Preliminary Observations Examining the Acute Effect of Range of Motion Barbell-Bench Press Exercises on Markers of Electromyography, Muscle Oxygen Saturation, and Post-exercise Hyperemia of the Pectoralis Major

Full range of motion (fROM) exercises are the traditional method of improving muscular strength and hypertrophy during resistance training (RT), but partial range of motion (pROM) exercises have been used in rehabilitative and resistance training settings, and some recent studies have shown a positive benefit on how it may influence regional muscle growth. However, there is limited evidence examining potential mechanisms of how pROM may stimulate regional muscle growth. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate regional or local differences in post-exercise hyperemia (US) of the pectoralis major (PM), PM oxygen saturation (SmO2), and synergist myoelectrical activity (sEMG) during flat (FB) and incline (IB) barbell bench press exercise bouts. METHODS: Two male and female subjects (Age: 22.2 ±0.9 y; Height: 170.0±3.4 cm; Weight: 71.3±7.1 kg; Body Fat: 17.60±4.2 %) were sequentially randomized to fROM and pROM during FB and IB (45° inclination) bench pressing exercises utilizing a Smith Machine (SM) barbell bench press (BP). The SM barbell was fitted with an EliteFTS™ shoulder saver pad during pROM bouts, and individuals were instructed to touch the pad to their chests and not to lockout, their elbows. The ROM was measured using an elbow electric joint goniometer (DTS2D-Noraxon) and GymAware for distance (cm). 7-days prior to each ROM bout, strength testing (1RM) was completed to determine 75-80% intensity for ROM bouts. Pre-bout (Pre), immediate post-bout (IP), and 24 h post-ROM bout measures of reactive hyperemia in the regional areas of the right-side PM were collected at 10%, 25%, 40%, 50%, and 60 % distal the suprasternal notch in males and 10% and 25% were used for the females. Ultrasound (US; GE Logiq E9) measures cross-sectional area (CSA) using panoramic capability (LOGIQView®). Surface electromyography (sEMG) analysis was performed on each participant\u27s right side for the following muscle groups: pectoralis major-clavicular head (PMC), pectoralis major-sternal head (PMS), anterior deltoid (AD), triceps-medial (TMB), and triceps-lateral brachii (TLB). To measure PM-O2 saturation, a Moxy Muscle Oxygen monitor was inserted on the subject\u27s left side, 25% distal to the suprasternal notch. When necessary, MANOVAs were utilized to assess any preliminary differences. RESULTS: Our preliminary results show that ROM had no impact on IP-CSA measures in males and females at 10 (p=.17; n=4) and 25% (p= .18; n=4); variation was found in averaged peak amplitude for each participant’s primary muscle groups used during 1RM testing compared to the ROM bout (n=3); SmO2 was observed to be lowest during the pROM-IB condition (n=1). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Currently, there is no effect of ROM nor BP on regional hyperemia (CSA) at 10 and 25%, there seems to be variation between average peak amplitude between 1RM and ROM bouts, and the pROM-IB condition measured the lowest PM-O2 saturation found during the bout

The Practice and Promise of Temporal Genomics for Measuring Evolutionary Responses to Global Change

Understanding the evolutionary consequences of anthropogenic change is imperative for estimating long-term species resilience. While contemporary genomic data can provide us with important insights into recent demographic histories, investigating past change using present genomic data alone has limitations. In comparison, temporal genomics studies, defined herein as those that incorporate time series genomic data, utilize museum collections and repeated field sampling to directly examine evolutionary change. As temporal genomics is applied to more systems, species and questions, best practices can be helpful guides to make the most efficient use of limited resources. Here, we conduct a systematic literature review to synthesize the effects of temporal genomics methodology on our ability to detect evolutionary changes. We focus on studies investigating recent change within the past 200 years, highlighting evolutionary processes that have occurred during the past two centuries of accelerated anthropogenic pressure. We first identify the most frequently studied taxa, systems, questions and drivers, before highlighting overlooked areas where further temporal genomic studies may be particularly enlightening. Then, we provide guidelines for future study and sample designs while identifying key considerations that may influence statistical and analytical power. Our aim is to provide recommendations to a broad array of researchers interested in using temporal genomics in their work

The association of health literacy and blood pressure reduction in a cohort of patients with hypertension: The heart healthy lenoir trial

Lower health literacy is associated with poorer health outcomes. Few interventions poised to mitigate the impact of health literacy in hypertensive patients have been published. We tested if a multilevel quality improvement intervention could differentially improve Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) more so in patients with low vs. higher health literacy

GABA(A) receptors containing (alpha)5 subunits in the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal fields regulate ethanol-motivated behaviors: an extended ethanol reward circuitry

GABA receptors within the mesolimbic circuitry have been proposed to play a role in regulating alcohol-seeking behaviors in the alcohol-preferring (P) rat. However, the precise GABA(A) receptor subunit(s) mediating the reinforcing properties of EtOH remains unknown. We examined the capacity of intrahippocampal infusions of an alpha5 subunit-selective ( approximately 75-fold) benzodiazepine (BDZ) inverse agonist [i.e., RY 023 (RY) (tert-butyl 8-(trimethylsilyl) acetylene-5,6-dihydro-5-methyl-6-oxo-4H-imidazo [1,5a] [1,4] benzodiazepine-3-carboxylate)] to alter lever pressing maintained by concurrent presentation of EtOH (10% v/v) and a saccharin solution (0.05% w/v). Bilateral (1.5-20 microgram) and unilateral (0.01-40 microgram) RY dose-dependently reduced EtOH-maintained responding, with saccharin-maintained responding being reduced only with the highest doses (e.g., 20 and 40 microgram). The competitive BDZ antagonist ZK 93426 (ZK) (7 microgram) reversed the RY-induced suppression on EtOH-maintained responding, confirming that the effect was mediated via the BDZ site on the GABA(A) receptor complex. Intrahippocampal modulation of the EtOH-maintained responding was site-specific; no antagonism by RY after intra-accumbens [nucleus accumbens (NACC)] and intraventral tegmental [ventral tegmental area (VTA)] infusions was observed. Because the VTA and NACC contain very high densities of alpha1 and alpha2 subunits, respectively, we determined whether RY exhibited a "negative" or "neutral" pharmacological profile at recombinant alpha1beta3gamma2, alpha2beta3gamma2, and alpha5beta3gamma2 receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. RY produced "classic" inverse agonism at all alpha receptor subtypes; thus, a neutral efficacy was not sufficient to explain the failure of RY to alter EtOH responding in the NACC or VTA. The results provide the first demonstration that the alpha5-containing GABA(A) receptors in the hippocampus play an important role in regulating EtOH-seeking behaviors

Applicability of Precision Medicine Approaches to Managing Hypertension in Rural Populations

As part of the Heart Healthy Lenoir Project, we developed a practice level intervention to improve blood pressure control. The goal of this study was: (i) to determine if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that associate with blood pressure variation, identified in large studies, are applicable to blood pressure control in subjects from a rural population; (ii) to measure the association of these SNPs with subjects’ responsiveness to the hypertension intervention; and (iii) to identify other SNPs that may help understand patient-specific responses to an intervention. We used a combination of candidate SNPs and genome-wide analyses to test associations with either baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) or change in systolic blood pressure one year after the intervention in two genetically defined ancestral groups: African Americans (AA) and Caucasian Americans (CAU). Of the 48 candidate SNPs, 13 SNPs associated with baseline SBP in our study; however, one candidate SNP, rs592582, also associated with a change in SBP after one year. Using our study data, we identified 4 and 15 additional loci that associated with a change in SBP in the AA and CAU groups, respectively. Our analysis of gene-age interactions identified genotypes associated with SBP improvement within different age groups of our populations. Moreover, our integrative analysis identified AQP4-AS1 and PADI2 as genes whose expression levels may contribute to the pleiotropy of complex traits involved in cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation in response to an intervention targeting hypertension. In conclusion, the identification of SNPs associated with the success of a hypertension treatment intervention suggests that genetic factors in combination with age may contribute to an individual’s success in lowering SBP. If these findings prove to be applicable to other populations, the use of this genetic variation in making patient-specific interventions may help providers with making decisions to improve patient outcomes. Further investigation is required to determine the role of this genetic variance with respect to the management of hypertension such that more precise treatment recommendations may be made in the future as part of personalized medicine

The heart healthy lenoir project-an intervention to reduce disparities in hypertension control: study protocol

Background Racial disparities in blood pressure control are well established; however the impact of low health literacy (LHL) on blood pressure has garnered less attention. Office based interventions that are created with iterative patient, practice and community stakeholder input and are rolled out incrementally, may help address these disparities in hypertension control. This paper describes our study protocol. Methods/design Using a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach, we designed and implemented a cohort study that includes both a practice level and patient level intervention to enhance the care and support of patients with hypertension in primary care practices in a rural region of eastern North Carolina. The study is divided into a formative phase and an ongoing 2.5 year implementation phase. Our main care enhancement activities include the integration of a community health coach, using home blood pressure monitoring in clinical decision making, standardizing care delivery processes, and working to improve medication adherence. Main outcomes include overall blood pressure change, the differential change in blood pressure by race (African American vs. White) and health literacy level (low vs. higher health literacy). Discussion Using a community based participatory approach in primary care practice settings has helped to engage patients and practice staff and providers in the research effort and in making practice changes to support hypertension care. Practices have engaged at varying levels, but progress has been made in implementing and iteratively improving upon the interventions to date

Global Search for New Physics with 2.0/fb at CDF

Data collected in Run II of the Fermilab Tevatron are searched for indications of new electroweak-scale physics. Rather than focusing on particular new physics scenarios, CDF data are analyzed for discrepancies with the standard model prediction. A model-independent approach (Vista) considers gross features of the data, and is sensitive to new large cross-section physics. Further sensitivity to new physics is provided by two additional algorithms: a Bump Hunter searches invariant mass distributions for "bumps" that could indicate resonant production of new particles; and the Sleuth procedure scans for data excesses at large summed transverse momentum. This combined global search for new physics in 2.0/fb of ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV reveals no indication of physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures. Final version which appeared in Physical Review D Rapid Communication

Observation of Orbitally Excited B_s Mesons

We report the first observation of two narrow resonances consistent with states of orbitally excited (L=1) B_s mesons using 1 fb^{-1} of ppbar collisions at sqrt{s} = 1.96 TeV collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. We use two-body decays into K^- and B^+ mesons reconstructed as B^+ \to J/\psi K^+, J/\psi \to \mu^+ \mu^- or B^+ \to \bar{D}^0 \pi^+, \bar{D}^0 \to K^+ \pi^-. We deduce the masses of the two states to be m(B_{s1}) = 5829.4 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2 and m(B_{s2}^*) = 5839.7 +- 0.7 MeV/c^2.Comment: Version accepted and published by Phys. Rev. Let

Measurement of σ(Λb)/σ(B0)×BR(Λb→Λcπ−)/BR(B0→D+π−)\sigma(\Lambda_b)/\sigma(B^0) \times BR(\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\pi^-) / BR(B^0\to D^+\pi^-) in ppˉp\bar{p} Collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We present the first observation of the baryon decay $\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\pi^-$ followed by $\Lambda_c\to p K^-\pi^+$ in 106 pb-1 of $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 1.96$ TeV in the CDF experiment. In order to reduce systematic error, the measured rate for $\Lambda_b$ decay is normalized to the kinematically similar meson decay $B^0\to D^+\pi^-$ followed by $D^+\to\pi^+K^-\pi^+$. We report the ratio of production cross sections ($\sigma$) times the ratio of branching fractions (BR) for the momentum region integrated above $p_T > 6$ GeV/c and pseudorapidity range $|\eta| < 1.3$: $\sigma(p\bar{p}\to \Lambda_b X) / \sigma (p\bar{p}\to B^0 X) \times BR(\Lambda_b\to\Lambda_c\pi^-) / BR(B^0\to D^+\pi^-) = 0.82 \pm 0.08(stat) \pm 0.11(syst) \pm 0.22 (BR(\Lambda_c\to p K^-\pi^+))$.Comment: Submitted to Phys.Rev.Let

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy