مطالب

Background : Beyond biological changes, ageing is often associated with degenerative and progressive changes in functional and physiological performance. Different types of exercise and rehabilitation method were introduced for resolving or preventing aging complications. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 8- week- dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) training on functional performance and quality of life in healthy elderly men. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight old men were selected by convenience sampling manner and divided randomly in two groups of experimental (n=13, age: 65.8±4.3 years, height: 1.63±5.92 cm, weight: 69.1±7.4 kg) and control (n=15, age: 66.3±3.8 years, height: 1.64±4.89 cm, weight: 70.1± 6.3 kg). The experimental group received neuromuscular stabilization training for 8 weeks and 3 sessions for 1 hour in a clinic in Baghdad. Static balance (by functional reach test), dynamic balance (by time-up and go test), functional performance (by Berge test), and quality of life (by Leiden-Padua (LEIPAD e questionnaire) were measured before and after training. Data was analyzed by repeated measure ANOVA in SPSS software. P value was set at P ≤0.05. Results : The results showed that the intergroup interaction in the variables of functional performance (F=53.3, P =0.00), quality of life (F=65.04, P =0.00), static (F=106.7, P =0.00) and dynamic (F=26.99, P =0.00) balance was significant with the superiority of the DNS group. Conclusion: Postural control, functional performance and quality of life improved after training protocol. Therefore, DNS training can be used as a complementary method for rehabilitation of elderly.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in global home confinement and quarantine, leading to the vaccination of societies worldwide. However, some elite athletes have negative views toward vaccination. Aim: This study aimed to compare the lifestyle of vaccinated versus unvaccinated international elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: From March to October 2021, an online survey was conducted, including socio-individual information of athletes, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants (REAP-S), and the Petersburg Sleep Quality Questionnaire (PSQI). A total of 581 elite athletes from 4 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, and America) and different countries, aged 18-35 years, were voluntarily recruited. Data analysis was performed using U-Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with the level of significance set at alpha P <0.05. Results: The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the level of physical activity and eating behavior of vaccinated versus unvaccinated elite athletes ( P <0.001). However, no significant difference was found between the quality of sleep among vaccinated and unvaccinated elite athletes ( P =0.270). Conclusion: It was shown that, despite the unvaccinated status of some elite athletes (49.9%), their physical activity levels were higher than those of vaccinated elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the eating behavior of vaccinated elite athletes was better than that of unvaccinated elite athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there was no significant difference in the quality of sleep between the groups.

Background: Intense physical activity increases the production of reactive oxygen species in vital tissues such as the liver and causes oxidative stress. Aim: This study investigates the effect of high-intensity interval training and intense endurance training on oxidative stress of liver tissue in immature male rats during puberty. Materials and Methods: A total of 24 male Wistar rats (aged= 22 days, weight= 60±0.63 g), after one week of acclimatization, were divided randomly into three groups: control, IET, and HIIT. Rats were subjected to a four-week training on an animal treadmill. The effects of training treatment in rat liver were investigated by assaying oxidative stress biomarkers. Results: Comparing to control group, in both training groups significantly lower Malondialdehyde (MDA) was seen (( P (IET)= 0.016/ P (HIIT)= 0.020). However, there were no statistical differences in Glutathione Peroxidase (GPX) ( P = 0.463) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) activity levels ( P = 0.194) among groups. HIIT training significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) ( P = 0.040) and catalase enzyme (CAT) levels ( P = 0.007). IET and HIIT had significantly increased endurance performance (both: P = 0.001). Conclusion: Both training intensities did not lead to an increase in oxidative stress and can be used during puberty.

Purpose: The adequate use of sport-related modern knowledge such as new findings regarding nutritional and dietary supplements is an essential prerequisite of success in modern professional sport. Methods: In this semi-experimental study, 11 nationally prominent Taekwondoin with 8 to 12 years of experience and profile of (Age: 20±6 years, height: 178±12 cm, weight: 67±11kg, wrist circumference: 17±1 cm) were selected as subjects. The level of blood lactate, the time and speed of execution of Poomsae forms, and the number of Momdollyos successfully performed in 20 seconds were measured separately in a pre-test phase, after the intake of a placebo, and after the consumption of supplement drink. Results: Statistical results showed that lactate levels significantly increased compare to pre-tests in both groups. Although this increasing was not significant between groups in Momdollyo (p=0.599) and Poomsae (p=0.303). Indeed, number of successfully executed and also time of performance were significantly different in both Momdollyo (P=0.000) and    Poomsae (P=0.033). Conclusion: Intake of discussed customized decaffeinated supplement drink increased speed and number of execution of Poomsae forms and Momdollyo techniques but it seems that lactate levels depends on other factors in taekwondoin.

Purpose: This study was conducted aiming to investigate the effect of selected TRX and Pilates training on balance parameters, fatigue index, and quality of life in female patients of multiple sclerosis. Method: In this study, 30 female patients with MS in Isfahan city with an average age of 37.41 ± 7.57 years and a history of MS of 11.31 ± 3.77 years and an Expanded Disability Status Scale of 0.84 ± 1.81 were placed in three groups including control, TRX and Pilates groups. The training program consisted of eight weeks including 3 sessions of 60 minutes of exercise per week. In order to investigate balance, fatigue, and quality of life, the Berg test, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Multiple Sclerosis Quality of Life were used respectively. SPSS version 25 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: The results of this study have shown that both exercise programs have led to a significant improvement in the mean parameters of balance (P < 0.005), fatigue (P < 0.005), and quality of life (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Considering the noticeable impact of these training protocols on the quality of life, balance and fatigue, these interventions can be considered as an efficient and cost-effective methods to improve health condition in MS patients.

Background: Superstitions and rituals have long been a part of sports culture, with many athletes believing that they can bring good luck or improve their performance. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between superstitions and sports success in Iraqi football league players. Materials and Methods: This study used a descriptive-correlational analysis method, with data collected in the field from a sample of 200 players randomly selected from the population of players in the Iraqi football premier league. Two standard questionnaires, Superstition in Sports and Sports Success Questionnaire, were used to collect data, both of which were designed based on the Likert five value range. Results: The study found that there is a significant relationship between superstitions and sports success, with the most important priority related to the component of "team ritual" (5.58) in superstitions and "commitment" (4.58) in sports success. The study also found that 37% of changes in sporting success are related to superstitious components. Conclusion: Based on the study's findings, it can be concluded that the use of superstitious rituals can have a positive effect on the sports success of athletes.

Many difficulties learners experience during language learning interfere with their performance, and those associated with their psychology play an integral role in this process. Underpinned by Bandura’s social cognitive theory and Dweck’s implicit theory of intelligence, this article explored how language mindsets influenced female EFL learners’ cognitive engagement through the mediation of risk-taking. Following a quantitative design and drawing on stratified sampling, the researchers ran the Power Analysis Calculator and selected 384 language learners from six institutes of Tabriz, Iran. The data were collected by three questionnaires, including the Language Mindset Inventory of Lou and Noels (2017), University Student Engagement Inventory (USEI) designed by Maroco et al., (2016), and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) of Patton, Stanford and Barratt (1995). The PLS-SEM analysis showed that learners’ growth mindsets were directly related to cognitive engagement. Furthermore, risk-taking significantly mediated this relationship. This finding provides some implications for school psychology to develop in students self-theories that highlight growth and competence instead of limitation and inactivity.

This study examined the correlation between advanced EFL students' syntactic knowledge and their writing and speaking proficiency to determine whether students' syntactic knowledge can influence their productive skills. A total of 50 advanced students aged between 18 and 25 were chosen purposefully to take part in the study. Four tests, including a placement test, a syntax test from Oxford University Press, a writing test, and one test for speaking proficiency were employed to collect the required data. Because the data for this study were quantitative, a correlational/descriptive design was chosen for the data to be analyzed. The researcher then decided to find a correlation between the students' writing and speaking scores and their syntax scores based on the obtained data. Both the t-test and the Pearson correlation demonstrated that there is no real correlation between the syntactic, speaking, and writing proficiency of the students. Further findings showed that there is no difference between the relationship between syntactic knowledge and speaking proficiency and the relationship between syntactic knowledge and writing proficiency. The implication of this study is that grammatical competence is not a valid predictor for the proficiency of students in writing and speaking courses. If a student’s grammatical competence is low, his proficiency in writing and speaking can still be average or even above average depending on the process of assessing these skills. Additionally, learners must understand that possessing a strong grasp of grammatical knowledge does not inevitably ensure their ability to produce language effectively in spoken or written form.

The present study strived to determine the degree to which collaborative tasks and EFL learners’ gender affected their flow experiences. To this end, first, the researchers selected 56 intermediate-level EFL learners in two intact classrooms at a private language institute in Urmia (Iran) as the participants. Second, they randomly assigned the classes to an experimental group and a control group. Third, they used a flow state questionnaire to determine the participants’ flow experiences prior to the onset of the study. Fourth, they provided the experimental group with collaborative language learning treatment during 12 sessions. Nonetheless, they deprived the control group of this treatment. Finally, they administered the flow state questionnaire to the groups anew to appraise the efficacy of collaborative tasks for augmenting the participants’ flow experiences. The results indicated that the above-mentioned tasks had an advantageous impact on the EFL learners’ flow state of mind. Furthermore, based on the results, female learners’ flow experiences were more positively affected by the collaborative tasks in comparison with the male learners’ flow experiences. The obtained results may empower the teacher educators, syllabus designers, and researchers to take account of the flow state of mind during the process of language acquisition.

Purpose- To develop agritourism, based on the supply and demand framework, it is essential to understand the preferences of tourists as well as the tendency and capabilities of the local community to participate in the development of agritourism. The study aims to examine tourists’ preferences, gardeners’ preferences and capabilities for agritourism activities, and to compare tourists’ preferences and gardeners’ preferences and capabilities regarding agritourism activities.Design/methodology/approach- The research method is a descriptive-analytical type carried out by a survey method. The study population consisted of 109 apple gardeners the 15 sample villages of Semirom County who were selected using a targeted sampling method, and 252 tourists who visited the sample villages. The data were collected using two researcher-designed questionnaires. To analyze the data, SPSS software along with inferential statistical methods, including One-sample t-test and Friedman were used.Findings- The findings indicated that tourists' demand for agritourism activities is high and they are interested in all types of agritourism activities. Gardeners are willing to provide agritourism activities, but they have low capability to offer them to tourists. Also, the findings indicated no match between the demand and supply for agritourism activities; Tourists’ main preferences were for Agri-recreation, Agri-experience and Agri-accommodation, and food services, while the tendency and capability of gardeners were more about agri-entertainment and Agri-education.Practical implications- The findings will be useful for tourism planners to develop optimal strategies for developing agritourism with a better understanding of the behaviors and preferences of tourists as well as the willingness and ability of gardeners.Original/value- Using the integrated supply and demand framework to analyze the gap between tourists' preferences and gardeners' capabilities for agritourism activities is the innovations of the research.

Purpose- The purpose of this article is the provision a context for the continuity and conveyance of hidden values in human habitations in a form of patterns for future plans. Design/Methodology/Approach- Hezaveh village, located in Markazi Province, is one of the habitats that has always been noted due to its location and physical traits. Hence, three residential samples were studied and analyzed. The research has been formed with an inductive approach based on field observations and documentary studies. The selection method of samples was based on diversity indicators in structural and functional patterns. They were extracted among the observed samples based on statistical data according to the number of families, type of livelihood, etc. Findings- The findings of the research demonstrate the way physical traits of habitats are considered in accordance with the natural environment, humans, and housing formation. Thus, housing can be understood as a fundamental type and pure form of a physical environment that represent those patterns. Because of the cold climate of the village, most houses have inner yards and are introverted. The ratio of the outer skin to the whole volume of buildings is low. Yards are relatively small and walls are thick. Moreover, the investigations revealed that there are somehow similar spaces in them. Practical implications- In its simplest use, the findings of the research might be deemed as a pattern or criterion for the design of rural housing which reflects the architectural properties of that region. Originality/Value- The analysis and inference methodology of a pattern for rural housing could be regarded as an innovation in this research.