Assessing the variation in the load that produces maximal upper-body power

Substantial variation in the load that produces maximal power has been reported. It has been suggested that the variation observed may be due to differences in subject physical characteristics. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine the extent in which anthropometric measures correlate to the load that produces maximal power. Anthropometric measures (upper-arm length, forearm length, total arm length, upper-arm girth) and bench press strength were assessed in 26 professional rugby union players. Peak power was then determined in the bench press throw exercise using loads of 20 to 60% of one repetition maximum (1RM) in the bench press exercise. Maximal power occurred at 30 +/- 14 %1RM (mean +/- SD). Upper-arm length had the highest correlation with the load maximizing power: -0.61 (90% confidence limits -0.35 to -0.78), implying loads of 22 vs. 38 %1RM maximize power for players with typically long vs. short upper-arm length. Correlations for forearm length, total arm length and upper-arm girth to the load that maximized power were -0.29 (0.04 to -0.57), -0.56 (-0.28 to -0.75), and -0.29 (0.04 to -0.57), respectively. The relationship between 1RM and the load that produced maximal power was r = -0.23 (0.10 to -0.52). The between-subject variation in the load that maximised power observed (SD= +/- 14 %1RM) may have been due to differences in anthropometric characteristics, and absolute strength and power outputs. Indeed, athletes with longer limbs and larger girths, and greater maximal strength and power outputs utilised a lower percentage of 1RM loads to achieve maximum power. Therefore, we recommend individual assessment of the load that maximizes power output

Prevalence and risk factors of sarcopenia among adults living in nursing homes

Objectives: Sarcopenia is a progressive loss of skeletal muscle and muscle function, with significant healthand disability consequences for older adults. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors ofsarcopenia among older residential aged care adults using the European Working Group on Sarcopeniain Older People (EWGSOP) criteria.Study design: A cross-sectional study design that assessed older people (n = 102, mean age 84.5 ± 8.2 years)residing in 11 long-term nursing homes in Australia.Main outcome measurements: Sarcopenia was diagnosed from assessments of skeletal mass index bybioelectrical impedance analysis, muscle strength by handheld dynamometer, and physical performanceby the 2.4 m habitual walking speed test. Secondary variables where collected to inform a risk factoranalysis.Results: Forty one (40.2%) participants were diagnosed as sarcopenic, 38 (95%) of whom were categorizedas having severe sarcopenia. Univariate logistic regression found that body mass index (BMI) (Oddsratio (OR) = 0.86; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–0.94), low physical performance (OR = 0.83; 95% CI0.69–1.00), nutritional status (OR = 0.19; 95% CI 0.05–0.68) and sitting time (OR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.00–1.39)were predictive of sarcopenia. With multivariate logistic regression, only low BMI (OR = 0.80; 95% CI0.65–0.97) remained predictive.Conclusions: The prevalence of sarcopenia among older residential aged care adults is very high. Inaddition, low BMI is a predictive of sarcopenia

Leadership development in a faith-based non-profit organisation using a relational leadership model: A case study

This paper describes a case study of a Leadership Development Program (LDP) which has been developed and conducted at a large faith-based non-profit organization providing aged and community care in Australia. Walter Wright's Relational Leadership model which used insights from Jude, Philemon and Colossians was adopted by the organization. Started as a pilot in 2003 the LDP was implemented in 2007 and has been run regularly since then. The LDP was systematically evaluated by an independent researcher recently. The evaluation concluded that the program has been effective and recommended that it continue with some minor modifications. The organization in which this program was developed is a partner in an Australian Research Council (ARC) linkage grant started in 2010 between three universities and two faith-based non-profit organizations providing aged care and community care. This paper has been written by four researchers involved in the linkage grant. Four interviews on participants in the LDP were conducted by the authors to evaluate the effectiveness of the leadership program in order to prepare this paper. The study was carried out to clarify the research aim for the principal author (who is a PhD student in the ARC grant) by trying to understand what the LDP program was aiming to achieve and to be presented at the Spirituality at Work conference at the University of Arkansas

Application of Leg, Vertical, and Joint Stiffness in Running Performance: A Literature Overview

Stiffness, the resistance to deformation due to force, has been used to model the way in which the lower body responds to landing during cyclic motions such as running and jumping. Vertical, leg, and joint stiffness provide a useful model for investigating the store and release of potential elastic energy via the musculotendinous unit in the stretch-shortening cycle and may provide insight into sport performance. This review is aimed at assessing the effect of vertical, leg, and joint stiffness on running performance as such an investigation may provide greater insight into performance during this common form of locomotion. PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases were searched resulting in 92 publications on vertical, leg, and joint stiffness and running performance. Vertical stiffness increases with running velocity and stride frequency. Higher vertical stiffness differentiated elite runners from lower-performing athletes and was also associated with a lower oxygen cost. In contrast, leg stiffness remains relatively constant with increasing velocity and is not strongly related to the aerobic demand and fatigue. Hip and knee joint stiffness are reported to increase with velocity, and a lower ankle and higher knee joint stiffness are linked to a lower oxygen cost of running; however, no relationship with performance has yet been investigated. Theoretically, there is a desired “leg-spring” stiffness value at which potential elastic energy return is maximised and this is specific to the individual. It appears that higher “leg-spring” stiffness is desirable for running performance; however, more research is needed to investigate the relationship of all three lower limb joint springs as the hip joint is often neglected. There is still no clear answer how training could affect mechanical stiffness during running. Studies including muscle activation and separate analyses of local tissues (tendons) are needed to investigate mechanical stiffness as a global variable associated with sports performance

Plane of nutrition affects the phylogenetic diversity and relative abundance of transcriptionally active methanogens in the bovine rumen

peer-reviewedMethane generated during enteric fermentation in ruminant livestock species is a major contributor to global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. A period of moderate feed restriction followed by ad libitum access to feed is widely applied in cattle management to exploit the animal’s compensatory growth potential and reduce feed costs. In the present study, we utilised microbial RNA from rumen digesta samples to assess the phylogenetic diversity of transcriptionally active methanogens from feed-restricted and non-restricted animals. To determine the contribution of different rumen methanogens to methanogenesis during dietary restriction of cattle, we conducted high-throughput mcrA cDNA amplicon sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq and analysed both the abundance and phylogenetic origin of different mcrA cDNA sequences. When compared to their unrestricted contemporaries, in feed-restricted animals, the methanogenic activity, based on mcrA transcript abundance, of Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii clade increased while the methanogenic activity of the Methanobrevibacter ruminantium clade and members of the Methanomassiliicoccaceae family decreased. This study shows that the quantity of feed consumed can evoke large effects on the composition of methanogenically active species in the rumen of cattle. These data potentially have major implications for targeted CH4 mitigation approaches such as anti-methanogen vaccines and/or tailored dietary management

Edmund Rice (1762-1844) and the genesis of a religious congregation

This thesis examines the genesis of the Irish Christian Brothers. It seeks to place them in their historical context and to understand them as they understood themselves. The Brothers emerged at a dynamic period in the history of the Irish Church. The last quarter of the eighteenth-century had brought a relaxation in the penal laws which allowed the Catholic church to emerge from the 'catacombs', thus facilitating its transition from a mission to a church. This thesis charts the role of the Brothers in that context; not simply as agents of change, but as individuals effected by the spirit of the age. It aims, also, to illustrate the complexity of the penal era. Long understood as a century of unrelenting and uniform persecution, the Catholic experience in the period (1691-1829) is now represented as one of 'endurance and emergence' in which Catholics adapted creatively to the challenges and opportunities of the age. It will demonstrate the character of eighteenth- century Irish Catholicism and the difficulties which reform minded prelates faced in their attempts to introduce the practices and devotions associated with the Council of Trent. It demonstrates, too, the extent to which Rice's two congregations were animated by the piety and theology of early-modern Catholicism. This spirituality was embodied in the Rules and Constitutions of the congregations and the Brothers strove to transform Irish society in that spirit. The Brothers' ultimate aim was not simply the provision of education, but a special kind of Catholic education. They attempted to evangelise the unchurched urban poor and to introduce them to the new devotions of the age. In so doing they contributed greatly to the confident and assertive character of nineteenth-century Irish Catholicism