Shoe drop reduction influences the lower limb biomechanics of children tennis players during an open stance forehand: A longitudinal study

Compared to traditional tennis shoes, using 0-drop shoes was shown to induce an immediate switch from rear- to forefoot strike pattern to perform an open stance tennis forehand for 30% of children tennis players. The purpose of the study was to examine the long-term effects of a gradual reduction in the shoe drop on the biomechanics of children tennis players performing open stance forehands. Thirty children tennis players participated in 2 laboratory biomechanical test sessions (intermediate: +4 months and final: +8 months) after an inclusion visit where they were randomly assigned to control (CON) or experimental (EXP) group. CON received 12-mm-drop shoes twice, whereas EXP received 8?mm then 4-mm-drop shoes. Strike index indicated that all CON were rearfoot strikers in intermediate and final test sessions. All EXP were rearfoot strikers in intermediate test session, but half the group switched towards a forefoot strike pattern in final test session. This switch resulted in a decreased loading rate of the ground reaction force (?73%, p?=?.005) but increased peak ankle plantarflexors moment (+47%, p?=?.050) and peak ankle power absorption (+107%, p?=?.005) for these participants compared with CON. Biomechanical changes associated with the long-term use of partial minimalist shoes suggest a reduction in heel compressive forces but an increase in Achilles tendon tensile forces.     

Influence of sex and limb dominance on lower extremity joint mechanics during unilateral land-and-cut manoeuvres

Limb dominance theory suggests that females tend to be more one-leg dominant and exhibit greater kinematic and kinetic leg asymmetries than their male counterparts, contributing to the increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury among female athletes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the influences of sex and limb dominance on lower extremity joint mechanics during unilateral land-and-cut manoeuvres. Twenty-one women and 21 men completed land-and-cut manoeuvres on their dominant limb as well as their nondominant limb. Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were calculated bilaterally for the entire stance phase of the manoeuvre. Women performed land-and-cut manoeuvres with altered hip motions and loads as well as greater knee abduction at touchdown compared to men. Dominant limb land-and-cut manoeuvres where characterised by decreased hip flexion at touchdown as well as decreased hip flexion and adduction range of motion compared to nondominant land-and-cuts regardless of sex. The observed sex differences are consistent with previous research regarding mechanisms underlying the sex disparity in anterior cruciate ligament injury rates. However, observed differences regarding limb dominances appear somewhat arbitrary and did not suggest that the dominant or nondominant limb would be at increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.     

List of Reviewers

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of target distance on temporal and impact force parameters that are important performance factors in taekwondo kicks. Forty-nine taekwondo athletes (age = 24.5 ± 5.9 years; mass = 79.9 ± 10.8 kg) were recruited: 13 male experts, 21 male novices, 8 female experts, and 6 female novices. Impact force, reaction time, and execution time were computed. Three-way repeated measure ANOVAs revealed significant ‘distance’ effect on impact force, reaction time, and execution time (p = 0.001). Comparisons between distance conditions revealed that taekwondo athletes kicked with higher impact force from short distance (17.6 ± 7.5 N/kg) than from long distance (13.1 ± 5.7 N/kg) (p < 0.001), had lower reaction time from short distance (498 ± 90 ms) and normal distance (521 ± 111 ms) than from long distance (602 ± 121 ms) (p < 0.001), and had lower execution time from short distance (261 ± 69 ms/m) than from normal distance (306 ± 105 ms/m) or from long distance (350 ± 106 ms/m) (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). In conclusion, target distance affected the kick performance; as distance increases, impact force decreased and reaction time increased. Therefore, when reaction to a simple visual stimulus is needed, kicking from a long distance is not recommended, as longer time is required to respond.     

Modeling the kinetics of methane conversion in steam reforming process of coke-oven gas based on experimental data

Steam-reforming is an effective approach for upgrading methane and hydrocarbon of coke-oven gas into CO and H2, but the kinetic behavior needs more study. We investigated the conversion of methane in coke-oven gas by steam reforming process in an electric tubular flow at 14 kPa with temperature varying from 500 °C to 950 °C, and developed a kenetic model for , ignoring the effects of adsorption and diffusion. The optimal dynamic conditions for methane conversion 14 kPa are as follows:the ratio of the amount of water to the amount of methane is from 1.1 to 1.3;the reaction temperature is from 1 223 K to 1 273 K. The methane conversion rate is larger than 95% when the ratio of the amount of water to the amount of methane is 1.2 at a temperature above 1 223 K with the residence time up to 0.75 s.     

Comparative study on activating fly ash by quick lime and slaked lime: effects and kinetics

Lime, which is a frequently used activating agent of fly ash （FA）, has two main states： slaked lime and quick lime. We studied the effects of slaked lime and quick lime on activating FA, and discussed their kinetics. The results show that slaked lime is more beneficial for activating FA than quick lime given the condition of equivalent CaO amount. The use of slaked lime has superiority in technology and economy on activating FA. Theoretical analysis revealed that the kinetic constant of the activation reaction using slaked lime is higher than using quick lime, credited to the better volume stability and fineness, and smaller water demand of slaked lime.     

配合物K3[Al（C2O4）3]·3H2O的热分解反应及其动力学研究

采用TG—DSC方法研究了配合物K3[Al（C2O4）3]·3H2O的热分解反应过程,对其进行了动力学计算。由Friedman、Ozawa—Flynn—Wall、ASTME698三种方法得出峰温时的活化能值与指前因子值。应用Achar方法计算拟舍得到了最佳的机理函数。     

短跑途中跑支撑阶段运动学与动力学特征新研究

采用测力与同步摄像方法,对原始解析坐标数据利用测量到的力的数据计算身体重心的加速度,并采用“积分平滑”的方法研究短跑途中跑支撑阶段身体重心的运动学特征,水平与垂直速度的获得由积分获得。从力的原始数据中分析跑的压心与反作用的方向变化。研究结果显示：短跑途中跑身体重心最低点在整个支撑阶段标准化时刻的30％左右,前支撑阶段运动员有加速用力现象,此加速用力虽影响水平速度,但对提高垂直速度有积极意义,垂直速度在标准化支撑时间的80％处开始下降;途中跑支撑阶段压心从着地时的跖趾骨处急速向踝关节移动后又逐渐向前移动到第二跖关节附近,着地时反作用力的方向有两次向后“突变”。采用的积分平滑运动学数据的技术措施能有效提高计算的精确度。     

原地连续纵跳的运动生物力学特征研究

为研究原地连续纵跳的运动生物力学特征,运用录像拍摄与三维测力同步测试的方法对其研究发现,不同频率作用下的时间参数存在一定差异,随着纵跳频率的增加,时间参数都表现出逐渐减小的趋贽.同一频率作用下随着运动时间的延长,支撑时间逐渐增人.蹬伸力峰值随着连续纵跳运动时间的延长呈现明显逐渐减小的趋势,不同频率原地连续纵跳蹬伸力峰值对起跳效果的影响程度是不同的;缓冲冲量和蹬伸冲量随运动时间的延长,也都呈现出明显的逐渐减小的趋势,并且运动前期的恢复系数人于1.     

A fast and versatile cross-linking strategy via o-phthalaldehyde condensation for mechanically strengthened and functional hydrogels

Fast and catalyst-free cross-linking strategy is of great significance for construction of covalently cross-linked hydrogels. Here, we report the condensation reaction between o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and N-nucleophiles (primary amine, hydrazide and aminooxy) for hydrogel formation for the first time. When four-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (4aPEG) capped with OPA was mixed with various N-nucleophile-terminated 4aPEG as building blocks, hydrogels were formed with superfast gelation rate, higher mechanical strength and markedly lower critical gelation concentrations, compared to benzaldehyde-based counterparts. Small molecule model reactions indicate the key to these cross-links is the fast formation of heterocycle phthalimidine product or isoindole (bis)hemiaminal intermediates, depending on the N-nucleophiles. The second-order rate constant for the formation of phthalimidine linkage (4.3 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) is over 3000 times and 200 times higher than those for acylhydrazone and oxime formation from benzaldehyde, respectively, and comparable to many cycloaddition click reactions. Based on the versatile OPA chemistry, various hydrogels can be readily prepared from naturally derived polysaccharides, proteins or synthetic polymers without complicated chemical modification. Moreover, biofunctionality is facilely imparted to the hydrogels by introducing amine-bearing peptides via the reaction between OPA and amino group.