Swing Speed Research Articles

Predictive value of kinematic indicators for shot put result and selection of novice athletes

Purpose: to determine the most significant kinematic indicators in the sports selection of beginner shot putters.
 Material and Methods: This study was carried out on a sample of 9 students at the fourth stage of the competition in Division 1, which took place in the 2017/2018 academic year at the Faculty of Physical Education of Maysan University. The following kinematic (biomechanical) parameters were analyzed: the angle of release of the nucleus, the velocity of release, the height of the point of ejection of the nucleus and the speed of swing. The correlation coefficients were determined between the kinematic indicators and the result in the shot put, as well as the regression equation for the dependence of the result in the shot put on the knematic indicators. The data obtained in the study were presented in the form of the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, median, skewness coefficient, Pearson's correlation coefficient, analysis of variance and linear regression, which included the contribution coefficients of each analyzed indicator, standard error, reliability of the regression equation as a whole, and reliability of the coefficients contribution to the shot put result of each kinematic exponent.
 Results. It has been shown that the swing speed has the greatest influence on the result in the shot put among beginner athletes. The swing speed, shot angle, shot speed and shot height have significant relationships with the shot put result. The multiple regression equation for the dependence of the shot put result on the swing speed, shot angle, shot height and shot point turned out to be reliable in general. However, only the swing speed has a reliable coefficient of the regression equation. The shot angle tends to be the determining factor in the shot put result. The release rate and the height of the release point have significant correlations with the shot put result, although in the regression equation they have unreliable indicators of influence on the shot put result.
 Conclusions. When teaching beginner shot putters, the greatest attention should be paid to the pushing swing technique, namely the swing speed. The second most important indicator is the angle of the shot put, it is recommended to use the basic prediction equation, which determines the expected results in the selection of young athletes in shot put, with high reliability of the results obtained. These characteristics are recommended to be used for evaluating young athletes, as well as in the process of training and preparing athletes for competitions.

Effect of vitamin D deprivation and subsequent treatment with memantine and vitamin D enrichment on gait in APP/PS1 Alzheimer’s mice

AbstractBackgroundAltered gait is a common complication of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that leads to decreased mobility and quality of life. Additionally, many individuals with AD are vitamin D (vitD) deficient. Combined treatment with memantine and vitD has been shown to protect cortical axons from glutamate toxicity and beta‐amyloid in AD. Therefore, this treatment may mitigate changes in gait associated with AD. The purpose of this study was to assess for the first time in an AD mouse model whether gait is affected by vitD deprivation and whether subsequent treatment with memantine or memantine combined with high dose vitD reverses these effects.MethodMale APP/PS1 mice were randomized into four groups. Controls (n=14) received a standard diet throughout. The other three groups started a vitD deficient diet at month 6. The VitD‐ group (n=14) stayed on this diet, while the remaining two groups began treatment at month 9 with either memantine alone (Mem&VitD‐) or both memantine and 10 IU/g vitD (Mem&VitD+). Serum 25(OH)D3 levels and spatiotemporal parameters of gait (stride length, swing time, swing speed, and front and hind stride widths measured by CatWalk) were assessed at months 6, 9, 12 and 15.ResultMice on vitD‐deficient diets had 7× lower levels of serum 25(OH)D3, and mice on the vitD‐enriched diet (Mem&VitD+) had over 2× higher levels of serum 25(OH)D3, relative to controls. VitD deprivation did not significantly affect stride length, swing time, swing speed, or front stride width, however, it led to a 12% increase in hind stride width by month 15 (Figure 1, VitD‐ vs. Control, p<0.001). Therefore, we examined hind stride width at month 15 in the memantine treatment groups and found that combination treatment with vitD prevented this increase (Figure 2, Mem&VitD+ vs. VitD‐, p<0.05), while memantine alone did not (Mem&VitD‐ vs. VitD‐, p=0.28).ConclusionVitD deprivation led to impaired postural control (hind stride width) in APP/PS1 mice by month 15. Memantine in combination with vitD enrichment, but not memantine alone, was able to prevent this impairment. Therefore, future work should investigate the potential for memantine combined with vitD supplementation to improve gait in people with AD.

Magnus Antirolling System for Ships at Zero Speed

This study investigated the performance of an antirolling system based on the Magnus effect at zero speed. The test scheme and control method were designed based on a proportional integration differentiation controller. A scaled ship model equipped with an attitude monitoring and control implementation feedback system was developed. The effects of different swing speeds and angles, cylinder surface shapes, number of effective cylinders, and target ship model rolling angles on the performance of the antirolling system were studied using a shipborne gravity slider and normal transverse regular wave. The Magnus antirolling system exhibited a better swing speed range compared to conventional methods, and its performance improved as the swing angle increased. During the zero-speed antirolling test, the velocity loop control provided a better antiroll damping effect on the ship model than the position loop control, and the bionic cylinder improved the performance more than a smooth cylinder. Moreover, the system retained good antirolling capabilities even in partial failure cases (i.e., operating with fewer cylinders). This study can contribute to the research of ship seakeeping strategies.

Walking Practice Combined with Virtual Reality Contributes to Early Acquisition of Symmetry Prosthetic Walking: An Experimental Study Using Simulated Prosthesis

Virtual reality (VR)-based rehabilitation has been used in lower limb amputees; however, the extent to which VR is effective in reacquiring symmetrical gait in lower limb amputees is unclear. The purpose of this study was to confirm whether a VR intervention is effective in obtaining a simulated prosthetic gait. The participants were 24 healthy males who had never worn a simulated prosthesis. They were divided into three groups: VR, tablet, and control groups. The intervention consisted of 5 min of in situ stepping on parallel bars and watching a video of a simulated prosthetic leg walker on a head-mounted display or a tablet. Measurements included Gait Up parameters during a 10-m walk and immersion scores. After the intervention, there was a significant interaction between walking speed and leg swing speed in the VR group. The rate of improvement in walking speed and immersion scores was significantly higher in the VR group than in the other two groups, and there was a significant positive correlation between the rate of improvement and immersion scores. Compared to the tablet and control groups, the VR group showed the highest rate of immersion and improvement in walking speed.

Evaluation of Different Intraarticular Injection Therapies with Gait Analysis in a Rat Osteoarthritis Model.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease that causes serious damage to joints, especially in elderly patients. The aim of study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of intraarticular therapies that are currently used or recently popularized in the treatment of OA. The baseline values were determined by walking the rats on the CatWalk system. Afterwards, a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee OA model was created with intraarticular MIA, and the rats were walked again on the CatWalk system and post-OA values were recorded. At this stage, the rats were divided into 4 groups, and intraarticular astaxanthin, intraarticular corticosteroid, intraarticular hyaluronic acid, and intraarticular astaxanthin + hyaluronic acid were applied to the groups, respectively. The rats were walked once more and posttreatment values were obtained. Nine different dynamic gait parameters were used in the comparison. Significant changes were measured in 6 of the 9 dynamic gait parameters after the MIA-induced knee OA model. While the best improvement was observed in run duration (P = 0.0022), stride length (P < 0.0001), and swing speed (P = 0.0355) in the astaxanthin group, the results closest to basal values in paw print length (P < 0.0001), paw print width (P = 0.0101), and paw print area (P = 0.0277) were seen in the astaxanthin + hyaluronic acid group. Astaxanthin gave better outcomes than corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid in both dynamic gait parameters and histological examinations. Intraarticular astaxanthin therapy can be a good alternative to corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid currently used in intraarticular therapy to treat OA.

Coal and Rock Hardness Identification Based on EEMD and Multi-Scale Permutation Entropy.

This study offers an efficient hardness identification approach to address the problem of poor real-time performance and accuracy in coal and rock hardness detection. To begin, Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) was performed on the current signal of the cutting motor to obtain a number of Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs). Further, the target signal was selected among the IMFs to reconstruct the current signal according to the energy density and correlation coefficient criteria. After that, the Multi-scale Permutation Entropy (MPE) of the reconstructed signal was trained by the Adaboost improved Back Propagation (BP) neural network, in order to establish the hardness recognition model. Finally, the cutting arm’s swing speed and the cutting head’s rotation speed were adjusted based on the coal and rock hardness. The simulation results indicated that using the energy density and correlation criterion to reconstruct the signal can successfully filter out noise interference. Compared to the BP model, the relative root-mean-square error of the Adaboost-BP model decreased by 0.0633, and the prediction results were more accurate. Additionally, the speed control strategy based on coal and rock hardness can ensure the efficient cutting of the roadheader.

IgM Immunoglobulin Influences Recovery after Cervical Spinal Cord Injury by Modulating the IgG Autoantibody Response.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in the development of detrimental autoantibodies against the lesioned spinal cord. IgM immunoglobulin maintains homeostasis against IgG-autoantibody responses, but its effect on SCI recovery remains unknown. In the present study we investigated the role of IgM immunoglobulin in influencing recovery after SCI. To this end, we induced cervical SCI at the C6/C7 level in mice that lacked secreted IgM immunoglobulin [IgM-knock-out (KO)] and their wild-type (WT) littermate controls. Overall, the absence of secretory IgM resulted in worse outcomes as compared with WT mice with SCI. At two weeks after injury, IgM-KO mice had significantly more IgG antibodies, which fixed the complement system, in the injured spinal cord parenchyma. In addition to these findings, IgM-KO mice had more parenchymal T-lymphocytes as well as CD11b+ microglia/macrophages, which co-localized with myelin. At 10 weeks after injury, IgM-KO mice showed significant impairment in neurobehavioral recovery, such as deteriorated coordination, reduced hindlimb swing speed and print area. These neurobehavioral detriments were coupled with increased lesional tissue and myelin loss. Taken together, this study provides the first evidence for the importance of IgM immunoglobulin in modulating recovery after SCI and suggests that modulating IgM could be a novel therapeutic approach to enhance recovery after SCI.

Comparison of a manual walking platform and the CatWalk gait analysis system in a rat osteoarthritis model.

Effects of osteoarthritis (OA) are observed in experimental animal models using different gait analysis systems. The aim of this study was to determine whether the Noldus CatWalk XT v. 10.9 gait analysis system (CatWalk) device can be used effectively in a chemically induced rat OA model and to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of the system compared to manual gait analysis. Ten Wistar rats were run on a manual walking platform as well as on the CatWalk and the basal values were recorded. For OA induction, monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) was injected into the left knee of all rats under anesthesia. After a period of 4 weeks for OA development, the rats were again run on both the manual and CatWalk gait platforms. For manual gait analysis, the stride length, paw print width and paw print length were measured on both knees. In addition to these parameters, the average run speed, run duration, maximum contact intensity, paw print area, mean stance, and swing speed were measured on the left knee (affected knee) using the CatWalk device. Significant differences were observed in the stride width (p = 0.0272), left stride length (p = 0.0344), and left paw print length (p = 0.0233) recorded before and after OA via the manual walking platform. For CatWalk, a significant difference was detected in the left knee's average run speed (p = 0.0010), maximum contact intensity (p = 0.0155), paw print length (p = 0.0058), paw print width (p = 0.0324), and swing speed (p = 0.0066) based on data obtained before and after OA. The CatWalk gait analysis system is suitable for the evaluation of OA rat models and related interventions. It also provides additional parameters compared to the manual system and minimizes human-related variation.

The effect of arm muscle strength, waist flexibility, eye coordination and bat swing speed on power hitting pull shot female cricket athletes in DKI Jakarta

This study aims to determine the effect of arm muscle strength (X1), waist flexibility (X2), eye-hand-foot coordination (X3) and bat swing speed (X4) on the power hitting pull shot (Y) of female cricket athletes in DKI Jakarta. The research method is a survey using path analysis techniques, distributing a sample of 26 DKI Jakarta female cricket athletes. Hypothesis testing using path analysis techniques, the data obtained were analyzed by SPSS.25. This study resulted in a description of the data: a) the direct effect of X1 on Y or (r1y) = 0.330 (0.3302 x 100%); b) direct effect of X2 on Y or (r2y)= 0.306 (0.3062 x 100%); c) The direct effect of X3 on or (r3y)= 0.311% (0.3112 x 100%); d) direct effect of X4 on Y or (r4y)= 0.373 (0.3732 x 100%); e) direct effect of X1 on X4 (X1-X4) or (r14)= 0.716 (0.7162 x 100%); f) direct effect of X2 on X4 (X2-X4) or (r24) = 0.339 (0.3392 x 100%); g) direct effect of X3 on X4 (X3-X4) or (r34)= -0.094 (-0.0942 x 100%); h) indirect effect of X1 on Y through X4 (X1-X4-Y) or (r14y)= 0.716 x 0.373 = 0.267 (0.2672 x 100%); i) indirect effect of X2 on Y through X4 (X2-X4-Y) or (r24y)= 0.339 x 0.373 = 0.126 (0.1262 x 100%); j) the indirect effect of variable X3 on Y through X4 (X3-X4-Y) or (r34y) = 0.094 x 0.373 = 0.035 (0.035 x 100%). It was concluded that there was an influence of arm muscle strength, waist flexibility, eye-hand-foot coordination and bat swing speed, all of which affected the hitting pull shot power. There is an effect of arm muscle strength and waist flexibility on the swing speed of the bat. There is no effect of eye-hand-foot coordination on the swing speed of the bat. There is an indirect effect of arm muscle strength, waist flexibility and eye-hand-foot coordination on the power hitting pull shot through the speed of the bat swing. There is an indirect effect of waist flexibility and eye-hand-foot coordination on the power hitting pull shot through the swing speed of the bat.

Comparison of Kinetic Characteristics of Footwork during Stroke in Table Tennis: Cross-Step and Chasse Step.

The cross-step and chasse step are the basic steps of table tennis. This study presents a protocol to investigate the ground reaction force characteristics between cross-step and chasse step during stroke in table tennis. Sixteen healthy male national level 1 table tennis players (Age: 20.75 ± 2.06 years) volunteered to participate in the experiment after understanding the purpose and details of the experiment. All participants were asked to hit the ball into the target zone by cross-step and chasse step, respectively. The ground reaction force in the anterior-posterior, medial-lateral, and vertical directions of the participant was measured by a force platform. The key finding of this study was that: the posterior ground reaction force of cross-step footwork (0.89 ± 0.21) was significantly large (P = 0.014) than the chasse step footwork (0.82 ± 0.18). However, the lateral ground reaction force of cross-step footwork (-0.38 ± 0.21) was significantly lower (P < 0.001) than chasse step footwork (-0.46 ± 0.29) as well as the vertical ground reaction force of cross-step footwork (1.73 ± 0.19) was significantly lower (P < 0.001) than chasse step footwork (1.9 ± 0.33). Based on the mechanism of the kinetic chain, the better lower limb dynamic performance of sliding stroke may be conducive to energy transmission and thus bring gain to the swing speed. Beginners should start from the chasse step to hit the ball technically, and then practice the skill of cross-step.

Enhancing parameter design for full-aperture rapid planar polishing based on fuzzy optimization.

Full-aperture rapid planar polishing (RPP) has been widely used in optics manufacturing for high-power laser systems. A new, to the best of our knowledge, fuzzy optimization method was presented to assess the precision and productivity of RPP. Unlike the traditional method that can only set one objective, the proposed method can combine different objectives for RPP into one overall indicator. The material removal rate, material removal uniformity, and synthetical fuzzy indicator of RPP (SFIRPP) were selected as the objectives to prove the validity of fuzzy optimization. The rotational speed of optics, polishing pressure, and swing speed were set as the optimized parameters. The orthogonal design was introduced to simplify the operations of experiments. A semi-gamma distribution was used to fit the curve of SFIRPP. The experimental results indicated that the optimized parameters under SFIRPP obtained better manufacturing precision and productivity for flat optics simultaneously. The proposed fuzzy optimization provides the potential for enhancing the optimal parameters of RPP.

Hydrodynamic performance of a Magnus anti-rolling device at zero and low ship speeds

Excellent seakeeping performance is the basis of safe ship operation. An anti-rolling device employing swinging rotating cylinders based on the Magnus effect can provide anti-rolling measures at any ship speed. In this study, the operating principle of a Magnus anti-rolling device was examined by studying its hydrodynamic performance using large eddy simulation method. A dimensionless parameter—the rotation to swing ratio (i.e., the ratio of the rotational speed to the swing speed of the cylinder)—was proposed for use in the hydrodynamic analysis. The changes in lift-drag characteristics and wake-flow field of the Magnus anti-rolling device were observed at zero and low ship speeds according to the swing angle, angular velocity, and rotation to swing ratio. The influence of the relative incoming flow velocity on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Magnus anti-rolling device, when swinging upstream and downstream, was also studied at a low ship speed. The results show that an optimal rotation to swing ratio can be obtained at zero speed, and that the differential swing method can provide a large and consistent lift at low speeds. This analysis of the hydrodynamic characteristics of the Magnus anti-rolling device contributes to the study of ship seakeeping strategies.

Improved cortical activity and reduced gait asymmetry during poststroke self-paced walking rehabilitation

BackgroundFor patients with gait impairment due to neurological disorders, body weight-supported treadmill training (BWSTT) has been widely used for gait rehabilitation. On a conventional (passive) treadmill that runs at a constant speed, however, the level of patient engagement and cortical activity decreased compared with gait training on the ground. To increase the level of cognitive engagement and brain activity during gait rehabilitation, a self-paced (active) treadmill is introduced to allow patients to actively control walking speed, as with overground walking.MethodsTo validate the effects of self-paced treadmill walking on cortical activities, this paper presents a clinical test with stroke survivors. We hypothesized that cortical activities on the affected side of the brain would also increase during active walking because patients have to match the target walking speed with the affected lower limbs. Thus, asymmetric gait patterns such as limping or hobbling might also decrease during active walking.ResultsAlthough the clinical test was conducted in a short period, the patients showed higher cognitive engagement, improved brain activities assessed by electroencephalography (EEG), and decreased gait asymmetry with the self-paced treadmill. As expected, increases in the spectral power of the low γ and β bands in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), premotor cortex (PMC), and supramarginal gyrus (SG) were found, which are possibly related to processing sensory data and planning voluntary movements. In addition, these changes in cortical activities were also found with the affected lower limbs during the swing phase. Since our treadmill controller tracked the swing speed of the leg to control walking speed, such results imply that subjects made substantial effort to control their affected legs in the swing phase to match the target walking speed.ConclusionsThe patients also showed reduced gait asymmetry patterns. Based on the results, the self-paced gait training system has the potential to train the symmetric gait and to promote the related cortical activities after stroke.Trial registration Not applicable

Design and experiment of double planet carrier planetary gear flower transplanting mechanism

At present, there is a lack of miniaturized and highly reliable plug seedling transplanting mechanism in flowerpots planting operation, in order to meet the needs of large displacement and high vertical uprightness for flower transplanting, the paper combined the transmission characteristics of the non-circular gear planetary gear train with the swing flexibility of the cam gear and proposed a double planet carrier planetary gear transplanting mechanism. The linkage of the mechanism performs variable speed rotation relative to the first planet carrier, the linkage serves as the second planet carrier, and the transplanting arm performs variable speed swing relative to the linkage. A mathematical model of a single planetary carrier mechanism was first established using the method of open linkage group solution domain synthesis, then established the kinematic equations of the second planet carrier and the transplanting arm. The two parts are combined to form the mathematical solution model of the proposed mechanism. The initial trajectory was planned according to the trajectory requirements of seedlings planting operation, the non-circular gear pitch curve in the first planet carrier was obtained and the length of the first planet carrier is 120 mm. Then using the key points’ angular deviation between the initial trajectory and the improved trajectory to obtain the cam parameters which driving the transplant arm, consequently determined the length of the second planet carrier is 69.25 mm and the length of the transplant arm is 112.4 mm. Finally, the prototype of the mechanism was manufactured, and the test verified the correctness of the design method of the double planet carrier planetary gear flower potting transplanting mechanism. The transplanting success rate of this mechanism reached 94.43%, and the plug seedlings planted in flowerpots had high uprightness. This research can provide a reference for the automatic development of research on flower transplanting machines. Keywords: flower transplanting, double planet carrier planetary gear mechanism, non-circular, plug seedling DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20211402.5878 Citation: Zhao X, Liao H W, Ma X X, Dai L, Yu G H, Chen J N. Design and experiment of double planet carrier planetary gear flower transplanting mechanism. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2021; 14(2): 55–61.

The Influences of Tai Chi on Balance Function and Exercise Capacity among Stroke Patients: A Meta-Analysis.

Objective This study aims to explore the influences of Tai Chi on the balance function and exercise capacity among stroke patients. Methods Databases including PubMed, Embase, WOS (Web of Science), the Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang Data, VIP (VIP database), and CBM (China Biology Medicine disc) were retrieved to gather the figures of randomized controlled trials on the balance function and exercise capacity among stroke patients. Then relevant data were input and analyzed in Review Manager 5.3. Results Nineteen papers were included and analyzed in this study. According to the combined effect size, the balance function of stroke patients improved significantly: the Berg Balance Function Scale score [MD = 7.67, 95% CI (3.44, 11.90)]; standing and walking test scores [MD = 3.42, 95% CI (4.22, −2.63)]; gravity swing area [MD = 0.79, 95% CI (1.48, 0.10)]; and gravity swing speed [MD = −5.43, 95% CI (−7.79, 3.08)]. In addition, the exercise capacity improved significantly as well: the FMA (Fugl-Meyer Assessment Scale) scale score [MD = 4.15, 95% CI (1.68, 6.63)]. There are no significant influences or changes of other related results. Conclusions Stroke patients are able to improve their balance functions and exercise capacities prominently when they do Tai Chi exercise once or twice a week and ≥5 times/week and >30 ≤ 60 min/time.

Adaptive Cutting Control for Roadheaders Based on Performance Optimization

Aiming at addressing the problems of high specific energy consumption for cutting and slow response to the change of hardness in the control of existing mining roadheaders, an adaptive variable speed cutting control method based on cutting performance optimization is proposed by analyzing the working principle of roadheaders. Firstly, cylinder pressure and motor current are invoked as the criteria to judge load changes. Particle swarm optimization is utilized to optimize the cutting parameters under different impedance. Then, the relation between cutting speed, motor current and cylinder pressure is established by using fuzzy neural network to train cutting parameters and identification parameters under different conditions. Finally, the vector control of motor and electro-hydraulic servo valve is used to control the cutting speed. The results show that the cutting unit can adapt to different load signals and always keep the roadheader in the optimal working state. The rotation speed regulation of the cutting head reaches the stable state after 0.05 s, with the overshoot of 1.42%. The swing speed regulation of the cutting head reaches the stable state after 1 s, with the overshoot of 5.3%. Conclusions provide a basis for improving the cutting efficiency and prolonging the working life of the roadheader.

Multiparameter Control Strategy and Method for Cutting Arm of Roadheader

A multiparameter control strategy and method for the cutting arm of a roadheader is proposed through the operation analysis of roadheader. The method can address the problems of low intelligence and low cutting efficiency faced by the roadheader in the cutting process. The control strategy is divided into two parts: the cutting load identification part and the swing speed control part. The former part is designed using a backpropagation neural network that is optimized by an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm. The latter part is optimally designed using a fuzzy PID controller with improved simulated annealing particle swarm optimization. The simulation analysis in SIMULINK showed that the response time was reduced, proving the robustness of the method. In addition, experimental studies verified the good control effect of the method under different cutting states. The proposed method uses multiparameter to intelligently change the swing speed, providing a theoretical and practical basis for the realization of intelligent and unmanned cutting of roadheader.

Nutrition education programme changes food intake and baseball performance in high-school students

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of nutrition education programme using the Convenient, Attractive, Normative (CAN) framework to facilitate changes in mindset, attitudes and behaviours towards food among high-school male baseball players. Design: Quasi-experimental design. Setting: Two public high schools in Osaka, Japan. Methods: Students in two high schools (mean age ± SD, 16.6 ± .5 years) participated in the study. One school served as an intervention group ( n = 28) and received the CAN nutrition education programme. The other school served as a control group ( n = 22), and students within it did not receive the intervention. Students in the intervention group received three nutrition lecture sessions and face-to-face individual nutritional guidance over a 4 month intervention period. Before and after the intervention, all students were asked to record their food and beverage intake by taking food pictures, recording portion weights and sending these to the project dietitian. They were also asked to develop a dietary behaviour plan for meeting their goals. At the end of the intervention, they were asked about their experiences. Results: Students in the intervention improved their food intake, dietary balance and athletic performance. Bat swing speed was significantly faster following the intervention. Body weight increased without changing lean body mass in both groups. Conclusion: Results suggest that a CAN nutrition education programme may be effective in increasing motivation and promote dietary behaviour change among male adolescent athletes. Future interventions should examine these motivational processes and investigate the factors contributing to well-balanced meals.

Automated Gait Analysis to Assess Functional Recovery in Rodents with Peripheral Nerve or Spinal Cord Contusion Injury.

Peripheral and central nerve injuries are mostly studied in rodents, especially rats, given the fact that these animal models are both cost-effective and a lot of comparative data has been published in the literature. This includes a multitude of assessment methods to study functional recovery following nerve injury and repair. Besides evaluation of nerve regeneration by means of histology, electrophysiology, and other in vivo and in vitro assessment techniques, functional recovery is the most important criterion to determine the degree of neural regeneration. Automated gait analysis allows recording of a vast quantity of gait-related parameters such as Paw Print Area and Paw Swing Speed as well as measures of inter-limb coordination. Additionally, the method provides digital data of the rats' paws after neuronal damage and during nerve regeneration, adding to our understanding of how peripheral and central nervous injuries affect their locomotor behavior. Besides the predominantly used sciatic nerve injury model, other models of peripheral nerve injury such as the femoral nerve can be studied by means of this method. In addition to injuries of the peripheral nervous systems, lesions of the central nervous system, e.g., spinal cord contusion can be evaluated. Valid and reproducible data assessment is strongly dependent on meticulous adjustment of the hard- and software settings prior to data acquisition. Additionally, proper training of the experimental animals is of crucial importance. This work aims to illustrate the use of computerized automated gait analysis to assess functional recovery in different animal models of peripheral nerve injury as well as spinal cord contusion injury. It also emphasizes the method's limitations, e.g., evaluation of nerve regeneration in rats with sciatic nerve neurotmesis due to limited functional recovery. Therefore, this protocol is thought to help researchers interested in peripheral and central nervous injuries to assess functional recovery in rodent models.

Effect of a training program of overground walking on BTS gait parameters in elderly women during single and dual cognitive tasks.

We tested the hypothesis that a regular training program might reduce gait disturbances during dual cognitive-motor tasks in elderly women. This open-label experimental study comprised 53 postmenopausal women aged over 65, who were assigned to a 10-week training program (360 min/week). A BTS SMART system examination during free walking and during dual tasks [i.e., walking while performing either a simple (SCT) or a complex (CCT) cognitive task] was performed prior to the training program and again after it had finished. After the 10-week walking training program, a significant decrease was found in the duration of single support phase, double support phase, total support phase, and gait cycle, whereas values for such BTS parameters as swing speed, step length, and gait speed increased significantly. The greatest percentage deltas between the final and initial values of the respective BTS parameters concerned swing speed and gait speed irrespective of the kind of task undertaken while measurements were taken. A cognitive task, irrespective of the level of difficulty, performed during walking had the opposite effect on step width than expected. A 10-week training program significantly improved the cadency and manner of gait in elderly women, but did not change step width. Therefore, further study is needed to estimate the usefulness of cognitive-motor training programs for significant improvement in gait coordination during dual tasks in elderly women.