MEANING-full effects in information retrieval

This deliverable reports on testing the use and effect of the integration of the MEANING technology in the TwentyOne search engine of Irion

Adaptation period of laboratory animals after transport: a review

Transporting animals leads to a temporary disturbance of normal physiology (homeostasis). After an adaptation period in the new laboratory, the animals must have returned to their normal physiological state. A literature survey was performedin order to establish the minimum necessary length of the adaptation period of mice, rats and rabbits after transport. The minimum length of the period for adaptation that was considered necessary varied from none to 78 weeks; in most studies an adaptation period of 7 days was considered sufficient. However, in most studies no proper experimental setup had been used: either the controls were housed at a different location, or they were sampled at different time points, as compared to the transported animals. Besides transport per see additional factors like a shift in the light-dark rythm, will also disturb the homeostasis. The separate supply of food and water sources during transport is recommended. More research into the effects of transport stress per se is needed, as well as into the interaction of transport stress with other environmental factors occurring simultaneously

Modulation of aggression in male mice: influence of group size and cage size

Aggression in group-housed male mice is known to be influenced by both cage size and group size. However, the interdependency of these two parameters has not been studied yet. In this study, the level of aggression in groups of three, five, or eight male BALB/c mice housed in cages with a floor size of either 80 or 125 cm2/animal was estimated weekly after cage cleaning for a period of 14 weeks. Furthermore, urine corticosterone levels, food and water intake, body weight, and number of wounds were measured weekly. At the end of the experiment, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) activity, testosterone levels, and weight of spleen, thymus, testes, and seminal vesicles were determined. Results indicate a moderate increase of intermale aggression in larger cages when compared to the smaller cages. Aggression in groups of eight animals was considerably higher than in groups of three animals. The increase of agonistic behavior was observed both in dominant and subordinate animals. Physiological parameters indicate differences in stress levels between dominant and subordinate animals. It is concluded that aggressive behavior in group-housed male BALB/c mice is best prevented by housing the animals in small groups of three to five animals, while decreasing floor size per animal may be used as a temporary solution to decrease high levels of aggression in an existing social group.

AFLP TM technique used for genetic characterization of rat inbred strains

The AFLP TM technique is a novel DNA technology which generates AFLP markers. The technique is based on the combined use of restriction fragments and selective PCR primers Because both the restriction fragments and the selective primers can be varied, many new genetic markers will become available. We have used four enzyme/primer combinations for the genetic characterization of 12 rat inbred strains. All these strains could be provided with their own unique genetic profile using these four combinations. No variation was found within the individuals of the same strain. This indicates that AFLP markers are stable and useful for genetic monitoring of strains and for linkage analysis

Inter-muscular coherence in speed skaters with skater's cramp

Introduction: Skater's cramp is a career-ending movement disorder in expert speed skaters noted to be a likely task-specific dystonia. In other movement disorders, including task-specific dystonia, studies have found evidence of central dysregulation expressed as higher inter-muscular coherence. We looked at whether inter-muscular coherence was higher in affected skaters as a possible indicator that it is centrally driven, and by extension further evidence it is a task-specific dystonia.Methods: In 14 affected and 14 control skaters we calculated inter-muscular coherence in the theta-band in a stationary task where tonic muscle activation was measured at 10%, 20% and 50% of maximum voluntary contraction. Additionally, we calculated wavelet coherence while skating at key moments in the stroke cycle.Results: Coherence did not differ in the stationary activation task. While skating, coherence was higher in the impacted leg of affected skaters compared to their non-impacted leg, p = .05, η2 = 0.031, and amplitude of electromyography correlated with coherence in the impacted leg, p = .009, R2adjusted = 0.41. A sub-group of severely affected skaters (n = 6) had higher coherence in the impacted leg compared to the left and right leg of controls, p = .02, Cohen's d = 1.59 and p = .01, Cohen's d = 1.63 respectively. Results were less clear across the entire affected cohort probably due to a diverse case-mix.Conclusion: Our results of higher coherence in certain severe cases of skater's cramp is preliminary evidence of a central dysregulation, making the likelihood it is a task-specific dystonia higher.</p

Measuring Muscle Mass and Strength in Obesity:A Review of Various Methods

Lower muscle mass in populations with obesity is associated obesity-related diseases like hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Bariatric surgery leads to sustained weight loss. During the weight reduction, loss of muscle should be minimized. Thus reliable quantification of muscle mass is much needed and therefore the also the need for validated methods. Imaging methods, magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scan, have been the gold standard for many years. However, these methods are costly and have limitations such as the maximum weight. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is currently the most used alternative. Other, less expensive methods are very limited in their validation in populations with morbid obesity. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge regarding measuring muscle mass and strength in obesity

Dietary Inflammatory Index and clinical outcome measures in adults with moderate to severe asthma

BACKGROUND: Diet is increasingly recognized as a modifiable factor in lung health, predominantly due to the immunomodulatory effects of nutrients. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) is a score developed to express the inflammatory potential of a diet.OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the association of the DII and food groups, with clinical, functional and inflammatory asthma outcomes in adults with asthma.METHODS: Patients with moderate to severe asthma were included in this cross-sectional study between June 2019 and October 2021, and completed a 3-day food diary, to calculate the DII and intake of food groups (i.e. fruits, whole grains, processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages). Functional outcomes included pulmonary function tests and the 6-minute walking distance, while clinical outcomes were assessed using questionnaires on asthma control, quality of life, and healthcare utilization. Inflammatory markers were exhaled nitric oxide and blood leukocytes, eosinophils and interleukin-6. Multivariable regression analyses were used to examine the association of DII and food groups with asthma outcomes.RESULTS: A total of 109 patients participated (35% male, mean±SD age 51.8 ± 14.2 years, BMI 27.4 ± 5.3 kg/m 2). Overall, 62% had a DII score &gt;0, indicating a pro-inflammatory diet, which was not related to asthma severity. A more pro-inflammatory diet was consistently associated to lower FVC (%pred), but inconsistent results were observed with respect to airway obstruction. Neither the DII nor food groups were associated with clinical outcomes. Except for higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide in relation to an anti-inflammatory diet, we found no associations between inflammatory markers and the DII. CONCLUSION: Results from this cross-sectional study among patients with moderate to severe asthma do not support the hypothesis that a pro-inflammatory diet is associated with worse asthma outcomes, although limitations in study design and dietary intake estimation should be considered. Future well-designed experimental studies are needed to assess whether targeting the inflammatory potential of diet could lead to better outcomes in adults with asthma.</p

Muscle Function in Moderate to Severe Asthma:Association With Clinical Outcomes and Inflammatory Markers

BackgroundPatients with severe asthma have been shown to have low muscle mass, but the clinical consequences are unknown.ObjectiveIn a clinical cohort of patients with moderate to severe asthma, we aimed to assess muscle mass and strength and their relation with functional and clinical outcomes, as well as with systemic inflammatory markers.MethodsMuscle mass and strength were assessed by the fat-free mass index (FFMI), creatinine excretion in a 24-hour urine sample, and handgrip strength test. Functional outcomes included pulmonary function tests and the 6-minute walking distance, whereas clinical outcomes were assessed with questionnaires on asthma control, quality of life, and health care use. Associations of muscle mass and strength with asthma outcomes were assessed with multivariable regression analyses.ResultsA total of 114 patients participated (36% male; mean age, 51.9 ± 14.4 years; body mass index, 27.7 ± 5.7 kg/m2). According to predefined criteria, 16% had a low FFMI and 8% a low urinary creatinine excretion, which did not differ between categories of asthma severity. Both lower FFMI and urinary creatinine excretion were associated with lower values of FEV1 and 6-minute walking distance, whereas a lower handgrip strength was related to worse asthma control, poorer quality of life, and a higher probability of emergency visits (all P &lt; .05). Except for higher leukocytes in relation to lower FFMI, we did not find associations between systemic inflammatory markers and muscle function.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that low muscle mass is prevalent in patients with moderate to severe asthma and, along with low muscle strength, is associated with poorer clinical and functional outcomes. Our results encourage longitudinal studies into muscle function as a potential target for treatment to improve asthma outcomes