An electromyographic evaluation of dual role breathing and upper body muscles in response to front crawl swimming

The upper body trunk musculature is key in supporting breathing, propulsion, and stabilization during front crawl swimming. The aim of this study was to determine if the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, and serratus anterior contributed to the development of inspiratory muscle fatigue observed following front crawl swimming. Fourteen trained swimmers completed a 200-m front crawl swim at 90% of race pace. Maximal inspiratory and expiratory mouth pressures (PImax and PEmax) were assessed before (baseline) and after each swim, and electromyography was recorded from the three muscles. Post-swim PImax fell by 11% (P < 0.001, d = 0.57) and the median frequency (MDF: a measure of fatigue) of the latissimus dorsi, pectoralis major, and serratus anterior fell to 90% (P = 0.001, d = 1.57), 87% (P = 0.001, r = −0.60) and 89% (P = 0.018, d = 1.04) of baseline, respectively. The fall in serratus anterior MDF was correlated with breathing frequency (r = 0.675, P = 0.008) and stroke rate (r = 0.639, P = 0.014). The results suggest that the occurrence of inspiratory muscle fatigue was partly caused by fatigue of these muscles, and that breathing frequency and stroke rate particularly affect the serratus anterior

Local Stellar Kinematics from RAVE data - VII. Metallicity Gradients from Red Clump Stars

We investigate the Milky Way Galaxy's radial and vertical metallicity gradients using a sample of 47,406 red clump stars from the RAVE DR4. This sample is more than twice the size of the largest sample in the literature investigating radial and vertical metallicity gradients. The absolute magnitude of Groenewegen (2008) is used to determine distances to our sample stars. The resulting distances agree with the RAVE DR4 distances Binney et al. (2014) of the same stars. Our photometric method also provides distances to 6185 stars that are not assigned a distance in RAVE DR4. The metallicity gradients are calculated with their current orbital positions ($R_{gc}$ and $Z$) and with their orbital properties (mean Galactocentric distance, $R_{m}$ and $z_{max}$), as a function of the distance to the Galactic plane: d[Fe/H]/d$R_{gc}=$-$0.047\pm0.003$ dex/kpc for $0\leq |Z|\leq0.5$ kpc and d[Fe/H]/d$R_m=$-$0.025\pm0.002$ dex/kpc for $0\leq z_{max}\leq0.5$ kpc. This reaffirms the radial metallicity gradient in the thin disc but highlights that gradients are sensitive to the selection effects caused by the difference between $R_{gc}$ and $R_{m}$. The radial gradient is flat in the distance interval 0.5-1 kpc from the plane and then becomes positive greater than 1 kpc from the plane. The radial metallicity gradients are also eccentricity dependent. We showed that d[Fe/H]/d$R_m=$-$0.089\pm0.010$, -$0.073\pm0.007$, -$0.053\pm0.004$ and -$0.044\pm0.002$ dex/kpc for $e_p\leq0.05$, $e_p\leq0.07$, $e_p\leq0.10$ and $e_p\leq0.20$ sub-samples, respectively, in the distance interval $0\leq z_{max}\leq0.5$ kpc. Similar trend is found for vertical metallicity gradients. Both the radial and vertical metallicity gradients are found to become shallower as the eccentricity of the sample increases. These findings can be used to constrain different formation scenarios of the thick and thin discs.Comment: 18 pages, including 16 figures and 6 tables, accepted for publication in PAS

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE BRAND PREFERENCES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS STUDYING SPORTS IN TURKEY AND PORTUGAL

The purpose of this study is to find out and compare the factors effective in brand preferences of the students of Ondokuz Mayıs University Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences in Turkey and Instituto Politecnico da Guarda Faculty of Sports in Portugal in terms of sports products. 266 students (170 male, 96 female) attending sports faculties in Turkey and Portugal participated in this study. A questionnaire about the sports products preferences developed by Tozoğlu (2009) was used in order to find out the brand preferences of students. Student t-test was used to determine whether there is a significant difference between sport faculty students in Portugal and in Turkey. Chi square analysis was used to find out whether the students’ reasons for preferring a brand differed in terms of the schools, they were attending. Differences were found between the factors that affected the brand preferences of the students of Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sport Sciences and Instituto Politecnico da Guarda (IPG) Faculty of Sports in sports products. It was found that when compared with the students of IPG, students of OMU preferred brands since they provided quality guarantee, they were indicators of status and they gave a sense of security. It was found that students of OMU and IPG paid attention to the price while buying a brand product. Turkish students were found to be more dependent on brands when compared with Portuguese students. In addition, the price factor in the purchase of branded products is becoming a common element of the students of both countries. The tendency towards branded sporting products can manifest itself in increasing or decreasing proportions relative to advertising and promotional activities. The management of this orientation as a healthy process can be achieved by the effects of planned school education on the cultural structure.  Article visualizations

Metallicity and absolute magnitude calibrations for F-G type main-sequence stars in the Gaia era

In this study, photometric metallicity and absolute magnitude calibrations were derived using F-G spectral type main-sequence stars in the Solar neighbourhood with precise spectroscopic, photometric and Gaia astrometric data for UBV photometry. The sample consists of 504 main-sequence stars covering the temperature, surface gravity and colour index intervals $5300<T_{eff} < 7300$ K, $\log g > 4$ (cgs) and $0.3<(B-V)_0<0.8$ mag, respectively. Stars with relative trigonometric parallax errors $\sigma_{\pi}/\pi\leq0.01$ were preferred from Gaia DR2 data for the estimation of their $M_V$ absolute magnitudes. In order to obtain calibrations, $(U-B)_0$ and $(B-V)_0$ colour indices of stars were preferred and a multi-variable second order equation was used. Calibrations are valid for main-sequence stars in the metallicity and absolute magnitude ranges $-2<{\rm [Fe/H]}<0.5$ dex and $2.5<M_V<6$ mag, respectively. The mean value and standard deviation of the differences between original and estimated values for the metal abundance and absolute magnitude are $\langle\Delta {\rm[Fe/H]}\rangle=0.00\pm0.11$ dex and $\langle\Delta M_V \rangle=0.00\pm0.22$ mag, respectively. In this work, it has been shown that more precise iron abundance and absolute magnitude values were obtained with the new calibrations, compared to previous calibrations in the literature.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures and 4 tables, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Implementing of aMMP-8 point-of-care test with a modified new disease classification in Finnish adolescent cohorts

Objectives: Periodontitis is a multifactorial biofilm-induced inflammatory disease; however, clinical and radiographic information reflects events that have already occurred. aMMP-8 lateral-flow chairside or point-of-care-test (POC-test) results have also come to complement the overall status of the patient's current situation. The current study aimed to clarify the usefulness of aMMP-8 chairside-test (aMMP-8 POCT) results to alert the initial or early periodontitis in adolescents, a potential periodontitis risk group with cut off 20 ng/ml in Stage I periodontitis, according to the current periodontitis classification system. Material and Methods: A total of 117 adolescents were aMMP-8 POC tested for aMMP-8 levels and examined for the full mouth and were interviewed for questions concerning health behavior. Results: Of all 117 participants, N = 38 (32.5%) was aMMP-8 POCT positive, and N = 34 (29.1%) had at least one 4 mm periodontal deepened pocket; however, only N = 16 (13.7%) had both characteristics. The subclinical stage (N = 47) could not be classified either as gingivitis or Stage I. Of the participants, who did not have any deepened periodontal pockets, 18 tested negative. Conclusions: Stage I is preceded by antecedent stages that should be tackled by oral healthcare prevention and personalized treatment modalities by professionals. Elevated (>20 nglml), positive aMMP-8 POCT results can be regarded as initial alarmer such as emerging risk. This should be utilized in the preventive personalized interventions by oral health professionals.Peer reviewe

Porphyry Cu-Mo-(Au) Mineralization at Paraga Area, Nakhchivan District, Azerbaijan: Evidence from Mineral Paragenesis, Hyrothermal Alteration and Geochemical Studies

The Paraga area is located at the extreme eastern part of Nakhchivan district at the boundary with Armenia. The field study is situated at Ordubad region placed in 9 km from Paraga village and stays at 2300-2800 m height over sea level. It lies within a region of low-grade metamorphic porphyritic volcanic and plutonic rocks. The detailed field studies revealed that this area composed mainly of metagabbro-diorite intrusive rocks with porphyritic character emplaced into meta-andesitic rocks. This complex is later intruded by unmapped olivine gabbroic rocks. The Cu-Mo-(Au) mineralization at Paraga deposit is vein-type mineralization that is essentially related to quartz veins stockwork which cut the dioritic rocks and concentrated at the eastern and northeastern parts of the area with different directions N80W, N25W, N70E and N45E. Also, this mineralization is associated with two shearing zones directed N75W and N15E. The host porphyritic rocks were affected by intense sulfidation, carbonatization, sericitization and silicification with pervasive hematitic alterations accompanied with mineralized quartz veins and quartz-carbonate veins. Sulfide minerals which are chalcopyrite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and sphalerite occurred in two cases either inside these mineralized quartz veins or disseminated in the highly altered rocks as well as molybdenite and also at the peripheries between the altered host rock and veins. Gold found as inclusion disseminated in arsenopyrite and pyrite as well as in their cracks

Porphyry Cu-Mo-(Au) Mineralization at Paraga Area, Nakhchivan District, Azerbaijan: Evidence from Mineral Paragenesis, Hyrothermal Alteration and Geochemical Studies

The Paraga area is located at the extreme eastern part of Nakhchivan district at the boundary with Armenia. The field study is situated at Ordubad region placed in 9 km from Paraga village and stays at 2300-2800 m height over sea level. It lies within a region of low-grade metamorphic porphyritic volcanic and plutonic rocks. The detailed field studies revealed that this area composed mainly of metagabbro-diorite intrusive rocks with porphyritic character emplaced into meta-andesitic rocks. This complex is later intruded by unmapped olivine gabbroic rocks. The Cu-Mo-(Au) mineralization at Paraga deposit is vein-type mineralization that is essentially related to quartz veins stockwork which cut the dioritic rocks and concentrated at the eastern and northeastern parts of the area with different directions N80W, N25W, N70E and N45E. Also, this mineralization is associated with two shearing zones directed N75W and N15E. The host porphyritic rocks were affected by intense sulfidation, carbonatization, sericitization and silicification with pervasive hematitic alterations accompanied with mineralized quartz veins and quartz-carbonate veins. Sulfide minerals which are chalcopyrite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and sphalerite occurred in two cases either inside these mineralized quartz veins or disseminated in the highly altered rocks as well as molybdenite and also at the peripheries between the altered host rock and veins. Gold found as inclusion disseminated in arsenopyrite and pyrite as well as in their cracks

Role of Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipains in multi-species biofilm formation

BackgroundPeriodontal diseases are polymicrobial diseases that cause the inflammatory destruction of the tooth-supporting (periodontal) tissues. Their initiation is attributed to the formation of subgingival biofilms that stimulate a cascade of chronic inflammatory reactions by the affected tissue. The Gram-negative anaerobes Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia and Treponema denticola are commonly found as part of the microbiota of subgingival biofilms, and they are associated with the occurrence and severity of the disease. P. gingivalis expresses several virulence factors that may support its survival, regulate its communication with other species in the biofilm, or modulate the inflammatory response of the colonized host tissue. The most prominent of these virulence factors are the gingipains, which are a set of cysteine proteinases (either Arg-specific or Lys-specific). The role of gingipains in the biofilm-forming capacity of P. gingivalis is barely investigated. Hence, this in vitro study employed a biofilm model consisting of 10 ¿subgingival¿ bacterial species, incorporating either a wild-type P. gingivalis strain or its derivative Lys-gingipain and Arg-gingipan isogenic mutants, in order to evaluate quantitative and qualitative changes in biofilm composition.ResultsFollowing 64 h of biofilm growth, the levels of all 10 species were quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization or immunofluorescence. The wild-type and the two gingipain-deficient P. gingivalis strains exhibited similar growth in their corresponding biofilms. Among the remaining nine species, only the numbers of T. forsythia were significantly reduced, and only when the Lys-gingipain mutant was present in the biofilm. When evaluating the structure of the biofilm by confocal laser scanning microscopy, the most prominent observation was a shift in the spatial arrangement of T. denticola, in the presence of P. gingivalis Arg-gingipain mutant.ConclusionsThe gingipains of P. gingivalis may qualitatively and quantitatively affect composition of polymicrobial biofilms. The present experimental model reveals interdependency between the gingipains of P. gingivalis and T. forsythia or T. denticola

Diagnostic value of combined serum biomarkers for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C infection: A multicenter, noninterventional, observational study

Background/Aims: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is important cause of chronic hepatitis. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for assessment of fibrosis but this procedure is an invasive procedure. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of non-invasive serum biomarkers, separately and in combinations, on liver fibrosis in treatment-naive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and sixteen treatment-naive CHC patients were enrolled from 32 locations across Turkey in this open-labelled, non-interventional prospective observational study. FibroTest®, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index(APRI), aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), Age-platelet(AP) index and Forns index were measured and compared with Metavir scores got from liver biopsies. Results: Data from 182 patients with baseline liver biopsy were suitable for analysis. One hundred and twenty patients (65.9%) had F0-F1 fibrosis and 62 patients (34.1%) had F2-F4 fibrosis. APRI 0.732 area under the curve(AUC) indicated advanced fibrosis with 69% sensitivity and 77% specificity. FIB-4 0.732 AUC and FibroTest 0.715 AUC indicated advanced fibrosis with 69% and 78.4% sensitivity, and 75% and 71.4% specificity, respectively. The combined use of tests also led to an increase in AUC and specificity. Combinations of FibroTest with APRI and/or FIB-4, and FIB-4 with APRI were optimal for the evaluation of liver fibrosis. Conclusion: Fibrotest, FIB-4, APRI, AP index and Forns index exhibit good diagnostic performance for determining liver fibrosis in CHC patients, and the use of at least two tests together will increase their diagnostic value still further. © Copyright 2018 by The Turkish Society of Gastroenterology