Internal Response Research Articles

Investigation of Internal and External Load Responses of Football Referees During the Match

Bu çalışma futbol hakemlerinin müsabaka sırasındaki iç ve dış yük yanıtlarının incelenmesi amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmaya 7 bölgesel il (Yaş: 24,44±2,35 yıl; Boy Uzunluğu: 181,31±4,79 cm; Vücut Ağırlığı: 74,97±4,63 kg; Hakem Yaşı: 3,86±0,37 yıl) hakemi katılmış ve 5 ayrı kategoriden 62 müsabaka değerlendirilmiştir. Hakemlere müsabakalar sırasında küresel konumlandırma sistemi (GPS)’ne sahip kalp atım hızı (KAH) monitörü takılarak iç ve dış yük verileri takip edilmiştir. İç yük değerlendirmesinde müsabakalar sırasındaki zirve KAH (%KAHzirve), ortalama KAH (%KAHort) ve 5 farklı relatif kategoride (KAH<%65,KAH%65-75,KAH%75-85,KAH%85-95,KAH>95) geçirdikleri süre dakika olarak kaydedilmiştir. Müsabaka sırasındaki dış yük verileri, toplam koşu mesafesi (Koşutoplam), ortalama koşu hızı (Koşuort), maksimal koşu hızı (Koşumaks) ve 5 farklı hız kategorisinde(Koşu≤3,6, Koşu3,6-7,2, Koşu7,2-13,0, Koşu13,0-18,0, Koşu≥18,0) kat ettikleri mesafe metre cinsinden değerlendirilmiştir. Hakemlere ait iç ve dış yük verileri 6 eşit periyot (0-15dk,15-30dk,30-45dk,45-60dk,60-75dk,75-90dk), 1. ve 2. yarılara göre analiz edilmiştir. Yarılar arasındaki farklılıkların değerlendirilmesinde bağımlı gruplarda t-testi, periyotlar arasındaki farklar için Tekrarlı Ölçümlerde Varyans Analizi (ANOVA) kullanılmıştır. İç yük analiz sonuçları 1. yarı %KAHort, %KAHzirve ve KAH%85-95 değerlerinin 2. yarıdan yüksek, KAH%65-75 2. yarı değerlerinin ise 1. yarıdan yüksek olduğunu göstermektedir (p<0,05). Dış yük verileri değerlendirildiğinde 1. yarı Koşutoplam, Koşuort, ve Koşu7,2-13,0 değerleri 2. yarıdan, Koşu≤3,6 2. yarı verileri ise 1. yarıdan yüksektir (p<0,05). Müsabaka periyotlarına göre genel bir değerlendirme yapıldığında 1. periyottaki dış yük ile 3. periyottaki iç yük verilerinin diğer periyotlara göre açık farklılıklar gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak bu çalışma müsabaka sırasında hakemlerin de futbolcular gibi yüksek iç ve dış yüklenmelere maruz kaldıklarını ve bu yüklenmelerin müsabakanın farklı periyot ve yarılarına göre farklılaştığını göstermiştir.

External Validation of the KOOS-ACL in the MOON Group Cohort of Young Athletes Followed for 10 Postoperative Years

Background: The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score–Anterior Cruciate Ligament (KOOS-ACL) is a short form version of the KOOS, developed to target populations of young active patients with ACL tears. The KOOS-ACL consists of 2 subscales: Function (8 items) and Sport (4 items). The KOOS-ACL was developed and validated using data from the Stability 1 study from baseline to postoperative 2 years. Purpose: To validate the KOOS-ACL in an external sample of patients matching the outcome’s target population. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 1. Methods: The Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network group cohort of 839 patients aged 14 to 22 years who tore their ACLs while playing sports was used to assess internal consistency reliability, structural validity, convergent validity, responsiveness to change, and floor/ceiling effects of the KOOS-ACL at 4 time points: baseline and postoperative 2, 6, and 10 years. Detection of treatment effects between graft type (hamstring tendon vs bone–patellar tendon–bone) were also compared between the full-length KOOS and KOOS-ACL. Results: The KOOS-ACL demonstrated acceptable internal consistency reliability (α = .82-.89), structural validity (Tucker-Lewis index and comparative fit index = 0.98-0.99; standardized root mean square residual and root mean square error of approximation = 0.04-0.07), convergent validity (Spearman correlation with International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form = 0.66-0.85; Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index function = 0.84-0.95), and responsiveness to change across time (large effect sizes from baseline to postoperative 2 years; d = 0.94 [Function] and d = 1.54 [Sport]). Stable scores and significant ceiling effects were seen from 2 to 10 years. No significant differences in KOOS or KOOS-ACL scores were detected between patients with different graft types. Conclusion: The KOOS-ACL shows improved structural validity when compared with the full-length KOOS and adequate psychometric properties in a large external sample of high school and college athletes. This strengthens the argument to use the KOOS-ACL to assess young active patients with ACL tears in clinical research and practice.

Development and Preliminary Validation of the KOOS-ACL: A Short Form Version of the KOOS for Young Active Patients With ACL Tears

Background: The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcomes Score (KOOS) is a widely used region-specific outcome measure for assessing patients of all ages with a variety of knee conditions. Use of the KOOS for young active patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear has been called into question regarding its relevance and interpretability for this specific population. Furthermore, the KOOS does not have adequate structural validity for use in high-functioning patients with ACL deficiency. Purpose: To develop a condition-specific short form version of the KOOS that is appropriate for the young active population with ACL deficiency: the KOOS-ACL. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: A baseline data set of 618 young patients (≤25 years old) with ACL tears was divided into development and validation samples. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted in the development sample to identify the underlying factor structure and to reduce the number of items based on statistical and conceptual indicators. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to check fit indices of the proposed KOOS-ACL model in both samples. Psychometric properties of the KOOS-ACL were assessed using the same data set, expanded to include patient data from 5 time points (baseline and postoperative 3, 6, 12, and 24 months). Internal consistency reliability, structural validity, convergent validity, responsiveness to change, floor/ceiling effects, and detection of treatment effects between surgical interventions (ACL reconstruction alone vs ACL reconstruction + lateral extra-articular tenodesis) were assessed. Results: A 2-factor structure was deemed most appropriate for the KOOS-ACL. Of 42 items, 30 were removed from the full-length KOOS. The final KOOS-ACL model showed acceptable internal consistency reliability (α = .79-.90), structural validity (comparative fit index and Tucker-Lewis index = 0.98-0.99; root mean square error of approximation and standardized root mean square residual = 0.04-0.07), convergent validity (Spearman correlation with International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form = 0.61-0.83), and responsiveness across time (significant small to large effects; P < .05). Conclusion: The new KOOS-ACL questionnaire contains 12 items and 2 subscales—Function (8 items) and Sport (4 items)—relevant to young active patients with an ACL tear. Use of this short form would reduce patient burden by more than two-thirds; it provides improved structural validity as compared with the full-length KOOS for our population of interest; and it demonstrates adequate psychometric properties in our sample of young active patients undergoing ACL reconstruction.

Saturated fatty acid-enriched small extracellular vesicles mediate a crosstalk inducing liver inflammation and hepatocyte insulin resistance

Background & AimsLipotoxicity triggers non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) progression owing to the accumulation of toxic lipids in hepatocytes including saturated fatty acids (SFAs), which activate pro-inflammatory pathways. We investigated the impact of hepatocyte- or circulating-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEV) secreted under NAFLD conditions on liver inflammation and hepatocyte insulin signalling. MethodssEV released by primary mouse hepatocytes, characterised and analysed by lipidomics, were added to mouse macrophages/Kupffer cells (KC) to monitor internalisation and inflammatory responses. Insulin signalling was analysed in hepatocytes exposed to conditioned media from sEV-loaded macrophages/KC. Mice were i.v. injected sEV to study liver inflammation and insulin signalling. Circulating sEV from mice and humans with NAFLD were used to evaluate macrophage–hepatocyte crosstalk. ResultsNumbers of sEV released by hepatocytes increased under NAFLD conditions. Lipotoxic sEV were internalised by macrophages through the endosomal pathway and induced pro-inflammatory responses that were ameliorated by pharmacological inhibition or deletion of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4). Hepatocyte insulin signalling was impaired upon treatment with conditioned media from macrophages/KC loaded with lipotoxic sEV. Both hepatocyte-released lipotoxic sEV and the recipient macrophages/KC were enriched in palmitic (C16:0) and stearic (C18:0) SFAs, well-known TLR4 activators. Upon injection, lipotoxic sEV rapidly reached KC, triggering a pro-inflammatory response in the liver monitored by Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, NF-κB nuclear translocation, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and infiltration of immune cells into the liver parenchyma. sEV-mediated liver inflammation was attenuated by pharmacological inhibition or deletion of TLR4 in myeloid cells. Macrophage inflammation and subsequent hepatocyte insulin resistance were also induced by circulating sEV from mice and humans with NAFLD. ConclusionsWe identified hepatocyte-derived sEV as SFA transporters targeting macrophages/KC and activating a TLR4-mediated pro-inflammatory response enough to induce hepatocyte insulin resistance. Impact and ImplicationsSmall extracellular vesicles (sEV) released by the hepatocytes under non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) conditions cause liver inflammation and insulin resistance in hepatocytes via paracrine hepatocyte–macrophage–hepatocyte crosstalk. We identified sEV as transporters of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and potent lipotoxic inducers of liver inflammation. TLR4 deficiency or its pharmacological inhibition ameliorated liver inflammation induced by hepatocyte-derived lipotoxic sEV. Evidence of this macrophage–hepatocyte interactome was also found in patients with NAFLD, pointing to the relevance of sEV in SFA-mediated lipotoxicity in NAFLD.

Nonlinear modeling methods for cyclic analysis of double-skin composite shear walls

The double-skin composite walls (DSCWs) are attractive as the main seismic element in structures. The interaction between concrete and steel provides DSCWs with superior seismic and structural performance. An urgent need is to develop accurate and reliable numerical modeling methods to analyze the mechanical mechanisms of DSCWs and predict their responses in structures. This paper provided both continuum finite element (CFE) modeling and fiber-based modeling methods for the nonlinear cyclic analyses of DSCWs. The common problems of numerical simulations in existing studies were summarized and discussed. An alternative CFE modeling method using the ABAQUS program was proposed through explicitly modeled concrete discrete cracks and CVGM (cyclic void growth model)-based steel fracture criterion. The passive confinement of concrete and the geometric local buckling of steel faceplate were taken into account. As for the system-level analyses, a fiber-based modeling method was developed. The concrete confining effect, as well as the local buckling and ductile fracture of steel fibers, were considered and driven by the physically reliable uniaxial constitutive models. Both the CFE models and fiber-based models were validated by experimental results, and a good agreement was achieved. Two modification methods for the enhancement of confining effect due to the interactional constraints of concrete in continuous multi-cavities were proposed. Furthermore, the internal force responses of steel sheets were extracted by CFE simulation results and compared with the steel fibers of the fiber-based model, to verify the reliability of the RSMM (reinforcing steel material model) parameters that control the buckling and fracture of the steel fibers.

A machine-learning-based tool for last closed-flux surface reconstruction on tokamaks

Tokamaks allow to confine fusion plasma with magnetic fields. The prediction/reconstruction of the last closed-flux surface (LCFS) is one of the primary challenges in the control of the magnetic configuration. The evolution in time of the LCFS is determined by the interaction between the actuator coils and the internal tokamak plasma. This task requires real-time capable tools to deal with high-dimensional data and high resolution at same time, where the interaction between a wide range of input actuator coils with internal plasma state responses adds an additional layer of complexity. In this work, we present the application of a novel state-of-the-art machine learning model to LCFS reconstruction in an experimental advanced superconducting tokamak (EAST) that learns automatically from the experimental data of EAST. This architecture allows not only offline simulation and testing of a particular control strategy but can also be embedded in a real-time control system for online magnetic equilibrium reconstruction and prediction. In real-time modeling tests, our approach achieves very high accuracies, with an average similarity of over 99% in the LCFS reconstruction of the entire discharge process.

Hermeneutic Analysis of International Stories: Lived Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

&lt;i&gt;Writing stories about distressing experiences can be a step in navigating traumatic events. With favorable conditions for novel zoonotic disease spurring future health crises, we aimed to (1) Gain insights into the lived experiences of individuals during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) Uncover gaps in care that individuals identified within their healthcare, community, and family settings; and (3) Understand commonalities among perceived psychological well-being of individuals working within their health care settings. Following examination by a midwestern university institutional review board, this study was found exempt from human subject research. A hermeneutic phenomenological framework guided the inquiry. Eighty-six stories came from 11 countries, with 64% submitted by healthcare team members. We found: (1) Lived experiences evolved from a fluid and dynamic process by which personal knowledge emerged from the interaction between individuals’ internal responses to the pandemic and their external behaviors that assisted with coping; (2) Inequities existed in how global resources and information to treatment and mitigation of C-19 was communicated within health care systems, communities, and families, impacting personal psychological safety and well-being; and (3) Spiritual fortitude supported individuals’ well-being as they coped with adversities related to psychologically unsafe work milieus, inequities, and losses. Communal activities within hospital, family and/or community settings improved the well-being of individuals’ lived experiences. Our findings will inform hospital leadership, communities, and families of individuals’ lived experiences early in the pandemic. We provide recommendations that assist in the management of future health crises involving novel viruses.&lt;/i&gt;

Association between internal load responses and recovery ability in U19 professional soccer players: A machine learning approach

BackgroundThe objective of soccer training load (TL) is enhancing players’ performance while minimizing the possible negative effects induced by fatigue. In this regard, monitoring workloads and recovery is necessary to avoid overload and injuries. Given the controversial results found in literature, this study aims to better understand the complex relationship between internal training load (IL) by using rating of perceived exertion (RPE), recovery, and availability (i.e., subjective players’ readiness status). MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, twenty-two-professional soccer players (age: 18.5 ± 0.4 years, height: 177 ± 6 cm, weight: 67 ± 6.7 kg) competing in the U19 Italian Championship were monitored using RPE scale to assess IL, and TreS scale to detect information about recovery and training/match availability during an entire season (2021–2022). ResultsAutocorrelation analysis showed a repeated pattern with 7 days lag (weekly microcycle pattern) for all the variables considered (i.e., TL, recovery, and availability). For recovery (r = 0.64, p < 0.001) and availability (r = 0.63, p < 0.001) the best lag for both of them is 1 day. It indicates that recovery and availability are related to the past day value. Moreover, TL was found to be negatively affected by recovery and availability of the current day (lag = 0 day). Cross-correlation analysis indicates that TL is negatively affected by recovery (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) and availability (r = 0.42, p < 0.001) of the current day (lag = 0 day). In particular, lower recovery and availability will result in following lower TL. Furthermore, we found that TL negatively affects recovery (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) and availability (r = 0.39, p < 0.01) of the next day (lag = 1 day). In fact, the higher the TL in a current day is, the lower the recovery and availability in the next day will be. ConclusionIn conclusion, this study highlights that there is a relationship between TL and recovery and that these components influence each other both on the same day and on the next one. The use of RPE and TreS scale to evaluate TL and recovery/availability of players allows practitioners to better adjust and schedule training within the microcycle to enhance performance while reducing injury risk.

The moving load identification method on asphalt roads based on the BP neural network and FBG sensor monitoring

This study to accurately identify the load information of vehicles on asphalt roads is based on the measured data of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor and the Back Propagation (BP) neural network. First, the input parameters were determined by the BP neural network and FBG sensor theory. Second, the internal mechanical response of asphalt roads under different working conditions was calculated by using finite element software and by using the results of numerical simulation trained in the neural network. Third, the accuracy of the BP neural network used to identify the moving load on asphalt roads was verified by the field-measured data of the FBG sensor. Fourth, the influential factors of moving load identification accuracy were analyzed. The main conclusions are as follows: (a) the sensitive factors of moving load identification on asphalt roads include vehicle speed, asphalt layer temperature, the longitudinal strain between asphalt layers, the number of wheels, and load position; (b) the average absolute error of moving load identification is about 4.11kN, and the average recognition accuracy is up to 90.57%; (c) the measurement accuracy is sensitive to the speed of the vehicle. When vehicle speed exceeds 60 km/h, recognition accuracy may decrease to less than 90%; and (d) the loads at different locations have a significant influence on moving load identification.

5613177 AN INTERNATIONAL, LONGITUDINAL, OBSERVATIONAL STUDY TO EVALUATE THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF A DAILY DIARY FOR ADOLESCENTS AND ADULTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE

Background: Vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) are a serious complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). The Sickle Cell Pain Diary – Self Report (SCPD-S) was developed to capture the impact of VOCs, which occur sporadically and unpredictably. The daily diary evaluates the severity of SCD-related pain during and outside of a VOC and the impact of pain on patient-relevant concepts. Aims: A longitudinal observational study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the SCPD-S items that assess VOC impact. Methods: Participants were eligible for the study if they were ≥12 years old, had a verified diagnosis of SCD, experienced ≥1 VOC in the past 12 months, and lived in the United States, United Kingdom, or Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Participants completed the SCPD-S daily for at least 3 months through a mobile application and at pre-specified intervals, completed additional surveys which served as criterion measures. Factor analyses were conducted to examine the conceptual framework of the SCPD-S VOC impact items. Psychometric properties of 3 different VOC impact scores were evaluated. Analyses included tests of internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent/divergent validity, known-groups validity, and responsiveness. Results: The analytic sample included 299 participants (87% of enrolled participants) who had ≥1 VOC during the study period and missed ≤5 daily assessments in the month in which the VOC occurred. The median age was 30 (range: 12-67); participants were predominantly female (72%) and Black (83%). A unidimensional multi-level confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yielded poor model fit, failing to support the hypothesized unidimensional construct of VOC impact (Table 1, Model 1). Multi-level exploratory factor analysis revealed a 2-factor model with sufficient model fit (Model 2), which was also supported by a CFA (Model 3). The 2 factors represent interference with general activities (Scale 1) and difficulty completing specific activities of daily living (Scale 2). Cronbach’s α was 0.87 for Scale 1 and 0.86 for Scale 2, indicating adequate internal consistency reliability. Tests of differential item function show that after controlling for VOC impact, participants’ responses to SCPD-S items do not depend on age or country of residence. Psychometric analyses were conducted on the Daily VOC Impact scores, which measure VOC impact over the past 24 hours. Test-retest reliability of Scale 1 Daily VOC Impact scores was satisfactory; results for Scale 2 were weaker (intraclass correlation coefficient=0.78 for Scale 1 and 0.66 for Scale 2). Scale 1 Daily VOC Impact scores were responsive to change; change scores were correlated with changes in symptom severity (ρ=0.41, P<0.001). Scale 2 was not responsive to change (ρ=0.27, P<0.001). Additional analyses provided support for scores that aggregate across days within a VOC, not for scores that aggregate across a fixed period.Conclusion: Findings support the use of the SCPD-S to characterize the daily impact of VOCs, confirming the need for a daily diary to capture variability in VOC impact across days. Compliance with the diary was high (87% completed ≥25 days in a month). While factor analyses supported a 2-factor model of VOC impact, Scale 1 performed consistently better than Scale 2 across analyses. As such, it is recommended that items comprising Scale 2 be dropped from the diary, leaving a single scale that is a reliable and valid measure of VOC impact. Reference 1. White et al, J Patient Rep Outcomes 2021; 5(1):1-12

Contrast avoidance prospectively mediates effects of fear of emotional responding, negative problem orientation, and sensitivity to low perceived control on generalized anxiety disorder symptoms

The Contrast Avoidance Model (CAM; Newman & Llera, 2011) has been well established in the literature on the etiology and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Research has investigated other factors that may also characterize GAD, such as fear of emotional responding, negative problem orientation (NPO), and negative beliefs about control; however, these have yet to be explored within the context of the CAM regarding maintenance of GAD symptoms. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive relationship between the above-mentioned factors and GAD symptoms, mediated by contrast avoidance. Participants (N=99, 49.5% of whom scored in the upper range on GAD symptoms) completed a series of questionnaires across three time points, each one week apart. Results indicated that fear of emotional responding, NPO, and sensitivity to low perceived control predicted CA tendencies a week later. CA tendencies then mediated the relationship between each predictor and GAD symptoms in the following week. Findings suggested that known vulnerabilities for GAD predict coping with distressing internal responses via sustained negative emotionality (such as through chronic worry) as a way to avoid negative emotional contrasts. However, this coping mechanism itself may maintain GAD symptoms over time.

THE INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER INSPIRATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TOWARD ARCHITECTURAL SERVICE PURCHASE INTENTION

Social media has been used as a marketing tool by architecture firms to generate purchase in­ten­tion. However, inspiration as a motivating internal response is needed to achieve the marketing ob­jec­tive. This study aims to examine the effect of utilitarian content, hedonic content, and openness as ante­cedents of customer inspiration, the effect of customer inspiration on purchase intention, and the me­diating role of customer inspiration between antecedents and purchase intention. A total of 395 res­pondents were taken as samples using simple random sampling, and the data was then analyzed with SmartPLS. Results show that utilitarian content, hedonic content, and openness positively affect cus­tomer inspiration, and customer inspiration positively affects purchase intentions. Additionally, cus­tomer inspiration also mediates the effect of utilitarian content, hedonic content, and openness on pur­chase intentions. This study contributes to the literature on customer inspiration from a customer-firm relationship perspective. Moreover, this study can give insight for architectural firms to effectively prac­tice social media marketing by focusing on creating customer inspiration through the content provided and targeting the right potential customers in order to generate architectural design service purchase intention.

Psychometric validation of the generalized pustular psoriasis physician global assessment (GPPGA) and generalized pustular psoriasis area and severity index (GPPASI).

Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a rare and life-threatening skin disease often accompanied by systemic inflammation. There are currently no standardized or validated GPP-specific measures for assessing severity. To evaluate the reliability, validity and responder definitions of the Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Physician Global Assessment (GPPGA) and Generalized Pustular Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (GPPASI). The GPPGA and GPPASI were validated using outcome data from Week 1 of the Effisayil™ 1 study. The psychometric analyses performed included confirmatory factor analysis, item-to-item/item-to-total correlations, internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, known-groups validity, responsiveness analysis and responder definition analysis. Using data from this patient cohort (N=53), confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated unidimensionality of the GPPGA total score (root mean square error of approximation <0.08), and GPPGA item-to-item and item-to-total correlations ranged from 0.58 to 0.90. The GPPGA total score, pustulation subscore and GPPASI total score all demonstrated good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.70, 0.91 and 0.95 respectively), and good evidence of convergent validity. In anchor-based analyses, all three scores were able to detect changes in symptom and disease severity over time; reductions of -1.4, -2.2 and - 12.0 were suggested as clinically meaningful improvement thresholds for the GPPGA total score, GPPGA pustulation subscore and GPPASI total score respectively. Anchor-based analyses also supported the GPPASI 50 as a clinically meaningful threshold for improvement. Overall, our findings indicate that the GPPGA and GPPASI are valid, reliable and responsive measures for the assessment of GPP disease severity, and support their use in informing clinical endpoints in trials in GPP.

Physical Characteristics and Competition Demands of Elite Wheelchair Basketball

ABSTRACT Wheelchair basketball (WCB) is one of the most popular sports for athletes with disabilities. Athletes with a wide range of disabilities compete in the sport, making WCB highly inclusive while presenting unique challenges for various aspects of performance support. This review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on physical characteristics and competition demands of elite WCB athletes to provide practitioners with the best physical preparation practices for improving performance. Many physical characteristics and capacities have been reported to improve performance and are useful for setting performance benchmarks. Assessment of these capacities in WCB athletes requires special considerations due to the impacts of individual disabilities and interactions between the athlete and the wheelchair. Profiling WCB athletes also requires understanding the competitive demands that cannot be extrapolated from nondisabled basketball. To track game movements, this review describes previous studies tracking game movements with various tracking devices, and recent studies have identified inertial sensors as an accurate and practical option. Athletes' internal responses to game demands vary based on disability, particularly spinal cord injuries, so special considerations for internal load monitoring include implementing individualized monitoring strategies.

Dealing with the Persistent Pathogenic Issues of Dry Eye Disease: The Importance of External and Internal Stimuli and Tissue Responses.

The immune system plays a central role in protecting the ocular surface from exogenous and endogenous insults, maintaining tissue homeostasis thanks to the mechanism of para-inflammation. This physiological adaptive response may induce resident macrophages/monocytes to produce cytokines and growth factors in order to promote epithelial cell recovery. In case of well-controlled para-inflammation, caused by a low amount of stress, cell viability and function are maintained. When stress becomes too intense, there is a response characterized by the activation of autophagic pathways and consequent cell death. Dysregulated homeostasis and chronic sub-clinical inflammation are the starting points for the development of a stable, chronic inflammatory disease, which leads to ocular surface damage, and, in turn, to the onset or progression of chronic dry eye disease (DED). The long-term management of DED should consider all of the pathogenic issues involved in the disease, including the control of persistent external or internal stresses that are capable of activating and maintaining the para-inflammatory adaptive mechanisms, potentially leading to full-blown inflammation. Dysregulated para-inflammation can be corrected by means of the prolonged use of tear substitutes containing minimal doses of safe corticosteroids or other anti-inflammatory molecules (e.g., corticosteroid, cyclosporine) in order to re-equilibrate ocular surface homeostasis.

Self-propelling colloids with finite state dynamics

Endowing materials with the ability to sense, adapt, and respond to stimuli holds the key to a progress leap in autonomous systems. In spite of the growing success of macroscopic soft robotic devices, transferring these concepts to the microscale presents several challenges connected to the lack of suitable fabrication and design techniques and of internal response schemes that connect the materials' properties to the function of the active units. Here, we realize self-propelling colloidal clusters which possess a finite number of internal states, which define their motility and which are connected by reversible transitions. We produce these units via capillary assembly combining hard polystyrene colloids with two different types of thermoresponsive microgels. The clusters, actuated by spatially uniform AC electric fields, adapt their shape and dielectric properties, and consequently their propulsion, via reversible temperature-induced transitions controlled by light. The different transition temperatures for the two microgels enable three distinct dynamical states corresponding to three illumination intensity levels. The sequential reconfiguration of the microgels affects the velocity and shape of the active trajectories according to a pathway defined by tailoring the clusters' geometry during assembly. The demonstration of these simple systems indicates an exciting route toward building more complex units with broader reconfiguration schemes and multiple responses as a step forward in the pursuit of adaptive autonomous systems at the colloidal scale.

Gamification innovation: understanding industrial tourism products and tourist response

ABSTRACT Industrial tourism has achieved great development. The diversification of tourism demand has led to higher requirements for the innovation of industrial tourism products. Based on theory of tourists’ spatial–temporal behavior and experience economy, this study takes Shanghai M50 park to study the impact of gamification innovation of industrial tourism products. There are few studies on tourists’ internal response and external behavior response. This study confirms for the first time that gamification innovation can extend the travel time and travel distance, improve the travel experience, and enhance tourists’ willingness to revisit and recommend. This study shows gamification innovation improves tourists’ experience.

Striving for Energy Security

This paper analyzes South Korea's energy policy after the Fukushima disaster. The policy is seen from two dimensions, namely internal policies and external policies. The variable used in viewing the policy is through the framework described by Duffield. According to Duffield, internal policy responses can be seen from emergency preparations and reducing dependencies on foreign energy sources. In contrast, external policy response can be seen through policy toward energy-producing and transit countries, also other energy-consuming and importing countries. This research is qualitative with descriptive analytics. The study found that South Korea took several energy policies related to its domestic politics to reduce its dependence on energy imports. At the same time, for the external responses, South Korea intends to diversify its cooperation with the energy-exporting countries and continues to encourage international cooperation among the importing countries.

Peridynamic modeling of damage and non-shock ignition behavior of confined polymer bonded explosives under impact loading

A mechanical-thermal-chemical coupled peridynamic (PD) modeling for analyzing the damage and non-shock ignition behavior of polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) subject to impact loading has been presented. The friction and heat conduction and Arrenhenius law are embedded into the PD theory, ensuring that the simulation model is capable of capturing major features of dynamic damage response of PBX. A PD material model considering plasticity and the asymmetric behaviors of PBX under tensile and compressive loadings is proposed in this study. For a ring-shaped PBX 9501 sample confined by the steel structures, the simulation results indicate that the PBX 9501 in the regions towards the impact face and support face suffers from the serious damage. Meanwhile, the corresponding average temperatures in these two regions are also higher than their counterparts in other regions due to the more intense interaction between PBX 9501 and the steel confinement structures. The ignition time decreases with the increasing impact velocity within the range of 40–120 m s−1. The internal steel shell response is analyzed according to its velocity history within a representative box. It is found that the deformation process of internal steel shell is closely related to the complicated flow behaviors of PBX 9501.

Opening the black box of fitness tracking: understanding the mechanisms of feedback in motivating physical activity among older Singaporeans

ABSTRACT This paper examines how older adults interact with fitness trackers and how that interaction influences their physical activity. We carried out qualitative interviews with 22 individuals between the ages of 55 and 72 who had used fitness trackers as part of a six-week field experiment investigating the effects of feedback from fitness trackers and the social influence of their spouses. From their comments, we derived an explorative process model explaining the mechanisms and the four stages of effects arising from personalised feedback, namely, cognitive, affective, conative, and intuitive. These effects were grouped into internal and external dimensions. Three types of goal-related decisions determined whether interviewees moved from the internal responses of cognition and emotion to the external response of behaviour change. The findings from this study elucidate how real-time personalised feedback can motivate physical activity among older adults and highlight the goal-related factors that influence this effect.