The Effects of a University Fitness Programme on Health Related Variables in Previously Sedentary Males

There is an increasing body of evidence which suggests that regular physical activity and fairly high levels of aerobic fitness provide a degree of protection against coronary heart disease. In addition, appropriate exercise may reduce the incidence of low back pain by improving local muscular endurance and flexibility in certain areas. This study reports on the effects of a 10 week university fitness programme (which consisted of 20 minutes of aerobic activity, 5 minutes of muscle conditioning exercises and 5 minutes of flexibility exercises three times per week) on health related fitness variables. Twenty one exercisers, age 37.0+/-10.24 years (range 21-58) and 22 controls, age 38. 6+/-7. 85 years (range 17-54) volunteered to take part in the study. Assessment was carried out before training commenced and 10 weeks later at the conclusion of training. Two sample t-tests were used to determine if the exercise group demonstrated a greater average improvement than the control group. Ninety five percent confidence intervals (95% Cl) indicate the average range of improvement. The exercise group showed a greater average improvement over the controls from test 1 to test 2 in the following: Resting heart rate 95% Cl (-2.4,-12.8) beats/minute; Steady state heart rate 95% Cl (-7.8, -16.2) beats/minute; Predicted Vo2 Max 95% Cl (3.2, 6.7) ml kg-1 min-1; Sit ups 95% Cl (3.1, 7.0,); Flexibiliity 95% Cl (3.3, 6.9) centimetres. A paired t-test showed that total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein demonstrated a significant improvement for both the exercise and control groups. However, there was no significant difference between the exercise and control group changes. In the exercise group total cholesterol fell from 6.5+/-1.2 to 5. 6+/-1.1 mmol/litre and high density lipoprotein rose from 1.12+/-0.22 to 1.29+/-0.24 mmol/litre. The control group total cholesterol fell from 6.2+/-1.20 to 5.5+/-0.84 mmol/litre and high density lipoprotein rose from 1.16+/-0.2 to 1.26+/-0.27 mmol/litre. There were no significant changes in the exercise group or the control group in body weight, bicep skinfold, tricep skinfold, suprailiac skinfold, total skinfold, percentage body fat, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, composition of the diet, energy intake of the diet or triglycerides. This study demonstrated one of the accepted indications of an improvement in aerobic fitness, a sub maximal bradycardia. A decrease in heart rate at a given sub maximal workload increases the efficiency of the heart and reduces the possibilty of ischaemia. Although aerobic fitness in the exercise group improved, there was no beneficial effect on body weight, body fat, blood pressure, or the lipid profile. Diet did not change and energy expenditure increased. It is therefore rather surprising that there was no measured significant change in body composition. By contrast, the absence of an effect on blood pressure when baseline levels were within normal range agrees with previous studies which have shown that "normal" blood pressure will show a small decrease or is unlikely to change as a result of aerobic exercise. Both groups showed a significant decrease in total cholesterol and a significant increase in high density lipoprotein but no significant difference between groups. Clearly, there is some underlying factor other than exercise which has caused these changes. Triglycerides were within normal range and previous studies have shown that aerobic exercise is unlikely to reduce triglycerides which were not previously elevated. The exercise programme increased local muscular endurance in the abdominal region and flexibility in the lower back and hamstrings. These improvements may make the subjects more resistant to lower back problems. Thus, the exercise programme was effective in improving some health related fitness variables. Perhaps a programme of a longer duration would have favourably influenced some other aspects of health related fitness

Salamanders of the Mio-Pliocene Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee.

Screening efforts at the Gray Fossil Site, Washington County, Tennessee, have yielded a unique and diverse salamander fauna for the southern Appalachian Mio-Pliocene; including at least five taxa from three modern families (Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, and Salamandridae) supporting the woodland-pond interpretation of the site. All specimens represent the earliest record of their respective families in the Appalachian Mountains; with the Notophthalmus sp. vertebrae being the only Mio-Pliocene skeletal fossil known for the family Salamandridae in North America. Three types of plethodontid salamander are present, with one type representing the earliest known desmognathine. The desmognathine fossils lend credence to the \u27Appalachian\u27 origin of the clade in the Mio-Pliocene. The GFS salamander fauna is predominated by plethodontids; competition is inferred by the presence of several similarly large-sized taxa and is invoked to explain the presence of neotenic individuals in an otherwise amicable terrestrial environment

Mentoring Emerging Leaders Toward Holistic Health and Longevity: A guide for seasoned leaders to intentionally Invest in and Influence the Next Generation of Ministry Leaders

Dissertation Notice: D.Min. dissertation, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, 2014 Full Text of the Dissertation available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global This study gathered input from long-term, seasoned pastors, former pastors, and emerging young leaders, then analyzed which of their activities and behaviors prove to enhance the opportunities for success in ministry. The study also examined the effects of mentor/protégé relationships on the success of young leaders

A model for incorporating a clinically-feasible exercise test in paraplegic annual reviews : a tool for stratified cardiopulmonary stress performance classification and monitoring

To identify and characterize an exercise test for use in routine spinal cord injury clinical review, and (ii) to describe levels of, and factors affecting, cardiopulmonary stress performance during exercise in the chronic paraplegic population in Scotland, UK. Cross-sectional study Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit (Glasgow, Scotland) 48 subjects with chronic paraplegia resulting from spinal cord injury at neurological levels T2-L2 Peak oxygen uptake, peak power output, gas exchange threshold and peak heart rate were determined from an incremental arm-cranking exercise test. Using a general linear model, the effects of gender, high (injury level above T6) versus low paraplegia, time since injury, body mass and age on peak oxygen uptake and peak power output were investigated. All 48 subjects completed the arm-cranking exercise test, which was shown to be practical for fitness screening in paraplegia. Men (n=38) had a peak oxygen uptake of 1.302 +/- 0.326 l.min-1 (mean +/- s.d.) and peak power output of 81.6 +/- 23.2W, which was significantly higher than for women (n=10), at 0.832 +/- 0.277 l.min-1 and 50.1 +/- 27.8 W, respectively. There was large intersubject variability in cardiopulmonary performance during arm-cranking exercise testing, but the overall mean for the Scottish population was lower than reference values from other countries. Arm-cranking exercise tests are feasible in the clinical environment. The motivation for their implementation is threefold: (i) to determine cardiopulmonary stress performance of individual paraplegic patients, (ii) to stratify patients into cardiovascular risk categories, and (iii) to monitor the effects of targeted exercise prescription

Terminal velocities of ice crystals

December 1970.Includes bibliographical references.Sponsored by the National Science Foundation GA-11574

The Role of Exercise Testing in Cardiac Disease

Breathlessness and fatigue are the characteristic symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF). Their quantification during submaximal exercise may be of value in the evaluation of patient disability and the impact of drug treatment. Since these symptoms are commonly experienced during the submaximal levels of exercise involved in everyday activities, it was deemed appropriate to assess subjective scales during submaximal exercise and to compare physiological variables with these subjective scales to establish if any relationship existed between them. Exercise testing in cardiology is commonplace and encompasses a variety of exercise protocols and subjects with wide ranging fitness capability. A new exercise protocol (STEXT protocol) has been developed which accommodates a wide range of fitness levels within a relatively short time period. Thus, it was considered appropriate to evaluate the symptomatic and physiological responses to this protocol. This thesis is based on a series of studies which were designed to investigate the role of exercise testing in cardiology. The primary aims of the three studies reported in this thesis were to examine the reproducibility and (where appropriate) sensitivity to change of subjective scales for breathlessness and general fatigue. The sensitivity of the subjective scales was assessed using beta blockade to promote a sensation of breathlessness and general fatigue. In addition, an examination of a possible link between physiological variables and the subjective scales was carried out. The impact of beta blockade on physiological variables was also examined

Suicidal students' use of and attitudes to primary care prevention services

Aim The aims of this study were to improve responses to students in distress and who are feeling suicidal, to help practitioners to increase their responsiveness to those at high risk of suicide and to develop effective responses to those affected by their deaths. The study sought to build a detailed picture of students’ patterns of service use. Background National suicide prevention strategies emphasise that suicide prevention requires the collaboration of a wide range of organisations. Among these, primary care services play a key role in relation to suicide prevention for young people in crisis. Methods This study, undertaken between 2004 and 2007, focused on 20 case studies of student suicide that took place in the United Kingdom between May 2000 and June 2005. It adopted a psychological autopsy approach to learn from a wide range of informants, including parents, friends, university staff and the records of coroners or procurator fiscals. Twenty families gave permission for their son’s or daughter’s death to be included in the study and agreed to participate in the study. Informants were interviewed in person and the data were analysed thematically. Analysis of the case study data suggested that in a number of cases students had failed to engage with services sufficiently early or in sufficient depth. Primary care practitioners need to be proactive in communicating concerns about vulnerable students to student support services. At local levels, collaboration between student support and National Health Service practitioners varied considerably and channels of communication need to be developed

Salt Marshes As a Source Of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter (Cdom) To Southern California Coastal Waters

To determine chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) sources in Southern California coastal waters, optical properties of a river outlet and adjacent tidally flushed salt marshes were monitored (dry season; June July 2001). Average absorption coefficients doubled at ebb vs. flood tides (4.8 +/- 1.5 vs. 2.1 +/- 0.9 m(-1); 300 nm), suggesting significant salt marsh CDOM inputs into coastal waters. Average spectral slopes were not statistically different for any sites or tides (0.010 +/- 0.002 nm(-1)), consistent with salt marsh CDOM dominating coastal waters. Three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) at ebb tide showed contributions from terrestrial, protein, and marine humic-like peaks, suggesting production and output of these materials from the marsh. A marine humic signal at the river outlet during an offshore upwelling event indicated an additional sporadic nonmarsh marine humic-like source. EEMs of six common salt marsh plant leachates showed protein, terrestrial, and marine humic-like peaks. To estimate CDOM photodegradation in the marsh, fluorescence intensity decays from photobleaching experiments were fit to first-order kinetics. Most humic peaks degraded with a half-life of t(1/2) = 10-20 h, which overlaps the estimated residence time of water in the marshes (similar to 12 h). Most protein peaks were resistant to photodegradation, suggesting that the low levels of protein vs. humic-like material measured in natural waters was due to rapid bioutilization of proteinaceous material. The rapid photodegradation of plant leachate humic material and the low spectral slopes for the field sites suggest that marsh sediments would be an important source of CDOM