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Effects of warm-up intensity on 5 km performance & blood lactate response
Get PDFRunning a 5 km race has grown increasingly popular and recreational runners are continuously seeking proper warm-up routines for optimal performance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of varying warm-up protocols on performance variables during a simulated 5 km race. METHODS: Ten male recreational runners (VO2 max: 49.41 - 6.2 ml/kg/min) participated in a total of three laboratory sessions. The first session consisted of baseline testing where height, weight, body composition, and VO2 max were evaluated. Following the baseline testing, each subject returned for two trials, with either a high intensity warm-up (HIWU) or moderate intensity warm-up (MIWU). The order of the warm-up protocols was randomized. The HIWU consisted of a 10 min jog at 50% of vVO2 max, followed by 5 min of 30 s intermittent sprints at the individual's vVO2 max. The MIWU protocol consisted of a 15 min jog at 50% of vVO2 max. Following the warm-up, subjects began the 5 km on the treadmill. Blood lactate (La-) was taken at each km of the run. Heart rate (HR) was also recorded throughout each trial. RESULTS: The mean HR was significantly higher throughout the 5 km following the HIWU (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the variation in intensity between the two warm-up procedures may not have been large enough to elicit a change in performance time. An increase in intensity should increase the metabolic demand which may better prepare runners for the race.Student Showcase of Excellence 201
First year seminar readings
Get PDFThis book is an Open Educational Resource (OER). The material in this book was built using material from other openly licensed material as well as material created by the Fall 2017 First Year Seminar Fellows at Plymouth State University. It was designed specifically for Plymouth State University’s First Year Seminar with each section representing one of the six goals of the course.
This work can also be found on the Pressbooks platform at psufys.pressbooks.com/Contents
About This Book vii
Introduction 1
Part I. General Education
1. Why General Education? 5
2. Habits of Mind 7
3. Why Gen Ed: The Employer's Perspective 9
4. Gen Ed at PSU 11
5. Overview: Components of PSU's Gen Ed Program 13
6. Description of Components: First Year Experience 15
7. Description of Components: Directions 19
8. Description of Components: Connections 23
9. Resources 27
Part II. Interdisciplinary, Integrative, Integrated
10. Interdisciplinary Thinking 31
11. Integrative Learning 33
12. Integrated Clusters 35
13. Resources 39
Part III. Thinking
14. Critical Thinking 43
15. Design Thinking 45
16. Wicked Problems and Thinking 47
17. Resources 49
Part IV. Focus on Problems
18. Wicked Problems 53
19. Problem-Based Learning 55
20. Resources 57
Part V. Open Labs and Collaborative Learning
21. Open Labs 61
22. Collaborative Learning 63
23. Resources 65
Part VI. Information Literacy
24. What is Information Literacy? 69
25. Four Moves and a Habit 71
26. The 5 Ws 75
27. Ethical Use of Information 81
28. Resources 9
Start a movement!
Get PDFThe Start A Movement cluster project was submitted to the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cluster by Denise Normandin, a Plymouth State University staff member and graduate degree candidate ‘17 in Personal and Organizational Wellness from the Department of Counselor Education and School Psychology. Physical inactivity significantly increases the risk of chronic disease. There is abundant data on health promotion and the promotion of physical activity for overall health and well-being. Initiatives to increase social support for physical activity within organizations and communities, including school sites and worksites can effectively promote physical activity. Social support in community settings is an example of a strategy that capitalizes on social networks to reinforce physical activity behavior. Behavioral and social approaches include creation of buddy systems, behavioral contracts between participants and program leaders. Low levels of physical activity among young adults remains a serious nationwide problem, with 69% of Americans 18 to 24 years of age failing to meet the federal guidelines for physical activity in 2014 (National Center for Health Statistics, 2015). However, there is insufficient knowledge about why online networks might be effective sources of social influence for improving physical activity levels, which is why this project/study is very timely and relevant.Student Showcase of Excellence 201
An investigation of genetic diversity in CTGF and the CCN gene family
Get PDFOrgan fibrosis is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in the United States, and there are no FDA-approved treatments for it. It is characterized by thickening and scarring of tissues and is a shared endpoint of many common conditions that affect the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and skin. Fibrosis develops during the wound healing process due to the excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins by fibroblast cells. Organ fibrosis impairs tissue function and can lead to organ failure. There is no evidence that fibrosis in humans can be reversed once it has occurred, so its prevention may be the only reliable method of reducing fibrosis-related morbidity and mortality. Additionally, fibrosis risk is variable within the population and methods of identifying those in need of treatment will be required. The connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene is overexpressed during fibrosis in many organs, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene's promoter have been identified as risk factors for fibrotic disease. Reducing expression of CTGF has been proposed as a method of decreasing fibrosis risk or severity. CTGF belongs to the CCN family of genes that influence fibrosis-related cellular functions, and several are associated with fibrotic diseases. However, the fibrosis-related effects of coding SNPs in CTGF or other CCN genes have not been reported. We used targeted resequencing, population genetics, and in silico analyses to discover and investigate the potential role of nonsynonymous SNPs in CTGF and other CCN family genes. In our sample population from Plymouth State University, we identified 17 CTGF SNPs. Six of the SNPs were novel, suggesting the published list of variants is not comprehensive. One SNP, G1355T, was common in our population and associated with a decreased family history score for cardiovascular disease. In our in silico analyses, we categorized the nonsynonymous SNPs from our sample population and all published CCN SNPs into risk categories. Five of the SNPs identified in our sample population were categorized as high-risk including the G1355T SNP. Of the 872 published SNPs in CCN family genes, 174 were classified as high-risk, and 26 were predicted to be at greatest risk of significantly impacting CCN protein structure or function. The highest-risk SNPs, base changes that occur in functional protein regions, and SNPs already associated with disease are excellent targets for in vitro or large-scale studies. The identification of SNPs that alter one's risk of developing fibrosis could be used in the future to identify those most likely to benefit from anti-fibrotic treatments.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Evaluating PSU's community forests: Langdon Woods and Fox Park
No full textLangdon Woods and Fox Park are two community forests located on the Plymouth State University campus which provide numerous ecosystem services for students and residents. The goal of this project is to evaluate these services and propose future courses of action which will improve and protect these areas. We are also working with the ES&P Seminar class to achieve Tree Campus USA status for PSU. Langdon Woods borders the Baker River and is located on its floodplain. This area has walking and biking trails and is used by a variety of PSU's ES&P and Adventure Education classes. We will examine the possibility of putting Langdon Woods into a conservation easement. We will also work with Angel Ekstrom, who has proposed a cluster project to further develop mountain biking trails in Langdon Woods and Fox Park. Our group will utilize both iTree canopy and iTree design to get an idea of the tree species composition, canopy cover, potential economic value, etc. Also, we will work in GIS to develop analyze these areas and produce maps. We have access to the wildlife management plan and will use this to evaluate the animal species present and their conservation status.Student Showcase of Excellence 201
The utility of modeling water quality: finding the best practices for the Squam Watershed, New Hampshire
Get PDFWatershed planning involves identifying pollutants and developing management strategies to reduce impacts of pollutant loading. Current federal and state guidelines for watershed planning focus on using simple models to determine pollutant loads and estimate the benefits from implementing management strategies. These models often use simple assumptions and readily available information to make predictions about phosphorus loading to receiving water at the watershed level. This study examines two water quality models applied to the Squam Watershed in New Hampshire-one simple, one complex-and investigates the usefulness of these models for watershed planning and management. Both models provide reasonable estimates of annual phosphorus yields in Squam Watershed subbasins. However, results indicate that the simple model-STEPL (Spreadsheet Tool for Estimating Pollutant Loads)-lacks the complexity to be useful in predicting watershed dynamics. The more complex, and data intensive, model-SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)-also provides reasonable estimates of annual yield. However, without sufficient data for calibration and validation, SW AT does not provide a full understanding of the dynamics of phosphorus loading. These models are widely used and acceptable for meeting state and federal requirements for watershed planning for determining annual pollutant loads, but do little to target how, where, and when a pollutant such as phosphorus moves through the watershed. It is recommended further study of tributary phosphorus concentrations and flow accompany modeling for watershed planning.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Educational leaders' health and well-being: an exploratory study of self-reported health and well-being of K-12 leaders
Get PDFEducational leaders are increasingly called upon to incorporate leadership on health and wellness into the already challenging work of leading complex organizations. However, little current research is available on educational leaders' own health and well-being. This research study used a mixed methods design with analysis of survey research data and semi-structured interviews with educational leaders to understand how K-12 educational leaders report their own health and well-being on measures of self-reported health (SRH), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and well-being (SWB), and how leaders ' perceptions of their health and well-being shapes their leadership.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Plasma volume adaptations to high versus moderate intensity exercise interventions in sedentary individuals
Get PDFThe purpose of the study was to determine how an aerobic moderate intensity (AE/mod) versus an anaerobic high intensity interval training (AnE/HIIT) intervention affected plasma volume and VO2max in sedentary individuals. METHODS: Subjects were 11 sedentary males and females (21 ± 1.3 yr) who were randomly divided into two groups. The AE/mod group consisted of five subjects and the AnE/HITT group consisted of six subjects. Each subject attended a pre- and post-intervention session where a VO2peak test was completed on a cycle ergometer and resting blood samples were collected via capillary puncture for plasma volume analysis. Between testing, the subjects completed a three week exercise intervention on stationary cycle ergometers. During each session, the AE/mod group cycled for 20 min at 60-70% of W at VO2peak. The AnE/HIIT group completed intervals of 30 s at 80-90% of W at VO2peak with rest periods of 120 s at 35-45% of W at VO2peak. Both groups had a total work time of 30 min which included a 5 min warm up and cool down at 40-50% of W at VO2peak. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the pre- and post-testing in plasma volume or VO2peak for the AE/mod or AnE/HIIT group. CONCLUSION: The researchers suggest that a reason no significant differences were found was due to the length of the intervention. The study could set a foundation for future researchers to examine how plasma volume and VO2peak are affected by different exercise interventions in sedentary individuals utilizing a longer intervention.Student Showcase of Excellence 201
Effects of storm flows on phosphorus concentrations in a forested New Hampshire stream
Get PDFAs the primary limiting nutrient in the freshwater aquatic ecosystems, excessive concentration of phosphorus (P) in streams and lakes can lead to eutrophication. Variations in bioavailability and solubility across P species inhibit inferences about downstream impacts of loading based on total P (TP) values alone, especially during heavy rain events when multiple sources are likely. To better understand storm contributions of P, this study measures hourly variability of TP, total dissolved P (TDP), total particulate P (TPP), dissolved organic P (DOP), and soluble reactive P (SRP) during three extended rain events at Livermore Cove Brook, a stream that feeds oligotrophic Squam Lake, New Hampshire, USA. The three events have different hydrological characteristics, with runoff ratios ranging from 0.08 to 0.19, corresponding to P loading. The maximum concentrations of TP during Events 1, 2 and 3 are 453.7, 45.0 and 83.7 �?g L-1, respectively. P levels in the stream responded quickly to the onset of each rain event, remaining high for only few hours during peak flow and subsiding as flows decreased. The hysteresis of different P species with unit discharge (UD) and percent of new water (%NW) in the stream reveals the evolution of P loading during storms. The concentrations of TP, TDP, TPP, DOP and SRP were higher on the rising limb of hydrograph than on the falling limb, with clockwise hysteresis in UD and %NW. Unlike the hystereses of TPP and DOP, the hysteresis of SRP looked different suggesting that SRP was from different source. TPP and DOP peaked an hour before the peak of UD and %NW suggesting that they were quickly mobilized and their sources were nearby stream, whereas SRP peaked an hour after the peak of UD and %NW suggesting that the SRP was slowly mobilized and its source was farther away from the stream. DOP was the dominant species of P in streamwater. Data suggested that there was large pool of DOP in base flow and nearby stream under the ground. Among the three events, Event 1 has the highest stream TP yield, 0.0075 kg ha-1. These results show that storms can create episodic peak loads of P, especially with high intensity precipitation. This is useful for managing P in streams and understanding the relationship between different P species, stream flows and storm events in New England.Electronic Thesis or Dissertatio
Habitat restoration through permaculture and agroforestry in southern Belize
No full textOne of the major benefits of permaculture and agroforestry is the restoration of complex habitat while still providing calories for human consumption. The Maya Mountain Research Farm in Southern Belize consists of 32ha of former cattle pasture and citrus orchard now used for permaculture and agroforestry, hosting a diverse polyculture of dozens of fruit-bearing tree and shrub species and about half a dozen timber tree species, all interspersed with dynamic patches of banana and maize. Spread out along the farm's habitat mosaic, 17 point count stations were repeated three times, as well as 21 forest interior stations done once. Point counts were 10-minute unlimited radius recording all birds seen or heard. At each point count station, several vegetation characteristics were also recorded. In total, 94 bird species were detected on the farm (71 resident, 23 migrant), and 49 species were detected in the forest interior (41 resident, 8 migrant). Time prevented repeating forest interior counts, making the comparison less robust, but the higher percentage of migrants and overall diversity on the farm suggests it is valuable habitat. Overall, MMRF exemplifies how implementing permacultural practices can restore degraded land into complex habitat while also providing sustainable resources for human consumption.Student Showcase of Excellence 201