- Email: [email protected]
Human muscular response in relation to endogenous and exogenous factors, Part 2: Muscle resistive response and muscle energy technique
ARTICLE IN PRESS 270
Abstracts / HOMO — Journal of Comparative Human Biology 60 (2009) 239–290
human groups as well as among Pleistocene hominins reflect climatic adaptation (in relation to body build) or habitual activity patterns (as a reflection, for instance, of forager, agricultural or urban lifestyles). Among late Pleistocene hominins, for example, the lower NSA of Neanderthals compared to fully modern humans has been interpreted as a corollary of their more stocky, cold-adapted body build or, alternatively, as an outcome of a more physically demanding lifestyle. The NSA varies considerably among modern human groups, although the alleged gender difference within groups (with females have a lower NSA) is not supported by available evidence. This study uses a global sample to examine the extent to which variation between groups may be associated with climatic, particularly thermal, variables. Preliminary findings are presented, suggesting that sex differences are indeed non-existent and, while climatic factors are implicated in group variation, other factors such as regular use of clothing (which alters the thermal microenvironment of the body) may also contribute to the observed variation. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.049
Human muscular response in relation to endogenous and exogenous factors, Part 2: Muscle resistive response and muscle energy technique B. Gutnik, G. Al-Araji, D. Nash (School of Health Science, UNITEC, Auckland, New Zealand), [email protected]
Muscle energy technique (MET) is a technique used by osteopaths and other manual therapists to treat many different muscular and fascial complaints. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of osteopathic muscle energy technique on the power of resistance of muscle, using the biceps brachii muscle as a model. Muscle data were obtained using a uniquely designed automatic force viscoelastometer with associated computer application (Gutnik and Leaver, 2006. In: Proceedings of the 4th IASTED International Conference on Biomedical Engineering, February 15–17, Innsbruck, pp. 197–202). The stylus mechanism of the viscoelastometer progressively compressed the biceps muscle (to a maximum 9 mm depth) and a sensory transducer measured the current velocity of depression (in m/s) and resistive forces (in Newtons) over each 0.05 mm micro interval of deflection. Fifteen healthy, untrained young male subjects were tested in a relaxed supine posture with the forearm extended at the elbow. The procedure included three sessions during three weeks: the first two sessions before and the third session after MET intervention. The device automatically measured force and velocity of deflection of the biceps selectively within superficial (1–3 mm depth) and profound (6–9 mm depth) layers. The average power (Pav.) of resistance of muscle under compression was also selectively calculated for both of these layers. We did not find a specific pattern of alteration of average power of resistance within the superficial layer. Seven subjects demonstrated an increase in power of
ARTICLE IN PRESS Abstracts / HOMO — Journal of Comparative Human Biology 60 (2009) 239–290
271
resistance, 1 subject showed a decrease and 5 subjects showed no change from preintervention. However, all subjects demonstrated a significant reduction in the power of resistance of the profound layer. This pattern may be explained by the increase of blood flow in the muscular vascular bed and probable increase of perfusion of interstitial fluid into surrounding soft tissue compartments. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.050
Geographical and historical influences on cranial size and shape in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) populations C. Hadley, N. Milne, L. Schmitt (School of Anatomy and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Australia), [email protected]
Geometric Morphometric techniques were used to examine patterns in the cranial size and shape of tammar wallaby populations (Macropus eugenii). Based on existing ecological rules and previous studies, cranial size was expected to vary with latitude (Bergmann’s Rule) and island area. Dwarfism was also expected in island populations (the Island Rule). Cranial shape was expected to reflect population separation with greater shape differentiation in populations with a greater degree of physical or temporal isolation. Nasal shape specifically was expected both to show great variation and to relate to latitude, with longer, narrower snouts in the populations living in cooler climes. Cranial size and shape variation was examined in nine isolated populations, using 143 crania from 2 mainland and 7 island populations. While there was no evidence for island dwarfism or gigantism, cranial size had significant relationships with both island size and latitude. Shape variation was most pronounced in the snout and varied with the latitude at which the tammar wallabies lived. Pair-wise comparisons were made from the mean shapes calculated for each population. Most of the population comparisons were significantly different, with a clear tendency for island populations and those with greater geographic separation to display greater shape differentiation. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.051
Blurring the boundaries: 2D facial approximation of the Teouma Lapita S. Hayes (School of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Australia), [email protected], F. Valentin (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite´s Paris 1 et 10, France), [email protected],
Abstracts / HOMO — Journal of Comparative Human Biology 60 (2009) 239–290
human groups as well as among Pleistocene hominins reflect climatic adaptation (in relation to body build) or habitual activity patterns (as a reflection, for instance, of forager, agricultural or urban lifestyles). Among late Pleistocene hominins, for example, the lower NSA of Neanderthals compared to fully modern humans has been interpreted as a corollary of their more stocky, cold-adapted body build or, alternatively, as an outcome of a more physically demanding lifestyle. The NSA varies considerably among modern human groups, although the alleged gender difference within groups (with females have a lower NSA) is not supported by available evidence. This study uses a global sample to examine the extent to which variation between groups may be associated with climatic, particularly thermal, variables. Preliminary findings are presented, suggesting that sex differences are indeed non-existent and, while climatic factors are implicated in group variation, other factors such as regular use of clothing (which alters the thermal microenvironment of the body) may also contribute to the observed variation. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.049
Human muscular response in relation to endogenous and exogenous factors, Part 2: Muscle resistive response and muscle energy technique B. Gutnik, G. Al-Araji, D. Nash (School of Health Science, UNITEC, Auckland, New Zealand), [email protected]
Muscle energy technique (MET) is a technique used by osteopaths and other manual therapists to treat many different muscular and fascial complaints. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of osteopathic muscle energy technique on the power of resistance of muscle, using the biceps brachii muscle as a model. Muscle data were obtained using a uniquely designed automatic force viscoelastometer with associated computer application (Gutnik and Leaver, 2006. In: Proceedings of the 4th IASTED International Conference on Biomedical Engineering, February 15–17, Innsbruck, pp. 197–202). The stylus mechanism of the viscoelastometer progressively compressed the biceps muscle (to a maximum 9 mm depth) and a sensory transducer measured the current velocity of depression (in m/s) and resistive forces (in Newtons) over each 0.05 mm micro interval of deflection. Fifteen healthy, untrained young male subjects were tested in a relaxed supine posture with the forearm extended at the elbow. The procedure included three sessions during three weeks: the first two sessions before and the third session after MET intervention. The device automatically measured force and velocity of deflection of the biceps selectively within superficial (1–3 mm depth) and profound (6–9 mm depth) layers. The average power (Pav.) of resistance of muscle under compression was also selectively calculated for both of these layers. We did not find a specific pattern of alteration of average power of resistance within the superficial layer. Seven subjects demonstrated an increase in power of
ARTICLE IN PRESS Abstracts / HOMO — Journal of Comparative Human Biology 60 (2009) 239–290
271
resistance, 1 subject showed a decrease and 5 subjects showed no change from preintervention. However, all subjects demonstrated a significant reduction in the power of resistance of the profound layer. This pattern may be explained by the increase of blood flow in the muscular vascular bed and probable increase of perfusion of interstitial fluid into surrounding soft tissue compartments. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.050
Geographical and historical influences on cranial size and shape in tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) populations C. Hadley, N. Milne, L. Schmitt (School of Anatomy and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Australia), [email protected]
Geometric Morphometric techniques were used to examine patterns in the cranial size and shape of tammar wallaby populations (Macropus eugenii). Based on existing ecological rules and previous studies, cranial size was expected to vary with latitude (Bergmann’s Rule) and island area. Dwarfism was also expected in island populations (the Island Rule). Cranial shape was expected to reflect population separation with greater shape differentiation in populations with a greater degree of physical or temporal isolation. Nasal shape specifically was expected both to show great variation and to relate to latitude, with longer, narrower snouts in the populations living in cooler climes. Cranial size and shape variation was examined in nine isolated populations, using 143 crania from 2 mainland and 7 island populations. While there was no evidence for island dwarfism or gigantism, cranial size had significant relationships with both island size and latitude. Shape variation was most pronounced in the snout and varied with the latitude at which the tammar wallabies lived. Pair-wise comparisons were made from the mean shapes calculated for each population. Most of the population comparisons were significantly different, with a clear tendency for island populations and those with greater geographic separation to display greater shape differentiation. 10.1016/j.jchb.2009.02.051
Blurring the boundaries: 2D facial approximation of the Teouma Lapita S. Hayes (School of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Australia), [email protected], F. Valentin (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universite´s Paris 1 et 10, France), [email protected],