833 resultados para reproductive and productive educational-cognitive activity
Resumo:
The selected publications are focused on the relations between users, eGames and the educational context, and how they interact together, so that both learning and user performance are improved through feedback provision. A key part of this analysis is the identification of behavioural, anthropological patterns, so that users can be clustered based on their actions, and the steps taken in the system (e.g. social network, online community, or virtual campus). In doing so, we can analyse large data sets of information made by a broad user sample,which will provide more accurate statistical reports and readings. Furthermore, this research is focused on how users can be clustered based on individual and group behaviour, so that a personalized support through feedback is provided, and the personal learning process is improved as well as the group interaction. We take inputs from every person and from the group they belong to, cluster the contributions, find behavioural patterns and provide personalized feedback to the individual and the group, based on personal and group findings. And we do all this in the context of educational games integrated in learning communities and learning management systems. To carry out this research we design a set of research questions along the 10-year published work presented in this thesis. We ask if the users can be clustered together based on the inputs provided by them and their groups; if and how these data are useful to improve the learner performance and the group interaction; if and how feedback becomes a useful tool for such pedagogical goal; if and how eGames become a powerful context to deploy the pedagogical methodology and the various research methods and activities that make use of that feedback to encourage learning and interaction; if and how a game design and a learning design must be defined and implemented to achieve these objectives, and to facilitate the productive authoring and integration of eGames in pedagogical contexts and frameworks. We conclude that educational games are a resourceful tool to provide a user experience towards a better personalized learning performance and an enhance group interaction along the way. To do so, eGames, while integrated in an educational context, must follow a specific set of user and technical requirements, so that the playful context supports the pedagogical model underneath. We also conclude that, while playing, users can be clustered based on their personal behaviour and interaction with others, thanks to the pattern identification. Based on this information, a set of recommendations are provided Digital Anthropology and educational eGames 6 /216 to the user and the group in the form of personalized feedback, timely managed for an optimum impact on learning performance and group interaction level. In this research, Digital Anthropology is introduced as a concept at a late stage to provide a backbone across various academic fields including: Social Science, Cognitive Science, Behavioural Science, Educational games and, of course, Technology-enhance learning. Although just recently described as an evolution of traditional anthropology, this approach to digital behaviour and social structure facilitates the understanding amongst fields and a comprehensive view towards a combined approach. This research takes forward the already existing work and published research onusers and eGames for learning, and turns the focus onto the next step — the clustering of users based on their behaviour and offering proper, personalized feedback to the user based on that clustering, rather than just on isolated inputs from every user. Indeed, this pattern recognition in the described context of eGames in educational contexts, and towards the presented aim of personalized counselling to the user and the group through feedback, is something that has not been accomplished before.
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From 4 to 7 April 2016, 24 researchers from 8 countries and from a variety of academic disciplines gathered in Snekkersten, Denmark, to reach evidence-based consensus about physical activity in children and youth, that is, individuals between 6 and 18 years. Physical activity is an overarching term that consists of many structured and unstructured forms within school and out-of-school-time contexts, including organised sport, physical education, outdoor recreation, motor skill development programmes, recess, and active transportation such as biking and walking. This consensus statement presents the accord on the effects of physical activity on children's and youth's fitness, health, cognitive functioning, engagement, motivation, psychological well-being and social inclusion, as well as presenting educational and physical activity implementation strategies. The consensus was obtained through an iterative process that began with presentation of the state-of-the art in each domain followed by plenary and group discussions. Ultimately, Consensus Conference participants reached agreement on the 21-item consensus statement.
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The anxiolytic effects of benzodiazepines are reduced after a single exposure of rats to elevated plus-maze test (EPM). Midazolam showed an anxioselective profile in animals submitted to one session (T1) but did not change the usual exploratory behavior of rats exposed twice (T2) to the EPM. In this study we examined further the one-trial tolerance by performing a factor analysis of the exploratory behavior of rats injected with saline before both trials as well as an immunohistochemistry study for quantification of Fos expression in encephalic structures after these sessions. Factor analysis of all behavioral categories revealed that factor I consisted of anxiety-related categories in T1 whereas these same behavioral categories loaded on factor 2 in T2. Risk assessment was also dissociated as it loaded stronger on T2 (factor 3) than on T1 (factor 4). Locomotor activity in T1 loaded on factor 5. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed that Fos expression predominated in limbic structures in T1 group. The medial prefrontal cortex and amygdala were the main areas activated in T2 group. These data suggest that anxiety and risk assessment behaviors change their valence across the EPM sessions. T2 is characterized by the emergence of a fear factor, more powerful risk assessment and medial prefrontal cortex activation. The amygdala functions as a switch between the anxiety-like patterns of T1 to the cognitive control of fear prevalent in T2. The EPM retest session is proposed as a tool for assessing the cognitive activity of rodents in the control of fear. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Few studies have investigated in vivo changes of the cholinergic basal forebrain in Alzheimer`s disease (AD) and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), an at risk stage of AD. Even less is known about alterations of cortical projecting fiber tracts associated with basal forebrain atrophy. In this study, we determined regional atrophy within the basal forebrain in 21 patients with AD and 16 subjects with MCI compared to 20 healthy elderly subjects using deformation-based morphometry of MRI scans. We assessed effects of basal forebrain atrophy on fiber tracts derived from high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using tract-based spatial statistics. We localized significant effects relative to a map of cholinergic nuclei in MRI standard space as determined from a postmortem brain. Patients with AD and MCI subjects showed reduced volumes in basal forebrain areas corresponding to anterior medial and lateral, intermediate and posterior nuclei of the Nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM) as well as in the diagonal band of Broca nuclei (P < 0.01). Effects in MCI subjects were spatially more restricted than in AD, but occurred at similar locations. The volume of the right antero-lateral NbM nucleus was correlated with intracortical projecting fiber tract integrity such as the corpus callosum, cingulate, and the superior longitudinal, inferior longitudinal, inferior fronto-occipital, and uncinate fasciculus (P < 0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Our findings suggest that a multimodal MRI-DTI approach is supportive to determine atrophy of cholinergic nuclei and its effect on intracortical projecting fiber tracts in AD. Hum Brain Mapp 32: 1349-1362, 2011. (C) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Fear of heights, or acrophobia, is one of the most frequent subtypes of specific phobia frequently associated to depression and other anxiety disorders. Previous evidence suggests a correlation between acrophobia and abnormalities in balance control, particularly involving the use of visual information to keep postural stability. This study investigates the hypotheses that (1) abnormalities in balance control are more frequent in individuals with acrophobia even when not exposed to heights, that (2) acrophobic symptoms are associated to abnormalities in visual perception of movement; and that (3) individuals with acrophobia are more sensitive to balance-cognition interactions. Thirty-one individuals with specific phobia of heights and thirty one non-phobic controls were compared using dynamic posturography and a manual tracking task. Acrophobics had poorer performance in both tasks, especially when carried out simultaneously. Previously described interference between posture control and cognitive activity seems to play a major role in these individuals. The presence of physiologic abnormalities is compatible with the hypothesis of a non-associative acquisition of fear of heights, i.e., not associated to previous traumatic events or other learning experiences. Clinically, this preliminary study corroborates the hypothesis that vestibular physical therapy can be particularly useful in treating individuals with fear of heights.
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The periaqueductal gray (PAG) has been reported as a potential site for opioid regulation of behavioral selection. Opioid-mediated behavioral and physiological responses differ between nulliparous and multiparous females. This study addresses the effects of multiple reproductive experiences on mu-, kappa- and delta-opioid receptor (Oprm1, Oprk1, and Oprd1 respectively) gene activity and mu, kappa and delta protein expression (MOR, KOR and DOR respectively) in the PAG of the female rats. This was done by evaluating the opioid gene expression using real-time (RT-PCR) and quantification of each protein receptor by Western blot analysis. The RT-PCR results show that multiple reproductive experiences increase Oprm1 and Oprk1 gene expression. Western blot analysis revealed increased MOR and KOR while DOR protein was decreased in multiparous animals. Taken together, these data suggest that multiple reproductive experiences influence both gene activity and opioid receptor expression in the PAG. Post-translational mechanisms seem particularly relevant for DOR expression. Thus, opioid transmission in the PAG might be modulated by different mechanisms of multiparity-induced plasticity according to the opioid receptor type.
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Reproductive experience (i.e., pregnancy and lactation) induces physiological changes in mammals. We recently showed that a previous reproductive experience can modulate the activity of dopaminergic hypothalamic systems while decreasing serum prolactin (PRL) levels and oxidative burst activity in peritoneal macrophages. Dopamine receptor antagonists increase serum PRL levels, and both PRL and dopamine receptors might be involved in the modulation of macrophage activity, providing a means of communication between the nervous and immune systems. The present study evaluated the in vitro effects of PRL and the dopamine receptor 02 antagonist domperidone (DOMP) on the peritoneal activity of macrophages from primiparous and multiparous female rats during lactation. Oxidative bursts and phagocytosis in peritoneal macrophages were evaluated by flow cytometry. Primiparous and multiparous Wistar rats, during the period of lactation (i.e., days 5-7 after parturition) were used. Samples of peritoneal fluid from these rats were first incubated with PRL (10 and 100 nM) for different periods of time. The same procedure was repeated to evaluate the effects of DOMP (10 and 100 nM). Our results showed that macrophages from multiparous rats respond more effectively to in vitro incubation with PRL, especially with regard to oxidative bursts and the percentage of phagocytosis. Additionally, these effects were more pronounced after 30 min of incubation. These data suggest that reproductive experience is associated with a reduction in serum PRL levels, and cells in experienced female animals, including their macrophages, become more sensitive to the effects of PRL (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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In nature, green turtles (Chelonia mydas) can exhibit nocturnal activity in addition to their typically diurnal activity cycle. We examined whether nocturnal activity in captive and free-living green turtles altered daily plasma profiles of melatonin (MEL) and corticosterone (CORT). In captivity, diurnally active green turtles expressed distinct diel cycles in MEL and CORT; a nocturnal rise was observed in MEL and a diurnal rise was observed in CORT. However, when induced to perform both low- and high-intensity nocturnal activity, captive green turtles exhibited a significant decrease in MEL, compared to inactive controls. In contrast, plasma CORT increased significantly with nocturnal activity, and further, the relative increase in CORT was correlated with the intensity of the nocturnal behavior. In free-living green turtles that performed nocturnal activity including: nesting, mate searching, and feeding/swimming behaviors, plasma profiles in MEL and CORT exhibited relatively little, or no, daily fluctuation. Our findings demonstrate that nocturnal activity in green turtles is often associated with MEL and CORT profiles that resemble those measured during the day. We speculate that these conspicuous changes in MEL and CORT during nocturnal activity could either support or promote behaviors that enable acquisition of transient resources important to the survival and reproductive success of green turtles. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA).
Resumo:
Exercise promotes several health benefits, such as cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and cardiorespiratory improvements. It is believed that the practice of exercise in individuals with psychiatric disorders, e.g. schizophrenia, can cause significant changes. Schizophrenic patients have problematic lifestyle habits compared with general population; this may cause a high mortality rate, mainly caused by cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate changes in physical and mental health, cognitive and brain functioning due to the practice of exercise in patients with schizophrenia. Although still little is known about the benefits of exercise on mental health, cognitive and brain functioning of schizophrenic patients, exercise training has been shown to be a beneficial intervention in the control and reduction of disease severity. Type of training, form of execution, duration and intensity need to be better studied as the effects on physical and mental health, cognition and brain activity depend exclusively of interconnected factors, such as the combination of exercise and medication. However, one should understand that exercise is not only an effective nondrug alternative, but also acts as a supporting linking up interventions to promote improvements in process performance optimization. In general, the positive effects on mental health, cognition and brain activity as a result of an exercise program are quite evident. Few studies have been published correlating effects of exercise in patients with schizophrenia, but there is increasing evidence that positive and negative symptoms can be improved. Therefore, it is important that further studies be undertaken to expand the knowledge of physical exercise on mental health in people with schizophrenia, as well as its dose-response and the most effective type of exercise.
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This study, which involved a target population comprised by 292 workers of different industrial areas (metalmechanics, foundry, chemical, wood, food), aimed to verify the association between energy expenditure-EE, physical activity level-PAL and body composition (Body Mass Index-BMI, Waist-Hip Ratio-WHR and Waist To Height Ratio, WTHR) of participants. The work was completed with the description of the variables relating to the gender of the individuals (male and female) and the activities carried out in the two sectors of industrial work (administrative sector and productive sector). In this research, the statistical technique of principal components analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical analysis of clusters (HCA) were used. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected as well as the level of physical activity and energy expenditure were assessed. The vast majority of individuals who spend greater energy expenditure and has more intense physical activity were male. Most of these workers are in the production sector. We can confirm that that both, gender and labor activity, are factors that have influence on the EE and the PAL.
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The orexigenic neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a central role in the hypothalamic control of food intake and energy balance. NPY also exerts an inhibition of the gonadotrope axis that could be important in the response to poor metabolic conditions. In contrast, leptin provides an anorexigenic signal to centrally control the body needs in energy. Moreover, leptin contributes to preserve adequate reproductive functions by stimulating the activity of the gonadotrope axis. It is of interest that hypothalamic NPY represents a primary target of leptin actions. To evaluate the importance of the NPY Y1 and Y5 receptors in the downstream pathways modulated by leptin and controlling energy metabolism as well as the activity of the gonadotrope axis, we studied the effects of leptin administration on food intake and reproductive functions in mice deficient for the expression of either the Y1 or the Y5 receptor. Furthermore, the role of the Y1 receptor in leptin resistance was determined in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice bearing a null mutation in the NPY Y1 locus. Results point to a crucial role for the NPY Y1 receptor in mediating the NPY pathways situated downstream of leptin actions and controlling food intake, the onset of puberty, and the maintenance of reproductive functions.
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Currently, there is an increased interest in γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and its effects onsleep. This compound, sometimes referred to as 'rape drug', was recently approved as atreatment for the sleep disorder narcolepsy. Although several studies suggest that GHBinduces slow-wave sleep duration and improves sleep quality by increasing EEG slow-waveactivity, others question its ability to induce physiological sleep. GHB's mechanism of actionis still unclear, although in vivo and in vitro it seems to act at high doses as a low-affinityagonist of GABAB receptors. Furthermore, the role GABAB receptors play in sleep and theelectroencephalogram (EEG) is largely unknown.The aim of this project was therefore to investigate the effects of GHB on sleep and EEG, theinvolvement of GABAB receptors in mediating these effects, as well as the intrinsic role ofeach GABAB receptor subunit in the regulation of sleep. Thus, we administered GHB andbaclofen (BAC, a high-affinity agonist at GABAB receptor) to mice lacking the different GABABreceptor subunits and to healthy human volunteers.Our results, both in mice and humans, showed that GHB produced slow waves exclusivelythrough the stimulation of GABAB receptors, but did not induce physiological sleepnecessary to reduce sleep need and to increase cognitive performance. Unlike GHB, BACaffected the homeostatic regulation of sleep (sleep need) and induced a delayedhypersomnia. Finally, GABAB receptor and its subunits seem to play an important role insleep and in particular its circadian distribution.
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IMPORTANCE: The association of copy number variations (CNVs), differing numbers of copies of genetic sequence at locations in the genome, with phenotypes such as intellectual disability has been almost exclusively evaluated using clinically ascertained cohorts. The contribution of these genetic variants to cognitive phenotypes in the general population remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features conferred by CNVs associated with known syndromes in adult carriers without clinical preselection and to assess the genome-wide consequences of rare CNVs (frequency ≤0.05%; size ≥250 kilobase pairs [kb]) on carriers' educational attainment and intellectual disability prevalence in the general population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The population biobank of Estonia contains 52,000 participants enrolled from 2002 through 2010. General practitioners examined participants and filled out a questionnaire of health- and lifestyle-related questions, as well as reported diagnoses. Copy number variant analysis was conducted on a random sample of 7877 individuals and genotype-phenotype associations with education and disease traits were evaluated. Our results were replicated on a high-functioning group of 993 Estonians and 3 geographically distinct populations in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Phenotypes of genomic disorders in the general population, prevalence of autosomal CNVs, and association of these variants with educational attainment (from less than primary school through scientific degree) and prevalence of intellectual disability. RESULTS: Of the 7877 in the Estonian cohort, we identified 56 carriers of CNVs associated with known syndromes. Their phenotypes, including cognitive and psychiatric problems, epilepsy, neuropathies, obesity, and congenital malformations are similar to those described for carriers of identical rearrangements ascertained in clinical cohorts. A genome-wide evaluation of rare autosomal CNVs (frequency, ≤0.05%; ≥250 kb) identified 831 carriers (10.5%) of the screened general population. Eleven of 216 (5.1%) carriers of a deletion of at least 250 kb (odds ratio [OR], 3.16; 95% CI, 1.51-5.98; P = 1.5e-03) and 6 of 102 (5.9%) carriers of a duplication of at least 1 Mb (OR, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.29-8.54; P = .008) had an intellectual disability compared with 114 of 6819 (1.7%) in the Estonian cohort. The mean education attainment was 3.81 (P = 1.06e-04) among 248 (≥250 kb) deletion carriers and 3.69 (P = 5.024e-05) among 115 duplication carriers (≥1 Mb). Of the deletion carriers, 33.5% did not graduate from high school (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.12-1.95; P = .005) and 39.1% of duplication carriers did not graduate high school (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.27-2.8; P = 1.6e-03). Evidence for an association between rare CNVs and lower educational attainment was supported by analyses of cohorts of adults from Italy and the United States and adolescents from the United Kingdom. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Known pathogenic CNVs in unselected, but assumed to be healthy, adult populations may be associated with unrecognized clinical sequelae. Additionally, individually rare but collectively common intermediate-size CNVs may be negatively associated with educational attainment. Replication of these findings in additional population groups is warranted given the potential implications of this observation for genomics research, clinical care, and public health.
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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Ginkgo biloba treatment (EGb 761, 200 mg kg-1 day-1) administered from day 0 to 20 of pregnancy on maternal reproductive performance and on the maternal and fetal liver antioxidant systems of streptozotocin-induced diabetic Wistar rats. On day 21 of pregnancy, the adult rats (weighing approximately 250 ± 50 g, minimum number = 13/group) were anesthetized to obtain maternal and fetal liver samples for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and total glutathione (GSH-t) determinations. The uterus was weighed with its contents. The diabetic (G3) and treated diabetic (G4) groups of rats presented significant maternal hyperglycemia, reduced term pregnancy rate, impaired maternal reproductive outcome and fetal-placental development, decreased GSH-Px (G3 = G4 = 0.6 ± 0.2) and SOD (G3 = 223.0 ± 84.7; G4 = 146.1 ± 40.8), and decreased fetal CAT activity (G3 = 22.4 ± 10.6; G4 = 34.4 ± 14.1) and GSH-t (G3 = G4 = 0.3 ± 0.2), compared to the non-diabetic groups (G1, untreated control; G2, treated). For G1, maternal GSH-Px = 0.9 ± 0.2 and SOD = 274.1 ± 80.3; fetal CAT = 92.6 ± 82.7 and GSH-t = 0.6 ± 0.5. For G2, G. biloba treatment caused no toxicity and did not modify maternal or fetal-placental data. EGb 761 at the nontoxic dose used (200 mg kg-1 day-1), failed to modify the diabetes-associated increase in maternal glycemia, decrease in pregnancy rate, decrease in antioxidant enzymes, and impaired fetal development when the rats were treated throughout pregnancy (21 days).
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Daytime napping improves well-being and performance for young adults. The benefits of napping in older adults should be investigated because they have fragmented nocturnal sleep, cognitive declines, and more opportunity to nap. In addition, experience with napping might influence the benefits of napping. Study 1 examined the role of experience with napping in young adults. Habitual (n = 23) and non-habitual nappers (n = 16) were randomly assigned to a 20-minute nap or a 20- minute reading condition. Both groups slept the same according to macro architecture. However, microarchitecture showed greater theta, alpha, and beta power during Stage 1, and greater delta, alpha, and sigma power during Stage 2 for habitual nappers, for the most part indicating better sleep. Both groups felt less sleepy after the nap. P2 latency, reflecting information processing, decreased after the nap for habitual nappers, and after the control condition for non-habitual nappers. In sum, both groups who slept felt better, but only the habitual nappers who napped gained a benefit in terms of information processing. Based on this outcome, experience with napping was investigated in Study 2. Study 2 examined the extent to which daytime napping enhanced cognition in older adults, especially frontal lobe function. Cognitive deficits in older adults may be due to sleep loss and age-related decline in brain functioning. Longer naps were expected to provide greater improvement, particularly for older adults, by reducing sleep pressure. Thirty-two adults, aged 24-70 years, participated in a repeated measures dose-response manipulation of sleep pressure. Twenty- and sixty-minute naps were compared to a no-nap condition in three age groups. Mood, subjective sleepiness, reaction time, working memory, 11 novelty detection, and waking electro physiological measures were taken before and after each condition. EEG was also recorded during each nap or rest condition. Napping reduced subjective sleepiness, improved working memory (serial addition / subtraction task), and improved attention (reduced P2 amplitude). Physiological sleepiness (i.e., waking theta power) increased following the control condition, and decreased after the longer nap. Increased beta power after the short nap, and seen with older adults overall, may have reflected increased mental effort. Older adults had longer latencies and smaller amplitudes for several event-related potential components, and higher beta and gamma power. Following the longer nap, gamma power decreased for older adults, but increased for young adults. Beta and gamma power may represent enhanced alertness or mental effort. In addition, Nl amplitude showed that benefits depend on the preceding nap length as well as age. Since the middle group had smaller Nl amplitudes following the short nap and rest condition, it is possible that they needed a longer nap to maintain alertness. Older adults did not show improvements to Nl amplitude following any condition; they may have needed a nap longer than 60 minutes to gain benefits to attention or early information processing. Sleep characteristics were not related to benefits of napping. Experience with napping was also investigated. Subjective data confirmed habitual nappers were happier to nap, while non-habitual nappers were happier to stay awake, reflecting self-identified napping habits. Non-habitual nappers were sleepier after a nap, and had faster brain activity (i.e., heightened vigilance) at sleep onset. These reasons may explain why non-habitual nappers choose not to nap.