Velocity-Based Resistance Training on 1-RM, Jump and Sprint Performance: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Weight resistance training (RT) has been shown to positively influence physical performance. Within the last two decades, a methodology based on monitoring RT through movement velocity (also called velocity-based resistance training, VBRT) has emerged. The aim of this PRISMA-based systematic review was to evaluate the effect of VBRT programs on variables related to muscle strength (one-repetition maximum, 1-RM), and high-speed actions (vertical jump, and sprint performance) in trained subjects. The search for published articles was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, SPORT Discus/EBSCO, OVID, Web of Science, Scopus, and EMBASE databases using Boolean algorithms independently. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria of this systematic review (a low-to-moderate overall risk of bias of the analyzed studies was detected). VBRT is an effective method to improve 1-RM, vertical jump and sprint. According to the results of the analyzed studies, it is not necessary to reach high muscle failure in order to achieve the best training results. These findings reinforce the fact that it is possible to optimize exercise adaptations with less fatigue. Future studies should corroborate these findings in female population.

Production of English lexical stress by Mandarin speakers: Acoustics and kinematics

This study aims to understand if Mandarin late learners of English can successfully manipulate acoustic and kinematic cues to deliver English stress contrast in production. Mandarin ( N = 8) and English ( N = 8) speakers were recorded producing English trochaic (initial stress) and iambic (final stress) items during a nonword repetition task. Speakers’ jaw movement for the utterances was tracked and analysed. Acoustic and kinematic cues were measured for each syllable, including acoustic duration, fundamental frequency (F0), and intensity, as well as jaw movement duration, displacement, peak velocity, and stiffness. Stress ratios (syllable 1 / syllable 2) were calculated for each cue and compared between groups. Results showed that English and Mandarin speakers had generally comparable performance in differentiating trochaic from iambic patterns, as well as in the degree of between-syllable contrast within each pattern. Between-group differences were only observed in acoustic duration and jaw movement velocity/stiffness. These results suggest that the experience with Mandarin stress contributes to Mandarin speakers’ overall successful production of English stress but also results in nonnative use of some acoustic/kinematic cues.

Response of a Small River Plume on Wind Forcing

Wind forcing is the main driver of river plume dynamics. Direction and magnitude of wind determine position, shape, and size of a river plume. The response of river plumes on wind forcing was simulated in many numerical modeling studies; however, in situ measurements of this process are still very scarce. In this study, we report the first direct measurements of frontal movement of a small river plume under variable wind forcing conditions. Using quadcopters, we performed nearly continuous daytime aerial observations of the Bzyb river plume located in the non-tidal Black Sea. The aerial remote sensing was accompanied by synchronous in situ measurements of wind forcing. We assessed spreading patterns of the plume and evaluated movement velocity of its outer border with unprecedentedly high spatial (∼10 m) and temporal (∼1 min) resolution, which was not available in previous studies based on in situ measurements and satellite observations. Based on the collected data, we evaluated the time of response of plume spreading dynamics on changes in wind forcing conditions. The advection velocity of the outer plume border shows linear relation to wind speed with very small response time (10–20 min). The reversal between upstream/downstream plume spreading occurs during several hours under moderate wind forcing conditions. These reversals involve only near-field part of the plume, which cause detachment of the far-field part of the plume. The obtained results are crucial for understanding and simulating spreading dynamics of small river plumes worldwide.

Numerical calculation and study of differential equations of muscle movement velocity based on martial articulation body ligament tension

The paper analyses the impact of ligament stretch and tension on the speed of movement in martial arts from the perspective of sports physiology. It establishes the numerical relationship between the peak impact value of the ligament speed and the differential equation of the flexibility of the joints in the initial stage of tension (impact peak). It was found that the differential equation of the ligament tension of the movement is formed after the movement is stable, which cannot reflect the flexibility of the ligament and the mastery of the movement. In this paper, a tension calculation model for ligament equilibrium is established by using a kinetic method of motion. Although it is a static equation, continuous use can obtain dynamic effects. The simulation proves that the initial tension change is more realistic.

VestAid: A Tablet-Based Technology for Objective Exercise Monitoring in Vestibular Rehabilitation

(1) Background: Current vestibular rehabilitation therapy is an exercise-based approach aimed at promoting gaze stability, habituating symptoms, and improving balance and walking in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A major component of these exercises is the adaptation of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) and habituation training. Due to acute injury, the gain of the VOR is usually reduced, resulting in eye movement velocity that is less than head movement velocity. There is a higher chance for the success of the therapy program if the patient (a) understands the exercise procedure, (b) performs the exercises according to the prescribed regimen, (c) reports pre- and post-exercise symptoms and perceived difficulty, and (d) gets feedback on performance. (2) Methods: The development and laboratory evaluation of VestAid, an innovative, low-cost, tablet-based system that helps patients perform vestibulo-ocular reflex (VORx1) exercises correctly at home without therapist guidance, is presented. VestAid uses the tablet camera to automatically assess patient performance and compliance with exercise parameters. The system provides physical therapists (PTs) with near real-time, objective (head speed and gaze fixation compliance), and subjective (perceived difficulty and pre- and post- exercise symptoms) metrics through a web-based provider portal. The accuracy of the head-angle and eye-gaze compliance metrics was evaluated. The accuracy of estimated head angles calculated via VestAid’s low-complexity algorithms was compared to the state-of-the-art deep-learning method on a public dataset. The accuracy of VestAid’s metric evaluation during the VORx1 exercises was assessed in comparison to the output of an inertial measurement unit (IMU)-based system. (3) Results: There are low mean interpeak time errors (consistently below 0.1 s) across all speeds of the VORx1 exercise, as well as consistently matching numbers of identified peaks. The spatial comparison (after adjusting for the lag measured with the cross-correlation) between the VestAid and IMU-based systems also shows good matching, as shown by the low mean absolute head angle error, in which for all speeds, the mean is less than 10 degrees. (4) Conclusions: The accuracy of the system is sufficient to provide therapists with a good assessment of patient performance. While the VestAid system’s head pose evaluation model may not be perfectly accurate as a result of the occluded facial features when the head moves further towards an extreme in pitch and yaw, the head speed measurements and associated compliance measures are sufficiently accurate for monitoring patients’ VORx1 exercise compliance and general performance.

An effective, low-cost method to improve the movement velocity measurement of a smartphone app during the bench press exercise

Some studies have reported considerable errors in the movement velocity measurement when using the My Lift app. This study aimed to investigate whether these errors may be related to the use of a range of movement (ROM) statically measured prior to the movement (ROMMYLIFT) instead of ROM dynamically monitored. Ten young adults performed two repetitions of the bench press exercise on a Smith machine with loads that allowed two velocity conditions (above and below 0.6 m s−1). The exercises were monitored by the My Lift app, a magnet and a rotary encoder. After, 15 older adults performed the same exercise at different percentages of 1RM, monitored by the My Lift app and a magnet. The results revealed that ROM dynamically obtained by encoder (reference method) with the mean velocity above (0.497 ± 0.069 m) and below (0.450 ± 0.056 m) 0.6 m s−1 were quite different ( p < 0.05; large effect) from the ROMMYLIFT (0.385 ± 0.040 m). These errors provided highly biased and heteroscedastic mean velocity measurements (mean errors approximately 22%). The errors observed in adults were also observed in the older participants, except for loads equal to 85% of 1RM. The magnet method proved to be valid, presenting measurements very close to the encoder (mean errors approximately 1.7%; r > 0.99). In conclusion, the use of ROMMYLIFT is inadequate, as the higher the movement velocity, the higher the errors, both for young and older adults. Thus, to improve the measurement of the My Lift app, it is recommended that the magnet method be used in conjunction with the app to more accurately determine the ROM.

Studies of the movement of ice through low-pressure waterworks

Passage of ice through hydraulic structures is a significant and urgent issue for study. When examining this issue, various conditions should be taken into account. Thus, the successful passage of ice through hydraulic structures depends both on ice characteristics, the parameters of the spillway structures, and on the ice movement velocity in front of the spillway. The goals have been formed; the research tasks have been set. As a result, a theoretical solution to determine the bending moments necessary for calculating the fracture of ice floes has been obtained. The proposed analytical solution for determining the bending moments is found based on a system solution of differential equations of a rigid body motion in a fluid. The assumptions made for this case are set out in the article. The resulting dependence makes it possible to determine the bending moments in any section of the ice section and take into account the flow dynamics. A complex of laboratory studies was carried out, aimed at studying the ice movement velocities on the developed and manufactured model of a spillway with a wide threshold, in front of which an auxiliary threshold is installed to create a concentrated fall. The dependence for determining the velocity in the form of a trigonometric function is obtained and converted into a convenient formula. The performed calculations are compared with the field data and satisfactory results are given.

Kinetic and Kinematic Features of Pedestrian Avoidance Behavior in Motor Vehicle Conflicts

The active behaviors of pedestrians, such as avoidance motions, affect the resultant injury risk in vehicle–pedestrian collisions. However, the biomechanical features of these behaviors remain unquantified, leading to a gap in the development of biofidelic research tools and tailored protection for pedestrians in real-world traffic scenarios. In this study, we prompted subjects (“pedestrians”) to exhibit natural avoidance behaviors in well-controlled near-real traffic conflict scenarios using a previously developed virtual reality (VR)-based experimental platform. We quantified the pedestrian–vehicle interaction processes in the pre-crash phase and extracted the pedestrian postures immediately before collision with the vehicle; these were termed the “pre-crash postures.” We recorded the kinetic and kinematic features of the pedestrian avoidance responses—including the relative locations of the vehicle and pedestrian, pedestrian movement velocity and acceleration, pedestrian posture parameters (joint positions and angles), and pedestrian muscle activation levels—using a motion capture system and physiological signal system. The velocities in the avoidance behaviors were significantly different from those in a normal gait (p &lt; 0.01). Based on the extracted natural reaction features of the pedestrians, this study provides data to support the analysis of pedestrian injury risk, development of biofidelic human body models (HBM), and design of advanced on-vehicle active safety systems.