TEMPO-RHYTHMIC ABILITIES OF THE GYMNASTS AS A FACTOR DETERMINING THE DIFFICULTY OF COMPOSITE SOLUTION OF COMPETITIVE ROUTINE IN GROUP ROUTINES DEPENDING ON THE CHOICE OF MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Starting from 2018 the judges began to evaluate the level of difficulty of the compositions with an open scale according to the rules of the competition. The article is devoted to the evaluation of the compositional difficulty of competitive compositions of group routines in rhythmic gymnastics. One of the factors that determines both the difficulty of the composition and the synchronization of motor interaction execution by sportswomen in group routines is defined. The purpose of this research is to justify the necessity of taking into account tempo-rhythmic abilities of gymnasts that predetermine difficulty of compositional decision of competitive program in group routines. The objective of this study is to reveal the correlational interconnections between tempo-rhythmic abilities and expert evaluations of synchronicity of group motor activity. The methods that were applied in are an expert evaluation that assesses the synchronization of motor actions of gymnasts in group routines and testing that consists of listening to and playing of parts of pieces of music of different rhythmic patterns. The revealed correlational interconnections allow increasing the synchronicity of motor actions of gymnasts in group routines that will make competitive programs more qualitative and spectacular

Layers of reflectivity in comparative research

This chapter addresses the empirical and analytical questions of our research. It draws on the idea of reflective research and discusses the questions of case selection and comparability, as well as the questions of power and interpretation arising from fieldwork, data collection, and comparative analysis. Research journey narratives are used to consider field access and ethical issues, and they produce another layer of research data about the manifestations of QAE. The chapter also reflects on differences in the availability of data from the three countries and the limitations in this regard for a comparative analysis. To compare the dynamics which emerge in the politics of quality in the different contexts, the chapter describes the analytical dimensions the book uses in more depth and discusses the abductive research design, in which theoretical and empirical work are complementary. The conclusion discusses how fieldwork can be used to understand the studied phenomenon.Peer reviewe

The influence of alcohol on L1 vs. L2 pronunciation

In this study, we investigated the influence of alcohol intake on pronunciation in both a native and a non-native language. At a Dutch music festival, we recorded the speech of 87 participants in Dutch (native language) and English (non-native language) when reading a few sentences in both languages. The recorded audio samples were judged by 108 sober native Dutch speakers in a perception experiment at the same festival. Participants were asked to judge how clear the Dutch pronunciations of a random selection of speakers were and how native-like the English pronunciations were. The results, analysed using generalized additive modelling (which is able to identify non-linear relationships), indicated a small linear negative relationship between alcohol intake and clarity of Dutch speech. For English there was no effect of alcohol intake on the native-likeness of the English pronunciations

The influence of alcohol on L1 vs. L2 pronunciation

In this study, we investigated the influence of alcohol intake on pronunciation in both a native and a non-native language. At a Dutch music festival, we recorded the speech of 87 participants in Dutch (native language) and English (non-native language) when reading a few sentences in both languages. The recorded audio samples were judged by 108 sober native Dutch speakers in a perception experiment at the same festival. Participants were asked to judge how clear the Dutch pronunciations of a random selection of speakers were and how native-like the English pronunciations were. The results, analysed using generalized additive modelling (which is able to identify non-linear relationships), indicated a small linear negative relationship between alcohol intake and clarity of Dutch speech. For English there was no effect of alcohol intake on the native-likeness of the English pronunciations

Improvement of neuropathology and transcriptional deficits in CAG 140 knock-in mice supports a beneficial effect of dietary curcumin in Huntington's disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgound</p> <p>No disease modifying treatment currently exists for Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the formation of amyloid-like aggregates of the mutated huntingtin protein. Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound with Congo red-like amyloid binding properties and the ability to cross the blood brain barrier. CAG140 mice, a knock-in (KI) mouse model of HD, display abnormal aggregates of mutant huntingtin and striatal transcriptional deficits, as well as early motor, cognitive and affective abnormalities, many months prior to exhibiting spontaneous gait deficits, decreased striatal volume, and neuronal loss. We have examined the ability of life-long dietary curcumin to improve the early pathological phenotype of CAG140 mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>KI mice fed a curcumin-containing diet since conception showed decreased huntingtin aggregates and increased striatal DARPP-32 and D1 receptor mRNAs, as well as an amelioration of rearing deficits. However, similar to other antioxidants, curcumin impaired rotarod behavior in both WT and KI mice and climbing in WT mice. These behavioral effects were also noted in WT C57Bl/6 J mice exposed to the same curcumin regime as adults. However, neither locomotor function, behavioral despair, muscle strength or food utilization were affected by curcumin in this latter study. The clinical significance of curcumin's impairment of motor performance in mice remains unclear because curcumin has an excellent blood chemistry and adverse event safety profile, even in the elderly and in patients with Alzheimer's disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Together with this clinical experience, the improvement in several transgene-dependent parameters by curcumin in our study supports a net beneficial effect of dietary curcumin in HD.</p