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Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) not only can be used for glycemic control in chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes), but is increasingly being utilized by individuals and athletes to monitor fluctuations in training and everyday life. However, it is not clear how accurately CGM reflects plasma glucose concentration in a healthy population in the absence of chronic diseases. In an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with forty-four healthy male subjects (25.5 ± 4.5 years), the interstitial fluid glucose (ISFG) concentration obtained by a CGM sensor was compared against finger-prick capillary plasma glucose (CPG) concentration at fasting baseline (T0) and 30 (T30), 60 (T60), 90 (T90), and 120 (T120) min post OGTT to investigate differences in measurement accuracy. The overall mean absolute relative difference (MARD) was 12.9% (95%-CI: 11.8–14.0%). Approximately 100% of the ISFG values were within zones A and B in the Consensus Error Grid, indicating clinical accuracy. A paired t-test revealed statistically significant differences between CPG and ISFG at all time points (T0: 97.3 mg/dL vs. 89.7 mg/dL, T30: 159.9 mg/dL vs. 144.3 mg/dL, T60: 134.8 mg/dL vs. 126.2 mg/dL, T90: 113.7 mg/dL vs. 99.3 mg/dL, and T120: 91.8 mg/dL vs. 82.6 mg/dL; p < 0.001) with medium to large effect sizes (d = 0.57–1.02) and with ISFG systematically under-reporting the reference system CPG. CGM sensors provide a convenient and reliable method for monitoring blood glucose in the everyday lives of healthy adults. Nonetheless, their use in clinical settings wherein implications are drawn from CGM readings should be handled carefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study assessed how exposure to slow (SBM) versus fast beat music (FBM) during high-intensity rowing intervals affects performance, heart rate (HR), lactate levels, relative perceived exertion (RPE), and recovery. Methods: The A/B crossover design involved 21 participants performing 5 × 500 m rowing intervals under two conditions: FBM and SBM. Primary endpoint was the difference in total rowing time. Secondary endpoints included average HR, average RPE as well as rowing interval times, RPE, and HR per interval. For exploratory purpose, HR and lactate drop during the initial 5 min post completion was analyzed. Results: Listening to FBM resulted in significantly shorter total rowing times (p = 0.009, rB = 0.59), especially during the 1st interval. The 1st interval was also significantly faster than intervals 2-5 (p < 0.001), with the greatest performance drop between the 1st and 2nd interval during FBM. Average HR was significantly lower when listening to SBM (p = 0.03, rB = 0.48), while average RPE showed no significant difference (p = 0.47, rB = 0.02). Lactate values after interval 5 were significantly lower in SBM (p = 0.05, rB = 0.41), but no significant difference was found for lactate drop (p = 0.21, rB = 0.21). However, participants exhibited a higher HR drop rate with SBM (p = 0.05, rB = 0.42). Conclusion: FBM improved performance without increasing RPE, while SBM proved superior for recovery. Systematic customization of music based on intended training stimuli holds broad potential for the competitive sports, fitness, and health sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paramedics work under physically and cognitively demanding conditions to provide emergency care. As physical fitness could positively impact the quality of patient care, we investigated within a pilot study whether concurrent training (CT) affects work-related performance parameters in paramedics. At baseline (T1), 16 paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation whereby resuscitation performance (RP; total resuscitation quality, compressions with correct frequency, and correct ventilation), cognitive performance (CP; reaction time, divided attention, and working memory), and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed (pre-exertion). Then, participants climbed seven floors carrying 20 kg of gear before completing the same assessments again (post-exertion). The baseline testing was followed by a CT intervention (12 weeks, three sessions/week). After the intervention (T2), the two-stage testing was repeated. We analyzed whether the pre-exertion and post-exertion values, as well as the difference between the pre-exertion and post-exertion values, changed from T1 to T2. Nine paramedics (male: N = 7; age = 26.3 (SD = 8.17) years) took part in the study. The comparison of the pre-exertion values showed significantly better reaction times (p = 0.001) and divided attention (p = 0.02) and a trend toward greater working memory and RP parameters at T2. Regarding the post-exertion values, significant improvements in working memory (p = 0.03) and a trend toward improved reaction time, divided attention, and RP occurred at T2. The difference between the pre- and post-exertion values did not change for any parameter from T1 to T2. HRV decreased significantly from pre- to post-exertion (T1: p = 0.01, T2: p = 0.01). These results indicate that CT is a promising training concept to improve RP and CP in paramedics and should therefore be investigated further to increase patient care quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insufficient physical activity (PA) is associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness, which favors cardiovascular and other noncommunicable diseases. Additionally, it evidentially affects mental health. Considering the WHO PA guidelines, CrossFit® represents a versatile exercise program that combines aerobic and resistance training with mobility and could help reduce disease incidences among sedentary people. Yet, long-term CrossFit research is sparse. We conducted a nine-month intervention (≥2 CrossFit workouts/week) in 16 beginners (14 males, 35 ± 6.8 years, 180 ± 8.6 cm, 85. 5 ± 19.1 kg). As a primary endpoint, VO2max was assessed at baseline, four, and nine months. A repeated-measures ANOVA and Pearson correlation were conducted. Well-being was investigated by the WHO-5 Index pre- and post-intervention. For exploratory purposes, body composition and heart rate recovery (HRR) were tracked. In a second step, all males were categorized into two groups based on body fat percentage and analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA again. The main outcome was an 11.5% VO2max improvement with a large effect (p < 0.01, η p 2 = 0.27). Strong negative correlations between baseline VO2max and its progression after nine months (p = 0.006, r = −0.654) were found. Well-being increased by 8.7% (p = 0.024, d = 0.51). HRR improved both at 1 min (p < 0.05, η p 2 = 0.34) and at 5 min (p < 0.05, η p 2 = 0.27) post-exercise. Resting metabolic rate increased by 2.2% (p = 0.042). Analysis by group revealed improved HRR at 1 min (p < 0.05, η p 2 = 0.62) only for the "high body fat" group. This study reveals the potential of CrossFit to enhance physiological and psychological health in beginners. For more robust results, larger sample sizes with a higher proportion of women are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the fourth and final installment in a series of articles presenting a new outlook on the methods of instructional design. These articles examine the nature of the process of instructional design and are meant to stimulate discussion about the roles of designers in the fields of instructional design, the learning sciences, and interaction design. In this article, the authors provide an authentic narrative and critique of real-world design problems addressed through practical integration of the four roles and perspectives of Role-Based Design, in addition to an outside exploration and commentary on the framework. The article concludes by reframing Role-Based Design as a contemporary perspective for evaluation of design. (Contains 1 figure.)

The Edwards Aquifer is one of the largest and most prolific artesian aquifers in the world, supplying water to agricultural industries and urban centers along the Interstate Highway 35 corridor [...]

The Comal River in central Texas begins rather abruptly, gushing forth clear water from fissures at hundreds, if not thousands, of gallons per second. This stream is unique in many [...]