Internal Training Load in Collegiate Basketball Players: Effort Ratings vs. Heart Rate Measurements in NCAA DII Players

BACKGROUND: College basketball is an intense team sport that utilizes both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems to play a 40-minute-long game and cover around 2-3 miles on average per game (Narazaki et al 2009). The high workloads can lead to fatigue, which increases injury risk (Garbenytė-Apolinskienė et al 2019). The purpose of this study is to compare subject ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) with objective measures of heart rate during pre-season training. METHODS: Male and female basketball players from a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II school wore a heart rate monitor (Firstbeat™) during the first 4 days of basketball practice. At the end of each workout, athletes rated how hard the entire session was (sRPE; session rating of perceived exertion) on a scale of 0 (not hard at all) to 10 (maximum effort possible). RESULTS: 25 collegiate basketball players (14 females; 11 males) participated in this study. Males rated the workouts harder (sRPE 7.1±1.0) than females (sRPE 4.4±0.7), which was similar to average heartrate expressed as a percentage of max (%HRmax) for males (%HRmax 7.1±0.3) and females (%HRmax 6.6±0.4). CONCLUSIONS: Males rated effort similar to actual heart rate measures while females subjectively underestimated actual heart rate

Emerging Adults’ Identities, Attitudes, and Orientations Concerning Consensual Non-Monogamy

This study considered the connection among aspects of emerging adults’ identities and their relational and sociosexual orientations as well as their attitudes toward consensual nonmonogamy (CNM). Results indicated significant relationships among individuals’ collective and social identity aspects, as dictated in the AIQ-IV, and how emerging adults label their relational orientations (e.g., strictly monogamous, monogamish, open, and polyamorous). Additionally, findings demonstrated that the salience/importance of social categories, roles, and reputations in one\u27s identity influences how they choose to label their relational orientation, their attitudes toward non-monogamy, and their orientation toward uncommitted sex (sociosexual orientation). Discussion, implications and future directions follow

Molecular analysis of fungal pathogenicity in crown rot disease of wheat caused by Fusarium graminearum

Several Fusarium species can cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) and Fusarium crown rot (FCR) diseases in wheat and these are of economic importance in wheat production systems globally. Fusarium graminearum represents a model pathogen species to study these diseases because it has a sequenced genome, commercially available gene expression arrays and an growing collection of mutants impaired in pathogenicity and virulence, at least for FHB. FCR occurs at the stem base of the wheat plant, causing major reductions in grain yield. FCR has been much less intensively researched than FHB and the infection process of F. graminearum during crown rot disease in wheat has not been studied previously at the molecular level. Fungal biomass estimations by real-time quantitative PCR analysis of DNA from inoculated plants identified three distinct phases of infection during FCR, an initial increase in fungal mass in phase 1 up to 2 days post inoculation (dpi), then a reduction during phase 2 until 14 dpi followed by a large increase thereon in phase 3 that corresponded to symptom development. Histological characterisation of F. graminearum colonisation during these three phases of infection showed that initially the spores germinated on the stem surface at the point of inoculation forming a superficial hyphal mat. This occurred within the first two days of infection. The second phase was characterised by a period of low amounts of fungal tissue present in the infected plants and 14 days following infection hyphae were only observed below the point of inoculation at the stem base of the wheat seedling and had penetrated and colonised the adaxial epidermis of the outer leaf sheath. Following this, the third phase was characterised by a major colonisation of the internal tissues of the crown which corresponded to visible symptom development around 35 days after inoculation. Fungal gene expression during all three phases of infection were examined using the Affymetrix GeneChip system comprised of 22,000 F. graminearum gene probe sets. This analysis showed 1,839 genes were significantly up regulated in planta compared to axenic vegetative mycelia, including some known FHB virulence genes (e.g. those involved in the biosynthesis of trichothecene toxins). Fungal genes differentially regulated between the phases were identified indicating that FCR disease development requires a coordinated process involving distinct fungal gene expression programs. A bioinformatic comparison of global F. graminearum gene expression during FCR of wheat with published data for FHB of barley indicated similarities at very early stages of infection but divergence thereafter. It was decided to functionally test whether F. graminearum utilises the same virulence genes in FCR and FHB diseases. Because no virulence genes have been previously identified from FCR studies a small group of genes were initially selected from the FCR gene expression studies for further functional analysis using gene knock-out technology. Only two of these genes showed a changed phenotype during Fusarium infection of wheat plants and they encoded a probable ABC transporter (FgABC1) and a probable superoxide dismutase (FgSOD1). It was interesting to note that even though both FgABC1 and FgSOD1 exhibited similar transcription profiles during both FCR of wheat and FHB of barley it was found that FgABC1 was specifically required for full FCR disease development on the wheat cultivar Kennedy whereas FgSOD1 was specifically required for FHB disease on the same cultivar. This indicated that F. graminearum virulence genes can show specificity to the infection of different plant tissues and that these types of genes cannot be predicted based only on their transcription profiles. It is suggested that F. graminearum induces a global set of virulence factors but only some of these may be effective in particular tissues. To test further whether there was tissue specialisation for specific tissues and FCR & FHB diseases, a group of F. graminearum genes that were known virulence factors during FHB were tested to see if they were also virulence factors for FCR. This analysis showed that two genes displayed specificity only for FHB and five were virulence factors for both FHB and FCR. One of the genes that was a virulence factor for both diseases was the Tri5 gene that is necessary for the biosynthesis of trichothecene mycotoxins. This gene and these toxins did not appear to be necessary for symptom development and the induction of host defence responses but were necessary for fungal colonisation of the crown and stem in later stages of infection. Interestingly there were parallels in the role played by the Tri5 gene in FCR and that reported for FHB where it is necessary for colonisation for the spike. This study is the first molecular analysis of any Fusarium species during crown rot of wheat. Importantly, it shows that there may be specialisation towards host tissues for some virulence genes but also suggests that some factors may be non-specifically required for infection and it is these factors that will represent attractive targets for future control measures of both diseases

Potable Water and Terrestrial Resources on Grand Bahama Post-Hurricane Dorian: Opportunities for Climate Resilience

The catastrophic impact of Hurricane Dorian in September 2019 was unprecedented for the island of Grand Bahama. Flooding in the western portion of the island damaged pine ecosystems, inundated the soil and groundwater with salt water, and disrupted potable water service throughout the island. More than two years post-Hurricane Dorian, the freshwater lenses that the island relies on for potable water are still inundated with salt water. This collaborative paper summarizes all efforts of researchers and practitioners to evaluate the freshwater lenses, as well as their associated ecosystems, that serve as the main source of drinking water for the island of Grand Bahama. Hydrogeologic and vegetation assessments were conducted on the two primary wellfields that provide 95% of the drinking water to the island, over the span of two and a half years from the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Dorian through present day. While salinity and total dissolved solid concentrations in groundwater have declined, present levels indicate that the full recovery of the freshwater lenses may take decades. Forest assessments indicate that in Wellfield 6, which was the primary source of potable water pre-Hurricane Dorian, the pine forests suffered significant damage with complete pine mortality and little regeneration of pine trees occurring, which could impact the underlying freshwater lens. Lessons learned from this event underscore the vulnerability of water resources in The Bahamas and the critical need for adaptation strategies to improve resilience to future extreme events and climate change

Genome sequence of an Australian kangaroo, Macropus eugenii, provides insight into the evolution of mammalian reproduction and development.

BACKGROUND: We present the genome sequence of the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, which is a member of the kangaroo family and the first representative of the iconic hopping mammals that symbolize Australia to be sequenced. The tammar has many unusual biological characteristics, including the longest period of embryonic diapause of any mammal, extremely synchronized seasonal breeding and prolonged and sophisticated lactation within a well-defined pouch. Like other marsupials, it gives birth to highly altricial young, and has a small number of very large chromosomes, making it a valuable model for genomics, reproduction and development. RESULTS: The genome has been sequenced to 2 × coverage using Sanger sequencing, enhanced with additional next generation sequencing and the integration of extensive physical and linkage maps to build the genome assembly. We also sequenced the tammar transcriptome across many tissues and developmental time points. Our analyses of these data shed light on mammalian reproduction, development and genome evolution: there is innovation in reproductive and lactational genes, rapid evolution of germ cell genes, and incomplete, locus-specific X inactivation. We also observe novel retrotransposons and a highly rearranged major histocompatibility complex, with many class I genes located outside the complex. Novel microRNAs in the tammar HOX clusters uncover new potential mammalian HOX regulatory elements. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of these resources enhance our understanding of marsupial gene evolution, identify marsupial-specific conserved non-coding elements and critical genes across a range of biological systems, including reproduction, development and immunity, and provide new insight into marsupial and mammalian biology and genome evolution

Regulated Expression of CCL21 in the Prostate Tumor Microenvironment Inhibits Tumor Growth and Metastasis in an Orthotopic Model of Prostate Cancer

Currently there are no curative therapies available for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Thus, novel therapies are needed to treat this patient population. Immunotherapy represents one promising approach for the elimination of occult metastatic tumors. However, the prostate tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a hostile environment capable of suppressing anti-tumor immunity and effector cell function. In view of this immunosuppressive activity, we engineered murine prostate cancer cells with regulated expression (tet-on) of CCL21. Prostate tumor cells implanted orthotopically produced primary prostate tumors with predictable metastatic disease in draining lymph nodes and distant organs. Expression of CCL21 in the prostate TME enhanced survival, inhibited tumor growth and decreased the frequency of local (draining lymph node) and distant metastasis. Therefore, these studies provide a strong rationale for further evaluation of CCL21 in tumor immunity and its use in cancer immunotherapy

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Late style and speaking out: J A Symonds's In the Key of Blue

This article examines In the Key of Blue (1893)—an essay collection by John Addington Symonds—as a case study in queer public utterance during the early 1890s. Viewed through the critical lens of late style, as theorised by Edward Said, the evolution of this project, from compilation through to reader reception, reveals Symonds's determination to “speak out” on the subject of homosexuality. Paradoxically, In the Key of Blue was thus a timely and untimely work: it belonged to a brief period of increased visibility and expressiveness when dealing with male same-sex desire, spearheaded by a younger generation of Decadent writers, but it also cut against the grain of nineteenth-century social taboo and legal repression. Symonds's essay collection brought together new and previously unpublished work with examples of his writing for the periodical press. These new combinations, appearing together for the first time, served to facilitate new readings and new inferences, bringing homosexual themes to the fore. This article traces the dialogic structure of In the Key of Blue , its strategies for articulating homosexual desire, and examines the response of reviewers, from the hostile to celebratory