Type A behavior and risk of all-cause mortality, CAD, and CAD-related mortality, in a type 1 diabetes population: 22 years of follow-up in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study

Objective To determine whether type A behavior predicts all cause mortality and incident coronary artery disease (CAD) in a type 1 diabetes population. Research Design and Methods Twenty-two year follow-up data from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study of childhood onset type 1 diabetes were analyzed for the 506 participants who completed the Bortner Rating Scale (measuring type A myocardial infarction as determined by hospital records/ Q waves on ECG, CAD death behavior) and Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline (1986-1988). CAD comprised (determined by a mortality classification committee), angiographic stenosis, ischemic ECG and angina. Results There were 128 deaths (25.3%) during follow-up. Univariate analysis showed an inverse relationship between Bortner scores and all cause mortality (p=0.01) which remained significant after allowing for age, sex, duration, HbA1c, education, smoking, BMI, and physical activity (p=0.03). However, the addition of BDI scores attenuated the relationship (p=0.11) with a significant interaction (p=0.03) such that any protective effect against mortality was limited among individuals with lower BDI scores (bottom 3 quintiles) (p=0.07), while no effect was seen in those with higher BDI (p=0.97). Bortner scores showed only a borderline association with incident CAD (p=0.09). Conclusions Those with higher type A behavior have lower all-cause mortality in our type 1 diabetes population, an effect that interacts with depressive symptomatology such that it is only operative in those with low BDI scores. Further research should focus on understanding this interaction

Analysis of seed yam varieties, sources and quantity demanded by farmers in major yam producing districts in Ghana

The study analysed the varieties, sources and quantities of seed yam demanded by farmers for cultivation in order to inform policies aimed at ensuring adequate supply of quality seed yam of desirable varieties at an affordable price to boost yam productivity for improved income and livelihoods. A structured questionnaire was administered to 380 randomly selected yam farmers in three major yam producing districts in Ghana in 2015. The data analysis was done using STATA statistical software. The study identified Pona/Punjo, Lariboko, Asana, Afebetuye, Dente, Olondo and Kparinjo as the yam varieties mainly cultivated by farmers in a reducing order with high market demands by consumers. Own production remains the major source of seed yam for farmers. The estimated monetary value of quantity of seed yam used by farmers for cultivation in 2014 farming season was GH¢ 198, 552,841.0 (USD 51,706,469.0) in the study locations. About GH¢ 5,679,979.0 (USD 1,479,161.2) worth of quantities of seed yam was obtained from the market and other sources. The results demonstrate the existence of market potential for commercial seed yam production and supply in Ghana. Commercial seed yam certification system and yam breeding activities should target the identified yam varieties

PET Imaging a MPTP-Induced Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease Using the Fluoropropyl-Dihydrotetrabenazine Analog [18F]-DTBZ (AV-133)

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by the loss of dopamine-producing neurons in the nigrostriatal system. Numerous researchers in the past have attempted to track the progression of dopaminergic depletion in PD. We applied a quantitative non-invasive PET imaging technique to follow this degeneration process in an MPTP-induced mouse model of PD. The VMAT2 ligand 18F-DTBZ (AV-133) was used as a radioactive tracer in our imaging experiments to monitor the changes of the dopaminergic system. Intraperitoneal administrations of MPTP (a neurotoxin) were delivered to mice at regular intervals to induce lesions consistent with PD. Our results indicate a significant decline in the levels of striatal dopamine and its metabolites (DOPAC and HVA) following MPTP treatment as determined by HPLC method. Images obtained by positron emission tomography revealed uptake of 18F-DTBZ analog in the mouse striatum. However, reduction in radioligand binding was evident in the striatum of MPTP lesioned animals as compared with the control group. Immunohistochemical analysis further confirmed PET imaging results and indicated the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in treated animals compared with the control counterparts. In conclusion, our findings suggest that MPTP induced PD in mouse model is appropriate to follow the degeneration of dopaminergic system and that 18F-DTBZ analog is a potentially sensitive radiotracer that can used to diagnose changes associated with PD by PET imaging modality

Biomechanical predictors of ball velocity during punt kicking in elite rugby league kickers

Punt kicking is integral to the attacking and defensive elements of rugby league and the ability to kick the ball with high velocity is desirable. This study aimed to identify important technical aspects of kicking linked to the generation of ball velocity. Maximal punt kicks were obtained from six elite rugby league kickers using a 10-camera motion capture system. Three-dimensional kinematics of the lower extremities was obtained. Regression analysis with ball velocity as criterion was used to identify the kinematic parameters associated with the development of ball velocity. The regression model yielded an adj R2¼0.76, p�0.01. Two parameters were identified: knee extension angular velocity of the kicking limb at impact (R2¼0.50) and peak flexion angular velocity of the kicking hip (R2¼0.26, p�0.01). It is conceivable that players may benefit from exposure to coaching and strength techniques geared toward the modification of kicking mechanics specific to this stud

Low back pain status in elite and semi-elite Australian football codes: a cross-sectional survey of football (soccer), Australian rules, rugby league, rugby union and non-athletic controls

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our understanding of the effects of football code participation on low back pain (LBP) is limited. It is unclear whether LBP is more prevalent in athletic populations or differs between levels of competition. Thus it was the aim of this study to document and compare the prevalence, intensity, quality and frequency of LBP between elite and semi-elite male Australian football code participants and a non-athletic group.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional survey of elite and semi-elite male Australian football code participants and a non-athletic group was performed. Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire incorporating the Quadruple Visual Analogue Scale (QVAS) and McGill Pain Questionnaire (short form) (MPQ-SF), along with additional questions adapted from an Australian epidemiological study. Respondents were 271 elite players (mean age 23.3, range 17–39), 360 semi-elite players (mean age 23.8, range 16–46) and 148 non-athletic controls (mean age 23.9, range 18–39).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Groups were matched for age (p = 0.42) and experienced the same age of first onset LBP (p = 0.40). A significant linear increase in LBP from the non-athletic group, to the semi-elite and elite groups for the QVAS and the MPQ-SF was evident (p < 0.001). Elite subjects were more likely to experience more frequent (daily or weekly OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.29–2.42) and severe LBP (discomforting and greater OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.29–2.38).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Foolers in Australia have significantly more severe and frequent LBP than a non-athletic group and this escalates with level of competition.</p

Hip abduction weakness in elite junior footballers is common but easy to correct quickly: a prospective sports team cohort based study

Background: Hip abduction weakness has never been documented on a population basis as a common finding in a healthy group of athletes and would not normally be found in an elite adolescent athlete. This study aimed to show that hip abduction weakness not only occurs in this group but also is common and easy to correct with an unsupervised home based program. Methods: A prospective sports team cohort based study was performed with thirty elite adolescent under-17 Australian Rules Footballers in the Australian Institute of Sport/Australian Football League Under-17 training academy. The players had their hip abduction performance assessed and were then instructed in a hip abduction muscle training exercise. This was performed on a daily basis for two months and then they were reassessed.Results: The results showed 14 of 28 athletes who completed the protocol had marked weakness or a side-to-side difference of more than 25% at baseline. Two months later ten players recorded an improvement of ≥ 80% in their recorded scores. The mean muscle performance on the right side improved from 151 Newton (N) to 202 N (p<0.001) while on the left, the recorded results improved from 158 N to 223 N (p<0.001). Conclusions: The baseline values show widespread profound deficiencies in hip abduction performance not previously reported. Very large performance increases can be achieved, unsupervised, in a short period of time to potentially allow large clinically significant gains. This assessment should be an integral part of preparticipation screening and assessed in those with lower limb injuries. This particular exercise should be used clinically and more research is needed to determine its injury prevention and performance enhancement implications

Review article: defining remission in ulcerative colitis

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87130/1/j.1365-2036.2011.04701.x.pd

Combining Effects and Coeffects via Grading

This is the author accepted manuscript. It is currently under an indefinite embargo pending publication by the Association for Computing Machinery.$\textit{Effects}$ and $\textit{coeffects}$ are two general, complementary aspects of program behaviour. They roughly correspond to computations which change the execution context (effects) versus computations which make demands on the context (coeffects). Effectful features include partiality, non-determinism, input-output, state, and exceptions. Coeffectful features include resource demands, variable access, notions of linearity, and data input requirements. The effectful or coeffectful behaviour of a program can be captured and described via type-based analyses, with fine grained information provided by monoidal effect annotations and semiring coeffects. Various recent work has proposed models for such typed calculi in terms of $\textit{graded (strong) monads}$ for effects and $\textit{graded (monoidal) comonads}$ for coeffects. Effects and coeffects have been studied separately so far, but in practice many computations are both effectful and coeffectful, e.g., possibly throwing exceptions but with resource requirements. To remedy this, we introduce a new general calculus with a combined $\textit{effect-coeffect system}$. This can describe both the $\textit{changes}$ and $\textit{requirements}$ that a program has on its context, as well as interactions between these effectful and coeffectful features of computation. The effect-coeffect system has a denotational model in terms of effect-graded monads and coeffect-graded comonads where interaction is expressed via the novel concept of $\textit{graded distributive laws}$. This graded semantics unifies the syntactic type theory with the denotational model. We show that our calculus can be instantiated to describe in a natural way various different kinds of interaction between a program and its evaluation context.Orchard was supported by EPSRC grant EP/M026124/1 and EP/K011715/1 (whilst previously at Imperial College London), Katsumata by JSPS KAKENHI grant JP15K00014, Uustalu by Estonian Min. of Educ. and Res. grant IUT33-13 and Estonian Sci. Found. grant 9475. Gaboardi’s work was done in part while at the University of Dundee, UK supported by EPSRC grant EP/M022358/1