A Companion that examines together two pivotal periods of Greek archaeology and offers a rich analysis of early Greek culture A Companion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean ...offers an original and inclusive review of two key periods of Greek archaeology, which are typically treated separately-the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. It presents an in-depth exploration of the society and material culture of Greece and the Mediterranean, from the 14th to the early 7th centuries BC. The two-volume companion sets Aegean developments within their broader geographic and cultural context, and presents the wide-ranging interactions with the Mediterranean. The companion bridges the gap that typically exists between Prehistoric and Classical Archaeology and examines material culture and social practice across Greece and the Mediterranean. A number of specialists examine the environment and demography, and analyze a range of textual and archaeological evidence to shed light on socio-political and cultural developments. The companion also emphasizes regionalism in the archaeology of early Greece and examines the responses of different regions to major phenomena such as state formation, literacy, migration and colonization. Comprehensive in scope, this important companion: Outlines major developments in the two key phases of early Greece, the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age Includes studies of the geography, chronology and demography of early Greece Explores the development of early Greek state and society and examines economy, religion, art and material culture Sets Aegean developments within their Mediterranean context Written for students, and scholars interested in the material culture of the era, A Companion to the Archaeology of Early Greece and the Mediterranean offers a comprehensive and authoritative guide that bridges the gap between the Late Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age.
Background
Research regarding the feasibility and effects of dancing and exercise with musical support programmes on the physical fitness of adults with intellectual disability (ID) is scarce. The ...purpose of this study was to provide scientific evidence regarding the feasibility of a training programme consisting of dancing and exercise with music designed for adults with ID, as well as to assess its impact on their body composition and cardiovascular and muscular fitness.
Methods
A total of 30 adults (mean age 36.37 ± 11.24 years) with mild (n = 13), moderate (n = 16) or severe (n = 1) ID took part in a 10‐week dancing and exercise with music programme. Recruitment and completion rate, adherence to the programme, participation and adverse effects were registered as measures of feasibility. The body mass index, cardiovascular endurance (6‐min walk test) and muscular strength (standing long jump test) of the participants were assessed in order to determine the effects of the programme on their fitness level.
Results
A 92.5% recruitment rate and a 90% completion rate were achieved. Adherence to the programme stood at 76.6%, and no adverse effects were registered. The comparison between the values obtained in the initial and final evaluations indicated the existence of positive changes in all the fitness dimensions measured.
Conclusion
A training programme combining dancing and exercise with music proved to be feasible when performed by adults with ID. These kind of programmes can have a positive effect on the fitness level of this specific group.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The Cooper test (CT) is used to assess cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in pre-adolescents and adolescents, although it was originally developed to assess healthy adults. The aim of this study is to ...examine the available scientific evidence on the reliability and criterion validity of CT when administered to pre-adolescents and adolescents. Systematic searches were performed in three electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, SPORTDiscuss and Scopus). To examine reliability and validity, four separate meta-analyses were implemented, finding high heterogeneity in studies with low methodological quality. There was a paucity of research regarding absolute reliability, while studies attempting to develop or cross-validate VO
2max
/VO
2peak
equations were almost non-existent. Information on the psychometric properties of CT in pre-adolescents under 12 years of age is scarce. The findings of this review cast doubt on the usefulness of CT both in identifying CRF and in determining the impact of strategies developed to improve CRF among pre-adolescents and adolescents.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, GIS, IJS, KISLJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract Although several pieces of evidence indicate that the endocannabinoid system modulates anxiety-like behaviors and stress adaptation, few studies have investigated the brain sites of these ...effects. The ventral hippocampus (VHC) has been related to anxiety behaviors and has a high expression of cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors. Moreover, endocannabinoid signaling in the hippocampus is proposed to regulate stress adaptation. In the present study we investigated the role of previous stressful experience on the effects of AM404, an anandamide uptake inhibitor, microinjected into the VHC of rats submitted to the elevated plus maze (EPM), a widely used animal model of anxiety. Stressed animals were forced restrained for two h 24 h before the test. AM404 (5–50 pmol) microinjection promoted an anxiogenic-like effect in non-stressed rats but decreased anxiety in stressed animals. AM251 (0.01 to 1000 pmol), a CB1 receptor antagonist, failed to change behavior in the EPM over a wide dose range but prevented the effects of AM404. Anxiolytic-like effects of AM404 (5 pmol) intra-VHC injection were also observed in the Vogel conflict test (VCT), another model of anxiety that involves previous exposure to stressful situations (48 h of water deprivation). These results suggest that facilitation of endocannabinoid system neurotransmission in the ventral hippocampus modulates anxiety-like behaviors and that this effect depends on previous stress experience.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Background
: Nordic walking (NW) is a potentially beneficial exercise strategy for overweight and obese people. To date, no reviews have synthesized the existing scientific evidence regarding the ...effects of NW on this population. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify the characteristics, methodological quality, and results of the investigations that have studied the effects of NW in overweight and obese individuals.
Methods
: Six electronic databases were searched up to June 2019 for studies that examined the effects of NW on people with a body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m
2
. The methodological quality of the included randomized controlled trials was retrieved from the physiotherapy evidence database or evaluated using the physiotherapy evidence database scale.
Results
: Twelve studies were included in the review. The investigations were mostly good-to-fair methodological quality. NW groups had a significant improvement on parameters such as fasting plasma glucose, abdominal adiposity, and body fat compared with the baseline, but no significant improvements were found when compared with control groups.
Conclusions
: NW can potentially lead to improvements in parameters related to major health outcomes in overweight and obese people. The lack of control for confounding variables in the analyzed studies prevents further elaboration on its potential benefits.
Objectives: The main objective was to identify the test-retest reliability of the Wii Balance Board (WBB) for assessing standing balance when administered to a population of people with intellectual ...disability (ID). A secondary objective was to provide information regarding the reliability of the WBB, taking into account the severity of cognitive impairment.
Methods: The WBB was administered two times to a group of 50 people (mean age: 20.44 ± 5.73 years) with mild (n=32), moderate (n=6), or severe ID (n=12) within a 15-day period. The relative reliability of the WBB for the 'standing balance with open eyes' test was analyzed by means of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The standard error measurement and the minimum detectable change were used to identify absolute reliability.
Results: For the whole sample, the WBB showed a fair (ICC=0.71), poor (ICC=0.66), and excellent (ICC=0.99) relative reliability for assessing weight-bearing asymmetry, center of pressure, path length, and sway area, respectively. In people with moderate/severe ID, statistically significant differences between the WBB test and retest scores were found. The absolute reliability of the WBB was considered poor.
Conclusion: The WBB showed accurate adequate test-retest reliability for assessing standing balance in young people with ID. When using this device with people with moderate/severe ID, it is advisable to perform several testing trials, in order to avoid a possible learning effect. Standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change were high, indicating that this device might not be sensitive enough to properly identify static balance changes in this population.
Full text
Available for:
IJS, NUK, OILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
The present paper investigates the preparation of magnesium (Mg) substituted biphasic mixtures of different hydroxyapatite (HAP)/
β-tricalcium phosphate (
β-TCP) ratios through aqueous precipitation ...method. The concentrations of added magnesium (Mg) were varied with the calcium in order to obtain constant (Ca+Mg)/P ratios of 1.67 ranging from 1.62+0.05, 1.58+0.09 and 1.54+0.13, respectively. The as prepared powders were calcined at different temperatures to study the phase behaviour and thermal stability. The powders were characterized by the following analytical techniques: TG–DTA, X-ray diffraction and FT-IR. The results have shown that substitution of Mg in the calcium-deficient apatites resulted in the formation of biphasic mixtures of different HAP/
β-TCP ratios after heating above 700
°C. The ratios of the formation of phase mixtures were dependent on the calcium deficiency in the apatites with the higher deficiency having the strongest impact on the increased formation of
β-TCP and the substituted Mg was found to stabilize the
β-TCP phase.
Role of Mg in the behaviour of calcium-deficient apatites during calcination to form biphasic mixtures.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The main goal of this contribution is to propose a numerical method to determine the minimum sample size and the remaining useful life of industrial assets suffering from general corrosion. The ...method merges the extreme value theory by using the Peak-Over-Threshold method combined with the Generalized Pareto Distribution to obtain an optimized sample size used to perform the integrity assessment of industrial assets using the first-order reliability method. Moreover, this method can be used to extrapolate the corrosion data obtained by inspection to uninspected areas of the assets to estimate their maximum wall loss. To demonstrate the main features and capabilities of the proposed methodology, the dataset of AISI 1018 steel tubes of a heat exchanger subjected to a general corrosion-type extreme process are addressed herein. The main steps of numerical implementation and foundations required to perform the methodology are also provided. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is an interesting tool for the inspection process to determine the minimum sample size and to evaluate the structural integrity of industrial assets subjected to extreme events such as general corrosion.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
PDF
