The effects of creatine supplementation combined with resistance training on regional measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

The purpose of this paper was to carry out a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials that examined the combined effects of resistance training (RT) and creatine supplementation on regional changes in muscle mass with direct imaging measures of hypertrophy. Moreover, we performed regression analyses to determine the potential influence of covariates. We included trials of at least 6 weeks in duration that examined the combined effects of creatine supplementation and RT on site-specific direct measures of hypertrophy (magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], computed tomography [CT] or ultrasound) in healthy adults. A total of 44 outcomes were analyzed across 10 studies that met inclusion criteria. Univariate analysis of all standardized outcomes showed a pooled mean estimate of 0.11 (95% Credible Interval [CrI]: -0.02 to 0.25) providing evidence of a very small effect favoring creatine supplementation when combined with RT, compared to RT and placebo. Multivariate analyses found similar small benefits for the combination of creatine supplementation and RT on changes in upper and lower body muscle thickness (0.10-0.16 cm). Analyses of moderating effects indicated a small superior benefit for creatine supplementation on younger compared to older adults (0.17 [95% CrI: -0.09 to 0.45]). In conclusion, results suggest that creatine supplementation combined with RT promotes a small increase in direct measures of skeletal muscle hypertrophy in both the upper and lower body

Poaching and firm-sponsored training: first clean evidence

A series of seminal theoretical papers argues that poaching of employees may hamper company-sponsored general training. However, the extent of poaching, its determinants and consequences, remains an open empirical question. We provide a novel empirical identification strategy for poaching and investigate its causes and consequences. We find that only a small number of training firms in Germany are poaching victims. Firms are more likely to poach employees during an economic downturn. Training firms respond to poaching by lowering the share of new apprentice intakes in the following years

Prion Shedding from Olfactory Neurons into Nasal Secretions

This study investigated the role of prion infection of the olfactory mucosa in the shedding of prion infectivity into nasal secretions. Prion infection with the HY strain of the transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) agent resulted in a prominent infection of the olfactory bulb and the olfactory sensory epithelium including the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and vomeronasal receptor neurons (VRNs), whose axons comprise the two olfactory cranial nerves. A distinct glycoform of the disease-specific isoform of the prion protein, PrPSc, was found in the olfactory mucosa compared to the olfactory bulb, but the total amount of HY TME infectivity in the nasal turbinates was within 100-fold of the titer in the olfactory bulb. PrPSc co-localized with olfactory marker protein in the soma and dendrites of ORNs and VRNs and also with adenylyl cyclase III, which is present in the sensory cilia of ORNs that project into the lumen of the nasal airway. Nasal lavages from HY TME-infected hamsters contained prion titers as high as 103.9 median lethal doses per ml, which would be up to 500-fold more infectious in undiluted nasal fluids. These findings were confirmed using the rapid PrPSc amplification QuIC assay, indicating that nasal swabs have the potential to be used for prion diagnostics. These studies demonstrate that prion infection in the olfactory epithelium is likely due to retrograde spread from the olfactory bulb along the olfactory and vomeronasal axons to the soma, dendrites, and cilia of these peripheral neurons. Since prions can replicate to high levels in neurons, we propose that ORNs can release prion infectivity into nasal fluids. The continual turnover and replacement of mature ORNs throughout the adult lifespan may also contribute to prion shedding from the nasal passage and could play a role in transmission of natural prion diseases in domestic and free-ranging ruminants

A Nutrition and Conditioning Intervention for Natural Bodybuilding Contest Preparation: Case Study.

Bodybuilding competitions are becoming increasingly popular. Competitors are judged on their aesthetic appearance and usually exhibit a high level of muscularity and symmetry and low levels of body fat. Commonly used techniques to improve physique during the preparation phase before competitions include dehydration, periods of prolonged fasting, severe caloric restriction, excessive cardiovascular exercise and inappropriate use of diuretics and anabolic steroids. In contrast, this case study documents a structured nutrition and conditioning intervention followed by a 21 year-old amateur bodybuilding competitor to improve body composition, resting and exercise fat oxidation, and muscular strength that does not involve use of any of the above mentioned methods. Over a 14-week period, the Athlete was provided with a scientifically designed nutrition and conditioning plan that encouraged him to (i) consume a variety of foods; (ii) not neglect any macronutrient groups; (iii) exercise regularly but not excessively and; (iv) incorporate rest days into his conditioning regime. This strategy resulted in a body mass loss of 11.7 kg’s, corresponding to a 6.7 kg reduction in fat mass and a 5.0 kg reduction in fat-free mass. Resting metabolic rate decreased from 1993 kcal/d to 1814 kcal/d, whereas resting fat oxidation increased from 0.04 g/min to 0.06 g/min. His capacity to oxidize fat during exercise increased more than two-fold from 0.24 g/min to 0.59 g/min, while there was a near 3-fold increase in the corresponding exercise intensity that elicited the maximal rate of fat oxidation; 21% V̇ O2max to 60% V̇ O2max. Hamstring concentric peak torque decreased (1.7 to 1.5 Nm/kg), whereas hamstring eccentric (2.0 Nm/kg to 2.9 Nm/kg), quadriceps concentric (3.4 Nm/kg to 3.7 Nm/kg) and quadriceps eccentric (4.9 Nm/kg to 5.7 Nm/kg) peak torque all increased. Psychological mood-state (BRUMS scale) was not negatively influenced by the intervention and all values relating to the Athlete’s mood-state remained below average over the course of study. This intervention shows that a structured and scientifically supported nutrition strategy can be implemented to improve parameters relevant to bodybuilding competition and importantly the health of competitors, therefore questioning the conventional practices of bodybuilding preparation

When Music and Long-Term Memory Interact: Effects of Musical Expertise on Functional and Structural Plasticity in the Hippocampus

The development of musical skills by musicians results in specific structural and functional modifications in the brain. Surprisingly, no functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study has investigated the impact of musical training on brain function during long-term memory retrieval, a faculty particularly important in music. Thus, using fMRI, we examined for the first time this process during a musical familiarity task (i.e., semantic memory for music). Musical expertise induced supplementary activations in the hippocampus, medial frontal gyrus, and superior temporal areas on both sides, suggesting a constant interaction between episodic and semantic memory during this task in musicians. In addition, a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) investigation was performed within these areas and revealed that gray matter density of the hippocampus was higher in musicians than in nonmusicians. Our data indicate that musical expertise critically modifies long-term memory processes and induces structural and functional plasticity in the hippocampus

The benefits of strength training on musculoskeletal system health: practical applications for interdisciplinary care

Global health organizations have provided recommendations regarding exercise for the general population. Strength training has been included in several position statements due to its multi-systemic benefits. In this narrative review, we examine the available literature, first explaining how specific mechanical loading is converted into positive cellular responses. Secondly, benefits related to specific musculoskeletal tissues are discussed, with practical applications and training programmes clearly outlined for both common musculoskeletal disorders and primary prevention strategies

31st Annual Meeting and Associated Programs of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2016) : part two

Background The immunological escape of tumors represents one of the main ob- stacles to the treatment of malignancies. The blockade of PD-1 or CTLA-4 receptors represented a milestone in the history of immunotherapy. However, immune checkpoint inhibitors seem to be effective in specific cohorts of patients. It has been proposed that their efficacy relies on the presence of an immunological response. Thus, we hypothesized that disruption of the PD-L1/PD-1 axis would synergize with our oncolytic vaccine platform PeptiCRAd. Methods We used murine B16OVA in vivo tumor models and flow cytometry analysis to investigate the immunological background. Results First, we found that high-burden B16OVA tumors were refractory to combination immunotherapy. However, with a more aggressive schedule, tumors with a lower burden were more susceptible to the combination of PeptiCRAd and PD-L1 blockade. The therapy signifi- cantly increased the median survival of mice (Fig. 7). Interestingly, the reduced growth of contralaterally injected B16F10 cells sug- gested the presence of a long lasting immunological memory also against non-targeted antigens. Concerning the functional state of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), we found that all the immune therapies would enhance the percentage of activated (PD-1pos TIM- 3neg) T lymphocytes and reduce the amount of exhausted (PD-1pos TIM-3pos) cells compared to placebo. As expected, we found that PeptiCRAd monotherapy could increase the number of antigen spe- cific CD8+ T cells compared to other treatments. However, only the combination with PD-L1 blockade could significantly increase the ra- tio between activated and exhausted pentamer positive cells (p= 0.0058), suggesting that by disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis we could decrease the amount of dysfunctional antigen specific T cells. We ob- served that the anatomical location deeply influenced the state of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. In fact, TIM-3 expression was in- creased by 2 fold on TILs compared to splenic and lymphoid T cells. In the CD8+ compartment, the expression of PD-1 on the surface seemed to be restricted to the tumor micro-environment, while CD4 + T cells had a high expression of PD-1 also in lymphoid organs. Interestingly, we found that the levels of PD-1 were significantly higher on CD8+ T cells than on CD4+ T cells into the tumor micro- environment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions In conclusion, we demonstrated that the efficacy of immune check- point inhibitors might be strongly enhanced by their combination with cancer vaccines. PeptiCRAd was able to increase the number of antigen-specific T cells and PD-L1 blockade prevented their exhaus- tion, resulting in long-lasting immunological memory and increased median survival

Mbe-Grown NiYMg1-YO And ZnXMg 1-XO Thin Films For Deep Ultraviolet Optoelectronic Applications

We report on the heteroepitaxial growth of high-quality single crystal cubic ZnxMg1-xO and NiyMg1-yO thin films by radio frequency oxygen plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (RF- MBE). Film compositions over the ranges x = 0 to x = 0.65 and y = 0 to y = 1 have been grown on lattice-matched MgO (100) and characterized optically, morphologically, compositionally, and electrically. Both of these ternary materials are shown to have bandgaps which vary directly as a function of transition metal (Ni or Zn) concentration. Optical transmission measurements of NiyMg1-yO show the bandgap to shift continuously over the approximate range 3.5 eV (for NiO) to 4.81 eV (for y=0.075). Similarly, the bandgap of cubic ZnxMg1-xO is shifted from about 4.9 eV (for x = 0.65) to 6.25 eV (for x=0.12). Films exhibit good morphological quality and typical roughness of NiyMg1-yO films is 5 Å while that of ZnxMg1-xO is less than 15 Å, as measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) is employed to confirm crystal orientation and to determine the films\u27 lattice constants. Film compositions are interrogated by Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) and electrical characterization is made by room-temperature Hall measurements. © 2010 Materials Research Society