1,720,966 research outputs found
Allenamento adattato in soggetti over 70: effetti sulla forza e sulla potenza muscolare degli arti inferiori
No full textAim: Purpose of the study was to detect any gain in the strength and power of the knee extensor muscles in a group of 23 elderly people after a training period of one year. Material and meyhod: The training program, held at a frequency of three weekly sessions, wad designed to provide strength and power training suitable for elderly people, exercises aimed to improve balance, coordination, gait and dynamic posture. It consisted of heating, aerobic work, strength work, flexibility, balance, stretching, strength-training exercises with machines and exercises using elastic bands. All the participants (10 males and 13 females over the age of 70 years, mean age 76.2 ± 3.7) were evaluated before (pre) and after (post) the completion of the training program carrying out two tests: a) maximum voluntary isometric contraction at 90° of extension (KE) of the extensor muscles of the knee joint; b) maximum power of the lower limbs (LP). Result: The maximum isometric force measured on the knee extensors (KE) has increased both in males and females. The same was observed regarding the power of the knee extensors (LP). Improvement in power (LP) was more significant in the female group (p = 0.0001, 0.0009) than in the male group (p = 0.0223, 0.0454). Conclusion: The results show that elderly subjects involved in a long term training at medium intensity ncrease the strength and power of the muscle groups involved; further studies could investigate if also qther qualities such as balance and coordination improve.Training programs like this could be then applied in order to enhance the general quality of life of eldery people
COULD BENEFITS OF PHISICAL ACTIVITY IN THE ELDERLY BE PREDICTED BY SIMPLE FUNCTIONAL ERGOMETRIC TEST?.
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Could benefits of phisical activity in the eldery be predicted by simple functional ergometric tests?
No full textGoing Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
A functional assessment methodology for alcohol dependent patients undergoing rehabilitative treatments
No full textEffectiveness of a home-based strengthening program for elderly males in Italy. A preliminary study
No full textBackground and aims: The practice of regular physical exercise has been shown to be effective in slowing the age-related progressive functional deterioration. Most exercise trials have been conducted with supervised training programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-month home-based strength training on strength, function and personal satisfaction. Methods: Ten elderly men (mean age 68.5 years) were enrolled for home-based training one month after completing a 4-month supervised program; 12 age-matched men served as the control group. Subjects were asked to perform 3 sessions a week consisting of six resistance exercises with elastic bands involving the major muscle groups of the upper and lower limbs. We had calculated the correlation between the elongation and resistance of the elastic bands. The subjects were instructed to keep a diary reporting the execution of the session. We measured dynamic concentric strength of the muscle groups involved in the resistance exercises and maximal isometric strength of the knee extensors and elbow flexors before and after the 4-month home training. The Satisfaction Profile (SAT-P) questionnaire was administered before and one month after the completion of the training program for assessing personal satisfaction. Results: The final to baseline comparison showed a non-significant decrease in mean isometric maximal strength values for knee extensors and elbow flexors in the control group, while the exercise group significantly (p=0.001) improved the average baseline values. Maximal dynamic concentric strength values decreased significantly in the control group, while significant improvements were observed in the exercising subjects. The SAT-P questionnaire did not show any difference in either group from baseline. The adherence-to-protocol rate based on self-report was 78%. Conclusions: Home training with elastic bands appears to be an effective low-cost modality of maintaining strength and function in an elderly population
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Ultrasound monitoring of patients with leg muscle atrophy
No full textBackground. So far, the description of muscle atrophy in humans has been mostly based on changes in anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) measured at specific sites along the muscle belly by imaging techniques. However, there is experimental evidence of regional differences in muscle atrophy and therefore changes in the internal architecture of the muscle could go undetected on the basis of ACSA calculations. Skeletal muscles can be divided into roughly two categories: parallel muscles, whose muscle fibres are parallel to the tendon attached to the bone and are therefore on the traction axis of the muscle, and pennated muscles, whose fibres are connected to the tendinous sheet with an angle defined as the 'pennation angle'. In a previous study, we demonstrated that muscle atrophy led to a decrease in pennation angle and fibre length. The present study aimed demonstrate that to ultrasound may represent a simple, disposable non-invasive method to be used in rehabilitation medicine to assess muscle atrophy and monitoring changes in muscle architecture after rehabilitation. Methods. Ten patients (6 males, 4 females, 21-41 yrs.) with unilateral muscle atrophy were admitted to this study. Maximum anatomical CSA of the gastrocnemius medians (GM) was determined with CT scans of both legs. GM muscle fiber pennation angle and fiber length were measured in both legs in the same region of maximum CSA by real-time ultrasound with a 7.5 MHz, 4 cm long, linear probe. Maximal voluntary and electrically evoked torque of the plantar flexor muscles were measured. The twitch interpolation technique was also used. The measurements were repeated after a one month rehabilitation period in all of subject. Results. The mean pre-rehabilitation CSA was 17.8 cm2 in the unaffected limb and 16.7 cm2 in the affected limb; the post-rehabilitation values were 19.8 cm2 in the unaffected limb and 18.2 cm2 in the affected limb. Mean pennation angles differed by 11% (25.5% in the unaffected limb and 22.8% in the affected limb, p<0.02) at pre-rehabilitation, while no significant differences were observed at post-rehabilitation. No changes in fiber length were observed at pre- and post-rehabilitation. Affected to unaffected differences in maximal voluntary strength varied from 32.4% at pre- rehabilitation to 9.6% at postrehabilitation. Conclusions. This study showed that US provides a simple non-invasive means of quantify muscle atrophy and monitoring changes following rehabilitation. Structural changes in CSA and pennation angle as monitored by US, and functional changes in muscle maximal strength provide an 'up to date' profile of the muscular architecture and performance capacity. US represents a sensitive-to-change method to evaluate the degree of muscle atrophy in rehabilitation patients
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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