Target Hits Research Articles

Striking a balance: Exploring attention, attack accuracy and speed in fencing performance.

In fencing, it remains unclear whether practice enhances visual-spatial attention allocation. We explored whether this ability is improved in fencers and if it is related to attack speed and accuracy. Twelve novices (<1year of experience) and 12 trained epee fencers (18±10years of experience) visited the laboratory twice (familiarization and testing session). They performed a covert orienting of visuospatial attention test (COVAT) on a computer and an epee test, involving 30 trials of 3 shuttles followed by fast attack phases where the fencers quickly hit a target (randomly proposed out of 8). We measured COVAT reaction time, number of successful target hits, and execution time to hit in the fencing test. We found shorter COVAT reaction time for trained fencers (332±24ms) versus novices (367±32ms; p<0.001). The number of hits was greater for trained fencers (22±3) versus novices (16±3; p<0.001). ANCOVA showed a difference in execution time at the test (823±73ms vs. 913±141ms, p=0.035). A relationship was found between hits and execution time and between execution time and COVAT reaction time for the trained group (r=0.62, p=0.03 and r=0.70, p=0.01, respectively) but not in the novice group (r=0.11, p=0.72 and r=0.45, p=0.14, respectively). Mediation analysis showed that the relationship between execution time and number of hits (ADE: p=0.008) was not mediated by COVAT reaction time (ACME: p=0.17). These results evidence the importance of visual-spatial attention allocation in fencing and evidence differences between novices and trained fencers with important implications for talent development in the early career stage.

Ironic processes of concentration and suppression under pressure: A study on rifle shooting in Norwegian elite biathletes.

This study examined how priming attentional and negative cues affected participants' shooting performances toward ironic error targets under cognitive load conditions in Stroop task across two experiments. Semi-elite biathletes (Experiment 1, n = 10; Experiment 2, n = 9) participated in the study. The study used a within-subject quasi-experimental design, particularly a one-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance and a 2 × 2 fully repeated measures analysis of variance, to determine the participants' hit rates and shooting response times (RTs). In both experiments, the participants completed the reverse-Stroop-based target shooting performance under low- and high-cognitive load conditions while receiving frequent priming attentional and negative cues. The findings from Experiment 1 suggest that regulating repetitive priming attentional thoughts is efficacious in mitigating the likelihood of ironic performance errors and interference effects. The results of Experiment 2 show that repetitive priming negative cues resulted in negligible ironic error hit rates and slower RTs in target hits under high-cognitive load conditions. The Bayesian analyses provided evidence supporting the null hypotheses. Trying to control repetitive priming attentional and negative thoughts reduces ironic performance errors to a similar degree under cognitive load conditions among biathletes, regardless of interference effects. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness of suppressing task-relevant negative instructions in reducing the likelihood of ironic performance errors under pressure.

Perceptuomotor skill acquisition in a solo manual ball-and-beam task with varying accuracy requirements.

In the manual ball-and-beam task, participants have to control a ball that is rolling continuously on a long and hand-held beam. Since the task can be performed individually, in a solo action setting, as well as collaboratively, in a (dyadic) joint action setting, it allows us to investigate how joint performances arise from individual performances, which we investigate in a series of interrelated studies. Here we focused on individual skill acquisition on the ball-and-beam task in the solo action setting, with the goal to characterize the behavioral dynamics that arise from learning to couple (ball motion) perception and (beam motion) action. By moving a beam extremity up and down to manipulate the beam's inclination angle, the task's objective was to roll the ball as fast as and accurately as possible between two indicated targets on the beam. Based on research into reciprocal aiming tasks, we hypothesized that the emergent dynamics of the beam's inclination angle would be constrained by the size of the targets, such that large targets would evoke a continuous beam movement strategy, while small targets would lead to a discrete beam movement strategy. 16 participants individually practiced the task in two separate six-block sessions. Each block consisted of one trial per target-size condition (small, medium and large). Overall, the number of target hits increased over trials, due to a larger range of motion of the beam's inclination angle, a stronger correlation between the ball and beam motion and a smaller variability of the beam motion. Contrary to our expectations, target size did not appreciably affect the shape of the beam movement patterns. Instead, we found stable inter-individual differences in the movement strategies adopted that were uncorrelated with the number of target hits on a trial. We concluded that multiple movement strategies may lead to success on the task, while individual skill acquisition was characterized by the refinement of behavioral dynamics that emerged in an early stage of learning. We speculate that such differences in individual strategies on the task may affect the interpersonal coordination that arises in joint-action performances on the task.

85 Performance Consistency on a Measure of Sustained and Selective Attention

Objective:Attention concerns, particularly difficulties with focusing and regulating attention, are reported in diverse clinical contexts. The Ruff 2&amp;7 Selective Attention Test (Ruff 2&amp;7; Ruff &amp; Allen, 1996) is a measure of sustained and selective attention that assesses automatic detection and effortful processing. The goal of this study was to create an internal consistency metric within this test and to determine cognitive predictors by evaluating associations with executive control of attention and other cognitive skills. It was hypothesized that those who are more consistent across Ruff 2&amp;7 performance would have more robust executive functioning skills, particularly those related to regulating and directing attention and the planning and utilization of cognitive resources.Participants and Methods:The current study examined a clinical sample of 98 United States veterans with a history of mild traumatic brain injury. After excluding invalid cases (n=24), the final sample consisted of 74 veterans (Age=38.5 (8.9) years old; 13.9 (2.2) years of education; 78% male; 82% white, 7% Black, 8% Hispanic, 2% Asian). A consistency score was defined as the absolute value of the intertrial change in target hits plus errors across each pair of trials of the same stimulus type (Automatic Detection, AD, and Controlled Search, CS). Hierarchical linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the relative contributions of memory and executive functions (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Tower Test, phonemic fluency, Trail Making Test B) and subjective symptom report (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale for DSM-IV).Results:The mean deviation scores for the two trial types were similar (AD mean=13.6, SD=5.9; CS mean=13.6, SD=5.3). In predicting consistency across AD trials, delayed recall contributed 11% unique variance (p=.013), while no other block was statistically significant. For CS trials, self-reported PTSD and inattention symptoms contributed a combined 20% of unique variance to the model (p=.007), while there were no statistically significant cognitive predictors in this model.Conclusions:Contrary to expectation, executive function measures did not explain statistically significant variance in performance across either trial type. Less consistent performance on AD trials was associated with weaker verbal memory. Less consistent performance on CS trials, which theoretically require greater executive control, was not associated with any cognitive scores, but was associated with more severe self-reported psychological and inattention symptoms. These findings buttress the conceptual distinction between AD and CS trial types, and they point to both cognitive and non-cognitive underpinnings of performance consistency.

Knowledge-based and data-driven behavioral modeling techniques in engagement simulation

As knowledge and data increase in scale and complexity, it is more difficult to apply these two key assets to achieve optimal effectiveness in engagement simulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the techniques of knowledge and data integration with respect to the development of smart agents to predict accurate behaviors in tactical engagements. To reduce the complexity of combat behavior representation, with respect to the functions, we represented subject matter expert operational knowledge by proposing multiple levels of cascaded hierarchical structure, namely, the function decision tree, to increase the readability and maintainability of the behavioral model. For decision points in a behavioral model, smart agents can be trained based on data samples collected from rounds of constructive simulations which provide validated physical models and tactical principles. As a proof of concept, we constructed a simulation testbed of multi-warhead ballistic missile penetration, which generated 129,600 constructive simulations over a total of 84 h. Thereafter, we selected 5817 data samples (i.e. ~4.5% of the simulations) using an operational metric of total rewards exceeding 100. The data samples are used to train an artificial neural network and then this network is used to develop a deep reinforcement learning agent. The results revealed that the training process iterated nearly 17,000 epochs until the policy loss decreased to an acceptable low value. The smart agent increased the ratio of ballistic missile target hits by 18.96%, a significant increase when compared with the traditional rule-based behavioral model.

A CORPUS-BASED ANALYSIS ON EXCLAMATIVES IN THE PHILIPPINE

Exclamatives constructions in the Philippine English form a variegated class which is often confused with other types of clauses. These structures are characterized by intonation contour, emphatic stress and propositional properties beyond their syntactic form. Using the AntCoc protocol, this corpus-based study presents a survey of the categories and syntactical characteristics as well as the functions of the exclamatives found in ICE-PHI with 199 hits out of 1,172 tokens from the word collection. Key words such as what, how so, such a/an and others were used to locate the target hits of the utterances. Analysis was made on the syntactic and formulaic forms, semantic categories and pragmatic impressions. Results show that 'so' exclamatives posted the highest frequency, followed by the prototypes, and 'the such a/an' exclamatives. Minimal occurrences were recorded for DP – 'the way' exclamatives and nominal exclamatives. A majority of the exclamatives followed the initial exclamative phrase syntactic formula except for the 'such a/an' exclamatives which follow the subject auxiliary inversion. The syntactic features and functions of the exclamatives illustrated the semantic nature of the structures which differentiated them from seeming to be similar structures as in expressive/emotional utterance.

Withdrawn.

Mycobacterial inorganic pyrophosphatase (Mt-PPa) play essential role in bacterial in vitro and in vivo survival. This family of proteins reacts on inorganic pyrophosphate to release inorganic phosphate and protect bacteria from pyrophosphate toxicity. Rv3628 (Mt-PPa) encodes inorganic pyrophosphatase protein which is a type I pyrophosphatase with metal ion dependent activity. Apart from the inorganic pyrophosphatase activity, Rv3628 also showed binding with nucleotide tri phosphate (GTP/ATP). The binding of GTP and Rv3628 was analyzed by isothermal calorimetry. However, the GTP binding activity was mild but important to consider, as GTP is the secondary messenger and involved in number of mycobacterial cellular metabolic pathways therefore this interaction might be an important part of signaling cascades. This article thus represents a trilateral approach that considers computational and mutational analysis which was further complemented by virtual screening of natural compounds to find potential drug candidates. Computational analysis showed that Mt-PPa showed extensive interaction with GTP and ATP family genes. Epitope prediction showed the occurrence of amino acid regions in PPa that can act as immunological epitopes. PPa is sensitive to phosphorylation by several kinases that phosphorylate PPa at different Ser/Thr/Tyr sites. Mutational analysis showed W102G, V150G, F44G, I119G, L93F, F3G, F122G, I108G, L32G, M82G, Y17G, L59G, V5G, V26G, I7G, W140D, W140G, W140A, F80G, W140S, L49G, L56G, I9G, V60G, V19G, V92G, L28G, L61G, Y126E and F123G were the top 30 mutational hits and Y126G, Y42G, R30G, E8G, K16G are top mutational hits in active site of Mt-PPa. Mt-PPa activity is temperature and pH sensitive as the mutation in the His 21 and His 86 residues shift the optimal pH. Virtual screening of 700 compounds from herbal ingredient targets (HITs) subset of zinc database showed ZINC000003979028, ZINC000003870413, ZINC000003870412, ZINC000150338758, ZINC0000070450948, ZINC000150338754, ZINC000095098891, ZINC000000119985 and ZINC000005085286 as the top target hits and Mac0182344 and NAV_2729 as the top GTPase inhibitor that would target and hinders Mt-PPa activity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Anthropometrics And Body Composition Predict Performance During A Direct-fire Engagement Simulation.

Heavy load carriage is linked to lower performance in direct-fire engagements and higher physiological strain (higher O2 cost, lower cerebral blood flow); which have potential tactical consequences (impaired mobility, marksmanship, cognitive ability). However, performance may also deteriorate with other nonfunctional loads (i.e, excess body fat). PURPOSE: To determine the association between anthropometric and body composition measures and performance during a direct-fire engagement simulation. METHODS: Thirty three healthy male (n = 25) and female (n = 8) volunteers (age 25.7 ± 7.0 yr) underwent a direct-fire engagement simulation. Anthropometric and body composition measures were taken prior to the simulation using a stadiometer and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Marksmanship with cognitive workload and a fire and move drill (16 x 6 m sprints) were completed under combat load (25 kg) during the direct-fire engagement simulation. Marksmanship accuracy and reaction time were assessed as the number of target hits and the time between target callout and engagement, respectively. Cognitive performance was assessed as the number of correct arithmetic problems answered between target engagements. Susceptibility to enemy fire was modeled on sprint duration during the fire and move drill. Partial correlation and multiple linear regression were conducted to establish the relationship between anthropometric and body composition measures and performance outcomes, controlling for age and sex. RESULTS: Higher percent body fat and fat mass predicted greater susceptibility to enemy fire (r = 0.42, p = 0.03 and r = 0.38, p = 0.02, respectively), and worse cognitive performance (r = -0.49, p = 0.01 and r = -0.45, p = 0.01, respectively). Higher body mass index also predicted worse cognitive performance (r = -0.49, p = 0.01). Taller stature predicted worse marksmanship accuracy (r = -0.40, p = 0.02) and higher fat-free mass predicted slower marksmanship reaction times (r = 0.41, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Anthropometric and body composition measures were predictive of survivability (i.e., susceptibility to enemy fire) and lethality (i.e., marksmanship, cognitive performance) during the direct-fire engagement simulation. These data suggest anthropometrics and body composition modulate combat effectiveness.

Instantaneous effects of mindfulness meditation on tennis return performance in elite junior athletes completing an implicitly sequenced serve return task.

Single-session meditation augmentation of sport-specific skill performance was tested with elite junior tennis athletes. Athletes completed one of two styles of mindfulness meditation (focused-attention or open-monitoring) or a control listening condition prior to performing an implicitly sequenced tennis serve return task involving the goal of hitting a target area placed on the service court. Unbeknownst to athletes, six distinct serves followed a repeating second-order conditional sequence for two task blocks before the sequence was altered in a third transfer block. Task performance was operationalized as serve return outcome and analyzed using beta regression modeling. Models analyzed group by block differences in the proportion of returned serves (i.e., non-aces), returns placed in the service court, and target hits. Contrary to previous laboratory findings, results did not support meditation-related augmentation of performance and/or sequence learning. In fact, compared to control, meditation may have impaired performance improvements and acquisition of serve sequence information. It is possible that the effects of single-session meditation seen in laboratory research may not extend to more complex motor tasks, at least in highly-trained adolescents completing a well-learned skill. Further research is required to elucidate the participant, task, and meditation-related characteristics that might promote single-session meditation performance enhancement.

A Preclinical Pilot Study on the Effects of Thermal Ablation on Lamb Growth Plates.

(1) Background: Thermal ablation has been demonstrated to affect the bone growth of osteoid osteoma in adolescents. Growth modulation due to thermal heat in children is conceivable, but has not yet been established. We used lamb extremities as a preclinical model to examine the effect of thermal ablation on growth plates in order to evaluate its potential for axial or longitudinal growth modulation in pediatric patients. (2) Methods: Thermal ablation was performed by electrocautery on eight different growth plates of the legs and distal radii of a stillborn lamb. After treatment, target hits and the physical extent of the growth plate lesions were monitored using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. (3) Results: Lesions and their physical extent could be quantified in 75% of the treated extremities. The histological analysis revealed that the disruption of tissue was confined to a small area and the applied heat did not cause the entire growth plate to be disrupted or obviously damaged. (4) Conclusions: Thermal ablation by electrocautery is minimally invasive and can be used for targeted disruption of small areas in growth plates in the animal model. The results suggest that thermal ablation can be developed into a suitable method to influence epiphyseal growth in children.

Leveraging ToxCast data and protein sequence conservation to complement aquatic life criteria derivation.

The USEPA's 1985 guidelines for the derivation of aquatic life criteria (ALC) are robust but data-intensive. For many chemicals, the extensive in vivo data sets required for ALC derivation are not available. Thus, alternative analyses and processes that can provide provisional values to guide states, tribes, and other stakeholders while data accumulate and more rigorous criteria are derived would be beneficial. The overarching purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of using data from new approach methodologies (NAMs) like ToxCast to derive first-pass, provisional values to guide chemical prioritization and resource management as a complement to traditional ALC derivation. To address this goal, the study objectives were to (1) estimate chemical potency using data from NAMs for nine compounds with available aquatic benchmarks, (2) evaluate the utility of using NAM data to elucidate potential mechanisms of toxicity to guide problem formulation, and (3) determine the species relevance of toxicity pathways for compounds with clearly defined mechanisms of action as a means to evaluate whether minimum data requirements could potentially be waived when deriving a more formal ALC. Points of departure were derived from ToxCast data based on the fifth percentile of the distribution of activity concentration above cutoff values falling below the cytotoxic burst. Mechanistic inferences were made based on active target hits in ToxCast and, where applicable, assessed for taxonomic conservation using SeqAPASS. ToxCast-based point-of-departure aligned relatively closely (six of nine test chemicals within a factor of 10; eight of nine within a factor of 100) with aquatic benchmarks from the USEPA and US Department of Energy (DOE). Moreover, pathways of toxicity gleaned from NAM data were reflective of in vivo-based findings from the literature. These results, while preliminary, and based on a limited number of substances, support the potential application of NAM data to complement traditional ALC derivation approaches and prioritization. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2023;19:224-238. © 2022 Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.

Database search engines and target database features impinge upon the identification of post-translationally cis-spliced peptides in HLA class I immunopeptidomes.

Unconventional epitopes presented by HLA class I complexes are emerging targets for T cell targeted immunotherapies. Their identification by mass spectrometry (MS) required development of novel methods to cope with the large number of theoretical candidates. Methods to identify post‐translationally spliced peptides led to a broad range of outcomes. We here investigated the impact of three common database search engines – that is, Mascot, Mascot+Percolator, and PEAKS DB – as final identification step, as well as the features of target database on the ability to correctly identify non‐spliced and cis‐spliced peptides. We used ground truth datasets measured by MS to benchmark methods’ performance and extended the analysis to HLA class I immunopeptidomes. PEAKS DB showed better precision and recall of cis‐spliced peptides and larger number of identified peptides in HLA class I immunopeptidomes than the other search engine strategies. The better performance of PEAKS DB appears to result from better discrimination between target and decoy hits and hence a more robust FDR estimation, and seems independent to peptide and spectrum features here investigated.

Punishments and rewards both modestly impair visuomotor memory retention

While the effects of rewards on memory appear well documented, the effects of punishments remain uncertain. Based on neuroimaging data, this study tested the hypothesis that, as compared to a neutral condition, a context allowing successful punishment avoidance would enhance memory to a similar extent as rewards. In a fully within-subject and counter-balanced design, participants (n = 18) took part in 3 distinct learning sessions during which the delivery of performance-contingent monetary punishments and rewards was manipulated. Specifically, participants had to reach towards visual targets while compensating for a gradually introduced visual deviation. Accuracy at achieving targets was either punished (Hit: “+0$”; Miss: “−0.5$), rewarded (Hit: “+0.5$”; Miss: “−0$”), or associated with neutral binary feedback (Hit: “Hit”; Miss: “Miss”). Retention was assessed through reach aftereffects both immediately and 24 h after initial acquisition. The results disconfirmed the hypothesis by showing that the punishment and reward learning sessions both impaired retention as compared to the neutral session, suggesting that both types of incentives similarly impaired memory formation and consolidation. Two alternative but complementary interpretations are discussed. One interpretation is that the presence of punishments and rewards induced a negative learning context, which – based on neurobiological data – could have been sufficient to interfere with memory formation and consolidation. Another interpretation is that punishments and rewards emphasized the disrupting effects of target hits on implicit learning processes, therefore yielding retention impairments. Altogether, these results suggest that incentives can have counter-productive effects on memory.

EFFECTS OF VARYING FACEMASK REINFORCEMENT ON REACTION TIME AND TARGET DETECTION IN NCAA FOOTBALL PLAYERS

PURPOSE: Football helmet facemasks have been shown to differentially alter visual field. We have previously shown that peripheral vision reaction time (PRT) and target detection are hindered while wearing football headgear. However, whether different levels of facemask reinforcement alter ability to respond to peripheral visual stimuli is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of varying facemask reinforcement on PRT and target detection in collegiate football players. METHODS: Division 1 NCAA football players with normal/corrected to normal vision participated. In a randomized manner, participants completed peripheral reaction time tests for the following conditions: Baseline/no helmet (BL), Light reinforced (L), Medium reinforced (M), Heavy reinforced (H), and Extra-heavy reinforced (XH) face masks. For each condition, a 60 s PRT test was completed on a Dynavision D2 visuomotor board. Subjective perception of how levels of reinforcement would affect field performance was assessed with a 7-point Likert scale questionnaire. RESULTS: Regardless of reinforcement, all facemask conditions resulted in significantly slower average PRT and lower target hits compared to BL (p < 0.05). No differences for PRT or target hits were observed between L, M, or H conditions. PRT was significantly slower for the XH condition versus L (p = 0.003), M (p = 0.001), H (p = 0.004). Additionally, target hits were significantly lower for the XH condition versus L (p = 0.010), M (p = 0.009), H (p = 0.016). Subjectively, participants believed that the H and XH facemasks would make their performance worse on the field compared to L or M (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Wearing a helmet irrespective of facemask reinforcement worsens PRT and target detection. However, only extra-heavy facemask reinforcement potentiates impairments in the ability to detect and respond to peripheral stimuli. Since unobstructed vision on the field is important for safety and performance, these findings may have important implications on equipment regulations for safety in collegiate football.

The influence of accuracy constraints on bimanual and unimanual sequence learning

An experiment was designed to determine whether accuracy constraints can influence how unimanual and bimanual motor sequences are produced and learned. The accuracy requirements of the task were manipulated using principles derived from Fitts’ Law to create relatively low (ID = 3) and high (ID = 5) accuracy demands. Right-limb dominant participants (N = 28, age = 21.9 yrs; 15 females and 13 males) were required to produce unimanual left, unimanual right or bimanual movement sequences using elbow extension and flexion movements to hit a series of illuminated targets. The targets were illuminated in a repeating sequence of 16 elements. Participants performed 20 practice trials. Thirty minutes following the practice trials participants performed a retention test. Element duration (time interval between target hits) and segment harmonicity (hesitations/adjustments in movement pattern) were calculated. The results indicate longer element duration and lower harmonicity values (more adjustments) when the task required higher accuracy demands (ID = 5) compared to low accuracy demands (ID = 3). Element duration was shorter and harmonicity was higher at ID = 5 for both unimanual groups than the bimanual group. However, element duration was shorter and harmonicity was higher at ID = 3 for the bimanual group than for both unimanual groups. These results indicate that the accuracy demands of the task can influence both performance and learning of motor sequences and suggest differences between unimanual and bimanual motor sequence learning. It appears there is a bimanual advantage for tasks with lower accuracy demands whereas performance is more accurate with unimanual performance, regardless of limb, with higher accuracy demands. These results are consistent with recent research indicating that accuracy requirements change the control processes for bimanual performance differently than for unimanual tasks.

Propofol and sevoflurane affect intra-operative memory formation of words differently: A prospective cohort study.

Memory priming seems possible even during apparently adequate anaesthesia. However, the effects of different anaesthetics and type of stimuli, by virtue of their specific neural underpinnings, have not been considered. To determine if intra-operative implicit memory is affected by the type of anaesthesia (propofol or sevoflurane) or by the type of stimuli (abstract or concrete words). Two consecutive, randomised controlled experiments. Neurological institute in Milan, Italy. Forty-three patients undergoing anaesthesia with propofol (experiment 1) and 32 patients undergoing anaesthesia with sevoflurane (experiment 2). Patients were ASA I or II, age 18 to 65 years, native Italian speakers, right-handed and without any condition affecting memory or hearing. During anaesthesia, the patients heard a list of either concrete or abstract words or no words at all (controls). Explicit memory was tested with an explicit recall task and the Brice Interview; implicit memory was assessed through a word stem completion test. The number of explicitly recalled words, positivity to the Brice Interview, the proportion of target and nontarget hits, and a derived implicit memory score. With propofol, the proportion of target hits was significantly greater than the proportion of nontarget hits for the concrete word experimental group (P = 0.018). The implicit memory score of the concrete word experimental group was significantly higher than the score of both the abstract word experimental group (P = 0.000) and the concrete word control group (P = 0.023). With sevoflurane, the proportion of target hits was significantly higher than the proportion of nontarget hits for the abstract word experimental group only (P = 0.027). No patients had a BIS above 60 and no one could recall intra-operative events or words. Intra-operative memory for words can form during apparently adequate BIS-guided anaesthesia but is modified by propofol or sevoflurane acting on different brain targets. Further studies on larger samples and using neuroimaging techniques are needed. Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT03727464.

The discovery of Q-markers of Qiliqiangxin Capsule, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription in the treatment of chronic heart failure, based on a novel strategy of multi-dimensional “radar chart” mode evaluation

BackgroundQiliqiangxin Capsule (QLQX), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, is especially used for clinical treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) in China. However, the holistic quality control of QLQX has not been well established due to lack of system research on the quality marker (Q-marker). PurposeIn this study, a new strategy of multi-dimensional “radar chart” mode was proposed to overcome the problem that traditional methods cannot evaluate the multiple properties of Q-markers comprehensively and visually, and the strategy was successfully applied to discover the Q-markers of QLQX. MethodsFirst, nineteen prototypes that entered the in vivo systemic circulation were selected out as the candidate Q-markers based on our previous studies of chemical and in vivo metabolic profiles. Then, their contents in QLQX were quantitatively analyzed by UHPLC-MS/MS, and the bioactivities on the H9c2 cardiomyocytes cell model was evaluated. The network of in vivo component-target closely related to CHF was further constructed. Finally, a multi-dimensional “radar chart” mode was developed and corresponding Regression Area (RA) and Coefficient Variation (CV) were calculated after data standardization and integration visually based on the Q-marker related multiple characteristics (including the compatibility contribution of herbal medicines, the content, the bioactivity, the in vivo predicted bioavailability and the degree of network pharmacology of candidate components in the TCM prescription). ResultsBy comparison of RA and CV of the chemicals in the “radar chart”, seven compounds mainly from King and Minister herbs (songorin, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, astragaloside, tanshinone IIA, ginsenoside Re, hesperidin and alisol A) were screened out as the Q-markers of QLQX, showing the reasonable compatibility contribution and high content in QLQX, preferable pharmacological effect on CHF, as well as good bioavailable characteristics and high target hits in system pharmacology. ConclusionThe Q-marker discovery of QLQX in this study laid an important foundation for its quality control improvement, and the mode standardized the abstract definitions of Q-marker and realized the comprehensive assessment of multiple properties of Q-marker in TCM prescriptions, which has a reference value for revealing the Q-marker in the quality control researches of TCM prescriptions.

Đánh giá hiệu quả cải thiện trạng thái chức năng cơ thể của phi công quân sự bằng phương pháp luyện tập phản hồi sinh học

The effectiveness of restoring the body function status of 30 Vietnamese military pilots flying Su-30 aircraft has been evaluated by biofeedback training method. The pilots were trained by 7 exercises on the system Reacor. The recoverable ability of the pilot's body function status was assessed through changes of cardiac function index and the results of psychophysical tests using Ritm-Met and UPFT-1/30 systems. The results showed that the body function status of the military pilots after training was improved with the enhancing of cardiac function index and reducing of stress index: Hildebrandt index decreased from 4.6±0.8 to 4.2±0.6 and Tension index of the regulatory systems (TI) decreased from 78.4±2.5 to 75.3±1.2. In addition, the functional state of the sensory organ systems under the control of the central nervous system of the pilots after training was also improved, expressed by the reduction of the percentage of false reflexes in the test "Simple visual reflex" (from 1.41±0.3 to 1.3±0.3%), increasing the percentage of target hits in the "Reflex with moving target" test (from 24.8±5.5 to 31.4±4.6%) and reduced the fatigue index when performing typping tests (from 82.7±4.5 to 79.8±6.1).

The Reliability of an Upper- and Lower-Extremity Visuomotor Reaction Time Task.

Fast visuomotor reaction time (VMRT), the time required to recognize and respond to sequentially appearing visual stimuli, allows an athlete to successfully respond to stimuli during sports participation, while slower VMRT has been associated with increased injury risk. Light-based systems are capable of measuring both upper- and lower-extremity VMRT; however, the reliability of these assessments are not known. To determine the reliability of an upper- and lower-extremity VMRT task using a light-based trainer system. Reliability study. Laboratory. Patients (or Other Participants): Twenty participants with no history of injury in the last 12 months. Participants reported to the laboratory on 2 separate testing sessions separated by 1 week. For both tasks, participants were instructed to extinguish a random sequence of illuminated light-emitting diode disks, which appeared one at a time as quickly as possible. Participants were provided a series of practice trials before completing the test trials. VMRT was calculated as the time in seconds between target hits, where higher VMRT represented slower reaction time. Separate intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine test-retest reliability for each task. The SEM and minimal detectable change values were determined to examine clinical applicability. The right limb lower-extremity reliability was excellent (ICC2,1 = .92; 95% CI, .81-.97). Both the left limb (ICC2,1 = .80; 95% CI, .56-.92) and upper-extremity task (ICC2,1 = .86; 95% CI, .65-.95) had good reliability. Both VMRT tasks had clinically acceptable reliability in a healthy, active population. Future research should explore further applications of these tests as an outcome measure following rehabilitation for health conditions with known VMRT deficits.

The effectiveness of bandwidth knowledge of results on a throwing task in goalball players with visual impairments

The purpose of the current study was to examine whether a wide bandwidth knowledge of results (WBWKR) would result in better throwing accuracy and consistency compared to a narrow bandwidth knowledge of results (NBWKR) among goalball players with visual impairments. Elite goalball players (n=14) were randomly assigned to one of two groups – a WBWKR or a NBWKR group. The participants practiced a throwing task on a goalball court with either a wide bandwidth (1.98 m) or a narrow bandwidth (1.5 m) target. They completed the task at pre-test and acquisition phases. Seventy-two hours after the participants completed the acquisition trials, they performed retention and transfer tests. It was found that in the transfer test, the number of target hits was significantly greater and the absolute error was significantly smaller in the WBWKR participants than in the NBWKR participants. We conclude that goalball players could benefit from the use of WBWKR when practicing throws at the goal.