Carbohydrate gel ingestion significantly improves the intermittent endurance capacity, but not sprint performance, of adolescent team games players during a simulated team games protocol

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of ingesting a carbohydrate (CHO) gel on the intermittent endurance capacity and sprint performance of adolescent team games players. Eleven participants [mean age 13.5 ± 0.7 years, height 1.72 ± 0.08 m, body mass (BM) 62.1 ± 9.4 kg] performed two trials separated by 3–7 days. In each trial, they completed four 15 min periods of part A of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST), followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (part B). In the 5 min pre-exercise, participants consumed 0.818 mL kg−1 BM of a CHO or a non-CHO placebo gel, and a further 0.327 mL kg−1 BM every 15 min during part A of the LIST (38.0 ± 5.5 g CHO h−1 in the CHO trial). Intermittent endurance capacity was increased by 21.1% during part B when the CHO gel was ingested (4.6 ± 2.0 vs. 3.8 ± 2.4 min, P < 0.05, r = 0.67), with distance covered in part B significantly greater in the CHO trial (787 ± 319 vs. 669 ± 424 m, P < 0.05, r = 0.57). Gel ingestion did not significantly influence mean 15 m sprint time (P = 0.34), peak sprint time (P = 0.81), or heart rate (P = 0.66). Ingestion of a CHO gel significantly increases the intermittent endurance capacity of adolescent team games players during a simulated team games protocol

Venous Thromboembolism Following Colorectal Surgery for Suspected or Confirmed Malignancy

Surgery for colorectal cancer conveys a high risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). The effect of thromboprophylactic regimens of varying duration on the incidence of VTE was assessed in 417 patients undergoing surgery between 2005 and 2009 for colorectal cancer. Low-dose unfractionated heparin (LDUH) was used in 52.7% of patients, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in 35.3%, and 10.7% received LDUH followed by LMWH. Pharmacological prophylaxis was continued after hospitalisation in 31.6%. Major bleeding occurred in 4% of patients. The 30-day mortality rate was 1.9%. The incidence of symptomatic VTE from hospital admission for surgery to 12 months after was 2.4%. There were no in-hospital VTE events. The majority of events occurred in the three-month period after discharge, but there were VTE events up to 12 months, especially in patients with more advanced cancer and multiple comorbidities

Binomial Sampling of Western Flower Thrips Infesting Flowering Greenhouse Crops Using Incidence-Mean Models

Accurate assessments of thrips density are important for effective thrips management programs. Complicating the development of sampling plans for western flower thrips (WFT) Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) in greenhouse crops are the facts that they are small, difficult to detect, and attack a variety of crops, which may be grown concurrently within the same greenhouse. Binomial sampling was evaluated as an alternative to sampling plans based on complete enumeration. This work included comparison of incidence-mean models across diverse plant species (impatiens, cucumber, and marigold) to determine the possibility of using a generic model for sampling WFT in mixed crops. Data from laboratory-processed flower samples revealed that infestation rates calculated using a tally threshold of three thrips per flower provided the best estimates of thrips population densities in each tested crop and in the combined crops (composite data set). Distributions of thrips populations were similar across the three plant species, indicating potential for development of a generic sampling plan for mixed floral crops. Practical sampling methods for simple and complex flowers tested in the greenhouse (in situ) were evaluated via construction of binomial count operating characteristic functions. In the case of simple flowers (impatiens), visual inspections provided adequate estimates of thrips infestation rates at a low tally threshold, which ultimately enabled accurate estimation of thrips densities. However, visual inspection and tap-sampling of complex flowers (marigold) provided unreliable results. These findings indicate that use of binomial sampling methods in mixed floral crops will require development of more accurate sampling technique

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists practice bulletins: An overview

Objective The purpose of this study was to review the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists practices bulletins to quantify the type of recommendations and references and determining whether there are any differences between obstetric and gynecologic bulletins. Study design All practice bulletins published from June 1998 to December 2004 were reviewed. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results The 55 practice bulletins contained 438 recommendations of which 29% are level A, 33% level B, and 38% level C. The 55 bulletins cite 3953 references of which 17% are level I, 46% level II, 34% level III, and 3% others. Level A recommendations were significantly more likely among the 23 gynecologic than 32 obstetric bulletins (37% versus 23%, odds ratios 1.95, 95% confidence intervals 1.28, 2.96). The study types referenced in obstetric and gynecologic bulletins were similar (P \u3e .05 for comparison of levels I, II, and III and meta-analysis references). Conclusion Only 29% of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommendations are level A, based on good and consistent scientific evidence

Beverage carbohydrate concentration influences the intermittent endurance capacity of adolescent team games players during prolonged intermittent running

This study investigated the influence of consuming a 2, 6, and 10% carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO-E) solution on the intermittent endurance capacity and sprint performance of adolescent team games players. Seven participants (five males and two females; mean age 13.3 ± 0.5 years, height 1.71 ± 0.05 m, body mass (BM) 62.0 ± 6.3 kg) performed three trials separated by 3 to 7 days. In each trial, they completed four 15 min periods of part A of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test (LIST) followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (part B). Participants consumed 5 ml.kg-1 BM of the solution during the 5 min pre-exercise period, and a further 2 ml.kg-1 BM every 15 min during part A of the LIST. Intermittent endurance capacity increased by 34% with ingestion of the 6% CHO-E solution compared with the 10% solution (5.5 ± 0.8 vs. 4.1 ± 1.5 min, P < 0.05), equating to a distance of 931 ± 172 vs. 706 ± 272 m (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the 2% (4.8 ± 1.2 min) and 6% (P = 0.10) or the 2% and 10% solutions (P = 0.09). Carbohydrate concentration did not significantly influence mean 15 m sprint time (P = 0.38). These results suggest that the carbohydrate concentration of an ingested solution influences the intermittent endurance capacity of adolescent team games players with a 6% solution significantly more effective than a 10% solution

Ingesting a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution improves performance and endurance capacity during intermittent, high-intensity shuttle running in adolescent team games players aged 12 - 14 years

The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of consuming a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte (CHO-E) solution on the intermittent, high-intensity endurance performance and capacity of adolescent team games players. Fifteen participants (mean age 12.7 ± 0.8 years) performed two trials separated by 3–7 days. In each trial, they completed 60 min of exercise composed of four 15-min periods of part A of the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test, followed by an intermittent run to exhaustion (part B). In a double-blind, randomised, counterbalanced fashion participants consumed either the 6% CHO-E solution or a non-carbohydrate (CHO) placebo (5 ml kg−1 BM) during the 5 min pre-trial and after each 15-min period of part A (2 ml kg−1 BM). Time to fatigue was increased by 24.4% during part B when CHO was ingested (5.1 ± 1.8 vs. 4.1 ± 1.6 min, P < 0.05), with distance covered in part B also significantly greater in the CHO trial (851 ± 365 vs. 694 ± 278 m, P < 0.05). No significant between-trials differences were observed for mean 15-m sprint time (P = 0.35), peak sprint time (P = 0.77), or heart rate (P = 0.08) during part A. These results demonstrate, for the first time, that ingestion of a CHO-E solution significantly improves the intermittent, high-intensity endurance running capacity of adolescent team games players during an exercise protocol designed to simulate the physiological demands of team games

2-chloro-s-triazine herbicides induce aromatase (CYP19) activity in H295R human adrenocortical carcinoma cells: a novel mechanism for estrogenicity?

There is increasing concern that certain chemicals in the environment can cause endocrine disruption in exposed humans and wildlife. Investigations of potential effects on endocrine function have been limited mainly to interactions with hormone receptors. A need exists for the development of alternate in vitro methods to evaluate chemicals for their potential to disturb various endocrine functions via other mechanisms. Our laboratory is using the human H295R adrenocortical carcinoma cell line to examine chemicals for their potential to interfere with the activity and/or expression of several key cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of steroid hormones. In this report we demonstrated that the commonly used 2-chloro-s-triazine herbicides atrazine, simazine, and propazine dose-dependently (0 -30 M) induced aromatase (CYP19) activity to an apparent maximum of about 2.5-fold in H295R cells. Basal-and triazine-induced aromatase activity was completely inhibited by the irreversible aromatase inhibitor 4-hydroxyandrostenedione (100 M). The triazines increased levels of CYP19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) between 1.5-and 2-fold. The time-response profile of the induction of aromatase activity and CYP19 mRNA by the triazines was similar to that by 8-bromo-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, a known stimulant of the protein kinase-A pathway that mediates the induction of aromatase in these cells. The observed induction of aromatase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the conversion of androgens to estrogens, may be an underlying explanation for some of the reported hormonal disrupting and tumor promoting properties of these herbicides in vivo. Key Words: aromatase; atrazine; simazine; propazine; triazines; induction; adrenocortical carcinoma; CYP19; mRNA. In recent years, there has been growing concern that certain environmental contaminants and commercial products have the potential to disturb endocrine functions in exposed humans and wildlife. Disturbances by these &quot;endocrine disrupters&quot; may lead to impaired reproductive capacity and other toxicities related to sexual differentiation, growth, and development. Current research has focused on potential interactions with the sex hormone receptors, particularly the estrogen receptor The H295 and H295R (a subpopulation of H295 that forms a monolayer in culture) human adrenocortical carcinoma cell lines have been characterized in detail and shown to express most of the key enzymes necessary for steroidogenesis The triazine family of broad-leaved herbicides has been used increasingly since the 1960s to control weeds, particularly in maize crops, in North America and Europe. The estimated use 1 To whom correspondence should be addressed. Fax: 011-31-30 -253-5077. E-mail: [email protected]. TOXICOLOGICAL SCIENCES 54, 121-127 (2000) Copyright © 2000 by the Society of Toxicology 121 of atrazine in the United States was almost 35,000 tons in 1993 (U.S. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cell culture conditions. H295R cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC # CRL-2128) and grown in 75-cm 2 flasks (Greiner, Germany) under culture conditions published previously Isolation and amplification of RNA. RNA was isolated using the RNA Insta-Pure System (Eurogentec, Belgium) according to the manufacturerЈs instructions and stored at -70°C. RT-PCRs were performed using the Access RT-PCR System (Promega, U.S.). Northern blotting was not considered as an option because of the low basal expression of aromatase, which could not be detected by other investigators using this technique Aromatase assay. The catalytic activity of aromatase was determined based on the method of RESULT