Apparatus-free, high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) for the regulation of appetite, energy balance and metabolic health in inactive, overweight and obese females

Globally, one in four males and one in three females self-report not meeting physical activity guidelines (150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous physical activity). In turn, levels of overweight and obesity continue to rise which are resultant of prolonged and repeated periods of positive energy balance, where energy intake exceeds energy expenditure. High-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) consists of brief, repeated bursts of relatively intense exercise interspersed with periods of rest and, specifically, low volume HIIE protocols are those totalling ≤30 minutes. As appetite and energy intake can be transiently reduced following low volume high-intensity intermittent exercise, strategically timing such exercise bouts prior to meal times may promote energy deficit. Over the longer term, this could be of benefit to weight management in an overweight and/or obese population. However, while often perceived as time efficient, the affective and enjoyment responses to high-intensity exercise in an inactive and overweight/obese population are contentious. Other barriers to physical activity, including lack of access to apparatus and facilities need to be considered if low volume high-intensity intermittent exercise is to be adopted in a free-living setting by an inactive population. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to assess appetite, energy balance, physiological, affective and enjoyment responses to acute and chronic apparatus-free high intensity intermittent exercise in inactive, overweight/obese females. Study 1 demonstrated that not only were the physiological responses to 4 x 30 seconds of “all out” star jumping (jumping jacks) comparable to 4 x 30 seconds of “all out” (maximal effort) cycling, this mode of exercise also induced preferable affective and enjoyment responses. Findings of study 2 then showed a tendency for a condition effect with on relative energy intake (p=0.064; n2 p=0.221) such that there was a reduction in relative energy intake with a medium effect size of 121kcal following 4 x 30 seconds of “all out” star jumping compared with the resting condition (p=0.086; d=0.52). Importantly, participants were free to request to eat at any point following the condition, as opposed to energy intake being assessed at a pre-determined time point. When 4 x 30 seconds of “all out” star jumping (jumping jacks) was undertaken twice daily on three days per week for eight weeks, either within thirty minutes (‘pre-meal’ group) or outside of one hour prior to a meal time (‘anytime group’), no differences in body mass or mean daily energy intake were found (study 3; all p>0.05). However, during week eight of the intervention mean daily energy intake was reduced on exercise days across both groups by a mean of 426kcal, compared with non-exercise days (p=0.033), although this occurred in both groups and was therefore independent of exercise timing. Compared with baseline, change in subjective appetite increased following the intervention in those undertaking exercise within thirty minutes prior to a meal (p=0.033), while postprandial subjective appetite decreased at 120 minutes following the standardised meal (p=0.026) in those undertaking exercise outside of one hour prior to a meal. In the ‘anytime’ group only, GLP AUC concentration was significantly increased by 21% following the intervention (p=0.037). Regardless of exercise group, mean cardiorespiratory fitness improved by a mean of 8% (p=0.007) and mean waist circumference reduced by a mean of 1.3cm (p=0.011), highlighting possible reductions in abdominal fat. Mean hip circumference improved by a mean of 1.4cm in the ‘anytime’ group only (p=0.04). No changes in glycaemic control or fasted lipid profiles occurred (all p>0.05). Preferable enjoyment responses were seen in the ‘anytime’ group in weeks 6 (p=0.033), 7 (p=0.002) and 8 (p=0.018) in the group undertaking exercise outside of one hour prior to a meal. This thesis concludes that 4 x 30 seconds of “all out” star jumping, twice a day on three days per week over eight weeks improves cardiorespiratory fitness, waist circumference and daily energy intake on exercise days regardless of exercise timing, while inducing positive affective responses. Timing exercise outside of one hour prior to meal times induces preferable modulations in postprandial subjective appetite as well as greater improvements in hip circumference and more preferable enjoyment responses. Such findings inform strategies to effectively improve markers of health and regulation of energy balance on exercising days in a manner that addresses commonly-reported barriers in inactive, overweight and obese females. Future research is warranted, specifically for further insight into the effects of exercise timing around meal times, as well as the optimisation of low volume HIIT for health in a free-living setting that offers greater flexibility with regards to exercise mode and timing, while it could also interrupt prolonged sedentary behaviour. Interventions that incorporate HIIE modes that also promote improvements in lean mass and muscle strength are also merited

The European Reference Genome Atlas: piloting a decentralised approach to equitable biodiversity genomics.

ABSTRACT: A global genome database of all of Earth’s species diversity could be a treasure trove of scientific discoveries. However, regardless of the major advances in genome sequencing technologies, only a tiny fraction of species have genomic information available. To contribute to a more complete planetary genomic database, scientists and institutions across the world have united under the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), which plans to sequence and assemble high-quality reference genomes for all ∼1.5 million recognized eukaryotic species through a stepwise phased approach. As the initiative transitions into Phase II, where 150,000 species are to be sequenced in just four years, worldwide participation in the project will be fundamental to success. As the European node of the EBP, the European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) seeks to implement a new decentralised, accessible, equitable and inclusive model for producing high-quality reference genomes, which will inform EBP as it scales. To embark on this mission, ERGA launched a Pilot Project to establish a network across Europe to develop and test the first infrastructure of its kind for the coordinated and distributed reference genome production on 98 European eukaryotic species from sample providers across 33 European countries. Here we outline the process and challenges faced during the development of a pilot infrastructure for the production of reference genome resources, and explore the effectiveness of this approach in terms of high-quality reference genome production, considering also equity and inclusion. The outcomes and lessons learned during this pilot provide a solid foundation for ERGA while offering key learnings to other transnational and national genomic resource projects.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

Points-based physical activity: a novel approach to facilitate changes in body composition in inactive women with overweight and obesity

Background Physical activity (PA) interventions for the promotion of weight-management may benefit from increased choice and flexibility to overcome commonly-perceived barriers to PA. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a novel “points-based” approach to PA on body composition in inactive women, who are overweight or obese. Methods Seventy-six overweight or obese, inactive women were randomly allocated to one of three conditions: ‘Points-based’ PA (PBPA; 30 “PA points”•week− 1), Structured exercise (StructEx; 150 min moderate-intensity exercise•week− 1) or control (CONT; continue habitual inactive lifestyle) for a 24-week intervention. PA points for activities were adapted from MET values, and 30 points was equivalent to 150 min of brisk walking. Measures of body composition (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) and anthropometry were obtained at weeks 0, 4, 12 and 24. Self-report activities were recorded weekly, with objective measures of PA (tri-axial accelerometry) and self-report measures of food intake obtained at weeks 0 and 24. Results Fifty-eight women completed the study and provided data for primary outcomes. Of these, n = 41 and n = 19 provided data for food intake and objectively assessed PA. Mixed-design ANOVAs demonstrated that those in PBPA achieved a significant weight-loss at 24 weeks of − 3.3 ± 5.9 kg (− 3.4 ± 7.1%, p = 0.004). Waist circumference was reduced in PBPA at 24 weeks (− 2.8 ± 4.6 cm), compared with CONT (+ 2.1 ± 6.6 cm, p = 0.024). There was a trend for greater reductions in fat mass for those in PBPA vs. CONT (− 2.3 ± 4.6 kg vs. + 0.1 ± 2.0 kg, p = 0.075). Android fat was reduced in PBPA at both 12 weeks (− 6.1 ± 12.6%, p = 0.005) and 24 weeks (− 10.1 ± 18.4%, p = 0.005), while there was a trend for greater reductions in visceral adipose tissue in PBPA (− 5.8 ± 26.0%) vs. CONT at 24 weeks (+ 7.8 ± 18.3%, p = 0.053). Body composition, body weight and waist circumference were unchanged in StructEx. There were trends for increases in light-activity and reductions in sedentary time in PBPA. There was a trend for a reduction in daily energy intake of − 445 ± 564 kcal (p = 0.074), and a significant reduction in daily fat intake (p = 0.042) in PBPA. Conclusion A “points-based” approach to physical activity appears to be an effective strategy for inducing modest reductions in body weight and body fat in inactive women with overweight and obesity

African images, transnational audiences : resituating ‘Africanness’ in contemporary francophone west african cinema

Ces cinquante dernières années, le cinéma ouest-africain francophone reste largement tributaire de l'aide financière accordée par la France pour continuer de produire leurs films. Cette relation entre la France et l'industrie cinématographique africaine fait aujourd’hui du pays de la langue de Molière le plus grand producteur et consommateur de ce cinéma et ouvre les portes du marché français, européen et international à ces réalisateurs d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Parallèlement, les différentes tentatives entreprises par la France, en collaboration avec certains pays africains francophones, de créer une industrie cinématographique durable au niveau national et régional continuent d’échouer, entrainant d'une description de cette industrie cinématographique comme « un cinéma invisible ». Peu d’études ont été réalisées sur le sujet ou sur des thèmes particuliers tels que la complexité des conditions industrielles transnationales dans lesquelles ce cinéma est produit et diffusé ou les effets de cette intervention française sur la visibilité de ce cinéma au marché intérieur en Afrique. En examinant ce phénomène, cette dissertation sera dédiée à la création d'un cadre pour examiner les relations et les luttes de pouvoirs des réalisateurs africains au niveau national aussi bien qu’international, en prenant en considération les effets des facteurs sociaux, économiques et culturels sur l'industrie cinématographique ouest-africaine. Cette analyse tiendra compte de l'histoire coloniale, du présent postcolonial, mais aussi des effets qui émergent actuellement des flux de la mondialisation.For over fifty years, Francophone West African (FWA) celluloid art cinema has remained reliant on international support from France, which, as a self-proclaimed champion of art cinema in the global arena, remains the FWA film industry's primary producer and consumer. At the same time, the various attempts to create a sustainable, domestic industry in the region continue to fail, and international interest in this cinema is on the wane, leading to the description of this industry as “an invisible cinema”. There remains only scant scholarship examining the complexities of the transnational industrial conditions in which this cinema is being produced and circulated, with even fewer studies committed to interrogating the effect of this French investment on the way this industry engages with its domestic market. This thesis has been designed to redress this gap in scholarship by taking into consideration all the levels on which this cinema participates in processes of transnational cultural exchange with France, examining the political, economic and ideological power relations that these processes engender. By considering how the FWA industry has been shaped by social, economic and cultural forces, connected not only to the region’s colonial history and present relationship with France, but also to emerging effects of contemporary global flows, this thesis uses critical transnationalism to address pertinent questions regarding the dynamics of this North/South partnership and its impact on the development of the FWA industry today

African images, transnational audiences: resituating 'Africanness' in contemporary Francophone West African cinema

© 2013 Dr. Alice BurginCompleted under a Cotutelle arrangement between the University of Melbourne and the Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense.For over fifty years, francophone West African celluloid art cinema has remained reliant on international support from France, which, as a self-proclaimed champion of art cinema in the global arena, remains this cinema's primary producer and consumer (Millet 1998, 147). At the same time, the various attempts to create a sustainable, domestic industry in the region continue to fail, and international interest in this cinema is on the wane, leading to the description of this industry as “an invisible cinema” (Barrot 2011, np). There remains only scant scholarship examining the complexities of the transnational industrial conditions in which this cinema is being produced and circulated, with even fewer studies committed to interrogating the effect of this French investment on the way this industry engages with its domestic market. This thesis has been designed to redress this gap in scholarship by taking into consideration all the levels on which this cinema participates in processes of transnational cultural exchange with France, examining the political, economic and ideological power relations that these processes engender. By considering how the francophone West African cinema has been shaped by social, economic and cultural forces, connected not only to the region’s colonial history and present relationship with France, but also to emerging effects of contemporary global flows, this thesis uses critical transnationalism to address pertinent questions regarding the dynamics of this North/South partnership and its impact on the development of this industry today

Images de l'Afrique et publics transnationaux (le cinéma d'Afrique de l'ouest dans le contexte francophone)

Ces cinquante dernières années, le cinéma ouest-africain francophone reste largement tributaire de l'aide financière accordée par la France pour continuer de produire leurs films. Cette relation entre la France et l'industrie cinématographique africaine fait aujourd hui du pays de la langue de Molière le plus grand producteur et consommateur de ce cinéma et ouvre les portes du marché français, européen et international à ces réalisateurs d'Afrique de l'Ouest. Parallèlement, les différentes tentatives entreprises par la France, en collaboration avec certains pays africains francophones, de créer une industrie cinématographique durable au niveau national et régional continuent d échouer, entrainant d'une description de cette industrie cinématographique comme un cinéma invisible . Peu d études ont été réalisées sur le sujet ou sur des thèmes particuliers tels que la complexité des conditions industrielles transnationales dans lesquelles ce cinéma est produit et diffusé ou les effets de cette intervention française sur la visibilité de ce cinéma au marché intérieur en Afrique. En examinant ce phénomène, cette dissertation sera dédiée à la création d'un cadre pour examiner les relations et les luttes de pouvoirs des réalisateurs africains au niveau national aussi bien qu international, en prenant en considération les effets des facteurs sociaux, économiques et culturels sur l'industrie cinématographique ouest-africaine. Cette analyse tiendra compte de l'histoire coloniale, du présent postcolonial, mais aussi des effets qui émergent actuellement des flux de la mondialisation.For over fifty years, Francophone West African (FWA) celluloid art cinema has remained reliant on international support from France, which, as a self-proclaimed champion of art cinema in the global arena, remains the FWA film industry's primary producer and consumer. At the same time, the various attempts to create a sustainable, domestic industry in the region continue to fail, and international interest in this cinema is on the wane, leading to the description of this industry as an invisible cinema . There remains only scant scholarship examining the complexities of the transnational industrial conditions in which this cinema is being produced and circulated, with even fewer studies committed to interrogating the effect of this French investment on the way this industry engages with its domestic market. This thesis has been designed to redress this gap in scholarship by taking into consideration all the levels on which this cinema participates in processes of transnational cultural exchange with France, examining the political, economic and ideological power relations that these processes engender. By considering how the FWA industry has been shaped by social, economic and cultural forces, connected not only to the region s colonial history and present relationship with France, but also to emerging effects of contemporary global flows, this thesis uses critical transnationalism to address pertinent questions regarding the dynamics of this North/South partnership and its impact on the development of the FWA industry today.NANTERRE-PARIS10-Bib. élec. (920509901) / SudocSudocFranceF