Staying active under restrictions: Changes in type of physical exercise during the initial COVID-19 lockdown

Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated governmental restrictions suddenly changed everyday life and potentially affected exercise behavior. The aim of this study was to explore whether individuals changed their preference for certain types of physical exercise during the pandemic and to identify risk factors for inactivity. An international online survey with 13,881 adult participants from 18 countries/regions was conducted during the initial COVID-19 related lock-down (between April and May 2020). Data on types of exercise performed during and before the initial COVID-19 lockdown were collected, translated, and categorized (free-text input). Sankey charts were used to investigate these changes, and a mixed-effects logistic regression model was used to analyze risks for inactivity. Many participants managed to continue exercising but switched from playing games (e.g., football, tennis) to running, for example. In our sample, the most popular exercise types during the initial COVID-19 lockdown included endurance, muscular strength, and multimodal exercise. Regarding risk factors, higher education, living in rural areas, and physical activity before the COVID-19 lockdown reduced the risk for inactivity during the lockdown. In this relatively active multinational sample of adults, most participants were able to continue their preferred type of exercise despite restrictions, or changed to endurance type activities. Very few became physically inactive. It seems people can adapt quickly and that the constraints imposed by social distancing may even turn into an opportunity to start exercising for some. These findings may be helpful to identify individuals at risk and optimize interventions following a major context change that can disrupt the exercise routine

Module approximate amenability of Banach algebras

Abstract. In the present paper, the concepts of module (uniform) approximate amenability and contractibility of Banach algebras that are modules over another Banach algebra, are introduced. The general theory is developed and some hereditary properties are given. In analogy with the Banach algebraic approximate amenability, it is shown that module approximate amenability and contractibility are the same properties. It is also shown that module uniform approximate (contractibility) amenability and module (contractibility, respectively) amenability for commutative Banach modules are equivalent. Applying these results to 1 (S) as an 1 (E)-module, for an inverse semigroup S with the set of idempotents E, it is shown that 1 (S) is module approximately amenable (contractible) if and only if it is module uniformly approximately amenable if and only if S is amenable. Moreover, 1 (S) * * is module (uniformly) approximately amenable if and only if a maximal group homomorphic image of S is finite

Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Testosterone Plasma Level in Wistar Rat

Background and Aims: High prevalence of infertility and many related problems has become a big problem for economy and healthy. This study is to determine the effect of dietary omega-3 based on hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG) activity and testosterone plasma level in adult male adult wistar rat. Methods: This experimental study was conducted on 40 adult male wistar rats. Animals were with an average weight of 150±20 gr. They divided into five groups (n=8), including the control group, saline group and experimental group of minimum , average and maximum in which consumed dietary including omega-3, 0.25 and 0.5 and 0.75 mg/kg dose the 29 days. The blood was take from the heart of animals. Using Radioimmunoassay methods, testosterone and LH levels were measured. In this study effects of dietary omega-3 on testosterone secretion level in experimental groups, was compared with saline and control groups. Results: The results of a compared LH and testosterone level with the control group (0.167±0.02 and 0.182±0.02) and all experimental groups, particularly at the maximum dose (0.654±0.09and 0.584±0.12 respectively), showed a significant increase. Conclusion: It was shown that the increase in omega-3 plasma levels of in the experimental group led significantly increase in the testosterone and LH level. This study showed that consumption of Omega-3 oils, significantly increase plasma levels of testosterone and LH hormone.&nbsp