Associations between BMI Change and Cardiometabolic Risk in Retired Football Players

Purpose Elevated rates of cardiometabolic diseases have been observed in former American football players. The current study sought to determine whether change in body mass index (ΔBMI) after retirement influences the prevalence of CHD, diabetes, or high blood pressure (HBP) in former professional football players. Methods Retired professional football players (n = 3729) were sent a survey with questions regarding health status, playing history, and demographic information. Self-reported BMI at the time of retirement was subtracted from current self-reported BMI to calculate ΔBMI. Prevalence of CHD, diabetes, and HBP were determined by asking participants if they had ever been diagnosed by a health care professional. Binomial regression with a Poisson residual and robust variance estimation was used to compute crude prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome. Adjusted PR values were calculated by adjusting for BMI at the time of retirement, age, years of football experience, race, exercise habits, alcohol use, steroid history, smoking history, and playing position. Results Complete data were available for 2062 respondents. Prevalence of CHD increased 25%-31% for each five-point increase in ΔBMI after retirement (crude PR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.03-1.52, P = 0.026; adjusted PR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.11-1.55, P = 0.001). Diabetes prevalence increased 69%-88% for each five-point ΔBMI increase (crude = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.45-2.44, P < 0.001; adjusted = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.32-2.15, P < 0.001). A five-point increase in ΔBMI was associated with a 35%-40% increase in HBP prevalence (crude = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.27-1.53, P < 0.001; adjusted = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.24-1.47, P < 0.001). Conclusions After controlling for relevant covariates, postretirement ΔBMI was positively and independently associated with prevalence of CHD, diabetes, and HBP. Postretirement interventions using diet and/or exercise to influence body composition may improve long-term health in retired football players

The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school girls' lacrosse (2008-2009 through 2013-2014) and National Collegiate Athletic Association women's lacrosse (2004-2005 through 2013-2014)

Context: The advent of Web-based sports injury surveillance via programs such as the High School Reporting Information Online (HS RIO) system and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) has aided the acquisition of girls' and women's lacrosse injury data. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of injuries sustained in high school girls' lacrosse in the 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 academic years and collegiate women's lacrosse in the 2004-2005 through 2013-2014-academic years using Web-based sports injury surveillance. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Online injury surveillance from high school girls' (annual average ¼ 55) and collegiate women's (annual average ¼ 19) lacrosse teams. Patients or Other Participants: Female lacrosse players who participated in practices or competitions during the 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 academic years for high school or the 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 academic years for college. Main Outcome Measure(s): Athletic trainers collected time-loss injury (24 hours) and exposure data. We calculated injury rates per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs), injury rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and injury proportions by body site and diagnosis. Results: High school RIO documented 700 time-loss injuries during 481 687 AEs; the NCAA-ISP documented 1027 time-loss injuries during 287 856 AEs. The total injury rate during 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 was higher in college than in high school (2.55 versus 1.45/1000 AEs; IRR ¼ 1.75; 95% CI ¼ 1.54, 1.99). Most injuries occurred during competitions in high school (51.1%) and practices in college (63.8%). Rates were higher during competitions compared with practices in high school (IRR ¼ 2.32; 95% CI ¼ 2.00, 2.69) and college (IRR ¼ 2.38; 95% CI ¼ 2.09, 2.70). Concussion was the most common diagnosis among all high school and most collegiate player positions, and the main mechanism of contact was with a playing apparatus (eg, stick, ball). Ligament sprains were also common (HS RIO practices ¼ 22.2%, competitions ¼ 30.3%; NCAA-ISP practices ¼ 25.5%, competitions ¼ 30.9%). Conclusions: Rates of injury were higher in college versus high school female lacrosse players and in competitions versus practices. Injury-prevention strategies are essential to decrease the incidence and severity of concussions and ligament sprains

The first decade of web-based sports injury surveillance: Descriptive epidemiology of injuries in US high school boys' lacrosse (2008-2009 through 2013-2014) and National Collegiate Athletic Association men's lacrosse (2004-2005 through 2013-2014)

Context: The advent of Web-based sports injury surveillance via programs such as the High School Reporting Information Online system and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program has aided the acquisition of boys' and men's lacrosse injury data. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of injuries sustained in high school boys' lacrosse in the 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 academic years and collegiate men's lacrosse in the 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 academic years using Web-based sports injury surveillance. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Online injury surveillance from lacrosse teams of high school boys (annual average ¼ 55) and collegiate men (annual average ¼ 14). Patients or Other Participants: Boys' and men's lacrosse players who participated in practices and competitions during the 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 academic years in high school or the 2004-2005 through 2013-2014 academic years in college. Main Outcome Measure(s): Athletic trainers collected time-loss (24 hours) injury and exposure data. Injury rates per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs), injury rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and injury proportions by body site and diagnosis were calculated. Results: High School Reporting Information Online documented 1407 time-loss injuries during 662 960 AEs. The National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program documented 1882 time-loss injuries during 390 029 AEs. The total injury rate from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014 was higher in college than in high school (3.77 versus 2.12/1000 AEs; IRR ¼ 1.78; 95% CI ¼ 1.63, 1.94). Most injuries occurred during competitions in high school (61.4%) and practices in college (61.4%). Injury rates were higher in competitions compared with practices in high school (IRR ¼ 3.59; 95% CI ¼ 3.23, 4.00) and college (IRR ¼ 3.38; 95% CI ¼ 3.08, 3.71). Lower limb injuries, muscle strains, and ligament sprains were common at both levels. Concussion was the most frequent competition diagnosis for all high school player positions. Conclusions: Rates of time-loss injury were higher in college versus high school and in competitions versus practices. Attention to preventing common lower leg injuries and concussions, especially at the high school level, is essential to decrease their incidence and severity

An updated radiocarbon-based ice margin chronology for the last deglaciation of the North American Ice Sheet Complex

The North American Ice Sheet Complex (NAISC; consisting of the Laurentide, Cordilleran and Innuitian ice sheets) was the largest ice mass to repeatedly grow and decay in the Northern Hemisphere during the Quaternary. Understanding its pattern of retreat following the Last Glacial Maximum is critical for studying many facets of the Late Quaternary, including ice sheet behaviour, the evolution of Holocene landscapes, sea level, atmospheric circulation, and the peopling of the Americas. Currently, the most up-to-date and authoritative margin chronology for the entire ice sheet complex is featured in two publications (Geological Survey of Canada Open File 1574 [Dyke et al., 2003]; ‘Quaternary Glaciations – Extent and Chronology, Part II’ [Dyke, 2004]). These often-cited datasets track ice margin recession in 36 time slices spanning 18 ka to 1 ka (all ages in uncalibrated radiocarbon years) using a combination of geomorphology, stratigraphy and radiocarbon dating. However, by virtue of being over 15 years old, the ice margin chronology requires updating to reflect new work and important revisions. This paper updates the aforementioned 36 ice margin maps to reflect new data from regional studies. We also update the original radiocarbon dataset from the 2003/2004 papers with 1541 new ages to reflect work up to and including 2018. A major revision is made to the 18 ka ice margin, where Banks and Eglinton islands (once considered to be glacial refugia) are now shown to be fully glaciated. Our updated 18 ka ice sheet increased in areal extent from 17.81 to 18.37 million km2, which is an increase of 3.1% in spatial coverage of the NAISC at that time. Elsewhere, we also summarize, region-by-region, significant changes to the deglaciation sequence. This paper integrates new information provided by regional experts and radiocarbon data into the deglaciation sequence while maintaining consistency with the original ice margin positions of Dyke et al. (2003) and Dyke (2004) where new information is lacking; this is a pragmatic solution to satisfy the needs of a Quaternary research community that requires up-to-date knowledge of the pattern of ice margin recession of what was once the world’s largest ice mass. The 36 updated isochrones are available in PDF and shapefile format, together with a spreadsheet of the expanded radiocarbon dataset (n = 5195 ages) and estimates of uncertainty for each interval

Size Doesn't Matter: Towards a More Inclusive Philosophy of Biology

notes: As the primary author, O’Malley drafted the paper, and gathered and analysed data (scientific papers and talks). Conceptual analysis was conducted by both authors.publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticlePhilosophers of biology, along with everyone else, generally perceive life to fall into two broad categories, the microbes and macrobes, and then pay most of their attention to the latter. ‘Macrobe’ is the word we propose for larger life forms, and we use it as part of an argument for microbial equality. We suggest that taking more notice of microbes – the dominant life form on the planet, both now and throughout evolutionary history – will transform some of the philosophy of biology’s standard ideas on ontology, evolution, taxonomy and biodiversity. We set out a number of recent developments in microbiology – including biofilm formation, chemotaxis, quorum sensing and gene transfer – that highlight microbial capacities for cooperation and communication and break down conventional thinking that microbes are solely or primarily single-celled organisms. These insights also bring new perspectives to the levels of selection debate, as well as to discussions of the evolution and nature of multicellularity, and to neo-Darwinian understandings of evolutionary mechanisms. We show how these revisions lead to further complications for microbial classification and the philosophies of systematics and biodiversity. Incorporating microbial insights into the philosophy of biology will challenge many of its assumptions, but also give greater scope and depth to its investigations

Galaxy bulges and their massive black holes: a review

With references to both key and oft-forgotten pioneering works, this article starts by presenting a review into how we came to believe in the existence of massive black holes at the centres of galaxies. It then presents the historical development of the near-linear (black hole)-(host spheroid) mass relation, before explaining why this has recently been dramatically revised. Past disagreement over the slope of the (black hole)-(velocity dispersion) relation is also explained, and the discovery of sub-structure within the (black hole)-(velocity dispersion) diagram is discussed. As the search for the fundamental connection between massive black holes and their host galaxies continues, the competing array of additional black hole mass scaling relations for samples of predominantly inactive galaxies are presented.Comment: Invited (15 Feb. 2014) review article (submitted 16 Nov. 2014). 590 references, 9 figures, 25 pages in emulateApJ format. To appear in "Galactic Bulges", E. Laurikainen, R.F. Peletier, and D.A. Gadotti (eds.), Springer Publishin

Track D Social Science, Human Rights and Political Science

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138414/1/jia218442.pd