Combining Microdialysis and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Studying Effects of Low-Load Repetitive Work on the Intramuscular Chemistry in Trapezius Myalgia

Epidemiological research provides strong evidence for a link between repetitive work (RW) and the development of chronic trapezius myalgia (TM). The aims were to further elucidate if an accumulation of sensitising substances or impaired oxygenation is evident in painful muscles during RW. Females with TM (n = 14) were studied during rest, 30 minutes RW and 60 minutes recovery. Microdialysate samples were obtained to determine changes in intramuscular microdialysate (IMMD) [glutamate], [PGE2], [lactate], and [pyruvate] (i.e., [concentration]) relative to work. Muscle oxygenation (%StO2) was assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy. During work, all investigated substances, except PGE2, increased significantly: [glutamate] (54%, P < .0001), [lactate] (26%, P < .005), [pyruvate] (19%, P < .0001), while the %StO2 decreased (P < .05). During recovery [PGE2] decreased (P < .005), [lactate] remained increased (P < .001), [pyruvate] increased progressively (P < .0001), and %StO2 had returned to baseline. Changes in substance concentrations and oxygenation in response to work indicate normal increase in metabolism but no ongoing inflammation in subjects with TM

Intrinsic Absorption Lines in Seyfert 1 Galaxies. I. Ultraviolet Spectra from the Hubble Space Telescope

We present a study of the intrinsic absorption lines in the ultraviolet spectra of Seyfert 1 galaxies. We find that the fraction of Seyfert 1 galaxies that show absorption associated with their active nuclei is more than one-half (10/17), which is much higher than previous estimates (3 - 10%) . There is a one-to-one correspondence between Seyferts that show intrinsic UV absorption and X-ray ``warm absorbers''. The intrinsic UV absorption is generally characterized by high ionization: C IV and N V are seen in all 10 Seyferts with detected absorption (in addition to Ly-alpha), whereas Si IV is present in only four of these Seyferts, and Mg II absorption is only detected in NGC 4151. The absorption lines are blueshifted (or in a few cases at rest) with respect to the narrow emission lines, indicating that the absorbing gas is undergoing net radial outflow. At high resolution, the absorption often splits into distinct kinematic components that show a wide range in widths (20 - 400 km/s FWHM), indicating macroscopic motions (e.g., radial velocity subcomponents or turbulence) within a component. The strong absorption components have cores that are much deeper than the continuum flux levels, indicating that the regions responsible for these components lie completely outside of the broad emission-line regions. The covering factor of the absorbing gas in the line of sight, relative to the total underlying emission, is C > 0.86, on average. The global covering factor, which is the fraction of emission intercepted by the absorber averaged over all lines of sight, is C > 0.5.Comment: 56 pages, Latex, includes 4 figures (encapsulated postscript), Fig. 1 has 2 parts and Fig. 2 has 3 parts, to appear in the Astrophysical Journa

Large-scale association analysis provides insights into the genetic architecture and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes

To extend understanding of the genetic architecture and molecular basis of type 2 diabetes (T2D), we conducted a meta-analysis of genetic variants on the Metabochip involving 34,840 cases and 114,981 controls, overwhelmingly of European descent. We identified ten previously unreported T2D susceptibility loci, including two demonstrating sex-differentiated association. Genome-wide analyses of these data are consistent with a long tail of further common variant loci explaining much of the variation in susceptibility to T2D. Exploration of the enlarged set of susceptibility loci implicates several processes, including CREBBP-related transcription, adipocytokine signalling and cell cycle regulation, in diabetes pathogenesis

Evacetrapib and Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-Risk Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: The cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib substantially raises the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level, reduces the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, and enhances cellular cholesterol efflux capacity. We sought to determine the effect of evacetrapib on major adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with high-risk vascular disease. METHODS: In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, we enrolled 12,092 patients who had at least one of the following conditions: an acute coronary syndrome within the previous 30 to 365 days, cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease, peripheral vascular arterial disease, or diabetes mellitus with coronary artery disease. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either evacetrapib at a dose of 130 mg or matching placebo, administered daily, in addition to standard medical therapy. The primary efficacy end point was the first occurrence of any component of the composite of death from cardiovascular causes, myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina. RESULTS: At 3 months, a 31.1% decrease in the mean LDL cholesterol level was observed with evacetrapib versus a 6.0% increase with placebo, and a 133.2% increase in the mean HDL cholesterol level was seen with evacetrapib versus a 1.6% increase with placebo. After 1363 of the planned 1670 primary end-point events had occurred, the data and safety monitoring board recommended that the trial be terminated early because of a lack of efficacy. After a median of 26 months of evacetrapib or placebo, a primary end-point event occurred in 12.9% of the patients in the evacetrapib group and in 12.8% of those in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 1.01; 95% confidence interval, 0.91 to 1.11; P=0.91). CONCLUSIONS: Although the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor evacetrapib had favorable effects on established lipid biomarkers, treatment with evacetrapib did not result in a lower rate of cardiovascular events than placebo among patients with high-risk vascular disease. (Funded by Eli Lilly; ACCELERATE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01687998 .)

Intramuscular pressure and electromyographic responses of the vastus lateralis muscle during repeated maximal isokinetic knee extensions

Etude de l'activité électromyographique (EMG) du muscle vaste latéral comme indicateur physiologique de la fatigue musculaire au cours d'une série de 100 contractions isocinétiques répétées

Muscle oxygenation in Type 1 diabetic and non-diabetic patients with and without chronic compartment syndrome

Background: Type 1 diabetic patients and non-diabetic patients were referred for evaluation for chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) based on clinical examination and complaints of activity-related leg pain in the region of the tibialis anterior muscle. Previous studies using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) showed greater deoxygenation during exercise for CECS patients versus healthy controls; however, this comparison has not been done for diabetic CECS patients. Methods: We used NIRS to test for differences in oxygenation kinetics for Type 1 diabetic patients diagnosed with (CECS-diabetics, n = 9) versus diabetic patients without (CON-diabetics, n = 10) leg anterior chronic exertional compartment syndrome. Comparisons were also made between non-diabetic CECS patients (n = 11) and healthy controls (CON, n = 10). The experimental protocol consisted of thigh arterial cuff occlusion (AO, 1-minute duration), and treadmill running to reproduce symptoms. NIRS variables generated were resting StO(2)%, and oxygen recovery following AO. Also, during and following treadmill running the magnitude of deoxygenation and oxygen recovery, respectively, were determined. Results: There was no difference in resting StO2% between CECS-diabetics (78.2 +/- 12.6%) vs. CON-diabetics (69.1 +/- 20.8%), or between CECS (69.3 +/- 16.2) vs. CON (75.9 +/- 11.2%). However, oxygen recovery following AO was significantly slower for CECS (1.8 +/- 0.8%/sec) vs. CON (3.8 +/- 1.7%/sec) (P = 0.002); these data were not different between the diabetic groups. StO2% during exercise was lower (greater deoxygenation) for CECS-diabetics (6.3 +/- 8.6%) vs. CON-diabetics (40.4 +/- 22.0%), and for CECS (11.3 +/- 16.8%) vs. CON (34.1 +/- 21.2%) (P&lt;0.05 for both). The rate of oxygen recovery post exercise was faster for CECS-diabetics (3.5 +/- 2.6%/sec) vs. CON-diabetics (1.4 +/- 0.8%/sec) (P = 0.04), and there was a tendency of difference for CECS (3.1 +/- 1.4%/sec) vs. CON (1.9 +/- 1.3%/sec) (P = 0.05). Conclusion: The greater deoxygenation during treadmill running for the CECS-diabetics group (vs. CON-diabetics) is in line with previous studies (and with the present study) that compared non-diabetic CECS patients with healthy controls. Our findings could suggest that NIRS may be useful as a diagnostic tool for assessing Type 1 diabetic patients suspected of CECS