Relationship between Asian martial arts and health-related quality of life in Germany

Aim: Due to the steady increase in health care costs, a greater focus on maintaining wellness and preventing health issues has been established. Historically, Asian martial arts were closely associated with maintaining healthfulness. Thus, the aim of this investigation was to determine if people who practice Asian martial arts gain any health-related quality of life benefits compared to the general population. Subject and methods: Therefore, 343 martial artists practicing 8 varieties of martial arts answered the German standardized questionnaire 36 in a controlled setting at 24 martial arts schools (3 schools per martial art) between February 2008 and July 2008. These participants were not given information regarding the purpose of the study. Additionally, between July 2008 and December 2008, 2,512 martial artists completed an online version of the German standardized questionnaire 36. Results: The results of those completing the questionnaire in person differed from those responding to the online questionnaire. Compared to the general public, both martial arts groups rated their health-related quality of life to be better. Of the parameters evaluated, the greater differences were observed for physical aspects of health than for psychological aspects. Conclusion: Thus, these results indicate that participation in martial arts provides health-related quality of life benefits associated with the prevention of health problems. However, further studies are needed to understand the complex relationship between the practice of martial arts and improved health

Seasonal, synoptic, and diurnal-scale variability of biogeochemical trace gases and O2 from a 300-m tall tower in central Siberia

We present first results from 19 months of semicontinuous concentration measurements of biogeochemical trace gases (CO2, CO, and CH4) and O2, measured at the Zotino Tall Tower Observatory (ZOTTO) in the boreal forest of central Siberia. We estimated CO2 and O2 seasonal cycle amplitudes of 26.6 ppm and 134 per meg, respectively. An observed west-east gradient of about -7 ppm (in July 2006) between Shetland Islands, Scotland, and ZOTTO reflects summertime continental uptake of CO2 and is consistent with regional modeling studies. We found the oceanic component of the O2 seasonal amplitude (Atmospheric Potential Oxygen, or APO) to be 51 per meg, significantly smaller than the 95 per meg observed at Shetlands, illustrating a strong attenuation of the oceanic O2 signal in the continental interior. Comparison with the Tracer Model 3 (TM3) atmospheric transport model showed good agreement with the observed phasing and seasonal amplitude in CO2; however, the model exhibited greater O2 (43 per meg, 32%) and smaller APO (9 per meg, 18%) amplitudes. This seeming inconsistency in model comparisons between O2 and APO appears to be the result of phasing differences in land and ocean signals observed at ZOTTO, where ocean signals have a significant lag. In the first 2 months of measurements on the fully constructed tower (November and December 2006), we observed several events with clear vertical concentration gradients in all measured species except CO. During “cold events” (below -30°C) in November 2006, we observed large vertical gradients in CO2 (up to 22 ppm), suggesting a strong local source. The same pattern was observed in CH4 concentrations for the same events. Diurnal vertical CO2 gradients in April to May 2007 gave estimates for average nighttime respiration fluxes of 0.04 ± 0.02 mol C m-2 d-1, consistent with earlier eddy covariance measurements in 1999–2000 in the vicinity of the tower

Defining trauma-induced coagulopathy with respect to future implications for patient management : Communication from the SSC of the ISTH

Peer reviewedPostprin

Plasmin Generation Potential and Recanalization in Acute Ischaemic Stroke; an Observational Cohort Study of Stroke Biobank Samples

Rationale More than half of patients who receive thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke fail to recanalize. Elucidating biological factors which predict recanalization could identify therapeutic targets for increasing thrombolysis success. Hypothesis We hypothesize that individual patient plasmin potential, as measured by in vitro response to recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA), is a biomarker of rt-PA response, and that patients with greater plasmin response are more likely to recanalize early. Methods This study will use historical samples from the Barcelona Stroke Thrombolysis Biobank, comprised of 350 pre-thrombolysis plasma samples from ischaemic stroke patients who received serial transcranial-Doppler (TCD) measurements before and after thrombolysis. The plasmin potential of each patient will be measured using the level of plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP) generated after in-vitro addition of rt-PA. Levels of antiplasmin, plasminogen, t-PA activity, and PAI-1 activity will also be determined. Association between plasmin potential variables and time to recanalization [assessed on serial TCD using the thrombolysis in brain ischemia (TIBI) score] will be assessed using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders. Outcomes The primary outcome will be time to recanalization detected by TCD(defined as TIBI ≥4). Secondary outcomes will be recanalization within 6-h and recanalization and/or haemorrhagic transformation at 24-h. This analysis will utilize an expanded cohort including ∼120 patients from the Targeting Optimal Thrombolysis Outcomes (TOTO) study. Discussion If association between proteolytic response to rt-PA and recanalization is confirmed, future clinical treatment may customize thrombolytic therapy to maximize outcomes and minimize adverse effects for individual patients

Characterization of aperiodic and periodic thin Cu films formed on the five-fold surface of i-Al70Pd21Mn9 using medium-energy ion scattering spectroscopy

The elucidation of the local atomic structure of a pseudomorphic film of Cu deposited on the five-fold surface of i-Al70Pd21Mn9using medium-energy ion scattering spectroscopy is reported. Monte Carlo calculations, using the VEGAS code, have been utilized to simulate the blocking of 100 keV He+ ions scattered from the overlayer. The coordinates of the Cu atoms in the overlayer derived from this procedure are consistent with a structure occurring in five rotational domains. Each domain consists of nanoscale strips of fcc Cu(100) with the ⟨110⟩ azimuth aligned along the five-fold directions of the quasicrystalline substrate. The strips are arranged according to a one-dimensional Fibonacci sequence with long and short widths related by the golden mean τ. Upon annealing the film transforms to an alloyed structure composed of five orientational domains of fcc material with the (110) axis perpendicular to the surface.This article is from Physical Review B 74 (2006): 035429, doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.74.035429.</p