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This study determined the acute changes in kinematics and kinetics when an additional load equivalent to 5% body mass was attached to the torso during change of direction (COD). In this within-subject repeated measures study, 14 male soccer players (age: 18.29 ± 0.32 years) volunteered to participate. Subjects performed COD under two conditions in randomized order: (1) no WR, and (2) with WR. No significant differences between the loaded and unloaded conditions in actual COD angle, approach speed, braking time, propulsive time, contact time, COD completion time (all p > 0.05, ES = 0.05–0.11), and all measured kinematic parameters (all p > 0.05, ES = 0–0.18). Nonetheless, ankle plantar/dorsi flexion ROM had possibly small increase in the loaded condition (ES = 0.24). Kinetics analysis has shown that the loaded condition was likely to have small increase in relative peak vertical propulsive ground reaction force (GRF, p = 0.11, ES = 0.41), and possible small increases in relative peak braking GRF (vertical: p = 0.21, ES = 0.42; total: p = 0.22, ES = 0.38), relative peak total propulsive GRF (p = 0.24, ES = 0.26), and relative braking impulse (horizontal, vertical, and total; p = 0.27–0.41, ES = 0.26–0.28). WR did not significantly change the acute movement techniques, meanwhile induced small increases in important kinetic stimuli for potential adaptation in COD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central aim of this experiment was to compare acoustic parameters, formant frequencies and vowel space area (VSA), in adolescents with hearing-impaired (HI) and their normal-hearing (NH) peers; for kinematic parameters, the movements of vocal organs, especially the lips, jaw and tongue, during vowel production were analysed. The participants were 12 adolescents with different degrees of hearing impairment. The control group consisted of 12 age-matched NH adolescents. All participants were native Chinese speakers who were asked to produce the Mandarin vowels /a/, /i/ and /u/, with subsequent acoustic and kinematic analysis. There was significant difference between the two groups. Additionally, the HI group produced more exaggerated mouth and less tongue movements in all vowels, compared to their NH peers. Results were discussed regarding possible relationship between acoustic data, articulatory movements and degree of hearing loss to provide an integrative assessment of acoustic and kinematic characteristics of individuals with hearing loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of collar height and heel counter-stiffness of basketball shoes on ankle stability during sidestep cutting and athletic performance. 15 university basketball players wore customized shoes with different collar heights (high and low) and heel counter-stiffness (regular, stiffer and stiffest) for this study. Ankle stability was evaluated in sidestep cutting while athletic performance evaluated in jumping and agility tasks. All variables were analysed using two-way repeated ANOVA. Results showed shorter time to peak ankle inversion for both high collar and stiff heel counter conditions (P < 0.05), while smaller initial ankle inversion angle, peak inversion velocity and total range of inversion for wearing high collar shoes (P < 0.05). No shoe differences were found for performance variables. These findings imply that the collar height might play a larger role in lateral stability than heel counter-stiffness, while both collar height and counter-stiffness have no effect on athletic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]