A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ANALYZING THE CHALLENGES, CONFLICTS, AND PRACTICES OF SUPERINTENDENT-PRINCIPALS IN RURAL UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The purpose of this study was to analyze and provide insight into the complexities of the dual role superintendent-principal position from individuals currently serving in this position. The study focused on the challenges and conflicts individuals who serve in this dual role face and highlighted practices that have made them successful in their position. This study also sought to provide insight into the reasons why local school boards decide to employ a dual role superintendent-principal rather than having separate positions and the expectations of boards of education for individuals serving in the dual role. As I conducted my research, numerous themes emerged related to the challenges and successful practices of superintendent-principals. Some of the themes common among participants in the study include the importance of relationships in the school community. The challenge of role ambiguity was also consistent among the individuals participating in the study. The overall complexity of the dual administrative role and the lack of time to dedicate to any one aspect of the position was a frustration shared by each participant of my study. These themes will be further presented and analyzed throughout this thesis

Self-Rated Mental Stress and Exercise Training Response in Healthy Subjects

Purpose: Individual responses to aerobic training vary from almost none to a 40% increase in aerobic fitness in healthy subjects. We hypothesized that the baseline self-rated mental stress may influence to the training response. Methods: The study population included 44 healthy sedentary subjects (22 women) and 14 controls. The laboratory controlled training period was 2 weeks, including five sessions a week at an intensity of 75% of the maximum heart rate for 40 min/session. Self-rated mental stress was assessed by inquiry prior to the training period from 1 (low psychological resources and a lot of stressors in my life) to 10 (high psychological resources and no stressors in my life), respectively. Results: Mean peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) increased from 34 ± 7 to 37 ± 7 ml kg−1 min−1 in training group (p < 0.001) and did not change in control group (from 34 ± 7 to 34 ± 7 ml kg−1 min−1). Among the training group, the self-rated stress at the baseline condition correlated with the change in fitness after training intervention, e.g., with the change in maximal power (r = 0.45, p = 0.002, W/kg) and with the change in VO2peak (r = 0.32, p = 0.039, ml kg−1 min−1). The self-rated stress at the baseline correlated with the change in fitness in both female and male, e.g., r = 0.44, p = 0.039 and r = 0.43, p = 0.045 for ΔW/kg in female and male, respectively. Conclusion: As a novel finding the baseline self-rated mental stress is associated with the individual training response among healthy females and males after highly controlled aerobic training intervention. The changes in fitness were very low or absent in the subjects who experience their psychological resources low and a lot of stressors in their life at the beginning of aerobic training intervention

Refugia loistorjunnan osana lammastiloilla

Lampaiden loisten lääkeaineresistenssi on yleistymässä käytössä oleville loishäätölääkkeille. Lääkeaineresistenssin todennäköisyyttä lisää lääkeaineiden jatkuva käyttö ilman kunnollisia loishäätösuunnitelmia tai loishäätötapoja, joilla resistenssin kehittymistä voitaisiin hidastaa. Loiset, jotka selviävät lääkeaineiden vaikutuksesta, pääsevät lisääntymään ja niiden jälkeläiset selviävät todennäköisemmin loishäätölääkkeistä. Täysin uusien lääkeaineiden kehittäminen on hidasta, joten täytyy löytää vaihtoehtoisia tapoja loishäätöön. Loishäädön tavoitteena on saada loistaakat pysymään pieninä ja samalla hidastaa lääkeaineresistenssin kehittymistä. Yksi vaihtoehto on käyttää loishäädössä apuna refugiaa. Refugialla tarkoitetaan sitä osaa loispopulaatiosta, johon ei kohdisteta valintapainetta loishäätölääkkeillä. Jätettäessä osa loispopulaatiosta refugiaan, lampaat voivat saada loishäädön jälkeen tartunnan loisista, joihin lääkeaineet eivät ole vaikuttaneet. Tällöin lääkkeille resistenttien loisten jälkeläiset eivät pääse leviämään lammaslaumassa. Refugiaa voidaan käyttää usealla eri tavalla. Osa lampaista voidaan jättää lääkitsemättä erilaisten indikaattorien perusteella tai lampaat voidaan pitää kontaminoituneella laitumella loishäädön jälkeen, jolloin laitumen loiset toimivat refugiana. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa pyrin vertailemaan loishäädettävien lampaiden valintaan käytettäviä indikaattoreita. Pyrin myös selvittämään, kuinka suuri osa laumasta on tarkoituksenmukaista jättää lääkitsemättä. Erilaisia indikaattorivaihtoehtoja ovat esimerkiksi päiväkasvun ja kuntoluokan seuranta, anemian voimakkuuden määrittäminen, ulosteiden koostumuksen tarkkailu ja loisten munien laskeminen ulostenäytteistä. On syytä muistaa, että oireilevat yksilöt täytyy aina hoitaa. Tarkin keino määrittää loishäätöä tarvitsevat lampaat on tutkia lampaiden ulosteista madon munien määrä grammassa ulostetta. Jokaisen lampaan tutkiminen erikseen ei ole taloudellisesti kannattavaa. Eri menetelmin on pyritty määrittämään kuinka monta ulostenäytettä olisi syytä tutkia lammaslaumasta, jotta pystyttäisiin arvioimaan lauman loishäädön tarve. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa käyn läpi tutkimuksia, joissa on määritetty lampureiden halukkuutta jättää osa laumasta lääkitsemättä. Loistartunnat ovat yksi yleisimmistä ongelmista lampailla ja voivat aiheuttaa tilalliselle isoja taloudellisia tappioita. On ymmärrettävää, että tuottajat epäilevät refugian käyttöä. Tutkimusten mukaan lampurit harvoin mieltävät loisten resistenssiä oman alueensa ongelmaksi, vaikka asia olisi tutkimuksin todettu. Tutkimuksissa on havaittu lampureiden olevan halukkaampia käyttämään refugiaa, jos he saavat neuvoja suoraan eläinlääkäreiltä tai maatalousneuvojilta. On tarpeen luoda hyvä neuvontaverkosto lammastilallisia varten, jotta saadaan levitettyä tietoa loishäätötapojen muuttamisen tärkeydestä. Vuonna 2015 voimaan tulleissa hyvinvointikorvausvaatimuksissa edellytetään ammattilaisen tekemää tilakohtaista loishäätösuunnitelmaa. Refugian mahdollisuudet on syytä tuoda eläinlääkäreiden ja neuvojien tietoisuuteen, jotta jo loishäätösuunnitelmia tehtäessä voitaisiin panostaa lääkeaineresistenssin kehittymisen hidastamiseen

Compositional association of 24-h movement behavior with incident major adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes a high disease burden. Physical activity (PA) reduces CVD morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determine the relationship between the composition of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), light PA (LPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep during midlife to the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and all-cause mortality at a 7-year follow-up. The study population consisted of Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 members who participated in the 46-year follow-up in 2012 and were free of MACE (N = 4147). Time spent in MVPA, LPA, and SB was determined from accelerometer data. Sleep time was self-reported. Hospital visits and deaths were obtained from national registers. Participants were followed until December 31, 2019, or first MACE occurrence (acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris, stroke, hospitalization due to heart failure, or death due to CVD), death from another cause, or censoring. Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios of MACE incidence and all-cause mortality. Isotemporal time reallocations were used to demonstrate the dose–response association between time spent in behaviors and outcome. The 24-h time composition was significantly associated with incident MACE and all-cause mortality. More time in MVPA relative to other behaviors was associated with a lower risk of events. Isotemporal time reallocations indicated that the greatest risk reduction occurred when MVPA replaced sleep. Higher MVPA associates with a reduced risk of incident MACE and all-cause mortality after accounting for the 24-h movement composition and confounders. Regular engagement in MVPA should be encouraged in midlife

Tohtorikoulutuksen ja työelämän yhteistyö hakee uusia muotoja

acceptedVersio

Step Detection Accuracy and Energy Expenditure Estimation at Different Speeds by Three Accelerometers in a Controlled Environment in Overweight/Obese Subjects

Our aim was to compare three research-grade accelerometers for their accuracy in step detection and energy expenditure (EE) estimation in a laboratory setting, at different speeds, especially in overweight/obese participants. Forty-eight overweight/obese subjects participated. Participants performed an exercise routine on a treadmill with six different speeds (1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, and 9 km/h) for 4 min each. The exercise was recorded on video and subjects wore three accelerometers during the exercise: Sartorio Xelometer (SX, hip), activPAL (AP, thigh), and ActiGraph GT3X (AG, hip), and energy expenditure (EE) was estimated using indirect calorimetry for comparisons. For step detection, speed-wise mean absolute percentage errors for the SX ranged between 9.73-2.26, 6.39-0.95 for the AP, and 88.69-2.63 for the AG. The activPALs step detection was the most accurate. For EE estimation, the ranges were 21.41-15.15 for the SX, 57.38-12.36 for the AP, and 59.45-28.92 for the AG. All EE estimation errors were due to underestimation. All three devices were accurate in detecting steps when speed exceeded 4 km/h and inaccurate in EE estimation regardless of speed. Our results will guide users to recognize the differences, weaknesses, and strengths of the accelerometer devices and their algorithms.Peer reviewe

Step detection and energy expenditure at different speeds by three accelerometers in a controlled environment

Physical activity (PA) is one of the most efficient ways to prevent obesity and its associated diseases worldwide. In the USA, less than 10% of the adult population were able to meet the PA recommendations when accelerometers were used to assess PA habituation. Accelerometers significantly differ from each other in step recognition and do not reveal raw data. The aim of our study was to compare a novel accelerometer, Sartorio Xelometer, which enables to gather raw data, with existing accelerometers ActiGraph GT3X+ and activPAL in terms of step detection and energy expenditure estimation accuracy. 53 healthy subjects were divided into 2 cohorts (cohort 1 optimization; cohort 2 validation) and wore 3 accelerometers and performed an exercise routine consisting of the following speeds: 1.5, 3, 4.5, 9 and 10.5 km/h (6 km/h for 2nd cohort included). Data from optimization cohort was used to optimize Sartorio step detection algorithm. Actual taken steps were recorded with a video camera and energy expenditure (EE) was measured. To observe the similarity between video and accelerometer step counts, paired samples t test and intraclass correlation were used separately for step counts in different speeds and for total counts as well as EE estimations. In speeds of 1.5, 3, 4.5, 6, 9 and 10.5 km/h mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) % were 8.1, 3.5, 4.3, 4.2, 3.1 and 7.8 for the Xelometer, respectively (after optimization). For ActiGraph GT3X+ the MAPE-% were 96.93 (87.4), 34.69 (23.1), 2.13 (2.3), 1.96 (2.6) and 2.99 (3.8), respectively and for activPAL 6.55 (5.6), 1.59 (0.6), 0.81 (1.1), 10.60 (10.3) and 15.76 (13.8), respectively. Significant intraclass correlations were observed with Xelometer estimates and actual steps in all speeds. Xelometer estimated the EE with a MAPE-% of 30.3, activPAL and ActiGraph GT3X+ with MAPE percentages of 20.5 and 24.3, respectively. The Xelometer is a valid device for assessing step counts at different gait speeds. MAPE is different at different speeds, which is of importance when assessing the PA in obese subjects and elderly. EE estimates of all three devices were found to be inaccurate when compared with indirect calorimetry.Peer reviewe

Physical activity, residential greenness, and cardiac autonomic function

Purpose: This population-based study examines the associations between physical activity (PA), residential environmental greenness, and cardiac health measured by resting short-term heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: Residential greenness of a birth cohort sample (n=5433) at 46 years was measured with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) by fixing a 1km buffer around each participant's home. Daily light PA (LPA), moderate PA (MPA), vigorous PA (VPA), and the combination of both (MVPA) were measured using a wrist-worn accelerometer for 14days. Resting HRV was measured with a heart rate monitor, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) was used to examine the association between PA, NDVI, and resting HRV. Results: In nongreen areas, men had less PA at all intensity levels compared to men in green areas. Women had more LPA and total PA and less MPA, MVPA, and VPA in green residential areas compared to nongreen areas. In green residential areas, men had more MPA, MVPA, and VPA than women, whereas women had more LPA than men. GAM showed positive linear associations between LPA, MVPA and HRV in all models. Conclusions: Higher LPA and MVPA were significantly associated with increased HRV, irrespective of residential greenness. Greenness was positively associated with PA at all intensity levels in men, whereas in women, a positive association was found for LPA and total PA. A positive relationship of PA with resting HRV and greenness with PA was found. Residential greenness for promoting PA and heart health in adults should be considered in city planning

FINDING STRUCTURE IN FITNESS DATA

Abstract. A method for measuring aerobic fitness is considered. The data used in the approximation contain accurate measurements of maximum oxygen uptake as reference values and physical features including R-R intervals of the heart beat measured at rest. The physical system of the human being is highly nonlinear, the number of the variables easily becomes very large and the information content of the data is quite poor. Effective methods are therefore needed for finding information. The fitness approximation task is first visualized with self-organizing maps and maximum oxygen uptake is then approximated by means of neural networks. Since the number of variables in the data set is impracticably large relative to the number of subjects, it is reduced by linear and nonlinear principal component analysis. The results show that this reduction in dimension can accelerate and intensify the learning process in the neural network

Effects of bright light treatment on psychomotor speed in athletes

Purpose: A recent study suggests that transcranial brain targeted light treatment via ear canals may have physiological effects on brain function studied by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques in humans. We tested the hypothesis that bright light treatment could improve psychomotor speed in professional ice hockey players. Methods: Psychomotor speed tests with audio and visual warning signals were administered to a Finnish National Ice Hockey League team before and after 24 days of transcranial bright light or sham treatment. The treatments were given during seasonal darkness in the Oulu region (latitude 65 degrees north) when the strain on the players was also very high (10 matches during 24 days). A daily 12-min dose of bright light or sham (n = 11 for both) treatment was given every morning between 8–12 am at home with a transcranial bright light device. Mean reaction time and motor time were analyzed separately for both psychomotor tests. Analysis of variance for repeated measures adjusted for age was performed. Results: Time x group interaction for motor time with a visual warning signal was p = 0.024 after adjustment for age. In Bonferroni post-hoc analysis, motor time with a visual warning signal decreased in the bright light treatment group from 127 ± 43 to 94 ± 26 ms (p = 0.024) but did not change significantly in the sham group 121 ± 23 vs. 110 ± 32 ms (p = 0.308). Reaction time with a visual signal did not change in either group. Reaction or motor time with an audio warning signal did not change in either the treatment or sham group. Conclusion: Psychomotor speed, particularly motor time with a visual warning signal, improves after transcranial bright light treatment in professional ice-hockey players during the competition season in the dark time of the year