Effects of heavy barbell hip thrust vs back squat on subsequent sprint performance in rugby players

The objective of this research was to compare the effect of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement (PAPE) exerted on the back squat (BS) versus the barbell hip thrust (HT) on the sprint performance (5- and 10-m). 17 male amateur rugby players participated in the study (age 22.14 ± 2.52 years; body mass 81.06 ± 9.6 kg; height 1.78 ± 0.05 m). All participants performed a dynamic maximum strength test (3RM) in BS and HT at maximum speed. Two randomized sessions were performed inducing PAPE using BS or HT trough three series with three repetitions at 85% 1RM eight minutes before the sprint tests. An ANOVA of repeated measurement, found no differences in the time for 5-m (F = 0.398, P = 0.537, η²p = 0.024) or 10-m (F = 2.589, P = 0.127, η²p = 0.139). There were no significant differences in the Protocol effect between HT and BS in 5-m or 10-m (F = 2.963, P = 0.104, η²p = 0.156 and F = 1.472, P = 0.243 η²p = 0.084, respectively). There were also no differences in the Time x Protocol interaction at 5-m (F = 0.001, P = 0.976, η²p < 0.001) or 10-m (F = 4.174, P = 0.058, η²p = 0.207). The effect size obtained in the results of the sprint tests was small in both exercises (ES < 0.2). None of the BS or HT exercises performed with heavy load induced a significant PAPE phenomenon on the ability to sprint in rugby players.     

Quenching of chlorophyll triplet states by carotenoids in algal light-harvesting complexes related to fucoxanthin-chlorophyll protein

Photosynthesis Research - We have used time-resolved absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy with nanosecond resolution to study triplet energy transfer from chlorophylls to carotenoids in a...     

Immunological microenvironment gene expression in patients with diffuse large B cell non Hodgkin lymphoma

BackgroundNon Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is one of the immune system cancers. The occurrence and progression of malignant lymphomas depends on cellular pathways deregulation. Understanding the relationship between the immune system at the genetic level and malignant transformation is critical to reach its etiology.ObjectiveThe aim of this work is to evaluate the expression of five immune related genes (PD-1, FOXP3, GrA, GrB and CD11c) in patients with diffuse large B cell non Hodgkin lymphoma (DLBCL).Materials and methodsThis study was conducted on fifty patients with DLBCL and fifty sex and age matched apparently healthy subjects. The participants were subjected to these laboratory investigations: complete blood count, serum lactate dehydrogenase and β2microglobulin (β₂M) levels and determination of PD-1, FOXP3, GrA, GrB and CD11c gene expressions.ResultsThe results of this study revealed that PD-1, FOXP3, GrA, GrB and CD11c gene expressions were significantly increased in DLBCL patients.ConclusionPatients with DLBCL have variablePD-1, FOXP3,GrA, GrB and CD11cgene expressions levels, which are correlated with the overall survival (OS) indicating that they can be good predictors of outcome in these patients.     

A pilot study on the relation between irisin single-nucleotide polymorphism and risk of myocardial infarction

BackgroundMyocardial infarction (MI) is the major cause of death and disability worldwide. Many recent studies revealed the relationship between circulating irisin levels, endothelial dysfunctions and subclinical atherosclerosis in adult patients.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of Irisin gene single nucleotide polymorphism in patients with MI and its association with other clinical and laboratory variables in these patients.Patients and methodsThis study was carried out in 100 patients with MI, and 100 healthy subjects served as controls. All studied subjects underwent laboratory investigations, including measurement of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB), troponin I (TnI) and genotyping of rs 3480 and rs726344 of Irisin genes using the TaqMan Allelic Discrimination assay technique.ResultsThere was a significant difference of Irisin genotypes in patients when compared to controls. By estimating odd ratio (OR) an association was found between G allele of rs 3480 and A allele of rs726344with increase the risk of developing myocardial infarction by 4.03 and 3.47 fold respectively. GG of rs 3480 carriers had significantly increased Troponin I and triglyceride levels, while GA carriers of rs726344 had significantly increased CKMB, Total cholesterol, LDLc, HDLc, troponin I and triglyceride levels compared with other genotypes.ConclusionG allele of rs 3480 and A allele of rs726344can considered as genetic risk factors for MI; these findings could have an impact on preventive strategy for myocardial infarction.     

Thirty-Year Time Series of PCB Concentrations in a Small Invertivorous Fish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Notropis Hudsonius</Emphasis>): An Examination of Post-1990 Trajectory Shifts in the Lower Great Lakes

The production and use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been restricted in North America since the 1970s; yet, PCBs are still detected in all components of the Great Lakes ecosystems. Our objective was to determine how total PCB (PCB_T) concentrations in spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonius) changed over the period 1975–2007 in the lower Great Lakes. Trends were best described by three basic models: (1) piecewise models where concentrations followed a decreasing trend before the break point (T) and an increasing trend post-T (Lake St. Clair, eastern Lake Erie, and upper Niagara River); (2) piecewise models where concentrations decreased both pre- and post-T but where the rate of decline post-T was less than that pre-T (western Lake Erie and Niagara River’s Tonawanda Channel); and (3) linear models where concentrations declined at a constant rate across the entire temporal range (lower Niagara River and western Lake Ontario). Piecewise models best described the trends in shallow areas that are susceptible to full water-column mixing whereas constant-slope models best described trends in deeper areas. For piecewise models, T typically occurred during the years 1988–1992. Two events coincided with this timing: (1) a sustained shift towards warming summer temperatures and (2) the proliferation of dreissenid mussels (Dreissena spp.). The weight-of-evidence suggests that the dreissenid invasions were a more likely driving factor behind the observed trends.     

Immobilization of trypsin onto "molded" macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) rods and use of the conjugates as bioreactors and for affinity chromatography

Trypsin immobilization onto continuous "molded" rods of porous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) and some applications of the conjugate have been studied. The rods polymerized within a tubular mold (chromatographic column), were treated in situ with ethylenediamine, activated with glutaraldehyde and finally modified with trypsin. The performance of the trypsin-modified rods was evaluated and compared to that of poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) beads, modified with the same enzyme. Overall the enzyme-modified rods performed substantially better than the corresponding beads. In particular, the performance of the molded supports as enzymatic reactors or as chromatographic media benefits greatly from the enhanced mass transfer that is characteristic of the molded rod at high flow rates. (c) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Mitochondrial mismatch analysis is insensitive to the mutational process

Mismatch distributions are histograms showing the pattern of nucleotide (or restriction) site differences between pairs of individuals in a sample. They can be used to test hypotheses about the history of population size and subdivision (if selective neutrality is assumed) or about selection (if a constant population size is assumed). Previous work has assumed that mutations never strike the same site twice, an assumption that is called the model of infinite sites. Fortunately, the results are surprisingly robust even when this assumption is violated. We show here that (1) confidence regions inferred using the infinite- sites model differ little from those inferred using a model of finite sites with uniform site-specific mutation rates, and (2) even when site- specific mutation rates follow a gamma distribution, confidence regions are little changed until the gamma shape parameter falls well below its plausible range, to roughly 0.01. In addition, we evaluate and reject the proposition that mismatch waves are produced by pooling data from several subdivisions of a structured population.