Dehalorespiration with polychlorinated biphenyls by an anaerobic ultramicrobacterium.

Anaerobic microbial dechlorination is an important step in the detoxification and elimination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), but a microorganism capable of coupling its growth to PCB dechlorination has not been isolated. Here we describe the isolation from sediment of an ultramicrobacterium, strain DF-1, which is capable of dechlorinating PCBs containing double-flanked chlorines added as single congeners or as Aroclor 1260 in contaminated soil. The isolate requires Desulfovibrio spp. in coculture or cell extract for growth on hydrogen and PCB in mineral medium. This is the first microorganism in pure culture demonstrated to grow by dehalorespiration with PCBs and the first isolate shown to dechlorinate weathered commercial mixtures of PCBs in historically contaminated sediments. The ability of this isolate to grow on PCBs in contaminated sediments represents a significant breakthrough for the development of in situ treatment strategies for this class of persistent organic pollutants.

Morphological profiles for first-year National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football players.

We are aware of no published research in which the morphological profiles of first-year collegiate football players are characterized. In light of the known association between obesity and cardiovascular disease and recent data suggesting an increased frequency of obesity and early death in professional football players, we have compiled a morphological profile of 65 freshman and transfer recruits (age = 18.4 +/- 1.2 years) from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football program. Measured variables included height (HT), body mass (BM), and body fat percentage (BF) (hydrostatic method). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using HT and weight variables. Individuals were grouped by player position for descriptive statistical analysis. The means for all 65 players were as follows: HT = 189 +/- 7 cm, BM = 106.5 +/- 4.8 kg, BF = 15 +/- 7%, and BMI = 29.8 +/- 4.7. Mean data from these collegiate athletes were compared to recently published data from professional players. By comparison, the average HT, BM, BF, and BMI of the professional football athletes were 188 +/- 4 cm, 107 +/- 4.8 kg, 14 +/- 5%, and 30.1 +/- 1.9, respectively. While the average BMIs of the collegiate athletes in this study would be classified as overweight or obese, the BFs were found to be within an acceptable range for health status. These data provide important indicators of morphological characteristics and BM health risks of new football recruits at a Division I university. The data presented also provide an historical basis for (a) evaluating both the conditioning of first-year incoming athletes, (b) determining the physical development of the athletes as they progress through the training program, and (c) charting the morphological changes that occur in collegiate football throughout time that may contribute to increased health risks to the athletes.

Performance and blood pressure characteristics of first-year national collegiate athletic association division I football players.

The authors were aware of no published studies in which the performance characteristics of first-year National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I collegiate football players were reported. From 2003 to 2006, 73 freshman and 12 transfer football recruits were tested before twice-a-day practices for bench press (BP), squat (SQ), power clean (PC), vertical jump (VJ), calculated jump power (CP), treadmill endurance capacity (Vo2peak), and maximal treadmill time (MTT). Individuals were grouped by player position for descriptive statistical analysis. As a group, offensive linemen (OL), defensive linemen (DL), linebackers (LB), tight ends (TE), and running backs (RB) averaged 152.8 kg for BP, 210.5 kg for SQ, 127.3 kg for PC, and 224.2 W for CP. These values were 22% to 30% higher than those for quarterbacks (QB), wide receivers (WR), defensive backs (DB), and kickers (K), who together averaged 120.2 kg for BP, 163.4 kg for SQ, 104.6 kg for PC, and 172.4 W for CP. Quarterbacks, WR, DB, and K as a group showed the highest MTT (13:13 m.s) and Vo2peak values (47.24 mL.kg.min), 15% to 20% higher than those for OL, DL, LB, RB, and TE, who averaged 11:27 m.s for MTT and 39.51 mL.kg.min for Vo2peak. Running backs, TE, LB, DB, and WR averaged 82.56 cm for VJ, which was 14% higher than that for DL, QB, K, and OL, who averaged 72.72 cm. On the basis of average resting blood pressure, 23.5% (20 players) were categorized as hypertensive (i.e., >/=140/90 mm Hg), 54% (46 players) as prehypertensive (i.e., 120-139/80-89 mm Hg), and 22.5% (19 players) as normal (i.e., <120/80 mm Hg). These data serve as a basis for comparisons among other Division I programs, benchmarking development and improvement through training, and creating position performance norms for incoming football athletes.