Endurance can be defined as the ability to maintain or to repeat a given force or power output. The sport performance-endurance relationship is a multi-factorial concept. However, evidence indicates that maximum strength is a major component. Conceptually, endurance is a continuum. The literature indicates that (a) maximum strength is moderately to strongly related to endurance capabilities and associated factors, a relationship that is likely stronger for high intensity exercise endurance (HIEE) activities than for low intensity exercise endurance (LIEE); (b) strength training can increase both HIEE and LIEE, the effect being greater for HIEE; (c) the volume of strength training plays a role in endurance adaptation; and (d) mechanical specificity and training program variables also play a role in the degree of adaptation..

This thesis is missing page 63 from all copies. -Digitization Centre / Manipulating carbohydrate (CHO) availability has been shown to alter acute exercise-induced changes in metabolic gene transcription and training-induced changes in oxidative capacity. The present study examined the effect of CHO availability on signalling pathways linked to mitochondrial biogenesis in response to high-intensity interval exercise (HIE). We hypothesized that reduced CHO availability would augment phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38) in response to HIE. Ten active men performed two experimental trials in random order, separated by 2:1 wk. During each trial, subjects performed two HIE sessions separated by 3 h (AM and PM sessions). Exercise sessions consisted of 5 x 4 min cycling bouts at a workload that elicited approximately 90% V02peak, with 2 min rest periods. Between sessions, subjects ingested -1.2 g CHO/kg b.w./h (HI-HI) or a taste-matched, non-energetic placebo (HI-LO). Muscle biopsies and blood samples were obtained before (Pre) and after (Post) the AM and PM HIE sessions. AMPK, CaMKII, and p38 MAPK phosphorylation increased from AM Pre to AM Post (p<0.01). During the PM exercise session, p38 phosphorylation increased in the HI-LO condition (-4.5-fold, p<0.001), whereas the HI-HI condition remained unchanged. PM HIE significantly increased CaMKII phosphorylation independent of condition, while no exercise or condition-mediated AMPK effects were observed. In summary, restricting CHO availability following an acute session of HIE augmented the exercise-induced increase in p38 phosphorylation during a subsequent HIE session. It remains to be determined whether chronic changes in p38 MAPK signalling are mechanistically linked to altered skeletal muscle remodelling observed after CHO-restricted exercise training. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

Yes / The application of photoelectrochemical methods presents the researcher with a powerful set of versatile tools by which photoactive materials, such as semiconductor quantum dots, at conductive interfaces may be interrogated. While the range of photoelectrochemical techniques available is quite large, it is surprising that very few have found their way into common usage within the nanoparticle community. Here a number of photoelectrochemical techniques and the principles upon which they are based are introduced. A short discussion on the criticality of ensuring the nanoparticles are reliably anchored to the substrate is followed by an introduction to the basic set of equipment required in order to enable the investigator to undertake such experiments. Subsequently the four techniques of transient photocurrent response to square wave illumination, photocurrent spectroscopy, intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS) and intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS) are introduced. Finally, the information that can be acquired using such techniques is provided with emphasis being placed on a number of case studies exemplifying the application of photoelectrochemical techniques to nanoparticles at interfaces, in particular optically transparent electrodes.

Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / Consensus methods require that the techniques have no bias and have skill. The accuracy of six statistical and dynamical model tropical cyclone intensity guidance techniques was examined for western North Pacific tropical cyclones during the 2003 and 2004 seasons using the climatology and persistence technique called ST5D as a measure of skill. A framework of three phases: (i) initial intensification; (ii) maximum intensity with possible decay/reintensification cycles; and (iii) decay was used to examine the skill. During both the formation and intensification stages, only about 60% of the 24-36 h forecasts were within +/- 10 kt, and the predominant tendency was to under-forecast the intensity. None of the guidance techniques predicted rapid intensification well. All of the techniques tended to under-forecast maximum intensity and miss decay/reintensification cycles. A few of the techniques provided useful guidance on the magnitude of the decay, although the timing of the decay was often missed. Whereas about 60-70% of the 12-h to 72-h forecasts by the various techniques during the decay phase were within +/- 10 kt, the strong bias was to not decay the cyclone rapidly enough. In general the techniques predict too narrow a range of intensity changes for both intensification and decay. / Captain, United States Air Force

Master of Science / Department of Kinesiology / Craig A. Harms / High-intensity interval training (HIT) has been utilized as a time-efficient strategy to induce numerous physiological adaptations and improve performance usually associated with “traditional” endurance training (ET). It is not known however, if HIT might lead to improvements in pulmonary function. Therefore we hypothesized that HIT would increase respiratory muscle strength and expiratory flow rates. Fifteen healthy subjects were randomly assigned to an ET group (n = 7) and a HIT group (n = 8). All subjects performed an incremental test to exhaustion (VO2 max) on a cycle ergometer prior to and after training. Standard pulmonary function tests, maximum inspiratory pressure (PImax), maximum expiratory pressure (PEmax), and maximal flow volume loops, were performed pre training and after each week of training. HIT subjects performed a four week training program on a cycle ergometer at 90% of their VO2 max final workload while the ET subjects performed exercise at 60-70% of their VO2 max final workload. All subjects trained three days/ week. The HIT group performed five one-minute bouts with three minute recovery periods and the ET group cycled for 45 minutes continuously at a constant workload. A five-mile time trial was performed prior to training, after two weeks of training, and after four weeks of training. Both groups showed similar (p<0.05) increases in VO2 max (~8-10%) and improvements in time trials following training (HIT 6.5 ± 1.3%, ET 4.4 ± 1.8%) with no difference (p>0.05) between groups. Both groups increased (p<0.05) PImax post training (ET ~25%, HIT ~43%) with values significantly higher for HIT than ET. There was no change (p>0.05) in expiratory flow rates with training in either group. These data suggest that whole body exercise training is effective in increasing inspiratory muscle strength with HIT leading to greater improvements than ET. Also, HIT offers a time-efficient alternative to ET in improving aerobic capacity and performance.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / We design irregular Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codes for free-space optical (FSO) channels for different transmitter-receiver link distances and analyze the error performance for different atmospheric conditions. The design considers atmospheric absorption, laser beam divergence, and random intensity fluctuations due to atmospheric turbulence. It is found that, for the same transmit power, a system using the designed codes works over much longer link distances than a system that employs regular LDPC codes. Our analysis is particularly useful for portable optical transceivers and mobile links.

PURPOSE:To assess if intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can possibly lead to improved local control and lower incidence of vision impairment/blindness in comparison to non-IMRT techniques when treating sinonasal malignancies / what is the most optimal dose constraints for the optic pathway / and the impact of different IMRT strategies on optic pathway sparing in this setting.METHODS AND MATERIALS:A literature search in the PubMed databases was conducted in July, 2012.RESULTS:Clinical studies on IMRT and 2D/3D (2 dimensional/3 dimensional) RT for sinonasal malignancies suggest improved local control and lower incidence of severe vision impairment with IMRT in comparison to non-IMRT techniques. As observed in the non-IMRT studies, blindness due to disease progression may occur despite a lack of severe toxicity possibly due to the difficulty of controlling locally very advanced disease with a dose less than or equal to] 70Gy. Concurrent chemotherapy's influence on the the risk of severe optic toxicity after radiotherapy is unclear. A maximum dose of less than or equal to] 54Gy with conventional fractionation to the optic pathway may decrease the risk of blindness. Increased magnitude of intensity modulation through increasing the number of segments, beams, and using a combination of coplanar and non-coplanar arrangements may help increase dose conformality and optic pathway sparing when IMRT is used.CONCLUSION:IMRT optimized with appropriate strategies may be the treatment of choice for the most optimal local control and optic pathway sparing when treating sinonasal malignancy.

This thesis presents instrumentation with which to measure the abundance of neutral hydrogen gas in the Universe. Measuring where the Universe’s hydrogen is, and tracing how its distribution evolves with time, holds the key to understanding how galaxies evolve, the nature of dark energy, and how the first cosmic structures formed. In particular, this thesis looks at instrumentation for 21-cm intensity mapping telescopes. In 21-cm intensity mapping, the collective emission of many galaxies is measured, without individual detections. This technique promises to allow detection of the baryonic acoustic oscillation peaks in the power spectrum of the Universe’s matter distribution. Such a detection would increase constraints on cosmological parameters. There are two main approaches to designing a 21-cm intensity mapping instruments: using a filled aperture instrument such as a single-dish telescope, or using a sparse aperture instrument such as an interferometric array of dipoles. This thesis investigates analogue components for a sparse aperture instrument operating at 1.0-1.5 GHz. As part of this work, a 16-element sparse aperture array was designed and constructed. To test the array’s performance, field testing was conducted; the results of which are presented here. In addition to this, I have designed a new digital spectrometer for redshifted hydrogen line science, named HISPEC. A copy of this spectrometer has been installed on the Parkes 64 m telescope, as a digital signal processor for the 21-cm multibeam receiver. HISPEC has increased instantaneous bandwidth, higher interchannel isolation, and improved quantization efficiency as compared to the existing backend, MBCORR. The HISPEC equipped multibeam receiver is an ideal instrument for 21-cm intensity mapping at redshifts z<0.2.

June 1 1997. After 155 years under British rule, Hong Kong was reunited with its ancient roots, China. The administrative power shifted. What happened then? In this paper we analyze how Hong Kong’s trade flows changed after the liberation. We conduct our analysis with main focus on the trade predicting factors of Gravity, Institutional quality and Hong Kong’s relationship to China. We have found that trade flows did not significantly change much, however, Hong Kong’s attitude towards its trade partners’ institutional quality seem to have. Further, Hong Kong seem to have embraced the reunification with China and is now more dependent of its new ruler, in terms of trade, than before.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Kadri Koppel / Understanding the physiological activation and genetic variation of the sweet taste receptor (T1R) can improve formula optimization for products intended for a population of genetically diverse people. Computer modeling and cell culture techniques have thoroughly described the structure and binding sites of the T1R. The structure contains two subunits (T1R2 and T1R3) with multiple domains where sweet molecules can interact. The interaction takes place between individual molecules and amino acid residues of the T1R. The residues with which individual molecules interact differs between sweeteners. Person-to-person differences in the residue sequence of the T1R can arise from variation in the genes that encode the T1R (TAS1R), potentially effecting the function of the receptor. As a result of the specificity of binding interactions, genetic variation may affect sensitivity to some sweeteners, while sensitivity to other sweeteners remains normal. Therefore, it can be hypothesized that the level of person-to-person sweetness sensitivity variation may differ for each sweetener depending on the binding site of the molecule and site of T1R variation. The T1R structure, binding sites, and genetic variation will be reviewed, as well as potential parameters to predict the degree of sensitivity variation and formulation strategies to minimize the effects of sensitivity variation.