Body appreciation around the world: Measurement invariance of the Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age.

The Body Appreciation Scale-2 (BAS-2) is a widely used measure of a core facet of the positive body image construct. However, extant research concerning measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across a large number of nations remains limited. Here, we utilised the Body Image in Nature (BINS) dataset - with data collected between 2020 and 2022 - to assess measurement invariance of the BAS-2 across 65 nations, 40 languages, gender identities, and age groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated that full scalar invariance was upheld across all nations, languages, gender identities, and age groups, suggesting that the unidimensional BAS-2 model has widespread applicability. There were large differences across nations and languages in latent body appreciation, while differences across gender identities and age groups were negligible-to-small. Additionally, greater body appreciation was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, being single (versus being married or in a committed relationship), and greater rurality (versus urbanicity). Across a subset of nations where nation-level data were available, greater body appreciation was also significantly associated with greater cultural distance from the United States and greater relative income inequality. These findings suggest that the BAS-2 likely captures a near-universal conceptualisation of the body appreciation construct, which should facilitate further cross-cultural research.

Identification and distribution of Brachyspira species in feces from finishing pigs in Argentina.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Brachyspira are Gram-negative, aerotolerant spirochetes that colonize the large intestine of various species of domestic animals and humans. The aim of this study was to determine the presence and distribution of different species of Brachyspira presents in feces from finishing pigs in Argentina. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fecal samples (n=1550) were collected from finishing pigs in 53 farms of the most important swine production areas of Argentina, and Brachyspiras species were identified by bacteriological and molecular methods. RESULTS: The regional prevalence of Brachyspira spp. was at the level of 75.5% (confidence interval 95%, 62.9-87.9), and it was lower among those farms with >1001 sows. One hundred and twenty-eight isolates of Brachyspira were properly identified and the species found were: Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, Brachyspira pilosicoli, Brachyspira innocens, and Brachyspira murdochii. B. hyodysenteriae and B. pilosicoli had low prevalence (1.9% and 7.5%, respectively), B. innocens was isolated from 34% of the farms and B. murdochii was found in 39.6%. CONCLUSION: The present study provides epidemiological data about herd prevalence of the different Brachyspira species in Argentina, showing that the prevalence figure seems to be higher than that reported in other countries.

Time Constraint Increases Mental Load and Influences in the Performance in Small-Sided Games in Basketball.

Purpose: In team sports like basketball, small-sided games have received much scientific attention because of their capacity to simulate competitive environments. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of different task constraints on mental load, and its consequences for individual and team performance in basketball small-sided games. Method: Twenty-four university students voluntarily took part in this study (Mage = 20.81 years [± 1.76]). Four different 3 × 3 basketball games were played: (A) free game, (B) seven seconds possession, (C) three passes maximum per attack phase, (D) conditions B and C combined. Results: Statistical analysis showed that constraints B, C and D produce more mental load, provoke differences in the affect response and the performance is worse. Conclusion: These results demonstrate the mental cost of restricting the time and number of passes, separately and combined to decide and act.

Detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in nasal and laryngeal swab specimens in endemically infected pig herds.

BACKGROUND: Apparently, laryngeal swabs (LS) are more sensitive than nasal swabs (NS) and allow earlier detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae by PCR. However, antecedents about the compared detection of M hyopneumoniae with NS and LS in growing pigs, from naturally infected herds, are lacking in the literature. Thus, this study compared the PCR detection of M hyopneumoniae from NS and LS in pigs of various ages. METHODS: A longitudinal study was performed at two farms where NS and LS were collected from three consecutive groups of 20 pigs at 3, 6, 10, 16 and 22 weeks of age. All samples were analysed by nested PCR for M hyopneumoniae detection. RESULTS: The probability of PCR detection of M hyopneumoniae was higher in LS for pigs of all ages (odds ratio (OR)=1.87; 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 1.31-2.67) and in 22-week-old pigs (OR=4.87; 95 per cent CI 2.86-8.30). The agreement between both sample types was low to moderate (kappa 0.087-0.508), highlighting that M hyopneumoniae does not appear to colonise the respiratory tract in a generalised and consistent fashion. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that LS could be employed at different ages to achieve greater bacterial detection. Considering that LS is a minimally invasive, highly sensitive sample compared with the traditional NS, it could be suggested to employ this sample type for M hyopneumoniae detection in naturally infected pigs.

Persistence of the same genetic type of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in a closed herd for at least two years.

Two cross-sectional studies were carried out in 2013 and 2015 monitoring for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae presence in a swine farm. In these studies, the genetic diversity of M. hyopneumoniae was assessed in clinical specimens using a Multiple Locus Variable-number tandem repeat Analysis (MLVA) targeting P97 R1, P146 R3 and H4 loci. The samples from August 2015 showed the MLVA profile prevalent in June 2013, therefore it can be concluded that a same genetic type of M. hyopneumoniae can persist for at least two years in a closed herd. In addition, the nested PCR reactions implemented in this study showed to be useful for MLVA typing in non-invasive clinical samples.

El valor del aprendizaje incidental en la toma de decisión y control motor en baloncesto / Incidental learning value in basketball decision making and control motor

En la mayor parte de las situaciones que se producen en el baloncesto, el jugador debe tomar decisiones en un momento concreto de una fracción de tiempo muy limitada, mientras de forma simultánea ejecuta respuestas motoras también inmediatas. Son reacciones motoras rápidas tomadas en situación de presión, donde no tiene tiempo para reflexionar (Kibele,2006). Estas decisiones parecen basarse en la intuición (Iglesias, Cárdenas& Alarcón, 2007) y se relacionan con el aprendizaje incidental (Poolton, Masters & Maxwell, 2006). En un deporte como el baloncesto donde el tiempo es muy reducido y se necesita ejecutar de manera simultánea una respuesta motora inmediata, los procesos intuitivos parecen que pueden proporcionar la exactitud y la rapidez deseada (Raab & Johnson, 2008), favoreciendo que se produzca una toma de decisión eficaz en condición de estrés, con límite de tiempo y poca información. Teniendo en cuenta que los procesos deliberados y automáticos funcionan simultáneamente y que en su conjunto forman el pensamiento y la acción (Betsch, 2008), nosotros abogamos por un modelo integrado que tenga en cuenta a ambos, pues como afirman Sun, Slusarz & Terry (2005), los procesos incidentales e intencionales coexisten e interactúan para formar el aprendizaje y el rendimiento (AU)

In most of the situations arisen in basketball, the player must take decisions at a given moment within a very limited time fraction, whereas, in a simultaneous way, he carries out motor-responses also immediately. They are rapid motor-reactions taken under pressure situations, when he has no time to think twice about it (Kibele, 2006). These decisions seem to be based on intuition (Iglesias, Cárdenas & Alarcón, 2007) and are connected to incidental learning (Poolton, Masters & Maxwell, 2006).In sports like basketball, where time is very reduced and it is necessary to simultaneously give an immediate motor-answer, intuitive processes appear to be able to render the necessary precision and speed (Raab & Johnson,2008), thus improving an efficient decision-taking under stress conditions, limited time available and little information. Bearing in mind that deliberate and automatic processes work simultaneously, and that, altogether, they form up thinking an action (Betsch, 2008), we favour a model which takes into consideration both of them, since, as per Sun, Slusarz & Terry(2005), incidental and intentional processes do coexist and they interact in order to arrive to learning and performance (AU)

Características de la personalidad de jóvenes jugadores de baloncesto (15-under) / Characteristics in the Personality of Young Basketball Players (15 and under)

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar los rasgos de personalidad de los jóvenes jugadores de baloncesto de 13-15 años (n=54) a través de la evaluación de las dimensiones del cuestionario de personalidad BFQ-NA, para niños y adolescentes. Se trata de un estudio no experimental en el que se emplea un diseño transeccional o transversal descriptivo. Los resultados obtenidos permiten afirmar que los jugadores seleccionados para la muestra se caracterizan por ser personas: a) perseverantes, tenaces y exigentes, b)abiertas a la novedad, creativas, espontáneas y cultas, c) con valores normales de sociabilidad, seguridad y entusiasmo, d) amables, honestas, educadas y e) tranquilas, serenas y poco irritables (AU)

The aim of the present work was to assess the personality traits of young basketball players aged 13-15 years (n=54) through the evaluation of the dimensions of personality questionnaire BFQ-NA, for children and adolescents. We used a descriptive transversal design in this study which was non-experimental. The results that were obtained confirm that the players selected for the sample are characterized by being: a) persistent, tenacious and demanding, b) open to novelty, creative, spontaneous and educate, c)with normal values of sociability, confidence and enthusiasm, d)friendly, honest and polite, e) calm, serene and slightly irritable (AU)