Influence of the Coach’s Anger on the Performance of the Team

In spite of the negative effects of anger, coaches are often seen becoming angry during games. This is especially worrying in U18 categories. Thus, the objective of this study was to identify the influence that the coach’s anger has on the performance of a basketball team in competition. For this, an ad hoc observation tool was designed, in which 587 moments of anger from the coaching staff (64 coaches) were recorded in the 24 semi-final and final matches of the Spanish Autonomous Region Team Championships in 2019 and 2020 in the infantil (M = 14 years old) and cadete (M = 16 years old) categories. The results show that, in response to most incidents of coach anger, the performance of the team did not change. Significant differences were identified in some scenarios, with low- or medium-intensity anger targeted at the defence, where the team performance improved. However, anger towards the referee in the last quarter with scores level had a negative influence on the team’s performance.

Effect of changes in blood fatigue indicators, inflammatory markers, and stress hormone levels on 100-m records of sprinters following an 8-week intense interval training

This study aimed to examine the changes in the blood fatigue indicators, inflammatory markers, and stress hormones following an 8-week intensity interval training in sprinters, and to investigate the effects on changes in the 100-m sprint records. Twenty sprinters from a boys’ high school were equally assigned to high-intensity and medium-intensity interval training groups, and three 60-min interval training sessions were performed per week for 8 weeks, for a total of 24 sessions. Exercise intensity was defined as 85%–95% and 75%–85% of heart rate reserve for high- and medium-intensity training, respectively. At rest, both groups had an exercise intensity of 60% of the heart rate reserve. Our results showed decreased fatigue indicators, inflammatory markers, and stress hormone levels after high-intensity and medium-intensity interval training, with no difference between the training levels. In addition, the 100-m sprint records were different in high- and medium-intensity interval training groups, based on the lactate dehydrogenase and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels. In conclusion, medium-intensity interval training with a reserve heart rate of ≥ 75% can have a positive effect on blood fatigue indicators, inflammatory markers, and stress hormones in sprinters. Specifically, the changes in adrenocorticotropic hormone level seen in the high-intensity interval training group were found to have a significant effect on the 100-m sprinting records.

Land-Use Change and Efficiency in Laos’ Special Economic Zones

Special economic zones (SEZs) are important in Laos due to their ability to attract foreign investment, realize industrialization, and promote economic globalization. Based on Laos’ SEZs in operation, this study explored land-use intensity, structural evolution and land-use efficiency in Laos’ SEZs via the land-use dynamic degree, information entropy, super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) and gray relational analysis (GRA). The study determined that the total land-use area in Laos’ SEZs continuously increased from 2014 to 2020. The land-use intensity changes in the SEZs can be divided into three types, i.e., high intensity, medium intensity and low intensity, and most SEZs belonged to the medium-intensity type. The proportion of land used in production systems in Laos’ SEZs increased the most, and the proportion of infrastructure land notably decreased. The overall information entropy of the land-use structure exhibited an initial downward and then an upward trend. In 2018, the land-use efficiency in the Savan-Seno SEZ, Vientiane Industrial and Trade Area, Dongphosy SEZ, and Golden Triangle SEZ was relatively optimal. The basic factors of the industrial space and the factors reflecting international cooperation attributes were highly related to the land-use efficiency in Laos’ SEZs.

Diagnostic Value of Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Infants’ Brain Development Retardation Caused by Pre-Eclampsia

Objective. Pre-eclampsia (PE) can cause brain development delay in infants. This work aims to characterize the pattern differences of brain white matter development in premature infants under PE conditions and those without. Methods. Eighty preterm infants delivered by women with PE were selected as the PE group, and ninety-six preterm infants of the same period born to women without high-risk perinatal factors were used as control. All infants underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) examination. The fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured in five regions of interests (ROIs), including posterior limbs of internal capsule (PLIC), splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and superior occipital gyrus (SOG). The relationship between the FA values and postmenstrual age (PMA) was analyzed. Results. After adjusting for the birth weight and gestational ages, in the SCC and PLIC, the PMA and FA values showed a low-to-medium intensity positive correlation in the control group (r = 0.30, p = 0.003 ; r = 0.53, p < 0.0001 ), while no positive relevance was detected in the PE group (r = 0.08, p = 0.47 ; r = 0.19, p < 0.08 ). In the PE and control groups, in the SPL and SOG, the PMA and FA values showed a near-consistent positive correlation (r = 0.57, r = 0.55 vs. r = 0.31, r = 0.55; all p < 0.05 ). In the control group, in SFG, the PMA and FA values had a medium intensity positive correlation (r = 0.47, p < 0.0001 ), but there was no statistical difference in correlation in PE (r = 0.10, p = 0.39 ). Conclusion. PE may cause lagging brain development in the SCC, PLIC, and SFG during infancy. DTI may be an effective and sensitive detection tool.

A straightforward conversion of 1,4-quinones into polycyclic pyrazoles via [3 + 2]-cycloaddition with fluorinated nitrile imines

In-situ-generated N-aryl nitrile imines derived from trifluoroacetonitrile efficiently react with polycyclic 1,4-quinones, yielding fused pyrazole derivatives as the exclusive products. The reactions proceed via the initially formed [3 + 2]-cycloadducts, which undergo spontaneous aerial oxidation to give aromatized heterocyclic products. Only for 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-1,4-benzoquinone, the expected [3 + 2]-cycloadduct exhibited fair stability and could be isolated in moderate yield (53%). The presented method offers a straightforward access to hitherto little known trifluoromethylated polycyclic pyrazoles. All products were isolated as pale colored solids with medium-intensity absorption maxima in the range of 310–340 nm for naphthoquinone-derived products and low-intensity bands in the visible region (≈400 nm) for the anthraquinone series.

Dose–response effects of light therapy on sleepiness and circadian phase shift in shift workers: a meta-analysis and moderator analysis

Light therapy has been considered to be effective in mitigating sleepiness and regulating circadian phase shift in shift workers. However, the effective treatment dose of light therapy remains undetermined. We performed a meta-analysis of randomized experimental studies to determine the effect of light therapy doses on sleepiness and circadian phase shift in shift workers. An article search was performed in 10 electronic databases from inception to June 2020. Two raters independently screened and extracted data and reached consensus. Twenty-one eligible studies were included. Analyses were performed using random-effects models. Light therapy exerted significantly small to medium effects on sleepiness and large treatment effects on circadian phase shift. Moderator analyses performed with subgroup and metaregression analyses revealed that medium-intensity light therapy for a shorter duration more effectively reduced sleepiness at night, whereas higher-intensity light therapy more effectively induced phase shifting, but the required treatment duration remained inconclusive. This study provides evidence regarding the effect of light therapy in reducing sleepiness and shifting circadian phase in shift workers. Exposure to medium-intensity light for a short duration at night reduced sleepiness, whereas exposure to high-intensity light improved sleep by shifting their circadian phase.

Treadmill running induces remodeling of the infrapatellar fat pad in an intensity-dependent manner

Objective To investigate the response of the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) to running at different intensities and further explore the underlying mechanisms of these responses under different running-induced loadings. Methods Animals were randomly assigned into the sedentary (SED), low-intensity running (LIR), medium-intensity running (MIR), and high-intensity running (HIR) groups. The rats in the LIR, MIR, and HIR groups were subjected to an 8-week treadmill running protocol. In each group, the IFP was examined at the baseline and at the 8th week to perform histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, and mRNA expression analyses. Results Compared with LIR and MIR, HIR for 8 weeks led to a substantial increase in the surface cellularity (1.67 ± 1.15), fibrosis (1.29 ± 0.36), and vascularity (33.31 ± 8.43) of the IFP but did not increase IFP inflammation or M1 macrophage polarization. Low-to-medium-intensity running resulted in unchanged or decreased fibrosis, vascularity, and surface cellularity in the IFP compared to those of the SED group. Furthermore, serum leptin and visfatin levels were significantly lower in the LIR and MIR groups than in the SED group or the HIR group (P < 0.05). Conclusion The effect of running on IFP remodeling was intensity dependent. In contrast to LIR and MIR, HIR increased the fibrosis and vascularity of the IFP. HIR-induced IFP fibrosis was probably due to mechanical stress, rather than pathological proinflammatory M1/M2 polarization.