Effect of abdominal binding on respiratory mechanics during exercise in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury

West CR, Goosey-Tolfrey VL, Campbell IG, Romer LM. Effect of abdominal binding on respiratory mechanics during exercise in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury. J Appl Physiol 117: 36–45, 2014. First published May 22, 2014; doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00218.2014.—We asked whether elastic binding of the abdomen influences respiratory mechanics during wheelchair propulsion in athletes with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Eight Paralympic wheelchair rugby players with motor-complete SCI (C5-C7) performed submaximal and maximal incremental exercise tests on a treadmill, both with and without abdominal binding. Measurements included pulmonary function, pressure-derived indices of respiratory mechanics, operating lung volumes, tidal flow-volume data, gas exchange, blood lactate, and symptoms. Residual volume and functional residual capacity were reduced with binding (77 18 and 81 11% of unbound, P 0.05), vital capacity was increased (114 9%, P 0.05), whereas total lung capacity was relatively well preserved (99 5%). During exercise, binding introduced a passive increase in transdiaphragmatic pressure, due primarily to an increase in gastric pressure. Active pressures during inspiration were similar across conditions. A sudden, sustained rise in operating lung volumes was evident in the unbound condition, and these volumes were shifted downward with binding. Expiratory flow limitation did not occur in any subject and there was substantial reserve to increase flow and volume in both conditions. V ˙ O2 was elevated with binding during the final stages of exercise (8 –12%, P 0.05), whereas blood lactate concentration was reduced (16 –19%, P 0.05). V ˙ O2/heart rate slopes were less steep with binding (62 35 vs. 47 24 ml/beat, P 0.05). Ventilation, symptoms, and work rates were similar across conditions. The results suggest that abdominal binding shifts tidal breathing to lower lung volumes without influencing flow limitation, symptoms, or exercise tolerance. Changes in respiratory mechanics with binding may benefit O2 transport capacity by an improvement in central circulatory function.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund

Shale anisotropy and natural hydraulic fracture propagation: An example from the Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonienschiefer, Germany

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordData for this study are available at https://doi.org/10.26208/xny8-4t47.Cores recovered from the Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonienschiefer (Posidonia Shale) in the Lower Saxony Basin, Germany, contain calcite filled fractures (veins) at low angle to bedding. The veins preferentially form where the shale is both organic rich and thermally mature, supporting previous interpretations that the veins formed as hydraulic fractures in response to volumetric expansion of organic material during catagenesis. Despite the presence of hydrocarbons during fracturing, the calcite fill is fibrous and so the veins appear to have contained a mineral-saturated aqueous solution as they formed. The veins also contain myriad host-rock inclusions having sub-millimetric spacing. These inclusions are strands of host rock that were entrained as the veins grew by separating the host rock along bedding planes, rather than cutting across planes. The veins therefore produce significantly more surface area—by a factor of roughly five, for the size of veins observed—compared to an inclusion-free fracture of the same size. Analysis of vein geometry indicates that, with propagation, fracture surface area increases with fracture length raised to a power between 1 and 2, assuming linear aperture-length scaling. As such, this type of fracture efficiently dissipates elastic strain energy as it lengthens, stabilizing propagation and precluding dynamic crack growth. The apparent separation of the host rock along bedding planes suggests that the mechanical weakness of bedding planes is the cause of this inherently stable style of propagationUniversity of Oxfor

Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality: systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis

Objective To examine the dose-response associations between accelerometer assessed total physical activity, different intensities of physical activity, and sedentary time and all cause mortality. Design Systematic review and harmonised meta-analysis. Data sources PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, Sport Discus from inception to 31 July 2018. Eligibility criteria Prospective cohort studies assessing physical activity and sedentary time by accelerometry and associations with all cause mortality and reported effect estimates as hazard ratios, odds ratios, or relative risks with 95% confidence intervals. Data extraction and analysis Guidelines for meta-analyses and systematic reviews for observational studies and PRISMA guidelines were followed. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts. One author performed a full text review and another extracted the data. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias. Individual level participant data were harmonised and analysed at study level. Data on physical activity were categorised by quarters at study level, and study specific associations with all cause mortality were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Study specific results were summarised using random effects meta-analysis. Main outcome measure All cause mortality. Results 39 studies were retrieved for full text review; 10 were eligible for inclusion, three were excluded owing to harmonisation challenges (eg, wrist placement of the accelerometer), and one study did not participate. Two additional studies with unpublished mortality data were also included. Thus, individual level data from eight studies (n=36 383; mean age 62.6 years; 72.8% women), with median follow-up of 5.8 years (range 3.0-14.5 years) and 2149 (5.9%) deaths were analysed. Any physical activity, regardless of intensity, was associated with lower risk of mortality, with a non-linear dose-response. Hazards ratios for mortality were 1.00 (referent) in the first quarter (least active), 0.48 (95% confidence interval 0.43 to 0.54) in the second quarter, 0.34 (0.26 to 0.45) in the third quarter, and 0.27 (0.23 to 0.32) in the fourth quarter (most active). Corresponding hazards ratios for light physical activity were 1.00, 0.60 (0.54 to 0.68), 0.44 (0.38 to 0.51), and 0.38 (0.28 to 0.51), and for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were 1.00, 0.64 (0.55 to 0.74), 0.55 (0.40 to 0.74), and 0.52 (0.43 to 0.61). For sedentary time, hazards ratios were 1.00 (referent; least sedentary), 1.28 (1.09 to 1.51), 1.71 (1.36 to 2.15), and 2.63 (1.94 to 3.56). Conclusion Higher levels of total physical activity, at any intensity, and less time spent sedentary, are associated with substantially reduced risk for premature mortality, with evidence of a non-linear dose-response pattern in middle aged and older adults. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018091808

No effect of thermal maturity on the Mo-, U-, Cd- and Zn-isotope compositions of Lower Jurassic organic-rich sediments

The isotope ratios of redox-sensitive metals in organic-rich rocks are critical tools for quantifying the timing and severity of deoxygenation and nutrient cycling in Earth’s past. The resilience of isotopic data to thermal alteration of the host sediments over millions of years of burial is, however, largely unknown. We present molybdenum, uranium, cadmium, and zinc stable-isotope data from two stratigraphic successions of the same Lower Jurassic Posidonienschiefer unit in the Lower Saxony Basin of northern Germany that were affected by different burial histories. We show that thermal maturity had no effect on the isotopic compositions of these elements but does appear to have increased their concentrations in the rock. The data corroborate the results of laboratory-based maturation studies and provide constraints on the Mo, U, Cd, and Zn isotopic compositions of ca. 182 Ma seawater in the Lower Saxony Basin

No effect of thermal maturity on the Mo, U, Cd, and Zn isotope compositions of Lower Jurassic organic-rich sediments

This is the final version. Available on open access from the Geological Society of America via the DOI in this recordThe isotope ratios of redox-sensitive metals in organic-rich rocks are critical tools for quantifying the timing and severity of deoxygenation and nutrient cycling in Earth's past. The resilience of isotopic data to thermal alteration of the host sediments over millions of years of burial is, however, largely unknown. We present molybdenum, uranium, cadmium, and zinc stable-isotope data from two stratigraphic successions of the same Lower Jurassic Posidonienschiefer unit in the Lower Saxony Basin of northern Germany that were affected by different burial histories. We show that thermal maturity had no effect on the isotopic compositions of these elements but does appear to have increased their concentrations in the rock. The data corroborate the results of laboratory-based maturation studies and provide constraints on the Mo, U, Cd, and Zn isotopic compositions of ca. 182 Ma seawater in the Lower Saxony Basin.Shell Global Solutions International B.

Seasonal variations in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations and C:N:P stoichiometry in different organs of a Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantation in the Qinling Mountains, China

Understanding how concentrations of elements and their stoichiometry change with plant growth and age is critical for predicting plant community responses to environmental change. Weusedlong-term field experiments to explore how the leaf, stem and root carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) concentrations and their stoichiometry changed with growth and stand age in a L.principis-rupprechtii Mayr. plantation from 2012–2015 in the Qinling Mountains, China. Our results showed that the C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios in different tissues of larch stands were affected by stand age, organ type andsampling month and displayed multiple correlations with increased stand age in different growing seasons. Generally, leaf C and N concentrations were greatest in the fast-growing season, but leaf P concentrations were greatest in the early growing season. However, no clear seasonal tendencies in the stem and root C, N and P concentrations were observed with growth. In contrast to N and P, few differences were found in organ-specific C concentrations. Leaf N:P was greatest in the fast-growing season, while C:N and C:P were greatest in the late-growing season. No clear variations were observed in stem and root C:N, C:P andN:Pthroughout the entire growing season, but leaf N:P was less than 14, suggesting that the growth of larch stands was limited by N in our study region. Compared to global plant element concentrations and stoichiometry, the leaves of larch stands had higher C, P, C:NandC:PbutlowerNandN:P,andtherootshadgreater PandC:NbutlowerN,C:Pand N:P. Our study provides baseline information for describing the changes in nutritional elements with plant growth, which will facilitates plantation forest management and restoration, and makes avaluable contribution to the global data pool on leaf nutrition and stoichiometry

Prying into the intimate secrets of animal lives; software beyond hardware for comprehensive annotation in ‘Daily Diary’ tags

Smart tags attached to freely-roaming animals recording multiple parameters at infra-second rates are becoming commonplace, and are transforming our understanding of the way wild animals operate. However, interpretation of such data is complex and currently limits the ability of biologists to realise the value of their recorded information. This work presents a single program, FRAMEWORK 4, that uses a particular sensor constellation described in the?Daily Diary? tag (recording tri-axial acceleration, tri-axial magnetic field intensity, pressure and e.g. temperature and light intensity) to determine the 4 key elements considered pivotal within the conception of the tag. These are; animal trajectory, behaviour, energy expenditure and quantification of the environment in which the animal operates. The program takes the original data recorded by the Daily Dairy and transforms it into dead-reckoned movements,template-matched behaviours, dynamic body acceleration-derived energetics and positionlinked environmental data before outputting it all into a single file. Biologists are thus left with a single data set where animal actions and environmental conditions can be linked across time and space.Fil: Walker, James S.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Jones, Mark W.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Laramee, Robert S.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Holton, Mark D.. Swansea University; Reino UnidoFil: Shepard, Emily L. C.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Williams, Hannah J.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Scantlebury, D. Michael. The Queens University Of Belfast; IrlandaFil: Marks, Nikki, J.. The Queens University Of Belfast; IrlandaFil: Magowan, Elizabeth A.. The Queens University Of Belfast; IrlandaFil: Maguire, Iain E.. The Queens University Of Belfast; IrlandaFil: Grundy, Ed. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino UnidoFil: Di Virgilio, Agustina Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; ArgentinaFil: Wilson, Rory P.. Swansea University. College Of Sciences; Reino Unid

Results from the dissemination of an evidence-based telephone-delivered intervention for healthy lifestyle and weight loss: the Optimal Health Program

Despite proven efficacy, there are few published evaluations of telephone-delivered interventions targeting physical activity, healthy eating, and weight loss in community dissemination contexts. This study aims to evaluate participant and program outcomes from the Optimal Health Program, a telephone-delivered healthy lifestyle and weight loss program provided by a primary health care organization. Dissemination study used a single-group, repeated measures design; outcomes were assessed at 6-month (mid-program; n = 166) and 12-month (end of program; n = 88) using paired analyses. The program reached a representative sample of at-risk, primary care patients, with 56 % withdrawing before program completion. Among completers, a statistically significant improvement between baseline and end of program was observed for weight [mean change (SE) −5.4 (7.0) kg] and waist circumference [−4.8 (9.7) cm], underpinned by significant physical activity and dietary change. Findings suggest that telephone-delivered weight loss and healthy lifestyle programs can provide an effective model for use in primary care settings, but participant retention remains a challenge

A combined approach for analysing heuristic algorithms

When developing optimisation algorithms, the focus often lies on obtaining an algorithm that is able to outperform other existing algorithms for some performance measure. It is not common practice to question the reasons for possible performance differences observed. These types of questions relate to evaluating the impact of the various heuristic parameters and often remain unanswered. In this paper, the focus is on gaining insight in the behaviour of a heuristic algorithm by investigating how the various elements operating within the algorithm correlate with performance, obtaining indications of which combinations work well and which do not, and how all these effects are influenced by the specific problem instance the algorithm is solving. We consider two approaches for analysing algorithm parameters and components—functional analysis of variance and multilevel regression analysis—and study the benefits of using both approaches jointly. We present the results of a combined methodology that is able to provide more insights than when the two approaches are used separately. The illustrative case studies in this paper analyse a large neighbourhood search algorithm applied to the vehicle routing problem with time windows and an iterated local search algorithm for the unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times.PostprintPeer reviewe