Ultrastructural features of supraspinal muscles in rabbits after long-term transcutaneous lateral electrical surface stimulation (LESS)

Lateral electrical surface stimulation is one of methods used in the therapy of the progressive form of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) in children and youth. However, there are data suggesting that this method may lead to serious adverse side effects, when used for a too long period of time per day. To clarify this issue, the present study was aimed at disclosing possible changes in the ultrastructural appearance of rabbit supraspinal muscles undergoing long-term stimulation (9 h per day, 3 months), an animal model successfully used to mimic the situation in humans. In comparison to the control animals, muscles of "overstimulated" rabbits exhibited clear signs of microscopical lesions, including depletion and disintegration of myofilaments, proliferation, dilatation and, sometimes, swelling of sarcoplasmic reticulum and/or mitochondria, as well as signs of destruction of the Z line. The above-mentioned abnormalities, especially the signs of degenerative processes associated with the Z line and the observed microlesions strongly suggest that the failure of the long-term LESS therapy of the IS may be attributable to these ultrastructural lesions

A 2-Week Specific Volleyball Training Supported by the Whole Body Cryostimulation Protocol Induced an Increase of Growth Factors and Counteracted Deterioration of Physical Performance

Potentially beneficial effects of cold therapies on training adaptation still remain unequivocal. We have, thus, decided to evaluate the effects of a 2-week volleyball training program supported by 10 sessions of whole body cryostimulation (WBC) on growth factors and physical performance. Twenty healthy college-aged men and women randomly assigned either to the cryostimulation group (CRY) or the control group (CON; executed passive rest). Both groups took part in the same 2-weeks training program. Additionally, the CRY group attended in 10 cryo-sessions (3 min, -110°C temperature, five times/week). Blood samples were collected at baseline, 1 h after the first cryo-session as well as before and 1 h after the last session of WBC to assess growth factors, myokines concentration and the amino acid profile. Motor abilities were tested before commencing the training program and 2 days after its completion. The applied intervention resulted in an increase of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations. The adjusted effect describing the difference between groups in response to applied procedures was for both growth factors large and very likely in the CRY, higher than in the CON group (113%; Coefficient Interval: 38–230%, 45%; Coefficient Interval: 17–79%, respectively). Physical performance dropped in both groups, yet in the CRY group, the magnitude of change was smaller. The fibroblast growth factor dropped significantly 1 h following the first cryo-session, yet irisin remained statistically unchanged. The similar tendency was maintained after the whole procedure, still the range of changes was smaller. In the CRY group, an elevated uptake of tryptophan and valine noted in response to the whole intervention, could have induced a significant decrease of fasting glucose concentration (the adjusted effect small and very likely -6%; Coefficient Interval: -10 to -2%). Overall, a 2-week volleyball training program supported by the whole body cryostimulation protocol resulted in an increase of growth factors and offset a decline of physical performance. Thus these procedure can be applied in professional sport during competition period, especially among those disciplines focusing on an explosive power and ability to concentrate

Trwałość betonu w kontekście reaktywności alkalicznej kruszyw

Reaktywność kruszyw jest ciągle aktualnym problemem, który napotykają producenci betonu najczęściej okazjonalnie, ale który może spowodować znaczne problemy z trwałością betonu. W Polsce nie ma obecnie wypracowanego modelu postępowania z kruszywem w kontekście reaktywności alkalicznej, nie ma też zweryfikowanych, pewnych metod badawczych. Nie korzysta się także w wystarczającym stopniu z doświadczeń innych krajów i organizacji zajmujących się problematyką trwałości betonu. Celem niniejszego artykułu jest pokazanie schematów postępowania w aspekcie reaktywności alkalicznej kruszyw opracowanych w ostatnich latach przez komitet RILEM. Krótko zostały opisane także problemy z reaktywnością krajowych kruszyw oraz został przedstawiony obecnie funkcjonujący w Polsce system norm wykorzystywany w diagnozowaniu reaktywności alkalia-krzemionka.The reactivity of aggregates is a problem which faced concrete producers occasionally. It can cause considerable durability problems of concrete. In Poland there are no procedures regarding the reactivity of alkali. There are no validated test methods. The aim of this article is to show patterns of conduct developed in recent years by a committee RILEM. Briefly are presented problems of reactivity of aggregates in Poland. It presents actually used standards in Poland to study the reactivity of alkali-silica. This paper shows the ways of dealing with durability of concrete according to the guidelines of the RILEM committee