Search results for "flexibility"
showing 10 items of 466 documents
Changes in spinal range of motion after a flexibility training program in elderly women
2014
Giuseppe Battaglia,1,2 Marianna Bellafiore,1,2 Giovanni Caramazza,2 Antonio Paoli,3 Antonino Bianco,1,2 Antonio Palma1,2 1Department of Law, Society, and Sport Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy; 2Sicilian Regional Sports School of Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), Sicily, Italy; 3Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Background: Aging-related reduced spinal mobility can interfere with the execution of important functional skills and activities in elderly women. Although several studies have shown positive outcomes in response to spinal flexibility training programs, little is known about the management of sets and repetitions in traini…
Hyper-flexible Convolutional Neural Networks based on Generalized Lehmer and Power Means
2022
Convolutional Neural Network is one of the famous members of the deep learning family of neural network architectures, which is used for many purposes, including image classification. In spite of the wide adoption, such networks are known to be highly tuned to the training data (samples representing a particular problem), and they are poorly reusable to address new problems. One way to change this would be, in addition to trainable weights, to apply trainable parameters of the mathematical functions, which simulate various neural computations within such networks. In this way, we may distinguish between the narrowly focused task-specific parameters (weights) and more generic capability-spec…
A four-session acceptance and commitment therapy based intervention for depressive symptoms delivered by masters degree level psychology students: a …
2013
Background:Depressive symptoms are one of the main reasons for seeking psychological help. Shorter interventions using briefly trained therapists could offer a solution to the ever-rising need for early and easily applicable psychological treatments.Aims:The current study examines the effectiveness of a four-session Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based treatment for self-reported depressive symptoms administered by Masters level psychology students.Method:This paper reports the effectiveness of a brief intervention compared to a waiting list control (WLC) group. Participants were randomized into two groups: ACT (n= 28) and waiting list (n= 29). Long-term effects were examined using…
Critical Exploration of Flexible Delivery
2020
This work-in-progress research article presents an introductory qualitative study on students' perceptions of a flexibly delivered, modular computer science course. Many contemporary approaches to education rely in various ways on flexible delivery of course content. This is often done to capitalize on modern technology and the web, and to put the student ‘in the center.' However, it is becoming manifest that these approaches may challenge both the students and the equity between them, making it important to understand the effects of flexible delivery in terms of the students. In the voice of our students, flexible delivery was seen as a largely positive approach, reducing stress, promoting…
DEMAND Project: A Peak Load Shaving Strategy for End-User Consumers
2018
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming increasingly widespread in modern power systems, thanks to the important benefits they can provide to the electricity grid. Indeed, BESS can be used in time shifting applications, storing energy during off-peak periods and discharging during peak times (when the cost of electricity is high). When BESS are used for peak shaving purposes, they also contribute to relieve peak demand charges, thus ensuring a saving for the consumers. This paper describes a peak load shaving strategy defined within the DEMAND project. The strategy is able to guarantee the flattest daily power diagram and the maximum benefit for the electricity consumers, reducin…
Environmental Enrichment During Adolescence Mitigates Cognitive Deficits and Alcohol Vulnerability due to Continuous and Intermittent Perinatal Alcoh…
2020
Perinatal alcohol exposure affects ontogenic neurodevelopment, causing physical and functional long-term abnormalities with limited treatment options. This study investigated long-term consequences of continuous and intermittent maternal alcohol drinking on behavioral readouts of cognitive function and alcohol vulnerability in the offspring. The effects of environmental enrichment (EE) during adolescence were also evaluated. Female rats underwent continuous alcohol drinking (CAD)—or intermittent alcohol drinking paradigm (IAD), along pregestation, gestation, and lactation periods—equivalent to the whole gestational period in humans. Male offspring were reared in standard conditions or EE un…
Adolescents’ Stress and Depressive symptoms and Their Associations with Psychological Flexibility before Educational Transition
2023
Introduction: Relatively little is known about individual differences in adolescent psychological flexibility and its associations with symptoms of stress and depression. This study examined different profiles of adolescent stress and depressive symptoms and their associations with developing psychological flexibility before the critical educational transition. Methods: The data were derived from a general sample of 740 Finnish ninth-grade adolescents (Mage = 15.7 years, 57% female) who were assessed twice during the final grade of their basic education. The data were analyzed using growth mixture modeling. Results: Four profiles of stress and depressive symptoms were identified during a sc…
Multi-Energy School System for Seasonal Use in the Mediterranean Area
2020
School buildings represent an energy-consuming sector of real estate where different efficiency actions are necessary. The literature shows how the design of a multi-energy system offers numerous advantages, however, there are problems related to the integration of cogeneration units with renewable energy sources due to the low flexibility of the first one and the high degree of uncertainty of the latter. The authors provide an alternative solution through the analysis of a case study consisting of a multiple energy system in three Sicilian schools, focusing on the system&rsquo
Developments in the biomechanics and equipment of Olympic cross-country skiers
2018
Source at: http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00976 Here, our aim was to describe the major changes in cross-country (XC) skiing in recent decades, as well as potential future developments. XC skiing has been an Olympic event since the very first Winter Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Over the past decades, considerable developments in skiing techniques and improvements in equipment and track preparation have increased skiing speed. In contrast to the numerous investigations on the physiological determinants of successful performance, key biomechanical factors have been less explored. Today’s XC skier must master a wide range of speeds, terrains, and race distances and formats (e.g., dis…
Does Stretching Training Influence Muscular Strength? A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression
2022
Thomas, E, Ficarra, S, Nunes, JP, Paoli, A, Bellafiore, M, Palma, A, and Bianco, A. Does stretching training influence muscular strength? A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-This aim of this study was to review articles that performed stretching training and evaluated the effects on muscular strength. Literature search was performed using 3 databases. Studies were included if they compared the effects on strength following stretching training vs. a nontraining control group or stretching training combined with resistance training (RT) vs. an RT-only group, after at least 4 weeks of intervention. The meta-analyses were performe…