Relational research on sport practice and use of video games according to gender of schoolchildren from Granada

Nowadays our society lives in a technological era that has led to a “technological sedentariness” resulting in a sedentary lifestyle in children that must be tackled by means of physical activity. This research study aims to analyse the link between physical activity and the use of video games. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional and relational research project. A sample made up of 142 students aged between 10 and 12 completed a self-made questionnaire which measured both their physical activity level and their CERV (Video Game Related Experiences Questionnaire). The results obtained through research show that most students do not have any problems concerning video games, and that the use of these can also help in the prevention of sedentary habits. These results have been indicated in the discussion section, contributing to the motivation of students’ in relation to Physical Education, their compromise with the physical practice and the promotion of a long-lasting healthy lifestyle. As a conclusion, the need for using tools such as active video games in order to favour healthy lifestyles and also to prevent sedentary habits is demonstrated

Raman amplification in the ultra-small limit of Ag nanoparticles on SiO2 and graphene: Size and inter-particle distance effects

Size, shape and hot spots are crucial to optimize Raman amplification from metallic nanoparticle (NPs). The amplification from radius = 1.8 ± 0.4 nm ultra-small silver NPs was explored. Increasing NP density redshifts and widens their plasmon that, according to simulations for NPs arrays, is originated by the reduction of the interparticle distance, d, becoming remarkable for d ≤ R. Inter-particle interaction red-shifts (>130 nm) and widens (>90 nm) the standard plasmon of non-interacting spherical particles. Graphene partly delocalizes the carriers enhancing the NIR spectral weight. Raman amplification of graphene phonons is moderate and depends smoothly on d while that of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) varies almost exponentially due to their location at hot-spots that depend strongly on d. The experimental correlation between amplification and plasmon position is well reproduced by simulations. The amplification originated by the ultra-small NPs is compared to that of larger particles, granular silver films with 7 < R < 15 nm grains, with similar extinction values. The amplification is found to be larger for the 1.8 nm NPs due to the higher surface/volume ration that allows higher density of hot spots. It is demonstrated that Raman amplification can be efficiently increased by depositing low density layers of ultra-small NPs on top of granular films.The research leading to these results has received funding from Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (RTI2018-096918-B-C41). S.C. acknowledges the grant BES-2016-076440 from MINECO. L.M. acknowledges the European Union (grant number ERC-2013-SyG 610256 NANOCOSMOS)

Motivational Climate in Youth Football Players

(1) Background: In recent decades, the psychology of sport has gained special relevance in this field, due to the influence of psychological variables on sports performance and the regularity of sports practice. The aim of this research is to analyse the motivational climate of footballers. (2) Methods: This study uses a descriptive cross-sectional design on a sample of 156 adolescent football players, using an ad-hoc questionnaire for the recording of socio-demographic variables and the PMCSQ-2 questionnaire on motivational climate in sport. (3) Results: The results of the present investigation indicate that footballers are more oriented towards task than ego, sportsmen who compete in Honor Division being the those who are more oriented towards ego and those of National Division being more oriented towards task. (4) Conclusions: The main conclusion of this research is those who are the motivational climate is related to the division in which the players compete

Effects of an Alternative Sports Program Using Kin-Ball in Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

The first aim of the present work was to examine the effects of a physical activity sports program, specifically Kin-Ball, within a group of individuals with intellectual disabilities, on decreasing sedentary behavior and improving basic physical skills. The second aimwas to evaluate social validity and acceptability of the intervention. In this pre-experimental study, 47 individuals participated (46.8% male and 53.2% female) with an average age of 29.85 (SD = 10.41). All participants were administered an intervention programbased on the alternative sport of Kin-Ball. BMIwas calculated for body composition and age-related Z-scoreswere interpretedwith the tables provided by theWHO. Endurancewasmeasured through a modified six-minute test, speed was analyzed using a 50 m test, and strength was estimated according to a hand-grip dynamometer. Likewise, balance and coordination were examined in line with adaptations proposed by the scientific literature. Results indicated that all cases experienced statistically significant differences following the intervention program (p = 0.000). Improvement effects were detected in all post-intervention tests (endurance, strength, speed, balance, and coordination). As amain conclusion, it is indicated that an alternative sports-based program improves physical ability and motor skills in individuals with intellectual disabilities

The Association between Violent Behavior, Academic Performance, and Physical Activity According to Gender in Scholars

Background: Aggressive behaviors have increased in a worrying way all over the world, and this has been one more reason to be able to investigate what happens in schools. Its presence has been increasing in recent decades and, therefore, this issue has been approached from different points of view of society. The aim of this study was to analyze and establish the indices of aggressive behaviors and their possible association with gender, academic achievement, and the Physical Activity (PA) in schoolchildren aged 10–12 in Granada (Spain). Methods: Its design is descriptive and cross-sectional, the sample is 320 students, an ad-hoc questionnaire was used to establish socio-demographic variables, violent behavior (measured with the scale of violent behaviors), gender, academic performance, and PA. Results: The results showed that schoolchildren with higher levels of violent behaviors have been in the reactive and relational reactive manifest dimension, males are more assiduous to practice PA than females, and these were characterized by greater manifest and relational aggressiveness. However, they present higher average values in violent behaviors than they do if academic performance is taken into account. Conclusions: The main recommendation is the need to study, in greater depth, the active sports population in order to try to know the cause of these results.This research was supported by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science [FPU16/03114], [FPU17/00804], [FPU17/00803

Levels of self-concept and its relations with the use of video games in third grade primary school students

En los últimos años las nuevas tecnologías han entrado a formar parte de la vida de los niños, tanto en la escuela como fuera de ella. La presente investigación tiene la finalidad de describir los niveles de autoconcepto, género y nuevas tecnologías en escolares de tercer ciclo de Primaria y de relacionar los niveles psicosociales con el resto de parámetros (género y nuevas tecnologías). Participaron 170 alumnos con edades comprendidas entre los 10 y los 12 años (M= 11,10 años; D.T.=0,47), los cuales respondieron a tres instrumentos (AF-5, el CERV y una hoja de autoregistro). Para el análisis de los datos se ha empleado el SPSS 22.0. Del estudio se ha obtenido que la mayoría de los alumnos no presentan problemas relacionados con las nuevas tecnologías, mientras que una pequeña minoría sí los presenta de manera severa y que los niños juegan más a los videojuegos que las niñas. También se ha llegado a la conclusión de que los niños presentan un autoconcepto emocional muy bajo respecto a los otros niveles existentes. Los alumnos con los niveles más bajos de autoconcepto son aquellos con problemas severos en relación a los videojuegos.During the last years, new technologies have become a part of the lives of children, both in and out school. The main objective of this research is to describe the levels of self-concept, gender and new technologies in third grade primary school students. It also aims to relate the psychosocial levels with the rest of parameters. A hundred and seventy students aged between 10 and 12 participated in the research. These students have also answered 3 tests carried out in several Andalusian schools: AF-5, CERV and an auto registration form. The data of the research have been analyzed with the software SPSS 22.0. The research concluded that most part of the students do not have any problems related to the new technologies. Nevertheless, a small minority presents severe problems and it was also found that boys play more video games than girls. It was also concluded that children present a lower emotional self-concept in comparison with the other levels. Students with the lowest levels of self-concept are those who suffer severe problems related to video games

Analysis of the relationship between physical-healthy habits and diet with obesity in primary school students of the Province of Granada

La obesidad y el sobrepeso se han convertido en uno de los trastornos más importantes de la actualidad. La aparición de este tipo de trastorno se debe a la influencia de factores como la dieta desequilibrada o la falta de actividad física, factores que provocan un aumento del IMC en escolares. Este estudio se realizó sobre 161 escolares de educación primaria, de edades comprendidas entre los 10 y 12 años y pertenecientes a la provincia de Granada. Se pretende analizar la relación existente entre los parámetros de la actividad física y la calidad de la dieta con los niveles de obesidad. Los resultados mostraron que la mayor parte de la población estudiada se encontraba dentro del normopeso y en una baja proporción los alumnos presentaban una dieta de baja calidad, sin haber diferencias significativas en cuanto al género. Por otra parte, el análisis de los datos mostró que el género masculino realiza mayor actividad física y por tanto presenta menos sedentarismo que el género femenino. Como conclusión, se demuestra la necesidad de motivar a la realización de deporte, sobre todo al género femenino, además de concienciar a los jóvenes de las consecuencias del sedentarismo y la obesidad.Obesity and overweight have become one of the most important disorders nowadays. The onset of this type of disorder is due to the influence of factors such as unbalanced diet or lack of physical activity, factors that cause an increase in BMI in schoolchildren. This study was conducted on 161 schoolchildren of primary education, aged between 10 and 12 years old and belonging to the province of Granada. The aim is to analyze the relationship between physical activity parameters and diet quality with obesity levels. The results showed that participants were in a normal weight, whereas a low proportion of students presented a low-quality diet, with no significant differences by gender. On the other hand, the analysis of the data showed that males perform greater physical activity and therefore present less sedentary habits than females. In conclusion, the need to encourage students to carry out sports is demonstrated, especially in females. In addition, it is important to raise youth’s awareness on health consequences of sedentary habits and obesity

Super-resolution imaging of live sperm reveals dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton during acrosomal exocytosis

Filamentous actin (F-actin) is a key factor in exocytosis in many cell types. In mammalian sperm, acrosomal exocytosis (denoted the acrosome reaction or AR), a special type of controlled secretion, is regulated by multiple signaling pathways and the actin cytoskeleton. However, the dynamic changes of the actin cytoskeleton in live sperm are largely not understood. Here, we used the powerful properties of SiR-actin to examine actin dynamics in live mouse sperm at the onset of the AR. By using a combination of super-resolution microscopy techniques to image sperm loaded with SiR-actin or sperm from transgenic mice containing Lifeact-EGFP, six regions containing F-actin within the sperm head were revealed. The proportion of sperm possessing these structures changed upon capacitation. By performing live-cell imaging experiments, we report that dynamic changes of F-actin during the AR occur in specific regions of the sperm head. While certain F-actin regions undergo depolymerization prior to the initiation of the AR, others remain unaltered or are lost after exocytosis occurs. Our work emphasizes the utility of live-cell nanoscopy, which will undoubtedly impact the search for mechanisms that underlie basic sperm functions.Fil: Romarowski, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Velasco Félix, Ángel G.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Rodriguez, Paulina Torres. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Gervasi, Mar?á G.. University Of Massachusetts Amherst;Fil: Xu, Xinran. School Of Biomedical Engineering;Fil: Luque, Guillermina Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Contreras-Jiménez, Gastón. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Sánchez-Cárdenas, Claudia. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Ramírez-Gómez, Héctor V.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Krapf, Diego. School Of Biomedical Engineering;Fil: Visconti, Pablo E.. University Of Massachusetts Amherst;Fil: Krapf, Dario. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Guerrero, Adán. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Darszon, Alberto. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México; MéxicoFil: Buffone, Mariano Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Activity breaks. Incorporación de los descansos activos en la educación superior

Los objetivos iniciales del aumento de la práctica de actividad física para la mejora de la atención y reducción de los hábitos sedentarios, tensión y estrés, se han logrado por medio de la implantación de los descansos activos en las clases teóricas. El uso y diseño de los descansos de entre 5 y 10 minutos, ha conseguido mejorar la atención del alumnado que los ha practicado en la hora siguiente de clase teórica. El proyecto se ha llevado a cabo teniendo un grupo control y uno experimental en el que se han desarrollado los descansos activos

Glycolytic shift during West Nile virus infection provides new therapeutic opportunities

Background Viral rewiring of host bioenergetics and immunometabolism may provide novel targets for therapeu‑ tic interventions against viral infections. Here, we have explored the effect on bioenergetics during the infection with the mosquito‑borne flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV), a medically relevant neurotropic pathogen causing out‑ breaks of meningitis and encephalitis worldwide. Results A systematic literature search and meta‑analysis pointed to a misbalance of glucose homeostasis in the cen‑ tral nervous system of WNV patients. Real‑time bioenergetic analyses confirmed upregulation of aerobic glycolysis and a reduction of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation during viral replication in cultured cells. Transcriptom‑ ics analyses in neural tissues from experimentally infected mice unveiled a glycolytic shift including the upregula‑ tion of hexokinases 2 and 3 (Hk2 and Hk3) and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (Pdk4). Treatment of infected mice with the Hk inhibitor, 2‑deoxy‑D‑glucose, or the Pdk4 inhibitor, dichloroacetate, alleviated WNV‑induced neuroinflammation. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of host energetic metabolism and specifically glycolysis in WNV infection in vivo. This study provides proof of concept for the druggability of the glycolytic pathway for the future development of therapies to combat WNV pathology.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation AEI/10.13039/501100011033 under Grants PID2019‑105117RR‑C21 (to MAMA) and PID2019‑105117RR‑C22 (to MJPP), PID2020‑119195RJ‑I00 (to NJO), by Synergistic Projects Community of Madrid under grant NUTRISION‑CM/Y2020/ BIO‑6350 (to ARM), and by the European Commission—NextGenerationEU through CSIC’s Global Health Platform (PTI Salud Global). PMC was sup‑ ported by an FPI fellowship from AEI/10.13039/501100011033 under Grant PRE2020‑093374. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publicationPeer reviewe