Sport-specific functional movement can simulate aspects of neuromuscular fatigue occurring in team sports

Fatigue protocols have been used over the years to examine muscular exhaustion. As an alternative to approaches in laboratory settings, functional agility protocols claiming to mimic the multifaceted loads of athletic activity have been proposed. This study aimed to examine the effects of a functional agility short-term fatigue protocol (FAST-FP) on neuromuscular function. Twenty-eight healthy sports students (15 males, aged 24.3 ± 2.4 years) completed the FAST-FP, which consists of four components: three counter-movement jumps (90% of individual maximum), a 20-s bout of step-ups, three bodyweight squats and an agility run. Tasks were repeated until the participants no longer achieved the required jump height in two consecutive sets. Outcomes (pre-post) encompassed subjective exhaustion (visual analogue scale [VAS]), maximum isometric voluntary force of the knee extensors (MIVF), reactive strength index (RSI), mean power frequency (MPF, measured using surface electromyography) and maximum knee range of motion (ROM). Post-intervention, VAS (+54 mm) increased significantly, while MIVF (–6.1%), RSI (–10.7%) and MPF (–4.1%) were reduced (p < 0.05). No changes were observed for ROM (p > 0.05). The FAST-FP induces small-to-moderate impairments in neuromuscular function and considerable self-perceived fatigue. Current evidence on exhaustion developing in team sports suggests that this magnitude of fatigue is similar. The protocol might thus be valuable in the evaluation of treatments counteracting post-match fatigue in team sports.     

Health sciences libraries in Germany: new directions

This feature is part of a series about medical library services in various countries. It gives an overview of the state of and selected current developments of medical library services to support research, education and clinical practice in Germany. Findings from an online survey and issues of access to health information are discussed in relation to the German health care system.J.M.     

A functional model of the digital extensor mechanism: Demonstrating biomechanics with hair bands

The action of muscles about joints can be explained through analysis of their spatial relationship. A functional model of these relationships can be valuable in learning and understanding the muscular action about a joint. A model can be particularly helpful when examining complex actions across multiple joints such as in the digital extensor mechanism of the hand. A functional model using two hair bands representing the components of the digital extensor mechanism is described. Through superimposition of the model over one's digit, the combined actions of metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and interphalangeal joint extension are clearly demonstrated. The model provides a conceptual demonstration to enhance understanding of this unique combination of muscle actions about multiple joints. Anat Sci Educ, 2010. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.     

Die Bedeutung striataler Plastizitätsvorgänge und unerwarteten Bewegungserfolgs für sportmotorisches Lernen

The cortico-basal ganglia loops play an important role in the organization of human motor function. This article presents findings and thoughts according to which plasticity processes in these cortico-striatal loops and in the striatum mediate long-lasting reorganization of cortical motor representations and possess relevance for sport-specific motor activity. The correlations described point to the great significance of unexpected success of motor activity for motor learning processes.     

A microfluidic platform for on-demand formation and merging of microdroplets using electric control

We discuss a microfluidic system in which (programmable) local electric fields originating from embedded and protected electrodes are used to control the formation and merging of droplets in a microchannel. The creation of droplets-on-demand (DOD) is implemented using the principle of electrowetting. Combined with hydrodynamic control, the droplet size and formation frequency can be varied independently. Using two synchronized DOD injectors, merging-on-demand (MOD) is achieved via electrocoalescence. The efficiency of MOD is 98% based on hundreds of observations. These two functionalities can be activated independently.     

Toward extending the educational interpreter performance assessment to cued speech

The Educational Interpreter Performance Assessment (EIPA) is as an important research tool for examining the quality of interpreters who use American Sign Language or a sign system in classroom settings, but it is not currently applicable to educational interpreters who use Cued Speech (CS). In order to determine the feasibility of extending the EIPA to include CS, a pilot EIPA test was developed and administered to 24 educational CS interpreters. Fifteen of the interpreters' performances were evaluated two to three times in order to assess reliability. Results show that the instrument has good construct validity and test-retest reliability. Although more interrater reliability data are needed, intrarater reliability was quite high (0.9), suggesting that the pilot test can be rated as reliably as signing versions of the EIPA. Notably, only 48% of interpreters who formally participated in pilot testing performed at a level that could be considered minimally acceptable. In light of similar performance levels previously reported for interpreters who sign (e.g., Schick, Williams, & Kupermintz, 2006), these results suggest that interpreting services for deaf and hard-of hearing students, regardless of the communication option used, are often inadequate and could seriously hinder access to the classroom environment.