PART IV: PHYSIOLOGY

A comparison of power output recorded by an SRM powercrank and Kingcycle test rig.     

Expert Baseball Batters Have Greater Sensitivity in Making Swing Decisions

Abstract

The aims of this study were to describe the prevalence of dance participation in U.S. adolescents and to estimate the contribution of dance to total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The sample was composed of 3,598 adolescents from the 2003–06 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Youth reported frequency and duration of physical activities performed in the past month. Dance participation prevalence was calculated; among those who reported dance, its contribution to total MVPA was estimated. The prevalence of dance was much higher in girls (34.8%) than boys (8.4%). Girls had a greater contribution of dance to total MVPA (39.3%) than boys (23.0%). Dance is a prevalent form of physical activity among girls, and it accounts for a substantial fraction of their total MVPA.     

Physiological,movement and technical demands of centre-wicket Battlezone,traditional net-based training and one-day cricket matches: a comparative study of sub-elite cricket players

Abstract

This study compared physiological, physical and technical demands of Battlezone, traditional cricket training and one-day matches. Data were initially collected from 11 amateur, male cricket players (age: 22.2 ± 3.3 year, height: 1.82 ± 0.06 m body mass: 80.4 ± 9.8 kg) during four Battlezone and four traditional cricket training sessions encompassing different playing positions. Heart rate, blood lactate concentration, rating of perceived exertion and movement patterns of players were measured. Retrospective video analysis was performed to code for technical outcomes. Similar data were collected from 42 amateur, male cricket players (23.5 ± 4.7 year, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 81.4 ± 11.4 kg) during one-day matches. Significant differences were found between Battlezone, traditional cricket training and one-day matches within each playing position. Specifically, Battlezone invoked the greatest physiological and physical demands from batsmen in comparison to traditional cricket training and one-day matches. However, the greatest technical demand for batsmen was observed during traditional cricket training. In regards to the other playing positions, a greater physiological, physical and technical demand was observed during Battlezone and traditional training than during one-day matches. These results suggest that the use of Battlezone and traditional cricket training provides players with a suitable training stimulus for replicating the physiological, physical and technical demands of one-day cricket.     

Effects of word frequency and number of meanings for fast and slow readers

Using a lexical decision task, the effects of frequency and number of meanings are investigated for fast and slow readers. It is shown that different patterns of results emerge for fast and slow readers. For fast readers there are general effects of both frequency and number of meanings; for slow readers the effects are considerably attenuated.     

Biotechnology for Preventive Conservation: Development of Bionanomaterials for Antimicrobial Coating of Outdoor Sculptures

ABSTRACT

Outdoor sculptures are part of the sociocultural identity of cities, but are extremely vulnerable to deterioration due to exposure to harsh environmental conditions and climate change. Furthermore, deterioration by micro-organisms renders urgent the need to design protective coatings. This research proposes an integrated methodology for the development of innovative and sustainable nanofilms for applications in the area of art conservation, very specifically in the preventive conservation of outdoor sculptures. Gathering objective data for the characterization of the surface microbiota is important in order to design strategies that make use of bio or nanotechnology innovative coatings. Methodologies for the characterization of the microbiota present in a granite outdoor sculpture, followed by preliminary results on the application of protective antimicrobial coatings for surfaces of cultural objects are described.