Measurement of Strength Gains Using a Fascial System Exercise Program.

Current fascia research is allowing for an interdisciplinary understanding of the body's anatomical, biomechanical, and neurological connectivity via the fascial network. Fascial research and its application has been validated and established in various clinical areas of research. The purpose of this study was to apply the current knowledge of the fascial system to general exercise protocols. This study involved 20 women, ages 30-60 years, who were novice weight trainers, mostly sedentary, and with no injuries, excessive pain or disease. The 10-week study compared strength gain changes between a strength training regimen control group (10) and a treatment group (10) with the same strength routine along with a fascial system exercise protocol. Statistical analysis was completed using a repeated measure design to determine differences between baseline and final measures of strength between groups. The repeated measures analysis of variance revealed no significant differences between treatment and control groups between pre and post trials. The analysis did find significant differences in strength across trials for both groups in the variables of leg press (Treatment =+62 lbs., Control = +67 lbs.), leg extension (Treatment =+61 lbs., Control = +45.5 lbs.), and chest press (Treatment =+19.5 lbs., Control = +16.5 lbs.). These results may be attributed to the control group receiving sufficient stimulus to the fascial system to produce similar results to that of the treatment group or due to training time was not sufficient to elicit an effect of the fascial training.

The Association Between Waist Circumference and FITNESSGRAM® Aerobic Capacity Classification in Sixth-Grade Children.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is often assessed through measures of maximal oxygen uptake, sometimes referred to as aerobic capacity (26). The importance of adequate aerobic capacity for optimal health has been observed in numerous studies examining both adults (1,2,20) and children (17,24). An increased risk of overweight and metabolic syndrome in adults can result from a reduction in aerobic capacity from childhood to adolescence (4,11).

The Effects of Vascular Occlusion Training on Respiratory Exchange Ratio and Energy Expenditure When Coupled With Cardiovascular Training.

Vascular occlusion training is a novel training modality that has received considerable attention in the exercise science literature. The current study is the first of its kind to look at the effects of vascular occlusion training on substrate utilization when combined with aerobic training. This study examined the effects of pairing a vascular occlusion training protocol with a bout of submaximal aerobic exercise on energy expenditure (EE) and fuel use during exercise. Subjects performed a 20 minute bout of sub-maximal aerobic exercise either exclusively, or after performing a body weight squat protocol either with or without vascular occlusion. Peak lactate concentrations, EE and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were all measured. A repeated measures analysis of variance was performed to look at differences among groups and interactions among protocols. The results suggest no difference in peak lactate (7.29 mmol/dl vs. 10.17 mmol/dl; F=0.946; p>0.05) or EE (92.09 Kcals vs 93.48 Kcals; F=0.898 p>0.05) among protocols. However, there does appear to be a shift in substrate utilization towards fatty acid oxidation by performing either a vascular occlusion training protocol (mean RER= 0.836) or a protocol of body weight squats (mean RER= 0.823) prior to aerobic training in comparison to performing aerobic training alone (mean RER= 0.881). There were, however, no significant differences between the occlusion protocol and the body weight squat protocol prior to the aerobic training. These results suggest that while there are no differences in overall caloric expenditure between protocols, performing either a resistance training protocol or a vascular occlusion training protocol shifts substrate utilization in favor of fatty acid oxidation over the oxidation of carbohydrates.

Nanoparticle ζ-potential measurements using tunable resistive pulse sensing with variable pressure.

Modern resistive pulse sensing techniques can be used to measure nanoparticle electrophoretic mobility, and hence ζ-potential. In contrast to conventional light scattering methods, resistive pulse sensing produces particle-by-particle data. We have used tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) to compare methods for measuring the ζ-potential of carboxylated polystyrene nanoparticles. The five particle sets studied had nominal surface charge density (σ) between 0 and -0.67 C m(-2), and diameters in the range 160-230 nm. Data were collected with pressure in the range ±500 Pa applied across a tunable pore. In each experiment, pressure was varied either continuously or in discrete steps. Calculations of the ζ-potential were obtained by analysing both the rate and the full-width half maximum duration of resistive pulses. Data obtained from duration analyses were more reproducible than rate methods, yielding typical variations smaller than ±5 mV. When σ was greater (less negative) than -0.32 C m(-2), all of the analysis methods studied yielded a monotonic relationship between ζ-potential and σ. Complicated pulse data were observed near the pressure at which the net particle flux is zero, and these observations have been explored by examining competition between electrokinetic and pressure-driven transport. The typical difference between ζ-potentials obtained using TRPS and phase analysis light scattering was 15% (<5 mV), with an experimental error of ∼10% attributable to both techniques.

Comparison of Academic and Behavioral Performance between Athletes and Non-athletes.

The Toronto Charter for Physical Activity (2010) and several national physical activity plans advocate sports participation as an important part of population targeted physical activity for youth. Emerging research evidence also suggests that sports participation during adolescents is linked to significant positive correlations with academic and behavioral performance. The purpose of this study was to compare academic and behavioral performance between male and female public school athletes (Total N=11,139; 38% Female) and non-athletes (Total N=23,891; 52% Female) in a convenient, ethnicity diverse, sample (grades 7-12) from the state of Texas (USA). We examined the passing rates of individual athletes and non-athletes on standardized tests (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, TAKS) for math, language arts, reading, writing, science, and social studies. We also examined the percentage of athletes and non-athletes for being "at risk," for dropping out of school and for the total average number of disciplinary actions. Chi-Square statistical analyses comparing athletes to non-athletes showed that athletes scored significantly better (p<0.05) on all standardized tests compared to non-athletes (passing rate ranges ranged from 77.1% to 92.9% versus 27.7% to 66.5% respectively). Athletes were at lower risk for dropout compared to non-athletes (35.6% versus 49.24%; p<0.05), and they had fewer disciplinary actions (mean of 0.85 per athletes per year versus 1.23 for non-athletes; ANOVA, p<0.05). Our results support the research findings of others that participation in school sports is positively correlated to better academic and behavioral performances for athletes compared to non-athletes.

Size and charge characterisation of a submicrometre oil-in-water emulsion using resistive pulse sensing with tunable pores.

Resistive pulse sensing (RPS) with tunable pores (TPs) has been used to investigate an oil-in-water emulsion stabilised with ß-lactoglobulin (BLG). The mode of the droplet size distribution steadily increased over four months, from less than 150 nm to more than 200 nm. Results suggest that the dominant growth mechanism was migration of oil to relatively large droplets, as in Ostwald ripening. In contrast, the growth dynamics for salt-induced aggregation suggest flocculation and coalescence of droplets coming into contact. The charge measurement method recently developed by Vogel et al. was also applied to the emulsion. The two data analysis methods used yielded average droplet ζ-potentials of -18.9 mV and -21.8 mV, compared with -27.6 mV obtained using light scattering. Methods for measuring emulsion droplet deformation and the charge on individual droplets are under development. Tunable pores are a useful tool for improved characterisation of submicrometre emulsions, as well as other synthetic and biological particles, as they provide better precision than light scattering for particle number distributions.

Magnetic microbead transport during resistive pulse sensing.

Tunable resistive pulse sensing (TRPS) experiments have been used to quantitatively study the motion of 1 µm superparamagnetic beads in a variable magnetic field. Closed-form theory has been developed to interpret the experiments, incorporating six particle transport mechanisms which depend on particle position in and near a conical pore. For our experiments, calculations indicate that pressure-driven flow dominates electrophoresis and magnetism by a factor of ∼100 in the narrowest part of the pore, but that magnetic force should dominate further than ∼1 mm from the membrane. As expected, the observed resistive pulse rate falls as the magnet is moved closer to the pore, while the increase in pulse duration suggests that trajectories in the half space adjacent to the pore opening are important. Aggregation was not observed, consistent with the high hydrodynamic shear near the pore constriction and the high magnetization of aggregates. The theoretical approach is also used to calculate the relative importance of transport mechanisms over a range of geometries and experimental conditions extending well beyond our own experiments. TRPS is emerging as a versatile form of resistive pulse sensing, while magnetic beads are widely used in biotechnology and sensing applications.

A variable pressure method for characterizing nanoparticle surface charge using pore sensors.

A novel method using resistive pulse sensors for electrokinetic surface charge measurements of nanoparticles is presented. This method involves recording the particle blockade rate while the pressure applied across a pore sensor is varied. This applied pressure acts in a direction which opposes transport due to the combination of electro-osmosis, electrophoresis, and inherent pressure. The blockade rate reaches a minimum when the velocity of nanoparticles in the vicinity of the pore approaches zero, and the forces on typical nanoparticles are in equilibrium. The pressure applied at this minimum rate can be used to calculate the zeta potential of the nanoparticles. The efficacy of this variable pressure method was demonstrated for a range of carboxylated 200 nm polystyrene nanoparticles with different surface charge densities. Results were of the same order as phase analysis light scattering (PALS) measurements. Unlike PALS results, the sequence of increasing zeta potential for different particle types agreed with conductometric titration.

Modified Phalen's test as an aid in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a modified Phalen's test (MPT), which uses sensory testing in Phalen's position, as a diagnostic screening tool for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study was designed to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the MPT for diagnosis of CTS. METHODS: Electrodiagnostic nerve conduction studies (EDS) were used as the gold standard. MPT was performed by a blinded examiner on patients prior to EDS. MPT was recorded as either positive or negative based on the presence or absence of a median nerve sensory deficit while the hand was in Phalen's position. RESULTS: Sixty-six hands were included in this study. Chi-square for the MPT compared to EDS as the gold standard was 41.449 (P < 0.001), and the validity coefficient (phi) was 0.792 (P < 0.01). The traditional Phalen's test (TPT) compared to the EDS demonstrated a chi-square of 15.349 (P < 0.001) and a phi coefficient of 0.482 (P < 0.01). ROC curve estimates for the MPT revealed a sensitivity of 84.4% compared to 50% for the TPT. The standard error of the estimate for sensitivity was 3.3% for the MPT and 5.8% for the TPT. CONCLUSION: The MPT is a highly useful screening diagnostic tool for CTS. The MPT demonstrates greater accuracy than the TPT for predicting CTS. The MPT also demonstrates greater sensitivity than the TPT in predicting a positive electrodiagnostic test for CTS.

FITNESSGRAM® Friday: A Middle School Physical Activity and Fitness Intervention.

Texas Senate Bill 530 (2007) mandated fitness assessment as part of the annual K-8 Physical Education (PE) curricula, yet no studies have reported interventions designed to improve and quantify individual student passing rates or individual school performance. Students (Total 2008-2010 N=1484; 729 females, 755 males; mean age = 11.85 y; mean BMI = 22.69 or > 90%-tile, overweight) were evaluated on individual FITNESSGRAM® performances in a cross-sectional analysis of 6th graders comparing baseline scores (year 1) with outcomes of a physical activity intervention in years 2 and 3. Students participated in regular PE classes (including campus wellness center activities) with a once a week focus (FITNESSGRAM® Friday) on improving mile run scores and other assessment scores. Students significantly improved FITNESSGRAM® scores following the PE intervention to levels similar to state reported averages. On average, boys improved their pushups by 32.7%, trunk lift by 17.4% and mile run times by 29.5%. Averages for girls improved by 15.4% for pushups, 6.7% for truck lift, and by 38.6% for the mile run. The percentage of boys in our study achieving all six FITNESSGRAM® tests in the HFZ was 3% at baseline and 22% following intervention. The percentage of girls meeting the criteria for the HFZ on all six FITNESSGRAM® tests was 4.5% at baseline and 20% following intervention. This study provides a potential model for fitness success in other middle school PE interventions, in Texas and the nation.

Neuromuscular Adaptations in Elderly Adults are Task-Specific During Stepping and Obstacle Clearance Tasks.

Elderly adults have a diminished movement capacity due to physiological and neurological declines associated with advancing age. Previous research suggests that elderly adults use altered neuromuscular patterns to conduct activities of daily living (ADLs). Limited research has addressed these altered activation strategies in obstacle clearance, stair ascent and stair descent. The purpose of this study was to compare neuromuscular activation patterns in young and elderly adults during these tasks. Eleven young and 10 healthy elderly adults performed five downward stepping, upward stepping and obstacle clearance trials. Surface EMG was measured from the quadriceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles. A 2×3 (group × condition) repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine significant differences in muscle activation intensity. An apriori alpha level was set at p<0.05. The results showed that elderly adults exhibited greater activation intensity than the young adults in all movement conditions. The significant differences in muscle activation intensity in the elderly adults were limited to the musculature driving the tested movement. The findings of the current study support previous research that elderly adults perform ADLs at a greater relative intensity than young adults. Furthermore, the current study shows that the disproportionate increase in muscle activation intensity is limited to the muscles that functionally drive the required task.

A Comparison of Three Computer-based Methods Used to Determine EMG Signal Amplitude.

Electromyography is a commonly used method to determine relative effort and neuromuscular drive to skeletal muscle. A limitation of the interpretation of EMG within the literature is the many methods used to determine the intensity of muscle activation. In the current study, ten healthy young adults performed a level walking task while EMG was recorded from the tibialis anterior, medial gastrocnemius and fibularis longus. The EMG data were rectified and smoothed using the root mean squared (RMS). Peak RMS (pRMS), mean RMS (mRMS) and integrated EMG (iEMG) were normalized to the peak value within the subject and were used to determine EMG amplitude. A 3×3 repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine significant differences between the methods of determining EMG amplitude. The findings of the current study show that pRMS produced significantly lower EMG amplitudes than mRMS or iEMG values. Furthermore, mRMS and iEMG produced nearly identical normalized EMG amplitudes. Based on the findings of this study and the components of each measurement of EMG amplitude, it is suggested to use mRMS to determine EMG amplitude.

An application of health literacy research.

Finding methods to improve the delivery of educational materials by the practicing nurse is imperative in the current health care arena. Time, energy, and effectiveness are all aspects that are critical as the health care provider attempts to meet the growing needs of the compromised client. Low functional health literacy is one public health problem that impacts the nurse's ability to effectively provide health instruction in a timely, organized manner. This article presents a pilot research project used to investigate the mastery of educational information by clients in a West Texas area. The research project is used as the foundation for discussion of several interesting facets resulting from the initial research. Ideas are presented as a direction for implementation for practice within the health care community. Low health literacy is a grave challenge, which currently is not understood nor considered by the nurse at the bedside. Practicing health care providers need the opportunity to carefully and specifically investigate the role of health care literacy in producing positive client outcomes.