Non-trained Individuals Research Articles

Effects of visual and auditory cognitive tasks on postural balance in adolescents with intellectual disability: A comparative analysis of trained versus non-trained individuals

This study aimed to investigate the influence of visual and auditory cognitive tasks on postural balance in adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants included two groups: a trained group (n = 11) with experience in athletic activities and a sedentary group (n = 14). The experiment used a comparative cross-sectional design, with data collection involving single-task (ST) and Visual dual-task (VDT), and auditory dual-task (ADT) conditions in both firm and foam surface conditions. Cognitive tests included the Working Memory Test (WMT) and the Selective Attention Test (SAT). Results revealed that the trained group demonstrated significantly superior balance performance (p < 0.05). During the SAT, VDT conditions had lower center of pressure (CoP) values than ADT conditions in the sedentary group (p < 0.01), this result was observed in the training group only in the WMT, suggesting greater postural instability during ADT. These findings highlight the complex relationship between cognitive function and motor control in adolescents with ID, highlighting the potential benefits of regular physical activity interventions to improve postural balance abilities in this population.

Integrating Dynamic Time Warping and K-means clustering for enhanced cardiovascular fitness assessment

The appropriate measurement of cardiovascular ’Performance Enhancement’ is critical for improving physical fitness and overall health. Traditional methods, effective as they are, often rely on complex, cumbersome equipment, limiting their practical use for real-time, dynamic exercise evaluation. Thus, understanding the intricate relationship between physiological responses and exercise ‘Performance Enhancement’ using wearable technology is essential for tailoring effective fitness regimes. This study involved 52 participants, utilizing Garmin Vivosmart 5 wearables to analyze heart rate time series during the YMCA Three-Minute Step Test, assessing fitness levels and characterizing personalized heartbeat dynamics. The study employed Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) for clustering these time series into high and low VO2max groups. Additionally, heart rate dynamics were examined using K-means clustering to identify distinct patterns during exercise—namely ‘Efficient Adaptation’, ‘Balance Under Pressure’, ‘Active Strain’, and ‘Efficiency Improvement’ clusters. This analysis demonstrated that non-trained individuals showed higher ‘Active Strain’ and ‘Efficiency Improvement’ dynamics and lower ‘Efficient Adaptation’ dynamics, indicating the exercise’s varied effectiveness based on training level. This method provides a novel approach for identifying individual fitness levels and the efficacy of specific exercises, enabling personalized physical activity planning.

Acute effects of muscle fatigue on the knee joint-position sense of trained and non-trained individuals

Acute effects of muscle fatigue on the knee joint-position sense of trained and non-trained individuals

Acute strength exercise training impacts differently the HERV-W expression and inflammatory biomarkers in resistance exercise training individuals.

Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs) are fossil viruses that composes 8% of the human genome and plays several important roles in human physiology, including muscle repair/myogenesis. It is believed that inflammation may also regulate HERV expression, and therefore may contribute in the muscle repair, especially after training exercise. Hence, this study aimed to assess the level of HERVs expression and inflammation profile in practitioners' resistance exercises after an acute strength training session. Healthy volunteers were separated in regular practitioners of resistance exercise training group (REG, n = 27) and non-trained individuals (Control Group, n = 20). All individuals performed a strength exercise section. Blood samples were collected before the exercise (T0) and 45 minutes after the training session (T1). HERV-K (HML1-10) and W were relatively quantified, cytokine concentration and circulating microparticles were assessed. REG presented higher level of HERV-W expression (~2.5 fold change) than CG at T1 (p<0.01). No difference was observed in the levels of HERV-K expression between the groups as well as the time points. Higher serum TNF-α and IL-10 levels were verified post-training session in REG and CG (p<0.01), and in REG was found a positive correlation between the levels of TNF-α at T1 and IL-10 at T0 (p = 0.01). Finally, a lower endothelial microparticle percentage was observed in REG at T1 than in T0 (p = 0.04). REG individuals exhibited a significant upregulation of HERV-W and modulation of inflammatory markers when compared to CG. This combined effect could potentially support the process of skeletal muscle repair in the exercised individuals.

Enhancing Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification through Nonpowered Nanoelectric Preconcentration.

The global threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed the development of point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostics. While loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) stands out as a promising technique among FDA-approved methods, it is occasionally susceptible to a high risk of false positives due to nonspecific amplification of a primer dimer. In this work, we report an enhancing LAMP technique in terms of assay sensitivity and reliability through streamlined integration with a nonpowered nanoelectric preconcentration (NPP). The NPP, serving as a sample preparation tool, enriched the virus concentration in samples prior to the subsequent LAMP assay. This enrichment enabled not only to achieve more sensitive assay but also to shorten the assay time for all tested clinical samples by ∼10 min compared to the conventional LAMP. The shortened assay time suppresses the occurrence of nonspecific amplification by not providing the necessary incubation time, effectively suppressing misidentification by false positives. Utilizing this technique, we also developed a prototype of the POC NPP-LAMP kit. This kit offers a streamlined diagnostic process for nontrained individuals, from the sample enrichment, transfer of the enriched sample to LAMP assays, which facilitates on-site/on-demand diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. This development holds the potential to contribute toward preventing not only the current outbreak but also future occurrences of pandemic viruses.

Investigation of Japanese Onomatopoeia Tsuru-Tsuru as a Suitable Sensory Attribute for Perception of Surface Properties of Textiles by Non-Trained Individuals

In recent years, using non-trained individuals in sensory science for analytical tasks has gained traction. Identifying attributes enabling non-experts to express perceptions is crucial for accurate fabric assessments and effective communication of product properties to consumers. This study explored the potential utility of the Japanese onomatopoeia tsuru-tsuru as a sensory attribute for evaluating fabric surface properties. Two experiments were conducted. The first ranked 16 samples to identify those eliciting the tsuru-tsuru sensation, exploring its relationship with attributes like smoothness and coolness. The second involved a detailed descriptive sensory evaluation of selected samples, examining the relationship between tsuru-tsuru, coolness, slipperiness, and hardness. Fabric preferences assessment and cluster analysis were also employed to understand individual differences in perception. Sensory assessments revealed tsuru-tsuru’s comparable performance with attributes like smoothness and slipperiness, facilitating effective sample distinction. Participants showed high agreement, indicating shared perceptions. Preferences favored fabrics with tsuru-tsuru qualities. The clustering analysis revealed participants had slightly different interpretations of tsuru-tsuru. Overall, results indicated the positive potential value of tsuru-tsuru in describing textile surfaces for non-trained individuals.

Electric Field of the Heart on the Thorax Surface in Highly Trained Athletes during Initial Ventricular Activity

The article is focused on the study of the electrical remodeling of the “sports heart” using multichannel ECG mapping to make a more detailed and informative analysis of the excitation of the myocardium remodeled by sport activity. The study of the heart electrical activity was carried out from 64 unipolar electrodes on the thorax surface synchronously with standard limb leads in highly trained cross-country skiers (n = 15) and young non-trained men (n = 19) at rest. The amplitude-temporal and spatiotemporal characteristics of the electric field of the heart were measured. By the typical distribution of areas of the negative and positive cardiac potentials the durations of depolarization and its individual phases were estimated. ECGII was used to determine the duration of the R-R, PQ (PR), QRS, QT, QTc intervals; in the unipolar lead V5 the R-wave peak time (RWPTV5) was measured. In athletes, the duration of PQII, QTII, QTcII, RWPTV5 intervals were statistically significantly longer than in non-trained men. Analysis of the electrical field of the heart showed a difference in the ratio of the phases of ventricular depolarization in athletes and non-trained individuals at rest. The onset of ventricular depolarization and the first inversion of cardiac potential in athletes were significantly earlier than in non-trained people, while the completion and total duration of the period of ventricular depolarization did not differ. In skiers, the duration of the first inversion was significantly longer than in non-trained individuals; a tendency to shortening of the second period of stable location of potentials on the thorax surface was also shown. The use of surface ECG mapping made it possible to reveal differences in the spatiotemporal organization of heart ventricular depolarization between cross-country skiers and non-trained men at rest. The results of the study may be useful in the analysis of the electrical remodeling of the heart in athletes training the physical quality of endurance.

Skeletal Muscle Adaptations to High-Load Resistance Training With Pre-Exercise Blood Flow Restriction.

Hammert, WB, Moreno, EN, Martin, CC, Jessee, MB, and Buckner, SL. Skeletal muscle adaptations to high-load resistance training with pre-exercise blood flow restriction. J Strength Cond Res 37(12): 2381-2388, 2023-This study aimed to determine if blood flow restriction (BFR) could augment adaptations to a high-load training protocol that was inadequate for muscle growth. Forty nontrained individuals had each arm assigned to 1 of 3 elbow flexion protocols: (a) high-load resistance training [TRAD; 4 sets to muscular failure at 70% 1 repetition maximum (1RM)], (b) low repetition high-load resistance training with pre-exercise BFR (PreBFR; 4 sets of 3 repetitions at 70% 1RM + 3 min of pre-exercise BFR), and (c) low repetition high-load resistance training (LRTRAD); 4 sets of 3 repetitions at 70% 1RM). Muscle thickness (MT), 1RM strength, and local muscular endurance (LME) of the elbow flexors were measured before and after 8 weeks. An alpha level of 0.05 was used for all comparisons. For the 50% site, MT increased for TRAD (0.211 cm, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.143-0.280), PreBFR (0.105 cm, 95% CI: 0.034-0.175), and LRTRAD (0.073 cm, 95% CI: 0.000-0.146). The change for TRAD was greater than PreBFR and LRTRAD. For the 60% site, MT increased for TRAD (0.235 cm, 95% CI: 0.153-0.317), PreBFR (0.097 cm, 95% CI: 0.014-0.180), and LRTRAD (0.082 cm, 95% CI: 0.000-0.164). The change for TRAD was greater than PreBFR and LRTRAD. For the 70% site MT increased for TRAD (0.308 cm, 95% CI: 0.247-0.369), PreBFR (0.103 cm, 95% CI: 0.041-0.166), and LRTRAD (0.070 cm, 95% CI: 0.004-0.137). The change for TRAD was greater than PreBFR and LRTRAD. One repetition maximum and LME significantly increased for each condition, with no differences between conditions. Collapsed across conditions 1RM strength increased 2.094 kg (95% CI: 1.771-2.416) and LME increased 7.0 repetitions (95% CI: 5.7-8.3). In conclusion, the application of BFR to low-repetition, high-load training did not enhance the adaptative response.

Comparison of Daily Life Physical Activity Between Trained and Non-Trained Individuals with Down Syndrome

Comparison of Daily Life Physical Activity Between Trained and Non-Trained Individuals with Down Syndrome

The Effect of Six-Week Plyometric Training on Enhancing Sports Performance of Adolescent Students

Numerous studies have documented that plyometric training is an effective method to improve sports performance.&#x0D; The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of six weeks of plyomeytric training on strength, speed, and power.&#x0D; Materials and methods. An experimental study using a pretest-posttest control group design was conducted on 30 Perisai Diri athletes. They were randomly divided into three groups: the plyometric jumping jack (JJ) group, the countermovement jump (CMJ) group, and the tuck jump (TJ) group. The respondents in the TJ and CMJ groups were then assigned to six weeks of exercise consisting of three sets each session (18 sessions in total), with intensities ranging from 60% to 80%. Pretest and posttest were conducted to obtain data on strength and explosive power. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21 and presented in mean and standard deviation. Paired sample t-test was performed to compare the differences between the groups before and after the training they were given. One-way ANOVA was used to examine multiple comparison in the gains of strength and power between the groups.&#x0D; Results. The results showed that the students’ strength and power in all groups increased significantly (p&lt;0.05) after six weeks. Differences between the groups were found in strength (p = 0.000), which was the case between TJ-CMJ pair (p = 0.001) and TJ-C pair (p = 0.000). Between-group differences were also found in power (p = 0.017), which was the case between TJ-CMJ and TJ-C pairs (p&lt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusions. Based on these findings, it was concluded that plyometric training was able to improve strength and leg muscle power of non-trained individuals.

CCL2 Gene Expression and Protein Level Changes Observed in Response to Wingate Anaerobic Test in High-Trained Athletes and Non-Trained Controls.

Intensive, acute exercise may bring a large systemic inflammatory response marked by substantial increases in inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. One such chemokines–CCL2–is a key factor involved in inflammatory reaction to exercise. The direct aim of the study was to describe the changes in the CCL2 expression levels after anaerobic exercise in well-trained athletes adapted to long-term training and in non-trained participants. The expression of CCL2 mRNA was evaluated in peripheral blood MNCs and CCL2 protein level was observed in blood plasma. The changes were assessed as the response to an acute, intensive bout of exercise (Wingate Anaerobic Test) in two groups of participants: well-trained soccer players and non-trained individuals. An increase of CCL2 expression inn both mRNA and protein levels was observed. The response was greater in non-trained individuals and elevated levels of CCL2 transcripts persisted for more than 24 h after exercise. Well-trained individuals responded more modestly and the effect was attenuated relatively quickly. This shows muscular adaptation to a continuous training regime in well-trained individuals and better control of immune reactions to muscular injury. In non-training individuals, the induction of the inflammatory response was greater, suggesting presence of more serious myotrauma.

The Effectiveness of Rhodiola rosea L. Preparations in Alleviating Various Aspects of Life-Stress Symptoms and Stress-Induced Conditions-Encouraging Clinical Evidence.

Rhodiola rosea L. has a long history of use in traditional medicine to stimulate the nervous system, treat stress-induced fatigue and depression, enhance physical performance and work productivity and treat gastrointestinal ailments and impotence. Apart from its well-established traditional use, a significant number of publications on the clinical efficacy of various R. rosea preparations can be found in the literature. The majority of these studies are related to the efficacy of R. rosea in terms of cognitive functions and mental performance, including various symptoms of life-stress, fatigue and burnout. The beneficial effects of this medicinal plant on enhancing physical performance have also been evaluated in professional athletes and non-trained individuals. Moreover, even though most evidence originates from pre-clinical trials, several clinical studies have additionally demonstrated the remediating effects of R. rosea on cardiovascular and reproductive health by addressing non-specific stress damage and reversing or healing the disrupted physiologies and disfunctions. Overall, in accordance with its aim, the results presented in this review provide an encouraging basis for the clinical efficacy of R. rosea preparations in managing various aspects of stress-induced conditions.

A Review: Effect of Rest Interval Duration on the Volume Completed During Resistance Training

The rest duration between sets is one of the most essential resistance training variables; however, research on the effects of rest intervals between sets has shown inconsistencies on whether short or long rest intervals significantly increase overall performance during resistance training. This literature review aimed to investigate how different rest intervals between sets affect the maintenance of repetitions, training volume, and overall strength gains from resistance exercises in both trained and non-trained individuals. Fifteen original investigations and three textbooks involving the effect of between set rest intervals during resistance training are summarized in this review. The results for the studies interested in repetition maintenance suggested longer rest intervals significantly increased the number of repetitions and helped repetitions stay more consistent throughout sets. Longer rest intervals were also determined to increase training volume but had no significant effect on overall strength gains. Biochemical substrates that provide the catalyst for energy creation can take up to eight minutes to fully resynthesize; therefore, more research is needed on longer rest intervals to see if there are further increases in resistance training performance.

Observer determination of the make, model, and year of questioned vehicles.

Often, criminal acts involving a vehicle are caught on digital video surveillance systems. While potentially useful for an investigation, the recording conditions are typically less than optimal for the extraction of key information for the identification of the perpetrator, such as a license plate. Providing the make, model and year of a questioned vehicle is a common request for examiners, to narrow the field of potential suspect vehicles. This study seeks to compare the performance of a nonpeer-reviewed make, model, and year determination between two separate groups, specifically, trained forensic image examiners and nontrained individuals. Results show that even with varied image capture conditions and quality, the trained forensic image examiners more correctly and completely identified the test group of questioned vehicles make, model, and year.

Postural balance and oculomotor control are influenced by neck kinaesthetic functions in elite ice hockey players

BackgroundResearch indicates that neck kinaesthetic awareness plays an important role in oculomotor and balance control, however the relationship has not been studied in athletes. As performance in ice hockey demands visual perception acuity during skating, while constantly shifting between unilateral and bilateral stances in sports specific posture more in-depth relationship should be studied. Research questionWhat is the relationship between neck kinaesthetic awareness, postural balance and eye movement control in professional ice hockey players and non-trained individuals? MethodsIn this observational study, centre-of-pressure was measured using force plate in twenty-eight hockey players and thirty non-trained participants during different stances in eyes-opened and eyes-closed conditions. Butterfly test and Head-to-Neutral Relocation test were performed to assess neck kinaesthesia. Horizontal smooth pursuit eye movements were measured using video-oculography. Linear regression was used to determine the relationship between neck kinaesthesia, body sway and oculomotor control. ResultsTime-on-target in Butterfly test was able to predict low to medium proportions of variance in amplitude and velocity parameters for single leg stances in hockey players (R2 = .220–.698). Head-to-Neutral Relocation test was able to predict low to medium proportion of variance in average eye movement velocity during first 100 milliseconds of smooth pursuit initiation for both groups (R2 = .262–.541). SignificanceFindings from our study suggest that cervical spine afferent input plays an important role in maintaining unilateral postural balance in hockey players, with less evidence presented in controls. Sports specific posture or upper body loading could lead to adaptations in neck proprioception, not frequently considered when searching for balance related injury risk factors or performance deficits. Our study suggests, that in addition to balance control, neck kinaesthesia can also affect oculomotor performance which was present in both groups. This is especially evident when initiating changes in eye movement direction.

Sport-Specific Habitual Adaptations in Neck Kinesthetic Functions Are Related to Balance Controlling Mechanisms

Whilst the importance of trunk, lower and upper extremities for the efficiency of maintaining body sway is well documented, the effects of cervical spine function have been seldom investigated. Afferent information from high density proprioceptors located in the cervical spine can alter postural balance, however the effects of sport’s specific habitual adaptation on balance performance have not yet been investigated. Twenty-seven taekwondo fighters and thirty controls performed unilateral balance tasks while facing forward and during neck torsion balance test while standing on the force plate. Neck kinesthesia was measured with the Head-to-Neutral Relocation test and the Butterfly test with motion-inertial unit. Differences between balance tasks were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Additionally, correlations between body sway parameters and neck kinesthesia were studied using Pearson correlation coefficient. No differences were found between forward facing and neck torsion balance tasks in taekwondo fighters. However, correlations were found between balance on the non-preferred leg and neck kinesthesia. On the contrary, healthy individuals presented with statistically significant differences between both balance tasks and correlations between balance and neck kinesthesia. Taekwondo fighters seem to present with habitual adaptations in balance control, that differ from non-trained individuals.

Development of locally relevant clinical guidelines for procedure-related neonatal analgesic practice in Kenya: a systematic review and meta-analysis

SummaryBackgroundIncreasing numbers of neonates are undergoing painful procedures in low-income and middle-income countries, with adequate analgesia seldom used. In collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team in Kenya, we aimed to establish the first evidence-based guidelines for the management of routine procedure-related neonatal pain that consider low-resource hospital settings.MethodsWe did a systematic review by searching MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL databases for studies published from Jan 1, 1953, to March 31, 2019. We included data from randomised controlled trials using heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), premature infant pain profile (PIPP) score, neonatal infant pain scale (NIPS) score, neonatal facial coding system score, and douleur aiguë du nouveau-né scale score as pain outcome measures. We excluded studies in which neonates were undergoing circumcision or were intubated, studies from which data were unextractable, or when pain was scored by non-trained individuals. We did a narrative synthesis of all studies, and meta-analysis when data were available from multiple studies comparing the same analgesics and controls and using the same outcome measures. 17 Kenyan health-care professionals formed our clinical guideline development panel, and we used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework and the panel's knowledge of the local health-care context to guide the guideline development process. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42019126620.FindingsOf 2782 studies assessed for eligibility, data from 149 (5%) were analysed, with 80 (3%) of these further contributing to our meta-analysis. We found a high level of certainty for the superiority of breastfeeding over placebo or no intervention (standardised mean differences [SMDs] were −1·40 [95% CI −1·96 to −0·84] in PIPP score and −2·20 [–2·91 to −1·48] in NIPS score), and the superiority of oral sugar solutions over placebo or no intervention (SMDs were −0·38 [–0·61 to −0·16] in heart rate and 0·23 [0·04 to 0·42] in SpO2). We found a moderate level of certainty for the superiority for expressed breastmilk over placebo or no intervention (SMDs were −0·46 [95% CI −0·87 to −0·05] in heart rate and 0·48 [0·20 to 0·75] in SpO2). Therefore, the panel recommended that breastfeeding should be given as first-line analgesic treatment, initiated at least 2 min pre-procedure. Given contextual factors, for neonates who are unable to breastfeed, 1–2 mL of expressed breastmilk should be given as first-line analgesic, or 1–2 mL of oral sugar (≥10% concentration) as second-line analgesic. The panel also recommended parental presence during procedures with adjunctive provision of skin-to-skin care, or non-nutritive sucking when possible.InterpretationWe have generated Kenya's first neonatal analgesic guidelines for routine procedures, which have been adopted by the Kenyan Ministry of Health, and have shown a framework for clinical guideline development that is applicable to other low-income and middle-income health-care settings.FundingWellcome Trust Research Programme, and the Africa-Oxford Initiative.

Quantitative but Not Qualitative Performance Changes in Predictive Motor Timing as a Result of Overtraining.

The possibilities of substantial long-term improvement of predictive timing might be sometimes seen as limited, with scanty information of neural substrates underlying the potential learning process. To address this issue, we have investigated the performance of 21 baseball professionals and 21 matched controls in a predictive motor timing task previously shown to engage the cerebellum. Baseball players, hypothesized as a model of overtraining of the prediction of future state of the surroundings, showed significantly higher quantitative performance than nonathletic controls, with a substantial part of the baseball players reaching levels far beyond the range observed in common population. Furthermore, the qualitative performance profile of baseball players under various conditions as target speed and acceleration modes did not differ from the profile of healthy controls. Our results suggest that regular exigent training has the potential to vastly improve predictive motor timing. Moreover, the quantitative but not qualitative difference in the performance profile allows us to hypothesize that the selective honing of the same cerebellar processes and networks as in non-trained individuals is the substrate for the quantitative performance improvement, without substantial engagement of further neural nodes.

TNFA expression level changes observed in response to the Wingate Anaerobic Test in non-trained and trained individuals

TNFA expression level changes observed in response to the Wingate Anaerobic Test in non-trained and trained individuals

Gaze Control and Training for High-Stress Situations in Law Enforcement: a Systematic Review

In the core review of the current paper, seven studies were analysed to identify the correlation between gaze control, training and anxiety in high-stress law enforcement situations. Additional findings from adjacent studies were included in the final summary after assessing their applicability. The body of research so far indicates that there are significant differences in the way highly trained law enforcement personnel control their gaze compared to non-trained individuals and novices. Experience and domain-specific knowledge improve visual perception skills and overall performance under pressure. Training in reality-based scenarios and quiet eye training seems to have the most beneficial effects on gaze control and decision-making in high-stress situations. For future research, the authors recommend assessing how training and practical experience correlate in law enforcement and whether quiet eye training might provide a shortcut for law enforcement training.