The Effects of Isokinetic Contraction Velocity on the Concentric to Eccentric Strength Relationship of the Biceps Brachii

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of contraction velocity on the eccentric (ECC) and concentric (CON) torque production of the biceps brachii. After performing warm-up procedures, each male subject (n = 11) completed 3 sets of 5 maximal bilateral CON and ECC isokinetic contractions of the biceps at three different speeds on a Biodex System 3 dynamometer. The men received a 3-minute rest between sets and the order of exercises was randomized. Peak torque (Nm) values were obtained for CON and ECC contractions at each speed. Peak torque scores (ECC vs. CON) were compared using a t-test at each speed. A repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences between speeds. ECC peak torque scores were greater than CON peak torque scores at each given speed. No differences were found between the ECC peak torque scores (p = 0.62) at any of the speeds. Differences were found among the CON scores (p = 0.004). Post hoc analysis revealed differences. The data suggests that ECC contractions of the biceps brachii were somewhat resistant to a force decrement as the result of an increase in velocity, whereas CON muscular actions of the biceps brachii were unable to maintain force as velocity increased

Fermionic Modular Categories and the 16-fold Way

We study spin and super-modular categories systematically as inspired by fermionic topological phases of matter, which are always fermion parity enriched and modelled by spin TQFTs at low energy. We formulate a $16$-fold way conjecture for the minimal modular extensions of super-modular categories to spin modular categories, which is a categorical formulation of gauging the fermion parity. We investigate general properties of super-modular categories such as fermions in twisted Drinfeld doubles, Verlinde formulas for naive quotients, and explicit extensions of $PSU(2)_{4m+2}$ with an eye towards a classification of the low-rank cases.Comment: Latest post-referee version. Many typos fixed, many explanations expanded, several inconsistencies corrected. 8 figure

Chapter 5: Food Security

The current food system (production, transport, processing, packaging, storage, retail, consumption, loss and waste) feeds the great majority of world population and supports the livelihoods of over 1 billion people. Since 1961, food supply per capita has increased more than 30%, accompanied by greater use of nitrogen fertilisers (increase of about 800%) and water resources for irrigation (increase of more than 100%). However, an estimated 821 million people are currently undernourished, 151 million children under five are stunted, 613 million women and girls aged 15 to 49 suffer from iron deficiency, and 2 billion adults are overweight or obese. The food system is under pressure from non-climate stressors (e.g., population and income growth, demand for animal-sourced products), and from climate change. These climate and non-climate stresses are impacting the four pillars of food security (availability, access, utilisation, and stability)

Attributes of climate resilience in fisheries: from theory to practice

In a changing climate, there is an imperative to build coupled social-ecological systems—including fisheries—that can withstand or adapt to climate stressors. Although resilience theory identifies system attributes that supposedly confer resilience, these attributes have rarely been clearly defined, mechanistically explained, nor tested and applied to inform fisheries governance. Here, we develop and apply a comprehensive resilience framework to examine fishery systems across (a) ecological, (b) socio-economic and (c) governance dimensions using five resilience domains: assets, flexibility, organization, learning and agency. We distil and define 38 attributes that confer climate resilience from a coupled literature- and expert-driven approach, describe how they apply to fisheries and provide illustrative examples of resilience attributes in action. Our synthesis highlights that the directionality and mechanism of these attributes depend on the specific context, capacities, and scale of the focal fishery system and associated stressors, and we find evidence of interdependencies among attributes. Overall, however, we find few studies that test resilience attributes in fisheries across all parts of the system, with most examples focussing on the ecological dimension. As such, meaningful quantification of the attributes’ contributions to resilience remains a challenge. Our synthesis and holistic framework represent a starting point for critical application of resilience concepts to fisheries social-ecological systems

LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASE acts in the final stages of strigolactone biosynthesis inArabidopsis

Strigolactones are a group of plant compounds of diverse but related chemical structures. They have similar bioactivity across a broad range of plant species, act to optimize plant growth and development, and promote soil microbe interactions. Carlactone, a common precursor to strigolactones, is produced by conserved enzymes found in a number of diverse species. Versions of the MORE AXILLARY GROWTH1 (MAX1) cytochrome P450 from rice and Arabidopsis thaliana make specific subsets of strigolactones from carlactone. However, the diversity of natural strigolactones suggests that additional enzymes are involved and remain to be discovered. Here, we use an innovative method that has revealed a missing enzyme involved in strigolactone metabolism. By using a transcriptomics approach involving a range of treatments that modify strigolactone biosynthesis gene expression coupled with reverse genetics, we identified LATERAL BRANCHING OXIDOREDUCTASE (LBO), a gene encoding an oxidoreductase-like enzyme of the 2-oxoglutarate and Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenase superfamily. Arabidopsis lbo mutants exhibited increased shoot branching, but the lbo mutation did not enhance the max mutant phenotype. Grafting indicated that LBO is required for a graft-transmissible signal that, in turn, requires a product of MAX1. Mutant lbo backgrounds showed reduced responses to carlactone, the substrate of MAX1, and methyl carlactonoate (MeCLA), a product downstream of MAX1. Furthermore, lbo mutants contained increased amounts of these compounds, and the LBO protein specifically converts MeCLA to an unidentified strigolactone-like compound. Thus, LBO function may be important in the later steps of strigolactone biosynthesis to inhibit shoot branching in Arabidopsis and other seed plants

Predicting the outcome of grade II glioma treated with temozolomide using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

International audienceBACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) for monitoring the WHO grade II glioma (low-grade glioma (LGG)) treated with temozolomide (TMZ).METHODS: This prospective study included adult patients with progressive LGG that was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Temozolomide was administered at every 28 days. Response to TMZ was evaluated by monthly MRI examinations that included MRI with volumetric calculations and (1)H-MRS for assessing Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA ratios. Univariate, multivariate and receiver-operating characteristic statistical analyses were performed on the results.RESULTS: A total of 21 LGGs from 31 patients were included in the study, and followed for at least n=14 months during treatment. A total of 18 (86%) patients experienced a decrease in tumour volume with a greater decrease of metabolic ratios. Subsequently, five (28%) of these tumours resumed growth despite the continuation of TMZ administration with an earlier increase of metabolic ratios of 2 months. Three (14%) patients did not show any volume or metabolic change. The evolutions of the metabolic ratios, mean(Cho/Cr)(n) and mean(Cho/NAA)(n), were significantly correlated over time (Spearman ρ=+0.95) and followed a logarithmic regression (P>0.001). The evolutions over time of metabolic ratios, mean(Cho/Cr)(n) and mean(Cho/NAA)(n), were significantly correlated with the evolution of the mean relative decrease of tumour volume, mean(ΔV(n)/V(o)), according to a linear regression (P<0.001) in the 'response/no relapse' patient group, and with the evolution of the mean tumour volume (meanV(n)), according to an exponential regression (P<0.001) in the 'response/relapse' patient group. The mean relative decrease of metabolic ratio, mean(Δ(Cho/Cr)(n)/(Cho/Cr)(o)), at n=3 months was predictive of tumour response over the 14 months of follow-up. The mean relative change between metabolic ratios, mean((Cho/NAA)(n)-(Cho/Cr)(n))/(Cho/NAA)(n), at n=4 months was predictive of tumour relapse with a significant cutoff of 0.046, a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 100% (P=0.004).CONCLUSIONS: The (1)H-MRS profile changes more widely and rapidly than tumour volume during the response and relapse phases, and represents an early predictive factor of outcome over 14 months of follow-up. Thus, (1)H-MRS may be a promising, non-invasive tool for predicting and monitoring the clinical response to TMZ

Algae as Protein Factories: Expression of a Human Antibody and the Respective Antigen in the Diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Microalgae are thought to offer great potential as expression system for various industrial, therapeutic and diagnostic recombinant proteins as they combine high growth rates with all benefits of eukaryotic expression systems. Moreover, microalgae exhibit a phototrophic lifestyle like land plants, hence protein expression is fuelled by photosynthesis, which is CO2-neutral and involves only low production costs. So far, however, research on algal bioreactors for recombinant protein expression is very rare calling for further investigations in this highly promising field. In this study, we present data on the expression of a monoclonal human IgG antibody against the Hepatitis B surface protein and the respective antigen in the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Antibodies are fully-assembled and functional and accumulate to 8.7% of total soluble protein, which complies with 21 mg antibody per gram algal dry weight. The Hepatitis B surface protein is functional as well and is recognized by algae-produced and commercial antibodies

The BH3 mimetic ABT-737 increases treatment efficiency of paclitaxel against hepatoblastoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The primary goal of current chemotherapy in hepatoblastoma (HB) is reduction of tumour volume and vitality to enable complete surgical resection and reduce risk of recurrence or metastatic disease. Drug resistance remains a major challenge for HB treatment. In some malignancies inhibition of anti-apoptotic pathways using small BH3 mimetic molecules like ABT-737 shows synergistic effects in combination with cystotoxic agents in vitro. Now we analysed toxicology and synergistic effects of this approach in HB cells and HB xenografts.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Viability was monitored in HB cells (HUH6 and HepT1) and fibroblasts treated with paclitaxel, ABT-737 and a combination of both in a MTT assay. HUH6 xenotransplants in NOD/LtSz-scid IL2Rγnull mice (NSG) were treated accordingly. Tumour volume and body weight were monitored. Xenografted tumours were analysed by histology and immunohistochemistry (Ki-67 and TUNEL assay).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>ABT-737 reduced viability in HUH6 and HepT1 cells cultures at concentrations above 1 μM and also enhanced the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel when used in combination. Thereby paclitaxel could be reduced tenfold to achieve similar reduction of viability of tumour cells. In contrast no toxicity in fibroblasts was observed at the same regiments. Subcutaneous HB (HUH6) treated with paclitaxel (12 mg/kg body weight, n = 7) led to delayed tumour growth in the beginning of the experiment. However, tumour volume was similar to controls (n = 5) at day 25. Combination treatment with paclitaxel and ABT-737 (100 mg/kg, n = 8) revealed significantly 10 fold lower relative tumour volumes compared to control and paclitaxel groups. Paclitaxel dependent toxicity was observed in this mice strain.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results demonstrate enhancement of chemotherapy by using modulators of apoptosis. Further analyses should include improved pharmacological formulations of paclitaxel and BH3 mimetics in order to reduce toxicological effects. Sensitising HB to apoptosis may also render resistant HB susceptible to established chemotherapy regimens.</p

A suberized exodermis is required for tomato drought tolerance

Plant roots integrate environmental signals with development using exquisite spatiotemporal control. This is apparent in the deposition of suberin, an apoplastic diffusion barrier, which regulates flow of water, solutes and gases, and is environmentally plastic. Suberin is considered a hallmark of endodermal differentiation but is absent in the tomato endodermis. Instead, suberin is present in the exodermis, a cell type that is absent in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we demonstrate that the suberin regulatory network has the same parts driving suberin production in the tomato exodermis and the Arabidopsis endodermis. Despite this co-option of network components, the network has undergone rewiring to drive distinct spatial expression and with distinct contributions of specific genes. Functional genetic analyses of the tomato MYB92 transcription factor and ASFT enzyme demonstrate the importance of exodermal suberin for a plant water-deficit response and that the exodermal barrier serves an equivalent function to that of the endodermis and can act in its place

Barriers and drivers of public engagement in palliative care, Scoping review

Background The integral model of Palliative Care recognizes the community as essential element in improving quality of life of patients and families. It is necessary to find a formula that allows the community to have a voice. The aim of this scoping review is to identify barriers and facilitators to engage community in PC.Methods Systematic search was conducted in NICE, Cochrane Library, Health Evidence, CINAHL and PubMed database. Keywords: Palliative care, End of life care, community networks, community engagement, public engagement, community participation, social participation, barriers and facilitators.Results Nine hundred seventy-one results were obtained. Search strategy and inclusion criteria yielded 13 studies that were read in detail to identify factors influencing community engagement in palliative care, categorized into: Public health and public engagement; Community attitudes towards palliative care, death and preferences at the end of life; Importance of volunteers in public engagement programs; Compassionate communities.Conclusion Societal awareness must be a facilitated process to catalyse public engagement efforts. National policy initiatives and regional system support provide legitimacy and focus is essential for funding. The first step is to get a sense of what is important to society, bearing in mind cultural differences and to channel those aspects through health care professionals; connecting the most assistential part with community resources. The process and long-term results need to be systematically evaluated