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Showing papers by "University of Jyväskylä published in 1997"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Participation in competitive sport and the physical education grade were the best predictors of later physical activity and gave support to the conclusion that persistent participation in sport in particular increases the probability of a higher level of physical activity in later life.

531 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a lattice-gas cellular automaton method is used to simulate the dependence on porosity of a flow of Newtonian uncompressible fluid in this two-dimensional porous substance.
Abstract: The concept of permeability of porous media is discussed, and a modification of Kozeny's permeability equation to include the effect of effective porosity is introduced. An analytical expression for the specific surface area of a system constructed of randomly placed identical obstacles with unrestricted overlap is derived, and a lattice-gas cellular automaton method is then used to simulate the dependence on porosity of permeability, tortuosity, and effective porosity for a flow of Newtonian uncompressible fluid in this two-dimensional porous substance. The simulated permeabilities can well be explained by the concept of effective porosity, and the exact form of the specific surface area. The critical exponent of the permeability near the percolation threshold is also determined from the simulations.

393 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Investigation of the influence of load and the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) on the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation that occurs during maximal effort throws found explosive movements involving longer concentric actions than experienced during brief SSC movements may be limited by the ability of the muscle to produce force during fast contraction velocities.
Abstract: Although explosive power in lower-body movements has been extensively studied, there is a paucity of research examining such movements in the upper body. This study aimed to investigate the influence of load and the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) on the kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activation that occurs during maximal effort throws. A total of 17 male subjects performed SSC and concentric only (CO) bench throws using loads of 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75%, 90% and 100% of their previously determined one repetition maximum bench press. The displacement, velocity, acceleration, force and power output as well as the electromyogram (EMG) from pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, and triceps brachii were recorded for each throw. The results were compared using multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures. A criterion alpha level of P < or = 0.05 was used. Similar force velocity power relationships were determined for this multijoint upper-body movement as has been found for isolated muscles, single joint movements, and vertical jumping. The highest power output was produced at the 30% [563 (104) W] and 45% [560 (86) W] loads during the SSC throws. Force output increased as a function of load; however, even the lighter loads resulted in considerable force due to the high accelerations produced. Average velocity, average and peak force, and average and peak power output were significantly higher for the SSC throws compared to the CO throws. However, peak velocity and height thrown were not potentiated by performing the pre-stretch because the duration and range of movement allowed the ability of the muscle to generate force at high shortening velocities to dominate the resulting throw. As such, explosive movements involving longer concentric actions than experienced during brief SSC movements may be limited by the ability of the muscle to produce force during fast contraction velocities.

343 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: One of the main conclusions of the study is that all the proper landfill capacity available in the planning region should be used up and the energy potential of waste should be utilized within the region.

332 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The natural changes in maximal isometric strength, over a period of 5 years, in men and women aged 75 at baseline, and the effect of everyday physical activity on strength alterations are studied.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To research the natural changes in maximal isometric strength, over a period of 5 years, in men and women aged 75 at baseline, and to study the effect of everyday physical activity on strength alterations. DESIGN: A 5-year longitudinal study. SETTING: Exercise laboratory PARTICIPANTS: The target group in 1989 was the total 75-year-old population of Jyvaskyla. One hundred one men (81%) and 186 women (75%) participated in baseline strength tests, and after 5 years, 55 men and 111 women (70% and 72% of the survivors) took part in the follow-up measurements. METHODS: Maximal isometric hand grip, arm flexion, knee extension, trunk flexion, and trunk extension forces were measured using dynamometers. Self-rated physical activity was recorded using a scale by Grimby (1986). Strength changes were compared between groups based on the amount of everyday physical activity: (1) remained active (AA, 24 men, 24 women); (2) remained sedentary (SS, 11 men, 43 women); (3) decreased activity (AS, 11 women); and (4) increased activity (SA, 32 women). AS and SA could be formed for women only because of the small number of men. All analyses were stratified by gender. MAIN RESULTS: The average percentage change in strength over 5 years among survivors varied from a 4% increase in knee extension strength observed in men and women to a 16% decrease in grip strength in women. The grip strength decrease was greater in women than men. The AA men maintained their trunk extension strength at a higher level than the SS men. Time by group interactions in men were not significant. In women, the rate of decline in AS was 32% in grip and 27% in elbow flexion strength, which was greater than in the other activity groups. The AA women retained their knee extension strength at a higher level than the other groups. Those who died before follow-up tests exhibited poorer strength test results at baseline. Physical activity decreased over follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Strength alterations with age differed between muscle groups. Undertaking everyday physical activities such as household work, walking, and gardening, which are also the most common physically demanding activities of older people, may play an important role in maintaining strength at an adequate level for independent living. J Am Geriatr Soc 45:1439–1445, 1997.

281 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Compared to single set (1S) versus multiple set (3S) heavy-resistance exercise protocols, higher volumes of total work produce significantly greater increases in circulating anabolic hormones during the recovery phase following exercise.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare serum growth hormone (GH), testosterone (T), cortisol (C) and whole blood lactate (L) responses to single set (1S) versus multiple set (3S) heavy-resistance...

206 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Men and 80- year-old subjects exhibited greater leg extension power and were faster walkers than women and 85-year-old persons, and may be one of the factors explaining the greater prevalence of mobility problems among women than men.
Abstract: BACKGROUND Leg extension power can be determined as the product of the force and velocity of movement. Its association with maximal walking speed was studied in 131 80- and 85-year-old men and women. METHODS Leg extension power was measured with the help of a sledge ergometer in a sitting position using a facilitated "jump test." The participant was attached by belts to a sliding chair on rails inclined at 12.6 degrees to the floor. The feet were placed on the force plate attached perpendicularly to the rails, and the knee angle was 90 degrees at the starting position. The participant was advised to extend his or her legs powerfully. The highest value of five to eight attempts was accepted as the result. The results were adjusted for body mass and expressed as watts.kilogram-1. Maximal walking speed was measured in the laboratory corridor over a distance of 10 m. RESULTS Men and 80-year-old subjects exhibited greater leg extension power and were faster walkers than women and 85-year-old persons. Leg extension power correlated positively with maximal walking speed in all groups: the correlation coefficients were .412 in the 80-year-old men (n = 41, p = .007), .619 in the 80-year-old women (n = 56, p < .001), .939 in the 85-year-old men (n = 8, p = .001), and.685 in the 85-year-old women (n = 23, p < .001). The regression lines for leg extension power and walking speed were coincident, indicating that the power requirements to attain a given walking speed were similar for both sexes. The minimum power threshold for those with a maximal walking speed of 1.30-1.49 m.s-1 was on the order of 4 W.kg-1; a maximal walking speed of 1.50-1.99 m.s-1 required 7 W.kg-1; and for a speed over 2.00 m.s-1 the power threshold was 9.5 W.kg-1. CONCLUSIONS Their lower average leg extension power may be one of the factors explaining the greater prevalence of mobility problems among women than men.

179 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
28 Nov 1997-Science
TL;DR: In this article, long-term data of the Canadian lynx from eight Canadian provinces display large-scale spatial synchrony in population fluctuations, in agreement with predictions of a spatially-linked population model and support contemporary population ecology theory.
Abstract: Theoretical research into the dynamics of coupled populations has suggested a rich ensemble of spatial structures that are created and maintained either by external disturbances or self-reinforcing interactions among the populations. Long-term data of the Canadian lynx from eight Canadian provinces display large-scale spatial synchrony in population fluctuations. The synchronous dynamics are not time-invariant, however, as pairs of populations that are initially in step may drift out of phase and back into phase. These observations are in agreement with predictions of a spatially-linked population model and support contemporary population ecology theory.

178 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the ground state electronic structures of circular parabolic quantum dots were calculated using spin density functional theory and the dependence of the spin-density-wave amplitudes on the density of the two-dimensional electron gas was studied.
Abstract: Spin density functional theory is used to calculate the ground state electronic structures of circular parabolic quantum dots. We find that such dots either have a spin configuration determined by Hund's rule or make a spin-density-wave-like state with zero total spin. The dependence of the spin-density-wave amplitudes on the density of the two-dimensional electron gas is studied.

172 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The experiment supports the most classical predictions in the theories of the origin and maintenance of Batesian mimicry: Batesian mimics gain most when the models outnumber them and the models survived significantly better the more distasteful they were.
Abstract: Batesian mimicry is the resemblance between unpalatable models and palatable mimics. The widely accepted idea is that the frequency and the unprofitability of the model are crucial for the introduc...

168 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was concluded that heavy resistance loading may result in considerable acute fatigue of central and peripheral origin and the reduced electrical activity in the muscles accompanied by an accumulation of blood lactate led to marked decreases in strength.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine acute neuromuscular fatigue and its recovery in men (n = 8) and women (n = 8). Two strenuous, but clearly different exercises were compared: maximal (MSL) versus explosive strength loading (ESL). The MSL included five sets of ten repetition maximum bilateral leg extensions. The same task and the same number of sets was performed in ESL but with 40% from the load used in MSL and performed as explosively as possible. Isometric force-time curves were measured during maximal voluntary bilateral isometric action of the leg extensors before the fatigue loading and after each set. The measurements were repeated after resting for 1 h, 2 h, 1 day and two days. Surface elecromyogram (EMG) activity was recorded from the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and rectus femoris muscles. Blood samples from the fingertips were also taken throughout the experiment to determine blood lactate concentration. Marked changes took place in both sexes in force production during both MSL and ESL but the overall decreases were greater and the recovery was slower after MSL. Pronounced decreases occurred also in maximal integrated EMG (iEMG). In the men, the decrease in iEMG for the early contraction phase (0–100 ms) during ESL was greater (P < 0.05) than that of MSL, whereas the decrease in iEMG in the peak force phase (500–1500 ms) was similar. As expected, the increase in blood lactate concentration was greater during MSL in both sexes. It was concluded that heavy resistance loading may result in considerable acute fatigue of central and peripheral origin. The reduced electrical activity in the muscles accompanied by an accumulation of blood lactate led to marked decreases in strength. Explosive type loading, especially in men, appeared to lead primarily to central fatigue with less involvement of peripheral fatigue than MSL. The women seemed unable to fatigue themselves as much as the men, particularly in ESL.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the relativistic S+Au collisions at 200A GeV/c were studied using a hydrodynamical approach, and the resulting thermal photon and dielectron spectra were compared with experiments.
Abstract: We study relativistic S+Au collisions at 200A GeV/c using a hydrodynamical approach. We test various equations of state (EOS{close_quote}s), which are used to describe the strongly interacting matter at densities attainable in the CERN-SPS heavy ion experiments. For each EOS, suitable initial conditions can be determined to reproduce the experimental hadron spectra; this emphasizes the ambiguity between the initial conditions and the EOS in such an approach. Simultaneously, we calculate the resulting thermal photon and dielectron spectra, and compare with experiments. If one allows the excitation of resonance states with increasing temperature, the electromagnetic signals from scenarios with and without phase transition are very similar and are not resolvable within the current experimental resolution. Only EOS{close_quote}s with a few degrees of freedom up to very high temperatures can be ruled out presently. We deduce an upper bound of about 250 MeV for the initial temperature from the single photon spectra of WA80. With regard to the CERES dilepton data, none of the EOS{close_quote}s considered, in conjunction with the standard leading order dilepton rates, succeed in reproducing the observed excess of dileptons below the {rho} peak. Our work, however, suggests that an improved measurement of the photon and dilepton spectra hasmore » the potential to strongly constrain the EOS. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}« less

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Differences in ERPs of DLD and dyslexic children in comparison to controls may not reflect only maturational lag but also more fundamental processing deficiencies.
Abstract: This article reviews recent auditory event-related potential (ERP) studies of developmental language disorder (DLD) and dyslexia/reading disorder (RD). The possibility of using ERPs in searching for precursors of these disorders in the early development of infants at risk is also discussed. Differences in exogenous/sensory ERPs at the latency range of P1 and N1-P2 components have been reported between groups with DLD and RD and control groups. Latency differences between the groups may be related to a common timing deficit suggested by some researchers to be one of the possible underlying factors both in DLD and dyslexia. N1 amplitude group differences may be partly related to arousal/attentional factors and partly to the 'tuning' of the auditory sensory system. Mismatch negativity deviations in DLD children seem to indicate differences in sensory memory functions. Differences between the reviewed clinical groups and controls exist also in the endogenous P3 component, though less consistently in DLD children. In both clinical groups the P3 amplitudes are, in general, lower and the latencies longer compared to those in controls. These findings are discussed in terms of possible differences in higher cognitive functions that are not specific to modality. Altered hemispheric asymmetries in DLD and RD children, as compared to controls, are commonly found in many of the reviewed ERP components. Differences in ERPs of DLD and dyslexic children in comparison to controls may not reflect only maturational lag but also more fundamental processing deficiencies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article investigated interrelationships among the identity negotiation styles that people use, the cognitive and behavioral strategies they deploy, and their sense of subjective well-being, and found that people with an information-oriented identity style reported the highest level of self-esteem, those with a normative style had the most stable self-conceptions, and those with diffuse/avoidant style displayed the highest levels of depressive symptomatology.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate interrelationships among the identity negotiation styles that people use, the cognitive and behavioural strategies they deploy, and their sense of subjective well-being. To examine this, 198 American and 109 Finnish college students completed the Identity Style Inventory, the Strategy and Attribution Questionnaire, Rosenberg’s Self-esteem Scale, and the revised Beck’s Depression Inventory. Results showed that people with an information-oriented identity style reported the highest level of self-esteem, those with a normative style had the most stable self-conceptions, and those with a diffuse/avoidant style displayed the highest level of depressive symptomatology. Moreover, dysfunctional cognitive and attributional strategies, such as expecting to fail and engaging in task-irrelevant behaviour, were associated with low self-esteem, unstable self-conceptions, and depressive symptomatology. Finally, the associations between identity processing styles and well-being we...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, changes in conceptions of the learning process of 31 educational psychology students were examined in a constructivist and in a traditional learning environment in a course which dealt with theories of learning and development and consisted of three text books.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A project which investigates the mobility needs of the elderly and the main factors hindering their desired mobility in three European countries found that there is a clear connection between the social situation of elderly persons and specific mobility patterns.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Toothbrushing frequency differed significantly according to school performance in Canada, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Poland, Northern Ireland, and Wales and between different socio-economic groups in Northern Ireland and Wales.
Abstract: This study is part of the Cross-National Survey on Health Behaviour in School-aged Children--a WHO Collaborative Study, which started in 1982. The aim of the study was to describe the oral hygiene habits (toothbrushing and flossing) of 11-year-old schoolchildren in 22 European countries (Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, FInland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scotland, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, and Wales) and Canada. The data were collected from standardized anonymous questionnaires in school classrooms during the 1993-1994 school year. At least 1300 school children, representing the whole country, participated in the study in each country. Oral hygiene habits were analyzed according to gender, age, country, school performance, and family economy. The children brushed most favorably in Sweden, Denmark, German, Austria, and Norway (83-73% brushed twice a day). More-than-once-a-day toothbrushing was especially uncommon (from 26 to 33%) among boys in Finland, Lithuania, Russia, Estonia, and Latvia. Toothbrushing frequency differed significantly according to school performance in Canada, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Poland, Northern Ireland, and Wales and between different socio-economic groups in Northern Ireland, Wales, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Poland, and Russia. Use of dental floss was rare. In general, flossing was less frequent among boys than among girls. Daily flossing was most common among Canadian adolescents (25%). In conclusion, there are considerable differences in toothbrushing frequency among children in European countries.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A significant up-regulation in the constitutive, nucleus-located NF- κ B binding activity was observed in 30- month-old Wistar rats compared to young and 18-month-old rats, which may be related to the NF-κ B driven cellular response to adapt neurons against apoptotic pressure, as observed recently in several apoptotic conditions.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Discussion and debate on stakeholder theory continues unabated, but not a lot of people know that it first began in Finland in the 1960s, as this report of a recent Conference there shows.
Abstract: Discussion and debate on stakeholder theory continues unabated, but not a lot of people know that it first began in Finland in the 1960s, as this report of a recent Conference there shows. Archie B. Carroll, the well-known writer on corporate social responsibility, is Robert W. Scherer Professor of Management at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA (e-mail acarroll@uga.cc.uga.edu); and Juha Nasi is Professor of Management at the University of Jyvaskyla, Jyvaskyla, Finland.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results indicate passive detection of even a small pitch change based either on refractoriness to repetition or dishabituation to change, or both, is possible.
Abstract: Event-related brain potentials of 28 newborns to pitch change were studied during quiet sleep under stimulus conditions that typically elicit mismatch negativity in adults. Rarely occurring deviant tones of 1100 Hz (probability 12%) were embedded among repeated standard tones of 1000 Hz in an oddball-sequence with an interstimulus interval of 425 ms. Two control conditions were also employed: In the first, the 1100-Hz stimulus was presented alone without the intervening standard stimuli, and in the second the deviant stimulus had a pitch of 1300 Hz. In all conditions the infrequent stimulus elicited in most newborns a slow positive deflection peaking at a latency of 250-350 ms. The response to the standard tone was very small. These results indicate passive detection of even a small pitch change based either on refractoriness to repetition or dishabituation to change, or both. Some evidence was also found for a mismatch negativity-like response overlapping with the positive response and appearing as a reduction of this positive deflection at a latency of a typical mismatch negativity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the first X-ray crystal structure and the MALDI TOF mass spectra together with the complete 1H NMR spectroscopic characterization of these hydrogen-bonded assemblies were reported.
Abstract: Calix[4]arenes diametrically substituted at the upper rim with two melamine units spontaneously form well-defined box-like assemblies in the presence of two equivalents of 5,5-diethylbarbituric acid. These assemblies, consisting of nine different components, are held together by 36 hydrogen bonds and are stable in apolar solvents at concentrations of up to 10-4M. This paper reports the first X-ray crystal structure, and the MALDI TOF mass spectra together with the complete 1H NMR spectroscopic characterization of these hydrogen-bonded assemblies. The crystal structure clearly shows that the assemblies are stereogenic, as a result of the antiparallel orientation of the two rosette motifs. Furthermore, the synthesis of twelve new 1,3-bis(melamine)calix[4]arenes carrying different numbers and types of functionalities at the upper rim is described. Detailed 1H NMR spectroscopic studies on the assembly behavior of these functionalized calix[4]arenes shows that 1) polar substituents (e.g. nitro, cyano) hardly affect the stability of the hydrogen-bonded assembly; 2) hydrogen bond donating or accepting groups, like amino and acetamido, can disturb assembly of the boxes under certain conditions by destabilizing the calix[4]arene pinched cone conformation as a result of intramolecular hydrogen bond formation; and 3) sterically bulky groups (e.g. tBu) can significantly inhibit the formation of the hydrogen-bonded assembly, but this effect very much depends on the exact positions of the groups.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The claim that the use of risk management methods improves system development performance is supported and combined measures of having experienced project managers, selecting a correct project size, and investing in and obtaining experience in risk management deliberations are found.
Abstract: Software risk management can be defined as an attempt to formalise risk oriented correlates of development success into a readily applicable set of principles and practices. Earlier research suggests that it can reduce the likelihood of a system failure. Using a survey instrument we investigate this claim further. The investigation addresses the following questions: (1) which characteristics of risk management practices; and (2) which other environmental and process factors (such as development methods, manager's experience) relate to improved performance in managing software risks? Our findings support in general the claim that the use of risk management methods improves system development performance. Yet, little support was found for the claim that specific risk management methods are instrumental in attacking specific software risks. Overall, risks are better managed with combined measures of having experienced project managers, selecting a correct project size, and investing in and obtaining experience in risk management deliberations.

Journal ArticleDOI
17 Apr 1997-Nature
TL;DR: In this article, the creation of excitation momentum by quantized vortices in the superfluid has been studied, and the underlying physics of this process is similar to that associated with the creation within cosmic strings, and their results provide quantitative support for this type of baryogenesis.
Abstract: The Universe contains much more matter than antimatter, which is probably the result of processes in the early Universe in which baryon number was not conserved. These processes may have occurred during the electroweak phase transition, when elementary particles first acquired mass1–4. It is impossible to study directly processes relevant to the early Universe, because of the extreme energies involved. One is therefore forced to investigate laboratory systems with analogous phase transitions. Much of the behaviour of superfluid 3He is analogous to that predicted within the standard model of the electroweak interaction5. Superfluids and liquid crystals have already been used to investigate cosmic string production6–11; here we describe experiments on 3He that demonstrate the creation of excitation momentum (which we call momentogenesis) by quantized vortices in the superfluid. The underlying physics of this process is similar to that associated with the creation of baryons within cosmic strings, and our results provide quantitative support for this type of baryogenesis.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Subjective tiredness is strongly age related; this together with the use of psychoactive substances and sleep habits regulate adolescents’ daily life and well‐being.
Abstract: This study investigated the variation in perceived tiredness among 11, 13 and 15-year-old Finnish adolescents (n = 4187). Additionally interrelationships between sleep habits, use of psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco and coffee) and perceived tiredness among 15-year-olds were examined. This study is part of an international, WHO-coordinated survey of school children's health and lifestyle (the HBSC Study). In Finland, research data represented the whole country. The data were collected in March-May 1994. Pupils responded anonymously to a standardized questionnaire during a class period. Subjective tiredness was very common and increased with age among adolescents. Perceived tiredness on at least four school mornings a week increased from 24 to 35% among boys and from 16 to 34% among girls. Feeling tired more often than once a week increased from 20 to 37% in girls and from 24 to 50% in boys. Structural equation models showed that interrelationships between three factors--sleep habits, use of psychoactive substances and perceived tiredness--were statistically significant. For these three factors the two remaining factors explained 24% of the variance of perceived tiredness among boys and 20% among girls, and the two remaining factors explained 42% (16%) of the variation in sleep habits. For the variance of the use of psychoactive substances sleep habits and perceived tiredness explained 26% (12%). Subjective tiredness is strongly age related; this together with the use of psychoactive substances and sleep habits regulate adolescents' daily life and well-being.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper gives a description and analysis of the use of ELECTRE III and IV decision aids in the context of choosing a solid waste management system in two different real applications in Finland.
Abstract: This paper gives a description and analysis of the use of ELECTRE III and IV decision aids in the context of choosing a solid waste management system in two different real applications in Finland. Both methods fit this context well in general, since the problem involves many criteria and many ‘decision makers’. The available data are imprecise, which also favours the use of outranking methods. In addition to the real applications, we also study the choice behaviour offered for decision makers in connection with these methods by looking at some test results obtained from randomly generated problems. In general, the results of ELECTRE III and IV do not differ substantially from those from the application of traditional value functions. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results of experiments on the dynamics and kinetic roughening of one-dimensional slow-combustion fronts in three grades of paper are reported, and the relation of the observed short-range behavior and the noise as determined from the local velocity fluctuations is discussed.
Abstract: Results of experiments on the dynamics and kinetic roughening of one-dimensional slow-combustion fronts in three grades of paper are reported. Extensive averaging of the data allows a detailed analysis of the spatial and temporal development of the interface fluctuations. The asymptotic scaling properties, on long length and time scales, are well described by the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation with short-range, uncorrelated noise. To obtain a more detailed picture of the strong-coupling fixed point, characteristic of the KPZ universality class, universal amplitude ratios, and the universal coupling constant are computed from the data and found to be in good agreement with theory. Below the spatial and temporal scales at which a crossover takes place to the standard KPZ behavior, the fronts display higher apparent exponents and apparent multiscaling. In this regime the interface velocities are spatially and temporally correlated, and the distribution of the magnitudes of the effective noise has a power-law tail. The relation of the observed short-range behavior and the noise as determined from the local velocity fluctuations is discussed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It appears that a bovine colostrum supplement (Bioenervi) may increase serum IGF-I concentration in athletes during strength and speed training.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation (Bioenervi) on serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), immunoglobulin G, hormone, and amino acid and saliva immunoglobulin A concentrations during a strength and speed training period. Nine male sprinters and jumpers underwent three randomized experimental training treatments of 8 days separated by 13 days. The only difference in the treatments was the drink of 125 ml consumed per day. Posttraining increases were noticed for serum IGF-I in the 25-ml Bioenervi treatment (125 ml contained 25 ml Bioenervi) and especially in the 125-ml Bioenervi treatment (125 ml contained 125 ml Bioenervi) compared with the placebo (normal milk whey) treatment (P < 0.05). The change in IGF-I concentration during the 8-day periods correlated positively with the change in insulin concentration during the same periods with 25-ml Bioenervi treatment (r = 0.68; P = 0.045) and with 125-ml Bioenervi treatment (r = 0.69; P = 0.038). Serum immunoglobulin G, hormone, and amino acid and saliva immunoglobulin A responses were similar during the three treatments. It appears that a bovine colostrum supplement (Bioenervi) may increase serum IGF-I concentration in athletes during strength and speed training.

Journal Article
TL;DR: It is suggested that both maximal voluntary isometric and concentric force, and especially explosive strength of the knee extensors decrease greatly with increasing age probably due to selective muscle atrophy and/or possible decreases in the amount or rate of voluntary activation of the muscles.
Abstract: In experiment I ten young men (29 +/- 3 yrs; M30), 12 middle-aged men (50 +/- 4 yrs; M50) and 12 women (48 +/- 5 yrs; W50), 12 elderly men (67 +/- 4 yrs; M70) and 12 women (68 +/- 4 yrs; W70) volunteered for subjects for examination of maximal 1 RM strength and electromyographic activity of the knee extensor muscles during the bilateral and unilateral concentric contraction on a variable resistance knee extension dynamometer. In experiment II 10 young (Y) men (29 +/- 5 yrs) and 10 older (O) men (61 +/- 4 yrs) were examined for their maximal voluntary isometric force and force-time curves and electromyographic activity of the knee extensor muscles during the bilateral and unilateral contractions. The bilateral 1 RM of 165.5 +/- 25.5 kg in M30 was greater (p < 0.01) than that of 127.7 +/- 24.5 kg recorded for M50 the latter being also greater (p < 0.05) than that of 109.0 +/- 17.7 kg recorded for M70. The bilateral value of 87.4 +/- 13.4 kg in W50 was greater (p < 0.05) than that of 69.9 +/- 15.0 kg recorded for W70. The bilateral 1 RM values were slightly greater than the summed unilateral 1 RM values in all groups M50, W50 and W70 showing a significant (p < 0.05) difference. All groups showed slightly (ns.) greater mean maximal integrated EMG values during the bilateral conditions in comparison to that of the corresponding unilateral condition. The maximal isometric forces in Y men were 25% greater (p < 0.001) than in O men. In both groups the bilateral forces were somewhat greater (p < 0.05) than the summed unilateral forces and the bilateral IEMG values slightly (ns.) greater than the corresponding unilateral IEMG values. The early forces on the force-time curve were much greater (p < 0.05-0.001) in Y than O men in both conditions. The present findings suggest that both maximal voluntary isometric and concentric force, and especially explosive strength of the knee extensors decrease greatly with increasing age probably due to selective muscle atrophy and/or possible decreases in the amount or rate of voluntary activation of the muscles. However, no bilateral deficit could be found indicating that the central nervous system in a simple single joint isometric and maximal 1 RM concentric force production of the knee extensors was capable of activation of the two bilateral muscle groups simultaneously independent of age and sex of the subject. To which extent the activation and force production of the muscles would be different in terms of the bilateral deficit during various multijoint exercises utilizing isometric and higher velocity concentric, eccentric and various stretch shortening cycle exercise needs to be examined in the future.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: To study postural balance in relation to selfreported functional ability (mobility and ADL) and general physical activity in elderly men and women living in three different Nordic environments.
Abstract: OBJECTIVE To study postural balance in relation to self-reported functional ability (mobility and ADL) and general physical activity in elderly men and women living in three different Nordic environments. PARTICIPANTS A random sample of 448 men and 556 women from among the 75-year-old residents in Glostrup, Denmark, and Goteborg, Sweden, and all the residents of relevant age (127 men and 261 women) in Jyvaskyla, Finland. MEASUREMENTS Assessment of postural balance with eyes open and closed using a piezoelectric force platform. A structured interview on self-reported functional ability and physical activity. An in-laboratory medical examination. RESULTS In spite of some differences in balance between the groups studied (better results in women compared with men and, to some extent, better results in the participants from Denmark and Finland than in those from Sweden), the performance in the balance tests was similarly associated with functional ability within all groups. The subjects reporting no need of help in performing the ADL and mobility functions performed significantly better in the balance tests. These differences were seen more clearly in the control of anteroposterior movement of center of forces than in the mediolateral direction. The performance in the balance tests was also significantly better among the subjects reporting a higher level of general physical activity than in their less active counterparts. Physical activity and than in their less active counterparts. Physical activity and certain long standing illnesses modified significantly the relationship between postural balance and ADL-performance. When these factors were analyzed simultaneously, the role of balance as a predictor of ADL-performance largely disappeared. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that good balance is one of the prerequisites of performance without difficulty in mobility and ADL functions. Physical exercise may help to maintain balancing abilities in old age; good balance, in turn, may also enable a physically active way of life. The associations of balance with functional ability and physical activity were independent of sex and locality. The results also support the validity of static stabilometry as a tool for evaluating threats to functional limitations in older subjects.

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TL;DR: In this article, the renormalized proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation model (RQRPA) was used to calculate double-\ensuremath{\beta}-decay matrix elements and associated transition half-lives for twoneutrino double
Abstract: The renormalized proton-neutron quasiparticle random-phase approximation model (RQRPA) has been used to calculate double-\ensuremath{\beta}-decay matrix elements and associated transition half-lives for two-neutrino double \ensuremath{\beta} decay of parent nuclei ${}^{76}\mathrm{Ge},$ ${}^{78}\mathrm{Kr},$ ${}^{82}\mathrm{Se},$ ${}^{96}\mathrm{Zr},$ ${}^{106}\mathrm{Cd},$ and ${}^{130}\mathrm{Te}$ to the ground state and excited one- and two-phonon states of their daughter nuclei. The results are compared to ordinary proton-neutron QRPA and experiments. In addition, the violation of the Ikeda sum rule in the RQRPA is examined and discussed.