Significant Effect Of Position Research Articles

The accumulation and properties of starch are associated with the development of nutrient transport tissues at grain positions in the spikelet of wheat.

A wheat spikelet accumulates several grains, which show significant positional effects in terms of size, weight, and material accumulation. However, few studies have investigated whether starch accumulation in these grains is related to the development of vascular bundles. This study analyzed the correlation between the morphology of vascular bundles and starch accumulation. The area of nutrient transport tissues in G1 and G2 was greater than that in G3 and G4. The proportion of A-type starch granules in G3 and G4 was significantly greater than that in G1 and G2, with the greatest proportion of C-type starch granules occurring in G2. The short-order structure of the starch granules in G1 was more developed than that in the other samples, and the crystalline region in G2 was the greatest. The area of the nucellar projection and vascular bundle was positively correlated with C- or B-type starch granules but negatively correlated with A-type starch granules and swelling power. The area of wall ingrowth was positively correlated with the proportion of branch chains (DP 25-36 and DP 37-100), and negatively correlated with the starch content. The above results indicate that the developmental status of the vascular bundles in the wheat grains controls the accumulation, composition, and characteristics of starch in the endosperm. The novelty of this study lies in elucidating the grain position effect on starch accumulation in wheat grains. This provides a new perspective for agricultural production, aiming to enhance the accumulation of carbohydrates in inferior grains, thereby facilitating their transformation into superior grains.

The Effects of Speaker Head Posture on Auditory Perception of Vocal Masculinity

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of head position on listeners’ perception of vocal masculinity. MethodsTwelve cisgender women were recorded reciting two voiced sentences with varying head positions: baseline, flexed, and extended. Voice samples were cropped and fundamental frequency (fo) was resynthesized to control for any changes in fo across conditions. Twelve cisgender adults were recruited as listeners. Listeners were presented with 144 paired comparisons of speaker samples and were prompted to select the sample that sounded more masculine in each presented pairing. Ratings of masculinity were analyzed using Thurstone’s law of comparative judgment. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessed the effects of head positioning, followed by Dunnett’s post hoc tests. ResultsThe ANOVA showed a statistically significant effect of head position on listener perceptions of masculinity: speech in the flexed position was perceived as statistically more masculine than that in the baseline condition. ConclusionsThe results of this study support the use of head posture manipulation to achieve increased vocal masculinity, which adds to the limited research related to voice masculinization strategies for those seeking gender-affirming voice care.

‘Did I repeat so many English words?’: Stability of L1 and L2 word association responses over time and across response positions

The present study investigates first language (L1) and second language (L2) associative stability (AS), operationalized as the repetition rate of response words over two sessions of the same word association test. Specifically, we compare the overall patterns of L1 and L2 AS, examine between-language AS correlations within individual learners, and explore the position effect of response words on AS. A total of 40 Chinese English learners completed two sessions of continuous word association tests over two weeks, in which they were required to produce three responses to each of the 30 cue words. The results revealed (1) a significantly higher repetition rate for L2 than for L1 word association responses; (2) a significant effect of response position on repetition rate, which declined from the first to the third position in both languages; and (3) a strong correlation between L1 and L2 response repetition for individual participants. These findings provide evidence for intra-individual consistency in L1 and L2 word association behavior and highlight the discrepancies between L1 and L2 lexical organization, which are probably due to weaknesses in the organization of the L2 semantic network. Implications for vocabulary teaching and future research are also discussed.

The Influence of Body Position on the Resting Motor Threshold of Posterior Root-Muscle Reflexes Evoked via Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation.

Background: Thoracolumbar transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) non-invasively evokes posterior root-muscle reflexes (PRMR) with the aim of neuromodulating sensorimotor function following spinal cord injury. Research is still in its infancy regarding the effect of body position on the nature of these spinally evoked responses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of body position on the nature of PRMR responses during tSCS. Methods: A total of 11 (6M, 5F) participants completed a full PRMR recruitment curve from 10 ma up to 120 ma (10 ma increments) at the T11/12 intervertebral space using a singular 3.2 cm diameter cathode. At each intensity, three paired pulses (50 ms inter-pulse interval), followed by three singular pulses with a six-second delay were applied in each body position (supine, supine 90-90, sitting and standing) in a randomised order. The PRMR responses in lower limb muscles were recorded using wireless electromyographic sensors placed on the Soleus, Tibialis Anterior, Rectus Femoris and Bicep Femoris long head. A two-way (body position × muscle) repeated measures analysis of variance was used to investigate the effect of body position on PRMR-evoked responses. Results: There was a significant main effect of body position on PRMR resting motor threshold (RMT) (p < 0.001), first response peak-to-peak amplitude (p = 0.003) and percentage post-activation depression (%PAD) (p = 0.012). Sitting had significantly higher RMT and significantly lower first response peak-to-peak amplitudes compared to all other positions, but significant differences in %PAD were only detectible between supine and standing. Conclusions: Body position influences the nature of PRMR-evoked responses during tSCS.

Moderating Role of Gender and Job Position in the Relationship between Compensation Practice and Organizational Citizenship Behaviour

This article aims at investigating how the binary dummy-coded gender (female = 1, male = 0) and job position (operator = 1, supervisor = 0) moderate the direct relationship between compensation practice and organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in the ready-made garments manufacturing industry of Bangladesh. The present study employed the PLS-SEM (partial least square-structural equation modelling) technique to test the reliability and validity (convergent and discriminant) of the measurement scales and to verify the study hypotheses. The study used SPSS version 20 for descriptive analysis and SmartPLS version 3.3.9 for inferential statistical analysis. The results of this cross-sectional study of 121 employees revealed the significant moderating effect of gender and job position in the positive relationship between compensation practice and OCB. The study results also evidenced that the positive relationship between compensation practice and OCB showed stronger for female employees compared to males. Besides, the results equally confirmed that the compensation practice–OCB relationship became stronger for operator-level employees than supervisors. Findings are discussed in consistency with the previous studies and suggestions for future researchers and practitioners are highlighted at the end of this study.

Avocado (Persea americana cv. ‘Hass’) Fruit Mineral Composition at Canopy Level towards Sustainable Quality

Sustaining avocado fruit quality is crucial to maintain customer satisfaction and confidence. Among fruit qualities, mineral nutrient composition is an important contributor to postharvest robustness. Towards better understanding and addressing variability within the plant canopy, ‘Hass’ fruit from across seven orchard blocks were individually characterised. From five representative trees in each block, five fruit were harvested (one from each of five positions: top (sun-exposed), bottom (shaded), middle (shaded), East (sun-exposed), and West (sun-exposed)). Fruit dry matter was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.001) in fruit from the top, East, and West sun-exposed positions. No significant (p &gt; 0.05) effect of position was discerned for fruit weight at harvest or for either stem end rot (SER) or body rot (BR) incidence at eating soft. Shaded fruit had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) [N], [K], [Mg], N:Ca, K:Ca, and K + Mg:Ca in their flesh. Significant negative linear correlations (p ≤ 0.001) were obtained between fruit DM and flesh [N] (r = −0.75), [K] (r = −0.67), and N:Ca (r = −0.57). SER and BR incidence were significantly positively correlated (p ≤ 0.01) with flesh and skin mineral ratios of N:Ca, K:Ca, Mg:Ca, and K + Mg:Ca. Skin and flesh [Ca] were significantly negatively correlated with SER (r = −0.51, p ≤ 0.01) and BR (r = −0.74, p ≤ 0.001) incidences. Soil cation (Ca, Mg, K) availability (%base saturation of cation exchange capacity (CEC)) was not (p &gt; 0.05) correlated with skin or flesh mineral concentrations or ratios. Considered collectively, results suggest that selective harvest of sun-exposed fruit with inherently lower mineral nutrient ratios yields relatively robust fruit. Such fruit lots should better tolerate the rigours of harvest and postharvest treatment and handling. In this context, they should better maintain quality upon passage through long, in terms of accumulated time-temperature increments, export supply chains. In contrast, shaded fruit could be directed into shorter domestic supply chains. As a harvest strategy, segregating fruit lots from harvest could underpin the quality offered to consumers at the end of ‘short’ and ‘long’ supply chains.

Does Ownership Structure and Financial Health Affect Firm’s Earnings Quality? Evidence from Emerging Economy

Earnings quality is a demanding attribute of firm and is valued by investors in resource allocation decisions. High earnings quality firms create value for stakeholders and poor earnings quality causes value deterioration. This study takes into account earnings quality attributes of Pakistani corporate sector and investigates impact of ownership structure and financial health on firms’ earnings quality. Earnings quality has been measured by four attributes of accrual quality, earnings persistence, earnings predictability, earnings smoothness. A sample of 325 non-financial PSX listed Firms have been selected and classified into four unique categories on the basis of financial health (healthy and distressed) and ownership (family and non-family). The classification aims to determine level of earnings quality for each category. Results find significant effect of book financial position and ownership structure on earnings quality of firms. Findings reveal Earnings quality for non distressed family (NDF) firms was highest followed by non distressed non family firms (NDNF), while earnings quality for distressed family (DF) firms was poor and poorer for distressed non family (DNF) firms when firms were classified into these four categories. These results provide important implications for investors, analysts, regulators and standard setters.

Exploring the Relative Effects of Body Position and Locomotion Method on Presence and Cybersickness when Navigating a Virtual Environment

The primary goals of this research are to strengthen the understanding of the mechanisms underlying presence and cybersickness in relation to the body position and locomotion method when navigating a virtual environment (VE). In this regard, we compared two body positions (standing and sitting) and four locomotion methods (steering + embodied control [EC], steering + instrumental control [IC], teleportation + EC, and teleportation + IC) to examine the association between body position, locomotion method, presence, and cybersickness in VR. The results of a two-way ANOVA revealed a main effect of locomotion method on presence, with the sense of presence significantly lower for the steering + IC condition. However, there was no main effect of body position on presence, nor was there an interaction between body position and locomotion method. For cybersickness, nonparametric tests were used due to non-normality. The results of Mann-Whitney U tests indicated a statistically significant effect of body position on cybersickness. In particular, the level of cybersickness was significantly higher for a standing position than for a sitting position. In addition, the results of Kruskal-Wallis tests revealed that the locomotion method had a meaningful effect on cybersickness, with participants in the steering conditions feeling stronger symptoms of cybersickness than those in the teleportation conditions. Overall, this study confirmed the relationship between body position, locomotion method, presence, and cybersickness when navigating a VE.

Exploring Emotional Intelligence and Sociodemographics in Higher Education; the Imperative for Skills and Curriculum Development.

There is increasing interest in understanding the nature and impact of emotional intelligence (EI) in educational institutions and the workplace since EI is associated with academic performance, career success, job satisfaction, and management skills. Here we measured EI levels in students and employees at Qatar University and examined associations with sociodemographic variables. This cross-sectional study used the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF) questionnaire to quantify EI. Of 517 respondents, 315 were students and 202 were employees. The mean global EI level across all participants was 4.80 ± 0.78, with EI highest in the well-being domain (5.43 ± 1.04). Overall, older respondents had higher EI than younger respondents. There was no significant effect of gender, marital status, or employment position on EI. However, there were significant two- and three-way interactions. As a standalone variable, age was the most important factor influencing EI development in our cohort. However, three-way interactions revealed complex effects between age, gender, and marital status and EI. Our findings support a need for workshops on EI for employees and integrating dedicated courses into existing curricula to equip students with effective interpersonal relationship skills that foster EI development. Developing such interpersonal skills could help to promote personal, professional, and academic success.

The Effect of Stimulus Contrast and Spatial Position on Saccadic Eye Movement Parameters.

(1) Background: Saccadic eye movements are rapid eye movements aimed to position the object image on the central retina, ensuring high-resolution data sampling across the visual field. Although saccadic eye movements are studied extensively, different experimental settings applied across different studies have left an open question of whether and how stimulus parameters can affect the saccadic performance. The current study aims to explore the effect of stimulus contrast and spatial position on saccadic eye movement latency, peak velocity and accuracy measurements. (2) Methods: Saccadic eye movement targets of different contrast levels were presented at four different spatial positions. The eye movements were recorded with a Tobii Pro Fusion video-oculograph (250 Hz). (3) Results: The results demonstrate a significant effect of stimulus spatial position on the latency and peak velocity measurements at a medium grey background, 30 cd/m2 (negative and positive stimulus polarity), light grey background, 90 cd/m2 (negative polarity), and black background, 3 cd/m2 (positive polarity). A significant effect of the stimulus spatial position was observed on the accuracy measurements when the saccadic eye movement stimuli were presented on a medium grey background (negative polarity) and on a black background. No significant effect of stimulus contrast was observed on the peak velocity measurements under all conditions. A significant stimulus contrast effect on latency and accuracy was observed only on a light grey background. (4) Conclusions: The best saccadic eye movement performance (lowest latency, highest peak velocity and accuracy measurements) can be observed when the saccades are oriented to the right and left from the central fixation point. Furthermore, when presenting the stimulus on a light grey background, a very low contrast stimuli should be considered carefully.

Unveiling the Role of Donor Impurity Position on the Electronic Properties in Strained Type I and Type II Core/Shell Quantum Dots under Magnetic Field.

In this theoretical investigation, we delve into the significant effects of donor impurity position within core/shell quantum dot structures: type I (CdTe/ZnS) and type II (CdTe/CdS). The donor impurity's precise location within both the core and the shell regions is explored to unveil its profound influence on the electronic properties of these nanostructures. Our study investigates the diamagnetic susceptibility and binding energy of the donor impurity while considering the presence of an external magnetic field. Moreover, the lattice mismatch-induced strain between the core and shell materials is carefully examined as it profoundly influences the electronic structure of the quantum dot system. Through detailed calculations, we analyze the strain effects on the conduction and valence bands, as well as the electron and hole energy spectrum within the core/shell quantum dots. The results highlight the significance of donor impurity position as a key factor in shaping the behaviors of impurity binding energy and diamagnetic susceptibility. Furthermore, our findings shed light on the potential for tuning the electronic properties of core/shell quantum dots through precise impurity positioning and strain engineering.

No differences in soil structure under winter wheat grown in different crop rotational positions

Yield decline in wheat grown after wheat is frequently attributed to fungal disease occurrence, but it is also found without visible disease infection. Thus it is hypothesized that other factors such as N supply or soil structural degradation may lead to wheat yield decline when grown after wheat. The aims of this study were to analyze if (i) the crop rotational position of winter wheat causes differences in soil structure at the beginning of the growing season and (ii) the soil structure is related to differences in wheat biomass formation by this date. Different soil structural properties under winter wheat as well as total aboveground biomass of wheat grown in different crop rotational positions (monoculture, first, second and third wheat after oilseed rape) were investigated in two long-term field experiments with contrasting soil texture. At both field sites, no significant effect of the crop rotational position in any of the analyzed soil structural parameters was found. Wheat biomass in spring was on average 54% higher for wheat grown after oilseed rape compared to second and third wheat after oilseed rape or monoculture. In conclusion, growth reduction of wheat cultivated after wheat was not linked to soil structure as measured in spring.

Development of efficient and sustainable droplet-vitrification cryoconservation protocol for shoot tips for long-term conservation of Dahlia germplasm

Dahlias are the one amongst the tuberous herbaceous plants, valued for their attractive colorful flowers with varied size cultivated due to its ornamental value as a potted plant or cut flower in many countries. Dahlia germplasm was being conserved in the in vitro Genebank of ICAR- NBPGR, New Delhi since 2005–06 under normal growth and slow growth with a regular subculturing in every 6 months and 1 year respectively, which is laborious and time-consuming. Hence, in the current study we attempted to develop an efficient droplet-vitrification cryopreservation protocol for safe and long-term conservation of dahlia germplasm. Significant effect of type and position of explants, plant vitrification solution-2 (PVS2) dehydration duration, pregrowth period and loading solution treatment duration on post-thaw regrowth after cryoconservation was observed. Shoot tips, each being 1.0 mm in length and 0.5 mm in width positioned at the tip of in vitro shoots with a similar developmental stage (similar shoot length) were excised from in vitro cultures pregrown for 6 wks on B5 basal medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BAP, 30 mg/l silver nitrate and 3% sucrose. The excised shoot tips were precultured on MS + 0.3 M sucrose for overnight followed by loading solution (2.0 M glycerol and 0.4 M sucrose in liquid MS medium) treatment for 80 min, PVS2 dehydration for 30 min and then transferred onto PVS2 droplets on aluminum foil strips and cryostored in liquid nitrogen (LN). An average of 44.44% post-thaw regrowth was obtained in six accessions tested and no significant difference among the accessions was observed. There was no significant loss in regrowth of cryostored shoot tips after 1 year and 6 years of cryobanking. This justifies the genotype-wide and sustainability of the protocol for cryoconservation of Dahlia germplasm using droplet-vitrification cryopreservation procedure in the cryobanks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on cryoconservation of Dahlia germplasm.

Optimizing Icon Sizes on In-Vehicle Panels to Minimize Perception Time and Prevent Driving Crashes

Distracted driving increases the risk of driving errors and accidents, and it has become the main factor leading to accidents. Currently, a large amount of information is displayed on in-vehicle panels, which possibly distract drivers’ attention, diverting their gaze from the road. To minimize the negative impact of distracted driving, this study sought to optimize the design of icons presented on vehicle screens. We investigated the effect of icon size, icon position, driving state, and age on drivers’ perception time, driving performance, and subjective evaluations. A total of 42 drivers (26 men and 20 women) between the ages of 22 and 70 years participated in the study, completing a simulated driving task and a secondary visual task. The results demonstrated significant main effects of icon size, driving state, icon position, and interaction effects. Participants spent a longer time perceiving smaller icons on the center control panel in the driving state. As the icon size increases, perception time decreases at a reduced speed. During the static state, perception time leveled out from 44′ while during the driving state, perception time leveled out from 80′. On the instrument panel, perception time leveled out from 60′ while on the center control panel, perception time leveled out from 80′. Subjective evaluations supported behavioral data on the effect of icon size. Our results indicated the importance of strategic design for icons on vehicle screens, which could reduce the visual workload, then reduce the risk of traffic accidents. According to the results, enterprises or designers could target the design of icon size according to different types of in-vehicle panels or screens.

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Zanthoxylum armatum Leaves in Response to Plant Age, Shoot Type and Leaf Position

Zanthoxylum armatum (Z. armatum) leaves represent more than 50% of by-products with promising potential applications, and there are still largely unknown variations in chemical composition and antioxidant activity in its leaves. In the present study, the changes in carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P), soluble protein (SP), amino acid (AA), soluble sugar (SS), total phenol (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) content as well as antioxidant capacity in Z. armatum leaves from two plant ages between two shoot types and three leaf positions were investigated. Our results showed that there are significant effects of plant age, shoot type and leaf position and their interactions on almost all the tested parameters. Shoot types were the main factor affecting the accumulation of chemical compositions and antioxidant capacity, followed by leaf positions and plant ages. Shoot type and leaf position had stronger effects than plant age. Statistical analysis revealed a series of correlations between antioxidant capacity, TP and chemical elements. Z. armatum leaves, an agricultural by-product, showed significant differences in chemical composition and antioxidant activity in response to plant age, shoot type and leaf position, which can be valuable to incentive its cultivation management strategy and its better utilization for economic and environmental benefits.

Do position and lexical knowledge matter in children’s second language speech perception?

This study examines whether child second language (L2) learners’ perception of the voicing contrast in English stops depends on word position and whether lexical knowledge effects can be detected. Thirty-eight 9-year-old Korean-speaking child learners of English with beginning-level proficiency completed an AX discrimination task in English, either with real word pairs (RW; n = 20) or nonsense word pairs (NW; n = 18). Each pair comprised two words with each containing a voiceless stop or a voiced stop. The categories in comparison appeared in word-initial, word-medial, or word-final position. The analysis revealed a significant effect of position in both groups, but in different directions: Whereas the RW group performed best on the word initial contrast, the NW group performed worst on the word initial contrast. This result is in line with the possibility that L2 sounds are mapped onto L1 phonemes in beginning-level child L2 learners. Furthermore, the fact that the RW group showed lower accuracy on the AX task than the NW group provides evidence for lexical knowledge effects on beginning-level child learners’ L2 perception, indicating that immediate lexical retrieval may hinder subsequent activation of phonological representation.

The Effect of Prone Position for Increasing OXygen Saturation of COVID-19 Patients

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus that attacks the respiratory system, Oxygen saturation (SpO2) is one of the indicators of the severity of COVID-19 infection. Prone position is given as a nurse's self-intervention in COVID-19 patients which can evidently increase oxygenation in patients characterized by increased oxygen saturation. This study aims to determine the effect of prone position for increasing oxygen saturation of COVID-19 patients. This study used a pre-experimental design with a one-group pre-post test design without a control group. Researchers measure oxygen saturation before (pre-test) and after (post-test) to perform prone position in COVID-19 patients. The study population was all COVID-19 patients treated in the Isolation Room of a hospital in Bali. The sample in the study was 30 people who met the research criteria using purposive sampling techniques. The results of the study were obtained before prone position the average oxygen saturation was 94.90% while after being given the intervention prone position became 98.40%. Based on the Wilcoxon test analysis obtained p-value = 0.001. It concluded that there was a significant effect of prone position for increasing oxygen saturation of COVID-19 patients. Nurses are expected to provide education about prone position for COVID-19 patients, and the patients is recommended to practice prone position exercise to accelerate healing and reduce mortality

Increasing the conspicuity of cyclists at night by using bicycle lights and clothing to highlight their biological motion to oncoming drivers

Reduced conspicuity is an important contributing factor to increased motor vehicle-bicycle crashes and cyclist fatalities at night. This study explored ways of making night-time cyclists more conspicuous to oncoming vehicles through cyclist clothing options and bicycle light position. Fifteen young participants (M = 29.1 ± 4.5 years) drove a closed-road at night and indicated when they first recognized a cyclist pedalling in place at the roadside, facing the approaching vehicle. The bicycle had a static forward-facing white light located either on the handlebars or the helmet and wore one of five clothing configurations: fluorescent vest, retroreflective vest, retroreflective ankle strips, retroreflective vest plus retroreflective ankle strips, retroreflective vest plus biomotion retroreflective strips. There was a significant effect of light position (p < 0.001) and clothing (p < 0.001), where recognition distances were longer when the light was helmet-mounted and when retroreflective strips were worn on the lower legs to highlight the cyclist’s biological motion compared to either of the vest conditions. There was also a significant interaction between light position and clothing (p = 0.007) such that the benefit of retroreflective strips was greater when the bicycle light was helmet-mounted rather than on the handlebars. Importantly, the benefits of leg markings were apparent even when positioned at the ankles alone. These findings highlight that retroreflective material is most useful for improving cyclist conspicuity at night when positioned on cyclists’ lower legs, particularly the ankles (highlighting the cyclist's pedalling motion), rather than on the torso, and have important practical implications for maximising cyclists’ conspicuity and hence safety on night-time roads.

External Load of Flamenco Zap-3 Footwork Test: Use of PlayerLoad Concept with Triaxial Accelerometry.

The intense footwork required in flamenco dance may result in pain and injury. This study aimed to quantify the external load of the flamenco Zapateado-3 (Zap-3) footwork via triaxial accelerometry in the form of PlayerLoad (PL), comparing the difference in external loads at the fifth lumbar vertebra (L5), the seventh cervical vertebra (C7) and the dominant ankle (DA), and to explore whether the speed, position, axis and proficiency level of the flamenco dancer affected the external load. Twelve flamenco dancers, divided into professional and amateur groups, completed a 15-s Zap-3 footwork routine at different speeds. Triaxial accelerometry sensors were positioned at the DA, L5 and C7 and were utilized to calculate the total PlayerLoad (PLTOTAL), uniaxial PlayerLoad (PLUNI) and uniaxial contributions (PL%). For both PLTOTAL and PLUNI, this study identified significant effects of speed and position (p < 0.001), as well as the interaction between speed and position (p ≤ 0.001), and at the DA, values were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than those at C7 and L5. Significant single axis and group effects (p < 0.001) and effects of the interactions between the position and a single axis and the group and speed (p ≤ 0.001) were also identified for PLUNI. Medial-lateral PL% represented a larger contribution compared with anterior-posterior PL% and vertical PL% (p < 0.001). A significant interaction effect of position and PL% (p < 0.001) also existed. In conclusion, the Zap-3 footwork produced a significant external load at different positions, and it was affected by speed, axis and the proficiency level of the flamenco dancer. Although the ankle bears the most external load when dancing the flamenco, some external load caused by significant vibrations is also borne by the lumbar and cervical vertebrae.

Measuring Mechanical Properties of Spastic Muscles After Stroke. Does Muscle Position During Assessment Really Matter?

ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of muscle position (relaxed vs stretched) on muscle mechanical properties and the ability of myotonometry to detect differences between sides, groups, and sites of testing in patients with stroke. We also analyzed the association between myotonometry and clinical measures of spasticity. DesignCross-sectional study. SettingOutpatient rehabilitation units including private and public centers. ParticipantsSeventy-one participants (20 subacute stroke, 20 chronic stroke, 31 controls) were recruited (N=71). InterventionMuscle mechanical properties were measured bilaterally with a MyotonPRO at muscle belly and musculotendinous sites during 2 protocols (muscle relaxed or in maximal bearable stretched position). Main Outcome MeasuresMuscle tone and stiffness of the biceps brachii and gastrocnemius. Poststroke spasticity was evaluated with the Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS). A mixed-model analysis of variance was used to detect differences in the outcome measures. ResultsThe analysis of variance showed a significant effect of muscle position on muscle mechanical properties (higher tone and stiffness with the muscle assessed in stretched position). Measurements with the stretched muscle could help discriminate between spastic and nonspastic sides, but only at the biceps brachii. Overall, there was a significant increase in tone and stiffness in the chronic stroke group and in myotendinous sites compared with muscle belly sites (all, P<.05). No correlations were found between myotonometry and the MTS. ConclusionsMyotonometry assessment of mechanical properties with the muscle stretched improves the ability of myotonometry to discriminate between sides in patients after stroke and between people with and without stroke.