Fatness and fitness in relation to functional movement quality in overweight and obese children

This study aimed to investigate the independent and combined associations between several fatness indicators and fitness components with functional movement quality in overweight/obese children. A total of 56 children (33 girls, aged 8–12) classified as overweight/obese according to the World Obesity Federation standard cut points, participated in this study. Participants underwent assessments of fatness [body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and bioelectrical impedance measures], fitness [1 repetition maximum bench and leg press, and ALPHA test battery], and functional movement quality [4 tests from Functional Movement Screen ^TM (FMS)]. All fatness outcomes, except waist circumference, were negatively associated with total FMS score, after controlling for cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness, lower limbs muscle strength, and speed-agility were positively associated with the total FMS score, regardless of BMI. Our results suggest that children with greater fatness indicators demonstrate lower functional movement quality independently of their fitness level, whereas children with better fitness level (i.e. cardiorespiratory fitness, lower limbs muscular strength, and speed-agility) demonstrate greater functional movement quality independently of their fatness level. However, children´s weight status seems to be more determinant than their fitness level in terms of functional movement quality, whereas being fit seems to moderately attenuate the negative influence of fatness.     

Bone quality in young adults with intellectual disability involved in adapted competitive football

The objective of this study was to analyse bone quality parameters of football players with intellectual disability (ID) participating in adapted competitive football. Sixty-seven male football players with ID were studied: 22 with Down syndrome (DS) and 45 without DS. The average age was 26 years (range: 16 ? 50 years). A group of 25 age-matched sedentary individuals with ID (11 DS and 14 non-DS) and another group of 20 healthy participants of the same age group not involved in competitive football were comparatively analysed. There were no differences in the bone quality parameters when the healthy sedentary individuals were compared with both the sedentary and the football players with ID. However, the speed of sound (SOS), T-score, and estimated bone mineral density (BMD) were of higher values in the football players with ID than in the sedentary ID group (p?p?T-scores (p?p?T-scores less than ?1.5. Two of the 14 sedentary non-DS participants (14.3%) had T-scores indicating osteoporosis. In summary, the ID population actively involved in football showed higher values of bone mass parameters than their sedentary ID and healthy peers. The participants with non-DS ID showed a higher prevalence of osteoporosis than the football players with DS. Participation in sports seems to prevent bone loss in individuals with ID.     

Prediction of abandonment in Spanish fitness centres

Research question: The increase of physical exercise in fitness centres has turned these facilities in important active lifestyle promoters. However, only between 30% and 60% of subscribers still linked to the sports centre after a year. The aim of this study is to design a model to predict the drop out in fitness centres. Research methods: Monthly data corresponding to the actual behaviour of 14,522 members of three sport centres in Spain were recorded over the course of one year. In order to calculate the likelihood of drop out, logistic regressions were used to create predictive models for each centre. Results and findings: It was possible to predict abandonment of users of sport centres from their historical behaviour, although the predictive models obtained for each centre were not completely coincident. The effectiveness of the models was around 70%. Implications: The analysis of users’ behaviour in a fitness centre can allow to avoid the drop out and therefore the abandonment of physical activity. Segmenting the customers based on the likelihood of drop out may be useful for improving the effectiveness of the strategies of loyalty and for optimizing the organization of human and material resources.     

Metabolic impact of a soccer match on female players

The aim of this study was to examine the metabolic effect of a female soccer match in elite and sub-elite teams. Blood samples were taken (24 h before, immediately after and 18 h after official soccer matches) to determine haematological, electrolytic and hormonal variables, as well as the levels of cell damage and oxidative stress in 14 elite and 14 sub-elite players. Our results show increases in white blood cell count (P < 0.001) and the percentage of neutrophils (P < 0.001), and decreases in the percentage of lymphocytes (P < 0.05), eosinophils (P < 0.001), monocytes (P < 0.001) and basophils (P < 0.05) immediately post-match. Increases were also found in lactate dehydrogenase activity (P < 0.001), uric acid (P < 0.001), albumin (P < 0.001), total antioxidant status (P < 0.001) and free testosterone levels (P < 0.01). Creatine kinase activity significantly increased 18 h post-match (P < 0.01) and the concentrations of several ions, glucose and proteins were found to be altered immediately post-match. Overall, our results show that playing a soccer match exerts specific metabolic effects on female players, resulting in muscle damage, oxidative stress and biochemical and hormonal variations. On the basis of some interesting correlations, we also suggest that exercise-induced cell breakdown may enhance antioxidant capacity of the soccer players.     

Study of context influence on classifiers trained under different video-document representations

The problem of content-based video retrieval continues to pose a challenge to the research community, the performance of video retrieval systems being low due to the semantic gap. In this paper we consider whether taking advantage of context can aid the video retrieval process by making the prediction of relevance easier, i.e. if it is easier for a classification system to predict the relevance of a video shot under a given context, then that context has potential in also improving retrieval, since the underlying features better differentiate relevant from non-relevant video shots. We use an operational definition of context, where datasets can be split into disjoint sub-collections which reflect a particular context. Contexts considered include task difficulty and user expertise, among others. In the classification process, four main types of features are used to represent video-shots: conventional low-level visual features representing physical properties of the video shots, behavioral features which are based on user interaction with the video shots, and two different bag-of-words features obtained from the Automatic Speech Recognition from the audio of the video.     

Why is S a Biased Estimate of σ?

This article outlines an experiment that leads one to discover and verify that S is a biased estimator of σ.     

Creating and Implementing a Faculty Interest Group for Historically Underrepresented Faculty

This article describes the creation and implementation of a faculty interest group for historically underrepresented faculty at a large, urban community college in the Northeast. Faculty interest groups provide opportunities for faculty across disciplines to meet to explore common interests and share concerns and best practices. The faculty interest group described in this article was designed to explore and address the challenges faced by historically underrepresented faculty and facilitate the process of attaining reappointment, promotion, and tenure. Nationwide, nearly half of community college students come from populations that are also historically underrepresented, and community colleges are challenged to recruit and retain faculty that mirror the student body. Research demonstrates that historically underrepresented faculty members enrich the overall education of all students, and yet a significant number of those faculty members describe their college campuses as unwelcoming. Factors that make campuses unwelcoming for these faculty include, but are not limited to, the following: isolation and marginalization; salary disparities; microaggressions based on race, gender, and sexual identity; heightened visibility; and additional role demands. Community college administrators ought to be concerned with historically underrepresented faculty members’ satisfaction and persistence on campus because these faculty members are vital members of the academy. Faculty interest groups for historically underrepresented faculty may provide the support and professional development opportunities that will ensure their retention and success in academia.     

Exploring the relationship among learning patterns,personality traits,and academic performance in freshmen

Providing information about how 1st-year students learn may help colleges plan actions aimed at increasing students' persistence in higher education programs. This research aims to assess 1st-year students' academic performance, using a path analysis to establish inter-correlations among students' personality traits, learning patterns, high school achievement, and objectively measured outcomes. Participants included 509 freshmen from different academic disciplines. Results show a causality relations model in which Conscientiousness positively influences Sequential and Precise learning patterns as well as academic performance. The path model also confirms Extraversion as a negative antecedent of the Technical learning pattern. It is argued that knowing students is a primary step to putting them in a position to become an active part of the learning process.     

The importance of having a flexible scope ISO 15189 accreditation and quality specifications based on biological variation – the case of validation of the biochemistry analyzer Dimension Vista

Introduction

Technological innovation requires the laboratories to ensure that modifications or incorporations of new techniques do not alter the quality of their results. In an ISO 15189 accredited laboratory, flexible scope accreditation facilitates the inclusion of these changes prior to accreditation body evaluation. A strategy to perform the validation of a biochemistry analyzer in an accredited laboratory having a flexible scope is shown.

Materials and methods:

A validation procedure including the evaluation of imprecision and bias of two Dimension Vista analysers 1500 was conducted. Comparability of patient results between one of them and the lately replaced Dimension RxL Max was evaluated. All studies followed the respective Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols. 30 chemistry assays were studied. Coefficients of variation, percent bias and total error were calculated for all tests and biological variation was considered as acceptance criteria. Quality control material and patient samples were used as test materials. Interchangeability of the results was established by processing forty patients’ samples in both devices.

Results:

27 of the 30 studied parameters met allowable performance criteria. Sodium, chloride and magnesium did not fulfil acceptance criteria. Evidence of interchangeability of patient results was obtained for all parameters except magnesium, NT-proBNP, cTroponin I and C-reactive protein.

Conclusions:

A laboratory having a well structured and documented validation procedure can opt to get a flexible scope of accreditation. In addition, performing these activities prior to use on patient samples may evidence technical issues which must be corrected to minimize their impact on patient results.     

饲料中添加姜黄渣对高温环境下养殖中华鳖存活率的改善作用（英文）

目的:评估饲料中添加姜黄渣对中华鳖存活率及抗高温应激能力的改善作用;通过中华鳖的抗氧化能力分析,探讨姜黄渣的生化作用机制。创新点:证实了饲料中添加姜黄渣对中华鳖具有增强抗高温能力,提高存活率的作用,为姜黄渣作为新的水产饲料添加剂的资源开发应用提供了重要科学依据。方法:将320只雌性中华鳖(体重约250 g)随机分为对照组(标准饲料)和实验组(饲料中添加10%的姜黄渣)。在2013年7月到10月分别考察实验组和对照组中华鳖的体重、存活率;分析试验地海盐县的气温变化与中华鳖存活率的相关性;用超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和丙二醛(MDA)试剂盒分别检测了两组中华鳖肝组织的SOD酶活力及MDA含量;用高效液相色谱分别测定比较了两组中华鳖皮肤的姜黄素含量。结论:补充姜黄渣的中华鳖皮肤呈现金黄色,皮肤所含色素为姜黄素,平均含量为(0.14±0.03)μg/g。存活率调查显示,实验组的中华鳖存活率比对照组高135.5%;SOD和MDA分析显示,实验组中华鳖肝组织的SOD酶活比对照组高112.8%,MDA含量比对照组低36.4%。根据气温资料分析推测,持续高温容易导致中华鳖死亡,补充姜黄渣可有效降低高温造成的死亡率。综合分析显示,补充姜黄渣能显著提高中华鳖的存活率及抗高温应激能力,其作用与姜黄渣所含姜黄素的抗氧化活性相关。