Changes in Fat Mass, Fat Free Mass, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Grip Strength Across a College Population

Research has shown that traditional college students are more physically fit at the beginning of their freshman year compared to their senior year. PURPOSE: The purpose of this data analysis is to examine how fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), handgrip strength and VO2max change in a college-aged population. METHODS: A five-year cross-sectional design was used to assess a sample of college students (n=3,379; Males=55.4%; BMI: 25.2±5.7; Age:19.4±1.5) in an introductory wellness class. The range in age was 18-25 which were divided into four groups: 1=18-19yrs, 2=20-21yrs, 3=22-23yrs and 4=24-25yrs. Subjects were taken through the following screenings: height, weight, body fat percentage, grip strength, and estimated VO2Max. Body Fat was analyzed using a Tanita. Grip strength was assessed using a handgrip dynamometer. Estimated VO2max and heart rate recovery were assessed using the Tecumseh sub-maximal step test. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to examine changes in the estimated VO2max, FFM, FM and handgrip strength. RESULTS: Comparing the whole population across age groups, there was no significant change in FM and estimated VO2max. However, hand­grip strength (F(3,3103)=11.53,P\u3c0.001) and FFM (F(3,1357)=7.58,P\u3c0.001) did change across age groups. Students had a significant increase in handgrip strength from ages 18-19 (38.13 kg) to ages 24-25 (42.89 kg), re­spectively. Students also had an increase in FFM from ages 18-19 (57.10 kg) to ages 22-23 (61.82kg), respective­ly. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that college-aged students have both and increase and decrease in measures of fitness and body composition

Future challenges for vection research: definitions, functional significance, measures, and neural bases

This paper discusses four major challenges facing modern vection research. Challenge 1 (Defining Vection) outlines the different ways that vection has been defined in the literature and discusses their theoretical and experimental ramifications. The term vection is most often used to refer to visual illusions of self-motion induced in stationary observers (by moving, or simulating the motion of, the surrounding environment). However, vection is increasingly being used to also refer to non-visual illusions of self-motion, visually-mediated self-motion perceptions, and even general subjective experiences (i.e. feelings) of self-motion. The common thread in all of these definitions is the conscious subjective experience of self-motion. Thus, Challenge 2 (Significance of Vection) tackles the crucial issue of whether such conscious experiences actually serve functional roles during self-motion (e.g., in terms of controlling or guiding the self-motion). After more than 100 years of vection research there has been surprisingly little investigation into its functional significance. Challenge 3 (Vection Measures) discusses the difficulties with existing subjective self-report measures of vection (particularly in the context of contemporary research), and proposes several more objective measures of vection based on recent empirical findings. Finally, Challenge 4 (Neural Basis) reviews the recent neuroimaging literature examining the neural basis of vection and discusses the hurdles still facing these investigations

Agreement Study Between the ParvoMedics TrueOne 2400 and Vacu-Med Vista MINI-CPX Metabolic Measurement System

Aerobic capacity (VO2 MAX) predicts both athletic performance and health status. Many tools are available to assess VO2 MAX ranging in both cost and accuracy. Understanding limitations of less expensive tools, likely found in settings such as health clinics or sports performance facilities, will help practitioners in developing accurate exercise prescriptions for their respective populations. To evaluate agreement lower cost VO2 MAX assessment tool (Vacu-Med Vista MINI-CPX) to the industry “gold standard” (ParvoMedics TrueOne 2400). Thirty-one participants (22.5 ± 3.5 years; BMI 24.9 ± 2.3; 51% female) completed two sessions of maximal VO2 MAX assessment using the Bruce Protocol graded treadmill exercise test. The first session of assessment utilized the “gold-standard” unit (TrueOne 2400, ParvoMedics, Inc., Murray, UT). 24-48 hours later the second unit (Vista Mini-CPX, Vacu-Med, Inc., Ventura, CA) was used to assess VO2 MAX again. A Bland-Altman analyses was used to evaluate both potential bias and agreement for between the two assessment tools. The CPX unit sig­nificantly overestimated VO2 MAX compared to the TrueOne (Bias = 10.67 ± 5.87 ml/kg/min, LoA = -0.83, 22.18; t = 1.96, p \u3c .001). However, the CPX unit demonstrates good reliability as 93.5% (29/31 participants) of values fell within the 95% LoA. Further, values above 46.5 ml/kg/min tend to be greater than the mean bias while those below tend to be lower than the mean bias (r = .605, F = 16.80, p \u3c .001). The CPX unit demon­strates good reliability yet a significant overestimation of aerobic capacity

Patients educating health care providers on Lynch syndrome

Objective: Lynch syndrome (LS) patients are at an elevated risk for early-onset cancers, including endometrial and colorectal (CRC). Prior research has shown a deficit in provider knowledge of LS, which may affect patient satisfaction and adherence to recommended screening and surveillance regimens. Studies suggest patients with LS may educate providers perceived as lacking LS knowledge; however, little is known about these interactions. The goal of this study is to assess patient-reported outcomes from clinical interactions where LS patients educate their providers. Methods: Participants (n=55) were asked to complete an in-depth telephone interview. Results: Out of 55 participants, approximately two-thirds (n=37) reported engaging in educational interactions. Participants reported feeling satisfied with the provider response in over half of the reported educational interactions (n=24). Participants reported changes in their patient-provider relationship ranging from improvements in their relationship to termination of services. Conclusion: Patients with LS report educating providers on their diagnosis as well as their screening and surveillance requirements. Patient-reported outcomes of these educational interactions vary based on the provider’s response to the interaction. Providers should be open and receptive to these educational interactions and follow-up on the discussion to improve patient satisfaction

Effect of Sedentary and Physical Activities on Children’s Food Choice

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(5): 702-712, 2017. Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern. Research has shown sedentary behavior (SB) increases children’s unhealthy food consumption, while physical activity (PA) decreases caloric intake and increases energy expenditure. The purpose of this study was to examine child snack choice following a bout of active, SB, and a mix of SB and active (SB-A). Participants included a volunteer sample of children (n=24) ranging from 9-13 years of age. A within-subjects simple experimental design was used, and children participated in three conditions: active, SB, and SB-A. After each condition, the children were asked to choose one snack from two healthy and two unhealthy options. The children were randomized into one of the six possible condition sequences (4 children per group) based on when they enrolled in the study. Data were analyzed in SPSS (v21) using the Friedman, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. There was not a statistically significant difference in the overall model comparing the three conditions on snack choice (p=0.15). Overweight/obese children were significantly more likely than normal weight children to choose a healthier snack option after the active condition (p=0.02). There was no difference between boys and girls for snack choice following the active (p\u3e0.05), SB (p\u3e0.05), and SB-A (p\u3e0.05). Our overall findings suggest SB and active had no effect on children’s snack choice. Promoting PA to children who are overweight/obese could lead to decreased energy intake and increased energy expenditure combating the obesity epidemic

Diastolic dysfunction and left atrial volume A population-based study

ObjectivesWe examined the association between diastolic function and left atrial volume indexed to body surface area (LAVi) in a population-based study.BackgroundAtrial enlargement has been suggested as a marker of the severity and duration of diastolic dysfunction (DD). However, the association between DD and atrial enlargement and their individual prognostic implications in the population is poorly defined.MethodsA cross-sectional sample of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents ≥45 years of age (n = 2,042) underwent comprehensive Doppler echocardiography and medical record review.ResultsThe LAVi increased with worsening DD: 23 ± 6 ml/m2(normal), 25 ± 8 ml/m2(grade I DD), 31 ± 8 ml/m2(grade II DD), 48 ± 12 ml/m2(grades III to IV DD). In bivariate analyses, age, left ventricular mass index, and DD grade were positively associated, whereas female gender and ejection fraction (EF) were inversely associated with LAVi (p < 0.001 for all). When controlling for age, gender, cardiovascular (CV) disease, EF, and left ventricular mass, grade II DD was associated with a 24%, and grade III to IV DD was associated with a 62% larger LA volume (p < 0.0001 for both). The area under the receiver-operator characteristic curve for LAVi to detect grade I, grade II, or grade III to IV DD was 0.57, 0.81, and 0.98, respectively. Both DD and LAVi were predictive of all-cause mortality, but when controlling for DD, LAVi was not an independent predictor of mortality.ConclusionsThese data suggest that DD contributes to LA remodeling. Indeed, DD is a stronger predictor of mortality; presumably it better reflects the impact of CV disease within the general population

Patterning in Placental 11-B Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Methylation According to Prenatal Socioeconomic Adversity

Background: Prenatal socioeconomic adversity as an intrauterine exposure is associated with a range of perinatal outcomes although the explanatory mechanisms are not well understood. The development of the fetus can be shaped by the intrauterine environment through alterations in the function of the placenta. In the placenta, the HSD11B2 gene encodes the 11-beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme, which is responsible for the inactivation of maternal cortisol thereby protecting the developing fetus from this exposure. This gene is regulated by DNA methylation, and this methylation and the expression it controls has been shown to be susceptible to a variety of stressors from the maternal environment. The association of prenatal socioeconomic adversity and placental HSD11B2 methylation has not been examined. Following a developmental origins of disease framework, prenatal socioeconomic adversity may alter fetal response to the postnatal environment through functional epigenetic alterations in the placenta. Therefore, we hypothesized that prenatal socioeconomic adversity would be associated with less HSD11B2 methylation. Methods and Findings: We examined the association between DNA methylation of the HSD11B2 promoter region in the placenta of 444 healthy term newborn infants and several markers of prenatal socioeconomic adversity: maternal education, poverty, dwelling crowding, tobacco use and cumulative risk. We also examined whether such associations were sex-specific. We found that infants whose mothers experienced the greatest levels of socioeconomic adversity during pregnancy had the lowest extent of placental HSD11B2 methylation, particularly for males. Associations were maintained for maternal education when adjusting for confounders (p\u3c0.05). Conclusions: Patterns of HSD11B2 methylation suggest that environmental cues transmitted from the mother during gestation may program the developing fetus’s response to an adverse postnatal environment, potentially via less exposure to cortisol during development. Less methylation of placental HSD11B2 may therefore be adaptive and promote the effective management of stress associated with social adversity in a postnatal environment

A Novel fry1 Allele Reveals the Existence of a Mutant Phenotype Unrelated to 5′->3′ Exoribonuclease (XRN) Activities in Arabidopsis thaliana Roots

BACKGROUND Mutations in the FRY1/SAL1 Arabidopsis locus are highly pleiotropic, affecting drought tolerance, leaf shape and root growth. FRY1 encodes a nucleotide phosphatase that in vitro has inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase and 3',(2'),5'-bisphosphate nucleotide phosphatase activities. It is not clear which activity mediates each of the diverse biological functions of FRY1 in planta. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS A fry1 mutant was identified in a genetic screen for Arabidopsis mutants deregulated in the expression of Pi High affinity Transporter 1;4 (PHT1;4). Histological analysis revealed that, in roots, FRY1 expression was restricted to the stele and meristems. The fry1 mutant displayed an altered root architecture phenotype and an increased drought tolerance. All of the phenotypes analyzed were complemented with the AHL gene encoding a protein that converts 3'-polyadenosine 5'-phosphate (PAP) into AMP and Pi. PAP is known to inhibit exoribonucleases (XRN) in vitro. Accordingly, an xrn triple mutant with mutations in all three XRNs shared the fry1 drought tolerance and root architecture phenotypes. Interestingly these two traits were also complemented by grafting, revealing that drought tolerance was primarily conferred by the rosette and that the root architecture can be complemented by long-distance regulation derived from leaves. By contrast, PHT1 expression was not altered in xrn mutants or in grafting experiments. Thus, PHT1 up-regulation probably resulted from a local depletion of Pi in the fry1 stele. This hypothesis is supported by the identification of other genes modulated by Pi deficiency in the stele, which are found induced in a fry1 background. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results indicate that the 3',(2'),5'-bisphosphate nucleotide phosphatase activity of FRY1 is involved in long-distance as well as local regulatory activities in roots. The local up-regulation of PHT1 genes transcription in roots likely results from local depletion of Pi and is independent of the XRNs.This work was supported by an ANR-GENOPLANT grant (RIBOROOT-ANR06 GPLA 011) and the CEA agency. Array hybridizations have been partly supported by RNG (Réseau National des Génopoles, Evry, France). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. No additional external funding received for this study

Longitudinal associations of away-from-home eating, snacking, screen time, and physical activity behaviors with cardiometabolic risk factors among Chinese children and their parents

Background: Little is known about intergenerational differences in associations of urbanization-related lifestyle behaviors with cardiometabolic risk factors in children and their parents in rapidly urbanizing China

Region-Resolved Quantitative Proteome Profiling Reveals Molecular Dynamics Associated With Chronic Pain in the PNS and Spinal Cord

To obtain a thorough understanding of chronic pain, large-scale molecular mapping of the pain axis at the protein level is necessary, but has not yet been achieved. We applied quantitative proteome profiling to build a comprehensive protein compendium of three regions of the pain neuraxis in mice: the sciatic nerve (SN), the dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and the spinal cord (SC). Furthermore, extensive bioinformatics analysis enabled us to reveal unique protein subsets which are specifically enriched in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and SC. The immense value of these datasets for the scientific community is highlighted by validation experiments, where we monitored protein network dynamics during neuropathic pain. Here, we resolved profound region-specific differences and distinct changes of PNS-enriched proteins under pathological conditions. Overall, we provide a unique and validated systems biology proteome resource (summarized in our online database painproteome.em.mpg.de), which facilitates mechanistic insights into somatosensory biology and chronic pain—a prerequisite for the identification of novel therapeutic targets