Biomechanical Comparison of Dominant and Non-Dominant Limbs During Leap-Landings in Contemporary Style Female Dancers.

The execution strategy of technical dance movements is constrained by aesthetic and qualitative artistic requirements. As such, there are limited leap-landing strategies that may be used by dancers when executing a grand jeté or saut de chat. The purpose of this study was to determine potential differences in lower extremity angular positioning and joint loading when performing a dance-style leap landing. Fifteen female dancers (age: 20 ± 1 years; height: 1.61 ± 0.13 m; weight: 58.00 ± 11.89 kg) completed six leap-landing trials during which three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics data were collected. Paired-samples t-tests (α = 0.05) and Cohen's d effect sizes (ES; large ≥ 0.8) were used to compare the following variables: jump height; peak vertical ground reaction force; loading time; loading rate; joint angular positioning of the ankle, knee, hip, and trunk in the frontal and sagittal planes; and joint angular impulse of the ankle, knee, and hip in the frontal and sagittal planes between the dominant and non-dominant limbs. Frontal plane hip angular impulse was significantly greater in the dominant limb (p = 0.023, ES = 1.53). While no other statistically significant differences were observed between dominant and non-dominant limbs, moderate effect sizes were observed for the hip and trunk angles in the frontal plane along with hip impulse in the sagittal plane. This study indicates that dancers might slightly alter their landing strategy at the hip joint when leap-landing onto the dominant limb. Frontal plane hip mechanics should be considered to minimize overuse injury potential in the dominant limb.

Concepções e Práticas dos Visitantes do Parque do Ingá, Maringá-PR Acerca da Alimentação dos Saguis (Callithrix jacchus) / Conceptions and Practices of Visitors from Parque do Ingá, Maringá-PR about Feeding the Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)

A alimentação errônea dos animais nos parques urbanos tem acarretado graves problemas ao meio ambiente e também à saúde pública. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho visou investigar as concepções dos visitantes do Parque do Ingá, Maringá-PR acerca da alimentação dos saguis, bem como conscientizá-los quanto às medidas para minimizar essa problemática. Foram entrevistados 115 visitantes do Parque do Ingá e coletadas informações por meio de entrevista semiestruturada. Os dados foram analisados por meio de estatística descritiva. Os resultados revelaram que a maioria dos visitantes não costuma alimentar os animais. Percebe-se na pesquisa que a população estudada conhece a alimentação dos saguis e procura respeitá-los, não oferecendo-lhes alimentos. Acredita-se que em Maringá a população esteja informada por meio de placas de orientação existentes praticamente desde a fundação do Parque e também das diversas mídias que sempre contribuem com seus artigos informativos.

The erroneous animals feeding in urban parks has caused serious problems to the environment and also to public health. In this context the present study aimed to investigate the conceptions of Parque do Ingá visitors, Maringá-PR about marmosets´ feeding , as well as educate them about the measures to minimize this problem. So, 115 visitors from the Parque do Ingá were interviewed and information collected through structured interview. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that most visitors do not usually feed the animals. It is noticed in the research that the studied population knows about the marmoset´s feeding and respect them not offering food. It is believed that in Maringá population is informed by signs of guidance, which exists almost since the founding of the park and also by the various media that always contribute with its informative articles.