Marksmanship Mind Body Alignment

This report investigates the link between marksmanship, academic performance and fitness. The results of this project may establish justification to sustain and grow the Iowa State Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) marksmanship program. To investigate the link between marksmanship and fitness the student used a pulse oximeter to measure pulses and blood oxygen saturations of both new NROTC marksmen and non-marksmen. The student collected self-reported GPA’s before and after joining the marksmanship program, to study the link between marksmanship and academic performance. The student also issued a survey to assess the impact of marksmanship on concentration, stress levels, confidence, and attention to detail. Finally, the student examined the link between marksmanship performance, pulse, and oxygen saturation to determine whether marksmanship proficiency affected fitness. Marksmen had higher pulses than non-marksmen. However, marksmanship practice did not appreciably impact oxygen saturation. Marksmanship training did not significantly impact GPA’s. However, marksmen reported equal or better concentration, confidence, and attention to detail since starting marksmanship. Among more experienced marksmen, accuracy scores increased when heart rates decreased and oxygen saturation increased. There may be a correlation between marksmanship, fitness, and academics, but larger samples and experienced or competitive collegiate marksmen are required to clarify conclusions

EFFECTS OF PROBODY MASSAGE ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, BODY ALIGNMENT IN THE MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITH MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of improvement of physical characteristics, body alignment of the exercise group after Probody Massage Program of 8 weeks with 30 musculoskeletal diseases in middle-aged Women in B Metropolitan city. The subjects of this study were 30 musculoskeletal diseases in middle-aged in B Metropolitan city for 8 weeks twice a week, was carried out the Probody Massage Program of 60 minutes. Physiological characteristics are height, weight, BMI, an index of inflammation, body alignment was measured pretest, after 8 weeks. As the Probody Massage Program was showed a positive change in physical characteristics, body alignment with musculoskeletal diseases in middle-aged Women. Consequently it was suggested that Probody Massage with improvement and prevention for posture's unbalance of musculoskeletal diseases in middle-aged Women. This program could be utilized for improvement of youth postures and physical characteristics, body alignment of musculoskeletal diseases in middle-aged Women

SQUIRRELnovo : de novo design of a PPARalpha agonist by bioisosteric replacement

Shape complementarity is a compulsory condition for molecular recognition. In our 3D ligand-based virtual screening approach called SQUIRREL, we combine shape-based rigid body alignment with fuzzy pharmacophore scoring. Retrospective validation studies demonstrate the superiority of methods which combine both shape and pharmacophore information on the family of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). We demonstrate the real-life applicability of SQUIRREL by a prospective virtual screening study, where a potent PPARalpha agonist with an EC50 of 44 nM and 100-fold selectivity against PPARgamma has been identified..

Foot strike patterns and body alignment effects on muscle activity during running.

The mechanics of the running stride was altered around the 1970s when shoes were released with an elevated heel (McDougall 2009). At this point in time a heel strike running style became increasingly common and has remained the popular pattern when running in traditional shoes. In fact, the exact same person has been seen to alter their stride when running in a traditional shoe where they heel strike verses barefoot where they take on a forefoot strike (Lieberman 2010). When an individual heel strikes, the ground reaction force is greater and contains an initial peak which is void in a forefoot strike. During a heel strike, a lot of force is generated in the knee (Kulmala 2013). In fact, it has been recommended to alter a stride from heel strike to forefoot strike if an individual is experiencing knee pain. However, Kulmala identified an increase in stress on the Achilles tendon when an individual utilizes a forefoot strike which leads to a different set of injuries. Another common problem identified while performing a forefoot strike is an increase in the activation time of the gastrocnemius muscles (Ahn 2014). The first aim of this study was created to identify the difference in muscle activity occurring during a heel strike pattern and a forefoot strike pattern. The second aim is designed to vii identify if adding a forward body tilt while performing a forefoot strike will alter the muscles activated in hopes of reducing the amount of activation at the calf. To assess the aims, a 3D motion capture analysis system as well as an EMG system were utilized. The EMG system was used to monitor tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris muscle activity. Each of the 10 subjects underwent a testing period in which four different strides were assigned individually. Prior to data capture of each stride, the subject was allotted time to familiarize with the stride followed by two and a half minutes of running on the treadmill in which the last 15 seconds were recorded (EMG and motion capture). The motion capture data were processed to ensure the assigned stride was correctly performed. The EMG data was processed by a full wave rectification followed by a root mean square 50 ms moving window average and then normalized. During terminal swing, the three forefoot strike conditions had higher gastrocnemius, hamstring, and quadriceps muscle activity compared to the heel strike condition. During late stance, the forefoot strike (FF), forefoot strike with an upright body position (FFU) and heel strike (HS) patterns had greater gastrocnemius activity compared to the forefoot strike with a forward body lean (FFL) condition. During initial swing, the gastrocnemius and hamstring muscles had a greater amount of activity in the FF conditions compared to the HS condition. Throughout early stance, midswing and terminal swing phases, the tibialis anterior had an increase in muscle activation when a HS was performed verses one of the three FF conditions. The tibialis anterior muscle demonstrated the least amount of variance due to its sole responsibility of dorsiflexion which had a greater need in the HS condition consistent with the viii results presented. The three FF conditions relied on plantarflexion to land toe first which resulted in increased gastrocnemius activity beginning in the initial swing phase and proceeded throughout terminal swing. A greater amount of hip extension in the three FF conditions resulted in an increased amount of activation of the hamstring muscles during terminal swing. Increased activation in the gastrocnemius and hamstring muscles for the FF conditions in terminal swing consequently created a tendency of knee flexion which resulted in an increased amount of activation for the quadriceps muscles for knee extension to occur

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Therapies in the Treatment of Meniere's Syndrome: Illness Narratives

Colonnade interior, glass wall, from above, depicting brise-soleil; The building today commonly referred to as the Old City Hall was the building that served as Ottawa's city hall from 1958 to 2000. Today it is officially known as 111 Sussex Drive and is owned by the Federal Government of Canada. The building is located on Green Island at the point where the Rideau River empties into the Ottawa. The International Style building was opened on August 2, 1958 by Princess Margaret as a member of the Canadian Royal Family. It is noted for the first building in Ottawa to be fully air conditioned. It was designed by John Bland of the firm of Rother, Bland and Trudeau and is considered one of the most important International Style buildings in Canada. Winning the Massey Medal for design in 1959, modifications were made by Moshe Safdie in 1992-1993. Today the building mainly houses foreign affairs employees. Source: Wikipedia; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page (accessed 1/10/2008

The Effects of a 7-week Dance Exercise Class upon the Flexibility of Athletes

The effects of a dance exercise program on the flexibility of male collegiate lacrosse players were examined. The dance exercise program included stretching and strengthening exercises derived from various dance techniques. Emphasis was placed on teaching correct body alignment for the various exercises. The 45-minute exercise class was taught twice a week for seven weeks. [This is an excerpt from the abstract. For the complete abstract, please see the document.

The Freedom to Act: Unmasking Identity in Performance

Abstract This multi-modal thesis proposes a methodology for addressing anxiety during performance. The methodology intends to create a foundation of relaxation and awareness, in order to more easily access creative impulses. This foundation will be carefully built through a daily practice of deep-breathing exercises, body-alignment exercises, daily physical activity, and recorded psychological awareness of the mind/body connection. Drawing from instruction and consultation within the MFA program at York and my own independently-led research, I developed this methodology in preparation of my chosen thesis role in the Theatre@ York musical, Oh What a Lovely War!, written by Joan Littlewood

Comparison of lower body segment alignment of elite level hockey players to age-matched non-hockey players

Master's Project (M.A.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2015Lower body overuse and insidious onset injuries are thought to have an underlying biomechanical component which may be predisposing to injury. The purpose of this study was to compare lower body biomechanical characteristics for elite hockey players to matched controls. I hypothesize that elite hockey players have a greater degree of anterior pelvic tilt, greater varus knee angle, a higher foot arch and feet held in parallel more during gait than a matched non-skating population. Measures were taken of elite level, college aged, male hockey players and compared to cross country runners (ten subjects in each group) who served as controls for trunk angle, pelvic tilt angle, knee alignment, (varus/valgus angle), foot angle, arch index (arch height), hip, center of range of motion, hip external rotation, hip internal rotation, hip total range of motion (ROM), knee transverse plane ROM, and step width. The results obtained support the hypothesis for anterior pelvic tilt and foot angle during gait. Although knee angle was in the expected varus direction it was not significant and no differences were observed in the foot arch between the groups. All other measurements not directly related to the hypothesis were not significantly different with the exception of mean step width. The obtained results are important as recent literature describes a lower body posture of medial collapse into "dynamic valgus" as being predisposing to injury. Results show, on the spectrum from lower body varus to lower body valgus, hockey players are on the varus side of the spectrum in all attributes except arch height, which was similar in both populations. Since lower body alignment is thought to be coupled, this inconsistency appears contrary to the "medial collapse into dynamic valgus" model and may explain why foot orthotics and athletic shoes used as an injury intervention often fail