A modified formula using energy system contributions to calculate pure maximal rate of lactate accumulation during a maximal sprint cycling test

Purpose: This study aimed at comparing previous calculating formulas of maximal lactate accumulation rate (νLa.max) and a modified formula of pure νLa.max (PνLa.max) during a 15-s all-out sprint cycling test (ASCT) to analyze their relationships.Methods: Thirty male national-level track cyclists participated in this study (n = 30) and performed a 15-s ASCT. The anaerobic power output (Wpeak and Wmean), oxygen uptake, and blood lactate concentrations (La−) were measured. These parameters were used for different calculations of νLa.max and three energy contributions (phosphagen, WPCr; glycolytic, WGly; and oxidative, WOxi). The PνLa.max calculation considered delta La−, time until Wpeak (tPCr−peak), and the time contributed by the oxidative system (tOxi). Other νLa.max levels without tOxi were calculated using decreasing time by 3.5% from Wpeak (tPCr −3.5%) and tPCr−peak.Results: The absolute and relative WPCr were higher than WGly and WOxi (p < 0.0001, respectively), and the absolute and relative WGly were significantly higher than WOxi (p < 0.0001, respectively); νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) was significantly higher than PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr−peak), while νLa.max (tPCr−peak) was lower than PνLa.max (p < 0.0001, respectively). PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr−peak) were highly correlated (r = 0.99; R2 = 0.98). This correlation was higher than the relationship between PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) (r = 0.87; R2 = 0.77). νLa.max (tPCr−peak), PνLa.max, and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) were found to correlate with absolute Wmean and WGly.Conclusion: PνLa.max as a modified calculation of νLa.max provides more detailed insights into the inter-individual differences in energy and glycolytic metabolism than νLa.max (tPCr−peak) and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%). Because WOxi and WPCr can differ remarkably between athletes, implementing their values in PνLa.max can establish more optimized individual profiling for elite track cyclists

Soybean-VCF2Genomes: a database to identify the closest accession in soybean germplasm collection

Background The development of next generation sequencer (NGS) and the analytical methods allowed the researchers to profile their samples more precisely and easier than before. Especially for agriculture, the certification of the genomic background of their plant materials would be important for the reliability of seed market and stable yield as well as for quarantine procedure. However, the analysis of NGS data is still difficult for non-computational researchers or breeders to verify their samples because majority of current softwares for NGS analysis require users to access unfamiliar Linux environment. Main body Here, we developed a web-application, Soybean-VCF2Genomes, http://pgl.gnu.ac.kr/soy_vcf2genome/ to map single sample variant call format (VCF) file against known soybean germplasm collection for identification of the closest soybean accession. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), we simplified genotype matrix for lowering computational burden while maintaining accurate clustering. With our web-application, users can simply upload single sample VCF file created by more than 10x resequencing strategy to find the closest samples along with linkage dendrogram of the reference genotype matrix. Conclusion The information of the closest soybean cultivar will allow breeders to estimate relative germplasmic position of their query sample to determine soybean breeding strategies. Moreover, our VCF2Genomes scheme can be extended to other plant species where the whole genome sequences of core collection are publicly available.Publication of this article has been funded by Cooperative Research Program for Agriculture Science and Technology Development (Project No. PJ01333901) Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea and the fund of research promotion program, Gyeongsang National University, 2017

Efficacy and safety of entecavir plus carnitine complex (GODEX®) compared to entecavir monotherapy in patient with ALT elevated chronic hepatitis B: randomized, multicenter open-label trials. The GOAL study

Background/AimsCarnitine and vitamin complex (Godex®) is widely used in patients with chronic liver disease who show elevated liver enzyme in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify the efficacy and safety of carnitine from entecavir combination therapy in Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevated Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients.Methods130 treatment-naïve patients with CHB were enrolled from 13 sites. The patients were randomly selected to the entecavir and the complex of entecavir and carnitine. The primary endpoint of the study is ALT normalization level after 12 months.ResultsAmong the 130 patients, 119 patients completed the study treatment. The ALT normalization at 3 months was 58.9% for the monotherapy and 95.2% for the combination therapy (P<0.0001). ALT normalization rate at 12 months was 85.7% for the monotherapy and 100% for the combination group (P=0.0019). The rate of less than HBV DNA 300 copies/mL at 12 months was not statistically significant (P=0.5318) 75.9% for the monotherapy, 70.7% for the combination and it was. Quantification of HBsAg level was not different from the monotherapy to combination at 12 months. Changes of ELISPOT value to evaluate the INF-γ secretion by HBsAg showed the increasing trend of combination therapy compare to mono-treatment.ConclusionsALT normalization rate was higher in carnitine complex combination group than entecavir group in CHB. Combination group was faster than entecavir mono-treatment group on ALT normalization rate. HBV DNA normalization rate and the serum HBV-DNA level were not changed by carnitine complex treatment

Rapid weight reduction does not impair athletic performance of Taekwondo athletes – A pilot study

<div><p>In combat sports such as taekwondo (TKD), athletes rapidly reduce body weight to achieve a desired weight category. Competition takes place 16–24 h after weigh-in and thus, the recovery time is an important factor for competition performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of rapid weight reduction (RWR) on athletic performance and associated hemorheological properties considering relevant recovery time. Five male TKD athletes reduced body weight by 5% within 3½ days. A simulated competition day (SCD) was carried out after a 16 h recovery period. Parameters were measured before RWR, at weigh-in and before and after three TKD simulation matches (SMs) at SCD. Same set-up was conducted but without RWR as control. Basal blood parameters, red blood cells (RBC) deformability and aggregation, serum glucose and fibrinogen were determined. During SMs, heart rate (HR_peak, HR_mean), oxygen uptake (VO_2peak, VO_2mean), peak lactate (Peak La^-), difference of lactate (ΔLa) and energy systems (anaerobic-alactic, -lactic and aerobic) were analyzed. Basal blood parameters remained unaltered during the interventions. RBC deformability was reduced and aggregation was increased after RWR but values returned to baseline after recovery and were not affected by the SMs. Glucose level was not affected by the interventions. Kick frequency in SMs was higher after RWR which might be responsible for higher HR_peak, VO_2peak, VO_2mean, Peak La^-, ΔLa^- and aerobic demand. The 16 h recovery is sufficient to regenerate measured physiological and hemorheological parameters. TKD-specific performance was not negatively affected during SMs after RWR.</p></div

Energetic Contributions Including Gender Differences and Metabolic Flexibility in the General Population and Athletes

Metabolic flexibility includes the ability to perform fat and carbohydrate oxidation, as well as oxidative capacity, which is associated with mitochondrial function, energetic contributions, and physical health and performance. During a session of graded incremental exercise testing (GIET), we investigated metabolic flexibility, the contributions of three energy systems, and performances of individuals with different metabolic characteristics. Fifteen general population (GP; n = 15, male n = 7, female n = 8) and 15 national-level half-marathon and triathlon athletes (A; n = 15, male n = 7, female n = 8) participated in this study. During GIET, heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (V&#729;O2mean and V&#729;CO2mean), metabolic equivalents (METs) in V&#729;O2mean, and blood glucose and lactate concentrations (La&minus;) were measured. Furthermore, jogging/running speeds (S) at specific La&minus;, fat and carbohydrate oxidations (FATox and CHOox), and energetic contributions (oxidative; WOxi, glycolytic; WGly, and phosphagen; WPCr) were calculated. The percentages of HRmax, relative V&#729;O2mean, V&#729;CO2mean, and METs in V&#729;O2mean were all lower in A than they were in GP. FATox values were lower in GP than in A, while CHOox and La&minus; were higher in GP than in A. Negative correlations between La&minus; and FATox were also observed in both groups. Contributions of WOxi, WGly, and WPCr were higher in GP than in A during GIET. Moreover, values of WGly, and WPCr were significantly lower and higher, respectively, in male GP than in female GP. Furthermore, S at specific La&minus; were higher in A than in GP. It is suggested that an individualized low-intensity recovery exercise program be established, to achieve increased metabolic flexibility and oxidative capacity (aerobic base), such as public health improvements and a greater volume of higher exercise intensities; this is the type of exercise that elite athletes worldwide mostly perform during their training period and progression. This may prevent cardiac/metabolic diseases in GP

Physiological parameters and calculated energy demands of Taekwondo simulation match during control and rapid weight reduction phases.

<p>Physiological parameters and calculated energy demands of Taekwondo simulation match during control and rapid weight reduction phases.</p

Basal blood parameters of all measurements.

<p>Basal blood parameters of all measurements.</p

Aggregation index (AI, %), disaggregation threshold (γ at dISCmin, 1·s^-1) and fibrinogen concentration.

<p>(A) AI showed significant differences in pretest and weigh-in between control and RWR (P = 0.003, P = 0.031, respectively). (B) Disaggregation threshold and (C) fibrinogen concentration were not affected by the interventions. All data are presented as box plot (n = 5).</p