Effective Training Protocols Research Articles

The influence of ageing and surface type on the odour profile of blood-detection dog training aids

Cadaver-detection dogs are a preferred search tool utilised by law enforcement agencies for the purposes of locating victim remains due to their efficiency and minimal disturbance to the crime scene. In Australia, a specific group of these canines are blood-detection dogs, which are trained to detect and locate blood evidence and search potential crime scenes in cases where a cadaver may not be present. Their role sometimes requires searches to be carried out after considerable time has passed since the crime occurred, and this is important for developing effective training protocols. This study aimed to investigate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced from fresh and aged human blood on various surfaces. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) was used to extract VOCs from the headspace of dried blood samples aged and sampled periodically over 12 months from a non-porous (i.e. aluminium) and porous (i.e. cotton) surface. Samples were analysed using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). Fresh blood produced distinctively different VOC patterns compared to blood aged longer than 1week with the overall profile differing between the two surface types, and a large subset of the VOC profile found to be responsible for these differences. When analysing the various functional groups present in the samples, a common pattern between ages and surface types was observed with no specific chemical class dominating the overall profile. The results highlight the importance of evaluating training aids for scent-detection canines to ensure the greatest efficacy during training and subsequently at crime scene searches.

Review of High-intensity Interval Training in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

For the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation is required. This involves optimal medical therapy, education on nutrition and exercise therapy, and smoking cessation. Of these, efficient exercise therapy is a key factor. A highly effective training protocol is therefore warranted, which requires a high rate of compliance. Although moderate-intensity continuous training has been the main training regimen recommended in cardiac rehabilitation guidelines, high-intensity interval training has been reported to be more effective in the clinical and experimental setting from the standpoint of peak oxygen uptake and central and peripheral adaptations. In this review, we illustrate the scientific evidence for high-intensity interval training. We then verify this evidence and discuss its significance and the remaining issues.

Developing a Customized Multiple Interview for Dental School Admissions

From the early 1980s until recently, the University of British Columbia Faculty of Dentistry had employed the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) Structured Interview in its Phase 2 admissions process (with those applicants invited for interviews). While this structured interview had demonstrated reliability and validity, the Faculty of Dentistry came to believe that a multiple interview process using scenarios would help it better identify applicants who would match its mission. After a literature review that investigated such interview protocols as unstructured, semi-structured, computerized, and telephone formats, a multiple interview format was chosen. This format was seen as an emerging trend, with evidence that it has been deemed fairer by applicants, more reliable by interviewers, more difficult for applicants to provide set answers for the scenarios, and not to require as many interviewers as other formats. This article describes the process undertaken to implement a customized multiple interview format for admissions and reports these outcomes of the process: a smoothly running multiple interview; effective training protocols for staff, interviewers, and applicants; and reports from successful applicants and interviewers that they felt the multiple interview was a more reliable and fairer recruiting tool than other models.

Modelling and regulating of cardio-respiratory response for the enhancement of interval training

BackgroundThe interval training method has been a well known exercise protocol which helps strengthen and improve one’s cardiovascular fitness.PurposeTo develop an effective training protocol to improve cardiovascular fitness based on modelling and analysis of Heart Rate (HR) and Oxygen Uptake (VO2) dynamics.MethodsIn order to model the cardiorespiratory response to the onset and offset exercises, the (K4b2, Cosmed) gas analyzer was used to monitor and record the heart rate and oxygen uptake for ten healthy male subjects. An interval training protocol was developed for young health users and was simulated using a proposed RC switching model which was presented to accommodate the variations of the cardiorespiratory dynamics to running exercises. A hybrid system model was presented to describe the adaptation process and a multi-loop PI control scheme was designed for the tuning of interval training regime.ResultsBy observing the original data for each subject, we can clearly identify that all subjects have similar HR and VO2 profiles. The proposed model is capable to simulate the exercise responses during onset and offset exercises; it ensures the continuity of the outputs within the interval training protocol. Under some mild assumptions, a hybrid system model can describe the adaption process and accordingly a multi-loop PI controller can be designed for the tuning of interval training protocol. The self-adaption feature of the proposed controller gives the exerciser the opportunity to reach his desired setpoints after a certain number of training sessions.ConclusionsThe established interval training protocol targets a range of 70-80% of HRmax which is mainly a training zone for the purpose of cardiovascular system development and improvement. Furthermore, the proposed multi-loop feedback controller has the potential to tune the interval training protocol according to the feedback from an individual exerciser.

Increased Signal Complexity Improves the Breadth of Generalization in Auditory Perceptual Learning

Perceptual learning can be specific to a trained stimulus or optimally generalized to novel stimuli with the breadth of generalization being imperative for how we structure perceptual training programs. Adapting an established auditory interval discrimination paradigm to utilise complex signals, we trained human adults on a standard interval for either 2, 4, or 10 days. We then tested the standard, alternate frequency, interval, and stereo input conditions to evaluate the rapidity of specific learning and breadth of generalization over the time course. In comparison with previous research using simple stimuli, the speed of perceptual learning and breadth of generalization were more rapid and greater in magnitude, including novel generalization to an alternate temporal interval within stimulus type. We also investigated the long term maintenance of learning and found that specific and generalized learning was maintained over 3 and 6 months. We discuss these findings regarding stimulus complexity in perceptual learning and how they can inform the development of effective training protocols.

Cerebral-cortical networking and activation increase as a function of cognitive-motor task difficulty

Excessive increases in task difficulty typically result in marked attenuation of cognitive-motor performance. The psychomotor efficiency hypothesis suggests that poor performance is mediated by non-essential neural activity and cerebral cortical networking (inefficient cortical dynamics). This phenomenon may underlie the inverse relationship between excessive task difficulty and performance. However, investigation of the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis as it relates to task difficulty has not been conducted. The present study used electroencephalography (EEG) to examine cerebral cortical dynamics while participants were challenged with both Easy and Hard conditions during a cognitive-motor task (Tetris®). In accord with the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis, it was predicted that with increases in task difficulty, participants would demonstrate greater ‘neural effort,’ as indexed by EEG spectral power and cortical networking (i.e., EEG coherence) between the premotor (motor planning) region and sensory, executive, and motor regions. Increases in neural activation and cortical networking were observed during the Hard condition relative to the Easy condition, thus supporting the psychomotor efficiency hypothesis. To further determine the unique contributions of cognitive versus sensory-motor demands, a control experiment was conducted in which cognitive demand was increased while sensory-motor demand was held constant. This experiment revealed that regionally specific neural activation was influenced by changes in cognitive demand, whereas cortical networking to the motor planning region was sensitive only to changes in sensory-motor demand. Crucially, the present study is the first, to our knowledge, to characterize the separate impact of cognitive versus sensory-motor demands on cerebral cortical dynamics. The findings further inform the dynamics of the cortical processes that underlie the quality of cognitive-motor performance particularly with regard to task difficulty. A broader understanding of the brain and muscle interactions during varying levels of challenge may inform the design of effective training protocols aimed at optimizing cognitive-motor performance.

Maximizing cochlear implant patients’ performance with advanced speech training procedures

Advances in implant technology and speech processing have provided great benefit to many cochlear implant patients. However, some patients receive little benefit from the latest technology, even after many years’ experience with the device. Moreover, even the best cochlear implant performers have great difficulty understanding speech in background noise, and music perception and appreciation remain major challenges. Recent studies have shown that targeted auditory training can significantly improve cochlear implant patients’ speech recognition performance. Such benefits are not only observed in poorly performing patients, but also in good performers under difficult listening conditions (e.g., speech noise, telephone speech, music, etc.). Targeted auditory training has also been shown to enhance performance gains provided by new implant devices and/or speech processing strategies. These studies suggest that cochlear implantation alone may not fully meet the needs of many patients, and that additional auditory rehabilitation may be needed to maximize the benefits of the implant device. Continuing research will aid in the development of efficient and effective training protocols and materials, thereby minimizing the costs (in terms of time, effort and resources) associated with auditory rehabilitation while maximizing the benefits of cochlear implantation for all recipients.

Second language vowel training using vowel subsets: Order of training and choice of contrasts

Our previous vowel training study for Japanese learners of American English [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 117, 2401 (2005)] compared training for two vowel subsets: nine vowels covering the entire vowel space (9V condition); and the three more difficult vowels (3V condition). Trainees in 9V condition improved on all vowels, but their identification of the three more difficult vowels was lower than that of 3V trainees. Trainees in 3V condition improved identification of the trained three vowels but not the other vowels. In order to further explore more effective training protocols, the present study compared two groups of native Korean trainees using two different training orders for the two vowel subsets: 3V then 9V (3V-9V); and 9V then 3V (9V-3V). The groups were compared in terms of their performance on all nine vowels for pre-, mid-, and post-test scores. Average test scores across the two groups were not different from each other. A closer examination indicated that group 3V-9V did not improve on one of the three more difficult vowels, whereas group 9V-3V improved on all three vowels, indicating the importance of training subset order. [Work supported by NIH DC-006313 and DC-02229.]

NATURAL RECIPROCAL INHIBITION OF SOLEUS H-REFLEX DURING EARLY PHASE OF GAIT INITATION; DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SWING AND STANCE LIMB.

PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: This experiment was done to investigate soleus (SOL) H-reflex for swing limb and stance limb during the pre-motor reaction time (RT) period, which was determined by onset of tibialis anterior (TA) and during the early phase of gait initiation (GI) relative to the kinetic and kinematic events in the process of GI compaired to standing. NUMBER OF SUBJECTS: Six male and seven female subjects without known medical, orthopedic and/or neurological condition were recruited in this study. Average age was 29.86 6.6 years. MATERIALS/METHODS: SOL and TA electromyogram (EMG) and SOL H-reflexes were recorded from the right limb of subjects during GI. Ground reaction force under the testing foot was also monitored. Subjects were tested in three different paradigms; standing, stance GI, and swing GI paradigms. To obtain H-reflexes for various time periods of GI, the stimulus was delivered at various times relative to the onset of light switch signal. The delay for administration of the stimulus following the onset of the light signal was vary. The beginning of GI was determined by the onset of TA EMG activity. RESULTS: Both stance and swing limb H-reflexes were significantly and gradually depressed during reaction time (RT) of GI. However, the H-reflexes in the initial RT periods were significantly lower and their depression started earlier on the impending stance limb (150 to 125ms prior to TA EMG onset; to 11.9% of standing value) than the swing limb (50 ms before the TA EMG onset; 37.9% of standing value). The H-reflexes for both stance and swing limbs after the TA EMG onset were closely modulated with changes in ground reaction forces rather than the amount of TA EMG activity. Although there was some inhibition of the H-reflex due to TA contraction during the initial G1, the effect was relatively weak, particularly when the leg was the loading limb which was responsible for the forward acceleration force. CONCLUSIONS: Such findings indicate that the SOL H-reflex inhibition was relatively weak when the leg was the loading limb, which was responsible for the major acceleration force and provides evidence that the H-reflex is centrally modulated and depends on the role of the muscle during a given task. The loading limb may need to maintain a higher gain for SOL activity to adjust to the changes in peripheral events. We speculate that GI is a preprogrammed task and the H-reflex modulation during RT and the early phase of GI is primarily under central control with possibly some contribution from peripheral afferents. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The result of this work are related to the rehabilitation of those with central nervous system (CNS) disorders who have difficulty with precise and timely modulation of SOL excitability between the stance and the swing legs during GI. Future clinical research including both legs of people with CNS disorders would help rehabilitation clinicians enhance their knowledge of the nature of difficulties in GI, the development of effective training protocols or facilitating GI.