<p>MURPHY, JILL MARIE. The Effect of a One-Time Team Building Exercise on Team Cohesion when working with a NCAA Division I Women?s Basketball Team. Dr. Aram Attarian, Committee Chair. The purpose of this preliminary study was to measure the effects on a one-time team building exercise on team cohesion. A NCAA Division I women?s basketball team participated in this study. The team building exercise used was a rescue simulation. The instrument used to measure team cohesion was the Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ). The GEQ was administered one week prior and one week after the rescue simulation. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel with StatPlus. After analyzing the data, no significant changes were found between the pretest and posttest. <P>

<p>GREENWOOD, PAUL BRIAN. Sport Fan Team Identification in a Professional Expansion Setting. (Under the direction of Michael A. Kanters.) This study assessed the relationship between team identification of sport fans and a number of different variables including but not limited to: the reasons for initially becoming a fan, specific sport knowledge, and purchasing behavior. A non-random sample of spectators (N = 356) at an Arena Football League (AFL) game completed a survey designed to identify or measure the aforementioned variables. A t-test revealed that males reported significantly higher levels of team identification than females. Analysis using a Pearson correlation matrix showed a positive correlation between team identification and sport knowledge, attendance rate, and purchasing behavior. Likewise, a positive correlation was found between team identification and the following reasons for initially becoming a fan: closest team, born and/or live in the city and/or state, team success, the players and/or coaches, parents and/or family influence, and the tailgating and party atmosphere. The findings have important implications for professional sport franchises in terms of tailoring marketing efforts for potential fans.<P>

<p>The purpose of this study was to objectively assess the economic impact of the 2000 NC State football season on Wake County. Data were collected from several sources to yield an accurate assessment of the economic impact of NC State football on its host community. These sources included: 1) visitor travel and expenditure data, 2) NC State football expenditure data, and 3) relevant data from Wake County. Visitor data were obtained by using two separate samples and surveys. A 20-item questionnaire was mailed to 1,000 randomly selected 2000 NC State football season ticket holders that reside outside of Wake County. In a separate convenience sample, another 1,200 subjects were administered a 12-itmem questionnaire at the Duke game on November 11, 2000. SPSS was then used to generate frequency distributions and summary statistics for the visitors in both samples. NC State football data were supplied by the NC State Athletics Department, and relevant Wake County data were retrieved from several different sources. The economic impact model used in this study (LOCI- Local Area Impact Model) used both local level data and input-output methods to determine the direct, indirect, and induced effects of the 2000 NC State football season on employment, income, and retail activity in Wake County. The multipliers used in this study were derived from input-output analysis of Wake County?s economy using IMPLAN Pro4, and the local level data consisted of the aforementioned visitor data, NC State football data, and relevant Wake County data. The results of the study indicated that the 2000 NC State football season generated 86 new jobs, $2,894,290 of new income, $9,096,507 of new retail spending, and $1,821,707 of new service purchases in Wake County. <P>

<p>The purpose of this study has been to determine the value that a winning athletic program can add to a college or university. The premise for this idea evolved from research regarding the annual U.S. News & World Report college rankings, in which various factors are considered, including reputation. Since the athletic department is frequently referred to as the ?doorstep of the University,? the research sought to determine whether or not a winning athletic program does in fact enhance the reputation of a university, thus making it more appealing to talented students. Along with the annual rankings, a method called the Resource-Based View (RBV) was used to calculate athletic success, based on four characteristics that included win-loss record, compliance, graduation rates and financial health. Using the seven public institutions in the Atlantic Coast Conference as the subjects, the athletic departments were analyzed and ranked based on these criteria and evaluated against each institution?s ranking in U.S News using Spearman?s Correlation Coefficient. Although the results of the study did not result in the strong relationship between a winning athletic department and university success that was predicted, the small sample size was a factor. This study sets up a starting point for a nationwide study of all institutions in the National Collegiate Athletic Association as a follow-up study and has great promise.<P>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Kinesiology, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-03, Section: B, page: 1406. Adviser: Janet P. Wallace. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed March 21, 2007)."

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-04, Section: A, page: 1529. Adviser: Craig Ross. "Title from dissertation home page (viewed March 22, 2007)."

Aging is associated with a decline in physiological capacity and metabolic function, leading to increased risk for chronic conditions such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Reduced ability to utilize fatty acids in the elderly has been linked to increased fat deposition within skeletal muscle. However, intramuscular triglyceride (IMTG) content and its relation to substrate oxidation has not been clearly established in older individuals. The two main purposes of the present investigation were 1.) to compare IMTG stores in the elderly with a younger group of men and women and 2.) to examine the relationship between substrate content and utilization during an acute sub-maximal bout of exercise in the elderly. A total of thirteen sedentary, healthy older men (5) and women (8) aged 67 + 3 yrs were matched for gender and percent body fat with a younger, control group (age=39 + 6 yrs) for IMTG comparison. Fat free mass (FFM), body mass index (BMI), weight, and height were not significantly different between the old and young and ORO staining from vastus lateralis muscle obtained by percutaneous needle biopsy revealed no statistically significant differences between the two groups. Sixteen sedentary elderly men (5) and women (11) were given constant infusions of 13C palmitate and d2 glucose during 60 minutes of cycle ergometry exercise at ~58% VO2peak to assess substrate utilization during exercise. There was a significant negative correlation between IMTG content by Oil Red O staining and total fatty acid oxidation (rho= -0.5989; p=0.03) and IMTG content and oxidative capacity of muscle (rho= -0.6485; p=0.04) induced by sub-maximal exercise. Oxidative capacity of muscle was not associated with rates of NPFA oxidation during sub-maximal exercise. Fitness was marginally correlated with fasting insulin levels (rho= -0.4857; p=0.056) and HOMA IR (rho= -0.4441; p=0.085). In summary, IMTG content was not higher in this group of sedentary elderly compared to younger individuals, but higher IMTG content was associated with decreased fat oxidation during sub-maximal exercise in this group. In addition, higher fitness predicted more favorable trends for markers of insulin resistance.

Leptin-induced increases in skeletal muscle (SkM) insulin sensitivity (IS) are associated with decreases in SkM lipid levels (Buettner et al. Am J Physiol, 278: E563-E569,2000). However, the role of altered lipid metabolism in the beneficial effects of leptin on SkM IS is poorly understood. The current study addressed the effects of hyperleptinemia (HLEP) on acute hyperlipidemia-induced insulin resistance. Control (CONT) male Wistar rats were infused with either saline (CONT-SAL) or lipid (CONT-LIP) for 5h (5ml/kg/h) followed by a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (15mU/kg/min insulin). Gucose infusion rates (GIR) were significantly lower in CONT-LIP vs. CONT-SAL (31.9±1.1 vs. 38.5±0.8 mg/kg/min, P=0.004, n=6/group). As previously reported the lipid metabolites diacylglycerol (DAG, 2.8±0.2 vs 2.1±0.3nMol/mg protein) and ceramide (CER, 0.8±0.1 vs 0.5±0.01nMol/mg protein) were elevated, and triglyceride (TG, 27.5±3.4 vs 41.0±5.7mg/mg protein) decreased (all P&lt0.05), in soleus muscle (SOL) in LIP vs SAL. In contrast to control animals a lipid infusion in HLEP (plasma leptin=57.8 ng/ml for 5 days) had no effect on GIR compared to saline-infused HLEP (43.0±4.1 vs. 43.8±5.1 mg/kg/min, P=0.40, n=6/group). Furthermore, DAG (2.8±0.2 vs 2.3±0.2), CER (1.1±0.1 vs 1.0±0.1), and TG (17.1±4.9 vs 16.0±2.6) levels in SOL were similar in HLEP-LIP and HLEP-SAL (all P&gt0.10). Fatty acid oxidation in the isolated SOL, acetyl CoA carboxylase phosphorylation (ACC-P), and the expression of the putative fatty acid transporters FAT/CD36 and FABPpm were similar in HLEP vs CONT. However, membrane-associated PKCtheta was decreased in HLEP-LIP compared to CONT-LIP. We conclude that (1) HLEP prevents IR induced by a lipid infusion, (2) HLEP SkM does not accumulate DAG or CER or deplete TG in response to a lipid infusion, (3) altered FAox or FABPpm, FAT/CD36 expression are not likely sufficient to explain the effects of HLEP, and (4) membrane-associated PKCtheta is suppressed following acute hyperlipidemia in hyperleptinemic animals.

COMPARISON OF SELF-MONITORING TECHNIQUES FOR TRACKING EATING AND EXERCISE BEHAVIORS Diane Lynn Helsel, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2005 Self-monitoring of eating and exercise behaviors has traditionally been done in a detailed manner. Finding ways to simplify this approach would decrease the time involved in the recording process, which may improve long-term adherence to tracking eating and exercise behaviors during weight loss. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of two self-monitoring methods for tracking eating and exercise behaviors within the context of a 16 week correspondence-based weight loss intervention. Subjects for this investigation were forty-two overweight adult men and women, ages 21 to 45 with a BMI of 25 to 35 kg/m2. Subjects were randomized to one of two self-monitoring conditions: 1) detailed self-monitoring (DSM) and 2) detailed self-monitoring transitioning to abbreviated self-monitoring (TSM). Participants in both groups recorded eating and exercise behaviors in diaries that were completed daily and returned to investigators each week for review. Participants in the DSM group recorded detailed information about the type, quantity, calories and fat grams of food consumed and type, duration, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of exercise. Participants in the transitional (TSM) group self-monitored eating and exercise behaviors using the detailed (DSM) approach during weeks 1-8, but transitioned to an abbreviated diary during weeks 9-16. This diary allowed participants to simplify self-monitoring by using check marks to estimate the quality and quantity of foods eaten, and amount of exercise completed daily. Unlike the DSM group, specific details of eating and exercise were not recorded. A repeated measures design was utilized for this study. The independent variable was type of self-monitoring. The primary dependent variable was completion of eating and exercise diaries; secondary dependent variables were body weight, dietary intake and physical activity. The major finding of this investigation was that both groups were similar with regard to the amount of weight lost, food diary completion scores and changes in eating and exercise behavior. Consequently, this study identified an alternative tracking method (i.e., TSM) that may be less effortful, and provides a similar outcome as detailed self-monitoring.

ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AMONG COLLEGE FRESHMEN Vickilyn Barnot, PhD University of Pittsburgh, 2005 The purpose of this research was to explore the association between priority health risk behaviors and academic achievement among college freshmen. Priority health risk behaviors have been defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as those health risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death, illness, and social problems among young adults in the United States including tobacco use; alcohol and other drug use; unhealthy dietary behaviors; inadequate physical activity; sexual behaviors that result in sexually transmitted diseases, and/or unintended pregnancies; and behaviors that result in unintentional and intentional injuries. The primary aims of this study were: 1) to determine which of the priority health risk behaviors have the strongest independent association to academic achievement and 2) to determine the association between the number of priority health risk behaviors engaged in by college freshmen and end-of-first-term academic achievement. This study was descriptive in nature and employed a cross-sectional study design. A total of 196 first semester freshmen completed the CDCs National College Health Risk Behavior Survey (NCHRBS) to assess risk in each priority health risk behavior category. In addition, participants answered several supplemental questions designed to assess additional health behaviors and general academic background information. For each priority health risk behavior, key questions were chosen for analysis and a cut point was used to classify each respondent as either at risk or not at risk. Upon completion of their first term of study, participant survey responses were matched with their end-of-first-term QPA. Results of independent t-tests to assess the relation between each priority health risk behavior and academic achievement revealed a significant association to QPA for tobacco use (p = 0.05) and binge drinking (p = 0.02). Results of a subsequent stepwise regression revealed no significant effect for tobacco use or binge drinking on QPA when additional covariates such as SAT score, high school class rank and number of missed classes were included in the analysis. Results of a simple linear regression found no significant relation (p = 0.12) between number of risk behaviors and QPA.