Impact of sports participation on mortality rates among Brazilian adults

Objective: To analyze the possible dose-response association between components of sports participation (intensity, volume and previous engagement) and 4-year mortality rates among Brazilian adults.

Methods: 679 males and females (mean age among men = 66.7 ± 9.3 years old and mean age among women = 64.8 ± 8.9 years old) composed the study sample. Sports participation was assessed using Baecke’s questionnaire, which considers intensity, duration and previous engagement. Medical records were used to identify the cause of the death. Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the independent associations of exercise components and mortality.

Results: Participants that reported exercising at moderate-vigorous intensity (Moderate/vigorous: 4.1% versus None/light: 10.3% [p-value = 0.012]; HR = 0.42 [0.1 to 0.94)] and for more than four months (≥4 months: 5.3% versus <4 months: 10.2% [p-value = 0.038]; HR = 0.47 [0.24 to 0.94]) had lower mortality risk. The percentage of survival according to all-cause mortality was significantly higher for participants engaged in sports at moderate-vigorous intensity (p-value = 0.014), as well as for those engaged in sports for periods superior than four months (p-value = 0.036).

Conclusion: We found higher percentage of survival among adults engaged in sports at moderate-vigorous intensity and with at least four months of previous engagement.     

Effects of 12 weeks of combined training without caloric restriction on inflammatory markers in overweight girls

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of combined training without caloric restriction on inflammatory markers in overweight girls. Thirty-three girls (13–17 years) were assigned into overweight training (n = 17) or overweight control (n = 16) groups. Additionally, a normal-weight group (n = 15) was used as control for the baseline values. The combined training programme consisted of six resistance exercises (three sets of 6–10 repetitions at 60–70% 1 RM) followed by 30 min of aerobic exercise (walking/running) at 50–80% VO_2peak, performed in the same 60 min session, 3 days/weeks, for 12 weeks. Body composition, dietary intake, aerobic fitness (VO_2peak), muscular strength (1 RM), glycaemia, insulinemia, lipid profile and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-10, leptin, resistin and adiponectin) were measured before and after intervention. There was a significant decrease in body fat (P < 0.01) and increase in fat-free mass (P < 0.01), VO_2peak (P < 0.01), 1 RM for leg press (P < 0.01) and bench press (P < 0.01) in the overweight training group. Concomitantly, this group presented significant decreases in serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (P < 0.05) and leptin (P < 0.05), as well as in insulin resistance (P < 0.05) after the experimental period. In conclusion, 12 weeks of combined training without caloric restriction reduced inflammatory markers associated with obesity in overweight girls.     

Kinematic,kinetic and EMG analysis of four front crawl flip turn techniques

This study aimed to analyse the kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic characteristics of four front crawl flip turn technique variants. The variants distinguished from each other by differences in body position (i.e. dorsal, lateral, ventral) during rolling, wall support, pushing and gliding phases. Seventeen highly trained swimmers (17.9 ± 3.2 years old) participated in interventional sessions and performed three trials of each variant, being monitored with a 3-D video system, a force platform and an electromyography (EMG) system. Studied variables: rolling time and distance, wall support time, push-off time, peak force and horizontal impulse at wall support and push-off, centre of mass horizontal velocity at the end of the push-off, gliding time, centre of mass depth, distance, average and final velocity during gliding, total turn time and electrical activity of Gastrocnemius Medialis, Tibialis Anterior, Biceps Femoris and Vastus Lateralis muscles. Depending on the variant, total turn time ranged from 2.37 ± 0.32 to 2.43 ± 0.33 s, push-off force from 1.86 ± 0.33 to 1.92 ± 0.26 BW and centre of mass velocity during gliding from 1.78 ± 0.21 to 1.94 ± 0.22 m · s^?1. The variants were not distinguishable in terms of kinematical, kinetic and EMG parameters during the rolling, wall support, pushing and gliding phases.     

Environmental Education and Complexity

Science & Education - The purpose of this study is to identify and analyze meanings that the term complexity assumes in Brazilian theses and dissertations in the field of environmental...     

Predicting First Grade Reading Performance from Kindergarten Response to Tier 1 Instruction

Many schools are beginning to implement multi-tier response to intervention (RTI) models for the prevention of reading difficulties and to assist in the identification of students with learning disabilities (LD). The present study was part of our larger ongoing longitudinal RTI investigation within the Florida Learning Disabilities Center grant. This study used a longitudinal correlational design, conducted in 7 ethnically and socio-economically diverse schools. We observed reading instruction in 20 classrooms, examined response rates to kindergarten Tier 1 instruction, and predicted students' first grade reading performance based upon kindergarten growth and end of year reading performance (n = 203). Teachers followed an explicit core reading program and overall, classroom instruction was rated as effective. Results indicate that controlling for students' end of kindergarten reading, their growth across kindergarten on a variety of language and literacy measures suppressed predictions of first grade performance. Specifically, the steeper the students' trajectory to a satisfactory outcome, the less likely they were to demonstrate good performance in first grade. Implications for future research and RTI implementation are discussed.     

Impact of information use architecture on load and usability

Information use is defined as the application of acquired and transmitted information in the decision making of an organization at the strategic and tactical levels. The purpose of the research is to investigate how information use architecture impacts information load and usability at the operational level of manufacturing where machines, humans and the production processes are information users. A new approach to information load is introduced which takes all the characteristics of information use (tacit, mechanical, paper and digitized) and possibilities of users (machine, operator and process) into consideration. Information use nodes are conceptualized building blocks for information use architecture which impact information load and usability. The results suggest that information use load is sensitive to information encoding/decoding. A combination of the federated and integrated information use architectures tends to result in a low information use load and can become a strategic tool for waste reduction. How information usability relates to load varies depending on the usability characteristic in view. The major conclusion is that a holistic approach to information systems includes the consideration of information use architecture which is an important factor in the management of information load and usability at the operational level.     

Trajectories of Adjustment in a Brazilian Sample of Street-Involved Youth

Trajectories of adjustment were examined in a sample of street-involved youth across a 1-year period. Participants (N = 113; M_age = 14.18 years; 80.5% male, 91% non-White) were recruited in three Brazilian cities. Interviews conducted at three time points included six measures of physical and psychological adjustment. Unconditional growth models revealed linear declines over time (i.e., improved adjustment) on three indicators: health symptoms, sexual risk behaviors, and negative affect. There were no linear changes in drug use, positive affect, or life satisfaction. Conditional growth models revealed few significant effects for age or gender, but ratings of stressful life events moderated longitudinal changes in health symptoms, drug use, and negative affect. Implications for practice, policy, and theory are discussed.     

Initial Validity and Reliability of the Portuguese Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion 6-20 Scale

ABSTRACT

The aims of this study were to perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) 6–20 Scale to Brazilian Portuguese language and to start testing its validity and reliability. After performing the cross-cultural adaptation of the Scale, concurrent and discriminative validity, and reliability were determined on a treadmill in young (18–30 years) and older adult women (60–75 years). Considering young and older adult women, RPE presented high and moderate positive correlation with heart rate and high and low positive correlation with oxygen consumption, respectively. Older adult women presented RPE (11 ± 2) significantly higher than young ones (8 ± 1) exercising at the same absolute intensity. Intraclass coefficient correlation was excellent for RPE to young and older adult women. The Scale presented concurrent validity only to young adult women, whereas it presented discriminative validity between such groups of women. Moreover, the scale is reliable to young and older adult women.