Aerobic Exercise Attenuates Risk of Coronary Artery Disease and Improves Mobility in SCI

Please see the pdf version of the abstract

Diseño de una industria de fabricación de accesorios para vehículos

A petición de INDUSTRIAS EL CUADREJÓN S.L., se pretende realizar la instalación de una Industria destinada a la Fabricación de Accesorios para Vehículos, por lo que encarga al ingeniero Técnico Industrial que suscribe el estudio y redacción del presente proyecto. El objeto del presente proyecto es solicitar de las Autoridades competentes las autorizaciones, licencias y puesta en funcionamiento de la instalación proyectada, así como justificar los elementos que componen la misma y fijar las características técnicas y de seguridad que deben reunir las instalaciones para un correcto y eficaz funcionamiento.Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería IndustrialUniversidad Politécnica de Cartagen

Examination of Resistance Settings Based on Body Weight for the 3-Minute All-Out Critical Power Test

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(4): 585-597, 2018. There are conflicting suggestions regarding the most valid resistance (3-5% of body weight) to use for the critical power (CP) 3-min all-out (CP3min) test to estimate CP and anaerobic work capacity (AWC). The purpose of this study was to determine if the CP and AWC estimates from the CP3min test were affected by the percentage of body weight used to set the resistance on a Monark cycle ergometer. Ten recreationally trained participants (mean ± SD: Age: 22.2 ± 2.2 yrs.) completed the CP3min test at resistances of 4.5% (CP4.5%) and 3% (CP3%) of body weight to determine the CP and AWC. There were no significant differences between the CP4.5% (167 ± 34 W) and CP3% (156 ± 36 W) estimates. The AWC3% (5.6 ± 2.5 kJ) estimates were significantly lower than the AWC4.5% (9.0 ± 4.0 kJ).The CP and AWC estimates from the CP4.5% were consistent with values reported in the literature, however, the AWC estimate from the CP3% was lower than typically reported. These findings suggested that a resistance set at 3% of body weight for the CP3min test may be too low to accurately estimate AWC, but 3% and 4.5% resulted in the same estimation of CP. Thus, the principal finding of this study was that a resistance of 4.5% of body weight for CP3-min in recreationally trained participants resulted in more accurate estimates of AWC, compared to a resistance of 3%, and supports the use of 4.5% body weight resistance to measure both CP and AWC

OBSERVATIONAL SELECTION EFFECTS WITH GROUND-BASED GRAVITATIONAL WAVE DETECTORS

Ground-based interferometers are not perfect all-sky instruments, and it is important to account for their behavior when considering the distribution of detected events. In particular, the LIGO detectors are most sensitive to sources above North America and the Indian Ocean, and as the Earth rotates, the sensitive regions are swept across the sky. However, because the detectors do not acquire data uniformly over time, there is a net bias on detectable sources' right ascensions. Both LIGO detectors preferentially collect data during their local night; it is more than twice as likely to be local midnight than noon when both detectors are operating. We discuss these selection effects and how they impact LIGO's observations and electromagnetic (EM) follow-up. Beyond galactic foregrounds associated with seasonal variations, we find that equatorial observatories can access over 80% of the localization probability, while mid-latitudes will access closer to 70%. Facilities located near the two LIGO sites can observe sources closer to their zenith than their analogs in the south, but the average observation will still be no closer than 44° from zenith. We also find that observatories in Africa or the South Atlantic will wait systematically longer before they can begin observing compared to the rest of the world; though, there is a preference for longitudes near the LIGOs. These effects, along with knowledge of the LIGO antenna pattern, can inform EM follow-up activities and optimization, including the possibility of directing observations even before gravitational-wave events occur.National Science Foundation (U.S.)Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observator

Predictors of Arterial Stiffness in Law Enforcement Officers

Background: Compare arterial stiffness among law enforcement officers (LEOs) versus general population normative values and identify predictors of arterial stiffness in LEOs. Methods: Seventy male LEOs (age: 24–54 years) completed body composition, blood pressures, physical activity level, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurements. T-tests and regression analyses were utilized to compare LEO data to normative data and predict cfPWV, respectively. Results: Compared to similar age strata within the general population, cfPWV was lower among LEO’s under 30-years (mean difference = −0.6 m·s−1), but higher among LEOs 50–55-years (mean difference = 1.1 m·s−1). Utilizing regression, age, relative body fat, and diastolic blood pressure explained the greatest variance in LEO’s cfPWV (adj. R2 = 0.56, p \u3c 0.001). Conclusion: This investigation demonstrated that arterial stiffness may progress more rapidly in LEOs and LEOs’ relative body fat and blood pressure may primarily affect arterial stiffness and risk of CVD

Endothelial Function Is Associated with White Matter Microstructure and Executive Function in Older Adults

Age-related declines in endothelial function can lead to cognitive decline. However, little is known about the relationships between endothelial function and specific neurocognitive functions. This study explored the relationship between measures of endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index; RHI), white matter (WM) health (fractional anisotropy, FA, and WM hyperintensity volume, WMH), and executive function (Trail Making Test (TMT); Trail B - Trail A). Participants were 36 older adults between the ages of 59 and 69 (mean age = 63.89 years, SD = 2.94). WMH volume showed no relationship with RHI or executive function. However, there was a positive relationship between RHI and FA in the genu and body of the corpus callosum. In addition, higher RHI and FA were each associated with better executive task performance. Tractography was used to localize the WM tracts associated with RHI to specific portions of cortex. Results indicated that the RHI-FA relationship observed in the corpus callosum primarily involved tracts interconnecting frontal regions, including the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and frontopolar cortex, linked with executive function. These findings suggest that superior endothelial function may help to attenuate age-related declines in WM microstructure in portions of the corpus callosum that interconnect prefrontal brain regions involved in executive function

Impact of Pediatric Obesity on Diurnal Blood Pressure Assessment and Cardiovascular Risk Markers

Background: The prevalence of hypertension is increasing particularly among obese children and adolescents. Obese children and adolescents with hypertension are likely to remain hypertensive as they reach adulthood and hypertension is linked to an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) has become one of the most important tools in diagnosing hypertension in children and adolescents and circadian patterns of blood pressure may be important disease-risk predictors. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted in patients aged 6–21 years who underwent 24-h ABPM at Kentucky Children\u27s Hospital (KCH) from August 2012 through June 2017. Exclusion criteria included conditions that could affect blood pressure including chronic kidney disease and other renal abnormalities, congenital heart disease, cancer, and thyroid disease. Subjects were categorized by body mass index into normal (below 85th percentile), overweight (85th−95th percentile), stage I obesity (95th−119th percentile), stage II obesity (120th−139th) and stage III obesity (\u3e 140th). Non-dipping was defined as a nocturnal BP reduction of \u3c 10%. Results: Two hundred and sixty-three patients (156 male patients) were included in the analysis, of whom 70 were normal weight, 33 overweight, 55 stage I obesity, 53 stage II, and 52 stage III obesity. Although there was no significant difference between normal weight and obese groups for prevalence of hypertension, there was a greater prevalence of SBP non-dipping in obese patients as BMI increased (p = 0.008). Furthermore, non-dippers had a significantly elevated LVMI as well as abnormal lab values for uric acid, blood lipid panel, creatinine, and TSH (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that obese children and adolescents constitute a large proportion of hypertensive children and adolescents and the severity of pediatric obesity is associated with nocturnal BP non-dipping. Additionally, obesity in children is linked to several cardiovascular risk factors including left ventricular hypertrophy, dyslipidemia, and elevated uric acid levels. Further studies utilizing ABPM measures on risk stratification in this very high-risk population are warranted

Non-Fasting High-Density Lipoprotein Is Associated With White Matter Microstructure in Healthy Older Adults

A growing body of evidence indicates that biomarkers of cardiovascular risk may be related to cerebral health. However, little is known about the role that non-fasting lipoproteins play in assessing age-related declines in a cerebral biomarker sensitive to vascular compromise, white matter (WM) microstructure. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is atheroprotective and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major atherogenic lipoprotein. This study explored the relationships between non-fasting levels of cholesterol and WM microstructure in healthy older adults. A voxelwise and region of interest approach was used to determine the relationship between cholesterol and fractional anisotropy (FA). Participants included 87 older adults between the ages of 59 and 77 (mean age = 65.5 years, SD = 3.9). Results indicated that higher HDL-C was associated with higher FA in diffuse regions of the brain when controlling for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). HDL-C was also positively associated with FA in the corpus callosum and fornix. No relationship was observed between LDL-C and FA. Findings suggest that a modifiable lifestyle variable associated with cardiovascular health may help to preserve cerebral WM

Adapting the AHA’s Blood Pressure and Nutrition Management Program into Digestible Teaching Plans for Low-Income Communities

Executive Summary: Adapting the AHA’s blood pressure and nutrition management program into digestible teaching plans for low-income communities According to the American Heart Association (AHA), 46% of American adults have high blood pressure (Whelton et al., 2017). High blood pressure, especially for those above the age of 50, is associated with a higher prevalence of heart disease and a shorter life expectancy. The AHA’s Check Change Control program (CCC), is an evidence based, self-directed blood pressure management guide (American Heart Association, 2021). The CCC program incorporates four lesson topics related to lifestyle changes to manage hypertension. The four topics are: self-monitoring of blood pressure, healthy eating and reducing sodium, exercise, and stress management. Our group’s mission focused on creating educational plans on the first two topics, self-monitoring of blood pressure and healthy eating. Our goal was to provide future educators at an independent senior living facility with a condensed framework of the CCC program that would be more easily understood for an older adult population. Background For our project, we worked alongside a nonprofit organization that provided sustainable housing and services for seniors and families. Our group consisted of eight quarter-five Seattle Pacific University (SPU) nursing students working with a representative from the AHA, our clinical instructor, and a representative from the site to create an educational plan based on a needs assessment of the community. Our primary community was an independent living facility for low-income older adults located south of Seattle, Washington. Based on prior assessments by the community management and AHA, they found a knowledge deficit in blood pressure management and understanding of nutrition. In our site assessments we validated these needs. Residents had limited knowledge of the importance of blood pressure management, had no way to self-monitor, and had limited access to healthy food options. Representatives of the food pantry reported that they had no consistent supplies, relying on internal donations. The pantry consisted primarily of high-sodium prepackaged foods like instant noodles and canned beans. A new addition to the community was a garden; but, for the autumn and winter, fresh vegetables were scarce. In our review of the AHA’s CCC program, we found barriers to its implementation. The document itself was wholly online and utilized many hyperlinks, PowerPoints, and videos. For low-income adults with limited knowledge or access to technology, this program was found to be hard to access by themselves. The complex modules the AHA had prepared were difficult for the residents of the community to use and understand due to the sheer size and depth of the content. For future SPU students who would be implementing the education, the length and depth of the program were also much larger than what was possible to cover within a regular ten-week school quarter. Our group worked to reduce these barriers by condensing the material into weekly teaching activities. Activities We generated a lesson outline to target two main areas of concern within the community as determined by site assessments: blood pressure management, and nutrition, for use by future SPU students. From the CCC program, we curated a five-week outline for nursing students or similar educators to implement over the course of a ten-week school quarter. The first two weeks we focused on blood pressure management, and the second two weeks on nutrition, with a flexible fifth week for review, open activity, or a separate teaching topic. The first week’s topic was blood pressure literacy, measurements, and tracking. This included a review of what blood pressure is, the importance of monitoring, an open discussion of barriers to monitoring, how to accurately check and analyze the readings, and physically getting their blood pressure taken by the educators. The second week’s topic was medications and adherence. The education plan included for students to have a brief check in and review of the content from the previous week, and hold information sessions on specific medications. These information sessions would be private and personalized by being held in a one-on-one manner. The education plan also focuses on identifying potential struggles, assessing a lack of education on their medications such as indications, symptoms, and management, as well as reinforcing adherence. The third week’s topic was nutritional literacy. The education plan includes having students assess the residents’ understanding of what a healthy diet consists of, and then they would provide education on sodium intake with a demonstration of serving sizes. The focus of the fourth week was healthy nutrition options. The education plan included having residents create meals with provided food pages and discuss their choices. The fifth week’s topic would be a flex week, where students and/or residents would pick a topic based on their own community needs assessments. The activities in the education plan include different styles of engagement, including lecture, presentations, PowerPoints, videos, hands-on activities, games, surveys, one-on-one sessions and open discussions, and distribution of educational materials and resources to monitor health effectively. We also have incorporated a weekly survey to assess the effectiveness of our project goals. Outcomes Our project was based on goals and topics organized by facility leadership in collaboration with the AHA. We were tasked with creating teaching materials and educational plans for future SPU Nursing Students to teach the residents during their clinicals. Our lesson outline was provided to agency staff in order to ensure the success of the project goals. Evaluation surveys was provided to the students in the implementation document to allow the students to have sources to use to assess the effectiveness of the teaching plan, activities, and resources. Based on survey responses, adjustments, a weekly focus could be made. Further evaluation of the effectiveness of our plan would be overseen by the AHA representative. For this project we have created a lesson outline at the request of the community manager, using AHA resources along with the assessments by the site management and by our group. This was done in order to aid future SPU Nursing Students in the implementation of our lesson plans for the community. Future nursing students will continue to gather and add information based on their own observations and experiences to ensure the continuity of this project and the health outcomes of the focused community. References American Heart Association (2021) Check. Change. Control. check-change-control-implementation-guide.pdf (heart.org) Whelton, P. K., Carey, R.M., Aronow, W.S., Casey, D.E., Jr., Collins, K.J., Himmelfarb Dennison, C., DePalma, S.M., Gidding, S., Jamerson, K.A., Jones, D.W., MacLaughlin, E.J., Muntner, P., Ovbiagele, B., Smith, S.C., Jr., Spencer, C.C., Stafford, R.S., Taler, S.J., Thomas, R.J., Williams, K.A., Sr., … Wright, J.T., Jr. (2017). ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Hypertension, 71(6), e13-e115. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYP.000000000000006

Human Body Composition and Immunity: Visceral Adipose Tissue Produces IL-15 and Muscle Strength Inversely Correlates with NK Cell Function in Elderly Humans

Natural killer (NK) lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion control infections and cancers, but these crucial activities decline with age. NK cell development, homeostasis, and function require IL-15 and its chaperone, IL-15 receptor alpha (IL-15Rα). Macrophages and dendritic cells (DC) are major sources of these proteins. We had previously postulated that additional IL-15 and IL-15Rα is made by skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. These sources may be important in aging, when IL-15-producing immune cells decline. NK cells circulate through adipose tissue, where they may be exposed to local IL-15. The objectives of this work were to determine (1) if human muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) are sources of IL-15 and IL-15 Rα, and (2) whether any of these tissues correlate with NK cell activity in elderly humans. We first investigated IL-15 and IL-15Rα RNA expression in paired muscle and SAT biopsies from healthy human subjects. Both tissues expressed these transcripts, but IL-15Rα RNA levels were higher in SAT than in skeletal muscle. We also investigated tissue obtained from surgeries and found that SAT and VAT expressed equivalent amounts of IL-15 and IL-15Rα RNA, respectively. Furthermore, stromal vascular fraction cells expressed more IL-15 RNA than did adipocytes. To test if these findings related to circulating IL-15 protein and NK cell function, we tested 50 healthy adults aged \u3e 70 years old. Plasma IL-15 levels significantly correlated with abdominal VAT mass in the entire cohort and in non-obese subjects. However, plasma IL-15 levels did not correlate with skeletal muscle cross-sectional area and correlated inversely with muscle strength. Plasma IL-15 did correlate with NK cell cytotoxic granule exocytosis and with CCL4 (MIP-1β) production in response to NKp46-crosslinking. Additionally, NK cell responses to K562 leukemia cells correlated inversely with muscle strength. With aging, immune function declines while infections, cancers, and deaths increase. We propose that VAT-derived IL-15 and IL-15Rα is a compensatory NK cell support mechanism in elderly humans