Acute aerobic exercise enhances pleasant compared to unpleasant visual scene processing

Although acute aerobic exercise benefits different aspects of emotional functioning, it is unclear how exercise influences the processing of emotional stimuli and which brain mechanisms support this relationship. We assessed the influence of acute aerobic exercise on valence biases (preferential processing of negative/positive pictures) by performing source reconstructions of participants’ brain activity after they viewed emotional scenes. Twenty-four healthy participants (12 women) were tested in a randomized and counterbalanced design that consisted of three experimental protocols, each lasting 30 min: low-intensity exercise (Low-Int); moderate-intensity exercise (Mod-Int); and a seated rest condition (REST). After each of the protocols, participants viewed negative and positive pictures, during which event-related magnetic fields were recorded. Analyses revealed that exercise strongly impacted the valence processing of emotional scenes within a widely distributed left hemispheric spatio-temporal cluster between 190 and 310 ms after picture onset. Brain activity in this cluster showed that a negativity bias at REST (negative > positive picture processing) diminished after the Low-Int condition (positive = negative) and even reversed to a positivity bias after the Mod-Int condition (positive > negative). Thus, acute aerobic exercise of low and moderate intensities induces a positivity bias which is reflected in early, automatic processes

Effects of eccentric exercise on anaerobic power, starting speed and anaerobic endurance

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of eccentric exercise on anaerobic power, starting speed and anaerobic endurance. The participants performed the maximum cycling sprint test (MCST) prior to eccentric exercise (ECC), 10 minutes after, as well as one hour, 24 hours, 48 hours, and one week after ECC. The peak and mean power, time to attain peak power, time of maintaining peak power and power decrease were measured in the MCST. Before and after ECC, the myoglobin concentration (Mb) in the blood plasma was measured. After ECC, a significant (p<.05) increase in Mb was observed. A significant (p<.05) decrease was noted in peak (-.92±0.42 W.kg-1) as well as in mean power (-.57±0.36 W.kg-1) immediately after ECC. A significant (p<.05) decrement of these indicators lasted for at least 24 hours after ECC. Eccentric exercise did not affect starting speed (time to attain peak power) and anaerobic endurance (time of maintaining peak power and power decrease during MCST)

Anaerobic Exercise-Induced Activation of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Blood of Women and Men

Objective: Physical exercise changes redox balance in the blood. The study aim is to determine gender-related differences in enzymatic antioxidant defense [superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)] during the initial period following anaerobic exercise and 24 h after its completion.Methods: Young, non-training participants (10 women and 10 men) performed a single anaerobic exercise, which was a 20-s maximal cycling sprint test. Blood was collected before and after completing the anaerobic exercise, i.e., after 3, 15, 30, and 60 min and after 24 h. Lactate concentration, and the superoxide dismutase, CAT, and GPx activity were determined. The results were adapted to the changes in plasma volume.Results: Anaerobic exercise induced a significant increase in lactate concentration, similar among both sexes. Anaerobic exercise evokes identical changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the blood plasma of women and men, which is dependent on anaerobic capacity. In the early phase of restitution, the activity of antioxidant enzymes decreases; 24 h after anaerobic exercise, GPx activity in the blood plasma of women and men is higher than before the exercise.Conclusion: There are no gender-related differences concerning changes in plasma antioxidant activity after anaerobic exercise. Depending on the antioxidant enzyme, changes of activity differ in time after the end of the anaerobic exercise

Analiza ekspresji BCRP u pacjentek z rakiem piersi

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP, ABCG2) is a xenobiotic half-transporter protein. It is a member of the ATPbinding cassette protein family and functions as an energy-dependent efflux pump. BCRP is involved in multidrug resistance. The study aimed at examining BCRP expression in breast cancers and at defining a relationship between activity of this protein and clinical course of the cancer. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the expression of BCRP in 101 stage II breast cancer patients. All the patients were diagnosed and treated at the Lower Silesia Oncology Centre (LSOC) between January 1993 and June 1994. After the treatment the patients remained under constant control at LSOC. Mean duration of the observation was 14.2 years (ranging between 9.1 and 16.5 years). Data related to relapse of the disease and deaths were obtained from medical documentation stored in LSOC. The immunohistochemical reactions were performed on paraffin sections of primary tumours, using monoclonal antibodies against BCRP. The intensity of immunohistochemical reactions with BCRP antibody was evaluated using the semi-quantitative IRS (ImmunoReactive Score) scale, which took into account the intensity of the colour reaction and percentage of positive cells. Results of the immunohistochemical reactions, pathological and of clinical observations were subjected to statistical analysis. Correlations between these factors and BCRP were analyzed using Spearman and Chi2 tests. In order to estimate the survival rate, we used Kaplan Meier statistics, log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results: In our analysis we observed a positive correlation between the expression of the BCRP protein and grade of tumour advancement (r=0.2 p=0.03). We found also a negative correlation between the expression of BCRP and the estrogen (r=0,24 p=0,02) and progesteron (r=0,28 p=0,02) receptors. In a univariate analysis a significantly shorter disease free survival (DFS) and disease specific survival (DSS) was noted in patients with metastases to the lymph nodes (p=0,003 and p=0,0006), over the age of 50 years old ((p=0,02 and p=0,04) and clearly statistically significant in patients with a high expression of BCRP (p=0,00044 and p=0,00005). Overall survival (OS) was shorter in patients over the age of 50 (p=0,01), with higher stage of the disease – IIB (p=0,025), with metastases to the lymph nodes (p=0,003) and also clearly statistically significant in patients with a high expression of BCRP (p=0.00004). A multivariate analysis allowed to reveal that only higher expression of BCRP and metastases to lymph nodes were typical for cases of DFS (p=0,0028 and p=0,00015), DSS (p=0,00052 and 0,000017) and OS (p=0,0018 and p=0,000007) time. Conclusions: We demonstrated that high BCRP expression level is associated with poor survival in early stage breast cancer patients.Cel pracy: Celem naszej pracy była ocena ekspresji białka BCRP w wycinkach pochodzących od pacjentek chorych na raka piersi i określenie jej związku z odległymi wynikami leczenia. Materiał i metody: Materiał do badań immunohistochemicznych pochodził od 101 pacjentek z rozpoznaniem raka piersi. Badania immunohistochemiczne przeprowadzono na skrawkach parafinowych, z użyciem monoklonalnych przeciwciał przeciwko BCRP. Uzyskane wyniki oraz dane kliniczne pacjentów poddano statystycznej analizie. Wyniki: W jedno i wieloczynnikowej analizie wyników wykazano, że wyższa ekspresja białka BCRP była związana z krótszym czasem przeżycia wolnego od wznowy (DFS), przeżycia specyficznego dla nowotworu (DSS) oraz przeżycia całkowitego (OS). Wnioski: U pacjentek z wczesną postacią raka piersi wysoka ekspresja białka BCRP związana jest z gorszym rokowaniem

Oxygen uptake kinetics and biological age in relation to pulling force and 400-m front crawl performance in young swimmers

Background: The study aimed to assess differences in the biological age (BA) of 13-year-old swimmers and show their ability, as biologically younger—late mature or older—early mature, to develop fast 60-s oxygen uptake (V˙O2) kinetics and tethered swimming strength. Furthermore, the interplay between swimming strength, V˙O2, and 400-m front crawl race performance was examined.Methods: The study involved 36 competitive young male swimmers (metrical age: 12.9 ± 0.56 years). Depending on BA examination, the group was divided into early-mature (BA: 15.8 ± 1.18 years, n = 13) and late-mature (BA: 12.9 ± 0.60 years, n = 23) participants, especially for the purpose of comparing tethered swimming indices, i.e., average values of force (Fave) and V˙O2 (breath-by-breath analysis) kinetic indices, measured simultaneously in 1-min tethered front crawl swimming. From the 400-m racing stroke rate, stroke length kinematics was retrieved.Results: In the 1-min tethered front crawl test, early-mature swimmers obtained higher results of absolute values of V˙O2 and Fave. Conversely, when V˙O2 was present relatively to body mass and pulling force (in ml∙min–1∙kg–1∙N−1), late-mature swimmers showed higher O2 relative usage. Late-mature swimmers generally exhibited a slower increase in V˙O2 during the first 30 s of 60 s. V˙O2, Fave, BA, and basic swimming kinematic stroke length were significantly interrelated and influenced 400-m swimming performance.Conclusion: The 1-min tethered swimming test revealed significant differences in the homogeneous calendar age/heterogeneous BA group of swimmers. These were distinguished by the higher level of V˙O2 kinetics and pulling force in early-mature individuals and lower efficiency per unit of body mass per unit of force aerobic system in late-mature peers. The higher V˙O2 kinetics and tethered swimming force were further translated into 400-m front crawl speed and stroke length kinematics

A practical approach to the ESC 2022 cardio-oncology guidelines. Comments by a team of experts: cardiologists and oncologists

The 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) guidelines [1] are a comprehensive document, prepared jointly by experts in cardiology and oncology. In the case of an oncological patient, it is necessary to individualize care in relation to the cardiological condition, the stage of the cancer and the type of potential anti-cancer therapy. Cardiac care optimisation should be undertaken before the start of oncological therapy, and continued during oncological therapy, as well as long-term after its completion [2]. The published ESC Guidelines were supplemented with a practical comments of a team of polish cardiology and oncology experts

Effects of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement on Jump Performance in Elite Volleyball Players

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is a widely described phenomenon, but the majority of studies tend to evaluate the response of various parameters of a conditioning activity (CA) on the same explosive exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the PAPE response of the same CA&mdash;trap bar deadlift with an accommodating resistance&mdash;on jump height in two different jumping tests: squat jump (SJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ). Study participants included twelve elite volleyball players (age 23 &plusmn; 2 years; body height, 194.7 &plusmn; 5.9 cm; body mass, 89.8 &plusmn; 7.9 kg; body fat, 14.7 &plusmn; 3.7%) experienced in resistance training (relative 1RM of a trap bar deadlift with accommodating resistance 1.92 &plusmn; 0.12 kg/body mass). Each participant performed tests under four conditions: two conditions for both SJ and CMJ&mdash;experimental with CA and control without CA. Jumps were performed at the baseline and 90 s after CA. The protocol did not increase jump power significantly in either SJ or CMJ. However, individual analysis showed that more participants responded positively to the CA in SJ (73%) than CMJ (50%), implying that PAPE response may depend on the similarity of the muscle-type contraction between CA and an explosive exercise