Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), first described by Jean-Martin Charcot 145 years ago, is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder that leads to destruction of motor neurons. The disease begins focally in the central nervous system then spreads inexorably. The clinical diagnosis, defined by progressive upper and lower motor neuron findings, is confirmed by electromyogram. Additional testin...

The motto of the Olympic Games is Citius, Altius, Fortius which is Latin for 'Faster, Higher, Stronger'. It is a clarion call to all competitors, including the youngest, to engage in training strategies that prepare athletes to be the best in the world. Existing research indicates that various forms of resistance training can elicit performance improvements in young athletes. Stronger young ath...

Within the sport of wheelchair basketball in Canada, athletes with and without disabilities compete with and against each other. This type of reverse integration is made possible by a functional classification system, wherein athletes are assigned a point value based on limitations in functional skills. Able-bodied athletes (AB, those without functional limitations) are assigned a value of 4.5....

A low second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been reported to correlate with high performance and athletic potential of an individual in sport. It has been suggested that 2D:4D is a relatively weak predictor of strength and a stronger predictor of efficiency in aerobic exercise. Comparing extreme groups on a continuum of sports performance requiring high power (physical strength) output would...

The incredible feats of athleticism demonstrated by humans are made possible in part a vast repertoire general-purpose motor skills, acquired through years practice and experience. These skills not only enable to perform complex tasks, but also provide powerful priors for guiding their behaviors when learning new tasks. This is stark contrast what common physics-based character animation, where...

Minarik, Martin. 2017. ‘Ideological Efficacy before Martial Efficacy: On the Relationship Between Martial Arts, Theatricality and Society’, Martial Arts Studies 5, 61-71. Martial arts, gendai budō, mudo, performance, theatricality, training, ethics, aesthetics, semiotics, embodiment, taekwondo, karate-do. 10.18573/mas.50 This article relates the training of gendai budō/mudo to theatrical perfor...

Crocodylians exhibit a fascinating diversity of terrestrial gaits and limb motions that remain poorly described and are of great importance to understanding their natural history and evolution. Their musculoskeletal anatomy is pivotal to this diversity and yet only qualitative studies of muscle-tendon unit anatomy exist. The relative masses and internal architecture (fascicle lengths and physio...

PURPOSE Low self-concept and self-esteem are thought to be the main predictors of psychological problems in children and adolescents. Children with spina bifida are thought to be at an increased risk for low self-concept and self-esteem given their disabilities. We examined the impact of urinary continence on self-concept in children with myelomeningocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 50 ...

BACKGROUND Cardiac remodeling occurs in response to regular athletic training, and the degree of remodeling is associated with fitness. Understanding the myocardial structural changes in athlete's heart is important to develop tools that differentiate athletic from cardiomyopathic change. We hypothesized that athletic left ventricular hypertrophy is a consequence of increased myocardial cellula...

In a recent discussion of Amartya Sen's concept of the capabilities of people for functioning in their society ± and the idea of targeting people's functioning capabilities in evaluating the society ± G. A. Cohen accuses Sen of espousing an inappropriate, `athletic' image of the person (Cohen, 1993, pp. 24±5). The idea is that if Sen's formulations are to be taken at face value, then life is va...