Weekly Roundup
Jun 3 – 9, 2024
The Weekly Roundup is an opportunity to recap a week in news and share recently discovered materials that might be of interest.
PODCASTS AND PRESENTATIONS
A Dangerous Moment, with Douglas Murray
Uncommon Knowledge, 2024
Author and columnist Douglas Murray has spent much of the past few years reporting from battlefields in Ukraine and Gaza. His reporting on the harrowing conditions in those wartorn locations make his journalism a must-read. In this wide-ranging conversation, Murray describes what he has witnessed, why the West must ensure victories in both wars, and his reaction to the campus protests across the United States, as well as his views on the upcoming British elections.
The Death of Democracy and Free Speech - The Misinformation and Disinformation Bill
The Civilisationists, 2024
The Speakers: Professor James Allan, Garrick Professor Law at University of Queensland, is here as a guest of The Civilisationists. A hero for freedom of speech and our rights, he is an international scholar with interests in legal and moral philosophy and constitutional law, and has published widely in those areas. He also writes for The Australian, The Spectator Australia and Quadrant. Professor Augusto Zimmermann, Head of Law at Sheridan Institute of Advanced Education, Perth. He is an advocate for free speech and has written numerous articles and books. He is president of the WA Legal Theory Association, our partner WALTA.
Buckley Institute Releases Ninth Annual National College Student Survey
Buckley Institute, 2023
The Buckley Institute released the findings from its annual national survey of college students, gauging American college student opinions on free speech, censorship, and the major issues facing the country.
ARTICLES AND ESSAYS
Harvard’s Largest Division Drops DEI Hiring Statements
Inside Higher Ed, 2024
Was the Budget good for Men’s Health?
Australian Men’s Health Forum, 2024
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Adults: United States, 2021-2022
NCHS Data Brief, 2024
Abstract: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multisystem illness characterized by activity-limiting fatigue, worsening of symptoms after activity, and other symptoms (1). It affects all age, sex, and racial and ethnic groups and costs the U.S. economy about $18-$51 billion annually (2-5). This report describes the percentage of adults who had ME/CFS at the time of interview by selected demographic and geographic characteristics based on data from the 2021-2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
PLoS One, 2024
Abstract: Background/objectives: Engagement in regular physical activity is one of the best strategies for older adults to remain healthy. Unfortunately, only 35% of older adults meet guidelines for muscle strengthening activities. Eliciting participant preferences is one possible way to improve physical activity engagement. However, other sources of participant input to improve uptake and maintenance remain uninvestigated. This study compared preferences to self-efficacy ratings for two strength training programs. Methods: We conducted a national cross-sectional survey of 611 US adults over age 65. We compared two participant evaluations (the preferred program and the program for which they had higher barrier self-efficacy) of two hypothetical strength training programs (45 minutes performed three times per week (traditional) and 5 minutes performed daily (brief)). Results: Most participants (68%) preferred the brief strength training program. The difference in self-efficacy ratings was an average of 1.2 (SD = 0.92). One in five participants preferred a strength training program for which they had less self-efficacy; nearly all of these participants (92%) preferred the traditional strength training program but had more self-efficacy for the brief strength training program. Conclusion: Older adults reported preferring and having more self-efficacy for a brief compared to a traditional strength training program. Differences in self-efficacy ratings between the two strength training programs were large. Preferences were often not congruent with ratings of self-efficacy. Significance/implications: Preferences for strength training programming may not always reflect the program most likely to be maintained. Future investigations should evaluate differences in behavioral uptake, maintenance, and outcomes from two comparative strength training interventions using preferences and self-efficacy.
GeroScience, 2021
Abstract: Weak grip strength is a strong predictor of multiple adverse health outcomes and an integral diagnostic component of sarcopenia. However, the limited availability of normative data for certain populations impedes the interpretation of grip performance across adulthood. This study aimed to establish normative data and low grip strength thresholds in a large adult population, and to examine associations between grip strength and clinically relevant health variables. A total of 9431 adults aged between 18 and 92 years participated in this study (mean age: 44.8 ± 13.4 years; 57% females). Grip strength, body composition, and cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness were assessed using hand dynamometry, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and physical work capacity tests, respectively. Low grip strength was established according to criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Normative data and t-scores, stratified by sex and age groups, are presented. Grip performance was associated with lean mass, skeletal muscle index (SMI), fat mass, CR fitness, bone mineral density (BMD), android/gynoid ratio, disease prevalence and physical activity levels (all p < 0.001) after controlling for multiple potential confounders. Individuals with weak grip strength had lower lean mass, SMI, CR fitness (all p < 0.001) and BMD (p = 0.001), and higher disease prevalence (p < 0.001), compared to healthy controls, although sex-specific differences were observed. Grip strength has practical screening utility across a range of health domains. The normative data and grip strength thresholds established in this study can guide the clinical interpretation of grip performance and facilitate timely therapeutic strategies targeting sarcopenia.
RUBBISH BIN
No rubbish this week!
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