The relationship of high-intensity cross-training with arterial stiffness

Background Central arterial stiffness is a cardiovascular risk factor that can be readily affected through engagement in physical exercise training, with resistance and aerobic exercise having disparate affects. Despite the growing popularity of high-intensity cross-training (HICT), little is currently known about the effects of this mixed modality exercise stimulus on arterial stiffness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize the arterial stiffness of habitual HICT participants vs. aerobically active and sedentary controls using a cross-sectional design. Methods A total of 30 participants were recruited: 10 middle-aged long-term participants of HICT (CrossFit) and 20 age, sex, and height matched controls (10 recreationally active, 10 sedentary). Central and peripheral pulse wave velocities were measured for the carotid-femoral and femoral-dorsalis pedis arterial segments. Aerobic fitness (maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max) was measured and typical exercise participation rates were self-reported for each group. Results HICT participants manifested central pulse wave velocity (PWV) (5.3 ± 1.0 m/s, mean ± SD) and VO2max (43 ± 6 mL/kg/min) values nearly identical to active controls. Both active groups had significantly better values than sedentary controls (7.1 ± 1.0 m/s, p ≤ 0.001; and 32 ± 7 mL/kg/min, p = 0.01). No differences were observed in peripheral PWV between groups. Conclusion Habitual participation in HICT exercise was not associated with increased central nor peripheral arterial stiffness. Long-term HICT participants presented with similar fitness and arterial stiffness as compared with participants who practiced traditional aerobic exercise. Compared to sedentary living, HICT may offer musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health benefits without negatively impacting arterial stiffness

Biological control of Agrobacterium vitis using non-tumorigenic agrobacteria

The potential use of non-tumorigenic agrobacteria for the biological control of grapevine crown gall in Italy was investigated. Four Agrobacterium strains belonging to the species radiobacter and vitis were used to protect the susceptible cv. Malvasia Istriana grafted on the rootstock 420 A. Moreover, the effect of each treatment on grapevine vitality and growth was assessed, including the percentage of marketable vines, as determined by industry standards. Treatments with the antagonists clearly reduced tissue colonization by the pathogen, with a drop of more than 100-fold in pathogen populations in the samples collected at the graft point. Another important effect was the reduction of internal necrosis possibly induced by the high concentration of the nopaline strain CG 49 used in the experiments. According to viticultural and commercial parameters, treatments with the antagonists improved the quality of the vines, with fewer discards and a high percentage of marketable material. Therefore, these antagonists can be considered beneficial for grapevine

Preliminary analysis of an extensive one year survey of trace elements and compounds in the suspended particulate matter in Cleveland, Ohio

Beginning in 1971 a cooperative program has been carried on by the City of Cleveland Division of Air Pollution Control and NASA Lewis Research Center to study the trace element and compound concentrations in the ambient suspended particulate matter in Cleveland Ohio as a function of source, monitoring location and meteorological conditions. The major objectives were to determine the ambient concentration levels at representative urban sites and to develop a technique using trace element and compound data in conjunction with meteorological conditions to identify specific pollution sources which could be developed into a practical system that could be readily utilized by an enforcement agency

Hot-water treatment of dormant grape cuttings: Its effects on Agrobacterium tumefaciens and on grafting and growth of vine

Hot-water treatment (50°C for 20-30 min) was carried out to confirm its efficacy in eradicating Agrobacterium tumefaciens biovar 3 (AT3) in symptomless grape cuttings.After the forcing period, analyses of callus from cuttings of grape cvs Albana, Lambrusco Grasparossa, Rulander and Fortana, and from their graft combinations with the rootstocks 420A, 41B, 5BB and 1103P, revealed the low infection level in the grape material used. Dormant scion and rootstock cuttings treated identically in the U.S. gave similar results. Despite this, it was possible to confirm the efficacy of thermotherapy in eradicating the pathogen.An assessment was also made of the effect of treatment on growth parameters of grafted vines in the greenhouse and after 8 months in a field nursery. The effect of hot-water treatment on the vitality and growth of vines varied with the different scion-rootstock combinations. Treatment did not generally have detrimental effects on vitality; there were some negative effects on graft-take. The number and length of canes, as well as the diameter of the trunks, increased in most instances.The treatments and times usually did not affect bud survival and, in most cases, increased the level of callus formation at the base of cuttings.

Novel pathogen-specific primers for the detection of Agrobacterium vitis and Agrobacterium tumefaciens

To detect agrobacteria causing crown gall disease of grapevine novel virulence and oncogene specific primer combinations were tested on Agrobacterium vitis and Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains including most opine types found in grapevines. Reproducible detection of all the tested pathogens in a single reaction was only possible with multiplex PCR using mixtures of virulence-, or oncogene specific primers. A primer combination including pehA, virF and virD2 gene-specific oligonucleotides amplified the corresponding fragments from nearly all strains included and distinguished A. vitis and A. tumefaciens strains carrying octopine or nopaline pTis and A. vitis vitopine strains. A second set of primers designed to amplify the T-DNA auxin genes iaaH and iaaM detected all of the tested pathogens and, as in the case of virF-, and virD2-specific primers, A. vitis vitopine strains formed also a distinct group. These data were further confirmed using opine synthase-, or 6b gene-specific primers that also allowed the identification and distinction of octopine and nopaline as well as vitopine isolates of A. vitis. Thus, a wide range of agrobacteria occurring on grapevine were detected and identified. On the other hand, our results confirm that vitopine-type agrobacteria form a distinct group within the genus Agrobacterium.

Uncovering Shakespeare\u27s Sisters in Special Collections and College Archives, Musselman Library

Foreword by Professor Suzanne J. Flynn I have taught the first-year seminar, Shakespeare’s Sisters, several times, and over the years I have brought the seminar’s students to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. There, the wonderful librarians have treated the students to a special exhibit of early women’s manuscripts and first editions, beginning with letters written by Elizabeth I and proceeding through important works by seventeen and eighteenth-century women authors such as Aemelia Lanyer, Anne Finch, Aphra Behn, and Mary Wollstonecraft. This year I worked with Carolyn Sautter, the Director of Special Collections and College Archives, to give my 2018 seminar students the opportunity to produce a sequel to the Folger exhibit of early modern women writers. Special Collections houses an impressive array of first editions from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many of them acquired from Thomas Y. Cooper, the former editor of the Hanover Evening Sun newspaper, who donated over 1600 items to Musselman Library in 1965. Working with Kerri Odess-Harnish, we chose first editions of eight significant works of literature written by American and British women from the mid-nineteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries. The students worked in pairs, researching a single book and producing a report that outlines important biographical facts about the author, the book’s publication and reception history, and finally the significance of the book in the years since its publication. We hope that our project will draw attention to the wealth of literary treasures housed in Special Collections at Musselman Library, but especially to these works by eight of “Shakespeare’s Sisters.

Perceived barriers and enablers to the provision of diabetic retinopathy screening for young adults: a cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals working in the UK National Diabetic Eye Screening Programme

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic retinopathy screening (DRS) attendance in young adults is consistently below recommended levels. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of screening providers in the UK Diabetic Eye Screening Programme (DESP) to identify perceived barriers and enablers to DRS attendance in young adults and elicit views on the effectiveness of strategies to improve screening uptake in this population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Members of the British Association of Retinal Screening (n=580) were invited to complete an anonymous online survey in July 2020 assessing agreement with 37 belief statements, informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) of behavior change, describing potential barrier/enablers to delivering DRS for young adults and further survey items exploring effectiveness of strategies to improve uptake of DRS. RESULTS: In total, 140 (24%) responses were received mostly from screener/graders (67.1%). There was a high level of agreement that the DESP had a role in improving attendance in young adults (96.4%) and that more could be done to improve attendance (90.0%). The most commonly reported barriers related to TDF domains Social influences and Environmental context and resources including lack of integration of DRS with other processes of diabetes care, which limited the ability to discuss diabetes self-management. Other barriers included access to screening services and difficulties with scheduling appointments. Less than half (46.4%) of respondents reported having a dedicated strategy to improve screening uptake in young adults. Strategies perceived to be effective included: screening within the community; prompts/reminders and integrating eye screening with other diabetes services. CONCLUSIONS: Screening providers were concerned about screening uptake in young adults, although many programs lacked a dedicated strategy to improve attendance. Problems associated with a lack of integration between DRS with other diabetes care processes were identified as a major barrier to providing holistic care to young adults and supporting diabetes self-management

Barriers and enablers to diabetic retinopathy screening attendance: Protocol for a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Diabetic retinopathy is a serious complication of diabetes which, if left untreated, can result in blindness. Population screening among people with diabetes has been shown to be clinically effective; however, suboptimal attendance with wide demographic disparities has been reported. To develop quality improvement interventions to maximise attendance, it is important to understand the theoretical determinants (i.e. barriers and enablers) of screening behaviour. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and synthesise the modifiable barriers and enablers associated with diabetic retinopathy screening attendance. METHODS/DESIGN: Primary and secondary studies will be included if they report perceived barriers/enablers of diabetic retinopathy screening attendance, from the perspectives of people with diabetes and healthcare providers. There will be no restrictions on study design. Studies will be identified from published and grey literature through multiple sources. Bibliographic databases will be searched using synonyms in four search domains: diabetic retinopathy; screening; barriers/enablers; and theoretical constructs relating to behaviour. Search engines and established databases of grey literature will be searched to identify additional relevant studies. Extracted data will include: participant quotations from qualitative studies, statistical analyses from questionnaire and survey studies, and interpretive descriptions and summaries of results from reports. All extracted data will be coded into domains from the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and (for organisational level data) the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR); with domains representing theoretical barriers/enablers proposed to mediate behaviour change. The potential role of each domain in influencing retinopathy screening attendance will be investigated through thematic analysis of the TDF/ CFIR coding. Domain importance will be identified using pre-specified criteria: "frequency" and "expressed importance". Variations in perceived barriers and enablers between demographic groups (e.g., socio-economic, ethnic) will be explored. DISCUSSION: This review will identify important barriers and enablers likely to influence attendance for diabetic retinopathy screening. The results will be used to assess the extent to which existing interventions targeting attendance address the theoretical determinants of attendance behaviour. Findings will inform recommendations for future intervention design. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42016032990

Ambient particulate pollution and the world-wide prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in children: Phase One of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC)

Objectives: To investigate the effect of ambient particulate matter on variation in childhood prevalence of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema. Methods: Prevalences of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema obtained in Phase One of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) were matched with city-level estimates of residential PM10 obtained from a World Bank model. Associations were investigated using binomial regression adjusting for GNP per capita and for clustering within country. For countries with more than one centre, a two stage meta-analysis was carried out. The results were compared with a meta-analysis of published multi-centre studies. Results: Annual concentrations of PM₁₀ at city level were obtained for 105 ISAAC centres in 51 countries. After controlling for GNP per capita, there was a weak negative association between PM₁₀ and various outcomes. For severe wheeze in 13-14-year-olds, the OR for a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM₁₀ was 0.92 (95 CI 0.84 to 1.00). In 24 countries with more than one centre, most summary estimates for within-country associations were weakly positive. For severe wheeze in 13-14-year-olds, the summary OR for a 10 μg/m³ increase in PM₁₀ was 1.01 (0.92 to 1.10). This result was close to a summary OR of 0.99 (0.91 to 1.06) obtained from published multi-centre studies. Conclusions: Modelled estimates of particulate matter at city level are imprecise and incomplete estimates of personal exposure to ambient air pollutants. Nevertheless, our results together with those of previous multi-centre studies, suggest that urban background PM₁₀ has little or no association with the prevalence of childhood asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis or eczema either within or between countries