Effects of attentional focus and gaze instruction during observational learning of a basketball free-throw.

Observational learning has long been used to instruct individuals on how to perform a novice motor skill. Recently, research has shown a benefit to instructing learners to focus externally when viewing a video model (Asadi, Aiken, Heidari, & Kochackpour, 2021). Research has also highlighted the effectiveness of modeling correct gaze behaviors when learning a cognitive task (Jarodzka, van Gog, Dorr, Scheiter, & Gerjets, 2013). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of combining these two modalities. 40 individuals with a mean age of 21.77 ± 1.40 performed a novel motor task where they were asked to either focus internally or externally, and were provided with traditional instruction or were provided with an experienced performer's gaze behaviors while viewing a video demonstration. It was observed that both the external focus groups and the gaze instructed groups performed a basketball free-throw more accurately and had longer periods of quiet eye than an internal focus or traditional verbal instruction (p's < 0.05). Eye tracking also allowed for the assessment of attentional focus adherence. Participants focused on the instructed cues significantly more than irrelevant task aspects or a different focus types (p's < 0.05). These results highlight the effectiveness of cuing a learner to focus externally during observational learning. It also highlights the usefulness of providing correct gaze behaviors when observing a model.

Effects of Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 on exercise-induced disruption of gastrointestinal integrity.

PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of the probiotic Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917 (EcN) on the exercise-induced disruption of gastrointestinal (GI) integrity and the associated release of damage and inflammatory markers. METHODS: After a pre-performance test, 19 untrained subjects (aged 18-35 years) passed two identical exhaustive treadmill exercise tests in an intensity corresponding to 60-80% VO2max in a test-retest design. The exercise tests were separated by a time period of 4 weeks. During this period, all subjects ingested 5 ml of an EcN suspension daily. Serum samples were taken before, immediately following and 3 h after both exercise tests. They were analyzed for indicators of GI integrity (zonulin; claudin-3; LPS), various damage and redox markers (I-FABP, GOT; GPT; TBARS) and inflammatory parameters (hsCRP; leucocytes). GI complaints were evaluated by a questionnaire. RESULTS: The intake of EcN resulted in a significantly lower increase in I-FABP and TBARS after exercise (p < 0.05). In contrast, no effect of EcN supplementation was found for hsCRP and leucocyte numbers. Similarly, no differences were found for levels of zonulin and claudin-3. Exercise-associated GI complaints were not affected by the probiotic supplement. CONCLUSION: The probiotic EcN reduced the exercise-associated increase in oxidative stress. This antioxidative mechanism probably leads to a reduction of GI epithelial damage after exhaustive exercise. The lack of EcN effects on other markers of GI permeability and systemic inflammation is most likely due to an inadequate exercise load, with rather small and insignificant exercise effects on these parameters.

The impact of instructing management skill to managers on the obstetrician's efficiency.

The importance of efficiency and improvement of health service for resolving people's health requirement and meeting their expectation is increasing. In addition, it considers as a priority for making decision and manager's activity in health officials. Manager's control on the management principle and the proper use of their management skill and creating a sense of trust and commitment are the tools that were providing a good condition for working and catching the organization's goals. In this quasi-experimental study, before beginning the research, the non-teaching hospitals that are affiliated to the Kurdistan's medical science university were randomly divided into 2 groups. Three hospitals from 3 cities considered as a control group, and three hospitals from 3 cities considered as an intervention group.80 person of hospital's obstetrician staff classified in these 2 group by quota method and the hospital's nurses and obstetrician's manager of case-control involved by census method. The research's tool was Hersi and Gold Smith's standard efficiency questionnaire, which was filled out at the beginning of the study by the obstetricians of both groups and then it gave to the hospital's nurses and obstetrician's managers of the case group's instructing management skills for 16 hours. The efficiency's questionnaire was filled out, compared, and evaluated again by the obstetricians of both groups, 12 weeks after intervention. The data analyzed by the independent T-test, variance analysis, paired T-test, and SPSS 22. The findings showed that the average of the obstetrician's efficiency mainly developed in the intervention team after the instruction of management skills to the managers (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The instruction of the management skill to the nurses and obstetrician's managers caused the efficiency's promotion. Therefore, the instruction of the management skills has suggested as a method of increasing efficiency in hospitals.

Comparison of seminal oxidants and antioxidants in subjects with different levels of physical fitness.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seminal 8-Isoprostane, reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in subjects with different level of physical fitness. A total of 161 semen samples were obtained from three groups of healthy males, including elite athletes (23.8 ± 5.2 years, n = 56) who had regular training (4-5 days per week), recreationally active men (24.2 ± 4.9 years, n = 52) who participated in educational or recreational physical activities for 4-5 h per week and non-active men (23.9 ± 5.0 years, n = 53) who did not participate in any exercise programmes for at least 6 months prior to the study. The results showed significantly higher levels of SOD, catalase and TAC as well as lower levels of 8-Isoprostane, ROS and MDA in recreationally active men compared with either elite athletes or non-active men (p < 0.001). Also, elite athletes revealed significantly higher seminal 8-Isoprostane, ROS and MDA as well as lower SOD, catalase and TAC levels compared with recreationally active and non-active men (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that there are differences in seminal oxidants and antioxidants of elite athletes, recreationally active and non-active men. These differences are more likely related to indices that favour decrement of oxidative stress-induced peroxidative damage in spermatozoa from recreationally active men. Hence, recreationally active men seem to have a healthier semen production. The physiological significance of this observation is worthy of further investigation.

Avicenna and cataracts: a new analysis of contributions to diagnosis and treatment from the canon.

BACKGROUND: Physicians in ancient Persia played an important role in the development of medicine in the medieval era. One of the most influential figures of this era was Abu Ali Sina or Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna in the western world. The author of more than 200 books on medicine and philosophy, Avicenna followed and further expanded on the tradition of western philosophy and medicine introduced by Aristotle, Hippocrates and Galen. Few researchers have looked into the different medical issues in his best known work, the Canon of Medicine, particularly with regard to ophthalmology. In this analysis, Avicenna's views on and contributions to the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts in his Canon were elucidated. METHODS: We first reviewed an electronic copy of the Canon and then reviewed other important sources in traditional medicine including the Kamel-al-Sanaeh, Al-Havi (Continents) and Zakhireh-kharazmshahi, available in the Avicenna Special Traditional Medicine Library of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. We also searched Medline, Embase, Scopus, Iranmedex and Science Iranian Database (SID) with these keywords: "traditional medicine," "Avicenna," "cataract", "Canon", "history", "ophthalmology" and "eye disorders". RESULTS: According to the Canon, nozul-al-maa or cataract is an obstructive disease in which external moisture accumulates between the aqueous humor and the corneal membrane and prevents images from entering the eye. Avicenna classified cataracts on the basis of size, density and color. According to size, he identified two types of cataracts including complete and partial obstruction. According to the Canon, surgical intervention was necessary only for certain indications. Avicenna believed that opacity in the initial stages of cataract could be diminished by medicines and foods, and described several medicines for cataracts. He believed that surgery should be postponed until the liquid accumulation stopped, and the cataract reached its mature state. After surgery, according to Avicenna, the patient should avoid headache-inducing situations because headaches could lead to edema of the layers of the eye. He further emphasized that the patient's psychological status played an important role in the success of surgery. CONCLUSION: An important aspect of Avicenna's contribution to the medical management of cataracts was that he believed they could be cured by medication and nutrition in their early stages without the need for surgery. He also considered the patient's mental status as an important factor contributing to the postoperative prognosis. Our review of Avicenna's writings on eye disorders in the Canon of Medicine suggests that he had a rigorous approach to the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from eye disorders.