Evidence for the efficacy of low-volume high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for the modulation of body composition is unclear.
We examined the effect of low-volume HIIT versus a non-exercising ...control and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness in normal weight, overweight and obese adults. We evaluated the impact of low-volume HIIT (HIIT interventions where the total amount of exercise performed during training was ≤ 500 metabolic equivalent minutes per week MET-min/week) compared to a non-exercising control and MICT.
A database search was conducted in PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus and Scopus from the earliest record to June 2019 for studies (randomised controlled trials and non-randomised controlled trials) with exercise training interventions with a minimum 4-week duration. Meta-analyses were conducted for between-group (low-volume HIIT vs. non-exercising control and low-volume HIIT vs. MICT) comparisons for change in total body fat mass (kg), body fat percentage (%), lean body mass (kg) and cardiorespiratory fitness.
From 11,485 relevant records, 47 studies were included. No difference was found between low-volume HIIT and a non-exercising control on total body fat mass (kg) (effect size ES: - 0.129, 95% confidence interval CI - 0.468 to 0.210; p = 0.455), body fat (%) (ES: - 0.063, 95% CI - 0.383 to 0.257; p = 0.700) and lean body mass (kg) (ES: 0.050, 95% CI - 0.250 to 0.351; p = 0.744), or between low-volume HIIT and MICT on total body fat mass (kg) (ES: - 0.021, 95% CI - 0.272 to 0.231; p = 0.872), body fat (%) (ES: 0.005, 95% CI - 0.294 to 0.304; p = 0.974) and lean body mass (kg) (ES: 0.030, 95% CI - 0.167 to 0.266; p = 0.768). However, low-volume HIIT significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness compared with a non-exercising control (p < 0.001) and MICT (p = 0.017).
These data suggest that low-volume HIIT is inefficient for the modulation of total body fat mass or total body fat percentage in comparison with a non-exercise control and MICT. A novel finding of our meta-analysis was that there appears to be no significant effect of low-volume HIIT on lean body mass when compared with a non-exercising control, and while most studies tended to favour improvement in lean body mass with low-volume HIIT versus MICT, this was not significant. However, despite its lower training volume, low-volume HIIT induces greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness than a non-exercising control and MICT in normal weight, overweight and obese adults. Low-volume HIIT, therefore, appears to be a time-efficient treatment for increasing fitness, but not for the improvement of body composition.
Recent evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may contribute to cognitive reserve (CR) in normal aging. However, there is currently no neuroimaging evidence to suggest that lifelong bilinguals ...can retain normal cognitive functioning in the face of age-related neurodegeneration. Here we explored this issue by comparing white matter (WM) integrity and gray matter (GM) volumetric patterns of older adult lifelong bilinguals (N=20) and monolinguals (N=20). The groups were matched on a range of relevant cognitive test scores and on the established CR variables of education, socioeconomic status and intelligence. Participants underwent high-resolution structural imaging for assessment of GM volume and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for assessment of WM integrity. Results indicated significantly lower microstructural integrity in the bilingual group in several WM tracts. In particular, compared to their monolingual peers, the bilingual group showed lower fractional anisotropy and/or higher radial diffusivity in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus/inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus bilaterally, the fornix, and multiple portions of the corpus callosum. There were no group differences in GM volume. Our results suggest that lifelong bilingualism contributes to CR against WM integrity declines in aging.
•We explored whether lifelong bilingualism contributes to cognitive reserve.•Bilingual and monolingual older adults participated.•Groups were matched on demographic variables and cognitive test scores.•Bilinguals had lower white matter integrity than monolinguals.•Lifelong bilingualism appears to contribute to cognitive reserve.
Dodders (Cuscuta spp.) are obligate parasitic plants that obtain water and nutrients from the stems of host plants via specialized feeding structures called haustoria. Dodder haustoria facilitate ...bidirectional movement of viruses, proteins and mRNAs between host and parasite, but the functional effects of these movements are not known. Here we show that Cuscuta campestris haustoria accumulate high levels of many novel microRNAs (miRNAs) while parasitizing Arabidopsis thaliana. Many of these miRNAs are 22 nucleotides in length. Plant miRNAs of this length are uncommon, and are associated with amplification of target silencing through secondary short interfering RNA (siRNA) production. Several A. thaliana mRNAs are targeted by 22-nucleotide C. campestris miRNAs during parasitism, resulting in mRNA cleavage, secondary siRNA production, and decreased mRNA accumulation. Hosts with mutations in two of the loci that encode target mRNAs supported significantly higher growth of C. campestris. The same miRNAs that are expressed and active when C. campestris parasitizes A. thaliana are also expressed and active when it infects Nicotiana benthamiana. Homologues of target mRNAs from many other plant species also contain the predicted target sites for the induced C. campestris miRNAs. These data show that C. campestris miRNAs act as trans-species regulators of host-gene expression, and suggest that they may act as virulence factors during parasitism.
Elastocaloric cooling, a solid-state cooling technology, exploits the latent heat released and absorbed by stress-induced phase transformations. Hysteresis associated with transformation, however, is ...detrimental to efficient energy conversion and functional durability. We have created thermodynamically efficient, low-hysteresis elastocaloric cooling materials by means of additive manufacturing of nickel-titanium. The use of a localized molten environment and near-eutectic mixing of elemental powders has led to the formation of nanocomposite microstructures composed of a nickel-rich intermetallic compound interspersed among a binary alloy matrix. The microstructure allowed extremely small hysteresis in quasi-linear stress-strain behaviors-enhancing the materials efficiency by a factor of four to seven-and repeatable elastocaloric performance over 1 million cycles. Implementing additive manufacturing to elastocaloric cooling materials enables distinct microstructure control of high-performance metallic refrigerants with long fatigue life.
High‐intensity interval training (HIIT) is characterised by short bouts of high‐intensity submaximal exercise interspersed with rest periods. Low‐volume HIIT, typically involving less than 15 min of ...high‐intensity exercise per session, is being increasingly investigated in healthy and clinical populations due to its time‐efficient nature and purported health benefits. The findings from recent trials suggest that low‐volume HIIT can induce similar, and at times greater, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, glucose control, blood pressure, and cardiac function when compared to more traditional forms of aerobic exercise training including high‐volume HIIT and moderate intensity continuous training, despite requiring less time commitment and lower energy expenditure. Although further studies are required to elucidate the precise mechanisms of action, metabolic improvements appear to be driven, in part, by enhanced mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity, whereas certain cardiovascular improvements are linked to increased left ventricular function as well as greater central and peripheral arterial compliance. Beyond the purported health benefits, low‐volume HIIT appears to be safe and well‐tolerated in adults, with high rates of reported exercise adherence and low adverse effects.
figure legend Low‐volume high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) is safe and effective for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiac function, blood glucose levels, and blood pressure. Typical low‐volume HIIT protocols involve one four‐minute interval or ten one‐minute intervals at intensities between 80‐100% of maximal oxygen uptake.
Background & Aims Exercise is an integral component of lifestyle intervention aimed at weight loss, but an independent benefit of exercise in NAFLD has also been suggested. Methods We aimed to ...evaluate the efficacy of aerobic exercise and/or progressive resistance training for the modulation of liver fat and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in adults. Relevant databases were searched up to August 2011 for controlled trials, which compared regular exercise vs. a non-exercise control on change in liver fat and/or ALT. Results Of the 16,822 studies from the initial search, 12 were included. There was a significant pooled effect size (ES) for the comparison between exercise therapy vs. control (ES = −0.37, 95% CI: −0.06 to −0.69; p = 0.02), but only when interventions which compared combined exercise and diet vs. diet-alone and achieved substantial weight loss, were omitted. The benefit of exercise on liver fat occurred with minimal or no weight loss. There was no effect of exercise alone vs. control on ALT (ES = −0.15, 95% CI: 0.14 to −0.45; p = 0.32). Conclusions Individual reports of exercise interventions often have low sample sizes and insufficient power to detect clinically meaningful hepatic benefits. By pooling current research, we show clear evidence for a benefit of exercise therapy on liver fat but not ALT levels. This benefit is apparent with minimal or no weight loss and at exercise levels below current exercise recommendations for obesity management. Given the paucity of current treatment options, exercise provides a valid, low-cost therapy for disorders characterised by fatty liver.
Clinical trials of novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) have consumed a large amount of time and resources with largely negative results. Repurposing drugs already approved by the Food and ...Drug Administration (FDA) for another indication is a more rapid and less expensive option. We present DRIAD (Drug Repurposing In AD), a machine learning framework that quantifies potential associations between the pathology of AD severity (the Braak stage) and molecular mechanisms as encoded in lists of gene names. DRIAD is applied to lists of genes arising from perturbations in differentiated human neural cell cultures by 80 FDA-approved and clinically tested drugs, producing a ranked list of possible repurposing candidates. Top-scoring drugs are inspected for common trends among their targets. We propose that the DRIAD method can be used to nominate drugs that, after additional validation and identification of relevant pharmacodynamic biomarker(s), could be readily evaluated in a clinical trial.
Recent advances in hematology-oncology have pioneered cell-mediated elimination of pathologic B-cell populations employing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. In this review, we discuss recent ...adoption of CAR-T treatment for severe refractory autoimmune disease. We highlight unique aspects of the autoimmune model and review current clinical data regarding treatment of rheumatologic disease.
To date, several CAR-Ts are FDA approved for Multiple Myeloma and B-cell malignancies and have demonstrated extraordinary clinical responses in refractory disease. Realizing the central role of B-cells in certain autoimmune diseases, CAR-T is now being explored for achieving drug-free remission induction, and potentially cure, of several rheumatologic diseases. The largest experience to date in the field of autoimmunity, building off the University Hospital Erlangen groups' earlier success treating a single patient with CD19-CAR in severe refractory SLE, Mackensen et al. enrolled five patients in a compassionate use program. Following autologous CD19-CAR T infusion, they demonstrated drug-free clinical and laboratory remission for at least 12 months in all five patients, with reconstitution of B cells expressing a naïve phenotype.
CAR-T treatment has shown striking drug-free responses in severe lupus and other autoimmune diseases, creating a need for further exploration and development.
Recent behavioral data have shown that lifelong bilingualism can maintain youthful cognitive control abilities in aging. Here, we provide the first direct evidence of a neural basis for the bilingual ...cognitive control boost in aging. Two experiments were conducted, using a perceptual task-switching paradigm, including a total of 110 participants. In Experiment 1, older adult bilinguals showed better perceptual switching performance than their monolingual peers. In Experiment 2, younger and older adult monolinguals and bilinguals completed the same perceptual task-switching experiment while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed. Typical age-related performance reductions and fMRI activation increases were observed. However, like younger adults, bilingual older adults outperformed their monolingual peers while displaying decreased activation in left lateral frontal cortex and cingulate cortex. Critically, this attenuation of age-related over-recruitment associated with bilingualism was directly correlated with better task-switching performance. In addition, the lower blood oxygenation level-dependent response in frontal regions accounted for 82% of the variance in the bilingual task-switching reaction time advantage. These results suggest that lifelong bilingualism offsets age-related declines in the neural efficiency for cognitive control processes.
•The parasitic plant Cuscuta exchanges diverse macromolecules with its hosts.•Trans-species microRNAs from Cuscuta regulate host genes.•The genes encoding these microRNAs could originate from ...horizontal-gene transfer events.•Extracellular vesicles are one possible mechanism for how trans-species microRNAs are delivered to the host.
Parasitic plants make direct contact with their host’s vasculature. In parasitism by Cuscuta, RNA and other macromolecules regularly move between host and parasite. Recently, trans-species microRNA from Cuscuta have been shown to functionally target host genes which have essential roles in host defense. Known pathways for the evolution of microRNAs, and the prevalence of horizontal gene transfer events in the Cuscuta lineage, hint that trans-species microRNAs could originate from captured host genes. It is unknown how the delivery of microRNAs from the parasite to the host takes place. One exciting possibility is through apoplastic export using extracellular vesicles, a process which has recently been shown to transport select small RNAs in plants and fungi. These discoveries represent the initial findings of what may be a widespread mechanism of interactions between species.
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