Within-Day Energy Balance and Protein Intake Affect Body Composition in Physically Active Young Adult Females

Title: Within-Day Energy Balance and Protein Intake Affect Body Composition in Physically Active Young Adult Females Background: Past studies suggest that individuals who eat smaller, more frequent meals are at a metabolic advantage when compared to those who eat larger, less frequent isocaloric meals. Studies also suggest that consumption of small amounts (~ 20 to 30 g) of protein evenly distributed during the day, may be a superior strategy for satisfying the protein requirement and improving muscle protein synthesis. It was, therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between body composition and the distributed consumption of energy and protein in physically active young adult females. Methods: Using an IRB approved protocol, physically active female volunteers were measured for height using a standard wall mount stadiometer; body composition and weight were measured using a multi-current 8-mode segmental bioelectrical impedance device (Tanita, Arlington Heights, Illinois USA, Model BC-418). The volunteers kept a food and activity journal for one day, which was assessed to determine hourly energy balance and hourly protein intake. Exertion was assessed using a relative intensity activity MET value scale that produces multiples of resting energy expenditure, which was predicted using the Harris-Benedict equation. Results: The 28 females who volunteered for this study ranged in age from 19-24 years. Significant inverse associations were found between protein (grams/kg) consumption and fat mass (r=-0.42; p=0.026); and FFM and the ratio of protein to energy balance at 4pm (r=-0.376; p=0.049). There was a significant positive association between FFM and the ratio of protein to energy balance at 12pm (r=0.390; p=0.040) and 9pm (r= 0.379; p=0.047). There was also a significant positive association between the ratio of FFM to height and the ratio of protein to energy balance at 12 pm (r=0.423; p=0.025). There was a significant association between highest daily peak energy balance and FFM to height ratio (r=0.402; p=0.034). Regression analysis determined that independent EB and protein variables could be used to predict the dependent variable FFM to Height ratio (r=.727; p=0.019). Conclusions: These findings demonstrate a significant positive association between highest daily EB and FFM to height ratio. The results also suggest that higher protein consumption per kg is inversely associated with fat mass. Similarly, when protein is consumed when in ±400 kcal energy balance, is associated with higher FFM. Additionally, energy balance and protein variables can be used to predict FFM to height ratio using a regression equation that accounts for 52.9% of variance. These data indicate that subjects spent far more hours in an energy balance deficit than surplus, making it difficult to assess the impact of protein intake distribution on body composition. It does appear that, from a relatively small subsample (n=28) who did achieve a positive within-day energy balance and adequate protein intake, consumption of protein while in good energy balance may help physically active adult females achieve a body composition that is low in fat mass and high in lean muscle mass

An Examination of the Four-Day School Week Schedule in Select Minnesota School Districts

Abstract Statement of The Problem Each year public school districts throughout the United States experience difficult decisions about how to allocate their limited educational funds. When the economy weakens, heightened consideration is given to methods by which school districts can more efficiently use their financial resources to make up for decreased funding (Gaines, 2008). One cost cutting method that some states and school districts have adopted is to retain the number of instructional hours in each school week but to shorten the length of the school week from five days to four days (Griffith, 2011). Minnesota districts applying for authorization to employ a four-day week option have encountered opposition from state leadership and the education commissioner (Steward, 2015). An investigation of the literature reveals that no recent studies of the four-day school week have been conducted in the state of Minnesota. Additionally, national research on this topic is scarce (Idaho Education News, Dec. 2015). Study Purpose and Overview The purpose of this study was to examine two rural Minnesota school districts that were employing a four-day school week during the 2016-17 school year: to ascertain support among school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents for the four-day schedule. Further, the study intended to gather perceptions from these stakeholder groups regarding advantages of, disadvantages of, and changes (if any) in their school districts’ four-day school week. The following research questions were designed to support these aims: How supportive were school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents of select school districts’ four-day school week? What did school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents perceive as advantages of their school districts’ four-day school week? What did school board members, administrators, teachers, and parents perceive as disadvantages of their school districts’ four-day school week? What changes, if any, would the school board, administrators, teachers, and parents identify that would increase their support of the school districts’ four-day school week? In order to address the research questions, the researcher created an online survey that gathered data from two school districts, totaling over 450 respondents’ perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of the four-day school week schedule. In order to enrich study findings, one-on-one interviews were conducted with seven respondents who volunteered to expand upon survey questions with the researcher. Key Findings Although the four-day school week began as a means for school districts to reduce costs and save money, the study indicated there were other advantages to the four-day school week for both teachers and families, including providing additional time for teacher/lesson planning, allowing families more quality time together, and increased school attendance

Fall-Related Stigma in Older Adulthood: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding the Influence of Stigma on Older Adults\u27 Reported Attitudes and Behaviours Regarding Falls

Falls during older adulthood present a major threat to the health and wellbeing of older adults and a challenge to society. While effective fall prevention strategies have been developed to address risk factors for falls, older adults commonly resist participation in such programming and dissociate from the topic of falls in general. After reviewing research findings and the theoretical literature, support was found for approaching falls as a stigmatizing topic for older adults. Three mixed methods experiments were completed to test the influence of stigma on older adults‟ attitudes, opinions, and behaviours. Experiments 1 and 2 tested the labelling aspect of fall-related stigma on older adults‟ attitudes and reported behaviours. Experiment 1 randomly assigned participants to receive an exercise program described as either an “exercise class for older adults” or a “fall prevention exercise class for older adults”. Experiment 2 modified the study design of Experiment 1 and presented each participant with a two-alternative, forced-choice response between the two exercise program descriptions. When given the opportunity to participate in either the non-labelled exercise class or the labelled, fall prevention exercise class, the majority of participants (79%) preferred the non-labelled exercise program option. However, a subgroup of older adults identified with the fall prevention label, selected it as their preferred program, and provided a logical rationale for doing so. Analyses were conducted to investigate whether other survey responses could be used to better understand participants‟ choices. The key factors related to participants‟ perceptions of falls and stigma were identified by the predictors uncovered. Experiment 3 then used the factors from Experiment 2 to determine whether an informational message addressing the key constructs could mitigate the negative fall prevention label. After reading a randomly assigned vignette addressing the key statements, participants were asked to make a two-alternative, forced-choice response for their preferred exercise program. The results indicated that the informational vignette was effective in de-stigmatizing the fall prevention label, with 41% of respondents selecting it as their preferred program. The findings of these experiments indicate that while falls are a stigmatizing topic for older adults, it appears to be amenable to attenuation

Reintegrating Military Personnel to Community Life: An Occupational Therapy Perspective

The numbers of returning service men and women from Iraq and Afghanistan are experiencing combat-related complications is an area of growing concern for military health providers. This scholarly project investigated the risk factors and problems associated with post traumatic stress disorder among service men and women returning from military duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine occupational performance issues faced by the returning soldier. The most significant complications include: inadequate coping skills, loss of interest/participation in leisure, vocational disruptions, problems with reintegrating into the family structure, and ineffective communication/interpersonal skills. The Lifestyle Redesign Program (Mandel, et al., 1999), Occupational Science, and the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (AOTA, 2002) were used to develop a thirteen week protocol for occupational therapy intervention with returning soldiers. The protocol includes: a week of assessments based on the Model of Human Occupation, eleven weeks of interventions, and a week of discharge planning. The protocol is a resource intended for use in a Veteran\u27s Administration outpatient facility. The occupational therapist will likely need to tailor the intervention protocol to meet the needs of the population served

Exploiting compiler-generated schedules for energy savings in high-performance processors

This paper develops a technique that uniquely combines the advantages of static scheduling and dynamic scheduling to reduce the energy consumed in modern superscalar processors with out-of-order issue logic. In this Hybrid-Scheduling paradigm, regions of the application containing large amounts of parallelism visible at compile-time completely bypass the dynamic scheduling logic and execute in a low power static mode. Simulation studies using the Wattch framework on several media and scientific benchmarks demonstrate large improvements in overall energy consumption of 43 % in kernels and 25 % in full applications with only a 2.8 % performance degradation on average

Spontaneous Arterial Thrombus and Dissection Associated With Exercise and Exogenous Testosterone Use

Spontaneous lower extremity arterial dissection has been linked to atherosclerotic and non-atherosclerotic causes. A 55-year-old male presented to the emergency department via emergency medical services for a chief complaint of right leg pain. He stated that he was performing leg exercises when he felt a sudden pop in his right leg followed by severe pain. His exam was remarkable for lack of ipsilateral distal popliteal or dorsalis pedis pulse by palpation or doppler. The patient was admitted to a three-year history of non-prescription testosterone injection use along with a history of prior portal vein thrombosis two years prior with anticoagulation noncompliance after one month of therapy. A computed tomography angiography of the lower extremity was performed which demonstrated complete acute occlusion of the right common iliac, and right external iliac, along with right femoral artery dissection. The patient was emergently taken to the operating room with vascular surgery where a thrombectomy with stent placement was performed. After three days in the surgical intensive care unit and nine days in the hospital, the patient was subsequently discharged from the hospital in good condition. A post-operative follow-up appointment three weeks after discharge revealed mild residual pain; however, no issues ambulating or residual weakness, and normal ankle-brachial indexes. This case highlights a unique presentation of acute limb ischemia associated with exogenous testosterone use

Almost in the Wild: Student Search Behaviors When Librarians Aren\u27t Looking

Academic libraries offer a variety of tools for students to find information, including discovery systems and traditional library databases. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge on student information-seeking behaviors by comparing how upper-level students majoring in Social and Behavioral Sciences use these two categories of search tools. Student search behavior and the use of search features, facets in particular, are quantified for each tool. The authors explore with statistical analyses whether these practices aid or hinder students in their search for high quality information. Qualitative data from student interviews is selectively employed to aid in explaining the results. Key findings include the differential use of search features in the discovery system versus the traditional database, and the relationships between the use of certain facets and the quality of sources chosen by students. Implications for instruction, search interface configuration, and default settings are discussed

Effects of Warming and Altered Precipitation on Plant and Nutrient Dynamics of a New England Salt Marsh.

Salt marsh structure and function, and consequently ability to support a range of species and to provide ecosystem services, may be affected by climate change. To better understand how salt marshes will respond to warming and associated shifts in precipitation, we conducted a manipulative experiment in a tidal salt marsh in Massachusetts, USA. We exposed two plant communities (one dominated by Spartina patens–Distichlis spicata and one dominated by short form Spartina alterniflora) to five climate manipulations: warming via passive open-topped chambers, doubled precipitation, warming and doubled precipitation, extreme drought via rainout shelter, and ambient conditions. Modest daytime warming increased total aboveground biomass of the S. alterniflora community (24%), but not the S. patens–D. spicata community. Warming also increased maximum stem heights of S. alterniflora (8%), S. patens (8%), and D. spicata (15%). Decomposition was marginally accelerated by warming in the S. alterniflora community. Drought markedly increased total biomass of the S. alterniflora community (53%) and live S. patens (69%), perhaps by alleviating waterlogging of sediments. Decomposition was accelerated by increased precipitation and slowed by drought, particularly in the S. patens–D. spicata community. Flowering phenology responded minimally to the treatments, and pore water salinity, sulfide, ammonium, and phosphate concentrations showed no treatment effects in either plant community. Our results suggest that these salt marsh communities may be resilient to modest amounts of warming and large changes in precipitation. If production increases under climate change, marshes will have a greater ability to keep pace with sea-level rise, although an increase in decomposition could offset this. As long as marshes are not inundated by flooding due to sea-level rise, increases in aboveground biomass and stem heights suggest that marshes may continue to export carbon and nutrients to coastal waters and may be able to increase their carbon storage capability by increasing plant growth under future climate conditions

Howard Pyle in Wisconsin

Excerpts from Howard Pyle in Wisconsin. The book itself is available for purchase from the St. Norbert College Art Galleries or the Green Bay and De Pere Antiquarian Society.https://digitalcommons.snc.edu/pyle_exhibition_book/1000/thumbnail.jp

Experiences of a Novice Researcher Conducting Focus Group Interviews

The purpose of this paper is to report what I learned about how to conduct focus group interviews that produce insightful, revealing and informative data.  I will discuss my experiences facilitating focus group interviews as a novice researcher and compare these experiences with the literature.  I planned the focus groups in collaboration with a research team, recruited participants from various units at the local tertiary care hospital and set up the meeting rooms for the groups.  I then facilitated the focus groups with the support of an assistant.  Following the focus groups, I documented my field notes, as well as my personal reflective memos.  I downloaded the audio recordings, de-identified the written transcripts, and reviewed them for accuracy prior to analysis.  A number of concepts emerged that merit particular attention: challenges with recruitment, the use of field notes and reflective memos, the benefits and limitations of using a flip chart, importance of professional support, using homogenous groups, and attending to the set-up of the environment.  As the focus group interview becomes an increasingly popular data collection method in qualitative research, my experiences could inform the preparation of other novice researchers as they undertake their own focus groups