Effects Of Physical Contact Research Articles

In touch: Cardiac and respiratory patterns synchronize during ensemble singing with physical contact.

Musical ensemble performances provide an ideal environment to gain knowledge about complex human interactions. Network structures of synchronization can reflect specific roles of individual performers on the one hand and a higher level of organization of all performers as a superordinate system on the other. This study builds on research on joint singing, using hyperscanning of respiration and heart rate variability (HRV) from eight professional singers. Singers performed polyphonic music, distributing their breathing within the same voice and singing without and with physical contact: that is touching each other's shoulder or waist. The idea of singing with touch was motivated by historical depictions of ensemble performances that showed singers touching each other. It raises the question of the potential benefit of touch for group performances. From a psycho-physiological point of view, physical contact should increase the synchronization of singing coordination. The results confirm previous findings on synchronization of respiration and HRV during choir singing and extend those findings to a non-homophonic musical repertoire while also revealing an increase in synchronization in respiration during physical contact. These effects were significant across different frequency ranges. The effect of physical contact was stronger when all singers were singing in comparison to the partial ensemble. Importantly, the synchronization could not be fully explained by the singing action (i.e., singing the same voice, or singing vs. listening) or by the standing position or touch. This finding suggests a higher level of organization of all singers, forming a superordinate system.

A Multi–Membrane System to Study the Effects of Physical and Metabolic Interactions in Microbial Co-Cultures and Consortia

Continuous cell-to-cell contact between different species is a general feature of all natural environments. However, almost all research is conducted on single-species cultures, reflecting a biotechnological bias and problems associated with the complexities of reproducibly growing and controlling multispecies systems. Consequently, biotic stress due to the presence of other species remains poorly understood. In this context, understanding the effects of physical contact between species when compared to metabolic contact alone is one of the first steps to unravelling the mechanisms that underpin microbial ecological interactions. The current technologies to study the effects of cell-to-cell contact present disadvantages, such as the inefficient or discontinuous exchange of metabolites when preventing contact between species. This paper presents and characterizes a novel bioreactor system that uses ceramic membranes to create a “multi-membrane” compartmentalized system whereby two or more species can be co-cultured without the mixing of the species, while ensuring the efficient sharing of all of the media components. The system operates continuously, thereby avoiding the discontinuities that characterize other systems, which either have to use hourly backwashes to clean their membranes, or have to change the direction of the flow between compartments. This study evaluates the movement of metabolites across the membrane in co-cultures of yeast, microalgae and bacterial species, and monitors the movement of the metabolites produced during co-culturing. These results show that the multi-membrane system proposed in this study represents an effective system for studying the effects of cell-to-cell contact in microbial consortia. The system can also be adapted for various biotechnological purposes, such as the production of metabolites when more than one species is required for such a process.

Tactile Attention in One-to-One Performance: The effects of touch on participant experience

This article details the perceptual effects of physical contact during one-to-one performance. It considers the impact of sustained touch between a solo performer and an audience participant on the experience of the event in terms of self-awareness, collaborative exchange, and feelings of agency. Based on qualitative empirical data, Esling examines how the invitations of both active and passive touch work to enhance tactile attention for the audience participant, evaluating the implications of this heightened awareness on the psychophysical and affective experience of a one-to-one encounter in a performative context. This research is based on comparative data generated through a Practice-Based Research framework designed to test empirically the effects of sense-specific manipulations in immersive, one-to-one performance. Based on the tactile dramaturgy of All Good Things (2013), a work by Canadian company Vertical City, Esling developed a micro-performance to be experienced by random audience participants either with or without physical contact. In the control performances, participants listened to a performer tell an affective narrative without touch, yet in close proximity. In intervention performances, the participant held hands and touched knees with the performer. In both scenarios, participants completed a brief interview and written survey immediately following their experience. This research contributes to knowledge about how physical contact—as a dramaturgical strategy—shapes feelings of agency, attention, affect and bodily awareness, and performer–participant connection in one-to-one performance.

Physical contact with cage mates modifies stress-induced hyperthermia in mice

Using stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH) as an assay of stress levels, the effects of physical contact with conspecifics on restraint stress and the recovery from it were examined in mice. Restrained mice surrounded by freely moving cage mates showed enhanced SIH due to social inequality aversion. However, this stress enhancement was not observed when the subject was physically separated from cage mates by a transparent acrylic tube. Interestingly, social inequality in the dark room experimental paradigm enhanced SIH, which suggests that visual information does not play a crucial role in stress enhancement. Following release from restraint stress, the body temperatures of the mice gradually returned to baseline levels; this decrease was more rapid when the mice were placed in their home cage with cage mates. However, blocking physical contact using a transparent acrylic tube abolished the social facilitation of body temperature recovery. These results suggest that physical contact plays a crucial role in both stress emergence and recovery via social modification.

The effects of physical contact and decision type on moral decision making: A study of harm to save moral behavior

This study examined the relationship between physical contact and decision type in predicting “harm to save” behavior. Participants were assigned to making either a judgment or a choice involving moral dilemmas. All participants were presented with dilemmas that either required or did not require having physical contact with potential victims. Participants were asked to decide whether to sacrifice fewer people to save more (utilitarian responses) or not to do so and thus more people would die (deontological responses). The study sample included 345 participants who completed a set of self‐report measures. Results indicated an interaction between physical contact and decision type. In the choice condition only, participants reported significantly less utilitarian responses to the dilemmas that required having physical contact with the person to be harmed than to dilemmas that did not require physical contact. This difference was not found in the judgment condition. These results contribute to a greater understanding of the nature and potential malleability of human morality.

The effect of physical contact on changes in fatigue markers following rugby union field-based training

Repeated physical contact in rugby union is thought to contribute to post-match fatigue; however, no evidence exists on the effect of contact activity during field-based training on fatigue responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of contact during training on fatigue markers in rugby union players. Twenty academy rugby union players participated in the cross-over study. The magnitude of change in upper- and lower-body neuromuscular function (NMF), whole blood creatine kinase concentration [CK] and perception of well-being was assessed pre-training (baseline), immediately and 24 h post-training following contact and non-contact, field-based training. Training load was measured using mean heart rate, session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and microtechnology (Catapult Optimeye S5). The inclusion of contact during field-based training almost certainly increased mean heart rate (9.7; ±3.9%) and sRPE (42; ±29.2%) and resulted in likely and very likely greater decreases in upper-body NMF (−7.3; ±4.7% versus 2.7; ±5.9%) and perception of well-being (−8.0; ±4.8% versus −3.4; ±2.2%) 24 h post-training, respectively, and almost certainly greater elevations in [CK] (88.2; ±40.7% versus 3.7; ±8%). The exclusion of contact from field-based training almost certainly increased running intensity (19.8; ±5%) and distance (27.5; ±5.3%), resulting in possibly greater decreases in lower-body NMF (−5.6; ±5.2% versus 2.3; ±2.4%). Practitioners should be aware of the different demands and fatigue responses of contact and non-contact, field-based training and can use this information to appropriately schedule such training in the weekly microcycle.

Neuromuscular and inflammatory responses to handball small-sided games: the effects of physical contact.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of physical contact on neuromuscular impairments and inflammatory response during handball small-sided games. Using a counterbalanced design, 12 elite male junior handball players were divided into two groups: contact (C-SSG) and no-contact (NC-SSG), performing both contact and no-contact small-sided games, in reverse order on two training sessions separated by 5days. The methodology and rules were identical for the two SSG regimens, with the only difference being the inclusion or prohibition of upper body use for physical contacts. Upper and lower body neuromuscular performances and blood concentrations of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were assessed before and immediately after the games. During small-sided games, video analysis was used to establish the physical contact counts. Significant differences were found in most upper and lower limbs muscles kinetic variables and in the physical contact events (all P<0.001) following the two training regimens. There was an increase in IL-6 after C-SSG and no changes following NC-SSG (P<0.05 and P=0.12, respectively). Moreover, a strong correlation was found between the number of physical contacts and IL-6 responses (r=0.971, P<0.001) in C-SSG. This study indicates that an inflammatory response and large upper and lower body neuromuscular impairments result from physical contact in elite handball players. These outcomes outline the specific physiological profile of C-SSG that, in turn, might be used by practitioners and coaches as a practical approach to strategically select exercises in athlete's overall training program.

The effect of physical contact between dairy cows and calves during separation on their post-separation behavioural response

Premature breaking of the maternal bond between a cow and her calf triggers a strong behavioural response which renders separation and weaning major welfare challenges in suckling systems. Fence-line separation and weaning allowing physical contact has been evaluated for beef cattle and is claimed to reduce stress at separation. The objective of this study was to compare the post-separation behavioural response of cow–calf pairs separated either with a fence-line (FL, n=8 pairs) allowing physical contact or with a solid wall (SW, n=8 pairs) allowing merely auditory contact. After separation, all calves were offered milk (2.0L, thrice a day) from a teat bottle to reduce the effect of hunger. Behaviours were recorded for 4h at days 0 (day of separation), 1, 2, 3 and 4 from which we calculated the total behavioural reaction (area under the curve, AUC). Treatment differences were analysed with two samples Wilcoxon test. Most of the post-separation responses occurred during day 0–2. Results show that FL calves performed less high-pitched (open mouthed) vocalizations as compared to SW calves (P=0.003). Median number of calls/4h and range for FL vs. SW calves respectively were: day 0; 13 (0–94) vs. 361 (2–658), day 1; 10 (1–247) vs. 274 (18–872), day 2; 0 (0–4) vs. 48 (0–365), day 3; 0 (0–1) vs. 4 (0–135) and day 4; 0 (0–2) vs. 18 (0–84). Calves separated with FL also showed a lower frequency than SW calves (P=0.003) of alert behaviour defined as high-head posture, pointed ears with focus towards the cow (median percentage of observations and range for FL and SW calves respectively): day 0; 23 (0–50) vs. 26 (0–50), day 1; 3 (0–12) vs. 12 (4–36), day 2; 0 (0–6) vs. 12 (0–18), day 3; 0 (0–2) vs. 3 (0–18) and day 4; 0 (0–2) vs. 15 (0–28). No significant treatment differences were found for other calf behaviours or in the post-separation behavioural responses of the cow. This is the first study to quantitatively assess two different vocalizations in response to separation; low-pitched vocalizations (with closed mouth) and high-pitched vocalizations in response to separation. Recordings of high-pitched vocalization seem to be a promising tool for assessing distress at separation. In conclusion, FL separation allowing physical contact may reduce the vocal response and alert behaviour of calves.

84. Cohabiting with a sick mate: Relevance of olfactory contact to innate immune activity

Cohabitation with a sick cage-mate induced behavioral and immunological changes. Divergent signals including visual, olfactory, chemical, or tactile (Communication cues = CC) have been described as being involved in communication among individuals of the same and different species. This work was designed to analyze the effects of different CC on neutrophil activity (oxidative burst and phagocytosis). Female mice were paired and divided into one control (C) and one experimental (E) group. One mice of each E pair was inoculated i.p. with 5 X 106 Ehrlich tumor cells; the other animal of the pair, the object of this study, was not treated being referred to as “companion of sick partner” (CSP). One mouse of each C pair was called “companion of health partner” (CHP) remaining undisturbed; the other was injected with NaCl 0.9% (0.1 ml/10 g). Three experiments were done to analyze the effects of physical contact, olfactory and visual cues on neutrophil activity. Experimental mice were analyzed after fourteen days of cohabitation. Results showed that physical contact and visual cues were not relevant for neutrophil activity changes observed after cohabitation. On the contrary, the olfactory cures were fundamental for the decrease in neutrophil oxidative burst and phagocytosis. The present results strongly suggest that volatile compounds released by Ehrlich tumor-injected mice are perceived by their conspecifics, inducing the immune changes reported for cohabitation with a sick companion.

The Effect of Physical Contact on Pre-slaughter Stress and Fear Reactions in Broiler Chickens

This study investigated the effects of regular physical contact on fear and stress reactions and some performance parameters in broiler chickens. Broiler chicks were exposed to inverted handling with an experimenter for 5 min daily (Group-I), upright handling with an experimenter for 5 min daily (Group-II) and no handling (Control) during the study (1-37 days). Tonic immobility (TI) duration and corticosterone concentration were used to measure the levels of fear and stress, respectively. Present findings indicated that physical contact of human had no significant effect on tonic immobility duration, number of induction and the level of corticosterone in broiler chickens. As a result the body weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and mortality was not affected by this treatment.

Soot combustion with K/MgO as catalyst

This paper explores the possible effect of the potassium precursor on the activity of K/MgO catalysts for soot combustion and, in particular, which of previously described potassium roles would be more affected. The catalytic activity of the prepared K-catalysts was evaluated through thermogravimetric assays using catalyst-carbon black mixtures. Selected catalyst samples were characterized by XPS, AAS, BET surface area, carbothermic reduction, DRIFTS and XRD. The effect of physical contact was also assessed. The experimental results show that the addition of potassium from different precursors (KOH, KNO3) affects the basic nature of the catalyst surface and its interaction with active species, and this is reflected in the catalytic activity. With KNO3 as the precursor, a more active catalyst was obtained, a result that is attributed to: (i) higher concentration and dispersion of potassium, (ii) greater mobility and reactivity of the activated oxygen species, and (iii) lower stability of surface carbonates and OH groups, facilitating the formation of active species and favoring the mobility of surface activated oxygen. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of physical contact on creatine kinase levels and height during Rugby Union: A case study

The effect of physical contact on creatine kinase levels and height during Rugby Union: A case study

Effects of physical contact on customers' shopping time and behavior

Touch is considered an important factor in various social situations. The present results show that touching customers in the store increased their shopping time, their evaluation of the store and also the amount of shopping. The findings suggest that interpersonal touch can be an important aid to salespeople and servers.

Effects of physical contact in an encounter group context.

Effects of physical contact in an encounter group context.

Effects of physical contact in an encounter group context.

Effects of physical contact in an encounter group context.