Physical Activity Levels and Measures of High-Sensitivity C-reactive Protein in Apparently Healthy Male Firefighters

Heart attack or stroke is the number one cause of on-duty death in firefighters. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is a nontraditional risk factor that has been linked to increased risk of future cardiac events. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if physically active firefighters are less likely to have elevated levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) than sedentary firefighters. Methods: Self-Reported Physical Activity was determined using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) in 62 male firefighters from Central Texas. Descriptive measures and blood lipid and metabolic measures were taken to determine cardiovascular risk. After participants were screened for exclusion criteria, a total number of 60 (N=60) firefighters completed the experiment process. The firefighters completed the IPAQ and where placed into two groups based on their score, physically active or sedentary. Participants’ anthropometric measurements (body mass index, body composition), blood pressure, hs-CRP and cholesterol levels were measured. Venous blood samples were collected, centrifuged, and sent to an off-site facility for lipid, glucose, and hs-CRP testing. In addition, each firefighter was asked the total number of years involved in the occupation, and approximate number of fires they have worked. A two-way ANOVA with age as a covariate, was used to detect differences in active and inactive firefighters. Pearson product-moment correlations coefficient were used to determine relationships between activity level, cardiac risk and hs-CRP. Significant markers from the ANOVA and correlation coefficients were used to develop a regression equation to predict hs-CRP. Results: There was a significant difference in the number of MET*minutes/wk between volunteer (VT) and career (CT) firefighters (VT: 1927 ± 1369, CT: 2727 ± 1284). This study also determined that hs-CRP risk scores were not correlated to traditional cardiovascular risk factors including total cholesterol (r= 0.014, p= 0.916), LDL-Cholesterol (r= 0.095, p= 0.480), HDL-Cholesterol (r= 0.140, p= 0.295), glucose (r= 0.082, p= 0.540), age (r= 0.021, p= 0.876), and Framingham risk score (FRS)-TC (r= 0.061, p= 0.295). For fire departments that do not have the financial means to pay for hs-CRP testing for all their firefighters, we have devised a regression formula, using significant correlations, to estimate hs-CRP levels. The formula below uses SBP, activity level, weight, body fat percent and waist circumference to estimate hs-CRP (hs-CRP = -2.907 + 0.015(SBP) – 0.487(Act) + 0.032(Wt kg) + 0.048(BF%) – 0.010 (Waist cm). Conclusion: Both FRS and hs-CRP risk levels should be used when evaluating risk of CVD in firefighters, and an exercise prescription should be recommended to those firefighters with increased CVD risk

Red Flags in Family History and Auscultations that may require 12-Lead ECG when Screening Athletes

The main components of pre-participation physical exams (PPE) at the NCAA Division II level include a thorough medical history and physical evaluation (AHA). “Red flags” for risk on the PPE and medical history include, but are not limited to, heart murmur, diagnosed enlarged heart in a family member, unexplained chest pain, and complaints of skipped heartbeats. The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the use of 12-lead ECG for the PPE would reveal further red flags specific to cardiac abnormalities. Twelve-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) was performed on all new athletes at Tarleton State University during the Summer and Fall 2012 (N=200). Twelve-lead ECGs were reviewed and analyzed by the lab director and attending physician. Upon completion of the PPE, medical history, and ECG, five athletes needed follow-up based on PPE and 12-lead ECG. Reasons for initial concern were the previously stated “red flags” as well as abnormal ECG readings. The abnormal ECG readings included left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), incomplete right bundle branch block (IRBBB), sinus arrhythmia, and right atrial enlargement (RAE). LVH, IRBB, and sinus arrhythmia were all found to be normal training induced adaptations, however RAE is a non-training induced cardiac abnormality. Of those five, all of them had some type of cardiac adaptation, but one of them presented with RAE. The athlete was an 18-year old male, 64.5” tall, 116 pounds, and in his first year of collegiate cross-country athletics. His HR was 81bpm and blood pressure was 122/72 mmHg. His grandmother was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. The clearing physician, an orthopedic doctor, found only training induced abnormalities in all five athletes. All five athletes were cleared for competition. Endurance athletes often have abnormal ECG readings as a result of training induced abnormalities. In the present investigation, an athlete with RAE competed for an entire cross-country season without any issues or complaints. Physicians trained in reading ECGs should be responsible for clearing athletes for participation. In this case, right atrial enlargement appeared in the ECG, yet the orthopedic doctor did not request follow up tests. Physicians who are versed in exercise training induced changes that might be classified as normal or abnormal should be the final step in clearing athletes for competition

L’épave Akko 1, Israël

Le site de l’épave Akko 1 se trouve à l’entrée du port de Saint-Jean-d’Acre en Israël, à une profondeur de 4 m. Les fouilles sous-marines se sont déroulées sur trois campagnes entre 2006 et 2008, menées par l’Institut Léon Recanati d’Études Maritimes à l’Université de Haïfa. Des relevés in situ de toutes les parties de l’épave ont été réalisés et les objets récupérés ont été enregistrés et étudiés au laboratoire de l’Institut. Les résultats combinés de la recherche archéologique, de l’étude comparative, de la réalisation de maquettes en bois et de l’étude du contexte historique conduisent à estimer que l’épave Akko 1 est le vestige d’un brick égyptien auxiliaire de 26m de longueur, qui a été construit à la fin du premier quart du XIXe siècle. Il est possible que le navire ait été touché lors du bombardement de 1840 ou à la suite de l’explosion de l’arsenal principal du port.The Akko 1 shipwreck was found in 4m of water inside the ancient harbour of Akko, Israel, and excavated for three seasons (2006–2008) by an expedition headed by the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa. The shipwreck was fully recorded underwater, and the finds were retrieved, registered and documented in the Institute’s laboratory. The combined results of the archaeological research, comparative study, scaled wooden models and the study of the historical background suggest that the Akko 1 shipwreck is the remains of a 26m long Egyptian naval auxiliary brig, which was built at the end of the first quarter of the 19th century. She was apparently sunk during the 1840 naval bombardment of Akko

Pour une histoire de l’archéologie navale. Les bateaux et l’histoire, Éric Rieth, Éditions Classiques Garnier, Paris, 2019, 431p.

Les bateaux et l’histoire Le complexe technique de la construction d’un navire comprend plusieurs techniques et savoir-faire, de matières premières nécessaires à la réalisation du navire et de nombreuses personnes dispersées dans divers sites et paysages nautiques. Donc, la construction d’un navire associe compétences techniques et artistiques : depuis le moment où les arbres ont été choisis et abattus, conçus et façonnés, installés et attachés, jusqu'au moment où le navire est à flot. L’étud..

Introduction

Depuis les temps anciens, les paysages nautiques ont été le théâtre d’événements stratégiques, commerciaux et sociaux. De ce fait, le complexe technique de la navigation est composé de plusieurs techniques et savoir-faire, de matières premières nécessaires à la réalisation d’un navire et de nombreuses personnes dispersées dans divers sites et paysages nautiques. J. Richard Steffy disait que les navires en bois sont les plus merveilleuses structures jamais construites par l’humanité. Il avait ..

The effects of gender and health related fitness components on body mass index, body fat and blood pressure in kinesiology students

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Many Americans do not meet the minimum standards of physical activity required to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of poor health related fitness outcomes among college age kinesiology majors. METHODS: Health related fitness (HRF) measurements were taken on 93 undergraduate Tarleton kinesiology majors. These measures included body composition, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory endurance (1.5 mile time), flexibility (sit-n-reach), and muscular strength and endurance. One and half mile run, sit ups, bench press, leg press, and the sit and reach were administered and ranked according to ACSM Guidelines (8th ed). Body composition was measured with a three-site skinfold measurement (females: tricep, suprailiac, thigh; males: chest, abdomen, thigh) using a Lange caliper. Height and weight were measured using a medical grade Detecto® scale (Webb City, MO). Blood Pressure was measured using a standard sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. Differences in HRF outcomes were analyzed using independent t-tests with significance set at p\u3c0.05. RESULTS: Resulting HRF scores separated by gender are displayed in the attached table. No significant differences in fitness ranking existed for 1.5 mile run, flexibility, or upper body strength. According to the ACSM’s percentile rankings for percent body fat, males ranked significantly higher than females (M=48.0 ± 36.7%: F=31.4 ± 25.3%; p=0.0001). However, females ranked significantly higher in lower body strength (F= 61.4 ± 28.6%; M= 51.1 ± 33.3%; p=0.04) and sit ups (F=66.3 ± 30.0%; M= 54.7± 37.6%; p=0.007). Health Related Fitness Scores Among Undergraduate Kinesiology Majors Student Characteristics Males Females Gender (N) 42 51 Age (years) 20.6 ± 20.6 19.9 ± 1.5 BMI (kg/m2) 27.3 ± 5.7 23.9 ± 4.3 % Body Fat 13.7 ± 1.2 25.1 ± 1.0 1.5 Mile Run (min:sec) 11:25 ± 1:11 13:23 ± 1:34 Sit & Reach (in) 18.7 ± 2.3 21.0 ± 2.1 Bench Press Ratio (lift/wt) 0.9 ± 0.5 0.5 ± 0.3 Leg Press Ratio (lift/wt) 1.6 ± 0.9 1.5 ± 0.4 Sit ups (1 min) 48.5 ± 8.5 44.6 ± 9.4 DISCUSSION: Overall females ranked higher than males on the health related fitness outcomes. The extent to which these results were based on gender differences in exercise training or central motivation is unknown. Future investigations will focus on health and physical activity habits between genders, as well as differences in internal motivation

Gender & Sport Related Differences in Electrocardiogram & Pre-participation Exams (PPE) in College Age Athletes

TACSM Abstract Gender & sport related differences in electrocardiogram & pre-participation exams (PPE) in college age athletes Harp J, Garcia B, Fulfer S, Cvikel J ,. Blevins-McNaughton J. Clinical Exercise Research Facility; Kinesiology; Tarleton State University; Stephenville, TX Category: Masters Advisor/ Mentor: Blevins-McNaughton, JS ([email protected]) ABSTRACT Background and Purpose: The NCAA requires all college level athletes receive a pre-participation physical exam. However, the pre-participation exams occasionally do not require electrocardiogram screening to help detect cardiac abnormalities. Though electrocardiograms may not be available at all testing’s, using specific markers and finding differences between gender and sport abnormalities could help detect cardiac abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in resting 12-Lead ECG markers in a group NCAA Div. II collegiate level athletes. Methods: Three hundred and eight college level athlete’s ages 18 to 25 participated in this study. Age, gender, height, weight, BMI, blood pressure and heart rate were measured during a pre-participation exam. Electrocardiogram measurements were gathered by using Mortara X-Scribe™ , Vacumed Turbo Fit 5™, Welch Allyn CardioPerfect™. Twelve-Lead ECGs were categorized by sport and analyzed by the lab director and the attending physician. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze differences in ECG findings in genders and sports. Independent t-test and linear regression were used to analyze differences between male and female outcomes. Significance was set at the 0.05 level. Results: No significant differences in wave conformation or arrhythmias were found between sports. Cross country athletes had significantly lower resting heart rate (61 ± 12.5 bpm) than football (70.6 ± 14 bpm), baseball (72.6 ± 12.8 bpm), track and field (73.2 ± 13.4 bpm), and cheerleading (75 ± 11.8 bpm) (P=0.003) . Resting systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in football (124.8 ± 10.4 mmHg) and baseball (124 ± 10.4 mmHg) than softball (115.8 ± 5.4 mmHg), track and field (119.2 ± 10.9 mmHg), cross country (112.7 ± 11.2 mmHg), and cheerleading (114.9 ± 7.9 mmHg) (P=0.001). Similarly, heart work expressed as rate pressure product (RPP) was significantly lower in cross country compared to all other sports. Relative to ECG parameters cross country athletes showed ECG changes typical for cardiovascular endurance training compared to all other sports including sinus bradycardia, increased RR interval, and leftward axis shift. Discussion: Although marked differences in 12-lead ECG parameters were not found between sports in this sample, two athletes were sent for further echo evaluation due to abnormal ECGs, but were subsequently cleared to participate in their sport

The evolution of distributed sensing and collective computation in animal populations

Many animal groups exhibit rapid, coordinated collective motion. Yet, the evolutionary forces that cause such collective responses to evolve are poorly understood. Here, we develop analytical methods and evolutionary simulations based on experimental data from schooling fish. We use these methods to investigate how populations evolve within unpredictable, time-varying resource environments. We show that populations evolve toward a distinctive regime in behavioral phenotype space, where small responses of individuals to local environmental cues cause spontaneous changes in the collective state of groups. These changes resemble phase transitions in physical systems. Through these transitions, individuals evolve the emergent capacity to sense and respond to resource gradients (i.e. individuals perceive gradients via social interactions, rather than sensing gradients directly), and to allocate themselves among distinct, distant resource patches. Our results yield new insight into how natural selection, acting on selfish individuals, results in the highly effective collective responses evident in nature.National Science Foundation (NSF)Office of Naval ResearchArmy Research OfficeHuman Frontier Science ProgramNSFJames S McDonnell Foundatio

Gender & Sport Related Differences in Electrocardiogram & Pre-Participation Exams (PPE) in College Age Athletes

Background and Purpose: The NCAA requires all college level athletes receive a pre-participation physical exam. However, the pre-participation exams occasionally do not require electrocardiogram screening to help detect cardiac abnormalities. Though electrocardiograms may not be available at all testing’s, using specific markers and finding differences between gender and sport abnormalities could help detect cardiac abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in resting 12-Lead ECG markers in a group NCAA Div. II collegiate level athletes. Methods: Four hundred fifty-one college level athlete’s ages 18 to 25 participated in this study. Age, gender, height, weight, BMI, blood pressure and heart rate were measured during a pre-participation exam. Electrocardiogram measurements were gathered by using Mortara X-Scribe™ , Vacumed Turbo Fit 5™, Welch Allyn CardioPerfect™. Twelve-Lead ECGs were categorized by sport and analyzed by the lab director and the attending physician. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze differences in ECG findings in sports. Independent t-test and linear regression were used to analyze differences between male and female outcomes. Significance was set at the 0.05 level. Results: No significant differences in wave durations were found between male and female athletes. However, P wave amplitude was higher in males (1.50 ± 0.61 mm) than females (1.44 ± .55 mm) (P=0.01). Males had higher resting blood pressures (SBP=123.1 ± 10.9 mmHg) (DBP=73.6 ± 8.1 mmHg) than females (SBP=112.6 ± 9.6 mmHg) (DBP=69.9 ± 7.9 mmHg) (P\u3c0.001). Males also had a higher frequency of arrhythmias, T wave inversions, and 1st degree atrioventricular blocks when compared to females. Similarly, SBP was significantly higher in football compared to all other sports. Relative to ECG parameters cross country athletes showed ECG changes typical for cardiovascular endurance training compared to all other sports including sinus bradycardia, increased RR interval, and leftward axis shift. Discussion: Although marked differences in 12-lead ECG parameters were not found between sports in this sample, two athletes were sent for further echocardiogram evaluation due to abnormal ECGs, but were subsequently cleared to participate in their sport