Verbal and visual stimulation effects on rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles during isometric and concentric

Abstract Background: Coactivation may be both desirable (injury prevention) or undesirable (strength measurement). In this context, different styles of muscle strength stimulus have being investigated. In this study we evaluated the effects of verbal and visual stimulation on rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles contraction during isometric and concentric. Methods: We investigated 13 men (age =23.1 ± 3.8 years old; body mass =75.6 ± 9.1 kg; height =1.8 ± 0.07 m). We used the isokinetic dynamometer BIODEX device and an electromyographic (EMG) system. We evaluated the maximum isometric and isokinetic knee extension and flexion at 60°/s. The following conditions were evaluated: without visual nor verbal command (control); verbal command; visual command and; verbal and visual command. In relation to the concentric contraction, the volunteers performed five reciprocal and continuous contractions at 60°/s. With respect to isometric contractions it was made three contractions of five seconds for flexion and extension in a period of one minute. Results: We found that the peak torque during isometric flexion was higher in the subjects in the VVC condition (p > 0.05). In relation to muscle coactivation, the subjects presented higher values at the control condition (p > 0.05). Conclusion We suggest that this type of stimulus is effective for the lower limbs.

Blinda personers icke-verbala kommunikation : studier om kroppsspråk, icke-verbal samtalsreglering och icke-verbala uttryck

The purpose of this thesis is to deepen the understanding of grown-up blind people’s non-verbal communication, including body expressions and paralinguistic (voice) expressions. More specifically, the thesis includes the following three studies: Blind people’s different forms of body expressions, blind people’s non-verbal conversation regulation and blind people’s experience of their own non-verbal expressions. The focus has been on the blind participants’ competence and on their subjective perspectives. I have also compared congenitally and adventitiously blind in all of the studies. The approach is mainly phenomenological and the qualitative empirical phenomenological psychological method is the primary methodological source of inspiration. Fourteen blind persons (and also some sigthed persons) participated. They have no other obvious disability than the blindness and their ages vary between 18 and 54. Data in the first two studies consisted of video recordings and data in the last study consisted of interviews. The overall results can be summarized in the following three points: 1. There are (almost) only similarities between the congenitally blind and adventitiously blind persons concerning their paralinguistic expressions. 2. There are mainly similarities between the two groups with respect to the occurrences of different body expressive forms. 3. There are also some differences between the groups. For example, the congenitally blind persons seem to have a limited ability to use the body in an abstract and symbolic way and they often mentioned that they have been told that their body expressions deviate from sighted people’s norms. But the persons in both groups also struggle to see themselves as unique persons who express themselves on the basis of their conditions and their previous experiences.

Protocolo de anestesia y recuperación para estudio de morfometría de juveniles de caballito de mar, (Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Anaesthetic and Recovery Protocol for morfometric study of Atlantic seahorse, Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758), juveniles. Some morphometric studies in marine organism need anaesthetics in order to avoid animal?s sacrifice and allow its recovery. In this study different natural clove essential concentrations has been tested in Atlantic seahorses, Hippocampus hippocampus (Linnaeus, 1758) aged 13 (trunk length 7,48 ± 1,14 mm) and 22 days (trunk length 9,09 ± 1,62 mm). An inversed relation was observed between anaesthetic concentration and effective time. The concentration allowing measures was 25 ppm. This procedure allowed 100% survival rate.

Optimización del protocolo de destete de corvina (Argyrosomus regius, Asso, 1801)

[EN] Argyrosomus regius is a new species of interest in aquaculture. Nevertheless, few are the works published on this species and less even in larvae culture and weaning. In this study 2 experiments were done, in tanks of 15 l, with larvae of 15 and 34 days of life, respectively to which 2 different protocols for their weaning were applied. The provided food consisted of a mixture of Artemia and microdiet to different concentration. In experiment A, the best results of growth were observed in treatment 1 and worse in treatment 3, nevertheless in the survival the opposite happened. In experiment B, the best results they were reached with larvae submitted to low density and with significant difference between treatment 1 and 2, in survival no significant differences were found between the different treatments.