A influência das alterações posturais na produção da voz é um assunto bastante interessante e de grande importância para aqueles que utilizam a voz profissionalmente. O objetivo do presente estudo é identificar a influência no sinal vocal de um mesmo indivíduo quando este muda sua postura corporal. Foram realizadas as análises de 25 amostras vocais de um indivíduo que emitiu a vogal sustentada /a/ em três diferentes posturas corporais: A) ortostática natural do sujeito; B) anteriorização da cabeça associada com extensão da coluna cervical; e C) aumento da cifose torácica associada com anteriorização de cabeça. O indivíduo foi fotografado simultaneamente ao processo de gravação da voz. As posturas foram avaliadas por fotogrametria pelo programa Corel Draw 10. A voz foi analisada por análise acústica por meio do programa MDVP inserido no software Multi Speech 3700 da Kay Elemetric Corporation e pela avaliação perceptivo-auditiva da voz. O resultado comparativo entre as amostras vocais nas posturas A e B foi significante, na análise acústica, na variável e jitter (%); e na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva, as diferenças observadas foram referentes à qualidade vocal, à ressonância e ao pitch, que se tornou mais agudo em 56% das amostras. Na comparação das posturas A e C, não houve resultado significativo na análise acústica; e na avaliação perceptivo-auditiva as mudanças percebidas foram referentes à qualidade vocal, à ressonância e ao pitch, que se tornou mais agudo em 60% das amostras. Conclusão: as diferenças observadas na comparação das posturas A e B foram: aumento do valor médio de jitter; aumento do pitch; ressonância se tornou posterior e abafada; e piora na qualidade vocal. As diferenças observadas na comparação das posturas A e C foram: aumento do pitch; ressonância se tornou comprimida; e piora na qualidade vocal. / The influence of the different corporal postures in the voice production is a very interesting subject and it\'s very important for those who use their voice professionally. The aim of the present investigation is to identify the influence in the voice signal of the same subject whenever he changes his corporal posture. It was made the analysis of 25 vocal samples of one subject who emitted the vocal sustained /a/ in three different corporal postures: A) normal alignment of the subject; B) cervical spine extension associated with forward head position; and C) increased thoracic kyphosis associated with forward head position. The subject was photographed simultaneously of the recording process. The postures were evaluated by photogrammetry by the Corel Draw 10 program. The voice was analyzed by acoustic analysis by the MDVP program inserted in the Multi Speech 3700 software from Kay Elemetric Corporation and by perceptual speech analysis. The comparative result between the voices samples in the postures A and B was significant, to the acoustic analysis, to the variable jitter (%); and to the perceptual speech analysis, the differences observed were related to vocal quality, resonance and pitch, which turned out to be more acute in 56% of the samples. In the comparison of the postures A and C, there wasn\'t significant result in the acoustic analysis; and to the perceptual speech analysis the changes noticed were related to vocal quality, resonance and pitch, which turned out to be more acute in 60% of the samples. Conclusion: the differences observed on the comparison of the postures A and B were: jitter medium value increased; pitch increased; resonance turned out to be posterior and muffled; and worse voice quality. The differences observed on the comparison of the postures A and C were: pitch increased; resonance turned out to be compressed; and worse voice quality.

It is well known that sitting posture is associated with discomfort and a number of musculoskeletal disorders. Seat manufacturers have made great strides toward developing seats for equipment which helped in alleviating the vibration transferring to the lower area of the spine; however, increased neck and head motion resulting from these seat designs may have been overlooked. Many cervical spine studies have been developed to estimate the response of the head and neck; however, these current studies do not take head and neck posture into account. The objective of this work was to study and demonstrate the difference in human biomechanical response to WBV when they use different neck postures. Four head and neck postures: up, down, to the side, and normal (straight forward) were investigated. Ten male subjects with ages ranging from 19 to 28 years were used to test each of the four postures, using the discrete sinusoidal frequencies of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 Hz at constant amplitudes of 0.8 m/s^2 RMS and 1.15 m/s^2 RMS in the x-direction (fore-and-aft). Subjects were seated in a rigid seat rigidly mounted to a vibration platform and vibration was generated using a six-degree-of-freedom man-rated shaker table. Subjects were tightly coupled to the seat back, using a neoprene vest and 5 straps, in an effort to reduce any relative motion between the seat and the subject. Subjects reported their head and neck discomfort using the Borg CR-10 scale with each of the postures, and then gave a second discomfort rating for the normal posture for each combination. Motion capture and accelerometer data were used to acquire the motion of the seat, C7 vertebrae, and center-of-head motion. The 3D motion of selected points on the heads and necks of the subjects were acquired using a twelve-camera Vicon motion capture system. Accelerometer data at the head, C7, and seat was used to verify the motion capture data. For the head-down posture, the magnitude of the discomfort function was higher than the normal posture. The head-to-side and head-up postures have shown less discomfort have shown less discomfort in the critical resonance area; however, these postures show roughly the same discomfort as the normal posture in other frequency ranges. In these postures, the subjects are using major neck-back muscles which create a stiffer system and may explain why there is a shift in the second peak in the head-to-side and head-up postures. Interestingly, the head-to-side and head-up postures show a similar trend as the normal posture, however, the peak transmissibility is attenuated. In addition, the subject's average discomfort was lower in this range compared to the normal posture. The head-down posture had the highest transmissibility and discomfort overall and suggests that workers in vibration environments should reduce any head-down postures to avoid unwanted head accelerations and discomfort. This work has demonstrated the importance of considering the head-neck posture in future seat-design studies.

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1 Abstract Title: Effect of sitting posture on different seats on respiratory function while using a smartphone Objectives: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate respiratory function in sitting posture while using a smartphone. Another objective is to compare the values of monitored parametres and to determine which of the 3 performed experiments exhibite the greatest decreases in respiratory parametres. The last aim is to confirm the difference between female and male values and to show that men have higher values of monitored respiratory parameters and the greater decrease of respiratory function than women. Methods: 20 healthy young volunteers were recruited (10 women, 10 men). The experiment was carried out on three different types of seats - office chair, armchair and gymball. Participants spent time using a smartphone for one hour. To investigate changes in respiratory function, we measured FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC a PEF before and after each experiment was completed. Values were processed in MS Excel. Pair t-test and Wilcoxon test were used to evaluate the effect of sitting posture on respiratory function (p < 0,05) A two-sample t-test was used to determine a statistically significant difference in values in men and women, as well as in decrease of respiratory function in men and women. (p < 0,05)....

Normative theory holds that strategy should favorably align an organization with its environment. The primary purpose of this study was to provide a test of the contingency effect that environmental munificence may have on the relationship between strategic posture and performance at the level of the business unit. Following the suggestions of Venkatraman (1989) and others (cf. Van de Ven and Drazin, 1985) due consideration was given to developing a precise theoretical position and adopting an appropriate form of fit. In so doing, a secondary purpose was to enhance construct validity and to effect triangulation among measures. This study adopted the independent restaurant establishment as the unit of analysis. A nation-wide sample of 311 independent restaurateurs representing a response rate of 20.7% responded to a mail-out survey. Multi-item scales and multiple methods (representing within-method triangulation) were adopted to measure the primary constructs of strategic posture, munificence, and performance. Moderated regression analysis was used to assess the independent effects as well as the contingency relationships or interaction between the predictor (strategic posture) and the moderator (environmental munificence). The results suggest that both strategic posture and environmental munificence are significant independent predictors of performance. The moderating role of environmental munificence on the effect of strategic posture on performance was not established. However, the independent and additive effects of both strategic posture and environmental munificence were significant. Given the consistency of the results across different operationalizations, these results may be interpreted as being robust. Specifically, in tenus of strategic posture, competitive aggressiveness and a propensity towards risk-loving policies tended to have a negative effect on performance while quality service, as might be expected, tended to have a positive impact on performance. With respect to munificence, growth oriented environments were much better predictors of performance. Taken together, munificence explains a greater proportion of the variance in performance than does strategic posture. Given the nature of the restaurant industry, and the evidence suggesting that environment may be the primary determinant of performance, success for independent restaurateurs may perhaps be more serendipitous than strategic. / Ph. D.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers are among the most injured workers in the United States. This is due to the high rate of patient handling. The low back is the most injured in this population. This study observed biomechanical factors and how these factors affect low back and ground reaction forces. This study further investigated pain and its relationship to low back force, multifidus cross-sectional area, and multifidus activation in healthcare workers. METHODS: The 45 participants included 10 healthy subjects in the preliminary study and 35 active healthcare workers in the main study. Subjects filled out the VAS to determine current pain level. Ultrasound images of the multifidus muscles were taken. The participants were fitted with reflective markers and surface EMG sensors. A series of patient transfers at various bed heights using three different transfer devices was undertaken. The transfer devices included a Cotton sheet, a Skil-Care™ Transfer Sling, and an AirPal® device. RESULTS: There was a downward trend in resultant low back force when comparing lower bed heights to higher. Therefore, the highest bed position was determined to be optimal. There were significant differences in low back force between self-chosen and optimal bed heights among healthcare workers. There was no significant difference between peak low back or ground reaction forces between pain and nonpain groups. There was a significant difference in multifidus cross-sectional area between these groups at S1, a trend toward significance at L5, and no difference at L4. There was a trend toward significance when comparing multifidus activation between these groups as recorded by surface EMG. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare workers should choose higher bed heights and appropriate equipment to reduce low back force and those who have smaller multifidus have more pain.

Abstract This thesis examines the postural effects of Alexander Technique training on a classical singer. The aim was to see how working with an Alexander Technique instructor would improve my singing. I have been taking lessons in Alexander technique on a weekly basis and practicing Alexander technique for approximately an hour each day. I have conducted an interview with singer and longtime Alexander technique practitioner, Anne Cecilie Røsjø Kvammen. I have talked to my physiotherapist, Carl Colliander, about pain linked to a tight psoas muscle. Four songs were memorized and recorded two times, once in December and once in April. The recordings were analyzed, first by me and then by Barbro Olsson, Alexander technique instructor. I found that my alignment has generally improved and, as a result, my head position has become more stable. I have become better at managing stress during performances. The enhanced awareness of alignment has helped me make more successful choices in the practice rooms. It also has made me better at interpreting my singing pedagogue’s instructions during lessons. Additionally I have less pain, especially in the neck area.

Engagement with educational instruction and related materials is an important part of learning and contributes to test performance. There are various measures of engagement including self-reports, observations, pupil diameter, and posture. With the challenges associated with obtaining accurate engagement levels, such as difficulties with measuring variations in engagement, the present study used a novel approach to predict engagement from posture by using deep learning. Deep learning was used to analyze a labeled outline of the participants and extract key points that are expected to predict engagement. In the first experiment two short lectures were presented and participants were tested on a lecture to motivate engagement. The next experiment had videos that varied in interest to understand whether a more interesting presentation engages participants more, therefore helping participants achieve higher comprehension scores. In a third experiment, one video was presented to attempt to use posture to predict comprehension rather than engagement. The fourth experiment had videos that varied in level of difficulty to determine whether a challenging topic versus an easier topic affects engagement. T-tests revealed that the more interesting Ted Talk was rated as more engaging, and for the fourth study, the more difficult video was rated as more engaging. Comparing average pupil sizes did not reveal significant differences that would relate to differences in the engagement scores, and average pupil dilation did not correlate with engagement. Analyzing posture through deep learning resulted in three accurate predictive models and a way to predict comprehension. Since engagement relates to learning, researchers and educators can benefit from accurate engagement measures. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Dans la continuité des recherches menées sur les rapports entre presse et littérature au XIXe siècle, cette thèse présente et analyse une sélection d'articles de presse consacrés à la littérature, écrits par Maurice Barrès entre 1883 et 1923. La mise en perspective de la trajectoire littéraire du romancier de l'Énergie nationale à travers ce corpus de textes permet d'illustrer les enjeux liés à la figure de l'écrivain-journaliste dans le contexte historique et culturel de la Belle Époque. Barrès est en effet le représentant d'une génération littéraire qui a su construire et affirmer une légitimité durable au sein du champ littéraire grâce à sa pratique du journalisme. La presse, qui joue pour lui un rôle formateur, l'amène à définir le romancier qu'il souhaite devenir. En dévoilant le lecteur derrière l'écrivain, les études critiques et les chroniques littéraires de Barrès exposent la posture auctoriale choisie par l?artiste et proposent une genèse de la sensibilité barrésienne. L'article de presse devient un espace où se reflète et se développe l'art littéraire de Barrès. Alors que l'art romanesque influence la poétique journalistique, l'imaginaire médiatique s'épanouit au sein de l'univers fictionnel de l'écrivain. Par sa pratique de l'écriture, Barrès crée des textes hybrides qui interrogent la notion même de littérature / Continuing and supplementing previous work on the relationship between literature and the press in 19th century France, this dissertation presents and examines a selection of articles devoted to literature written by Maurice Barrès between 1883 and 1923. Considering the literary career of the author of Le Roman de l'énergie nationale through his journalistic work, this analysis throws new light on the state of "écrivain-journaliste" in the historical and cultural background of the Belle Époque. Indeed, Barrès appears here as a symbol of a literary generation that built and maintained its enduring legacy in the literary field thanks to its journalistic writing. The press played an educative role for Barrès, allowing him to define the novelist he wished to become. By revealing the reader behind the writer, close readings of Barrès' critical studies and literary chronicles exposes an auctorial "posture" chosen by the artist and offers a genesis of the Barresian sensibility. Press articles thus became a space of self-reflexivity and development for Barrès' literary art. Yet, just as the art of the novelist influenced the poetics of the journalist, a media imagination flourished in the universe of the fiction writer as well. Across all of his writing, then, Barrès created hybrid texts that interrogate the very notion of literature

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間健康科学) / 甲第19643号 / 人健博第35号 / 新制||人健||3(附属図書館) / 32679 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科人間健康科学系専攻 / (主査)教授 坪山 直生, 教授 山田 重人, 教授 松田 秀一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human Health Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM