Effect of an exercise training intervention with resistance bands on blood cell counts during chemotherapy for lung cancer: a pilot randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy for lung cancer can have a detrimental effect on white blood cell (WBC) and red blood cell (RBC) counts. Physical exercise may have a role in improving WBCs and RBCs, although few studies have examined cancer patients receiving adjuvant therapies. The purpose of this pilot trial was to examine the effects of an exercise intervention utilizing resistance bands on WBCs and RBCs in lung cancer patients receiving curative intent chemotherapy. METHODS: A sample of lung cancer patients scheduled for curative intent chemotherapy was randomly assigned to the exercise intervention (EX) condition or usual care (UC) condition. The EX condition participated in a three times weekly exercise program using resistance bands for the duration of chemotherapy. RESULTS: A total of 14 lung cancer patients completed the trial. EX condition participants completed 79% of planned exercise sessions. The EX condition was able to maintain WBCs over the course of the intervention compared to declines in the UC condition (p = .008; d = 1.68). There were no significant differences in change scores in RBCs. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise with resistance bands may help attenuate declines in WBCs in lung cancer patients receiving curative intent chemotherapy. Larger trials are warranted to validate these findings. Ultimately these findings could be informative for the development of supportive care strategies for lung cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registration #: NCT01130714

Initiation of Proximal-Distal Patterning in the Vertebrate Limb by Signals and Growth

Two broad classes of models have been proposed to explain the patterning of the proximal-distal axis of the vertebrate limb (from the shoulder to the digit tips). Differentiating between them, we demonstrate that early limb mesenchyme in the chick is initially maintained in a state capable of generating all limb segments through exposure to a combination of proximal and distal signals. As the limb bud grows, the proximal limb is established through continued exposure to flank-derived signal(s), whereas the developmental program determining the medial and distal segments is initiated in domains that grow beyond proximal influence. In addition, the system we have developed, combining in vitro and in vivo culture, opens the door to a new level of analysis of patterning mechanisms in the limb

Determination of microplastics in the edible green-lipped mussel Perna viridis using an automated mapping technique of Raman microspectroscopy

202308 bckwOthersThe Hong Kong Polytechnic University; State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, City University of Hong KongPublished24 month

Improved Raman spectroscopy-based approach to assess microplastics in seafood

202308 bckwOthersThe Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityPublished24 month

The effect of microplastics on the bioenergetics of the mussel Mytilus coruscus assessed by cellular energy allocation approach

202202 bchyVersion of RecordOthersWe acknowledge grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872587 and 42076169), the Scientific Research Fund of the Second Institute of Oceanography (MNR, JG2109), the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Founds for Distinguished Young Scientists (LR21D060001), and the State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics (No. SOEDZZ2102).Publishe

Effects of ocean acidification, hypoxia, and warming on the gut microbiota of the thick shell mussel mytilus coruscus through 16S rRNA gene sequencing

202202 bchyVersion of RecordOthersThe authors acknowledged grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872587). This study was supported by the Open Fund of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Aquatic Genetic Breeding and Healthy Aquaculture. The support from Guangdong South China Sea Key Laboratory of Aquaculture for Aquatic Economic Animals, Guangdong Ocean University (KFKT2019ZD04) was also highly acknowledged.Publishe

Adverse impacts of high-density microplastics on juvenile growth and behaviour of the endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus

202310 bcvcVersion of RecordOthersMarine Ecology Enhancement Fund; Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityPublishe