Intensity Levels Research Articles

Educational Strategies for Teaching Metabolic Profiles Across Three Endurance Training Zones.

This article explores an innovative educational approach using a metabolic board designed to enhance understanding of muscle metabolism across three endurance training zones: Z1 (light intensity), Z2 (moderate intensity), and Z3 (intense/severe intensity). The aerobic threshold marks the transition from light to moderate domains, and the anaerobic threshold separates moderate from intense domains, with both thresholds adapting to training. Exercises within each training zone elicit specific adaptive responses through distinct signaling pathways, but the metabolic profile induced remains relatively constant across these intensity domains. The assembly of the metabolic board is guided by interpretative questions derived from recent incremental exercise studies. By interacting with the board, students gain clear insights into the rationale for choosing between continuous and interval exercises. This interactive tool simplifies complex physiological processes into understandable components, clarifying the relationships among motor unit types and its metabolism and principal energy sources at each intensity level. By assembling the board, students demystify muscle metabolism as a continuum of responses crucial for sustaining various exercise intensities. This integration of theoretical knowledge with practical application empowers students and professionals to make informed decisions about training prescriptions, a critical element of training periodization.

Driving regional advancement: exploring the impact of science and technology parks in the outermost regions of Europe

PurposeEurope’s outermost regions are often geographically isolated, and they face challenges when it comes to fostering innovation. This study aims to evaluate the impact of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) on the stimulation of innovation performance and the regional development of innovation in the outermost European regions. This study contributes to the development and interpretation of STP literature, which is especially relevant for policymakers operating within these regions.Design/methodology/approachWe collected the data from six Regional Innovation Scoreboard reports (RIS, 2012; RIS, 2014; RIS, 2016; RIS, 2017; RIS, 2019; and RIS 2021), available at https://ec.europa.eu, for the following outermost regions of Europe: the Autonomous Regions of Azores and Madeira (Portugal), the Canary Islands (Spain) and the Outermost Regions of France, which encompass Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Saint-Martin and Reunion Island.FindingsThe results demonstrate that, for STPs to positively impact regional policies for innovation and regional development, policymakers must make significant investments into research and development (R&D). The outermost European regions display characteristics that negatively affect innovation performance and regional development. Furthermore, we found that innovative products and services are negatively affected by these regions, as they deploy only a limited number of resources. We also conclude that the impact of STPs on the outermost European regions depends on the policies of regional governments. STPs represent important inputs to formulating and implementing innovation strategies for regional development.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. This research only analyses the European Union's (EU’s) outermost regions, and we have only included data extracted from the Regional Innovation Scoreboard from 2007 to 2021. Disaggregated data for the five outermost regions in France was not available. This would have increased the sample and made the results even more robust, had the information been available.Practical implicationsThe results propose that regional actors in the outermost regions (industry–government–academia) better articulate their resources (which are more scarce) and their priorities with regard to Science, Technology and Innovation, thus accelerating innovation and development of their regions.Originality/valueIn this panel data study, we adopt a methodology that enables the evaluation of STP performance under different levels of intensity of gross domestic expenditure on research and development activities in the context of the RIS. In this study, the RIS refers to the peripheral regions of the EU. This study therefore aims to evaluate the impact of STPs in stimulating innovation performance and regional development in the outermost regions of Europe.

The Combined Effect of Multisensory Stimulation and Therapist Support on Physical and Mental Health of Older Adults Living in Nursing Homes: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Increasing life expectancy has led to a rise in nursing home admissions, a context in which older adults often experience chronic physical and mental health conditions, chronic pain, and reduced well-being. Nonpharmacological approaches are especially important for managing older adults' chronic pain, mental health conditions (such as anxiety and depression), and overall well-being, including sensory stimulation (SS) and therapist support (TS). However, the combined effects of SS and TS have not been investigated. This randomized controlled trial examines the specific and combined effects of brief SS and TS interventions on older adults' physical and mental health and pain intensity levels, among individuals living in nursing homes. A total of 96 patients aged 65-99 years from a nursing home were randomly assigned to 3 groups: SS, TS, and combined SS+TS interventions, each delivered as four 20-minute sessions. SS was implemented using a multisensory Snoezelen room. Pain intensity levels (per a Visual Analog Scale), blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and hand grip strength (using a Jamar hand dynamometer) were measured before and after each of the 4 weekly therapeutic sessions. In addition, life satisfaction (per the Satisfaction with Life Scale) and anxiety (per the 7-item General Anxiety Disorder Scale) were evaluated before and after the whole intervention. Mixed model analyses tested the relative efficacy of the 3 interventions, applying simple slope analysis with Tukey correction. Study rationale and analytical plans were preregistered. The combined intervention of SS and TS (SS+TS) resulted in reduced pain levels compared with SS (B=0.209, P=.006) and TS alone (B=0.23, P=.002) over 4 sessions (F6,266=2.62; P=.017; R2=0.23). Further, the combined SS+TS intervention resulted in reduced systolic blood pressure versus SS (B=0.09, P=.01) and TS alone (B=0.016, P<.001) groups (F6,272=5.42; P<.001; R2=0.29). In addition, the combined SS+TS intervention resulted in an increased grip strength versus SS (B=-0.35, P=.003) and TS alone (B=-0.032, P=.008) groups (F6,273=2.25; P=.04; R2=0.19). Moreover, combined SS+TS resulted in an improvement in life satisfaction (B=-4.29, P<.0001) compared with SS (B=-2.38, P=.0042) and TS alone (B=-1.20, P=.13) groups (F2,39=3.47; P=.04). Finally, SS+TS demonstrated greater improvement in symptoms of general anxiety disorder (B=10.64, P<.0001) compared with SS (B=3.30 P=.01) and TS alone (B=1.13, P=.37) (F2,38=13.5; P<.001) groups. No differences between the interventions were shown for blood oxygen saturation (F6,273=2.06; P=.06), diastolic blood pressure (F6,272=1.12; P=.35), and heart rate (F6,273=1.33; P=.23). The combined intervention of SS and TS showed therapeutic benefits for pain management and physical and mental health of older adults living in nursing homes, relative to each therapeutic component in isolation. This brief intervention can be readily implemented to improve well-being and optimize therapeutic resources in nursing home settings. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05394389; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05394389.

Optimal vocal therapy for respiratory muscle activation in patients with COPD: effects of loudness, pitch, and vowels

BackgroundVocal therapy, such as singing training, is an increasingly popular pulmonary rehabilitation program that has improved respiratory muscle status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, variations in singing treatment protocols have led to inconsistent clinical outcomes.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the content of vocalization training for patients with COPD by observing differences in respiratory muscle activation across different vocalization tasks.MethodsAll participants underwent measurement of surface electromyography (sEMG) activity from the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), parasternal intercostal muscle (PARA), seventh intercostal muscle (7thIC), and rectus abdominis (RA) during the production of the vowels/a/,/i/, and/u/at varying pitches (comfortable, +6 semitones) and loudness (−10 dB, +10 dB) levels. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the condition of patients concerning vocalization, while the Borg-CR10 breathlessness scale was utilized to gauge the level of dyspnea following the task. Repeated-measure (RM) ANOVA was utilized to analyze the EMG data of respiratory muscles and the Borg scale across different tasks.ResultsForty-one patients completed the experiment. Neural respiratory drive (NRD) in the SCM muscle did not significantly increase at high loudness levels (VAS 7-8) compared with that at low loudness levels (F (2, 120) = 1.548, P = 0.276). However, NRD in the PARA muscle (F (2, 120) = 55.27, P&amp;lt; 0.001), the 7thIC muscle (F (2, 120) = 59.08, P &amp;lt; 0.001), and the RA muscle (F (2, 120) = 39.56, P &amp;lt; 0.001) were significantly higher at high loudness compared with that at low loudness (VAS 2-3). Intercostal and abdominal muscle activation states were negatively correlated with maximal expiratory pressure (r = −0.671, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and inspiratory pressure (r = −0.571, P &amp;lt; 0.001) in the same loudness.ConclusionIn contrast to pitch or vowel, vocal loudness emerges as a critical factor for vocalization training in patients with COPD. Higher pitch and loudness produced more dyspnea than lower pitch and loudness. In addition, maximal expiratory/inspiratory pressure was negatively correlated with respiratory muscle NRD in the same loudness vocalization task.

The Performance of a High-Resolution WRF Modelling System in the Simulation of Severe Tropical Cyclones over the Bay of Bengal Using the IMDAA Regional Reanalysis Dataset

Extremely severe cyclonic storms over the North Indian Ocean increased by approximately 10% during the past 30 years. The climatological characteristics of tropical cyclones for 38 years were assessed over the Bay of Bengal (BoB). A total of 24 ESCSs formed over the BoB, having their genesis in the southeast BoB, and the intensity and duration of these storms have increased in recent times. The Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (ARW) model is utilized to simulate the five extremely severe cyclonic storms (ESCSs) over the BoB during the past two decades using the Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analysis (IMDAA) data. The initial and lateral boundary conditions are derived from the IMDAA datasets with a horizontal resolution of 0.12° × 0.12°. Five ESCSs from the past two decades were considered: Sidr 2007, Phailin 2013, Hudhud 2014, Fani 2019, and Amphan 2020. The model was integrated up to 96 h using double-nested domains of 12 km and 4 km. Model performance was evaluated using the 4 km results, compared with the available observational datasets, including the best-fit data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR). The results indicated that IMDAA provided accurate forecasts for Fani, Hudhud, and Phailin regarding the track, intensity, and mean sea level pressure, aligning well with the IMD observational datasets. Statistical evaluation was performed to estimate the model skills using Mean Absolute Error (MAE), the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), the Probability of Detection (POD), the Brier Score, and the Critical Successive Index (CSI). The calculated mean absolute maximum sustained wind speed errors ranged from 8.4 m/s to 10.6 m/s from day 1 to day 4, while mean track errors ranged from 100 km to 496 km for a day. The results highlighted the prediction of rainfall, maximum reflectivity, and the associated structure of the storms. The predicted 24 h accumulated rainfall is well captured by the model with a high POD (96% for the range of 35.6–64.4 mm/day) and a good correlation (65–97%) for the majority of storms. Similarly, the Brier Score showed a value of 0.01, indicating the high performance of the model forecast for maximum surface winds. The Critical Successive Index was 0.6, indicating the moderate model performance in the prediction of tracks. It is evident from the statistical analysis that the performance of the model is good in forecasting storm structure, intensity and rainfall. However, the IMDAA data have certain limitations in predicting the tracks due to inadequate representation of the large-scale circulations, necessitating improvement.

Peranan Komunikasi Publik pada Partai Pengusung Pilkada 2024 Kabupaten Bogor (Studi Terhadap Pasangan No 1 Rudy Susmanto dan Ade Ruhandi)

According to the 2024 election commission (election committee) bogor 2024, the winner is the ruhandi no. 1 Rudy susmanto-ade ruhandi, with the 1,559,328 electory-musyafaur rahman with an issue of 559,453. Before the election was held on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, to search out sympathizers for voters, efforts have been made by both sides. A campaign through social media is being carried out to convince voters to make their choice. As the campaign is carried out, the winning couple select more social media campaigns asa form of public communication, while the campaign through mass mobilization is carried out by both prospective couples but higher levels of intensity by the number 1. Rudy susmanto's victory was also affected by images or self-image made public where previous periods had been DPRD's chairman with his very strong integrity character and his firmness for adherence to the prevailing rules. Besides which he created and operated programs that sided with the interests of many. This consistent value makes values a personal plus profile which is also an important aspect for affecting people to make choices during the election. The victory of the 1 Rudy susmanto-jaro ade was also the result of the powerful, dominant and effective party machine with the full 14 parties supporting the 18. The largest party carried by the number one in line rususmanto-jaro ade is senses and golkar. Bogor district's mobility was awarded 12 seats of parliament, while golkar was seven. In the meantime, the party of gerindra and golkar has become a coalition party in sthe 2024 presidential election, which is also a factor in the win of the number 1 group.

The Performance of Ankle- and Waist-Based Accelerometry in Quantifying Physical Activity Intensity Among 6- to 24-Month-Year-Olds: A Semistructured Laboratory Study.

We aim to quantify the performance of accelerometry in objectively measuring physical activity (PA) intensity among infants and toddlers. Thirty-eight 6- to 24-month-olds participated in a 30-min, semistructured lab visit. Twenty-three (61%) children could walk independently. Children engaged in a variety of activities while wearing accelerometers on each ankle and at the waist. Visits were video recorded, and study team members independently coded the first three 5-s epochs of each minute for PA intensity using a 5-level scale ranging from 1 = completely sedentary to 5 = moderate-to-high intensity. Interrater agreement for PA classifications was excellent (median kappa per child = 0.85). A series of logistic regression models were fit to find the vector magnitude threshold per 5-s epoch that differentiated activity intensity above each PA level with ≥ 80% sensitivity. Analyses included 3191 epochs; a median of 88 epochs per child. The classification performance applying all thresholds concurrently for the five PA intensity levels was poor for each wear location (agreement < 50%, kappa < 0.25). Classification improved when concatenating intensity levels, with the best performance comparing sedentary (levels 1-2) to nonsedentary (levels 3-5) and using data from the left ankle device: agreement ≥ 77.6%, kappa ≥ 0.44. Applying those novel thresholds to predict the total time spent in level 3-5 activities over all coded epochs using linear regression performed as well as using the sum of vector magnitude across epochs when using data from the left ankle device. Overall, the performance of the left ankle wear location was similar to the right ankle wear location and superior to the waist location. Ankle-worn accelerometry had adequate validity to classify in-the-moment nonsedentary behaviours and total time spent nonsedentary over a time interval among this sample of infants and toddlers. While caution is warranted when generalizing these lab-based findings to naturalistic settings, findings provide insight into objective measures of PA for this age range.

How do green municipal bonds affect carbon emissions in China? Evidence from the staggered difference-in-differences approach.

Under the "Dual Carbon Goals", China's municipal government bonds play a vital role in advancing local environmental governance. This paper constructs a quasi-natural experiment based on the issuance of green municipal bonds, and empirically examines its carbon emission reduction effects by using the staggered difference in differences approach. The issuance of green municipal bonds can substantially diminish the level of carbon intensity and pass a series of robustness tests. Green municipal bonds can generate green project financing effect, greening effect and industrial structure allocation effect to promote the reduction of carbon emission level in a region. At the same time, there exists heterogeneity in local governments' emphases on environmental protection, economic development, carbon peaking progress and urban resource endowment. Further research found that green municipal bonds have significant spatial spillover effect, which not only promotes the reduction of local carbon intensity, but also leads to the reduction of carbon intensity in the surrounding cities. The proposed policy implications include: increase the proportion of green municipal bonds in local government bonds; establish standardized issuing criteria of green municipal bonds, accelerate credit rating and improve performance management of green municipal bonds; design green municipal bonds according to local conditions; and strengthen green finance and its supporting services.

The Relationship Between the Electrically Evoked Stapedius Reflex Threshold and Stimulus Burst Duration in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Users: Preliminary Data.

The electrically evoked stapedius reflex threshold (eSRT) is an objective measure that helps to fit cochlear implants (CIs). The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between different burst durations to elicit eSRT in pediatric CI users. Different stimuli burst durations (100-500 ms) were applied to observe the effect in the reflex determination in 11 pediatric CI users. Reflexes were measured in electrode contacts #2, #6, #9, and #11. Testing was conducted at 9 months after CI activation. Burst duration and electrode contact site both had a significant effect on eSRT (p < 0.001). The lowest eSRT thresholds were obtained with the longest burst duration. The highest stimulation level was required to elicit a reflex at basal electrode contacts. No significant effect was found for the interaction between electrode contact site and burst duration. Burst durations of 100 ms yielded significantly larger eSRT thresholds than 300- and 500-ms burst durations. Thresholds obtained with the longest (i.e., traditional) burst durations reflected maximum comfortable loudness (MCL) levels typically found at early post-activation stages. In contrast, 100-ms burst yielded threshold levels similar to MCLs that have stabilized. We therefore consider both short (100 ms) and longer (300 or 500 ms) bursts useful in the clinical practice. The best burst duration to use depends on the interval: longer burst durations are useful for estimating MCLs for earlier intervals, whereas shorter burst durations are useful for later intervals. These findings may help clinicians optimize fittings in cases where using behavioral responses is problematic.

Spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of non-CO2 greenhouse gas emission intensity from China's livestock sector.

The livestock sector is a major source of non-CO2 greenhouse gas (GHG). As China has the world's largest livestock production, analyzing factors influencing GHG emission intensity of livestock (GEIL) is crucial for guiding its emission reduction policies. Yet, most current studies on livestock GHG focus on emission amount (GEAL) over GEIL, neglecting comprehensive utilization of spatial econometric models. Furthermore, the influencing factors mainly focus on population, economic level, urbanization, and industrial structure, while the exploration of factors such as technological innovation, consumers' age structure, and industrial agglomeration remains insufficient. This study first applied the standard deviation ellipse (SDE) model to describe the spatiotemporal evolution of GEAL and GEIL across 31 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2022. Then, using extended STIRPAT theory, we analyzed GEIL's influencing factors with exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) and the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model. The results showed that: (1) GEAL was concentrated in resource-rich grassland pastoral and grain-producing areas. Provincial GEAL trends varied, while national GEAL declined rapidly and then fluctuated slightly. Cattle, pigs, and sheep/goats contributed the most to GEAL. (2) GEIL significantly decreased nationwide and provincially, with Tibet having the highest reduction rate but still leading in GEIL. (3) GEAL followed a northeast-southwest distribution, whereas GEIL exhibited an east (slightly north) to west (slightly south) pattern. (4) Spatial analysis revealed significant GEIL clustering, with higher values in western provinces and lower in central and eastern regions. (5) Population scale, urbanization, age structure, proportion of ruminant animal production value, location quotient of livestock, employment income per capita of agricultural personnel, patent-granted intensity, and educational level in rural areas had diverse spatiotemporal impacts on GEIL across provinces. Tailored emission reduction policies and regional collaborative governance are recommended.

Comparison of Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Levels in Nurses in Specialized and General Ward

Background: Nurses are exposed to higher stress, anxiety, and depression due to the nature of their work. Considering the differences between specialized and general hospital units, this article focuses on comparing the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among nurses in these two types of units. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2023 on 135 nurses in specialized units and 219 nurses in general units selected through stratified random sampling out of 1681 nurses. For this study, 6 public hospitals in the West Azerbaijan province of Iran were selected. Data were collected through a demographic questionnaire and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) and analyzed using SPSS software. A significance level of 0.05 was considered for this study. Results: This study reported that stress, anxiety, and depression affected 72.04%, 46.33%, and 53.68% of nurses, respectively, with mild to extremely-severe intensity levels. No significant differences were observed in stress, anxiety, and depression between specialized and general units (p &gt; 0.05). Among specialized units (ICU, CCU, and dialysis ward), dialysis unit nurses had significantly lower depression scores (p &lt; 0.05). Additionally, a significant correlation existed between demographic variables and DASS-21 constructs (p &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: The similarities among nurses in specialized and general units outweigh the observed differences. Given the high prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among nurses and the negative correlation with job satisfaction, managers should improve job satisfaction to support nurses’ mental health.

Assessment of seismic performance of low-rise reinforced concrete frame structures with masonry infill using fragility curves

The seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame structures with masonry infill is a critical area of study due to the complex interactions between the infill and the structural frame during seismic events. This study evaluates the impact of masonry infills on the seismic performance of RC frames by utilizing fragility curves, which are developed through pushover analysis. The presence of masonry infill can significantly enhance the stiffness and strength of reinforced concrete frames; however, it can also lead to unexpected failure modes and reduced ductility. The fragility curves generated provide a probabilistic assessment of damage at different seismic intensity levels, offering valuable insights into the vulnerabilities and resilience of these structures. The findings from this study highlight the importance of considering masonry infill in the design and assessment of RC frames for seismic resistance, and they contribute to the development of more effective seismic design strategies and retrofitting measures for buildings in earthquake-prone regions.

Exploring Multi-Pathology Brain Segmentation: From Volume-Based to Component-Based Deep Learning Analysis

Detection and segmentation of brain abnormalities using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is an important task that, nowadays, the role of AI algorithms as supporting tools is well established both at the research and clinical-production level. While the performance of the state-of-the-art models is increasing, reaching radiologists and other experts’ accuracy levels in many cases, there is still a lot of research needed on the direction of in-depth and transparent evaluation of the correct results and failures, especially in relation to important aspects of the radiological practice: abnormality position, intensity level, and volume. In this work, we focus on the analysis of the segmentation results of a pre-trained U-net model trained and validated on brain MRI examinations containing four different pathologies: Tumors, Strokes, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and White Matter Hyperintensities (WMH). We present the segmentation results for both the whole abnormal volume and for each abnormal component inside the examinations of the validation set. In the first case, a dice score coefficient (DSC), sensitivity, and precision of 0.76, 0.78, and 0.82, respectively, were found, while in the second case the model detected and segmented correct (True positives) the 48.8% (DSC ≥ 0.5) of abnormal components, partially correct the 27.1% (0.05 &gt; DSC &gt; 0.5), and missed (False Negatives) the 24.1%, while it produced 25.1% False Positives. Finally, we present an extended analysis between the True positives, False Negatives, and False positives versus their position inside the brain, their intensity at three MRI modalities (FLAIR, T2, and T1ce) and their volume.

English

Abstract Many freshwater ecosystems are at risk due to the detrimental impacts of increasing salinity. This is particularly true for coastal freshwater wetlands where increasing tropical cyclone intensity and sea level rise are threatening these habitats. Little is known, however, about salinity tolerances of many coastal freshwater species. The hammock crayfish, Procambarus lunzi (Hobbs), for example, inhabits coastal hammock islands and maritime forested wetlands in South Carolina, USA. Procambarus lunzi and other native crayfish are also at risk due to invasion by the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii (Girard), a species with a high salinity tolerance. The objective of this study was to document P. lunzi’s response to chronic salinization under field conditions and to test acute salinity tolerances of two native and one invasive crayfish species under experimental conditions. Under field conditions, monthly sampling of a mesohaline wetland (range: 0.5-6.1 psu) revealed the presence of P. lunzi throughout the year. Seven-day experimental trials on acute tolerance revealed high survival probabilities (&gt;50%) of all three species at 30 psu. These results show high acute salinity tolerance for multiple crayfish species, but some indications that chronic salinization may be detrimental, demonstrating that salinization and non-native species may threaten coastal biodiversity.

Aqua training and its effect on physical and physiological parameters in middle-aged women

Problem statement. As individuals transition from middle age to old age, it is important for those in their middle age to adapt to and sustain a consistent level of physical activity. Aqua training can serve as a beneficial form of exercise for middle-aged women. Approach. This study investigates the effects of aqua aerobics on the physical and physiological parameters of women in their middle age. The study included 40 women (aged 35 to 45 years) from Kakching in Manipur, who were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. Methods. Over a 12-week period, the experimental group participated in organised aquatic activities, while the control group maintained their regular routines. The exercise programme was carefully designed, incorporating varying levels of intensity and specific factors to optimise physical and physiological benefits. The pre- and post-test data were compared using a t-test for matched samples and ANOVA. Results. The results demonstrated significant improvements in the experimental group’s physical measures, including flexibility (FX) (t = 9.06), back strength (BS) (t = 2.093), leg strength (LS) (t = 8.07), cardiovascular endurance (CE) (t = 2.208), muscular endurance (ME) (t = 18.262), and body fat percentage (BFP) (t = 8.17). The physiological benefits included increased vital capacity (VT) (t = 6.22), peak flow rate (PFR) (t = 3.26), and improved blood pressure (systolic t = 3.26, diastolic t = 2.29). Conclusion. The results highlight the effectiveness of aqua aerobics in improving the general health and fitness of middle-aged women, demonstrating its potential as a safe and beneficial form of exercise for this group.

Relationship between leisure-time physical activity and components of somatotype among university students

Background and Study Aim. Physical activity (PA) has become a critical component of social, economic, and health policy worldwide. Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) plays a particularly significant role in preventing lifestyle-related diseases. This study aimed to analyze students' LTPA and examine the relationship between LTPA levels and somatotype. Material and Methods. The study included 309 students, aged 20–24, from five Polish universities. Anthropometric measurements were taken, somatotypes were determined using the Heath-Carter method, and LTPA was assessed using the Minnesota Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (MLTPAQ). Results. Among the students studied, 22.3% had a BMI above the normal range—31% of males and 13.6% of females. Men reported higher levels of LTPA than women and engaged in more physical activity across all intensity levels. In both male and female groups, one in four students did not reach the recommended leisure-time physical activity level of 1000 kcal/week. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between endomorphy and high-intensity LTPA in both sexes. Additionally, one in four Polish students in the study did not achieve a level of leisure-time physical activity sufficient to meet health-protective energy expenditure guidelines. Conclusions. These findings underscore the essential role of high-intensity exercise in achieving beneficial levels of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA). They also highlight the importance of considering individual somatotype characteristics when developing physical activity recommendations for university students. Promoting tailored, intensity-specific LTPA programs could enhance engagement and address diverse fitness needs, contributing to effective health interventions in young adult populations.

How do manipulation checks interfere with the inference of causal relationships?

This study investigates the performance of mediation analyses, including manipulation check variables, in experimental studies where manipulated psychological attributes are independent variables. We simulated the level of manipulation intensities and measurement errors of the manipulation check variable to test the validity of the analytic practice. Our results showed that when manipulation is successful and measurement error is low, mediation analyses with the manipulation check variable revealed an unstable path coefficient and standard error. Moreover, many of the detected indirect effects were inconsistent mediation situations. However, when individual differences in psychological attributes remained within the condition (low manipulation intensity) and the manipulation check variable contained low measurement error, the indirect effect indicated the validity of the manipulation. We discuss the implications of our findings for the use of manipulation checks in experimental research.

Validity of the Actigraph-GT9X accelerometer for measuring steps and energy expenditures in heart failure patients.

The ActiGraph (AG) accelerometer is widely used to assess physical activity (PA) in heart failure (HF) patients. However, the validity of the AG in this population remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examined the criterion validity of the AG-GT9X for measuring step counts (SC) and energy expenditure (EE) among HF patients. 16 patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (mean age = 60.3±12.1yrs) completed a total of 41 symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise tests on a treadmill across multiple time points (median (IQR) = 2.5 (1.5-3.5)). All participants wore the AG (model: GT9X) on both the right ankle and waist locations during the test. Manually counted steps and indirect calorimetry-derived EE served as criterion measures. AG-derived EE was estimated using six different prediction equations previously developed for waist-worn AG. AG-derived measurements were compared with criterion measurements by calculating correlation coefficients, equivalence tests with two one-sided tests, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), percentage bias, and Bland-Altman plots using mixed models to account for the nested nature of repeated measures within subjects. Ankle-worn AG-SC was significantly equivalent to the criterion (p < .05) and had lower MAPE (<10%) compared to the waist location, regardless of PA intensity level. Sasaki-EE was significantly equivalent to the criterion (p < .05), with the lowest percentage bias overall (0.7%). The ankle-worn AG-SC and Sasaki-EE showed better accuracy among HF patients in laboratory settings. Further research is warranted to cross-validate the results in different settings.

VARIABILITY AND INTERDEPENDENCIES BETWEEN FRACTAL GEOMETRY PARAMETERS IN GRAPEVINE LEAVES

The grapevine leaves was analyzed based on fractal geometry, and the study evaluated interdependencies between parameters specific to fractal geometry. The grape varieties considered in the study were represented by Chasselas (Ch), Cabernet Sauvignon (CS), Muscat Hamburg (MH), Muscat Iantarnîi (MI), Muscat Ottonel (MO), Perlă de Csaba (PC), and Victoria (Vi). Fresh leaves were taken from each variety. The leaves were herborized to preserve the integrity of the leaves, and were scanned. Imaging analysis and fractal analysis were used to generate fractal geometry parameters: foreground pixels (FP), fractal dimensions D1 (MEE = 0.5), D2 (MEE = 0.2), BW parameter (black and white pixels), B+BW parameter (black + black and white pixels), W+BW parameter (white + black and white pixels). The descriptive statistical analysis generated the analysis report based on a number of 15 samples for each grapevine variety. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the interdependence between fractal geometry parameters, for each grape variety. Correlations with different levels of intensity were recorded between the parameters of the fractal geometry, in relation to the vine variety. The values ​​of the correlation coefficient showed some matches and differences of the parameters of the fractal geometry in the seven grape varieties studied. In all cases, a very strong positive correlation was recorded between D1 and D2. Also, a negative correlation was recorded between W+BW and B+BW parameters, but of variable intensity.

Comparative Study of Intensity and Pitch of Sounds of Some Domestic Animals and Birds

Sound serves as a versatile form of communication. Animals and birds utilize sound for various purposes, including communication, marking territory, hunting prey, alerting others to danger, and attracting mates. Research into the sound analysis of some domestic animals and birds has become a prominent field of study. This study aims to determine the intensity and pitch of sounds produced by domestic animals and birds. Primary data was collected using a SONY IC RECORDER, and the sounds were analyzed for intensity and pitch with PRAAT software. Experimentally, it found that the mean intensity values for animal sounds ranged from 53.98 dB to 83.14 dB, with an average of 72.80 dB, while the mean pitch values ranged from 80.38 Hz to 841.74 Hz, averaging at 431.70 Hz. In contrast, the mean intensity for bird sounds spanned from 63.08 dB to 81.01 dB, averaging 73.08 dB, and the mean pitch values ranged from 299.17 Hz to 2145.00 Hz, with an average of 1214.93 Hz. The comparison of average mean values for intensity and pitch yielded ratios of 1.01 and 2.81, respectively. This indicates that, on average, the intensity of bird sounds is slightly higher than that of animal sounds, while their pitch values are significantly higher. Such findings contribute to identifying distinct pitch ranges and intensity levels among various birds and animals.