Overshadowing in the spatial domain

In Experiments 1 and 2, rats were trained in a Morris water maze to locate a hidden platform, the location of which in the circular pool was defined by four visual landmarks (A, B, C, and D), spaced at equal intervals around the edge of the pool. Control animals were trained with these four visual landmarks only. But for animals in the overshadowing groups, an auditory component, X, was added to Landmark D. Test trials, given at the end of training, consisted of placing the rat in the pool with no platform present and recording the time rats spent in the platform quadrant. In Experiment 1, the overshadowing group spent less time in the platform quadrant than controls when tested with D, but the two groups performed equally well on test trials that did not use D. We conclude that the auditory Component X overshadowed the visual Landmark D. In Experiment 2, we obtained evidence of reciprocal overshadowing, of D by X and of X by D. The results of Experiment 3 suggested that an appeal to generalization decrement might not be sufficient to explain these overshadowing effects.     

The belief revision model: asymmetrical effects of noncontingency on human covariation learning

A noncontingent experience affects the subsequent detection of positive and negative contingencies between the same events. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that such preexposure can produce both an impairment in the detection of subsequent positive contingency and a facilitation of a negative one, independent of the level of contingency during the contingent phase. Experiment 3 raised difficulties for a model that assumes that associations to the context can explain this asymmetrical effect. Experiment 4 suggested that the different weights usually assigned to the different types of trials when computing the contingency between events can change as a result of a noncontingent experience with the same events. This change supports an account of the asymmetrical effect by a belief revision model based on a mechanism that updates the weights of the different trial types as a function of previous experience. More generally, the belief revision model is a statistical (i.e., nonassociative) model of learning that is capable of accounting for trial-order effects, which have long posed problems for statistical models.     

The Responses of Higher Education Institutions to Global Challenge: Innovative Universities and Human Resources Development

Before a higher education institution can develop international impact and reputation, it must first have developed its regional impact and reputation. Universities can contribute to the creation of wealth in given regions in a number of ways, not the least of which is technology transfer, the creation of firms and other spin‐off activities, and the furtherance of the their reputations for excellence. Staff and students spend a good deal of money in such regions, thus increasing regional wealth, and if given institutions pursue entrepreneurial policies in regard to the course programmes that they offer, their graduates will not only find nearby employment but will create employment for others. The “Innova” Project of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia is an illustration of how a major regional university is attempting to apply new teaching models to enhance entrepreneurial culture in the Barcelona area of Spain and thereby to increase regional human capital.     

Trust,reputation and ambiguous freedoms: financial institutions and subversive libertarians navigating blockchain,markets, and regulation

This article departs from the post 2008 financial crisis context, from its intersection with technological developments, and from the socio-technical arrangements configured by this conjuncture. It explores plans and actions – of mainstream financial institutions, and of a community seeking for alternatives to centralised economy and governance – for the use of digital platforms supported by blockchain infrastructure. In particular, it explores how such plans and actions relate to conceptions of public and peer trust and how they appear to produce, or reinforce, reputational imaginaries and quantification practices within added value philosophies. By illuminating a tension between the two identified case examples, I seek to render alternative communities’ and financial institutions’ conceptions, imaginaries and practices (more) visible and to analyse their organisational marketing strategies – where there is a pragmatic and discursive operationalisation of technology as well as of trust as means to gain more self-sovereignty in action, while navigating markets and regulated actual world contexts.     

Analysis of foot strike pattern,rearfoot dynamic and foot rotation over childhood. A cross-sectional study

The purpose of this study was to determine the foot strike patterns (FSP), rearfoot position at initial contact (RPic, i.e., No INV/EVE) and foot rotation in children in relation to age. A total of 932 children aged 3 to 16 years participated in this study. A sagittal and frontal-plane video was recorded using a high-speed camcorder to analyse these variables. There is a significant increase (p < 0.001) of rearfoot strike patterns (RFS) prevalence in relation to age; e.g. preschool children (3–6 years old) displayed an RFS prevalence 46.65% and the adolescent population(15–16 years old) an RFS prevalence 92.20%. The total RFS prevalence in all samples was 69.25%. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of prevalence of RPic in relation to age groups; preschool children displayed a prevalence of RPic 60.37% and the adolescent population 10%. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of prevalence of no foot rotation in relation to age groups; preschool children displayed a prevalence of no foot rotation 48.95% and the adolescent population 13.55%. In conclusion, FSP in children are influenced by age. It is noteworthy that the RFS prevalence of children is lower in comparison to the adult population.     

Acute intraocular pressure responses to high-intensity interval-training protocols in men and women

We aimed (1) to test the acute impact of two high-intensity interval-training (HIIT) protocols differing in the level of effort on intraocular pressure (IOP) responses, and (2) to elucidate whether the IOP responses differ between men and women. Twenty-four physically active collegiate (12 men and 12 women) performed three protocols: low-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 60-s of rest), high-fatigue HIIT (eight 30-m sprints with 30-s of rest), and control (walking). IOP was taken at baseline, after sprints and recovery by rebound tonometry. Our data revealed an acute IOP reduction during both HIIT protocols compared to the control condition (effect size [ES]:0.81–1.65). The differences between both HIIT protocols were generally negligible (ES<0.30), however, the reduction of IOP was moderately higher for the low-fatigue HIIT protocol after the 7th (ES: 0.67) and 8th (ES: 0.74) sprints. Women showed a more prominent lowering effect on IOP during the control condition (ES: 0.42–1.02), and during the two first sprints of both HIIT protocols (ES: 0.54–1.03). These findings highlight that a time-efficient HIIT protocol may acutely reduce IOP levels, while low-fatigue HIIT protocol could be recommended since it induced a higher reduction on IOP than the high-fatigue HIIT protocol.     

Cardiorespiratory fitness and arm bone mineral health in young males with spinal cord injury: the mediator role of lean mass

Spinal cord injury (SCI) derives in loss of bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD). However, physical activity is an important determinant in bone mass acquisition, which is partially mediated through the lean mass (LM). The aim was to examine the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on BMD and BMC arms of adult males with SCI and able-bodied controls using the arm LM as a mediator variable. Thirty able-bodied men and thirty men with SCI participated. BMC and BMD were analysed by DXA, and indirect calorimetry was used to calculate VO_2peak during a progressive arm-cranking test. When groups were divided by the amount of LM, the subgroup with highest LM had significantly higher arm BMC compared to the lowest LM subgroup (p ≤ 0.05) in both SCI and able-bodied groups. Moreover, same differences were found when confidence intervals were analysed. Only in the SCI group, arm LM mediated the relationship between bone mass and CRF at 30.9%, as indicated by the Sobel test (z = 2.17 and z = 2.04 for BMC and BMD, respectively). In conclusion, LM mediates the indirect association between CRF and bone health, specifically in the arms. This finding highlights the importance of having an adequate CRF for the maintenance of good bone health in SCI men.     

The influence of short-term fixture congestion on position specific match running performance and external loading patterns in English professional soccer

The aim of the current study was to investigate positional specific physical performance and external load responses to short term fixture congestion in English professional soccer. A total of 515 match observations were categorised as G1: the first game in a week with >4 days following a previous game, G2: the second game in a week played <4 days since G1, and G3: the third game in a week played with <4 days between each of the previous games. Global positioning system and accelerometer-based metrics were partitioned into fifteen-minute epochs. These data were then analysed using a linear mixed model to assess both the within and between game positional differences. Total, low-intensity (<4.0 m·s^?1), medium-intensity (MID; 4.0–5.5 m·s^?1), and sprint distance (>7.0 m·s^?1) were significantly different across games. No between game positional differences were identified; however, within match position specific differences were observed for measures of MID and HID. No significant differences were evident for accelerometer derived metrics between games or across positions. The current data suggests that the use of fifteen minute within game epochs enables the detection of alterations in physical output during congested schedules. The observed within game positional differences has implications for player specific conditioning and squad rotation strategies.     

Biomechanical analyses of synchronised swimming standard and contra-standard sculling

Synchronised swimming involves a variety of sculling movements essential for body support and propulsion but its study is scarce. We aimed to biomechanically compare standard and contra-standard sculling techniques, and to observe the relationship between measures. Six synchronised swimmers performed two, 30 s maximal intensity, fully tethered standard and contra-standard sculling motions. Kinetic and kinematic data were obtained using a load-cell and underwater cameras, respectively. Force decreased along both techniques’ bouts, but no differences in-between techniques were noted for any kinetic variables. Standard sculling presented a higher cycle rate and a lower elbow mean angle than the contra-standard sculling (2.4 ± 0.3 vs. 2.0 ± 0.2 cycles/s and 134.1 ± 5.8 and 141.5 ± 4.7°, p < 0.05). In the standard sculling, by removing and maintaining the variation between participants (r _w and r, respectively), the absolute mean force was directly related with cycle rate (r _w  = 0.60) and wrist angular velocity during flexion (r = 0.82), while in the contra-standard condition the force was inversely associated with wrist mean angle (r = ?0.95) and directly with hand speed (r _w  = 0.76), and elbow angular velocity (r _w  ≈ 0.60). Therefore, technique learning and training require different attention by coaches and swimmers.