General Kinetics (United States)

Many factors are essentially affecting the quality of work and studies in the academe. Deficiency in those factors is inimical to good health and well-being. It includes not just physical injury or disease, but also depression, stress, loneliness, anxieties, and even loss of meaning and purpose in life, which are considered detrimental to working and learning ability. All interventions must be considered just to restore the good health and well-being of workers and students. Using the digital archival method, in-hand data analysis revealed that Yoga and Benedictine mindfulness can become alternative physio-spiritual interventions according to their respective unique traditions. It revealed as well that both disciplinal practices in relevant areas like ethical imperatives, external and internal expressions, focus, aim, time allotment, and benefits, shared elements that can contribute efficaciously to the restoration of good health and well-being of students and workers in the academe. Though, as an intervention, it requires further scientific revelation, at least by yogic and Benedictine tradition, if the practices are done consistently, their assumed benefits are not just temporal but lifelong.

To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis examining the influence of acute and chronic prenatal exercise on fetal heart rate (FHR) and umbilical and uterine blood flow metrics. Systematic review with random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression. Online databases were searched up to 6 January 2017. Studies of all designs were included (except case studies) if published in English, Spanish or French, and contained information on the population (pregnant women without contraindication to exercise), intervention (subjective or objective measures of frequency, intensity, duration, volume or type of exercise, alone ["exercise-only"] or in combination with other intervention components [eg, dietary; "exercise + co-intervention"]), comparator (no exercise or different frequency, intensity, duration, volume and type of exercise) and outcomes (FHR, beats per minute (bpm); uterine and umbilical blood flow metrics (systolic:diastolic (S/D) ratio; Pulsatility Index (PI); Resistance Index (RI); blood flow, mL/min; and blood velocity, cm/s)). 'Very low' to 'moderate' quality evidence from 91 unique studies (n=4641 women) were included. Overall, FHR increased during (mean difference (MD)=6.35bpm; 95% CI 2.30 to 10.41, I2=95%, p=0.002) and following acute exercise (MD=4.05; 95% CI 2.98 to 5.12, I2=83%, p<0.00001). The incidence of fetal bradycardia was low at rest and unchanged with acute exercise. There were no significant changes in umbilical or uterine S/D, PI, RI, blood flow or blood velocity during or following acute exercise sessions. Chronic exercise decreased resting FHR and the umbilical artery S/D, PI and RI at rest. Acute and chronic prenatal exercise do not adversely impact FHR or uteroplacental blood flow metrics.

Although there is a growing interest for the effects of intermittent fasting on energy balance, this study aimed to compare appetite, energy intake and food reward responses with an energy depletion induced either by 24-h food restriction or an equivalent deficit with exercise in healthy males. In all, twelve healthy lean males (21·5 (sd 0·5) years old; BMI: 22·5 (sd 1·7) kg/m2) participated in this study. Body composition, aerobic capacity, food preferences and energy intake were assessed. They randomly completed three conditions: (i) no depletion (CON); (ii) full 24-h energy restrictions (Def-EI); and (iii) exercise condition (Def-EX). Ad libitum energy intake and food reward were assessed at the end of each session. Appetite feelings were assessed regularly. Ad libitum energy intake was higher on Def-EI (7330 (sd 2975) kJ (1752 (sd 711) kcal) compared with that on CON (5301 (sd 1205) kJ (1267 (sd 288) kcal)) (P<0·05), with no difference between CON and Def-EX (6238 (sd 1741) kJ (1491 (sd 416) kcal) (P=0·38) and between Def-EX and Def-EI (P=0·22). There was no difference in the percent energy ingested from macronutrients. Hunger was lower on CON and Def-EX compared with Def-EI (P<0·001). Satiety was higher on CON and Def-EI compared with that on Def-EX (P<0·001). There was a significant interaction condition × time for food choice fat bias (P=0·04), showing a greater preference for high-fat v. low-fat food during Def-EI and Def-EX. Although 24-h fasting leads to increased energy intake at the following test meal (without total daily energy intake difference), increased hunger profile and decreased post-meal food choice fat bias, such nutritional responses are not observed after a similar deficit induced by exercise.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of commercial gaming as an intervention for fine motor recovery in chronic stroke. Methods: Ten chronic phase post-stroke participants (mean time since CVA = 39 mos; mean age = 72 yrs) completed a 16-session program using the Nintendo Wii for 15 min two times per week with their more affected hand (10 right handed). Functional recovery (Jebsen Hand Function Test (JHFT), Box and Block Test (BBT), Nine Hole Peg Test (NHPT)), and quality of life (QOL; Stroke Impact Scale (SIS)) were measured at baseline (pre-testing), after 8 sessions (mid-testing) and after 16 sessions (post-testing). Results: Significant improvements were found with the JHFT, BBT and NHPT from pre-testing to post-testing (p = 0.03, p = 0.03, p = 0.01, respectively). As well, there was an increase in perceived QOL from pre-testing to post-testing, as determined by the SIS (p = 0.009). Conclusion: Commercial gaming may be a viable resource for those with chronic stroke. Future research should examine the feasibility of this as a rehabilitation tool for this population.Implications for RehabilitationStroke survivors often live with lasting effects from their injury, however, those with chronic stroke generally receive little to no rehabilitation due to a perceived motor recovery plateau.Virtual reality in the form of commercial gaming is a novel and motivating way for clients to complete rehabilitation.The Nintendo Wii may be a feasible device to improve both functional ability and perceived quality of life in chronic stroke survivors.

A telecommunication corporation located in Gayrettepe, Istanbul, installed 20 rooftop chillers on their six-story building to air condition their newly introduced client Internet server hall in spring 2010, causing annoyance in the mostly residential neighborhood during the summer months. After a series of night-time acoustic measurements were performed to characterize the noise emitted by the chillers, a three-dimensional noise model of the area was created. Using this model, a ventilated noise control barrier was designed to bring down the contribution of the chiller units to the overall environmental noise level. Following the manufacturing and installation of the barrier, a series of night-time measurements were performed anew, which demonstrated that the application has mitigated the contribution of the noise emitted by the rooftop units to within regulation limits.

Measuring joint moments at high speed is integral for sports-related research, but substantial artefacts can arise with certain computational methods. This is relevant for BJSM readers as measurement errors can lead to flawed conclusions. Potential settings where errors have the potential to creep in include anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) risk factor studies, running biomechanics analysis and other fields where biomechanists study fast movements. Our recent paper in Journal of Biomechanics demonstrated the effect of different filtering of force and marker data in joint moment calculations.1 This paper explains those findings for the clinical readership of BJSM and highlights the areas where it may be wise to ‘proceed with caution’ when interpreting previous studies that aim to identify key risk factors for injury. Estimates of joint moments are fundamental in the study of sporting motion. Joint moments calculated in standard motion analysis are net joint moments, the total effect of all structures that produce forces that work across the joint. Joint moments stem from muscle forces, articular contact and ligaments. We are interested in joint moments because, unlike these separate forces, they can be measured. A correct interpretation of joint moments may help us understand which muscles and ligaments are at risk of injury in certain settings. If biomechanics is not your thing, feel free to skip down to ‘Implications’ below. Joint moments are normally calculated through the process of inverse dynamics, where ground reaction forces (force plate data) and segment accelerations (marker data—the reflective markers attached to the participant) are combined. In all high-impact movements, such as running and sidestep cutting, it is normal to see an impact peak in ground reaction force that will result in high acceleration of body segments. Unfortunately, due to random noise in the measurement of marker positions, current motion analysis systems cannot reliably …

to the editor: We appreciate the interest and input of the accompanying commentaries (see Ref. [7][1]). However, we wish to restate that this Point:Counterpoint is related to human athletes performing sea-level exercise. Reports of edema with exercise at altitude or breath-hold diving, while

To determine the prevalence of weight-based teasing, and evaluate its association with depression, anxiety and unhealthy eating behaviour in a large sample of adolescents in the Ottawa (Ontario) area. A total of 1491 adolescents from public and private middle schools and high schools in rural and urban areas of Ottawa responded confidentially to surveys. More girls than boys reported that they experienced weight-based teasing (33% versus 18%). The prevalence of weight-based teasing by peers was significantly higher among overweight and obese youth than among normal weight youth (45% versus 22%). Teasing about body weight was consistently associated with anxiety, psychological distress and disordered eating, and these associations held for both boys and girls, and were independent of weight status. Weight-based teasing is a common experience among Ottawa-area adolescents, especially among overweight girls, and was found to be associated with psychological morbidity. Effective interventions are needed to help victims cope with and prevent further weight-based teasing and its harmful psychological sequelae.