The influence of core affect on cyclo-ergometer endurance performance: Effects on performance outcomes and perceived exertion

BackgroundCore affect is defined as the most general affective construct consciously accessible that is experienced constantly. It can be experienced as free-floating (mood) or related to prototypical emotional episodes. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on cyclo-ergometer endurance performance. Specifically, we considered the influence of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on performance outcomes (i.e., time to task completion) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE; Borg Scale, category ratio-10) collected during the task.MethodsThirty-one participants aged 20–28 years were recruited. Core affect was randomly elicited by 2 sets of pleasant and unpleasant pictures chosen from the international affective picture system. Pictures were displayed to participants during a cyclo-ergometer performance in 2 days in a counterbalanced order. RPE was collected every minute to detect volunteers’ exhaustion.ResultsThe study sample was split into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised participants who performed better with pleasant core affect, whereas Group 2 included participants who performed better with unpleasant core affect. Mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance revealed a significant 2 (group) × 2 (condition) × 5 (isotime) interaction (p = 0.002, η_p² = 0.158). Post hoc comparisons showed that participants who obtained better performance with pleasant core affect (pleasant pictures; Group 1) reported lower RPE values at 75% of time to exhaustion in a pleasant core affect condition compared to an unpleasant core affect condition. On the other hand, participants who obtained better performance with unpleasant core affect (unpleasant pictures; Group 2) reported lower RPE values at 75% and 100% of time to exhaustion in an unpleasant core affect condition.ConclusionFindings suggest differential effects of pleasant and unpleasant core affect on performance. Moreover, core affect was found to influence perceived exertion and performance according to participants’ preferences for pleasant or unpleasant core affect.     

Assessing Fat Mass of Adolescent Swimmers Using Anthropometric Equations: A DXA Validation Study

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to determine which of the published anthropometric equations is the most appropriate to estimate body-fat percentage (BF_%) in adolescent swimmers. Method: Eighty-eight swimmers (45 boys, 43 girls) participated in this study. Following the recommendations of the International Society of the Advancement of Kinanthropometry, biceps, triceps, subscapular, iliac-crest, supraspinale, front-thigh, and medial calf skinfold thicknesses were measured. Waist, hip, midthigh, calf, relaxed arm, and arm flexed and tensed girths were also registered. BF_% was measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to obtain the reference value. Existing anthropometric equations were applied, and BF_% results obtained from anthropometric equations were compared to DXA BF_% results with the modified Bland-Altman. Results: The Flavel, Durnin-Rahaman-Siri, and Durnin-Rahaman-Brozek were the only equations that did not demonstrate statistically significant differences when compared with DXA. Conclusion: The present study showed that the best anthropometric equation from existing literature to estimate BF_% in swimmers is that proposed by Durnin-Rahaman (independently of applying the Siri or Brozek equation).     

Differential time responses in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers after a marathon: An observational study

ABSTRACT

Acute and adaptive changes in systemic markers of oxidatively generated nucleic acid modifications (i.e., 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2?-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxoGuo)) as well as inflammatory cytokines (i.e., C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, and tumour necrosis factor alpha), a liver hormone (i.e., fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21)), and bone metabolism markers (sclerostin, osteocalcin, C-terminal telopeptide, and N-terminal propeptide of type 1 procollagen) were investigated following a marathon in 20 study participants. Immediate changes were observed in inflammatory cytokines, FGF21, and bone metabolism markers following the marathon. In contrast, no immediate changes in urinary excretion of 8-oxodG and 8-oxoGuo were evident. Four days after the marathon, decreased urinary excretion of 8-oxodG (-2.9 (95% CI -4.8;-1.1) nmol/24 h, P < 0.01) and 8-oxoGuo (-5.8 (95% CI -10.3;-1.3) nmol/24 h, P = 0.02) was observed. The excretion rate of 8-oxodG remained decreased 7 days after the marathon compared to baseline (-2.3 (95%CI -4.3;-0.4) nmol/24 h, P = 0.02), whereas the excretion rate of 8-oxoGuo was normalized. In conclusion marathon participation immediately induced a considerable inflammatory response, but did not increase excretion rates of oxidatively generated nucleic acid modifications. In fact, a delayed decrease in oxidatively generated nucleic acid modifications was observed suggesting adaptive antioxidative effects following exercise.     

More Than Growth Mindset: Individual and Interactive Links Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Adolescents’ Ability Mindsets,Metacognitive Skills,and Math Engagement

This article used self-regulated learning as a theoretical lens to examine the individual and interactive associations between a growth mindset and metacognition on math engagement for adolescent students from socioeconomically disadvantaged schools. Across three longitudinal studies with 207, 897, and 2,325 11- to 15-year-old adolescents, students’ beliefs that intelligence is malleable and capable of growth over time only predicted higher math engagement among students possessing the metacognitive skills to reflect upon and be aware of their learning progress. The results suggest that metacognitive skills may be necessary for students to realize their growth mindset. Thus, growth mindsets and metacognitive skills should be promoted together to capitalize on the mutually reinforcing effects of each, especially among students in socioeconomically disadvantaged schools.     

Credibility versus fake news in digital newspapers on tablets in primary education / Credibilidad versus falsedad de las noticias de periódicos digitales sobre la tableta en la Educación Primaria

Abstract

The press is often attributed with little credibility, and the recent phenomenon of fake news has put it under the spotlight once again. As a result, the objective of this study is to discover the margin of the veracity versus falsehood of the news reports on tablets in primary education published in digital newspapers. This qualitative study has been developed on the basis of an analysis of 120 news items in Spanish newspapers. The conclusions show that news items on the topic correspond with reality and can be considered credible since they are in line with results provided in the scientific literature. Nevertheless, and in accordance with this type of publication, the treatment of the topic in these news items is superficial, even though they usually dedicate a full page to it. When discussing benefits and controversial points, both newspaper articles and scientific studies highlight the immediacy offered by tablets and the motivation generated in students. At the same time, their use is also linked with harmful effects associated with technopathologies.     

Orthographic Neighborhood-Size Effects on the Reading Aloud of Italian Children With and Without Dyslexia

This study examines the effects of orthographic neighborhood size (N-size) in relationship with word frequency on the reading aloud of children with and without dyslexia whose language has a consistent orthography. Participants included 22 Italian fourth-grade children with dyslexia and 44 age-matched typically developing readers. Children with dyslexia read low-frequency words with high N-size faster than words that had no neighbors; by contrast, typically developing readers showed no N-size effects, irrespective of word frequency. The facilitating effect of N-size on low-frequency word reading in children with dyslexia indicates that they benefit from lexical activation spreading from dense neighborhoods.     

The Devil in the Detail: Contradictory national requirements and Bologna master degrees

This article compares the national-level requirements for master degree provision in England, Denmark and Portugal following the implementation of the Bologna Process, and ponders upon the reconcilability of these requirements in cross-national initiatives (e.g. joint degrees). In all three countries, master degrees have to comply with the national qualification frameworks, which have been verified against the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area. Other regulations apply, however. In Denmark and Portugal, higher education degrees are tightly regulated by legislation, while the Academic Infrastructure developed by the Quality Assurance Agency in the UK acts as a broad reference for degree design, giving English institutions a high degree of freedom. Findings reveal the existence of contradictory requirements which have arisen further to policy adaptations, made possible by the non-legally binding character of Bologna and its loose policy mechanisms.     

A comprehensive evaluation of lexical reading in Italian developmental dyslexics

Italian developmental dyslexic readers show a striking length effect and have been hypothesised to rely mostly on nonlexical reading. Our experiments tested this hypothesis by assessing whether or not the deficit underlying dyslexia is specific to lexical reading. The effects of lexicality, word frequency and length were investigated in the same group of children in four separate experiments. Although dyslexics were slower and less accurate than skilled readers and had large length effects, they showed lexicality and word frequency effects in both reading aloud and lexical decision. In a cross‐experiment comparison, we show that a single global factor explains a large proportion of the difference in reading performance between dyslexic and skilled readers. This factor may indicate a deficit at a prelexical level of analysis. Lexical activation seemed spared in the dyslexic children based on the effects of lexicality and frequency. These findings contrast the hypothesis that Italian dyslexics primarily engage in nonlexical reading.