through Activity in Kindergarten Trial (PAKT): A cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effects of an activity intervention in preschool children

BACKGROUND: Physical activity and motor skills acquisition are of high importance for health-related prevention and a normal development in childhood. However, few intervention studies exist in preschool children focussing on an increase in physical activity and motor skills. Proof of positive effects is available but not consistent. METHODS/DESIGN: The design, curriculum, and evaluation strategy of a cluster randomised intervention study in preschool children are described in this manuscript. In the Prevention through Activity in Kindergarten Trial (PAKT), 41 of 131 kindergartens of Wuerzburg and Kitzingen, Germany, were randomised into an intervention and a control group by a random number table stratified for the location of the kindergarten in an urban (more than 20,000 inhabitants) or rural area. The aims of the intervention were to increase physical activity and motor skills in the participating children, and to reduce health risk factors as well as media use. The intervention was designed to involve children, parents and teachers, and lasted one academic year. It contained daily 30-min sessions of physical education in kindergarten based on a holistic pedagogic approach termed the "early psychomotor education". The sessions were instructed by kindergarten teachers under regular supervision by the research team. Parents were actively involved by physical activity homework cards. The kindergarten teachers were trained in workshops and during the supervision. Assessments were performed at baseline, 3-5 months into the intervention, at the end of the intervention and 2-4 months after the intervention. The primary outcomes of the study are increases in physical activity (accelerometry) and in motor skills performance (composite score of obstacle course, standing long jump, balancing on one foot, jumping sidewise to and fro) between baseline and the two assessments during the intervention. Secondary outcomes include decreases in body adiposity (BMI, skin folds), media use (questionnaire), blood pressure, number of accidents and infections (questionnaire), increases in specific motor skills (throwing, balancing, complex motor performance, jumping) and in flexibility. DISCUSSION: If this trial proofs the effectiveness of the multilevel kindergarten based physical activity intervention on preschooler's activity levels and motor skills, the programme will be distributed nationwide in Germany