Xavier Sanchez

Assessing the effectiveness of a large database of emotion-eliciting films: A new tool for emotion researchers

Using emotional film clips is one of the most popular and effective methods of emotion elicitation. The main goal of the present study was to develop and test the effectiveness of a new and comprehensive set of emotional film excerpts. Fifty film experts were asked to remember specific film scenes that elicited fear, anger, sadness, disgust, amusement, tenderness, as well as emotionally neutral scenes. For each emotion, the 10 most frequently mentioned scenes were selected and cut into film clips. Next, 364 participants viewed the film clips in individual laboratory sessions and rated each film on multiple dimensions. Results showed that the film clips were effective with regard to several criteria such as emotional discreteness, arousal, positive and negative affect. Finally, ranking scores were computed for 24 classification criteria: Subjective arousal, positive and negative affect (derived from the PANAS; Watson & Tellegen, 1988), a positive and a negative affect scores derived from the Differential Emotions Scale (DES; Izard et al., 1974), six emotional discreteness scores (for anger, disgust, sadness, fear, amusement and tenderness), and 15 “mixed feelings” scores assessing the effectiveness of each film excerpt to produce blends of specific emotions. In addition, a number of emotionally neutral film clips were also validated. The database and editing instructions to construct the film clips have been made freely available in a website.

Positive and negative affective states in a performance-related setting: Testing the factorial structure of the panas across two samples of french-canadian participants.

The objective of the present study was to compare alternative factorial structures of the French-Canadian version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) across samples of athletes at different stages of a sport competition. The first sample (N = 305) was used to assess, compare, and improve the measurement model of the PANAS. The second sample (N = 217) was used to cross-validate the model that provided the best fit with the calibration sample. Results of confirmatory factor analyses suggested that a modified three-factor model with cross-loadings provided a better fit to the data than either the hypothesized or the modified two-factor models. This model was partially replicated on the second sample. Results of a multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis have shown that the model was partially invariant across the two samples.

MENTAL REHEARSAL IN TABLE TENNIS PERFORMANCE

Effects of mental rehearsal were assessed on two measures of table tennis performance, counterattack forehand and counterattack backhand. Mental rehearsal combined with observational and physical techniques (N = 40) appeared to improve table tennis performance both qualitatively and quantitatively. Correlations suggested mental training effects cannot be explained only in terms of visual imagery.

Clinical experience with daptomycin for the treatment of patients with knee and hip periprosthetic joint infections

OBJECTIVESnTo investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of hip and knee periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs).nnnMETHODSnWe completed a retrospective review of all patients in our institution (n=20) who were treated with daptomycin for hip or knee PJI, over the 36 month period from January 2008 until December 2010.nnnRESULTSnInfection types included eight cases with acute infections, nine cases of chronic infection and three cases of positive intraoperative cultures. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was the most frequent microorganism found in surgical cultures (40%). Our patients, on average, received daptomycin as salvage therapy at a dose of 6.6 mg/kg/day for 44.9 days. The overall success rate was 78.6% after a median follow-up period of 20 months. In the subgroup of patients with acute PJIs, treatment with daptomycin, debridement and implant retention was successful in all cases. We found two cases of severe side effects (one case of acute renal failure due to massive rhabdomyolysis and one of eosinophilic pneumonia) and two cases of asymptomatic transient creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level elevation.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe combination of high daptomycin doses with an adequate surgical approach could be a viable alternative in cases of difficult-to-treat Gram-positive PJIs. Due to the risk of potentially serious adverse events, serum CPK level should be closely monitored.

Efficacy of pre-ascent climbing route visual inspection in indoor sport climbing

Pre‐ascent climbing route visual inspection (route preview) has been suggested as a key climbing performance parameter although its role has never been verified experimentally. We examined the efficacy of this perceptual‐cognitive skill on indoor sport climbing performance. Twenty‐nine male climbers, divided into intermediate, advanced and expert climbing level groups, climbed two indoor sport routes matching their climbing level and, where applicable, routes below their climbing level. At each level, one route was climbed with a preview, where participants benefited from a 3‐min pre‐ascent climbing route visual inspection. Performance was assessed in terms of output (route completion) and form (number and duration of moves and stops). Route preview did not influence the output performance. Climbers using visual inspection were no more likely to finish the ascent than those without the option of using visual inspection. Conversely, route preview did influence form performance; climbers made fewer, and shorter stops during their ascent following a preview of the route. Form performances differences remained when baseline ability levels were taken into account, although for shorter duration of stops only with expert climbers benefiting most from route preview. The ability to visually inspect a climb before its ascent may represent an essential component of performance optimization.

CNS-directed gene therapy for the treatment of neurologic and somatic mucopolysaccharidosis type II (Hunter syndrome)

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPSII) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease characterized by severe neurologic and somatic disease caused by deficiency of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS), an enzyme that catabolizes the glycosaminoglycans heparan and dermatan sulphate. Intravenous enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) currently constitutes the only approved therapeutic option for MPSII. However, the inability of recombinant IDS to efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limits ERT efficacy in treating neurological symptoms. Here, we report a gene therapy approach for MPSII through direct delivery of vectors to the CNS. Through a minimally invasive procedure, we administered adeno-associated virus vectors encoding IDS (AAV9-Ids) to the cerebrospinal fluid of MPSII mice with already established disease. Treated mice showed a significant increase in IDS activity throughout the encephalon, with full resolution of lysosomal storage lesions, reversal of lysosomal dysfunction, normalization of brain transcriptomic signature, and disappearance of neuroinflammation. Moreover, our vector also transduced the liver, providing a peripheral source of therapeutic protein that corrected storage pathology in visceral organs, with evidence of cross-correction of nontransduced organs by circulating enzyme. Importantly, AAV9-Ids-treated MPSII mice showed normalization of behavioral deficits and considerably prolonged survival. These results provide a strong proof of concept for the clinical translation of our approach for the treatment of Hunter syndrome patients with cognitive impairment.

Physiological responses in rock climbing with repeated ascents over a 10-week period

The purpose was to analyze the physiological responses and energy expenditure during repeated ascents of the same climbing route over a 10-week period. Nine climbers completed nine ascents of a specific route spaced 1xa0week apart. Expired air was analyzed continuously during each ascent, and time of ascent was recorded to the nearest second. Energy expenditure during climbing (EECLM), and during climbing +10xa0min recovery (EETOT) was calculated by the Weir and Zuntz equations. Differences among ascents 1, 4, 6 and 9 were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. Climbing time was longer for ascent 1 compared with ascents 4, 6 and 9 (Pxa0<xa00.001). Differences were found for EECLM (kcal; Pxa0<xa00.001), between ascent 1 versus 6 and 9 and ascent 4 versus 9, using both Zuntz and Weir equations. Also, differences were observed in EE for recovery (Pxa0<xa00.05) and EETOT (Pxa0<xa00.05) using both equations. Repeated ascents of a climbing route decreased the climbing time and absolute energy expenditure during climbing. Initially, the decrease in climbing energy expenditure is accompanied by an increase in energy expenditure during recovery; however, by the ninth ascent, the total energy expenditure of the task is lower than for ascent 1.

Disease correction by AAV-mediated gene therapy in a new mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIID

Gene therapy is a promising therapeutic alternative for Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD), as it is not necessary to correct the genetic defect in all cells of an organ to achieve therapeutically significant levels of enzyme in body fluids, from which non-transduced cells can uptake the protein correcting their enzymatic deficiency. Animal models are instrumental in the development of new treatments for LSD. Here we report the generation of the first mouse model of the LSD Muccopolysaccharidosis Type IIID (MPSIIID), also known as Sanfilippo syndrome type D. This autosomic recessive, heparan sulphate storage disease is caused by deficiency in N-acetylglucosamine 6-sulfatase (GNS). Mice deficient in GNS showed lysosomal storage pathology and loss of lysosomal homeostasis in the CNS and peripheral tissues, chronic widespread neuroinflammation, reduced locomotor and exploratory activity and shortened lifespan, a phenotype that closely resembled human MPSIIID. Moreover, treatment of the GNS-deficient animals with GNS-encoding adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors of serotype 9 delivered to the cerebrospinal fluid completely corrected pathological storage, improved lysosomal functionality in the CNS and somatic tissues, resolved neuroinflammation, restored normal behaviour and extended lifespan of treated mice. Hence, this work represents the first step towards the development of a treatment for MPSIIID.

Acculturation through sport: Different contexts different meanings

Research on the role of sport as a social integrative agent for migrants has provided equivocal results. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between ethnic–cultural identity and sport environmental factors. Young migrant male athletes from two different societal and sport contexts were studied: migrants from Eastern European countries living in Greece (nu2009=u200960) and from Latin America living in Spain (nu2009=u200960). Participants completed measures of ethnic and cultural identity, task-oriented motivational climate, and autonomy-supportive coaching behaviour. Analysis of variance revealed that Eastern European inhabitants of Greece scored higher on fringe and assimilation, and lower on lack of interaction compared to Latin American inhabitants of Spain. In addition, for the former group, a mastery motivational climate and autonomy-supportive coaching predicted an integrative identity, whereas for the latter group, the motivational environment did not predict acculturation patterns. The results suggest that sport may serve different acculturation purposes, thus explaining to a degree the lack of consistent results regarding the integrative role of sport. The study provides preliminary support for the importance of the sport motivational environment for the facilitation of integration.

Interpersonal emotion regulation in team sport: Mechanisms and reasons to regulate teammates' emotions examined

The interpersonal dimension of emotion regulation in the field of sport has lately received a burgeoning interest. Nevertheless, how and why athletes regulate their teammates emotions in competitive setting remains unclear. Across two studies within a team sport context, we uncovered athletes mechanisms for, and reasons to regulate teammates emotions during competition. In Study 1, we investigated how rugby (Nu2009=u200922 males) players emotions were self- and interpersonally regulated during games. Findings revealed the emergence of a continuum of self-involvement in the regulatory processes, wherein two forms of emotion regulation co-existed: self-regulation (total self-involvement) and interpersonal regulation, which included co-regulation (partial self-involvement; regulation with others) and extrinsic regulation (no self-involvement; regulation by/of others). In Study 2, we examined the motives that lead rugby (nu2009=u200930 males) players to use interpersonal extrinsic regulation strategies during games. Interview data indicated that players regulated teammates emotions for altruistic reasons (to help a teammate), egoistic reasons (for ones own benefits), or both. Overall, our findings further knowledge to better understand interpersonal emotion regulation within competitive team sport contexts. From an applied perspective, findings highlight the role that both individual goals and ego involvement may play in optimising efficient interpersonal regulation during competition at team level.