Background: To determine the role of muscle mass in sex-dependent differences in power output during flywheel resistance training (FRT). Methods: Twenty recreationally active (≥ 2 resistance exercise bouts per week), subjects (10 M, 10 F) completed 2 bouts of resistance exercise using a flywheel resistance training (FRT) device (Exxentric kbox 4 Pro) separated by at least one week. Each session consisted of 3 sets of 4 exercises (squat, bent-over row, Romanian deadlift, and biceps curl) with varying moments of inertia (0.050, 0.075, and 0.100 kg/m2, respectively) in random order. Each set consisted of 5 maximal effort repetitions with 3-minute recovery between sets. Average power, peak concentric and peak eccentric power were recorded and normalized to whole-body skeletal muscle mass (as calculated from bioelectrical impedence analysis). Additionally, linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between muscle mass and highest power output observed among all three inertial loads. Results: Absolute average, peak concentric and peak eccentric power for all lifts was significantly higher for males compared to females except for peak eccentric power for biceps curl which showed no significant difference. After normalizing to skeletal muscle mass, power output remained significantly higher for men in Row average power and peak concentric power as well as average power for biceps curl. A significant main effect of inertial load was noted for both absolute and relative power output for all exercises except for squat average power and peak concentric power. Regression analysis revealed that power output increases linearly with skeletal muscle mass (R2 = 0.37-0.77). Conclusions: Differences in power output between sexes during resistance exercise can largely be explained by differences in muscle mass. Indeed, muscle mass accounts for approximately 37-77% of the variance in power output during FRT depending on the exercise. Increasing inertial load tends to decrease power output during FRT.

With advances in hardware miniaturization and wireless communication technologies even small portable wireless devices have much communication bandwidth and computing power. These devices include smartphones, tablet computers, and personal digital assistants. Users of these devices expect to run software applications that they usually have on their desktop computers as well as the new applications that are being developed for mobile devices. Web browsing, social networking, gaming, online multimedia playing, global positioning system based navigation, and accessing emails are examples of a few popular applications. Mobile versions of thousands of desktop applications are already available in mobile application markets, and consequently, the expected operational time of smartphones is rising rapidly. At the same time, the complexity of these applications is growing in terms of computation and communication needs, and there is a growing demand for energy in smartphones. However, unlike the exponential growth in computing and communication technologies, in terms of speed and packaging density, battery technology has not kept pace with the rapidly growing energy demand of these devices. Therefore, designers are faced with the need to enhance the battery life of smartphones. Knowledge of how energy is used and lost in the system components of the devices is vital to this end. With this view, we focus on modeling and evaluating the energy performance of smartphones in this thesis. We also propose techniques for enhancing the energy efficiency and functionality of smartphones. The detailed contributions of the thesis are as follows: (i) we present a nite state machine based model to estimate the energy cost of an application running on a smartphone, and provide practical approaches to extract model parameters; (ii) the concept of energy cost pro le is introduced to assess the impact of design decisions on energy cost at an early stage of software design; (iii) a generic architecture is proposed and implemented for enhancing the capabilities of smartphones by sharing resources; (iv) we have analyzed the Internet tra c of smartphones to observe the energy saving potentials, and have studied the implications on the existing energy saving techniques; and nally, (v) we have provided a methodology to select user level test cases for performing energy cost evaluation of applications. All of our concepts and proposed methodology have been validated with extensive measurements on a real test bench. Our work contributes to both theoretical understanding of energy e ciency of software applications and practical methodologies for evaluating energy e ciency. In summary, the results of this work can be used by application developers to make implementation level decisions that affect the energy efficiency of software applications on smartphones. In addition, this work leads to the design and implementation of energy e cient smartphones.

The present study forms part of a continual process of ongoing research based on the assumptions and principles of Pascual-Leone's neo-Piagetian Theory of Constructive Operators. Pascual-Leone proposes a model of development that has as its main postulate a quantitative parameter (M-power) which, together with other operators, is held to account for the qualitative logical-structural competencies characteristic of the epistemic subject at each successive Piagetian developmental stage. The present study was designed to assess, via the use of the Compound Stimulus Visual Information (CSVI) task, the role of executive processing on performance. The aim of the study was to ascertain the effect on performance if subjects are trained to use arousal executives and temporal executives that maximize the application of M-power and increase the number of times subjects attend and respond to the compound stimulus. All subjects (N =114) were Zulu-speaking children aged 11 (N =59) and 13 (N =55) years living in a township (Indaleni) adjacent to Richmond (Natal). Subjects in each of the two age groups were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (arousal-temporal; temporal-arousal; and control) in accord with the order in which they received executive training between the three CSVI tests administered. ii The most striking feature of the results is the contrast between training, learning, and developmental effects. Niether the arousal nor temporal training appears to have effected performance although clear developmental effects were evident, with older subjects consistently performing at higher levels than younger subjects on the first look of the CSVI. This is not the case for repeated looks or for the second look of the first CSVI, for which older and younger subjects perform at the same level. However, for both first and repeated looks strong learning effects are evident across the three CSVI tests with performance improving from an initial underperformance to overperformance on the final CSVI. This suggests that subjects learn strategies that enable them to lower the task demands across looks. In investigating this possibility a comparison was made between the theoretically anticipated proportion of "new" and "repeat" responses and those actually obtained. This comparison clearly indicates the use of some strategy on the part of both 11 and 13 year-olds which significantly reduces the number of repeats made. This, in turn, effectively increases the M-power available for new responses on repeated exposure of the stimulus compound. This improved performance of subjects on repeated testing suggests that tasks cannot be made equivalent across subjects unless the subjects have the opportunity to engage in the task Hi and thereby generate strategies appropriate to meet the task demands. Further, the self-generation of strategies and the marked degree of individual variation evident within the present study suggests that these must be investigated in the light of the interrelation between contextual/individual factors and postulated structural invarients such that a clearer understanding of the interaction between inter- and intra-individual processes becomes possiable. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1989.

With advances in hardware miniaturization and wireless communication technologies even small portable wireless devices have much communication bandwidth and computing power. These devices include smartphones, tablet computers, and personal digital assistants. Users of these devices expect to run software applications that they usually have on their desktop computers as well as the new applications that are being developed for mobile devices. Web browsing, social networking, gaming, online multimedia playing, global positioning system based navigation, and accessing emails are examples of a few popular applications. Mobile versions of thousands of desktop applications are already available in mobile application markets, and consequently, the expected operational time of smartphones is rising rapidly. At the same time, the complexity of these applications is growing in terms of computation and communication needs, and there is a growing demand for energy in smartphones. However, unlike the exponential growth in computing and communication technologies, in terms of speed and packaging density, battery technology has not kept pace with the rapidly growing energy demand of these devices. Therefore, designers are faced with the need to enhance the battery life of smartphones. Knowledge of how energy is used and lost in the system components of the devices is vital to this end. With this view, we focus on modeling and evaluating the energy performance of smartphones in this thesis. We also propose techniques for enhancing the energy efficiency and functionality of smartphones. The detailed contributions of the thesis are as follows: (i) we present a nite state machine based model to estimate the energy cost of an application running on a smartphone, and provide practical approaches to extract model parameters; (ii) the concept of energy cost pro le is introduced to assess the impact of design decisions on energy cost at an early stage of software design; (iii) a generic architecture is proposed and implemented for enhancing the capabilities of smartphones by sharing resources; (iv) we have analyzed the Internet tra c of smartphones to observe the energy saving potentials, and have studied the implications on the existing energy saving techniques; and nally, (v) we have provided a methodology to select user level test cases for performing energy cost evaluation of applications. All of our concepts and proposed methodology have been validated with extensive measurements on a real test bench. Our work contributes to both theoretical understanding of energy e ciency of software applications and practical methodologies for evaluating energy e ciency. In summary, the results of this work can be used by application developers to make implementation level decisions that affect the energy efficiency of software applications on smartphones. In addition, this work leads to the design and implementation of energy e cient smartphones.

The emergence of analytically-based pavement design has encouraged investigations toward a better understanding of the behaviour of pavement layers under cyclic loading. Unbound granular base (UGB) materials are commonly placed as base course layers in the design of pavement foundations. Due to their nature and geometry they are unsaturated geo-materials and therefore, it is desirable to study their behaviour using the framework of unsaturated soil mechanics. Current literature reflects very limited achievements in this direction. This thesis presents the development of a cyclic triaxial testing system and associated testing methodology that meets the challenges of testing an UGB material as an unsaturated soil. The testing system enables the initialisation of a specimen to target matric suction and facilitates direct measurement of its evolution under cyclic loading. In conjunction with the use of accurate on-specimens strain measurement transducers, ???clean??? strain and matric suction cyclic responses are obtained. Two types of cyclic triaxial testing are investigated: with constant cell pressure (i.e., CSeries testing) and with varying (cyclic) cell pressure where both axial and radial stress components are simultaneously (and in phase) pulsed (i.e., V-Series testing). Different initial matric suctions, si will be imposed in the testing program and the influence of si on material behaviour is analysed. This is investigated in a similar manner for C- and V-Series testing. The influence of si appears to be significant for both cyclic and permanent strain responses. A strong stress path dependency is found to characterise the behaviour of the UGB material. Under a wide range of cyclic deviator stress magnitudes, permanent strain response is found to correlate with that of matric suction response. Both appear to indicate better the relative performance of a UGB material than the response of resilient modulus. Another particular aspect investigated is the influence of additional fines on the behaviour of the UGB material. To ???isolate??? the effects of additional fines the cyclic and permanent strain responses of ???equivalent??? specimens with equivalent compaction and unsaturation condition, but different fines content, are compared. The results showed that the relative performance of the two materials (distinguished by the different percentage of fines content) in intertwined with the strong stress path dependency. It is also found that a material compacted at higher dry density may not improve its behaviour under cyclic loading, but may worsen with load cycles. Soil-water characteristic curve tests are conducted for the UGB materials investigated, showing high sensitivity of initial matric suction to moisture content, which increases further for the material with additional fines. This explains the notion of ???sensitivity??? of UGB materials as commonly suggested by practicing pavement engineers.

Lic.-avh. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2006. / Härtill 2 uppsatser.

Licentiatavhandling (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniverstet, 2007. / Härtill 2 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.Sc.) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet.

Thesis (Ph.D.); Submitted to Department of Chemical Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (US); 1 Sep 2004. / Published through the Information Bridge: DOE Scientific and Technical Information. "LA-14178-T" R.L. Ames. 09/01/2004. Report is also available in paper and microfiche from NTIS.

Horse breeding has always been favored over the other sectors of animal husbandry. Oldkladruby horse, bred in the Czech Republic for more than 400 years, is one of the oldest breeds of horses. This original breed is included in animal genetic resources. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the results of Oldkladruby horse performance tests. The database was formed by descendants of fathers in breeding process in 1994 - 2014. The work follows the five factors reliability in heavy draught, team of horses maneuverability, marathon, movement, rideability and overall performance. Performance test is an important factor when selecting individuals for breeding, as well as a basis for determining performance of horses. Emphasis was placed on the analysis of monitored indicators and eventually on evaluation of the mechanics of movement, which is very important for Oldkladruby horses. Rudolfo, Roma and Siglavi Pakra strain represented a small number of individuals and their values are regarded as indicative. The largest number of mares which have undergone performance testing, belong to Generalissimus strain in the white color horses and Solo and Sacramoso colored black. Low values of the variation coefficient were found for all groups of mares and show considerable results balance. The results showed that for Oldkladruby mares in the mechanics of movement when comparing color variations, the highest marks reached strain Generalissimo. Due to the small number of stallions in the evaluation, we compared only their color variation. The low coefficient of variation indicates that the performance of stallions reached high level. When comparing the results of mares and stallions, we found that stallions excelled in all disciplines evaluated over mares.