Black Belt Research Articles

Effects of lower and upper body fatigue in striking response time of amateur karate athletes.

In combat sports, strikes or counter-strikes response time (RT) can be related to performance and sporting success. Moreover, training sessions are usually highly fatiguing, which is expected to impair basic skills, such as RT. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of fatigue on punch and kick RTs of karate practitioners. Twelve individuals of both sexes from different levels (three yellow belts, three red belts, two orange belts, two green belts, one brown belt, and one black belt) were selected. Participants were aged 22 ± 3 years old, with a stature of 169.1 ± 6.5 cm, and a body mass of 65.5 ± 10 kg. Six visits were held with each participant. On the first 2 days, the RT of punches and kicks was measured by a validated smartphone app (TReaction). For the subsequent visits, a randomized incremental test for the upper or lower body was adopted as motor fatigue protocol, immediately followed by punches and kicks RT tests, also in random order. For induction of lower and upper body-specific muscle fatigue, the ITStriker app was used, which operates by emitting sound signals transmitted by a smartphone. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was performed, and significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Regarding the mean punches RT, significant effects between situations for the upper (F(2,22) = 11.5; ω2 = 0.23; p < 0.001) and lower body (F(2,22) = 14.2; ω2 = 0.18; p < 0.001) fatigue protocols were found. The negative effect of the lower body fatigue protocol in punches RT was evident regardless of the order of the tests (punch RT first: Δ = 10.5%; t = 4.4; p < 0.001; d = 1.0; kick RT first: Δ = 11.4%; t = 4.8; p < 0.001; d = 1.1). Regarding mean kicks RT, significant effects were found between situations for the lower (F(2,22) = 16.6; ω2 = 0.27; p < 0.001) but not for the upper (F(2,22) = 2.3; ω2 = 0.02; p = 0.12) body fatigue protocols. Kick RTs were negatively affected by the lower body fatigue protocol regardless of the RT order applied (punch RT first: Δ = 7.5%; t = 3.0; p = 0.01; d = 0.8; kick RT first: Δ = 14.3%; t = 5.7; p < 0.001; d = 1.5). Upper body fatigue does not impair punch or kick RTs. Thus, it is concluded that the specificity of fatigue protocols and striking order should be considered while performing RT demanding techniques in karate practice. Specifically, lower body motor fatigue may impair both kicks and punches RT, which highlights the role of lower limbs in punches performance. Otherwise, upper body motor fatigue seems to induce impairments that are limited to the specific motor actions of this body segment.

Chalcones: Potential Chemotherapeutic Compounds and Educational Tools for Closing the Loop in STEM.

ConspectusThe study discussed herein describes the synthesis of halogenated chalcones as potential chemotherapeutics. The synthesis work was conducted by undergraduate students participating in an Organic Chemistry II laboratory course at Tuskegee University, while the biological assays were conducted by students enrolled in a Molecular Biology I laboratory course. Chalcones were synthesized via aldol condensation and purified from hot ethanol. The impetus for the work was the fact that Tuskegee University sits positioned within the Black Belt of Alabama which, in addition to being an area of fertile soil and excellent farmland, is also an area rife with health disparities that particularly affect African-Americans. Breast cancer, specifically triple-negative breast cancer, affects African-American women at a higher rate than any other ethnic group. The work described herein addresses a practical problem [teaching undergraduate students about the interface of synthetic techniques, synthesis of specific classes of compounds, functional groups, and their relation to biological activity], as well an existential problem [the prevalence of breast cancer among African-American women, and the need to develop targeted treatments]. One of the chief aims of this approach of integrating these ideas into our laboratory courses was to facilitate the understanding of translational science, i.e. taking chalcones from benchtop to potential therapies for breast cancer. Another aim of the current approach was to, in essence, create a research problem based course and concomitantly use the results of the experiments performed in the course as a way to address the dearth of research funding that HBCUs typically receive. The pharmacological activities of chalcones and their derivatives are well documented. They are an important class of natural products that occur in edible plant derivatives such as spices, teas, fruits and various vegetables. In vitro studies have shown that chalcones inhibit proliferation of breast cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and blocking cell progression. The synthesis of chalcones with aromatic substituents has been investigated, and electron rich chalcones, i.e., chalcones with donors attached to the aromatic rings, have been studied extensively. The effect that adding electron withdrawing groups to the chalcone structural motif has on the antiproliferation ability of chalcones had been only minimally investigated at the time that our studies were being conducted. We examined the introduction of chlorine to the aromatic system of the chalcone and how these electron withdrawing substituents affect the chalcone's antiproliferative ability. It was discovered that (E)-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-phenylprop-2-en-1-one inhibited MDA-MB-231 cell progression in a dose dependent manner and outperformed the unsubstituted (E)-1,3-diphenyl-2-propen-1-one (1) at concentrations ranging from 0 μg/mL to 20 μg/mL. Cell death was determined by MTT assay.

Using Community Health Advisors to Increase Lung Cancer Screening Awareness in the Black Belt: a Pilot Study.

Disease stage at the time of diagnosis is the most important determinant of prognosis for lung cancer. Despite demonstrated effectiveness of lung cancer screening (LCS) in reducing lung cancer mortality, early detection continues to elude populations with the highest risk for lung cancer death. Consistent with the national rate, current screening rate in Alabama is dismal at 4.2%. While public awareness of LCS may be a likely cause, there are no studies that have thoroughly evaluated current knowledge of LCS within the Deep South. Therefore, we measured LCS knowledge before and after receiving education delivered by community health advisors (CHAs) among high-risk individuals living in medically underserved communities of Alabama and to determine impact of psychological, demographic, health status, and cognitive factors on rate of lung cancer screening participation. Participants were recruited from one urban county and six rural Black Belt counties (characterized by poverty, rurality, unemployment, low educational attainment, and disproportionate lack of access to health services). One hundred individuals (i) aged between 55 and 80years; (ii) currently smoke or have quit within the past 15years; and (iii) have at least a total of 30-pack-year smoking history were recruited. Knowledge scores to assess lung cancer knowledge were calculated. Paired t-test was used to assess pre- and post-knowledge score improvement. Screening for lung cancer was modeled as a function of predisposed factors (age, gender, insurance, education, fatalism, smoking status, and history of family lung cancer). Average age was 62.94 (SD = 6.28), mostly female (54%); mostly current smokers (53%). Most participants (80.85%) reported no family history of cancer. Fatalism was low, with a majority of the participants disagreeing that a cancer diagnosis is pre-destined (67.7%) and that there are no treatments for lung cancer (88.66%). Overall, lung cancer knowledge increased significantly from baseline of 4.64 (SD = 2.37) to 7.61 (SD = 2.26). Of the 100 participants, 23 underwent screening due to lack of access to primary care providers and reluctance of PCPs to provide referral to LCS. Sixty-five percent of those who were screened reported no family history of lung cancer. Regression analysis revealed no significant association between risk factors and the decision to get screened by participants. Our study demonstrates that while CHA delivered education initiatives increases lung cancer screening knowledge, there are significant structural barriers that prohibit effective utilization of LCS which needs to be addressed.

Recruitment and retention of primary care practices in the Southeastern Collaboration to Improve Blood Pressure Control

BackgroundRacial disparities related to hypertension prevalence and control persist, with Black persons continuing to have both high prevalence and suboptimal control. The Black Belt region of the US Southeast is characterized by multiple critical priority populations: rural, low-income, and minority (Black). MethodsIn a cluster-randomized, controlled, pragmatic implementation trial, the Southeastern Collaboration to Improve Blood Pressure Control evaluated two multi-component, multi-level functional interventions – peer coaching (PC) and practice facilitation (PF) (separately and combined) – as adjuncts to usual care to improve blood pressure control in the Black Belt. The overall goal was to randomize 80 primary care practices (later reduced to 69 practices) in Alabama and North Carolina to one of four interventions: 1) enhanced usual care (EUC); 2) EUC plus PC; 3) EUC plus PF; or 4) EUC plus both PC and PF. Several measures to facilitate recruitment and retention of practices were employed, including practice readiness assessment. ResultsContact was initiated with 248 practices during the study enrollment period. Of these, 99 declined participation, 39 were ineligible, and 41 were being evaluated for inclusion when the target number of practices was reached. The remaining 69 practices eventually were enrolled, with 18 practices randomized to EUC, 19 to PC, 16 to PF, and 16 to PC plus PF. Only two practices (2.9%) were withdrawn during the study. Several facilitators of and barriers to practice recruitment and retention were identified. ConclusionOur findings underscore the importance of a structured approach to recruiting primary care practices in a pragmatic implementation trial.ClinicalTrials.gov registration number NCT02866669

Abstract A017: The geospatial analysis of the socioeconomic status and its impact on prostate cancer prevalence in Alabama

Abstract Background: This study aims to understand the impact of Socioeconomic status (SES) and how it influences the aging population, increasing the risk of many diseases, including prostate cancer. The cancer prevalence in Alabama is high; prostate cancer rates are particularly high in the diverse male populations. Alabama's Black Belt rural counties are closely associated with socioeconomic and health disparities, and political oppression, among which social equity and socioeconomic status have been closely associated with prostate cancer incidence. This study explores prostate cancer occurrence in the aging population in the major ethnic groups (African American and Whites) in the State of Alabama, mainly in the black belt of Alabama. Prior studies have revealed that prostate cancer prevalence is related to biological, environmental, and socioeconomic characteristics. A precise sense of the root causes of the age-related increase in prostate cancer incidence is required to develop a strategy for building primary spatial and non-spatial cancer data using machine-learning tools. Hypothesis/Objectives: We hypothesized that SES might impact prostate cancer occurrence among the aging population. Our study aims to explore the impact of SES factors to understand prostate cancer incidence in the aging population in Alabama. Methods: We utilized Geospatial Technology (GT) to analyze the connection between aging and prostate cancer prevalence in different ethnic populations in Alabama. This study incorporated county-level prostate cancer prevalence and association with aging, SES, and health disparities. The robust data mining (Alabama Department of Senior Services, Alabama State Cancer Profile data, Alabama Department of Health, American Cancer Society, Center for Disease Control, and National Cancer Institute) enabled us to explore the association between aging and prostate cancer in the spatial context. Integrating spatial and non-spatial data on prostate cancer prevalence to SES will help predict and formulate prostate cancer prevention methods. Results: The GT's secondary data analysis revealed that prostate cancer affects minority communities in the Black Belt in Alabama. The GT analysis further demonstrates that this disparity is due to a lack of access to health care and mitigation efforts. The diverse data integration reveals that the SES and related factors modulate the aging population and prostate cancer occurrence. Conclusions: The preliminary finding demonstrates that SES is an essential factor that modulates prostate cancer incidences in underserved minority aging populations in Alabama. Hence, understanding the association between aging and socioeconomic disparities will help predict and prevent prostate cancer more effectively. Citation Format: Manoj K. Mishra, Seela Aladuwaka, Ram Alagan. The geospatial analysis of the socioeconomic status and its impact on prostate cancer prevalence in Alabama [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Aging and Cancer; 2022 Nov 17-20; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;83(2 Suppl_1):Abstract nr A017.

Toward Reparative Design Pedagogies

This essay explores reparative design pedagogies to advance intersecting racial justice and climate goals through the case study of the “CoDesign Field Lab: Black Belt Study for the Green New Deal.” Through engaged community design processes with Afro-descendant communities in the Black Belt South, the design action research seminar sought to reimagine and future the region as fount and staging ground for a reparation-based Green New Deal. We examine the course design and setup—including relational infrastructures to deepen collaboration between regional youth and community elders and graduate students of urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, and design studies—and the resulting future histories of reparative infrastructures for the Black Belt. The concluding discussion considers case implications for design pedagogies, including the importance of shifting away from knowledge bases and design-cultures predicated on whiteness and white supremacy, and supporting community-based processes of reparative design and reparations centering those who have directly suffered harm and their descendant communities.

Holding the Future

Rasheedah Phillips is a queer housing advocate, parent, writer, interdisciplinary artist, and cultural producer. Phillips' writing and artwork has appeared in The Funambulist Magazine, e-flux Architecture, Flash Art Magazine, Philadelphia Inquirer, Recess Arts, and more. Phillips is the founder of The AfroFuturist Affair, founding member of Metropolarity Queer Speculative Fiction Collective, co-founder of Black Quantum Futurism, co-creator of the award winning Community Futures Lab, and creator of the Time Zone Protocols, Black Women Temporal Portal, and Black Time Belt projects. As part of BQF and as a solo artist, Phillips has been awarded a CERN Artists Residency, Vera List Center Fellowship, A Blade of Grass Fellowship, and a Velocity Fund Fellowship, among others. Phillips has exhibited, presented, been in residence, and performed at Institute of Contemporary Art London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Serpentine Gallery, Red Bull Arts, Chicago Architecture Biennial, Akademie Solitude, Manifesta 13 Biennale, documenta fifteen, and more.

Abstract B094: Cancer awareness and prevalence in the Black Belt of Alabama: A geospatial analysis

Abstract Objective: Socioeconomic status (SES) disparity is one of the primary factors for cancer disease. The majority of research on cancer disease and SES has been conducted for African American and white populations. This study explores the relationship between SES and cancer prevalence (Breast Cancer and Prostate Cancer) in Alabama's Black Belt for major ethnic groups. Historically, Alabama's Black Belt counties are embedded with SES disparities, health care inequality, politics, race, ethnicity, oppression, and most importantly, lack of awareness of the cancer epidemic. Methods: Geospatial technology (GIS) has been employed to analyze the last two decades SES and cancer statistics from the U.S. Census, Alabama Department of Health (ADH), American Cancer Society (ACS), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). The GIS analysis indicates an apparent SES disparity between the Black Belt (BB) and Non-BB (NBB) counties of Alabama and especially among African American population. Results: The geospatial analysis indicates SES is positively associated with cancer prevalence. Research also shows that African American cancer prevalence rates are higher than whites due to poor social and health equity, including access to health care, green food, transportation, and education. Conclusions: Alabama is one of the top states concerning the cancer epidemic. The research employed SES and cancer prevalence using geospatial technology. Data shows a close relation between SES and cancer prevalence in the African American population in the Black Belt of Alabama. The research strongly recommends the state adopt cancer awareness programs and social and health equity policy planning. Citation Format: Ram Alagan, Seela Aladuwaka, Upender Manne, Rajesh Singh, Manoj K Mishra. Cancer awareness and prevalence in the Black Belt of Alabama: A geospatial analysis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B094.

A Black Belt-ocene

AbstractPopular conceptualizations of the Anthropocene tend to blur and blend humanity into a singular lump and task it with combating anomalous climate change. This essay questions the dominant narratives of the Anthropocene by excavating the author’s life in the Alabama Black Belt. Through a blend of autoethnography and historical research, it explores life in the Black Belt as an example of the ways in which Black and brown people, and their narratives, are erased in the Anthropocene. The Black Belt is home to rich advocacy movements led by those most impacted. This activism demonstrates that Black people are not passive in the climate movement. In fact, the Black Belt has engaged with ecological injustice movements throughout its modern history. Guided by Kathryn Yusoff’s conception of “a billion Black Anthropocenes,” this article aims to encourage praxis that is guided by inclusive and honest historical accounts of humanity and ecological injustice.

Development of the Taekwondo Performance Protocol to Assess Technical Speed and Quickness

Introduction: The aim of this study is to develop the Taekwondo Performance Protocol (TPP), with which taekwondo-specific speed and quickness performance can be measured. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted with the participation of 79 active athletes that were at least at 1st gup level (red – black belt). At the development stage of the TPP, reliability calculations were made using the test-retest method. During the examination of the validity of TPP, Illinois agility, 20-meter sprint, vertical jump, and anaerobic power (Lewis) performances and the correlations between them were examined. In addition, TPP's effectiveness in distinguishing athletes of different performance levels was examined. Results: The results showed that TPP has a high level of reliability. It was also found that TPP was associated with Illinois agility, 20-m sprint, vertical jump, and anaerobic power (Lewis) characteristics at a low-to-medium level and had a high level of distinguishing ability for athletes of different performance levels. Conclusions: The results show that TPP is an economical, simple, reliable, and valid taekwondo-specific performance test.

A HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN SEPARATISM IN THE UNITED STATES

This article analyzes the history of the development of the phenomenon of radical African-American movements classified as separatist. The roots of the phenomenon go back to the abolitionist movement of the mid-19th century, but most of these movements appeared in the USA in the 1920s - 1960s, after the migration of African Americans from the southern states, referred to the «black belt» to the industrialized states of the North and their concentration in ethnically homogeneous ghettos of large cities with a disadvantaged socio-economic situation. Irredentist movements that appealed to the construction of African-American identity based on ethnic and cultural nationalism, such as «Back to Africa», which aimed at universal immigration of blacks from the United States, and interpreting the religion «Nation of Islam», gained particular popularity. Separatist movements acted as a radical alternative to the Civil Rights Movement, and the figure of activist Malcolm X, who came out of the Nation of Islam, became a counterweight to Martin Luther King. With the development of the anti-colonial movement in third world countries, organizations such as the Black Panthers and the Republic of New Africa turned to the right of nations to self-determination and left-wing anti-imperialist rhetoric. The activities of other organizations, for example, the Black Liberation Army, can be characterized as terrorist. Later organizations, such as the New Black Panther Party, are often characterized by experts as «hate groups». Although with the success of the integration policy, the popularity of separatist demands has fallen, the actions of African-American nationalist organizations in the conditions of polarization of modern American politics indicate that the forms of struggle of the African-American community for political independence in the future are not exhausted.

Reclaiming the Revolutionary

Reclaiming the Revolutionary

FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SHOULDER IN JIU-JITSU BLACK BELT ATHLETES.

To assess the epidemiological profile of Jiu-Jitsu black belt athletes, including the prevalence of pain and shoulder function. Cross-sectional study carried out with Jiu-Jitsu athletes from 2014 to 2016. The studied variables were: sex, age, dominant limb, weight, height, profession, time of Jiu-Jitsu practice, weekly training hours, other practiced sports, comorbidities, injuries and previous surgeries, medications and habits. For the functional assessment of the shoulder, the ASES Score was used. 53 male athletes were evaluated. There was a prevalence of alcohol consumption (60.4%) and supplement use (32.1%). The practice of other sports included weight training (49.1%) and other martial arts (17%). There was a prevalence of knee (66.0%) and shoulder (52.8%) injuries and, in some cases, the need for surgical procedures. There was a prevalence of shoulder pain (73.6%) and more than half of the athletes (52.9%) had minimal or moderate limitation of shoulder function. Jiu-jitsu black belt athletes often have a history of injuries, with the shoulder being the second most affected body part. In more than half of the athletes, there was a prevalence of shoulder pain and functional limitation, according to the ASES Score. Level of evidence III, Retrospective comparative study.

Acute effects of oral sodium bicarbonate on blood marker levels in elite judo athletes

Introduction. The aim of this study was to establish if sodium bicarbonate affects the blood marker levels after a Special Judo Fitness Test in elite judo athletes. Material and Methods. Ten male judo athletes (age 20 ? 2.1 years; body height 180.18 ? 8.11 cm; body mass 85.24 ? 23.17 kg; body mass index 25.2 ? 3.4 kg/m2), judo masters (black belt holders) with at least 10 years of training and competition experience, agreed to participate in the current research. Results. The results showed a significant main effect of time (p &lt; 0.05) for the following variables: uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, phosphate, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, and chloride. We found that creatine kinase, C-reactive protein, sodium and chloride were significantly different (p &lt; 0.05) in the sodium bicarbonate group compared to placebo group after the Special Judo Fitness Test. Conclusion. The main finding of the present study was that sodium bicarbonate (0.3 g/kg) improved recovery compared to placebo in elite judokas. Therefore, coaches should consider sodium bicarbonate to improve athlete recovery during combat.

Conception of effective mass and effect of force – measurement of taekwon-do master

Background: Engagement of mass during a strike in martial arts and its relation to generated force is one of the factor, deciding on the success of an athlete. The aim of this study was to calculate the quantitative portion of effective mass of a athlete who execute striking techniques, by registering a force of strike and time of its contact with a sensor (target). Material and methods: Black belt taekwon-do (International Taekwon-do Federation) master (age 32 years, body mass of 60 kg, height of 160 cm) performed three types of techniques for three times; roundhouse kick, front kick, side kick and straight punch. His target was a shield mounted on force plate MC 12-2K with amplifier GEN5. Acceleration data was obtained by mounting wireless IMU sensor manufactured by Noraxon attached to a lateral side of a foot. Results: The highest force was registered for side kick (2406.9 ± 299.8 N), and the lowest for front kick (2008.6 ± 284.8 N). The shortest time of contact with a target had roundhouse kick (0.026 ± 0.010 s), while the longest front kick (0.119 ± 0.052 s). The highest effective mass was achieved by front kick (44%). The highest effect of force coefficient was obtained by roundhouse kick. Other techniques with much lower values seems to be push-like movements. Conclusions: During strike, a crucial factor for its effectiveness lies in its destructive power. It does not only depend on generated force and engaged mass, but also on contact duration. Proposed quantitative indicators could be beneficial during preparation of an athlete to sport competition. Correctly calculated effective mass allows to measure force in a training environment.

SPECIAL FEATURE: KNOW YOUR COLLEAGUES—STEPHANIE JOHNSON AND MARSHA PARKER

As we begin the new year, we take the opportunity to introduce two of our colleagues that serve on the ISPI Board of Directors. Dr. Stephanie Johnson serves as our Board Secretary and Marketing Committee Chair. Dr Marsha Parker also serves on the Marketing Committee and has taken the lead in facilitating the design and development of ISPI's new Marketing Plan.I was introduced to ISPI at Wayne State University (WSU) during a class with Dr. James Moseley. He encouraged me to join and brought me to my first ISPI Conference as part of the WSU professor/student cadre.I am very proud of the work I did to support my dissertation. Any time you can increase the efficacy of the military, while ensuring their safety, is important. I am also extremely proud of the work that I am currently doing, as we are directly affecting product quality and helping move goods and services across the planet.I want people to say that I was “one of the good guys.” We teach our children to “do the right thing every time, even when no one is looking.” I'd like to think that I have put my money where my mouth is.Stephanie Johnson, PhD is the Master Black Belt for four divisions at PACCAR, responsible for performance improvement at Quality, Purchasing, DAF Brasil, and ITD (information technology division). She is also responsible for oversight and management of the Six Sigma training program supporting all of PACCAR globally. Prior positions at PACCAR include Continuous Improvement Instructional Designer and National Dealer Training Manager at PACCAR Parts. Prior to her role at PACCAR, Stephanie spent time in positions at the State of Washington, SABIC Innovative Plastics, General Dynamics Land Systems, and O/E Learning. Stephanie has a bachelor's degree in education from Central Michigan University, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Saginaw Valley State University, and a PhD in Instructional Technology from Wayne State University. Stephanie also serves as Director for The International Society for Performance Improvement. She can be reached at Stephanie.johnson@paccar.com or srjohnson@ispi.org.I was attracted to the wealth of knowledge and accessibility to professionals in the field of performance improvement. I had the ability to grow my network, learn from others, present at ISPI conferences, and connect with others at chapter meetings.Transformation of Learning and Development at Ford Motor Company. We started on a journey to transform our instructional designers from order takers to performance consultants using the ISPI 10 standards.“Your limitation isn't what you don't have, it's what you don't use.” Author unknown.Dr. Parker is a learning and development strategist at Ford Motor Company and currently leads the transformation of learning technology platforms for the Global Talent organization. With over 10 years in the field of instructional design and analytics, she is an experienced performance strategist, instructional designer, data scientist, and leadership coach. Having received her PhD from Wayne State University (2014) in instructional technology and design, Dr. Parker is a recognized speaker in the field of digital learning, data and analytics, and learning strategy. Dr. Parker currently serves as an ISPI Board Member. She can be reached by email at mparke91@ford.com or by phone at 248-910-9938.

Body Composition in Karate: A Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry Study

Karate is a widely practiced combat sport. Karatekas’ body composition has typically been obtained in small groups using skinfolds or bioelectric impedance. In this work, we assessed three-compartment body composition using the accurate dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry technique (QDR Horizon, Hologic) in a large sample (n = 58; 74% males) of black belt karatekas. Stature-adjusted body composition indices (fat mass index; fat-free mass index; bone mineral apparent density) were calculated. The Student’s t-test was used for group–group analysis. Correlation was assessed using the Pearson’s r. The ability of fat-free soft tissue mass to predict bone mineral content and areal bone mineral density was assessed with linear regression. Reference mean and quartile values for whole-body and regional body composition were obtained for the male athletes. The body composition indices were generally more favorable in the male than female karatekas. The bone mineral apparent density was similar in the males and females at all sites except the right leg. The fat-free soft tissue mass predicted the bone mineral content and areal bone mineral density with good accuracy (R2 = 0.542–0.827; p &lt; 0.001 for all models). The data presented in this paper are expected to be of use for karate coaches, physical trainers, and participants interested in assessing and monitoring athletes’ body composition.

A CASE STUDY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF LEAN SIX SIGMA IN MALAYSIA PLANTATION COMPANY

Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a method focused on continuous improvement of quality, elimination of waste and minimization of defects in an organization and has been widely applied in Multinational corporations (MNC) in western countries. However, few studies have been found in developing countries, particularly in the plantation industries. Underpinning with Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this study aims to explore the process of implementation of LSS in one of the Malaysia Plantation Companies. In this study, the data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 13 executives and non-executives, document reviews, and direct observations. The finding indicates that the LSS implementation improves the cost-saving of RM967 million in business operations in the 2016/ 2017 financial year and trained 16 Black Belt practitioners and 184 Green Belt practitioners within five years. In addition, the implementation of LSS also increases revenue contribution and brings the focus of the company towards sustainability. Overall, this study offers some insight to the company especially the board of directors and Plantation Sustainability Quality Management committee into the implementation of LSS particularly the plantation company that can strategies the LSS in their business operation.

SHOT ON THE SPOT VACCINATION COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Abstract Due to the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affecting Black communities, The University of Alabama (UA) partnered with the Rural Alabama Prevention Center (RAPC), a community-based healthcare organization to improve the vaccination rate from 34% vaccinated Alabama Black Belt residents to 70% over a year. Health literacy training is provided to community health workers and students who, along with the team members, volunteer at pop-up Shot on the Spot vaccination sites to administer surveys collecting demographics and vaccine hesitancy data. Team members provide health literacy information and answer questions non-vaccinated individuals have. This vaccination intervention has led to drastic rate increases, such as, Choctaw County having a 36.6% increase since the beginning of the project in August (30.7% to 67.30%). However, some counties have low vaccination rate changes, such as, Crenshaw County with a rate change of 15.4% (19.5% to 34.90%). Notably, the Alabama Black Belt currently stands at a higher vaccination rate compared to Tuscaloosa County (UA’s location), only having a rate of 44.3%. Within one year, there have been a total of 44 administered first and second vaccine doses and 435 booster doses, resulting in 50.24% vaccinated Black Belt residents. As the virus evolved into different variants, team members were able to observe an increase in administered booster doses in congruence with the rise of a new coronavirus variant. The partnership formed between RAPC and UA scientists and students is an important step in improving vaccination rates and building community research on minority and diverse populations.

CORRELATES OF HEALTH LITERACY IN THE BLACK BELT AREAS OF ALABAMA: IMPORTANCE OF INTERNET ACCESS

Abstract Health literacy, which is defined as being able to understand and utilize information related to one’s health, is an essential part of the health care process as it is related to health outcomes. However, little is known about health literacy in Black Belt communities in Alabama although this rural area has shown very high rates of health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer (CDC Interactive Atlas, 2022). Study participants were recruited from the Black Belt areas of Alabama. A total of 180 African-American participants with a mean age of 57.5 completed a survey. A regression analysis was conducted to understand if sociodemographic and other relevant factors would predict health literacy. Lower education, gender, age, perceived racism, and perception that race impacts health care quality predicted health literacy. Interestingly, those with less internet access had significantly lower health literacy. Access to internet and smart phones was a reported concern for over a third of the participants. Only a quarter of participants reported use of the internet to assist with lifestyle modifications while almost half reported internet use to obtain health information; suggesting this as a potential means to improve health literacy and even potential lifestyle modification in health behaviors. Recommendations are made for interventions to improve health literacy in minority populations of this underserved region.