Relationship between Bone-Specific Physical Activity Scores and Measures for Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density in Healthy Young College Women.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between bone-specific physical activity (BPAQ) scores, body composition, and bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy young college women. METHODS: Seventy-three college women (21.7 ± 1.8 years; 162.1 ± 4.6 cm; 53.9 ± 5.8 kg) between the ages of 19 and 26 years were recruited from the universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, South Korea. We used dual energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and proximal femur BMD (left side; total hip, femoral neck). The BPAQ scores (past, pBPAQ; current, cBPAQ; total, tBPAQ) were used to obtain a comprehensive account of lifetime physical activity related to bone health. We used X-scan plus II instrumentation to measure height (cm), weight (kg), fat free mass (FFM, kg), percent body fat (%), and body mass index (BMI). Participants were asked to record their 24-hour food intake in a questionnaire. RESULTS: There were positive correlations between BPAQ scores and total hip (pBPAQ r = 0.308, p = 0.008; tBPAQ, r = 0.286, p = 0.014) and FN BMD (pBPAQ r = 0.309, p = 0.008; tBPAQ, r = 0.311, p = 0.007), while no significant relationships were found in cBPAQ (p \u3e 0.05). When FFM, Vitamin D intake, cBPAQ, pBPAQ, and tBPAQ were included in a stepwise multiple linear regression analysis, FFM and pBPAQ were predictors of total hip, accounting for 16% (p = 0.024), while FFM and tBPAQ predicted 14% of the variance in FN (p = 0.015). Only FFM predicted 15% of the variance in L2-L4 (p = 0.004). There was a positive correlation between Vitamin D intake and L2-L4 (p = 0.025), but other dietary intakes variables were not significant (p \u3e 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: BPAQ-derived physical activity scores and FFM were positively associated with total hip and FN BMD in healthy young college women. Our study suggests that osteoporosis awareness and effective bone healthy behaviors for college women are required to prevent serious bone diseases later in life

Bone-Loading Physical Activity and Alcohol Intake but not BMI Affect Areal Bone Mineral Density in Young College-Aged Korean Women: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the differences in areal bone mineral density (aBMD) based on alcohol consumption behaviors, bone-loading history as assessed by a bone-specific physical activity questionnaire (BPAQ), and the body mass index (BMI). College-aged female students (N = 112) were recruited from the universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi province, South Korea. The aBMD of the lumbar spine and non-dominant side of the proximal femur (total hip, TH; femoral neck, FN; femoral trochanter, FT) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Alcohol consumption was determined by the frequency and amount of alcohol intake during the past 12 months using a self-reported questionnaire. The X-scan plus II was used to measure height (cm), body mass (kg), fat-free mass (FFM, kg), and % body fat. Drinking two or more times alcohol per week was associated with greater aBMD of the TH (p = 0.04–0.002) and FN (p = 0.043) compared to a lower frequency of alcohol consumption and 2–4 times per month, respectively. Based on the drinking amount per occasion, there were no significant group differences (p \u3e 0.05) in aBMD at any of the sites. The highest group of total BPAQ had greater aBMD of the TH, FN, and FT versus the lowest (p = 0.023–0.009) and mid of total BPAQ groups (p = 0.004–0.009). Additionally, the highest group had greater aBMD of the lumbar spine compared to the mid group (p = 0.001). No significant group differences in aBMD at any of the sites were noted based on the BMI (p \u3e 0.05). Young college-aged women with greater bone-loading physical activity showed greater aBMD at the TH, FN, FT, and lumbar spine, while a moderate alcohol intake was associated with greater aBMD of the TH and FN. These findings have clinical implications for young women who may not participate in high-impact physical activity and are binge drinkers

Massive transfusion protocol: the reason it is necessary

Objective. The purpose of this study is to identify problems of emergency transfusion at the bedside and to determine need for massive transfusion protocol. Methods. We included patients who met the criteria for “trauma team activation” and were admitted to division of trauma. The amount of blood product transfused in each unit was investigated for balanced transfusion. We also investigated the compliance with assessment of blood consumption score. The correlation between the time elapsed from patient visit to first transfusion order and time elapsed from first transfusion order to transfusion start was analyzed. Finally, we investigated various factors which serve to influence the decision-making process regarding early transfusion order. Results. Ratio of packed Red blood cells (pRBC): Fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was well-balanced, but platelet transfusion done was much lower than pRBC and FFP in emergency room. The application of emergency blood release did not match the criteria of assessment of blood consumption (ABC) score. The time from the first transfusion order to the transfusion start was found to be constant irrespective of time from patient visit to first transfusion order. And, the time from the first transfusion order to transfusion start did not differ significantly among patients with early transfusion order and delayed transfusion order. Only systolic blood pressure of < 90 mmHg was identified as a major predictor for early transfusion order. Conclusion. Balanced transfusion is not easy and emergency transfusion could be delayed at the bedside. Integrated and systematic structures for massive transfusion protocol would be invaluable and indispensable

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of motor cortex enhances running performance.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technique used to modulate neuronal excitability through non-invasive brain stimulation that can enhance exercise performance. We hypothesize that tDCS would improve submaximal running time to exhaustion (TTE) and delay the increase in the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) over time. We also hypothesize that tDCS would not lead to difference in cardiorespiratory responses. We employed a randomized, single-blinded, and counterbalanced design in which 10 trained men participated. After receiving either 20 min of 1.98 mA anodal tDCS applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) or sham-operated control on separate days, participants completed a constant-load test involving running at a speed equivalent to 80% of their own maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). During this constant-load test, RPE, heart rate (HR), VO2, pulmonary ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), and ventilatory threshold (VT) were continuously monitored. TTE was recorded at the end of the test. TTEs were significantly longer in the tDCS than in the sham conditions (21.18 ± 7.13 min; 18.44 ± 6.32 min; p = 0.011). For TTE, no significant differences were found in RPE between conditions at isotime. In addition, no significant differences in HR, VO2, VE, RER, and VT were found during TTE between the two stimulation conditions at any time point. These results indicate that the application of tDCS does not induce a change of the exercise performance-related index; however, it can affect the increase of the exercise duration due to the stimuli in the M1 area

CD44 Disruption Attenuates Murine Hepatic Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

Neutrophil adhesion and migration are critical in hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Despite very strong preclinical data, recent clinical trials failed to show a protective effect of anti-adhesion therapy in reperfusion injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the role of CD44 in neutrophil infiltration and liver injury from hepatic I/R. In this study, using a partial hepatic ischemic model in vivo, we determined the potential role of CD44 in neutrophil infiltration and liver injury from I/R. Reperfusion caused significant hepatocellular injury as it was determined by plasma ALT levels and liver histopathology. The injury was associated with a marked neutrophil recruitment and CD44 expression into the ischemic livers. Administration of anti-CD44 antibody to mice reduced the infiltration of neutrophil into the ischemic tissue, associated with liver function preservation. These results support crucial roles of CD44 in neutrophil recruitment and infiltration leading to liver damage in hepatic I/R injury. Moreover, they provide the rationale for targeting to CD44 as a potential therapeutic approach in liver I/R injury

Breakdown of the interlayer coherence in twisted bilayer graphene

Coherent motion of the electrons in the Bloch states is one of the fundamental concepts of the charge conduction in solid state physics. In layered materials, however, such a condition often breaks down for the interlayer conduction, when the interlayer coupling is significantly reduced by e.g. large interlayer separation. We report that complete suppression of coherent conduction is realized even in an atomic length scale of layer separation in twisted bilayer graphene. The interlayer resistivity of twisted bilayer graphene is much higher than the c-axis resistivity of Bernal-stacked graphite, and exhibits strong dependence on temperature as well as on external electric fields. These results suggest that the graphene layers are significantly decoupled by rotation and incoherent conduction is a main transport channel between the layers of twisted bilayer graphene.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Nd:YAG Capsulotomy after Phacoemulsification in Vitrectomized Eyes: Effects of Pars Plana Vitrectomy on Posterior Capsule Opacification

To compare the progression of posterior capsule opacification (PCO) in patients who required Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy following either combined cataract surgery with pars plana vitrectomy (PPV; C-CV), sequential cataract surgery after PPV (S-CV), or cataract surgery alone (CA). The medical records of 321 patients (408 eyes) who underwent Nd:YAG capsulotomy were retrospectively evaluated. The CA group had a significantly longer time interval from cataract surgery to capsulotomy than that of both the CV group (P=0.006) and the S-CV (P=0.013) and C-CV (P=0.042) subgroups when age-matched comparisons were used. CV patients who implanted a hydrophobic acrylic IOL had shorter time intervals than those of CA patients (P=0.028). CV patients had larger hazard of earlier capsulotomy than CA patients (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.337; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.100–1.625; P=0.004). C-CV and S-CV patients both had larger hazard than CA patients in earlier capsulotomy (HR=1.304; 95% CI=1.007–1.688; P=0.044, HR=1.361; 95%  CI=1.084–1.709; P=0.008, resp.). PCO progresses more rapidly in patients undergoing combined or sequential cataract surgery and PPV than in patients undergoing CA