This study analyzed the effects of pseudoephedrine (PSE) provided at different time of day on neuromuscular performance, side effects, and violation of the current doping cut‐off threshold World ...Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA). Nine resistance‐trained males carried out bench press and full squat exercises against four incremental loads (25%, 50%, 75%, and 90% one repetition maximum 1RM), in a randomized, double‐blind, cross‐over design. Participants ingested either 180 mg of PSE (supra‐therapeutic dose) or placebo in the morning (7:00 h; AMPLAC and AMPSE) and in the afternoon (17:00 h; PMPLAC and PMPSE). PSE enhanced muscle contraction velocity against 25% and 50% 1RM loads, only when it was ingested in the mornings, and only in the full squat exercise (4.4–8.7%; P < 0.05). PSE ingestion raised urine and plasma PSE concentrations (P < 0.05) regardless of time of day; however, cathine only increased in the urine samples. PSE ingestion resulted in positive tests occurring in 11% of samples, and it rose some adverse side effects such us tachycardia and heart palpitations. Ingestion of a single dose of 180 mg of PSE results in enhanced lower body muscle contraction velocity against low and moderate loads only in the mornings. These mild performance improvements are accompanied by undesirable side effects and an 11% risk of surpassing the doping threshold.
This work aims to investigate the correlation between the painting materials used by Picasso to create four artworks in Barcelona in 1917 and their actual conditions. Specifically, a range of crack ...types and patterns was observed in the painted layers. The paintings, kept together in Picasso’s family house until they were donated to the Museu Picasso in 1970, had significant differences in their condition, even though they present several similarities in the choice of materials, technique and in their conservation history. A multi-analytical approach was adopted to characterise the painted layers by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy in the 350–2200 nm range, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The obtained results have been combined with those from a previous analytical campaign focused on the study of grounds and canvases of these four paintings and with visual examination of the cracks to establish hypotheses about the differences in degradation. This combined overview of non-invasive documentation techniques, chemical analysis and observations of the mechanical damage has provided an insight into the possible contribution each layer could have played in the damage observed in the four canvas paintings.
The purpose of this study was to compare tympanic (measured by infrared thermometry; Tty- (IRED)) with rectal and esophageal temperatures (T(REC) and T(ES)) during exercise in the heat. During ...Experiment 1, nine subjects pedaled for 55 min in a hot-dry environment (37 degrees C; 27% humidity) in still-air (<0.2 m/s) and for 10 additional min using water ingestion, wind and ice to cool them down. During Experiment 2, subjects pedaled for 90 min in a similar environment but with airflow at 2.5 m/s. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) and Bland-Altman plots were calculated. In Experiment 1, Tty-(IRED) and T (REC) were highly correlated (r=0.83; p<0.001) with close agreement (-0.08+/-0.4 degrees C). Overall Tty-(IRED) was significantly correlated with T(ES) (r=0.91; p<0.001). Cold water ingestion did not affect Tty-(IRED) or T(REC) but lowered T(ES). Wind and ice application lowered Tty- (IRED) below T(REC) (p<0.05). During Experiment 2, Tty-(IRED) was lower than T(REC) (p<0.05) and the difference increased throughout exercise as hyperthermia developed resulting in low agreement (-1.01+/-1.1 degrees C). In conclusion, Tty- (IRED) dangerously underestimates T(REC) when exercising in a hot environment with airflow or during a cooling treatment. However, it could correctly detect hyperthermia during exercise in a hot still-air environment.
Abstract
Funding Acknowledgements
Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN), through the Carlos III Institute ...of Health (ISCIII)-Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI19/00545)
Background
Increasing evidences advocate for an important function of T cells in controlling immune homeostasis and pathogenesis after myocardial infarction (MI), although the molecular mechanisms remain elusive.
Result and Methods
In this study, a broad analysis of immune markers in 283 patients show a significant CD69 overexpression on Treg cells after MI. Our results in mice demonstrate that CD69 expression on Treg cells increases survival after left-anterior-descending coronary artery (LAD)-ligation. Cd69-/- mice develop strong IL17A+ gdT cell responses after ischemia that increase myocardial inflammation and, consequently, worsen cardiac function. CD69+ Treg cells induce apoptosis and decrease IL-17A production in gdT cells by a CD39-dependent mechanism. Adoptive transfer of CD69+ Treg cells to Cd69-/- mice after LAD-ligation reduces IL17A+ gdT cell recruitment increasing survival. Consistently, clinical data from two independent cohorts of patients indicate that increased CD69 expression in peripheral blood cells after acute MI is associated with a lower risk of re-hospitalization for chronic heart failure (CHF) after 2.5 years of follow-up. This result remained significant after adjustment for age, sex and traditional cardiac damage biomarkers (OR 0.929, 95% CI, 0.838-0.980; p<0.0409).
Conclusion
Our data highlight CD69 expression on T cells as a therapeutic and prognostic target to prevent CHF after MI.
To determine whether airflow is required to obtain the beneficial effects of rehydration (thermoregulatory and cardiovascular) during exercise in dry heat.
Ten moderately trained (VO2max = 55 +/- 8 ...mL.kg(-1).min(-1)) heat acclimated males pedaled for 60 min at 60% VO2max in a hot-dry environment (36 +/- 1 degrees C; 29 +/- 2% relative humidity) on four different occasions: 1) without rehydration or forced airflow (control trial; CON); 2) rehydrating 100% of sweat losses by ingestion of a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (rehydration trial; REH); 3) receiving airflow at a velocity of 2.55 m.s(-1) (wind trial; WIND); and 4) combining airflow and rehydration (W + R).
Without airflow, rehydration alone (REH) did not lower rectal temperature below CON (39.0 +/- 0.1 vs 39.1 +/- 0.1 degrees C at 60 min; respectively). However, with airflow, rehydration reduced final rectal temperature (38.8 +/- 0.1 vs 38.5 +/- 0.1 degrees C; P < 0.05; WIND vs W + R). In the trials with wind (WIND and W + R), skin temperature was reduced by about 0.6 degrees C (P < 0.05), and heart rate drift was prevented. In the trials with rehydration (REH and W + R trials), cardiac output (CO2-rebreathing technique) was maintained higher than CON (16.5 +/- 0.4 and 17.0 +/- 0.7 vs 15.4 +/- 0.4 L.min(-1), respectively; P < 0.05).
When exercising in a hot-dry environment, airflow is required for rehydration to improve thermoregulation and cardiovascular function.
This study was conducted to determine the effect of high pedaling cadences on maximal cycling power output (W(max)).
Nine well-trained cyclists performed a continuous, incremental cycle-ergometer ...test to exhaustion (25 W increases every 3 min) either at 80, 100, or 120 rpm on three different occasions.
W(max) was approximately 9% lower during 120 rpm in comparison with 80 and 100 rpm (335 +/- 9, 363 +/- 7, and 370 +/- 12 W, respectively; P < 0.05). During 120 rpm, ventilation rate (V(E)) increased above the increases in expired CO(2), which reduced the power output (PO) at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VT(2)) by 11% (P < 0.05). Gross efficiency (GE) did not differ among trials. At 120 rpm, capillary blood lactate concentration (Lac) increased above the 80-rpm trial (5.3 +/- 1.2 vs 3.0 +/- 0.7 mM at 300 W; P < 0.05), although pH was not reduced. At 120 rpm, expired CO(2) increased and reduced blood bicarbonate concentration (HCO(3)(-)) was reduced, maintaining blood pH similar to the other trials.
A high pedaling cadence (i.e., 120 rpm) reduces performance (i.e., W(max)) and anaerobic threshold during an incremental test in well-trained cyclists. The data suggest that ventilatory anaerobic threshold (VT(2)) is a sensitive predictor of optimal pedaling cadence for performance, whereas blood pH or efficiency is not.
Microbiological spectrum and outcome of infectious complications following small bowel transplantation (SBT) have not been thoroughly characterized. We performed a retrospective analysis of all ...patients undergoing SBT from 2004 to 2013 in Spain. Sixty‐nine patients underwent a total of 87 SBT procedures (65 pediatric, 22 adult). The median follow‐up was 867 days. Overall, 81 transplant patients (93.1%) developed 263 episodes of infection (incidence rate: 2.81 episodes per 1000 transplant‐days), with no significant differences between adult and pediatric populations. Most infections were bacterial (47.5%). Despite universal prophylaxis, 22 transplant patients (25.3%) developed cytomegalovirus disease, mainly in the form of enteritis. Specifically, 54 episodes of opportunistic infection (OI) occurred in 35 transplant patients. Infection was the major cause of mortality (17 of 24 deaths). Multivariate analysis identified retransplantation (hazard ratio HR: 2.21; 95% confidence interval CI: 1.02–4.80; p = 0.046) and posttransplant renal replacement therapy (RRT; HR: 4.19; 95% CI: 1.40–12.60; p = 0.011) as risk factors for OI. RRT was also a risk factor for invasive fungal disease (IFD; HR: 24.90; 95% CI: 5.35–115.91; p < 0.001). In conclusion, infection is the most frequent complication and the leading cause of death following SBT. Posttransplant RRT and retransplantation identify those recipients at high risk for developing OI and IFD.
Analysis of clinical and microbiological data of 87 small bowel transplant patients demonstrates that infection is a major complication after transplant, and retransplantation and the posttransplant requirement for renal replacement therapy are associated with a higher risk of developing opportunistic infections and invasive fungal disease.
This study reports on 382 COVID-19 patients having undergone allogeneic (n = 236) or autologous (n = 146) hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) reported to the European Society for Blood and ...Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) or to the Spanish Group of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (GETH). The median age was 54.1 years (1.0-80.3) for allogeneic, and 60.6 years (7.7-81.6) for autologous HCT patients. The median time from HCT to COVID-19 was 15.8 months (0.2-292.7) in allogeneic and 24.6 months (-0.9 to 350.3) in autologous recipients. 83.5% developed lower respiratory tract disease and 22.5% were admitted to an ICU. Overall survival at 6 weeks from diagnosis was 77.9% and 72.1% in allogeneic and autologous recipients, respectively. Children had a survival of 93.4%. In multivariate analysis, older age (p = 0.02), need for ICU (p < 0.0001) and moderate/high immunodeficiency index (p = 0.04) increased the risk while better performance status (p = 0.001) decreased the risk for mortality. Other factors such as underlying diagnosis, time from HCT, GVHD, or ongoing immunosuppression did not significantly impact overall survival. We conclude that HCT patients are at high risk of developing LRTD, require admission to ICU, and have increased mortality in COVID-19.
This research work proposes an innovative water resource recovery facility (WRRF) for the recovery of energy, nutrients and reclaimed water from sewage, which represents a promising approach towards ...enhanced circular economy scenarios. To this aim, anaerobic technology, microalgae cultivation, and membrane technology were combined in a dedicated platform. The proposed platform produces a high-quality solid- and coliform-free effluent that can be directly discharged to receiving water bodies identified as sensitive areas. Specifically, the content of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus in the effluent was 45 mg COD·L
, 14.9 mg N·L
and 0.5 mg P·L
, respectively. Harvested solar energy and carbon dioxide biofixation in the form of microalgae biomass allowed remarkable methane yields (399 STP L CH
·kg
COD
) to be achieved, equivalent to theoretical electricity productions of around 0.52 kWh per m
of wastewater entering the WRRF. Furthermore, 26.6% of total nitrogen influent load was recovered as ammonium sulphate, while nitrogen and phosphorus were recovered in the biosolids produced (650 ± 77 mg N·L
and 121.0 ± 7.2 mg P·L
).
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