1,720,977 research outputs found
Knowledge acquisition from parsing natural language expressions for humanoid robot action commands
No full textIn this paper we propose an approach that allows the NAO humanoid robot to execute natural language commands spoken by the user. To provide the robot with knowledge, we have defined an action robot ontology. The ontology is fed to an NLP engine that performs a machine reading of the input text (in natural language) given by a user and tries to identify action commands for the robot to execute. The system can work in two modes: STATELESS and STATEFUL. In STATELESS mode, each human expression correctly interpreted by the robot as an action command is performed by NAO which returns in its default posture afterwards. When in STATEFUL mode, the robot has knowledge of its current posture and performs the command only if it is compatible with its current state. In this mode, the robot does not return to its default posture. For example, if the user had told the robot to stand on its right leg in a first command, the robot cannot perform a following command stating to stand on its left leg as the two actions (raise left leg and raise right leg are incompatible). For each action that the robot can perform we modeled a corresponding element in the ontology that also includes a list of associated compatible and non-compatible actions. Our system also handles compound expressions (e.g., move your arms up) and multiple expressions (different commands within one sentence) that the robot understands and performs
Sport habits, weight status and skinfolds in 12-13 years old children: case study in Bologna.
No full textWeight gain could be related to excessive energy intake and low calories consumption as a result of reduced physical activity and unhealthy lifestyles.
The increased trend toward adiposity among adolescents in the Eastern Mediterranean region places them at a high risk of adult obesity and its consequences in terms of chronic diseases later in life.
The purpose of this study is to analyze, under several points of view, weight status and sport habits of children from Bologna, aged twelve and thirteen years old.
The selected subjects are 419 children attending secondary school of Bologna (202 Males and 217 Females, aged between 11,5 years and 13,5 ).
Anthropometric variables measureded are numerous, but in the present study we considered only weight , height, BMI (Body Mass Index) and 7 types of skinfolds: biceps, triceps, subscapularis, supraspinal, suprailiac, medial calf, lateral calf.
Body composition has been derived from skinfold using the prediction equations of Slaughter et al (1988).
Approach to sport habits has been determined through interview to each child, the questions asked them are related to practiced sport activities outside school and kind of sport.
Data processing was performed by using “STATISTICA” software.
We decided to correlate approach to sport and weight status, calculated with two different methodologies: Cole’s cut offs and percentages of body fat, derived by Slaughter’s equations.
The results of this study provide an interesting profile about weight status and sport skills of adolescents aged 12 and 13 years old. The evaluation of the collected data demonstrated interesting correlations between physical activity, skinfolds and children’s weight status
Sport practice, physical structure, and body image among university students
Full text linkAbstract Background The aim of this study was to estimate body image perception in undergraduate students, and to investigate its associations with weight status, abdominal obesity, muscularity, gender and sport. Methods The sample consisted of 231 Italian students (174 males and 57 females); anthropometric measurements, taken by trained technicians, were: height, weight, arm-circumference, waist and hip circumferences. BMI, WHR and Δ arm-circumference were calculated. Body image was assessed using body silhouette charts. Information about sport (currently practiced sport, starting age, and weekly hours of sport) was acquired with questionnaires. Results Females perceived themselves as slightly overweight, while males identified themselves as normal weight. Females had a tendency to desire to be thinner in all weight status categories; in males, normal weight subjects had a tendency to desire to be larger, while overweight wished to be thinner. Sport practice was significantly higher in males. Individuals who were overweight and did less sport were significantly more likely to have higher body dissatisfaction. Conclusions The present study highlights a positive relationship between sport practice, corpulence and body image perception
Going 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
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
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
Effects of Different Resistance Training Frequencies on Body Composition, Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, and Handgrip Strength in Overweight and Obese Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Full text linkBackground: Resistance training improves health in obese and overweight people. However, it is not clear what is the optimal weekly resistance training frequency and the most efficacious training protocol on body composition, cardiometabolic risk factors, and handgrip strength (HS). The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a supervised structured 24 week resistance training program on obese and overweight women.
Methods: Forty-five women (BMI 37.1 ± 6.3 kg/m2; age 56.5 ± 0.7 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: A group with a high weekly training frequency of three times a week (HIGH) and a group that performed it only once a week (LOW). Cardiometabolic risk factors, anthropometric and HS measures were taken before and after the intervention period.
Results: A significant (p < 0.05) group by time interaction was observed for body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fat mass, plasma glucose, plasma insulin, homeostatic model assessment, and for dominant and absolute HS. Additionally, only the HIGH group saw increased HS and decreased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol after the intervention period (p < 0.05). The observed increase in HS was associated with an improved insulin resistance sensitivity (absolute handgrip strength: r = -0.40, p = 0.007; relative handgrip strength: r = -0.47, p = 0.001) after training, which constitutes an essential element for cardiovascular health.
Conclusions: The results suggest that high weekly frequency training give greater benefits for weight loss and cardiometabolic risk factors improvement than a training program with a training session of once a week. Furthermore, the improvement of HS can be achieved with a high weekly frequency training
The association between body composition and quality of life among elderly Italians
No full textObjective This study aimed to assess the body composition and quality of life in elderly Italian people and to value the association between these variables. Methods Height, weight, humerus breadth, circumferences, skinfolds, and hand grip strength were measured in 256 older adults (age: M: 81.1 +/- 7.3, F: 84.9 +/- 8.1 years). Body mass index, waist-hip ratio, waist-height ratio, upper-arm areas, and body composition parameters were calculated. Quality of life (QoL) was measured by WHO Quality of Life-BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Differences between sexes were valued. A multiple regression analysis was carried out to assess the influence of nutritional status and of socio-demographic characteristics on QoL. Results The participants were in average overweight. Even if the percentage of overweight/obese subjects was high in both sexes, males presented a more centripetal fat distribution. These characteristics, joined to data regarding lower values of arm-muscle area and hand grip strength, put males at greater risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Regarding quality of life assessments, psychological domain showed the worst scores, and, marital status resulted the main explanatory variable for this domain. Conclusions Social care facilities for the elderly people require planning strategies based on health promotion criteria in order to accentuate active ageing interventions to ameliorate the quality of life of residents
The Effect of a 20-Week Corrective Exercise Programme on Functional Movement Patterns in Youth Elite Male Soccer Players
No full textCONTEXT:
Poor functional movement patterns negatively affect the ability to perform fundamental movements with precision and efficiency, increasing injury risk in athletes.
OBJECTIVES:
To examine the effect of a 20-week corrective exercise programme during the competitive season on functional movement patterns in youth elite male soccer players.
DESIGN:
Cohort Study.
SETTING:
Team facilities.
PARTICIPANTS:
65 youth elite male soccer players (age 15.89 ± 0.53 years; weight 67.42 ± 6.78 kg; stature 175.20 ± 6.34 cm). Two of four teams were randomly selected to take part in the corrective programme. Thus, the players were placed into two groups: corrective exercise programme (CEP) and control group (CON).
INTERVENTION:
Corrective exercise programme.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Functional movement screen (FMS) was used to assess the presence of dysfunctional, asymmetrical and painful movements in the players before and after the intervention period. In addition to considering the FMS total score (FMStotal), we separated the screen into 3 parts: FMSmove, FMSflex and FMSstab. A repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the training programme on FMS scores. The chi-square (χ2) test was performed to determine whether there were significant changes in the frequencies of asymmetric and dysfunctional movements after 20 weeks.
RESULTS:
No athlete experienced severe injuries during the intervention period. There was a significant group by time interaction (P < 0.01) for FMStotal, FMSmove and FMSstab, in which only the CEP increased their scores after the intervention period (P < 0.05). A χ2 analysis showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in asymmetric and dysfunctional movements at the follow-up in CEP, while these changes were not observed in CON.
CONCLUSIONS:
Youth elite soccer players demonstrate a high prevalence of asymmetric movements during FMS testing, but their functional movement patterns can be improved during the competitive season following a specific corrective exercise programme
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