CO-ACTIVE LIFE COACHING AS AN INTERVENTION FOR OBESITY AMONG FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Purpose: To assess the impact of Co-active life coaching on obese female university students’ body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), functional health status, and self-esteem, and conjointly to identify the coaching skills and primary agenda topics that facilitate life coaching’s efficacy as an intervention for obesity. Methods: A multiple-baseline single-subject research design was utilized with five full- time female undergraduate students with BMI £ 30kg/m . Two Certified Professional Coactive Coaches (CPCCs) provided an average of nine, 35-minute, one-on-one sessions with participants. Measures included BMI, WC, the previously validated Short-Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Visual inspection was used to analyze changes in BMI and WC. Effect sizes were calculated for the SF-36 and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and were interpreted using Cohen’s (1988) rule. Statistical interpretations were supplemented with qualitative information from post-intervention interviews to determine whether a clinically significant difference was achieved. Inductive content analysis was conducted on the pre- and post-intervention interview transcripts and on 50% of each participant’s coaching session transcripts. Results\u27. Visual inspection revealed no change in BMI for three, a decrease for one, and a slight increase for one participant. WC decreased for three participants and remained stable for two. A moderate to large increase in self-esteem (Cohen’s d= 0. 79) was found. Qualitatively, two participants spoke specifically of having improved self-esteem at the end of the intervention. A substantial increase in overall health status (Cohen’s d = 0. 90; mental health dimension d= 0.74; physical health dimension d = 0.88) was found. Qualitatively, one participant spoke specifically of having an enhanced overall health in status at the end of the intervention. During their post-intervention interviews, all five participants spoke of experiencing improved self-acceptance. Collectively, the effect sizes and qualitative statements indicate clinically significant changes (i.e., improvements) in participants’ self-esteem, and their physical, mental, and total (overall) health statuses upon completion of the intervention. All participants’ primary agenda topics related to achieving enhanced self-acceptance and an improved relationship with themselves. For all participants, powerful questions was the skill used most frequently by the coaches, and among those participants for whom a reduction in BMI and/or WC was achieved, acknowledgement was the skill used most often. Conclusions\u27. Coaching was associated with a trend towards a decrease in WC, and with clinically significant increases in participants’ self-esteem, and in their mental, physical, and overall health statuses. The predominant coaching skills and primary agenda topics revealed in this study will allow for a future in-depth comparison of similar help by talking techniques

Інвестиційне кредитування переробних підприємств АПК банківськими установами

Метою статті є аналіз динаміки інвестиційного кредитування банківськими установами переробних підприємств агропромислового комплексу. Під час проведення дослідження були використані аналітичний, статистико – економічний, графічний, порівняльний методи та метод системного аналізу

The influence of centre-based childcare on preschoolers\u27 physical activity levels: A cross-sectional study

The childcare environment represents an appropriate avenue to support physical activity among preschoolers. The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to measure the physical activity levels of a sample of preschoolers during childcare hours; and (2) to assess which attributes (e.g., space, equipment, policies) within centre-based childcare environments influenced physical activity. Thirty-one preschoolers from 5 childcare centres across London, Canada participated. Actical accelerometers were worn by participants for one day during childcare hours to assess activity levels using a 15 second epoch length. The Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation instrument was used to conduct a full-day evaluation of the childcare environment. On average, participants engaged in 1.54 min/h of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and 17.42 min/h of total physical activity. Sedentary opportunities, portable and fixed play equipment, and staff behaviour accounted for 49.3% of the variability in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and 14.1% of the variability in total physical activity, with sedentary opportunities, fixed play equipment, and staff behaviours displaying an inverse relationship. Results emphasize the critical role the childcare environment plays in supporting physical activity among preschoolers. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Learning environments’ activity potential for preschoolers (LEAPP): study rationale and design

Background. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the study protocol for the Learning Environments’ Activity Potential for Preschoolers (LEAPP) study, the goal of which is to describe the activity levels of preschoolers attending various early learning venues and explore which attributes of these facilities (e.g. curriculum, policies, equipment, etc.) support activity participation.Design and Methods. This cross-sectional study aimed to recruit approximately 30 early learning environments requesting participation from preschoolers aged 2.5-5 years. Data collection included: Actical accelerometers (MiniMitter, Oregon, USA) to measure the activity levels of children for five consecutive days (15-second epoch length) while in care; the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation tool to explore the early learning environment’s impact on activity; anthropometric data; the Child Temperament Questionnaire to assess the influence of preschoolers’ temperament on physical activity; and demographic information from parents/guardians and early learning staff. ANOVA and linear regression analyses will be conducted to assess variances in activity levels among preschoolers attending different early learning types and to explore the impact of early learning environments on their activity levels. Independent sample t-tests will be used to examine differences in activity levels based on sex and weight status.Expected impact of the study for public health. This research will provide the first Canadian data to address environmental influences on preschoolers’ activity levels in differing early learning environments. Additionally, this work will highlight the extent to which activity levels vary among preschoolers enrolled in full-day kindergarten, centre-, and home-based childcare

5-Hydroxy-2-Methylfurfural from Sugar Beet Thick Juice:Kinetic and Modeling Studies

5-Hydroxy-2-methylfurfural (HMF) has a high derivatization potential and is considered the sleeping giant of biobased platform chemicals. It is accessible by the acid hydrolysis of various carbohydrate-containing feeds, preferably those high in fructose content. We here report a detailed study on the use of thick juice, an intermediate sucrose (SUC)-rich stream in a sugar factory, and pure SUC for the synthesis of HMF in a batch reactor setup [in the presence of water and sulfuric acid (0.01 M) and at 180 °C]. Distinct differences in reactivity were found for both feeds, related to the presence of impurities (i.e., organic acids and salts) in the thick juice. To better understand the effect of the thick juice impurities, detailed model studies were performed involving the use of a model solution of SUC spiked with one of the thick juice impurities (organic acids such as maleic acid and a range of salts with potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium as the cations and carbonates, chlorides, and sulfates as the anions). The data were successfully modeled using a kinetic model for the main reactions in the network. The developed model revealed that sulfate anions have a major effect on the HMF yield and the batch time required to reach its optimum and are the likely cause of the differences in reactivity between pure SUC and thick juice

Multi-product inventory managmement model with a multiple periodicity

Inventory management is of great interest to various spheres of activity. This theory is a new industry that arose in connection with the need of optimal regulation of reserves. Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in the development of various mathematical models for managing commodity and noncommodity inventories. Despite the fact that this topic is quite popular in the literature, the question of purchasing resources in conditions of their deficit remains topical. The study is devoted to the development of a multi-product inventory management model with a multiple periodicity

The Subcellular Distribution of Ryanodine Receptors and L-Type Ca2+ Channels Modulates Ca2+-Transient Properties and Spontaneous Ca2+-Release Events in Atrial Cardiomyocytes

Spontaneous Ca2+-release events (SCaEs) from the sarcoplasmic reticulum play crucial roles in the initiation of cardiac arrhythmias by promoting triggered activity. However, the subcellular determinants of these SCaEs remain incompletely understood. Structural differences between atrial and ventricular cardiomyocytes, e.g., regarding the density of T-tubular membrane invaginations, may influence cardiomyocyte Ca2+-handling and the distribution of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2) has recently been shown to undergo remodeling in atrial fibrillation. These data suggest that the subcellular distribution of Ca2+-handling proteins influences proarrhythmic Ca2+-handling abnormalities. Here, we employ computational modeling to provide an in-depth analysis of the impact of variations in subcellular RyR2 and L-type Ca2+-channel distributions on Ca2+-transient properties and SCaEs in a human atrial cardiomyocyte model. We incorporate experimentally observed RyR2 expression patterns and various configurations of axial tubules in a previously published model of the human atrial cardiomyocyte. We identify an increased SCaE incidence for larger heterogeneity in RyR2 expression, in which SCaEs preferentially arise from regions of high local RyR2 expression. Furthermore, we show that the propagation of Ca2+ waves is modulated by the distance between RyR2 bands, as well as the presence of experimentally observed RyR2 clusters between bands near the lateral membranes. We also show that incorporation of axial tubules in various amounts and locations reduces Ca2+-transient time to peak. Furthermore, selective hyperphosphorylation of RyR2 around axial tubules increases the number of spontaneous waves. Finally, we present a novel model of the human atrial cardiomyocyte with physiological RyR2 and L-type Ca2+-channel distributions that reproduces experimentally observed Ca2+-handling properties. Taken together, these results significantly enhance our understanding of the structure-function relationship in cardiomyocytes, identifying that RyR2 and L-type Ca2+-channel distributions have a major impact on systolic Ca2+ transients and SCaEs

Установка для исследования характеристик теплообменного аппарата

Приведено обоснование актуальности применения методов интенсификации теплообмена. Спроектирована экспериментальная установка для исследования характеристик теплообменного аппарата. Средствами вычислительной гидродинамики проведено экспериментальное исследование теплоотдачи и гидравлического сопротивления в трубах с проволочными винтовыми вставками и вставками пропеллерного типа. Проведен анализ полученных экспериментальных данных. Получены критериальные зависимости.The substantiation of the relevance of the application of heat exchange intensification methods is given. The experimental installation for research the characteristics of the heat exchanger is designed. With the help of computational fluid dynamics, an experimental study of heat transfer and hydraulic resistance in pipes with wire helical inserts and propeller-type inserts was carried out. The obtained experimental data are analyzed. Criterial dependencies are obtained