The physiological bases of hidden noise-induced hearing loss: protocol for a functional neuroimaging study

Background: Rodent studies indicate that noise exposure can cause permanent damage to synapses between inner hair cells and high-threshold auditory nerve fibers, without permanently altering threshold sensitivity. These demonstrations of what is commonly known as “hidden hearing loss” have been confirmed in several rodent species, but the implications for human hearing are unclear. Objective: Our Medical Research Council (MRC) funded programme aims to address this unanswered question, by investigating functional consequences of the damage to the human peripheral and central auditory nervous system that results from cumulative lifetime noise exposure. Behavioral and neuroimaging techniques are being used in a series of parallel studies aimed at detecting hidden hearing loss in humans. The planned neuroimaging study aims to (1) identify central auditory biomarkers associated with hidden hearing loss, (2) investigate if there are any additive contributions from tinnitus or diminished sound tolerance, which are often comorbid with hearing problems, and (3) explore the relation between subcortical functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measures and the auditory brainstem response (ABR). Methods: Individuals aged 25 to 40 years with pure tone hearing thresholds ≤ 20 dB HL over the range 500 Hz to 8 kHz and no contraindications for MRI or signs of ear disease will be recruited into the study. Lifetime noise exposure will be estimated using an in-depth structured interview. Auditory responses throughout the central auditory system will be recorded using ABR and fMRI. Analyses will focus predominantly on correlations between lifetime noise exposure and auditory response characteristics. Results: This article reports the study protocol. The programme grant was awarded in July 2013. Enrollment for the study described in this protocol commenced in February 2017 and was completed in December 2017. Results are expected in 2018. Conclusions: This challenging and comprehensive study will have the potential to impact diagnostic procedures for hidden hearing loss, enabling early identification of noise-induced auditory damage via the detection of changes in central auditory processing. Consequently, this will generate the opportunity to give personalized advice regarding provision of ear defense and monitoring of further damage, thus reducing the incidence of noise-induced hearing loss

Sports injuries in adults: overview of clinical examination and management

A wide variety of anatomical structures can be involved in a sports injury. To return to play as soon as possible is of utmost importance to an athlete, and in order to achieve this, a correct, all-inclusive diagnosis, a well-focused treatment plan, and a management plan that strives to offer protection are essential. This article aims to give an overview of acute and overuse (chronic) sports injuries in adults, the approach to an accurate diagnosis and the management strategies that are available. A literature review was conducted of scientific journals, text and internet material, including a Medline and PubMed search. Literature was selected for its in-depth data and well-researched information. Key search terms included "acute and overuse injuries", as well as "sports injuries diagnosis and management" to address current and relevant scientific data on the examination and management of sports injuries in adults. The literature review indicated that sports injuries (both acute and overuse) are increasing in number due to the growing interest in physical activity and sport, as well as the enhanced intensity of training programmes. Adults are vulnerable to both types of sports injuries, and the age of occurrence of overuse injuries varies in competitive and non-competitive athletes. The importance of making an accurate diagnosis cannot be overemphasised. To assist the clinician in making an accurate diagnosis, a comprehensive history, physical examination and appropriate special investigations are mandatory. Familiarity with the demands of the athlete's sport may also prove useful. The approach to the management of acute and overuse injuries differs, with the emphasis in acute injuries being on treating the effect (torn, broken, displaced) and in chronic injuries on treating the cause (intrinsic or extrinsic). There have been numerous advances in the management of sports injuries, however further research is still warranted in this area. Follow-up articles will focus more in-depth on specifics with regard to clinical examination, special investigations and management options

Study protocol: a randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of exercise training on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with stable angina

Background: Exercise training has been shown to reduce angina and promote collateral vessel development in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the mechanism whereby exercise exerts these beneficial effects is unclear. There has been increasing interest in the use of whole genome peripheral blood gene expression in a wide range of conditions to attempt to identify both novel mechanisms of disease and transcriptional biomarkers. This protocol describes a study in which we will assess the effect of a structured exercise programme on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with stable angina, and correlate this with changes in angina level, anxiety, depression, and exercise capacity. Methods/Design: Sixty patients with stable angina will be recruited and randomised 1: 1 to exercise training or conventional care. Patients randomised to exercise training will attend an exercise physiology laboratory up to three times weekly for supervised aerobic interval training sessions of one hour in total duration. Patients will undergo assessments of angina, anxiety, depression, and peripheral blood gene expression at baseline, after six and twelve weeks of training, and twelve weeks after formal exercise training ceases. Discussion: This study will provide comprehensive data on the effect of exercise training on peripheral blood gene expression in patients with angina. By correlating this with improvement in angina status we will identify candidate peripheral blood transcriptional markers predictive of improvements in angina level in response to exercise training

Peak exercise capacity estimated from incremental shuttle walking test in patients with COPD: a methodological study

BACKGROUND: In patients with COPD, both laboratory exercise tests and field walking tests are used to assess physical performance. In laboratory tests, peak exercise capacity in watts (W peak) and/or peak oxygen uptake (VO(2 )peak) are assessed, whereas the performance on walking tests usually is expressed as distance walked. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between an incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) and two laboratory cycle tests in order to assess whether W peak could be estimated from an ISWT. METHODS: Ninety-three patients with moderate or severe COPD performed an ISWT, an incremental cycle test (ICT) to measure W peak and a semi-steady-state cycle test with breath-by-breath gas exchange analysis (CPET) to measure VO(2 )peak. Routine equations for conversion between cycle tests were used to estimate W peak from measured VO(2 )peak (CPET). Conversion equation for estimation of W peak from ISWT was found by univariate regression. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between W peak and distance walked on ISWT × body weight (r = 0.88, p < 0.0001). The agreement between W peak measured by ICT and estimated from ISWT was similar to the agreement between measured W peak (ICT) and W peak estimated from measured VO(2 )peak by CPET. CONCLUSION: Peak exercise capacity measured by an incremental cycle test could be estimated from an ISWT with similar accuracy as when estimated from peak oxygen uptake in patients with COPD

Quality science from quality measurement: The role of measurement type with respect to replication and effect size magnitude in psychological research

Copyright: © 2018 Kornbrot et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.The quality of psychological studies is currently a major concern. The Many Labs Project (MLP) and the Open-Science-Collaboration (OSC) have collected key data on replicability and statistical effect sizes. We build on this work by investigating the role played by three measurement types: ratings, proportions and unbounded (measures without conceptual upper limits, e.g. time). Both replicability and effect sizes are dependent on the amount of variability due to extraneous factors. We predicted that the role of such extraneous factors might depend on measurement type, and would be greatest for ratings, intermediate for proportions and least for unbounded. Our results support this conjecture. OSC replication rates for unbounded, 43% and proportion 40% combined are reliably higher than those for ratings at 20% (effect size, w = .20). MLP replication rates for the original studies are: pro- portion = .74, ratings = .40 (effect size w = .33). Original effect sizes (Cohen’s d) are highest for: unbounded OSC cognitive = 1.45, OSC social = .90); next for proportions (OSC cogni- tive = 1.01, OSC social = .84, MLP = .82); and lowest for ratings (OSC social = .64, MLP = .31). These findings are of key importance to scientific methodology and design, even if the reasons for their occurrence are still at the level of conjecture.Peer reviewe

The effectiveness and satisfaction of web-based physiotherapy in people with spinal cord injury: a pilot randomised controlled trial

Study Design: Pilot randomised controlled trial. Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness and participant satisfaction of web-based physiotherapy for people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Setting: Community patients of a national spinal injury unit in a university teaching hospital, Scotland, UK. Methods: Twenty-four participants were recruited and randomised to receive eight weeks of web-based physiotherapy (intervention), twice per week, or usual care (control). Individual exercise programmes were prescribed based upon participant’s abilities. The intervention was delivered via a website (www.webbasedphysio.com) and monitored and progressed remotely by the physiotherapist. Results: Participants logged on to the website an average of 1.4±0.8 times per week. Between-group differences, although not significant were more pronounced for the 6 minute walk test. Participants were positive about using web-based physiotherapy and stated they would be happy to use it again and would recommend it to others. Overall it was rated as either good or excellent. Conclusions: Web-based physiotherapy was feasible and acceptable for people with SCI. Participants achieved good compliance with the intervention, rated the programme highly and beneficial for health and well-being at various states post injury. The results of this study warrant further work with a more homogenous sample

Effect of Galactose Ingestion Before and During Exercise on Substrate Oxidation, Postexercise Satiety, and Subsequent Energy Intake in Females.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of consuming a galactose carbohydrate (CHO) drink on substrate oxidation, postexercise satiety, and subsequent energy intake. METHODS: Nine recreationally active eumenorrheic females undertook 3 trials, each consisting of running for 60 minutes at 65% VO2peak followed immediately by a 90-minute rest period. Prior to (300 ml) and at 15-minute intervals during exercise (150 ml), participants consumed either a glucose (GLU: GI 89) or galactose (GAL: GI 20) drink, each of which contained 45 g of CHO, or an artificially sweetened placebo (PLA). Following the rest period, participants were provided with an ad libitum test lunch and asked to record food intake for the remainder of the day. RESULTS: Plasma glucose was significantly greater throughout exercise and rest following the GLU trial compared with the GAL and PLA trials (P < 0.05); however there were no differences in CHO oxidation. Hunger was significantly lower (P < 0.05) throughout the GAL compared to the GLU and PLA trials. There were no significant differences between trials for energy intake during the postexercise meal. Overall net energy balance for the 24 hours was negative in both the GAL (-162 ± 115 kcal; P < 0.05 vs GLU) and PLA trials (-49 ± 160 kcal). CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that ingesting a solution containing GAL before and during exercise can positively impact postexercise satiety and energy balance throughout the day, compared to a more readily available and widely consumed form of CHO. Despite this, there appears to be no apparent benefit in consuming a CHO beverage on fuel utilization for this moderate exercise intensity and duration

Prey detection and prey capture in copepod nauplii

Copepod nauplii are either ambush feeders that feed on motile prey or they produce a feeding current that entrains prey cells. It is unclear how ambush and feeding-current feeding nauplii perceive and capture prey. Attack jumps in ambush feeding nauplii should not be feasible at low Reynolds numbers due to the thick viscous boundary layer surrounding the attacking nauplius. We use high-speed video to describe the detection and capture of phytoplankton prey by the nauplii of two ambush feeding species (Acartia tonsa and Oithona davisae) and by the nauplii of one feeding-current feeding species (Temora longicornis). We demonstrate that the ambush feeders both detect motile prey remotely. Prey detection elicits an attack jump, but the jump is not directly towards the prey, such as has been described for adult copepods. Rather, the nauplius jumps past the prey and sets up an intermittent feeding current that pulls in the prey from behind towards the mouth. The feeding-current feeding nauplius detects prey arriving in the feeding current but only when the prey is intercepted by the setae on the feeding appendages. This elicits an altered motion pattern of the feeding appendages that draws in the prey

Appetite, gut hormone and energy intake responses to low volume sprint interval and traditional endurance exercise.

Sprint interval exercise improves several health markers but the appetite and energy balance response is unknown. This study compared the effects of sprint interval and endurance exercise on appetite, energy intake and gut hormone responses. Twelve healthy males [mean (SD): age 23 (3) years, body mass index 24.2 (2.9) kg m(-2), maximum oxygen uptake 46.3 (10.2) mL kg(-1) min(-1)] completed three 8 h trials [control (CON), endurance exercise (END), sprint interval exercise (SIE)] separated by 1 week. Trials commenced upon completion of a standardised breakfast. Sixty minutes of cycling at 68.1 (4.3) % of maximum oxygen uptake was performed from 1.75-2.75 h in END. Six 30-s Wingate tests were performed from 2.25-2.75 h in SIE. Appetite ratings, acylated ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) concentrations were measured throughout each trial. Food intake was monitored from buffet meals at 3.5 and 7 h and an overnight food bag. Appetite (P 0.05). Therefore, relative energy intake (energy intake minus the net energy expenditure of exercise) was lower in END than that in CON (15.7 %; P = 0.006) and SIE (11.5 %; P = 0.082). An acute bout of endurance exercise resulted in lower appetite perceptions in the hours after exercise than sprint interval exercise and induced a greater 24 h energy deficit due to higher energy expenditure during exercise