5 research outputs found

    Implementing Collaborative Improvement – top-down, bottom-up or both?

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    The research presented in this article was aimed at increasing the current understanding of the process of developing Collaborative Improvement (CoI) in Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EME). Based on action research in three EMEs involving a total of 13 companies from five European countries, the study identifies three different implementation approaches. The bottom-up learning-by-doing approach starts at a practical level, with simple improvement activities, and aims at gradually developing a wide range of CoI knowledge, skills and initiatives. The top-down directive approach starts with aligning the partners’ CoI objectives and an assessment of their collaboration and CoI maturity in order to provide a common platform before actually starting improvement activities. The laissez-faire approach builds on shared goals/vision, meetings on equal terms and joint work, in a non-directive and non-facilitated way, though. The article demonstrates how and why the different approaches have different effects on the development of collaborative improvement

    Exercise-Based Strategies to Prevent Muscle Injury in Elite Footballers: A Systematic Review and Best Evidence Synthesis

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    BackgroundExercise-based strategies are used to prevent muscle injuries in football and studies on different competitive-level populations may provide different results.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of exercise-based muscle injury prevention strategies in adult elite football.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscuss (EBSCO). We considered only elite adult (> 16 year-old) football players with no distinction for gender; the intervention to be any exercise/s performed with the target to prevent lower-limb muscle injuries; the comparison to be no injury prevention exercise undertaken; the outcome to be the number of injuries, injury incidence, and severity. We searched systematic reviews, randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), and non-randomized-controlled trials (NRCTs), limited for English language. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool, the Cochrane Collaboration’s Tool for assessing risk of bias in RCTs, and the Risk of Bias in NRCTs of Interventions tool.Results15 studies were included. Three systematic reviews showed inconsistent results, with one supporting (high risk of bias) and two showing insufficient evidence (low risk of bias) to support exercise-based strategies to prevent muscle injuries in elite players. Five RCTs and seven NRCTs support eccentric exercise, proprioception exercises, and a multi-dimensional component to an injury prevention program; however, all were deemed to be at high/critical risk of bias. Only one RCT was found at low risk of bias and supported eccentric exercise for preventing groin problems.ConclusionWe found limited scientific evidence to support exercise-based strategies to prevent muscle injury in elite footballers.Trial Registration NumberPROSPERO CRD42017077705

    Contribution of K+ channels to endothelium-derived hypolarization-induced renal vasodilation in rats in vivo and in vitro

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    We investigated the mechanisms behind the endothelial-derived hyperpolarization (EDH)-induced renal vasodilation in vivo and in vitro in rats. We assessed the role of Ca2+-activated K+ channels and whether K+ released from the endothelial cells activates inward rectifier K+ (Kir) channels and/or the Na+/K+-ATPase. Also, involvement of renal myoendothelial gap junctions was evaluated in vitro. Isometric tension in rat renal interlobar arteries was measured using a wire myograph. Renal blood flow was measured in isoflurane anesthetized rats. The EDH response was defined as the ACh-induced vasodilation assessed after inhibition of nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase using L-NAME and indomethacin, respectively. After inhibition of small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (SKCa) and intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (IKCa) (by apamin and TRAM-34, respectively), the EDH response in vitro was strongly attenuated whereas the EDH response in vivo was not significantly reduced. Inhibition of Kir channels and Na+/K+-ATPases (by ouabain and Ba2+, respectively) significantly attenuated renal vasorelaxation in vitro but did not affect the response in vivo. Inhibition of gap junctions in vitro using carbenoxolone or 18α-glycyrrhetinic acid significantly reduced the endothelial-derived hyperpolarization-induced vasorelaxation. We conclude that SKCa and IKCa channels are important for EDH-induced renal vasorelaxation in vitro. Activation of Kir channels and Na+/K+-ATPases plays a significant role in the renal vascular EDH response in vitro but not in vivo. The renal EDH response in vivo is complex and may consist of several overlapping mechanisms some of which remain obscure
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