Peripheral and central fatigue after high intensity resistance circuit training

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of high intensity resistance circuit (HIRC) and traditional strength training (TST) on neuromuscular fatigue and metabolic responses.Methods: Twelve trained young subjects performed HIRC and TST in a counterbalanced order with 1 week rest in-between. The amount of workload and the inter-set time for each local muscle group were matched (180 s), however, the time between successive exercises differed. The twitch interpolation technique was used to test neuromuscular function of the knee extensor muscles. Blood lactate concentration was used to evaluate metabolic responses.Results: Maximum voluntary contraction and resting potentiated twitch amplitude (Qtw) were significantly reduced after HIRC, but there were not changes after TST, while reductions in voluntary activation were similar. Lactate concentration increased significantly more after HIRC.Conclusions: The higher lactate concentration after HIRC probably impaired excitation-contraction coupling, indicating larger peripheral fatigue than after TS

Qualitätsbeurteilung von Kartoffeln

Der Kartoffelanbau ist für ökologisch wirtschaftende Betriebe von großer Bedeutung. Da sich Kartoffeln sehr gut zur Direktvermarktung eignen und bei den derzeitigen Preisen meist hohe Erlöse erzielt werden, gehören sie für viele Betriebe zu den ökonomisch interessanten Kulturarten. Kartoffeln werden von etwa 70 % der ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betriebe angebaut, wobei der Anbauumfang in der Regel jedoch weniger als ein Fruchtfolgefeld beansprucht. Dennoch gibt es auch im ökologischen Landbau in vielen Bereichen eine zunehmende Spezialisierung auf bestimmte Produktionszweige, so auch im Kartoffelanbau. Aus Gründen der Fruchtfolgegestaltung, der phytopathologischen Situation und der Nährstoffversorgung ist der Anbauumfang jedoch begrenzt. In der konventionellen und integrierten Landwirtschaft liegt dagegen eine stärkere Konzentration auf spezialisierte Hackfruchtbetriebe bzw. Kartoffel anbauende Betriebe vor. Unabhängig von der Wirtschaftsweise wird eine hohe Qualität der Ware immer mehr zur Voraussetzung für eine erfolgreiche Vermarktung. So sind auch die Anforderungen an die Qualität von Speisekartoffeln in den letzten Jahren sowohl von Seiten des Handels, der Verarbeitungsindustrie und nicht zuletzt des Verbrauchers deutlich angestiegen

DIMENSÃO SOCIAL DO MERCOSUL: as políticas públicas e as assimetrias transfronteiriças

This text addresses the relationship between social structures and public policies as one of the possibilities for expanding Mercosur's social dimension across international borders. Its objectives are to review the structural elements of the social dimension and cross-border cooperation and highlight the structural asymmetries that reverberate positively or negatively in the construction of cross-border cooperation in the field of social protection. It points out the main issues surrounding the topic and concludes with indications for the implementation of cross-border cooperation policies between municipalities located on international borders.Este texto aborda a relação entre estruturas sociais e políticas públicas como uma das possibilidades de ampliar a dimensão social do Mercosul em fronteiras internacionais. Tem como objetivos revisar os elementos estruturantes da dimensão social e cooperação transfronteiriça e evidenciar as assimetrias estruturais que reverberam positiva ou negativamente na construção da cooperação transfronteiriça no âmbito da proteção social. Aponta as principais questões que envolvem o tema e conclui com indicações para a implementação de políticas de cooperação transfronteiriça entre municípios situados nos limites internacionais.    

Real-time monitoring of indoor air corrosivity in cultural heritage institutions with metallic electrical resistance sensors

A system for continuous monitoring of atmospheric corrosivity has been developed. An electronic unit measures and records changes in the electrical resistance of a thin metal track applied on an insulating substrate. If the metal corrodes, the effective cross sectional area of the track decreases and the electrical resistance increases. Sensors made of silver, copper, iron/steel, zinc, lead, tin, aluminium, bronze, and brass at thicknesses from 50 nm to 250 m were tailored for environments with different corrosivities. The developed technology proved capable of providing high sensitivity, allowing for real-time corrosion monitoring even in low-corrosive indoor cultural heritage facilities. Laboratory tests showed good reproducibility with the standard deviation of parallel measurements at less than ±20% for metals which corrode uniformly in the tested environments. Several examples selected from a broad testing programme in partner museums, libraries, and other institut ions show successful applications of the logger system for characterization of air quality control in indoor locations, during transport and in temporary exhibitions; assessment of new buildings and storage facilities; and fundamental studies of optimal conservation and storage procedures. A first outline of a classification system for lead, which is particularly sensitive to the presence of carboxylic acids, is given. The technique has a large potential as an independent method for monitoring air quality in facilities displaying and storing valuable objects of cultural heritage

DGAKI and PEI in dialogue 2023: Diagnostics and allergen immunotherapy

Pfaar O, Hamelmann E, Taube C, et al. DGAKI and PEI in dialogue 2023: Diagnostics and allergen immunotherapy. Allergologie Select. 2023;7(1):229-235.A roundtable discussion on February 10, 2023 between the German Society for Allergology and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI) aimed to discuss in detail current aspects of allergen immunotherapy (AIT), its regulatory framework under the transitional provision of the Therapy Allergen Ordinance (TAO), and the consequences for the planned guideline work of the DGAKI, regulatory challenges in the approval of AIT products for children and adolescents as well as allergy diagnostics. The content and discussion points of this dialogue are summarized and are set in context with the current literature. © Dustri-Verlag Dr. K. Feistle

Resection of piriform cortex predicts seizure freedom in temporal lobe epilepsy

OBJECTIVE: Transsylvian selective amygdalo-hippocampectomy (tsSAHE) represents a generally recognized surgical procedure for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). Although postoperative seizure freedom can be achieved in about 70% of tsSAHE, there is a considerable amount of patients with persisting postoperative seizures. This might partly be explained by differing extents of resection of various tsSAHE target volumes. In this study we analyzed the resected proportions of hippocampus, amygdala as well as piriform cortex in regard of postoperative seizure outcome. METHODS: Between 2012 and 2017, 82 of 103 patients with mTLE who underwent tsSAHE at the authors' institution were included in the analysis. Resected proportions of hippocampus, amygdala and temporal piriform cortex as target structures of tsSAHE were volumetrically assessed and stratified according to favorable (International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) class 1) and unfavorable (ILAE class 2-6) seizure outcome. RESULTS: Patients with favorable seizure outcome revealed a significantly larger proportion of resected temporal piriform cortex volumes compared to patients with unfavorable seizure outcome (median resected proportional volumes were 51% (IQR 42-61) versus (vs.) 13 (IQR 11-18), P = 0.0001). Resected proportions of hippocampus and amygdala did not significantly differ for these groups (hippocampus: 81% (IQR 73-88) vs. 80% (IQR 74-92) (P = 0.7); amygdala: 100% (IQR 100-100) vs. 100% (IQR 100-100) (P = 0.7)). INTERPRETATION: These results strongly suggest temporal piriform cortex to constitute a key target resection volume to achieve seizure freedom following tsSAHE

Long-Term SARS-CoV-2 Specific Immunity Is Affected by the Severity of Initial COVID-19 and Patient Age

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently the greatest medical challenge. Although crucial to the future management of the pandemic, the factors affecting the persistence of long-term SARS-CoV-2 immunity are not well understood. Therefore, we determined the extent of important correlates of SARS-CoV-2 specific protection in 200 unvaccinated convalescents after COVID-19. To investigate the effective memory response against the virus, SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell and humoral immunity (including virus-neutralizing antibodies) was determined over a period of one to eleven months. SARS-CoV-2 specific immune responses were present in 90% of individual patients. Notably, immunosuppressed patients did not have long-term SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell immunity. In our cohort, the severity of the initial illness influenced SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell immune responses and patients’ humoral immune responses to Spike (S) protein over the long-term, whereas the patients’ age influenced Membrane (M) protein-specific T cell responses. Thus, our study not only demonstrated the long-term persistence of SARS-CoV-2 specific immunity, it also determined COVID-19 severity and patient age as significant factors affecting long-term immunity