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Abstract: We assessed amounts, composition, and trends of marine debris for the U.S. Pacific Coast and Hawai’i using National Marine Debris Monitoring Program data. Hawai’i had the highest debris loads; the North Pacific Coast region had the lowest debris loads. The Southern California Bight region had the highest land-based debris loads. Debris loads decreased over time for all source categories in all regions except for land-based and general-source loads in the North Pacific Coast region, which were unchanged. General-source debris comprised 30–40% of the items in all regions. Larger local populations were associated with higher land-based debris loads across regions; the effect declined at higher population levels. Upwelling affected deposition of ocean-based and general-source debris loads but not land-based loads along the Pacific Coast. LNSO decreased debris loads for both land-based and ocean-based debris but not general-source debris in Hawai’i, a more complex climate-ocean effect than had previously been found. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For the first time, we documented regional differences in amounts and long-term trends of marine debris along the US Atlantic coast. The Southeast Atlantic had low land-based and general-source debris loads as well as no increases despite a 19% increase in coastal population. The Northeast (8% population increase) also had low land-based and general-source debris loads and no increases. The Mid-Atlantic (10% population increase) fared the worst, with heavy land-based and general-source debris loads that increased over time. Ocean-based debris did not change in the Northeast where the fishery is relatively stable; it declined over the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast and was correlated with declining regional fisheries. Drivers, including human population, land use status, fishing activity, and oceanic current systems, had complex relationships with debris loads at local and regional scales. Management challenges remain undeniably large but solid information from long-term programs is one key to addressing this pressing pollution issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Swimming was investigated according to swimmer's body build, technique of movement of free swimming, i.e. position of body parts, stroke length, rate, velocity, and indices, technique of start and turn, improving of propulsion, diminishing of resistance forces, structure of the entire distance divided into the start segment, free swimming, turn segments, the finish segment. Unfortunately there is lack of research on tactics of swimming taking into account the entire distance. The aim of this study was to obtain a knowledge on tactics of long distance swimming at the high professional level in order to qualify to the Olympic team. Materials and methods: Eight men - finalists of 1500 m distance of free style swimming were investigated. They participated in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in order to go for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Data on the entire time of swimming and also split times for every 50 m were obtained from the server of the OMEGA watch maker. The distribution of velocity of swimming for the entire distance was presented. Results: It was revealed that the winner, and also swimmers who broke the world and American records (separate data) had their distribution of swimming as ascending line and with very small difference between segmental velocities and that of the entire distance. Other swimmers had descending line or flat line (the last two at the final who had the slowest velocities) of their distribution of swimming. Conclusions: In order to approach sport performance with proper tactics sportspersons need to be taught how to achieve good distribution of velocity of movement along the entire distance of swimming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: : Little is known about the influence of the built environment, and in particular neighborhood resources, on health. We hypothesized that neighborhood resources for physical activity and healthy foods are associated with insulin resistance.Methods: : Person-level data (n = 2026) came from 3 sites of The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a study of adults aged 45-84 years. Area-level data were derived from a population-based residential survey. The homeostasis model assessment index was used as an insulin resistance measure among persons not treated for diabetes. We used linear regression to estimate associations between area features and insulin resistance.Results: : Greater neighborhood physical activity resources consistently were associated with lower insulin resistance. Adjusted for age, sex, family history of diabetes, race/ethnicity, income and education, insulin resistance was reduced by 17% (95% confidence interval = -31% to -1%) for an increase from the 10th to 90th percentiles of resources. Greater healthy food resources were also inversely related to insulin resistance, although the association was not robust to adjustment for race/ethnicity. Analyses including diet, physical activity, and body mass index suggested that these variables partly mediated observed associations. Results were similar when impaired fasting glucose/diabetes was considered as the outcome variable.Conclusion: : Diabetes prevention efforts may need to consider features of residential environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To use a quantitative approach to evaluate the literature for quantity, quality, and consistency of studies of maternal and infant characteristics in association with breastfeeding initiation and continuation, and to conduct a meta-analysis to produce summary relative risks (RRs) for selected factors., Study Design: A systematic review using PubMed and CINAHL through March 2016 was conducted to identify relevant observational studies in developed nations, reporting a measure of risk for 1 or more of 6 quantitatively derived, high impact factors in relation to either breastfeeding initiation or continuation. One author abstracted data using a predesigned database, which was reviewed by a second independent author; data evaluation and interpretation included all co-authors. These factors were summarized using standard meta-analysis techniques., Results: Six high impact factors were identified (smoking [39 papers], mode of delivery [47 papers], parity [31 papers], dyad separation [17 papers], maternal education [62 papers], and maternal breastfeeding education [32 papers]). Summary RR from random-effects models for breastfeeding initiation were highest for high vs low maternal education (RR 2.28 [95% CI 1.92-2.70]), dyad connection vs not (RR 2.01 [95% CI 1.38-2.92]), and maternal nonsmoking vs smoking (RR = 1.76 [95% CI 1.59-1.95]); results were similar for breastfeeding continuation., Conclusions: Despite methodological heterogeneity across studies, relatively consistent results were observed for these perinatally identifiable factors associated with breastfeeding initiation and continuation, which may be informative in developing targeted interventions to provide education and support for successful breastfeeding in more families., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)