OBJECTIVES: Comparing electromyography and physiological measures while walking on various inclines in unstable and stable shoes. METHODS: Eleven healthy females walked on treadmill at +10%, 0% and -10% grade for five minutes each, at self-selected pace, in stable and unstable shoes. The two sessions were done 3weeks apart during which the subjects used unstable shoes for regular activities. Electromyography of lower limb muscles, absolute and relative oxygen consumption, perceived exertion rating and heart rate was calculated. RESULTS: Tibialis anterior activation varied significantly with shoe type, irrespective of grade. Soleus, vastus medialis, and biceps femoris showed activation differences in specific gait phases. There was a main effect for absolute and relative oxygen consumption, RPE and HR only with grade. Shoe type showed no effect. CONCLUSION: Though there is no difference in overall physiological variables, but changes in electromyography in specific phases highlight possible muscle toning benefits of unstable shoes. / Graduate / 0350 / 0354 / 0382 / avneetchatha@gmail.com

Consumers are often confused and reluctant to purchase products from fresh retail meat counters that exhibit significant color variations. This hesitation to purchase results in annual profit loss to the pork industry. Processes to minimize color variation remain a major focus of the industry and many meat science programs across the globe. Previously, we found inherent muscle characteristics contribute to variations in pork quality but these characteristics fail to explain the high frequency of two-toning and other pork quality defects routinely occurring in many hog processing facilities. Therefore, we hypothesized harvesting practices, such as scald alter color across muscles of the ham. Scald time was initially investigated using 32 carcasses subjected to either a 4 (n=16) or 8 (n=16) min scald time. Samples were collected before or after scalding and at 24 hrs. A 50% reduction in scald time resulted in (p < 0.0001) lighter muscle color (L*) early postmortem, although the 8 min scald treatment was lighter (p < 0.005) at 24 hrs. Although differences in pH (p < 0.0001) and color were noted, ultimate carcass temperature was not affected. To that end, we moved to validate our hypothesis in an industrial plant setting. Carcasses (n=200) were assigned treatments of 6.5 or 7.5 min scald times, and SM muscle samples were collected at 24 hrs. Surprisingly, the shorter scald time resulted in (p < 0.05) a lighter color, contradicting our first study. To explore this color issue further, we uncoupled scald from the dehairing process. To achieve this goal, carcasses (n=24) were assigned to either an 8 or 16 min time to dehair, with or without scalding. Protracted time to dehair resulted in higher ultimate pH (p < 0.005) and less color variation across the muscle (p < 0.05). Though a color gradient remained, the variation across the muscle was reduced by increasing time to dehair. These data show time to dehair affects pork quality development and suggest that delaying time to physical manipulation of the carcass may improve pork color, thus increasing consumer acceptance. / Master of Science

Vegetative annuals are currently popular in the ornamental horticulture industry. Many crops are newly domesticated species and little is known about how they perform during shipping or in the retail environment. Nine species and 21 cultivars were grown and underwent simulated shipping after harvest or nitrogen toning two weeks before harvest. Shipping was not found to affect the number of flowers on all but two cultivars post ship. Nitrogen toning affected vegetative growth of most Bracteantha bracteata (bracteantha) cultivars at harvest. All species had an effect due to toning postharvest. Bractenatha and Diascia ×hybrida (diascia) were chosen for further study due to their performance during these experiments. The effect of thidiazuron (TDZ) as a foliar spray and nitrogen toning on leaf yellowing and plant growth of bracteantha were evaluated. The two treatments were then combined to see how the two treatments worked together. It was found TDZ decreased leaf yellowing but its effects can be negated if the plants were not toned. Nitrogen toning reduced vegetative growth of the bracteantha without affecting the number of flowers on the plants. Diascia was found to have flower abscission in response to shipping. Further trials were conducted using 1- methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) an ethylene inhibitor. The effects of shipping duration and temperature were investigated. 1-MCP was found to hold flowers on treated plants longer postharvest than those not treated. Plants shipped for one day had no differences from the control but shipping for two days had a negative effect on plant quality. Postharvest shelf life was decreased when diascia was shipped at 24 °C when compared to cooler shipping temperatures. These results indicate shipping for no longer than one day and at less than 24 °C is recommended for diascia.

Title: Optimization of warm-up before speed-strenght loading Objectives: The aim of this work is to compare three variants of warming up and to determine the most appropriate one before speed-strenght loading. Methods: The test group consisted of 15 male students of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at The Charles University at the age of 22 -26 years. The tested subjects underwent 4 tests within 4 weeks. The first test was used to determine the 1 RM bench press and leg-press, the results of which we needed for the proper determination of the weights for the following protocols. The other three measurement protocols include three warm-up (base, a speed-strenght and toning), followed by a test of explosive strength in arms and legs. Countermovement vertical jump height with arm swing was used for legs testing and medicine ball shoot-up in supine position was used for arms testing. Results: This research shows that best results in the countermovement vertical jump height with arm swing were achieved after the speed-power warm-up. The best results in medicine ball shoot-up in supine position were achieved after the basic warm up, but results are not statistically significant for these testing. Keywords: Warm-up, dynamic stretching, speed-force loading, toning, explosive force, testing

Title: Effect of toning in warm-up on performance of floorball players Objectives: Find out the influence of toning in warm-up before performance in exercises aimed at determining the action speed, explosive power of legs and agility of floorball players. Methods: A total of 20 floorball player aged 17 - 27 years participated in two measurements, one week apart. On the test day each proband passed one of two types of warm-up, non-toning warm-up and toning warm-up, and the next test day passed the second type of warm-up. The warm-up was follwed by three tests, the 20 m run, the jump from place and the shuttle run. For analysis of results was used statistics methods. Results: The first hypothesis was confirmed for the group of probands aged 17-19 years in the overall performance, 10 m run, 20 m run and jump from place. The second hypothesis was confirmed in the overall performance for all probands, then for the group of probands aged 17-19 years and for the group of probands aged 20-24 years. The second hypothesis was confirmed in the 10 and 20 m run for all probands, in the 10 m, 20 m run and in the jump from the place for the group of probands aged 17-19 years, in the 10 and 20 m run for group of probands aged 20-24 years. According to Cohen's d the results of the 10 and 20 m run were the most...

Title: The force toning in women's softball Objectives: The aim of this study was to demonstrate post-activation potentiation (PAP) following the muscle toning during the strenght training. The toning effect on upper limb explosive force was analyzed following application of two different degrees of resistence. Methods: In this study, we applied randomized selection for the subject to minimize the effect of possible ambiguities such as gender, training status, and player maturity. A homo- -geneous group of well-trained women with the most developed technical response was accepted. (Czech national team, Women's softball). We used the contrast method, where the data were analyzed to determine the effect of different resistance degrees and a fixed rest interval for the strength-dynamic exercise. It is a sticking out of medicine ball in sitting position, which was performed by women of the highest player level. The measurement was processed by using the direct method of dynamic efforts. We compared the explosive force with a medicine ball sticking forward in relation to the distance of the sticking medicine ball by the tested person. Results: The measurement has shown that the PAP generated by toning protocol has a sig- -nificant impact on enhancing the response in explosive drills. The exercise for...

Abstract The salt print is an important part of photography, both in its historic value and in the tonal range it can provide. This tonal range is greater than any other photographic printing process available to date attributed to the inherent masking ability of the metallic silver. However the intrinsic production problems have made it a 'forgotten' process. There are five key problems. 1. The difficulties in achieving the potential extensive tonal range. 2. The varying colour of the print. 3. Staining that appears in the print, during and after processing. 4. Instability and longevity of the salt print. 5. Contradictory and inaccurate information in material published on the salt print. Although the emphasis of the research is on exploring and controlling the colour and tonal range, the staining problems and stability of the print are also addressed. The materials used for contact negatives today vary in both capture and output, from analogue film processed in the traditional wet darkroom to a variety of transparent film printed from digital files. Inadequate density and tonal range can affect all types of negatives. To provide sufficient exposure time for the salt prints extended tonal range adjustments to the negative were necessary. These long exposures then converted sufficient silver salts to the image making metallic silver, utilising the intrinsic self-masking process. Ultimately this research has uncovered ways to control colour and tonal range and certain aesthetic qualities of the salt print, while simultaneously resolving some of the conflicts in published information. Accurate and consistent methods of processing eliminate staining, providing some stability to the print. The activities and steps carried out to make a salt print are manual; precise duplication is therefore almost unattainable. Nevertheless, although tests on a densitometer may display numeric differences, visual differences are barely noticeable.

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