In this research work different textile materials were buried in soil and their biodegrading pattern will be studied after different specific period of times. / Program: Master Programme in Textile Technology

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INTRODUÇÃO - A obesidade exógena resulta de hábitos alimentares inadequados e é agravada pelo sedentarismo. Tornou-se um problema de saúde pública em nossa sociedade, afetando também os adolescentes. OBJETIVO - Criar um instrumento simples, capaz de avaliar em adolescentes o impacto de um programa de treinamento, predominantemente aeróbio, a partir da realização de atividades de moderada intensidade, com consequente melhora do condicionamento físico. MÉTODO - Realizou-se um estudo de intervenção com uma amostra de conveniência sequencial. A amostra final foi composta por 28 adolescentes de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 14 e 18 anos, estudantes, residentes na cidade de São Paulo e pacientes do ambulatório de adolescentes do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, com índice de massa corporal (IMC) acima do terceiro quartil (Q3), segundo o CDC-2000. Todos os adolescentes foram submetidos à avaliação médica e a teste ergoespirométrico em esteira (antes e após a realização dos exercícios físicos). Eles participaram de um programa de treinamento predominantemente aeróbio por um período de 24 semanas e percorriam três vezes por semana uma distância programada, durante um período de tempo de 60 minutos, em que a frequência cardíaca e a percepção de esforço foram avaliadas. O grau de esforço atingido durante o programa não ultrapassou o nível cansativo, segundo a escala de Borg. O desempenho de cada adolescente foi comparado antes e após o programa de treinamento, sob as mesmas condições. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados por meio do teste t pareado ( 5%). Os dados que não apresentaram distribuição normal foram analisados por meio do teste Wilcoxon. Os parâmetros medidos foram: IMC, VO2máx, tempo gasto para realizar o teste ergoespirométrico em esteira, velocidade máxima atingida no teste em esteira e tempo para percorrer a distância de 1 km no esforço máximo. RESULTADOS - O desempenho antes e depois do teste mostrou uma melhora no escore Z médio de IMC (1,7;1,2 P < 0,0001), VO2 máx (35,3 ; 44,2 P < 0,0001), tempo gasto para completar o teste ergoespirométrico em esteira rolante (705,4 ; 1024,3 P < 0,0001), velocidade máxima atingida durante o teste ergoespirométrico (9,6 ; 13,2 P < 0,0001) e tempo para percorrer a distância de 1 km no esforço máximo (640,9 ; 464,9 P < 0,0001). CONCLUSÕES - O treinamento aplicado mostrou-se eficaz para a redução do excesso de peso e melhorou o condicionamento aeróbio dos adolescentes. É possível montar um programa de condicionamento físico, predominantemente aeróbio, sem atingir o grau cansativo com resultados que evidenciam uma melhora significativa do condicionamento físico e do estado nutricional / INTRODUCTION - Exogenous obesity stems from inadequate dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. It has become a public health issue in our society today also, affecting adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple implement for adolescents to evaluate the impact of a training program, predominantly aerobic, by way of moderate intensity physical activities, and consequently improve their physical conditioning. METHODS - A prospective study with a sequential convenience sample was carried out. The group was composed of 28 adolescents of both genders aged between 14 and 18 years old, students residents of Sao Paulo, patients at the Adolescent Ambulatory Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, and with body mass index (BMI) above the third quartile (Q3) of BMI according to CDC-2000. All of the adolescents were submitted to a medical evolution and to ergoespirometric test on a treadmill before and after the program. After that, they participated into a predominantly aerobic training program for a period of 24 weeks. They had to cover a preset distance, three times per week, for a time period of 60 minutes. Cardiac frequency and perceived exertion on the Borg scale were evaluated. The performance of each individual was compared before and after the training program under the same conditions. The results obtained were analyzed by way of the paired t test ( 5%). The cases that did not present normal distribution were analyzed through the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The parameters measured were: BMI, VO2 max., time taken to perform the ergoespirometric test on a treadmill, maximum velocity attained on the treadmill test, and time taken to cover a distance of one Km with maximum physical effort. RESULTS- The performance before and after the test showed an improvement in the mean Z score for: BMI ( 1.7 1.2 P < 0.0001 ); VO2 max ( 35.3 44.2 P< 0.0001); time taken to complete ergoespirometric test on a treadmill ( 705.4 1024.3 P< 0.0001 );maximum velocity attained during treadmill test ( 9.6 13.2 P < 0.0001 ) ; time taken to cover a distance of one km with maximum effort (640.9; - 464.9 - P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS - The implement proposed was proven to be effective for the reduction of excess weight and improve the aerobic conditioning of the adolescents. It is possible to compile a physical conditioning program, predominantly aerobic, without attaining physical exertion and to obtain results that evidence a significant improvement of the physical conditioning and nutritional state

INTRODUÇÃO - A obesidade exógena resulta de hábitos alimentares inadequados e é agravada pelo sedentarismo. Tornou-se um problema de saúde pública em nossa sociedade, afetando também os adolescentes. OBJETIVO - Criar um instrumento simples, capaz de avaliar em adolescentes o impacto de um programa de treinamento, predominantemente aeróbio, a partir da realização de atividades de moderada intensidade, com consequente melhora do condicionamento físico. MÉTODO - Realizou-se um estudo de intervenção com uma amostra de conveniência sequencial. A amostra final foi composta por 28 adolescentes de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 14 e 18 anos, estudantes, residentes na cidade de São Paulo e pacientes do ambulatório de adolescentes do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, com índice de massa corporal (IMC) acima do terceiro quartil (Q3), segundo o CDC-2000. Todos os adolescentes foram submetidos à avaliação médica e a teste ergoespirométrico em esteira (antes e após a realização dos exercícios físicos). Eles participaram de um programa de treinamento predominantemente aeróbio por um período de 24 semanas e percorriam três vezes por semana uma distância programada, durante um período de tempo de 60 minutos, em que a frequência cardíaca e a percepção de esforço foram avaliadas. O grau de esforço atingido durante o programa não ultrapassou o nível cansativo, segundo a escala de Borg. O desempenho de cada adolescente foi comparado antes e após o programa de treinamento, sob as mesmas condições. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados por meio do teste t pareado ( 5%). Os dados que não apresentaram distribuição normal foram analisados por meio do teste Wilcoxon. Os parâmetros medidos foram: IMC, VO2máx, tempo gasto para realizar o teste ergoespirométrico em esteira, velocidade máxima atingida no teste em esteira e tempo para percorrer a distância de 1 km no esforço máximo. RESULTADOS - O desempenho antes e depois do teste mostrou uma melhora no escore Z médio de IMC (1,7;1,2 P < 0,0001), VO2 máx (35,3 ; 44,2 P < 0,0001), tempo gasto para completar o teste ergoespirométrico em esteira rolante (705,4 ; 1024,3 P < 0,0001), velocidade máxima atingida durante o teste ergoespirométrico (9,6 ; 13,2 P < 0,0001) e tempo para percorrer a distância de 1 km no esforço máximo (640,9 ; 464,9 P < 0,0001). CONCLUSÕES - O treinamento aplicado mostrou-se eficaz para a redução do excesso de peso e melhorou o condicionamento aeróbio dos adolescentes. É possível montar um programa de condicionamento físico, predominantemente aeróbio, sem atingir o grau cansativo com resultados que evidenciam uma melhora significativa do condicionamento físico e do estado nutricional / INTRODUCTION - Exogenous obesity stems from inadequate dietary habits and a sedentary lifestyle. It has become a public health issue in our society today also, affecting adolescents. OBJECTIVE: To develop a simple implement for adolescents to evaluate the impact of a training program, predominantly aerobic, by way of moderate intensity physical activities, and consequently improve their physical conditioning. METHODS - A prospective study with a sequential convenience sample was carried out. The group was composed of 28 adolescents of both genders aged between 14 and 18 years old, students residents of Sao Paulo, patients at the Adolescent Ambulatory Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, and with body mass index (BMI) above the third quartile (Q3) of BMI according to CDC-2000. All of the adolescents were submitted to a medical evolution and to ergoespirometric test on a treadmill before and after the program. After that, they participated into a predominantly aerobic training program for a period of 24 weeks. They had to cover a preset distance, three times per week, for a time period of 60 minutes. Cardiac frequency and perceived exertion on the Borg scale were evaluated. The performance of each individual was compared before and after the training program under the same conditions. The results obtained were analyzed by way of the paired t test ( 5%). The cases that did not present normal distribution were analyzed through the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The parameters measured were: BMI, VO2 max., time taken to perform the ergoespirometric test on a treadmill, maximum velocity attained on the treadmill test, and time taken to cover a distance of one Km with maximum physical effort. RESULTS- The performance before and after the test showed an improvement in the mean Z score for: BMI ( 1.7 1.2 P < 0.0001 ); VO2 max ( 35.3 44.2 P< 0.0001); time taken to complete ergoespirometric test on a treadmill ( 705.4 1024.3 P< 0.0001 );maximum velocity attained during treadmill test ( 9.6 13.2 P < 0.0001 ) ; time taken to cover a distance of one km with maximum effort (640.9; - 464.9 - P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS - The implement proposed was proven to be effective for the reduction of excess weight and improve the aerobic conditioning of the adolescents. It is possible to compile a physical conditioning program, predominantly aerobic, without attaining physical exertion and to obtain results that evidence a significant improvement of the physical conditioning and nutritional state

The present study evaluated direct and indirect associations between aerobic fitness, executive control, and emotion regulation among a sample of children aged 8-12 years. To evaluate these associations, the study employed a cross-sectional design and full-information maximum likelihood (FIML) structural equation modeling. Although the hypothesized factor analytic model failed to converge, an alternative exploratory model allowed for the evaluation of associations between primary study variables. Results supported a moderate direct association between childhood aerobic fitness and executive control, a strong direct negative association between executive control and emotion regulation, and a moderate indirect association between aerobic fitness and emotion regulation through executive control. These findings provide preliminary evidence that executive control functions as a mediator between aerobic fitness and emotion regulation and may help explain the means by which aerobic exercise exerts its influence on emotional wellbeing among preadolescent children.

It has been shown that a high level of aerobic fitness is important for athletes participating in intermittent (team) sports. The majority of studies investigating the effects of traditional and sport-specific aerobic interval exercise on physiological measures and performance have involved field-based team sports. In some instances the effectiveness of sport-specific aerobic training has been questioned. To date, no study has investigated the influence of a sport-specific training approach in the sport of basketball. Purpose: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a basketball specific endurance circuit on improving measures of aerobic fitness. Methods: Ten male high school basketball players, age 16.4 ± 1.2 years, ranked by fitness level and randomly assigned to a training group (N = 6) or control group (N = 4) participated in the study. The sport-specific aerobic endurance training replaced the fitness component of regular training and was performed during the competitive season. The sport-specific training consisted of interval training using a basketball specific endurance circuit, four times 4 min at 90-95% HRpeak with a 3 min recovery at 60-70% HRpeak, twice per week for 6 weeks. During this time the control group performed regular basketball training. Results: For both the training and control groups the actual mean training intensity for total training duration were 77.4 ± 2.9% HRpeak and 74.1 ± 6.7% HRpeak, respectively. The actual mean training intensity during the work intervals in the training group was 84.1 ± 2.3% HRpeak. There were no clear differences between effects of the two training approaches for measures of maximal oxygen uptake (3.3%; 90% confidence limits, ± 19.3%), running economy (-3.3%; 90% confidence limits, ± 14.2%), repeated sprint ability (0.6%; 90% confidence limits, ± 5.7%) and anaerobic power maintenance during the repeated sprints (-13.7%; 90% confidence limits, ± 49.0%). However, a clear non-trivial effect on sub-maximal heart rate was observed (-7.3%; 90% confidence limits, ± 2.0%) suggesting a beneficial training effect after training. Some evidence for attenuation of speed (-1.8 to -2.8%; 90% confidence limits, ± 3.4 to 5.7%) and power (-1.7%; 90% confidence limits, ± 17.1%) was apparent. Conclusion: Although clear changes in sub-maximal HR responses were observed in the training group, the data in the present study suggests that a basketball specific endurance circuit has little effect on other laboratory and field-based measures of aerobic fitness. In fact, the basketball specific endurance circuit may lead to reduced improvements in jumping and sprinting performances. Further research is required to clarify the effect of aerobic training approaches on basketball-specific fitness and performance.

The investigations described in this thesis were conducted in order to increase the understanding of the relationships between physical activity, aerobic fitness, body composition, asthma, and asthma severity in children and adolescents. This was largely achieved by examining the aforementioned factors in a sizeable population of Melbourne school children and adolescents. However, during the course of the school-based testing, it became apparent that the severe asthmatic category was under-represented, typical of the current literature. Thus, effort was also directed at addressing this knowledge gap by examining a severely asthmatic cohort in a laboratory-based setting. The outcomes generated by these investigations can be summarised as follows: 1) In ‘school-tested’ youth aged 10 to 14 years, prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 19.1% and 4.0%, respectively. Approximately 16% of participants also suffered from asthma. These rates appear to be representative of similarly aged children and adolescents within Australia. The latter observation also adds weight to the view that asthma prevalence has attenuated in recent years. In addition, overweight and obesity were more prevalent in asthmatics than non-asthmatics, supporting the proposed notion of an asthma-obesity association. 2) Asthmatic and non-asthmatic young people had comparable aerobic fitness and daily physical activity levels and the severity of disease did not influence aerobic fitness nor involvement in physical activity. Males possessed greater aerobic fitness and physical activity levels and had a lower percentage body fat compared to age-matched females, independent of asthma status (i.e. asthmatic or non-asthmatic). 3) There was a significant inverse relationship between aerobic fitness and markers of increased body fat among non-asthmatic children and adolescents, even after corrections to aerobic fitness were made for fat free mass. Differences in daily physical activity could only partially explain this association. In fact, the current findings suggest that decreased levels of daily physical activity are not the cause of the increased overweight/obesity prevalence among this sample, and that physical activity lacks a strong link to paediatric overweight/obesity in this population. These findings were also present in asthmatic youth. 4) Severely asthmatic youth, premedicated with bronchodilator, had aerobic fitness levels comparable to their non-asthmatic and less severe asthmatic peers. This finding indicates that severely asthmatic youngsters should be able to train at work intensities sufficient to bring about improvements in cardio-respiratory fitness without any added functional limitation due to their condition. In addition, a state of well-controlled asthma (as were the severe asthmatics in this study) afforded the participants the ability to engage in similar levels of physical activity as their non-asthmatic or less severe asthmatic peers. In agreement with data from the ‘school-tested’ asthmatics, a significantly greater proportion of severely asthmatic participants were overweight or obese in comparison to their non-asthmatic peers. These findings (i) highlight the association between aerobic fitness and overweight/obesity; (ii) suggested that decreased levels of daily physical activity were not associated with the increased overweight/obesity prevalence in a youth sample within Australia; (iii) emphasize that well-controlled asthmatic young people can undertake levels of physical activity and achieve cardio-respiratory fitness similar to that of their non-asthmatic peers, independent of asthma severity, and; (iv) indicated that asthma is either a risk factor for overweight and obesity or that overweight and obesity may precede asthma.

Graduation date: 1995

Regular aerobic exercise may reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in part by lowering the concentration of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP). While studies in diseased populations have shown significant decreases in CRP concentrations with regular aerobic training, little has been conclusively determined regarding the effects of aerobic training on CRP concentrations in apparently healthy, untrained populations who may not be adequately screened for CVD risk by traditional methods. PURPOSE: To examine the effects of a 17-wk half marathon training program (TP) on CRP concentrations, aerobic fitness, and body composition in apparently healthy, untrained men. METHODS: Twenty men (29.3 ± 1.0 yr, 37.0 ± 1.6 mL•kg-1•min-1 VO2max, 29.1 ± 1.8% body fat) registered as training subjects (TRN) in a 17-wk half marathon TP. An additional 22 men (27.8 ± 1.4 yr, 38.8 ± 1.0 mL•kg-1•min-1 VO2max, 26.8 ± 1.4% BF) served as controls (CON). Fasting blood samples were taken at four time points over the TP and were analyzed for CRP and interleukin-6 (IL-6) concentrations. Aerobic capacity (VO2max) and body fat (BF%) were measured before and after the TP. RESULTS: No significant changes in CRP (P=0.69) or IL-6 concentrations (P=0.73) were seen in TRN as a result of the TP despite significant improvements in VO2max (42.2 ± 1.9 ml•kg-1•min-1, P<0.0001), resting heart rate (P =0.004), BF% (P =0.03) and BMI (P =0.05). No significant changes in CRP, aerobic fitness, BMI or BF% were detected in CON over time. CONCLUSION: Moderate, long-term aerobic training does not appear to affect CRP concentrations in apparently healthy, untrained men despite significant improvements in BW, BF%, BMI, and VO2max.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 can compromise pulmonary function at all stages of the disease. The present study examined whether there were differences in resting and exercising pulmonary function among sedentary, resistance-trained and aerobically-trained, early symptomatic, HIV-1+ men. Forty five subjects, 15 per group, were enrolled. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed differences in demographics for age [F (2, 42) = 5.14, p<0.01)], weight [F (2, 42) = 4.84, p<0.01)], body mass index [F (2, 42) = 9.50, p<0.01)] and average years HIV-1+ [F (2, 42) = 4.78, p<0.01)]. A multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed differences in resting pulmonary function [F (8, 72) = 7.164, P = 0.01]. Univariate ANOVA's and Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons showed the aerobically-trained group had higher forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) than the resistance-trained and sedentary groups (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively), higher forced vital capacity (FVC) (p<0.01, for both), higher maximum voluntary ventilation (p<0.01, for both) and higher FEV1/FVC ratios than the sedentary group only (p<0.01). The resistance-trained group also showed higher FEV1 (p<0.01) and FEV1/FVC (p<0.01) than the sedentary group. For exercising pulmonary function, significant differences in our MANCOVA were found [F (12, 68) = 12.73, P = 0.001]. Univariate ANOVA's and Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons showed that the aerobically-trained group had higher dyspnea index than the resistance-trained and sedentary groups (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), higher ventilatory efficiency (RR/VE max) than the resistance-trained and sedentary groups (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively), higher maximum minute ventilation (VE max) (p<0.01, for both), higher peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2) (p<0.01, for both) and lower dead space (VD/VT) (p<0.01, for both). The resistance-trained group also showed higher peak VO2 (p<0.01), lower VD/VT (p<0.01) and lower RR/VE max (p<0.01) than the sedentary group. Results suggest that aerobically-trained, and to a lesser extent, resistance-trained seropositives possessed superior resting and exercising pulmonary function compared to sedentary seropositive males.