Dynamic peripheral visual performance relates to alpha activity in soccer players

Many studies have demonstrated the relationship between the alpha activity and the central visual ability, in which the visual ability is usually assessed through static stimuli. Besides static circumstance, however in the real environment there are often dynamic changes and the peripheral visual ability in a dynamic environment (i.e., dynamic peripheral visual ability) is important for all people. So far, no work has reported whether there is a relationship between the dynamic peripheral visual ability and the alpha activity. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate their relationship. Sixty-two soccer players performed a newly designed peripheral vision task in which the visual stimuli were dynamic, while their EEG signals were recorded from Cz, O1, and O2 locations. The relationship between the dynamic peripheral visual performance and the alpha activity was examined by the percentage-bend correlation test. The results indicated no significant correlation between the dynamic peripheral visual performance and the alpha amplitudes in the eyes-open and eyes-closed resting condition. However, it was not the case for the alpha activity during the peripheral vision task: the dynamic peripheral visual performance showed significant positive inter-individual correlations with the amplitudes in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) and the individual alpha band (IAB) during the peripheral vision task. A potential application of this finding is to improve the dynamic peripheral visual performance by up-regulating alpha activity using neuromodulation techniques.

alpha-Co(OH)(2)/carbon nanofoam composite as electrochemical capacitor electrode operating at 2 V in aqueous medium

In this work, alpha-Co(OH)(2) is electrodeposited onto carbon nanofoam forming a composite electrode operating in a potential window of 2 V in aqueous medium. Prior to electrodeposition, the carbon nanofoam substrate is subjected to a functionalization process, which leads to an increase of about 40% in its specific capacitance value. Formation of cobalt hydroxide clusters onto the functionalized carbon nanofoam by pulse electrodeposition further enhances the specific capacitance of the electrode. The combination of these factors with an enlarged working potential window, results in a material with specific capacitance close to 300 F g(-1) at current density of 1 A g(-1), considering the total mass loading of the composite. This suggests the potential application of the prepared composites in high energy density electrochemical supercapacitors. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.