Stand up Paddle Surfing-An Aerobic Workout and Balance Training

AbstractOriginating from an ancient Hawaiian tradition Stand Up Paddle Surfing (SUP) is a growing pastime and sports activity in which a person stands upright on a surfboard and propels it using a single paddle. During paddling the board constantly is in an unstable condition forcing paddlers to focus on keeping balance and simultaneously propelling the board by paddling. Therefore it is expected that SUP can be a high impact aerobic workout and balance training. A total of 68 subjects performed on-water and SUP ergometer trials, during ergometer trials heart rate (HR) was permanently measured and balance was assessed before and after all trials (ergometer and on-water) using a single leg hop test on a Win Pod electronic baropedometric platform. Results of the balance tests - though for a relatively small number of participants - showed that after ergometer trials a significant improvement in stability occurred whereas it was only significant for the right foot's anteroposterior movement after on-water trials. The result of the exercise-test illustrated that the HR of beginners stays in the aerobic zone which makes SUP suitable for endurance training

Basic concepts of mixture toxicity and relevance for risk evaluation and regulation

Exposure to multiple substances is a challenge for risk evaluation. Currently, there is an ongoing debate if generic “mixture assessment/allocation factors” (MAF) should be introduced to increase public health protection. Here, we explore concepts of mixture toxicity and the potential influence of mixture regulation concepts for human health protection. Based on this analysis, we provide recommendations for research and risk assessment. One of the concepts of mixture toxicity is additivity. Substances may act additively by affecting the same molecular mechanism within a common target cell, for example, dioxin-like substances. In a second concept, an “enhancer substance” may act by increasing the target site concentration and aggravating the adverse effect of a “driver substance”. For both concepts, adequate risk management of individual substances can reliably prevent adverse effects to humans. Furthermore, we discuss the hypothesis that the large number of substances to which humans are exposed at very low and individually safe doses may interact to cause adverse effects. This commentary identifies knowledge gaps, such as the lack of a comprehensive overview of substances regulated under different silos, including food, environmentally and occupationally relevant substances, the absence of reliable human exposure data and the missing accessibility of ratios of current human exposure to threshold values, which are considered safe for individual substances. Moreover, a comprehensive overview of the molecular mechanisms and most susceptible target cells is required. We conclude that, currently, there is no scientific evidence supporting the need for a generic MAF. Rather, we recommend taking more specific measures, which focus on compounds with relatively small ratios between human exposure and doses, at which adverse effects can be expected

Prioritization of mycotoxins for risk management action based on both public health risk and mitigation efficacy

There is a large and progressively growing number of mycotoxins with new potential concerns and implications on consumer protection. The classical approach to risk management is to deal with each emerging hazard individually, leading to both overload and lack of coherence in terms of an overall riskbased approach. The development of mitigation strategies should prioritize mycotoxins that regularly occur at undesirable levels in commonly consumed commodities, wherein both the toxicological profiles and effectiveness of mitigation are understood with a reasonable degree of certainty. The ultimate goal of mycotoxin mitigation is to prevent adverse health effects caused by foodborne exposure to mycotoxins, while preserving nutritional and organoleptic quality of food. The International Life Sciences Institute Europe (ILSI Europe) Food Contaminants Task Force is firmly committed to contributing to the understanding of the issues of mycotoxins affecting the different points of the food chain. This presentation will illustrate a recent new activity that is devoted to establishing a framework for the prioritization of mycotoxins found in food following a risk-based approach (decision tree). Based on the evidence and scale of risk to consumers, and the potential for risk mitigation, the framework will enable the differentiation between mycotoxins where risk management action is both warranted and likely to be effective based on available evidence. Through case-studies, this framework will also highlight potential knowledge gaps. The proposed activity is therefore devoted to delineating the right path for scaling and prioritizing mycotoxins in terms of risk-ranking and consequent mitigation opportunities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comprehensive characterization of molecular interactions based on nanomechanics

Molecular interaction is a key concept in our understanding of the biological mechanisms of life. Two physical properties change when one molecular partner binds to another. Firstly, the masses combine and secondly, the structure of at least one binding partner is altered, mechanically transducing the binding into subsequent biological reactions. Here we present a nanomechanical micro-array technique for bio-medical research, which not only monitors the binding of effector molecules to their target but also the subsequent effect on a biological system in vitro. This label-free and real-time method directly and simultaneously tracks mass and nanomechanical changes at the sensor interface using micro-cantilever technology. To prove the concept we measured lipid vesicle (approximately 748*10(6) Da) adsorption on the sensor interface followed by subsequent binding of the bee venom peptide melittin (2840 Da) to the vesicles. The results show the high dynamic range of the instrument and that measuring the mass and structural changes simultaneously allow a comprehensive discussion of molecular interactions

Creating the cultures of the future: cultural strategy, policy and institutions in Gramsci. Part two: Cultural strategy and institutions in Gramsci’s early writings and political practice

In this article, I consider Gramsci’s pre-prison writings and political practice in relation to questions of cultural strategy and institutions. I argue that the analysis of these early texts, which were written in the years in which Gramsci was active in party organisation and leadership, is fundamental not only for understanding the nature of Gramsci’s early and continued involvement with questions of cultural strategy and institutions, but also as a key for interpreting cultural policy themes that he later developed in the prison notebooks, and which originated in earlier debates

An oomycete NLP cytolysin forms transient small pores in lipid membranes

Microbial plant pathogens secrete a range of effector proteins that damage host plants and consequently constrain global food production. Necrosis and ethylene-inducing peptide 1-like proteins (NLPs) are produced by numerous phytopathogenic microbes that cause important crop diseases. Many NLPs are cytolytic, causing cell death and tissue necrosis by disrupting the plant plasma membrane. Here, we reveal the unique molecular mechanism underlying the membrane damage induced by the cytotoxic model NLP. This membrane disruption is a multistep process that includes electrostatic-driven, plant-specific lipid recognition, shallow membrane binding, protein aggregation, and transient pore formation. The NLP-induced damage is not caused by membrane reorganization or large-scale defects but by small membrane ruptures. This distinct mechanism of lipid membrane disruption is highly adapted to effectively damage plant cells.Peer reviewe

Mutation Detection with Next-Generation Resequencing through a Mediator Genome

The affordability of next generation sequencing (NGS) is transforming the field of mutation analysis in bacteria. The genetic basis for phenotype alteration can be identified directly by sequencing the entire genome of the mutant and comparing it to the wild-type (WT) genome, thus identifying acquired mutations. A major limitation for this approach is the need for an a-priori sequenced reference genome for the WT organism, as the short reads of most current NGS approaches usually prohibit de-novo genome assembly. To overcome this limitation we propose a general framework that utilizes the genome of relative organisms as mediators for comparing WT and mutant bacteria. Under this framework, both mutant and WT genomes are sequenced with NGS, and the short sequencing reads are mapped to the mediator genome. Variations between the mutant and the mediator that recur in the WT are ignored, thus pinpointing the differences between the mutant and the WT. To validate this approach we sequenced the genome of Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus 109J, an obligatory bacterial predator, and its prey-independent mutant, and compared both to the mediator species Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus HD100. Although the mutant and the mediator sequences differed in more than 28,000 nucleotide positions, our approach enabled pinpointing the single causative mutation. Experimental validation in 53 additional mutants further established the implicated gene. Our approach extends the applicability of NGS-based mutant analyses beyond the domain of available reference genomes

Expression of GAD67 and Novel GAD67 Splice Variants During Human Fetal Pancreas Development: GAD67 Expression in the Fetal Pancreas

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain, which catalyses the reaction of l-glutamate to γ-aminobutyric acid. There are two isoforms of GAD, a 65-kDa form and a 67-kDa form, which are encoded by two different genes. As previous studies suggested a role for GAD67 splice variants during fetal pancreas development, we have investigated the mRNA expression of GAD67 and GAD67 splice variants in a series of 14 human fetal pancreases between 14 weeks gestation and term and in adult control pancreases by RT-PCR. In this study, we demonstrate mRNA expression of GAD67 and four GAD67 splice variants, including GAD25, in human fetal and adult specimens. Some of the splice variants, including various proportions of exon 7 or a new exon between exons 6 and 7, have not been described before in the human pancreas. We speculate that the expression of these GAD67 splice variants might be related to human fetal pancreas development

Association between serum keptin concentrations and insulin resistance: A population-based study from China

BACKGROUND Insulin resistance contributes to the cardio-metabolic risk. The effect of leptin in obese and overweight population on insulin resistance was seldom reported. METHODS A total of 1234 subjects (572 men and 662 women) aged ≥18 y was sampled by the procedure. Adiposity measures included BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, WHR, upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold and body fat percentage. Serum leptin concentrations were measured by an ELISA method. The homeostasis model (HOMA-IR) was applied to estimate insulin resistance. RESULTS In men, BMI was the variable which was most strongly correlated with leptin, whereas triceps skinfold was most sensitive for women. More importantly, serum leptin levels among insulin resistant subjects were almost double compared to the subjects who had normal insulin sensitivity at the same level of adiposity in both men and women, after controlling for potential confounders. In addition, HOMA-IR increased significantly across leptin quintiles after adjustment for age, BMI, total energy intake, physical activity and smoking status in both men and women (p for trend <0.0001). CONCLUSIONS There was a significant association between HOMA-IR and serum leptin concentrations in Chinese men and women, independently of adiposity levels. This may suggest that serum leptin concentration is an important predictor of insulin resistance and other metabolic risks irrespective of obesity levels. Furthermore, leptin levels may be used to identify the cardio-metabolic risk in obese and overweight population.Hui Zuo, Zumin Shi, Baojun Yuan, Yue Dai, Gaolin Wu, Akhtar Hussai