Accuracy of Jump-Mat Systems for Measuring Jump Height

Vertical-jump tests are commonly used to evaluate lower-limb power of athletes and nonathletes. Several types of equipment are available for this purpose. Purpose: To compare the error of measurement of 2 jump-mat systems (Chronojump-Boscosystem and Globus Ergo Tester) with that of a motion-capture system as a criterion and to determine the modifying effect of foot length on jump height. Methods: Thirty-one young adult men alternated 4 countermovement jumps with 4 squat jumps. Mean jump height and standard deviations representing technical error of measurement arising from each device and variability arising from the subjects themselves were estimated with a novel mixed model and evaluated via standardization and magnitude-based inference. Results: The jump-mat systems produced nearly identical measures of jump height (differences in means and in technical errors of measurement ≤1 mm). Countermovement and squat-jump height were both 13.6 cm higher with motion capture (90% confidence limits ±0.3 cm), but this very large difference was reduced to small unclear differences when adjusted to a foot length of zero. Variability in countermovement and squat-jump height arising from the subjects was small (1.1 and 1.5 cm, respectively, 90% confidence limits ±0.3 cm); technical error of motion capture was similar in magnitude (1.7 and 1.6 cm, ±0.3 and ±0.4 cm), and that of the jump mats was similar or smaller (1.2 and 0.3 cm, ±0.5 and ±0.9 cm). Conclusions: The jump-mat systems provide trustworthy measurements for monitoring changes in jump height. Foot length can explain the substantially higher jump height observed with motion capture

Thiazides induce glucose intolerance through inhibition of mitochondrial carbonic anhydrase 5b in β-cells

Thiazides are associated with glucose intolerance and new onset diabetes mellitus, but the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. The aim of this study was to decipher the molecular basis of thiazide-induced glucose intolerance. In mice, hydrochlorothiazide induced a pathological glucose tolerance, characterized by reduced first phase insulin secretion but normal insulin sensitivity. In vitro, thiazides inhibited glucose- and sulfonylurea-stimulated insulin secretion in islets and the murine β-cell line Min6 at pharmacologically relevant concentrations. Inhibition of insulin secretion by thiazides was CO2 /HCO3- -dependent, not additive to unselective carbonic anhydrase (CA) inhibition with acetazolamide and independent of extracellular potassium. In contrast, insulin secretion was unaltered in islets of mice lacking the known molecular thiazide targets NCC (SLC12A3) or NDCBE (SLC4A8). CA expression profiling with subsequent knock-down of individual CA isoforms suggested mitochondrial CA5b as molecular target. In support of these findings, thiazides significantly attenuated Krebs cycle anaplerosis through reduction of mitochondrial oxalacetate synthesis. CA5b KO mice were resistant to thiazide-induced glucose intolerance, and insulin secretion of islets isolated from CA5b KO mice was unaffected by thiazides. In summary, our study reveals attenuated insulin secretion due to inhibition of the mitochondrial CA5b isoform in β-cells as molecular mechanism of thiazide-induced glucose intolerance

High-efficiency non-thermal plasma synthesis of imine macrocycles

Macrocycles are candidates for wide-ranging applications, yet their synthesis can be low-yielding, poorly reproducible, and resource-intensive, limiting their use. Here, we explore the use of Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) as an efficient method for the synthesis of imine macrocycles at the gram scale. NTP-mediated macrocyclisations consistently achieved high yields of up to 97% in reduced reaction times compared to the standard non-plasma method, and were successfully carried out with a range of different aldehyde substrates. Control experiments were performed to explore the origin of the observed improvements. The results indicate that NTP methods could be advantageous for macrocycle synthesis, particularly for substrates that are sensitive to elevated temperature, and other materials formed via imine condensation

Strength, Endocrine, and Body Composition Alterations Across Four Blocks of Training in an Elite 400 M Sprinter

The ability to produce force rapidly has the potential to directly influence sprinting performance through changes in stride length and stride frequency. This ability is commonly referred to as the rate of force development (RFD). For this reason, many elite sprinters follow a combined program consisting of resistance training and sprint training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the strength, endocrine and body composition adaptations that occur during distinct phases of a block periodized training cycle in a 400 m Olympic level sprinter. The athlete is an elite level 400 m male sprinter (age 31 years, body mass: 74 kg, years of training: 15 and Personal Best (PB): 45.65 s). This athlete completed four distinct training phases of a block periodized training program (16 weeks) with five testing sessions consisting of testosterone:cortisol (T/C) profiles, body composition, vertical jump, and maximum strength testing. Large fluctuations in T/C were found following high volume training and the taper. Minor changes in body mass were observed with an abrupt decrease following the taper which coincided with a small increase in fat mass percentage. Jump height (5.7%), concentric impulse (9.4%), eccentric impulse (3.4%) and power ratio (18.7%) all increased substantially from T1 to T5. Relative strength increased 6.04% from T1 to T5. Lastly, our results demonstrate the effectiveness of a competitive taper in increasing physiological markers for performance as well as dynamic performance variables. Block periodization training was effective in raising the physical capabilities of an Olympic level 400 m runner which have been shown to directly transfer to sprinting performance

Feeding of the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 differentially affects shedding of enteric viruses in pigs

Effects of probiotic bacteria on viral infections have been described previously. Here, two groups of sows and their piglets were fed with or without feed supplementation of the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415. Shedding of enteric viruses naturally occurring in these pigs was analyzed by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. No differences between the groups were recorded for hepatitis E virus, encephalomyocarditis virus and norovirus. In contrast, astrovirus was exclusively detected in the non-supplemented control group. Rotavirus was shedded later and with lower amounts in the probiotic piglet group (p < 0.05); rotavirus-shedding piglets gained less weight than non-infected animals (p < 0.05). Serum titres of anti-rotavirus IgA and IgG antibodies were higher in piglets from the control group, whereas no difference was detected between sow groups. Phenotype analysis of immune cell antigens revealed significant differences of the CD4 and CD8β (p < 0.05) as well as CD8α and CD25 (p < 0.1) T cell populations of the probiotic supplemented group compared to the non-supplemented control group. In addition, differences were evident for CD21/MHCII-positive (p < 0.05) and IgM- positive (p < 0.1) B cell populations. The results indicate that probiotic bacteria could have effects on virus shedding in naturally infected pigs, which depend on the virus type. These effects seem to be caused by immunological changes; however, the distinct mechanism of action remains to be elucidated

Correction: critical role for sec22b-dependent antigen cross-presentation in antitumor immunity

The authors regret that in the original version of their paper, they mistakenly used the phrase OVA-expressing cells instead of OVA-secreting cells in parts of the text and cited reference Boissonnas et al. (2007. http://dx.doi.org/10.1084/jem.20061890) instead of Zeelenberg et al. (2008. http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-3163) and Sedlik et al. (2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jev.v3.24646). The Results and discussion paragraph containing the corrected references and full bibliographic information appear below.Fil: Alloatti, Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Rosario. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario; ArgentinaFil: Rookhuizen, Derek C.. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Joannas, Leonel. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Carpier, Jean-Marie. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Iborra, Salvador. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Magalhaes, Joao G.. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Yatim, Nader. Institut Pasteur, Paris; FranciaFil: Kozik, Patrycja. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Sancho, David. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; FranciaFil: Albert, Matthew L.. Institut Pasteur, Paris; FranciaFil: Amigorena, Sebastian. Institute Curie. U-932 Immunity And Cancer; Franci

Novel sulfoglycolipid IG20 causes neuroprotection by activating the phase II antioxidant response in rat hippocampal slices

Los datos de investigación asociados a este artículo están disponibles en http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.12.016Compound IG20 is a newly synthesised sulphated glycolipid that promotes neuritic outgrowth and myelinisation, at the time it causes the inhibition of glial proliferation and facilitates exocytosis in chromaffin cells. Here we have shown that IG20 at 0.3–10 μM afforded neuroprotection in rat hippocampal slices stressed with veratridine, glutamate or with oxygen plus glucose deprivation followed by reoxygenation (OGD/reox). Excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) elicited by glutamate or ODG/reox was prevented by IG20 that also restored the depressed tissue levels of GSH and ATP in hippocampal slices subjected to OGD/reox. Furthermore, the augmented iNOS expression produced upon OGD/reox exposure was also counteracted by IG20. Additionally, the IG20 elicited neuroprotection was prevented by the presence of inhibitors of the signalling pathways Jak2/STAT3, MEK/ERK1/2, and PI3K/Akt, consistent with the ability of the compound to increase the phosphorylation of Jak2, ERK1/2, and Akt. Thus, the activation of phase II response and the Nrf2/ARE pathway could explain the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and the ensuing neuroprotective actions of IG20This study was supported by a grant from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (MINECO SAF2013-44108-P to AGG and LG; MAT2015-65184-C2-2-R to AFM, CABICYC UAM-Bioiberica and European Commission-ERC, People (Marie Curie Actions) FP7 under REA grant agreement n PCIG11-GA-2012-322156; Spanish Ministry of Health (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) (grant PI14/00372) and Miguel Servet (CP11/00165); Bayer A.G., “From Targets to Novel Drugs” program (grant 2015-03-1282) and Fundacion FIPSE (grant 12-00001344-15) to RL. RL thanks IS Carlos III for research contract under Miguel Servet Program. P.M. thanks MECD for FPU fellowship (AP2010-1219

Institutions, policies, and arguments:context and strategy in EU policy framing

Studies of framing in the EU political system are still a rarity and they suffer from a lack of systematic empirical analysis. Addressing this gap, we ask if institutional and policy contexts intertwined with the strategic side of framing can explain the number and types of frames employed by different stakeholders. We use a computer-assisted manual content analysis and develop a fourfold typology of frames to study the frames that were prevalent in the debates on four EU policy proposals within financial market regulation and environmental policy at the EU level and in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. The main empirical finding is that both contexts and strategies exert a significant impact on the number and types of frames in EU policy debates. In conceptual terms, the article contributes to developing more fine-grained tools for studying frames and their underlying dimensions