Effectiveness of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Isokinetic Muscle Strength of the Quadriceps

Blood flow restriction (BFR) training has proven to be an effective method of producing muscle hypertrophy and increased strength, but the most efficacious percentage of blood flow occlusion while performing aerobic training is unclear. PURPOSE: To examine the effectiveness of BFR training while using two different cuff pressures on the strength of the quadriceps muscle group after three weeks of cycling training for fifteen-minute sessions performed three times per week. METHODS: Ten healthy participants (4 female, 6 male, 26 ± 3 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: BFR with 60% occlusion applied to the right quadricep or BFR with 80% occlusion applied to the right quadricep. The training protocol consisted of cycling on a stationary ergometer for 15 minutes at 70 RPM with 25 watts of resistance, with the BFR cuff inflated to their assigned occlusion percentage, performed three times a week for three weeks. Muscle strength of the quadriceps was measured bilaterally at baseline and at three weeks using an isokinetic dynamometer at speeds of 60, 180, and 300 degrees per second using a standardized knee extension protocol. Given the normally distributed data for torque and work of the knee extensors, a 2 x 2 (group by time) ANOVA was used to perform between and within-group comparisons. Statistical significance was at an alpha of 0.05 for all analyses. RESULTS: The ANOVA revealed no between group differences but statistically significant changes within time for torque at 180 (p\u3c.001) and 300 (p=0.01) degrees per seconds. Work at 180 and 300 degrees per seconds were also statistically significant (p\u3c.001 and .013, respectively) across time. CONCLUSION: It appears there are no differences between the two different BFR occlusion pressures between groups, indicating both occlusion pressures elicit similar gains in quadriceps strength over a three-week training period. However, it seems both groups displayed improved torque and work at higher speeds, indicating that BFR training in this manner and protocol provides more of a benefit in increasing muscular endurance, opposed to strength itself

Effectiveness of Blood Flow Restriction Training on Aerobic Performance During Cycling Exercise in Healthy Adults

Blood flow restriction (BFR) has emerged as an alternate rehabilitation modality, intending to enhance muscular strength, hypertrophy, metabolic response, and functional outcomes in various populations. However, there is a lack of research evidence on the efficacy of BFR during aerobic exercise. PURPOSE: To compare aerobic capacity following a cycling protocol with BFR at 60% (BFR-60) 80% (BFR-80) occlusion. METHODS: Ten healthy participants (26 ± 3.0 years; 6 males; 4 females) were randomly assigned to either: BFR-60 or BFR-80. Aerobic Capacity was measured at baseline, and three weeks during a sub-maximal stationary cycle ergometer protocol connected to a metabolic analyzer for the assessment of peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak). Aerobic testing consisted of performing the YMCA protocol which consisted of pedaling at 70 rev/min with a load of 25-watts. Heart Rate (HR) was monitored continuously at the end of the first 3 minutes and used to determine the load increase. Subjects cycled for 15 minutes at which point a 25-watt increase occurred every 3 minutes until the participant reached one or more of the following criteria: 80% of their predicted HR (T80) using the HR reserve formula, an RER \u3e 1.0, or a leveling of the oxygen curve. BFR cuffs were applied between baseline and 3-week reassessment of aerobic capacity at the appropriate level of occlusion and a cycling protocol was performed (15 minutes; 3 d/wk.). Given the small sample size and the non-normal data distribution for the variable of T80, a Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon tests were used to evaluate between and within (time) groups differences, respectively. For the between-group comparison, a composite score for T80 based on the pre-post difference was calculated for both groups. Then this calculated difference was used to compare both groups. Peak VO2 was normally distributed, therefore, a 2x2 (group by time) ANOVA was used to perform between and within-group comparisons. Statistical significance was at an alpha of 0.05 for all analyses. RESULTS: The between group comparisons of the T80 was not statistically significant. The within group comparison for T80 for the BFR-60 group approached significance (p = 0.08) while the BFR-80 group was not significant (p = 0.89). The within time ANOVA approached significance (p = 0.09) while there were no between group differences (p = 0.99). CONCLUSION: Aerobic performance over time was seen to improve primarily in the 60% occlusion BFR group. The sample size or short intervention duration might have affected the effectiveness of this intervention

Consensus recommendations on the treatment of opioid use disorder in the emergency department

The treatment of opioid use disorder with buprenorphine and methadone reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with opioid use disorder. The initiation of buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED) has been associated with increased rates of outpatient treatment linkage and decreased drug use when compared to patients randomized to receive standard ED referral. As such, the ED has been increasingly recognized as a venue for the identification and initiation of treatment for opioid use disorder, but no formal American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) recommendations on the topic have previously been published. The ACEP convened a group of emergency physicians with expertise in clinical research, addiction, toxicology, and administration to review literature and develop consensus recommendations on the treatment of opioid use disorder in the ED. Based on literature review, clinical experience, and expert consensus, the group recommends that emergency physicians offer to initiate opioid use disorder treatment with buprenorphine in appropriate patients and provide direct linkage to ongoing treatment for patients with untreated opioid use disorder. These consensus recommendations include strategies for opioid use disorder treatment initiation and ED program implementation. They were approved by the ACEP board of directors in January 2021

Synthesis, characterization and biological activity of some Dithiourea Derivatives:

Novel dithiourea derivatives have been designed as HIV-1 protease inhibitors using Autodock 4.2, synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods and microanalysis

AI is a viable alternative to high throughput screening: a 318-target study

: High throughput screening (HTS) is routinely used to identify bioactive small molecules. This requires physical compounds, which limits coverage of accessible chemical space. Computational approaches combined with vast on-demand chemical libraries can access far greater chemical space, provided that the predictive accuracy is sufficient to identify useful molecules. Through the largest and most diverse virtual HTS campaign reported to date, comprising 318 individual projects, we demonstrate that our AtomNet® convolutional neural network successfully finds novel hits across every major therapeutic area and protein class. We address historical limitations of computational screening by demonstrating success for target proteins without known binders, high-quality X-ray crystal structures, or manual cherry-picking of compounds. We show that the molecules selected by the AtomNet® model are novel drug-like scaffolds rather than minor modifications to known bioactive compounds. Our empirical results suggest that computational methods can substantially replace HTS as the first step of small-molecule drug discovery

Novobiocin–ferrocene conjugates possessing anticancer and antiplasmodial activity independent of HSP90 inhibition.

A series of tailored novobiocin–ferrocene conjugates was prepared in moderate yields and investigated for in vitro anticancer and antiplasmodial activity against the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer line and Plasmodium falciparum 3D7 strain, respectively. While the target compounds displayed moderate anticancer activity against the breast cancer cell line with IC50 values in the mid-micromolar range, compounds 10a–c displayed promising antiplasmodial activity as low as 0.889 µM. Furthermore, the most promising compounds were tested for inhibitory effects against a postulated target, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90)

Report on Performance of Prototype Dynatronix Power Supplies Developed Under a Phase I DOE SBIR

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prototype power supplies fabricated by Dynatronix, Inc. This project supports the advancement of electroforming capabilities to produce ultra-high purity copper. Ultra-high purity copper is an essential material used for a range of current and future fundamental nuclear physics programs such as the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR. The Mach 30 power supplies are a new design built to the specifications from the requirements of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) with regard to timing, voltage, current output, and the required tolerances. The parameters used in these tests were developed empirically over a number of years based on a combination of thermodynamic and kinetics of the electroplating process. The power supplies were operated in a typical cleanroom environment for the production electroforming at PNNL. The units that were received by PNNL in July, 2010 have performed satisfactorily and have demonstrated short term durability

Techniques to Shorten a Screening Tool for Emergency Department Patients

Introduction: Screening of patients for opioid risk has been recommended prior to opioid prescribing. Opioids are prescribed frequently in the emergency department (ED) setting, but screening tools are often of significant length and therefore limited in their utility. We describe and evaluate three approaches to shortening a screening tool: creation of a short form; curtailment; and stochastic curtailment.Methods: To demonstrate the various shortening techniques, this retrospective study used data from two studies of ED patients for whom the provider was considering providing an opioid prescription and who completed the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain-Revised, a 24-item assessment. High-risk criteria from patients’ prescription drug monitoring program data were used as an endpoint. Using real-data simulation, we determined the sensitivity, specificity, and test length of each shortening technique.Results: We included data from 188 ED patients. The original screener had a test length of 24 questions, a sensitivity of 44% and a specificity of 76%. The 12-question short form had a sensitivity of 41% and specificity of 75%. Curtailment and stochastic curtailment reduced the question length (mean test length ranging from 8.1-19.7 questions) with no reduction in sensitivity or specificity.Conclusion: In an ED population completing computer-based screening, the techniques of curtailment and stochastic curtailment markedly reduced the screening tool’s length but had no effect on test characteristics. These techniques can be applied to improve efficiency of screening patients in the busy ED environment without sacrificing sensitivity or specificity