819 research outputs found
Re-weighting of somatosensory inputs from the foot and the ankle for controlling posture during quiet standing following trunk extensor muscles fatigue
The present study focused on the effects of trunk extensor muscles fatigue on
postural control during quiet standing under different somatosensory conditions
from the foot and the ankle. With this aim, 20 young healthy adults were asked
to stand as immobile as possible in two conditions of No fatigue and Fatigue of
trunk extensor muscles. In Experiment 1 (n = 10), somatosensation from the foot
and the ankle was degraded by standing on a foam surface. In Experiment 2 (n =
10), somatosensation from the foot and ankle was facilitated through the
increased cutaneous feedback at the foot and ankle provided by strips of
athletic tape applied across both ankle joints. The centre of foot pressure
displacements (CoP) were recorded using a force platform. The results showed
that (1) trunk extensor muscles fatigue increased CoP displacements under
normal somatosensatory conditions (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2), (2) this
destabilizing effect was exacerbated when somatosensation from the foot and the
ankle was degraded (Experiment 1), and (3) this destabilizing effect was
mitigated when somatosensation from the foot and the ankle was facilitated
(Experiment 2). Altogether, the present findings evidenced re-weighting of
sensory cues for controlling posture during quiet standing following trunk
extensor muscles fatigue by increasing the reliance on the somatosensory inputs
from the foot and the ankle. This could have implications in clinical and
rehabilitative areas
The effect of caffeine and Rhodiola Rosea, alone or in combination on 5km running performance in men
Melaena with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: a case report
Introduction: Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare familial disorder characterised by mucocutaneous pigmentation, gastrointestinal and extragastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps and an increased risk of malignancy. Peutz-Jeghers polyps in the bowel may result in intussusception. This complication usually manifests with abdominal pain and signs of intestinal obstruction.
Case Presentation: We report the case of a 24-year-old Caucasian male who presented with melaena. Pigmentation of the buccal mucosa was noted but he was pain-free and examination of the abdomen was unremarkable. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed multiple polyps. An urgent abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple small bowel intussusceptions. Laparotomy was undertaken on our patient, reducing the intussusceptions and removing the polyps by enterotomies. Bowel resection was not needed.
Conclusion: Melaena in PJS needs to be urgently investigated through a CT scan even in the absence of abdominal pain and when clinical examination of the abdomen shows normal findings. Although rare, the underlying cause could be intussusception, which if missed could result in grave consequences
Associations Between Features of Glucose Exposure and A1C: The A1C-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) Study
OBJECTIVE:
Various methods are used to quantify postprandial glycemia or glucose variability, but few have been compared and none are standardized. Our objective was to examine the relationship among common indexes of postprandial glycemia, overall hyperglycemia, glucose variability, and A1C using detailed glucose measures obtained during everyday life and to study which blood glucose values of the day provide the strongest prediction of A1C.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS:
In the A1C-Derived Average Glucose (ADAG) study, glucose levels were monitored in 507 participants (268 type 1 diabetic, 159 type 2 diabetic, and 80 nondiabetic subjects) with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) during 16 weeks. We calculated several indexes of glycemia and analyzed their intercorrelations. The association between glucose measurements at different times of the day (pre- and postprandial) and A1C was examined using multiple linear regression.
RESULTS:
Indexes of glucose variability showed strong intercorrelation. Among postprandial indexes, the area under the glucose curve calculated from CGM 2 h after a meal correlated well with the 90-min SMBG postprandial measurements. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels were only moderately correlated with indexes of hyperglycemia and average or postprandial glucose levels. Indexes derived with SMBG strongly correlated with those from CGM. Some SMBG time points had a stronger association with A1C than others. Overall, preprandial glucose values had a stronger association with A1C than postprandial values for both diabetes types, particularly for type 2 diabetes.
CONCLUSIONS:
Indexes of glucose variability and average and postprandial glycemia intercorrelate strongly within each category. Variability indexes are weakly correlated with the other categories, indicating that these measures convey different information. FBG is not a clear indicator of general glycemia. Preprandial glucose values have a larger impact on A1C levels than postprandial values
Differential postural effects of plantar-flexor muscles fatigue under normal, altered and improved vestibular and neck somatosensory conditions
The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of plantar-flexor
muscles fatigue on postural control during quiet standing under normal, altered
and improved vestibular and neck somatosensory conditions. To address this
objective, young male university students were asked to stand upright as still
as possible with their eyes closed in two conditions of No Fatigue and Fatigue
of the plantar-flexor muscles. In Experiment 1 (n=15), the postural task was
executed in two Neutral head and Head tilted backward postures, recognized to
degrade vestibular and neck somatosensory information. In Experiment 2 (n=15),
the postural task was executed in two conditions of No tactile and Tactile
stimulation of the neck provided by the application of strips of adhesive
bandage to the skin over and around the neck. Centre of foot pressure
displacements were recorded using a force platform. Results showed that (1) the
Fatigue condition yielded increased CoP displacements relative to the No
Fatigue condition (Experiment 1 and Experiment 2), (2) this destabilizing
effect was more accentuated in the Head tilted backward posture than Neutral
head posture (Experiment 1) and (3) this destabilizing effect was less
accentuated in the condition of Tactile stimulation than that of No tactile
stimulation of the neck (Experiment 2). In the context of the multisensory
control of balance, these results suggest an increased reliance on vestibular
and neck somatosensory information for controlling posture during quiet
standing in condition of altered ankle neuromuscular function
Wanted dead or alive : high diversity of macroinvertebrates associated with living and ’dead’ Posidonia oceanica matte
The Mediterranean endemic seagrass Posidonia
oceanica forms beds characterised by a dense leaf canopy
and a thick root-rhizome ‘matte’. Death of P. oceanica
shoots leads to exposure of the underlying matte, which
can persist for many years, and is termed ‘dead’ matte.
Traditionally, dead matte has been regarded as a degraded
habitat. To test whether this assumption was
true, the motile macroinvertebrates of adjacent living
(with shoots) and dead (without shoots) matte of
P. oceanica were sampled in four different plots located
at the same depth (5–6 m) in Mellieha Bay, Malta
(central Mediterranean). The total number of species
and abundance were significantly higher (ANOVA;
P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in the dead matte
than in living P. oceanica matte, despite the presence of
the foliar canopy in the latter. Multivariate analysis
(MDS) clearly showed two main groups of assemblages,
corresponding to the two matte types. The amphipods
Leptocheirus guttatus and Maera grossimana, and the
polychaete Nereis rava contributed most to the dissimilarity
between the two different matte types. Several
unique properties of the dead matte contributing to the
unexpected higher number of species and abundance of
motile macroinvertebrates associated with this habitat
are discussed. The findings have important implications
for the conservation of bare P. oceanica matte, which
has been generally viewed as a habitat of low ecological
value.peer-reviewe
The role of passion in exercise addiction, exercise volume, and exercise intensity in long-term exercisers
Recent studies have shown a relationship between the risk for exercise addiction (REA) and passion. This research examined whether levels of REA, volume of exercise (in weekly hours), and self-reported exercise intensities yield differences in obsessive passion and harmonious passion among individuals with long history of exercise. Respondents (n = 360) completed the Exercise Addiction Inventory, Passion Scale, and Borg Scale (assessing their usual exercise intensity), and reported their volume of exercise (hours per week). Regression analysis demonstrated that exercise intensity, obsessive passion, and harmonious passion were significant predictors (r2 = .381, p < .001) of the REA scores with obsessive passion being the strongest predictor (r2 = .318). Exercisers classified as at REA reported higher obsessive passion, harmonious passion, and exercise intensity (p ≤ .001) than those classified as symptomatic, who in turn scored higher on these measures (p ≤ .006) than asymptomatic exercisers. Participants reporting greater volumes of exercise also scored higher on obsessive passion, harmonious passion (p < .001), exercise intensity (p = .032), and REA scores (p = .042) than individuals who exercised less. Finally, women exercising between low and high intensities exhibited greater obsessive passion, as well as harmonious passion (p ≤ .005) than men reporting similar exercise intensities. These findings support the recently reported relationship between passion and REA. They also expand the current knowledge by demonstrating that obsessive passion and harmonious passion are greater in the individuals who exercise at higher volumes and with higher intensities
Inspiratory muscle warm-up does not improve cycling time-trial performance
Purpose: This study examined the effects of an active cycling warm-up, with and without the addition of an inspiratory muscle warm-up (IMW), on 10-km cycling time-trial performance
The Effects of Sodium Phosphate Supplementation on Physiological Responses to Submaximal Exercise and 20 km Cycling Time-Trial Performance
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of sodium phosphate (SP) supplementation on 26 physiological responses to submaximal exercise and 20 km cycling time-trial performance. Using a 27 randomised, double-blind, crossover design, 20 endurance-trained male cyclists (age: 31 ± 6 years; 28 height: 1.82 ± 0.07 m; body mass: 76.3 ± 7.0 kg; maximal oxygen uptake [V̇O2max]: 57.9 ± 5.5 mL·kg-29 1·min-1) completed two supplementation trials separated by a 14-day washout period. The trials 30 consisted of 10 minutes of cycling at 65% V̇O2max followed by a 20 km time-trial. Expired air was 31 monitored throughout each trial for the evaluation of V̇O2, minute ventilation (V̇E), and respiratory 32 exchange ratio (RER). Heart rate was monitored during each trial along with ratings of perceived 33 exertion (RPE) and blood lactate concentration. For four days before each trial, participants ingested 50 34 mg∙kg fat-free-mass-1·day-1 of either SP or placebo. There were no effects (p ≥ 0.05) of supplementation 35 on physiological responses during cycling at 65% V̇O2max. There were also no effects of 36 supplementation on time-trial performance (placebo: 32.8 ± 2.2 mins; SP: 32.8 ± 2.3 mins). 37
Nevertheless, relative to placebo, SP increased V̇E (mean difference: 3.81 L·min-1; 95% likely range: 38 0.16-7.46 L·min-1), RER (mean difference: 0.020; 95% likely range: 0.004-0.036), and RPE (mean 39 difference: 0.39; 95% likely range: 0.04-0.73) during time-trials; as well as post time-trial blood lactate 40 concentration (mean difference: 1.06 mmol·L-1; 95% likely range: 0.31-1.80 mmol·L-1).
In conclusion, 41 SP supplementation has no significant effects on submaximal physiological responses or 20 km time-42 trial performance
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