Contact Plates Research Articles

Evaluation of the results of anterior minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis in treating humeral shaft fractures

Background The advantages of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) are less soft tissue dissection and less blood loss with excellent results. This study aims to assess the outcomes of MIPO in treating humeral shaft fractures. Patients and methods Anterior MIPO was performed on 30 patients from March 2017 to January 2019. The inclusion criteria for this prospective study included a fracture located at the middle third of the humeral shaft, a fracture with polytrauma, and fractures with early conservative treatment failure. Type A fracture was the most common according to the AO-OTA classification (13 cases), followed by type B (11 cases) and type C (six cases). The space between biceps and brachialis was identified, and a locking compression plate or limited contact dynamic compression plate was used. The minimum follow-up period was 1 year. The outcome measurements included fracture union, alignment, infection, range of motion, functional assessment as per the University of California at Los Angeles shoulder score, and elbow function as evaluated using the Mayo elbow performance index. Results The mean operation time was 90.30 min (range, 80–180 min), and mean radiation exposure was 204 s (range, 110—420 s). All fractures united. The mean fracture union time was 15.3 weeks (range, 10–18 weeks). There was no incidence of implant failures. The mean University of California at Los Angeles end-result score was 34 points (range, 32–35). The mean Mayo elbow performance index was 98 points (range, 90–100). The mean range of motion was 135° (range, 100–140°). The functional outcome was satisfactory. Conclusion MIPO is an excellent method for treating humeral shaft fractures. It might decrease the perioperative complications with a reduced operation time.

Phytochemical, anti-Acanthamoeba, and anti-adhesion properties of Garcinia mangostana flower as preventive contact lens solution

Acanthamoeba keratitis infection extends due to the growing number of contact lens users. Indigenous plants including Garcinia mangostana play a vital role in human health and well being. Many species of this plant have been reported with myriads of potent medicinal properties. However, the aims of this study were, for the first time, to isolate compounds from the flower of G. mangostana and to test their anti-Acanthamoeba and anti-adhesion activity against Acanthamoeba triangularis. Powdered flowers of G. mangostana were extracted and chromatographed on a silica gel column. The structures of the compounds were established with the aid of 1H NMR. More so, the anti-Acanthamoeba and anti-adhesion properties were tested on a 96-well polystyrene microtiter plate and soft contact lenses. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to determine the features of A. triangularis on contact lenses. Eight pure compounds were obtained, namely 9-hydroxycalabaxanthone, tovophillin A, garcinone E, garcinone B, α-mangostin, gartinin, 8-deoxygartinin and γ-mangostin. The extract and pure compounds exhibited anti-Acanthamoeba activity with MIC values in the range of 0.25–1 mg/mL. In addition, the extract and α-mangostin displayed significant activity against the adhesion of A. triangularis trophozoites both in polystyrene plate and in contact lenses at 0.5 × MIC (0.25 mg/mL). Furthermore, α-mangostin has the potential to remove A. triangularis adhesion in contact lenses similar to a commercial multipurpose solution (MPS). SEM study confirmed that crude extract and α-mangostin are effective as solutions for contact lenses, which removed A. triangularis trophozoites within 24 h. Alpha-mangostin was non-toxic to Vero cells at a concentration below 39 μM in 24 h. Crude extract of G. mangostana flower and its α-mangostin serve as candidate compounds in the treatment of Acanthamoeba infection or as lens care solution, since they can be used as a source of natural products against Acanthamoeba and virulence factor associated with the adhesion of A. triangularis.

Modeling study on sessile water droplet during freezing with the consideration of gravity, supercooling, and volume expansion effects

Droplet freezing phenomenon widely exists in many fields, including aerospace, power production, and cryopreservation, etc. Considering the effects of supercooling, gravity and volume expansion, a theoretical model of droplet freezing is developed. A good agreement is found between the predicted results of freezing front radius and height and experiments for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces. The developed model also shows good performance in predicting freezing times. The average prediction deviation is 7.63%, and more than 93% simulation results show the deviation within ±15%. Gravity has a more obvious influence on final freezing times with the increase of cold plate temperature, contact angle, and droplet volume. For the droplet freezing process under various contact angles and cold plate temperatures, the fastest average temperature change rates inside water droplet are -2.48 °C/s and -1.72 °C/s, respectively. This study is beneficial for the better understanding of the droplet solidification as well as the optimization of refrigeration and defrosting technologies.

Strength enhancement of AlMg sheet metal parts by rapid heating and subsequent cold die stamping of severely cold-rolled blanks

A trade-off between high strength and formability is forcing the automotive industry today to use several different aluminum alloys in structural assemblies. This leads to a reduced recyclability, which ultimately affects the sustainability of the entire product. In this work, it is demonstrated that a severely cold-worked AA5182 sheet metal blank can be formed to a sound part through a heat treatment of 10 s at 300 °C and a subsequent cold die forming. The high dislocation density in the as-received feedstock is induced by means of cold-rolling and promotes a yield strength of 326 MPa. The rapid heating with a heating rate of 24 K/s allows to increase the local ductility of the investigated material in a warm condition by more than 200% while preserving the initial grain structure of the material. Combined with additional work-hardening during forming, the final yield strength of the formed part is 319 MPa. The recovery kinetics of the as-received AA5182-H19 sheet are examined between 150 °C and 300 °C with dwell times between 1 s and 30 s. It is found that above 250 °C the fraction of residual strain hardening is a function of temperature and time. The resulting dislocation structures are investigated by a series of SEM, EBSD, and TEM measurements. Furthermore, the ductility enhancement is studied by a series of tensile tests with in-situ contact plate heating and fractographic analyses. Because the process under discussion allows to combine high strength and formability within one alloy, it is a promising approach to substitute 6000-series aluminum alloys in mixed-material assemblies and therefore make them easy to recycle.

Complex motion series performance differs between previously untreated patients with Parkinson's disease and controls.

Motor behaviour in patients with Parkinson's disease is determined with instrumental tests and rating procedures. Results mirror impairment of an individual patient. Objectives were to determine the associations between two kinds of motion series and rating scores in previously untreated 64 patients and to compare outcomes to controls. The line tracing task asks to follow a given path. It measures the needed interval, the number and duration of contacts to the path. The aiming procedure asks to hit contact plates with a pencil and determines the needed time period and the number of accurate, respectively, missed key strokes. Both tests differed between patients and controls. The line tracing task was more sensitive. The line tracing task asks for a complex motion series performance with more cognitive load. The aiming task prompts for a conduction of preponderant simple, repetitive movement series. Only initially, a complex process of aiming is necessary. Performance of complex motion sequences better differs between patients with Parkinson's disease and controls than conduction of simple, repetitive movement series.

Microbiological Contamination of the Office Environment in Dental and Medical Practice.

The microbiological contamination of the environment in independent healthcare facilities such as dental and general practitioner offices was poorly studied. The aims of this study were to describe qualitatively and quantitatively the bacterial and fungal contamination in these healthcare facilities and to analyze the antibiotic resistance of bacterial pathogens identified. Microbiological samples were taken from the surfaces of waiting, consulting, and sterilization rooms and from the air of waiting room of ten dental and general practitioner offices. Six surface samples were collected in each sampled room using agar contact plates and swabs. Indoor air samples were collected in waiting rooms using a single-stage impactor. Bacteria and fungi were cultured, then counted and identified. Antibiograms were performed to test the antibiotic susceptibility of bacterial pathogens. On the surfaces, median concentrations of bacteria and fungi were 126 (range: 0–1280) and 26 (range: 0–188) CFU/100 cm2, respectively. In indoor air, those concentrations were 403 (range: 118–732) and 327 (range: 32–806) CFU/m3, respectively. The main micro-organisms identified were Gram-positive cocci and filamentous fungi, including six ubiquitous genera: Micrococcus, Staphylococcus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Alternaria. Some antibiotic-resistant bacteria were identified in general practitioner offices (penicillin- and erythromycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), but none in dental offices. The dental and general practitioner offices present a poor microbiological contamination with rare pathogenic micro-organisms.

There is no planet B: masks UVC disinfection to rise to the environmental challenge during COVID-19

BackgroundSince the outbreak of Sars-CoV-2 public health measures have been adopted globally, most notably the use of face masks has become essential and often mandatory. As a result, about 3.4 billion single-use face masks are estimated to be discarded daily worldwide. Due to waste mismanagement, the COVID-19 pandemic is severely impacting the environment, the ecosystem and therefore human health. We aimed to assess if UV-C light is an efficient tool for proper mask disinfection, to guarantee their safe reuse and reduce their waste.MethodsIn October 2020 we conducted a cross sectional study on KN95 masks. Various operators wore the masks during their shift in the laboratory for 8, 16 and 24h. Contact plates were used to measure microbial contamination on both surfaces of the masks at time T(0). Then, masks were placed into a UV-C box (volume of 0.012 m3, 40 UVC LED at 270nm at 3mW) for a treatment of 3 minutes. We repeated the sampling at time T(1). We incubated all plates at 36 °C and read them after 48h. We performed descriptive and inferential (Wilcoxon matched pair test) analysis with Stata. Significance level was set at p < 0.05.ResultsWe always observed greater contamination on internal surfaces than external ones. At T(0) the medians of CFU on samples of internal surface were 212.7 (CI 95% 0-480.2) at 8h, 311.7 (0-683.1) at 16h and 404.7 (0-736.1) at 24h; at T(1), CFU reduced (p < 0.05) and were respectively 3.2 (0-6.2), 2 (0-5.9) and 50.6 (0-164.7). At T(0) the medians of CFU on external surface were 23.7 (0-48.4), 53.2 (0-143) and 24.3 (0-71.8); at T(1) they respectively reduced (p < 0.05) to 8.7 (0-25.2), 18.2 (0-70), 2.3 (0-6.1).ConclusionsResults showed that UV-C is effective in mask disinfection although an uncomplete abatement of the microbial load. It could be due to the limited UV-C dose or to its difficulty to penetrate among the meshes of the mask. Further investigation is needed to find a sustainable solution for mask use.Key messages UV-C seems a valid disinfection tool for used KN95 masks.The development of strategies for proper disinfection of masks should be carried out to guarantee reusability and reduce waste production.

Electromagnetic Field Associated With Dermoscope Magnets May Affect the Safety of Cardiac Implanted Electronic Devices Patients.

Dermoscopy is currently used as an auxiliary tool in general dermatology. Since some commercially available dermoscopes have built-in magnets, electromagnetic interference (EMI) may occur when examining cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) patients. The aim of the study was to create maps of electromagnetic fields defining a safe distance in terms of EMI. The study was performed in laboratory conditions using measuring equipment specially designed for this purpose. The following dermoscopes have been tested: Illuco IDS-1100, Visiomed Luminis, Visiomed Luminis 2, Heine NC2 with and without a contact plate, DermLite DL4, and DermLite Handyscope. Measurements were made for the following set of lift-off distances: 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 150 mm. Each 2D scan consisted of 10-line scans shifted from each other by 10 mm. The strength of the magnetic field decreased with the distance from the faceplate. The distribution of the magnetic field differed depending on the position of the magnets. The highest magnetic field was recorded in the center of the Heine NC2 faceplate (up to 8 mT). In most cases, at a distance of 10 mm, the magnetic field strength was measured below 1 mT, with the exception of Heine NC2 and Heine NC2 with a contact plate. All tested dermoscopes generated a magnetic field of <1 mT at the distance of 20 mm. The use of dermoscopes with built-in magnets may affect the functioning of CIEDs, and the impact may vary depending on the type of dermoscope.

A Comparison of the Bacterial Contamination of the Surface of Cleanroom Operators’ Garments following Donning with and without Gloves

Background Specialist cleanroom garments are a potential vector for transmission of microorganisms within these facilities. In order to maintain the low bioburden of such clothing it has been perceived best practice for operators to dress wearing sterile cleanroom gloves. However, the efficacy of such glove use upon the resultant bacterial contamination of the surface of cleanroom garments has not previously been evaluated. Aim To compare surface bacterial contamination of cleanroom garments following their donning by operators dressing with or without gloves. Methods Following prior handwashing and systematic donning of cleanroom clothing by operators dressing wearing either no gloves, non-sterile nitrile gloves or sterile cleanroom latex gloves, a direct agar contact method was immediately undertaken to test garment surfaces at 7 specific sites. Following incubation bacterial levels were suitably quantified. Findings Comparing levels of growth displayed on plates used to test the surface of cleanroom garments worn by operators dressing with no gloves, non–sterile gloves or sterile cleanroom gloves, no significant difference was observed between the percentage of contact plates displaying growth and the levels of growth observed on plates, from any of the sites tested. Conclusion Omission of gloves in line with a systematic handwashing procedure prior to the cleanroom garment donning process, may result in modest economic and environmental gain coupled with a slightly less burdensome procedure. However, this is reliant on rigorous adherence to handwashing protocol and assessment of associated risk factors.

Probabilistic Oblique Impact Analysis of Functionally Graded Plates – A Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Approach

Purpose: To investigate the probabilistic low-velocity impact of functionally graded (FG) plate using the MARS model, considering uncertain system parameters. Design/methodology/application: The distribution of various material properties throughout FG plate thickness is calculated using power law. For finite element (FE) formulation, isoparametric elements with eight nodes are considered, each component has five degrees of freedom. The combined effect of variability in material properties such as elastic modulus, modulus of rigidity, Poisson’s ratio, and mass density are considered. The surrogate model is validated with the FE model represented by the scatter plot and the probability density function (PDF) plot based on Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Findings: The outcome of the degree of stochasticity, impact angle, impactor’s velocity, impactor’s mass density, and point of impact on the maximum value of contact force (CFmax ), plate deformation (PDmax), and impactor deformation (IDmax ) are determined. A convergence study is also performed to determine the optimal number of the constructed MARS model’s sample size. Originality/value: The results illustrate the significant effects of uncertain input parameters on FGM plates’ low-velocity impact responses by employing a surrogate-based MARS model.

Six methods for classifying lower-limb dominance are not associated with asymmetries during a change of direction task.

Quantifying asymmetries between dominant and non-dominant limbs is a common research objective aimed at identifying systematic differences between limbs and establishing normative ranges of asymmetry. Multiple methods for classifying limb dominance exist, and it is unclear how different methods relate to directional asymmetries during change of direction (CoD). This study aimed to determine whether different methods of classifying limb dominance, including a novel CoD task-specific method, identified significant inter-limb asymmetries during a 90° CoD task. Fifty participants completed a testing battery consisting of jumping, hopping, CoD, and isokinetic dynamometry. Limb dominance was classified for each participant according to preferred kicking limb, vertical jump height, horizontal hop distance, initial force plate contact during landing, max isokinetic knee extensor strength, and turning velocity. Asymmetries in whole-body and joint-level mechanics were defined using each method. No method for classifying limb dominance was associated with consistent inter-limb biomechanical asymmetries during CoD, and no method was related to any other method. The magnitude of asymmetry relative to the magnitude of absolute asymmetry present within the cohort suggests that using these tasks to classify the dominant limb in this CoD is akin to assigning dominance to a randomly selected limb. Previous observations of group symmetry during CoD may be statistical artifacts as opposed to a true indication of normative movement. Until an appropriate means of classifying limbs during CoD is established, quantifying normative asymmetry based on limb dominance should be done with caution.

Effect of topical antimicrobial therapy and household cleaning on meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius carriage in dogs.

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is a multidrug-resistant canine pathogen with a low zoonotic potential. This study investigated MRSP carriage and clearance through topical antimicrobial therapy and household cleaning in dogs recovered from MRSP infection. Dogs were swabbed for MRSP carriage; household contamination was assessed using contact plates. Carrier dogs were allocated randomly to receive topical fusidic acid and chlorhexidine/miconazole treatment combined with owners implementing a household hygiene protocol (H&T) or implementation of hygiene alone (H) over three weeks. Carriage-negative dogs were monitored monthly. The relatedness of isolates over time was investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). At inclusion, MRSP carriage was confirmed in 31/46 (67.4%) index dogs and 16/24 (66.7%) contact dogs, and contamination was found in 18/40 (45%) environments. In dogs completing all cycles, interventions cleared carriage in 5/9 (55.6%) dogs in group H&T and 2/6 (33.3%) in group H. Environmental contamination was infrequent but associated with carrier dogs (p=0.047). Monthly monitoring of initially negative dogs showed intermittent carriage in 9/14 dogs. PFGE-concordance was found among all 34 MRSP isolated from eight index dogs over time. MRSP carriage was common in dogs after recovery from infection. Topical antimicrobial therapy temporarily eliminated carriage but recurrence was frequent. Management efforts must include the prevention of recurrent infections and hygiene.

Relationship between maxillary sinuses’ shapes and their contacts with upper jaw teeth roots according to computer tomography

Background. Rhinosinusitis, affecting both maxillary and other sinuses, is a multidisciplinary issue which otolaryngologists, dentists, neurologists and ophthalmologists are constantly dealing with. There is a remarkable diagnostic value of anthropometric indicators of maxillary sinuses of people of different genders, using CT scan images of mature age patients. Purpose – establish a relationship between the shape of the maxillary sinuses and possible contacts of the tooth roots of the maxillary dental arch in healthy mature men and women. Materials and methods. The study was performed based on the results of 102 CBCT with normal maxillary sinuses variations in adults in the frontal and sagittal plane. The examinations were performed on Point 3D Combi 500 cone-beam tomograph. The paper belongs to the «description of case series» category whis is a type of study recognized by evidence based medicine and does not claim statistical significance of the results. Results and discussion. When examining the computer tomograms of men and women in the study group, it has been found out how the shape of the maxillary sinuses (MS) affects the contact of the tooth roots with the cortical plate and the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinuses. Six main shapes of the MS are defined: trapezoidal, square, round, oval, rectangular and triangular. In the frontal plane of CBCT, the most frequent contact with the MS cortical plate is observed in the triangular and rectangular shape of the MS, that is: in the MS rectangular shape it is in contact with the 15th, 25th tooth root in 13 people (56.5% of cases) and in the triangular shape – with the 15th, 25th tooth root in 17 people (56.5% of cases). Analyzing CBCT in the sagittal plane, the most frequent contact with the cortical plate of the left MS is observed in the MS triangular shape, namely – the sinus is in contact with the 25th tooth root in 38 people (59.4% of cases). In the sagittal plane of CBCT, the contact with the tooth roots was rarely observed in the MS square and round shape. In the MS square shape, the 13th and 14th tooth roots do not come into contact with its cortical plate, and, with the mucous membrane, there is no contact of all the roots of the teeth except the 16th, in 1 person only. Conclusions. The results of the study have made it possible to trace a number of patterns of influence of the maxillary sinus shape on the tooth roots contacting it. The contact of the MS cortical plate is most often observed with 16th and 26th tooth roots, while the MS mucous membrane – with 17th and 27th tooth roots of the upper jaw. It was found that in any shape of sinus in the frontal plane, no contact of the 13th, 23rd and 24th tooth roots of the maxillary dental arch with the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus was detected. In the CBCT frontal plane, it has been found that the most frequent contact with the MS cortical plate is observed in triangular, trapezoidal and rectangular form of the MS, and the rarest one – in oval, square and round form of MS. The study has established that in the sagittal plane of CBCT the most frequent contact with the MS cortical plate is observed in the MS triangular shape, and the rarest – in the round one.

An evaluation method of preventive renewal strategies of railway vehicles selected parts

The aim of the work was to develop a method of verification of the preventive renewal strategies, which enables a simulation evaluation of the effects of the application of a specific schedule of inspections of parts that are important in the operation of complex renewable technical objects. Using it requires having an already established schedule of inspections, and the result of applying the method is determined by indicators that assess the usefulness of the strategy, even before implementation. The developed computational tool was used to evaluate the renewal strategy of the current collector contact plates. Based on the real operational data, several renewal intervals were considered, determining the frequency of events involving the plate covering a specific mileage, from exceeding the wear control limit value to the next inspection (replacement). The proposed verification method is an important tool for testing and planning technical inspections for systems and elements with planned wear, and parts are periodically replaced.

Prestrike inrush current arc behavior in AMF vacuum interrupters subjected to contact plate slots

Inrush current prestrike arcs can cause local surface melting of contacts in vacuum interrupters (VIs) and cause strong contact welding during capacitive load operations. The contact welding rupture would seriously damage the appearance of the contact surface and lead to a high restrike possibility during the next opening operation. The slots on the contact plate can remarkably influence the inrush current prestrike arc behavior. The objective of this paper is to research the influence of contact plate slots on prestrike inrush current arc behavior during the capacitive-making processes of VIs. The experimental results showed that the no-plate-slot VIs had better performance than the VIs with plate slots during the prestrike arcing process. In addition, according to the simulation results, the AMF flux density in the arc region is lower in the VIs with plate slots than in the VIs without plate slots at the peak of 20-kA amplitude inrush current, which together with the effect of the slots contributes to the stationary intense arcs in the VIs with plate slots.

Failure analysis of CF/epoxy hollow beam components using digital image correlation and acoustic emission analyses

Testing of carbon fibre epoxy hollow beam components was undertaken using digital image correlation and acoustic emission techniques. Static and fatigue testing was used to characterise the damage mechanisms of the components under two separate compressive loading cases. Firstly, the load was transferred via simple contact of a rectangular pusher plate, whilst in the second case the plate was bolted to the top surface of the beam. Digital image correlation determined the full field deformation and strain on the beams’ side while strain gauges validated the accuracy of the measurements during testing. Acoustic emission analyses provided a more in-depth inspection of the failure location as the first damage event was not visible from an external visual inspection. Acoustic emission captured a precise map of damage events which indicated the failure location at a point under the loading plate edge and centred at the corner of the beam structure. While digital image correlation gives a full field view of strains on the component surface before and after failure, the acoustic emission analysis shows a higher sensitivity to the characterisation of damage, providing a more conservative and accurate estimate of the failure behaviour.

Crustal Structure Across the Northern Region of the Islas Marías Archipelago

The tectonic interaction between the Rivera and North American plates north of the Bahía de Banderas is poorly understood. The nature of the crust and where the subduction ends in the western part of the Islas Marias Archipelago are still controversial. Based on new geophysical data provided by the TsuJal project, we present the shallow and deep crustal structure of the Rivera–North American plate contact zone along two seismic transects, TS09b and RTSIM01b, and the bathymetry obtained across the northern region of María Madre Island. Detailed bathymetric analysis allowed mapping of a series of lineaments along the study region, with two main preferred tendencies (020–050° and 290–320°) associated with the evolution of the Pacific-Rivera rise and the transform faults of the Gulf of California, respectively. The shallow structure is characterized by five sedimentary basins without deformation, whose horizons are subparallel, suggesting that the sediment deposition occurred after the extension process ended. The deep structure corresponds to a transition between oceanic crust (Rivera Plate), with an average thickness of ∼10 km to the Islas Marías Escarpment, and a thinned continental crust, whose thickness increases toward the continent until it reaches 28 km, with a dip angle of 7–10°. The absence of an accretionary prism suggests that the subduction process of the Rivera Plate beneath the North American Plate to the north of Islas Marías has ceased. In this study, we determined that the morphological expression of the northern limit of the Rivera Plate corresponds to the Islas Marías Escarpment.

Taphonomy of experimental burials in Taphos-m: The role of fungi

BackgroundThe fungi present in the decaying remains enable a better understanding of the processes of decomposition after death. There are not many studies about fungi on decaying bodies and it is not known which fungal sampling methods are effective. AimsThe main objective of this study was to find the best method for sampling fungi in carcasses, prove the effectiveness of this method and identify the fungal colonies in animal carcasses from experimental burials. MethodsSamples from 13 carcasses of Sus scrofa domestica, from the experimental project Taphos-m, were taken with different materials: spatula, sterile swabs and RODAC contact plates. ResultsRODAC contact plates with the RBA culture medium showed higher proliferation of fungal colonies. Thirty genera of fungi were isolated from different substrates (bone, tissue, lime). Most of the fungi genera or groups identified have been described before in the literature, but the substrates they came from were different in some cases. ConclusionsSampling with RODAC contact plates was found to be the most effective method, as it provides a nutritional culture medium that may allow growth since the moment of sampling. Fungi colonies grew better in RBA culture medium because bacterial growth is inhibited. Most of the observed fungi are related to the environment but some others have been found related to decomposing bodies for the first time.

Reliability of Perceptual-Cognitive Skills in a Complex, Laboratory-Based Team-Sport Setting

The temporal occlusion paradigm is often used in anticipation and decision-making research in sports. Although it is considered as a valid measurement tool, evidence of its reproducibility is lacking but required for future cross-sectional and repeated-measures designs. Moreover, only a few studies on decision making in real-world environments exist. Here, we aimed at (a) implementing a temporal occlusion test with multi-dimensional motor response characteristics, and (b) assessing intra- and inter-session item reliability. Temporally occluded videos of attack sequences in a team handball scenario were created and combined with the SpeedCourt® contact plate system. Participants were instructed to perform pre-specified defensive actions in response to the video stimuli presented on a life-size projection screen. The intra- and inter-session (after at least 24 h) reproducibility of subjects’ motor responses were analyzed. Significant Cohen’s (0.44–0.54) and Fleiss’ (0.33–0.51) kappa statistics revealed moderate agreement of motor responses with the majority of attack situations in both intra- and inter-session analyses. Participants made faster choices with more visual information about the opponents’ unfolding action. Our findings indicate reliable decisions in a complex, near-game test environment for team handball players. The test provides a foundation for future temporal occlusion studies, including recommendations for new explanatory approaches in cognition research.

Isolasi dan Karakterisasi Kapang Filoplan serta Serasah Daun di Lingkungan Laboratorium Biologi Universitas Diponegoro Dengan Metode Contact Plate

Fungi can be present on various substrates in the surrounding environment. The presence of these molds takes advantage of the nutrients that are attached to or contained in the substrate. The purpose of this study was to isolate and obtain various types of molds from various substrates. The method used in this study is a contact plate by attaching it to various objects or substrates, namely leaf litter, composter walls, tables, glass, and cabinets. The fungi obtained were 6 isolates, including those from the genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, Curvularia, and Alternaria,