The Effects of Pre-Workout Meals High in Carbohydrates or Lipids on Muscle Fatigue during Resistance Exercise: A Pilot Study

Purpose: Pre-workout nutrition is important in exercise training and is often overlooked or misunderstood. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of pre-workout meals high in carbohydrates or lipids on muscular endurance in lower body muscles and fatigue during a back squat exercise in physically active college students. Methods: All subjects (n = 8) reported to the lab 2 times, with 24-48 hours of rest between sessions. Subjects’ height, weight, and blood pressure were taken before each session. Subjects were led through a dynamic warm-up consisting of foam rolling, dynamic stretching, and barbell back squat warm-ups every session. Session one was for estimation of subjects’ back squat 1-repetition maximum (1RM) using a PUSH-Strength accelerometer-based velocity tool. During the second session, participants were instructed to consume a carbohydrate or lipid bar and wait 45 minutes for digestion. Subjects then completed the warm-up and performed one back squat set to failure using 75% of their predicted 1RM. Results: The carbohydrate group performed more repetitions and lifted for a longer time than the lipid group (p \u3c 0.05). Conclusion: Our data suggest that a carbohydrate-heavy meal immediately prior is beneficial to maximize muscular endurance in resistance training

Chiropteran types I and II interferon genes inferred from genome sequencing traces by a statistical gene-family assembler

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rate of emergence of human pathogens is steadily increasing; most of these novel agents originate in wildlife. Bats, remarkably, are the natural reservoirs of many of the most pathogenic viruses in humans. There are two bat genome projects currently underway, a circumstance that promises to speed the discovery host factors important in the coevolution of bats with their viruses. These genomes, however, are not yet assembled and one of them will provide only low coverage, making the inference of most genes of immunological interest error-prone. Many more wildlife genome projects are underway and intend to provide only shallow coverage.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have developed a statistical method for the assembly of gene families from partial genomes. The method takes full advantage of the quality scores generated by base-calling software, incorporating them into a complete probabilistic error model, to overcome the limitation inherent in the inference of gene family members from partial sequence information. We validated the method by inferring the human IFNA genes from the genome trace archives, and used it to infer 61 type-I interferon genes, and single type-II interferon genes in the bats <it>Pteropus vampyrus </it>and <it>Myotis lucifugus</it>. We confirmed our inferences by direct cloning and sequencing of IFNA, IFNB, IFND, and IFNK in <it>P. vampyrus</it>, and by demonstrating transcription of some of the inferred genes by known interferon-inducing stimuli.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The statistical trace assembler described here provides a reliable method for extracting information from the many available and forthcoming partial or shallow genome sequencing projects, thereby facilitating the study of a wider variety of organisms with ecological and biomedical significance to humans than would otherwise be possible.</p

Metal-Free Room-Temperature Vulcanization of Silicones via Borane Hydrosilylation

Vulcanization of silicone networks from commercially available linear poly(dimethyl-co-methylhydro)siloxane (PMHS) and α-diketones was achieved using metal-free borane hydrosilylation at room temperature. The Lewis acid catalyst, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C_6F_5)_3), efficiently cross-linked PMHS at minimal catalyst loadings (200–1000 ppm) to produce polymer networks with mechanical properties, thermal stability, and optical clarity rivaling that achieved from traditional platinum catalysis. Variation of the starting PMHS structure is shown to influence the final characteristics of the network. Increasing molar mass of the PMHS chain results in a higher thermal decomposition temperature, while increasing mole fractions of Si–H moieties along the backbone increase the cross-linking density and the attendant Shore hardness. The degradation behavior of the networks was investigated, with the borane-vulcanized samples showing rapid dissolution upon exposure to acid and high stability to neutral and basic conditions. Functional networks bearing halide and vinyl groups could also be prepared via a preliminary reaction of PMHS with an appropriate monoketone, providing a general and versatile strategy for network derivatization with the potential for postvulcanization functionalization being subsequently demonstrated via thiol–ene click chemistry

Metal-Free Room-Temperature Vulcanization of Silicones via Borane Hydrosilylation

Vulcanization of silicone networks from commercially available linear poly(dimethyl-co-methylhydro)siloxane (PMHS) and α-diketones was achieved using metal-free borane hydrosilylation at room temperature. The Lewis acid catalyst, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane (B(C_6F_5)_3), efficiently cross-linked PMHS at minimal catalyst loadings (200–1000 ppm) to produce polymer networks with mechanical properties, thermal stability, and optical clarity rivaling that achieved from traditional platinum catalysis. Variation of the starting PMHS structure is shown to influence the final characteristics of the network. Increasing molar mass of the PMHS chain results in a higher thermal decomposition temperature, while increasing mole fractions of Si–H moieties along the backbone increase the cross-linking density and the attendant Shore hardness. The degradation behavior of the networks was investigated, with the borane-vulcanized samples showing rapid dissolution upon exposure to acid and high stability to neutral and basic conditions. Functional networks bearing halide and vinyl groups could also be prepared via a preliminary reaction of PMHS with an appropriate monoketone, providing a general and versatile strategy for network derivatization with the potential for postvulcanization functionalization being subsequently demonstrated via thiol–ene click chemistry

Comparison of multiple vaccine vectors in a single heterologous prime-boost trial

The prevention of infectious disease via prophylactic immunization is a mainstay of global public health efforts. Vaccine design would be facilitated by a better understanding of the type and durability of immune responses generated by different vaccine vectors. We report here the results of a comparative immunogenicity trial of six different vaccine vectors expressing the same insert antigen, cowpox virus B5 (CPXV-B5). Of those vectors tested, recombinant adenovirus (rAd5) was the most immunogenic, inducing the highest titer anti-B5 antibodies and conferring protection from sublethal vaccinia virus challenge in mice after a single immunization. We tested select heterologous prime-boost combinations and identified recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV) and recombinant Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus replicons (VRP) as the most synergistic regimen. Comparative data such as those presented here are critical to efforts to generate protective vaccines for emerging infectious diseases as well as for biothreat agents

Design of Cold Spray Aluminum Alloys for Structural Components, Coatings, and Repairs: Fatigue Mechanisms, Novel Interfacial Evaluations, and Methods for Material/Part Qualification

Cold spray technology offers a solid-state fabrication technique that is suitable for both bulk 3D components and coatings/repairs with enhanced corrosion, fatigue, fatigue crack growth (FCG), and fracture resistance. Successful implementation of the technology in high-integrity structural applications requires a comprehensive understanding of processing-structure-performance relationships, specifically the role of feedstock powder, processing parameters, and post-processing conditions on microstructural mechanisms of fatigue and coating-substrate interface behavior. Helium-processed Al-6061 cold spray materials have been investigated both as bulk depositions (as-sprayed and annealed) and coated specimens (as-sprayed on similar wrought Al 6061 and dissimilar cast Mg-AZ91E-T6 heat treated substrates). Microstructures, tensile and interfacial properties, and fatigue crack initiation and propagation responses were systematically evaluated and compared with those of equivalent conventional materials. Long and small FCG tests were conducted on bulk specimens at various stress ratios to establish microstructural mechanisms at different crack growth stages, which are related to powder particle boundaries and grain/subgrain orientations. The interfacial behavior of the cold spray coatings on substrates was examined using controlled FCG studies through the interface, novel interface strength testing methods, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) characterization, and fractographic observations. Complementary fatigue studies up to the gigacycle regime have also been conducted on bulk and coated cold spray materials and their conventionally fabricated counterparts to understand surface condition, residual stress, microstructure, and strain rate effects on crack initiation and early growth. The integrated knowledge and data emerging from this research are used to develop fatigue design tools and provide recommendations for optimization, qualification, and implementation of cold spray materials in safety-critical components, coatings, and repair applications

Evaluating Coastal Erosion Structures

The island of Nantucket experiences extreme coastal erosion and property owners have built various types of coastal erosion structures to try and limit adverse impacts. The goal of this project was to find, categorize, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of existing structures. Through reviews of permit information and aerial photographs, site visits, stakeholder interviews, we created a comprehensive database and an interactive map of 72 coastal erosion structures on the island. We conclude that ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ erosion structures may inhibit erosion in the short term over a limited spatial extent, but effectiveness varies dramatically by location and many structures have unintended proximal impacts