1,721,029 research outputs found
Human motor performance and physiotherapy : Effect of strapping, hot and cold pack treatments and strength training
Full text linkAbstractHuman motor performance and motor skills are essential aspects of various daily activities, and their importance is especially great in traffic, sports and unexpected situations. There is evidence that physically active subjects have better performance in some motor tasks (e.g. reaction time) than less active ones, and a few longitudinal intervention studies have shown that training improves certain aspects of motor performance, but there are also contradictory results. Despite the difficulty of improving motor performance, many physiotherapy programs and treatments are expected to do precisely that. However, the previous literature contains little information on these issues.The aim of the present doctoral project was to examine human motor performance (reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed and coordination) and the effects of some of the most commonly used physiotherapy treatments on it in normal healthy volunteers. In addition, the reliability of the motor performance measurements performed with the HPM/BEP system is presented.Study I was a cross-sectional study of the population of Oulu, where 200 healthy randomly selected subjects (100 men and 100 women aged 21–70 years) were stratified by gender and by ten-year age group into ten groups. The test battery consisted of six motor performance tests for both hands and feet.The studies II, III and V were non-controlled intervention studies, and study IV was a cross-over intervention study. The participants in the studies were healthy, voluntary staff members (n = 14–30) of the Oulu University Hospital, and the interventions between the measurements consisted of strapping of the ankle and wrist joints (study II), hot and cold pack treatments of the hand (study III), one-hour hand strength training session (study IV) and a ten -week hand strength training program (study V).The results showed that motor performance was poorer in the older age groups in both genders. The average speed of movement and tapping speed values were higher for men than for women, but there were no gender differences in the coordination tests or the hand reaction time tests. All values (except the hand reaction times) were better for the dominant than the nondominant side.The strapping of the ankle and wrist joints decreased some aspects of the motor performance and muscle strength of these joints in healthy subjects. The hot pack treatment of healthy subjects caused only minor changes in the motor performance of the treated area, while the cold pack treatment decreased almost all of the measured aspects, and these changes were especially notable in fine motor movements.A one-hour hand strength training session decreased acutely muscle strength and EMG activity, but muscle fatigue had no effects on the motor performance functions of the hand. It seems that the feeling of incompetence to perform speed and accurate movements with fatigued muscles is mainly a subjective feeling, and that the real effect of muscle fatigue on motor performance is less than generally expected. A ten-week hand strength training period increased muscle strength and EMG activity in the trained muscles. There was also a suggestion that even non-task-specific training may improve some aspects of the motor performance of the hand, and an increase in the activation of motor units during muscle contraction may improve motor performance in some motor tasks.In addition, the results indicated that the HPM / BEP system is a potentially useful tool for studying motor performance, and the reliability of the system is acceptable.Academic Dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, for public discussion in Auditorium 1 of the University Hospital of Oulu, on February 26th, 1999, at 12 noon.Abstract
Human motor performance and motor skills are essential aspects of various daily activities, and their importance is especially great in traffic, sports and unexpected situations. There is evidence that physically active subjects have better performance in some motor tasks (e.g. reaction time) than less active ones, and a few longitudinal intervention studies have shown that training improves certain aspects of motor performance, but there are also contradictory results. Despite the difficulty of improving motor performance, many physiotherapy programs and treatments are expected to do precisely that. However, the previous literature contains little information on these issues.
The aim of the present doctoral project was to examine human motor performance (reaction time, speed of movement, tapping speed and coordination) and the effects of some of the most commonly used physiotherapy treatments on it in normal healthy volunteers. In addition, the reliability of the motor performance measurements performed with the HPM/BEP system is presented.
Study I was a cross-sectional study of the population of Oulu, where 200 healthy randomly selected subjects (100 men and 100 women aged 21–70 years) were stratified by gender and by ten-year age group into ten groups. The test battery consisted of six motor performance tests for both hands and feet.
The studies II, III and V were non-controlled intervention studies, and study IV was a cross-over intervention study. The participants in the studies were healthy, voluntary staff members (n = 14–30) of the Oulu University Hospital, and the interventions between the measurements consisted of strapping of the ankle and wrist joints (study II), hot and cold pack treatments of the hand (study III), one-hour hand strength training session (study IV) and a ten -week hand strength training program (study V).
The results showed that motor performance was poorer in the older age groups in both genders. The average speed of movement and tapping speed values were higher for men than for women, but there were no gender differences in the coordination tests or the hand reaction time tests. All values (except the hand reaction times) were better for the dominant than the nondominant side.
The strapping of the ankle and wrist joints decreased some aspects of the motor performance and muscle strength of these joints in healthy subjects. The hot pack treatment of healthy subjects caused only minor changes in the motor performance of the treated area, while the cold pack treatment decreased almost all of the measured aspects, and these changes were especially notable in fine motor movements.
A one-hour hand strength training session decreased acutely muscle strength and EMG activity, but muscle fatigue had no effects on the motor performance functions of the hand. It seems that the feeling of incompetence to perform speed and accurate movements with fatigued muscles is mainly a subjective feeling, and that the real effect of muscle fatigue on motor performance is less than generally expected. A ten-week hand strength training period increased muscle strength and EMG activity in the trained muscles. There was also a suggestion that even non-task-specific training may improve some aspects of the motor performance of the hand, and an increase in the activation of motor units during muscle contraction may improve motor performance in some motor tasks.
In addition, the results indicated that the HPM / BEP system is a potentially useful tool for studying motor performance, and the reliability of the system is acceptable
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
Monipaikkainen tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipu nuoruudessa: esiintyvyys, riskitekijät ja seuraukset
No full textAbstractRecent studies in adults have shown that musculoskeletal (MS) pains are often experienced at several body sites. The number of pain sites has been shown to be proportional to poor health outcomes, such as functional ability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study investigated the occurrence and persistence of MS pain in multiple locations, determinants of multiple-site pain, and the impact of multiple-site pain on HRQoL and health care use among adolescents aged 16 to 19. The data were based on three inquiries that were administered to the adolescents of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. MS pain was common and often occurred at multiple sites. Moreover, the majority of adolescents with multiple-site pain at 16 reported multiple-site pain also at 18. Multiple-site MS pains were strongly associated with psychosocial complaints, but also with high physical activity level, long sitting time, short sleeping time, smoking, and overweight. Emotional problems, behavioral problems, and high sitting time among males, and emotional problems, high physical activity level, short sleeping time, and smoking among females were predictive factors for the persistence of multiple-site pain. The likelihood of reduced HRQoL increased according to the number of MS pain sites. A trend toward an increase in health care use with the number of pain sites was also observed. Reporting pain in multiple sites in adolescence may have both peripheral (tissue origin) and central (pain experience) causes. As multiple-site pain in adolescence may predict subsequent MS morbidity, the adolescents who are at highest risk and also at the highest need of health promotion should be identified in further studies. TiivistelmäAikuisväestössä tehtyjen tutkimusten perusteella tuki- ja liikuntaelimistön kivut esiintyvät tavallisesti usealla kehon alueella samanaikaisesti. Monikipuisuudella näyttää olevan epäedullisia vaikutuksia useisiin terveyteen liittyviin ilmiöihin kuten toiminta- ja työkykyyn sekä elämänlaatuun. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin monipaikkaisen tuki- ja liikuntaelinkivun esiintyvyyttä, pysyvyyttä ja riskitekijöitä sekä sen vaikutusta terveyteen liittyvään elämänlaatuun ja terveyspalvelujen käyttöön 16–19 -vuotiailla nuorilla. Tutkimuksen aineisto perustui kolmeen kyselyyn, jotka lähetettiin Pohjois-Suomen syntymäkohortti 1986:n nuorille. Tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipu oli yleistä ja esiintyi tavallisimmin usealla kehon alueella. Suurin osa nuorista, jotka raportoivat monen paikan kipua 16-vuotiaana, raportoivat sitä myös 18-vuotiaana. Monen kehon alueen tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipu yhdistyi voimakkaasti psykososiaalisiin tekijöihin, mutta myös korkeaan liikunta-aktiivisuuteen, runsaaseen istumiseen, vähäiseen uneen, tupakointiin ja ylipainoon. Käyttäytymisen- ja tunne-elämän häiriöt sekä runsas istuminen pojilla, ja tunne-elämän häiriöt, korkea liikunnallinen aktiivisuus, vähäinen uni sekä tupakointi tytöillä ennustivat monen kehon alueen kivun pysyvyyttä. Todennäköisyys heikentyneeseen terveyteen liittyvään elämänlaatuun lisääntyi suhteessa kipualueiden määrään. Myös terveyspalvelujen käytön ja kipualueiden lukumäärän välillä havaittiin yhteys. Monen paikan tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipua selittänevät sekä kudostasoiset että keskushermostolliset syyt. Koska laaja-alainen kipuoireilu nuoruudessa voi ennustaa myöhempiä tuki- ja liikuntaelinongelmia, riskiryhmiä ja samalla eniten terveyden edistämistä tarvitsevia nuoria tulisi pyrkiä jatkossa tarkemmin tunnistamaan. Academic dissertation to be presented with the assent of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Oulu for public defence in the Auditorium of Kastelli Research Centre (Aapistie 1), on 2 December 2011, at 12 noonAbstract
Recent studies in adults have shown that musculoskeletal (MS) pains are often experienced at several body sites. The number of pain sites has been shown to be proportional to poor health outcomes, such as functional ability and health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
This study investigated the occurrence and persistence of MS pain in multiple locations, determinants of multiple-site pain, and the impact of multiple-site pain on HRQoL and health care use among adolescents aged 16 to 19. The data were based on three inquiries that were administered to the adolescents of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986.
MS pain was common and often occurred at multiple sites. Moreover, the majority of adolescents with multiple-site pain at 16 reported multiple-site pain also at 18. Multiple-site MS pains were strongly associated with psychosocial complaints, but also with high physical activity level, long sitting time, short sleeping time, smoking, and overweight. Emotional problems, behavioral problems, and high sitting time among males, and emotional problems, high physical activity level, short sleeping time, and smoking among females were predictive factors for the persistence of multiple-site pain. The likelihood of reduced HRQoL increased according to the number of MS pain sites. A trend toward an increase in health care use with the number of pain sites was also observed.
Reporting pain in multiple sites in adolescence may have both peripheral (tissue origin) and central (pain experience) causes. As multiple-site pain in adolescence may predict subsequent MS morbidity, the adolescents who are at highest risk and also at the highest need of health promotion should be identified in further studies.Tiivistelmä
Aikuisväestössä tehtyjen tutkimusten perusteella tuki- ja liikuntaelimistön kivut esiintyvät tavallisesti usealla kehon alueella samanaikaisesti. Monikipuisuudella näyttää olevan epäedullisia vaikutuksia useisiin terveyteen liittyviin ilmiöihin kuten toiminta- ja työkykyyn sekä elämänlaatuun.
Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin monipaikkaisen tuki- ja liikuntaelinkivun esiintyvyyttä, pysyvyyttä ja riskitekijöitä sekä sen vaikutusta terveyteen liittyvään elämänlaatuun ja terveyspalvelujen käyttöön 16–19 -vuotiailla nuorilla. Tutkimuksen aineisto perustui kolmeen kyselyyn, jotka lähetettiin Pohjois-Suomen syntymäkohortti 1986:n nuorille.
Tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipu oli yleistä ja esiintyi tavallisimmin usealla kehon alueella. Suurin osa nuorista, jotka raportoivat monen paikan kipua 16-vuotiaana, raportoivat sitä myös 18-vuotiaana. Monen kehon alueen tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipu yhdistyi voimakkaasti psykososiaalisiin tekijöihin, mutta myös korkeaan liikunta-aktiivisuuteen, runsaaseen istumiseen, vähäiseen uneen, tupakointiin ja ylipainoon. Käyttäytymisen- ja tunne-elämän häiriöt sekä runsas istuminen pojilla, ja tunne-elämän häiriöt, korkea liikunnallinen aktiivisuus, vähäinen uni sekä tupakointi tytöillä ennustivat monen kehon alueen kivun pysyvyyttä. Todennäköisyys heikentyneeseen terveyteen liittyvään elämänlaatuun lisääntyi suhteessa kipualueiden määrään. Myös terveyspalvelujen käytön ja kipualueiden lukumäärän välillä havaittiin yhteys.
Monen paikan tuki- ja liikuntaelinkipua selittänevät sekä kudostasoiset että keskushermostolliset syyt. Koska laaja-alainen kipuoireilu nuoruudessa voi ennustaa myöhempiä tuki- ja liikuntaelinongelmia, riskiryhmiä ja samalla eniten terveyden edistämistä tarvitsevia nuoria tulisi pyrkiä jatkossa tarkemmin tunnistamaan
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
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
koamabayili/VECTRON-author-checklist: VECTRON author checklist
No full textWe have done our best to complete the author checklist relating to the use of animals in the hut study. Note that the objective for the hut study was to evaluate the IRS treatment applications for residual efficacy against Anopheles mosquitoes, including the local An. coluzzii mosquito population. Cows were only used to attract mosquitoes into the huts and no tests were carried out directly on the cows. The author checklist is intended for use with studies where experiments are carried out on animals, which is why we have had such difficulty in completing this for the hut study, as many of the questions do not relate to how the cows were used
Author-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.
No full textAuthor-wise bibliometric analysis based on entropy.</p
- …
