The effect of a six-month home-based HIIT intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness and lung function in older adults between 60-85 years

Sammendrag Introduksjon: Høy-intensitets intervall trening (HIIT) har blitt demonstrert som en gunstig metode for å forbedre kardiorespiratorisk kondisjon (KRF, målt som VO2peak) hos eldre voksene (Wu et al., 2021). Det er imidlertid få studier som har undersøkt effekten av HIIT utenfor laboratoriske forhold. Målet med denne studien var derfor for å undersøke effekten av ett seks måneders hjemmebasert HIIT program på KRF og lungefunksjon hos friske eldre voksene (68.5±5.3 år). Metode: 139 eldre menn og kvinner ble randomisert til enten en hjemmebasert HIIT intervensjons gruppe (IG) (n=73) eller en passiv kontrollgruppe (KG) (n=66). Målinger ble utført ved bruk av en oksygenanalysator for undersøkelse av lungefunksjon (MVV, FVC og FEV1) og CRF. CRF ble målt ved å bruke en modifisert inkrementell tredemølleprotokoll (Balke) for å avgjøre deltakerens VO2peak. Intervensjonsgruppen fulgte ett standardisert HIIT-program bestående av 3 økter per uke, to HIIT-gå-økter og en HIIT-styrkesirkel (kroppsvekts øvelser) (>80% av HRpeak). Resultat: IG forbedret VO2peak innad i gruppen, i tillegg til forbedring sammenliknet med kontrollgruppen fra pre- til post-intervensjon (6.22±7.84% versus -1.29±7.07%, p<.001). Det var ingen endring i lungefunksjon innad i intervensjonsgruppen, bortsett fra en økning i MVV (IG 2.92±8.43%, p<.05 and IG menn 4.73±8.07%, p<.05). Det var ingen endring i lungefunksjonsmålinger i intervensjonsgruppen sammenliknet med kontrollgruppen fra pre- til post-intervensjon. Konklusjon: Den gjennomførte studien viste at ett seks måneders hjemmebasert HIIT-regime forbedret kardiorespiratorisk kondisjon hos friske eldre voksene. Intervensjonsgruppen forbedret VO2peak sammenliknet med den passive kontrollgruppen, men ingen forbedring i lungefunksjon ble påvist fra pre- til post-intervensjon. Nøkkelord: Aldring, KRF, VO2peak, Maksimal voluntær ventilasjon, Forsert vitalkapasite

Ropinirole in restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder

Restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder of sleep are now recognized as prevalent, distinct, yet overlapping disorders affecting all age groups. Although delineation of the mechanisms underlying these disorders continues to be the focus of very intense research efforts, it has become apparent that there is a prominent role for dopaminergic agents in the clinical management of these patients. Among the various dopaminergic drugs, ropinirole has undergone relatively intense and critical scrutiny, and appears to provide a safe and efficacious treatment option for patients with these two conditions. The more recent development of a controlled formulation for this drug is likely to yield additional benefits such as improved adherence and reduced fluctuations in daytime and nighttime symptoms. However, there is not enough evidence at this time to support such assumption

A novel method for the induction of experimental glaucoma using magnetic microspheres

Purpose. The development of a method for the sustained elevation of intraocular pressure in experimental glaucoma based on the anterior chamber injection of paramagnetic microbeads. Methods. Unilateral glaucoma was induced in adult male Norwegian Brown rats by the injection of paramagnetic polystyrene microspheres. A handheld 0.45 Tesla magnet was used to draw the beads into the iridocorneal angle to impede aqueous drainage via the trabecular meshwork. Results. Elevated intraocular pressures (IOPs) were induced in 61 rats, resulting in a mean elevation of 5.8 mm Hg ± 1.0 (SEM) relative to the contralateral control eye. The mean duration of sustained IOP elevation (defined as >5 mm Hg relative to the control eye for at least 7 consecutive days) after a single injection was 12.8 days ± 0.9 (SEM, maximum duration 27 days). In all eyes, the visual axis remained clear from the time of injection, with minimal inflammation after injection. Retinal ganglion cell loss was determined in 21 animals (mean integral IOP, 194.5 mm Hg days ± 87.5 [SEM]) as 36.4% ± 2.4 (SEM) compared with the contralateral, untreated eye. Conclusions. The use of paramagnetic microbeads for the occlusion of the iridocorneal angle produces a sustained elevation of IOP with fewer injections and avoids the risk of visual axis occlusion. It represents a simple and effective method for the induction of experimental glaucoma

Population Pharmacokinetic Modelling of FE 999049, a Recombinant Human Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, in Healthy Women After Single Ascending Doses

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this analysis was to develop a population pharmacokinetic model for a novel recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (FE 999049) expressed from a human cell line of foetal retinal origin (PER.C6(®)) developed for controlled ovarian stimulation prior to assisted reproductive technologies.METHODS: Serum FSH levels were measured following a single subcutaneous FE 999049 injection of 37.5, 75, 150, 225 or 450 IU in 27 pituitary-suppressed healthy female subjects participating in this first-in-human single ascending dose trial. Data was analysed by nonlinear mixed effects population pharmacokinetic modelling in NONMEM 7.2.0.RESULTS: A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination rates was found to best describe the data. A transit model was introduced to describe a delay in the absorption process. The apparent clearance (CL/F) and apparent volume of distribution (V/F) estimates were found to increase with body weight. Body weight was included as an allometrically scaled covariate with a power exponent of 0.75 for CL/F and 1 for V/F.CONCLUSIONS: The single-dose pharmacokinetics of FE 999049 were adequately described by a population pharmacokinetic model. The average drug concentration at steady state is expected to be reduced with increasing body weight

Associations between intraoperative factors and surgeons' self-assessed operative satisfaction.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadBackground: Little is known concerning what may influence surgeon satisfaction with a surgical procedure and its associations with intraoperative factors. The objective was to explore the relationships between surgeons' self-assessed satisfaction with performed radical prostatectomies and intraoperative factors such as technical difficulties and intraoperative complications as reported by the surgeon subsequent to the operation. Methods: We utilized prospectively collected data from the controlled LAPPRO trial where 4003 patients with prostate cancer underwent open (ORP) or robot-assisted laparoscopic (RALP) radical prostatectomy. Patients were included from fourteen centers in Sweden during 2008-2011. Surgeon satisfaction was assessed by questionnaires at the end of each operation. Intraoperative factors included time for the surgical procedure as well as difficulties and complications in various steps of the operation. To model surgeon satisfaction, a mixed effect logistic regression was used. Results were presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The surgeons were satisfied in 2905 (81%) and dissatisfied in 702 (19%) of the surgical procedures. Surgeon satisfaction was not statistically associated with type of surgical technique (ORP vs. RALP) (OR 1.36, CI 0.76; 2.43). Intraoperative factors such as technical difficulties or complications, for example, suturing of the anastomosis was negatively associated with surgeon satisfaction (OR 0.24, CI 0.19; 0.30). Conclusions: Our data indicate that technical difficulties and/or intraoperative complications were associated with a surgeon's level of satisfaction with an operation. Keywords: Intraoperative factors; Prostate cancer; Self-assessment; Surgeon; Surgical performance; Surgical satisfaction.Swedish Cancer Society Swedish Research Council Region Vastra Gotaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital (ALF) Mrs. Mary von Sydow Foundation Anna and Edvin Berger Foundatio

The Rotterdam Study: 2012 objectives and design update

The Rotterdam Study is a prospective cohort study ongoing since 1990 in the city of Rotterdam in The Netherlands. The study targets cardiovascular, endocrine, hepatic, neurological, ophthalmic, psychiatric, dermatological, oncological, and respiratory diseases. As of 2008, 14,926 subjects aged 45 years or over comprise the Rotterdam Study cohort. The findings of the Rotterdam Study have been presented in over a 1,000 research articles and reports (see www.erasmus-epidemiology.nl/rotterdamstudy). This article gives the rationale of the study and its design. It also presents a summary of the major findings and an update of the objectives and methods

Safety System for workers in freezer room

Hensikten med oppgaven er å utvikle et ledende sikkerhetssystem for fryserom på fiskefartøy. Systemet skal kunne monteres i det nye fiskefartøyet Geir III, samt kunne monteres i eksisterende fiskefartøy. Sikkerhetssystemet tar sikte på å minimere alvorlighetsgraden av ulykker og dermed være livreddende, uten at dette skal resultere i en stor negativ effekt på arbeidsflyten. Den 30.september 2010 ble en av arbeiderne på tråleren Geir II utsatt for en dødsulykke. Optimar var en av hovedleverandørene av utstyr for fiskehåndtering til Geir II. Etter ulykken ble Optimar oppmerksom på mangler ved sikkerheten rundt arbeiderene som arbeidet alene i fryserommet på Geir II. Optimar er i skrivende stund i ferd med å levere utstyr til en ny versjon av Geir II, Geir III. Et av målene med det nye fartøyet er å forbedre arbeidernes sikkerhet. Tilnærmingen til oppgaven er å konstruere en prototype som et konsept av det endelige produktet, slik at det senere blir montert i Geir III. Målet med prototypen er å bevise at et slikt sikkerhetssystem vil kunne bli et kommersielt produkt for Optimar. Resultatet av prototypen forsikret oss om at sikkerhetssystemet kan være et kommersielt produkt for fiskeindustrien, og at det vil bidra til å minimere alvorlighetsgraden av ulykker. Prototypen er i samsvar med standarder satt av Optimar, og designet er skalerbart og allsidig. Designet gjør det mulig å montere sikkerhetssystemet i nye eller eldre fartøy, uten store endringer

Mxi1 and Mxi1-0 Antagonize N-Myc Function and Independently Mediate Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the third most common malignancy of childhood, and outcomes for children with advanced disease remain poor; amplification of the MYCN gene portends a particularly poor prognosis. Mxi1 antagonizes N-Myc by competing for binding to Max and E-boxes. Unlike N-Myc, Mxi1 mediates transcriptional repression and suppresses cell proliferation. Mxi1 and Mxi1-0 (an alternatively transcribed Mxi1 isoform) share identical Max and DNA binding domains but differ in amino-terminal sequences. Because of the conservation of these critical binding domains, we hypothesized that Mxi1-0 antagonizes N-Myc activity similar to Mxi1. SHEP NB cells and SHEP cells stably transfected with MYCN (SHEP/MYCN) were transiently transfected with vectors containing full-length Mxi1, full-length Mxi1-0, or the common Mxi domain encoded by exons 2 to 6 (ex2-6). After incubation in low serum, parental SHEP/MYCN cell numbers were reduced compared with SHEP cells. Activated caspase-3 staining and DNA fragmentation ELISA confirmed that SHEP/MYCN cells undergo apoptosis in low serum, while SHEP/MYCN cells transfected with Mxi1 or Mxi1-0 do not. However, SHEP/MYCN cells transfected with Mxi1 or Mxi1-0 and grown in normal serum showed proliferation rates similar to SHEP cells. Mxi ex2-6 did not affect cell number in low or normal serum, suggesting that amino terminal domains of Mxi1 and Mxi1-0 are critical for antagonism. In the absence of N-Myc, Mxi1 and Mxi1-0 induce apoptosis independently through the caspase-8–dependent extrinsic pathway, while N-Myc activates the caspase-9–dependent intrinsic pathway. Together, these data indicate that Mxi1 and Mxi1-0 antagonize N-Myc but also independently impact NB cell survival

A Novel Method for the Induction of Experimental Glaucoma Using Magnetic Microspheres

Purpose. The development of a method for the sustained elevation of intraocular pressure in experimental glaucoma based on the anterior chamber injection of paramagnetic microbeads. Methods. Unilateral glaucoma was induced in adult male Norwegian Brown rats by the injection of paramagnetic polystyrene microspheres. A handheld 0.45 Tesla magnet was used to draw the beads into the iridocorneal angle to impede aqueous drainage via the trabecular meshwork. Results. Elevated intraocular pressures (IOPs) were induced in 61 rats, resulting in a mean elevation of 5.8 mm Hg ± 1.0 (SEM) relative to the contralateral control eye. The mean duration of sustained IOP elevation (defined as >5 mm Hg relative to the control eye for at least 7 consecutive days) after a single injection was 12.8 days ± 0.9 (SEM, maximum duration 27 days). In all eyes, the visual axis remained clear from the time of injection, with minimal inflammation after injection. Retinal ganglion cell loss was determined in 21 animals (mean integral IOP, 194.5 mm Hg days ± 87.5 [SEM]) as 36.4% ± 2.4 (SEM) compared with the contralateral, untreated eye. Conclusions. The use of paramagnetic microbeads for the occlusion of the iridocorneal angle produces a sustained elevation of IOP with fewer injections and avoids the risk of visual axis occlusion. It represents a simple and effective method for the induction of experimental glaucoma