University of Bedfordshire

About: University of Bedfordshire is a education organization based out in Luton, Bedford, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 3860 authors who have published 6079 publications receiving 143448 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Luton.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is Associated with Hard and Light Intensity Physical Activity but Not Time Spent Sedentary in 10–14 Year Old Schoolchildren: The HAPPY Study

Abstract: Background Sedentary behaviour is a major risk factor for developing chronic diseases and is associated with low cardiorespiratory fitness in adults. It remains unclear how sedentary behaviour and different physical activity subcomponents are related to cardiorespiratory fitness in children. The purpose of this study was to assess how sedentary behaviour and different physical activity subcomponents are associated with 10-14 year-old schoolchildren's cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods 135 schoolchildren (81 girls, 12±1 year) completed 7-day minute-by-minute habitual physical activity monitoring using triaxial accelerometers and undertook a maximal cardiorespiratory fitness test. Results After controlling for sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and total wear time, light physical activity (1.5-2.9 METs) was negatively associated (β = -.24, p .05). Sedentary to active transitions revealed little variability between cardiorespiratory fitness tertiles. Conclusions Hard physical activity (≥9 METs) holds greater potential for cardiorespiratory fitness compared to physical activity of lower intensities. There was no relationship between sedentary behaviour and cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings suggest that, for children, advice should focus on higher intensity physical activity and not sedentary behaviour as a means to maintain or improve cardiorespiratory fitness. Future research should explore longitudinal relationships between hard physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness and health parameters.

Diffusion of Aqueous Sugar Solutions as Affected by Locust Bean Gum Studied by NMR

Abstract: Time domain proton NMR was used to study translational diffusion and molecular mobility of sugar and water molecules in simple aqueous solutions to determine how the addition of hydrocolloid stabilizers affect their mobility. Results showed that addition of Locust Bean Gum (LBG) did not affect the diffusion or mobility of either the sugar or water molecules over distances up to 10μm in unfrozen solutions. The diffusion properties of the sugar and water molecules were not affected by either biopolymer cryogelation or the presence of ice. We hypothesized that retardation of the ice crystal growth rates in aqueous sugar solutions caused by the presence of LBG was not a bulk property of the solution. The most likely cause is a modification of the local interfacial region between the ice crystal surface and the surrounding unfrozen solution.

Effect of SatSatSat and SatOSat on crystallization of model fat blends

Abstract: In this study, the crystallization and melting properties of six different fat blends with the same saturated fat content (30%) but with a varying content of trisaturated and disaturated triacylglycerols were investigated using pulsed NMR, DSC and polarized light microscopy. Blends were either palmitic (P) or stearic (S) based, and were combinations of SatSatSat-rich (Sat = saturated) and SatOSat-rich (O = oleic) vegetable oils with high-oleic sunflower oil. The DSC results suggested that PPP forms mixed crystals with POP, leading to a better seeding of the crystallization process than did SSS with SOS. Some blends showed a two-step crystallization, which can be explained by polymorphism. Stop-and-return DSC results suggested an initial crystallization into an unstable polymorph followed by polymorphic transformation during the crystallization for those blends with significant amounts of SatSatSat. Polymorphic transformation was not seen for the blends with low SatSatSat. However, the microstructure of such blends changed dramatically during storage, while the microstructure of the blends with the higher SatSatSat content did not.