Programmed vs. Thirst-Driven Drinking during Prolonged Cycling in a Warm Environment

We compared the effect of programmed (PFI) and thirst-driven (TDFI) fluid intake on prolonged cycling performance and exercise associated muscle cramps (EAMC). Eight male endurance athletes (26 ± 6 years) completed two trials consisting of 5 h of cycling at 61% V˙O2peak followed by a 20 km time-trial (TT) in a randomized crossover sequence at 30 °C, 35% relative humidity. EAMC was assessed after the TT with maximal voluntary isometric contractions of the shortened right plantar flexors. Water intake was either programmed to limit body mass loss to 1% (PFI) or consumed based on perceived thirst (TDFI). Body mass loss reached 1.5 ± 1.0% for PFI and 2.5 ± 0.9% for TDFI (p = 0.10). Power output during the 20 km TT was higher (p < 0.05) for PFI (278 ± 41 W) than TDFI (263 ± 39 W), but the total performance time, including the breaks to urinate, was similar (p = 0.48) between conditions. The prevalence of EAMC of the plantar flexors was similar between the drinking conditions. Cyclists competing in the heat for over 5 h may benefit from PFI aiming to limit body mass loss to <2% when a high intensity effort is required in the later phase of the race and when time lost for urination is not a consideration.

Identification of a Suitable Machine Learning Model for Detection of Asymptomatic Ganoderma boninense Infection in Oil Palm Seedlings Using Hyperspectral Data

In Malaysia, oil palm industry has made an enormous contribution to economic and social prosperity. However, it has been affected by basal stem rot (BSR) disease caused by Ganoderma boninense (G. boninense) fungus. The conventional practice to detect the disease is through manual inspection by a human expert every two weeks. This study aimed to identify the most suitable machine learning model to classify the inoculated (I) and uninoculated (U) oil palm seedlings with G. boninense before the symptoms’ appearance using hyperspectral imaging. A total of 1122 sample points were collected from frond 1 and frond 2 of 28 oil palm seedlings at the age of 10 months old, with 540 and 582 reflectance spectra extracted from U and I seedlings, respectively. The significant bands were identified based on the high separation between U and I seedlings, where the differences were observed significantly in the NIR spectrum. The reflectance values of each selected band were later used as input parameters of the 23 machine learning models developed using decision trees, discriminant analysis, logistic regression, naïve Bayes, support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (kNN), and ensemble modelling with various types of kernels. The bands were optimized according to the classification accuracy achieved by the models. Based on the F-score and performance time, it was demonstrated that coarse Gaussian SVM with 9 bands performed better than the models with 35, 18, 14, and 11 bands. The coarse Gaussian SVM achieved an F-score of 95.21% with a performance time of 1.7124s when run on a personal computer with an Intel® Core™ i7-8750H processor and 32 GB RAM. This early detection could lead to better management in the oil palm industry.

The Effect of Periodization on Training Program Adherence

The present research aimed to study the effect of three different training periodization (traditional, reverse, and free training) on the aerobic performance, motivation, and adherence of physically active athletes. We analysed the adherence to three different periodization training programs: traditional, reverse, and free training periodization on the adherence of amateur triathletes. For this aim, the individual adherence, motivation, and aerobic performance time and heart rate (in a 1000 m running test) were evaluated before and after the completion of the three different 8-week periodization programs. The level of adherence to the reverse periodization was significantly higher than in traditional and free training. The number of dropouts in reverse and traditional periodization was similar but lower than in the free training. Finally, neither of the periodization programs improved aerobic performance and reverse training periodization decreased heart rate of participants in a 1000 m running test.

Caffeine increases performance and leads to a cardioprotective effect during intense exercise in cyclists

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of different caffeine dietary strategies to compare the impact on athletic performance and cardiac autonomic response. The order of the supplementation was randomly assigned: placebo(4-day)-placebo(acute)/PP, placebo(4-day)-caffeine(acute)/PC and caffeine(4-day)-caffeine(acute)/CC. Fourteen male recreationally-trained cyclists ingested capsules containing either placebo or caffeine (6 mg kg−1) for 4 days. On day 5 (acute), capsules containing placebo or caffeine (6 mg kg−1) were ingested 60 min before completing a 16 km time-trial (simulated cycling). CC and PC showed improvements in time (CC vs PP, Δ − 39.3 s and PC vs PP, Δ − 43.4 s; P = 0.00; ƞ2 = 0.33) and in output power (CC vs PP, Δ 5.55 w and PC vs PP, Δ 6.17 w; P = 0.00; ƞ2 = 0.30). At the final of the time-trial, CC and PC exhibited greater parasympathetic modulation (vagal tone) when compared to the PP condition (P < 0.00; ƞ2 = 0.92). Our study provided evidence that acute caffeine intake (6 mg∙kg−1) increased performance (time-trial) and demonstrated a relevant cardioprotective effect, through increased vagal tone.

The effect of virtual reality on temporal bone anatomy evaluation and performance

Purpose There is only limited data on the application of virtual reality (VR) for the evaluation of temporal bone anatomy. The aim of the present study was to compare the VR environment to traditional cross-sectional viewing of computed tomography images in a simulated preoperative planning setting in novice and expert surgeons. Methods A novice (n = 5) and an expert group (n = 5), based on their otosurgery experience, were created. The participants were asked to identify 24 anatomical landmarks, perform 11 distance measurements between surgically relevant anatomical structures and 10 fiducial markers on five cadaver temporal bones in both VR environment and cross-sectional viewings in PACS interface. The data on performance time and user-experience (i.e., subjective validation) were collected. Results The novice group made significantly more errors (p < 0.001) and with significantly longer performance time (p = 0.001) in cross-sectional viewing than the expert group. In the VR environment, there was no significant differences (errors and time) between the groups. The performance of novices improved faster in the VR. The novices showed significantly faster task performance (p = 0.003) and a trend towards fewer errors (p = 0.054) in VR compared to cross-sectional viewing. No such difference between the methods were observed in the expert group. The mean overall scores of user-experience were significantly higher for VR than cross-sectional viewing in both groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion In the VR environment, novices performed the anatomical evaluation of temporal bone faster and with fewer errors than in the traditional cross-sectional viewing, which supports its efficiency for the evaluation of complex anatomy.

Measurement of various intensities of physical activities and categorization of “Locomotive” and “Household” activities provide a subject-specific detailed assessment

This study aimed to compare the physical activity (PA) measured by a wearable sensor device (WSD) and the step count measurement, and to investigate the association between PAs and lifestyle. Data of 301 participants were collected from March 2019 to March 2021. Step counts, sedentary behavior, performance time of light/moderate/vigorous PA, METs × hour of “Locomotive” and “Household” categorized activities, and energy expenditure (EE) were measured by the WSD, respectively. Furthermore, the participants were classified into student, standing worker, and sitting worker groups. Data were analyzed using the Steel–Dwass and Pearson correlation coefficient tests. The correlation between the performance time of each PA and step count was weak, except for moderate PA. “Household” EE and step count also had a weak correlation. In the comparison of lifestyle, there was a significant difference in the mean performance time of each type of PA between the groups. Additionally, the standing worker and sitting worker groups had a significant difference in METs × hour of "Household" activities, indicating that the difference between the occupations is reflected in “Household” activities. The WSD measurement can be used to evaluate detailed individual PA, whereas the step count measurement showed weakness in the PA estimation.

Excessive Attachments: Twenty-First-Century Queer and Trans Video Art in the United States

This chapter provides an overview of the queer video artists who are working in the United States in the twenty-first-century and presenting their work primarily in gallery and museum contexts, either in traditional shows or performance/time-based interventions. Their work is divided into purposefully capacious and fluid categories: reimagining a queer/trans world, restaging the medium, and re-articulating appropriation. Queer affect is considered alongside discourses of self-reflexivity and appropriation that are central to art-historical debates around modernism and postmodernism. Above all, the chapter argues that contemporary queer video art is untethered in its definition but nevertheless constellates around certain themes and bodies. Expanded definitions of queerness often negate the specific strategies taken on by queer and trans artists and privilege a nonspecific and disembodied queer abstraction. The chapter seeks to supplement those lacunae with new ways of theorizing media alongside new ways of theorizing queer representation.

Benefits And Performance Of The Electronic Construction Journal

Electronic construction journal (later – e-journal) has been developed to replace a former paper construction journal. The purpose of e-journal is to ensure effective supervision of road construction and reconstruction works and to avoid potential abuse. Records made by contractors, supervisors and controlling institutions in e-journal enable to manage the work process in each road construction and reconstruction building site. All road construction process participants have access to the data, comments and findings entered into e-journal. E-journal accurately records all deadlines, technical supervision or control performance time. It is a significantly faster and more effective means of control and quality assurance of performed works.