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At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources

A magnetic field system using implanted sensors to track limb movements in the monkey.

This paper describes the design and construction of a magnetic field system with implanted sensors, capable of tracking limb orientation during unconstrained movements of awake, behaving monkeys. Tiny sensors (approximately 5 mm diameter) made from two orthogonal coils of wire are implanted in the monkey's upper arm, forearm, and hand. Three mutually orthogonal magnetic fields are detected by each sensor, providing sufficient information to determine the orientation of each limb segment. The use of implanted sensors and magnetic fields overcomes the two main difficulties associated with the use of existing tracking systems with monkeys. (1) It is impossible for the monkey to interfere with the sensors. (2) The sensors are never obscured because the body is permeable to magnetic fields. The tracking system provides highly accurate yaw, pitch, and roll orientation information for each limb segment within a cubical workspace approximately 50 cm on a side. Noise is less than 0.3 degrees, and long-term drift is on the order of 0.2 degrees/h. The system is insensitive even to large pieces of steel within the field, provided the sensors remain at least 10-15 cm from the metal.

Animals↗

Age at menarche, family size, and birth order in athletes at the Montreal Olympic Games, 1976.

Age at menarache, family size, and birth order in 145 athletes at the Montreal Olympic Games, 1976, were determined through interview. The athletes represented 27 countries, but 76% came from Canada, Great Britain and the United States. On the average, athletes attained menarche later than the general population in their respective countries, the mean age at menarche for the sample of 139 athletes who had attained menarche at the time of the survey being 13.66 +/- 0.12 years. Six athletes had not yet attained menarche at the time of the survey. Gymnasts, runners and rowers attained menarche significantly later than swimmers, but gymnasts, runners, rowers and jumpers/hurdlers did not differ significantly among themselves in the age at menarche. Correlations between age at menarche and family size and birth order were significant, but low to moderate in magnitude. Athletes from larger families tended to have, on the average, later menarche than those from smaller families, this trend being more apparent in rowers and track and field athletes.

Adolescent↗

Anthropometric characteristics of elite junior male and female javelin throwers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the anthropometric characteristics of elite junior javelin throwers on a sample of eleven male and twelve female finalists of the European Junior Championship in Athletics (MEPA 98). The chosen subjects were measured with a set of nine anthropometric variables, according to the methodology recommended by the International Biological Programme. The results show that no common constitutional type of a junior male or female javelin thrower exists, but that the anthropometric characteristics are very individually defined. At least two constitutional types exist for each gender, ensuring equal success in javelin. Correlational analysis shows that no statistically significant correlations exist between the individual anthropometric characteristics of the male and female throwers with their competitive result. Success in this track and field discipline is therefore more a synthesis of anthropometric characteristics and motor abilities, as well as an optimal technique.

Adolescent↗

Avulsion of the rectus femoris tendon: an unusual type of pelvic fracture.

We present the case of a 15-year-old boy evaluated in the emergency department after sustaining an acute hip injury during track and field practice. Pelvic radiograph demonstrated an avulsion fracture of the anterior inferior iliac spine. Review of the literature reveals this to be a well recognized, yet unusual and interesting injury.

Adolescent↗

Augmenting the effective field of view of optical tracking cameras--a way to overcome difficulties during intraoperative camera alignment.

An Internet survey demonstrated the existence of problems related to intraoperative tracking camera set-up and alignment. It is hypothesized that these problems are a result of the limited field of view of today's optoelectronic camera systems, which is usually insufficiently large to keep the entire site of surgical action in view during an intervention. A method is proposed to augment a camera's field of view by actively controlling camera orientation, enabling it to track instruments as they are used intraoperatively. In an experimental study, an increase of almost 300% was found in the effective volume in which instruments could be tracked.

Equipment Design↗

Development of a scale for use in monitoring training-induced distress in athletes.

In an attempt to identify athletes at risk of training-induced distress, a scale was developed using items from the Profile of Mood States (POMS). POMS data were collected monthly from 170 varsity college swimmers (70 female, 100 male) during four competitive training seasons. The team coaches identified swimmers who showed signs of compromised performance in response to intensive training (i.e., distress), and several series of discriminant function analyses were conducted in attempts to identify these individuals using POMS scale items. Discriminant function equations derived from subsets of items from the entire POMS items pool resulted in a mean prediction rate for identifying distressed swimmers of 93.9% for men and 100% for women. Seven POMS items which entered the equations most frequently served as predictor variables for analyses of a sample of 33 men swimmers. Predictions of distress were conducted at each monthly assessment. The prediction rate of distress achieved with the 7-item set of POMS items averaged 69.1%, and this level of accuracy was 37.0% above the chance rate of prediction (p < 0.05). In a cross-validation on 29 collegiate track and field athletes, the prediction rate of the 7-item scale was 66.7% (p < 0.05). It is concluded that the scale developed in this investigation was effective in identifying swimmers and other endurance athletes who exhibit signs of distress resulting from intensive training.

Depression↗

Injury and illness surveillance at local Special Olympic Games.

The purposes of this study were to: determine the incidence of injury and illness among Special Olympic athletes at local competitions; assess the relative risk of medical problems among Down's syndrome athletes; and compare the relative risk of sports injury incurred by athletes participating in various Special Olympic events. Health stations were set up at all sports venues and injury/illness surveillance records were kept for all injury/illness encounters during a 3-day competition for 777 Special Olympic athletes. A total of 3.5% of the athletes required injury/illness care during the games. Down's syndrome athletes were 3.2 times as likely to encounter a medical problem. Track and field events provided the least activity time and the most injuries. These data suggest that Special Olympic games at the local level are safe and that planners should prepare to treat more illnesses than injuries at such competitions.

Adolescent↗

Exertion injuries in female athletes.

Because sports injuries in men form most of the available statistics, the reportage of injuries in female athletes is sparse. We describe exertion injuries and disorders in 281 women athletes, all of which hampered athletic training or performances. Sixty per cent of the injuries occurred to girls ages between 12-19 years, and about forty-eight per cent were track and field athletes. The most common sites of injury were the ankle, foot, heel and leg. Osteochondritic disorders were the most typical injuries in the series, and the chronic medical tibial syndrome was the injury that needed surgical treatment most frequently. Overuse injuries seem to differ very little from each other in the events included in this survey.

Adolescent↗

Effects of speeds and force fields on submovements during circular manual tracking in humans.

Complex limb movements exhibit segmentation into submovements characterized as bell-shaped speed pulses. Submovements have been implicated in both feedback and feedforward control, reflecting an intermittent error-correction process. This study examines submovements occurring during a circular manual tracking task in humans, focusing on the amplitude-duration scaling of submovements and the properties of this scaling across changes in movement speed and external force load. The task consisted of intercepting and tracking a circularly moving target using a two-jointed, robotic arm that allowed external force fields to be imposed during tracking. Different speed levels and different levels of three types of force field were examined. Submovements were defined as fluctuations in the speed profile. The properties of the amplitude-duration ratio of the speed pulses were examined in relation to target speed and external force fields. The results show that the amplitude and duration of the submovements scale linearly in human manual tracking. The slope of the scaling was independently influenced by both target speed and external force fields. A common element in the increase in the scaling slope was increased tracking errors. Control experiments using passive movements and power spectral analysis showed that the submovements were not artifacts of the mechanical/acquisition system or the imposed force field. These results are consistent with the concept of stereotypy in which movements are constructed of scaled versions of a single prototype. Furthermore, the results support the hypothesis that submovements are integral to an error detection and correction control process.

Adult↗

Breathless in the bath.

The case is reported of a male track and field athlete with breathing difficulties at rest and during exercise, which were exacerbated in the supine position and during water immersion. Right hemidiaphragmatic paralysis was diagnosed. The cause of this relatively benign disorder is not known and there are no serious clinical implications. There is no treatment, but a continuation of exercise together with interventions to strengthen the subsidiary inspiratory muscles is recommended.

Adult↗

Exploring competitive orientation in a group of athletes participating in the 1996 paralympic trials.

The purposes of this study were to test (1) whether athletes with congenital disabilities exhibited different competitive orientations than athletes with disabilities acquired during their lifespans and (2) whether male athletes with disabilities exhibited different competitive orientations than their female peers. 54 paraplegic, quadriplegic and amputee athletes competing in the 1996 Paralympic Track and Field Trials completed the Sport Orientation Questionnaire. No mean differences were found between men and women, athletes with different onsets of their disabilities across the lifespan, between adolescents and adults, and between athletes with different severity classifications on the Goal orientation, Competitiveness, and Desire to win scales. Larger studies are encouraged to examine competitive orientation, as well as scores on tests specifically constructed to be administered to athletes with disabilities.

Adolescent↗

Adult age trends in athletic performances.

Aged trends in male, world record, track and field performances were examined over the 40-69 years age range. Five hypotheses were compared with respect to accuracy of prediction of differential age trends across events. The only hypothesis to yield statistically significant predictions was termed that of energy expenditure-supply ratio. This hypothesis predicts performance changes with age to exhibit steeper overall declines for events for events associated with higher maximal force transmissions, relative to the available (anaerobic or aerobic) energy supply.

Adult↗

Forecasting of top athletic performance.

The limiting factors of top athletic performance and the psycho-physiological mechanisms involved remain controversial. The aim of this study was to attempt a prediction of world records (WR) for the next ten years in five athletic track and field and events. Our prediction has been produced by means of computer--aided mathematical models. In short, polynomials that could best approximate the WR of the last decades have been calculated and projected over the period 2000-2010. The predicted values for the year 2010 point to an improvement rate of the WR considered varying between 0.2% and 10.3%, depending on event and gender. Those values could be influenced by the use of better sports equipment, better nutrition and training and especially by the impact of doping and of anti-doping measures.

Forecasting↗

Neural adaptations with sport-specific resistance training in highly skilled athletes.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of variations in the volume and intensity of resistance training in highly skilled athletes on neural adaptive mechanisms: the maximality and pattern of neural drive. The maximality of muscle activation was measured using a high-resolution sample and hold amplifier to record interpolated twitches. The pattern of neural drive was measured by analysing isometric torque-time curves and electromyographic (EMG) characteristics during the performance of rapid isometric contractions at maximal effort. The volume and intensity of training were varied at 4-weekly intervals to systematically emphasize the development of strength, power and motor performance in 14 highly skilled track and field athletes (e.g. discus, hammer, javelin, shot put and weight). Knee extension strength increased significantly by 15% during steady maximal isometric contractions and by 24% during rapid isometric contractions at maximal effort after the 16-week training programme (P < 0.05). Increases in EMG amplitude and rate of EMG activation indicated that improvements to the pattern of neural drive occurred with sport-specific resistance training (P < 0.05). The maximality and pattern of neural drive did not change in the control group.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Virus infections and sports performance--a prospective study.

There are numerous anecdotal reports relating infection to deterioration in sporting performance. Unexplained failures by top sportsmen are often attributed to recent or current infections. We have carried out a prospective investigation to determine the effect of viral infections on the performance of a group of 68 elite track and field athletes. Athletes were monitored for evidence of viral infection during winter training and their form was assessed subjectively and also semi-objectively by analogue scale questionnaires. Static elevated titres of neutralising antibody to Coxsackie B 1-5 were present in 54% of the athletes and 79% had serological evidence of past viral infection. The raised titres did not relate to poor performance. There was no evidence that loss of form was related to subclinical infection. Elevated antibody levels to Coxsackie B and other common viruses should be interpreted with great caution when assessing athletes complaining of poor performance.

Antibodies, Viral↗

[Elite sports - benefit or damage].

Out of 378 elite athletes investigated in the year 1956, 28 track and field athletes, 14 footballers, 9 cyclists and 18 icehockey-players, who were complaining about serious injuries at the occasion of a sociological investigation, underwent a medical follow-up examination, 30 percent of the examined athletes stated that they suffered from permanent pain as a result of their former career in elite sports. On the other hand, they had a positive attitude about their previous physical activity and would not have missed it at all. Most of the injuries concerned joints (61) or bones (18) whereas other localisations were rather unusual. X-ray examination revealed a considerable number of orthrosis which most of the time, in spite of its sometimes rather grotesque appearance, did not cause the expectes subjective complaints.

Athletic Injuries↗

Paediatric sports injuries in Hong Kong: a seven year survey.

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the epidemiological characteristics of sports injuries in children in Hong Kong. METHODS: Retrospective review of all cases seen in the Sports Injury Clinic of the Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong, in the period May 1984 to December 1990. The variables studied were age at presentation, gender, side of the body injured, anatomical location of the injury, type and severity of injury, sport played, level (school, recreational, amateur and professional) and frequency of sports participation, length in years of sports practice, and initial management of the injury. RESULTS: Of the 2293 patients seen, 238 were youngsters (54% boys) 16 years old or younger. Ball games accounted for the greatest number of injuries, with 37 children taking part in basketball, 28 in soccer, 12 in volleyball, and 31 children taking part in a variety of other ball games. Of the remaining children, the single largest group was practising track and field, with sprinting and middle distance running accounting for 42 injuries, and 28 children were injured while cycling. Most of the injuries (85%) were classified as non-serious, but 15% of children presented with a total of 21 fractures, two joint dislocations, five concussions, and seven torn knee ligaments. CONCLUSIONS: Children sports participation in Hong Kong, although not at high level and not as widespread as in the West, accounts for significant morbidity. These injuries should be carefully monitored to ascertain whether they result in any detrimental long term effects.

Adolescent↗