A Faith-Integrated Physical Activity Intervention and Cardiometabolic Risk in African American Women.

Purpose: To determine the effects of a 10-month secular (SEC) versus faith-integrated (FI) community-based physical activity (PA) intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors in low active, African-American women.

Methods: Participants (age: 55.4±11.

The Energy Expenditure of Recreational Ballroom Dance.

The popularity of recreational ballroom dancing has increased dramatically in recent years. Yet, relatively little information is known regarding the physiological demands of ballroom dancing. The purpose of this study was to determine the energy requirements for recreational ballroom dancing.

The Energy Expenditure of Tinikling: A Culturally Relevant Filipino Dance.

Filipino Americans have higher risks for developing cardiovascular disease than many other U.S. minority groups and Caucasians.

The impact of a total knee arthroplasty on jaw movements, upper body posture, plantar pressure distribution, and postural control.

: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on linked cranial and caudal structures. : Thirty-five (14f/21m) subjects participated in this study: 15 subjects (9f, 6m) pre- and post- TKA and a control group of 20 subjects (5f, 15m). The measurements included: jaw condyle position and movement, back scan, plantar pressure distribution, and body sway.

Characterizing the Aerobic and Anaerobic Energy Costs of Polynesian Dances.

This study characterized both aerobic and anaerobic energy expenditure (EE) for several Polynesian dances in a group of experienced professional Polynesian dancers. Thirteen men and 17 women were tested using indirect calorimetry to assess aerobic EE (and converted to METs), and fingertip blood lactate to estimate anaerobic EE, during both resting and dancing activities. Total EE was then computed as the sum of both aerobic and anaerobic activity energy expenditure (AEE, or EE above resting).

Feasibility and outcomes of an out-of-school and home-based obesity prevention pilot study for rural children on an American Indian reservation.

Background: Children living in rural areas are at higher risk for obesity compared to urban children, and Native American (NA) children have the highest prevalence of overweight/obesity for all races combined. Out-of-school programs (OOSPs) are a promising setting to improve children's health. Parents are important in supporting their child's obesity-related behaviors, yet it remains unclear what combination and dose of parent engagement strategies is feasible and optimal.

Associations of vitamin D status with markers of metabolic health: A community-based study in Shanghai, China.

Aims: This study investigated the associations of vitamin D status (i.e., serum 25(OH)D concentration) with markers of metabolic health and metabolic syndrome (MS), as well as possible gender differences in these associations, with metabolic syndrome (MS) for a sample from Shanghai, China.

Increasing Physical Activity in Black Women: Results from a Randomized Trial Conducted in Faith-Based Settings.

Objective: The Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.A.D.

Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.A.D.I.E.S.) for a Better Life: A Church-Based Physical Activity Intervention - Baseline Participant Characteristics.

Objective: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for health, yet most African American women do not achieve recommended levels. Successful, sustainable strategies could help to address disparities in health outcomes associated with low levels of PA. The Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.

A reverse signaling pathway downstream of Sema4A controls cell migration via Scrib.

Semaphorins comprise a large family of ligands that regulate key cellular functions through their receptors, plexins. In this study, we show that the transmembrane semaphorin 4A (Sema4A) can also function as a receptor, rather than a ligand, and transduce signals triggered by the binding of Plexin-B1 through reverse signaling. Functionally, reverse Sema4A signaling regulates the migration of various cancer cells as well as dendritic cells.

Evaluation of the ability of three physical activity monitors to predict weight change and estimate energy expenditure.

Activity monitors such as the Actical accelerometer, the Sensewear armband, and the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA) are commonly validated against gold standards (e.g., doubly labeled water, or DLW) to determine whether they accurately measure total daily energy expenditure (TEE) or activity energy expenditure (AEE).

Integrating Sonography Training Into Undergraduate Medical Education: A Study of the Previous Exposure of One Institution's Incoming Residents.

Objectives: Sonography is a crucial and versatile tool within the field of medicine. Recent advancements in technology have led to increased use of point-of-care sonography. We designed a survey to assess prior point-of-care sonography training among incoming interns at an academic teaching hospital.

Standardized patient assessment of medical student empathy: ethnicity and gender effects in a multi-institutional study.

Purpose: To examine, primarily, the effects of ethnicity and gender, which could introduce bias into scoring, on standardized patient (SP) assessments of medical students and, secondarily, to examine medical students' self-reported empathy for ethnicity and gender effects so as to compare self-perception with the perceptions of SPs.

Method: Participants were 577 students from four medical schools in 2012: 373 (65%) were white, 79 (14%) black/African American, and 125 (22%) Asian/Pacific Islander. These students were assessed by 84 SPs: 62 (74%) were white and 22 (26%) were black/African American.

The impact of a total hip replacement on jaw position, upper body posture and body sway.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine whether, and to what extent, a total hip replacement can influence the position and the movement of the jaw, the upper body posture and body sway.

Methods: Twenty test subjects (6 females, 14 males) participated in this study pre- and post-total hip replacement, in addition to a healthy control group of 20 subjects (5 females, 15 males). The measurements were conducted by means of an ultrasound system to measure jaw condyle position and movement of the lower jaw, a three-dimensional back scan to analyze upper back posture, and a static and dynamic force plate to measure body sway.

Scaling maximal oxygen uptake to predict performance in elite-standard men cross-country skiers.

The purpose of this study was to: 1) establish the optimal body-mass exponent for maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2)max) to indicate performance in elite-standard men cross-country skiers; and 2) evaluate the influence of course inclination on the body-mass exponent. Twelve elite-standard men skiers completed an incremental treadmill roller-skiing test to determine VO(2)max and performance data came from the 2008 Swedish National Championship 15-km classic-technique race. Log-transformation of power-function models was used to predict skiing speeds.

Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.A.D.I.E.S.) for a better life: a physical activity intervention for black women.

Physical activity (PA) is low among African American women despite awareness of its positive impact on health. Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills for a Better Life (L.A.

Weight gain prevention among black women in the rural community health center setting: the Shape Program.

Background: Nearly 60% of black women are obese. Despite their increased risk of obesity and associated chronic diseases, black women have been underrepresented in clinical trials of weight loss interventions, particularly those conducted in the primary care setting. Further, existing obesity treatments are less effective for this population.

Influence of an alkalizing supplement on markers of endurance performance using a double-blind placebo-controlled design.

Background: Previous research has shown that ingestion of substances that enhance the body's hydrogen ion buffering capacity during high intensity exercise can improve exercise performance. The present study aimed to determine whether the chronic ingestion of an alkalizing supplement, which purports to enhance both intracellular and extracellular buffering capacity, could impact cardiorespiratory and performance markers in trained Nordic skiers.

Methods: Twenty-four skiers (12 men, 12 women), matched for upper body power (UBP), were split into treatment and placebo groups.

Differential accuracy of physical activity self-report by body mass index.

Objectives: To examine whether agreement between self-reported and accelerometer-measured physical activity varies by BMI category in a low-income black sample.

Methods: Participants completed a questionnaire and wore an accelerometer for 4-6 days. Using one- and 10-minute bouts, accelerometers measured light, moderate, and vigorous physical activity time.

Modeling physical activity outcomes from wearable monitors.

Although the measurement of physical activity with wearable monitors may be considered objective, consensus guidelines for collecting and processing these objective data are lacking. This article presents an algorithm embodying best practice recommendations for collecting, processing, and reporting physical activity data routinely collected with accelerometry-based activity monitors. This algorithm is proposed as a linear series of seven steps within three successive phases.

Validation of the actical activity monitor in middle-aged and older adults.

Purpose: This study was designed to validate the Actical activity monitor in middle-aged and older adults of varying body composition to develop accelerometer thresholds to distinguish between light and moderate intensity physical activity (PA).

Methods: Nonobese 45 to 64 yr (N = 29), obese 45 to 64 yr (N = 21), and ≥65 yr (N = 23; varying body composition) participants completed laboratory-based sitting, household, and locomotive activities while wearing an Actical monitor and a portable metabolic measurement system. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to identify activity count (AC) cut-points to differentiate between light intensity (<3 METs) and moderate intensity (≥3METs) PA.

Acid-base balance and hydration status following consumption of mineral-based alkaline bottled water.

Background: The present study sought to determine whether the consumption of a mineral-rich alkalizing (AK) bottled water could improve both acid-base balance and hydration status in young healthy adults under free-living conditions. The AK water contains a naturally high mineral content along with Alka-PlexLiquid™, a dissolved supplement that increases the mineral content and gives the water an alkalizing pH of 10.0.

Influence of activity monitor location and bout duration on free-living physical activity.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the location (ankle, hip, wrist) where an activity monitor (AM) is worn and of the minimum bout duration (BD) on physical activity (PA) variables during free-living monitoring. Study 1 participants wore AMs at three locations for 1 day while wearing the Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity (IDEEA) system. Study 2 participants wore AMs at the same locations for 3 days.

Upper body power as a determinant of classical cross-country ski performance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between short (< or =60 s) and long duration (4-12 min) measures of upper body power (UBP) and mass start classical cross-country ski performance. Several experienced skiers (eight men, five women) completed three separate tests of UBP on a double poling ergometer: two tests of highest average power output for 10 s (UBP(10)) and 60 s (UBP(60)), and an incremental test to exhaustion to measure peak oxygen uptake (VO(2PEAK)) and peak power output (UBP(PEAK)). Lastly, subjects competed in a 10-km classical cross-country ski race from which race speed (RS) was computed.