Creating a common grammar for European higher education governance

This paper addresses the interaction between European Union policies and national higher education sectors in the countries involved in the TRUE project (England, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Switzerland) making the case for European governance. Relevant for this matter is the role of political processes that evolve at European level shaping political discourses and practices, thus creating a common grammar for European higher education governance. By empirically focusing on evaluation and funding policies the paper argues that European governance reflects in how this common grammar is being created and reconfiguring the environment within which European higher education systems and institutions are developing.     

Identification of a fungal community on gilded wood carved heritage

During restoration activities, a fungal reddish area was noted on a gilded wood carved ceiling decoration from a sacristy of a church in Aveiro, Portugal. The protocols used to identify the fungal community present in this wooden material included the classical culturing methods and a molecular biology protocol based on the ability of denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) to separate fungal DNA from several species. This last method complemented the results obtained with the traditional culturing method approach and the overall study revealed three fungal species: Serpula lacrymans (Wulfen) P. Karsten, Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom) Samson and Penicillium chrysogenum Thom. This is, to the author's knowledge, the first documented case of S. lacrymans in Portuguese built cultural heritage. Despite the antifungal solution applied and the dryer environment recommended, the water activity (Aw) levels recorded on location are still dangerously high and may allow fungal regrowth. Periodic inspections were advised.     

Validity and reliability of a new field test (Carminatti's test) for soccer players compared with laboratory-based measures

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the validity (Study 1) and reliability (Study 2) of a novel intermittent running test (Carminatti's test) for physiological assessment of soccer players. In Study 1, 28 players performed Carminatti's test, a repeated sprint ability test, and an intermittent treadmill test. In Study 2, 24 players performed Carminatti's test twice within 72 h to determine test–retest reliability. Carminatti's test required the participants to complete repeated bouts of 5 × 12 s shuttle running at progressively faster speeds until volitional exhaustion. The 12 s bouts were separated by 6 s recovery periods, making each stage 90 s in duration. The initial running distance was set at 15 m and was increased by 1 m at each stage (90 s). The repeated sprint ability test required the participants to perform 7 × 34.2 m maximal effort sprints separated by 25 s recovery. During the intermittent treadmill test, the initial velocity of 9.0 km · h^?1 was increased by 1.2 km · h^?1 every 3 min until volitional exhaustion. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed between Carminatti's test peak running velocity and speed at VO_2max (v-VO_2max). Peak running velocity in Carminatti's test was strongly correlated with v-VO_2max (r = 0.74, P < 0.01), and highly associated with velocity at the onset of blood lactate accumulation (r = 0.63, P < 0.01). Mean sprint time was strongly associated with peak running velocity in Carminatti's test (r = ?0.71, P < 0.01). The intraclass correlation was 0.94 with a coefficient of variation of 1.4%. In conclusion, Carminatti's test appears to be avalid and reliable measure of physical fitness and of the ability to perform intermittent high-intensity exercise in soccer players.     

Effects of added elastic tubes on open-chain knee extensor strength training

Attaching elastic tubes (ETs) to resistance training machines can affect the exercise load profile. The purpose of this study was to assess the training effects of added ETs, which were strategically attached to provide additional loads only during the deceleration phase of the knee extension exercise. Twenty-two healthy participants, assigned to either an experimental group (with ETs) or a control group (without ETs), participated in a 12-week strength-training program using a knee extension exercise machine. The acceleration effects were quantified and a method of attaching the ETs to the knee extension machine was developed. The effects of the added ETs were analysed by testing dynamic and isometric maximum contractions at four knee flexion angles (10°, 30°, 50°, and 80°). Analyses of covariance with the initial values as the covariate were used to examine the ET effects. A greater increase in isometric maximum strength was found in the experimental group than in the control group at knee flexion angles of 10° [effect size (ES) = 2.25] and 30° (ES = 1.18). No significant difference in the dynamic maximum strength was found between the groups. The use of ETs increased strength at smaller knee flexion angles with quadriceps that were relatively short.     

Effects of volleyball match-induced fatigue on knee joint position sense

Abstract

It has been suggested that a greater number of injuries during the last third of practice sessions or matches could be related to alteration of lower limb neuromuscular control due to neuromuscular fatigue. This fatigue-related effect can be mediated by changes in joint proprioception. In athletes, the use of functional fatigue protocols could have the advantage of mimicking the demands of sporting activity, thus reflecting more specifically the changes in neuromuscular control and proprioception observed in sport settings. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of fatigue induced by a volleyball match on knee joint position sense in elite volleyball players. Seventeen female volleyball players aged 18.9±4.2 years from the Portuguese national team volunteered for the study. Knee joint position sense was evaluated by an open kinetic chain technique and active knee positioning, and was reported using absolute, relative, and variable angular errors. Joint position sense measures were obtained before and immediately after a simulated volleyball match of five sets. To ensure that the match was sufficiently intense to induce fatigue, the perceived exertion or exercise intensity was assessed at the end of the match using Borg’ s rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale. All participants completed the volleyball match (90min duration), reaching or exceeding 15 on the RPE scale (15.59±0.71; range 15–17), equivalent to “hard/heavy work”. After the volleyball match, a significant increase in absolute (2.11°) and relative (1.71°) angular errors was detected. Match-induced fatigue significantly exacerbated the overestimation of the test position. Moreover, the reliability and accuracy in estimating knee angles decreased from rest to the fatigued state, as shown by the increase (264%) in variable error. Our results show that fatigue induced by a volleyball match has a marked effect on knee joint position sense in elite female volleyball players. Knee joint position sense was less accurate and less consistent after the volleyball match. Fatigue induced by a simulated competitive volleyball match resulted in proprioceptive deficits, decreasing sensorimotor system acuity in female volleyball players.     

Effects of replica running shoes upon external forces and muscle activity during running

Twelve participants ran (9 km · h(-1)) to test two types of running shoes: replica and original shoes. Ground reaction force, plantar pressure and electromyographic activity were recorded. The shoes were tested randomly and on different days. Comparisons between the two experimental conditions were made by analysis of variance (ANOVA) test (P ≤ 0.05). The time to first peak, loading rate of the first peak and impulse of the first 75 ms of stance were significantly different between the shoes (P ≤ 0.05), revealing an increase of impact forces for the replica shoes. The peak plantar pressure values were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) when wearing replica shoes. During running, the contact area was significantly smaller (P ≤ 0.05) for the replica shoe. The electromyographic activity of the analysed muscles did not show changes between the two shoes in running. These findings suggest that the use of replica running shoes can increase the external load applied to the human body, but may not change the muscle activity pattern during locomotion. This new mechanical situation may increase the risk of injuries in these movements.     

3D preserving xviii century barroque masterpiece: Challenges and results on the digital preservation of Aleijadinho's sculpture of the Prophet Joel

We present our recent efforts in the digital preservation of a set of baroque sculptures made by Antônio Francisco Lisboa, known as O. Aleijadinho, which is an important American baroque artist. The set was made in the beginning of the xix century and is composed of 12 near real sized sculptures, hand-carved in soapstone. These sculptures represent 12 of the 16 prophets from the Holy Bible and are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our group has been collaborating with UNESCO in a project that aims to preserve all these statues. We hereby present our initial efforts, consisting of the 3D digital preservation of the Prophet Joel sculpture. We developed a complete 3D digital preservation pipeline composed of four main stages: data acquisition, 3D reconstruction, texture generation and 3D model visualization. By evaluating our results in this first sculpture, we discuss the improvements we conceived before applying our pipeline in the remaining ones. Finally, we present the 3D model of the Prophet which registers the sculpture's current state and will be used in restoration, research and educational activities. We believe this contribution may be useful to guide further research on similar scenarios, showing how to avoid some practical mistakes and achieve good results.