Coalescent tree recording with selection for fast forward-in-time simulations

Forward simulations are increasingly important in evolutionary genetics to simulate selection with realistic demography, mating systems and ecology. To reach the performance needed for genome-wide simulations a number of new simulation techniques have been developed recently. Kelleher et al. (2018) introduced a technique consisting in recording the entire genetic history of the population and placing mutations on the coalescent tree. This method cannot model selection. I recently introduced a simulation technique that speed up fitness calculation by assuming that fitness effects among haplotypes are multiplicative (Matthey-Doret, 2021). More precisely, fitness measures are stored for subsets of the genome and, at time of reproduction, if no recombination happen within a given subset, then the fitness for this subset for the offspring haplotype is directly inferred from the parental haplotype. Here, I present a hybrid of the above two techniques. The algorithm records the genetic history of a species, directly places the mutations on the tree and infers fitness of subsets of the genome from parental haplotypes. At recombinant sites, the algorithm explores the tree to reconstruct the genetic data at the recombining segment. I benchmarked this new technique implemented in SimBit and report an important improvement of performance compared to previous techniques to simulate selection. This improvement is particularly drastic at low recombination rate. Such developments of new simulation techniques are pushing the horizon of the realism with which we can simulate species molecular evolution.

A systematic review about stablished methods and thresholds to determine velocity and accelerations in soccer

Background Velocity and accelerations have been highlighted as the most important variables in soccer. However, there is a consensus gap to define different levels of effort. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify those articles that purposed a threshold to establish (i) movement intensity at different velocities using tracking systems and (ii) accelerations using inertial measurement units, classifying the justification methods. Methods A systematic review of Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PubMed, Scielo, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Results From the 1983 studies initially identified, 40 were fully reviewed, and their outcome measures were extracted and analyzed. Conclusios: The 40 m maximal linear sprint test is the preferred method used in originating speed and acceleration thresholds in soccer despite recent research opted also to consider composite fitness measures such as anaerobic speed reserve. However, there is a substantial heterogeneity on locomotor testing procedures and workload zones established from these performance data while construct validity of several fitness indicators is not yet supported. Studies diverged on recommending, maybe consider or suggested avoid the use of individualized thresholds. Low sampling frequency (≤ 10 Hertz) in publications computing acceleration and deceleration demands should be also interpreted with caution. The present study collated evidence that may help conditioning professionals when processing and interpreting external load data in a soccer context.

Decrease of heart rate variability during exercise: an index of cardiorespiratory fitness

The present study proposes to measure and quantify the heart rate variability (HRV) changes during effort and to test the capacity of the produced indices to predict cardiorespiratory fitness measures. Therefore, the beat-to-beat cardiac time interval series of 18 adolescent athletes (15.2 +- 2.0 years) measured during maximal graded effort test were detrended using a dynamical first-order differential equation model. Heart rate variability was then calculated as the standard deviation of the detrended RR intervals within successive windows of one minute. The variation of this measure of HRV during exercise is properly adjusted by an exponential decrease of the heart rate. The amplitude and the decay rate of this exponential trend are strongly associated with maximum oxygen consumption, maximal aerobic power, and ventilatory thresholds. It indicates that among athletes with better fitness, HRV has higher values at low heart rate and decreases faster when the heart rate increases during exercise. This analysis, based only on cardiac measurements, provides a promising tool for the study of cardiac measurements generated by portable devices.

Class Year Differences in Anthropometric and Fitness Measures in Division I Field Hockey Athletes Pre and Post Season

The purpose of this study was to investigate the way in which anthropometric and fitness measures vary by class year before and after a Division I female field hockey competitive season. Anthropometric (mass and percent body fat) and fitness measures (vertical jump and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) distance) were collected on 16 athletes (mean ± SD: age = 19.5 ± 0.9 years) before and after a competitive season. Class year, based on the athlete’s year in college, was used to group athletes in the study. Body mass, vertical jump height, and Yo-Yo IR1 distance all increased pre to post season (p < 0.05). First-year athletes had a significantly lower body mass, vertical jump height and Yo-Yo IR1 distance compared to other class years across the testing period (p < 0.05). Post season levels for first-years were lower than both pre and post season levels for sophomore or junior athletes. Team mean vertical jump increased 8.9%, with all but two athletes improving. Team mean Yo-Yo IR1 distance increased 16.4%. Athlete training over the course of the study was designed to improve on field playing performance and training was not directly select to improve measures in the study; therefore, the potential success of integrating fitness, speed, and strength development into technical training sessions is indicated. Coaches should be aware that first-year athletes may not be at the same level of conditioning as sophomores and juniors. Coaches should work specifically with the first-year athletes during the season to monitor their fitness levels.

Community-Based Exercise and Lifestyle Program Improves Health Outcomes in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of Beat It—a community-based exercise and lifestyle intervention—in improving anthropometric and physical fitness outcomes in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Australians with T2DM who were aged 60 years or older were included. These individuals were enrolled in Beat It, a twice-weekly supervised group exercise and education program conducted over 8 weeks. Anthropometric measurements and physical fitness parameters were assessed at baseline and completion. Physical fitness measures were then compared to validated criterion standards of fitness levels required by older adults to remain physically independent into later life. Results: A total of 588 individuals were included in the study. At baseline, a substantial proportion of the cohort had physical fitness measures that were below the standard for healthy independent living for their gender and age. Significant improvements in waist circumference and physical fitness were observed post program and resulted in an increase in the number of participants who met the standard for healthy independent living. Conclusions: Participation in Beat It improved important health outcomes in older adults with T2DM. A longer-term follow-up is needed to determine whether these positive changes were maintained beyond the delivery of the program.

The Beneficial Effects of Cognitive Walking Program on Improving Cognitive Function and Physical Fitness in Older Adults

Exercise and cognitive training can improve the brain-related health of the elderly. We investigated the effects of a cognitive walking program (CWP) involving simultaneous performance of indoor walking and cognitive training on cognitive function and physical fitness compared to normal walking (NW) outdoors. Participants were grouped according to whether they performed regular exercise for at least 3 months prior to the participation in this study. Active participants were assigned to the CWP-active group (CWPAG). Sedentary participants were randomly assigned to the CWP (CWPSG) or NW group (NWSG). CWP and NW were performed for 60 min, 3 times a week, for 6 months. Cognitive function (attention, visuospatial function, memory, and frontal/executive function) and physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, lower extremity muscular strength, and active balance ability) were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after the program onset. Cognitive function showed improvements over time in all three groups, especially in CWPAG. No clear difference was observed between CWPSG and NWSG. Improvements in all fitness measures were also observed in all three groups. These findings collectively indicate the beneficial effects of CWP, as well as NW, on improving cognitive function and physical fitness in older adults, especially those who are physically active.

The association between prior physical fitness and depression in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic—a cross-sectional, retrospective study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a spike in deleterious mental health. This dual-center retrospective cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of depression in young adults during this pandemic and explored its association with various physical fitness measures. Methods This study enrolled 12,889 (80% female) young adults (mean age 20 ± 1) who performed a National Student Physical Fitness battery from December 1st, 2019, to January 20th, 2020, and completed a questionnaire including Beck’s Depression Inventory in May 2020. Independent associations between prior physical fitness and depression during the pandemic were assessed using multivariable linear and binary logistic regressions accordingly, covariates including age, dwelling location, economic level, smoking, alcohol, living status, weight change, and exercise volume during the pandemic. Sex- and baseline stress-stratified analyses were performed. Results Of the study population 13.9% of men and 15.0% of women sampled qualified for a diagnosis of depression. After multivariable adjustment, anaerobic (mean change 95% CI −3.3 [−4.8 to 1.8]) aerobic (−1.5 [−2.64 to −0.5]), explosive (−1.64 [−2.7 to −0.6]) and muscular (−1.7 [−3.0 to −0.5]) fitness were independently and inversely associated with depression for the overall population. These remained consistent after sex- and baseline stress-stratification. In binary logistic regression, the combined participants with moderate, high or excellent fitness also showed a much lower risk compared to those least fit in anaerobic (odd ratio (OR) 95% CI 0.68 [0.55–0.82]), aerobic (0.80 [0.68–0.91]), explosive (0.72 [0.61–0.82]), and muscular (0.66 [0.57–0.75]) fitness. Conclusions These findings suggest that prior physical fitness may be inversely associated with depression in young adults during a pandemic.

Relationship between Motor Competence, Physical Fitness, and Academic Achievement in Young School-Aged Children

Children in schools are facing many academic challenges. Moreover, there is constant pressure on children and parents to maximize academic achievement. We aimed to determine the relationship between motor competence, physical fitness, and academic achievement in young school-aged children. Participants were 130 elementary school children ( mean ± SD 8.60 ± 0.61 years; 51 boys and 79 girls) from Serbia. The KTK (Körperkoordinations Test für Kinder) battery of tests was used to assess the motor competence in children; children’ physical fitness was assessed using the EUROFIT battery of tests, while academic achievement was assessed based on the children’s GPA (grade point average) scores at the end of the school year. Pearson’s r showed the weak to moderate relationships between the GPA and motor competence and physical fitness measures. The GPA correlates positively and significantly with almost all motor competence and physical fitness measures, but negatively with BMI ( p ≤ 0.05 ). However, the hierarchical linear regression indicated only the plate tapping and sit and reach as the significant predictors of the GPA. Although both tests positively affect the GPA, the plate tapping ( B = − 0.22 , p = 0.02 ) tends to influence the GPA more than the sit and reach test ( B = 0.18 , p = 0.04 ) after adjusting for effects of motor competence ( B = 0.19 , p = 0.03 ), age ( B = − 0.01 , p = 0.89 ), and BMI ( B = − 0.19 , p = 0.03 ). This study provides evidence demonstrating that academic achievement is generally associated with physical fitness and motor competence in children. However, plate taping and sit and reach were accounted as the most important predictors for academic achievement.

Public Health Ethics in Covid-19 Scenario

Due to the pandemic, authorities of India followed public health measures to include its unfold within the India. a number of measures were imposed on public like obligatory home and institution quarantine, and social distancing. Although it being a public fitness emergency, the measures observed required crucial appraisal and use of an ethics and human rights technique. The goal of paper is to give an ethics and human rights standards to compare public fitness measures and use it to reflect on the ethical sides of these adopted through the authorities of India to consist of the unfold of pandemic. first we discuss all the measure taken for ethics in the human rights concerns for public and their fitness measures with all the emergencies. We then brief India’s social and economic conditions and some of the measures followed to include the unlock of pandemic. After that, some moral duty of some of India’s responses to pandemic. We then do evaluation to discover the measures adopted by the authorities of India to slow the spread of pandemic, the ethics and human rights issues typically given for public health responder . we analysed that some of the measures violated ethics and human rights ideas. despite the fact that a some human rights can on occasion be legitimately lowered and constrained to meet public fitness dreams at some stage in public fitness emergencies, measures that infringe on human rights have to fulfil positive way of ethics and human rights standards. Other of the ones requirements i being powerful, strictly critical, proportionate to the value of the danger, questionable in the conditions, least restrictive. We tell about India’s primary measures to fight the pandemic and tell that a variety of them fell incomplete of those criteria, and were not effective at all.

Performance on sit-to-stand tests in relation to measures of functional fitness and sarcopenia diagnosis in community-dwelling older adults

Background The sit-to-stand (STS) test has been deployed as surrogate measures of strength or physical performance in sarcopenia diagnosis. This study examines the relationship of two common STS variants – Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test (5TSTS) and 30 s Chair Stand Test (30CST) – with grip strength, muscle mass and functional measures, and their impact on sarcopenia prevalence in community-dwelling older adults. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of 887 community-dwelling adults aged ≥50 years. Participants completed a battery of physical fitness tests - 5TSTS, 30CST, grip strength, gait speed, Timed-Up-and-Go (TUG) for dynamic balance and six-minute walk test (6MWT) for cardiorespiratory endurance. Muscle mass was measured using multi-frequency segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). We performed correlation analysis between STS performance and other fitness measures and muscle mass, followed by multiple linear regression for the independent determinants of STS performance. Results Mean participant age was 67.3±7 years, with female predominance (72.9%). STS tests exhibited weak correlations with grip strength (30CST, r = 0.290; 5TSTS, r = − 0.242; both p< 0.01), and stronger correlations with gait speed (30CST, r = 0.517; 5TSTS, r = − 0.533; both p< 0.01), endurance (30CST, r = 0.558; 5TSTS, r = − 0.531; both p < 0.01) and dynamic balance (30CST, r = − 0.501; 5TSTS, r = 0.646; both p< 0.01). Muscle mass correlated with grip strength but not STS. In multiple regression analysis, all fitness measures were independently associated with 30CST performance. Performance in both STS tests remained independent of muscle mass. There was no significant difference in prevalence of possible sarcopenia diagnosis using grip strength or STS (30CST, 25.0%; 5TSTS, 22.1%; grip strength, 22.3%; p = 0.276). When both measures are used, prevalence is significantly higher (42.0%; p = 0.276). Prevalence of confirmed sarcopenia with inclusion of muscle mass was significantly lower using STS compared with grip strength (30CST, 4.6%; 5TSTS, 4.1% vs. grip strength, 7.1%; p< 0.05). Conclusion In the sarcopenia construct, STS tests better represents muscle physical performance rather than muscle strength. Different subsets of population with possible sarcopenia are identified depending on the test used. The lack of association of STS performance with muscle mass results in a lower prevalence of confirmed sarcopenia compared with grip strength, but may better reflect changes in muscle quality.