Clinical and biochemical characteristics of high-intensity functional training (HIFT) and overtraining syndrome: findings from the EROS study (The EROS-HIFT)

The metabolic and hormonal consequences of high-intensity functional training regimens such as CrossFit® (CF) are unclear. Little is known about the triggers and clinical and biochemical features of CF-related overtraining syndrome (OTS). The EROS study compared endocrine and metabolic responses, and eating, social, psychological and body characteristics of OTS-affected (OTS) and healthy athletes (ATL), and non-physically active controls (NPAC). The current study is a post-hoc analysis of the CF subgroups of the EROS study, to evaluate specific characteristics of CF in ATL and OTS. Parameters were overall and pairwise compared among OTS-affected (CF-OTS) and healthy (CF-ATL) athletes that exclusively practiced CF, and NPAC. CF-ATL yielded earlier and enhanced cortisol, GH, and prolactin responses to an insulin tolerance test (ITT), increased neutrophils, lower lactate, increased testosterone, improved sleep quality, better psychological performance, increased measured-to-predicted basal metabolic rate (BMR) ratio and fat oxidation, and better hydration, when compared to NPAC. Conversely, more than 90% of the adaptive changes in CF were lost under OTS, including an attenuation of the hormonal responses to an ITT, increased estradiol, decreased testosterone, and decreased BMR and fat oxidation; the most remarkable trigger of OTS among “HIFT athletes” was the long-term low carbohydrate and calorie intake.     

A novel Cervical Spine Protection device for reducing neck injuries in contact sports: design concepts and preliminary in vivo testing*

Abstract

Head and neck injuries are common in contact sports such as American football. Different mechanisms can produce such injuries, including compressive impact forces on the crown of the helmet with the neck in a flexed chin-down position. The aim of this paper was developing and testing a novel Cervical Spine Protection Device (CSPD) designed to keep the neck within its safe physiological range. The cervical spine range of motion (ROM) of ten participants was measured under four conditions: free; wearing a football gear; wearing the CSPD; and wearing the CSPD underneath the gear. The CSPD was tested in terms of passive and active restraint of head motion, and for its capability to improve endurance time of the neck extensor muscles. Wearing the CSPD resulted in a significant 40–60% reduction in ROM across the three anatomical planes, and in increased endurance of the neck extensor muscles (FREE: 114 ± 57 s; CSPD: 214 ± 95 s; p = 0.004). In quasi-static loading conditions the CSPD was capable of keeping the neck within its physiological range, thus it may be used to decrease the risk of severe injuries due to dangerous chin-down positions.     

On the management of open innovation

In an open innovation relationship, the party that owns a key asset enjoys bargaining power that discourages the investments of the other party in the collaboration. We show that these incentives can be restored by conferring on the weak party the power to take decisions during the research process – e.g., a pharmaceutical firm with manufacturing and commercialization assets offers the direction of a joint research project to a biotech partner. However, on many occasions, the strong party still captures more value from the collaboration by retaining the power to take decisions during research even if it produces less innovation value and fewer aggregate profits. We conclude that the potential of open innovation is underexploited. In particular, owners may not release enough power to take decisions on the use of their assets.     

Nearest neighbor search in metric spaces through Content-Addressable Networks

Most of the Peer-to-Peer search techniques proposed in the recent years have focused on the single-key retrieval. However, similarity search in metric spaces represents an important paradigm for content-based retrieval in many applications. In this paper we introduce an extension of the well-known Content-Addressable Network paradigm to support storage and retrieval of more generic metric space objects. In particular we address the problem of executing the nearest neighbors queries, and propose three different algorithms of query execution. An extensive experimental study on real-life data sets explores the performance characteristics of the proposed algorithms by showing their advantages and disadvantages.     

Thematic Network E4¹: an effective tool to improve EE in Europe

Among all TN projects approved and running under SOCRATES II, E4 offers the widest perspective over all Engineering/Technology education fields covering relevant and transversal issues, which are definitely not branch specific. The paper first introduces the general aim of the project, underlining the meaning of the European Dimension of EE (Engineering Education), to facilitate greater mobility of skilled personnel and ensuring integration of the different systems throughout the continent. Innovative contributions to international dimension and curriculum development, high standards, quality insurance and accreditation, use of ICT tools are the main subjects of the Network activities: these are described in details in section 2, which is followed by the strategic approach and principal outcomes (section 3 and 4 respectively). Organisation and dissemination are also key aspects of the project, dealt by 3 Transversal Actions, common to all activities and supporting the working groups outcomes, enhancing visibility.     

Three-dimensional modelling of statues: the Minerva of Arezzo

The Minerva of Arezzo is an ancient bronze statue located at the Museo Archeologico in Florence and currently under repair at the Restoration Centre of the Soprintendenza Archeologica of the Tuscany Region. We assembled a complete three-dimensional (3D) digital model of the Minerva before the restoration started. More 3D models will be produced to keep track of the variations that occurred during the restoration process, up to the final acquisition of the form of the restored artwork. The modelling of the Minerva will be the focal point of an ambitious “Minerva Project” that involves the integration of data from other sources in a 3D digital model of the object. Besides this, the project is aimed at showing how 3D techniques can be used to design useful and easily manageable new tools for the diagnostics of archaeological objects. 3D measurements have been realized by means of a high-resolution laser scanner developed at National Institute for Applied Optics (INOA). The instrument is composed of commercial low-cost components in order to be competitive with the very expensive commercial devices. Besides this, our scanner is supported by an efficient and flexible software developed by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) that supports all the post-processing phases of a 3D scanning session (range data alignment, merge and simplification).     

Modeling imitation and emulation in constrained search spaces

Social transmission of behavior can be realized through distinct mechanisms. Research on primate social learning typically distinguishes two forms of information that a learner can extract from a demonstrator: copying actions (defined as imitation) or copying only the consequential results (defined as emulation). We propose a decomposition of these learning mechanisms (plus pure individual learning) that incorporates the core idea that social learning can be represented as a search for an optimal behavior that is constrained by different kinds of information. We illustrate our approach with an individual-based model in which individuals solve tasks in abstract “spaces” that represent behavioral actions, results, and benefits of those results. Depending on the learning mechanisms at their disposal, individuals have differential access to the information conveyed in these spaces. We show how different classes of tasks may provide distinct advantages to individuals with different learning mechanisms and discuss how our approach contributes to current empirical and theoretical research on social learning and culture.