Mita Lovalekar

Papyrus to PowerPoint (P 2 P): metamorphosis of scientific communication

Scientific communication is in the process of metamorphosis. Will it change into a dung beetle or into a beautiful butterfly? Here is one possibility that some might argue is as frightening as Kafkas story > “As Gregor Samsa awoke from unsettling dreams one morning, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous bug.” > > Kafka, Metamorphosis In 1995 we questioned the hallowed tenets of paper journals. We wrote a series of articles, beginning with “The death of biomedical journals,” suggesting the death knell for paper journals.1–3 Delamothe echoed our conclusions that “The burgeoning world wide web … makes it inevitable that new systems of disseminating research will replace or at least supplement journals.”4 ![][1] #### Summary points Traditional peer reviewed journals are becoming obsolete We are experiencing a dramatic metamorphosis of the tools of scientific communication The prima lingua of scientific communication is PowerPoint Our search for the optimal information exchange method in science leads to P2P The response was Kafkaesque, reminding us of the quote from Penal Colony “It is an exceptional apparatus” so do not question it. The “journal” apparatus shows that little of the fibre of journals has been scientifically evaluated. Are journals an efficient, scientific, “just in time” process? It is impossible to answer. For 300 years there has been no evidence based evaluation of the journal process. For example, there is virtually no research on the quality of learning from journals, whether IMRD (introduction, methods, results, discussion) optimises learning, or if traditional peer review is the best system. To quote Goldbeck-Wood, “But if peer review is so central to the process by which scientific knowledge become canonised, it is ironic that science has little to say as to whether it works.”5 This applies to all phases of the journal process. Is a metamorphosis in … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif

Running Kinematics and Shock Absorption Do Not Change After Brief Exhaustive Running

Abt, JP, Sell, TC, Chu, Y, Lovalekar, M, Burdett, RG, and Lephart, SM. Running kinematics and shock absorption do not change after brief exhaustive running. J Strength Cond Res 25(6): 1479-1485, 2011—Because of the nature of running, the forces encountered require a proper coordination of joint action of the lower extremity to dissipate the ground reaction forces and accelerations through the kinetic chain. Running-related muscle fatigue may reduce the shock absorbing capacity of the lower extremity and alter running kinematics. The purpose of this study was to determine if a bout of exhaustive running at a physiologically determined high intensity, changes running kinematics, impact accelerations, and alters shock attenuating capabilities. It was hypothesized that as a result of fatigue induced by an exhaustive run, running kinematics, impact accelerations at the head and shank, acceleration reduction, and shock attenuation would change. A within-subject, repeated-measures design was used for this study. Twelve healthy, competitive male and female distance runners participated. Subjects performed 2 testing sessions consisting of a &OV0312;O2max treadmill protocol to determine the heart rate at ventilatory threshold and a fatigue-inducing running bout at the identified ventilatory threshold heart rate. Kinematic data included knee flexion, pronation, time to maximum knee flexion, and time to maximum pronation. Acceleration data included shank acceleration, head acceleration, and shock attenuation. No significant differences resulted for the kinematic or acceleration variables. Although the results of this study do not support the original hypotheses, the influence of running fatigue on kinematics and accelerations remains inconclusive. Future research is necessary to examine fatigue-induced changes in running kinematics and accelerations and to determine the threshold at which point the changes may occur.

Less Body Fat Improves Physical and Physiological Performance in Army Soldiers

The purpose of this study was to compare physical and physiological fitness test performance between Soldiers meeting the Department of Defense (DoD) body fat standard (< or = 18%) and those exceeding the standard (> 18%). Ninety-nine male 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Soldiers were assigned to group 1: < or = 18% body fat (BF) or group 2: > 18% BE. Groups 1 and 2 had similar amounts of fat-free mass (FFM) (66.8 +/- 8.2 vs. 64.6 +/- 8.0, p = 177). Each subject performed a Wingate cycle protocol to test anaerobic power and capacity, an incremental treadmill maximal oxygen uptake test for aerobic capacity, isokinetic tests for knee flexion/extension and shoulder internal/external rotation strength, and the Army Physical Fitness Test. Results showed group 1: < 18% BF performed significantly better on 7 of the 10 fitness tests. In Soldiers with similar amounts of FFM, Soldiers with less body fat had improved aerobic and anaerobic capacity and increased muscular strength.

Injury Epidemiology of U.S. Army Special Operations Forces

Musculoskeletal injuries have long been a problem in general purpose forces, yet anecdotal evidence provided by medical, human performance, and training leadership suggests musculoskeletal injuries are also a readiness impediment to Special Operations Forces (SOF). The purpose of this study was to describe the injury epidemiology of SOF utilizing self-reported injury histories. Data were collected on 106 SOF (age: 31.7 ± 5.3 years, height: 179.0 ± 5.5 cm, mass: 85.9 ± 10.9 kg) for 1 year before the date of laboratory testing and filtered for total injuries and those with the potential to be preventable based on injury type, activity, and mechanism. The frequency of musculoskeletal injuries was 24.5 injuries per 100 subjects per year for total injuries and 18.9 injuries per 100 subjects per year for preventable injuries. The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries was 20.8 injured subjects per 100 subjects per year for total injuries and 16.0 injured subjects per 100 subjects per year for preventable injuries. Preventable musculoskeletal injuries comprised 76.9% of total injuries. Physical training (PT) was the most reported activity for total/preventable injuries (PT Command Organized: 46.2%/60.0%, PT Noncommand Organized: 7.7%/10.0%, PT Unknown: 3.8%/5.0%). Musculoskeletal injuries impede optimal physical readiness/tactical training in the SOF community. The data suggest a significant proportion of injuries are classified as preventable and may be mitigated with human performance programs.

Validation of a video-based motion analysis technique in 3-D dynamic scapular kinematic measurements

BACKGROUND Current non-invasive 3-D scapular kinematic measurement techniques such as electromagnetic tracking are subjected to restrictions of wired sensors and limited capture space. Video-based motion analysis provides greater freedom with relatively less movement restriction. However, video-based motion analysis was rarely used in and not validated for scapular kinematics. METHODS Scapular kinematics of five subjects performing abduction, scaption, and internal/external rotation was captured simultaneously with video-based motion analysis and dynamic stereo X-ray, a gold standard for tracking scapular movements. The data from video-based motion analysis was correlated with the data from dynamic stereo X-ray for validity evaluation. FINDINGS Strong and significant correlations were identified in scapular protraction/retraction and medial/lateral rotation during abduction and scaption, and scapular medial/lateral rotation and anterior/posterior tilt during internal/external rotation. INTERPRETATION Video-based motion analysis is valid for evaluating a single subjects scapular movement pattern in protraction/retraction during abduction and scaption, and medial/lateral-rotation during internal/external rotation. Anterior/posterior-tilt during abduction and scaption should be investigated with caution. Video motion analysis is also valid for evaluating group average of scapular kinematics except for protraction/retraction during internal/external rotation. While acknowledging the inherent limitations, video-based motion analysis is an appropriate technique for tracking scapular kinematics.

The key to life nutrition program: results from a community-based dietary sodium reduction trial.

OBJECTIVE Evaluation of a dietary Na reduction trial in a community setting. DESIGN Community-based randomized trial. Ten-week nutrition intervention activities focused on lifestyle modification to decrease dietary Na intake, under the supervision of a registered dietitian. Twenty-four hour urine specimens were collected at baseline and follow-up visits to determine 24 h urinary Na excretion. SETTING The University of Pittsburgh Center for Healthy Aging, Key to Life Nutrition Program. SUBJECTS Hypertensive adults at least 65 years of age. RESULTS Mean age of participants was 75 years. Twenty-four hour mean urinary Na excretion at baseline was 3174 mg/d. This reduced to 2944 mg/d (P = 0.30) and 2875 mg/d (P <or= 0.03) at 6- and 12-month follow-ups, respectively. In a sub-sample (urine volume of >or=1000 ml, baseline to 12 months), mean urinary Na excretion decreased from 3220 mg/d to 2875 mg/d (P <or= 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Significant reductions in mean 24 h urinary Na were reported, but results fell short of the recommended guidelines of 1500 mg/d for at-risk individuals. Our results reiterate the difficulty in implementing these guidelines in community-based programmes. More aggressive public health efforts, food industry support and health policy changes are needed to decrease Na levels in older adults to the recommended guidelines.

Multilayer and Multimetric Quality Control: The Supercourse

Cancer-related presentations are rapidly communicated through thousands of Websites, chat rooms, newsgroups, list servers, newsletters, YouTube, and e-mails, with no specific attention to the validity of the reported findings. Quality control (QC) of cancer education lectures on the Web is an important concern, just like the quality assessment of all information found on the Web. This paper discusses the Supercourse, a global library of 3,600 online lectures available at www.pitt.edu/∼super1 and several alternative quality control approaches that are being developed as part of this global effort. Peer review may not be optimal for the review of online lectures because it is labor-intensive and has low throughput. To our knowledge, we are among the first to begin a multilayer and multimetric evaluation approach toward QC (MQC) of PowerPoint lectures on the Web. We hope that future scientific research on peer review as well as on emerging multilayer QC methodologies will help us to determine best measures of QC, especially in the field of rapidly developing cancer education.

Suboptimal Nutritional Characteristics in Male and Female Soldiers Compared to Sports Nutrition Guidelines.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the nutrient intake of male and female Soldiers in the 101 st Airborne Division (Air Assault) compared to sports nutrition standards for athletes, and to identify suboptimal eating characteristics that may impair physical performance and jeopardize military readiness. Male and female Soldiers from the 101 st Airborne Division (Air Assault) completed a 24-hour dietary recall and nutrition history questionnaire before anthropometric and body composition measurements were taken. Compared to sports nutrition guidelines, Soldiers of the 101 st under consume carbohydrates (males: 3.9 ± 2.0 vs. 5.0 g/kg, p < 0.001; females: 4.0 ± 2.1 vs. 5.0 g/kg, p = 0.001), male Soldiers eat too much fat (32.4% of kcal vs. <30% of kcal, p = 0.000) and saturated fat (males: 10.5 ± 3.9% of kcal vs. 10.0% of kcal, p = 0.044), and both males and females follow a meal pattern that may not optimize energy availability throughout the day. Eating too much fat and under fueling carbohydrate may negatively impact the adaptations to physical training and compromise overall health. Although Soldiers continue to participate in arduous training programs, future research should be aimed at determining the energy and macronutrient needs to fuel and recover from specific types of military training.

The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program Reduces Musculoskeletal Injuries in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)

UNLABELLED The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program (ETAP) was scientifically developed for the U.S. Armys 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to counter unintentional musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). PURPOSE To determine if ETAP would reduce unintentional MSIs in a group of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldiers. METHODS ETAP-trained noncommissioned led physical training. 1,720 Soldiers were enrolled (N = 1,136 experimental group [EXP], N = 584 control group [CON]) with injuries tracked before and after initiation of ETAP. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were analyzed and described the anatomic locations, anatomic sub-locations, onset, and injury types. McNemar tests compared the proportions of injured subjects within each group. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in the proportion of Soldiers with preventable MSIs in the EXP (pre: 213/1,136 (18.8%), post: 180/1,136 (15.8%), p = 0.041) but not in the CON. In addition, there was a significant reduction in stress fractures in the EXP (pre: 14/1,136 (1.2%), post: 5/1,136 (0.4%), p = 0.022) but no significant differences in the CON. CONCLUSION The current analysis demonstrated that ETAP reduces preventable MSIs in garrison. The capability of ETAP to reduce injuries confirms the vital role of a scientifically designed training program on force readiness and health.

Block-Periodized Training Improves Physiological and Tactically Relevant Performance in Naval Special Warfare Operators

Abstract Abt, JP, Oliver, JM, Nagai, T, Sell, TC, Lovalekar, MT, Beals, K, Wood, DE, and Lephart, SM. Block-periodized training improves physiological and tactically relevant performance in Naval Special Warfare Operators. J Strength Cond Res 30(1): 39–52, 2016—Human performance training and prevention strategies are necessary to promote physical readiness and mitigate musculoskeletal injuries of the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Operator. The purpose of this study was to measure the effectiveness of 2 training programs when performed during a training evolution of Operators. A total of 85 Operators (experimental: n = 46, age: 29.4 ± 5.5 years, height: 176.7 ± 6.4 cm, mass: 86.7 ± 11.6 kg; control: n = 39, age: 29.0 ± 6.0 years, height: 177.1 ± 6.3 cm, mass: 85.7 ± 12.5 kg) participated in a trial to measure the effectiveness of these programs to improve physical, physiological, and performance characteristics. Operators in the experimental group performed a 12-week block-periodized program, whereas those in the control group performed a nonlinear periodized program. Pretesting/posttesting was performed to assess body composition, aerobic capacity/lactate threshold, muscular strength, flexibility, landing biomechanics, postural stability, and tactically relevant performance. The experimental group demonstrated a significant loss in body fat, fat mass, and body mass compared with the control group, whereas aerobic capacity increased for the both groups. The experimental group demonstrated a significant increase in posterior shoulder flexibility and ankle dorsiflexion, whereas the control group had a significant reduction in shoulder, knee, and ankle flexibility. The experimental group also improved landing strategies and balance. Both groups improved upper and lower muscular power and upper-body muscular endurance, whereas only the experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in agility and total body muscular strength. Implementation of a population-specific training program provides structured and progressive training effectively and promotes physical readiness concurrently with tactical training without overload.