1. Neuromuscular assessment of force development, postural, and gait performance under cognitive-motor dual-tasking in healthy older adults and early Parkinson's disease patients : study protocol for a cross-sectional Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) studyUroš Marušič, Manca Peskar, Maja Maša Šömen, Miloš Kalc, Aleš Holobar, Klaus Gramann, Bettina Wollesen, Anna Wunderlich, Christoph M. Michel, Aleksandar Miladinović, Mauro Catalan, Alex B. Stella, Miloš Ajčević, Paolo Manganotti, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Background: Neuromuscular dysfunction is common in older adults and more pronounced in neurodegenerative diseases. In Parkinson's disease (PD), a complex set of factors often prevents the effective performance of activities of daily living that require intact and simultaneous performance of the motor and cognitive tasks. Methods: The cross-sectional study includes a multifactorial mixed-measure design. Between-subject factor grouping the sample will be Parkinson’s Disease (early PD vs. healthy). The within-subject factors will be the task complexity (single- vs. dual-task) in each motor activity, i.e., overground walking, semi-tandem stance, and isometric knee extension, and a walking condition (wide vs. narrow lane) will be implemented for the overground walking activity only. To study dual-task (DT) effects, in each motor activity participants will be given a secondary cognitive task, i.e., a visual discrimination task for the overground walking, an attention task for the semi-tandem, and mental arithmetic for the isometric extension. Analyses of DT effects and underlying neuronal correlates will focus on both gait and cognitive performance where applicable. Based on an a priori sample size calculation, a total N = 42 older adults (55-75 years) will be recruited. Disease-specific changes such as laterality in motor unit behavior and cortical control of movement will be studied with high-density surface electromyography and electroencephalography during static and dynamic motor activities, together with whole-body kinematics. Discussion: This study will be one of the first to holistically address early PD neurophysiological and neuromuscular patterns in an ecologically valid environment under cognitive-motor DT conditions of different complexities. The outcomes of the study aim to identify the biomarker for early PD either at the electrophysiological, muscular or kinematic level or in the communication between these systems. Ključne besede: Parkinson's disease, mobile brain imaging, body brain imaging, MoBi, dual tasking, neuromuscular function, older adults Objavljeno v DiRROS: 15.09.2023; Ogledov: 65; Prenosov: 23
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2. Environmental enrichment through virtual reality as multisensory stimulation to mitigate the negative effects of prolonged bed restLuka Šlosar, Manca Peskar, Rado Pišot, Uroš Marušič, 2023, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Prolonged bed rest causes a multitude of deleterious physiological changes in the human body that require interventions even during immobilization to prevent or minimize these negative effects. In addition to other interventions such as physical and nutritional therapy, non-physical interventions such as cognitive training, motor imagery, and action observation have demonstrated efficacy in mitigating or improving not only cognitive but also motor outcomes in bedridden patients. Recent technological advances have opened new opportunities to implement such non-physical interventions in semi- or fully-immersive environments to enable the development of bed rest countermeasures. Extended Reality (XR), which covers augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual reality (VR), can enhance the training process by further engaging the kinesthetic, visual, and auditory senses. XR-based enriched environments offer a promising research avenue to investigate the effects of multisensory stimulation on motor rehabilitation and to counteract dysfunctional brain mechanisms that occur during prolonged bed rest. This review discussed the use of enriched environment applications in bedridden patients as a promising tool to improve patient rehabilitation outcomes and suggested their integration into existing treatment protocols to improve patient care. Finally, the neurobiological mechanisms associated with the positive cognitive and motor effects of an enriched environment are highlighted. Ključne besede: physical inactivity, bed rest, nonphysical interventions, virtual reality Objavljeno v DiRROS: 11.09.2023; Ogledov: 106; Prenosov: 29
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3. Effects of digital-based interventions on muscular strength in adults : a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials with quality of evidence assessmentArmin Paravlić, Luka Šlosar, Ensar Abazović, Uroš Marušič, 2023, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Background: In the last three decades, both medical and sports science professionals have recognized the considerable potential of digital-based interventions (DBI) to enhance the health-related outcomes of their practitioners.Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness and potential moderators of DBI on measures of muscular strength.Methods: Six databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, SportDiscus, Embase, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and Google Scholar) were searched for eligible studies up to June 2022. The GRADE, PEDRO, and TIDieR checklists were used to assess the quality of evidence, methodology, and completeness of intervention descriptions, respectively.Results: A total of 56 studies were included in the meta-analysis (n = 2346), and participants were classified as healthy (n = 918), stroke survivors (n = 572), diagnosed with other neurological disorders (n = 683), and frail (n = 173). The DBI showed a small effect (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.28, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.31; p < 0.001) on strength, regardless of the type of intervention, control group, or tested body part. More specifically, while splitting the studies into different subgroups, a meta-analysis of 19 studies (n = 918) showed a small effect (SMD = 0.38, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.63; p = 0.003) on strength in the asymptomatic population. Similarly, small but positive effects of DBI were observed for stroke survivors (SMD = 0.34, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.56; p = 0.002), patients diagnosed with other neurological disorders (SMD = 0.17, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.32; p = 0.021), and the frail population (SMD = 0.25, 95% CI 0.0 to 0.5; p = 0.051). Sub-group analysis and meta-regression revealed that neither variable modified the effects of the DBI on measures of strength.Conclusions: Overall, DBI may serve as an effective method to improve measures of strength in adults, regardless of their health status as well as the type of digital device, the presence of human-computer interaction, and the age of participants. In addition, the DBI was found to be more effective than traditional training or rehabilitation methods. Ključne besede: cognitive training, physical function, strength, neurodegenerative disorders, older adults Objavljeno v DiRROS: 07.08.2023; Ogledov: 105; Prenosov: 39
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4. Functional characteristics and subjective disease perception in patients with COVID-19 two months after hospital dischargeKaja Teraž, Boštjan Šimunič, Manca Peskar, Uroš Marušič, Saša Pišot, Luka Šlosar, Mladen Gasparini, Rado Pišot, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Introduction: Although early inpatient and post-hospital rehabilitation is recognized as necessary, not all COVID-19 patients have access to rehabilitation. There are no published reports in the literature that investigate the outcomes of patients who do not receive rehabilitation after COVID-19. Our aim was to evaluate possible improvements in determinate functional and psychological parameters in COVID19 patients two months after their hospital discharge. Methods: On both time points various motor, cognitive, and clinical measurements such as body composition, tensiomyography, blood pressure, spirometry, grip strength test, Timed Up and Go test, gait speed, 30-second chair-stand test, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment, were performed. Additionally, questionnaires such as the SARC-CalF test, Edmonton frail scale, International Physical Activity questionnaire andThe Mediterranean Lifestyle index were conducted to assess lifestyle characteristics. Results: A total of 39 patients (87.2% male; mean age of 59.1 ± 10.3 years), who were hospitalized due to COVID-19 at the Izola General Hospital (IGH), Slovenia between December 2020 and April 2021, were included. Patients were assessed at two time points (T1 and T2): T1 was taken after receiving a negative COVID-19 test and T2 was taken two months after T1. After two months of self-rehabilitation, we have detected a BMI increase (p < .001), fat free mass increase (p < .001), better Edmonton frail scale (p < .001), SARC-CalF score (p = .014) and MoCA score (p = .014). There were no detected changes in lifestyle habits nor in physical performance tests. Discussion: It is already known that COVID-19 has long-term negative consequences regardless of the stage of the disease. Our findings support the notion that patients cannot fully regain all their functions within a two-month period without receiving structured or supervised rehabilitation. Therefore, it is crucial to offer patients comprehensive and structured rehabilitation that incorporates clinical, cognitive, and motor exercises. Ključne besede: pandemics, coronavirus, functional improvement, hospital stay, health perception Objavljeno v DiRROS: 26.07.2023; Ogledov: 125; Prenosov: 56
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5. Ribiške zgodbe v šoli : priročnik za učitelje tretje triade osnovnih šolLucija Čok, Tina Čok, Urška Bratož, Irina Moira Cavaion, Anna Maria Grego, 2023, slovar, enciklopedija, leksikon, priročnik, atlas, zemljevid Povzetek: Priročnik Ribiške zgodbe v šoli je namenjen predvsem osnovnošolskim učiteljicam in učiteljem tretje triade, ki bi želeli dopolniti, razširiti in poglobiti vsebine, predvidene v okviru nekaterih obveznih in izbirnih predmetov (etnologija – kulturna dediščina in načini življenja, zgodovina – odkrivajmo preteklost svojega kraja, geografija – raziskovanje domačega kraja (šolskega okoliša) in varstvo njegovega okolja, pa tudi slovenščina in italijanščina …). Ker je bilo ob omenjeni analizi obstoječih učnih načrtov mogoče opaziti izrazito pomanjkanje vsebin, povezanih z (morskim) ribištvom in življenjem ob morju, so v nadaljevanju navedeni nekateri predlogi za intenzivnejše vključevanje obmorskih vsebin v učni proces. Opisani so primeri tematsko prepletenih, toda ločenih učnih enot (o ribištvu, ribiški dediščini, zgodovini predelave rib v obmorskih mestih, terminologiji, povezani z ribištvom, kulinariki v povezavi s floro in favno Sredozemlja in podobne teme), v katerih so poleg okvirne vsebine določeni tudi operativni cilji, način dela, možnosti medpredmetnih povezav ter dodatna gradiva in delovni listi za uspešen izobraževalni proces, kar učiteljicam in učiteljem olajša pripravo učnih ur, načrtovanje projektnega dela in tudi dodatnih pedagoških dejavnosti. Seveda so ti predlogi navedeni samo kot smernice, ki jih učiteljice in učitelji lahko poljubno preoblikujejo. Ključne besede: prehrambna kultura, prehrambna industrija, ribe, konzerviranje Objavljeno v DiRROS: 18.07.2023; Ogledov: 120; Prenosov: 65
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6. Moral disengagement in youth athletes : a narrative reviewAmbra Gentile, Ivana Milovanović, Saša Pišot, Antonino Bianco, Gioacchino Lavanco, 2022, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: The sports environment can be considered as a context characterized by interactions typical of social groups, where children have the chance to learn good values. Positive and negative behaviours in sports, also called prosocial and antisocial behaviours, have been studied according to a moral perspective, as has doping behaviour, taking into consideration the concept of moral disengagement. Moral disengagement in children has been associated with maladaptive behaviours later in life, even though it should disappear with growth. Concerning the sports environment, previous reviews on the topic have extensively illustrated the role of moral variables in sport and their relation to antisocial behaviour and doping, positing some research questions that should be investigated in the future. Starting from these questions, the current narrative review aims to update literature about the effects of moral disengagement on youth athletes. Therefore, new studies about the predictors of moral disengagement are introduced, followed by contributions concerning the relationship between moral disengagement and doping and between moral disengagement and antisocial behaviour. Finally, the review summarizes which research questions have been solved in the last decade and which should be researched further on. Ključne besede: sport, physical activity, athletes, moral disengagement, aggression, cheating, moral development, children, adolescence Objavljeno v DiRROS: 18.07.2023; Ogledov: 97; Prenosov: 50
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7. Religion in Anthropocene and Digital Culture : symposium2023, druge monografije in druga zaključena dela Povzetek: The primary goal of the symposium is to analyse and establish links between theological and ethical perspectives on the environment, on the one hand, and digital technologies, on the other.
The starting point is the increasing intertwinement of natural and digital environments for contemporary and future life on our planet. The development and increasing use of advanced digital technologies and artificial intelligence raise several challenging ethical questions. Understanding these challenges and formulating theologically reflective responses to them are important aspects of digital theology, as defined by Peter Phillips, Kyle Schiefelbein-Guerrero and John Kurlberg (2019).
Digital culture is the context within which we increasingly do theology, thus, digital theology impacts both theology as a discipline and digital culture within which we live.
This symposium draws upon, contributes to, and brings together the fields of theology, philosophy, sociology of religion, anthropology of religion, philosophy of technology, and digital humanities. More precisely it brings together methodologies and epistemologies from Creation theology, eco-theology, eco-feminism, theological anthropology, philosophical theology, post-metaphysical philosophy of religion, digital philosophy and cosmotheology, philosophy and ethics of AI, and human-machine relationships. It also addresses questions raised by digital theology through the lenses of the alternative theologies of pantheism, panentheism and panpsychism. Objavljeno v DiRROS: 11.07.2023; Ogledov: 142; Prenosov: 49
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8. International Conference Respiratory Philosophy: a Paradigm Shift : Portorož, 18-21 June 20232023, druge monografije in druga zaključena dela Povzetek: Breathing is a rare theme in today’s institutionalized philosophy, and it is only in recent years that the philosophy of breathing as a new paradigm has begun to interest some thinkers. The pioneers of the field are Luce Irigaray (1983), David Kleinberg-Levin (1984), David Abram (1996) and Peter Sloterdijk (1998). It was only in the 2010s that explicit and systematic studies have been published on the philosophy of breathing. /// The respiratory philosophy as presented and articulated at this conference deals with our relationships with the atmospheres of breathing and air. “Breath” might seem like a peculiar project, or at the very least disconnected from the way in which most European philosophy has understood itself and its goals. But the “forgetting of air and breathing” (Irigaray, Abram) in the modern European philosophical discourse is in itself one of the deepest, unacknowledged tensions, shaping its unfortunate outlook on the world. A new respiratory philosophy has the double merit of decolonizing the philosophical curriculum through an inclusion of non-European sources and insights, and of revealing how such “breathing” is a fundamental (even if erased) element of its own history. The potential of such a paradigm shift – especially in collaboration with cross-cultural Atmospheric Studies from this conference on – will bear far-reaching consequences for the areas of ontology, ethics, poetics, politics, art theory and praxis, environmental humanities, spirituality and health/well-being – as fields being in the forefront of this new respiratory paradigm. Ključne besede: respiratorna filozofija, zborniki Objavljeno v DiRROS: 11.07.2023; Ogledov: 116; Prenosov: 26
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9. Pathophysiological mechanisms of reduced physical activity : insights from the human step reduction model and animal analoguesFabio Sarto, Roberto Bottinelli, Martino V. Franchi, Simone Porcelli, Boštjan Šimunič, Rado Pišot, Marco Vicenzo Narici, 2023, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Physical inactivity represents a heavy burden for modern societies and is spreading worldwide, it is a recognised pandemic and is the fourth cause of global mortality. Not surprisingly, there is an increasing interest in longitudinal studies on the impact of reduced physical activity on different physiological systems. This narrative review focuses on the pathophysiological mechanisms of step reduction (SR), an experimental paradigm that involves a sudden decrease in participants’ habitual daily steps to a lower level, mimicking the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Analogous animal models of reduced physical activity, namely the “wheel-lock” and the “cage reduction” models, which can provide the foundation for human studies, are also discussed. The empirical evidence obtained thus far shows that even brief periods of reduced physical activity can lead to substantial alterations in skeletal muscle health and metabolic function. In particular, decrements in lean/muscle mass, muscle function, muscle protein synthesis, cardiorespiratory fitness, endothelial function and insulin sensitivity, together with an increased fat mass and inflammation, have been observed. Exercise interventions seem particularly effective for counteracting these pathophysiological alterations induced by periods of reduced physical activity. A direct comparison of SR with other human models of unloading, such as bed rest and lower limb suspension/immobilisation, is presented. In addition, we propose a conceptual framework aiming to unravel the mechanisms of muscle atrophy and insulin resistance in the specific context of reduced ambulatory activity. Finally, methodological considerations, knowledge gaps and future directions for both animal and human models are also discussed in the review. Ključne besede: physical inactivity, cage reduction, insulin sensitivity, muscle atrophy Objavljeno v DiRROS: 29.06.2023; Ogledov: 113; Prenosov: 56
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10. Unleashing the potential of dance : a neuroplasticity-based approach bridging from older adults to Parkinson’s disease patientsCécil J. W. Meulenberg, Kathrin Rehfeld, Saša Jovanović, Uroš Marušič, 2023, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects >1% of individuals worldwide and is manifested by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, as well as non-motor symptoms such as cognitive impairment and depression. Non-pharmacological interventions such as dance therapy are becoming increasingly popular as complementary therapies for PD, in addition to pharmacological treatments that are currently widely available. Dance as a sensorimotor activity stimulates multiple layers of the neural system, including those involved in motor planning and execution, sensory integration, and cognitive processing. Dance interventions in healthy older people have been associated with increased activation of the prefrontal cortex, as well as enhanced functional connectivity between the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex. Overall, the evidence suggests that dance interventions can induce neuroplastic changes in healthy older participants, leading to improvements in both motor and cognitive functions. Dance interventions involving patients with PD show better quality of life and improved mobility, whereas the literature on dance-induced neuroplasticity in PD is sparse. Nevertheless, this review argues that similar neuroplastic mechanisms may be at work in patients with PD, provides insight into the potential mechanisms underlying dance efficacy, and highlights the potential of dance therapy as a non-pharmacological intervention in PD. Further research is warranted to determine the optimal dance style, intensity, and duration for maximum therapeutic benefit and to determine the long-term effects of dance intervention on PD progression. Ključne besede: dance, neurodegeneration, tremor, rhythm, sensorimotor integration Objavljeno v DiRROS: 29.06.2023; Ogledov: 116; Prenosov: 51
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