We thank all the participants. The playpark events were supported by Ube city and Kuroishi, Kotosaki, Kiwanami, and Kamiube towns and schools along with Yamaguchi University.

This study protocol was approved by the Yamaguchi University Review Committee for Non-Medical Research Involving Human Participants. See Table of Materials for a list of all materials, equipment, and software used in this protocol. Public announcements were made regarding the date, time, and location that children, along with their parent(s) or guardian(s), could gather to voluntarily collaborate to create, use, and then clean up a playpark in an environment designed to encourage their creativity.
1. Park landscapes and resources
<ol>
	<li>Conduct on-site surveys of the topography and resources of each park and specifically design the waterslides for each park to utilize the specific resources available. If possible, place the waterslides in an open area so they are visible from all directions to attract visitors to the playground. 
	NOTE: Figure 1 shows the Google Maps aerial view of each park, indicating the location and direction of the waterslide (WS).</li>
	<li>Design and build waterslides based on the existing terrain. 
	NOTE: The slope and length of each waterslide is shown in Table 1.
	<ol>
		<li>To make a waterslide for a flat park (Park 1, WS1; Video 1):
		<ol>
			<li>Design a tower structure using scaffolding pipes and clamps to allow for easy assembly of a strong but temporary structure (Figure 2Ab).</li>
			<li>Build the frame for the pool section of the waterslide from 3 m long bamboo rods (Figure 2Aa1). Ensure the waterslide (Figure 2Aa2) has an angle of 25&#176;, a length of 1.8 m, and includes a pool at the bottom. 
			NOTE: Kuroishi Park is flat (Figure 2A).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>To make a waterslide for a hilly park (Park 2, WS2; Video 2), take advantage of the natural slope.
		<ol>
			<li>As in step 1.2.1, construct a frame for the pool section from bamboo rods and plywood using regional resources (Figure 2B). Ensure that the waterslide has an angle of 30&#176;, a length of 6 m, and includes a pool at the bottom. 
			NOTE: Kotosaki Park is hilly (Figure 1B).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>If a park has a small slope in its center (Park 3, WS3; Video 3), create the waterslide using this small slope.
		<ol>
			<li>Use bamboo rods and scaffolding to increase the natural slope (Figure 2C) upon which to build a waterslide, as in step 1.2.1. Ensure that the waterslide has an angle of 21&#176; at its steepest, a length of 4 m, and includes a pool at the bottom. 
			NOTE: Kiwanami Park has small slope in its center (Figure 1C).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>If present, use stairs to create a waterslide (School 4, WS4; Video 4).
		<ol>
			<li>To cover the staircase, build a structure with plywood and square wooden rods (Supplemental File 1) covered with cardboard to form a rail to keep the children on the slide (Figure 2D, center drawing). Ensure that the waterslide has an angle of 27&#176; and length of 6 m. 
			NOTE: Kamiube elementary school has a staircase in the schoolyard (Figure 1D).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
		<li>Consider the safety of the playparks (Supplemental File 1).
		<ol>
			<li>To verify the safety of the structures, calculate the strength using simulations such as Finite Element Methods (FEM) (e.g., Adobe Fusion 360; Supplemental File 1).</li>
			<li>Make a prototype. Have multiple people pilot the prototype to find any potential risks, such as hard/protruding parts. If found, eliminate or cover such parts with soft caps. Consider leaving some minimal risks to allow children to learn how to overcome the risks on their own (Supplemental File 1).</li>
		</ol>
		</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Cover the slope with a tarp to create a waterslide and pool area (Supplemental File 1).</li>
	<li>Supply water to the waterslide via a hose from the park water supply.</li>
</ol>
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Park landscapes on Google maps. (A) WS1 at Park 1: Kuroishi. (B) WS2 at Park 2: Kotosaki. (C) WS3 at Park 3: Kiwanami. (D) WS4 at Elementary School 4: Kamiube. Scale bars = 20 m (A-D). Abbreviation: WS = waterslide. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
2. Assembling materials (see Table of Materials)
<ol>
	<li>Smooth and clean the material surface.</li>
	<li>Assemble the framework with pipes, boards, joints, screws, and ropes, using an impact driver and a saw (Supplemental File 1).</li>
	<li>Stake the corners of the framework into the ground.</li>
	<li>Fix cardboard cushions at the steps.</li>
	<li>Cover with the tarp to fit the shapes and secure with stakes and waterproof tape (Supplemental File 1).</li>
	<li>Run hose water down from the slide top.</li>
	<li>Check the safety repeatedly and reinforce as needed.</li>
	<li>Continually monitor the safety during use and repair any issues immediately.</li>
</ol>
3. Recording and quantitative analyses of activity
<ol>
	<li>Capture the children&#39;s use of the slides using video cameras.</li>
	<li>Estimate the ages of the children using each waterslide based on their height (Table 2).</li>
	<li>Assess the relationships between flow lines and activity level through qualitative observations and quantitative analyses, as shown in Figure 3.
	<ol>
		<li>Convert video data to JPEG image files per second using Python (Supplemental File 2).</li>
		<li>Use Keynote to track each child&#39;s location with respect to the waterslide. Manually transform the location information to the top view image of the waterslide design (Supplemental File 2).</li>
		<li>Convert screenshots of a series of the object tracks to MP4 files (Supplemental File 2).</li>
		<li>Use Python detection on the MP4 files to determine object coordinates (Supplemental File 2) and calculate velocity (Supplemental File 2).</li>
		<li>Perform one-way ANOVA to determine the child motion [m/s] differences in WS1-4 against one another (put * if the p-value is &#60;0.05).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
</ol>

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest associated with this manuscript.

These waterslides were set up with the goal of encouraging children to spontaneously gather in a city park and interact with one another and the natural environment. We emphasized the collaborative creative processes in which children, adults, students, and citizens worked together to design, build, and clean up the waterslides. All enjoyed working together to overcome the challenges11,12. Animal models have shown that deficits in this type of critical period learning experience13,14 may affect future social adaptability and psycho-emotional function2,15,16.
To create the waterslides, a ground slope (WS2, WS3) or stairs (WS4) were used. If there was no slope, a simple temporary slope was created by building a platform from boards and a single-pipe scaffold (WS1). Bamboo, a readily available regional resource17, was used for the waterslide frameworks in Parks 1-3. Bamboo grows quickly and must be controlled to prevent overgrowth, making its use in this application ideal18.
Regarding WS1, before confirming the motion tracking lines (Figure 5A), we had expected that the whole framework (Figure 2Aa1,a2,b) would be included in the waterslide structure. However, the motion tracking analysis revealed a clear division into two different substructure lines. Consequently, after this first trial and analysis of WS1, we simplified the waterslide design by removing the additional tower. Thus, the tower of WS1 (Figure 2Ab) was removed from the quantitative analysis.
All four types of slides attracted children to gather spontaneously. Activity at WS4 was higher than at the other slides, potentially because, based on our estimates (Table 2), the children using WS4 were older than at the other waterslides and therefore likely had more developed personalities. This could translate to children with more advanced social skills, construction ideas, and collaborative abilities. The activity difference could also be caused by the different waterslide designs; unlike the other slides that had a pool at the bottom where children could stay after sliding down, WS4 had no pool but side stairs that allowed the children to easily climb up again after sliding down, perhaps encouraging the simpler repetitive behavior. The location of the waterslide may also have been responsible for the higher activity at WS4. WS1-3 were at local parks, while WS4 was in a schoolyard, where it is reasonable to assume that the students were able to relax and play in their familiar surroundings. If educational and socioeconomic surveys could be collected for individuals using this equipment, the combination of information could provide insight into the children&#39;s neuropsychological development. In addition, the potential impact of COVID-19 must also be considered. Activity at WS4 was assessed in 2021, a time of ongoing COVID-related restrictions, whereas activity at WS1-3 took place prior to the pandemic. The activity level at WS4 could represent a response to the long period of reduced social play opportunities19. Due to the limitations inherent in these single observation events, further detailed studies including individual personal surveys are required.
To determine the mechanical safety of the framework designs20,21, a finite element simulation analysis22 was performed using Adobe Fusion (free version)23 for the bending of the plywood on the auxiliary support frame in the slide section. The auxiliary structure was designed to withstand a weight of 100 kg, assuming that four children weighing 25 kg each would use the slide at the same time (not shown). All the waterslides were successfully used by the children with no serious accidents. The tarp slipped down slightly and was corrected a few times. Only one incident was observed; this case involved a first-grade boy diagnosed with autism7,24. At first, the child seemed scared, but after watching the other children, he too wanted to join. The boy approached timidly and began to slide down slowly. After a few attempts, he slipped, fell, and hit his mouth on the slide surface. He suffered a small cut on the inside of his mouth. After this experience, he returned to his mother. We were concerned that this might be a negative experience for him. However, he subsequently participated in playpark events with great excitement and increased risk taking.

Increased urbanization has led to decreased opportunities for children to explore the natural outdoor environment. In particular, due in part to the declining birthrate and increasing prevalence of small nuclear families, Japanese children are losing opportunities to learn experientially about diversified social structures1. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan has reported an increasing number of elementary school students with developmental disabilities and associated social disability, although a causal relationship has been not demonstrated2,3. Moreover, an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) survey found that Japanese children in junior high school interact with social media more frequently than children in other countries, despite the fact that many families do not allow their children access to smartphones at an early age4. As parents have become more educationally oriented, children are no longer playing outside in high-risk activities and are spending more time indoors under the watchful eye of adults5. However, outside the home, which is diverse and full of unknowns and potential threats, is often the best educational environment in which children can learn and grow while finding their own challenges and learning to overcome difficulties by working together with friends6. 
To encourage outdoor play, we held playpark events to afford children the opportunity to voluntarily experience nature through play and to socially interact and share challenges with friends and others7. The playpark is a special section in a city park where children can experience a variety of outdoor activities such as climbing trees, building playground equipment out of natural materials, and learning to build and manage a fire8. In a collaborative project to create a playpark in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, during 2018-2019, we explored how citizens could proactively create a nature-based experience for children. We set the following goals: (i) to facilitate social interaction by encouraging children to gather spontaneously, and (ii) to create an environment full of creative opportunity by utilizing natural resources such as the sky, soil, water, and trees9,10, and clean up the environment by using scrap cardboard. The events were scheduled to take place in four urban towns during the summer and fall. Given that most children instinctively love to play in water, we designed four waterslides that would take advantage of the regional resources. This report describes the results of Yamaguchi University's Ube City 2019 collaborative project "Play Leader Training Course", which was created through cooperation between the university and local citizens. Three events were completed in 2019; the fourth event occurred in 2021 during the period when COVID-19 was interfering with child socialization. The date and time of the playpark events is shown in Table 1. "Time" is the duration of the event and "Max time" is the 1 min period at each event that was quantitatively analyzed (the most active 1 min). This paper presents the four designs used, their implementation, and a quantitative evaluation of how the children interacted with the waterslides and each other during our observations.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>WS1</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pipes (6)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>NFG Ecostar 700N &#934;48.6 mm x 0.9 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pipes (27)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>NFG Ecostar 700N &#934;48.6 mm x 1.8 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pipes (2)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>NFG Ecostar 700N &#934;48.6 mm x 2.4 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cover (35)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>for &#934;48.6 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;joint (36)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>for&#160; &#934;48.6 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plywood boards (2)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>13 x 900 x 1800 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;tarp (blue) (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.25 x 4500 x 4500 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bamboo rod (8)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>15 mm x 2000 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>rope (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#934;18 mm x 200 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PP rope (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#934;6 mm x 200 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>WS2</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;tarp (blue) (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.25 x 4500 x 4500 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bamboo rod (8)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>15 mm x 2000 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PP rope (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#934;6 mm x 200 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>WS3</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plywood boards (2)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>13 x 900 x 1800 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;joint (11)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>for&#160; &#934;48.6 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&#160;tarp (blue) (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>0.25 x 4500 x 4500 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>bamboo rod (7)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>15 mm x 2000 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PP rope (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#934;6 mm x 200 m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>WS4</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plywood boards (2)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>13 x 900 x 1800 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Plywood board (1)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>13 x 900 x 900 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>wood SPF 2x4</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>38 x 89 x1820 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>cardboard</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>free size</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>wood screw (1 box)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>3.3x50 mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>packing tape (2)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>50mmx50m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>peg (4)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>&#934;9mmx300mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tool</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Impact driver</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>18v&#160; 160N &#8226; m</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hammer</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>2 kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Impact socket&#160;</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>17mm</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bit for impact driver</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>+ 65mm&#160;&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Software</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AUTODESK FUSION 360 2.0.12164</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Drawing designs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Blender (Version 3.0.0 2021-12-03)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Drawing designs</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>R</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td>one-way ANOVA</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Equipment</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>video cameras</td>
			<td>&#160;(JVC, G Z -RX690-D)</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

four temporary waterslide designs adapted to different slope conditions to encourage child socialization in playgrounds

Increased urbanization has decreased children's access to various natural outdoor environments. To counteract this deficiency in early life experiences, we designed four temporary waterslides, each tailored to different city-side park conditions. The waterslides were simple to construct, with frames built from easy-to-attain resources such as bamboo rods from a local forest and simple pipes and joints overlaid by a tarp. Plywood boards, cardboard, and a tarp were used to create a pool at the foot of the slides, which were placed on existing slopes or stairs in each park. Water was continually released down the slide during each 1-2 h event. At each park event, children gathered spontaneously to use the slides and interact socially. No serious accidents occurred during the waterslide trials. To understand how the children used each waterslide, the activity at the waterslides was recorded by video. The minute of the highest activity level at the waterslide was quantitatively analyzed to determine the lines of flow surrounding the waterslide and the mean and maximum speeds attained while using the waterslide.

Children gathered, interacted socially, and played together at all the waterslides (Figure 4). Children using WS4 were estimated to be older that those at the other slides (Table 2). The representative child motion tracking pattern during 1 min of the maximum speed at each WS is visualized in Video 5. Figure 5 shows the representative IN-OUT line of motion around each waterslide. Two different motion lines, between substructure a and b, were detected for WS1 (Figure 5A). However, since the line at b did not connect to the waterslide, only the line at a was defined as being relevant to the waterslide. For waterslides with a pool at the bottom (WS1-3), some motion lines indicated use of the pool without using the slide (Figure 5A-C). Repeated up-and-down movement on the slide without exiting was also frequently observed (Figure 5A-C). Compared to WS1-3, the flow line for WS4 included repeated series of sliding down, then going up the side stairs, and sliding again without exiting (Figure 5D).
Additionally, we compared the mean and maximum movement of each individual child considering the area (Table 1) and the number of children using the waterslide (Figure 6A,B). The areas of WS1, WS2, and WS3 differed greatly from one another, but the children&#39;s level of movement at each were similar. The movement around WS4 was significantly higher than at the other slides.
<img alt="Figure 2" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig02.jpg" /> 
Figure 2: Waterslide designs. (A) WS1 at Park 1. (B) WS2 at Park 2. (C) WS3 at Park 3. (D) WS4 at School 4. Abbreviation: WS = waterslide. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig02large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 3" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig03.jpg" /> 
Figure 3: Quantification analysis application flowchart and protocol. See protocol step 3. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig03large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 4" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig04.jpg" /> 
Figure 4: Scenes at the four waterslides. (A) WS1 at Kuroishi park. (B) WS2 at Kotosaki park. (C) WS3 at Kiwanami park. (D) WS4 at School 4. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig04large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 5" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig05.jpg" /> 
Figure 5: Representative IN-OUT lines of motion around each waterslide. (A) WS1: The most representative line at substructure a was red. Two different patterns were also seen: a black line at a, using the pool only, or an individual red line at b, not directing to a. (B) WS2: Three patterns appeared: a blue line using the whole slide with high speed, a black line using the slide partially, and a red line staying in the pool. (C) WS3: Two red lines represented either using or not using the slope substructure. (D) WS4: The behavioral pattern was unified (they used the slide). A-D: a = pool, b = waterslide; red = out; green = in. Abbreviation: WS = waterslide. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig05large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<img alt="Figure 6" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig06.jpg" /> 
Figure 6: Quantitative comparison of the four types of waterslides. Black circles represent means. Dots represent individual children. (A) The means of motion are compared. The numbers under WS1-4 labels indicate the highest number of children gathered on the slide during the same 1 min. (B) The maximum speed derived from the same data as A. * WS4 is significantly higher than the other WSs (one-way ANOVA, p &#60; 0.05). <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/64235fig06large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>
<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Park/School</td>
			<td>Date</td>
			<td>Time</td>
			<td colspan="2">Max Time</td>
			<td>Slide Area (m2)</td>
			<td>Slope (&#176;)</td>
			<td>Length (m)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Park 1 &#8220;Kuroishi&#8221;</td>
			<td>16-06-2019</td>
			<td>13:00-16:00</td>
			<td colspan="2">14:21:30-14:22:30</td>
			<td>3.2</td>
			<td>25.0</td>
			<td>1.8</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Park 2 &#8220;Kotosaki&#8221;</td>
			<td>31-08-2019</td>
			<td>13:00-16:00</td>
			<td colspan="2">13:43:00-13:44:00</td>
			<td>12.0</td>
			<td>30.0</td>
			<td>6.0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">Park 3 &#8220;Kiwanami&#8221;</td>
			<td>28-09-2019</td>
			<td>12:00-16:00</td>
			<td colspan="2">12:49:00-12:50:00</td>
			<td>8.0</td>
			<td>21.0</td>
			<td>4.0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td colspan="2">School 4 &#8220;Kamiube&#8221;</td>
			<td>08-08-2021</td>
			<td>13:00-18:00</td>
			<td colspan="2">17:14:00-17:15:00</td>
			<td>5.4</td>
			<td>27.0</td>
			<td>6.0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Table 1: Times of the playpark events and analytical target time, and waterslide information.
<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td rowspan="2">WS #</td>
			<td rowspan="2">Number of children</td>
			<td colspan="2">Child height [cm]</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mean</td>
			<td>SD</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Park 1</td>
			<td>12</td>
			<td>130.4</td>
			<td>22.0</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Park 2</td>
			<td>5</td>
			<td>132.0</td>
			<td>14.7</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Park 3</td>
			<td>3</td>
			<td>116.7</td>
			<td>12.5</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>School 4</td>
			<td>8</td>
			<td>147.5</td>
			<td>12.0</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>
Table 2: Height (mean and standard deviation) of the children playing at each waterslide during the &#34;Max Time&#34;. The approximate heights of the children contributed to the prediction of age.
Video 1: The most active 1 min, &#34;Max time&#34;, at WS1 at Kuroishi Park. This waterslide was designed at a park with no slope. Having to build a slope for the waterslide resulted in the waterslide having a relatively smaller area compared to the other waterslides. Many children still played together at this waterslide. Abbreviation: WS = waterslide. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/renamed_835d3.mp4" target="_blank">Please click here to download this Video.</a>
Video 2: The most active 1 min, &#34;Max time&#34;, at WS2 at Kotosaki Park. This waterslide was constructed at a park with a natural wide, steep (30&#176;) and long slope. There was variation in how children used this slide. Some children sped down the slide, while others carefully walked up and down. Abbreviation: WS = waterslide. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/HUA_video2.mp4" target="_blank">Please click here to download this Video.</a>
Video 3: The most active 1 min, &#34;Max time&#34;, at WS3 at Kiwanami Park. This event took place in 2019 prior to the COVID19 pandemic. At this waterslide, younger children were seen playing for longer times on the gentle slope. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/HUA_video3.mp4" target="_blank">Please click here to download this Video.</a>
Video 4: The most active 1 min, &#34;Max time&#34;, at WS4 at Kamiube School. The fourth waterslide event took place in 2021 during the COVID19 pandemic. At this waterslide, older children repetitively sped down the slide together. The use of the stairs in this design may have contributed to this behavior. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/HUA_video4.mp4" target="_blank">Please click here to download this Video.</a>
Video 5: Each representative pattern of the most active child tracking motion at WS1-4. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/4in1.mov" target="_blank">Please click here to download this Video.</a>
Supplemental File 1: Safety considerations and assembly. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/Supplemental File 1.docx" target="_blank">Please click here to download this File.</a>
Supplemental File 2: Child motion tracking methods with Python codes and keynote files. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/64235/Supplemental File 2R.docx" target="_blank">Please click here to download this File.</a>

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds at JoVE.com

Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds

Early life social learning is enhanced by interactions with effectively designed environments. Four events were held at different city parks using inexpensive, temporary waterslides to stimulate social learning. This study describes the prototypes used and the evaluation of the children&#39;s interactions.

Increased urbanization has decreased children's access to various natural outdoor environments. To counteract this deficiency in early life experiences, ...

four-temporary-waterslide-designs-adapted-to-different-slope

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

1.8K Views.  Yamaguchi University. Early life social learning is enhanced by interactions with effectively designed environments. Four events were held at different city parks using inexpensive, temporary waterslides to stimulate social learning. This study describes the prototypes used and the evaluation of the children's interactions.

Video: Four Temporary Waterslide Designs Adapted to Different Slope Conditions to Encourage Child Socialization in Playgrounds

Uncovering Beat Deafness: Detecting Rhythm Disorders with Synchronized Finger Tapping and Perceptual Timing Tasks

A set of behavioral tasks for assessing perceptual and sensorimotor timing abilities in the general population (i.e., non-musicians) is presented here with the goal of uncovering rhythm disorders, such as beat deafness. Beat deafness is characterized by poor performance in perceiving durations in auditory rhythmic patterns or poor synchronization of movement with auditory rhythms (e.g., with musical beats). These tasks include the synchronization of finger tapping to the beat of simple and complex auditory stimuli and the detection of rhythmic irregularities (anisochrony detection task) embedded in the same stimuli. These tests, which are easy to administer, include an assessment of both perceptual and sensorimotor timing abilities under different conditions (e.g., beat rates and types of auditory material) and are based on the same auditory stimuli, ranging from a simple metronome to a complex musical excerpt. The analysis of synchronized tapping data is performed with circular statistics, which provide reliable measures of synchronization accuracy (e.g., the difference between the timing of the taps and the timing of the pacing stimuli) and consistency. Circular statistics on tapping data are particularly well-suited for detecting individual differences in the general population. Synchronized tapping and anisochrony detection are sensitive measures for identifying profiles of rhythm disorders and have been used with success to uncover cases of poor synchronization with spared perceptual timing. This systematic assessment of perceptual and sensorimotor timing can be extended to populations of patients with brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Parkinson&#8217;s disease), and developmental disorders (e.g., Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Behavioral tasks that allow for the assessment of perceptual and sensorimotor timing abilities in the general population (i.e., non-musicians) are presented. Synchronization of finger tapping to the beat of an auditory stimuli and detecting rhythmic irregularities provides a means of uncovering rhythm disorders.

A set of behavioral tasks for assessing perceptual and sensorimotor timing abilities in the general population (i.e., non-musicians) is presented here ...

A Procedure to Observe Context-induced Renewal of Pavlovian-conditioned Alcohol-seeking Behavior in Rats

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate drug-seeking behavior and prompt relapse in abstinent drug users. We have developed a procedure to study the behavioral and neural processes that mediate the impact of context on alcohol-seeking behavior in rats. Following acclimation to the taste and pharmacological effects of 15% ethanol in the home cage, male Long-Evans rats receive Pavlovian discrimination training (PDT) in conditioning chambers. In each daily (Mon-Fri) PDT session, 16 trials each of two different 10 sec auditory conditioned stimuli occur. During one stimulus, the CS+, 0.2 ml of 15% ethanol is delivered into a fluid port for oral consumption. The second stimulus, the CS-, is not paired with ethanol. Across sessions, entries into the fluid port during the CS+ increase, whereas entries during the CS- stabilize at a lower level, indicating that a predictive association between the CS+ and ethanol is acquired. During PDT each chamber is equipped with a specific configuration of visual, olfactory and tactile contextual stimuli. Following PDT, extinction training is conducted in the same chamber that is now equipped with a different configuration of contextual stimuli. The CS+ and CS- are presented as before, but ethanol is withheld, which causes a gradual decline in port entries during the CS+. At test, rats are placed back into the PDT context and presented with the CS+ and CS- as before, but without ethanol. This manipulation triggers a robust and selective increase in the number of port entries made during the alcohol predictive CS+, with no change in responding during the CS-. This effect, referred to as context-induced renewal, illustrates the powerful capacity of contexts associated with alcohol consumption to stimulate alcohol-seeking behavior in response to Pavlovian alcohol cues.

A procedure to study the capacity of an alcohol associated environmental context to trigger the renewal of alcohol-seeking behavior in rats is described.

Environmental contexts in which drugs of abuse are consumed can trigger craving, a subjective Pavlovian-conditioned response that can facilitate ...

How to Use the H1 Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Coil for Conditions Other than Depression

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) is a relatively new technique that uses different coils for the treatment of different neuropathologies. The coils are made of soft copper windings in multiple planes that lie adjacent to the skull. They are located within a special helmet so that their magnetic fields combine and improve depth penetration. The H1 dTMS coil is designed to stimulate bilateral prefrontal cortices with greater effective stimulation over the left than the right. By positioning the left side of the coil close to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), the H1 coil was used in a multisite study, leading to FDA approval for treatment-resistant depression. In this same position, the H1 coil was also explored as a possible treatment for negative symptoms of schizophrenia, bipolar depression, and migraine. When moved to different positions over the subject's skull, the H1 coil was also explored as a possible treatment for other conditions. Such manipulation of the H1 coil was demonstrated for PTSD and alcohol dependence by positioning it over the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), for anxiety by positioning it over the right prefrontal cortex (rPFC), for auditory hallucinations and tinnitus by positioning it over the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), and for Parkinson's and fatigue from multiple sclerosis (MS) by positioning it over the motor cortex (MC) and PFC. Corresponding electrical field diagrams measured with an oscilloscope through a saline-filled head are included.

The H1 deep transcranial magnetic stimulation coil is FDA-cleared for the treatment of depression. We demonstrate how to utilize the H1 for other conditions, such as auditory hallucinations and PTSD, by moving the helmet to different locations over the subject's skull.

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) is a relatively new technique that uses different coils for the treatment of different neuropathologies. The ...

Reversible Cooling-induced Deactivations to Study Cortical Contributions to Obstacle Memory in the Walking Cat

On complex, naturalistic terrain, sensory information about an environmental obstacle can be used to rapidly adjust locomotor movements for avoidance. For example, in the cat, visual information about an impending obstacle can modulate stepping for avoidance. Locomotor adaptation can also occur independent of vision, as sudden tactile inputs to the leg by an expected obstacle can modify the stepping of all four legs for avoidance. Such complex locomotor coordination involves supraspinal structures, such as the parietal cortex. This protocol describes the use of reversible, cooling-induced cortical deactivation to assess parietal cortex contributions to memory-guided obstacle locomotion in the cat. Small cooling loops, known as cryoloops, are specially shaped to deactivate discrete regions of interest to assess their contributions to an overt behavior. Such methods have been used to elucidate the role of parietal area 5 in memory-guided obstacle avoidance in the cat.

Complex locomotion in naturalistic environments requiring careful coordination of the limbs involves regions of the parietal cortex. The following protocol describes the use of reversible cooling-induced deactivation to demonstrate the role of parietal area 5 in memory-guided obstacle avoidance in the walking cat.

On complex, naturalistic terrain, sensory information about an environmental obstacle can be used to rapidly adjust locomotor movements for avoidance. For ...

A Simple Non-invasive Method for Temporary Knockdown of Upper Limb Proprioception

Proprioception may be the least well measured of all contributors to the neural control of movement. New precise, reliable measures of proprioception are needed for clinical diagnosis of impairment, and to measure outcomes of proprioceptive training. The purpose of this simple, non-invasive method is to temporarily knockdown upper limb proprioception in healthy adults, to an extent that would be useful in the development and testing of upper limb proprioception measures. Knockdown models have two main advantages over studying humans with impaired proprioception: participant availability and the ability to control the extent of impairment across participants. Current published methods of temporary proprioception knockdown of the upper limb, such as ischemic nerve blocks and cryotherapy, are invasive, impractical, or uncomfortable for the participant. Here, vibration over the ulnar groove was used to reduce upper limb proprioception. High frequency vibration may reduce proprioceptive acuity by inhibiting pacinian corpuscle-induced input. The effect of vibration used in this protocol was confirmed using two quantitative measures. This method was simple to administer, comfortable for participants, and practical.

The goal of this protocol is to demonstrate a practical method to temporarily interfere with proprioception in the upper limb of healthy humans.

Proprioception may be the least well measured of all contributors to the neural control of movement. New precise, reliable measures of proprioception are ...

Using a Real-Time Locating System to Measure Walking Activity Associated with Wandering Behaviors Among Institutionalized Older Adults

A real-time locating system (RTLS) can be used to track the walking activity of institutionalized older adults in long-term care who are at risk for wandering behaviors. The benefits of a RTLS are objective and continuous measurements of activity. Self-report methods of activity, especially wandering, by health care staff are vulnerable to floor effects and recall bias, and continuous clinical or research observation over the long-term can be time-consuming and expensive. Health care staff also fail to recognize the onset and/or duration of wandering behaviors, which are associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes in this population but amenable to intervention. RTLS technologies can measure the walking activity of institutionalized residents with cognitive impairment over time with a high degree of accuracy. This is particularly useful for the study of wandering, defined as walking for at least 60 seconds with few (if any) breaks in activity. Wandering is associated with disease progression, hospitalizations, falls and death. Previous work suggests older adults with poor balance ability and high sustained walking activity may be particularly susceptible to poor health outcomes. RTLS&#39;s are used to assess cognitive impairment and factors associated with gait and balance; however, supplemental paper and pencil gait/balance tools may be used to further refine risk profiles. This project discusses the use of a RTLS to measure walking activity and also gait quality and balance ability measures on this population.

This paper discusses the use of a continuous and objective real-time locating system to measure walking activity associated with wandering behaviors, focusing on older adults with cognitive impairment. Walking activity is measured by walking distance, sustained walking distance, and sustained gait speed. Also assessed are gait quality and balance ability.

A real-time locating system (RTLS) can be used to track the walking activity of institutionalized older adults in long-term care who are at risk for ...

Modified Blood Collection from Tail Veins of Non-anesthetized Mice with a Vacuum Blood Collection System and Eyeglass Magnifier

Blood sample collection is the basis of experimental animal research. It is of importance to obtain adequate blood samples for various research purposes. The tail veins of mice are small, and it is sometimes difficult to obtain the required blood volume by conventional puncture methods. This study investigates the superiority of repeated blood sample collection from tail veins of mice through use of a vacuum blood collection system and eyeglass magnifier (experimental group) compared to conventional blood sampling methods (conventional group), performed by beginners and experts, respectively. With the help of an eyeglass magnifier, a butterfly needle tip is inserted into the tail vein of each mouse in the experimental group. When the vein is penetrated successfully, a blood sample is collected in the vacuum collection tube by insertion of the rubber end of a butterfly needle into the vacuum blood collection tube. The plunger is then used to collect blood without the help of the eyeglass magnifier in the conventional group. Success rates of blood sample collection by the beginners and experts were shown to be 70% vs. 100% (p &#60; 0.01) in the experimental group and 35% vs. 85% (p &#60; 0.01) in the conventional group. For both beginners and experts, puncture times required for obtaining required blood sample were significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the conventional group (2.40 &#177; 0.75 vs. 2.90 &#177; 0.31, p &#60; 0.05; 1.15 &#177; 0.37 vs. 1.55 &#177; 0.76, p &#60; 0.05). In conclusion, the presented blood sampling technique is feasible and easy to practice and enables frequent sampling of adequate blood volumes from non-anesthetized mice.&#160;

This study reports blood sampling from tail vein in mice using a vacuum extraction tube system with eyeglass magnifier. Our method is easy to practice and could be used for repeat blood sampling in mice.

Blood sample collection is the basis of experimental animal research. It is of importance to obtain adequate blood samples for various research purposes. ...

Using Facial Electromyography to Assess Facial Muscle Reactions to Experienced and Observed Affective Touch in Humans

"Affective" touch is believed to be processed in a manner distinct from discriminatory touch and to involve activation of C-tactile (CT) afferent fibers. Touch that optimally activates CT fibers is consistently rated as hedonically pleasant. Patient groups with impaired social-emotional functioning also show disordered affective touch ratings. However, relying on self-reported ratings of touch has many limitations, including recall bias and communication barriers. Here, we describe a methodological approach to study affective responses to touch via facial electromyography (EMG) that circumvents the reliance on self-report ratings. Facial EMG is an objective, quantitative, and non-invasive method to measure facial muscle activity indicative of affective responses. Responses can be assessed across healthy and patient populations without the need for verbal communication. Here, we provide two separate datasets demonstrating that CT-optimal and non-optimal touch elicit distinct facial muscle reactions. Moreover, facial EMG responses are consistent across stimulus modalities, e.g. tactile (experienced touch) and visual (observed touch). Finally, the temporal resolution of facial EMG can detect responses on timescales that supersede that of verbal reporting. Together, our data suggest that facial EMG is a suitable methodology for use in affective tactile research that can be used to supplement, or in some cases, supplant, existing measures.

We describe a protocol to assess facial muscle activity in response to experienced and observed tactile stimulation using facial electromyography.

"Affective" touch is believed to be processed in a manner distinct from discriminatory touch and to involve activation of C-tactile (CT) afferent fibers. ...

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with parents. This paper focuses on such a method, namely Five-Minute Speech Sample-Coherence (FMSS-Coherence). In this method, a parent is asked to speak for five uninterrupted minutes about her/his child and their relationship. The resulted narrative is coded for coherence, namely the extent to which the parent provides&#160;in the narrative&#160;a clear, consistent, multidimensional and well-supported portrayal of the child. FMSS-Coherence is based on attachment research that shows that the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives is indicative of the quality of the parent-child relationship and child adjustment. It overcomes the limitations of attachment narrative measures which are typically labor intensive. FMSS-Coherence is less nuanced than extant attachment narrative measures. Yet, studies of families from different cultural backgrounds, across different child ages and in the context of typically developing children as well as children with special needs suggest that coherence can be reliably evaluated using the FMSS procedure. Furthermore, parents&#8217; FMSS-Coherence is associated with parenting quality and children&#8217;s socio-emotional adjustment. Thus, it holds promise for researchers and practitioners who seek a relatively time- and cost-effective method for assessing the coherence of parents&#8217; narratives regarding their child.

This paper introduces a method for assessing the coherence of parents' short narratives regarding their child and their relationship using the five-minute speech sample procedure.

Valid and efficient measures for assessing the quality of parent-child relationships are needed to facilitate research and evidence-based practice with ...

The Use of Traditional Fear Tests to Evaluate Different Emotional Circuits in Cattle

Animal temperament is complex and has implications for productivity and economic profitability. Quantifying an animal&#39;s response to differing stimuli may facilitate breeding selections and identify animals that are better suited to specific management strategies. Multiple tests have been developed to evaluate cattle temperament (e.g., exit velocity, chute score, pen score, open field test, startle test, bovine zero maze), but each of these tests evaluates the animal&#39;s response to different stimuli (e.g., isolation, novel environment, startle, willingness to enter an enclosed area). Cattle temperament has been observed to be relatively stable over time. However, the evaluation of temperament has the potential to be influenced by current conditions, previous experiences, and observer bias. Many of these temperament tests have been improperly categorized as fear tests and have also been criticized for being subjective. This paper provides a framework for standardizing behavioral tests for cattle and suggests that these different evaluations assess different aspects of the animal&#39;s overall temperament.

Here, we present a protocol to conduct a variety of behavioral tests in cattle that have been designed to evaluate emotions. A battery of behavioral tests (open field test, startle test, bovine zero maze, exit velocity, pen score, and chute score) were conducted to evaluate different components of animal temperament.

Animal temperament is complex and has implications for productivity and economic profitability. Quantifying an animal&#39;s response to differing stimuli ...