Effects of Human-Dolphin Interactions on Tourist Knowledge of and Attitudes Toward Dolphins

Human-wildlife interactions have been shown to positively impact tourist beliefs and actions in relation to wildlife and the environment. The purpose of this study was to explore guest beliefs and perceptions about dolphins and dolphin programs before and after participating in human-dolphin interactions (HDI). We surveyed 142 guests participating in a self-selected HDI located in a natural lagoon facility at The Roatán Institute for Marine Sciences in Sandy Bay Roatán, Honduras. Of the 142 survey respondents, 130 completed the survey fully, and 28 of those 130 also completed a two-week follow-up survey. The results indicated that the guests maintained pre-existing positive attitudes towards dolphins, learned new information, and reported feeling connected with nature following their HDI experiences. The HDI experience format resulted in few differences in participant responses, suggesting that interactive programs maintained existing attitudes while subtly shaping beliefs about human-animal interactions

Psychological Predictors of Recovery after Acute Cardiac Events (PACE) Study

Psychological factors are strong predictors of recovery in other cardiac populations but have seldom been studied in CA survivorship. No study of post-CA recovery has examined the role of positive psychological factors or behavioral mechanisms of recovery

Collagen XIV is important for growth and structural integrity of the myocardium

Collagen XIV is a fibril-associated collagen with an interrupted triple helix (FACIT). Previous studies have shown that this collagen type regulates early stages of fibrillogenesis in connective tissues of high mechanical demand. Mice null for Collagen XIV are viable, however formation of the interstitial collagen network is defective in tendons and skin leading to reduced biomechanical function. The assembly of a tightly regulated collagen network is also required in the heart, not only for structural support but also for controlling cellular processes. Collagen XIV is highly expressed in the embryonic heart, notably within the cardiac interstitium of the developing myocardium, however its role has not been elucidated. To test this, we examined cardiac phenotypes in embryonic and adult mice devoid of Collagen XIV. From as early as E11.5, Col14a1(-/-) mice exhibit significant perturbations in mRNA levels of many other collagen types and remodeling enzymes (MMPs, TIMPs) within the ventricular myocardium. By post natal stages, collagen fibril organization is in disarray and the adult heart displays defects in ventricular morphogenesis. In addition to the extracellular matrix, Col14a1(-/-) mice exhibit increased cardiomyocyte proliferation at post natal, but not E11.5 stages, leading to increased cell number, yet cell size is decreased by 3 months of age. In contrast to myocytes, the number of cardiac fibroblasts is reduced after birth associated with increased apoptosis. As a result of these molecular and cellular changes during embryonic development and post natal maturation, cardiac function is diminished in Col14a1(-/-) mice from 3 months of age; associated with dilation in the absence of hypertrophy, and reduced ejection fraction. Further, Col14a1 deficiency leads to a greater increase in left ventricular wall thickening in response to pathological pressure overload compared to wild type animals. Collectively, these studies identify a new role for type XIV collagen in the formation of the cardiac interstitium during embryonic development, and highlight the importance of the collagen network for myocardial cell survival, and function of the working myocardium after birth. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Heart rate deflection point as an alternative to determining the anaerobic threshold in dyslipidaemic patients

Abstract Aim: The aim of the present study was to verify the agreement between the ventilatory method (VT) and the alternative method of heart rate deflection point (HRDP) in determining the anaerobic threshold (AT) during incremental treadmill test in dyslipidaemic patients. Methods: Twenty-seven dyslipidaemic patients (61.50 ± 10.46 years) performed an incremental treadmill test, in which the AT was determined using both methods. Bland-Altman statistics was adopted in order to verify the agreement between the methods. Results: Agreement in AT determination between the VT and HRDP methods was observed (p < 0.05) for heart rate (138.00 ± 23.80 and 136.26 ± 22.18 bpm, respectively), oxygen uptake (31.00 ± 10.33 and 31.00 ± 11.17 ml.kg−1.min−1), and treadmill velocity (7.67 ± 1.71 km.h-1and 8.00 ± 1.75 km.h-1). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the HRDP method can be adopted for the determination of the AT in dyslipidaemic patients, showing agreement with the VT method

Sessões aeróbicas intervaladas e contínuas : efeitos sobre as concentrações de triglicerídeos

The regular practice of physical exercise, primarily aerobic, has been recommended as a component of the non-pharmacological treatment for dyslipidemias. However, there is a lack of studies in the literature comparing the acute effects of different aerobic exercise models (continuous and interval) on triglycerides concentrations.The purpose of the present study was to analyze the magnitude of change on triglycerides concentrations after a single session of interval and continuous exercise in persons with dyslipidemia. This study was a randomized crossover clinical trial. Fifteen volunteers performed two different aerobic sessions, a continuous and an interval session. The intensity of the continuous session was maintained between 85-90% of the heart rate at anaerobic threshold (HRAT). The interval session consisted of 9 sets of 4 minutes at 85-90%HRAT followed by one minute below 85%HRAT. Triglycerides concentrations were assessed before, immediately after and at the end of 30 minutes after all sessions. Both sessions models resulted in alterations in triglycerides concentrations immediately after exercise (p = 0.005), without difference between them (p = 0.446). Continuous session increased triglycerides concentrations by 34.9% from pre-exercise to immediately post-ex-ercise and the interval session, by 7.9%. Thirty minutes after exercise, triglyceride concentrations showed no significant difference in relation to the pre-exercise and immediately after exercise mo-ments in both session models. Therefore, it is concluded that aerobic exercise promotes responses in triglycerides concentrations of dyslipidemic patients, independently of the exercise method, either continuous or interval.A prática regular de exercício físico, principalmente aeróbico, tem sido recomendado como componente de tratamento não farmacológico contra as dislipidemias. No entanto, a literatura carece de estudos comparando os efeitos agudos de diferentes modelos de exercício aeróbico (contínuo e intervalado) sobre as concentrações de triglicerídeos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi analisar a magnitude de mudança sobre as concentrações de triglicerídeos após uma sessão de exercício intervalado e contínuo em pessoas com dislipidemia. Além disto, este estudo se caracteriza por ser um ensaio clínico randomizado cruzado. Nele, quinze voluntários realizaram duas sessões aeróbicas diferentes, uma sessão contínua e outra intervalada. A intensidade da sessão contínua se manteve entre 85-90% da frequência cardíaca referente ao limiar anaeróbico (HRAT). A sessão intervalada consistiu de 9 séries de quatro minutos entre 85-90% da HRAT seguidas de um minuto abaixo de 85% da HRAT. As concentrações de triglicerídeos eram verificadas antes, imediatamente após e passados 30 minutos do término de todas as sessões. Ambos os modelos de sessões resultaram em alterações das concentrações de triglicerídeos imediatamente após exercício (p = 0,005), sem diferença entre elas (p = 0,446). A sessão contínua aumentou as concentrações de triglicerídeos em 43,9% do pré-exercício para imediatamente após o exercício e a sessão intervalada aumentou em 7,93% no mesmo período. Trinta minutos após o exer-cício, as concentrações de triglicerídeos não apresentaram diferença significativa em relação aos momentos pré-exercício e imediatamente após o exercício em ambos os modelos de sessão. Assim, conclui-se queo exercício aeróbico promove alterações nas concentrações de triglicerídeos de pacientes dislipidêmicos, independentemen-te do método de exercício, se contínuo ou intervalado

Performance of multi-city land use regression models for nitrogen dioxide and fine particles

BACKGROUND: Land use regression (LUR) models have mostly been developed to explain intra-urban variations in air pollution based on often small local monitoring campaigns. Transferability of LUR models from city to city has been investigated, but little is known about the performance of models based on large numbers of monitoring sites covering a large area. OBJECTIVES: To develop European and regional LUR models and to examine their transferability to areas not used for model development. METHODS: We evaluated LUR models for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM2.5, PM2.5 absorbance) by combining standardized measurement data from 17 (PM) and 23 (NO2) ESCAPE study areas across 14 European countries for PM and NO2. Models were evaluated with cross validation (CV) and hold-out validation (HV). We investigated the transferability of the models by successively excluding each study area from model building. RESULTS: The European model explained 56% of the concentration variability across all sites for NO2, 86% for PM2.5 and 70% for PM2.5 absorbance. The HV R(2)s were only slightly lower than the model R(2) (NO2: 54%, PM2.5: 80%, absorbance: 70%). The European NO2, PM2.5 and PM2.5 absorbance models explained a median of 59%, 48% and 70% of within-area variability in individual areas. The transferred models predicted a modest to large fraction of variability in areas which were excluded from model building (median R(2): 59% NO2; 42% PM2.5; 67% PM2.5 absorbance). CONCLUSIONS: Using a large dataset from 23 European study areas, we were able to develop LUR models for NO2 and PM metrics that predicted measurements made at independent sites and areas reasonably well. This finding is useful for assessing exposure in health studies conducted in areas where no measurements were conducted