29 research outputs found

    Using pedometer to enhance daily physical activity among university students

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    The Festival was organized by the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Technology (LTTC), Hong Kong Institute of EducationTheme: Emerging Practices: Learning and Teaching in Higher EducationTheme 6: CoP3 – e-Health Promotion @HKIEd : Parallel Session T6.2: Presentation T6.2postprin

    Differential effect of Taekwondo training on knee muscle strength and reactive and static balance control in children with developmental coordination disorder: A randomized controlled trial

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    This randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effect of short-term intensive TKD training on the isokinetic knee muscle strength and reactive and static balance control of children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Among the 44 children with DCD (mean age: 7.6 ± 1.3 years) recruited, 21 were randomly assigned to undergo daily TKD training for 1. h over three consecutive months, with the remaining 23 children being assigned to the DCD control group. Eighteen typically developing children (mean age: 7.2 ± 1.0 years) received no training as normal controls. Knee extensor and flexor muscle strength and reactive and static balance control were assessed using an isokinetic machine (with low, moderate and high movement velocities), a motor control test (MCT) and a unilateral stance test (UST), respectively. A repeated measures MANCOVA revealed a significant group through time interaction effect in isokinetic outcomes at 180°/s and in the UST outcome. Post hoc analysis demonstrated that DCD-TKD children's isokinetic knee muscle strength, specifically at 180°/s, was as high as that of the normal control children (p>0.0083) after TKD training. Moreover, UST body sway velocity was slower in the DCD-TKD group than in the DCD control group (p0.05) after TKD training. However, no such improvement in balance was observed in the MCT (p>0.025). The results show that children with DCD who undergo a 3-month program of intensive TKD training experience improvements in isokinetic knee muscle strength at 180°/s and static single-leg standing balance control, but do not benefit from improved reactive balance control. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.postprin

    Theoretical examination of behavioral feedback in the application of teledietetics to weight reduction

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    Introduction Behavioural feedback can be attained through electronic self-monitoring with teledietetics. This study examined the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behaviour, which suggests that behavioural feedback contributes to the intention to initiate and maintain weight loss. Methods A quasi-experiment involving adults aged 20–50 years with a body mass index greater than 23 kg/m2 was conducted. The experimental group (EG) comprised 25 participants who used electronic dietary records for self-monitoring. The control group (CG) comprised 25 participants who used paper-format dietary records for self-monitoring. Data pertaining to the theory of planned behaviour were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. After an initial measurement, each participant’s body weight was measured again at Week 12 and at Week 24, following a 12-week observation period. Hierarchical regression analyses of planned behaviour components were conducted for each power to predict the participants’ intentions to lose 10% of their body weight. Logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the odds ratio of intention, perceived behavioural control (PBC) and the group effect (CG vs EG) for predicting the initiation and maintenance of 10% weight loss. Results At Week 12, the odds ratios for intention, the PBC and the group effect were 2.154, 0.330 and 0.654, respectively, and those at Week 24 were 3.255, 0.499 and 24.592, respectively. The group effect contributed significantly to weight-loss maintenance at Week 24. Discussion Behavioural feedback through electronic self-monitoring improved the intention to achieve weight-loss maintenance, which may indicate the importance of behaviour reflection in weight-loss maintenance.postprin

    Balance control, agility, eye-hand coordination, and sport performance of amateur badminton players: A cross-sectional study

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    © 2019 the Author(s). In this study, balance performance, agility, eye-hand coordination, and sports performance were compared between amateur badminton players and active controls. Thirty young adult badminton players and 33 active controls participated in the study. Static single-leg standing balance (with eyes closed) was measured using a force platform, and dynamic balance was measured using the Y Balance Test (lower quarter). Agility was measured using a hexagon agility test, and eye-hand coordination was measured using a computerized finger-pointing task. Sports performance was quantified by the number of times a shuttlecock fell in a designated area following a badminton serve. The badminton players had superior accuracy in badminton serving (P.05). Amateur badminton players had more favorable sports performance, but not balance performance, agility, or eye-hand coordination, than controls

    F-Theorem without Supersymmetry

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    The conjectured F-theorem for three-dimensional field theories states that the finite part of the free energy on S^3 decreases along RG trajectories and is stationary at the fixed points. In previous work various successful tests of this proposal were carried out for theories with {\cal N}=2 supersymmetry. In this paper we perform more general tests that do not rely on supersymmetry. We study perturbatively the RG flows produced by weakly relevant operators and show that the free energy decreases monotonically. We also consider large N field theories perturbed by relevant double trace operators, free massive field theories, and some Chern-Simons gauge theories. In all cases the free energy in the IR is smaller than in the UV, consistent with the F-theorem. We discuss other odd-dimensional Euclidean theories on S^d and provide evidence that (-1)^{(d-1)/2} \log |Z| decreases along RG flow; in the particular case d=1 this is the well-known g-theorem.Comment: 34 pages, 2 figures; v2 refs added, minor improvements; v3 refs added, improved section 4.3; v4 minor improvement
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