Individual Movement Patterns Research Articles

Examining Fundamental Movement Competency and Closed-Chain Upper-Extremity Dynamic Balance in Swimmers.

Abnormal fundamental movement patterns and upper-quarter dynamic balance are proposed mechanisms affecting athletic performance and injury risk. There are few studies investigating functional movement and closed-chain upper-extremity dynamic stability in swimmers. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in fundamental movement competency and closed-chain upper-extremity dynamic balance, using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Upper-Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-UQ), of high school (HS; n = 70) and collegiate (COL; n = 70) swimmers. Variables included the individual movement tests on the FMS and the average normalized reach (percent limb length [%LL]) for each direction, with the YBT-UQ. Statistical analysis was completed using a chi square for the independent test scores on the FMS while independent samples t-test to examine performance on the YBT-UQ (p ≤ 0.05). HS swimmers exhibited a statistically significant greater percentage of below average performance (score of 0 or 1) on the following FMS tests: lunge (HS: 22.9%, COL: 4.3%), hurdle step (HS: 31.4%, COL: 7.1%), and push-up (HS: 61.4%, COL: 31.4%). Furthermore, COL males performed worse in the lunge (male: 9%, female: 0%), whereas COL females had poorer efficiency in the push-up (male: 17.6%, female: 44%). Significant effects of competition level and sex were observed in YBT-UQ medial reach (HS: female 92.06, male 101.63; COL: female 101.3, male 101.5% LL). Individual fundamental movement patterns that involved lumbopelvic neuromuscular control differed between HS and COL swimmers. General upper-extremity dynamic balance differed between competition levels. These data may be helpful in understanding injury and performance-based normative data for participation and return to swimming.

Correlation Between Feather Isotopes and Body Condition for Swainson's Hawks, and Implications for Migration Studies

Abstract The study of individual movement patterns using stable hydrogen isotopes (δ 2H) as a natural marker has grown; however, recent studies have suggested that measurement of δ 2H in feathers (δ 2Hf) may prove unreliable as a means for identifying region of origin of migrating or wintering birds, particularly raptors. In this study, we examine whether differences in body condition could explain some of the variability in δ 2H in feathers. We analyzed growing feathers of 21 Swainson's Hawks breeding in northern CA for δ 2H, nitrogen (δ 15N), and carbon (δ 13C) stable isotopes in relation to body condition. We found that δ 2H was variable (range = 40‰), and that variability was significantly associated with body condition. Raptors derive most or all of their moisture from prey. Therefore, we suggest that individuals in poor condition have an enriched pool of body water relative to individuals in good condition, due to fractionation of body water stores during respiratory water loss and metabolic process...

Axiomatic Movement And Dynamic Balance Disparities Between Varying Competition Levels In Golfers

Deficiencies in fundamental movement patterns and dynamic balance have been shown to increase injury risk, and that movement testing is proportional to competitive skill level. Golf has a high prevalence of injuries, but little research on the relationship between movement patterns and injuries exists. PURPOSE: To examine differences in axiomatic movement patterns and dynamic stability in different competition levels in golfers. METHODS: 72 golfers were recruited across several regional middle and high schools (SCHOL; n= 40), and division I, II, and III colleges (COL; n=32). Each group performed the seven-test functional movement screen (FMS), and the upper (UQ) and lower quarter Y-balance tests (YBT-LQ). Limb lengths were normalized to percent limb length (%LL). Statistical analyses were run using students T-tests comparing test results with competition level (p<.05). RESULTS: COL golfers exhibited greater UQ (medial: 95.2 vs. 86.6 %LL, p<.0001; inferolateral: 94.8 vs. 88.6 %LL, p=.0007; superolateral: 72.1 vs. 64.5 %LL, p<.001); and LQ (anterior: 77.0 vs. 68.6 %LL, p<.001; posteromedial: 117.4 vs. 104.7 %LL, p<.001; posterolateral: 116 vs. 97.2 %LL, p<.001) dynamic balance compared to SCHOL. COL athletes displayed greater proficiency in the lunge (COL: 1.81±0.11, SCHOL 1.44±0.12; p=.0163), hurdle step (COL: 1.88±0.09, SCHOL: 1.59±0.10; p=.0167) and active straight leg raise (COL: 2.38±0.10, SCHOL: 2.07±0.11; p=.0207), and a greater composite score (COL: 13.7±0.54; SCHOL: 12.44±0.52 ; p=.0293) compared to SCHOL. CONCLUSIONS: COL level golfers had better proficiency in UQ and LQ dynamics stability, individual movement patterns that involved unilateral stance, and overall movement ability compared to SCHOL. These data support the premise that movement quality improves with increased competitive level among golfers. These data may also help establish functional movement and dynamic stability normative values for golfers of different competition levels.

Non-magnetic compliant finger sensor for continuous fine motor movement detection.

A non-magnetic MEG compatible device has been developed that provides continuous force and velocity information. Combined with MEG, this device may find utility in characterizing brain regions associated with force and velocity relative to individual digits or movement pattern. 15 healthy right-handed participants were given visual cues to perform random finger movements on the prototype finger sensor for 21s and then rest for 21s (7 times). Respective finger flexion data were obtained, during 151-channel MEG brain scanning, by feeding the signal from finger sensor into four input Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) channels in the MEG hardware. The source activity was reconstructed in beta band using a Linearly Constrained Minimum Variance (LCMV) beamformer in the beta band. The ADC channels were used as regressors for a continuous time General Linear Model (GLM) and a Region of Interest (ROI) was identified to examine activity. MEG analysis showed bilateral activation in the primary motor cortex region. Because individual digits could be isolated in the ADC data, somatotopy of the fingers were observed consistent with the homunculus except pinky finger. The total span was calculated to be 5.5662mm. The study confirms that the finger sensor is magnetically compatible with MEG measurements and may potentially provide a means to study complex sensorimotor functions. Improved isolation of individual digit information along with the use of machine learning algorithms can help retrieve more accurate results.

Relationships between individual movement, trophic position and growth of juvenile pike (Esox lucius)

AbstractVariation in movement between individuals can have important ecological effects on populations and ecosystems, yet the factors driving differences in movement and their consequences remain poorly understood. Here, individual variability in the movements of juvenile (age 0 + and 1 + year) pike Esox lucius was assessed using passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry in off‐channel nursery areas over a 26‐ month period. Differences in the movement patterns of individuals were tested against their body sizes, ages, growth rates and trophic positions using data collected through a combination of catch‐and‐release sampling and stable isotope analyses. Results revealed that variation in movement between individuals was affected by age, with 1 + individuals moving more than individuals of age 0 + , but not length. Individuals whose TP was low on their initial capture event moved significantly less than those with a higher initial TP. Individuals that moved more grew faster and achieved a higher final TP. These results suggest that higher activity (i.e., increased movement) increases resource acquisition that enhances growth rates, which could ultimately maximise individual performances.

Intrapopulation variability in the timing of ontogenetic habitat shifts in sea turtles revealed using δ15 N values from bone growth rings.

Determining location and timing of ontogenetic shifts in the habitat use of highly migratory species, along with possible intrapopulation variation in these shifts, is essential for understanding mechanisms driving alternate life histories and assessing overall population trends. Measuring variations in multi-year habitat-use patterns is especially difficult for remote oceanic species. To investigate the potential for differential habitat use among migratory marine vertebrates, we measured the naturally occurring stable nitrogen isotope (δ15 N) patterns that differentiate distinct ocean regions to create a 'regional isotope characterization', analysed the δ15 N values from annual bone growth layer rings from dead-stranded animals, and then combined the bone and regional isotope data to track individual animal movement patterns over multiple years. We used humeri from juvenile North Pacific loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), animals that undergo long migrations across the North Pacific Ocean (NPO), using multiple discrete regions as they develop to adulthood. Typical of many migratory marine species, ontogenetic changes in habitat use throughout their decades-long juvenile stage is poorly understood, but each potential habitat has unique foraging opportunities and spatially explicit natural and anthropogenic threats that could affect key life-history parameters. We found a bimodal size/age distribution in the timing that juveniles underwent an ontogenetic habitat shift from the oceanic central North Pacific (CNP) to the neritic east Pacific region near the Baja California Peninsula (BCP) (42·7±7·2 vs. 68·3±3·4cm carapace length, 7·5±2·7 vs. 15·6±1·7years). Important to the survival of this population, these disparate habitats differ considerably in their food availability, energy requirements and threats, and these differences can influence life-history parameters such as growth, survival and future fecundity. This is the first evidence of alternative ontogenetic shifts and habitat-use patterns for juveniles foraging in the eastern NPO. We combine two techniques, skeletochronology and stable isotope analysis, to reconstruct multi-year habitat-use patterns of a remote migratory species, linked to estimated ages and body sizes of individuals, to reveal variable ontogeny during the juvenile life stage that could drive alternate life histories and that has the potential to illuminate the migration patterns for other species with accretionary tissues.

Eye-Tracking as a Tool to Evaluate Functional Ability in Everyday Tasks in Glaucoma.

To date, few studies have investigated the eye movement patterns of individuals with glaucoma while they undertake everyday tasks in real-world settings. While some of these studies have reported possible compensatory gaze patterns in those with glaucoma who demonstrated good task performance despite their visual field loss, little is known about the complex interaction between field loss and visual scanning strategies and the impact on task performance and, consequently, on quality of life. We review existing approaches that have quantified the effect of glaucomatous visual field defects on the ability to undertake everyday activities through the use of eye movement analysis. Furthermore, we discuss current developments in eye-tracking technology and the potential for combining eye-tracking with virtual reality and advanced analytical approaches. Recent technological developments suggest that systems based on eye-tracking have the potential to assist individuals with glaucomatous loss to maintain or even improve their performance on everyday tasks and hence enhance their long-term quality of life. We discuss novel approaches for studying the visual search behavior of individuals with glaucoma that have the potential to assist individuals with glaucoma, through the use of personalized programs that take into consideration the individual characteristics of their remaining visual field and visual search behavior.

Out of the ground: two coexisting fossorial toad species differ in their emergence and movement patterns

Understanding the way species with similar niches can coexist is a challenge in ecology. The niche partitioning hypothesis has received much support, positing that species can exploit available resources in different ways. In the case of secretive species, behavioural mechanisms of partitioning are still poorly understood. This is especially true for fossorial frogs because individuals hide underground by day and are active only during the night. We investigated the nocturnal activity and tested the niche partitioning hypothesis in two syntopic fossorial spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus and Pelobates syriacus) by examining interspecific variation in emergence from the soil. We employed a night vision recording system combined with video tracking analyses in a replicated laboratory setting to quantify individual movement patterns, a procedure that has not been used until now to observe terrestrial amphibians. Most individuals appeared on the surface every night and returned to their original burrow (about 60% of the times), or dug a new one around morning. There was a large temporal overlap between the two species. However, P. syriacus was significantly more active than P. fuscus in terms of total distance covered and time spent moving, while P. fuscus individuals left their underground burrow more frequently than P. syriacus. Consequently, P. fuscus adopted more of a sit-and-wait behaviour compared to P. syriacus, and this could facilitate their coexistence. The use of night video tracking technologies offered the advantage of individually tracking these secretive organisms during their nocturnal activity period and getting fine-grained data to understand their movement patterns.

Individual exposure estimates may be erroneous when spatiotemporal variability of air pollution and human mobility are ignored

This study aims to empirically demonstrate the necessity to consider both the spatiotemporal variability of air pollution and individual daily movement patterns in exposure and health risk assessment. It compares four different types of exposure estimates generated by using (1) individual movement data and hourly air pollution concentrations; (2) individual movement data and daily average air pollution data; (3) residential location and hourly pollution levels; and (4) residential location and daily average pollution data. These four estimates are significantly different, which supports the argument that ignoring the spatiotemporal variability of environmental risk factors and human mobility may lead to misleading results in exposure assessment. Additionally, three-dimensional (3D) geovisualization presented in the paper shows how person-specific space-time context is generated by the interactions between air pollution and an individual, and how the different individualized contexts place individuals at different levels of health risk.

CMS의 사용자 로그를 이용한 패턴 분석 방법 연구

급속히 발전하고 있는 현대사회에서는 다양한 스마트 디바이스의 출현으로 원하는 정보의 획득이 용이해졌으며, 웹을 기반으로 하는 콘텐츠를 이용하는 빈도가 급속히 성장하고 있다. 또한 기업들은 웹 기반 하에서 CMS를 이용하여 콘텐츠를 생산, 수정하는 형태로 바뀌고 있고, 사용자에게 콘텐츠를 제공하는데 있어 매우 중요한 부분이라 할 수 있다. 현재 웹 서비스는 각종 디바이스에 맞게 UI를 설계하고 제공하고 있으며, 이용 편이성을 향상하기 위하여 설문 조사 및 전체 사용자 패턴을 분석하여 서비스를 개선하고 있는 실정이다. 즉 UX를 고려하지 않고 기술적인 측면에서 설계되는 경향이 대부분이라 할 수 있다. 이에 본 논문에서는 전체 사용자의 패턴 분석으로 웹 서비스에 적용하는 한계를 탈피하여 개인 사용자의 이동 패턴 및 사용 패턴을 기반으로 애니메이션을 통하여 비주얼화 하는 시스템을 제안한다. 이러한 융복합을 통하여 웹 관리자 및 기획연구자 측면에서 UX를 사용자 중심으로 변화시킬 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. In modern society, which boomed it became easier to obtain the necessary information to the emergence of a variety of smart devices. Due to this, the frequency of using the content based on the Web is growing rapidly. In addition, companies are turning into a production and modify the content using the CMS under the web-based. It can be a very important part to provide users with the content. Currently web services are designing a UI to the device and provided. To improve the ease of use, they are enhancing services only by survey and analysis of the patterns of all users. Most are designed without considering the UX only in the technical aspects. In this paper, to break the limits that apply to all users of the Web service pattern analysis, we propose a visualization system via the animation based on the individual user's movement patterns and usage patterns. Through this convergence is expected to be able to transform the web from the central manager to the user UX and the planning aspects researchers.

Liv og død i Hierapolis Norske utgravninger i en hellenistisk–romersk–bysantinsk by i Lilleasia

Life and Death at Hierapolis. Norwegian excavations in a Hellenistic–Roman–Byzantine town in Asia Minor From 2007 to 2015 the University of Oslo, invited by The Italian Archaeological Mission at Hierapolis in Phrygia, conducted archaeological research in the North-East Necropolis at Hierapolis. The aim of the project was to document all visible tombs and sarcophagi of the necropolis and excavate selected tomb areas and tombs. The research, including osteological, DNA- and isotope-analyses, investigated the life of the inhabitants over a long period of time (ca. 100–1300 A.C.) with reference to tomb architecture, landscape perception, organization, entrepreneurship, ritual practices, genetic relations and origins, demography, health, sickness, diets, and individual movement patterns. Many of the aims are answered in the article, here shall only be mentioned two important discoveries: cremation has been documented as late as the 5th/6th centuries A.C., in periods of crisis perhaps used to signal pagan opposition to imposed Christian practices; the life conditions in the Roman/Early Byzantine period were much better than in that of the Middle Byzantine period.

Fixating on the size-speed illusion of approaching railway trains: What we can learn from our eye movements

Railway level crossing collisions have recently been linked to a size-speed illusion where larger objects such as trains appear to move slower than smaller objects such as cars. An explanation for this illusion has centred on observer eye movements – particularly in relation to the larger, longer train. A previous study (Clark et al., 2016) found participants tend to make initial fixations to locations around the visual centroid of a moving vehicle; however individual eye movement patterns tended to be either fixation-saccade-fixation type, or smooth pursuit. It is therefore unknown as to which type of eye movement contributes to the size-speed illusion. This study isolated fixation eye movements by requiring participants to view computer animated sequences in a laboratory setting, where a static fixation square was placed in the foreground at one of two locations on a train (front and centroid). Results showed that even with the square placed around the front location of a vehicle, participants still underestimated the speed of the train relative to the car and underestimation was greater when the square was placed around the visual centroid of the train. Our results verify that manipulation of eye movement behaviour can be effective in reducing the magnitude of the size-speed illusion and propose that interventions based on this manipulation should be designed and tested for effectiveness.

Visualizing museum visitors’ behavior: Where do they go and what do they do there?

Museum curators and personnel are interested in understanding what is happening at their museum: what exhibitions and exhibits do visitors attend to, what exhibits visitors spend most time at, what hours of the day are most busy at certain areas in the museum and more. We use automatic tracking of visitors' position, movements and interaction at the museum to log visitor information. Using this information, we provide an interface that visualizes individual and small group movement patterns, presentations watched, and aggregated information of overall visitor engagement at the museum. We utilized a user centered design approach in which we gathered requirements, iteratively designed and implemented a working prototype and evaluated it with the help of domain experts (museum curators and other museum personnel). We describe our efforts and provide insights from the design and evaluation of our system, and outline how it might be generalized for other indoor domains such as supermarkets or shopping malls.

Long-range dependence and time-clustering behavior in pedestrian movement patterns in stampedes: The Love Parade case-study

Abstract Pedestrian stampede happened more and more often during these years, such as Love Parade disaster in Germany 2010, trampling in Shanghai bund 2014 and crowd stampede in pilgrimages. Love Parade disaster 2010 stands out for well recorded videos, which are HD quality and available for researchers. There were totally seven surveillance cameras capturing the whole festival progress and the video we study is just before the disaster happened. Pedestrian motion was special and a small disturbance would lead the group to an avalanche in this kind of critical situation. Here we focus on the individual movement pattern. The trajectories of each pedestrian involved were extracted by a mean-shift algorithm. We analyzed the space–time patterns of the pedestrians involved in the Love Parade stampede by using the detrended fluctuation analysis and the coefficient of variation. Our results reveal that the pedestrians’ movement in crowd-quakes is persistent in space, globally time-clusterized but locally regular or quasi-periodic behavior. Pedestrian movement was treated as stop and go state by point process-based representation. When the threshold increases, this means that the “go” state is longer and pedestrians keep on walking in several consecutive time frames; this is difficult in crowded situations and lead to special time-clustering behavior of the sequence of “go” events. The study reveals pedestrian motion characteristics in critical situations, which will enhance the understanding of pedestrian behaviors and supply early warning features for not only Love Parade Disaster, but also other similar large events.

Recognition of Repetitive Movement Patterns—The Case of Football Analysis

Analyzing sports like football is interesting not only for the sports team itself, but also for the public and the media. Both have recognized that using more detailed analyses of the teams’ behavior increases their attractiveness and also their performance. For this reason, the games and the individual players are recorded using specially developed tracking systems. The tracking solution usually comes with elementary analysis software allowing for basic statistical information extraction. Going beyond these simple statistics is a challenging task. However, it is worthwhile when it provides a better view into the tactics of team or the typical movements of an individual player. In this paper an approach for the recognition of movement patterns as an advanced analysis method is presented, which uses the players’ trajectories as input data. Besides individual movement patterns it is also able to detect patterns in relation to group movements. A detailed description is followed by a discussion of the approach, where different experiments on real trajectory datasets, even from other contexts than football, show the method’s benefits and features.

Ungulate movement in an extreme seasonal environment: year‐round movement patterns of high‐arctic muskoxen

Detailed knowledge on movement behaviour of free‐ranging muskoxen Ovibos moschatus is currently lacking. Quantifying variation in individual movement and the variables driving such patterns is important to understand how they meet their basic requirements and to inform management. Because muskoxen exist in nutrient‐poor systems with extreme climatic and seasonal variability, individual movement patterns are expected to be largely dependent on environmental conditions and the seasonal variation therein. We analysed high‐resolution location data of 14 adult female muskoxen roaming around Zackenberg in northeast Greenland (74°28′N, 20°34′W). We assessed the relative importance (Akaike variable weights) of multiple extrinsic conditions in explaining variation in hourly speed, turning angles, and activity. We found that time of day, ambient temperature, and land cover types were the most important covariates explaining variation in fine‐scale movement and activity patterns throughout the year. Movement speeds were consistently lower in land cover types with more dense vegetation. Speed of movement was positively correlated with ambient temperature when the days were long, while negatively related with temperature in periods with few or no hours of daylight. Diurnal peaks in movement and activity patterns were observed most of the year (including mid‐winter months with 24‐h darkness), except during high‐summer (24‐h of daylight), when individual movement and activity remained continuously high. The topographic variation (elevation and slope) explained only a small part of the variation in muskox movement patterns in the areas where the muskoxen were observed. Analyses of displacement patterns revealed a mixture of movement behaviours. We conclude that muskoxen in high‐arctic Greenland adopt a largely nomadic movement behaviour, but do so within a rather small geographical area (app. 5000 km2), and that their movement and activity patterns are largely directed at finding suitable foraging patches and avoiding cold‐stress during harsh winter weather.

Habitat-mediated timing of migration in polar bears: an individual perspective.

Migration phenology is largely determined by how animals respond to seasonal changes in environmental conditions. Our perception of the relationship between migratory behavior and environmental cues can vary depending on the spatial scale at which these interactions are measured. Understanding the behavioral mechanisms behind population‐scale movements requires knowledge of how individuals respond to local cues. We show how time‐to‐event models can be used to predict what factors are associated with the timing of an individual's migratory behavior using data from GPS collared polar bears (Ursus maritimus) that move seasonally between sea ice and terrestrial habitats. We found the concentration of sea ice that bears experience at a local level, along with the duration of exposure to these conditions, was most associated with individual migration timing. Our results corroborate studies that assume thresholds of >50% sea ice concentration are necessary for suitable polar bear habitat; however, continued periods (e.g., days to weeks) of exposure to suboptimal ice concentrations during seasonal melting were required before the proportion of bears migrating to land increased substantially. Time‐to‐event models are advantageous for examining individual movement patterns because they account for the idea that animals make decisions based on an accumulation of knowledge from the landscapes they move through and not simply the environment they are exposed to at the time of a decision. Understanding the migration behavior of polar bears moving between terrestrial and marine habitat, at multiple spatiotemporal scales, will be a major aspect of quantifying observed and potential demographic responses to climate‐induced environmental changes.

Pike (Esox lucius L.) on the edge: consistent individual movement patterns in transitional waters of the western Baltic

Pike in the western Baltic Sea live on the edge of their salinity tolerance. Under physiologically challenging conditions, organism may respond by moving to environmentally more benign areas during critical periods, such as during spawning. We hypothesised that pike in a brackish lagoon (8–10 ppt salinity) would perform spawning- and feeding-related movements between areas with different salinity regimes. Twenty-two pike were caught prior to spawning, tagged with acoustic transmitters, and their movements were tracked for 18 months. Pike showed two main patterns of movements that were consistent within individuals across two years. Whereas some individuals stayed in the lagoon year-round, most pike left the lagoon for longer periods after spawning and returned to the lagoon prior to following year’s spawning season. We found no evidence that probability of moving out of the lagoon co-varied with either length or condition factor. Despite the fact that the lagoon’s salinity is close to the reported upper limit for pike egg development, results indicated that all pike spawned in the lagoon. Correspondingly, genetic data showed that all fish belonged to the same reproductive population unit. Movement patterns thus appear to reflect individual variation in home-range and/or resource optimisation following ideal free principles.

Examining Fundamental Movement Competency And Closed Chain Upper Extremity Dynamic Stabilization In High School And College Swimmers

Fundamental movement patterns and upper quarter dynamic stabilization are proposed mechanisms affecting upper extremity injury risk in swimming. To date, there are few studies investigating fundamental movement competency and closed chain upper extremity dynamic stabilization in swimmers. PURPOSE: To understand normative values and determine differences in fundamental movement competency and closed chain upper extremity dynamic stabilization, utilizing the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test (YBT-UQ), between high school (HS) and collegiate (COL) swimmers. METHODS: Movement competency and upper extremity dynamic stabilization was investigated in 70 HS and 43 COL swimmers as part of pre-participation physicals. Subjects completed the FMS using the standardized 7 movement tests. The YBT-UQ was completed on the right and left limbs in the medial, inferolateral and superolateral directions. Performance for each reach direction on the YBT-UQ was standardized to right upper extremity length (%LL). Variables of interest from the two tests were the individual movement tests on the FMS, and the average normalized reach for each direction and overall for the YBT-UQ. Statistical analysis was completed utilizing a chi-square for the independent test scores on the FMS while independent samples t-test were utilized to examine performance on the YBT-UQ (p<0.05) RESULTS: HS swimmers exhibited a statistically significant greater percentage of below average performance on the following FMS tests: lunge (HS:22.5%, COL:4.7%), hurdle step (HS:32.8%, COL:6.9%) and push up (HS:61.4 %, COL:30.2%). HS swimmers also had a greater incidence of pain with spinal extension (HS: 8.6%, COL: 0.0%). HS swimmers also exhibited statistically lower scores for the medial direction of the YBT-UQ (HS: 97.9+/-9.0 %LL, COL: 101.5+/-7.6% LL). CONCLUSIONS: Individual fundamental movement patterns that involved lumbopelvic neuromuscular control differed between HS and COL swimmers. Furthermore, general upper extremity dynamic stabilization differed between competition levels. This data may be helpful in developing training programs to optimize performance in HS and COL swimmers.

Quantifying Migration Behaviour Using Net Squared Displacement Approach: Clarifications and Caveats.

Estimating migration parameters of individuals and populations is vital for their conservation and management. Studies on animal movements and migration often depend upon location data from tracked animals and it is important that such data are appropriately analyzed for reliable estimates of migration and effective management of moving animals. The Net Squared Displacement (NSD) approach for modelling animal movement is being increasingly used as it can objectively quantify migration characteristics and separate different types of movements from migration. However, the ability of NSD to properly classify the movement patterns of individuals has been criticized and issues related to study design arise with respect to starting locations of the data/animals, data sampling regime and extent of movement of species. We address the issues raised over NSD using tracking data from 319 moose (Alces alces) in Sweden. Moose is an ideal species to test this approach, as it can be sedentary, nomadic, dispersing or migratory and individuals vary in their extent, timing and duration of migration. We propose a two-step process of using the NSD approach by first classifying movement modes using mean squared displacement (MSD) instead of NSD and then estimating the extent, duration and timing of migration using NSD. We show that the NSD approach is robust to the choice of starting dates except when the start date occurs during the migratory phase. We also show that the starting location of the animal has a marginal influence on the correct quantification of migration characteristics. The number of locations per day (1–48) did not significantly affect the performance of non-linear mixed effects models, which correctly distinguished migration from other movement types, however, high-resolution data had a significant negative influence on estimates for the timing of migrations. The extent of movement, however, had an effect on the classification of movements, and individuals undertaking short- distance migrations can be misclassified as other movements such as sedentary or nomadic. Our study raises important considerations for designing, analysing and interpreting movement ecology studies, and how these should be determined by the biology of the species and the ecological and conservation questions in focus.