Effects of a Carbon-Plated Racing Shoe on Running Economy at Slower Running Speeds

Advancements in running shoe technology, such as the inclusion of a carbon-fiber plate along with new, thicker midsole foams, have been shown to improve running economy. Running economy can be defined as the oxygen consumption (VO2) or caloric expenditure at a fixed running speed. Specifically in the Nike Vaporfly line of racing shoes, running economy improvements have been shown in the 2.7-4.2% range at running speeds of 14-18 km·hr-1. These previously tested speeds are relevant for runners completing the marathon distance in 3 hours and faster. However, it is unclear if the same running economy benefits are conferred at slower running paces. PURPOSE: Determine the effects of the Nike Vaporfly Next% 2 (NVF2) on running economy at 10 and 12 km·hr-1. METHODS: NVF2 was compared to a mass-matched, control (CTRL) shoe, the Asics Hyper Speed. Sixteen runners (8 male: 29 ± 15 years, 68.8 ± 10.9 kg, 17.2 ± 4.7 % body fat, 5-km best: 19.1 ± 2.6 min; 8 female: 38 ± 7 years, 58.5 ± 7.4 kg, 23.6 ± 3.0 % body fat, 5-km best: 20.3 ± 2.2 min) completed 4 x 5-minute trials at 10 km‧hr-1, followed by another series of 4 x 5-minute trials at 12 km‧hr-1 on the same day. There was a 5-minute seated rest between trials. Each shoe was tested twice at each speed in a mirrored sequence with the order counterbalanced across subjects. Metabolic and running mechanics data were collected and averaged. Data were analyzed by a two-way (shoe x speed) repeated measures ANOVA. Significant interactions were followed up with paired sample t-tests. RESULTS: There was a significant shoe x speed interaction for VO2 (p = 0.021). At 12 km‧hr-1, VO2 (ml·kg-1·min-1) was lower (-1.4 ± 1.1%; p \u3c 0.001) for NVF2 (35.8 ± 1.7) relative to CTRL (36.4 ± 1.7). This was greater in magnitude than the differences observed at 10 km‧hr-1 (-0.9 ± 1.8%; p = 0.065) between NVF2 (29.4 ± 1.9) and CTRL (29.6 ± 1.9). Mechanics data showed main effects for shoe condition (p \u3c 0.05) with a decreased cadence (~1.1 step·min-1) and increased vertical oscillation (~0.17 cm) in NVF2 relative to CTRL. CONCLUSION: From these data, it appears that the NVF2 still provides benefits to running economy at 12 km‧hr-1 (~3.5-hour marathon pace), however these benefits may be smaller in magnitude (1.4%) compared to previous research (2.7-4.2%) at faster speeds of 14-18 km‧hr-1. These benefits may be reduced even further (0.9%) at 10 km‧hr-1 (~4.2-hour marathon pace)

Effect of Treadmill Surface Stiffness on the Running Economy Benefits of a Highly-Cushioned Racing Shoe: A Pilot Study

Running economy (RE) is defined as the oxygen consumption (VO2) at a given running speed. The Nike Vaporfly line of racing shoes, which includes more compliant and resilient midsole foam and a carbon-fiber plate, have been shown to improve RE during treadmill testing. Previous research suggests that RE in general is worse on treadmills with stiffer running platforms. However, it is unclear if the magnitude of the RE benefits provided by these new shoes relative to a control shoe differ based on treadmill stiffness. Given that some treadmill platforms allow more flex or compliance, this may be an important consideration when comparing the effects of new footwear. Placing shims under the spans of a treadmill can increase surface stiffness and allow for such comparisons. PURPOSE: Determine the RE benefits of the Nike Vaporfly NEXT% 2 (VFN2) racing shoe relative to a mass-matched control (CTRL) shoe, under shimmed (SHIM) and non-shimmed (NON) treadmill conditions. METHODS: Four male runners (23 ± 8 years, 176 ± 4 cm, 61.8 ± 8.6 kg) completed 8 x 5-minute trials at 12 km·hr-1 on a level, motorized treadmill (Cardiac Science TM 55) with a 5-minute rest between trials. Both the VNF2 and CTRL shoe were tested twice under both the SHIM and NON treadmill conditions. The Asics Hyper Speed was used as the CTRL shoe given its traditional midsole foam and absence of a carbon-fiber plate. Approximately 16 g was added to VFN2 to mass-match the CTRL shoe. For the SHIM trials, an adjustable screw jack was elevated under both sides of the treadmill spans near the location of foot strike. VO2 was measured continuously throughout each trial and averages from the final 2-minutes for each of the two trials for a given shoe-treadmill condition were determined. RESULTS: VFN2 improved RE to a similar extent relative to CTRL for NON (1.2 ± 0.7%; p = 0.041) and for SHIM (1.1 ± 0.43%; p = 0.013) treadmill conditions. The average difference (NON minus SHIM) in the % energy savings conferred by the VFN2 was only 0.08 ± 0.29%. VO2 (ml·kg-1·min-1) is provided for each subject based on shoe-treadmill condition with % reductions in VO2 for VFN2 relative to CTRL displayed for each treadmill condition. Subject A: CTRL-NON 36.68, VFN2-NON 36.16; 1.41%; CTRL-SHIM 37.02, VFN2-SHIM 36.50; 1.40%. Subject B: CTRL-NON 37.98, VFN2-NON 37.22; 2.02%; CTRL-SHIM 37.45, VFN2-SHIM 36.88; 1.53%. Subject C: CTRL-NON 37.26, VFN2-NON 36.90; 0.98%; CTRL-SHIM 37.86, VFN2-SHIM 37.49; 0.98%. Subject D: CTRL-NON 38.41, VFN2-NON 38.26; 0.39%; CTRL-SHIM 38.43, VFN2-SHIM 38.21; 0.57%. Independent of shoe condition, SHIM resulted in worse RE for subject A and C, improved RE for subject B, and left RE unchanged for subject D. CONCLUSION: Shimming the span of the Cardiac Science TM 55 treadmill to increase surface stiffness may negatively impact RE overall for some individuals. However, this does not appear to impact the benefits provided by the VFN2 relative to a CTRL shoe at the 12 km·hr-1 speed tested in this pilot study

Infectious diseases consultation reduces 30-day and 1-year all-cause mortality for multidrug-resistant organism infections

Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) infections are associated with high mortality and readmission rates. Infectious diseases (ID) consultation improves clinical outcomes for drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. Our goal was to determine the association between ID consultation and mortality following various MDRO infections. Methods This study was conducted with a retrospective cohort (January 1, 2006–October 1, 2015) at an academic tertiary referral center. We identified patients with MDROs in a sterile site or bronchoalveolar lavage/bronchial wash culture. Mortality and readmissions within 1 year of index culture were identified, and the association of ID consultation with these outcomes was determined using Cox proportional hazards models with inverse weighting by the propensity score for ID consultation. Results A total of 4214 patients with MDRO infections were identified. ID consultation was significantly associated with reductions in 30-day and 1-year mortality for resistant S. aureus (hazard ratio [HR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–0.63; and HR, 0.73, 95% CI, 0.61–0.86) and Enterobacteriaceae (HR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27–0.64; and HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.59–0.94), and 30-day mortality for polymicrobial infections (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.31–0.86) but not Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas. For resistant Enterococcus, ID consultation was marginally associated with decreased 30-day mortality (HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.62–1.06). ID consultation was associated with reduced 30-day readmission for resistant Enterobacteriaceae. Conclusions ID consultation was associated with significant reductions in 30-day and 1-year mortality for resistant S. aureus and Enterobacteriaceae, and 30-day mortality for polymicrobial infections. There was no association between ID consultation and mortality for patients with resistant Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, or Enterococcus, possibly due to small sample sizes. Our results suggest that ID consultation may be beneficial for patients with some MDRO infections. </jats:sec

Spatial arrangement affects population dynamics and competition independent of community composition

Theory suggests that the spatial context within which species interactions occur will have major implications for the outcome of competition and ultimately, coexistence, but empirical tests are rare. This is surprising given that individuals of species in real communities are typically distributed nonrandomly in space. Nonrandom spatial arrangement has the potential to modify the relative strength of intra- and interspecific competition by changing the ratio of conspecific to heterospecific competitive encounters, particularly among sessile species where interactions among individuals occur on local scales. Here we test the influence of aggregated and random spatial arrangements on population trajectories of competing species in benthic, marine, sessile-invertebrate assemblages. We show that the spatial arrangement of competing species in simple assemblages has a strong effect on species performance: when conspecifics are aggregated, strong competitors perform poorly and weaker competitors perform better. The effect of specific spatial arrangements depends on species identity but is also strongly context dependent. When there are large differences in species competitive ability, aggregated spatial arrangements can slow competitive exclusion, and so nonrandom spatial arrangement can work synergistically with other trade-off based mechanisms to facilitate coexistence

Risky Sexual Behavior and Knowledge of HIV/AIDS Transmission in a Community Sample: Sexual Orientation, Race, and Gender

New cases of HIV/AIDS are disproportionately diagnosed among men who identify as lesbian, gay, and bisexual and Black. Reasons for this disparity may be related to differences in knowledge of how HIV/AIDS is transmitted and differences in willingness to engage in risky sexual behaviors. In this study, we examined whether differences in knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission and engagement in risky sexual behaviors differed among men and women; lesbian, gay, and bisexual and heterosexual people; and White and Black people. Findings indicate knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission was not related to sexual orientation or gender; however, White participants had higher scores on a measure of knowledge of HIV/AIDS transmission than Black participants. While neither gender nor race seemed to be related to differences in engaging in risky sexual behavior, differences in what types of risky sexual behavior people participated in existed based on sexual orientation. Implications for prevention efforts are addressed

Personality factors and self-reported political news consumption predict susceptibility to political fake news

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under temporary embargo.The existence of fake news on social media is likely to influence important issues such as elections, attitudes toward public policy, and health care decisions. Studies have shown that individual differences predict participants’ ability to discern real and fake news. The present study examined whether personality factors and news consumption predict an individual’s political news discernment. Participants (N = 353) judged the accuracy of true and false political news headlines, completed a personality inventory, and reported how many hours they obtained political news from various sources in a typical week. Regression analyses revealed that greater levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, open-mindedness, lower levels of extraversion, and fewer hours of news consumption were related to better news discernment. Participants also showed a bias toward headlines consistent with their self-reported political ideology, and this bias was related to consumption of ideologically biased news sources. These results extend those that have identified individual differences in news discernment, demonstrating that personality factors and news consumption are related to the ability to discern between true and false political news.U.S. Government affiliation is unstated in article text

Digital Orthopaedics: A Glimpse Into the Future in the Midst of a Pandemic.

BackgroundThe response to COVID-19 catalyzed the adoption and integration of digital health tools into the health care delivery model for musculoskeletal patients. The change, suspension, or relaxation of Medicare and federal guidelines enabled the rapid implementation of these technologies. The expansion of payment models for virtual care facilitated its rapid adoption. The authors aim to provide several examples of digital health solutions utilized to manage orthopedic patients during the pandemic and discuss what features of these technologies are likely to continue to provide value to patients and clinicians following its resolution.ConclusionThe widespread adoption of new technologies enabling providers to care for patients remotely has the potential to permanently change the expectations of all stakeholders about the way care is provided in orthopedics. The new era of Digital Orthopaedics will see a gradual and nondisruptive integration of technologies that support the patient's journey through the successful management of their musculoskeletal disease

Actin polymerization-dependent activation of Cas-L promotes immunological synapse stability

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Common Fund through a Nanomedicine Development Center PN2EY016586 (MLD, MPS). OH and KA were Cas-L coordinates T-cell actin cytoskeleton 2 supported by NIH grants R01 AI068963-01A2 and R01 AI088106-01A1. The Wellcome Trust and the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology Trust supported MLD

Evolutionary relationships in Panicoid grasses based on plastome phylogenomics (Panicoideae; Poaceae)

Background: Panicoideae are the second largest subfamily in Poaceae (grass family), with 212 genera and approximately 3316 species. Previous studies have begun to reveal relationships within the subfamily, but largely lack resolution and/or robust support for certain tribal and subtribal groups. This study aims to resolve these relationships, as well as characterize a putative mitochondrial insert in one linage. Results: 35 newly sequenced Panicoideae plastomes were combined in a phylogenomic study with 37 other species: 15 Panicoideae and 22 from outgroups. A robust Panicoideae topology largely congruent with previous studies was obtained, but with some incongruences with previously reported subtribal relationships. A mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to plastid DNA (ptDNA) transfer was discovered in the Paspalum lineage. Conclusions: The phylogenomic analysis returned a topology that largely supports previous studies. Five previously recognized subtribes appear on the topology to be non-monophyletic. Additionally, evidence for mtDNA to ptDNA transfer was identified in both Paspalum fimbriatum and P. dilatatum, and suggests a single rare event that took place in a common progenitor. Finally, the framework from this study can guide larger whole plastome sampling to discern the relationships in Cyperochloeae, Steyermarkochloeae, Gynerieae, and other incertae sedis taxa that are weakly supported or unresolved.Fil: Burke, Sean V.. Northern Illinois University; Estados UnidosFil: Wysocki, William P.. Northern Illinois University; Estados UnidosFil: Zuloaga, Fernando Omar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion. Academia Nacional de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Botánica Darwinion; ArgentinaFil: Craine, Joseph M.. Jonah Ventures; Estados UnidosFil: Pires, J. Chris. University of Missouri; Estados UnidosFil: Edger, Patrick P.. Michigan State University; Estados UnidosFil: Mayfield Jones, Dustin. Donald Danforth Plant Science Center; Estados UnidosFil: Clark, Lynn G.. Iowa State University; Estados UnidosFil: Kelchner, Scot A.. University of Idaho; Estados UnidosFil: Duvall, Melvin R.. Northern Illinois University; Estados Unido