Ball games and nutrition counseling improve postural control in overweight children

Background: Motor skills are impaired in overweight children whose levels of physical activity are low and these children are more likely to sustain lower extremity injuries. The purpose of this study was to analyze prospectively in overweight children the influence of ball games and nutrition counseling on postural control. Methods: In all, 46 overweight children (age: 6–12 years, BMI: female: 25.2 ± 3.6 kg/m2, male: 26.2 ± 2.8 kg/m2 (mean value ± standard deviation) were examined prospectively in four randomized groups (ball games, nutrition counseling, ball games and nutrition counseling, and group without intervention) for six months. A one-legged standing test was performed. Results: The children demonstrated improved postural control after six months of intervention: mean difference M1-M2 ± standard deviation: 5 ± 6 error points (p < 0.001, T = 4.906), whereas the control group without intervention did not show any significant improvement: 2 ± 8 error points (p = 0.357, T = 0.972). Conclusions: Ball games and nutrition counseling have a positive influence on postural control and therefore could help prevent injury. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01825174. Registered April 2, 201

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

When are mastery goals more adaptive? It depends on experiences of autonomy support and autonomy

Mastery goals are generally considered the most adaptive achievement goals. In 2 studies, we tested whether, in line with self-determination theory, participants’ experiences of autonomy support and autonomy would affect the relations between mastery goals and psychological outcomes. In Study 1 (an experiment), 117 college students, randomly assigned to 3 groups (autonomy-supportive, autonomy-suppressive, neutral), adopted an intrapersonal-competence standard to improve graphic quality of handwriting. Results showed that mastery goals led to more positive emotional experiences when given in an autonomy-supportive context relative to the other two. Study 2 extended the research to natural settings and learners’ motives among 7th and 8th graders (n = 839) responding to questionnaires about a specific class. Results revealed stronger relations of mastery goals with interest and enjoyment and with behavioral engagement when students perceived their level of choice (experience of autonomy) as high rather than low. We therefore propose that research on achievement goals should consider both the contexts and the motives accompanying the goals