The use of virtual reality head-mounted displays within applied sport psychology

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Taylor & Francis (Routledge) via the DOI in this record.Virtual reality (VR) technology has been employed within several domains such as medicine, education, and the military. Nonetheless, there is limited research examining how VR can supplement applied sport psychology practice. This article provides the reader with an understanding of key components and concepts associated with VR head-mounted displays (HMDs). Subsequently, a range of possible applications within applied sport psychology are discussed, such as the training of perceptual-cognitive skills, relaxation strategies, and injury rehabilitation. Thereafter, the practicalities of using VR HMDs are outlined, and recommendations are provided to applied sport psychology practitioners wishing to embed this technology within their practice

Effects of music and music-video on core affect during exercise at the lactate threshold

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordThe objective of the present study was to examine the effects of music and music-video on core affect during and immediately after stationary cycling at the lactate threshold. A randomized, fully counterbalanced, crossover design with three conditions (music, music-video, and a no-music-video control) was adopted. Twenty-four participants exercised at lactate threshold while exposed to music, music-video, and control conditions. Affective valence and perceived activation were assessed every 2 min during a 20-min exercise bout and every 5 min post exercise over a 20-min period. Results indicated that there was a significant condition x time interaction for affective valence. The music-video condition elicited the highest levels of affective valence followed by the music condition and control. There was a main effect of condition for affective valence, wherein the experimental conditions facilitated significantly higher affective valence than control. Significant main effects of time emerged for both affective valence and perceived activation. Regardless of condition, affective valence decreased during the exercise bout and increased immediately post exercise. Conversely, perceived activation increased during exercise and decreased immediately post exercise. The present findings indicate that music and music-video can enhance core affect during exercise at the lactate threshold and the implications for exercise adherence are expounded

A grounded theory of music use in the psychological preparation of academy soccer players

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Psychological Association via the DOI in this record. The main objectives of the present study are (a) to examine soccer players’ use of music to psychologically prepare for performance and (b) to present a grounded theory to illuminate this phenomenon. Thirty-four academy soccer players (Mage = 17.9 years, SD = 1.6 years) were selected from a U.K. Premier League soccer club. Individual- and group-based questionnaires, reflective journals, and interviews were administered. Corbin and Strauss’s (2015) variant of grounded theory was adopted, which is underpinned by pragmatism and symbolic interactionism. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Moreover, the data were continually compared with previous literature to verify methodological coherence, propose new methods, and develop a substantive grounded theory model. The findings document the use of music as a stimulant and regulator of emotion prior to performance, as well as its propensity to develop shared meanings and contribute to a sense of group identity. The analysis brought to light personal-, group-, and task-related factors that moderate the influence of music on the psychological state of young soccer players. A unique finding to emerge was the degree to which the music preferences of senior players were readily accepted by junior players. The present study provides evidence of the role that naturalistic research can play in fathoming and harnessing the emotive and encultured power of music within the social spheres of elite team sports. All emergent concepts can be used as a template to guide soccer players and practitioners in the use of music and to frame future research efforts.Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES), Brazi

Identification of hydroxyapatite spherules provides new insight into subretinal pigment epithelial deposit formation in the aging eye.

Accumulation of protein- and lipid-containing deposits external to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is common in the aging eye, and has long been viewed as the hallmark of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The cause for the accumulation and retention of molecules in the sub-RPE space, however, remains an enigma. Here, we present fluorescence microscopy and X-ray diffraction evidence for the formation of small (0.5-20 μm in diameter), hollow, hydroxyapatite (HAP) spherules in Bruch's membrane in human eyes. These spherules are distinct in form, placement, and staining from the well-known calcification of the elastin layer of the aging Bruch's membrane. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging confirmed the presence of calcium phosphate in the spherules and identified cholesterol enrichment in their core. Using HAP-selective fluorescent dyes, we show that all types of sub-RPE deposits in the macula, as well as in the periphery, contain numerous HAP spherules. Immunohistochemical labeling for proteins characteristic of sub-RPE deposits, such as complement factor H, vitronectin, and amyloid beta, revealed that HAP spherules were coated with these proteins. HAP spherules were also found outside the sub-RPE deposits, ready to bind proteins at the RPE/choroid interface. Based on these results, we propose a novel mechanism for the growth, and possibly even the formation, of sub-RPE deposits, namely, that the deposit growth and formation begin with the deposition of insoluble HAP shells around naturally occurring, cholesterol-containing extracellular lipid droplets at the RPE/choroid interface; proteins and lipids then attach to these shells, initiating or supporting the growth of sub-RPE deposits

Relationships among behavioural regulations, physical activity, and mental health pre- and during COVID–19 UK lockdown

Freely available in Elsevier's COVID-19 archive for the duration of the pandemic at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101945A nationwide survey was conducted during the first UK lockdown to further understanding of the degree to which motives for exercise were associated with physical activity (PA) behaviours and, in turn, how PA behaviours were associated with mental health. A cross-sectional design was employed and data were collected by use of a one-off online survey (N = 392; 18–85 years; MBMI = 25.48; SDBMI = 5.05; 314 women). Exercise motives, PA, and mental health were measured by use of the Behavioural Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-3, Brunel Lifestyle Physical Activity Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire-12, respectively. Participants were also asked to specify their average step count per day, if they used a mobile device for this purpose (n = 190). Analyses comprised hierarchical regressions and partial correlations. Results indicated that behavioural regulations were more strongly associated with planned PA pre-lockdown, compared to during lockdown. There were no differences observed in explained variance between pre- and during lockdown for unplanned PA and steps per day. Planned and unplanned PA were significant explanatory variables for mental health both pre- and during lockdown, but sedentary behaviour was not. Partial correlations, with BMI and age partialled out, showed that steps per day were not correlated with mental health either pre- or during lockdown. The range of variables used to explain planned and unplanned PA and mental health suggest that people's motives to exercise were tempered by lockdown. For those who routinely measured their steps per day, the step count was unrelated to their mental health scores both pre- and during lockdown. It appears that engagement in regular PA confers some minor benefits for mental health

Formation of Ultracold Molecules by Merging Optical Tweezers

We demonstrate the formation of a single RbCs molecule during the merging of two optical tweezers, one containing a single Rb atom and the other a single Cs atom. Both atoms are initially predominantly in the motional ground states of their respective tweezers. We confirm molecule formation and establish the state of the molecule formed by measuring its binding energy. We find that the probability of molecule formation can be controlled by tuning the confinement of the traps during the merging process, in good agreement with coupled-channel calculations. We show that the conversion efficiency from atoms to molecules using this technique is comparable to magnetoassociation

Truncated and Helix-Constrained Peptides with High Affinity and Specificity for the cFos Coiled-Coil of AP-1

Protein-based therapeutics feature large interacting surfaces. Protein folding endows structural stability to localised surface epitopes, imparting high affinity and target specificity upon interactions with binding partners. However, short synthetic peptides with sequences corresponding to such protein epitopes are unstructured in water and promiscuously bind to proteins with low affinity and specificity. Here we combine structural stability and target specificity of proteins, with low cost and rapid synthesis of small molecules, towards meeting the significant challenge of binding coiled coil proteins in transcriptional regulation. By iteratively truncating a Jun-based peptide from 37 to 22 residues, strategically incorporating i-->i+4 helix-inducing constraints, and positioning unnatural amino acids, we have produced short, water-stable, alpha-helical peptides that bind cFos. A three-dimensional NMR-derived structure for one peptide (24) confirmed a highly stable alpha-helix which was resistant to proteolytic degradation in serum. These short structured peptides are entropically pre-organized for binding with high affinity and specificity to cFos, a key component of the oncogenic transcriptional regulator Activator Protein-1 (AP-1). They competitively antagonized the cJun–cFos coiled-coil interaction. Truncating a Jun-based peptide from 37 to 22 residues decreased the binding enthalpy for cJun by ~9 kcal/mol, but this was compensated by increased conformational entropy (TDS ≤ 7.5 kcal/mol). This study demonstrates that rational design of short peptides constrained by alpha-helical cyclic pentapeptide modules is able to retain parental high helicity, as well as high affinity and specificity for cFos. These are important steps towards small antagonists of the cJun-cFos interaction that mediates gene transcription in cancer and inflammatory diseases

How functional programming mattered

In 1989 when functional programming was still considered a niche topic, Hughes wrote a visionary paper arguing convincingly ‘why functional programming matters’. More than two decades have passed. Has functional programming really mattered? Our answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’. Functional programming is now at the forefront of a new generation of programming technologies, and enjoying increasing popularity and influence. In this paper, we review the impact of functional programming, focusing on how it has changed the way we may construct programs, the way we may verify programs, and fundamentally the way we may think about programs

#RestezChezVous: Importance des Habitudes Sportives et de l’Environnement de Vie pour Prévenir les Inégalités de Mal-être et de Sédentarité Pendant le Confinement COVID–19

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Psychological Association via the DOI in this recordLa maladie à coronavirus 2019 (COVID–19) a entraîné le confinement de la moitié de la population mondiale. Cette situation inédite a eu un impact non négligeable sur les habitudes de vie des populations, qui se sont vues dans l’obligation de rester cloîtrées à leur domicile. Le but de cette étude était d’examiner les effets du confinement sur la santé mentale, le niveau d’activité physique et les comportements sédentaires. Une enquête unique en ligne a été administrée selon un modèle d’étude transversale à 739 participants français. Nos résultats montrent que la santé mentale des jeunes adultes et des personnes âgées était compromise dans une plus large mesure que celle des trentenaires et des cinquantenaires, peu importe qu’ils habitent en milieu urbain ou rural. Une baisse d’activité physique non planifiée et du nombre de pas journaliers (~3500 pas), particulièrement chez les citadins, a été mise en évidence, effet qui n’a pas été retrouvé pour l’activité physique planifiée. Nos données mettent également en lumière, mais seulement chez les femmes, un lien entre le temps passé devant un écran (~1h30) et le niveau de santé mentale. Dans l’ensemble, nos résultats suggèrent que les jeunes adultes et les personnes âgées sont des populations qui nécessitent un soutien social et des interventions ciblées afin de minimiser l’impact psychologique du confinement. De plus, il est crucial d’informer la population sur l’importance de développer des routines sportives pour maintenir le niveau d’activité physique pendant les périodes de restriction des déplacements, notamment pour les femmes habitant en milieu urbain