RESUMO
ABSTRACT: Buga, A, Decker, DD, Robinson, BT, Crabtree, CD, Stoner, JT, Arce, LF, El-Shazly, X, Kackley, ML, Sapper, TN, Anders, JPV, Kraemer, WJ, and Volek, JS. The VirTra V-100 is a test-retest reliable shooting simulator for measuring accuracy/precision, decision-making, and reaction time in civilians, police/SWAT, and military personnel. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-Law-enforcement agencies and the military have increasingly used virtual reality (VR) to augment job readiness. However, whether VR technology captures consistent data for shooting performance evaluation has never been explored. We enrolled 30 adults (24 M/6 F) to examine test-retest reliability of the VirTra shooting simulator. Approximately 30% of the sample had a tactical background (PD/SWAT and military). Trained research staff familiarized subjects with how to shoot the infrared-guided M4 rifle at digitally projected targets. Subjects then performed 3 identical experimental shooting sessions (consecutive or separated by 1-2 days) that assessed accuracy/precision, decision-making, and reaction time. Key metrics comprised projectile Cartesian position ( x , y ), score, time, and throughput (score or accuracy divided by time). Test-retest reliability was measured with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). After each visit, subjects completed a perceptual survey to self-evaluate their shooting performance and perceived VR realism. The simulator captured 21 ballistic variables with good to excellent test-retest agreement, producing a global ICC of 0.78. Notable metrics were the individual projectile distances to the center of the target (0.81), shot group radius (0.91), time-to-first decision (0.97), decision-making throughput (0.95), and target transition reaction time (0.91). Subjects had positive self-evaluations about their shooting performance, with "confidence" increasing from baseline to the end of the study ( p = 0.014). The VirTra V-100 virtual ballistic shooting simulator captures data with a high degree of test-retest reliability and is easy to familiarize regardless of starting expertise levels, making it appropriate for use as a method to objectively track progress or a tactical research testing tool.
RESUMO
As in other Latin American populations, Argentinians are the result of the admixture amongst different continental groups, mainly from America and Europe, and to a lesser extent from Sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is known that the admixture processes did not occur homogeneously throughout the country. Therefore, considering the importance for anthropological, medical and forensic researches, this study aimed to investigate the population genetic structure of the Argentinian Patagonia, through the analysis of 46 ancestry informative markers, in 433 individuals from five different localities. Overall, in the Patagonian sample, the average individual ancestry was estimated as 35.8% Native American (95% CI: 32.2-39.4%), 62.1% European (58.5-65.7%) and 2.1% African (1.7-2.4%). Comparing the five localities studied, statistically significant differences were observed for the Native American and European contributions, but not for the African ancestry. The admixture results combined with the genealogical information revealed intra-regional variations that are consistent with the different geographic origin of the participants and their ancestors. As expected, a high European ancestry was observed for donors with four grandparents born in Europe (96.8%) or in the Central region of Argentina (85%). In contrast, the Native American ancestry increased when the four grandparents were born in the North (71%) or in the South (61.9%) regions of the country, or even in Chile (60.5%). In summary, our results showed that differences on continental ancestry contribution have different origins in each region in Patagonia, and even in each locality, highlighting the importance of knowing the origin of the participants and their ancestors for the correct interpretation and contextualization of the genetic information.