Differential Response To Tabata Interval Versus Traditional Kettlebell Training Protocol

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Cardiovascular and metabolic demands of the kettlebell swing using a Tabata interval versus a traditional resistance protocol

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(3) : 179-185, 2014. Tabata (TAB) training, consisting of eight cycles of 20 seconds of maximal exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, is time-efficient, with aerobic and anaerobic benefit. This study investigated the cardiovascular and metabolic demands of a TAB versus traditional (TRAD) resistance protocol with the kettlebell swing. Fourteen young (18-25y), non-obese (BMI 25.7±0.8 kg/m2) participants reported on three occasions. All testing incorporated measurements of HR, oxygen consumption, and blood lactate accumulation. Each participant completed Tabata kettlebell swings (male- 8kg, female- 4.5kg; 8 intervals; 20s maximal repetitions, 10s rest). On a subsequent visit (TRAD), the total swings from the TAB protocol were evenly divided into 4 sets, with 90s rest between sets. Outcome measures were compared using paired t-tests. The TAB was completed more quickly than the TRAD protocol (240.0±0.0 v. 521.5±3.3 sec, P\u3c0.01), at a higher perceived exertion (Borg RPE; 15.1±0.7 v. 11.7±0.9, P\u3c0.01). The TAB elicited a higher average VO2 value (33.1±1.5 v. 27.2±1.6 ml/kg/min, P\u3c0.01), percent of VO2peak achieved (71.0±0.3 v. 58.4±0.3%, P\u3c0.01), maximal HR (162.4±4.6 v. 145.6±4.8 bpm, P\u3c0.01), and post-exercise blood lactate concentration (6.4±1.1 v. 3.7±0.5 mmol/L, P\u3c0.01). Conclusion: The kettlebell swing demonstrated significantly greater cardiovascular and metabolic responses within a TAB vs. TRAD framework. Appropriate screening and risk stratification are advised before implementing kettlebell swings

Measurements of volatile organic compounds using proton transfer reaction ? mass spectrometry during the MILAGRO 2006 Campaign

International audienceVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured by proton transfer reaction ? mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) on a rooftop in the urban mixed residential and industrial area North Northeast of downtown Mexico City as part of the Megacity Initiative ? Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO) 2006 field campaign. Thirty eight individual masses were monitored during the campaign and many species were quantified including methanol, acetaldehyde, toluene, the sum of C2 benzenes, the sum of C3 benzenes, acetone, isoprene, benzene, and ethyl acetate. The VOC measurements were analyzed to gain a better understanding of the type of VOCs present in this region of the MCMA, their diurnal patterns and their origins. Diurnal profiles of weekday and weekend/holiday aromatic VOC concentrations show the influence of vehicular traffic during the morning rush hours and during the afternoon hours. Plumes including of elevated toluene as high as 216 parts per billion (ppb) and ethyl acetate as high as 183 ppb were frequently observed during the late night and early morning hours, indicating the probability of significant industrial sources of the two compounds in the region. Wind fields during those peak episodes revealed no specific direction for the majority of the toluene plumes but the ethyl acetate plumes arrived at the site when winds were from the Southwest or West. The PTR-MS measurements combined with other VOC measuring techniques at the field site as well as VOC measurements conducted in other areas of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) will help to develop a better understanding of the spatial pattern of VOCs and its variability in the MCMA

INSIGHTS INTO THE HABITAT AND BREEDING BIOLOGY OF THE FEDERALLY ENDANGERED HERBACEOUS PLANT, THALICTRUM COOLEYI, AHLES

Thalictrum cooleyi Ahles (Cooley's meadowrue, Ranunculaceae) is a dioecious species, endemic to fire-dependent, wet pine savannas of the southeastern US. T. cooleyi was listed as federally endangered in 1989; knowledge of habitat and breeding biology are crucial to conservation. I studied NC populations of T. cooleyi and examined (1) woody species associates, (2) breeding system, (3) sex ratios, and (4) potential pollen limitation. I also assessed seed germination requirements and vegetative propagation potential for T. cooleyi. To document woody species associates of Thalictrum cooleyi, I sampled 104-3 m² quadrats and measured percent canopy closure, identified woody understory species, and estimated their percent cover. Logistic regression showed that T. cooleyi presence decreased as canopy closure increased. In contrast, T. cooleyi was more likely to occur as woody shrub cover increased. Canopy closure and woody understory cover were not associated with density, total number, and flowering to vegetative ratio of T. cooleyi plants. Only Morella cerifera L. of the woody understory was a significant predictor of T. cooleyi presence (Wald = 13.823, df = 1, P < 0.001). Deviations from strict dioecy are uncommon in Thalictrum cooleyi; only 5% of female plants surveyed had hermaphroditic flowers (n = 375). Sex ratios differed significantly from 1:1 and were male-biased. Despite male-bias, my supplementation experiments found evidence for pollen limitation to seed set. Thalictrum cooleyi seeds are dormant at maturity, requiring cold stratification at 1 °C to break dormancy. Germination rates were higher for seeds that received warm then cold stratification, compared to cold only (33 ± 0.67% vs. 26.7 ± 1.76%, respectively). Gibberellic acid can break dormancy without cold stratification. Light exposure during incubation is not a requirement for germination. Overall, germination rates were low ([equal to or less than] 33.3 ± 0.67%), likely due to low seed viability. Thalictrum cooleyi can be propagated vegetatively from caudex and rhizome divisions. My work supports concerns that habitat loss (i.e., transition of open pine savanna to dense forest), pollen limitation to seed set, and poor seed viability threaten the recovery of Thalictrum cooleyi. Conservation efforts will benefit from this new knowledge on seed germination and vegetative propagation protocols for T. cooleyi.M.S

Examining Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations to Inform Agricultural and Environmental Science Communication: A Meta-synthesis Approach

Agriculturalists and environmentalists must navigate complex challenges as the global population continues to increase and environmental resources are depleted. Colleges of agricultural and environmental sciences are tasked with addressing the nexus between environmental and agricultural challenges through research, education, and communication. However, the amount of research being conducted with both agriculture and the environment considered is largely unknown and, as a result, their corresponding communication messages may not provide coherent messages from the college. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify if research within a college of agricultural and environmental sciences takes a holistic approach so that communication efforts coming from the college can encompass both perspectives. The data were collected from a web-based system containing university research publications and analyzed using a thematic analysis and meta-synthesis. The meta-synthesis revealed 212 codes overlapping agricultural and environmental themes compared to the total 4,325 codes found across all publications. The findings indicated there was a limited amount of collaboration occurring between environmental and agricultural researchers within the college. Without collaborative research, agricultural communicators cannot develop science communication efforts that holistically integrate evidence-based science. As new challenges emerge at the nexus of agriculture and the environment, researchers must shift toward a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to ensure the science communication efforts sharing their findings are inclusive

A Hydrostratigraphic Framework for the Paleozoic Bedrock of Southern Ontario

Groundwater systems in the intermediate to deep subsurface of southern Ontario are poorly understood, despite their value for a number of societal uses. A regional hydrostratigraphic framework is a necessary precursor for improving our understanding of groundwater systems and enabling development of a 3-D hydrostratigraphic model to visualize these groundwater systems. This study is a compilation and integration of published and unpublished geological, hydrogeological, hydrochemical and isotopic data collected over the past 10 years to develop that framework.Bedrock is covered by a thin veneer of surficial sediments that comprise an aquifer/aquitard system of considerable local variability and complexity. Aquifers in the bedrock are thin and regionally extensive, separated by thick aquitards, within a well-defined lithostratigraphic framework and a well-developed hydrochemical depth zonation comprising a shallow fresh water regime, an intermediate brackish to saline sulphur water regime, and a deep brine regime of ancient, evaporated seawater. Occurrence and movement of groundwater in shallow bedrock is principally controlled by modern (Quaternary) karstic dissolution of subcropping carbonate and evaporite rocks, and in the intermediate to deep subsurface by paleokarst horizons developed during the Paleozoic. Flow directions in the surficial sediments of the shallow groundwater regime are down-gradient from topographic highs and down the regional dip of bedrock formations in the intermediate regime. Shallow karst is the entry point for groundwater penetration into the intermediate regime, with paleo-recharge by glacial meltwater and limited recent recharge by meteoric water at subcrop edges, and down-dip hydraulic gradients in confined aquifers. Hydraulic gradient is up-dip in the deep brine regime, at least for the Guelph Aquifer and the Cambrian Aquifer, with no isotopic or hydrochemical evidence of infiltration of meteoric water and no discharge to the surface.Fourteen bedrock hydrostratigraphic units are proposed, and one unit comprising all the surficial sediments. Assignment of lithostratigraphic units as hydrostratigraphic units is based principally on hydrogeological characteristics of Paleozoic bedrock formations in the intermediate to deep groundwater regimes, below the influence of modern meteoric water. Carbonate and evaporite rocks which form aquitards in the subsurface may form aquifers at or near the surface, due to karstic dissolution by acidic meteoric water, necessitating compromises in assignment of hydrostratigraphic units.Les systèmes d'eaux souterraines du sous-sol intermédiaire à profond du sud de l'Ontario sont mal compris, malgré leur valeur pour de nombreux usages par la société. Un cadre hydrostratigraphique régional est un préalable nécessaire à l’amélioration de notre compréhension des systèmes d'eaux souterraines et au développement d'un modèle hydrostratigraphique 3D pour visualiser ces systèmes d'eaux souterraines. Cette étude est une compilation et une intégration de données géologiques, hydrogéologiques, hydrochimiques et isotopiques publiées et non publiées recueillies au cours des 10 dernières années afin de développer ce cadre.Le substrat rocheux est recouvert d'un mince placage de sédiments de surface qui comprend un système d’aquifères et d’aquitards d'une variabilité et d'une complexité locales considérables. Les aquifères du substrat rocheux sont minces et étendus au niveau régional, séparés par des aquitards épais, dans un cadre lithostratigraphique bien défini et une zonation hydrochimique verticale bien développée comprenant un régime peu profond d'eau douce, un régime intermédiaire d'eau sulfureuse saumâtre à saline et un régime profond de saumure résultant de l’évaporation d'eau de mer ancienne. La présence et le mouvement des eaux souterraines dans le substrat rocheux peu profond sont principalement contrôlés par la dissolution karstique moderne (quaternaire) des roches carbonatées et évaporitiques sub-affleurantes, et dans le sous-sol intermédiaire à profond par les horizons paléokarstiques développés au Paléozoïque. Les directions d'écoulement des eaux dans les sédiments de surface du régime peu profond sont en aval des sommets topographiques et en aval du pendage régional des formations de substrat rocheux dans le régime intermédiaire. Le karst peu profond est le point d'entrée pour l’infiltration des eaux souterraines dans le régime intermédiaire, avec une paléo-recharge d'eau de fonte glaciaire et une recharge récente limitée d'eau météorique aux bords de sous-affleurement, et un gradient hydraulique en aval-pendage dans les aquifères confinés. Le gradient hydraulique est en amont-pendage dans le régime profond de saumure, au moins pour l'aquifère de Guelph et l'aquifère du Cambrien, sans indication isotopique ou hydrochimique d'infiltration d'eau météorique et sans déversement à la surface.Quatorze unités hydrostratigraphiques du substrat rocheux sont proposées, et une unité comprenant tous les sédiments de surface. L'attribution des unités lithostratigraphiques en tant qu’unités hydrostratigraphiques repose principalement sur les caractéristiques hydrogéologiques des formations du substrat rocheux du Paléozoïque dans les régimes intermédiaires à profonds des eaux souterraines, sous l'influence des eaux météoriques modernes. Les roches carbonatées et évaporitiques qui forment les aquitards dans le sous-sol peuvent former des aquifères à la surface ou près de la surface, en raison de la dissolution karstique par l'eau météorique acide, ce qui nécessite des compromis dans l'attribution des unités hydrostratigraphiques

Fifteen years of clinical liver transplantation

Liver transplantation in humans was first attempted more than 15 yr ago. The 1-yr survival has slowly improved until it has now reached about 50%. In our experience, 46 patients have lived for at least 1 yr, with the longest survival being 9 yr. The high acute mortality in early trials was due in many cases to technical and management errors and to the use of damaged organs. With elimination of such factors, survival increased. Further improvements will depend upon better immunosuppression. Orthotopic liver transplantation (liver replacement) is the preferred operation in most cases, but placement of an extra liver (auxiliary transplantation) may have a role under special circumstances. © 1979

Measurements of Volatile Organic Compounds Using Proton Transfer Reaction - Mass Spectrometry during the MILAGRO 2006 Campaign

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured by proton transfer reaction – mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) on a rooftop in the urban mixed residential and industrial area North Northeast of downtown Mexico City as part of the Megacity Initiative – Local and Global Research Observations (MILAGRO) 2006 field campaign. Thirty eight individual masses were monitored during the campaign and many species were quantified including methanol, acetaldehyde, toluene, the sum of C2 benzenes, the sum of C3 benzenes, acetone, isoprene, benzene, and ethyl acetate. The VOC measurements were analyzed to gain a better understanding of the type of VOCs present in the MCMA, their diurnal patterns, and their origins. Diurnal profiles of weekday and weekend/holiday aromatic VOC concentrations showed the influence of vehicular traffic during the morning rush hours and during the afternoon hours. Plumes including elevated toluene as high as 216 parts per billion (ppb) and ethyl acetate as high as 183 ppb were frequently observed during the late night and early morning hours, indicating the possibility of significant industrial sources of the two compounds in the region. Wind fields during those peak episodes revealed no specific direction for the majority of the toluene plumes but the ethyl acetate plumes arrived at the site when winds were from the Southwest or West. The PTR-MS measurements combined with other VOC measuring techniques at the field site as well as VOC measurements conducted in other areas of the Mexico City Metropolitan Area (MCMA) will help to develop a better understanding of the spatial pattern of VOCs and its variability in the MCMA. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 9, 467–481, 2009.Robert A. Welch Foundation (Grant A-1417)Texas A & M University. Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and EnvironmentNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (ATM-0528227

Teenage acne and cancer risk in U.S. women: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Acne reflects hormone imbalance and is a key component of several systemic diseases. We hypothesized that diagnosis of acne as a teenager might predict subsequent risk of hormone-related cancers. METHODS: We followed 99,128 female nurses in the Nurses' Health Study II cohort for 20 years (1989-2009) and used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) of 8 specific cancers (breast, thyroid, colorectal, ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma) for women with a history of severe teenage acne. RESULTS: After thoroughly adjusting for the previously known risk factors for each cancer, we found that among women with a history of severe teenage acne, the relative risk increased, with a multivariable-adjusted HR of 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.01) for melanoma. We replicated this association in an independent melanoma case-control study of 930 cases and 1026 controls (multivariable-adjusted odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.03-1.56). We also found that in both studies the individuals with teenage acne were more likely to have moles (52.7% vs 50.1%, P < .001 in the cohort study; and 55.2% vs 45.1%, P = .004 in the case-control study). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a history of teenage acne might be a novel risk factor for melanoma independent from the known factors, which supports a need for continued investigation of these relationships