Hunting for Agriculture: Unraveling Ecological Motivations in the Transition to Farming by the Fremont Cultural Complex

This study explored the profound human history shift from foraging to agriculture, focusing on Utah\u27s Fremont cultural complex. Utilizing the Prey-Rank Model, we investigated whether dwindling encounter rates with high-rank prey prompted the Fremont\u27s adoption of agriculture. We quantified past resource trends by analyzing the Utah archaeofaunal database to discern if ecological conditions influenced this transition. If confirmed, it suggests adaptive responses to a decline in high-ranked game led to a more resource-intensive survival strategy. This research provides crucial insights into the motivations behind the Fremont\u27s agricultural adoption, enhancing our understanding of human-environment interactions and adaptations throughout history

The Effects of Two Different Post-Exercise Stretching Modalities on Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness in Adults

Until recently, research suggested that post-exercise stretching may reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in those who exercise; however, newer research indicates that stretching has no effect on DOMS. However, it appears that the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on preventing DOMS has not been adequately studied. The primary purpose of the study was to research the effect of PNF stretching on DOMS. The secondary purpose was to evaluate if one’s level of flexibility had a correlation with high levels of DOMS. The study was a posttest-only control group design. Participants were randomly assigned into a stretching group (PNF, static, control) after performing a DOMS inducing exercise. Participants then rated their soreness level on a pain scale (range 1-6) 24 and 48 (plus or minus 2 hours) hours after the DOMS inducing exercise. Flexibility also was measured to see if the participants, muscle range was correlated to DOMS. The main result showed that there was no difference between PNF stretching and reduced pain scores. Other results showed that there was a correlation between the 48 hour post-exercise pain score and pre-post flexibility change in the PNF stretch group (

The Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Post-Exercise Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness in Young Adults

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(1) : 14-21, 2014. Until recently, the scientific community believed that post-exercise stretching could reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but recent reviews of studies on the topic have concluded that pre- or post-exercise static stretching has no effect on mitigating DOMS. However, the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) post-exercise stretching on preventing DOMS has not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of post-exercise PNF stretching on DOMS. Young adult participants (N=57) were randomly assigned to a PNF stretching group (n=19), a static stretching group (n=20), and to a no-stretching control group (n=18). All participants completed exercise designed to induce DOMS prior to post-exercise experimental stretching protocols. Participants rated their soreness level on a pain scale 24 and 48 hours post-exercise. A 3 x 2 mixed ANOVA showed there was an effect for time (p\u3c.01). Post hoc testing revealed that DOMS pain significantly decreased (p\u3c.05) from 24 to 48 hours post-exercise for the PNF and control groups, but not for the static stretching group. Other analyses revealed a significant correlation (r=.61, p\u3c.01) between the pre- and post-exercise stretch scores and the 48 hour post-exercise pain score for the PNF group. Consistent with the results of previous research on post-exercise static stretching, these results indicate that post-exercise PNF stretching also does not prevent DOMS. However, the correlation analysis suggests it is possible the pre-stretch muscle contractions of the post-exercise PNF protocol may have placed a load on an already damaged muscle causing more DOMS for some participants

Are character strength-based positive interventions effective for eliciting positive behavioral outcomes? A meta-analytic review

Research on strengths-based positive interventions (SBPIs) has often supported their effectiveness, but these studies overwhelmingly focus on experiential outcomes such as affect and subjective well-being. Much less is known about their effectiveness for eliciting positive behavioral outcomes. The current article provides a lexicon to clarify distinctions between various types of positive interventions. This is followed by a meta-analysis of studies examining behavioral outcomes from SBPIs. Multiple databases were searched through October 2020. Out of 418 studies evaluating what could be considered SBPIs, only 48 analyses across 29 articles examined group differences in a behavioral outcome. Random-effects meta-analysis of post-test data revealed a small to medium, statistically significant effect, Hedges’ g = 0.32. Evidence was insufficient to suggest small-study or methodological bias. SBPIs seemed effective for eliciting behavioral change relative to control conditions consistent with prior meta-analyses. However, the available data are too limited to support SBPIs as an alternative to traditional approaches that focus on direct symptom reduction

Assessing the value of trees in sustainable grazing systems

The retention of trees in strips provides an option for managing non-remnant woody vegetation in native and sown pastures in northern Australia. However, the impact of tree strips on pasture production has not been previously researched in detail in southern Queensland. The influence of existing tree strips on pasture production in southern Queensland was measured at three grazing properties during 2004 and 2005. Soil and pasture attributes were sampled along transects 80 to 300 metres in length positioned perpendicular to tree strips. The tree strips ranged from 15 to 75 metres wide and were 120 to 500 metres apart. The effects of tree strips along the pasture transect were quantified in terms of pasture microclimate (e.g. temperature, humidity and, at one location, wind), pasture growth in grazed and exclosed situations, soil water, soil nutrients and condition, and nutrient availability. An experimental approach using exclosed pasture transects provided a useful ‘bioassay’ potentially integrating beneficial and competitive effects of tree strips on pasture growth as well as other factors (e.g. soil variability). Averaged across two locations and two years, the competitive effects of the tree strip were compensated to some extent by enhanced pasture growth at distances of 1-6 x tree height from the tree strip edge. However, the observed effects on pasture growth along the transect were likely to be due to different causes: pasture microclimate at one site, soil texture and microtopography at a second site and pasture establishment history at a third site. Thus, the trial highlighted the difficulty of attributing effects in real-world situations, given the number of possible causes including the tree strip effects on pasture microclimate and nutrient availability, soil surface disturbance, and systematic variation on soil and water redistribution due to soil micro-topography and felled timber. Despite these many sources of variation, general effects were derived from the field data consistent with other studies on tree strips and wind breaks across Australia. To extrapolate the project results to other locations, tree strip configurations and climates, a new version of the soil waterpasture growth simulation model GRASP was developed allowing simulation of tree and pasture effects and processes for various distances along a pasture transect perpendicular from the tree strip

Temporal trends in handgrip strength for older Japanese adults between 1998 and 2017

Objective: To estimate temporal trends in handgrip strength (HGS) for older Japanese adults between 1998 and 2017. Design and Methods: Adults aged 60–79 years were included. Annual nationally representative HGS data (n=176,449) for the 19-year study period were obtained from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Temporal trends in mean HGS were estimated by sample-weighted regression models relating the year of testing to mean HGS. National trends in absolute, percent and standardized HGS were estimated by a post-stratified population-weighting procedure. Temporal trends in variability were estimated as the ratio of coefficients of variation (CVs). Results: Collectively, there was a small improvement in mean HGS of 1.4 kg (95%CI: 1.3–1.5), 4.5% (95%CI: 4.3–4.7), or 0.27 standard deviations (95%CI: 0.26–0.28) between 1998 and 2017. The rate of improvement progressively increased over time, with more recent values (post-2008) 1.5-fold larger than earlier values. Gender- and age-related temporal differences were negligible. Variability in HGS declined substantially over time (ratio of CVs [95%CI]: 0.88 [0.86–0.90]), with declines 1.9-fold larger in women compared to men, and 1.7-fold larger in 70–79-year-olds compared to 60–69-year-olds. Conclusions: There has been a small, progressive improvement in mean HGS for older Japanese adults since 1998, which is suggestive of a corresponding improvement in overall strength capacity. The substantial decline in variability indicates that the improvement in mean HGS was not uniform across the population

Sleeping time is associated with functional limitations in a national sample of older Americans

Background: Engaging in healthy behaviors may help to preserve function during aging; however, it is not well understood how sleeping time is associated with functional capacity in older adults. Aims: We sought to determine the association of sleeping time on functional limitation in a national sample of older Americans. Methods: The analytical sample included 6,020 adults aged at least 65 years who participated in the 2007-2016 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Respondents indicated their hours of sleep/week night and were categorized as \u3c5, 5-6.5, 7-8, 8.5-9, and \u3e9 hours of sleep/week night. Ability to complete 19 functional tasks including basic activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, leisure and social activities, lower extremity mobility activities, and general physical activities were also self-reported. A covariate-adjusted logistic model analyzed the associations between each sleeping time category and functional limitation. Results: Relative to those reporting 7-8 hours of sleep/week night, older Americans reporting \u3c5, 5-6.5, 8.5-9, and \u3e9 hours of sleep/week night had 2.02 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.26, 3.21), 1.25 (CI: 1.02, 1.53), 1.60 (CI: 1.21, 2.12), and 3.21 (CI: 2.12, 4.87) greater odds for functional limitation, respectively. Discussion: Sleep should be recognized as a health factor that may reflect functional capacity in older adults. Healthcare providers should discuss the importance of optimal sleep with their older patients and older adults should practice healthy sleeping behaviors for preserving function. Conclusions: Not meeting optimal sleep recommendations is associated with functional limitations in older Americans

Misreporting in a randomized clinical trial for smoking cessation in adolescents

Introduction: Misreporting smoking behavior is common among younger smokers participating in clinical trials for smoking cessation. This study focused on the prevalence of and factors associated with adolescent misreporting of smoking behaviors within the context of a randomized clinical trial for smoking cessation. Methods: Adolescent smokers (N = 129) participated in a randomized clinical trial that compared two brief interventions for smoking cessation. Following the final (6-month) follow-up, a confidential, self-administered exit questionnaire examined the extent to which participants admitted to having misreported smoking quantity, frequency and/or consequences during the study. Factors associated with under- and over-reporting were compared to accurate-reporting. Results: One in 4 adolescent smokers (25.6%) admitted to under-reporting during the study and 14.7% admitted to over-reporting; 10.9% of the adolescents admitted to both under- and over-reporting. Rates of admitted misreporting did not differ between treatment conditions or recruitment site. Compared to accurate-reporting, under- and over-reporting were significantly associated with home smoking environment and the belief among adolescents that the baseline interviewer wanted them to report smoking more or less than they actually smoked. Compared to accurate reporters, over-reporters were more likely to be non-White and to report being concerned with the confidentiality of their responses. Conclusions: A post-study confidential debriefing questionnaire can be a useful tool for estimating rates of misreporting and examining whether potential differences in misreporting might bias the interpretation of treatment effects. Future studies are needed to thoroughly examine potentially addressable reasons that adolescents misreport their smoking behavior and to develop methods for reducing misreporting

Potential Co-benefits and trade-offs between improved soil management, climate change mitigation and agri-food productivity

Maximising resource-use efficiency, productivity and environmental sustainability are all fundamental requirements to raise global food production by ~70 per cent in order to feed a world population of ~9.7 billion people by 2050. Perhaps the most vital resource within our capacity to achieve this goal is our soil. Broadly, the fundamental question concerns whether or not satisfying this production demand will accelerate soil degradation, climate change, and the loss of soil carbon stocks. This paper builds upon the outputs of the UK Charity ‘Food & Farming Futures’ (chaired by Lord Curry of Kirkharle) virtual workshop held on 23 March 2021, entitled ‘Capturing the Potential of Soil’. The event focussed on the link between soil health, primarily soil organic carbon (SOC), and agricultural productivity. Supported with commentaries by Professor Pete Smith (University of Aberdeen and Science Director of the Scottish Climate Change Centre of Expertise) and Professor Steve McGrath (Head of Sustainable Agricultural Sciences at Rothamsted Research), specific focus will be given to the research challenges within the UK’s ability to improve soil health and functionality, the implementation priorities that must be held in order to improve soil management by 2050 and what the potential co-benefits could be. These co-benefits were scattered across environmental, economic, social and political issues, yet they may be summarised into six primary co-benefits: developing natural capital, climate change mitigation, carbon trading, improvements in crop yield, animal performance and human health (nutrition). Additionally, the main barriers to improved soil management practices are centred on knowledge exchange-regarding agri-environmental techniques—whilst the most impactful solutions rely on soil monitoring, reporting and verification

The burden of health conditions for middle-aged and older adults in the United States: disability-adjusted life years

Abstract Background Many adults are living longer with health conditions in the United States. Understanding the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for such health conditions may help to inform healthcare providers and their patients, guide health interventions, reduce healthcare costs, improve quality of life, and increase longevity for aging Americans. The purpose of this study was to determine the burden of 10 health conditions for a nationally-representative sample of adults aged 50 years and older in the United States. Methods Data from the 1998–2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study were analyzed. At each wave, participants indicated if they were diagnosed with the following 10 conditions: cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, diabetes, back pain, hypertension, a fractured hip, myocardial infarction, rheumatism or arthritis, and a stroke. Years lived with a disability and years of life lost to premature mortality were summed for calculating DALYs. Sample weights were utilized in the analyses to make the DALY estimates nationally-representative. Results for the DALYs were presented in thousands. Results There were 30,101 participants included. Sex stratified DALY estimates ranged from 4092 (fractured hip)-to-178,055 (hypertension) for men and 13,621 (fractured hip)-to-200,794 (hypertension) for women. The weighted overall DALYs were: 17,660 for hip fractures, 62,630 for congestive heart failure, 64,710 for myocardial infarction, 90,337 for COPD, 93,996 for stroke, 142,012 for cancer, 117,534 for diabetes, 186,586 for back pain, 333,420 for arthritis, and 378,849 for hypertension. In total, there were an estimated 1,487,734 years of healthy life lost from the 10 health conditions examined over the study period. Conclusions The burden of these health conditions accounted for over a million years of healthy life lost for middle-aged and older Americans over the 16 year study period. Our results should be used to inform healthcare providers and guide health interventions aiming to improve the health of middle-aged and older adults. Moreover, shifting health policy and resources to match DALY trends may help to improve quality of life during aging and longevity.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/148568/1/12877_2019_Article_1110.pd